"So this is the Strength Realm."
Without hesitation, he stepped onto the first stair.
Nothing happened.
There was no crushing pressure, no overwhelming gravity, nor any invisible force attempting to stop him. Everything remained calm.
Li Yan continued climbing.
One step after another, his pace remained steady.
Hundreds of steps passed before he finally noticed something unusual.
Each step carried a different weight.
Some felt almost effortless, while others became unexpectedly difficult. Yet the burden did not fall upon his body in the real world. Instead, it settled quietly within his consciousness, as though every step was testing his determination rather than his strength.
Li Yan gradually slowed.
His expression remained calm as he carefully observed the subtle changes.
Whenever impatience appeared within his mind, the next step immediately became incomparably heavy.
Whenever his thoughts drifted toward reaching the summit as quickly as possible, the burden increased again.
Only when he focused entirely upon the step before him did the weight gradually disappear.
A faint smile appeared on Li Yan's face. "So that is the first lesson."
He stopped paying attention to the distant summit altogether.
Instead, he devoted his attention to every individual step beneath his feet.
His breathing remained steady.
His heartbeat remained calm.
The mountain never changed.
The endless staircase never changed.
Only Li Yan changed.
His footsteps gradually became firmer. His breathing became increasingly natural. His mind settled into perfect tranquility as he continued ascending without haste.
Time slowly lost its meaning.
Li Yan no longer knew how many steps he had climbed when the surrounding world suddenly changed.
The mountain disappeared.
In its place appeared an endless plain stretching toward the horizon. An older man stood alone in the middle of that plain, dressed in simple gray robes.
His appearance was entirely ordinary.
No powerful aura surrounded him.
No cultivation fluctuations emerged from his body.
Yet he stood with the same quiet stability as the mountain Li Yan had just climbed.
The older man bent down, picked up an ordinary stone, and gently placed it upon the ground.
Then another.
Then another.
One stone after another.
His movements were neither fast nor spectacular. Every motion appeared simple, yet every stone was placed with unwavering precision.
Li Yan quietly watched.
Gradually, the scattered stones became a low wall.
The wall became a courtyard.
The courtyard became a house.
As time passed, more houses appeared.
Roads gradually formed between them.
Smoke rose gently from cooking fires.
Children laughed as they ran through the streets.
The small settlement slowly transformed into a thriving village, then into a prosperous city.
Throughout the process, the older man continued to lay stones one after another.
He never hurried.
He never paused to admire his work.
Nor did he seek recognition from anyone.
Every stone received the same care as the first.
Only after the city had fully taken shape did the older man finally raise his head and look toward Li Yan.
His calm voice echoed softly throughout the world. "Strength is the foundation upon which everything else is built."
The words contained no overwhelming pressure. Yet they seemed to carry the weight of countless years.
The city gradually dissolved.
The houses vanished.
The roads disappeared.
Only the mountain remained.
Li Yan once again stood upon the ancient staircase.
This time, however, the meaning of the realm had become clear. Strength was never merely the ability to destroy. Neither was it the pursuit of overwhelming force.
True strength was the foundation that supported everything built upon it. Without a solid foundation, even the sharpest sword could not display its true power.
Without sufficient strength, profound techniques could never reveal their full potential. Even unwavering will required strength to endure hardship.
Strength was not the destination.
It was the foundation that allowed every destination to be reached.
As this realization settled within his heart, the mountain responded.
A deep rumble echoed throughout the heavens as the endless staircase gradually dissolved into countless streams of golden light. They neither entered his body nor increased his cultivation. Instead, they silently flowed into his consciousness, refining his understanding and tempering his perception of the path ahead.
****
When Li Yan slowly opened his eyes again, he found himself seated once more inside the Ancient Techniques Hall.
Everything remained exactly as before.
Ji Hong was still immersed in the Spirit inscription. The other three champions continued comprehending their chosen Divine Techniques.
Li Yan slowly rose to his feet and quietly felt the subtle changes within himself.
His cultivation had not increased. His physical strength had not changed. Yet his entire bearing felt steadier than before.
His posture exuded quiet stability, and every movement naturally had a firmer foundation.
A faint smile appeared on his face. "So this is the true meaning of Strength."
It was not the power to shatter mountains. It was becoming the foundation that could support one.
Li Yan lowered his gaze toward the bracelet on his wrist.
Remaining Time: 00:11:54
A faint smile appeared on his face. There were only a few minutes remaining before everyone would be sent out of the Ancient Techniques Hall.
He slowly stretched his arms before looking around the hall once more.
The other three champions remained seated before their chosen Divine Techniques, completely immersed in their comprehension. None of them showed any sign of awakening soon.
Li Yan silently waited.
Several minutes later, a subtle fluctuation spread across the raised platform.
Li Yan turned toward its source and saw Ji Hong slowly opening his eyes. The Sect Leader remained seated for a brief moment before rising to his feet. His gaze swept across the hall, pausing briefly on the three champions still absorbed in cultivation before finally settling upon Li Yan.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he walked toward Li Yan.
Li Yan cupped his hands politely. "Elder Ji."
Ji Hong nodded with a smile.
"Did you have any luck with the inscriptions?" Li Yan asked.
Ji Hong let out a helpless laugh before shaking his head. "Not everyone possesses a fortune like yours."
Li Yan smiled but did not respond.
Ji Hong did not dwell on the matter. Instead, he asked, "What about you? Did you gain anything during this visit?"
"I was fortunate enough to gain a few insights," Li Yan replied modestly.
Ji Hong looked at him for a long moment before laughing.
