A sharp, chilling hostility permeated the air of the Golden Realm.

Jagged rocks shimmered with a metallic sheen, casting cold, icy glints under the dim light. Fine golden dust hung in the air, making each breath feel like a blade scraping against the throat.

As far as the eye could see, the entire landscape looked as though it had been carved by countless swords. The ground was a treacherous field of metallic spurs, demanding caution with every step. In the distance, mountain peaks pierced the clouds like drawn swords, their surfaces etched with intricate patterns that revealed the faint, flowing traces of metallic veins.

Clang!

A sudden clash of metal on stone echoed through the air.

Shen Xian turned toward the sound. Thirty feet away, on a rocky cliff, a silver-white, saber-toothed tiger was pacing slowly. The beast was covered in metallic scales, its claws striking sparks against the stone surface. More unsettling were the seven sharp bone spines protruding from its back, each one gleaming with a chilling radiance, like a set of drawn swords.

The Traceless Sword materialized in Shen Xian’s hand.

He’d been separated from Ye Qingxian, forcing him to rely solely on his own strength. And since memories forged within this illusionary formation couldn’t be brought to the outside world, he had no reason to conceal his true power any longer.

Shen Xian’s primary goal in this Ancestral Trial was to stop Shen Li from receiving the First Ancestor’s blessing. If he could secure that blessing for himself, however, his branch of the family would see their status rise, smoothing the path for his future plans.

To that end, he planned to unleash his full strength within this realm, collecting beast crystals to prepare for the final contest. He had rarely revealed his true power since his breakthrough; this was the perfect opportunity to let loose and reacquaint himself with the rhythm of combat.

Shen Xian’s gaze locked onto the saber-toothed tiger. His grip on the Traceless Sword tightened as he moved swiftly toward his opponent.

Roar!

Sensing an enemy’s approach, the saber-toothed tiger lunged, its seven bone spines tearing through the air with a piercing screech.

The Traceless Sword in Shen Xian’s hand trembled faintly. The spiritual energy of his Perfect Foundation stage swirled along its blade, yet his movements were clumsy and uncoordinated.

In their first exchange, Shen Xian instinctively flooded the blade with raw spiritual energy. The Traceless Sword flared with a burst of golden light, but the overload caused it to shudder violently, its trajectory wild and erratic. Seventy percent of his spiritual energy had been unleashed, yet it only managed to carve a jagged groove into the rock face, an attack the saber-toothed tiger easily evaded.

“Wasted…” Shen Xian frowned, watching his attack miss its mark.

Mastering a spiritual treasure wasn’t something achieved overnight. He’d slain the demonic cultivator with a surprise attack, but true mastery was another matter entirely. This time, he would use the opportunity to genuinely hone his combat skills.

On his second attempt, Shen Xian deliberately restrained his spiritual energy, but improper control caused the sword’s light to flicker erratically. When the Traceless Sword met the bone spines, a harsh screech erupted. The fluctuating spiritual energy nearly wrenched the sword from his grasp.

Yet his expression remained calm as he continued to test his limits.

After twenty breaths, Shen Xian began to find his rhythm. He abandoned flashy techniques, instead letting his spiritual energy flow into the blade like a steady stream.

At last, the Traceless Sword revealed its true edge. A steady golden glow, neither wasteful nor stingy, condensed along the three inches of its tip.

When the saber-toothed tiger lunged again, Shen Xian gave his wrist a slight twist. The Traceless Sword traced a simple arc as his spiritual energy surged in three distinct waves: the first deflected the bone spines, the second cut off the beast’s retreat, and the third aimed directly for its throat. This rhythmic shift caused the tiger’s metallic scales to emit a pained hum.

After several more exchanges, his swordplay became a natural extension of his arm. He learned to unleash his spiritual energy at the precise moment of impact, conserving thirty percent of his power with each retraction. The Traceless Sword no longer trembled in his hand; the patterns on its blade now flickered in sync with the flow of his energy.

For the final strike, Shen Xian compressed ninety percent of his spiritual energy into the very tip of the blade. The Traceless Sword let out a clear, resonant cry as it shot forward in a simple, unadorned thrust. The instant the blade pierced the scales, his spiritual energy exploded with pinpoint precision, leaving not a single trace wasted.

When the saber-toothed tiger collapsed with a crash, the Traceless Sword was not stained with a single drop of blood.

In the distance, a mountain-sized metallic pangolin seemed to sense the threat and let out a thunderous roar.

A spark of battle intent flashed in Shen Xian’s eyes, and the cold glint on the Traceless Sword flared even brighter.

“Let’s try that again,” he murmured, his body flashing forward to proactively meet the approaching threat.

In the Water Realm, Ye Qingxian stood atop the waves, her white gown untouched by the humid air.

Before her, a dragon-like water spirit trembled, its misty form collapsing in on itself.

“Boring.”

She raised a hand, and a beam of golden light shot from her fingertips, reducing the spirit to a shower of droplets before it could even cry out. A deep blue beast crystal hovered in the air for a moment before she casually collected it into her sleeve.

Not far away, several members of the Shen Family watched in stunned silence. They had witnessed this aloof woman effortlessly dispatch every spiritual beast in her path. More terrifying still, these spirits, normally fierce and savage, quaked as if facing their natural predator the moment they sensed her aura.

“Miss Ye is truly… extraordinary,” someone whispered in awe.

Amidst their admiration, the disciples quickly retreated. Within this realm, one could hunt spirits for their crystals—or one could simply take them from others.

Ye Qingxian was, of course, aware of their intentions, but her pride would not permit such a crude act.

“I wonder how that boy is doing.”

After dispatching another spirit and retrieving its crystal, she found herself pondering his fate. From her perspective, Shen Xian’s cultivation was merely at the second level of Qi Refining. Passing through this perilous first stage would be a challenge.

But a moment later, her delicate brow furrowed.

Why was she worrying about him?

“I am merely fulfilling my promise to protect him,” Ye Qingxian said aloud, as if trying to convince an unseen audience. No one was around, only a few trembling water spirits.

She abruptly swung her sleeve, and a beam of golden light shattered a water serpent that had been peeking at her from a distance.

“If he cannot even pass the first stage…” Her words trailed off, her lips pressing together as she swallowed the rest. The golden light at her fingertips grew three times sharper, and another reckless spirit was obliterated.

Ye Qingxian stared at the newly acquired beast crystal, then snorted softly. “He is the legitimate heir of the Shen Family, after all. He must possess a few life-saving treasures.”

The logic seemed to satisfy her. The Empress resumed her cold, aloof demeanor, yet her pace as she hunted the spirits had unconsciously quickened once more.

Back in the Golden Realm, Shen Xian’s sword sliced through the throat of his tenth spirit. He had now fully adapted to the rhythm of battle, the golden glow at his sword’s tip accurately piercing each spirit’s weak point.

“The eleventh.” Shen Xian wiped the beast’s blood from his brow. His breathing was far steadier than he’d anticipated. When he first entered this realm, dispatching a spirit of equal strength had required a full quarter-hour of recuperation. Now, his spiritual energy flowed through his meridians with increasing smoothness.

He suddenly realized he could predict a spirit’s spiritual energy fluctuations during an attack, as clearly as one might see the path of a fish swimming beneath the water’s surface. With the aid of the Mystic Essence True Congealing Art, his combat adaptability was improving at an astonishing rate.

Just then, he sensed someone approaching.