Chapter 19: Chen Guanshan’s attempt.

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Chen Guanshan’s attempt.

"Is this... even possible for us?"

The question lingered in the air, hanging over the clansmen as they watched fearfully toward the ring of fires surrounding the stone platform.

Nobody immediately answered. Their gazes remained fixed upon the crimson ring, their bodies as stiff as petrified statues.

"Three steps."

One of the younger clansmen spoke, hesitation slowly settling into his heart.

That was all it had taken for a Fourth Layer Qi Condensation Cultivator to reach his limit before failing.

And the distance he had managed to cover was barely anything into the first layer. There was still a huge gap between the outer edge of the first layer and the second layer, yet those five meters no longer seemed like an ordinary distance for them to cross.

Most of the clansmen here were at the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation, and after witnessing the first person’s attempt, they began to doubt their previous confidence.

Though not everyone was discouraged. Several had instead become more determined after witnessing the first attempt.

At least now, they knew what awaited them.

Then, from among the crowd, a young man at the Fifth Layer of Qi Condensation eventually stepped forward.

"I’ll try, Ancestor."

His voice carried more confidence than that of the previous participant. He slowly walked toward the front of the group and cupped his fists toward Chen Yuan in the air.

"Ancestor."

Chen Yuan looked at him.

So it’s one of the twelve talented people from the younger generation.

Chen Yuan mused inwardly before calmly nodding.

"Go."

The young man turned toward the trial. Unlike the previous participant, his steps were steadier as he slowly approached the crimson boundary.

He took a deep breath and stepped inside the crimson ring.

Boom!

His body sank slightly.

The invisible pressure immediately descended upon him, pressing against his entire body from every direction.

His expression shifted, though he remained standing.

"He’s fine."

"That’s great!"

The whispers from behind gave him some encouragement.

He took another step.

Then another.

Then another.

With each step, the pressure gradually became heavier as he continued forward.

Four steps turned into six.

Six steps became seven.

By the ninth step, his forehead was already covered in sweat. Even his breathing had become increasingly heavy as his legs trembled beneath the pressure.

Still, he refused to stop.

He forced himself forward and raised his foot again.

But before he could process what was happening, his body suddenly shook violently.

Boom!

The pressure descended upon him like an invisible hill. His raised foot froze mid-air as his face flushed red.

His arms began to tremble uncontrollably.

"I..."

He gritted his teeth and attempted to force himself forward, yet his body refused to obey. After struggling for several breaths, he finally lowered his foot.

"I... can’t continue."

He knew he could go no farther from this point.

He turned around and silently withdrew from the first layer. Although he had only reached the ninth step, the crowd still looked at him with admiration.

He had gone considerably farther than the first participant, and the result also made something clear to everyone.

Even a Fifth Layer cultivator could be stopped before reaching the second layer.

One person after another began attempting the trial afterward.

The results varied.

Some Fourth Layer cultivators could barely take a few steps before being forced out.

Others managed to push themselves farther than expected.

A few Fifth Layer cultivators successfully reached the end of the first layer, but the moment they entered the second layer, their expressions changed drastically.

The pressure within the second layer was completely different.

Those who had confidently stepped forward before now struggled to remain standing.

Some managed only a few steps before retreating.

Others continued farther, only to eventually reach their limits.

The cavern gradually became filled with the sounds of footsteps, strained breathing, and occasional exclamations. Yet despite the differences between them, one thing remained consistent.

"Nobody has reached the third layer."

Chen Yuan murmured under his breath as he silently observed the current participant’s attempt.

The crowd slowly began to understand just how difficult the inheritance test truly was. However, those failures were not without gains.

Even Chen Yuan learned something new through the previous attempts.

Several people had managed to obtain something. Despite not receiving a sword technique inheritance, some had managed to obtain fragments of sword intent that fused into their bodies, while others had even managed to resonate better with spiritual energy.

Although these rewards were small, they meant a lot to these ordinary clansmen.

And the results were enough to prove Chen Yuan’s earlier words. Failing to reach the deepest part did not necessarily mean leaving empty-handed.

This discovery made the crowd even more excited, causing more and more people to take the initiative to try the inheritance test on their own instead of remaining fearful.

