Chapter 21: The end of the inheritance trial.

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: The end of the inheritance trial.

The instant his fingers touched its hilt, the terrifying pressure vanished completely.

It disappeared so abruptly that Chen Yichen’s body nearly stumbled forward from the sudden lack of resistance.

In an instant, Chen Yichen hurriedly steadied himself, his breathing still heavy from the ordeal he had just endured.

For several seconds, Chen Yichen simply stood there with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Nothing... happened?"

The cave, which had been filled with the oppressive aura before, suddenly became eerily silent around the sword. Everything disappeared as if the pressure he had endured minutes before had merely been an illusion.

Chen Yichen blinked, confusion evident in his eyes.

"What happened?"

Before he could think any further, the sword trembled, cutting his thoughts short.

Hum!

A faint vibration traveled through its hilt and into Yichen’s palm. Like a sting of electric shock, he subconsciously let go of the hilt.

But that wasn’t the end.

His eyes widened in shock as, in the next instant—

Boom!

A vast surge of spiritual energy erupted from the ancient sword embedded in the stone platform. It was so sudden and violent that Chen Yichen didn’t even have time to react.

The spiritual energy was overwhelming. It whipped outward like a raging tide and instantly enveloped his entire body.

"!"

His pupils dilated in horror, and before he could even process what was happening, the spiritual energy had completely covered him.

It poured into his body from every direction, rushing through his meridians with astonishing speed.

Chen Yichen’s body stiffened under it as his mind went blank. He had no opportunity to resist, nor did he even know whether he could.

By the time he realized what was happening, the blood flowing from his nose and ears had stopped. The wounds covering his hands had closed, and the strained muscles throughout his body relaxed as the exhaustion accumulated during the trial was rapidly washed away.

Chen Yichen remained motionless as he felt the warm current continuously flowing through his body.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the spiritual energy began to recede from his body.

Chen Yichen’s body remained completely still. His eyes were open, and yet there was no longer any focus in his pupils.

His breathing, which had previously been heavy, slowly became steady. His expression remained unchanged as he stood before the ancient sword, one hand still hovering near its hilt.

He could no longer hear the cavern around him. The voices of the crowd behind him disappeared. Even the faint movements of spiritual energy within the surroundings disappeared.

Everything around him became completely silent. Like ripples spreading through reality, he was silently being pulled away into a different space.

Then, without warning, the scenery before his eyes changed.

The darkness above him was replaced by an endless sky, and Chen Yichen found himself standing beneath an incomprehensibly vast heaven.

His pupils slowly widened as he stared upward.

"Where... is this?"

Something enormous was suspended above the heavens. At first, he could not comprehend what he was looking at.

Then he realized what it was.

"A sword?"

It wasn’t just any sword. Instead, it was a gigantic sword.

Its size was so enormous that Chen Yichen could not see its entire length. Its blade extended through the heavens, disappearing into the distant clouds, while its hilt hung above the sky.

But strangely, the sword was inverted.

Its tip pointed downward.

Its enormous blade hovered above the earth like a pillar descending from the heavens, carrying with it an indescribable sense of majesty.

Chen Yichen stood beneath it, his body completely motionless as he stared at the sight before him.

Shock?

Fear?

Surprise?

He didn’t know, as his thoughts had simply ceased to function. Above the gigantic hilt, a figure could vaguely be seen.

The figure stood there quietly, yet its appearance was completely obscured by the endless radiance surrounding it.

Chen Yichen could not see its face.

He could not determine its age.

He could not even tell whether the figure was looking at him.

All he could feel was an ancient and overwhelming sword intent descending from the heavens.

Then—

A voice resounded across the sky.

"Heaven Severing Swordfall!"

BOOM!

The gigantic sword moved.

There was no unnecessary motion.

No complicated sword technique.

The enormous blade simply descended.

The instant it fell, the entire sky seemed to tremble.

The clouds were forcibly scattered as an unimaginable sword intent swept across the heavens.

The earth beneath Chen Yichen’s feet began to shake violently, cracks spreading outward across the ground as though the entire world could no longer withstand the sword’s descent.

Then.

The gigantic sword crashed into the earth.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact sent countless chunks of earth violently flying into the sky.

The ground beneath the sword collapsed beneath its overwhelming force, while enormous waves of dust and debris were thrown outward in every direction.

The heavens shook, and the earth trembled under the sword’s might.

And within the overwhelming scene, Chen Yichen saw that single strike clearly.

It was simple, absurdly simple. Yet that simplicity contained an indescribable profundity.

