Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Upon entering the Sword Tomb, Ling Fei felt as if he had stepped into a world of the sword.

Before he could get a clear look at his surroundings, waves of razor-sharp Sword Qi surged toward him. The piercing sword light made his eyes ache.

'Such sharp Sword Qi!' Ling Fei's heart trembled as he slowly opened his eyes.

As his vision cleared, he saw that he was standing on the edge of a cliff.

Before him was an abyss, shimmering with sword light. A long Sword Bridge, composed of Long Swords, stretched from the cliff's edge all the way to the other side.

A dense Sword Qi emanated from each and every Long Sword, filling the entire Sword Tomb.

"This Sword Tomb is like a giant cave," Ling Fei murmured.

At this moment, Shangguan Yurou, Zhou Feng, Pang Fei, and the others landed one after another.

"Legend says that within the Celestial River Sword Tomb lies a Sword Bridge made of nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine Long Swords. Seeing it now, it seems the stories are true." A glint appeared in Shangguan Yurou's eyes as she scanned the Sword Bridge, a touch of excitement showing on her beautiful face.

"This is the Sword Bridge. Only by crossing it can we reach the Sword Wall and comprehend the Celestial River Sword Technique," Pang Fei murmured, his eyes glinting.

'The Sword Wall!' Ling Fei's gaze sharpened, following the length of the Sword Bridge into the distance.

At the far end of the bridge, swirling Light Patterns obscured his vision.

Even with his powerful Soul Power, he couldn't see to the end of the bridge.

In fact, a dense Sword Intent swept toward him from the end of the Sword Bridge, threatening to shatter his Heart Spirit.

'Such Sword Momentum is far beyond what an ordinary Cultivator can withstand.' Ling Fei immediately pulled his consciousness back.

"Let's go," Shangguan Yurou said to Ling Fei, her brows arching slightly.

"Alright," Ling Fei nodded.

Then, he stepped forward, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Shangguan Yurou toward the Sword Bridge ahead.

Behind them, Liu Ming's gaze was dark and sinister.

Although Liu Ming's physical injuries had healed, the backlash his soul suffered when he used the Secret Technique was not so easy to mend.

Even with the Spirit Medicine sent by his Liu Clan, it would be difficult to repair such a wound in a short amount of time.

Ling Fei, in contrast, had not only fully recovered from his injuries, but his aura also seemed somewhat stronger than before.

This infuriated Liu Ming to no end.

Especially since Shangguan Yurou now seemed to completely ignore Liu Ming, her full attention fixed on Ling Fei.

'Is it just because I lost?' Liu Ming gritted his teeth, his gaze savage as shame turned to fury.

Now, when he looked at Shangguan Yurou, his gaze was no longer filled with tenderness, only resentment and anger.

"Let's go too." Pang Fei and Zhou Feng exchanged a look, then followed Ling Fei onto the Sword Bridge.

HUM!

At that moment, Ling Fei stepped onto the Sword Bridge.

The bridge was paved with swords. The instant his foot landed, Light Patterns rippled across the surface, and a wave of Sword Qi engulfed both him and Shangguan Yurou.

'Such sharp Sword Qi!' As the energy surged, it immediately tried to invade Ling Fei's body and wreak havoc on his meridians and flesh.

It felt as though his very skin was about to be torn apart.

An ordinary Cultivator would be completely unable to withstand such ferocious Sword Qi.

Anyone who tried to force their way across would be torn to shreds by this Sword Qi.

This was yet another test; if one couldn't even cross the Sword Bridge, how could they possibly hope to comprehend the Celestial River Sword Technique?

"Calm your heart and quiet your mind. Become one with the sword. If you continuously merge with the momentum of the Sword Bridge, you can walk across it safely," Shangguan Yurou said with a smile from beside him.

She was clearly quite knowledgeable about the Sword Tomb.

'Only by comprehending the sword can I merge with it!' Ling Fei calmed his turbulent thoughts, and with a mere intention, a Sword Momentum began to emanate from his body.

His body became like a sword, and his Sword Momentum spread outward. Subtly, the Sword Momentum coming from the Sword Bridge seemed to lose its sharp edge.

Afterward, Ling Fei carefully focused on sensing the momentum of the Sword Qi on the Sword Bridge.

