The next morning.
The Ten Thousand Swords Grand Ceremony entered its true highlight.
The top ten Inner Sect disciples stood neatly arranged on the arena.
This batch of disciples was exceptionally strong.
There were not only veteran Hundred Strong elites but also several dark horses like Ling Feng, who had kept their true strength hidden.
And Lin Yue, as the sole menial servant “observer,” still carried his iconic iron pillar.
“Today’s competition includes not only regular duels but also a ‘Sword Intent Test.'”
The Discipline Hall Elder appeared unusually spirited today.
“All participants must endure one incense stick’s time within Peak Lord Chu’s ‘Snow Domain Illusion.’ The one who lasts the longest will advance directly to the top three.”
When Lin Yue heard the words “Peak Lord Chu,” he instinctively touched his trousers.
He could feel that the jade token was still faintly warm.
Even more absurdly, he looked up at Chu Wanning on the high platform.
Chu Wanning wore a veil today.
But the moment Lin Yue’s gaze met hers, he distinctly felt her heartbeat skip a beat.
“Begin!”
With a single wave of Chu Wanning’s hand, the entire arena was instantly covered in a vast expanse of white snow and ice.
The terrifying chill wasn’t just freezing the body—it was freezing the spiritual sense.
The Inner Sect geniuses around him all changed expressions, hurriedly sacrificing their magical artifacts to resist this extreme cold.
Ling Feng lasted half an incense stick’s time, his lips already turning purple from the cold.
Lu Chuan lasted even shorter and was directly teleported out.
And Lin Yue?
He stood in the center of the snowfield, not only feeling no cold but rather a bit… warm?
Because in his spiritual sense perception, the heavy snow around him wasn’t a killing sword at all.
It was a pile of cotton candy.
What’s more, due to “Spiritual Power Synchronization,” he could clearly see every flaw in the illusion.
Or rather, Chu Wanning was secretly “opening a back door” for him inside his consciousness sea.
“Take three steps to the left. That’s the formation core. It’s warm.”
A familiar female voice sounded in his mind.
Lin Yue chuckled inwardly.
‘Senior sister, this is blatant favoritism. I like it.’
He shouldered his heavy sword and strolled through the blizzard.
Sometimes he looked at ice sculptures, sometimes he kicked snowballs.
His leisurely, carefree demeanor stunned the watching crowd outside.
“What is he doing?”
“Why is Senior Brother Ling Feng almost frozen stiff while he’s out there dancing like it’s a square dance?”
Deep inside the illusion, Lin Yue walked to a corner no one could see.
There, a spiritual sense avatar of Chu Wanning slowly materialized.
She looked at Lin Yue and rolled her eyes at him in exasperation.
“Who told you to dance inside here? Can’t you at least act like you’re in pain?”
“Can’t help it. Senior sister’s sword intent is too gentle.”
Lin Yue shamelessly stepped forward.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one could see him inside the illusion, he boldly grabbed the hand of Chu Wanning’s avatar.
“It feels like a spring breeze. I really can’t force any pain.”
Chu Wanning struggled briefly, but couldn’t break free, so she let him.
“When you go out later, don’t be too conspicuous. That Ling Feng is narrow-minded. He’s already got his eyes on you.”
“A lot of people have their eyes on me. Where does he rank?”
Lin Yue thrust his heavy sword into the ground and casually leaned against Chu Wanning’s side.
“Senior sister, when do you think this ‘telepathy’ of ours will be untied? I mean, it feels nice, but what if I go to the bathroom and you sense it too? That would be so awkward.”
Chu Wanning’s face turned red all the way to her ears.
She suddenly flicked her sleeve and directly kicked Lin Yue out of the illusion.
“One incense stick’s time is up!”
“Lin Yue, with the longest endurance time, ranks first in the Illusion Test!”
When the Discipline Hall Elder announced the result, his voice trembled.
This world had gone mad.
A menial servant had actually lasted to the end, completely unharmed, under the peak sword intent of an Inner Sect Peak Lord.
Ling Feng crawled out of the snow, practically exploding with rage.
“Unfair! He must have carried some cold-resistant divine artifact! I challenge him!”
Lin Yue stood on the arena, patting the snow off his pants.
He turned back to look at Chu Wanning.
Chu Wanning, through her veil, gave him a slight nod.
“Challenge me?”
Lin Yue stood on the arena, holding the pitch-black heavy sword upside down in his hand.
He looked at the furious Ling Feng and couldn’t help but sigh.
