The Sword Trial Continues

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The area outside the light barrier erupted in noise. Many were stunned speechless, their mouths agape.

Even the bald-headed referee was taken aback. He cast a deep, strange look at the youth before announcing in a loud voice, “Han Li of the Falling Cloud Sect wins!”

Han Li’s expression did not change. He bowed politely to the man before calmly walking out of the light barrier.

Two disciples from the Ancient Sword Sect immediately rushed into the arena to carry the unconscious Yao Feng away and revive him.

Outside the arena, the short, wizened elder stared with wide, disbelieving eyes. His face was an ugly sight.

He had known that an opponent with such a low cultivation level would have to have some trick up his sleeve to participate. But he had never imagined the trick would be talismans! His prized disciple had been defeated in a single exchange, leaving the elder, who had just been mocking the red-robed old man, utterly humiliated.

For a moment, an awkward expression crept across his face. His chest was full of frustration, but he could not force a single word out.

“Hehe! Brother Duan, this disciple of yours is quite interesting. Throwing out tens of spirit stones worth of talismans in a single move. It’s a bit of a cheat, but the skill required to activate so many Fireball Talismans at once suggests he’s put a lot of effort into his technique. It’s not something an ordinary disciple could do so proficiently,” the old man named Fu said, chuckling as he watched Han Li’s match from within the barrier.

“It’s nothing! This disciple of ours is a talisman maker himself, so using talismans in an attack is perfectly normal for him. Of course, I was a bit surprised that he was willing to use so many at once, Brother Duan,” the red-robed old man replied, feeling quite pleased to see the scowl on Jiang Yun’s face. His tone was deliberately light and casual.

“Hmph! It’s just a matter of having a few more talismans. Now that everyone knows his trick, he won’t get past the next round,” Jiang Yun muttered, still disgruntled.

“Is that so?” The red-robed old man chuckled but said nothing more.

“Still, that movement technique your disciple used to charge forward seemed like a secular lightness skill. There’s no other way he could have caught Nephew Yao off guard so quickly,” the green-robed scholar said with a nod, glancing at Han Li, who had returned to the Falling Cloud Sect’s ranks.

“Fellow Daoist Bai has sharp eyes! This disciple of ours used to be a rogue cultivator, so his skills are a bit of a mixed bag. Please forgive us,” the red-robed old man said, showing a hint of surprise.

“There’s nothing to forgive. I myself had an interest in secular martial arts in the past and have done a bit of research on them. While such mortal combat techniques are useless for high-level cultivators, a Qi Condensation disciple who can skillfully employ them can gain a noticeable boost in strength. Besides, this disciple of yours handled his technique with such practiced ease, it suggests he has seen plenty of real combat. Our disciple’s defeat was not undeserved,” the scholar said with a smile.

Just as these high-level cultivators were speaking calmly, the referee in the arena had been replaced by a gray-robed elder from the Falling Cloud Sect. He announced in a flat voice, “Second match: Ruan Tianci of the Hundred Artifact Academy against Zhou Xu of the Ancient Sword Sect.”

With these words, two more young men stepped forward from the Hundred Artifact Academy and the Ancient Sword Sect. After exchanging bows, and at the elder’s call of “Begin,” they formed hand seals and released their magical tools, engaging in battle.

The Core Formation cultivators of the three sects immediately put the previous match out of their minds, focusing intently on this new contest.

Whether influenced by Han Li’s earlier bout or not, these two disciples fought much more conservatively, making the spectators feel rather bored and stifled.

In the end, the sword cultivator from the Ancient Sword Sect proved to be slightly more skilled, breaking through the opponent’s magical tool defenses with his flying sword and claiming victory.

The following match was between the Falling Cloud Sect and the Hundred Artifact Academy. And so it went…

The entire first round took a full two days to complete.

It was clear that the strength of the Ancient Sword Sect’s sword cultivators was no empty boast. Aside from a few individuals like Han Li, the disciples from the other two sects who faced the Ancient Sword Sect were clearly at a disadvantage and suffered defeat one after another.

Seeing this situation brought a smile back to the face of the cultivator named Jiang Yun, as if he had finally let off some steam.

Fortunately, the several Core Formation cultivators of the Hundred Artifact Academy and the red-robed elder of the Falling Cloud Sect had anticipated this outcome. Although it was a bit embarrassing, they managed to maintain their composure and pretend not to mind. Judging by their demeanor alone, they seemed far superior to the short, wizened elder.

In the second round, Han Li’s opponent was a spirited young woman from the Hundred Artifact Academy at the Qi Condensation stage.

Having seen Han Li’s previous match, her first move was to release a flying magical tool and soar into the air.