His eyes remained fixed upon the sword as countless details that he had never noticed before began to emerge within his mind. Chen Yichen’s consciousness gradually became immersed within it.

But then...

Everything disappeared.

The gigantic sword vanished, and the vision shattered like a mirror.

Chen Yichen’s eyes slowly regained their focus, and the cavern returned to his sight.

He blinked several times, his expression carrying a trace of confusion as his consciousness gradually returned to reality. Then, he noticed someone standing before him.

Chen Yuan.

The old Ancestor stood there with his hands behind his back, a faint smile resting on his face as he quietly watched Chen Yichen regain his senses.

Only then did Chen Yichen realize that he was no longer standing before the ancient sword.

He was standing in front of the crowd now, his expression changing slightly under everyone’s gaze.

Almost immediately, he straightened himself and looked toward Chen Yuan.

"Ancestor..."

His voice was slightly hoarse, and Chen Yuan merely smiled in return.

"You’ve returned."

Chen Yichen took a deep breath before lowering his head respectfully.

"Thank you, Ancestor, for bringing me out."

He understood that he had probably lost consciousness after receiving the inheritance, and the Ancestor had personally brought him back to the others.

Chen Yichen hesitated.

His gaze briefly swept toward the surrounding members of the Chen Family. There were more than two hundred people watching him.

Some were curious, some were excited, and others were simply trying to determine what kind of inheritance he had received. After all, he was the first one, and the only one who had reached the third layer out of so many of them.

Chen Yichen’s lips parted slightly. He wanted to explain, but the words never came. His instincts told him to be careful, and it was simply a part of his personality.

Revealing everything without knowing the consequences would be unwise. His hesitation was subtle, but Chen Yuan noticed it.

The old Ancestor’s smile became slightly deeper on the young face.

"You don’t need to tell anyone what you gained from it, boy."

Chen Yichen’s expression froze briefly.

Then, understanding appeared in his eyes.

He immediately bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Ancestor."

Chen Yuan nodded.

"There is no need to be so formal. Use it well..."

"Yes, Ancestor."

Chen Yichen bowed once more before finally turning around and walking back toward the crowd.

The surrounding family members instinctively made way for him.

None of them dared to stop him.

Even those who had been particularly curious about what Chen Yichen had obtained wisely kept their mouths shut. After all, the Ancestor himself had already said that he did not need to reveal it.

Still, as Chen Yichen walked away, several members of the younger generation exchanged glances.

They could not help but reach the same conclusion.

Most likely, he had obtained a sword technique inheritance!

Chen Yuan did not pay any further attention to the whispers among the crowd. His gaze had already shifted toward the remaining two who were still standing in a daze.

Chen Yuexin and Chen Minghao stood among the younger members of the family, both watching Chen Yichen’s return with different expressions.

Chen Yuan looked at the two of them and spoke.

"Who will go next?"

Chen Yuexin stepped forward.

"I want to try, Ancestor."

Chen Yuexin and Chen Minghao then tried the trial one after another, with both experiencing the same ordeal as Chen Yichen.

The moment they entered the first layer, the oppressive pressure descended upon their bodies. They continued advancing through the second layer before finally stepping into the third.

By the time they reached the deepest layer, both of their bodies were already battered with wounds.

Blood stained their clothes, their breathing became heavy, and every step required considerable effort.

Nevertheless, neither of them retreated.

They eventually reached the ancient sword and touched its hilt.

Just like Chen Yichen, the terrifying pressure immediately vanished, followed by a vast surge of spiritual energy that enveloped their bodies and restored their injuries.

Their consciousnesses were then drawn into the same mysterious vision.

The enormous inverted sword hanging above the heavens.

The indistinct figure standing above its hilt.

And finally, the earth-shattering swordfall that descended from the heavens.

Heaven Severing Swordfall.

Both of them received the same sword inheritance as Chen Yichen.

And just like him, neither Yuexin nor Minghao revealed what they had obtained after returning to the crowd.

Their silence only made the surrounding family members even more certain that the inheritance they had received was extraordinary.

Chen Yuan smiled as he watched Chen Minghao’s retreating back disappear into the crowd.

His gaze lingered on the three young figures for a few seconds before his expression became slightly thoughtful.

He had sensed it.

The moment Chen Yichen had emerged from the inheritance trial, Chen Yuan had already noticed the familiar sword intent lingering around him.

It was faint, but he recognized it almost immediately. It was the same sword intent he had previously sensed from Yue’er.

Now, after witnessing Chen Yuexin and Chen Minghao receive their inheritances, he could sense that same intent from the two of them as well.

