Night waned, and dawn broke over the Falling Sword Sect like a blade of gold.Mist wove through the peaks, quiet and reverent, as if the entire mountain held its breath.
Shen Liang followed Elder Su Qinglan up the ancient steps toward the Inner Sword Tomb a place few disciples ever saw, and fewer still survived. His broom rested on his shoulder, its bristles gleaming faintly with silver light.
He yawned. "Master, I still say we could've done this after breakfast. I fight better when I'm full."
Su Qinglan didn't turn. Her voice was calm, like wind gliding over glass."In the Sword Tomb, the dead do not wait for your stomach."
"Then they've clearly never tried my dumplings."
A small smile flickered across her lips gone before the next step echoed.Around them, hundreds of sealed sword slabs stood like gravestones, each inscribed with the name of a fallen elder. Faint sword qi lingered in the air, sharp, ancient, resentful.
When they reached the final gate, Su Qinglan raised her jade token."Sword Tomb, open."
A deep clang resounded through the mountain. The massive doors slid apart, releasing a chilling wind heavy with sword intent. Inside, countless blades floated in silent formation, each humming faintly, waiting, dreaming.
"This," she said softly, "is where the will of our sect sleeps. If you wish to carry its legacy… you must awaken one."
The System flickered to life.
[Quest Active: "Trial of the Sleeping Swords"]
[Objective: Survive the Sword Souls' Trials. Earn their recognition.][Warning: Failure may result in soul backlash or permanent damage to dantian.]
[Reward: Hidden Class Advancement 50% → 100% | Sword Soul Companion.]
Shen Liang exhaled slowly, gripping his broom. "No pressure, right?"
He stepped inside.
The air thickened instantly. Sword qi slashed through the mist like invisible currents. A thousand phantom blades shimmered into being ancient cultivators' wills made manifest.
A voice echoed in his mind, deep and solemn."Who dares disturb our eternal sleep?"
Shen Liang grinned. "Just your friendly neighborhood janitor."
"A… laborer?" The voice trembled with disbelief, then cold fury. "The sect has fallen indeed, if even servants trespass upon the Sword Tomb!"
Dozens of sword souls materialized, forming spectral figures in long robes, their ethereal blades drawn. The ground itself pulsed with killing intent.
Shen Liang cracked his neck, sweeping the broom into a stance. "If you're going to haunt me, at least let me clean the place first."
The first sword soul struck... a storm of qi so fierce it could shatter mountains. Shen Liang's broom blurred, blocking three, four strikes in succession. The air boomed with every clash.
[Skill Activated: Wind Sword Sweep Lv.2!][Defense Buff: Sword Tempering Lv.3 – 30% Qi Reflection.]
Each swing of the broom dissolved attacks into spiraling wind currents that circled him protectively. The sword souls roared.
"Unworthy!"
"Yeah," Shen Liang said through a grin, "but persistent!"
He swept horizontally and a cyclone erupted, blasting apart three sword souls at once. The wind screamed, carrying faint echoes of laughter.
[XP +320 / Affinity: Sword +10% / Progress: 50% → 70%.]
[Cultivation Progress: Qi Condensation Stage 9 (50/2000 XP)]
Then the mist thickened again. The remaining sword souls retreated… and one colossal figure emerged from the shadows, an old man clad in tattered white robes, his spectral eyes filled with ancient grief.
"Disciple of Su Qinglan… do you even know whose graves you tread upon?"
Shen Liang bowed slightly. "Those who once protected the sect I now clean."
The old man's brows furrowed. "Clean?"
"Yes," Shen Liang said softly. "Clean from dust, from pride, from decay. The sect forgot its foundation. A sword that refuses to be sharpened dulls… just like a sect that refuses to get its hands dirty."
Silence followed.
Then — laughter. Deep, booming, genuine.
The old man raised his sword, eyes glowing. "Then show me if your broom can cut pride!"
The chamber transformed. Mountains rose and fell around Shen Liang, an illusionary battlefield of thousands. The old man's spectral sword descended like a falling star.
Shen Liang inhaled. His broom flared with light.Wind and sword intent fused perfectly, not destructive, but balanced, fluid.
[Skill Fusion Completed: Wind Sword Sweep + Sword Tempering → Heavenly Labor Sweep Lv.1][Effect: Converts physical motion into true sword qi. AoE damage scales with labor-based motion.][Hidden Class Awakening Progress: 70% → 100%!]
He swung once.
The illusion shattered. The air split open in a blinding arc that swept through the Sword Tomb and every slumbering sword trembled in response.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Thousands of blades rose into the air, ringing in harmony. The sound echoed across the mountain, reaching even the Grand Elder's peak.
Su Qinglan's eyes widened slightly. "He… awakened the tomb."
The old man's ghostly form smiled, fading slowly into light. "Good… good… the sect still has hope."
A final notification blinked before Shen Liang's eyes.
[Hidden Class Fully Awakened: Sword Laborer of Heaven]
[Unique Passive: Heavenly Tempering – All manual actions generate qi refinement efficiency +50%.]
[Sword Soul Companion Obtained: Ancient Sword Spirit 'Ling Xiao'.][Hidden Quest: "Rebuild the Falling Sword Sect" – Stage 2: Restore Inner Sect Morale (1/10).] / Inner Sect Morale +3/10.] [Title Earned: Tombwalker of the Fallen Peak.]
Shen Liang stood alone in the quiet tomb, surrounded by floating swords. He sighed, brushing dust from his sleeve."Guess I just mopped up a few ghosts."
A soft voice whispered in his mind, clear, proud, yet faintly amused.
"If you're my new master… you'd better not use me to sweep floors."
He blinked. "Ling Xiao, was it? No promises."
Outside, the first rays of sunlight spilled into the Sword Tomb as the doors opened. Su Qinglan waited, her gaze calm but proud.
"How was your night with the dead?" she asked.
Shen Liang smiled, shouldering his glowing broom-sword hybrid. "Productive. I think I just convinced them to stop haunting us."
She nodded once. "Then the real cultivation begins."