UGB 77. Test
77. Test
Stepping into the cave, the light suddenly dimmed, and the sounds of the outside world seemed to be completely cut off. Lin Mo felt a tightness around him as an ancient sword intent, a hundred times more intense than at the cave entrance, surged in like a tide, omnipresent, penetrating his skin and reaching the depths of his soul. This sword intent was not merely sharp; it also contained countless complex and incomprehensible emotions—a domineering arrogance, a resolute determination to sever cause and effect, a compassionate heart to protect all living beings, and a madness to succumb to the demonic path… These intertwined to form a vast and invisible spiritual pressure, testing the will of every person who stepped in.
Lin Mo steadied himself, his eyes still able to see clearly in the darkness. He found himself standing at the entrance of an extremely wide corridor. This corridor led straight into the depths of darkness, with no end in sight. The walls on both sides of the corridor, as well as the floor beneath his feet and the dome above his head, were not ordinary stone, but a dark, neither gold nor jade material, covered with countless dense engravings of varying depths.
These engravings are similar to those seen outside the cave entrance, but their number is countless, and they are far more profound and mysterious. Each engraving retains a unique sword intent, and the entire corridor seems to be formed by the convergence of sword intent imprints left by countless ancient sword masters, creating a veritable "Sword Qi Corridor".
In the air, sword energy, almost invisible to the naked eye and as fine as cow's hair, darted and flowed like swimming fish. Occasionally, it would touch Lin Mo's protective aura, emitting a soft "hissing" sound and stirring up tiny ripples. Just standing at the entrance, one could feel a faint stinging sensation on the skin, as if being constantly pricked by countless tiny needles.
Lin Mo took a deep breath. He knew this was the true test to enter the Sword Tomb. The sword-scaled beast was merely a minor gatekeeper; this long corridor, imbued with countless sword intents, was the key to selecting the successor. Only those who could withstand the baptism of this ancient sword intent, gain insight from it, and refine their own swordsmanship would be qualified to continue and approach the possible natal divine weapon.
Without further hesitation, he stepped into the corridor.
The first step seemed to trigger some kind of mechanism. The engravings on both sides of the corridor suddenly lit up with a faint light, not dazzling, but making the sword intent imprints clearly visible. At the same time, the sword energy floating in the air instantly became violent, like an enraged swarm of bees, rushing towards Lin Mo from all directions!
"Buzz—"
Lin Mo's pale golden protective aura automatically activated, forming a light shield that protected him. Countless tiny sword energies struck the light shield, producing a continuous "crackling" sound. The light shield fluctuated violently, its light flickering erratically.
This was not merely a physical attack; even more terrifying was the mental impact. A torrent of chaotic, powerful, and ancient sword intent surged through his mind. Blurred images flashed through his mind: a swordsman comprehending the Dao atop a snow-capped mountain, his sword stirring up wind and snow; a general charging through a vast army, his sword energy sweeping across the land; a hermit dancing with his sword in a bamboo forest, his intent serene and solitary; and a demon slaughtering the world, his sword light crimson like blood…
These mixed wills attempted to erode his true nature and disrupt his swordsmanship. If one's will is not firm and one's swordsmanship is not stable, one's mind may be lost in an instant. At best, one will be seriously injured and forced to withdraw; at worst, one may be assimilated by these residual sword intents and become a sword slave who only knows how to kill or sink into depravity.
Lin Mo groaned, his face slightly pale. But his eyes remained clear and resolute. Having lived two lives, experiencing life and death, love and hate, his will had long been tempered to be as firm as a rock. In particular, the obsession with his lover being sealed away and his great revenge remaining unavenged in his previous life was the strongest anchor in his heart, allowing him to firmly guard his true self amidst the chaotic torrent of sword intent.
"My path is the path of revenge, and also the path of protection! How can your remnants sway it!"
He silently chanted in his heart, not forcibly rejecting these impactful sword intents, but instead actively releasing part of his mental defenses to feel and comprehend these completely different traces of swordsmanship. He was like a sponge, frantically absorbing the essence contained in these ancient sword intents, while using his own firm and pure will as a furnace to burn away and eliminate the impurities such as chaos, violence, and prejudice.
