Chapter 1969: Heavenly Dao Locks Sword Intent

"Is this... sword intent suppression?"

He Yan stood up, suppressing his injuries. As a sword prodigy and core disciple of the Lingyun Sword Pavilion, he immediately understood: this was what happened when one's painstakingly cultivated sword intent was utterly overwhelmed by someone else's. He cultivated the Sword Pavilion's supreme sword intent... How could his sword intent be suppressed by someone else? What was happening?

"Ye Lian, is that you?" His expression darkened. Among the core disciples participating in this assessment, only he and Ye Lian were present. Could it be that Ye Lian had cultivated some incredibly powerful sword intent, making him feel so utterly outmatched? He quickly glanced sideways and saw the sword intent in the adjacent room. It appeared suppressed, suspended in the air like a limp snake, not daring to move.

"It's not me... I can't take this either... *cough*!" Before he finished speaking, Ye Lian also coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the surrounding sword intent immediately scattered.

He Yan's face was pale, and his body trembled slightly. Sword intent is a form of artistic conception; some grasp it superficially, while others achieve profound understanding. It's like poetry: a master like Li Bai, with his lofty conception, even when writing about the nation's suffering during the An Lushan Rebellion, would first conjure an image of himself dallying with goddesses in heaven before delivering powerful lines like, "Blood stains the wild grass, jackals and wolves wear official hats." Someone with a shallow understanding, however, might only manage a crude exclamation: "My god, what monsters!"

Of course, this is just an analogy. True sword intent, like the bloodline of sacred beasts, automatically instills fear in a weaker intent when it encounters a stronger one. How could one possibly fight under such bloodline suppression? He and Ye Lian were among the Sword Pavilion's elite, yet someone's sword intent effortlessly crushed them, leaving them no power to resist. What on earth was happening? And who possessed such power?

"I don't believe anyone could surpass me by such a vast margin..." Gritting his teeth, He Yan roared again, his internal sword intent surging forth once more. This time, before his sword intent could even fully materialize into a white glow, he felt a colossal sword materialize in his mind. It seemed poised to strike him down instantly if he dared to resist, leaving him utterly annihilated.

*Whoosh!* Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He Yan dared not move again. Only then did he finally understand: his paltry grasp of sword intent was a mere candle flame compared to the opponent's blazing sun. They weren't even on the same conceptual level! Forcing a comparison would only bring him utter humiliation. When did such a supreme master appear in the Sword Pavilion? Even those few 'monsters' among the core disciples couldn't achieve this, could they?

The same scene was unfolding in other rooms as well. In an instant, the sword intent of all examinees throughout the Sword God Hall was suppressed, leaving them unable to move. Cries of distress echoed.

***

At the Lingyun Sword Pavilion, in the Sword Scroll Hall. Piles of books filled the entire hall. Elder Wei had spent countless days meticulously organizing and categorizing them.

"Elder Wei, your hard work is much appreciated. This will make searching so much easier!" an old man walked in. It was Elder Jiang Yuan, another elder of the Sword Scroll Hall.

"Indeed, all the books in the Sword Scroll Hall contain the sword intent left by our ancestors through the generations! Each person's talent and ability differ, leading to variations in the sword intent they comprehend. Organizing and categorizing all of this is truly challenging!" Elder Wei stretched and chuckled wryly, "Thankfully, it's finished... but only this once. If I were asked to reorganize it all again, I'd rather just die!"

"Sword intent is sealed within these books. Descendants who wish to learn only need to open them and carefully perceive to experience the power of our ancestors. It's truly convenient, but... with so many types of sword intent, if they're not properly categorized, picking the wrong one can lead to an invasion of energy, ultimately harming one's cultivation rather than helping it!" Elder Jiang Yuan nodded, "Your categorization is incredibly detailed, and you've even labeled the types and sword techniques. You truly put in immense effort; your contributions are invaluable!"

"Indeed, I feel like my eyes are nearly worn out..." Elder Wei said, "You can watch over things for a bit; I'm going to rest..."

"Alright!"

Elder Jiang Yuan acknowledged him, and as he was about to give a final instruction, his expression suddenly froze.

*Whir!* A whirring sound of books filled the air. Both elders looked forward simultaneously and saw the meticulously organized sword scrolls. They were all uniformly levitating, as if summoned, with waves of sword intent surging from them, accompanied by the resonant clang of clashing blades.

His body rigid, Elder Wei felt like he was on the verge of tears. "After all that hard work organizing them, what are you doing floating around like that?!"

*Whoosh!* The shock didn't end there. All the books simultaneously bowed in one direction, as if commoners saluting a king!

*Crash!* This bow, while seemingly a mere gesture, caused the neatly arranged books to pile up once more. The force of the action even toppled entire bookshelves, leaving the room in complete disarray.

"Oh... for heaven's sake!" His vision blurred, Elder Wei swayed, barely suppressing the urge to cough up blood. "Are you kidding me? I just finished organizing all of this. What am I supposed to do now...?"

"It must be... someone has comprehended a higher level of sword intent! The sword intent sealed within these scrolls is collectively bowing in reverence..." Elder Jiang Yuan realized and stated.

"I know... but why now of all times... right after I finished organizing everything...?" Elder Wei clutched his hair in frustration.

Elder Jiang Yuan glanced at the scattered bookshelves and books covering the floor, a look of helplessness on his face. "How about we reorganize it all? Actually... never mind. You might as well just commit suicide!"

