Two sword auras clashed in midair, only to cancel each other out and vanish without a trace. The next moment, the dense fog slowly dispersed. In front of Yun Jin, a red box appeared.
Yun Jin blinked in surprise.
Was this the reward for clearing this stage?
Curious, she opened the box.
Inside lay a translucent shard—gleaming and flawless.
What was this shard even for?
She picked it up, turning it this way and that, even scanning it several times with her spiritual sense, but no matter how she examined it, there was nothing unusual about it.
The only thing she could confirm was... it was very durable.
She had just tried slashing it with the Tai'a Sword for a while, yet couldn't even leave a scratch.
"Not bad, not bad. It's tough enough—I could probably fuse it into my Tai'a Sword," Yun Jin said, casually tucking the shard away.
But for some reason, when she had swung her sword at the shard and spoken just now, Yun Jin distinctly felt the space around her shudder slightly.
She raised an eyebrow, muttering, "This Cloud Mist Sword's space is kind of flimsy, huh? So unstable. The Ice Jade Sword and Lieyang Sword were much better."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the space warped—and in the blink of an eye, Yun Jin was expelled. By the time she found herself back outside, Yun Jin was still stunned.
Wait, what just happened?
The last two times she'd been kicked out, at least there had been some sort of warning.
This time? Nothing. Just a sudden boot out?
This was unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable!
If the Cloud Mist Sword weren't already a rusted wreck, Yun Jin would have hauled it out and lectured it on basic courtesy.
And what was even stranger…
While she had been undergoing the trial within the Cloud Mist Sword's space, her emotion values had suddenly surged several times.
"System, where did those emotion values come from?" Yun Jin couldn't help asking.
The system's mechanical voice responded:
[Emotion value source: Sword Tomb.]
Yun Jin: "?????"
She was dumbfounded.
From the Sword Tomb? What was that supposed to mean?
It's called the Sword Tomb. Aren't all the swords in here supposed to be dead?
And yet... they could still feed her emotion values?
She glanced sharply at the Cloud Mist Sword. Could it be... these swords weren't truly dead?
Recalling that strange spatial tremor from earlier, Yun Jin started to think her theory might actually hold water.
How sinful.
She was so brutal, she'd even started farming emotion values from swords.
Heaven bear witness—this was never her intention.
But then again...
She'd already farmed the wool. Might as well enjoy the fleece.
A bright smile spread across Yun Jin's face.
Now she was even more curious about the trials to come.
"Yun Jin!" Suddenly, a voice called out—Yu Liangping.
Yun Jin turned and glanced at him.
Yu Liangping had arrived before her, yet somehow finished the stage after her.
Ultimately, it was the Cloud Mist Sword's fault. That petty little space had booted her out too soon. Otherwise, she'd still be inside, happily milking those emotion values.
Honestly, she was a little disappointed she'd gotten thrown out so early.
Yu Liangping stood up, sneering, "What, you just reached the third stage? I've already cleared it. Your pace is a bit too 'efficient,' don't you think?"
Yun Jin gave him a lazy look. "Oh, cleared it already? Congrats, congrats."
Yu Liangping lifted his chin. "I'm guessing you'll be eliminated in this round. I won't waste my time playing with you. The fourth stage awaits."
He felt that speaking this much to someone who relied solely on weapons was a degradation of his dignity.
Better to press on with the trials.
He might not be able to clear all the stages, but every single one of them refined his swordsmanship. For that alone, it was worth continuing.
Yu Liangping marched confidently toward the next sword domain. Then he realized someone was following him. Whipping around, he found Yun Jin silently tagging along behind.
Yu Liangping frowned. "Why are you following me?"
Clearly, Yu Liangping's intelligence wasn't anything to write home about.
Yun Jin grinned. "Oh, nothing. Just wondering if I could follow you straight into the fourth stage."
Yu Liangping laughed. "You think the Sword Tomb is your backyard? That you can come and go as you please? Someone who couldn't even clear the third stage wants to stroll into the fourth?"
Yun Jin blinked innocently. "But I'm so cute. What if the Sword Tomb opens a back door for me?"
Yu Liangping almost burst out laughing. He had originally intended to mock her further, but seeing how ridiculous she looked, he figured he might as well watch the joke play out.
"Fine. Follow me then. Who knows, maybe you really will get through."
Yun Jin nodded sincerely. "Thanks in advance, then."
Yu Liangping threw her a mocking glance and strode ahead.
Outside the Sword Tomb, several onlookers stood silently before the water screen.
In the first two stages, Yun Jin had clearly lagged behind.
But in the third, her speed had suddenly jumped.
This led to a strange outcome.
Yu Liangping had begun his trial before Yun Jin even arrived.
Yet when he finished, she was already done.
He assumed Yun Jin had just entered. In reality, she'd already passed.
Which made the overly proud Yu Liangping look... like an idiot.
Qin Ping chuckled softly. "This Yun Jin... she's a bit mischievous."
Yu Lin's face was dark. Mischievous? That didn't even begin to cover it.
She'd humiliated Liangping once already, and now she was treating him like a monkey!
Yu Lin's fists clenched at his sides.
Mu Lan said calmly, "So she got faster in the third stage. She's only just reached the fourth. Yuan Wu is already on the sixth."
"Exactly. Yun Jin just got lucky. Besides, her temperament is so unrefined, she'll never amount to anything," Yu Lin said immediately.
"Oh?" Qin Ping didn't argue. He simply continued watching with interest.
He had a feeling...
There was still something hidden within Yun Jin.
She might have more surprises in store.
—
At the domain of the fourth sword, Yu Liangping stepped boldly inside, then turned to Yun Jin with a mocking look. "Come on, you too."
There was a precedent. Anyone who tried to enter a sword domain without clearing the previous trial would be instantly ejected, usually sustaining serious injury.
"Okay." Yun Jin responded sweetly, lifting her foot and strolling in without a hitch.
Yu Liangping's pupils contracted sharply. He stared at Yun Jin in disbelief. "How did you get in? You... you cheated!"
Yun Jin smiled. "Told you. Maybe the Sword Tomb finds me adorable and gave me a backdoor."
[Emotion value +200]
[Emotion value +200]
Two notifications at once?
Yun Jin blinked.
One was clearly from Yu Liangping.
The other... could it be the Sword Tomb again?
Yu Liangping was shaking with fury. He gritted his teeth. "Impossible. You can't. There's no way! You don't deserve a shortcut!"
Even now, he still didn't get it.
Forget Yun Jin— even Yu Lin, watching from outside, was starting to look embarrassed.
Yun Jin gave a light laugh. "Aren't you starting the trial? I'm going ahead."
She ignored Yu Liangping and began examining the fourth monument.