Chapter 925: Passing the First Test

During this time, Lu Ye, still somewhat unconvinced, went out to investigate the surrounding environment. However, he discovered that, just as Nian Yuexian and Ying Wuji had described, everything visible within their sight was the entirety of the secret realm.

The valley entrance didn't lead to the outside world; instead, it opened into a chaotic expanse. With no path forward, Lu Ye didn't dare to venture in rashly. He tried throwing a spirit stone into it, but there was no sound at all, leaving him unsure of the outcome should one enter. This small secret realm was truly peculiar; it had no sun, moon, or stars, yet it still experienced day and night.

After a night's rest, Lu Ye and Ying Wuji obediently made their way to the thatched hut at dawn the next day. In front of the thatched hut, Kongkong was already seated, with two meditation cushions placed before him. Lu Ye and Ying Wuji bowed, then sat upright, ready to listen to Kongkong's instruction. He didn't inquire about their previous experience in artifact refining, choosing instead to teach from the absolute basics. Despite his seemingly advanced age, he possessed a remarkable knack for instruction. His explanations were both profound and easy to grasp, allowing Lu Ye and his companion to understand everything clearly and benefit immensely.

This routine continued for several days. Only after three days did he begin teaching them practical skills.

In the Nine Provinces, all cultivation paths, regardless of their specific discipline, require the use of spirit patterns. Formation arts, alchemy, and artifact refining each possess their own unique spirit patterns. For these diverse disciplines, spirit patterns are the fundamental building blocks. Therefore, an exceptional spirit pattern master can achieve more with less effort, no matter which discipline they cultivate.

After instructing them on the fundamental principles of artifact refining, Kongkong began to teach them how to construct various spirit patterns. This was precisely Lu Ye's strength. However, he discreetly held back, not fully revealing his talent in spirit pattern arts, and only used half of his true ability. Even so, his performance was still remarkably good. While Ying Wuji's proficiency in spirit pattern arts didn't match Lu Ye's, having cultivated formation arts, he was naturally familiar with spirit patterns. He had simply never learned the spirit patterns specifically used for artifact refining. Consequently, his construction wasn't as smooth or fluid as Lu Ye's, appearing somewhat hesitant, but he could still barely meet the requirements.

Days passed, uneventfully.

Half a month later, after successfully constructing a spirit pattern, Lu Ye finally couldn't hold back any longer. "Sect Master," he began, "your disciple has something to ask."

"Speak," Kongkong said, looking at him kindly. Lu Ye's recent conduct had clearly pleased him greatly. Everything becomes clearer with a comparison; not only was Lu Ye exceptionally talented in spirit pattern arts even when holding back, but with Ying Wuji now serving as a contrast, his extraordinary aptitude seemed even more pronounced. This made Kongkong feel as though he had stumbled upon a treasure, and that the Sword Artifact Sect finally had a worthy successor. Naturally, he harbored immense expectations for Lu Ye.

"Sect Master, given our current progress, how long do you estimate it will take for the two of us to refine a flying sword that meets the required standards?"

Kongkong smiled. "What, are you growing impatient?" He paused slightly before continuing, "Even I, arguably the most exceptional talent the Sword Artifact Sect has seen in hundreds of years, spent a full five years learning the art of artifact refining before I could forge a flying sword suitable for myself."

Five years...

Lu Ye and Ying Wuji's hearts sank. While five years might not seem excessively long for accomplished cultivators of the Divine Sea Realm, for young and vigorous lads like them, it felt impossibly drawn out. It was worth noting that Lu Ye had only been cultivating for less than three years in total. If they were to remain here for five years... Moreover, this was based on Kongkong's own experience, implying that it might take them even longer.

Furthermore, refining a suitable flying sword was merely the first step. Kongkong had previously mentioned that after they succeeded, he would also impart the path of sword cultivation. While this indeed sounded promising, such an opportunity would require a significant amount of time to fully comprehend and assimilate. Who could possibly bear such a time-consuming opportunity? No wonder this legacy secret realm has endured until now. It's probable that even if someone had entered it in earlier years, they might not have been able to withstand such a prolonged ordeal.

Lu Ye felt a headache coming on. He couldn't possibly remain here indefinitely. If he didn't pass the test, he wouldn't be able to leave. As for resorting to force against Kongkong... even Nian Yuexian wasn't his match, so using force would undoubtedly lead to a dismal outcome.

As numerous thoughts raced through his mind, Lu Ye brazenly declared, "Sect Master, spending all day learning spirit patterns without actually refining artifacts is incredibly dull." Regardless, accelerating the progress of artifact refining was always the correct approach.

Kongkong smiled. "The art of artifact refining is vast and profound; this is merely the beginning. Do not rush, do not be impatient. You must remember that haste makes waste."

Lu Ye stiffened his neck. "But Sect Master, I believe I have already mastered these spirit patterns and require no further instruction. All I want now is to begin practical artifact refining, so I can soon inherit the legacy of our Sword Artifact Sect, make our sect greater and stronger, and bring glory to our name."

Ying Wuji, understanding the implication, quickly nodded beside him. "Your disciple thinks so too," he added.

