As soon as the array opened, some martial artists immediately bent their bodies and crawled on the ground, unable to straighten their waists. It was as if they were instantly burdened with thousands of pounds weighing down on their backs.
Almost all of the assessors had a sudden change in their complexion. This heavy pressure was definitely uncomfortable!
Ling Feng's expression turned serious. As he fixed his gaze on the ancient bronze sword at the center of the sword monument, a hint of surprise became evident in his eyes.
What kind of swordsman could imprint such an indelible aura on his own sword?
He couldn't help but recall his own Eradicator of Realms.
While it was also a sword of destruction, his swordsmanship lacked that chilling aura.
"Why is that, I wonder?"
Ling Feng stared at the ancient bronze sword, seemingly forgetting his surroundings, while lost in contemplation about what kind of power could imbue his sword with such a sinister aura!
Gradually, he entered a deep state of contemplation, appearing not to be engaged in an assessment but instead comprehending something profound.
Unbeknownst to him, what he was pondering was "sword will."
Ling Feng had already, unconsciously, gained insights into sword will, and now, this opportunity rekindled his awareness of its existence.
Perhaps, with this opportunity, he could fully comprehend sword will in one fell swoop; it was not an impossible feat.
While Ling Feng pondered and meditated, the other disciples undergoing the assessment were experiencing something different. All they felt was the terrifying pressure brought about by the sinister aura.
Once their wills weakened, they would be unable to lift their heads, and ultimately chose to give up.
Five minutes later, some youths were already screaming in misery, choosing to withdraw, while others directly fainted, being carried away by former students waiting outside.
In less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, out of a hundred people, less than sixty remained.
The majority of participants had their eyes tightly shut, their foreheads beading with sweat drops the size of beans while their bodies slightly trembled. Some even had bloodshot eyes and traces of blood at the corners of their mouths, yet they persevered, gritting their teeth.
In contrast, Ling Feng remained wide-eyed, fixated on the ancient bronze sword at the center of the monument as if he had become a statue, utterly motionless.
Meanwhile, the supervising instructors stood with hands behind their backs along the monument's edge, pacing leisurely back and forth.
They observed keenly, evaluating which students possessed genuine resilience.
While talent was inherent and often unchangeable without extraordinary circumstances, resilience was a quality indispensable to warriors.
Those with great resilience might ascend despite lacking in talent.
Conversely, individuals lacking resilience, even with considerable talent, might enjoy initial success but risked falling short of the achievements their more resilient peers would achieve.
"That lad is Liu Yunfei, young master of the Liu family of Jiangdu, ranked seventh overall with commendable willpower. He's a candidate worth nurturing!"
"And there's Su Mu, the ninth young master of the Su family in Yunzhou. His comprehension is astonishing, and his true qi talent reached the rare twelve-star full capacity, with the uncommon thunder attribute. If he can endure for over two hours, he'll undoubtedly become a pillar of the empire in the future!"
"Hmm? That young one seems promising too..."
Half an hour later, less than thirty of the sixty participants remained.
After another hour passed, the thirty dwindled sharply once again, reducing to just ten individuals.
Among them were Ling Feng, Liu Yunfei, Su Mu, and also Ouyang Jing, who gritted his teeth and persevered.
Most surprising of all was a seemingly ordinary-looking young man, dressed plainly, who appeared entirely unremarkable in every aspect. Yet, despite his unassuming appearance, he had persisted until now.
This person was none other than Jiang Xiaofan, the ordinary youth who had barely passed the true qi talent test.
His body was unusually sturdy with well-defined muscles, glistening under the sunlight as if chiseled from stone.
However, there was a faint tinge of blood in the fine beads of sweat that covered his body!
As time passed, the number of people inside the monument dwindled steadily.
After two hours, only five of the remaining ten individuals persisted: Ling Feng, Liu Yunfei, Su Mu, Ouyang Jing, and Jiang Xiaofan.
By this time, even prodigies like Liu Yunfei were starting to struggle, while Ouyang Jing and Jiang Xiaofan relied solely on their remarkable willpower to stay in the competition.
With the passage of time, the sinister aura surrounding the monument had intensified tenfold from its initial potency.
Ouyang Jing spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed on the ground, finally unable to hold on any longer.
The surrounding senior students quickly pulled him out, and the supervising instructors nodded slightly in approval, acknowledging, "Not bad, enduring for two hours; you're promising."
Another half hour passed.
This time, both Liu Yunfei and Su Mu were trembling uncontrollably, every muscle in their bodies seeming to be twisted by invisible knives, the excruciating pain becoming unbearable.
Liu Yunfei clenched his fists tightly, slowly stood up, and with incredibly heavy steps, one by one, he walked out of the monument's range.
Su Mu, just a few seconds behind him, could no longer endure. Gritting his teeth, he stood up and also left the vicinity of the monument.
"Enduring for two and a half hours and still being able to walk out on their own is quite impressive," nodded the assessment instructor towards the two. He recognized that students with such well-rounded qualities were certainly worth focusing on for cultivation.
"Only the last two remain."
Having been eliminated, Liu Yunfei fixed his gaze on Ling Feng and couldn't help but take a deep breath. "What kind of freak is this guy?"
Jiang Xiaofan, one of the last two participants, had almost reached the brink of collapse. His entire body, clad in coarse cloth, was soaked with blood, every droplet of sweat mixed with blood.
His sweat beads were now entirely tainted with fresh blood.
His very ordinary face, twisted with intense pain, was soaked with blood-colored sweat, drenching his cheeks. He clenched his teeth tightly, both hands supporting him on the ground. He refused to collapse no matter what.
On the other side, Ling Feng remained motionless, staring blankly at the ancient bronze sword while not even blinking.
"That young brat..." A perplexing notion flashed through the assessor's mind. "Could it be that he's grasping the sword will contained within the ancient bronze sword?"
Upon hearing this, several other assessors nearby had their eyebrows twitching.
"Impossible, right? General Chi Lie is the founding general of the Tianbai Empire, renowned for his immense strength and formidable killing intent. Some even bestowed upon him the title of 'god of slaughter.' How could the sword will of such a figure be comprehended by a mere junior?"
"I find it unbelievable too, but look at him. It's as if he's completely unaffected by the sinister aura!"
"What a little monster!" exclaimed one middle-aged instructor with a square face. "No wonder I heard that Pei Miao and Zhu Rong, those two old guys, were competing to take him as their disciple at noon."
"If this kid, at such a young age, can comprehend sword will, I'd be willing to pass on all my knowledge of the Storm Sword Technique!"
"Are you serious? He's better off learning my Galaxy Sword Technique!"
As these two instructors debated, beneath the sword monument, Ling Feng's body finally swayed lightly.
With this slight movement, he immediately drew the attention of countless people on the scene. Everyone turned their gaze towards him in unison...