He walked forward step by step, each step heavy as a mountain. Under the continuous impact of countless sword energies, the protective aura of his body gradually dimmed, and even began to show fine cracks. However, the internal energy within his body was circulating at high speed, constantly repairing the protective aura and adapting to this intense pressure.
The deeper he went, the greater the density and intensity of the sword energy, and the more violent the impact of the sword intent became. Later, what floated in the air was no longer fragmented sword energy, but condensed, tangible arcs of light of various colors. They carried completely different attributes, some scorching hot, some icy cold, some incomparably sharp, and some as heavy as mountains, constantly cutting and impacting Lin Mo's protective qi and physical body.
"Sizzle!"
A crimson sword arc finally broke through the nearly shattered protective aura, slicing a deep gash on his left arm that revealed the bone. Blood gushed out instantly, and a scorching sword intent lingered at the wound, attempting to penetrate his meridians.
Lin Mo frowned slightly, forcefully expelling the scorching sword intent by circulating his inner strength. His wounds began to heal slowly at a visible speed. He did not stop, but instead comprehended a trace of the true essence of the "burning away the eight wastelands" blazing sword intent from that arc of sword energy.
Immediately afterward, an icy blue sword arc struck, carrying a chill that pierced the soul. He once again braced himself against it, his right shoulder covered in frost, his movements becoming somewhat stiff. But he also caught a trace of the annihilating sword intent of "absolute zero" within it.
He no longer passively endured, but began to actively guide. Sometimes he used softness to overcome hardness, dissolving the heavy sword intent; sometimes he used speed to counter speed, contending with the unparalleled sharpness of the sword energy; sometimes he concentrated his mind and calmed his spirit, comprehending those serene and lofty realms of thought...
His swordsmanship, through constant endurance, understanding, confrontation, and absorption, was like refined iron being forged a thousand times. Impurities were gradually removed, its essence became purer, and its form began to undergo subtle changes. The exquisite sword techniques he learned in his previous life, the practical combat skills he honed in this life, and the countless fragments of ancient sword intent he absorbed at this moment began to merge, collide, and recombine within his heart.
He seemed to forget time, forget space, forget himself, his entire being immersed in this endless corridor of sword energy. His body became a battlefield, a furnace. Old understandings of swordsmanship were constantly being shattered, and a new, more inclusive, and potentially powerful prototype of swordsmanship was being conceived.
He had walked for an unknown amount of time—perhaps a moment, perhaps several hours. Lin Mo's clothes were tattered and covered with countless tiny cuts and scorch marks. Dozens of wounds, some deep and some shallow, had appeared on his body; some had healed, while others were still bleeding. But his eyes grew brighter and brighter, like two cold stars, and the aura emanating from him became increasingly refined, pure, and sharp.
He sensed that the bottleneck in his swordsmanship, which had been stagnant for so long, was loosening. The thin membrane that had been preventing him from advancing further became fragile under the baptism of this violent and pure ancient sword intent, as if it could be pierced at any moment.
Finally, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.
It wasn't the natural light from the exit, but a cool, moonlit halo.
Lin Mo's spirits lifted, and he quickened his pace. The closer he got to the halo, the more sparse and peaceful the surrounding sword energy became, but the quality of the sword intent seemed to have risen to a higher level, becoming more ancient, vast, and immeasurable.
When he finally stepped out of the corridor, the pressure around him suddenly eased.
He stood in a relatively spacious circular stone chamber. In the center of the chamber, a soft yet cool light shone, illuminating the surroundings. Looking back, the long corridor of sword energy was still deep and dark, but the omnipresent sense of oppression had vanished.
Lin Mo exhaled a long breath, which surprisingly carried a faint, sharp sword-like sound. He carefully examined his inner energy and discovered that it had become more refined and concentrated, possessing an invincible quality as it circulated. His understanding of the sword had also reached a completely new level. Although the specific improvements would require further digestion and verification in the future, he was certain that after this baptism of sword energy, the foundation of his swordsmanship had been honed to a more solid level, and his future path would be clearer and broader.
This corridor of sword energy is indeed a great opportunity to temper one's own swordsmanship.
He adjusted his breathing slightly, calming his somewhat agitated blood and qi, and turned his gaze to the cold light source in the center of the stone chamber, and beyond that light, to the even deeper passage that exuded an even more attractive aura.
The depths of the Sword Tomb should be just ahead.