[Nameless Swordsmanship]

At the end of the Rainbow Bridge bathed in rosy light, light and shadow intertwine.

Qi Yun a step forward and immediately found himself in a completely different place.

The rainbow bridge behind me vanished silently.

Before me lay a tranquil space of no more than an acre, with a clear spring in the center.

The spring water is crystal clear, and you can see the smooth pebbles at the bottom.

A light mist hangs over the water, giving the surrounding air a refreshing coolness that seems to cleanse the Divine Soul.

Beside the pond stands an ancient stone tablet, inscribed with two weathered characters: [Reflection].

This is the second test in the Sword Inquiry Forest.

According to the information passed down by those who inherited the knowledge on the scroll, this pool is extraordinary.

Looking at one's reflection in the pond, the water will not reflect the seeker's appearance or physical form, but will directly reflect the essence of their spiritual practice.

Talent, innate qualities, Root Bone, Qi and Blood, the entangled causal threads of the past, and even the most mysterious, future potential in the path of Sword Dao.

The scene reflected varies from person to person.

It may be a state of chaos, foreshadowing an uncertain future.

It may be a weak seedling, symbolizing untapped potential.

It may already be the prototype of a towering tree, signifying unparalleled Sword Dao talent.

This test assesses one's "self-awareness" and "the wisdom to make choices."

A clear understanding of oneself is the cornerstone of choosing a path.

After the projection is completed, the power of inheritance will project several Sword Dao paths that are most suitable for the seeker's current state and potential traits into their mind, based on the projection results.

Those seeking the Dharma must combine their own temperament and preferences with the "Reflection" to make the initial choice that best suits them.

This choice is crucial.

This will directly determine what kind of Sword Dao inheritance test the seeker will encounter in the next realm.

Qi Yun to the edge of the pool, a hint of curiosity on his face, and looked down into the clear, mirror-like water.

As expected, the water surface did not reflect his disguised "Zhang Mazi" face, nor did it show his true appearance.

The pool water rippled gently, and the light and shadow shifted.

The first thing that appears is the foundation of his own Purple Mansion – within his Dantian, True Essence, like mercury, swirls and flows.

Within his body, a partially opened acupoint was faintly glowing.

With Root Bone constitution and abundant Qi and Blood, the person exudes a subtle, shimmering glow.

This demonstrates his outstanding qualities, a benefit brought about by the previous [Cinnabar Cicada Womb Treasury].

However, when the reflection in the pool attempted to touch that most fundamental [potential for Sword Dao].

The scene became blurry.

There was no clear outline of a seedling or a giant tree, nor was there any dazzling sword light soaring into the sky.

Instead, there was a hazy, ethereal, and ever-shifting phantom.

This illusory image sometimes gathers and disperses like clouds and smoke, and sometimes is as unfathomable as an abyss, yet none of them can settle down and clearly point to a fixed, smooth Sword Dao.

It is not as lifeless as chaos, nor as weak as a seedling, nor does it have a clear growth trajectory like a giant tree.

It's like a constantly changing probability, full of variables.

Qi Yun gazed at this unique reflection, his brows slightly raised.

Is this change due to the Law Technique Panel?

He guessed that it might be because the Law Technique Panel could constantly update the Swordsmanship version, which made it impossible for the Reflection Pool to evolve and calculate his ultimate Sword Dao potential.

Just as the reflected scene stabilized within this hazy, variable moment.

Three clear images suddenly appeared in Qi Yun's mind.

This represents the three most suitable Sword Dao paths for him, derived from his current state:

Firstly, the light and shadow are like mist and illusion, elusive and without trace. His sword style emphasizes "deception, strangeness, and change," and he is good at concealment, deceiving the enemy, and killing with one blow, or creating changes in the impossible. This is in line with his characteristics of being good at illusory body concealment and having a variety of methods.

This path of Sword Dao is called [Deceptive Mist].

Secondly, the light and shadow are heavy and solid, like the earth bearing the weight. The sword style emphasizes "stability, solidity, and resilience", and focuses on overwhelming people with momentum and using defense to replace offense. It has a solid foundation and long-lasting power, which is in line with his characteristics of having abundant True Essence and extremely strong defense with the Sunken Abyss Iron Sand.

This path of Sword Dao is called [Layered Peaks].

Thirdly, the light and shadow are as swift as lightning, and the trajectory is unpredictable. The Southern Brightness Devil Fire Sword Qi.

This path of Sword Dao is called [Flowing Light].

Each of the three paths has its advantages and disadvantages, and all of them align with certain of his current characteristics.

Qi Yun's gaze swept over the three sword shadows, and he immediately curled his lip slightly.

While the "Deceptive Mist" was suitable for concealment, it lacked a proper approach, leaning too much towards surprise attacks, which was not what he desired.

While "Layered Peaks" emphasizes defense, it is somewhat cumbersome, which is slightly inconsistent with his pursuit of freedom and dislike of constraints.

Although "Flowing Light" is swift and sharp, it is too extreme, and once it suffers a setback, it may be difficult to continue.

"You didn't put in the effort. You couldn't calculate my Sword Dao potential, so you just served me three random dishes?"

Shaking his head, Qi Yun's gaze finally fell back on that hazy shadow of change.

Since my future is full of uncertainties, why prematurely confine myself to a fixed "smooth road"?

