The next day.
The first light of dawn broke through the horizon.
Luo Mu changed into clean, neat clothes and left his room.
After breaking through to the True Aperture Realm, his aura had changed significantly.
His gaze now carried a trace of authority.
This was the transformation that came with a major breakthrough in cultivation.
Everyone experienced it.
Especially for the strongest Cultivators.
The power in their gaze could even shatter mountains and split the earth.
Arriving at the Cangwu Tower,
Since it was still early morning, there weren't many people.
But the Elder was already lying in a chair.
Luo Mu didn't know if the Elder had stayed here all night or if he had just arrived early.
“Elder, I've come to return the manual.”
Luo Mu took out the [Absolute Life-Ending Sword Technique] manual and placed it on the table.
Hearing his voice,
The Elder slowly opened his eyes.
He glanced at Luo Mu, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He remembered this young man.
Half a month ago, he had borrowed the [Absolute Life-Ending Sword Technique], and back then, Luo Mu was only at the Seventh Level of the Body Refining Realm.
Now, however, he had already broken through to the True Aperture Realm.
It seemed his aptitude was not bad.
The Elder didn't say much. He picked up the manual, inspected it for any damage, and then placed it aside.
In his heart, he felt a little pleased.
Luo Mu was someone who knew when to return things.
He didn't waste time; just half a month and it was back.
Unlike others who, after running into walls for half a year, finally realize their limits.
In the Elder's eyes, Luo Mu probably knew he wasn't capable of mastering the technique, which was why he returned it so soon.
Luo Mu, of course, had no idea what the Elder was thinking.
He spoke again, “Elder, I'd like to try the third level of the array formation.”
At these words,
The Elder, who had been about to close his eyes again, opened them once more.
“You're serious?”
“The third level's array is not something just anyone can pass. You've only just entered the True Aperture Realm.”
“I'd like to give it a try.”
Luo Mu's gaze was resolute.
Seeing this, the Elder nodded but didn't try to dissuade him.
As he had said before,
Over the years, he had seen too many people who had just broken through and tried to challenge difficult trials. Most ended up with nothing but a miserable failure. Trying to persuade them was usually useless.
Still, it was normal for young people to be impulsive.
But his impression of Luo Mu began to drop a little.
Arriving at the third level,
They faced a long and wide passageway, about twenty meters in length.
It didn't seem dangerous at first glance.
“When you step in, it'll trigger the array, and you'll enter the illusionary maze. In the maze, illusions will appear with the strength of the First Level of the True Aperture Realm.”
“There will be many of them.”
“Stay alert and do your best. I hope you can pass it.”
The Elder's tone was casual,
Not really believing Luo Mu could succeed.
With his foundation so shallow, just entering the True Aperture Realm, he might be able to handle one illusion, but there were ten in total!
“Thank you for the reminder, Elder.”
Luo Mu nodded.
He placed his right hand on the hilt of his new knife,
A temporary weapon for now.
He then stepped into the passageway.
Buzz~
In an instant,
The scene around him changed dramatically.
The ground beneath his feet now resembled a mirror-like surface of water, reflecting his figure. With every step he took, ripples spread across the surface.
“So, this is the power of the array?”
Luo Mu found it fascinating.
He had never encountered anything like this before and only knew that powerful arrays could trap people for eternity.
Suddenly,
The water in front began to churn,
And one after another, indistinct figures appeared.
There were ten of them.
Their aura was overwhelming, all at the First Level of the True Aperture Realm!
“This number really isn't something a freshly entered True Aperture Cultivator can handle.”
Luo Mu's gaze remained calm.
At least someone at the Third or Fourth Level of the True Aperture Realm could overwhelm them.
But even if a Third Level True Aperture Cultivator entered, the illusions' strength would rise to the Third Level as well.
So the key to passing was one's own foundation.
At the very least, one would need to master a Human-tier martial art to perfection to have a chance at passing.
Mystic-tier martial arts were invaluable,
And the academy only imparted them to true elites.
If one couldn't defeat ten illusions, how could they be considered elite?
“But I'm not an ordinary True Aperture Cultivator.”
Luo Mu drew his sword.
His right hand, which had been hidden beneath his sleeve, slowly revealed a deep black sword mark.
Hiss!
The ten illusions suddenly opened their cold eyes and charged toward Luo Mu.
Their claws were sharp, resembling blades.
Once Luo Mu's [Absolute Life-Ending Sword Technique] reached perfection, its power was comparable to a low-grade Mystic-tier martial art at the Small Success stage.
“Absolute Life-End!”
Luo Mu growled, charging forward with his sword.
The sword energy surged from the imprint on his sword, extending up to ten meters!
Slash!
Luo Mu dodged all the illusions' attacks, brushing past them.
The sword energy, however, sliced through their midsections.
In the next moment,
Whoosh!
All the illusions were split in two,
Disappearing into mist.
At the same time, the scene around him began to shatter like foam.
Outside,
The Elder was timing it, waiting to see how long Luo Mu could hold up, or perhaps how quickly he would be ejected.
He saw the ripples in the passage,
Knowing that the trial had ended.
He smirked.
Only five breaths had passed.
Was it over already?
Would he fail too quickly?
Normally, those who had just entered the True Aperture Realm could last at least ten breaths.
This young man looked sturdy, but it seemed he was nothing more than a paper tiger.
Too showy, but ultimately weak.
The weakest one he had seen in years.
Not long after,
Luo Mu's figure appeared at the end of the passage.
The Elder was about to go over to help him up.
But his pupils contracted sharply, and disbelief filled his eyes.
In his expectation, Luo Mu should have been lying on the ground by now.
But to his surprise,
Luo Mu was still standing, slowly sheathing his sword.
And a powerful sword aura still lingered around him,
A dull grayish hue!
That was... the [Absolute Life-Ending Sword Technique] sword energy!!!
“You...”
The Elder could hardly believe his eyes, even rubbing them to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
When he saw the deep black sword mark on Luo Mu's palm, he finally realized—
Luo Mu had actually perfected the [Absolute Life-Ending Sword Technique]!
But how was that possible?
Luo Mu had only borrowed the technique half a month ago!
It meant he had perfected it in just half a month?
The Elder's mind was in complete turmoil,
His understanding of cultivation was shaken to the core.
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