Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 52 Sword Valley

Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Sword Valley

Li Fan faced the direction of Li Mountain’s summit and looked toward Wu Tong.

His sword was there.

Wu Tong’s face was tense, his gaze sharp as he stared at Li Fan.

At the peak of Li Mountain, atop Sword Peak, outside the grand hall, the air had gone eerily quiet. Every eye was now focused on the handsome young man.

*It felt as though all the struggles and burdens he had endured over the years had come rushing forth in this single moment. He was proving to Li Mountain the worth of his sword.*

He was not merely a Sword Cultivator. He possessed a Martial Spirit and practiced multi-element spells.

Ye Qinghuang also looked at Li Fan’s figure from behind, her beautiful eyes lighting up with a radiant smile.

A decade of training and growth had borne fruit. Next, he would journey to Li Mountain Sword Valley for Sword Inquiry.

Then, her junior apprentice would become a true Sword Cultivator.

"Xiao Fan, let’s head back," Ye Qinghuang rose and said, her voice gentle.

Li Fan turned around, glancing at Ye Qinghuang with a smile before walking back to her side under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Ye Qinghuang took Li Fan’s hand, faced toward the elders of Li Mountain, bowed deeply, and said, "When Sword Valley opens, my junior apprentice will venture there for Sword Inquiry."

Saying this, she led Li Fan away. After exiting the crowd, they ascended into the air, departing from Li Mountain Sword Peak.

The crowd watched their retreating figures, their hearts conflicted.

"Brother Xiao Fan is so dashing," Xiao Qi beamed brightly as she watched him leave, feeling genuinely happy for him.

"Ye Xianzi treats Xiao Fan so well," a teenage boy mumbled softly nearby.

"Indeed," Xiao Qi nodded, agreeing that Ye Xianzi was truly wonderful.

Brother Xiao Fan was lucky to have such a senior apprentice. It was really great for him!

"Why don’t I have a senior apprentice like that?" the teenager muttered, turning his gaze toward Lu Yuan. "If Lu Yuan were that good to me, I’d happily die."

"You can go ahead and die now." A girl glared at him. "Keep dreaming in daylight."

"Xiao Qi, with Ye Xianzi here, you don’t stand a chance," the boy quipped. "Brother Xiao Fan would never choose you."

The girl sent him flying with a kick.

At the summit of Li Mountain, atop Sword Peak, Peak Master Mo Yang watched Ye Qinghuang’s departure and said, "That young man’s Divine Sense and Sword Seed are both exceptionally strong."

Lin Zhao, who reached the Late Stage of God Refining, was defeated by Li Fan. In their final showdown, both collided using their Sword Seeds, yet Lin Zhao clearly faltered and ran out of strength.

Meanwhile, during the Sword Seed collision, Li Fan had even been able to channel spells and continuously form sharp swords for attacks, revealing his astonishing Divine Sense strength and impressive control over Sword Aura.

Logically, Lin Zhao, at the late Refining stage, should have surpassed Li Fan in "God," but he fell short. This was clearly due to Li Fan’s unique cultivation approach.

"Over ten years, this group of mentor and apprentices never wavered, investing immensely in raising this young man." Gu Qingyang also spoke, "Now it seems they have achieved results, although the unknown risks..."

"Should we truly let him enter Sword Valley?" someone asked.

"Since it’s Li Mountain’s rule, and the young man defeated Lin Zhao, what grounds do we have to stop him? If we were to block him, those mentor and apprentices wouldn’t rest until they turned Li Mountain upside down," Gu Qingyang replied with a chuckle and shake of his head.

"Proceed," Gu Qingyang turned toward the lower direction, signaling for the Li Mountain Sword Trial to continue.

This time, they couldn’t afford to miss any promising protégés.

Even younger disciples, as long as their talents were sufficient, would also be given the chance to enter Sword Valley.

Ye Qinghuang and Li Fan returned to Divine Brilliance Peak, where the Old Blind Man awaited them.

The pair landed, and Ye Qinghuang revealed a faint smile.

"You’re back," the Old Blind Man said with a knowing smile, as if he had predicted the outcome.

"Mm," Ye Qinghuang nodded. "Xiao Fan performed excellently."

"Still early," the Old Blind Man replied. "Sword Valley is the ultimate goal."

"Got it," Li Fan said. "Old Blind Man, can’t you say something encouraging? In the Li Mountain Sword Trial, I defeated Master Wu’s disciple—I didn’t embarrass you."

"Xiao Fan, don’t blame Master Wu. It’s me who wronged him," the Old Blind Man sighed.

*Though Li Fan was unaware of what had happened between these two senior apprentice brothers, he still nodded solemnly.*

"As for encouragement, if you succeed in Sword Valley, I’ll say whatever good words you want to hear," the Old Blind Man chuckled.

"What counts as success?" Li Fan asked.

"Obtaining your sword," the Old Blind Man replied.

"My sword?" Li Fan was puzzled.

"Mm," the Old Blind Man nodded. "When you encounter it, you’ll understand. But be warned, it won’t be easy. You should be mentally prepared."

"Alright," Li Fan nodded firmly. "I’ll definitely obtain it."

"Xiao Fan, you must be tired today. Have a good rest; there’s no need to cultivate," Ye Qinghuang said to Li Fan.