Kongkong gazed at Lu Ye with a serious expression, remaining silent. However, he was indeed very pleased with Lu Ye's recent performance and showed greater leniency. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "In that case, I, the Sect Master, will give you both a test. If you can complete it, I will grant your request."

"Sect Master, please tell us what to do."

Kongkong opened his hand. The next instant, spiritual energy surged, manifesting as visible patterns that constantly shifted and transformed into various spirit patterns used in artifact refining. Lu Ye and Ying Wuji watched with focused attention. They observed that some of these spirit patterns were ones Kongkong had already taught, while others were entirely new.

A moment later, Kongkong withdrew his hand, stroked his beard, and said, "Just now, I demonstrated a total of ten spirit patterns to you both. If, within two hours, you can successfully construct seven of them, you will be considered to have passed this stage."

Ying Wuji's expression turned grim. Without even needing to try, he knew he would surely fail. Five of the ten spirit patterns demonstrated were ones Kongkong had never taught before, making it impossible to learn them from a single viewing. He turned to look at Lu Ye, only to see him with his palm open, already beginning to construct the patterns.

At this moment, Lu Ye felt immense relief that he had held back when learning these spirit patterns previously, not revealing his full talent. Otherwise, this current test likely wouldn't have been presented. Kongkong had assumed that he and Ying Wuji would surely fail the test, which was why he posed such a difficult challenge. However, Lu Ye was eighty percent confident he could complete it.

As Lu Ye constructed spirit patterns one after another, Kongkong's expression gradually shifted to surprise. He had underestimated this disciple's talent. Two hours flew by quickly. When the time limit expired, Lu Ye was still attempting to construct the final spirit pattern. This particular pattern was quite complex, and he had already tried it over ten times, failing on each attempt.

Another half an hour passed, and Lu Ye finally succeeded in constructing the tenth spirit pattern. Looking up at Kongkong, somewhat mentally exhausted, the Sect Master of the Sword Artifact Sect nodded and said, "In that case, you have passed the test. Go back and rest for a day, then come find me tomorrow, and I will impart to you the art of artifact refining."

"Yes," Lu Ye exhaled slowly. Passing the first test in half a month was nothing to celebrate; he had no idea what to do next. He supposed he could only try to accelerate his progress in artifact refining while simultaneously searching for a way to depart.

"Sect Master, what about me?" Ying Wuji inquired.

"You continue to practice spirit patterns," Kongkong replied offhandedly. Of the two disciples he had taken in, one with exceptional talent was sufficient; the other was merely an extra, for whom he had no high expectations.

Ying Wuji was crestfallen.

Upon returning to the wooden hut, Lu Ye suddenly spotted Nian Yuexian. She was seated on a chair in front of the hut, with Amber curled up on her lap. After prolonged interaction, Amber was no longer afraid of her; in fact, it purred so loudly under her strokes that it shook the heavens.

Lu Ye quickly stepped forward. "My lady."

For the past half month, while he and Ying Wuji had been learning spirit patterns from Kongkong, Nian Yuexian had remained in seclusion, refining the Willow Fluff Short Sword. She had only emerged from seclusion today.

"How did it go?" Nian Yuexian asked.

Lu Ye truthfully recounted his experiences over the past half-month. There wasn't much to report, just the continuous study and construction of spirit patterns specifically for artifact refining. He then recounted the recent test.

Nian Yuexian nodded. "It seems now that only by accelerating your progress will you be able to leave this place sooner."

"But no matter how much we speed things up, the time required won't be short. If only we could summon the Heavenly Machine Pillar," Lu Ye sighed. If they could summon the Heavenly Machine Pillar, they could use it to teleport away from here. However, summoning the Heavenly Machine Pillar was only possible on the Cloud River Battlefield. It couldn't be done in the Nine Provinces' mainland, nor was it feasible in a secret realm such as this.

At least he and Ying Wuji had tasks to occupy their time recently. Nian Yuexian, however, was in a pitiable state, trapped here with nothing to do.

"My lady, do you have any other instructions?"

Nian Yuexian shook her head. Lu Ye was about to take his leave when he heard her say, "Tell me, if I were to take all the flying swords from that sword mountain, would that old fellow kick us out?"

"Unlikely," Lu Ye replied, shaking his head. He silently added in his mind: *The most likely outcome is that you'll be severely disciplined.*

"No harm in trying!" Nian Yuexian declared, then shot into the sky. Amber was abruptly flung off, startled awake from its slumber, letting out a pitiful "meow" as it scrambled to land.

Lu Ye looked up to see Nian Yuexian's figure swiftly ascending towards the sword mountain. However, just as she reached the mountain's vicinity, her graceful form uncontrollably plummeted diagonally. Lu Ye's eyelids twitched, and he immediately realized there was likely an anti-flight restriction around the sword mountain, making it impossible to fly up.

Landing awkwardly on the ground, Nian Yuexian remained undeterred. She began to climb upwards on foot, quickly reaching the location of the first flying sword. However, before she could even reach out to draw the sword, an unforeseen event occurred. An ethereal figure appeared like a phantom, slowly drawing out the flying sword embedded in the sword mountain. He then bowed courteously to Nian Yuexian and said, "Wang Yang, 36th generation disciple of the Sword Artifact Sect. I challenge you!"