The Sword Tomb.
Countless swords were plunged into the ground, surrounded by mountains that pierced the clouds, enclosing the Sword Tomb.
Upon these peaks stood individuals of extraordinary presence.
Each bore a long sword on their back, their expressions serene.
At this moment.
On the highest peak, several of the realm's mightiest figures stood with their hands behind their backs, gazing down at the Sword Tomb.
There were four of them, all top swordsmen of this realm, each possessing terrifying strength.
They varied in age: one with the countenance of a youth, another a young man, a middle-aged man, and an elder.
Though their strength was equal, the elder was the oldest and the de facto leader.
The elder, named Jian Kong, stroked his beard and chuckled, "With the Sword Tomb opening this time, who knows how many youngsters will obtain those legendary famous swords."
They all knew that the Sword Tomb only opened once a century, filled with countless swords awaiting fated individuals.
Today was the day the Sword Tomb would open.
The middle-aged man nodded. His name was Jian Hong. He smiled, "I have high hopes for the Holy Son of the Sitting-and-Forgetting Sect. At such a young age, he has cultivated sword arts that are indistinguishable between truth and illusion. Perhaps he can walk the path of the Dream Sword."
The young man, Jian Xu, his face slightly pale, coughed a few times and said, "I think Shui Ling'er, that lass from the Water Sect, has good talent. At such a tender age, she can already control all waters with her sword."
"Not so!" The young man, Jian Qing, shook his head. "While their talent is good, it's merely average. I am not optimistic about this year's Sword Tomb tournament. No divine swords will appear!"
Divine swords were swords of divine artifact level.
They were the ultimate treasures within the Sword Tomb. No one knew how many divine swords there were, but almost every few hundred years, a uniquely talented youth would obtain a divine sword from the tomb.
Those who obtained a divine sword would, at the very least, cultivate to the Demi-God realm.
The four present had all obtained divine swords in their youth.
Jian Kong nodded, then sighed, "No matter, let the youngsters come. Let the Sword Tomb tournament conclude sooner!"
He himself wasn't particularly looking forward to it. After all, it had been a hundred years since someone last obtained a divine sword. Based on past experiences of divine sword acquisition from the Sword Tomb, it typically took three hundred years for a genius of that caliber to appear.
Since no divine swords would appear, he had little interest.
The other three were different, each holding a sliver of anticipation.
"The Sword Tomb Tournament has begun! Trial swordsmen, please enter!"
Dong dong dong!!!
The sound of bells echoed.
With booming roars, a spatial gate opened in the sky.
Numerous youths entered this space.
Then they were led into the Sword Tomb.
The four mysterious existences watched the arriving youths, discussing in hushed tones with interest.
Time flowed slowly.
Suddenly.
A voice rang out.
"Congratulations to Lin Yueru of Xiao Cang Sect, recognized by a ninth-tier sword artifact!"
"Congratulations to Wang Chao of Long Qi Sect, recognized by a semi-divine sword artifact."
"Congratulations..."
There were over five hundred trial swordsmen in total, but soon only ten remained.
These ten had all been recognized by sword artifacts, but they were not satisfied and chose to stay, aiming to contend for even stronger swords.
From the mountain peaks, the four watched these youths, smiling faintly.
Despite their words suggesting no one would obtain a divine sword, a hint of expectation lingered within them.
"These youths possess good strength and talent. They are a bit weaker than we were in our youth, but with good fortune, becoming a deity is not impossible."
"The sword path in our realm is flourishing. Sword path laws are within reach, making it easier to walk the sword path. However, I observe several youths who are clearly not solely pursuing the pure sword path."
"Indeed. Some wield sword path with the laws of water, others with the laws of lightning. Such individuals cannot possibly gain the recognition of a divine sword."
"See, they have indeed failed!"
Time was up. The youths in the Sword Tomb failed and left dejectedly.
The four beings stood up.
"Let us depart as well!"
"Let's go, the Sword Tomb is about to close again."
The four ascended into the sky, preparing to leave.
Suddenly, an anomaly occurred.
Divine, otherworldly sword lights shot up into the sky.
The purity of these sword lights was astonishing.
Jian Kong exclaimed in shock, "What is happening? There's no one left, why would a divine sword react?"
No one knew who had placed these divine swords here, and they hadn't all been taken over the years.
In the past, once the youths departed, the Sword Tomb would fall silent.
But what was happening now?
There was no one left, yet the Sword Tomb should not be reacting.
At this moment, Jian Xu pointed towards the center of the Sword Tomb and said, "Look, there's someone there!"
Everyone looked with curiosity and indeed saw several figures.
Jian Xu frowned. "This is spatial fluctuation. What exactly is going on? Does the Sword Tomb have other entrances?"
The others frowned, also bewildered.
But an anomaly had occurred, one they were unaware of, and it needed to be investigated.
The four figures flew into the sky and arrived at the center of the Sword Tomb.
They fixed their gaze on the figures in the center. There were five in total, four of whom were not cultivating the sword path, with only the young man in the middle cultivating it.
Jian Kong frowned. "This person's sword path is pure, and his talent is extremely high. I wonder where he comes from. Since a divine sword has chosen him, it signifies immense talent. I wish to take him as my disciple. What do you say?"
Jian Xu waved his hand. "Old fellow, your lifespan is not long. Are you trying to cultivate a successor?"
Jian Kong sighed.
"Consider it so!"
The other three felt a pang of sadness.
They had been friends for tens of thousands of years and could not bear to see Jian Kong die.
However, when lifespan is exhausted, death is inevitable.
This was an unchangeable rule.
At this moment.
Boom boom boom!!!
Intense beams of light erupted into the sky.
A cyan divine sword appeared in the sky.
The young man opened his eyes and, with joy, grasped the sword hilt.
The next instant.
A voice sounded above the Sword Tomb.
"Divine Sword: Tai Su!"
"Holder: Li Qinglian!"
Buzz!
The divine sword automatically entered his body, settling within his Sword God's Dantian.
The Sword God's face was filled with excitement. As soon as the divine sword entered his body, his power increased tenfold.
Furthermore, nourished by the divine sword, his power continued to grow, strengthening almost every second.
"Hoo!"
"What a miraculous sword!"
"The sword path laws of this world are too rich. I feel I could break through to the God realm at any moment."
"No, I must seize this opportunity to cultivate."
He did not notice the four figures.
However, Lin Yu had already discovered them. He was currently in the form of an integrated clone, but he had reduced his size to be the same as a normal person.
He restrained the power within him, making it impossible for the four to discern his strength.
Yet, he could perceive that all four were Upper Gods, and at the peak of the Upper God realm.
He thought to himself: With my current strength, Upper Gods are no match for me, provided they don't possess divine skills.
However, it doesn't seem like they're here to cause trouble.
I'll wait and see!