“Senior Brother Ling, we’re all fellow disciples. Fighting and killing would harm our harmony.”
Lin Yue advised with a sincere expression.
“How about this: give me ten low-grade spirit stones, and I’ll publicly forfeit so you can save face?”
The entire venue fell dead silent.
The referee elder’s beard nearly shot up to the sky.
How solemn was the Ten Thousand Swords Grand Ceremony?
And this brat actually dared to openly sell points on the arena?!
“Impudent whelp!”
Ling Feng felt he had been subjected to an unprecedented insult.
Was he, an Inner Sect Hundred Strong elite, in need of buying a win?
“Take this strike—Wind Thunder Shadow Sword!”
Ling Feng said no more.
His long sword left its sheath, stirring up a wild blast of cyan wind and thunder.
His figure split into three in midair, thrusting at Lin Yue’s vital points from three tricky angles.
This strike, driven by genuine rage, already carried the power of Mid Foundation Establishment.
The Outer Sect disciples below cried out in shock, and some even closed their eyes.
In their eyes, Lin Yue, a menial servant without even a protective aura, would definitely be turned into a pincushion.
However.
Lin Yue didn’t even dodge.
He only slowly raised the black iron heavy sword in his hand.
In his mind, he replayed the strange technique that Chu Wanning had demonstrated when she held his hand last night.
‘Avalanche Sword Intent, combined with the Demon Emperor’s Absolute Gravity…’
Lin Yue muttered to himself.
‘Senior sister said this move is called “Frostfall,” right?’
He gripped the sword hilt and casually swung it forward.
No sword aura.
No wind.
Not even the slightest distortion of the surrounding light.
But the moment the heavy sword swung out, Ling Feng’s three imposing afterimages suddenly slammed into an invisible, extremely cold iron wall.
“Whoosh—”
An extremely piercing freezing sound erupted in the air.
Ling Feng watched in horror as his proud “Wind Thunder Sword Aura” actually froze into ice shards midair!
Not just the sword aura—even the top-grade magical artifact long sword in his hand was covered in a layer of purple-gold frost.
Then.
An irresistible, massive gravity, following the frost, directly transmitted to his chest.
“Pfft—”
Ling Feng, together with his sword, flew backward like a tomato hit by a baseball bat.
Drawing a graceful parabola, he landed with a “splat,” heavily crashing onto the bluestone slab outside the arena.
Instant kill.
A clean, instant kill.
The entire training ground fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone’s mouths hung open as they stared blankly at the menial servant on the arena, who was carrying his iron pillar with an expression of “Who am I? Where am I?”
“That’s… it?”
Lin Yue scratched his head and looked at the heavy sword in his hand.
‘The move Senior Sister taught me really packs a punch.’
“Boom!”
After a brief dead silence, the elder’s section erupted.
“What sword technique is this kid using?! Why have I never seen it before?”
“There’s clearly very little spiritual power fluctuation in his body. This is definitely an extremely rare body cultivation talent!”
“No! In that moment, I distinctly sensed a sliver of extreme cold sword intent—that’s… the ultimate technique of Lingxiao Peak!”
The elders argued until their faces were red.
A menial servant who could instantly kill an Inner Sect elite—this was truly an uncut, unpolished jade.
“This disciple, Heavenly Sword Peak wants him!”
“Nonsense! He’s immensely strong, clearly he belongs to Mad Blade Peak!”
Listening below, Lin Yue rolled his eyes.
“Hey, hey, hey, did you ask for my opinion?”
He cleared his throat and shouted loudly: “Honored elders, I think I’m dull-witted and truly unfit for great use! I’d rather go back to the Abandoned Sword Grave and be a menial servant. They provide room and board, and I get two silver pieces a month. I’m pretty satisfied with that!”
Lin Yue was being sincere.
If he joined the Inner Sect, he’d have to take on missions every day, slay demon beasts, and deal with all kinds of sect assessments.
Wouldn’t it be more fun to lie flat at the Abandoned Sword Grave, tease his yandere junior sister, and occasionally hold hands with his ice-cold senior sister?
“Nonsense!”
The Discipline Hall Elder was so angry his beard bristled.
“You have extraordinary talent. How can you throw it away so easily? You must join the Inner Sect today!”
“I won’t!”
Lin Yue thrust his heavy sword into the ground, looking like a dead pig not afraid of boiling water.
“Unless the Inner Sect pays me a monthly ‘base salary’ of fifty mid-grade spirit stones and exempts me from morning lessons and training!”