System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

69: The secret realm is about to openThe four words ”Ten Thousand Sword Secret Realm” were like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, stirring up massive waves in Ye Chen’s heart.

He knew full well what this place meant for Tianfeng Academy and for all Sword Cultivators.

It was the place where the Sword Dao will of countless predecessors had settled; it was an Opportunity, and even more so, a test.

The Dean using this as an Opportunity to ”lure the snake out of its hole” was undoubtedly pushing him to the forefront of the storm.

But he had no other choice, and he felt no fear.

”Good.” Seeing Ye Chen agree without hesitation, the look of approval in Dean Yun Canghai’s eyes grew stronger. ”The Secret Realm will open in three days. For these three days, you will Cultivate in seclusion at ’Sword Comprehension Cliff’ to adjust your state and consolidate your cultivation. Within the Secret Realm, crisis and Opportunity coexist; everything depends on your own fortune.”

”This Disciple obeys.” Ye Chen bowed.

”Chen Feng.” Yun Canghai’s gaze turned to Chen Feng.

”This Disciple is here.”

”Your Law Enforcement Hall is responsible for the vigilance and patrols for this opening of the Secret Realm; keep it tight inside and loose outside. Any suspicious personnel or abnormal movements must be reported immediately, without fail!”

”Yes!” Chen Feng accepted the order solemnly.

”You may all go and prepare.” Yun Canghai waved his hand, his figure gradually becoming blurred before finally disappearing from the main seat, as if he had never appeared at all. The various Elders also departed one by one, leaving only Ye Chen and Liu Qingfeng in the great hall.

Liu Qingfeng walked up to Ye Chen, looking at his still-pale but sharp-eyed face, and sighed: ”This trip to Qingcheng was hard on you.”

”It is this Disciple’s duty.” Ye Chen said calmly.

Liu Qingfeng nodded, saying no more, and handed over a Jade Slip: ”This contains some basic information about the ’Ten Thousand Sword Secret Realm’ and some insights from the explorations of past predecessors. Study it carefully and be prepared. Remember, within the Secret Realm, the most important thing is not how much power you obtain, but realizing your own Sword Heart. Your ’Nirvana Devouring’ Sword Intent is strong, but it requires even more mastery of your state of mind.”

”Many thanks, Elder.” Ye Chen took the Jade Slip, feeling its heavy weight.

”Go, Sword Comprehension Cliff has been cleared for you.” Liu Qingfeng patted his shoulder, ”Three days later, I will personally send you into the Secret Realm.”

Ye Chen bowed again and turned to leave the Sword Heart Hall.

Sword Comprehension Cliff is located at the back of Tianfeng Academy, a massive stone wall as steep as if cut by a blade and as smooth as a mirror. On the stone wall are countless sword marks, some deep and some shallow, some sharp and some majestic, left by the academy’s past Sword Dao powerhouses who cultivated and tested their swords here. Over the years, this place has accumulated extremely rich Sword Dao will and Spiritual Qi, making it one of the best places for Sword Comprehension in the academy.

At this moment, the area in front of Sword Comprehension Cliff was empty, with only the mountain wind whistling and stirring the sea of clouds beneath the cliff.

Ye Chen sat cross-legged on a flat bluestone in front of the cliff. He did not immediately study the Jade Slip, but instead closed his eyes to look inward, carefully sorting out his own state.

The battle in Qingcheng had consumed him greatly, especially the final forced use of the ”Heaven-Burning Sword Sacrifice Technique” and resisting the demonic thoughts, which had almost damaged his Origin. Although the ancient sword phantasm later fed back essence and his Sword Intent transformed, the depletion of his body could not be remedied in a day or two. During these three days, he needed to use the rich Spiritual Qi and Sword Intent environment here to recover as quickly as possible and completely master his brand-new ”Nirvana Devouring” Sword Intent.

He circulated the ”Myriad Realms Sword Canon”, and the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian, carrying the characteristics of Nirvana and Devouring, flowed slowly like a stream nourishing a dry riverbed, repairing the subtle damage. At the same time, he released his Divine Sense, feeling the countless crisscrossing Sword Intents on Sword Comprehension Cliff.

These Sword Intents, some were as scorching as raging fire, some as cold as frost, some as heavy as mountains, and some as swift as lightning... They represented different Sword Dao paths, different wills and insights.

Ye Chen’s ”Nirvana Devouring” Sword Intent quietly spread out, not to confront or devour these predecessors’ Sword Intents, but like a calm observer, to perceive, to analyze, and to verify.

He discovered that his Sword Intent became exceptionally active in this environment. The ”Devouring” characteristic seemed to possess an instinct, wanting to absorb and fuse these different Sword Intents to strengthen itself, but it was firmly suppressed by his powerful will.

”Devouring is easy, digesting is hard, and holding fast to one’s original heart is even harder.” Ye Chen’s heart was as clear as a mirror. He guided the Nirvana Sword Intent to simulate and understand the ”Principles” contained within these different Sword Intents—the explosiveness of fire, the solidification of ice, the stability of mountains, the agility of wind...

Nirvana is the end, it is annihilation. But after the end, is there rebirth? After devouring, is there Fusion?