Whether it's unpredictable, weighty, or swift, it's all just one aspect of the Sword Dao.

A true sword of freedom is not bound by form and can display any quality as needed.

Thinking of this, Qi Yun's eyes flickered slightly.

Try one first; if that doesn't work, then choose another one.

He did not choose any of the three clear sword shadows, but instead cast his pursuit of "freedom" and desire to control all changes towards the hazy, variable shadow in the pool.

I sensed his choice of "not to choose".

The hazy light and shadow in the pool suddenly boiled and expanded, engulfing the other three clear sword shadows.

The next moment, the calm pool water in front of Qi Yun began to swirl.

A deep whirlpool formed at the bottom of the pool, emanating a suction force.

Qi Yun glanced at the pool in front of him, then transformed into a wisp of pure energy and plunged into it.

The next moment.

He found himself in a boundless forest.

However, the "trees" here are not ordinary wood.

Instead, they were countless ancient swords thrust upside down into the vast earth.

The sword is the forest, and the forest is the sword.

Ancient swords of various shapes and sizes stretched as far as the eye could see.

Some are covered in rust, as if they have been asleep for eternity; some are cold and sharp, with Sword Qi spontaneously soaring into the sky and tearing through the clouds; some are entwined with thunderous divine fire, displaying a variety of strange phenomena; and some are deathly silent, yet exude a terrifying aura of destruction.

Thousands of different Sword Intent intertwine here, forming a dangerous yet opportunity-filled sword realm.

The land of clouds and seas is a question.

The Reflection Pool is a sword.

And this place is that forest.

Logically, after a seeker makes a choice in the "Reflection Pool," a seed of "Sword Intent" corresponding to the chosen path will naturally grow within their body.

With this seed of Sword Intent, one can walk through this forest and sense and attract ancient swords that resonate with it, causing them to emit clear sounds and shimmer with light, thereby obtaining specific Swordsmanship techniques.

However, Qi Yun did not choose any pre-set path when he stood in front of the Reflection Pool.

So at this moment, his body was completely empty, there was nothing inside.

Standing at the edge of the sword forest, he could clearly feel the sharp, weighty, or eerie aura emanating from the countless ancient swords around him.

Or perhaps, a faint, ethereal fluctuation of Sword Intent.

But they are separated by an invisible barrier, and there is no real connection between them and him.

"Without a pre-set Sword Intent, it's impossible to evoke a resonance?" Qi Yun frowned slightly, pondering for a moment.

He slowly closed his eyes, no longer trying to perceive the complex and varied Sword Intent in the outside world.

Instead, they completely immersed themselves in themselves.

With the purity and focus of his thoughts.

A unique "spirit" began to emanate from him.

This is not a fully formed Sword Intent; it has no fixed attributes and no overtly aggressive aura.

He also lacked standard Sword Intent because he rejected the template.

What he released was a projection of his most authentic Daoist heart—that unwavering pursuit of [freedom].

At first, this vast forest of swords did not react at all.

The myriad ancient swords remained silent, or simply continued to exude their original Sword Intent.

However, just as Qi Yun almost thought this method was useless and was preparing to find another way, a very faint, almost inaudible tremor came from a cluster of ancient swords not far in front of him.

That wasn't the clear, melodious sound of a sword.

It was more like something that had been sleeping being awakened by a subtle tremor.

Qi Yun immediately opened his eyes and looked in the direction he sensed.

There were about seven or eight ancient swords, all with a simple and rustic design, even somewhat crude, and their blades were dull, like ordinary iron abandoned in a corner.

They stood out starkly from the ancient swords around them, which were either dazzlingly bright or possessed astonishing magical properties; they were utterly ordinary.

But at this moment, one of the most inconspicuous longswords, with a slightly bent blade that looked like it hadn't been carefully forged, was trembling slightly at an extremely low frequency.

A faint, primal fluctuation flowed across the sword's blade, remarkably similar to the "freedom" Daoist aura emanating from Qi Yun, yet even more restrained and primal.

Qi Yun stepped forward and reached out to grasp the hilt of the dark gray longsword.

The instant he touched the hilt of the sword, a stream of information flooded into his mind:

[Nameless Swordsmanship]

A rudimentary method for condensing Sword Qi, so simple that even the complete operational route was somewhat unclear, was imprinted into Qi Yun's mind.

Holding the seemingly crude, dark gray longsword, and feeling the incomplete technique called "Nameless Swordsmanship" in his mind, Qi Yun's face showed no disappointment, but rather a meaningful smile.

mediocre?

incomplete?

Is its power comparable to Basic Sword Instruction?

Perfect!

This was practically tailor-made for him!

He doesn't need an incomparably powerful inheritance from the start; that might actually be a new constraint.

What he needed was precisely this kind of "potential".

With the Law Technique Panel at his fingertips, he was confident that even the worst Law Technique could be made to shine.

The key is that the Sword Intent contained in this sword Swordsmanship is perfectly suited to him.

With a slight smile, Qi Yun slowly pulled the ancient sword from the earth.

The sword hummed softly, not loudly, but with a joyful quality of breaking free from its constraints.

"It emphasizes the importance of fate, tests one's character, and is mysterious and unpredictable..." Looking around the Sword Inquiry Forest, Qi Yun's eyes gleamed.

"It seems I'll have to pay more attention to these places with ancient traditions in the future."