“It is willing to help us.”
Xiao Mengyu was somewhat excited.
“That’s great! Doesn’t that mean we’ve already cleared this stage?” Shen Ye said.
The greatsword suddenly swung horizontally, its tip pointing directly at the center of Xiao Mengyu’s forehead.
Xiao Mengyu froze for a moment, as if understanding something, then slowly closed her eyes.
Silence.
Shen Ye instinctively picked up his card and checked it.
On it, a message appeared:
“You have gained the sword spirit’s recognition. It has decided to assist your team during the Wailing Tide and, as a result, has passed down an ancient sword technique to Xiao Mengyu.”
—What an unexpected fortune!
The greatsword shifted slightly, no longer pointing at Xiao Mengyu but instead turning its tip toward Shen Ye.
New text quickly surfaced on the card:
“You are a member of this team, contributed to finding the greatsword, and share a considerable resonance with it. The sword spirit wishes to offer you gratitude as well.”
“Me? Ah, but I don’t use sword techniques. Look—”
Shen Ye reacted swiftly, immediately pulling out his Dagger of Dusk while speaking rapidly:
“This is my weapon.”
“An assassin’s tool.”
“It has the traits: Sharpness (High), Penetration (High), and Bleed (High).”
“But I don’t know how to use it!”
“Please, I’m not asking for much. Just teach me how to wield it properly!”
The greatsword hesitated for a moment before flying over to a tree and swiftly carving out a few words:
“How do you wish to use it?”
Shen Ye was stunned.
A vivid image of Zhao Yibing’s bewitching figure surfaced in his mind.
He knew he was completely outmatched against her.
But within this testing ground, he had acquired the reinforcement of “Flesh,” so—
“I need a sword technique that guarantees a kill in one strike. I don’t need anything else—just this.”
The greatsword circled around him a few times, as if assessing him.
After a few moments, it returned to the tree and inscribed another message:
“Such a technique holds immense power. Given your current level, using it would leave you completely exposed, likely leading to your own demise.”
Shen Ye clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.
“Coach, I want to play baske—No, I want to learn this move!”
The greatsword swung its tip toward his forehead.
Shen Ye stood still.
A flood of enlightenment surged into his mind, taking root and becoming a part of him.
It was the ancient way of wielding a sword.
From the most fundamental strikes—slashes, chops, and thrusts—to intricate chains of dazzling swordplay, all of it unfolded within his consciousness.
—These were merely the foundations for executing that one move.
Then—
A sword technique Shen Ye had never seen before materialized in his memory.
“Tai Bai.”
“A slaying technique, a finishing move.”
“Description: A sword technique that exists in the balance of ‘distance’ and ‘angle.’”
“This is the ultimate technique of the Green Lotus Sword Art. At the cost of disregarding one’s own safety, it seeks out the perfect angle to execute a killing strike, closing the gap at all costs to deliver a fatal slash.”
“—When you forget yourself, you grasp the purest essence of swordsmanship.”
Shen Ye mentally reviewed all the foundational sword techniques and then rehearsed “Tai Bai” in his mind.
“Many thanks, my friend. This is exactly the strike I was lacking—now, I finally have it.”
He gave the greatsword a respectful bow.
The greatsword inclined slightly in response, as if returning the gesture.
Xiao Mengyu opened her eyes as well.
She formed a sword seal with one hand.
The twin swords at her waist, Canxue and Luoshui, unsheathed themselves and danced in the air, tracing arcs of chilling sword light.
“A more refined and intricate sword-controlling technique—but it consumes too much mental energy.”
She sighed.
“You should focus on strengthening your mental fortitude,” Shen Ye said.
“Mm.” Xiao Mengyu retracted her seal, and the two swords instantly returned to their scabbards.
In the next moment—
Seven or eight figures suddenly descended from the sky.
Shen Ye looked up to see the white-clad youth accompanied by several other noble family heirs.
“Go! Kill them!”
The white-clad youth’s eyes were bloodshot as he shouted in fury.
The group lunged at them—
A series of deafening impacts rang out as they were all blasted away by a massive force, scattering in different directions.
“Yet another group that didn’t read their cards.”
Xiao Mengyu sighed.
—This stage forbade combat!
Shen Ye’s eyes flickered, and he grew fully alert.
These noble family elites were backed by countless resources.
If he and Xiao Mengyu truly found themselves encircled by them, who knew what might happen?
And then there was Zhao Yibing.
So…
What else could he do now?
His mind raced before he suddenly spoke up: “As a team, we have already found a being willing to shelter us.”
“Yes,” Xiao Mengyu affirmed.
“But this sword spirit was your find. I may still have a chance—perhaps I can locate another suitable statue.”
“You mean—”
“Two statues might offer even greater protection, securing better conditions for us in the next trial.”
“Then let’s keep searching?”
“Let’s go!”
Shen Ye leaped onto his Ghostfire Motorcycle, with Xiao Mengyu following suit. The greatsword hovered behind them.
Vroom—
The bike sped forward.
…
Meanwhile.
At the desert region on the edge of the floating island.
A boy with a blank expression was arranging corpses.
