Genius Noble With System
Chapter 295: Test

Chapter 295: Test

At the centre of the platform stood three sword-shaped monoliths, each radiating different intensities of sword will. They were the test—measuring one’s comprehension, willpower, and strength of the sword.

Nearby, warriors stepped forward one by one, standing before the monoliths as their sword intent was tested. Some barely lasted a few moments before being repelled by an invisible force, while others managed to endure longer.

The strongest caused slight ripples within the monoliths as they glowed with bright light, proving their worth.

Serena observed the scene calmly. "It seems even making the monolith glow once is already considered a success," she murmured.

He nodded, looking at the numerous swordsmen of all kinds of strength who were slowly taking the tests. The three monoliths seem to judge the talent or potential of swordsmen and have nothing to do with their level of cultivation realm; hence, it can be considered quite a fair level of test for all kinds of swordsmen.

It was clear that the Celestial Sword Monoliths didn’t care for one’s cultivation level, only their comprehension and affinity with the Way of the Sword. A low-ranked swordsman with deep understanding might achieve a higher reaction than a powerful cultivator who relied only on brute force.

He didn’t immediately go to the test and instead waited and looked at various swordsmen and how they did in the test.

Many swordsmen who had been confident in their abilities approached the monoliths, only to find themselves unable to even cause a flicker of light before being forced back, losing the chance to visit the Celestial Sword Monolith.

Some others managed to hold on longer, their sword aura creating visible ripples across the monoliths’ surface. The best among them made the inscriptions glow briefly, showing their powerful sword aura or even sword law, drawing murmurs of approval from the crowd.

One particularly talented youth, a man clad in black robes with an intricate sword emblem on his chest, took his turn. As he stood before the monoliths, his sword aura surged—calm yet unshakeable, like a flowing river of swords that could carve worlds over time.

His strength wasn’t high, just the early stage of a void god, but his sword aura seemed to have reached perfection; it should be around 93% or 94%. He only needed to study for a few years to reach 99% of sword aura, just a step away from the realm of sword rule.

The middle monolith reacted strongly, its glow pulsing outward in waves. The watching crowd nodded in approval.

"That’s the successor of the Sword River Sect, Faran Xilos. His sword aura is among the best here."

"A steady foundation, unwavering will—he’s destined to go far."

Even Serena took a second glance at him. Reaching such a level of Sword Aura at the early stage of the Void God Realm was no small feat. Most swordsmen, even those with great talent, struggled to push their sword aura beyond 80%. Yet, Faran Xilos stood at the peak, merely some steps away from comprehending the Sword Rule itself.

Apollo, however, remained indifferent. If he wanted to understand simpler sword aura, he should have reached the perfection of sword aura long ago, so although the guy ahead of him was talented, it didn’t surprise him.

After the latest batch of swordsmen finished their test, finally his turn came. All eyes turned to him. Although he tried to maintain the aura of an ordinary half-god, it still cannot hide his extraordinariness.

Not to mention, swordsmen were one of the best for their sharp senses and instincts. They didn’t see flashy powers to understand his peculiarity.

The black-robed overseer, who had maintained a calm demeanour throughout, looked at Apollo with subtle intrigue. "Step forward."

He did not hesitate. His steps were unhurried, yet each one seemed to carry an invisible force as if the very space around him subtly adjusted to his presence.

As he reached the centre, Apollo did not draw his sword. He simply stood there.

Then—

BOOM!

An unseen force erupted. The very air trembled.

The first sword-like monolith trembled, and a mysterious sword power enveloped him. The monolith was sky blue in colour and the one that tests the comprehension of swordsmen.

The moment Apollo stepped into the test, his entire world shifted.

The sky-blue monolith radiated a mysterious glow, and an endless storm of sword aura descended upon him. Each strand carried the aura of countless swordmasters—some sharp and ruthless, others heavy and immovable, some swift like a tempest, and others serene like a flowing river.

It was a test of comprehension.

