The world was silent.
Weightless. Boundless.
Then — boom.
A deafening roar shattered the silence as Lin Feng's consciousness snapped back. His eyes opened to blinding light — not sunlight, but the glow of countless divine runes floating in the sky like living stars.
He gasped, his chest heaving as he tried to move — but his entire body felt as though it was being crushed by invisible mountains.
> "So… this is the Higher Realm…"
The words barely left his lips before his knees buckled. The pressure was overwhelming — not like gravity, but a force that came from the very fabric of heaven itself. Every breath weighed thousands of pounds. His divine energy felt sluggish, almost dormant under this world's law.
Even at God Realm, I'm being suppressed this much?
Before he could steady himself, a hand rested lightly on his shoulder — steady, yet radiating unimaginable power.
"Relax your meridians and let your core synchronize," a calm voice said. "The Heavenly Sword Domain rejects all foreign cultivators until they align with its laws."
Lin Feng turned his head — and what he saw made his heart tremble.
The man beside him wore flowing silver robes etched with ancient runes. His long hair shimmered faintly like threads of starlight. His eyes… were deep — so deep Lin Feng felt as if they could pierce through his soul and read every secret he ever held.
"You're…" Lin Feng began.
The man gave a faint smile. "I am Xuan Jian, Envoy of the Heavenly Sword Domain. You may call me Elder Xuan."
He lifted his hand, and the space around them rippled — revealing a world unlike anything Lin Feng had ever seen.
Mountains of pure jade pierced the clouds, and rivers of sword energy flowed like silver dragons through the valleys. The very air shimmered with spiritual energy so dense that each breath felt like swallowing lightning.
Countless floating islands dotted the skies, each emitting its own faint aura. Upon one, Lin Feng saw a colossal palace built entirely from divine steel, surrounded by hundreds of suspended swords that hummed softly, resonating with heaven and earth.
"This… is the Heavenly Sword Domain?" Lin Feng whispered.
Xuan Jian nodded. "The heart of the sword path in the Higher Realm. Every sword cultivator in the ten domains dreams of standing here."
He gestured toward the horizon. "Each island you see houses a sect, clan, or division of sword dao. The one before us…" — his gaze softened slightly — "...is the Heavenly Sword Palace, where your future will begin."
Lin Feng's eyes widened. Even from miles away, he could feel the palace's sword intent. Each beam, each pillar, even each stone seemed alive, vibrating with thousands of years of accumulated sword will.
This aura… it's stronger than my master's full power… even while suppressed.
Xuan Jian smiled faintly, as though reading his thoughts. "Even the weakest disciple here has tempered their sword under divine laws. You've stepped into a world where saints are not legends — they are gatekeepers."
A quiet wind brushed past them, carrying faint whispers of sword cries.
"Walk," Xuan Jian said, floating forward effortlessly.
Lin Feng followed, each step heavy but steady. As he adapted, his breathing calmed. Slowly, the crushing pressure began to ease. His God Realm core pulsed stronger, its rhythm aligning with the realm's divine flow.
Minutes later, they stood before the colossal gates of the Heavenly Sword Palace. Two guardian statues — towering beings of pure white stone — flanked the entrance, their eyes glowing faintly as they sensed Lin Feng's aura.
"The mortal ascendant," one of them rumbled in a deep voice. "He carries the will of dragons."
Xuan Jian nodded once, and the gates opened silently.
A surge of sword energy spilled forth, enough to make Lin Feng's skin prickle. Within, the palace glowed with ethereal brilliance — thousands of blades floated mid-air, their edges singing quietly. The floor beneath him was transparent, revealing layers of sword formations carved into crystal slabs.
Xuan Jian led him through a grand corridor until they arrived at a massive courtyard where several young cultivators were sparring.
Their strikes were sharp and clean, the air whistling with every movement. The weakest among them radiated the aura of a peak Saint — the kind of existence that could destroy entire sects in the lower realm.
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. This… is the level of entry disciples here?
A few of them stopped training, sensing his unfamiliar presence. Their eyes landed on him — cold, curious, and slightly disdainful.
"Another ascendant from the lower realms?" one of them whispered. "How many of them has Elder Xuan brought this century?"
"Doesn't matter," another said with a smirk. "They all crumble within a few months. The higher realm isn't a playground for mortals."
Lin Feng ignored them, his expression calm. He had faced saints, devils, and armies — the disdain of arrogant geniuses was nothing new.
Xuan Jian raised a hand, silencing them. "He is not like the others. Lin Feng of the Sword Sovereign Sect — first among the Eastern Continent's God Realm cultivators, slayer of the Blood Sect's First elder, and bearer of four perfected intents."
The courtyard fell silent. The mocking expressions vanished instantly. Even the air grew tense.
"Four perfected intents?" one muttered, disbelief flashing across his face.
"Impossible. Even saints rarely achieve three…"
Lin Feng simply clasped his hands politely. "Lin Feng greets fellow disciples."
Xuan Jian looked pleased by his composure. "You'll remain here for three months to adapt. Afterward, you will be tested by the Sword Ascension Stone to determine your place within the Domain."
Lin Feng bowed slightly. "Understood, Elder."
As Xuan Jian turned to leave, he paused. "One more thing. The Heavenly Sword Domain is a place of both opportunity and danger. Some will seek to test you. Others will seek to destroy you. Never forget the blade you carry — the will that brought you here."
With that, the envoy disappeared in a flash of divine light.
Lin Feng stood alone in the courtyard, countless eyes still on him.
For a moment, no one spoke. Then a youth stepped forward — his aura sharp, his silver hair tied back, his robes embroidered with golden sword runes.
"I am Jian Wuhen," he said, voice calm but tinged with superiority. "First disciple of the Heavenly Sword Palace. I'll see for myself what kind of lower realm genius dares step into our domain."
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "Then you'll see soon enough."
The two locked gazes — sword intent flickering between them like lightning. The courtyard's atmosphere instantly grew heavy, several disciples stepping back instinctively.
Somewhere above, divine bells rang out across the domain — announcing the arrival of a new ascendant.
But for Lin Feng… it wasn't the beginning of peace.
It was the beginning of another war — one fought not with survival, but supremacy.