The entire frozen world seemed to fall silent.
A faint white light emerged from Lin Shuan's forehead, but within moments, the Prince's Seal disappeared beneath his mask. His white robes fluttered in the freezing wind, while a faint frost aura emanated from the Frost Halberd in his hand.
Standing before him was the Second Ancestor, holding a Divine Grade sword.
Despite the tremendous spiritual energy surrounding him, the Second Ancestor's white robes remained almost motionless. His expression was calm, as though he were facing a junior who had yet to understand the difference between their respective strengths.
However, the other two ancestors were observing Lin Shuan with considerable attention.
They had already determined his cultivation level.
Six-Star Meridian Tracer.
Under ordinary circumstances, someone at this cultivation level would not be qualified to challenge an Immortal Seed warrior. Even a Soul Spark cultivator could possess an overwhelming advantage in a direct confrontation.
But Lin Shuan was no ordinary Meridian Tracer.
His Azure Dragon Bloodline had strengthened his physical body far beyond what his cultivation level would normally allow. His muscles, bones, and spiritual meridians were exceptionally powerful. His physical strength had already reached a level comparable to that of a powerful Soul Spark cultivator.
Yet that was not his only extraordinary ability.
His Consciousness Realm had reached the Third Stage.
His spiritual power was comparable to that of an Immortal Seed warrior.
However, Lin Shuan did not use his spiritual power as a substitute for physical cultivation. Instead, he primarily used it to enhance the power of his techniques and weapons, control their energy with greater precision, and direct his attacks more effectively.
It was not a power that allowed him to overwhelm every opponent through spiritual pressure alone.
The Second Ancestor intended to make him understand that distinction.
"Come!"
The Second Ancestor raised his sword.
Lin Shuan's eyes narrowed slightly behind his mask.
"Then please guide me, Ancestor!"
Clang!
The Frost Halberd collided with the Divine Grade sword.
A powerful wave of energy swept across the entire platform.
Lin Shuan's feet slid backwards, leaving two long marks across the frozen surface. The impact caused his arms to tremble slightly.
The Second Ancestor, however, did not move an inch.
"Oh?"
A faint trace of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Your physical strength is considerably greater than your cultivation level suggests."
Lin Shuan rotated his wrist, stabilizing the Frost Halberd.
"Is that a compliment, Ancestor?"
"It is merely an observation."
The Second Ancestor's expression remained unchanged.
"Do not mistake my observation for praise. Your body may be comparable to that of a powerful Soul Spark cultivator, but I am an Immortal Seed warrior."
Before Lin Shuan could respond, the Second Ancestor disappeared.
Whoosh!
A flash of sword light appeared directly beside Lin Shuan's shoulder.
Lin Shuan immediately tilted his body.
The blade passed extremely close to his robes.
But the Second Ancestor rotated his wrist.
The sword changed direction in midair.
Lin Shuan's eyes widened.
"What astonishing control!"
He immediately brought the Frost Halberd in front of his body.
Clang!
The sword struck the shaft of the halberd.
The impact forced Lin Shuan several steps backwards.
The Second Ancestor did not give him an opportunity to recover. He attacked again, sending his sword forward from several precise angles. Each strike targeted a different opening in Lin Shuan's defence.
Lin Shuan blocked the first attack.
He evaded the second.
He barely managed to redirect the third with his halberd.
The fourth suddenly came from an unexpected angle.
He lowered his body and swung the Frost Halberd, changing the sword's trajectory.
Even so, the blade grazed his robes as it passed.
A small section of the fabric was cut away.
"Your reactions are good," the Second Ancestor remarked. "However, you rely a little too heavily on your instincts."
Lin Shuan did not answer.
His entire attention was focused on the sword.
The Second Ancestor's movements were not particularly flashy. He was neither creating enormous sword projections nor displaying any extravagant techniques.
Every movement was precise.
Every attack had a purpose.
He was not simply attempting to overwhelm Lin Shuan with raw power.
Instead, he was gradually restricting the number of options available to him.
Lin Shuan took another step backwards.
'He is controlling the distance.'
Whenever Lin Shuan attempted to create some distance, the Second Ancestor advanced. If Lin Shuan moved forward, the sword blocked his path. Even when he retreated, the Second Ancestor adjusted his angle.
Suddenly, the Second Ancestor thrust his sword straight ahead.
Lin Shuan placed his halberd horizontally.
The sword struck its shaft.
But rather than pushing Lin Shuan backwards, the Second Ancestor rotated his wrist.
The Divine Grade sword slid along the shaft of the Frost Halberd.
A sharp metallic sound echoed across the platform.
Lin Shuan immediately understood the danger.
The sword was moving towards his hands.
He released one hand from the halberd and pushed its shaft upwards.
The sword passed beneath it.
At the same moment, Lin Shuan stepped forward and drove his shoulder towards the Second Ancestor.
