The night sky above the Heavenly Sword Palace was vast — a boundless canvas of shimmering lights.
But as Lin Feng stepped into the sacred plaza, the stars themselves seemed to move.
The plaza was circular, made of translucent crystal tiles that reflected the heavens.
Around it stood a hundred monoliths, each carved with runes older than any kingdom. Every rune pulsed faintly, beating in rhythm with the stars above.
High above the arena, suspended in the sky, floated the Sword Constellation Array — an enormous formation of light, formed by ten thousand phantom swords.
Each blade pointed downward, its edge gleaming with ancient divine intent.
Disciples and elders gathered on the observation platforms, whispering among themselves.
"The final trial of the outer court…"
"He'll have to face the Will of Ten Thousand Swords."
"Even some Saint disciples failed this — that mortal-born boy won't last ten breaths."
But Elder Mo Xu said nothing.
He simply watched as Lin Feng stepped forward, each step echoing with quiet resolve.
At the center of the plaza stood an ancient pillar carved with sword marks — said to be left behind by the First Sword Ancestor of the Heavenly Sword Domain.
When Lin Feng approached, the marks began to glow faintly.
The elder's voice rang across the arena.
"Outer Disciple Lin Feng. The third trial — the Sword Constellation Array.
Step within, and prove that your sword can withstand the will of all who came before you."
Lin Feng nodded once, unsheathing the Azure Sword.
The blade's light was dim — no divine pressure, no bloodline resonance — yet the crowd fell quiet as it hummed once, as if calling to the stars.
He stepped into the circle.
At that moment, the heavens roared.
The ten thousand swords hanging in the sky ignited, forming lines of light that converged above him.
Each sword released an aura — ancient, oppressive, filled with the echoes of thousands of sword cultivators across eras.
WOOOOOOOOO—!
The sound of blades crying filled the air as the array descended.
Ten thousand swords struck at once.
The ground shattered.
The plaza's crystal tiles exploded outward.
And Lin Feng stood at the eye of the storm, his robes whipping wildly as he raised his sword.
"Azure Sword Art — Form One: Sovereign's Pulse!"
The moment his sword moved, his aura surged — blue light spiraling upward, clashing against the descending sword wills.
The impact was blinding. Shockwaves spread across the arena, forcing disciples to shield their eyes.
Yet Lin Feng didn't falter.
Each phantom sword that fell met his blade — one deflected, two shattered, three redirected into arcs of azure flame.
"He's holding it off?"
"No… he's matching the sword wills!"
But that was only the beginning.
The array shifted again.
Now, the ten thousand swords merged into one colossal blade of pure light — a weapon that seemed capable of cleaving the entire sky in two.
Lin Feng's heart pounded. The force pressing down on him was terrifying — greater even than a Saint's divine aura. His feet cracked the plaza's surface as he braced himself.
"This is… the combined Sword Will of every Heavenly Sword Ancestor…"
"To withstand it is to prove your right to inherit their legacy," Elder Mo Xu murmured.
The blade descended.
Lin Feng closed his eyes — and everything fell silent.
He remembered the words of his master in the lower realm:
"When your sword stops listening to the heavens, listen to your own heart."
And in that stillness, his heart spoke.
It wasn't fear.
It wasn't anger.
It was clarity — the understanding that the sword was not just destruction. It was memory, emotion, destiny.
His sword rose.
"Azure Sword Art — Third Form: Nine Heavens Reversal!"
Nine arcs of azure light shot upward, forming a spiral that intercepted the colossal sword.
The explosion was so vast it tore through the sky — for a moment, the entire Heavenly Sword Palace was illuminated in blue.
The array wavered — but did not fall.
Cracks ran through Lin Feng's sword arm, blood trickling down his wrist.
Still, he did not step back.
The colossal sword reformed, striking again.
This time, it didn't attack his body — but his soul.
Lin Feng gasped as the world around him dissolved into white. He was standing in an endless void filled with sword shadows — ten thousand of them, each representing a will of an ancient cultivator.
"Who are you," one voice echoed.
"Why do you seek the sword?" asked another.
"What drives your blade — vengeance, ambition, or pride?"
The voices thundered, shaking his mind.
Then one, softer and older than the rest, spoke directly into his consciousness.
"Show us, inheritor of the Azure Flame.
Show us the reason your sword still stands."
Lin Feng's grip tightened. He looked around — at the countless swords, the countless souls watching him — and slowly raised his weapon.
"I don't seek power for power's sake," he said.
"My sword isn't for vengeance or glory."
"It's for the promise I made — that those who fell for me, their will won't vanish."
"As long as I breathe, their swords live on."
The Azure Sword pulsed — once, twice — then erupted with brilliant light.
The entire void trembled.
The ten thousand swords vibrated, resonating with his words.
"He understands…"
"His sword carries remembrance…"
"He bears the burden willingly…"
The ancient voices faded one by one — leaving behind only silence and a single strand of azure light floating before him.
Lin Feng reached out.
The light entered his body — and in that instant, the Azure Dao Seed within his soul flickered for the first time.
A faint rune formed at the core of his being, pulsing with ancient resonance.
Back in the real world, the spectators gasped.
The Sword Constellation Array had dissolved — every phantom sword now pointing downward, as if bowing.
And at the center stood Lin Feng, surrounded by a faint aura of azure flame that looked both divine and human.
His eyes glowed faintly, his breathing steady, his sword lowered at his side.
Elder Mo Xu's voice broke the stunned silence.
"The third trial is complete."
"Lin Feng… has been acknowledged by the Sword Will of the Heavenly Ancestors."
The crowd erupted.
"He—he actually did it!"
"Even inner disciples take months of preparation to face that array!"
"That mortal-born ascendant is a monster!"
Lin Feng sheathed his sword quietly.
The Azure flame faded, and the glow of the array dimmed.
He turned toward the elders, bowing once.
"Disciple Lin Feng — requests entry into the Inner Court."
Mo Xu smiled faintly. "Approved. From this day forth, you are no longer an outer disciple.
The Heavenly Sword Palace welcomes its newest Inner Court member."
Applause thundered across the plaza, echoing into the distant mountains.
Lin Feng looked up at the heavens — where the last remnants of the array shimmered like scattered stars.
He thought of his master.
Of Fatty, Sun Mei, Li Yuexin.
Of the wars he left behind, and the ones that surely awaited ahead.
"The path to heaven doesn't end here," he murmured.
"It's only begun."
And somewhere deep within his soul, the Azure Dao Seed pulsed — faintly, silently — as if answering him.