Then, from among the participants, Chen Guanshan eventually stepped forward.

The atmosphere immediately changed.

Unlike the younger clansmen, he was an elder who had spent decades practicing with a sword.

He, similar to Chen Haoran, was someone who had taken the path of a sword cultivator.

Chen Guanshan approached the trial with a solemn expression.

He stepped carefully into the first layer.

Boom!

The pressure descended.

His clothes fluttered slightly, but his body remained steady. Chen Guanshan paused for a brief second before properly adjusting to the pressure and continuing forward.

Ten steps.

The edge of the first layer.

Then he stepped into the second layer.

It was fast, incredibly fast compared to the previous participants. Even Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised by his performance.

Though once he set foot inside the second layer, the pressure immediately became heavier.

Chen Guanshan’s expression hardened, but he continued nonetheless.

One step.

Two.

Three.

His breathing became heavier, but his firm body allowed him to maintain his composure even beneath the tremendous pressure.

Eventually, he reached the deepest portion of the second layer, farther than anyone else had gone!

The crowd exclaimed from behind.

"I- incredible!"

"I never thought someone would actually be able to get that far."

"Perhaps Elder Guanshan might be able to gain the inheritance!"

The third layer was only five meters away.

Chen Guanshan stared toward it. He knew that once he stepped forward, he would face pressure equivalent to that of a Half-Step Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He hesitated briefly.

Steadying himself, he gathered his breath as much as he could.

Once he was prepared, he finally stepped forward, raising his foot before placing it inside the third layer.

Boom!

The pressure exploded around him.

His entire body shook violently as his face immediately paled. His knees bent beneath the immense pressure, and his balance was instantly thrown off.

"Ugh!"

Blood rushed into his throat, and his tongue tasted iron. His body trembled uncontrollably as he struggled to remain standing.

It was too much.

Far too much for him to handle.

And he had only taken a single step into the third layer. Yet that one step had already pushed his body to its limit.

Chen Guanshan gritted his teeth as veins began popping up across his neck and forehead.

"Elder!"

Several clansmen cried out in alarm.

But Chen Yuan’s reaction was timely, and he waved his hand.

Whoosh!

A surge of powerful spiritual energy swept through the third layer.

The terrifying pressure surrounding Chen Guanshan was forcibly pushed away from his body, while at the same time, a gentle force wrapped around him.

Before he could react, his body disappeared from the third layer and was brought directly back into the open area outside the trial.

His body staggered several steps upon landing.

"Pfft!"

Blood sprayed from his mouth.

His face was pale, his breathing ragged, and several veins bulged across his forehead, silently pulsating beneath the skin. His entire body seemed to have been drained of strength.

"Elder Guanshan!"

"Quick, help him!"

Several clansmen rushed forward. Two of them quickly caught his arms and supported his body, while another clan member hurriedly checked his condition.

"He’s injured!"

"Is he alright?"

"Someone bring him a healing pill!"

The surrounding clansmen became restless.

Chen Guanshan raised his hand weakly, stopping them before they became too frantic.

"I’m fine..."

His voice was hoarse as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Slowly, he straightened his body with the help of the other clansmen.

Then, he turned his gaze toward Chen Yuan in the air.

Despite his pale face and injuries, there was gratitude in his eyes.

"Thank you, Ancestor."

Chen Yuan looked at him calmly.

"You were too reckless, Guanshan boy."

Chen Guanshan smiled bitterly.

"I knew the pressure would be tremendous."

He glanced toward the third layer.

"But I didn’t expect the difference between the second and third layers to be this great."

A few clansmen nearby nodded in agreement, as they had already witnessed how difficult the second layer was. Yet Elder Guanshan had somehow managed to cross the entire thing.

That alone made them admire him even more.

However, before anyone could say anything else, Chen Guanshan’s expression suddenly changed.

He lowered his head, and a strange sensation appeared within his body.

Chen Yuan smiled and spoke.

"But your recklessness comes with a great opportunity."

The sensation was faint at first, but it gradually became clearer as something moved through his meridians.

Chen Guanshan’s eyes widened instantly.