"A few insights…" He shook his head with amusement. "You're as humble as you are mysterious."
His smile gradually faded, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. "There is something I've wanted to ask you since the Annual Competition."
Li Yan looked at him calmly. "Please."
Ji Hong folded his hands behind his back before speaking. "During your match against Sun Lei, how were you able to release Sword Intent with Pure Sword Aura?"
Li Yan's expression showed a trace of surprise. "Pure Sword Aura?"
Ji Hong looked at him carefully. "You've never heard that term before?"
Li Yan shook his head honestly. "I haven't."
Ji Hong remained silent for several breaths.
He had assumed Li Yan understood the concept after awakening Sword Intent through the Inscribed Word 'Sword.' Yet judging from his reaction, the young man truly knew nothing about it.
After organizing his thoughts, Ji Hong began explaining. "Every swordsman who awakens Sword Intent unconsciously incorporates many other things into it when unleashing it."
He raised a hand and counted them one by one. "Emotions. Killing intent. Elemental Qi. Battle pressure. Even fluctuations caused by techniques."
He smiled faintly. "None of these are mistakes. In fact, almost every swordsman fights that way."
Li Yan listened attentively without interrupting.
"But because of that," Ji Hong continued, "their Sword Aura is no longer pure. Those additional influences don't weaken its power, yet they conceal the true essence of the sword."
Seeing Li Yan listening thoughtfully, Ji Hong asked, "Have you ever watched the reflection of the moon upon a lake?"
Li Yan nodded.
"When the surface is disturbed by wind, the reflection becomes blurred. But when the water is perfectly still, every detail becomes visible."
Ji Hong looked directly at Li Yan.
"Pure Sword Aura is like that still lake. It carries nothing except the sword itself. The Sword Intent doesn't become stronger, nor does the Sword Aura become more powerful. It simply becomes clearer and more effective."
"Because it is clear, anyone observing it can perceive the Sword Intent much more easily, and it exerts a greater influence on opponents."
Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Ji Hong continued, "That was exactly what happened when you unleashed your Sword Intent. Your Sword Aura contained nothing except the sword itself. Everyone present was able to perceive your Sword Intent directly, without any interference."
The moment those words entered his ears, everything suddenly became clear.
Sun Lei's breakthrough.
The five disciples who awakened Sword Intent.
Ke Lin.
The Brown-Rank disciples who had gained insight despite failing to break through.
The pieces quietly connected.
Ji Hong smiled faintly. "They weren't simply witnessing Sword Intent. They were witnessing Sword Intent in its purest form. For anyone standing at the threshold of awakening Sword Intent, such an opportunity is extraordinarily rare."
Li Yan remained silent.
His thoughts gradually drifted away from the Ancient Techniques Hall.
They returned instead to the Sword Tower.
More precisely: The Trials Arena.
Every battle he had experienced surfaced within his mind.
Inside the Trials Arena, nothing except Sword Aura and Sword Intent could be used. Elemental techniques, Body Cultivation, movement techniques, and every other external advantage had been completely restricted.
Victory depended solely upon one's understanding of the Sword Path.
Every flaw in his swordsmanship had been exposed. Every unnecessary habit had been corrected. Every reliance outside the sword itself had gradually been discarded through challenges faced there.
Only now did Li Yan understand what the Trials Arena had truly been teaching him.
It had never been limited to improving his combat ability. Nor had it simply been a place to temper his Sword Intent. Throughout every battle, it had quietly refined his Sword Aura.
Not through explanation. Not through instruction. But through endless repetition.
Without realizing it, releasing Sword Intent through Pure Sword Aura had already become an instinct.
A faint smile appeared on Li Yan's face. "So that's what happened."
Seeing his expression, Ji Hong smiled. "You figured it out."
Li Yan nodded slightly. "I think I understand now."
Ji Hong looked at him with curiosity. "So… where did you learn it?"
Li Yan fell silent for a brief moment.
Naturally, he could not reveal the existence of the Sword Tower. After considering his words, he answered truthfully in another way. "I never intentionally cultivated Pure Sword Aura."
Ji Hong listened silently.
"I simply used Sword Aura while hunting to practice my swordsmanship. I deliberately limited myself to not using elemental Qi, techniques, or anything else unless it became necessary."
"And during that time of practice, nothing except the sword with Sword Aura and Intent had any value for me."
Ji Hong quietly repeated those words in his heart. "Limiting oneself to practice with nothing except the sword with Sword Aura and Intent?"
His eyes gradually brightened. "So that's the answer."
A bitter smile appeared on his face. "No wonder."
"No wonder you could release Pure Sword Aura without even knowing its name."
He looked at Li Yan with unconcealed admiration.
"Many swordsmen spend decades pursuing Pure Sword Aura. They suppress their emotions. They restrain their killing intent. They repeatedly try to separate their Sword Aura from everything else."
He slowly shook his head. "Most of them fail. Because purity cannot be forced."
"It is the natural result of a swordsman who has discarded everything unnecessary from his swordsmanship."
His gaze remained fixed upon Li Yan. "You reached that state without ever pursuing it."
Li Yan simply smiled.
Some truths required no explanation.
He now understood why so many disciples had gained insight during the Annual Competition.
And Ji Hong finally understood why a young swordsman who had not yet reached fifteen years of age had accomplished something that countless veteran sword cultivators had failed to achieve throughout their lives.
Silence settled between them for several moments before Ji Hong spoke again. "There is one more thing."
Li Yan looked toward him.
"Several elders and I noticed something during the competition. The Training Rings on your limbs."
He paused briefly before asking, "Why are you wearing them?"