Chapter 1968: Zhang Xuan Testing

"It seems I've only learned my teacher's sword techniques, with virtually no understanding of sword intent..." After the initial shock, Shan Xiaotian finally understood, a bitter smile spreading across his face.

He had honed his swordsmanship at home for ten years, initially believing it wouldn't be hard to become a menial disciple of the Sword Pavilion. Now, it seemed he had been somewhat naive. The gap was enormous! It was no wonder. Xue Qin, with never-ending resources at the City Lord's mansion and constant instruction from a swordsmanship master like Xue Chen, had only just managed to become a menial disciple. Meanwhile, he had studied alone behind closed doors, unable to even utilize true qi... That one-third of a meter was likely an improvement from the last few days; in truth, he had achieved nothing before.

"My teacher's sword techniques—just learning the moves, knowing *what* to do but not *why*—allowed me to extend sword intent this far. If I were to truly understand them, how much stronger would I become?" Shan Xiaotian was currently like a child who could only parrot lessons. He had memorized his teacher's sword techniques and could perform them, but as for *why* they were executed in a certain way, or *what* profound mysteries they held... he was completely clueless! Memorizing "Ode to Gallantry," no matter how beautiful or melodious its recitation, doesn't mean one has become a poet capable of writing timeless verses like Li Bai. If mere memorization allowed his sword intent to reach nearly five hundred meters, how astonishing would it be with complete understanding? Thinking this way, wouldn't his teacher easily exceed five hundred meters, perhaps even reaching much greater distances?

"Let him try it himself..." A surge of excitement propelled him, and he rushed out. If he was this formidable after just a day or two of learning sword techniques, his teacher's personal demonstration would undoubtedly be earth-shattering.

"How did it go? Did you manage to exceed thirty meters?" Seeing him emerge, Elder Lu Yun looked over with a hint of nervousness. Although he presumed the young man would pass, he remained uneasy without a definitive answer.

"Yes, I exceeded it..." Shan Xiaotian nodded, a blush creeping up his face. Based on his *actual* understanding of the sword dao, his reach was only one-third of a meter. But if he told the truth, he'd likely be expelled immediately... After much deliberation, he decided to brazenly claim success.

"How much exactly?" Elder Lu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing he passed, then looked at him again, filled with curiosity. He had personally witnessed Shan Xiaotian's swordsmanship, which was as elusive and powerful as a divine dragon, baffling even Huo Jianghe, the Senior Brother of the Outer Sect! To comprehend and successfully execute such swordsmanship would surely place him among the elite of the Inner Sect!

"This is... the result!" He pulled a jade token from his robes and handed it over. The recently displayed score was already recorded on it.

"It's alright, the exact amount doesn't matter. You're still young. As long as you've exceeded thirty meters, with diligent practice and study, you'll have ample room for greater improvement in the future..." Seeing his embarrassment, his reluctance to state the number directly, and his presentation of the jade token, Elder Lu Yun assumed the result was mediocre. He offered a comforting smile, but before his words finished, his gaze landed on the token, and his eyes nearly popped out, as if he'd seen a ghost: "Four... four hundred ninety-nine meters?!"

"Yes!" Shan Xiaotian's face burned. Lying to someone's face truly made him blush...

Seeing his expression, Elder Lu Yun looked down at the jade token again, then frantically ran his hands through his hair. "Are you out of your mind?! With that shy, embarrassed look, I thought you had barely scraped past thirty meters, or maybe thirty-one... And the result is, damn it, four hundred ninety-nine meters... Many core disciples can't even achieve a score like that! You're practically a Sword God, aren't you? So powerful... yet you're blushing and too shy to say it... Why are you blushing? What's there to be embarrassed about?!"

Elder Lu Yun felt as though his face had been snatched, savagely beaten, and repeatedly trampled by the other person. He had seen people ashamed of poor results, but never before had he witnessed such an expression for such an outstanding one. It was like exam results being announced, seeing a classmate crying inconsolably, rushing over to comfort them, and after a long while, the person finally revealed the heartbreaking truth... that on a one-hundred-point exam, they had only scored ninety-nine... While he, who had rushed to offer comfort, had only scored nine... At that moment, he was so embarrassed he wished the ground would swallow him whole.

He took two quick, deep breaths: "You feel... *very* embarrassed?"

"Yes... it's incredibly awkward..." Shan Xiaotian buried his face in his hands.

Clutching his chest, Elder Lu Yun's heart twitched, feeling as if he might pass out. He no longer wished to speak to the young man before him: "Young Brother Zhang Xuan, perhaps you should go and take the test! Otherwise, I fear I might lose my composure!"

"Alright..." Zhang Xuan nodded and stepped inside. As he walked, he mused to himself. This newly accepted student might not have learned much swordsmanship yet, but his humility and low-key nature bore a striking resemblance to his own. Truly excellent. He was a teachable young man.

He closed the door and approached the Sword God Platform.

"Where's the sword?" He glanced around. The room was empty; not a single sword was in sight. Could it be that testing sword intent didn't require an actual sword? "To achieve four hundred ninety-nine meters without a sword... this kid is truly something..." It was no wonder everyone outside was carrying swords; the room didn't provide any... Given these circumstances, for his disciple to make his sword intent extend nearly a *li* meant his comprehension of the sword dao was truly impressive and didn't disgrace his teacher. No sword, then no sword. While it might affect him slightly, if his disciple could do it, there was no way he, as the teacher, could fail!