In her mind, this would allow her to freely advance or retreat to dodge Han Li’s talisman attacks. She was also clearly wary of his speed.

Seeing this, Han Li let out a soft sigh. Without a word, he threw another handful of Fireball Talismans.

Just as the woman smugly prepared to evade these fireballs, Han Li formed a hand seal. As the numerous fireballs shot through the air, they flashed with red light, transforming into dozens of fist-sized, flaming spirit birds that began to circle and dance overhead.

Startled by this sight, the female cultivator of the Hundred Artifact Academy hastily tried to activate her magical tool for defense. But Han Li gave her no chance. He pretended to chant an incantation while simply sending a mental command. In an instant, all the flame birds flew toward her, converging from all directions and diving straight at her.

Although she hastily used a talisman to release a water-element barrier, it couldn’t withstand such a fierce barrage. In moments, the barrier shattered.

Left with no other choice, the woman immediately conceded defeat.

After this battle, the disciples of the other two sects, who had initially dismissed Han Li’s victory as a cheap trick of talisman superiority, began to show some genuine respect.

However, some Foundation Establishment cultivators present, who possessed powerful magical tools, still clearly scoffed at Han Li’s extravagant, nouveau-riche style of fighting. The result…

…

Five days later, at dusk. In the central area of the Cloud Dream Mountains, an unnamed valley nestled against the mountainside.

This valley was a remote and desolate place, perpetually shrouded in a thick, damp, cold, and gloomy miasma. The fog was so dense that one could not see their hand in front of their face, and the pervasive dampness was extremely oppressive. Within this mist, countless venomous creatures like scorpions and poisonous snakes had made their home.

Because the valley was not very large, even if a cultivator happened to fly overhead, they would very easily miss it, and no one would ever think to land and investigate.

But on this day, the fog in the valley was even thicker than usual. Deep within the valley, amidst a pile of stones that looked scattered and random but were in fact arranged with a hidden purpose, a white light suddenly flickered. Then, two figures appeared out of thin air.

One was a gray-robed man with a fierce, ugly face. The other was a refined-looking man in a green robe with a jade belt.

“Isn’t this Brother Bai of the Ancient Sword Sect and Fellow Daoist Yu of the Falling Cloud Sect? Has the Sword Trial Assembly concluded?” A lazy male voice, a bit hoarse, sounded out from seemingly nowhere, even though the area around the stone pile was completely empty of people.

“So it’s Brother Yue on duty today. The assembly has indeed ended. The two of us came ahead to check on the preparations for the holy land’s Ming-Qing Spirit Water. If it’s ready, we’ll have the ten disciples teleported over directly. It’s best to avoid any potential problems or accidents,” the white-robed cultivator from the Ancient Sword Sect, named Bai, said with a calm smile.

As for the gray-robed elder beside him, he remained expressionless and silent.

“What accidents could there be? There are three Core Formation cultivators like ourselves stationed here day and night. And you’ll all be coming over then as well. Do you really think a group of low-level disciples could cause any trouble?” The voice of the unseen man carried a dismissive tone.

“The Spirit Eye Tree is of utmost importance. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Besides, the final step of adding the spirit liquid to the mellow essence can only proceed at the very last moment. Once it’s prepared, the eye-washing must be performed immediately, or its efficacy will be greatly reduced. Why else would we bring these ten disciples here?” Brother Bai said with a slight shake of his head.

“Alright, alright. The Ming-Qing Spirit Water is about seventy to eighty percent ready. When the time comes, we’ll have them wash their eyes and then send them away immediately. The restrictions here are heavy; even if they’re teleported in, they won’t know where this place is,” the man laughed drily, sounding very confident.

“Naturally, that’s for the best. Brother Yu, please stay here for now. I’ll go inform the others and have the disciples teleported over,” Brother Bai said with a slight nod.

“Oh, by the way! Who was the winner of this Sword Trial Assembly? Was it still the Ancient Sword Sect?” The man who had spoken earlier suddenly seemed to remember something and asked another question.

“The champion of this assembly is our Ancient Sword Sect’s disciple, Meng Di. I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint Brother Yue,” the green-robed scholar said with a faint smile.

“Hmph! There’s nothing strange about you sword cultivators being a bit stronger than us ordinary cultivators during the Foundation Establishment stage. But once we all reach Core Formation, it’s hard to say who’s stronger or weaker. Give a message to your Third Senior Brother for me. Old Man Yue would very much like to have another sparring session with him,” the lazy voice of the man said, revealing a hint of reluctant acceptance.