So it really is the same sword technique.

Chen Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Heaven Severing Swordfall.

He had already suspected it when he sensed the sword intent from Chen Yichen, and the reactions of Yuexin and Minghao had confirmed it.

What was somewhat strange was that four people had now obtained the same sword technique.

Yue’er.

Chen Yichen.

Chen Yuexin.

And Chen Minghao.

Yet Chen Haoran, who had entered the inheritance cave before them, had received a completely different sword technique.

Chen Yuan found the situation somewhat peculiar.

Four people received the same inheritance, while Haoran received another one.

Is it because Haoran didn’t complete the test and received a weaker one? Or am I overlooking something important?

He briefly pondered over it.

Perhaps the ancient sword simply judged them differently.

Either way, Chen Yuan did not dwell on the matter for long.

Whatever the reason, as long as the younger generation of the Chen Family could obtain powerful inheritances, there was no harm in it.

His gaze shifted toward the remaining members of the family who were still waiting for their turn.

"There are still many of you."

Chen Yuan’s calm voice spread throughout the space, reaching everyone’s ears with a commanding tone.

"Continue."

The remaining members of the Chen Family continued taking the trial one after another. Without the exceptional performances of Chen Yichen, Chen Yuexin, and Chen Minghao, the atmosphere gradually became less tense.

Some managed to cross the first layer with relative ease, only to be forced to stop when they entered the second layer.

Others endured the pressure of the second layer and managed to reach the third threshold, but were eventually forced to retreat under the overwhelming pressure.

And despite the somewhat subdued atmosphere, some of them were still able to receive faint traces of sword intent that remained within their bodies, while others gained a slight improvement in their understanding of swordsmanship.

Most, however, received nothing. After all, not all of them took the path of a swordsman.

Still, none of them seemed particularly disappointed.

After witnessing the performances of the others and personally experiencing the mysterious trial, they already understood that such an opportunity could not possibly belong to everyone.

Even if they had gained nothing this time, there would be another chance.

Eventually, the final member of the Chen Family completed his attempt.

The cave gradually became quiet as everyone stood quietly in the same place where they had originally arrived.

Chen Yuan looked over silently, discerning their expressions and faces.

The results varied among them. Some had managed to gain something, a few had managed to improve their cultivation, and most of the others had to walk away empty-handed.

That was only fair.

Not everyone could receive an inheritance simply because they had entered the trial.

Chen Yuan smiled faintly before slowly rising into the air.

The surrounding members of the Chen Family immediately raised their heads as the discussions among themselves quieted down.

His calm voice echoed throughout the cave.

"The Sword Inheritance Trial ends here. Do not be saddened by your failure. It is natural for a person to fall once, twice, or even many times. What matters is that you stand up and try again in the future."

The crowd listened attentively.

"This inheritance ground will be opened once every year from today. That means each one of you can try again in the future to make amends for past failures."

A small stir immediately spread through the crowd as they heard the announcement. This meant that those who had failed today would have another opportunity.

Chen Yuan raised his hand slightly, and the voices gradually fell silent.

"But when it is opened again, a new set of rules will follow it."

The crowd exchanged glances.

Chen Yuan did not elaborate.

"When the time comes, you will naturally know."

After saying that, he waved his hand casually.

Countless crimson-golden lights suddenly appeared throughout the cave above their heads.

In an instant, the Flaming Fireflies gathered around every member of the Chen Family, their warm radiance enveloping the entire crowd.

The surrounding space began to distort.

In the next moment.

The figures of the Chen Family members vanished one after another beneath the crimson-golden radiance.

Soon, the ancient cave returned to silence.

The vast cavern was once again empty, leaving only the ancient sword embedded within the stone platform.

Chen Yuan remained suspended in the air, his gaze quietly resting upon the sword.

The inheritance trial had ended.

Only after confirming that the cave had returned to complete silence did Chen Yuan finally withdraw his gaze and summon the system panel into his sight.

Almost immediately, a familiar translucent interface appeared before him.

[Heavenly Ancestor Maker System]

[Current Fictional Template]

[Name: Chen Feng]

[Title: Swordsman of the Leaf]

[Current Story Credibility: 100%]

[Family Trust Value: 7231]

[Requirement for manifestation: 100% Credibility + 10,000 Family Trust Value.]

[Claimable Rewards]

[The Ancient Sword’s Inheritance Trial]

[Witness: 247]

[Performance and Preparations: C-]

[Reward: Peak Foundation Establishment Realm, Random spiritual technique]