CHAPTER 19 : The Sword Descends

Li Yang's gaze was fixed on the sky. A divine sword, hundreds of meters long, had fully manifested in the clouds above. Though it was merely an imitation of the Sword Emperor's true blade, the pressure it released was overwhelming enough to crush the weak and shake the wills of the strong.

Around the valley, chaos unfolded. Dozens of low-level cultivators dropped to their knees, some vomiting blood, others fainting outright the moment they came in contact with the sword's aura. Those who tried to resist fared no better; under the growing pressure, even their determination crumbled.

And yet, the true geniuses remained unmoved.

Eyes shut in silent defiance, they endured with clenched jaws and tightened fists. Beside them, their elders stood guard, wary not of the sword, but of each other. Any distraction could cripple their young masters at a critical moment. After all, in the cultivation world, an "accidental" disturbance could end a genius's future.

Among them sat Lu Yan.

She remained motionless, eyes closed, her breathing steady. Sword aura flickered subtly around her, coiling like a living thing. She had already grasped the middle stage of sword intent—but now, under this heavenly pressure, her comprehension was evolving at a terrifying pace.

She could feel it—her body was changing.

Born into wealth, she had grown up surrounded by precious resources, medicines, and powerful techniques to temper her body. But even those years of cultivation paled in comparison to the raw, purifying force of the sword above. It stripped her down to her foundation, reforging her like tempered steel.

It was a trial by the heavens. And she was enduring it.

Time passed slowly.

The sword above finally finished forming. Its pressure vanished in an instant—replaced by a deathly stillness. Suspended in the sky, inverted and majestic, the blade glowed with divine radiance, casting shadows across the land.

Lu Yan opened her eyes.

Awe filled them as she looked at the celestial sword hanging above.

Around the valley, cultivators slowly recovered. But as they raised their heads and saw the massive sword looming above them, panic spread. Some screamed. Others fled. No one knew whether the sword would fall—but if it did, there would be no escape.

Who could survive a blow from a blade hundreds of meters long?

Lu Yan frowned and glanced at the boy beside her. His expression hadn't changed. He stared at the sword with calm, almost indifferent eyes.

She couldn't help but ask, "When does the trial begin? Shouldn't we hurry? If we get in first, we might gain an advantage."

She didn't understand why she trusted him. Perhaps it was the calm in his eyes—like the rise of this sword in the sky was nothing unusual to him. Like he had seen greater things.

Li Yang watched the valley, where many were still trembling.

"The trial began long ago," he said quietly. "This sword was the first test. It was meant to weed out the unworthy. If they can't even withstand this pressure, how can they be called sword cultivators?"

He looked at the retreating figures with disappointment.

"A sword cultivator must never fear death. Once a sword is drawn, there is no turning back. If one wavers, they are not fit to walk the path of the sword."

Lu Yan listened in silence, then nodded. His words resonated with the pride etched into her very bones. She was a sword cultivator. She had no intention of backing down.

Li Yang turned back to the sword in the sky. His eyes narrowed as he studied its edges, its glow, the pulse it gave off.

Then he leapt down from the boulder.

"It's going to appear soon," he said, pointing to the base of the valley. "Let's go. The real trial starts when the entrance reveals itself."

He paused and looked at her.

"You may be strong—but the dangers of an inheritance trial are beyond your imagination. Stick close. Don't act without asking me first."

Lu Yan didn't argue. She followed him as he walked ahead, descending the slope.

In the valley, many cultivators had gathered once more. Their eyes flicked between each other with veiled hostility. Greed hung thick in the air. And in the face of great treasure, men easily turned into beasts.

Li Yang noticed it all.

Among them, one pair of eyes locked onto him with naked killing intent.

Yang Yu.

He had come searching for Lu Yan, determined to fight alongside her during the trial. But when he saw her following behind Li Yang like an obedient shadow, his blood boiled.

That trash?

How dare a dog like him walk beside her like an equal?!

Rage twisted Yang Yu's face. He clenched his fists.

During this trial, I'll kill him. I'll show him what happens when you touch something that belongs to this Young Master.

Li Yang gave him a glance, then looked away.

This kind of dog wasn't even worth noticing.

His attention shifted to the rest of the valley. Many sects had arrived, each more powerful than the last.

One group stood out immediately—a solemn line of swordsmen with cold expressions and blades strapped to their backs. Reverence followed them like a shadow.

The Holy Sword Sect.

Among the upright sects, they were considered supreme in the sword path. But Li Yang only sneered.

They've never seen a divine sword. Yet they dare call themselves "holy." What a joke.

His gaze moved again.

At the far end, a smaller group of cultivators stood calmly, their auras elegant and contained.

The Boundless Sect.

Gentle yet terrifyingly powerful. They were one of the continent's three great sects, known for their graceful techniques that hid lethal force.

And then—he saw them.

A group of stunning women. Each of them looked like a celestial maiden, graceful and untouchable. The air around them seemed to shimmer with cold beauty.

The Snow Blossom Sect.

Also one of the top three sects on the continent, it was composed entirely of women. Powerful, beautiful—and merciless. Love was forbidden within their ranks. A woman who gave her heart to a man would be expelled.

Li Yang walked under a large tree, calmly watching the movements of these so-called geniuses.

Beside him, Lu Yan suddenly narrowed her eyes. Her expression turned cold as she spotted another group at the edge of the crowd.

"Evil sect disciples," she muttered.

Following her gaze, Li Yang saw him.

A boy in black robes, sitting silently beneath a withered tree. Alone. No one dared approach him. Even the proud disciples of the upright sects kept their distance.

His aura was suffocating. Unclean. Wrong.

"That's Gu Hai," Lu Yan said grimly. "Second-strongest genius of the Evil God Sect. Rumors say he tortures women… eats their flesh to cultivate."

Her voice trembled with disgust. "Someone like him has no right to touch the sword path. It's an insult."

Li Yang watched the boy.

Gu Hai sat still, but there was something twisted beneath the surface, like a beast wearing human skin.

Suddenly, the ancient blue sword at Li Yang's waist trembled.

It resonated with fury and disgust. A deep revulsion echoed from the blade itself.

Li Yang smiled coldly.

A cultivator of the Evil God technique… and he dares to show himself here.

His eyes darkened.

This one needs to die. Before he undergoes his first transformation.