Upon hearing this, the white-robed scholar was silent for a moment. Then, he let out a soft chuckle. “It seems Brother Yue is still nursing a grudge over your loss to my Third Senior Brother all those years ago. However, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. Third Senior Brother has just gone into seclusion to try to break through to the late Core Formation stage.”

(End of Chapter)

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Reading Guide Decoding

Pawns of the Spirit Tree

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

The Ming-Qing Spirit Water (明清灵水) is a treasured resource in xianxia lore, often associated with purifying the eyes of cultivators—but not in a mundane “wash your face” sense. This is a ritualistic process tied to refining one’s spiritual sight, or “Spirit Eyes.” In Daoist practice, opening the “inner eye” is a metaphor for enlightenment and deeper perception of qi and truth. Here, it’s literalized: ten disciples will undergo a scrubbing of their eyes with this sacred liquid, likely as a prerequisite for interacting with the legendary Spirit Eye Tree. The secrecy and high-level supervision underscore that this is not a reward, but a procedure.

The phrase “rendering the hand seals” (or here, “forming hand seals”) is the constant engine of xianxia combat. It is not just chanting a spell in English fantasy; it is the physical and spiritual gesture that organizes qi and triggers a technique. The speed and fluency of a cultivator’s seals directly correlates to their combat power. Han Li’s ability to transform fireballs into firebirds with a single seal-change (stealthily using a mental command) is a sign of high technical skill, not just a flashy trick.

Firebird Technique

A high-level variation of the standard Fireball Technique where multiple fireballs are transformed into smaller, guided flame spirit-birds for coordinated attacks.

Chapter Overview

Get ready, because this chapter is a masterclass in the dark, resource-squeezed logic of the Mortal Stream. We open with the aftermath of Han Li’s talisman-fueled victory over a superior opponent. The high-level cultivators of the three sects dissect his win with cold, clinical analysis—not as a heroic feat, but as a tactical anomaly. Meanwhile, Han Li himself just walks out of the arena, expressionless. There’s no celebration. The win was calculated, the resources expended were accounted for, and the next round is already on his mind. But the real shift happens in the second half. The scene cuts to a hidden valley in the Cloud Dream Mountains, where the elite Core Formation cultivators are discussing the logistics of the Spirit Eye Tree’s sacred liquid. The chapter’s true purpose becomes chillingly clear: the ten finalists aren’t just prize-winners. They are pawns being moved into a high-value, high-risk operation whose true nature is hidden from them. The stage is set for a classic Mortal Stream twist—a reward that is actually a leash.

Key Plot Points

Han Li’s victory is analyzed as a tactical phenomenon, not a personal triumph. The red-robed elder immediately frames it as a logical outcome of Han Li’s identity as a talisman maker. The green-robed scholar, Brother Bai, notes that Han Li’s secular-style movement technique gave him an edge, implying a background of real combat experience. The short, wizened elder of the Ancient Sword Sect is left humiliated and speechless.
The “expensive” reputation of Han Li’s fighting style backfires but only partially. Some Foundation Establishment cultivators still sneer at his talisman-spamming as a “nouveau riche” tactic, but his use of the Firebird transformation to corner a flying opponent in the second round forces genuine respect from the rank and file.
The narrative cuts to a secondary scene at a remote valley in the Cloud Dream Mountains. Brothers Bai and Yu teleport to a hidden location guarded by Core Formation cultivators. The scene is tense, secretive, and ominous.
The true prize of the Sword Trial Assembly is revealed: the Ming-Qing Spirit Water for a ritual eye-washing of the top ten disciples. The logistics are paranoid—the final ingredient must be added at the last possible moment, and the operation is wrapped in secrecy to keep the disciples in the dark about their true location.
A brief mention of the tournament’s champion: Meng Di of the Ancient Sword Sect. However, we learn that the lazy guard, Yue, is still nursing a grudge against the champion’s Third Senior Brother, a detail that hints at unhealed rivalries from the past.

Reading Guide

This chapter is a transitional one, but it's heavy with hidden information. Pay attention to the way the high-level cultivators talk about the disciples. There is no sentimentality. They are assets being managed. The “prize” isn’t gold or glory; it’s a medical procedure with high demands and a tight window for completion. This is a textbook Mortal Stream move: the real value is the resource (the Spirit Eye Tree’s liquid), and the disciples are being used as tools to access it. Notice how Han Li’s second-round victory is won without a single fight—he forces a surrender with overwhelming tactical pressure. That’s the Han Li way: win before the real damage starts. Also, keep an eye on the name “Meng Di.” He’s the champion, but the narrative is more interested in the losers being drafted for a secret mission. The real story is happening in the shadows, not on the arena stage.