The Second Ancestor raised his free arm.
BOOM!
Their arms collided.
Lin Shuan immediately felt an enormous force surge through his shoulder.
His body was thrown backwards.
He landed some distance away, his boots scraping across the frozen platform as he struggled to regain his balance.
For a brief moment, he felt something rise in his throat. He nearly coughed blood, but forced it back down.
'This is not the time to show weakness. I cannot disappoint my ancestors.'
The Second Ancestor regarded him with a faintly approving gaze.
"Good. Now you are beginning to understand."
Lin Shuan steadied himself.
"What am I beginning to understand?"
"That a weapon is not merely an object you hold and swing."
The Second Ancestor raised his sword.
"It is an extension of your body, your intention, and your cultivation. If your weapon cannot follow your thoughts, then in your hands, it is nothing more than a piece of metal."
He moved his sword slightly.
A faint sword aura appeared around its edge.
"Your Frost Halberd is a Divine Grade weapon. At its level, it can easily defeat many sword cultivators, regardless of their star rank. Yet I have not seen you use a single proper halberd technique against me."
Lin Shuan looked at his weapon.
"That is because I do not possess a suitable halberd technique."
The Second Ancestor's eyebrows rose.
"You do not possess a halberd technique?"
Lin Shuan shook his head.
"Until now, I have relied on the techniques I already knew. I only learned to use the halberd after acquiring those techniques..."
The Second Ancestor glanced at the Frost Halberd once more.
"Then show me what you do know."
Lin Shuan's expression became serious.
"Certainly."
His grip tightened around the halberd.
His eyes began to glow with a faint white light.
An enormous stream of frost energy surged through his spiritual meridians and gathered around the Frost Halberd.
The surrounding temperature dropped rapidly.
A thin layer of ice began spreading across the platform.
Lin Shuan raised his weapon.
"Sky Dragon Smash—First Form!"
The moment his voice rang out, the frost energy surrounding the halberd erupted.
Behind him, the silhouette of an enormous dragon appeared.
It was not an ordinary energy projection.
The soul of a gigantic Frost Dragon manifested in the frozen sky. Its enormous body moved through the freezing atmosphere, while the ancient light of a forgotten world reflected across its scales. Its eyes possessed a majestic and ancient aura.
The dragon roared, shaking the entire environment.
All three ancestors looked upwards.
"So this is the first part of Sky Dragon Smash..."
The First Ancestor's expression turned serious.
The Third Ancestor nodded.
"His control is considerably better than I expected."
Lin Shuan swung the Frost Halberd downwards.
The Frost Dragon descended with it.
The air trembled.
An enormous amount of power gathered around the weapon as it advanced towards the Second Ancestor.
The Second Ancestor did not retreat.
Instead, he raised his sword.
"Good."
His voice remained calm.
"Then I shall show you a technique created for sword cultivators."
The Divine Grade sword in his hand began to tremble.
A sword shadow appeared.
Then another.
Ten.
A hundred.
A thousand.
In the blink of an eye, countless sword shadows filled the sky.
They were arranged in an orderly formation.
Each sword occupied a precise position, and every one of them appeared to be connected to the others through invisible spiritual threads.
The Second Ancestor's gaze sharpened.
"Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin!"
BOOOOOOM!
The entire frozen world trembled.
Above them, the thick clouds began churning violently, as though countless invisible blades were slicing through them.
The countless sword shadows began moving simultaneously.
Some gathered above the Second Ancestor. Others formed a circular structure around him, while the remaining swords spread throughout the sky.
The enormous Frost Dragon descended.
But before it could reach the Second Ancestor, the first wave of swords advanced.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
One sword after another collided with the dragon's projection.
The Frost Dragon roared.
Its enormous body twisted as it attempted to break through the sword formation.
But the swords were not attacking only from the front.
They were changing their directions.
Some struck the dragon's head, others targeted its wings, while the remaining swords attacked its body.
Whenever the Frost Dragon faced attacks from one direction, the other swords immediately approached from another.
Lin Shuan's expression changed.
'This is no ordinary sword technique!'
While controlling the swords, the Second Ancestor began explaining.
"Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin is a Heaven Rank Third-Class technique."
He moved his sword slightly.
The countless sword shadows moved in accordance with it.
"Although its name refers to ten thousand swords, it does not actually require ten thousand physical swords. The number represents the technique's ability to divide a cultivator's sword intent into countless coordinated sword manifestations."
One sword shadow advanced.
Another followed behind it.
Then several more appeared.
"They are all controlled by a single sword intent. Each sword can attack independently, but none of them is truly separated from the original sword."
The Second Ancestor pointed his sword towards Lin Shuan.
"That is why it is called Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin."
Lin Shuan's gaze remained fixed on the swords.
The Second Ancestor continued.
