CHAPTER 189: CHAPTER 293: SWORD TIER

As they spoke, the group had already crossed the mountainside and reached the final stretch before the peak.

But here, there was no path!

From here to the summit, there were no steps leading upward; the only way was to fly.

In other words, without the cultivation level of Heaven-Stepping, one simply couldn’t reach the main peak by themselves.

"Going further up, that’s Sword Peak. Only the True Inheritors and sect elders and above reside on Sword Peak, so there’s no path here," Luo Qingxuan explained once more, "However, there’s another way to climb, Wang Junze, would you like to try it?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing Luo Qingxuan’s words, Wang Junze couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback.

"You want him to challenge the Ascending Sword Tier?"

Squinting slightly, Su Yuwei asked in a deep voice.

"What is the Sword Tier?" Wang Junze curiously pursued the question.

"Using swords as steps, it’s a tradition of our sect," Luo Qingxuan softly explained, "For any disciple of our sect, as long as they can ascend the Sword Tier to the main peak, they can ignore all rules and directly advance to True Inheritor!"

"An array?"

Wang Junze immediately reacted, recognizing it should be a trial similar to the sword array in the ruins.

"Yes!"

Nodding slightly, Luo Qingxuan replied, "However, our sect’s Sword Tier is more special, disregarding cultivation level and only judging one’s talent in Sword Dao. In the past, an elder of our sect once created a miracle, ascending the Sword Tier at the Meridian Opening Realm to directly advance from the Outer Sect to True Inheritor, eventually becoming a legendary figure!"

"Li Shang Sword Venerable truly was a legend. Thirty years ago, before the Great Nether Realm, he decimated three saints with a single sword, astonishing the world."

With a slight nod, Su Yuwei also showed a few traces of admiration in her eyes, saying softly, "Unfortunately, after that battle, Li Shang Sword Venerable vanished without a trace, and there’s no chance of meeting him now."

"Master Lishang’s Life Lamp still burns; surely he is safe, and there will be opportunities to meet again," Luo Qingxuan said gently.

"What is a Life Lamp?" Wang Junze couldn’t help but ask once more.

"Disciples above True Inheritor in our sect ignite a Life Lamp with their Divine Soul. As long as the lamp burns, it signifies they are still alive," Luo Qingxuan explained.

Su Yuwei, however, didn’t care about the Life Lamp’s issue, asking in a serious tone, "I remember you said before, as long as Wang Junze joined the Profound Moon Sword Sect, he could become a True Inheritor. So why are you making him ascend the Sword Tier now?"

"Even among True Inheritors, there are distinctions."

Luo Qingxuan calmly answered, "Promoting him as True Inheritor using my status as the Saintess is not impossible, but it will raise gossip, and the cultivation resources obtained will be the least among True Inheritors. But if he can ascend the Sword Tier to the main peak, it will silence all voices and directly grant him the highest resources for cultivation."

"Luo Qingxuan, is this what you say is the best path for him?"

Upon hearing this, Su Yuwei immediately sneered, "This world doesn’t have only the Profound Moon Sword Sect. If you can’t make it happen, I can find another cultivation path for him!"

Looking at Su Yuwei with a faint smile, Luo Qingxuan laughed lightly, "If the Commandery Princess is truly uneasy, why not discuss it personally with the Sect Leader Zhenren?"

"..."

Pausing slightly, Su Yuwei turned her face away, responding stiffly, "What’s it got to do with me? I just can’t stand your saying one thing and doing another."

"It’s just to give it a try. After all, he’s only at the Condensing Realm; even if he fails, no one will laugh at him," Luo Qingxuan said with a smile, without arguing with Su Yuwei, "Besides, with me here, I won’t let him face any real danger."

"Saintess, if I ascend the Sword Tier, do I have to join the Profound Moon Sword Sect?"

After a moment of silence, Wang Junze suddenly asked.

Slightly taken aback, Luo Qingxuan immediately understood Wang Junze’s thoughts.

Even now, Wang Junze hasn’t given up on the idea of leaving the Northern Domain with Su Yuwei!

But...

Sighing gently in her heart, Luo Qingxuan then replied, "As long as you haven’t officially entered, our sect won’t restrict your freedom. If the Commandery Princess is willing to take you away, you can come and go freely!"

"Don’t think about following me; I won’t take you back to the capital."

With a colder expression, Su Yuwei turned to Wang Junze, saying indifferently, "Even if you ask a hundred times, my answer will still be the same."

"...Why?"

Being rejected again, Wang Junze felt a tightness in his chest but couldn’t help asking.

"No reason, I said no, so it’s no!"

Su Yuwei coldly replied, "I never planned to take you back to the capital. Even if you succeeded this time, I would have left you to manage the Northern Domain Judgment Department! Now that you failed, I won’t take you away even more!"

"..."

After another moment of silence, Wang Junze didn’t mention the matter further and turned to Luo Qingxuan to ask, "Saintess, won’t my current injuries affect me?"

Along the way, although Wang Junze had taken spirit medicine for his injuries, they hadn’t fully healed, and his True Qi had also only recovered about thirty percent.

"It’s okay!"

Shaking her head, Luo Qingxuan explained once more, "As I said, the Sword Tier only regards talent in Sword Dao, unrelated to strength."

Upon hearing this, Wang Junze realized that when Luo Qingxuan mentioned the past Li Shang Sword Venerable, he was only at Meridian Opening when he ascended the Sword Tier, and even if his injuries weren’t healed, his cultivation was far beyond Meridian Opening, so there naturally wouldn’t be any impact.

"In that case, I’m willing to give it a try!"

Slightly bowing, Wang Junze said softly.

"You’re currently unsettled; adjust yourself first." Shaking her head, Luo Qingxuan advised again, "Don’t underestimate the Sword Tier. Ascending it at the Condensing Realm won’t be easier than the trials in the ruins."

"Okay!"

Hearing this, Wang Junze didn’t hesitate anymore and sat down cross-legged on the ground, quietly adjusting his mood.

Su Yuwei’s rejection did affect Wang Junze’s state of mind.

However, it wasn’t a heavy blow causing severe imbalance; Wang Junze wasn’t that fragile.

Moreover, from Su Yuwei and Luo Qingxuan’s recent conversation, it was evident that Su Yuwei still cared for him, but why did she turn hostile when mentioning returning to the capital?

This was very unusual!

Instinctively, Wang Junze sensed there must be some secret hidden within.

But since Su Yuwei wasn’t willing to tell him, or thought it wouldn’t change anything even if she did,

If he couldn’t learn anything from Su Yuwei, Wang Junze planned to find an opportunity to ask Lu Qing later, to uncover the truth of the matter.

However, before that, he must first pass the trial of the Sword Tier.

Throughout this journey, Wang Junze had already clearly understood that regardless of the place, strength was the foundation of everything. He didn’t want to rely on anyone but needed to prove his own worth. In doing so, whether joining the Profound Moon Sword Sect or going elsewhere, he’d have more say and wouldn’t drift along, allowing others to dictate the course of his life.