The Mysterious Examiner!

Ye Tianming had never expected these Myriad Law Realm experts to grow stronger along with the challenger's cultivation realm.

Just how terrifying would ten Minor Tribulation Realm experts be?

Seeing that the phantoms were about to reach the Minor Tribulation Realm, Ye Tianming no longer dared hold anything back. He charged forward, a sheathed iron longsword appearing in his hand. In the blink of an eye, he reached a Myriad Law Realm expert and drew his sword in a fierce slash.

Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique!

Tower Ancestor had taught him this technique before.

Hum!

A sword's cry rang out, and a flash of lightning-laced sword light sent the Myriad Law Realm expert flying dozens of zhang backward. The moment he stopped, he dissipated.

After shattering the Myriad Law Realm expert with one strike, Ye Tianming darted sideways and sheathed his sword. He appeared before another Myriad Law Realm expert in an instant and drew his sword in a fierce downward slash.

Bang!

Another Myriad Law Realm expert was instantly shattered, and Ye Tianming had already vanished from the spot, charging toward the next...

In the span of a few breaths, he struck several times, cutting down one Myriad Law Realm expert with each blow. After all, he was now in the Minor Tribulation Realm, and his cultivation realm suppressed theirs. Soon, only three of the ten phantoms remained. By then, the three remaining phantoms had reached the Minor Tribulation Realm, and each now held a sword.

Whatever abilities the challenger used, they could possess as well.

Ye Tianming stopped and looked at the three Minor Tribulation Realm experts holding longswords in the distance. There was no gravity in his eyes, only excitement, because he had realized that, managed properly, this place was practically a holy land for cultivation.

The Ye Family could never have a dedicated cultivation ground. Only great clans and sects could have one, and it cost a great deal of money to maintain. But now, here was a free place to train.

He certainly couldn't beat ten Minor Tribulation Realm experts, but three... he could use them as sparring partners.

Just then, the three Minor Tribulation Realm experts vanished from where they stood.

Three Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Techniques!

Seeing that they could also use his sword technique, Ye Tianming was slightly taken aback. Rather than retreat, he advanced, charging forward and driving a fierce sword strike straight at the three Minor Tribulation Realm experts.

Boom!

Four flashes of sword light suddenly erupted across the field. Ye Tianming was driven back again and again, but he quickly stopped and charged at the three Minor Tribulation Realm experts once more.

He wasn't fighting for nothing. He was carefully observing the three Minor Tribulation Realm experts' fighting methods and the Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique they used. They had been copied entirely from his own abilities, so discovering their strengths and weaknesses was the same as discovering his own.

Through careful observation, he realized that he wasn't fast enough, the angles of his sword strikes weren't tricky enough, and his reactions were somewhat sluggish. His movements were also a little flashy and not efficient enough... all because he lacked practical combat experience.

These weren't things he could immediately correct in a short time!

However, as he watched the three Minor Tribulation Realm experts use the Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique, a thought suddenly occurred to him. The technique focused on the explosive force released the moment the sword was drawn... could that force be stacked?

I'll draw my sword twice in succession!

As long as I'm fast enough, the two bursts of force can merge into one. Then the power...

As soon as the thought occurred to him, he acted.

When the three Minor Tribulation Realm experts charged at him, his eyes slowly closed, and his right hand gripped the hilt tightly. The next moment, he drew his sword in a fierce slash. The instant he drew and struck, he thrust the sword back into its sheath, then drew it for another slash.

Boom!

A burst of sword light erupted, instantly pulverizing the three Minor Tribulation Realm experts... His sword and sheath were destroyed along with them, unable to withstand two stacked Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Techniques. Not only that, but his entire right arm had split open, spraying blood and exposing stark white bone.

"Holy shit!"

Little Pagoda was suddenly alarmed. "Damn it, I never taught you how to stack that move! How did you learn it? Holy shit..."

Ye Tianming looked at his bloody hand and began to laugh, his laughter growing louder and louder.

If he could stack two, he could stack three, four, five, ten thousand...

There was no upper limit to this sword technique.

Little Pagoda hurriedly asked again, "How did you think of stacking them?"

Ye Tianming asked in return, "Has anyone stacked them before?"

Little Pagoda said solemnly, "Yes..."

Ye Tianming smiled. "The senior who created this sword technique was no ordinary person. I underestimated it before. This sword technique is at least emperor-grade, perhaps even higher, right, Tower Ancestor?"

Little Pagoda said, "I don't know either. I just happened to find it in a secret realm back then..."

Ye Tianming nodded. "I understand, I understand."

Little Pagoda: "..."

Ye Tianming took out a piece of white cloth and bandaged himself, then said, "I wonder what the second trial is like..."

As he spoke, he vanished. When he reappeared, he was outside, and a second gate appeared before him.