'The Sword Momentum is sharp, soaring to the heavens with an unstoppable force!' After a moment of contemplation, Ling Fei gained a deeper understanding of Sword Momentum.

At the same time, he measured this new understanding against the Sword Momentum he had already comprehended.

HUM!

Ling Fei and Shangguan Yurou continued to press forward, step by step.

With every step they took, a dense wave of Sword Qi erupted from the Sword Bridge.

At first, the Sword Momentum was oppressive, making it feel difficult to advance even an inch.

But the more he comprehended it, the clearer Ling Fei's understanding of Sword Momentum became.

'A sword's edge is unstoppable. A person should also be like a sword's edge—unyielding, willing to break before bending!' Ling Fei's eyes grew incredibly bright.

Only in this way could one truly claim to have a Body Like a Sword and comprehend the True Sword Dao Intent.

Gradually, Ling Fei reached the end of the Sword Bridge.

As he stepped off the bridge, a sword light bloomed before him, so brilliant it stung the eyes.

Before Ling Fei lay a massive Sword Pool.

At the far end of the Sword Pool, a one-hundred-foot-long Giant Sword stood erect.

A dense Sword Momentum burst forth from it.

Beneath the Giant Sword, innumerable Treasure Swords were thrust into the ground.

The moment Ling Fei stepped off the Sword Bridge and onto the ground, dense waves of Sword Momentum swept toward him.

Even the Treasure Swords in the Sword Pool hummed and trembled as if coming to life, releasing a Sword Intent that seemed poised to strike Ling Fei.

The Sword Intent pierced straight into a person's soul, striking a bone-deep chill into them.

"This is Sword Intent!" Ling Fei's eyes showed his amazement. "These swords actually still retain residual Sword Intent."

They were just swords, but at this moment, they seemed to have been granted life, able to attack anyone who drew near of their own accord.

This scene gave Ling Fei a profound sense of the wonders of the Sword Dao.

"This is the Celestial River Academy's Buried Sword Pool. The swords here were left behind by our predecessors, and each one contains the Sword Intent of its former master," Shangguan Yurou whispered.

'Sword Intent,' Ling Fei mused, his brow arching.

This was a Realm he himself was on the verge of reaching.

However, being able to imbue one's personal sword with Sword Intent was clearly no simple matter.

"Ordinary Sword Cultivators condense Sword Momentum, while powerful ones condense Sword Intent. A step beyond that is to condense a Sword Intent Seed!" Shangguan Yurou explained. "After condensing a Sword Intent Seed, one can gestate a Sword Embryo. A person like that is a true prodigy, the kind of genius seen only once in a thousand years, even in the Empire!"

'Sword Intent, a Sword Intent Seed…' Hearing this, Ling Fei's understanding of the Sword Dao deepened.

Then, his gaze fell upon the path before him once more.

Over the Sword Pool, innumerable Long Swords hummed, the sky-blotting Sword Intent forming an invisible curtain that sought to bar any further progress.

'The Sword Wall is just ahead. How can mere Sword Intent block my path?' Faced with this dense Sword Intent, Ling Fei was fearless.

He took a large stride and walked forward.

WHOOSH!

The Sword Intent howled toward him. Though formless, it felt as if a thousand sharp swords were slashing at Ling Fei.

But Ling Fei was unafraid. He allowed the Sword Intent to strike him, his gaze sharp, his entire being exuding an unstoppable, forward-pressing momentum.

In that moment, he was like a sharp sword himself, exuding an aura that would sooner break than bend.

One step, two steps!

Ling Fei soon arrived at the edge of the Sword Pool.

A small path ran through the Sword Pool, leading forward.

Ling Fei stepped directly into the Sword Pool.

SWISH!

The moment Ling Fei stepped into the Sword Pool, a ripple spread out.

Then, from within the Sword Pool, sharp swords flew out, slashing toward Ling Fei.

SWISH, SWISH!

The swords slashed toward him, each one carrying the force of a strike from an expert at the Innate Mid Stage Realm.

With a flick of his wrist, the Celestial River Sword appeared in Ling Fei's hand, and he immediately moved to counter the attacking swords.

'There are Forbidden Patterns in the Sword Pool!' At that moment, a Light Pattern flashed before Shangguan Yurou's eyes, and Ling Fei's figure vanished from her sight.

