Chapter 7: The Mysterious Examiner!

Taylor Yale never expected the Realm of Myriad Laws experts to grow stronger along with the challenger's cultivation. Ten Minor Calamity Tier powerhouses. How terrifying was that supposed to be? The moment he sensed those shadowy figures about to reach the Minor Calamity Tier, Taylor stopped holding anything back. He lunged forward. A long iron sword in its sheath appeared in his hand, plain and heavy-looking. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of one of the Realm of Myriad Laws experts, and he ripped the blade free in a savage arc. Heaven Severing Sword Draw Technique! Spireprimus had taught him this. Hummm! A clear sword-hum rang out. A lightning-laced sword light flashed and blasted the Realm of Myriad Laws expert backward dozens of yards. The figure had barely steadied itself before it scattered into nothing. Taylor slipped sideways, sheathed his sword, and vanished. He reappeared before another Realm of Myriad Laws expert and drew again. Bang! That one shattered on the spot. Taylor had already disappeared again, charging the next one... In only a few breaths, he struck again and again. One sword, one Realm of Myriad Laws foe. He was already at the Minor Calamity Tier, after all. His realm crushed theirs. Soon, the ten shadows had been cut down to three. Those last three had reached the Minor Calamity Tier as well. More than that, each of them held a sword. Whatever abilities the challenger used, they could replicate. Taylor stopped and stared at the three Minor Calamity Tier swordsmen in the distance. His eyes held no heaviness, only a bright, almost hungry excitement. If he handled this place properly, it was practically a sacred training ground. The Yale family could never afford a dedicated training site like this. Only massive clans and grand sects could manage it, and even then it burned through obscene amounts of money. Yet this place offered a training arena for free. Ten Minor Calamity Tier opponents would have been impossible. Three, though... He could use them as sparring partners. At that moment, the three Minor Calamity Tier figures vanished. Three Heaven Severing Sword Draw Techniques! Seeing them use his own Sword Technique, Taylor froze for a heartbeat, genuinely startled. Then he did the opposite of retreating. He surged forward and slammed his blade into them with a brutal, head-on draw. Boom! Four sword lights erupted in the field. Taylor skidded back again and again before forcing himself to a stop. Then he rushed them once more. He was not throwing himself into a meaningless brawl. He studied everything, their footwork, their timing, the way they unleashed the Heaven Severing Sword Draw Technique. They were copies built from his own abilities. If he found their strengths and flaws, he was finding his own. And the longer he watched, the clearer it became. He was not fast enough. His angles were not sharp enough. His reactions lagged. Even his movements looked flashy, full of unnecessary flourishes, not clean, not efficient... A lack of real combat experience. That was not something he could fix in an instant. But as he watched the three Minor Calamity Tier figures execute the Heaven Severing Sword Draw Technique, a thought sparked in his mind. The technique was all about the explosive power at the instant of drawing the sword... Could that explosion be stacked? If he drew twice in a row... If he was fast enough, those two bursts could merge into one. The power would... The moment the idea formed, he acted. When the three Minor Calamity Tier figures charged him, Taylor slowly closed his eyes. His right hand clamped around the hilt. The next instant, he drew and slashed. And at the exact moment the blade completed its cut, he rammed it back into the sheath, then drew again in a second slash. Boom! A storm of sword light detonated outward. The three Minor Calamity Tier figures were pulverized instantly... Along with his sword and its sheath. They could not withstand two stacked Heaven Severing Sword Draw Techniques. Worse, his entire right arm split open. Blood sprayed. Pale bone showed through the torn flesh. "Holy shit!" Little Tower yelped in shock. "Damn it, I never taught you how to stack it! How did you learn that? Holy shit..." Taylor looked at his blood-soaked hand and laughed. The laughter grew, louder and louder, until it filled the space. If two could be stacked, then three could be stacked. Four. Five. Ten thousand... This Sword Technique had no ceiling. Little Tower hurriedly asked, "How did you even think of stacking it?" Taylor shot back, "Has anyone ever stacked it before?" Little Tower's voice sank. "Yes..." Taylor smiled. "Then the senior who created this Sword Technique was something else. I underestimated it earlier. This technique is at least emperor-grade, maybe even higher, right, Spireprimus?" Little Tower said, "I don't know. I only happened to get it back then, in a secret