Chapter 78. Open! The Trial! Ascending with Ease (1)

Ancient Mount Shu was a land steeped in legacy, revered above all for its unparalleled heritage in the Sword Dao. The sword arts that originated from this sacred ground were hailed as the pinnacle of excellence, their prestige unmatched throughout the realm.

Lu Yuan was well aware of this. He knew with absolute clarity that the higher one ascended the mountain, the more profound and formidable the sword arts etched into each stele became.

In his previous life, countless Awakened had journeyed to Ancient Mount Shu, sitting cross-legged before the steles for months—some even for years—until their bodies withered into nothing but bone. All in pursuit of a single, fleeting glimpse of enlightenment. Just one shred of insight was enough to illuminate their path of evolution.

For many, even after attaining extraordinary powers, the road ahead remained obscured, veiled in mist and riddled with uncertainty.

To move forward, an Awakened required either a breathing technique or a visualization method. Yet such techniques were exceedingly rare, priceless even.

Perhaps a few were hoarded by the major powers.

But for the countless unaffiliated Awakened, there was little hope of ever obtaining one.

Thus, the sword steles of Ancient Mount Shu became their final hope, a place where even the faintest chance at comprehension was worth a lifetime of effort.

And yet, Lu Yuan knew the bitter truth, in the past, no one had ever succeeded in comprehending the inheritance sealed within the stele at the mountain's peak. It was simply too difficult, demanding an impossibly high level of comprehension.

If not for the ancient Bodhi Tree he had fused with, Lu Yuan would never have agreed to come either.

"Mr. Lu, it's been a while," a gentle and crisp voice sounded from a distance. It was the Ice Fairy as she approached with a warm smile on her visage.

Zhu Qingyu and the others instinctively took a step back. While they could speak freely with the Northern Emperor, who was their senior, this woman was different. It was safer to maintain a respectful distance.

Of course, they didn't know that Polaris Biotech and Aurora Academy were allies—a secret only known to the upper echelons.

"It's been a while?" Lu Yuan chuckled lightly. "I think it's been less than half a month, no?"

As the saying goes, one does not strike a smiling face. The Ice Fairy had shown goodwill toward him more than once. No matter her motives, her sincerity seemed genuine enough. It was only appropriate to respond with a few words.

"Half a month is still long," the Ice Fairy replied, her eyes lighting up slightly. She had caught the subtle shift in Lu Yuan's attitude and felt that her earlier efforts had not been in vain.

She let out a soft laugh, then gestured toward the crowd in the distance. "Mr. Lu, look over there. That young Daoist is Celestial Master Chunyang of Mount Hulong. The one beside him is Master Huikong of Mount Jiuhua. Both are peerless talents. Now that the Sword Stele Legacy is about to open, they're bound to obtain great fortune.

"I believe the two of them could at least reach a stone stele of level thirty or above to begin their comprehension. Mr. Lu, do you have the confidence to surpass them?"

There was a known threshold for comprehending the sword stele inheritance. The higher one climbed, the more difficult it became, and the greater the comprehension and talent required. All the Awakened present were aware of this.

The Ice Fairy's words weren't intended to provoke competition between them. She merely sought to draw closer to Lu Yuan.

"I have no intention of competing with anyone," Lu Yuan said.

The smile on the Ice Fairy's face brightened. To her ears, his reply sounded like a tacit admission of weakness—that perhaps, when it came to comprehension, he didn't believe he could match the other two.

But that was fine. She felt the same about herself.

Just as she was about to offer a few words of comfort to continue the conversation, Lu Yuan's next words cut her off.

"My goal is the ninety-ninth and final stone stele at the peak."

His voice was soft and calm, but it was laced with unwavering confidence.

The Ice Fairy froze in place. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

She knew Lu Yuan was strong—so strong that he was unfathomable. But battle strength was one thing. Comprehension was something else entirely.

In the end, she gave up trying to respond. She simply turned to the Northern Emperor and nodded in greeting.

Zhu Qingyu and the others naturally overheard Lu Yuan's words. Unsurprisingly, their faces were filled with shock and disbelief.

