66: Chapter 66 Sword Intent Trial

Early in the morning, I was dragged out of bed by that old man, Mo Wentian.

"Get up, get up, get up! The Inner Sect Selection is no place for sleeping in!"

I opened my eyes groggily and saw Mo Wentian's old face shoved right in front of me, his beard almost poking into my nostrils.

"Elder Mo, can't you let a person have some peace this early in the morning..."

"Peace? Do you have any idea how many people are watching this Inner Sect Selection? If you embarrass me, kid, I'll kick you right off the Sword Pavilion peak!"

Well, the old man talks tough, but he's actually more nervous than anyone. Yesterday, he personally recommended that I participate in the selection early, so he definitely spent the time bragging to the other elders after he got back.

I quickly got dressed, grabbed my gear, and followed Mo Wentian toward the back mountain.

Along the way, the old man rambled on, explaining the rules of the trial: "This Inner Sect Selection has three rounds. The first round is called the Sword Intent Trial, and it takes place at the Sword Enlightenment Cliff on the back mountain. You twenty Outer Sect disciples will have to face the Sword Intent Illusion and comprehend Sword Intent within it. Anyone who can hold on for one hour passes."

"One hour?" I muttered to myself. "That doesn't sound too hard."

Mo Wentian shot me a side-glance: "You think it's not hard? Let me tell you, less than half of the Outer Sect disciples who take the Sword Intent Trial every year pass. This Sword Intent thing isn't something you can comprehend just by having a high level; it depends on your aptitude, your state of mind, and the path you've walked."

My heart skipped a beat. Aptitude? State of mind? I, Chen Ergou, started out as a street vendor; where would I get any aptitude?

But then I thought about it—my journey from being chased around in the Novice Village to winning the Martial Arts Tournament, I've been through quite a lot. Perhaps these experiences are my "aptitude"?

When I arrived at the Sword Enlightenment Cliff, I finally realized how big the turnout for today's selection was.

The Sword Enlightenment Cliff is the highest cliff on the back mountain of the Sword Pavilion. The cliff face is covered in dense sword marks, said to have been left by predecessors of the Sword Pavilion throughout the generations. The top of the cliff is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round; standing below and looking up, you can't even see the peak.

The base of the cliff was already packed with people. Twenty Outer Sect disciples were lined up neatly in two rows, each with a serious expression, as if they were about to head to the execution ground.

I scanned them. Good heavens, these were all elites of the Outer Sect. The lowest level was 20, and a few were even level 23. In the Outer Sect, they were the types who could walk sideways.

"Yo, Chen Ergou, you're here too?"

A sarcastic voice came from the side. I turned to look; it was Zhao Tianming from the Outer Sect, a level 23 swordsman who usually couldn't stand the sight of me.

"What, is there a problem?" I replied with a grin.

Zhao Tianming snorted: "Whether there's a problem or not, we'll see during the trial. With your level 22 skills, why are you here to join the fun?"

I ignored him. Arguing with people like him is a waste of time.

Just then, three old men walked down from the top of the cliff, wearing gray robes, each more imposing than the last. I recognized the white-bearded old man in the middle—the Sword Pavilion's Great Elder, Su Changfeng. It is said that this old man is the strongest existence in the Sword Pavilion besides the Sect Leader, having already half-stepped into the Grandmaster realm.

Su Changfeng stood at the top of the cliff and scanned the crowd below. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it clearly: "I will only say this once. Sword Intent Trial: enter the illusion, comprehend Sword Intent, and hold on for one hour. Those who can do it, stand to the left. Those who cannot, leave the mountain on your own."

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and those sword marks on the cliff face suddenly lit up. Golden beams of light shot into the sky, and the entire Sword Enlightenment Cliff was enveloped in golden light.

"Go in."

The twenty people filed in, walking into the golden light.

A flash of golden light, my vision went black, and when I opened my eyes, I was standing in a completely unfamiliar place.

This was a void; there was no ground beneath my feet, no sky above my head, and nothing all around, only endless white.

"This is the Sword Intent Illusion?" I looked around. "It doesn't seem that special..."

As soon as I finished speaking, the scene before me suddenly changed.

The white faded away, replaced by the scene of the Novice Village.

I was stunned.

That was the scene from my first day entering the game. A low-level character wearing ragged clothes, standing in the plaza of the Novice Village, with a dilapidated stall set up in front of him. On the stall were a few bottles of low-quality potions and some broken gear stripped from wild monsters.

"Walk by, don't miss out! Power Potions, drink them and you'll have infinite strength!"

The "me" in the scene shouted at the top of my lungs until my voice went hoarse, but the people passing by didn't even glance at me.

Someone mocked him: "You have the nerve to set up a stall with just these few bottles of trash potions? Get lost!"

Someone else kicked the things on his stall, scattering them all over the ground.

That "me" squatted on the ground, picking up the items one by one. There was no anger on his face, only a numb calmness.

Watching this scene, a nameless emotion suddenly welled up in my heart.

Back then, I was dirt poor, and when I was bullied, I didn't even have the qualifications to fight back. But from that moment on, I, Chen Ergou, swore that one day, I would make everyone who looked down on me crane their necks to look up at me.

The scene shifted to me grinding monsters in the wild to level up.

One person, one broken sword, fighting for my life against wild boars. I'd be knocked flying by a boar, climb back up, and keep hacking away. When my potions ran out, I'd just tough it out. Die, respawn, fight again.