"Wait..."

But he didn’t have time to understand it.

Almost instantly, the spiritual energy within his body suddenly began surging.

Boom!

A powerful fluctuation erupted from him.

The clansmen supporting him immediately felt the change.

"Elder Guanshan?"

"What’s happening?"

Chen Guanshan’s expression became one of disbelief.

The spiritual energy inside his body was rapidly becoming denser.

His meridians seemed to be expanding beneath the sudden influx of energy, while a strange and sharp sensation slowly gathered around his body.

It was similar to the sensation of sword intent.

But unlike ordinary sword intent, this sensation had directly fused into his body.

The bottleneck that had remained firmly in place for so long suddenly began to loosen.

Suddenly, it cracked!

The bottleneck shattered in a single motion as a powerful spiritual fluctuation spread outward.

Boom!

Chen Guanshan’s cultivation aura suddenly rose.

Sixth Layer Qi Condensation.

Then—

Seventh Layer!

The breakthrough happened in an instant.

The entire cave fell silent as Chen Guanshan stood there, staring at his own hands in utter disbelief.

He had broken through.

Directly from the Sixth Layer of Qi Condensation to the Seventh Layer!

"I..."

Chen Guanshan looked toward Chen Yuan in disbelief.

Then he looked back toward his own body.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

"Hahaha!"

His laughter echoed throughout the cavern.

"I broke through!"

The surrounding clansmen immediately erupted.

"Elder Guanshan broke through!"

"He’s at the Seventh Layer now!"

"That inheritance test actually allowed him to break through!"

"I can’t believe it!"

The excitement spread rapidly through the crowd.

Those who had previously been hesitant now looked toward the trial with completely different eyes.

The crimson ring that had previously appeared terrifying now seemed to contain an irresistible attraction.

Even without obtaining a powerful sword technique, the rewards alone were enough to make the trial worthwhile.

Chen Guanshan clenched his fists, feeling the newfound strength within his body.

He was extremely happy.

He had spent years stuck at the Sixth Layer.

He had never expected that merely attempting the inheritance trial would allow him to break through the bottleneck that had troubled him for so long.

More importantly, he had obtained a sword intent fragment.

Although it wasn’t a complete inheritance, it was still an invaluable opportunity for a sword cultivator like him.

Chen Guanshan once again turned toward Chen Yuan.

This time, his bow was deeper.

"Ancestor."

His voice carried genuine gratitude.

"Thank you."

Chen Yuan calmly nodded.

"There is no need to thank me. The opportunity was there. You were the one who obtained it."

Chen Guanshan smiled.

"Even so, if Ancestor hadn’t saved me, I wouldn’t have been able to return safely."

Chen Yuan didn’t respond further.

His gaze instead moved toward the remaining participants.

The atmosphere had completely changed.

Earlier, many of them had been worried about failing.

Now, after witnessing Chen Guanshan’s breakthrough, the fear in their hearts had been replaced by anticipation.

A Fourth Layer cultivator could obtain a small reward.

A Fifth Layer cultivator could reach even farther.

And a Sixth Layer sword cultivator had just broken through to the Seventh Layer after receiving a fragment of sword intent.

Chen Yuan’s gaze slowly shifted toward the remaining participants.

"Who is next?"

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly throughout the cave.

The clansmen looked at one another, and almost immediately, several clansmen stepped forward.

"Ancestor, I’ll try."

"Me too."

"I want to give it a try!"

The atmosphere became lively once again.

But this time, there was no fear in their voices. Rather, there was anticipation of what they might be able to obtain from the test.

Chen Yuan nodded to this, inwardly pleased to the sudden change of mood.

"Go."

One after another, the clansmen began stepping toward the crimson rings.

Some were stopped within the first layer.

Others managed to reach the second.

A few obtained tiny fragments of sword intent.

Others received different forms of enlightenment from the sword.

None of them obtained the true inheritance.

But every successful reward further fueled the enthusiasm of the crowd. Still, Chen Yuan’s attention gradually shifted away from the ordinary clansmen.

His eyes moved toward the three figures standing farther behind the others.

Chen Yichen.

Chen Yuexin.

Chen Minghao.