Yun Jin glanced around and spotted a familiar face. Yu Liangping had also chosen the path to the left. He was just getting to his feet, apparently having passed the second trial.
When Yu Liangping noticed Yun Jin, surprise flickered across his face, followed quickly by a sneer. "What's this? The so-called sword genius just arrived at the second stage? From what I know, the first trial was laughably easy. I cleared it instantly."
Yu Liangping's talent in swordsmanship wasn't particularly noteworthy. His admittance to Yuehua Sect had relied mostly on his innate Thunder Body.
Still, the Yu family was a sword cultivator clan, and he'd received a decent amount of training. If nothing else, passing the first few trials wasn't difficult for him.
With a provocative expression, Yu Liangping raised his chin. Yun Jin blinked and replied with complete sincerity, "That's impressive. I actually thought the first trial was kind of hard."
After all, it was a Mystic-grade sword technique.
Yu Liangping let out a derisive snort, growing more arrogant. "You really are Yu Songnian's junior. Both of you are trash, birds of a feather. You can't even clear the first stage quickly. And this second one is significantly harder. You're not getting through it."
Yun Jin nodded. "That's certainly possible."
Seeing her no longer acting smug, Yu Liangping was just about to pile on more mockery.
But Yun Jin drawled lazily, "Still, even if I fail, at least I won't wet my pants."
[Emotion Value +200!]
Yu Liangping nearly lost it. He drew his sword and pointed it at Yun Jin. "I don't know what tricks you pulled before, but trash is still trash. In the Sword Tomb, your true colors will show."
Yun Jin gave him a half-lidded glance. "And what? You want to fight me here? Pretty sure fighting is forbidden inside the Sword Tomb."
She had sensed it right when she entered—this space had its own set of rules. Upon entry, those rules became instinctively clear.
And one of them was: no fighting between participants.
Yu Liangping's face darkened. "Big mouth. I'll let you live—for now."
With that, he turned and headed toward the next sword grave.
Yun Jin couldn't be bothered to stop him.
Her attention shifted to the stone stele in front of her.
"Lieyang Sword. Upper Mystic Grade. Destroyed a thousand years ago."
Yun Jin frowned.
A thousand years ago, again.
In the image left by Fairy Lingyue, she'd mentioned attending a great battle. A battle so perilous she likely wouldn't return. And evidently, she hadn't. Otherwise, she wouldn't have left behind only a broken sword.
Now this Lieyang Sword was also broken, and also from a thousand years ago.
Was it connected to that same battle?
What kind of war had led to such destruction?
Yun Jin guessed that Yuehua Sect must have inferred something from these sword graves. That would explain their obsession with breaking through realms. In comparison, Yun Jin's information channels were limited. She had no concrete leads.
But there was no rush.
These broken swords themselves held their own truths. Whatever she didn't yet know, the swords would teach her. She sat down cross-legged and quickly entered the inner space of the Lieyang Sword.
True to its name, the Lieyang Sword was a weapon of blazing yang energy. The inner world revealed a massive lava pool. Aside from the stone she sat on, the landscape was a seething, endless sea of magma.
Yun Jin immediately realized something. Falling into the lava wouldn't kill her, but it would likely disqualify her from the trial. The heat was suffocating, waves of it constantly crashing against her.
Unbothered, Yun Jin sat down and steadied her breath. Compared to the Ice Jade space from earlier, this realm was vastly larger. She couldn't even see the edges.
She reached out with her spiritual sense, probing the world around her.
Before long, she noticed something strange—the magma here flowed with purpose. Embedded within it were faint, intricate rules.
Subtly, her body warmed. Then, in her spiritual sea, Tai'a flickered into form.
She swung a sword.
And astonishingly, her sword's arc mirrored the flowing patterns of the magma.
From that, she comprehended a new sword technique.
[Second Trial Cleared. Do you wish to leave?]
Yun Jin raised a brow.
That was it?
She could proceed to the third trial already.
But—
Recalling the Ice Jade space, Yun Jin didn't rush to leave.
She declined the exit prompt.
Instead, she resumed her exploration.
The magma.
The blazing heat.
The flowing rhythms.
All of it stirred a growing intuition within her.
"System, I want to exchange for an epiphany." Yun Jin spoke decisively. She could comprehend it on her own, of course, but that would take far longer. Time was tight, and any saved effort was valuable. As enlightenment descended, the world around her changed once again.
The magma's flow remained—but now it shimmered with mystery.
It pulsed with... the rhythm of Dao.
Yun Jin's expression shifted slightly.
Who would have thought—
That the second stage, of all places, would contain a true sword intent?
[Medium Sword Intent: Lieyang Sword Intent.]
The real reward of this trial wasn't just a sword technique. It was a genuine sword intent. An intent blazing and unstoppable, scorching all in its path like the noonday sun.
In terms of raw power, it surpassed her second senior sister's Lotus Bloom Sword Intent, and even her eldest senior brother's Destruction Sword Intent.
It stood on par with things like the Wave Sword Intent and the Spinning Sword Intent—true medium-grade sword intents.
What's more—
Yun Jin had previously grasped Fire Lotus Sword Intent from Ji Wusi's Fire Lotus Sword Art.
Fire Lotus and Lieyang shared the same root: fire.
In her state of insight, Yun Jin faintly realized something.
If she could fuse the two…
She might be able to forge an advanced fire-type sword intent—her very first high-grade sword intent.
Yun Jin's entire demeanor shifted.
This was only the second stage.
And already, such a monumental gift.
Was this really just a B-grade secret realm?
Then what about the higher ones?
What did an SSS-grade secret realm hold?
She didn't waste time wondering.
Yun Jin plunged into the sword intent's world, body and soul.
This time—
She spent a full five hours inside.
In that span—
She not only mastered the Lieyang Sword Intent but also fully merged it with her Fire Lotus Sword Intent.
When she emerged, Yun Jin rose to her feet.
Calm and composed as ever, she released a single sword strike.
But now, it carried her newly refined sword intent.
The moment her sword moved—
The immense lake of magma erupted. Flames twisted into the shape of a colossal dragon.
And in her mind, a name formed on its own.
[Fire Dragon Sword Intent.]
It was done.
This sword intent excelled in area attacks, neatly patching a major gap in Yun Jin's current combat style.
[Core Trial Cleared.]
A voice rang out, and in the next moment, Yun Jin was ejected once again.
She landed with a stunned look on her face.
That place had been ideal for cultivating fire-type sword arts.
She'd wanted to linger a bit longer.
But nope. She'd been tossed out without mercy.
"Just as annoying as the Ice Jade Sword," Yun Jin muttered.
Unseen to her, the Lieyang Sword trembled faintly in response to her grumbling—as if it had something to say.