As Lu Shi sat before the gates of the Sword Gate on the Starfall Peak, staring intently at the characters for "Sword Gate" as he sought enlightenment.

Fu Ying and Xiao Fengxiong stepped into a minor world, a realm seemingly without end. This was a hyper-martial world of such exaggerated power that a mere tiger could casually shatter the mountain range of a Central Heavenly Dynasty. This was how absurdly powerful this place was.

“A truly fascinating minor world. I have arrived,” shouted Xiao Fengxiong. Minor worlds, being alternate spaces, were partially merged with the Grand World of the Central Heavenly Dynasty.

Fu Ying roared with laughter, “Here, I will grow even faster.”

Xiao Fengxiong turned to Fu Ying, “Wrong, I will.”

Murong Huangfu also stepped into this Martial Ancient World simultaneously. He clenched his fists, thinking, Lu Yuan, you joined the Sword Gate; I join the World of Martial Arts. We shall clash again then.

At the same time, Fu Chong entered the Mystic Ancient World. He was laughing heartily. This was the Mystic Ancient World, where even a small bird flying by could casually unleash a first-rate spell capable of devastating a Great Yong Kingdom. Fu Chong could already sense that he would become immensely powerful in the future, and he vowed to crush Lu Yuan then.

Also entering the Mystic Ancient World was Wanwan. Her beautiful eyes held a smile, but her thoughts were focused on crushing Shi Feixian.

Li Qiuhuan and the Flying Sword Guest coughed as they walked into the Buddha Ancient World. Upon entry, they were immediately greeted by the sound of repeated Buddhist chants. Looking out, they saw the very ground of the land paved with the Seven Treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, conch shell, red pearl, and agate. There were also pools of the Seven Treasures, filled with the Water of the Eight Merits. The lotuses in the pools were as large as wagon wheels, emitting subtle, pure light—green, yellow, crimson, and white—and possessed a sublime fragrance.

This was the Buddha Ancient World, also known as the Western Paradise.

The Desolate Ancient World opened wide, admitting this round's victors. It was a place steeped in savagery, utterly unlike the present, retaining the primal essence of the Great Desolation. Strange beasts from that era, like the Bai Ze, still roamed here.

The Immortal Ancient World opened next. Everything within was imbued with the very essence of immortality—immortal aura, white crane divine birds, and rare exotic fruits were visible everywhere.

Different people chose different factions, entering different civilizations and sects, leading to vastly different futures.

Meanwhile, high and mid-level figures of the Sword Gate were convening a meeting atop the Starfall Peak.

“Have you seen the intelligence report submitted by Xuanyuan Twelve?” a voice inquired.

“Of course. This kid from the Outer Domain is quite interesting.”

“Seeking enlightenment right before the Sword Gate itself—that’s rare even among our younger generation. In the history tracing back to the previous Sword Master, there have only been five such instances.”

“Indeed, only five.”

“Very well. Let us see what level of understanding he can achieve. If he can grasp the Sword Intent of Life within this period, he shall be cultivated as the sixth unparalleled genius in the history since the previous Sword Master.” In the Central Heavenly Dynasty, unparalleled geniuses from the outside world were automatically ranked down a tier, becoming merely ordinary geniuses—this was an unspoken rule of the Central Heavenly Dynasty.

“If he cannot grasp the Sword Intent of Life, he will be cultivated according to the standard path for talented disciples,” another voice stated.

“So be it. That is the decision,” a voice concluded.

“We shall see if he can comprehend the Intent of Life.”

At this moment, Lu Yuan sat before the Sword Gate.

The two massive characters, “Sword Gate,” magnified infinitely before his eyes, growing larger and larger. Lu Yuan saw a blade of grass struggling incessantly from the dark earth, pushing upward through the darkness—finally reaching the light, it broke the soil with a snap. He saw an old, solitary wolf relentlessly foraging in the barren plains, struggling for survival. He also saw a sheep desperately fighting under the wolf’s claws, also struggling for survival. He saw a man intending suicide raise a knife, aiming for his chest, yet unable to deliver the fatal blow.

Living beings possess the instinct for survival.

Endless scenes demonstrated to him the very meaning of life’s instinct.

But what exactly was the Sword Intent of Life?

He seemed to sense something, and in that instant, he felt himself transform into a blade of grass, experiencing its growth from beneath the soil. However, a powerful force suddenly appeared—the Wheel of Life and Death Samsara. The Wheel manifested in the void, and a potent Sword Intent of Death surged out, forcibly driving him from that state.

Life and Death repel each other! His own Sword Intent of Death had reached completion, and this innate mastery of Death instinctively rejected his comprehension of Life. It wasn't just the Wheel of Life and Death Samsara pushing back; the Nine Yin and Nine Yang were also resisting. The Yin-Yang Iron Law instinctively repelled Lu Yuan, preventing him from quickly mastering both. Such an immensely powerful force was not meant to be wielded by a single living being. This attempt to grasp the Sword Intent of Life had failed. Lu Yuan shrugged, unconcerned.