realm..." Taylor nodded. "I understand. I understand." Little Tower: "..." Taylor took out a strip of white cloth and wrapped his arm in a rough bandage. Then he said, "I wonder what the second trial looks like..." As he spoke, he vanished. When he appeared again, he was outside. At the same time, a second door materialized before him. Whoosh! An uproar swept the crowd. A second door meant he had cleared the first trial. Everyone stared at Taylor in shock. Elder Vernell and Felix Santee went pale. At that moment, they finally felt real fear. They had been certain Taylor would fail. They had never imagined he would pass the first trial. Felix locked onto Taylor on the Arcavis Path, eyes bloodshot. "We can't let him live. We can't let him live. We have to kill him..." Killing intent surged from him. "Are you out of your mind?" Elder Vernell snapped, turning on Felix with a furious glare. "If you make a move, even if the Santee family pours in everything they have, they still won't be able to save you." Felix jolted awake. Taylor was challenging the Arcavis Path. Countless people across Myriadhold were watching. If Taylor died in full view of the public... it would ignite a storm of outrage. Forget the Santee family. Even a top-tier clan would not be able to shelter him. Elder Vernell forced down the murderous urge in his own chest and stared at Taylor in the distance. "He only passed the first trial. There are still two more. What's there to fear?" Hearing that, Felix finally exhaled, nodding quickly. "Right, right. He only passed the first trial..." They said it, but unease still crawled under both their skin. On the Arcavis Path, Taylor stepped into the second door. The instant he crossed the threshold, white light slammed into his face, so bright he could not keep his eyes open. He did not know how long it took before he opened them again. He stood in a vegetable garden. Taylor frowned, confused. "It's been a long time since anyone came." A voice sounded behind him. Taylor turned. Not far away stood a woman in a pale yellow dress. She was stunning. In her right hand she held a hoe, and her left hand rested on her hip as she smiled at him. Taylor hesitated. "Senior, you are...?" She wiped the sweat from her face and smiled sweetly. "Your examiner." Taylor paused, then asked cautiously, "Could you go easy on me?" She laughed. "In your dreams." Taylor cupped his hands in a small bow. "Then please, Senior, set the question." "No rush." Her smile did not fade. "Let me loosen this soil first." She lifted the hoe and began turning the earth. Taylor could only wait. He scanned the surroundings, then asked inwardly, "Spireprimus, is this world real?" Little Tower answered, "Real." Taylor grew even more puzzled. "How did I get here?" "A method you can't understand yet." Taylor said, "Spireprimus, you must have been doing pretty well back in the day, right?" Little Tower burst into laughter. "Of course. Back then, under three swords, I was invincible. Under three swords..." It cut off, as if it realized something. After a moment of silence, it continued, "Stop probing. I'll be honest. I did have some ability back then, but I'm sealed away. These days, aside from pointing you in the right direction when you lose your way, I can't help you much. So don't pin your hopes on me. You have to rely on yourself, understand?" Taylor thought for a moment, then asked, "Spireprimus, why did you choose me?" Little Tower said, "Because I think you're a Destined Person... someone with a big future." Taylor: "..." "All right." The woman spoke again from the distance. Taylor pulled his thoughts back and looked at her. She carried the hoe as she walked toward him. Taylor drew a deep breath. He could not help feeling anxious about the trial ahead. In a thousand years, only one person had ever passed the Arcavis Path. He was not arrogant enough to believe he would definitely succeed. If he had any other road to take, he would not have risked this. The woman stopped in front of him and looked him over. Her gaze finally settled on the Little Tower at his waist, and the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. Little Tower: "..." Then she glanced at the Path Sword at his waist and smiled. "Come with me." She led Taylor into a courtyard. In the center sat a wooden table with two stools. A small stove stood nearby, a kettle of tea simmering on top. She picked up the teapot and walked to the table. "Have a seat." Taylor sat. She took out two wooden cups, poured him one, then pulled a fruit basket from under the table. Inside were tomatoes and cucumbers. She looked at Taylor and smiled. "I grew them myself. Try some." Taylor answered honestly, "I'm not in the mood." She chuckled. "Don't be nervous. This trial isn't complicated. I'm only going to ask you one question." Taylor said, "Please ask, Senior." She looked at him. "Should the Arcavis Sword Master exist?" Taylor: "..." Little Tower: "..." ...