Zhao Yibing stood nearby, gazing up into the depths of the sky.
The endless void reflected countless intricate runes in her eyes before they suddenly vanished.
“A magic barrier? No, it’s more than that.”
“Foolish mortals, you have no idea—this place should be…”
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted.
“Master,” the boy ran back and prostrated himself at her feet. “The corpses have been arranged, and the sacrificial ritual is ready.”
Zhao Yibing retracted her gaze and stepped into the sea of bodies. With a delicate hand, she casually plucked at the air.
Scarlet light rapidly wove into countless threads, falling upon the corpses and linking them together, forming a massive net.
A net woven of dim gray light entangled all the souls within it.
Zhao Yibing stood motionless as the light gradually merged into her body.
—She was consuming the souls.
Traveling through time and space was an incredibly difficult task, and she had entered the body of a mere mortal. At this moment, she needed to eat in order to restore more of her power.
“I guess… this exam is extremely grand and solemn, never allowing for any mishaps.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Master,” the young man replied with his head lowered. “This is the most important system for selecting talents in our world, and it has never had any major issues.”
Zhao Yibing listened intently, a slow smile spreading across her face.
“After spending a few days in your world, I’ve gradually uncovered a secret.”
“This is the ultimate secret of your world, but your level is too low to know anything about it.”
“—Let’s make everything different.”
“Starting today.”
She clasped her hands together and began to release some kind of spell.
The surrounding void trembled slightly.
It was as if something had already happened, yet everything remained like deep undercurrents in the abyss, unseen by anyone.
…
Shen Ye’s gaze wandered, sweeping over a series of damaged statues.
“The statue of the Animal God;”
“The statue of the Spring Spirit;”
“The statue of the Torrent Spirit;”
“…”
“Hey, how does your resonance manifest? Maybe I can help you find it,” Xiao Mengyu asked.
“I’m not sure either, probably something related to the moon and night,” Shen Ye replied.
“That’s a really strange direction…” Xiao Mengyu fell into deep thought.
“I think so too,” Shen Ye sighed.
Moonlit Resonance +20—
But what exactly could be considered “moonlit”?
The range of things under the moon was too vast.
Completely unfathomable.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Two red icons popped up on the dashboard.
—Almost out of fuel!
The battery was also running low.
“Hey, Big Skeleton, can you sense any statues nearby?” Shen Ye asked in a hushed tone.
“No—I can only sense the living and the dead,” Big Skeleton replied.
“But statues are dead,” Shen Ye pointed out a flaw in the logic.
“They have to have been alive first and then died to be considered dead,” Big Skeleton said helplessly.
That was a dead end.
“Let’s keep searching a bit longer!” Shen Ye gritted his teeth.
The mountain ridge was steep, with slopes on either side, and the path in the middle was only two fingers wide.
The ghostfire motorcycle charged up the ridge, racing forward.
Until its power ran out.
Still, they had found nothing new.
The motorcycle coasted down the slope, carrying them to an open grassland.
“Looks like we’ll have to keep searching slowly—should we ask the sword spirit?”
Xiao Mengyu suggested.
Shen Ye thought it over, then stopped the motorcycle and turned to the floating greatsword behind them, clasping his hands in a salute.
“Brother Sword, do you know where we can find a ‘moonlit’ deity statue?”
The greatsword immediately began scratching on the ground.
Shen Ye looked down and saw that it had drawn a stream.
Next to it were hastily scribbled words:
“I only know that the moon is related to flowing water.”
Moon.
Stream.
Shen Ye’s heart trembled.
Of course.
His movement technique was called Flowing Moon.
What did it mean to flow like the moon?
The moon reflected in the stream, the water flowing continuously, yet the moon remained unmoved—this was Flowing Moon.
So that was it!
He needed to go to a stream!
“Look at the playing card!” Xiao Mengyu suddenly exclaimed.
Shen Ye also sensed the vibration of the card and took it out. Words had appeared on its surface:
“In 10 minutes, the Wailing Tide will erupt.”
“From this moment on, you will no longer need the light of the Burning Candle.”
The dark world brightened.
A gust of wind.
Carrying a murky, decayed scent, it rushed toward them like a strengthening tide.
Countless anguished wails echoed faintly.
The greatsword suddenly trembled and swiftly carved out a few words on the ground:
“You must immediately find a sturdy and reliable shelter.”
Shen Ye and Xiao Mengyu exchanged glances.
“You find cover, I’ll check out the stream,” Shen Ye said.
He took the Burning Candle from the ghostfire motorcycle and handed it to Xiao Mengyu.
Xiao Mengyu didn’t take it. Instead, she said firmly, “There are only ten minutes, and you don’t have the protection of a deity statue. It’s too dangerous—I’m going with you!”
Shen Ye said, “Listen to me—”
“We’re a team, and I’m the leader!” Xiao Mengyu’s beautiful eyes glared at him as she even drew her Luoshui Sword, holding it in front of her chest.
Shen Ye froze for a moment before realizing—
That resolute tone was directed at him, a declaration.
The sword was a declaration as well.
This girl didn’t trust him to run off alone.
“Alright, let’s go. No time to waste.”