"This technique has three fundamental principles."
He raised his sword.
"First—the cultivator must establish an Origin Sword. It is the foundation of the entire formation. Without it, the sword shadows cannot maintain their connection."
The Divine Grade sword shone brightly.
"Second—the cultivator must divide his sword intent without dividing his control. Every sword shadow must obey the same intention. Otherwise, the entire formation will become unstable."
The sword shadows began rotating in a circular formation.
"Third—at the appropriate moment, all the swords must return towards the Origin Sword. The greatest strength of this technique does not lie in the individual attacks. Its true power emerges when the accumulated strength of all the sword shadows gathers at a single point."
The Second Ancestor's eyes sharpened.
"However, this technique also has limitations."
He raised one finger.
"It consumes an enormous amount of spiritual energy. The greater the number of sword shadows, the greater the burden placed upon the cultivator."
He raised a second finger.
"Controlling all these swords requires extremely precise consciousness. If the cultivator loses control of even a portion of the formation, its stability can be compromised."
Then he raised a third finger.
"Finally, the connection between the Origin Sword and the sword intent must remain intact. If that connection is severed, the sword shadows lose their coordination, and their power decreases considerably."
He looked directly at Lin Shuan.
"These are the principles you must understand before attempting to master this technique."
Lin Shuan listened attentively.
He could understand that the technique was not merely powerful. It was also extraordinarily complex.
The Second Ancestor continued.
"At its current level, it is a Heaven Rank Third-Class technique. Its actual power depends on the cultivator's cultivation, sword intent, control, and the quality of the weapon. Even a powerful Immortal Seed warrior cannot unleash its full power without sufficient mastery."
Lin Shuan finally spoke.
"But, Ancestor, I use a halberd... What benefit will a sword technique bring me?"
The Second Ancestor smiled faintly.
"Look..."
He gestured towards the enormous Frost Dragon still clashing against the sword shadows.
"The Frost Dragon you summoned is also a sword technique. Its soul can only be summoned by a cultivator with sufficient swordsmanship."
Lin Shuan looked towards the dragon.
'So that is truly how it works... I also use a sword.'
The Second Ancestor studied him for a moment before speaking again.
"Although you are holding a halberd before me, I can easily tell that you are concealing your true swordsmanship."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You chose a halberd to fight against me. That means you use a sword when you intend to kill, don't you? Am I correct?"
Lin Shuan was startled.
'This ancestor's eyes are truly sharp...'
He hesitated briefly before answering.
"However, I do not have a sword with me. That is why I use the halberd."
The Second Ancestor seemed to understand something.
"After all, you belong to the Lin Clan... This is only natural."
He moved his sword.
The entire formation changed.
"Very well..."
His faint smile disappeared.
"Now experience it."
Countless swords rushed towards Lin Shuan.
His expression changed immediately.
He raised the Frost Halberd.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The first few swords struck the halberd.
Frost sparks scattered through the air.
Lin Shuan managed to block them, but before he could recover, the next wave arrived.
He twisted his body.
One sword passed above his shoulder.
Another struck the ground near his feet.
A third approached from behind.
He swung the Frost Halberd and redirected it.
But the attacks did not stop.
The swords were attacking from every direction.
'How am I supposed to face this formation?'
Lin Shuan's thoughts raced.
He could use his physical strength to withstand some of the attacks, but doing so would turn him into a stationary target.
He could use his consciousness to improve the power and control of his weapon, but he could not destroy the entire formation through spiritual power alone.
His spiritual power had to be directed through his techniques or weapons.
And his opponent was an Immortal Seed warrior who had mastered a Heaven Rank Third-Class sword technique.
The difference between them was becoming increasingly clear.
One sword shadow struck the edge of the Frost Halberd.
Another immediately advanced towards his waist.
Lin Shuan twisted his body, but a third sword was descending from above.
He raised his halberd to block it.
CLANG!
The impact forced him down onto one knee.
The frozen platform cracked beneath his foot.
The Second Ancestor watched him calmly.
"Do not focus only on the swords."
Lin Shuan gritted his teeth.
"Then what should I focus on?"
"Their origin."
A faint light appeared in Lin Shuan's eyes.
The Second Ancestor moved his sword slightly.
The entire formation changed.
"Every sword returns to its origin. Find that connection. Perhaps you will discover a way to escape this formation."
Lin Shuan examined the countless sword shadows.
His Third Stage Consciousness Realm spread throughout the environment.
He did not attempt to attack the swords with his spiritual power.
Instead, he focused on understanding their movements.
The sword shadows were moving independently, but their spiritual connections were linked to one another.
Every sword received its direction from a single source.
The Origin Sword.
Lin Shuan's gaze settled upon the Divine Grade sword in the Second Ancestor's hand.
'There it is!'
He had identified the Origin Sword.