Apollo closed his eyes. He did not resist. He embraced.

A lesser swordsman would struggle to even sense a fraction of these auras before being repelled, but for Apollo, it was different.

His soul, his will, his very existence had seemed to already reach the pinnacle of Sword Perception.

Whoosh!

As he exhaled, the storm around him shifted—instead of attacking, the sword aura flowed into him, resonating with his very being.

The more sword auras he can feel, the higher his comprehension will be and the brighter the monolith will glow.

A single step forward.

BOOM!

The monolith’s sky-blue surface erupted with countless sword marks as if it had been carved by countless swords. Each line, each engraving, reflected the sword aura Apollo had just comprehended.

One breath.

Ten.

Thirty.

Time stretched endlessly. While others could only endure for a few moments, he continued standing amidst the storm, his perception reaching deeper and deeper into the heart of the sword itself.

The talent is determined by the number of times the sword monolith glows. A single time means barely passing and having some chance to understand sword rules.

If it glowed a second time, it would mean a true sword genius who appeared once in thousands of years and would definitely understand sword law, even reaching a higher level in it.

And lastly, the third time means a supreme genius that would definitely shock the universe and would absolutely reach the peak of swordsmanship, leaving eternal glory for generations.

As Apollo stood motionless before the monolith, the surrounding swordsmen watched with bated breath.

One glow.

The first eruption of light was expected—he had passed, proving he had a future in the path of the sword.

A second glow.

Gasps echoed through the crowd. This was rare, signifying a true sword genius destined to comprehend sword laws. Only a handful across the vast universe had achieved this in the last ten thousand years.

Then—

BOOM!

The monolith trembled violently, and for the third time, it glowed.

The sky-blue radiance surged, illuminating the entire testing ground like a celestial beacon. Sword aura roared in all directions, sweeping through the city like a storm.

Silence.

Then—uproar.

"Impossible!"

"A third glow... a supreme genius!"

"This hasn’t happened in countless years!"

Even the sword elders overseeing the test had stood up, their gazes locked onto Apollo with disbelief.

Meanwhile, Apollo remained unfazed. His fingers twitched slightly, and for the first time, he murmured to himself, his voice barely above a whisper—

"Still not enough."

The monolith’s radiance slowly faded, yet the lingering sword intent in the air refused to dissipate. Apollo exhaled lightly, his gaze steady, as if the earth-shaking phenomenon just now was nothing worth mentioning.

He had comprehended thousands of sword auras in just a single breath, and his Eternal Sword Aura had surged to 89%, yet—

It still wasn’t enough.

Perfection remained elusive, standing just beyond his reach like an untouchable horizon.

"This sword aura..." He murmured to himself. Even with his monstrous comprehension, there was something about the Eternal Sword Aura that resisted or the universe itself resisting. It wasn’t just an accumulation of strength or understanding—it felt like it carried a will of its own, something that even he couldn’t easily tame.

The surrounding swordsmen were still in shock, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed. The elders who had been watching from afar now approached with solemn expressions, their gazes deep and evaluating.

One of them, an old man with silver hair and a sword scar across his brow, finally spoke.

"Young man... What is your name?"

He didn’t respond immediately. He simply turned his head slightly, his blue eyes flickering under the monolith’s fading light.

"Apollo."

The name echoed in the silent space, and in that moment, it was as if the entire city engraved it into memory.

But it wasn’t over, as this was just the first test, and two other tests were still left. The test of will and test of strength. Both were also equally important.

The murmurs in the crowd had yet to settle when Apollo took another step forward.

The second monolith stood before him—deep crimson in colour, radiating a heavy, suffocating pressure. This was the Test of Will, a trial designed to measure a swordsman’s mental fortitude.

Many swordsmen could wield powerful techniques, but without an unshakeable will, their path would crumble before reaching the true pinnacle.

Apollo exhaled softly, his breath steady. His eyes held no hesitation as he stepped closer.

Boom!

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