My Ultimate Sign-in System Made Me Invincible

Chapter 474  Ten Thousand Blade Grotto Trial (2)

The next moment, the figure attacked without warning, closing the distance between them in a single explosive movement, his sword cutting toward Two’s throat with incredible speed and precision.

Two’s body reacted before conscious thought completed. His sword rose to intercept, the blade meeting the incoming attack, deflecting and redirecting the force away from his center line.

The clash rang out with a clear, sharp note that echoed across the empty space.

The figure didn’t pause. The deflected strike transitioned immediately into a follow-up, the blade reversing direction in a tight arc that came at Two from a completely different angle. Then another strike, and another, each one flowing seamlessly from the last in a continuous assault that left no room for counterattack.

Two gave ground, his feet moving in careful steps that maintained balance while creating distance. His sword worked constantly, intercepting strikes he couldn’t avoid, deflecting others, occasionally managing a partial evasion that turned what would have been a killing blow into a near miss.

The figure’s technique was relentless. Every movement served a purpose, every strike created opportunities for the next, and the spiritual energy flowing through the blade amplified each attack with sword Qi that made the air itself seem to resist Two’s defensive movements.

Two recognized the pattern after the eighth exchange. The figure was using variations of the seven-movement sequence he’d just learned from the wall. It was the same fundamental principles, but applied with a flexibility and adaptability that went beyond mere replication.

This wasn’t just executing a memorized or imitated technique. This was someone who understood the underlying concepts so completely that they could improvise endlessly while maintaining the core efficiency that made the sequence effective.

That realization shifted something in Two’s approach.

He stopped trying to simply defend and started analyzing. His Dao Array Eyes activated, breaking down each incoming strike into its component elements. The information flooded into his awareness faster than the attacks arrived, giving him a fractional advantage in predicting what came next.

The figure thrust forward, a straight line attack aimed at Two’s solar plexus. Two sidestepped, letting the blade pass within centimeters of his ribs, and countered with a slash that followed the second movement of the seven-sequence technique—the rising cut that transitioned naturally from a defensive evasion into an offensive strike.

His blade connected with the figure’s shoulder, or would have, except the figure twisted at the last instant, turning what would have been a solid hit into a glancing blow that skipped off without causing meaningful damage.

But it was contact. The first successful counterattack since the engagement began.

The figure paused for a fraction of a second, as if reassessing its approach. Then the assault resumed, but with subtle differences. The attacks came from more varied angles and the timing became less predictable. The figure was adapting, responding to Two’s demonstrated capability by increasing the complexity of its approach.

Two smiled. This was what he’d come for.

He began incorporating more of the seven-movement sequence into his responses, not just defensively but as integrated elements of a fighting style. A deflection became the setup for the third movement’s diagonal slash. An evasion transitioned into the fifth movement’s spinning cut.

The techniques flowed together more naturally now, his body internalizing the principles his mind had comprehended from the wall.

The Myriad Armament Constitution amplified every insight. Each successful application of a technique deepened his understanding of why it worked. Each failed attempt revealed weaknesses he could address. The learning was happening in real-time, compressed into seconds of intense combat that would have taken probably months of practice under normal circumstances.

The figure executed a complex combination—three rapid strikes from different angles followed by a feint and a thrust. Two recognized the pattern halfway through. It was an advanced application of the first and fourth movements, linked together in a way that created openings specifically designed to punish defensive responses.

Instead of defending, Two stepped forward into the attack.

The movement violated every instinct that said to create distance from incoming blades, but the Dao Array Eyes had shown him the gap. It was a precise moment when the figure’s blade was committed to one angle and couldn’t quickly redirect.

Two’s sword moved in a tight arc, following the sixth movement’s path, and caught the figure’s blade mid-transition.

The clash sent vibrations through both weapons, but Two maintained his momentum, flowing immediately into the seventh movement—a downward cut that used the opponent’s locked position to generate leverage.

