Like a nimble ape, he used the spring of the branches to speed forward. As he traveled, he quietly spread out his spiritual power, sweeping over every inch of ground below him.
Though he had never seen a Sword-Grinding Stone before, he knew it had to contain intense sword intent. As long as he searched carefully, it should not be difficult to find.
He continued darting ahead without pause, and soon half a day had passed.
"Something's wrong... We can stay in the Inner Valley for three days, and half a day has already passed. I haven't found anything. That shouldn't be possible..."
Nie Yun stopped, his brows knotted tightly.
Over the past half day, he had not seen a single Sword-Grinding Stone, nor had he encountered any other trial-takers.
Even with his soul suppressed, it could still spread across dozens of kilometers. In half a day, he had traveled no fewer than tens of thousands of kilometers, yet found nothing. It was impossible not to find that strange.
Could Sword-Grinding Stones truly be so difficult to find?
"Surely this isn't meant to be a blind search. If I keep looking like this, when will it ever end? I haven't found even one in half a day. Even with good luck, I'd only find six or seven in three days—not enough to beat the others!"
Realizing this, Nie Yun did not continue onward. Instead, he stopped and lowered his head in thought.
Before coming here, the Second Priest had explained the situation in the Inner Valley in detail. Although most people who entered forgot it afterward, a portion of them could still remember some things.
At the very least, they could clearly remember how many Sword-Grinding Stones they had obtained.
Leaving aside everyone else, when the Second Priest entered this