Chapter 25: You Must Die

Lin Fei gazed at the sky, his eyes revealing a hint of abstraction. A moment later, he sighed, composed his emotions, and began to walk deep into the clouds.

The surrounding sword pressure seemed to sense the will of the Qiankun, and the violent aura vanished, replaced by a profound peace and tranquility.

Lin Fei pondered to himself: since he currently possessed no blade, his primary task was to find a suitable sword. The question remained, however: which sword would be willing to accompany him?

Just then, a golden light shone upon Lin Fei. He felt the will of the ancient sword Qiankun and looked up at the sky, saying, "You must remain here at the Sword Sect to protect this place."

The ancient sword Qiankun emitted a faint chime, as if responding to his words.

Lin Fei turned back to the vast sea of swords and his voice echoed across the mountaintop: "Is there any among you willing to become my sword?"

Yet, his words met with no response; the surroundings remained deathly silent. The sea of clouds drifted slightly, seemingly mocking Lin Fei's overestimation of his own abilities. The young boy in green robes, perched atop a sword, even let out a harsh, mocking laugh, while the other two sword spirits looked at Lin Fei with playful, dismissive eyes, clearly holding him in low regard.

The reason was simple: these three blades—Jinggui, Kuangzhan, and Juque—were the three most renowned swords of the Sword Sect, once the beloved ancient weapons of three Saint-level sword cultivators hundreds of years ago. The criteria for a Saint-level sword spirit to choose a master were naturally extremely harsh, far beyond what any ordinary ancient sword could compare to.

Seeing this, Lin Fei found their arrogance somewhat baffling.

...

The wind suddenly surged on the mountaintop. A white light erupted from the youth's head, flowing with an effortless grace, as if he had opened a third eye. Immediately following, a sharp, piercing aura radiated from that light, rapidly engulfing the entire peak.

This was the second time Lin Fei had actively released his primordial sword energy. The first time, it had conjured a massive river of sword energy in the sky.

After a brief silence, every ancient sword on the peak and within hundreds of feet below felt that sharp aura. They began to tremble in unison, emitting low, resonating chimes. A gentle breeze swept across the cliff, causing fine pebbles to roll and tumble until they fell to the base of the cliff, echoing faintly.

Then, countless ancient swords seemed to be awakened. They rose one after another, circling around Lin Fei, their sword intent bursting forth. Unlike the previous oppression, this was more like a display—a gesture of submission.

Lin Fei closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly, as if perceiving something through his sword energy. A while later, he opened his eyes and walked toward the very front.

The legendary "Born Sword Embryo" was also known by another name: the "Natural Master of Ten Thousand Swords."

The three sword spirits stood up one after another, their attitudes completely transformed. Their eyes were filled with fervent light as they watched the youth walking toward them.

...

They were not surprised by Lin Fei's choice, for they were indeed the most powerful ancient swords in this sword tomb. The only question was which one of them Lin Fei would choose.

Would it be the swiftness of Jinggui? The domineering righteousness of Kuangzhan? Or the mountain-shattering power of Juque?

...

Lin Fei took long strides, passing before the three sword spirits, and then... he walked straight past them, continuing deeper into the sword tomb. From beginning to end, he did not pause for a second.

The three sword spirits, who enjoyed such noble status in the tomb, now looked at one another, utterly stunned. Could it be that within this Sword Tomb Mountain, there existed a sword spirit even more powerful than them?

...

As the mist at the summit dispersed, it was revealed that beneath an inconspicuous patch of barren ground on the right side of the cliff, there lay a hidden, winding path leading to an unknown destination. Lin Fei followed this path without hesitation.

The trail spiraled downward, and after countless turns, he finally arrived at a secluded cliff ledge. This ledge, roughly a dozen yards square, was tucked into the inner depths of the Sword Tomb Mountain. Because it was permanently shaded, it appeared exceptionally dark and damp.

However, Lin Fei’s gaze was immediately drawn to a long sword plunged upside down into the ground. It was the only sword on the ledge.

The blade was a grayish-black, while the hilt was a vibrant red, appearing quite eerie. It emitted no sword intent, so much so that a newcomer might easily mistake it for a broken, useless blade. But Lin Fei knew this was not the case.

Lin Fei could sense the spiritual power contained within the sword; he was certain a sword spirit resided inside. When all the other ancient swords had responded to his will, only this one remained silent.

He did not look for a sword based on its strength, for he considered himself the sharpest sword in the world. He simply wanted to find a blade that resonated with him. And this sword, just like him, was proud and peerless.

...

How could he make an ancient sword acknowledge him?

Lin Fei had never considered this question before, but today, he felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness. Even with his natural sword embryo and his keen sword heart, he was at a loss when faced with this blade.

Time slipped away—from noon to dusk, then into the night. Lin Fei sat beside the ancient sword, as if conversing with a person. No matter how moving his words were, the ancient sword remained unmoved, offering no response.

Despite this, there was not a trace of frustration on Lin Fei’s face. He remembered many years ago, when he was just a fledgling youth, he had been the same way with the Wood God, who also possessed weak spiritual power at the time. He had talked incessantly, and the Wood God had ignored him, yet who could have imagined the heights they would eventually reach?

Therefore, this time, the youth was not impatient.

A light rain suddenly began to fall from the sky. Fortunately, sheltered by the rock above, only scattered droplets sprinkled onto Lin Fei’s clothes. As the rain intensified, a bolt of lightning tore through the darkness of the black clouds, illuminating Lin Fei on the cliff, as well as another black shadow that had appeared silently a few dozen meters behind him.

The figure was clad in black, his body wreathed in powerful sword energy.

"You've stood there for quite a while; I was wondering how long you would wait," Lin Fei turned his head without surprise, glancing at the long sword in the other man’s hand and the lingering murderous intent in the air. "I remember feeling this killing intent back at North Wandering Mountain. It seems you are from the Thirteenth Peak. Give me a reason?"

The man in black replied, "Your talent is too great; you must die."

"That reason is quite to my liking."

Lin Fei’s shoulders trembled slightly, and a scorching, sharp sword energy erupted from his body, instantly evaporating the rainwater on his clothes.

"I have been following you in the shadows, witnessing every step you took after climbing the mountain." The man in black watched the youth's current demeanor and expression, a glimmer of admiration appearing in his eyes. He said slowly, "Even among those with the natural sword embryo, you are far more outstanding than Lu Shuli."

Lin Fei asked calmly, "And so?"

"And so, I cannot let you live past today." The man in black spoke with ease, for he was certain that this mission would proceed without any surprises, and he was thus willing to chat a little more with the youth before him. "During your two years at Sky’s End Peak, you never cultivated seriously, yet you maintained such a high level of attainment. That in itself speaks to your extraordinariness."

"In truth, it is not just me; many prominent figures in the Sword Sect have been paying close attention to you."

"If you hadn't displayed such immense strength during the trial, or if you hadn't let me witness this series of shocking scenes today, I might not have taken action so soon."

"But unfortunately, there are no 'ifs' in this world."