The figure disengaged, retreating three steps to reset the distance between them.

For the first time since the battle began, there was a pause that lasted more than a single breath. The two combatants stood facing each other, swords ready, both reassessing their opponent.

The figure’s indistinct features made expression unreadable, but its posture had shifted. It no longer carried the absolute confidence it had once before. Rather, it now held itself like someone facing a genuine challenge.

Two’s breathing was controlled, steady. His cultivation base was equivalent to experts in the Fourth Stage Golden Core Realm, and the figure’s cultivation matched it, a function of the sword formation.

The figure attacked again, but the nature of the assault had changed. Where before it had been relentless pressure designed to overwhelm, now it was more measured, more tactical. The figure was probing, testing specific aspects of Two’s technique, looking for fundamental gaps in understanding rather than simple execution errors.

Two recognized the shift and adjusted accordingly. This wasn’t just about defending anymore. It was about demonstrating comprehension—showing that he didn’t just know the movements, but understood the principles that made them effective.

He began varying his applications of the seven-movement sequence, deliberately choosing non-optimal responses that nonetheless revealed his grasp of underlying concepts.

When the figure presented an obvious opening, Two ignored it in favor of a technically correct counter that showed deeper strategic thinking. When the figure used a technique that would typically be met with a specific defense, Two responded with an alternative that achieved the same result through different mechanics.

The exchanges became less frantic, more deliberate. Each clash of blades carried weight beyond simple physical impact—they were conversations in steel, questions and answers expressed through angles and timing.

The figure executed a perfect demonstration of the seven-movement sequence, flowing through all seven steps with flawless form. It was a challenge, or perhaps a reminder that this is the standard.

Two responded with his own execution of the complete sequence, but with a crucial difference. He incorporated subtle modifications to each movement, small adjustments that optimized the technique for himself. The sequence was recognizable as the same technique, but it had become his rather than simply a replication of what he’d learned from the wall.

That, apparently, was what the formation had been waiting for.

The figure lowered its sword, the aggressive posture dissolving into something that might have been respect if its features had been clear enough to convey such an emotion. It stepped backward, and the empty space around them began to dissolve like mist burning away under morning sun.

The cave reformed around Two and the frozen cultivators reappeared.

Two stood exactly where he’d been when he crossed the formation’s threshold, his sword drawn, his hand twitching slightly with residual muscle memory from movements that had taken place in an illusory space but had felt completely real.

Some of the other cultivators who’d been caught in the formation’s trance began stirring, blinking, orienting themselves as they emerged from whatever tests they’d been subjected to. While some stood there, without a hint of vitality from the them.

It was like they were all dead.

Two was taken aback when he saw this. The figure in that space had never attacked with the intent to kill, or at least he never felt it did.

He was quite curious but he decided kept his curiosity in check, and move on.

He sheathed his sword smoothly. His spiritual energy was barely depleted despite the extended combat.

More importantly, his understanding of the seven-movement sequence had deepened significantly. What he’d learned from observing the wall had been theoretical comprehension. What he’d gained from the formation battle was practical mastery.

The Myriad Armament Constitution had absorbed every insight, integrated every principle, refined every movement. He could execute that technique now with the same natural fluidity he brought to breathing.

Two looked toward the passage leading deeper into the grotto. The sword Qi emanating from that direction was notably stronger than what he’d felt in this chamber, suggesting greater challenges and greater rewards awaited those who continued forward.

Several cultivators were already heading in that direction, having recovered from their formation experiences alive and faster than others.

Two joined the flow of traffic moving deeper into the mountain, leaving behind the chamber of marked walls and its formation test.

The passage ahead curved gradually downward, descending into the grotto’s depths. The luminous stones became sparser here, their light creating pools of visibility separated by stretches of near-darkness that forced careful navigation.

The sword Qi intensified with each step downward, becoming dense enough that Two could feel resistance against his skin, like walking through increasingly thick water.

If the fight still isn’t engaging, let me know.