Outside the Hidden Sword Peak.
A middle-aged man with a beard stroked his chin, watching with astonishment as Lin Luoyu made her way all the way toward the summit.
He watched as almost every sword she passed extended an invitation to her.
This lass... could she possess the Sword-Bewitching Physique?
Different sword intents represent different human characters. Some are impatient, others are calm; some act decisively, while others drag their feet.
They also represent different attitudes towards life. Just as no one is liked by everyone, similarly, no one should be liked by every sword.
But this lass... she seemed different. Almost every sword liked her, with the exception of a few rather extreme ones.
Although this girl named Lin Luoyu was improving at a godly speed—enough to make one's scalp tingle—upon remembering that she was recommended by Elder Bai, such progress, while shocking, was still somewhat understandable.
But this human-form Sword-Bewitching Physique... was truly baffling.
Hidden Sword had originally thought that things had reached this stage; the girl would simply pick a sword that suited her fancy and leave Hidden Sword Peak, bringing this trial to an end.
But he hadn't expected this girl to be quite picky.
Hidden Sword stared fixedly at Lin Luoyu's figure as she ascended higher.
Don't tell me this little lass's target is that Qing Ming (Green Nether)? For a mere Foundation Establishment little girl to have such ambition... it was simply too big.
Ever since Bai Xuanling submerged Qing Ming into Hidden Sword Peak, apart from revealing its sword intent on the first day, it had remained silent, as if it had transformed into a mortal sword.
However, this was to be expected; after all, this was the Qing Ming used by Bai Xuanling.
Regardless of which sword it was, after witnessing Bai Xuanling's peerless elegance, how could it ever look upon ordinary mortals favorably again? Even Lin Luoyu was no exception.
At least, that was Hidden Sword's view.
Once the little girl suffered a setback and understood that Qing Ming was something she could not lay a hand on, this trial would be considered finished.
Yet, Hidden Sword had to admit, worthy of being Elder Bai. To actually be able to find such a top-tier sword cultivator seedling.
Truly an enviable talent...
Hidden Sword watched Lin Luoyu climb higher and higher; the swords along the way all sending invitations to her. Sword intent billowed upwards.
Being too enthusiastic wasn't necessarily a good thing; Lin Luoyu's cultivation was too low, and she was relying entirely on her sword intent to resist and walk.
Facing such a massive amount of sword intent, even if it was well-intentioned, it felt as heavy as a mountain to Lin Luoyu.
Hidden Sword didn't know which number climb this was for Lin Luoyu. Fifty... or perhaps sixty?
She was certainly persistent.
However, she advanced a little further each time. Accumulated over time, she truly was getting closer and closer to the summit.
Hidden Sword watched Lin Luoyu's difficult crawling posture, but suddenly, Lin Luoyu's figure seemed to quicken.
Amidst Hidden Sword's surprised gaze, she stepped onto a path that hadn't been trodden by a trial-taker for a long time.
He watched with his own eyes as Lin Luoyu got closer and closer to that Qing Ming.
Until... Lin Luoyu stood before Qing Ming.
Lin Luoyu panted heavily, her gaze fixed upon that cyan long sword which possessed no flowing radiance.
Her heavy breathing now wasn't because this cyan sword was exerting any pressure on her. It was purely because the climb up had been exhausting.
If Lin Luoyu had taken one more step, she probably wouldn't have been able to lift her feet. Or perhaps if she stayed any longer, she wouldn't have lasted.
However, upon entering the range of the summit, that sword intent that had been constantly entangling her suddenly vanished.
It figured that this place was the exclusive domain of this sword.
Lin Luoyu felt slightly excited as she looked at this cyan long sword. The hilt was extremely plain, with only two extremely free and unconstrained characters written on the side of the hilt—Qing Ming.
Qing Ming...
Lin Luoyu read it softly, tracing the characters. It was a nice name.
Lin Luoyu did not rush; instead, she silently calmed her mind and adjusted her breathing.
She did not hope to obtain this sword, but Lin Luoyu really wanted to know the story of this particular sword.
Lin Luoyu used her own sword intent to gently touch that Qing Ming. Her sword intent swept over the blade, but Qing Ming showed no reaction.
