The Outer Heaven Frontier stretched endlessly before them — a broken realm where the sky itself seemed torn by ancient sword scars. Wisps of fragmented spiritual energy drifted like floating dust, shimmering faintly with the echoes of long-forgotten Dao Lords. The ground beneath their feet was cracked and uneven, carved by countless battles that once shook the heavens.
Liang Chen stood beside Zhou Yu, gripping his sword tightly. Even now, he felt the faint trembling in his dantian — a storm brewing, a pressure that refused to settle. The energy he'd accumulated during the earlier trials churned wildly, seeking release.
"Steady your breath," Zhou Yu said softly, his eyes scanning the distant ruins. "Your foundation is reaching its limit. The breakthrough is coming — but you must not force it."
Liang Chen nodded, taking a slow breath. His Qi Condensation cultivation had reached its peak. The Sword Qi within him often flared on its own, responding to the fragment resonance he'd experienced in the earlier trials. It was both empowering and overwhelming.
Feng Lian, who walked slightly ahead, cast him a sideways glance. "If you break through here, do it with caution. The Outer Frontier is unforgiving. A misstep could destroy your foundation."
Han Xiang adjusted the array plates strapped to his belt and added quietly, "The frontier amplifies fluctuations. Even a Bronze Core breakthrough could trigger residual formations."
Ling, Zhou Yu's shadow wolf, padded forward and sniffed the air. His fur bristled, ears twitching.
"Something's watching us," Zhou Yu murmured.
They descended through a ravine carved between two fractured floating islands. The walls glowed faintly with ancient runes, long inactive but still humming with dormant power. Even the slightest disturbance — a fluctuation in Qi, a careless step — could awaken them.
Liang Chen placed his palm on the rock, feeling its cold resonance. Sword Qi scars etched into the stone spoke of battles from tens of thousands of years ago. The energy was so dense that even he could feel the faint Sword Dao pressure pushing against his consciousness.
Han Xiang examined the runes. "This was a Sword Trial Path," he said. "Only those with strong Sword Intent could pass safely."
Zhou Yu nodded. "Then stay alert. Sword Trial paths are unpredictable."
A sudden tremor shook the ground. Dust fell from above, and cracks spread across the ravine walls.
Feng Lian raised her sword, ice Qi swirling around her. "Incoming."
Out of the shifting shadows, a hulking figure emerged — a Stonehide Ironback Beast, mutated by chaotic sword energy. Blades of bone jutted from its back, each shimmering with distorted Sword Qi. Its roar shook loose boulders as it charged forward.
Zhou Yu didn't move.
Instead, he said, "Liang Chen, Han Xiang — this one is yours."
Liang Chen froze. "Ours…?"
"The best time to touch the threshold of Core Formation is in combat," Zhou Yu said. "Feel your Qi, accelerate it. Use danger to shape it. I will protect you if it becomes fatal."
Han Xiang swallowed nervously but nodded.
Liang Chen tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the Sword Qi pulse within him like a beating heart.
The beast lunged.
Han Xiang activated an array with a flick of his brush. "Qi Lock Formation — bind!"
Two glowing nodes shot into the ground, forming a small circular array around the beast's legs. It slowed — barely — but enough for Liang Chen to move.
Liang Chen dashed forward, Sword Qi flaring as he slashed at the beast's flank. Sparks danced as his blade scraped the stone-like hide. He gritted his teeth. Its defense was monstrous.
"Again!" Han Xiang shouted, launching a second array. "Pressure Seal!"
The beast staggered.
Liang Chen seized the opening. He thrust his sword forward, channeling every ounce of Sword Qi he could muster.
"Dawn Break!"
A beam of sharp Sword Qi pierced the beast's shoulder. It roared in pain, swinging its spiked tail toward him. Liang Chen dodged narrowly, but the shockwave sent him tumbling backward.
His dantian trembled violently.
There it was again — that pressure. Stronger than before.
His vision blurred. Sword Qi pulsed in his ears. He felt as though something inside him was trying to burst out.
Feng Lian frowned. "He's close."