"It’s alright; cultivation will help me recover," Li Fan said nonchalantly. "I still need to prepare for Sword Valley."

With that, he walked to the edge of a cliff and sat cross-legged.

"This foolish boy," the Old Blind Man murmured with a soft laugh.

......

The rising sun illuminated the peaks of Li Mountain, bathing the sea of clouds in splendid hues of dawn.

Ye Qinghuang held Li Fan’s hand as they traversed through the sea of clouds.

On the peaks of Li Mountain, they occasionally saw figures either controlling swords or soaring through the air, all heading in the same direction.

These people were bound for Sword Valley.

This time, it wasn’t just the newly selected disciples allowed to enter Sword Valley. Li Mountain disciples who had excelled in previous Sword Trials were also permitted to return.

Some noticed Ye Qinghuang and Li Fan, casting glances at them as they passed.

Sword Valley lay deep within Li Mountain, nestled among towering peaks. This was the Li Mountain Sacred Land.

For Li Mountain Sword Cultivators, there was one unyielding rule:

Upon death, the sword returns!

Li Mountain Sword Valley was the burial ground of swords.

Here rested the blades of Li Mountain’s predecessors.

People continued to gather in Sword Valley, creating a lively atmosphere.

At the apex of Sword Valley sat an elderly man clad in black, his eyes closed in rest. It was none other than Wuya Peak’s Peak Master, Wu Tong, who was tasked with overseeing Sword Valley’s order.

Arriving disciples of Li Mountain showed him immense respect, bowing deeply in greeting.

The old man opened his eyes to see Ye Qinghuang approaching through the air.

Wu Tong did not favor Ye Qinghuang, just as he disapproved of her mentor.

Wu Tong and his senior apprentice brother had once learned sword cultivation together, vowing to vanquish demons and evil.

Wu Tong’s senior apprentice brother was extraordinarily gifted, regarded as the most talented individual in Li Mountain, and cherished by their mentor like a son.

The senior apprentice brother always guided Wu Tong, treating him like a younger sibling. Wu Tong had deeply respected and admired him, aspiring to follow in his footsteps and venture into the world to slay demons.

But eventually, their paths diverged.

His senior apprentice brother became the first Li Mountain cultivator to enter the halls of power!

On this, atop Li Mountain, the two brothers drew their swords against each other.

Wu Tong lost, naturally.

Later, his senior apprentice brother suffered betrayal and lost his sight.

*From that point forward, their once-bonded relationship was irreparably shattered.*

"Master Wu," Ye Qinghuang and Li Fan greeted the elderly man respectfully despite knowing he held little fondness for them, remembering the Old Blind Man’s words.

"Why doesn’t he come himself?" Wu Tong asked Ye Qinghuang.

"Master Wu, Li Fan is a Li Mountain disciple entitled to Sword Inquiry; there is no need for our mentor to come," Ye Qinghuang replied and took Li Fan forward.

Wu Tong stepped before Li Fan, staring him down.

As Li Fan passed beside Wu Tong, the old man spoke behind him, "Li Fan, there is no sword here for you. Li Mountain’s ancestors will not grant you one."

Li Fan said nothing, glancing at Ye Qinghuang beside him.

Ye Qinghuang also remained silent, simply pulling Li Fan forward to the plateau of Sword Valley.

Before them stretched the vast expanse of Sword Valley, where numerous broken swords were interred. These were the blades of deceased Li Mountain disciples.

At the center of the valley stood towering Sword Mountain Rock Walls, on which countless swords were embedded. Despite the passing years, Sword Intent continued to linger around them.

Sword Cultivators from Li Mountain gathered there.

As Ye Qinghuang and Li Fan approached, many eyes turned toward them.

Under the weight of those gazes.

Ye Qinghuang stepped forward, reaching a large stone before the sword walls. She bowed deeply. "Li Mountain disciple, Ye Qinghuang, pays respect to the ancestors of Li Mountain."

"My junior apprentice, Li Fan, is a Li Mountain Sword Cultivator and has come for Sword Inquiry. I implore the ancestors to grant him a sword."

Ye Qinghuang’s voice was sincerely humble as she bowed once more. "Li Mountain’s junior disciple, Ye Qinghuang, offers this gratitude."

There was no response; the sword walls of Li Mountain remained silent.

*Ye Qinghuang lowered her gaze for a long time, moving nearby disciples emotionally.*

*Ye Qinghuang was pleading for a sword on behalf of Li Fan.*

*For someone as proud as her, to bow and humbly beg—it was shocking.*

"Li Fan," many people in the crowd murmured, turning their thoughts to him.

*Li Fan looked at Ye Qinghuang, his heart stung with emotion.*

*His senior apprentice had sacrificed so much for him.*

*Someone as lofty and self-sufficient as Ye Qinghuang would never demean herself for anyone.*

*But for him, she did.*

"Go forth now," Ye Qinghuang said to Li Fan.

"Mm," Li Fan nodded, taking a deep breath before leaping down onto a large stone below, facing Sword Valley directly.

To his left and right stood figures already there—such as Lin Zhao, the Wuya Peak disciple he had defeated the day before, alongside the prodigious Lu Yuan, who possessed the Bright Moon Dharma Form.

Li Mountain’s brightest talents converged in Sword Valley for Sword Inquiry!

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