Elder Wei was speechless.

***

At the Lingyun Sword Pavilion, before the colossal main gate, two figures floated in the air. They were two elders, seemingly in their fifties. The one on the left, clad in brocade robes with a jade belt, had sharp sword qi etched into his brow, as if capable of rending heaven and earth. The one on the right had a round, jovial face, appearing amiable.

The Divine Realm's space was stable and exerted immense pressure; even Elder Lu Yun, a Void Immortal, couldn't fly here. Yet, these two floated effortlessly in mid-air, their power truly terrifying.

"Elder He, you've been in continuous contemplation here for over thirty years. Have you managed to comprehend the sword intent left by our ancestor?" the round-faced elder asked with a smile.

"Our ancestor's sword intent isn't so easily grasped..." Elder He, in his brocade robes and jade belt, shook his head. "My purpose in observing here is simply to use our ancestor's sword intent to temper my spirit, thereby refining my own sword techniques..."

"Indeed, our ancestor's talent is unparalleled..." The round-faced elder nodded, but before his words finished, he too froze, quickly looking up at the colossal sword before them.

*Boom!* The enormous sword, tens of thousands of meters tall, was shaking uncontrollably, as if it would tear through the air and fly away at any moment. Even the massive gate itself seemed unable to withstand the force. Their pupils contracted. This colossal sword was the very symbol of the Lingyun Sword Pavilion. If it collapsed, the other five major sects would surely die laughing.

"It's the sword intent... the sword intent left by our ancestor seems to have sensed something..." Elder He also looked over, his fist clenched tightly.

"What could the ancestor's sword intent possibly be sensing?" The round-faced elder was momentarily stunned. He looked again, and his body suddenly stiffened. "Oh no..."

*Whoosh!* As his words ended, the colossal sword before them immediately seemed to lose its support, unable to bear the strain any longer, and collapsed with a thunderous roar. Naturally, a sword of that size wasn't real; it was constructed from rock, brick, and tile. Its ability to stand for thousands of years was solely due to the ancestral sword intent that sustained it. Now, with that sword intent surging and threatening to break free at any moment, it was as if the stones had lost their internal support—how could the structure possibly remain standing?

*CRASH!* As the colossal sword toppled, the massive gate behind it also gave way, crumbling down. Countless broken stones plummeted to the ground, creating one crater after another. The contained sword intent, now unfettered, shot through the air with a *whoosh* and vanished without a trace.

"What on earth just happened..." Staring at the ruins strewn across the ground and the dust rising from the impact, both elders were utterly bewildered, almost beyond sanity. The majestic and grand mountain gate, the pride of all disciples... just destroyed like that?

***

"Still no good..." Zhang Xuan mentally replayed all the sword intents he had ever experienced. Looking at the white glow before him, which steadfastly refused to extend beyond a meter, he felt utterly exasperated, on the verge of exploding. His own disciple, after less than a night's training and learning only a single move, could generate a sword intent spanning 499 meters. Yet he, a self-proclaimed sword genius from the Master Teacher Continent, couldn't even manage one meter here... How utterly humiliating! Waves of frustration washed over him, making him feel like he didn't want to live.

"Forget it..." Filled with resignation, just as he was about to retract the sword glow between his fingers, his vision suddenly blurred. Something shot into his mind, threatening to tear his spirit apart at any moment. Just then, a golden book flew out from inside the Library of Heaven's Path.

*Thud!* The incoming entity was instantly imprinted within it.

"My Book of Heaven's Path..." His vision went black, but Zhang Xuan didn't faint. This book, which he obtained after accepting Shan Xiaotian, was his greatest reliance and trump card in the Divine Realm. To recover from injuries, he would rather compete in public matches and even drink bathwater from a gourd than use it... And now it had suddenly popped out to seal... something... wasting itself... A sharp pang of heartache seized him, almost stopping his breath. Did it have to be so wasteful? He had originally thought that with the Lingyun Sword Pavilion's Divine Communication Jade Token, he could finally give the Sect Master and elders a good dressing down. But without the Book of Heaven's Path, if he acted so recklessly, he likely wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sun! Although the Divine Communication Jade Token could conceal his identity, it was like a local network. The 'administrator' could probably still easily trace his ID!

"What on earth was that, wasting my precious item..." Gritting his teeth in anger, Zhang Xuan no longer bothered to test the length of his sword intent. He hastily withdrew his sword qi and, with a mental command, opened the Book of Heaven's Path. Inside the book, a pure sword intent drifted about, like a goldfish settling into its tank.

"This is all it captured?" Zhang Xuan's heart ached even more intensely. After all that effort, failing to even reach a meter was already frustrating enough. He never in his wildest dreams imagined his ultimate trump card would be wasted on something so seemingly insignificant... "This sword intent... it's somewhat similar to the one contained within the colossal sword at the mountain gate!"

Despite his frustration, he took a closer look and realized the sword intent felt strangely familiar. Just as he was about to reach out and try to comprehend it, he heard urgent knocking at his door.

"Little Brother Zhang Xuan, are you alright?" He turned to see the door shaking violently, as if Elder Lu Yun and Shan Xiaotian were about to burst in if he didn't emerge immediately.

"I'm fine..." Seeing their urgency, Zhang Xuan reluctantly abandoned his desire to continue examining the sword intent, stepped out, and left the room.