The howling wind of the plains blew fiercely.
In front of the massive sword mark, there was an eerie silence.
Occasionally, some would rise regretfully, turn, and leave.
Lin Mu placed his right hand on the sword scar.
By doing this, he could feel it more deeply.
In the past, he might have been like most others—unable to perceive anything from such a scar, seeing it as no different from an ordinary mark.
But now, he possessed the Sword Intent.
With this, the starting point was completely different.
In his eyes, the once ordinary scar seemed to come alive, trembling, twisting, even spinning!
Faint, indistinct sounds reverberated in the air!
“A sword of the highest rank, by a sword of the highest rank!”
“A sword of the highest rank, by a person of the highest rank!”
“...”
“Exactly... the highest rank!”
The voice was deep and heavy, like an ancient bronze bell, deafening in its resonance.
Lin Mu couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but he felt a towering figure appear in his mind.
The left arm was empty.
The right hand held the sword.
After a single slash, the earth cracked... and the heavens shattered!
“This strike!”
Lin Mu's breath grew heavy and intense.
Until now, he had never encountered such profound sword techniques that could influence heaven and earth!
But... it was far too esoteric!
Even with his current abilities, it was impossible for him to fully comprehend such profundity in a short time, let alone grasp even a sliver!
But Lin Mu did not despair.
This was just the beginning.
There was time, there was opportunity.
As long as he continued to study and understand, he was certain he would make progress!
Around three hours later,
Lin Mu's body, which had remained still, suddenly trembled. His pupils contracted and expanded.
He briefly exited his state of deep contemplation.
He had finally grasped a sliver of understanding.
His Sword Intent had also risen a little.
Sure enough, this sword mark could indeed help warriors comprehend and improve their Sword Intent!
Ding!
“You have focused solely on studying the Sword King's scar, and through profound understanding, you have triggered a critical hit, gaining 40 times the reward!”
The system's notification echoed in his mind.
At the same time, a flood of insights appeared in his mind.
It was as if he had comprehended it forty times over.
The Sword Intent surged within him.
“Fast!”
Lin Mu's lips curled up.
Before arriving here, his Sword Intent was only at 10%, but now, he had made a small leap.
With another 200 times the rewards, he estimated he could reach 20% of his Sword Intent!
“Continue understanding!”
Lin Mu's mood grew even more heated.
He immersed himself once again in his contemplation.
—
Time passed quickly.
Five days had passed in the blink of an eye.
Within the Sword King's Gorge, the mighty river still surged eastward, occasionally crashing against the banks, sending towering waves into the air.
Its roar was like thunder.
It was as if the heavens themselves were roaring in anger.
In front of the sword mark,
every day there were people coming and going.
The crowd remained close to a hundred strong every day.
Lin Mu remained in his cross-legged position.
His gains were not bad at all.
His Sword Intent had reached 30%!
But he knew the sword mark still held more to be understood, far from its limit.
Such a rare place for cultivation was not something he could afford to waste.
He had to fully absorb it!
“That seems to be a disciple of the Chang Le Academy,”
Someone with sharp eyes noticed Lin Mu, recognizing him by his attire.
“Yeah, he's been here for five days, not eating, not drinking, and hasn't even stood up to move.”
Someone nodded, their voice full of admiration.
Not everyone could persist for so long.
First, the body couldn't bear it; second, mental fatigue set in, and maintaining concentration became nearly impossible.
Thus, most people would leave after two or three days of failure.
Occasionally, some well-prepared individuals would stay a little longer.
So, these people had noticed Lin Mu sitting in front of the scar.
“He must have gained something by sticking around for so long.”
Upon hearing this, many gazed at Lin Mu with envy.
The marks left by the Sword King were universally recognized as treasures. No matter the size of the gain, one could be sure they'd benefit greatly from it.
“What a pity the Academy's recruitment conditions are so harsh, or I'd love to join the Academy to learn.”
Someone said regretfully.
Unlike sects, the Academy was directly under the Imperial Court, and its benefits and treatment were extremely generous.
It was said that even Mystic-tier martial arts could be learned there.
As they talked,
the ground suddenly began to tremble slightly.
Everyone quickly turned to look.
Their pupils constricted.
Over twenty people were walking toward them in unison.
Each of them carried two swords on their back.
Their expressions were solemn.
“It's the Opened Nether Sword Sect!”
Someone recognized them.
They instinctively took a step back.
The disciples of the Opened Nether Sword Sect always carried two swords, and their attire was standardized, making them easy to recognize.
“What are they here for?”
“They must be here to study the sword mark.”
Before the words were even finished,
the group from the Opened Nether Sword Sect had already come closer.
The leader,
whose eyes were sharp and cold, had his black hair tied in braids.
He scanned the area.
His brows furrowed.
Because there were too many people, and there was no good spot left.
The area closest to the sword mark was packed with people.
“Ten seconds, get out of here now!”
The leader took a deep breath and spoke coldly.
“Why should we?”
Someone instinctively retorted.
The sword mark left by the King was universally recognized as an ownerless object, decreed by the Prefect of Fengdu County.
So, no sect had the right to claim it.
Anyone coming here to study was expected to follow the rule of first-come, first-served.
If there were no open spaces, one had to wait.
“With my sword in hand!”
The leader didn't even seem to move.
His sword had already been drawn.
He slashed through the air.
In the blink of an eye, the arm of the person who had spoken was severed, and blood sprayed everywhere!
“You!”
The crowd was immediately shocked and enraged.
This was too domineering!
“Another nine seconds. If you don't leave, don't blame me for being merciless!”
“Next time, I'll aim for your head!”
The leader sheathed his sword.
His face was cold and indifferent.
Seeing everyone move aside,
he nodded in satisfaction.
He relished the fear he instilled in others, the way they saw him as a tiger or a wolf.
That feeling was intoxicating.
But he wasn't blindly kicking people out.
The martial artists here were mostly in the Body Refining Realm, with a few reaching the True Aperture Realm at best.
He, however, had reached the ninth level of the True Aperture Realm, and soon he'd be stepping into the Spirit Sea Realm.
Several of his junior disciples were already above the sixth level of the True Aperture Realm.
So there was no need to hold back.
It was enough to simply push them aside!
Every once in a while, the sect would send disciples to observe the Sword King's marks at the Sword King's Gorge.
Today, he was leading the group.
“Senior Brother, there's still one person who hasn't left.”
One of his disciples said.
The leader turned his gaze.
He saw that Lin Mu was still sitting in front of the sword mark.
“He seems to be from the Academy, but just an outer disciple.”
The disciple seemed to have noticed something and lowered his voice.
“What are we afraid of? Let him leave. What's an outer disciple from the Academy to us?”
The leader sneered.
Since the formation of the Martial Alliance, sect forces had a stronger backbone. There was no reason to fear the Academy anymore.
Besides, he was only an outer disciple.
Even if they killed him, it wouldn't lead to any serious consequences!
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