Lin Xuan stepped into the Mist Zone. The moment he entered, he felt an overwhelming power surge toward him.
This was not ordinary Sword Qi, but the power of Sword Intent. The so-called Sword Intent was the Sword Realm itself. Generally, once a cultivator reached the Grandmaster level, certain top-tier geniuses or the most powerful Grandmasters could comprehend a Realm. For example, one could comprehend the Sword Realm from Swordsmanship, the Fire Realm from flames, or the Thunder Realm from lightning. Each Realm possessed unique powers. The Sword Realm could empower one’s Swordsmanship, making it far more formidable.
However, a Realm was incredibly difficult to obtain, requiring either extremely high talent or exceptional luck to comprehend. Most Grandmasters did not possess a Realm. But Lin Xuan, with his numerous trump cards, had comprehended Sword Intent long ago.
Sword Intent was also divided into levels, ranging from ten percent to ninety percent. Previously, Lin Xuan had only comprehended ten percent Sword Intent, but even that was impressive, making his Swordsmanship incomparably sharp.
But now, the Sword Intent contained in this mist was even more terrifying than his ten percent Sword Intent, feeling as if it could pierce through him in an instant. His Ten Thousand Dragon Body trembled violently. One could only imagine how dangerous this place was. No wonder Luo Rong and the others hadn’t dared to enter. Never mind them; even a King would likely be reduced to ashes here.
Under these circumstances, Lin Xuan naturally didn’t dare to be careless. He quickly summoned the Two Elements Sword Array. Black and White Sword Qi emerged, enveloping his surroundings and finally blocking the Sword Intent in the air. Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. This Grade-6 Swordsmanship is truly powerful, able to block even Sword Intent.
With the protection of the Sword Array, Lin Xuan’s safety was secured, and he began to curiously survey his surroundings. He found the mist was so dense that his vision was limited to only a few meters. Beyond that, he could see nothing but swirling layers of fog. It looks like I’ll have to explore slowly.
However, while Lin Xuan couldn’t see anyone, something could see him. There were Sword Soul Beasts in the mist, and these were even more formidable than the ones outside. One such beast discovered Lin Xuan, let out a ferocious roar, and charged forward.
This Sword Soul Beast was over a dozen meters long. It soared through the air like a giant sword, slashing fiercely toward Lin Xuan and instantly striking his Sword Array. A thunderous boom erupted as the Sword Array shook violently, causing the surrounding mist to churn and roll.
Inside the Sword Array, Lin Xuan was startled. Something is attacking me.
"It’s a Sword Soul Beast," the big black dog’s voice rang out. "Kid, you can lure it into the Array and suppress it directly."
Lin Xuan nodded and activated the Array, causing it to part open. The Sword Soul Beast rushed in, and Lin Xuan immediately activated his Swordsmanship again. The Black and White Sword Qi formed a great net that instantly ensnared the creature.
The power of the Grade-6 Array erupted, piercing through the Sword Soul Beast’s body. Though the beast was strong, the Grade-6 Array was stronger. Lin Xuan had finally killed the creature, which was over a dozen meters long. Its massive corpse collapsed, and an illusory figure drifted out from it. Sensing the Sword Soul Power it emanated, Lin Xuan was overjoyed.
He continued onward, and it wasn’t long before he attracted another Sword Soul Beast. Lin Xuan repeated the process, killing the second beast. With the power of two Sword Soul Beasts at his disposal, he began to cultivate.
This time, the two Sword Soul Beasts increased his cultivation speed tenfold. Under these conditions, Lin Xuan cultivated for another half a month. Finally, his Green Lotus Sword Technique advanced once more, and he mastered the second level of the Green Lotus Swordsmanship, granting him even greater power. The two Sword Soul Beasts, their energy spent, dissipated into thin air.
Lin Xuan was quite satisfied with this result. After all, under normal circumstances, even with his talent, it would have taken years to master the second level. Now, he had achieved it in a mere half-month. The speed was truly astonishing.
Just then, the big black dog’s voice sounded again. "Alright, reaching the second level is enough for now. You’ve reached the second level in just one month. That’s too fast, and your foundation might become unstable. You should consolidate it first."
Lin Xuan nodded. He didn’t hunt any more Sword Soul Beasts, but he didn’t leave the mist either. He planned to explore further. He’d heard from the people outside that this place held the power of Sword Intent, a power he had felt upon his arrival. If he could absorb it here and enhance his own Sword Intent, his strength would increase yet again.
Having mastered the first two levels of the Green Lotus Swordsmanship, Lin Xuan’s strength had increased significantly. He was now equivalent to a mid-stage Four-Star Grandmaster, meaning an ordinary cultivator at that level was no match for him. If he could also improve his Sword Intent, his power would rise to another level.
After searching for a few days, Lin Xuan finally made a discovery. He had arrived in the depths of the mist. Looking at the scene before him, he was utterly shocked. The ground ahead was split in two, as if cleaved by a single sword strike, and the chasm emanated a terrifying Sword Intent. This was clearly a sword scar left behind by a master, still retaining their potent Sword Intent.
Seeing this, the big black dog said, "Kid, this is a great opportunity to cultivate your Sword Intent. You can try to comprehend the Sword Intent lingering on this scar."
Lin Xuan nodded and activated his Sword Array before walking forward. As he drew near, he could feel the piercing Sword Intent. Even with the Array’s protection, it made his skin crawl.
Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, drew his Spirit Dragon Nine Heavens Sword, and leaped into the chasm. The Sword Intent inside was even more terrifying. Fortunately, he had two Martial Emperor’s Treasures for defense, allowing him to endure the pressure. Even so, he could only withstand it for half a month at most, after which he would have to leave. With this time limit in mind, Lin Xuan began to focus all his efforts on comprehending the Sword Intent.
「In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.」
On this day, the Sword Intent emanating from Lin Xuan’s body erupted. Previously, he had possessed ten percent Sword Intent. Now, it had become thirty percent—a direct increase of twenty percent. This made his Swordsmanship vastly more powerful. When he now used the Green Lotus Swordsmanship, its power was several times greater than before. Excellent! Lin Xuan was ecstatic.
Just as Lin Xuan’s Sword Intent reached thirty percent, a pillar of Sword Qi erupted from the chasm, piercing through heaven and earth and shooting through the entire Cloud Sea.
This spectacle immediately alarmed the other Sword Cultivators in the valley. They all raised their heads and stared into the distance, crying out in shock.
"What’s going on?"
"What terrifying Sword Qi!"
"That Sword Qi possesses Sword Intent!"
"The power of that Sword Intent is astounding!"
"Isn’t that the Mist Zone? How could someone display such terrifying Sword Intent from in there?"
"Could someone be cultivating inside?"
"Could it be that Lin Xuan from before?"
"There’s no way he could have comprehended Sword Intent in there, right?"
Luo Rong, however, just shook his head. "It can’t be him," he said dismissively. "That kid has been inside for a month. He’s probably long dead by now.
"I think there must be another expert cultivating in there. This person is most likely a King, and one who possesses a Grade-6 Treasure. Only a King could release such terrifying Sword Intent."
Hearing this, the other Sword Cultivators had a moment of realization. "I see! So it’s a King who is cultivating!"
That makes sense, they thought. Even if that Lin Xuan defied the heavens, he is still just a Six-Star Grandmaster. There’s no way he could possess such powerful Sword Intent.