The Art of Chaotic Divinity

He was powerful, far more powerful than any of them had imagined!

Then, from atop the heaven-reaching colossal blade at the center of the grand hall, a figure slowly descended before coming to a halt upon the blade's tip.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in a moon-white robe.

His presence was both majestic and overbearing. As he looked out across the hall, it seemed as though all of heaven and earth lay beneath his feet.

An overwhelming sword pressure radiated outward from the white-robed figure, sweeping across the hall. Everyone felt as though an ancient primordial divine mountain had been placed upon their backs. None of them could move so much as a single finger.

Some fared even worse. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably before they collapsed onto the ground. Their robes were already soaked through with cold sweat.

At last, the white-robed man swept his gaze across the crowd. Brilliant starlike radiance shone from his eyes.

"Only fifteen people? Hehe. Have the juniors of later generations truly become this weak and worthless?"

The white-robed man's voice carried unmistakable disappointment and dissatisfaction.

"I am the Great Desolation Sword Saint!"

His voice was not loud, yet it exploded beside everyone's ears like a clap of thunder.

A Sword Saint! The Great Desolation Sword Saint!

Everyone looked up at the white-robed man with eyes filled with reverence.

"The fact that you managed to pass the trials proves you possess at least a little talent. You barely qualify to catch my attention."

The Great Desolation Sword Saint paused before continuing.

"This Great Desolation Divine Hall served as the sacred land that I guarded during my lifetime. Since you have entered this hall, you are qualified to obtain certain opportunities here."

At once, all the martial practitioners became excited.

Xiao Juanyun drew a deep breath. The founding members of his Xiao Clan had perished within this Divine Hall. Perhaps his remains rested inside one of the branch halls mentioned by the Great Desolation Sword Saint.

Ling Feng narrowed his eyes. The Great Desolation Sword Saint had clearly left behind nothing more than a remnant soul, or perhaps a manifestation formed from his spiritual consciousness. Even so, the aura he exuded surpassed that of Half-Saint experts like Saint Gui by an immeasurable degree.

Is this the power of a legendary expert at the peak of the Sacred Tier? Ling Feng thought.

If a Sacred-tier expert was already this terrifying, Ling Feng could barely imagine how frightening an Ancestor-level expert must be. Yet the destined enemy he would one day face was none other than a god who dwelled above the Nine Heavens.

Taking a deep breath, Ling Feng quietly clenched his fists. The road ahead remained incredibly long, and every step upon it would be unimaginably difficult.

"Of course, there are probably not many treasures left within those branch halls. Time spares nothing. After countless ages have passed, whether medicinal pills or divine weapons, nearly everything has already deteriorated beyond use."

At those words, disappointment spread throughout the crowd.

The Great Desolation Sword Saint smiled proudly before asking another question. "However, the greatest treasure within this Divine Hall has yet to be claimed."

Immediately, everyone's eyes lit up once again.

The Great Desolation Sword Saint continued, "My Sword Dao inheritance still remains unclaimed to this day. I wonder whether a true monster exists among you."

The Great Desolation Sword Saint remained completely at ease. For over countless millennia, he had encountered innumerable gifted geniuses. Unfortunately, not a single one had managed to obtain his inheritance. With only a little over a dozen people standing before him now, he clearly held little hope for any of them.

The crowd, however, could hardly contain their excitement. An inheritance left behind by an ancient Sword Saint could allow its successor to suppress an entire era and become the unrivaled genius of their generation.

The Great Desolation Sword Saint's face turned icy as he spoke coldly. "Do not celebrate too soon. Over the countless millennia, far more people than your small group have entered this place. Yet even now, my inheritance remains unclaimed. To be honest, I have very little confidence in any of you."

"Sword Saint Senior, how will we know unless we try?"

"That's right! Just because those before us failed doesn't mean we will!"

"If you don't even let me try, I won't be able to rest in peace even after death!"

Voices rose one after another. No one was willing to let the inheritance of a peak Sword Saint slip away without at least attempting to claim it.

"Haha, such confidence is commendable," the Great Desolation Sword Saint said with a faint smile. "However, obtaining my inheritance will not be easy. You must first pass every one of my trials."

Everyone nodded in unison. There was no such thing as a free lunch, and anyone who wished to obtain such an extraordinary inheritance naturally had to endure difficult trials.

The Great Desolation Sword Saint looked down at them with cold, detached eyes, as though they were no more than insignificant ants. "Remember this carefully. The trials ahead are completely different from the seven levels outside. If you die here, you will truly die. You will not simply be teleported out. I will now give each of you one chance to withdraw. Anyone who chooses to give up may select one of the branch halls. Whether you find any treasures inside will depend entirely on your luck."

For a moment, several martial practitioners began to waver. With experts such as Xiao Juanyun, Luo Hanzhou, Ling Feng, Han Su, and several others present, their chances of claiming the Great Desolation Sword Saint's inheritance seemed almost impossible.

"I withdraw!"

Out of the fifteen martial practitioners who had entered the Divine Hall, five immediately chose to give up.

Yue Huaqing was one of them. She understood perfectly well how she had reached this place. Being allowed to choose a treasure from one of the branch halls was already an extraordinary opportunity for her.

Ling Feng gave Yue Huaqing a slight nod.

Knowing one's own limits was a virtue. With her strength, she simply lacked the qualifications to compete against everyone else.

Yue Huaqing gently pursed her lips and glanced at Ling Feng. "Junior Brother Ling, do your best."

Ling Feng smiled faintly without replying. Deep inside, however, he had already sworn an oath. Only one person would obtain the Great Desolation Sword Saint's inheritance, and that person would be him.

The Great Desolation Sword Saint looked over the remaining martial practitioners. "Does anyone else wish to withdraw?"

He waved his sleeve, and the five who had chosen to give up vanished from the grand hall.