Zhou Yu gave a single nod. "Let it happen."
The beast charged once more — faster this time. Han Xiang barely dodged, rolling across the ground.
"Liang Chen! Now!"
Liang Chen pushed off the ground, Sword Qi bursting from his body. His vision focused. His breath slowed. His surroundings sharpened.
For a moment, the world seemed still.
Sword Intent stirred.
His blade shone with silver light.
"Dawn Break — Second Release!"
The Sword Qi arc that left his blade was sharper, cleaner, more refined than anything he'd produced before. It sliced through the beast's skull like cutting through spiritual mist.
The beast collapsed.
But Liang Chen didn't breathe a sigh of relief.
Because his dantian finally erupted.
Breakthrough: Bronze Core Awakening
Liang Chen fell to his knees, gasping. Sword Qi stormed inside his body like a violent typhoon. Every meridian burned. His bones felt like they were being reforged.
Han Xiang ran toward him, panic on his face. "He's breaking through right now?! Here?!"
Zhou Yu raised his hand. A gentle barrier surrounded Liang Chen. "Stay back. No interference. Let the Sword guide him."
Inside the barrier, Liang Chen trembled violently.
His Qi condensed into a vortex, spiraling into his dantian. It compressed, condensed, refined—again and again—until finally…
Clink.
A faint metallic echo rang through his consciousness.
A sphere formed — small, bronze, glowing like molten metal.
But what made it unique was the thin silver Sword Qi line etched across its surface, like a crescent moon.
Zhou Yu's eyes widened slightly.
"A Sword Qi Variant Bronze Core…"
Feng Lian gasped. "That's… an extremely rare phenomenon. He's—"
"A natural Sword Core cultivator," Zhou Yu whispered. "This boy's destiny is far greater than he realizes."
Ling growled softly, sensing the shift in power.
Liang Chen opened his eyes slowly.
His vision was clear. His senses sharpened. His Sword Qi pulsed rhythmically with the faint light in his dantian.
"I… broke through…"
He stood up, feeling the immense surge of power coursing through him. He clenched his fists. His meridians felt strong — reinforced by the new core. His Sword Qi was sharper, purer.
Han Xiang blinked at him in disbelief. "You… you're already stronger than me…"
Feng Lian smirked. "Not bad. But don't get overconfident."
Zhou Yu placed a hand on Liang Chen's shoulder. "Do not rush ahead. A core is the beginning — not the end. Now that you've formed one, you must temper it."
Liang Chen bowed. "Yes, Master!"
They continued deeper into the ruins until they reached an enormous chasm. Floating above it was a single stone platform, held aloft by ancient formations. At its center floated a fragment — glowing with an intense silver radiance.
Zhou Yu's eyes narrowed.
"The Fourth Fragment."
Sword pressure swept across the entire area, forcing even Feng Lian and Han Xiang to shield their faces.
The fragment pulsed wildly, sending arcs of Sword Qi into the air.
Only Zhou Yu stepped forward.
Ling followed, growling softly.
Zhou Yu extended his hand. The fragment vibrated, recognizing him — or rather, recognizing the Sword Dao legacy within him.
It flew into his palm.
A shockwave of Sword Qi exploded outward.
Liang Chen staggered, clutching his chest as his newly formed core resonated with the fragment.
Sword Intent surged around him.
Zhou Yu lifted the fragment, eyes full of a quiet fire.
"With four fragments… the Heavenly Sword Sect is no longer a shadow. We have returned to the path."
As they made their way back toward the sect, a distant figure watched from a crumbling cliff — dressed in violet robes embroidered with star patterns.
The crest of the Violet Star Palace glimmered faintly.
"So," the figure murmured, "the Heavenly Sword Sect has resurrected a Sword Core cultivator… and the Sect Master has recovered another fragment."
Their eyes narrowed.
"This will cause ripples across the Eastern Sky. The Scarlet Moon fools will not be the only ones to move."
The winds howled across the frontier.
A storm was coming.
And the Heavenly Sword Sect was now strong enough to attract the attention of every major power.