However, it had taken him longer than expected.
"Return!"
The Second Ancestor pulled his sword backwards.
All the sword shadows abruptly changed direction.
They began converging towards Lin Shuan.
The sound of countless swords tearing through the air echoed throughout the frozen world.
Lin Shuan's pupils contracted.
'He is calling all the swords back at once!'
The countless sword shadows gathered into an enormous formation.
Their individual powers rapidly began merging with one another.
The pressure surrounding Lin Shuan increased dramatically.
The platform beneath him began cracking even further.
He attempted to raise the Frost Halberd, but the incoming power was simply too great.
"I cannot stop this directly!"
For the first time since the battle began, Lin Shuan found himself in a truly difficult situation.
The First Ancestor's expression became serious.
The Third Ancestor leaned forward slightly.
The Second Ancestor continued watching Lin Shuan.
"Do not try to stop it by force!"
His voice echoed across the platform.
"Understand the technique!"
Lin Shuan tightened his grip.
His consciousness began concentrating around the Frost Halberd.
He could not destroy the sword formation.
But perhaps he could change the direction of the incoming force.
He adjusted the position of his feet.
Then, instead of raising the edge of his halberd directly in front of the swords, he turned its blade slightly to one side.
A powerful stream of frost energy surged from his Frost Divine Heart.
At the same time, his consciousness directed that energy through the halberd, reinforcing its structure and controlling its angle with extraordinary precision.
"Sky Dragon Smash!"
The Frost Dragon appeared once more.
This time, Lin Shuan did not send it directly towards the Second Ancestor.
Instead, he guided the dragon's enormous body across the platform.
The dragon's head advanced towards the converging sword formation.
ROOOOOAR!
The two forces collided.
The Frost Dragon's projection trembled violently.
The sword formation continued advancing.
Lin Shuan's arms began shaking.
His feet slid backwards.
He was still unable to stop the formation.
But the Frost Dragon had slightly altered its direction.
And that was enough.
Lin Shuan rotated his body along with the redirected force.
Rather than confronting the entire attack directly, he used its momentum to propel himself sideways.
The enormous sword formation passed extremely close to him.
A powerful wave of energy swept past, violently shaking his robes.
The Frost Dragon's projection shattered into countless fragments of ice.
Lin Shuan landed some distance away.
He was breathing heavily.
His arms had gone numb, and the Frost Halberd trembled in his hands.
A thin stream of blood appeared at the corner of his lips.
The Second Ancestor lowered his sword.
For several moments, complete silence prevailed between them.
Then the Second Ancestor smiled.
"Not bad."
Lin Shuan looked towards him.
"Was that sufficient, Ancestor?"
"Not yet."
The Second Ancestor raised his sword once more.
"But you have understood the most important principle."
He glanced towards the other ancestors.
"He did not attempt to destroy the formation. Instead, he identified its origin and used the momentum of the attack to escape from its most powerful point."
The Third Ancestor nodded.
"His Consciousness Realm has indeed reached the Third Stage. He can identify the connections between the sword shadows and control his weapon with extraordinary precision."
The First Ancestor looked towards Lin Shuan.
"His cultivation is only at the Six-Star Meridian Tracer level, yet in certain aspects, his control is comparable to that of an Immortal Seed warrior."
Lin Shuan slowly exhaled.
He was beginning to understand why his ancestors had placed him through such a difficult trial.
Cultivation and actual combat strength were not always directly proportional.
His physical strength allowed him to withstand attacks that could defeat an ordinary Meridian Tracer.
His consciousness allowed him to control his techniques and weapons with extraordinary precision.
But neither of these abilities meant that he could ignore the difference between himself and a genuine Immortal Seed warrior.
He still had to think.
He still had to adapt to changing circumstances.
And he still had to learn how to use his abilities properly.
The Second Ancestor finally lowered his sword.
"That is sufficient. You have proven that you do not merely imitate the movements of a technique. You can also understand its principles."
Lin Shuan bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Ancestor."
"Do not thank me yet."
The Second Ancestor's gaze settled upon the Frost Halberd.
"I have not seen all your abilities."
Lin Shuan looked at his weapon.
After a few moments, he nodded.
"Then please allow me to demonstrate another technique."
The Second Ancestor raised his eyebrows.
"Another technique?"
[Notice — Frost Divine Heart Clarification
The Frost Divine Heart was not activated during the battle.
The vortex of power that emerged from it was not a sign of its activation. Rather, Lin Shuan has gradually learned to control the Frost Divine Heart properly. Although he has not yet achieved complete mastery over it, he can now regulate and direct its power to a certain extent.
This is an important development in Lin Shuan's growth. He is no longer struggling merely to control the power within him; he is slowly learning how to use it effectively.
Remember: The Frost Divine Heart remains unactivated. Lin Shuan has simply improved his control over its power.]