The scene shifted again—I met Ye Liuli while I was manning my stall.

That night, the moonlight was beautiful. She was wearing a white mage robe, standing in front of my stall, slightly bending over to look at the messy assortment of items.

"How much for this... Ice Heart Bracer?"

Her voice was beautiful, like a clear spring in the mountains.

The "me" in the scene was dumbstruck at the time and stuttered out a price.

Ye Liuli smiled, and that smile was brighter than the moonlight.

My eyes felt a little sore.

The scenes continued to shift rapidly—the arduous process of learning the Sword Saints Three Styles, the life-or-death struggle with Long Aotian, achieving fame in a single battle at the Martial Arts Tournament, the founding of the Dawn Guild, the encroaching pressure from the Shadow Pavilion...

Scene after scene flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.

Every one of these experiences is something I, Chen Ergou, have walked through step by step. There was bitterness and sweetness, laughter and tears, the humiliation of being trampled underfoot, and the glory of standing at the peak.

Suddenly, I understood.

Sword Intent is not some ethereal, intangible thing. Sword Intent is who you are.

The path you have walked, the suffering you have endured, the blood you have shed, and the things you hold in your heart—these are your Sword Intent.

I lowered my head and looked at the sword in my hand. The blade vibrated slightly, emitting a humming sound, as if responding to something deep within me.

An aura surged from my dantian, flowing through my meridians to my entire body, finally converging at the tip of the sword.

At that moment, I felt as if I had merged with the sword.

"This is... Sword Intent?"

I swung my sword, and a sword aura appeared in the void. That sword aura wasn't golden, nor was it silver, but a color that was hard to describe—like the last glimmer of sunset on the horizon at dusk, free and unrestrained.

Unrestrained Sword Intent.

This is the Sword Intent that belongs to me, Chen Ergou.

I don't need the heritage of some prestigious sect, nor do I need some profound and mysterious technique. My sword, Chen Ergou's sword, is freedom, is defiance, is not being bound by any rules!

However, just as I was immersed in the joy of comprehending Sword Intent, a sudden change occurred.

In the void, a patch of black mist suddenly appeared. The mist was chillingly cold, carrying an aura that made one's hair stand on end, and it spread toward me rapidly.

Shadow Pavilion!

Within that black mist, a blurred face faintly emerged. I couldn't make out the features of that face, but I could feel a strong sense of malice.

"A mere Outer Sect disciple, and you're worthy of comprehending Sword Intent?"

The voice was sinister, as if it had crawled out from hell.

The black mist transformed into a giant black hand and reached for my Sword Intent. Wherever the black hand passed, my Unrestrained Sword Intent was actually being eroded bit by bit!

I was shocked. This shadow from the Shadow Pavilion could actually erode my Sword Intent?

But the next second, I was furious.

"Screw you! I worked so hard to comprehend this Sword Intent, who do you think you are to touch it?"

I roared and poured all my aura into the sword. The Unrestrained Sword Intent surged violently, and that dusk-colored sword aura became even more brilliant, like a setting sun, illuminating all the darkness!

"Break!"

I slashed with my sword, and the black mist shattered upon impact. That blurred face let out a roar of unwillingness and dissipated into the void.

I panted, my forehead covered in sweat. What exactly does the Shadow Pavilion want? They even have their shadow in the illusion of the Sword Intent Trial; aren't their hands reaching a bit too far?

Just then, the illusion before me began to collapse, and the golden light surrounded me once again.

I opened my eyes and found that I was already standing on the top of the Sword Enlightenment Cliff.

Great Elder Su Changfeng was standing not far away, holding a jade slip, looking at me. His expression... how should I put it? It was like he had seen something incredible.

"Chen Ergou, time taken... two quarters of an hour." Su Changfeng's voice was even trembling. "The shortest time record for the Sword Intent Trial in twenty years."

I was stunned: "Two quarters of an hour? Isn't it supposed to be one hour?"

Su Changfeng didn't answer my question but looked at me deeply: "What Sword Intent did you comprehend?"

"Unrestrained Sword Intent." I thought for a moment and said, "It's just... the kind that is free and unrestrained, not bound by anything."

Su Changfeng was silent for a long while, then nodded slowly: "Good, very good. Unrestrained Sword Intent. In twenty years, this is the first time I have seen someone comprehend this kind of Sword Intent."

At this time, the others who passed the trial also came out of the illusion one after another. I counted, and there were eight of us in total, including me. Twenty people went in, and only eight passed; this elimination rate is truly ruthless.

Zhao Tianming also passed, but his expression didn't look too good. He glanced at me, his lips moved, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

The system notification sounded in my ears:

[Ding! Sword Intent comprehension progress +30, current progress: 45/100]

The corners of my mouth curled up slightly. It's 45 now; I still need 55 more to fully comprehend the Unrestrained Sword Intent. It seems this road is still long.

But that's fine; the thing I, Chen Ergou, lack the least is patience.

After all, from setting up my street stall until now, how long have I waited?

Su Changfeng looked at the eight disciples who passed the trial and said in a deep voice: "Congratulations on passing the first round. But don't be happy too soon; the second round, the State of Mind Trial, is the real test."

My heart skipped a beat. The real test? Then what was the first round? An appetizer?

Well, it seems this Inner Sect Selection is far from as simple as I imagined.