Chapter 488 - 498: Sword Forest

Atop Cloud Conceal Peak, beside an exquisite pavilion, the surroundings were empty and boundless, a vast and hazy expanse that spoke to the pavilion’s proud, solitary, and extraordinary status.

The pavilion itself did not seem particularly grand, but it emanated a vast and powerful aura. It was so tall that it seemed to pierce straight into the clouds.

Jian Chunqiu was lying by a banyan tree, just as he always did. Golden rays of sunlight slowly streamed down, and his eyes were slightly narrowed with a hint of laziness. His longsword, propped against a rock beside him, was emitting faint wisps of white mist.

’This Sword Forest really gets more difficult the deeper you go,’ he sighed softly. ’Thirteen years have passed, and I still haven’t made an inch of progress. To think I’ve been stuck on this 6th Layer for so long, in the blink of an eye.’

Just then, a great mass of people approached from a distance. Each carried a sword on their back, and there appeared to be several hundred of them in total—all were Core Disciples of Cloud Conceal Peak.

This was nearly the entire population of disciples on Cloud Conceal Peak. For them to all gather here today was truly a puzzling sight. What could possibly be the reason?

The young man at the head of the group was exceptionally handsome, with a vibrant, heroic air about him. He bore a strong resemblance to Lu Shaoyou.

This was none other than Cloud Conceal Peak’s number one prodigy and a True Disciple of the Celestial Profound Sect, Lu Wushuang.

The crowd gathered around Lu Wushuang like stars orbiting the moon, keeping him at the very center of their circle.

Lu Wushuang slowly walked up to Jian Chunqiu, raised his sword in a salute, and said, "Elder Jian, I have come today primarily for the 5th Layer of the Sword Forest."

Hearing this, Jian Chunqiu looked at Lu Wushuang and chuckled. "Your cultivation broke through to the Life and Death Realm, granting you an opportunity to enter the Sword Forest, yet you never used it. It seems you’re quite confident now."

A sharp gleam, like a flash of sword light, shot from Lu Wushuang’s eyes. "This time, with the help of the Sword Forest’s Profound Mysteries, I believe I can break through the bottleneck I’ve faced for years and reach the peak of the second level of Tunnel Swordsmanship. My goal is not just the 4th Layer."

"Good, good, good!" Jian Chunqiu exclaimed, seeing the sheer spirit emanating from Lu Wushuang. "Alright, I’ll open the Sword Forest for you right now."

Lu Wushuang nodded, his gaze immediately turning to the pavilion ahead.

A female disciple from Cloud Conceal Peak, her eyes sparkling with a peculiar light, stared at Lu Wushuang without blinking. "Senior Brother Lu, you can definitely do it! You have to believe in yourself!"

A disciple beside her quickly chimed in, "That’s right! You’re the Peak Master’s most valued disciple! You’ll definitely be able to break through to the 4th Layer!"

Lu Shaoyou looked at Lu Wushuang and said emphatically, "Wushuang, don’t feel pressured. Even if you fail, you’re still the strongest disciple on Cloud Conceal Peak and one of the Celestial Profound Sect’s True Disciples. I believe in you."

"Don’t worry, I won’t let any of you down," Lu Wushuang said, nodding to the crowd. "And I won’t disappoint my master, either. I will pull myself together and defeat the people of the Sword Sect in my name, Lu Wushuang!"

Lu Wushuang’s master was none other than Qii Yue, the one who had once vied with Situ Yun of Purple Bamboo Peak for Wen Qingye.

Just then, the grand doors of the pavilion, which stood amidst a dense and shaded forest, swung wide open.

This pavilion was the Sword Forest. It contained an exceptionally powerful Sword Dao Origin. Only by defeating the strange manifestations of Sword Dao Origin on each layer could one advance upwards.

The Sword Forest had nine layers in total, and to this day, no one had ever reached the legendary 9th Layer.

Under the eager and expectant gazes of the crowd, Lu Wushuang slowly walked forward. The moment his body passed into the Sword Forest, its doors slammed shut behind him.

At that moment, the large banyan tree beside them began to slowly distort. The twisted image then resolved into streams of black light.

"Let’s take a look at the Sword Patterns,"

Jian Chunqiu said with a slow smile as he walked over to the distorted banyan tree.

The disciples of Cloud Conceal Peak all stared intently at the Sword Patterns. At first, it was just a patch of darkness where nothing could be seen clearly. Suddenly, the darkness began to clarify, revealing nine swords.

SWOOSH!

The lowest of the nine swords suddenly flew out, trailing a crimson light that illuminated the surrounding space. The glare was so intense it pained everyone’s eyes, and some of the Cloud Conceal Peak disciples who were seeing this for the first time even stumbled backward.

"Approach!"

Suddenly, a sonorous and forceful word echoed from the void. The pronunciation was so clear and precise it seemed to penetrate deep into their hearts.

Only after the sound faded did the crowd slowly open their eyes. They saw the crimson sword slowly returning from whence it came, settling back into the Sword Pattern.

Jian Chunqiu quickly spoke up. "Everyone, don’t panic. This vision appears because Wushuang has broken through the first layer of the Sword Forest."

The crowd nodded, their eyes returning to the Sword Pattern.

In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the crowd saw an arc of orange light streak out.

"Arm!"

That same voice rang out from the void once more.

"Senior Brother Lu is amazing! He broke through the second layer so quickly. It looks like the 4th Layer is within his reach this time!"

"Indeed! Senior Brother Lu is Cloud Conceal Peak’s greatest Sword Dao genius. Reaching the 4th Layer was always just a matter of time. In my opinion, he’s aiming for the 5th Layer this time!"

"In the future, when people from the Sword Sect come to our Celestial Profound Sect, Senior Brother Lu will definitely show them the power of our Cloud Conceal Peak!"

...

The disciples of Cloud Conceal Peak all chattered excitedly, unable to hide the joy in their eyes.

Time flowed on, and soon a yellow light burst forth in the sky.

"Clash!"

The deep, powerful voice once again echoed in their ears, and then the yellow sword shadow in the sky returned to the Sword Pattern.

At this moment, no one noticed a young man who had walked into the crowd. He carried a greatsword on his back, along with a standard longsword. His eyes were fixed on the sword shadow in the sky, and he chuckled softly as if he had come to some realization.

’This is quite interesting. The Nine-Character Sword Seal Technique. Each sword contains a wondrous Swordsmanship Martial Arts, and together they form an Emperor-grade High-level Martial Arts. The power is truly immense.’

Everyone was either staring intently at the Sword Pattern or looking up at the towering, cloud-piercing Sword Forest. His voice was so soft that no one heard him.

WHOOSH!

Jian Chunqiu suddenly heard a faint whistling sound by his ear. He instinctively reached out to his side and found a Token floating in his palm.

’This Token is...?’ he murmured, peering at it closely. Puzzled, he looked in the direction from which it had flown.

There, he saw a young man standing not far away, the corners of his mouth curved into a slight smile, watching Jian Chunqiu with a calm gaze.

When Jian Chunqiu saw the young man’s black Celestial Profound Sect robes, understanding dawned on him. He nodded and said, "You must be another disciple who wishes to train in our Cloud Conceal Peak’s Sword Forest. I will make the preparations for you."

The Sword Forest’s interior was a series of intersecting, independent spaces, so this young man’s training would not interfere with Lu Wushuang’s.