Chapter 95 - Heavenly Sword Pool (1)
A few days after his exchange at the Sect Vault, Su Ming stood at the base of the grand stone stairs that led to Heavenly Sword Peak. Behind him stood Lin Yao and Wang Tian, their robes rustling in the mountain breeze. The air here was different from the serene atmosphere of White Lotus Peak. It was sharp, carrying a constant, metallic hum of disciplined sword energy that left a dry taste on the tongue.
The peak itself rose into the clouds like a giant sword pointing toward heaven. Every stone pathway, every ancient pine, and even the disciples walking past seemed to carry a sword-like presence in their Qi.
’It took almost three months to finally use this free pass,’ Su Ming thought, his fingers lightly brushing the polished jade token in his sleeve.
When the Sect Master first granted Wang Tian unrestricted access to the Sword Pool, Su Ming chose to wait. At the time, his meridians were newly reconstructed, and his physique was not fully under his control.
Exposing his Shattered Sword Physique to the raw, liquid sword Qi of the pool might have been suicidal, likely triggering a violent backlash and heavenly phenomenon that his body could not endure. Furthermore, Su Ming had wanted to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to his disciple’s unique constitution until it was fully stabilized.
Now, with Wang Tian’s cultivation consolidated at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment and his meridians protected by the seal, it was finally time to temper it.
"Keep your breathing steady in the Sword Pool," Su Ming said, turning to look at his two disciples. "The pressure of those pools is intense, targeting your spirit and your physical body directly. If you feel you have reached your limits, exit the pool. Do not force yourselves to stay."
"Yes, Master," Lin Yao and Wang Tian replied in unison.
Wang Tian looked up at the towering peak, his hand resting on his heart. The Shattered Sword Physique vibrated faintly, reacting to the ambient sword Qi radiating from the mountain.
They ascended the stone steps, passing groups of sword peak disciples. Most of them carried straight backs and focused expressions. Many looked at Su Ming with curiosity and a trace of respect, recognizing the new Nascent Soul Peak Master of White Lotus Peak, while others looked at Wang Tian and Lin Yao with mild envy of receiving personal guidance from a Nascent Soul elder.
At the entrance of the secret realm, a massive stone archway stood anchored between two jagged cliffs. Spatial ripples shivered within the portal like a sheet of liquid silver. An elderly deacon sat cross-legged on a stone platform beside the portal, his eyes closed as he monitored the spatial fluctuations.
Just as they approached the doorway, the spatial ripples parted. A young man dressed in the inner disciple robes of the Sword Peak stepped out. His hair was messy, with a few cuts on his robes, and his breathing was heavy. Yet, his sword aura was noticeably sharper, vibrating with a refined hum.
It was Guan Feng.
When Guan Feng saw Su Ming, his eyes widened in surprise. He quickly straightened his posture and clasped his hands in a respectful greeting. "Junior Greets Elder Su."
Su Ming nodded, offering a calm smile. "Disciple Guan. You seem to have made progress in your training."
Guan Feng let out a tired sigh, though a trace of pride remained in his eyes. "I spent the last two weeks entering the Sword Pool for about an hour each day, but today was my last day. I ran out of contribution points. Staying in that liquid Sword Qi is difficult. Fortunately, the Sword Path tournament is coming up soon. The rewards include a free pass to the pool for a month, so I must prepare."
’I must secure a top rank in the tournament,’ Guan Feng thought to himself, his fingers tightening slightly on his hilt. ’It is my only chance to earn enough time in the pool to keep up with them.’
As he looked at Wang Tian and Lin Yao, Guan Feng’s eyes flashed with a competitive spark. Seeing the two disciples, along with Su Ming, brought back memories of their incredible achievements during the beast tide. A sharp desire to improve and catch up flared within him. He did not want to lag behind the geniuses of the White Lotus Peak.
Wang Tian offered a polite nod, his body standing tall and relaxed, while Lin Yao remained quietly composed and nodded.
"Go rest and consolidate your gains," Su Ming told Guan Feng, noting the determination in the youth’s eyes. "Rushed progress only leads to difficult bottlenecks."
"Thank you for the guidance, Peak Master," Guan Feng said. He bowed once more, casting one last curious look at Wang Tian before walking down the mountain.
Su Ming stepped toward the elderly deacon, presenting his Peak Master token and the Sect Master’s custom jade pass. The deacon opened his eyes, taking the tokens. He glanced at Su Ming’s Peak Master token first, nodding slowly, but when his spiritual sense scanned the Sect Master’s jade pass, his hand froze, and he stared at the pass, then at the silent Wang Tian, in sheer disbelief.
"This..." The deacon’s voice faltered slightly, losing its composure. "The Sect Master has personally authorized unrestricted free access to the Disciple’s Sword Pool... specifically for disciple Wang Tian?"
He looked at Wang Tian as if trying to see what kind of hidden monster the youth was to deserve such unprecedented favor. Shaking his head in lingering astonishment, he cleared his throat and addressed Su Ming. "Ahem. Peak Master Su, the pass only covers Wang Tian. You and disciple Lin Yao will need to pay the standard contribution rate."
Su Ming nodded, passing his Peak Master identity token forward to deduct the required contribution points for both himself and Lin Yao. Although Lin Yao had gathered a substantial amount of points from her recent sect missions, Su Ming simply gestured for her to remain quiet.
The deacon recorded the transaction, the runes on the register glowing as the points were deducted. "Recorded. Disciple Lin Yao and disciple Wang Tian may enter the Outermost Pool, while Elder Su may enter the Middle Pool."
He handed the tokens back. "Step through the portal. The pools are massive lakes under a mist-covered valley. The spiritual energy there is incredibly dense, though it is saturated with sharp sword Qi. You will not run into others unless you seek them out, but keep to your designated places. Going deeper than your cultivation can support will result in severe backlash."