Lin Luoyu waited for a moment and found that Qing Ming remained unresponsive. She thought for a bit; if it were Master, what would he do?
Sorry... if you don't react, I'll take it as you agreeing.
Lin Luoyu revealed a slightly shy smile. After all, she didn't do this kind of thing often, so her "face" (thick-skinnedness) needed some training too.
Subsequently, Lin Luoyu reached out her hand and gently touched the hilt of Qing Ming.
After her index finger touched the hilt of Qing Ming, Qing Ming finally reacted. A sword intent like raging storms and giant waves swept up.
Qing Ming immediately radiated with spiritual light and charged straight at Lin Luoyu.
In an instant, it seemed as if it were about to engulf Lin Luoyu into that surging sword intent.
However, there was a sword that was faster. Crossing a distance of who knows how far, it instantly shielded itself in front of Lin Luoyu, blocking the surging sword intent for her.
"Little lass, your heart is quite greedy. This object is not something you can covet. Withdraw," Hidden Sword's voice rang out from behind Lin Luoyu.
Lin Luoyu did not look back. Facing the long sword blocking her path, she still slowly extended her own sword intent.
Facing that sword intent that reached the heavens, Lin Luoyu's sword intent was like a small boat liable to capsize at any moment in the vast ocean.
Seeing this, Hidden Sword didn't say anything more. He had already reminded her; suffering through two sword intents would just mean lying in bed for a few extra days.
Lin Luoyu was also prepared, but she understood even better. If she retreated this time, she probably would never hear the story of this sword again.
The sword intent that swept up contained the most of one thing—aloofness.
This was an absolutely proud sword. It would absolutely never tell its story to a cowardly person.
Lin Luoyu's sword intent surged forward, but in an instant, it was swept up by Qing Ming's sword intent.
Perhaps it was satisfied with Lin Luoyu's pure sword intent, or perhaps it appreciated Lin Luoyu's courage. Or possibly, this sword had been lonely for a long time and wanted to recount its story that had been sealed away for who knows how long.
That sky-filling sword intent then brushed past Lin Luoyu's sword intent like flowing water, taking her into the story belonging to this sword.
Lin Luoyu opened her eyes. Before her eyes was no longer the solitary, single-colored Hidden Sword Peak.
Instead, a younger version of Bai Xuanling, sitting on a chair beside a massive sword furnace, propping up her cheek with one hand, a cheerful smile on her face.
The "younger version" mentioned here was not a difference in facial features, but rather that the Bai Xuanling before her eyes possessed a vigorous vitality in her gaze.
At this moment, within Bai Xuanling's eyes, there was that uninhibited feeling that she could go anywhere in the world.
The Bai Xuanling in Lin Luoyu's original memory possessed a calmness in her expression that was like a deep pool.
Bai Xuanling chuckled lightly, her tone vibrant: "I like cyan; it looks freer."
Unlock 30 chapters instantly (for the price of the old 20-chapter tier) and get 50–55 new chapters every month.
If you're enjoying the story, consider supporting me here:
patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
{I need to be real with you for a moment. I'm reaching out because I'm in a genuinely tough spot financially right now, and I need your help to keep the stories flowing. Writing these chapters for you is my passion, but circumstances have put me in a position where I desperately need monetary support to continue dedicating time to what we both love—this fic.
Here's what I'm offering if you join my highest tier:
🚀 Instant Gratification: The moment you sign up, you get 30 chapters immediately—no waiting, no delays. Just a massive backlog of content to binge.
📅 Consistent Monthly Rewards: After that, you'll receive 60 fresh chapters every single month—double the story, double the excitement, all for your favorite fic.
But it doesn't stop there. Your support means everything, and I want to repay your generosity with mass releases, bonus chapters, and exclusive content that won't be available anywhere else. The more support I get, the more I can pour back into creating the stories you love.
If you've ever enjoyed this fic, if you've ever stayed up late reading "just one more chapter," if this story has been there for you during hard times—please consider joining. You're not just funding chapters; you're keeping this story alive and helping a creator in dire need.
Join today, get those 30 chapters instantly, and let's keep this journey going together.
Thank you for even considering it. You mean the world to me.}