Clamor!

The crowd immediately erupted in an uproar.

The appearance of the second gate meant he had passed the first trial.

Everyone stared at Ye Tianming in shock.

Elder Yu and Xiao Nu's faces turned pale. At that moment, they finally began to panic.

They had thought Ye Tianming was certain to fail, but they had never expected him to pass the first trial.

Xiao Nu stared fixedly at Ye Tianming on the Guanxuan Dao. "We can't let him live. We can't let him live. We have to kill him..."

Killing intent surged from him.

"Have you gone mad?"

Elder Yu suddenly turned to Xiao Nu and shouted angrily, "If you act now, even the full might of your Xiao Family won't be able to save you."

Xiao Nu abruptly came to his senses.

Ye Tianming was attempting the Guanxuan Dao, and who knew how many people in Wan Prefecture were watching? If he were killed before everyone's eyes... it would arouse public outrage. Never mind the Xiao Family-even a first-rate clan wouldn't be able to protect Xiao Nu.

Elder Yu suppressed the killing intent in his heart and looked at Ye Tianming in the distance. "He's only passed the first trial. There are two more. What are you afraid of?"

Hearing Elder Yu's words, Xiao Nu immediately breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly. "Right, right, he's only passed the first trial..."

Even so, a trace of unease rose in both their hearts.

On the Guanxuan Dao, Ye Tianming had already entered the second gate. As soon as he stepped through, a sheet of white light rushed at him, leaving him unable to open his eyes.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he opened his eyes. By then, he was in a vegetable garden.

Ye Tianming was somewhat puzzled.

"It's been a long time since anyone came."

A voice suddenly came from behind Ye Tianming.

He turned and saw a woman standing not far away. She wore a pale yellow dress and was exceedingly beautiful. Holding a hoe in her right hand and resting her left hand on her hip, she looked at him with a smile.

Ye Tianming was puzzled. "Senior, who are you?"

The woman wiped the beads of sweat from her face and smiled sweetly. "Your examiner."

Ye Tianming hesitated, then said, "Could you go easy on me?"

The woman laughed. "In your dreams."

Ye Tianming bowed slightly. "Then please give me the test, Senior."

The woman smiled. "There's no rush. Wait until I loosen the soil in this patch."

With that, she picked up her hoe and began loosening the soil.

Ye Tianming could only wait. Looking around, he asked inwardly, Tower Ancestor, is this world real?

Little Pagoda said, "It's real."

Ye Tianming was even more puzzled. How did I get here?

Little Pagoda said, "Through a method you can't understand yet."

Ye Tianming said, Tower Ancestor, you must have been doing quite well for yourself before, weren't you?

Little Pagoda burst out laughing. "Of course! Back then, beneath the three swords, I was invincible. The three swords..."

At that point, it realized something and hurriedly stopped. After a moment's silence, it continued, "You don't need to probe. I can tell you frankly that I did have some abilities back then, but now... sigh, I've been sealed. Aside from pointing you in the right direction when you lose your way, there's really very little else I can do to help you. So don't pin your hopes on me. You have to rely on yourself, understand?"

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then asked, Tower Ancestor, why did you choose me?

Little Pagoda said, "I think you're a person of destiny... with a very promising future."

Ye Tianming: "..."

"All right."

Just then, the woman in the distance spoke.

Ye Tianming drew his thoughts back and looked at her. Carrying her hoe, she walked toward him.

Ye Tianming took a deep breath. He was naturally apprehensive about the coming test. In the thousand years the Guanxuan Dao had existed, only one person had passed it. He would not be so arrogant as to believe he was certain to make it through, and if he truly had no other path left, he would not have risked attempting it.

The woman came up to Ye Tianming and looked him over. Finally, her gaze fell on Little Pagoda at his waist, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she looked at it.

Little Pagoda: "..."

The woman glanced at the Sword of Upholding the Dao at Ye Tianming's waist and smiled. "Come with me."

She led Ye Tianming into the courtyard. In its center stood a wooden table and two benches. Beside them was a small stove with tea brewing on it.

Carrying a teapot, the woman walked over to the wooden table. "Please, sit."

Ye Tianming sat down. The woman took out two wooden teacups and poured him a cup, then brought out a fruit basket from under the table. It contained some tomatoes and cucumbers. She looked at Ye Tianming and smiled. "I grew them all myself. You can try some."

Ye Tianming answered honestly, "I'm not in the mood to eat."

The woman laughed. "Don't be nervous. This trial isn't complicated at all. I'll just ask you one question."

Ye Tianming said, "Please ask, Senior."

The woman looked at him. "Should the Guanxuan Sword Master exist?"

Ye Tianming: "..."

Little Pagoda: "..."