Such arrogance.

In the distance, Young Celestial Master Chunyang also cast a few glances in Lu Yuan's direction.

He felt that the man looked familiar, but something about his current appearance didn't match the image he had in memory.

"Fellow Awakened." Dean Chen of Aurora Academy's Shuntian City branch stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

At once, the crowd fell into an immediate hush as countless eyes turned toward him.

"It's getting late," Dean Chen said, his voice calm and measured. "The Sword Stele Legacy is about to begin. But before that, allow this old man to offer a few words of caution. There are ninety-nine sword steles in total. The higher the stele, the more profound and difficult it is to comprehend. I urge everyone to not let greed cloud your judgment. Proceed only within your means."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Once you step onto the mountain steps, qi will be released, and that pressure will strike directly at your soul. If you can endure it, you may continue ascending.

"But if your mind feels as though it's being pricked by countless needles, you must stop immediately. That is your limit. Forcing yourself further will only cause harm."

His voice rang clear and firm across the mountain plaza. Dean Chen swept his gaze across the crowd, then concluded in a solemn tone, "I'll say it once more—know your limits."

These weren't just ceremonial words. Every sentence he spoke held weight, offering real advice to those about to challenge the Sword Stele Legacy.

Simply put, the higher one climbed, the more overwhelming the pressure from the qi. It had nothing to do with combat strength. This trial tested the soul, the body, and above all, one's comprehension.

"Understood!" the gathered Awakened responded in unison. Truthfully, most had already done their research before coming here and were aware of how the trial functioned.

Dean Chen nodded. "Very well. Then I declare—the Sword Stele Legacy of Ancient Mount Shu... begins!"

The moment his words fell, the soldiers guarding the path moved aside, revealing the ancient stone stairway behind them.

As the path opened up before them, a surge of light ignited in the eyes of the crowd. Excitement flared like wildfire.

Without a moment's hesitation, they rushed forward.

Most of them had a simple goal: to reach the very first sword stele.

At least twenty thousand Awakened surged ahead at once, creating a vast and breathtaking scene. Fortunately, the mountain's stairway was wide enough to accommodate them all.

The legacy had officially begun.

The atmosphere boiled with fervor. For many of the Awakened present—especially those without strong backgrounds—the path of evolution had only begun when they stumbled upon spiritual fruits or herbs.

To them, things like breathing techniques, visualization methods, and divine arts were treasures of unimaginable worth and irresistibly alluring.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Just as Dean Chen had warned, the moment the Awakened set foot on the first stone step, an invisible surge of qi erupted, crashing directly against their souls.

Thousands who had rushed ahead immediately felt the suffocating pressure bearing down on them. Their faces turned pale, their footsteps faltered.

The higher they climbed, the more intense the qi pressure became. Each step forward felt like pressing through a formless wall, testing not just the body, but the soul.

For many, the first sword stele was already their limit.

By the time they reached the second stele, thousands more came to a stop.

When the fifth stele loomed ahead, only a few hundred remained in motion.

Their cultivation levels varied wildly. Some had astonishing strength, while others were only at Foundation Realm I.

But that, in itself, was a kind of fairness. Here, combat strength meant nothing. No one could simply fight their way through to seize the highest inheritance.

Everyone stood on equal ground.

From the sidelines, the five deans watched in silence. One after another, they let out quiet sighs.

As expected, the Sword Stele Legacy was no simple trial—it demanded extraordinary comprehension and insight.

"Mr. Lu, I'll be heading off as well," the Ice Fairy said gently, giving a graceful nod before stepping toward the steps.

The Northern Emperor followed, flanked by Zhu Qingyu and his companions.

Behind them came Asura. Then, the other students of Aurora Academy began their ascent one after another.

Each had their own ambitions. All of them aimed to reach at least the tenth stele.

Within minutes, the once-crowded mountain plaza had emptied. Aside from the five deans, only a few dozen Awakened remained.

Among them were the Young Celestial Master Chunyang and Master Huikong of Mount Jiuhua.

The two stood silently, carefully observing. They made no move to rush ahead.

Lu Yuan, too, remained motionless.