Watching Nie Qingcheng put away the two demon sages' swords, Jin Zhan's expression darkened.
He had never expected Nie Qingcheng to defeat this group of cultivators entirely on her own.
She had claimed both demon sages' swords without needing his help at all.
Having failed to obtain the Golden Peng Demon Sage's sword, Jin Zhan was already so furious he could cough up blood.
Perhaps this was the gap between people.
Ye Wushuang had two imperial weapons capable of advancing to the immortal artifact level in hand: the Immortal-Slaying Sword and the Heavenly Book of All Things.
It could be said that Ye Wushuang's equipment had already surpassed everyone else's. He was no longer on the same level as the other top geniuses.
Nie Qingcheng, too, possessed the Southern Brightness Li Fire Bow, which already had the makings of an imperial weapon, placing her at the very pinnacle of the younger generation.
Only Jin Zhan was like some stray by the roadside, having failed to seize even a single sage weapon here.
Jin Zhan could not help wanting to throw back his head and howl at the sky to vent his feelings.
Outside, he was clearly a renowned genius himself, yet here, he suffered setback after setback.
The geniuses from the other factions had each claimed sage weapons. Only he had seen the sacred sword he intended to seize taken away by Nie Qingcheng along with the other one.
Yet Nie Qingcheng far surpassed him in both strength and status, leaving him unable to show the slightest temper.
"The eight sage swords have finally all found their owners." Old Gravekeeper gazed at the geniuses below, a gleam in his eyes.
The Gravekeeper Elder had barely made his presence felt before this. Now, he suddenly released his aura and appeared below.
Sensing a powerful aura suddenly descend, the geniuses' hearts tightened, and they looked up toward the Gravekeeper Elder.
The Gravekeeper Elder cupped his hands. "Everyone, these eight sage swords have all found their owners. Please treat them well."
To a sword cultivator, a sword was not merely an ordinary weapon, but also a friend.
"Next, I will open this gate, which has been sealed for so long. Only those who can withstand three streaks of Sword Qi may enter and attempt to stir my master's All Under Heaven Sword."
The Gravekeeper Elder spoke slowly.
At these words, even these geniuses, who had seen much of the world, had eyes full of longing. The atmosphere instantly grew heated.
This was the weapon with which the Great Emperor of Eternal Night had attained his Dao-the All Under Heaven Sword that had slain a demon dragon thousands of years ago!
Smiling, they all bowed to the Gravekeeper Elder.
"You are too kind, senior. Having entered this final level and witnessed the Great Emperor of Eternal Night's life, we already have no regrets."
"If we can also catch a glimpse of the weapon with which the Great Emperor of Eternal Night attained his Dao, that would be our honor."
The Gravekeeper Elder's eyes were likewise filled with hope as he looked at the leading geniuses.
Perhaps his master's All Under Heaven Sword could truly leave its sheath.
It could be said that, of all the attempts, this was the one in which the Gravekeeper Elder felt the greatest hope that someone would stir the All Under Heaven Sword.
They had arrived at a golden age, where fortune gathered. Moreover, these were the strongest geniuses he had encountered in all this time.
The fairy of Immortal Feather Mountain who possessed the power of spiritual communion, Nie Qingcheng whose true form was a legendary sacred beast, the masked sword cultivator who wielded righteous power and a Sword Domain, and Ye Jinghong who had been born for the sword.
And the Heavenly Son of the Ye Lineage, Ye Wushuang, who exuded mystery at every turn and was the hardest for him to see through!
As for Ye Kongling and Ye Yanling, their talents were also top-notch, but the Gravekeeper Elder had already noticed that they both followed Ye Wushuang's lead, so they were no longer among his considerations.
That boy from the Xie Family did not have his heart set on the Dao of the Sword. One glance was enough to tell that he was merely going through the motions.
As for Ming Ye of the Nine Nether Imperial Dynasty, the aura of his Power of the Nine Netherworlds repulsed the old man too much, and his methods of devouring were cruel. Naturally, he would not be compatible with the All Under Heaven Sword.
And that boy with the Golden-Winged Great Peng bloodline was even less likely.