Then, she too stepped into the Sword Pool.

Immediately, sharp swords came whistling out of the Sword Pool, intent on killing.

At first, two sharp swords slashed toward him.

Then four came at once. As he continued to advance, the number of swords kept increasing.

Ling Fei could feel the immense pressure.

But he pressed on, completely fearless.

...

「Outside.」

In front of Vice Dean Zhou, Light Patterns flickered, revealing a scene.

It was the image of Ling Fei and the others stepping into the Sword Pool.

"Fearless in the face of danger. He's quite a promising young man," Vice Dean Zhou nodded slightly.

"That girl Yurou isn't bad either," Dean Han said with a smile.

Beside them, Shangguan Hong smiled faintly.

The Sword Bridge and the Sword Pool were both tests for Cultivators.

Although Ling Fei and the others had earned the right to comprehend the Celestial River Sword Technique, honing one's character was also extremely important.

Only by experiencing these trials could a Sword Cultivator develop the necessary qualities. Otherwise, they would never amount to much.

Finally, Ling Fei reached the spot in the Sword Pool where the Giant Sword stood.

This was the end of the Sword Pool.

HUMMM!

As he arrived, the Giant Sword began to hum and RUMBLE.

An incredibly dense Sword Qi burst forth from the Giant Sword.

The Sword Qi condensed, forming a corporeal Giant Sword that slashed down toward Ling Fei like a mountain.

SWISH!

The Giant Sword descended slowly, but its Sword Intent pierced straight into one's soul.

This Sword Intent seemed capable of cleaving the soul and tearing the flesh.

'What powerful Sword Intent! Such momentum has already surpassed that of a Cultivator at the Innate Mid Stage Realm.' As the Sword Intent invaded his mind, Ling Fei immediately felt the terror of this Sword Momentum.

If this sword fell, he would be utterly unable to block it.

Now, only two paths lay before Ling Fei.

First, fight it head-on, but most likely end up gravely injured, or even dead.

Second, retreat, and perhaps avoid this strike entirely.

Because the sword was slow, it seemed its purpose was only to block his path, not to deliver a killing blow.

'Since I've come this far, how can I possibly retreat?' Without a second thought, Ling Fei strode forward, accumulating Power within his body.

A wave of True Dragon Momentum began to emanate from him.

Then, his body shot forward as he slashed his sword toward the giant Sword of Sword Qi.

"True Dragon Breaks the Heavens!" a low voice escaped Ling Fei's lips.

SWISH!

He slashed out, his Sword Qi forming a rainbow. Like a True Dragon Emerges from the Sea, it threatened to tear the sky asunder.

Immediately, Ling Fei's strike clashed with the Sword of Sword Qi condensed from the Giant Sword.

BANG!

A massive sound echoed as the two swords clashed.

Ling Fei's strike was like a rainbow, its momentum dissipating the Sword Qi in the Void wherever it passed.

Then, the massive Sword of Sword Qi shattered, inch by inch.

The pressure on Ling Fei immediately vanished.

'I succeeded!' Ling Fei froze for a second, stunned.

Then, a ripple appeared before him, and he found himself standing beneath the Giant Sword.

At this moment, the Sword Intent Light Curtain before him had vanished. Behind the Giant Sword, a Sword Wall finally appeared in Ling Fei's line of sight.

As his gaze fell upon it, he saw a carving of a great, surging river on the Sword Wall.

But upon closer inspection, the Sword Wall seemed to be the river itself. It wasn't a wall at all, but a great river flowing, the sound of its rushing water clear to his ears.

Ling Fei could even faintly see figures dancing on the Sword Wall, performing a Sword Technique.

'Is this the Celestial River Sword Wall?' Seeing this, Ling Fei's heart stirred.

He immediately strode forward, walking toward the Sword Wall.

Outside, watching Ling Fei walk toward the Sword Wall, both Dean Han and Vice Dean Zhou nodded slightly.

"This Ling Fei has excellent character. He has the sharpness of a sword, always pressing forward!" Dean Han's eyes showed his approval.

"Indeed, he's a fine seedling," Director Pang agreed, nodding repeatedly.

They too had seen what had just happened.

To face such a sharp strike without fear and counter it without hesitation—such character was rare indeed.