He faintly touched upon a deeper truth of the Sword Dao. His Sword Intent was no longer just pure destruction and plunder; it began to have a budding trace of tolerance and change. Around the core of the dark golden sword radiance, in addition to the subtle dark red devouring patterns, there seemed to be more tiny flickers of light like stars, representing different Sword Dao concepts; although extremely faint, it was a brand-new beginning.

Three days passed in a flash during his focused cultivation.

When the dawn of the third day arrived and the first ray of morning light pierced through the sea of clouds, shining upon Sword Comprehension Cliff, Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes.

The exhaustion in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by an introverted sharpness. His aura was calm and heavy, having completely stabilized at the Peak of the Fifth Level of the Kaiyuan Realm, only a step away from the Sixth Level. More importantly, his control over the ”Nirvana Devouring” Sword Intent was more rounded and free, with a little less of the previous rawness and dominance, and a little more depth and unpredictability.

”The time has come.” Liu Qingfeng’s voice sounded behind him.

Ye Chen stood up and looked at Elder Liu: ”This Disciple is ready.”

Liu Qingfeng looked him over carefully and nodded with satisfaction: ”Not bad, it seems you have gained quite a lot in these three days. Come with me.”

The two left Sword Comprehension Cliff, turning into two streaks of sword light, and flew towards the deeper part of the academy, towards an isolated peak shrouded by countless powerful Restrictions.

At the summit of the isolated peak, it was not the palace or pavilion one might imagine, but a huge platform that seemed to have been leveled by a single sword strike. In the center of the platform was a complex teleportation Formation with a diameter of about ten zhang, the patterns of the Formation composed of countless tiny sword-shaped runes, which were currently emitting a faint light of spatial fluctuation.

Dean Yun Canghai, along with Chen Feng and several Elders with deep and profound auras, were already waiting there. Besides them, there were four other young Disciples, three men and one woman, each with an extraordinary bearing, all of whom had cultivation levels above the Kaiyuan Realm Sixth Level; they were clearly the Core Disciples carefully cultivated by the academy who were qualified to enter the Secret Realm.

Seeing Ye Chen arrive, the gazes of those four Disciples fell upon him in unison, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and even a hint of imperceptible competitiveness. Although Ye Chen’s affairs in Qingcheng had not been widely publicized, it was no secret within the circle of Core Disciples; they all knew that this newly risen Junior Brother could not be judged by common standards.

Yun Canghai’s gaze swept over the five people present, and he said in a deep voice: ”The Ten Thousand Sword Secret Realm is the foundation of our Tianfeng Academy; it contains endless Opportunities, but also infinite dangers. The Secret Realm will be open for one month. During this time, what kind of fortune you can obtain depends entirely on yourselves. Remember, within the Secret Realm, killing fellow Disciples is strictly prohibited; violators will have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from the academy!”

”Yes! Dean!” The five replied in unison, their expressions solemn.

”In addition,” Yun Canghai changed the subject, his voice carrying a hint of gravity, ”Recently, the Dark Hall has been active frequently, and you all know of their conspiracy. Although the Secret Realm is protected by the academy’s Restrictions, we cannot guarantee it is absolutely foolproof. After you enter, you must look out for one another and be vigilant against any abnormalities. If you encounter irresistible danger, you may crush this talisman to be teleported out of the Secret Realm, but that also means giving up this Opportunity.”

He flicked his finger, and five ancient-looking jade talismans flew towards the five, including Ye Chen.

Ye Chen took the jade talisman, feeling its warm touch, and could sense the powerful spatial force contained within. He understood in his heart that this was not only a life-saving item but likely also a means for the academy to monitor the situation inside the Secret Realm.

”Prepare to activate the Formation!” Yun Canghai ordered the Elders waiting around the Formation.

Several Elders acted simultaneously, injecting majestic Spiritual Qi into the teleportation Formation beneath their feet. Immediately, the sword-shaped runes on the platform lit up one by one, emitting a dazzling light, and the spatial fluctuations became intense as a rotating spatial portal, composed of countless sword lights, slowly formed in the center of the Formation.

”Go in!” Yun Canghai shouted.

The four Core Disciples bowed to the Dean and the Elders, then took the lead and turned into streaks of light, diving into the sword light portal and disappearing.

Ye Chen took a deep breath, nodded to Liu Qingfeng and Yun Canghai, and without further hesitation, moved his body and shot into the portal like a sharp sword!

Just at the moment his figure entered the portal, he keenly sensed that in the crowd below, there seemed to be an extremely hidden, cold gaze that lingered on him for an instant.

Was it an illusion?

As soon as the thought arose, a powerful spatial tearing force enveloped his entire body, and his consciousness instantly blurred.

And after he entered the Secret Realm, on the platform, the sword light portal slowly contracted and finally dissipated. Everything returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

Yun Canghai looked at the restored, calm Formation, his gaze deep, and transmitted his voice via Divine Sense to Liu Qingfeng beside him: ”The bait has been cast; it just depends on when the fish will take the hook.”

Liu Qingfeng nodded silently, Sword Intent faintly appearing in his eyes.

At the same time, in an unknown corner of Tianfeng Academy, a black shadow quietly crushed a communication talisman in its hand, the corners of its mouth curling into an eerie arc.

”The seed has entered the fertile soil... The feast is about to begin...”