The deeper they went—
The quieter the Sword Tomb became.
Not safer.
Quieter.
The scattered chaos of earlier—loose blades, random reactions—began to fade.
In its place came something far more dangerous.
Order.
Lin Feng's steps slowed.
Not out of hesitation—
But awareness.
The swords around them were different now.
Fewer broken ones.
More complete blades.
Each one carried a clearer presence.
Sharper.
Heavier.
No unnecessary movement.
No random tremors.
They did not react to every step anymore.
They watched.
Waiting.
Behind Lin Feng, only five remained.
Jian Mo.
Han Lei.
Qin Yue.
And two others—silent now, their earlier confidence stripped away.
No one spoke.
Even breathing had become controlled.
The air itself felt thick.
Every movement mattered.
Lin Feng took another step forward.
This time—
No ripple spread.
No swords trembled.
But that did not ease his mind.
It made things worse.
Because now—
The threat was no longer obvious.
It was intentional.
Jian Mo spoke quietly from behind.
"It's changed."
Lin Feng nodded slightly.
"They're no longer reacting."
A pause.
"They're waiting for something."
Han Lei frowned.
"For what?"
Lin Feng did not answer immediately.
Because he already knew.
"For a mistake."
Silence.
They continued forward.
The ground beneath their feet became uneven.
Less like a field—
More like ruins.
Stone structures emerged.
Broken pillars.
Collapsed platforms.
And between them—
Swords.
Embedded into walls.
Driven into pillars.
Some hanging mid-air, held in place by nothing visible.
Qin Yue stopped briefly.
Her gaze fixed on one blade.
It was thin.
Elegant.
Its edge faintly glowing.
Not threatening.
Inviting.
She stepped toward it.
Lin Feng's voice came instantly.
"Don't."
She froze.
Her foot hovered above the ground.
For a moment—
She did not move.
Then slowly—
She stepped back.
The sword dimmed.
Returned to stillness.
Qin Yue exhaled quietly.
"…It was calling me."
Lin Feng nodded.
"They test you differently here."
Not through force.
Through desire.
Jian Mo glanced at Lin Feng.
"You didn't feel it?"
Lin Feng's eyes remained forward.
"I did."
A pause.
"I ignored it."
They moved again.
But now—
More carefully.
The deeper presence was clearer.
No longer faint.
No longer distant.
It was ahead.
And it was…
Pulling.
Lin Feng felt it with every step.
Not pressure.
Not suppression.
A direction.
As if something was guiding him.
Or summoning him.
Jian Mo noticed the change.
"You're moving differently."
Lin Feng did not deny it.
"There's a path."
Han Lei scoffed.
"There's always a path."
Lin Feng shook his head slightly.
"Not one you can see."
He stepped forward again.
This time—
Without hesitation.
As if he knew where to place his foot before he moved.
The others followed.
Reluctantly.
The environment shifted again.
The ruins opened into a wider space.
At its center—
A broken platform.
And around it—
Ten swords.
Floating.
Not embedded.
Not resting.
Suspended.
Each one pointed inward.
Toward the center.
Han Lei stopped.
"…That's not normal."
No one argued.
Lin Feng's gaze moved across the swords.
Each one carried a different presence.
But all were aligned.
Controlled.
Jian Mo's voice lowered.
"This is intentional."
Lin Feng nodded.
"Yes."
Before anyone could move—
The swords reacted.
All at once.
They shifted.
Not attacking immediately—
But repositioning.
Blocking paths.
Cutting off escape.
The two remaining disciples behind them panicked.
One stepped back.
Wrong choice.
A sword behind him moved.
Fast.
He raised his blade—
Too slow.
The sword pierced his shoulder—
Then his throat.
He fell.
The last one froze completely.
Paralyzed.
The floating swords turned.
Toward him.
He didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
It didn't matter.
A sword moved.
Clean.
Through the chest.
He collapsed.
Now—
Only four remained.
Lin Feng.
Jian Mo.
Han Lei.
Qin Yue.
The space grew still again.
But the swords did not return to rest.
They remained floating.
Watching.
Waiting.
Lin Feng stepped forward.
Slowly.
His sword remained at his side.
Not raised.
Not threatening.
The moment he moved—
The swords shifted again.
But this time—
They hesitated.
Just slightly.
Lin Feng's eyes sharpened.
He understood.
"They're testing control."
Jian Mo stepped beside him.
"Then we don't force it."
Han Lei frowned.
"Or we cut through."
Before anyone could stop him—
He moved.
Fast.
Direct.
His blade struck toward the nearest floating sword.
Clang.
The impact rang out.
But—
The sword did not fall.
It held.
Then—
It struck back.
Faster.
Han Lei barely blocked.
The remaining swords reacted.
All at once.
They moved.
Lin Feng stepped in.
His sword flashed.
Not attacking—
Deflecting.
Redirecting.
Each movement precise.
Minimal.
He did not try to overpower them.
He changed their lines.
Broke their coordination.
Jian Mo followed.
His strikes came in sequence.
Supporting.
Creating openings.
Qin Yue moved last.
Her blade targeted weak points.
Not force—
Precision.
Together—
They stabilized the fight.
But barely.
The pressure was constant.
Relentless.
Lin Feng's breathing slowed further.
His awareness expanded.
He stopped focusing on individual blades.
And instead—
Focused on the center.
The broken platform.
That was the key.
He stepped forward.
Straight toward it.
The swords reacted violently.
Trying to block him.
But—
They were slower now.
Not in speed—
In decision.
Lin Feng's blade moved.
"Azure Sword Art…"
"…Second Flow."
His movements became continuous.
Each deflection feeding the next.
No breaks.
No wasted motion.
He passed through.
Reached the platform.
The moment he stepped onto it—
Everything stopped.
The swords froze mid-air.
Then—
Slowly—
They lowered.
And returned to stillness.
Silence.
Heavy.
Absolute.
Han Lei exhaled sharply.
"…That was insane."
Qin Yue said nothing.
Jian Mo looked at Lin Feng.
"You didn't break them."
Lin Feng shook his head.
"I followed the path."
Jian Mo's gaze deepened.
"You're being guided."
Lin Feng did not deny it.
Because now—
He could feel it clearly.
The pull.
Stronger than ever.
Not ahead anymore.
Below.
Beneath the platform.
Something was there.
Waiting.
And it had chosen him.
Lin Feng looked down.
His grip tightened slightly.
"This isn't the outer tomb."
Jian Mo followed his gaze.
"…No."
A pause.
"This is the entrance."
The ground beneath them trembled.
A low sound echoed upward.
Stone shifting.
Revealing—
A hidden passage.
Descending deeper.
Dark.
Cold.
And filled with something far more dangerous than before.
Lin Feng stepped forward.
Without hesitation.
Because now—
He knew.
The sword at the bottom—
Was calling him.
And whatever had awakened it—
Was waiting.