In his life, he had experienced countless attempts to comprehend Sword Intent.

In the past, even comprehending ordinary sword intents often ended in failure. This time, he was attempting one of the ten most difficult intents—the Sword Intent of Life—which was further hampered by the restraining force of his perfected Sword Intent of Death. Was it unusual for him to fail? In truth, it was entirely normal.

Furthermore, Lu Yuan knew that the failure this time was largely due to the restraint of the Sword Intent of Death. Yet, he had also gained considerable insight this time, laying an incredibly solid foundation for his next attempt at the Sword Intent of Life.

Lu Yuan stood up. Xuanyuan Twelve asked him at his side, “Did you not grasp the Sword Intent of Life?”

“Correct, I did not,” Lu Yuan nodded, unbothered.

Xuanyuan Twelve nodded. It was normal for Lu Yuan not to comprehend it. In the history since the previous Sword Master, including the Son of the Sword, only five individuals had managed to grasp the Sword Intent of Life while sitting there. The Son of the Sword achieved it the fastest, in one hour. Although Lu Yuan was acclaimed as an unparalleled genius in the Outer Domain, here in the Central Heavenly Dynasty, he ranked as merely an ordinary talent.

Xuanyuan Twelve had secretly hoped Lu Yuan could achieve the Sword Intent of Life here and become the sixth unparalleled genius since the previous Sword Master. Alas, he had failed. Regrettably, Lu Yuan would not enter the cultivation track reserved for unparalleled geniuses but would follow the standard process for ordinary disciples. At the Sword Gate, the training paths for unparalleled geniuses and ordinary disciples were entirely different.

Of course, given the vastness of the Sword Gate, drawing disciples from several surrounding great prefectures, very few ever qualified for the unparalleled genius track; most followed the standard path for ordinary talents.

Xuanyuan Twelve was somewhat disappointed, but he still recognized Lu Yuan’s extraordinary nature. After all, he managed to trigger an immediate meditative epiphany just by sitting here. Even though the epiphany was unsuccessful, it was remarkable enough; at least among the geniuses who arrived this time, only Lu Yuan managed to do so.

Shi Feixian, Huo Yibu, and the others also thought to themselves: Lu Yuan’s talent is indeed above theirs, and they must catch up. Although their combat power in the final assessment of the Hundred Kingdoms Trial was below Lu Yuan’s, they were hardly resigned to it, naturally wishing to contend with him again to see who was truly stronger.

“Then, follow me,” Xuanyuan Twelve said mildly.

He first led the group to their lodgings—individual dormitories, one person to virtually one room. Xuanyuan Twelve explained calmly, “This is only temporary housing. Once you are officially accepted as disciples, you will reside with your masters and will no longer stay here.”

Disciple Acceptance!

“Good. Now, I will take you to the place of disciple acceptance.” After everyone confirmed their assigned rooms, Xuanyuan Twelve led the eight directly toward the location for accepting disciples. Lu Yuan, Shi Feixian, Huo Yibu, and the others were all astonished upon arrival.

It was a sword!

A sword piercing straight into the heavens!

But upon closer inspection, they realized it wasn't merely a sword but a Sword Tower that continuously ascended, layer upon layer, stabbing into the azure sky—its full height immeasurable.

Xuanyuan Twelve explained, “This is the Sword Tower, an extremely vital location within our Sword Gate. This tower has one hundred and eight layers. If you can reach the Sixth Layer, you may undergo the formal disciple acceptance ceremony and officially become a True Disciple of the Sword Gate. If you cannot reach the Sixth Layer, you will become an ordinary disciple, ineligible for true transmission. The age limit for this attempt is one thousand years.”

“Furthermore, it is not just you who challenge the tower layers; other True Disciples, ordinary disciples, and even Elders of the Sword Gate attempt the challenges here as well.”

“Reaching different layers reflects your greater strength and grants corresponding levels of treatment.”

“There are no special benefits for the first six layers. Once you reach the Sixth Layer, you become a True Disciple of the Sword Gate.”

“After reaching the Eighth Layer, you begin to enjoy access to the Enlightenment Pavilion. I know you have used the Dao Enlightenment Pavilions in the Outer Domain; the Enlightenment Pavilion here is ten times more effective.”

“And from the Ninth Layer, Tenth Layer, and beyond, the benefits increase, as do the resources.”

Xuanyuan Twelve waved his hand, casting a jade tablet into the hands of each of the eight people. “This jade tablet briefly introduces the Sword Tower. The specific resources available at each layer are too numerous to detail here; you can study them at your leisure. Come find me when you have finished reviewing them.”

“Now, you may try challenging the Sword Tower and see how far you are from becoming True Disciples,” Xuanyuan Twelve instructed.