The Gravekeeper Elder considered him the least impressive genius among this group of leading talents from the various factions.
Not only had he failed to gain a sacred sword's recognition, but his strength also ranked at the very bottom among geniuses of the same level.
Circulating his power with one hand, the Gravekeeper Elder walked up to the Sword Heart Tomb's gate and slowly touched it.
A sword cry soared into the sky, shaking everyone's minds somewhat unsteadily.
Merely standing outside, they were already assailed by this powerful pressure.
The next moment, endless Sword Qi surged out, seemingly blasting the void itself into thunderous echoes.
Sword Qi shot skyward, tearing through the clouds and slashing toward the heavens.
"No wonder anyone who cannot withstand three streaks of Sword Qi is unqualified to enter the Sword Heart Tomb," a cultivator present said.
The pressure from merely opening the gate was already so powerful. If those lacking strength entered the Sword Heart Tomb, Sword Qi would likely surge through their bodies and kill them on the spot.
The Gravekeeper Elder raised his hand in an inviting gesture.
"Everyone, come. Walk up to the Sword Heart Tomb's gate one at a time, and three streaks of Sword Qi will naturally strike. Those who withstand the Sword Qi may enter."
As the Gravekeeper Elder finished speaking, everyone's gaze sharpened as they looked toward the Sword Heart Tomb.
Several cultivators walked up to the gate first, and three streaks of Sword Qi appeared before each of them.
The Sword Qi rushed at them, actually sending all of them flying.
Clearly, they had already lost their right to enter the Sword Heart Tomb.
Shock appeared on their faces. Outside, they were already geniuses of the major factions, yet they could not even pass the Sword Heart Tomb's entrance trial.
Afterward, people stepped forward to try one after another, but the result remained the same. No one could withstand the three streaks of Sword Qi.
This left them questioning their lives somewhat. Even if they could not gain the All Under Heaven Sword's recognition, they would have been perfectly satisfied merely to enter and catch a glimpse of the Great Emperor of Eternal Night's weapon.
They had never expected that they would not even make it through the Sword Heart Tomb's gate, lacking even the right to watch.
Were they being made to stay at the entrance and listen? To listen to these endless sword cries?
Xie Qianli chuckled. "This great master makes his dazzling entrance! Great Emperor of Eternal Night's weapon, here I come!"
Xie Qianli walked up to the gate, and three streaks of Sword Qi struck.
"Hiss, why does it hurt so much?!" Xie Qianli grimaced.
Though the Sword Qi was fierce, Xie Qianli did not budge. The next moment, he was transported into the Sword Heart Tomb.
Nie Qingcheng, Ming Ye, Jin Zhan, Ye Jinghong, Ye Kongling, Ye Yanling, Situ Xue, and the masked sword cultivator also walked up to the gate one by one and entered.
When Ye Wushuang's turn came, the Sword Qi seemed to sense something unseen. It did not strike, instead transporting him directly inside.
Apart from these leading geniuses, only six cultivators ultimately passed the Sword Heart Tomb's trial.
The Gravekeeper Elder nodded slightly and said slowly, "Worthy of being the strongest generation. To think so many have entered."
In every past generation, only a scant few had ultimately passed the trial and entered the Sword Heart Tomb.
Even among the geniuses who entered, very few gained the All Under Heaven Sword's recognition.
As for drawing the All Under Heaven Sword from its sheath, no genius throughout history had ever accomplished it.
Inside the Sword Heart Tomb.
When everyone was transported into the Sword Heart Tomb, all were stunned by the sight before them.
A golden longsword stood upright in midair.
The entire longsword seemed formed from the laws of the Dao of the Sword, and its sheath was covered in ancient sword patterns.
The essence of the sun and moon also flowed through those patterns, constantly nourishing the All Under Heaven Sword within its sheath.
It displayed no pressure toward them, yet merely by being there, it possessed a bearing that transcended the myriad Daos and stood above all the heavens.
They could not put into words the shock of seeing an imperial weapon for the first time.
This All Under Heaven Sword seemed filled with divinity.
It was unlike any mortal power. It was itself the will of the Dao of the Sword, pure to the utmost!