Taking a deep breath, he raised an eyebrow, and a surge of sword intent immediately radiated from his body. The profound truths of the sword dao he had comprehended on the Master Teacher Continent revolved ceaselessly in his mind as he pointed a finger forward. A stream of sword qi condensed at his fingertip. As the sword qi emerged, white sword intent gathered and began to extend forward, but it quickly merged with the sword gleam at his fingertip, refusing to shoot forth. It was as if this supposed sword intent had already submitted to the sword gleam, hesitant to advance.

Zhang Xuan's mouth twitched. What was happening? At this rate, he wouldn't even reach one meter... There's no way he could be worse than his own student, right?! If that were true, it would be utterly humiliating.

"I need to gather more sword intent and break through the confines of the sword gleam..." He raised an eyebrow, meticulously recalling the swordsmanship he had comprehended at the Sword Pond, the techniques of the Zhang Clan, and even the sword intent he had felt upon first entering the sect... Countless profound truths of the sword dao swirled ceaselessly in his mind. An invincible aura immediately radiated from his body, and in that instant, it was as if he *was* the sword—an indomitable longsword piercing through heaven and earth.

*Boom!* As his sword intent continuously intensified, the white mist around him thickened, accumulating more and more. In the blink of an eye, the entire room was enveloped in mist, and the dense sword intent began to condense, even forming a liquid.

"Still less than one meter? Impossible..." Feeling the sword intent within him had reached its peak, he looked forward again, and Zhang Xuan's mouth twitched once more, almost making him faint. After expending so much effort and energy, the sword intent before him... still hadn't even reached one meter! Could it be that such formidable swordsmanship was inferior to even a menial disciple's in this place? If that were the case... how did Shan Xiaotian's third-rate swordsmanship manage to reach 499 meters?

"I don't believe it! Ten thousand sword intents, serve me!" His face contorted with frustration, Zhang Xuan let out a low roar. His true qi and soul transformed into a longsword, relentlessly absorbing the dispersed sword intent from his surroundings, compelling it to surge towards the sword qi at his fingertip as quickly as possible! His own disciple, without a sword, could achieve such a distance. If he, as the teacher, failed to match it, he would die of utter shame! He absolutely could not lose! Not for his reputation, and certainly not for the dignity of a master!

***

**Sword God Hall.**

A young man with a longsword on his back stood proudly among the crowd. Upon seeing him, no one dared to approach, as if he possessed a natural aura that repelled the crowded people around him.

"Junior Brother Ye Lian, are you testing again today? Interested in a little competition with me?" A hearty laugh rang out, and the crowd parted as another young man, also carrying a longsword, approached. This young man was powerfully built. Standing among the crowd, he towered over others like a crane among chickens, visibly a head taller.

"If Senior Brother He Yan wishes to compete, your junior brother will gladly oblige!" The young man named Ye Lian nodded.

"Please!" He Yan led the way to a room. Ye Lian followed closely, entering another room next door. Although separated by a wall, with their strength and the way sword intent spread, it was as if there were no barriers. They could easily observe the distance of each other's sword intent extension and make a better comparison.

"Are those the famous Senior Brother Ye and Senior Brother He among the core disciples?" A newly arrived inner sect disciple couldn't help but ask, impressed by their bearing.

"Indeed, it's them. I heard they are both striving to become Sword Gods, and their rivalry has lasted five years!" A well-informed disciple nodded. Ye Lian and He Yan were both well-known and highly respected among the core disciples. However, despite years of rivalry, both were just one step away from achieving Sword God status. Thus, they continuously competed in secret, each wanting to be the first to achieve it.

"Senior Brother He, you can begin first!" Ignoring the murmuring crowd, Ye Lian entered the room, stood on the Sword God Platform, drew his longsword, and gave a faint nod. While the test *required* using the sword on the Sword God Platform, they constantly carried their own longswords to better merge with their weapons, truly achieving the unity of man and sword.

"Let's begin simultaneously..." From the adjacent room, He Yan chuckled, gripping his longsword tightly, then gave it a sudden jolt.

*Boom!* Endless sword intent surged from his acupoints, spreading outwards along the sword tip. *Swish!* In an instant, it burst from the room, shooting dozens of meters away. Seeing his Senior Brother's sword intent burst forth, Ye Lian did not shrink back. His own sword intent instantly followed suit; in the air, the misty sword intent advanced rapidly like two pure white silk ribbons.

"That's not slow at all. It seems Junior Brother has put in considerable effort over the past six months!" Seeing the other party catching up and subtly threatening to surpass him, He Yan chuckled softly.

"Senior Brother doesn't seem to have been idle either. Your sword intent is spreading much faster than last time!" Ye Lian retorted, unwilling to be outdone.

"Likewise. Let's see who can reach five hundred meters first and become a Sword God!" With a long cry, He Yan's sword intent exploded forth, his white ribbon of energy rushing forward at an even greater speed. However, before it could travel far, it suddenly wavered, as if a small snake had encountered a divine dragon. An immense oppressive force descended, completely paralyzing it and preventing any further advance. His pupils contracted, and he hastily looked towards Ye Lian's direction, only to see that the other's sword intent had also stopped, trembling continuously as if under immense pressure. It was like a low-level Saint Beast encountering an Immortal Beast.

"What's happening?" He Yan was stunned. *Boom!* Just then, the sword intent he had extended let out a roar and instantly exploded into dust. Blood spurted from his mouth, and the powerful core disciple immediately collapsed to the ground.