Ling Feng’s eyes regained their spirit, fixated on the Ancient Bronze Sword within the Sword Stele, his pupils shimmering with understanding.
The next moment, Ling Feng slowly closed his eyes, a gracefully ethereal figure appeared in his mind, moving with such fluidity, it seemed as though he was dancing.
However, as the figure became clearer, Ling Feng saw that in the figure’s hands, there was a black Long Sword.
He was sword dancing!
That dancing shadow first practiced the Shattering Star Sword Technique, the Falling Leaves Sword Technique, the Dusk Sword Technique, followed by Moving Flower and Burying Jade Sword, and finally, even began to perform Leaving Fire Burning Sky.
But his swordsmanship had a particularly special Conception that was beyond his own.
It was the "Sword Intent" he understood from the Ancient Bronze Sword.
Under this Conception, even before the sword move was executed, the sword in his hand seemed to come to life, every move, every posture, incredibly agile. Though it was the same sword move, in the hands of that shadow, it looked entirely natural, as though that was the correct way to perform these sets of sword techniques.
Ling Feng’s mind was completely captivated by this shadow; he gradually understood that this shadow was himself, it was the flicker of enlightenment he had been trying to grasp all this time.
"What is this? Could this be the true meaning of swordsmanship?"
Ling Feng’s mind became clearer, and his comprehension of the Sword Dao that he had gathered over time finally burst forth at this moment.
His mind shook, the figure shattered, thoroughly merging into the Sea of Consciousness, specks of light gathering into a very vague sphere of light which faintly appeared to be the shape of a Long Sword.
Ling Feng was stunned, using his will to sense the sword-shaped sphere of light, he was pleasantly surprised to find that his understanding of swordsmanship had deepened considerably, a thread of barely perceptible Sword Intent surged in the Sea of Consciousness.
He did not know that this was the Sword Embryo formed from his understanding of the Sword Dao, which, once the vague Sword Embryo fully took shape, would mean he had truly understood Sword Intent.
This state would be on the verge of understanding Sword Intent; perhaps with sudden realization, he could truly understand the Sword Intent that countless swordsmen long for in their dreams.
Sword techniques executed with Sword Intent and those without are almost like two different forms of swordsmanship!
"No matter what, this can’t be a bad thing."
Ling Feng slowly opened his eyes, casting aside all speculation, thinking that after he chose a mentor, or when he returned to the Mist Ghost Forest to consult the Dharma Form of Emperor Sky White, with his capability, he would naturally understand what the "sword-shaped light sphere" in his Sea of Consciousness was.
"That kid, he seems to have truly realized something!" The middle-aged Supervisor with a square face saw Ling Feng’s demeanor and shock flashed in his eyes.
The other Supervisors were equally astonished.
That was the Sword Intent of Chi Lie Killing God, which even they, as seasoned elders, dared not easily ponder; not only had Ling Feng contemplated it, but he also seemed to have gained something from it!
Ling Feng looked relaxed and at ease under the Sword Stele, clearly, the Evil Aura emanating from the Ancient Bronze Sword no longer exerted any pressure on him.
This also meant that Ling Feng might have truly understood the Slaughter Sword Intent!
Those examinees who walked out of the range of the Sword Stele were all dumbfoundedly staring at Ling Feng.
Wasn’t his expression way too casual?
Lio Yunfei was so shocked that his jaw almost hit the floor; when he walked out earlier, he felt as if he had several heavy mountains on his back, needing to use all his strength with each step he took.
Whereas Ling Feng, did he look like he was enduring a test of Willpower, or more like he was resting with his eyes closed?
He seriously wondered if this person was cheating!
However, under such close scrutiny, with several Supervisors present, it was impossible for Ling Feng to cheat.
Lio Yunfei, who had emerged just before or after Su Mu, also widened his eyes. He regarded his own willpower and constitution as fairly strong, but in front of Ling Feng, he felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
On the other hand, Jiang Xiaofan was quickly turning into a blood-drenched figure!
Ling Feng slowly gathered his focus and glanced around, only to find that everyone had left except for Jiang Xiaofan, who was still persisting through the ordeal.
One blood pearl after another, taking the place of sweat, seeped out from his pores.
At this moment, the reason Jiang Xiaofan was still capable of persisting was truly due to an immense willpower that allowed him to stay conscious.
His other results were too mediocre, too common. Compared to most geniuses, he seemed exceedingly ordinary.
Therefore, to stay at Heavenly Position Academy, he needed at least one outstanding achievement.
Therefore, no matter what, Jiang Xiaofan was determined to claim the top spot in this willpower assessment!
His luck was clearly not very good, having unluckily ended up in the same group as Ling Feng. Otherwise, he might have already persevered to first place.
"I cannot... I must not give up! I have to stay! I definitely must... stay!"
Jiang Xiaofan’s breathing was incredibly labored, his hands pressing against the ground, continuously trembling.
Due to Jiang Xiaofan’s persistence, the instructors had finally noticed this ordinary youth.
Perhaps he was really mediocre, very ordinary, but he possessed an iron will!
"This boy is a true embodiment of great perseverance!"
A white-haired elder gently stroked his beard and nodded slightly. With such a temperament, even if his talent was somewhat lacking, he would surely achieve no small success in the future.
Ling Feng looked at Jiang Xiaofan, noticing his determined eyes, and Ling Feng allowed a faint smile to cross his face as he made a decision.
He decided not to persist any longer. What if he conceded this first place to Jiang Xiaofan?
He was already assuredly going to enter Heavenly Position Academy; this opportunity, he thought, should be left for this steadfast youth.
He slowly stood up and walked out of the Sword Stele’s range.
According to the rules, the last candidate to leave the Array would receive additional points. Perhaps, due to his act of kindness, this young man could remain.
Ling Feng could definitely have continued for several days without any issue, but he was moved by the strong willpower displayed by Jiang Xiaofan.
"Thank... thank you..."
As Ling Feng passed by Jiang Xiaofan’s side, the dark-skinned young man cracked a smile at Ling Feng.
Even though at that moment, his smile looked uglier than crying.
Ling Feng nodded at him, lightly patted his shoulder, and a gentle stream of True Qi flowed into Jiang Xiaofan’s Dantian, allowing his spirit to recover slightly.
Jiang Xiaofan gritted his teeth, his gaze following Ling Feng. Though his body was drenched in blood-tinted sweat, Ling Feng could see the bright tear in his eyes.
Outside the Sword Stele, all the instructors and students watched Ling Feng in surprised silence.
Everyone could see that Ling Feng could have easily continued until the end, yet he chose to give the opportunity to the struggling young man.
In this dog-eat-dog world, the number of people willing to do such a thing was truly few and far between...