Chapter 17: The Sword That Waited a Thousand Years
1798 Words
Lin Chen's hand stopped only an inch from the hilt.
The ancient sword remained perfectly still upon the stone altar, yet the pressure surrounding it grew heavier with each passing breath.
It was not the pressure of spiritual qi.
Nor was it killing intent.
It was dignity.
The dignity of a sword that had witnessed countless generations come and go.
Lin Chen slowly withdrew his hand.
He did not immediately attempt to claim it.
Instead, he carefully observed the altar.
His previous life had taught him a simple truth.
The greatest inheritances were often protected by the simplest traps.
The platform appeared ordinary, but countless faint sword marks covered its surface.
They overlapped one another, forming an almost invisible pattern.
Lin Chen crouched.
His fingers lightly traced one of the carvings.
"A sword formation..."
No sooner had he spoken than the ancient voice echoed once more.
"Observation before action."
"Good."
The sword gave a soft hum.
Golden ripples spread across the platform before fading away.
Lin Chen understood.
Had he rushed to seize the sword, the formation would have activated immediately.
He slowly stood.
"So every action is being judged."
The ancient voice offered no reply.
Silence returned.
Only the gentle humming of the sword remained.
Lin Chen closed his eyes.
The Voidheart Scripture began circulating naturally.
His breathing slowed until it became almost impossible to notice.
He no longer thought about obtaining the inheritance.
He no longer thought about becoming stronger.
He simply listened.
The sword...
Was breathing.
Each faint vibration carried an ancient rhythm.
Slow.
Steady.
Like the heartbeat of the mountain itself.
Lin Chen unconsciously matched his breathing to it.
One breath.
Then another.
Minutes quietly passed.
The sword's humming gradually softened.
Its golden light became warm instead of sharp.
Finally—
The blade lifted itself from the altar.
It floated before Lin Chen.
Not as an enemy.
But as though inviting him.
Lin Chen opened his eyes.
He smiled faintly.
"So..."
"We finally understand each other."
He reached out once more.
This time...
His fingers wrapped gently around the hilt.
The instant they touched—
Boom!
A blinding pillar of light erupted from the sword.
Countless ancient runes filled the surrounding space.
Lin Chen felt his consciousness pulled into another world.
---
He stood upon an endless sea of clouds.
Before him stood a lone swordsman dressed in plain white robes.
There was nothing extraordinary about the man's appearance.
No overwhelming aura.
No dazzling treasures.
He looked like an ordinary traveler.
Yet merely standing there made heaven and earth seem insignificant.
The man slowly turned.
Although his face remained blurred by light, his voice was warm.
"You have come."
Lin Chen bowed respectfully.
"This junior greets Senior."
The swordsman smiled.
"It has been a long time since anyone reached this place."
"I wondered whether my inheritance would remain buried forever."
Lin Chen remained silent.
He understood that this wasn't the cultivator himself.
It was merely a fragment of his will.
The swordsman looked toward the endless horizon.
"My name has long been forgotten."
"I no longer care whether history remembers me."
"What matters..."
"...is whether the sword continues."
He slowly raised his hand.
The ancient sword appeared between them.
"I founded no sect."
"I accepted no disciples."
"I conquered no kingdoms."
"I simply pursued one question."
His voice became softer.
"What is a sword?"
Lin Chen didn't answer immediately.
The question seemed simple.
Yet it contained countless meanings.
After a moment, he replied,
"A sword is a companion."
"It protects."
"It kills."
"It reveals the heart of its wielder."
The ancient swordsman smiled.
"A good answer."
"But not complete."
He gently flicked the blade.
The sword gave a clear, melodious ring.
"A sword..."
"...is a promise."
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed.
"A promise?"
The swordsman nodded.
"A promise to protect."
"A promise to endure."
"A promise never to abandon one's path."
"If the promise is broken..."
"The sword loses its meaning."
His words echoed across the sea of clouds.
Lin Chen silently contemplated them.
In his previous life...
He had believed the sword existed to pursue the peak of cultivation.
Now he realized...
He had misunderstood.
Strength was only a result.
The sword itself represented conviction.
The ancient swordsman looked at him with satisfaction.
"I have nothing more to teach."
"You already walk your own path."
He gently pushed the sword forward.
"I can only offer you a key."
"The road beyond..."
"...must be walked alone."
The sword transformed into a stream of golden light.
It entered Lin Chen's forehead.
Countless ancient characters flooded his consciousness.
Not a cultivation technique.
Not a sword art.
A single name appeared.
The Eternal Sword Canon—First Seal.
Before Lin Chen could examine it further—
The sea of clouds began dissolving.
The ancient swordsman slowly faded into countless particles of light.
His final words drifted through the endless sky.
"Beware..."
"The ones who destroyed my age..."
"...have never truly disappeared."
The world shattered.
Lin Chen's consciousness returned to the stone platform.
The ancient sword was gone.
Only the jade token remained in his hand, now engraved with a second symbol beside the ancient character for Sword.
Before he could examine it, the entire inheritance shook violently.
A deafening roar erupted from the deepest part of the tomb.
The sound was ancient.
Furious.
And unmistakably alive.
Lin Chen's expression changed.
Something sealed beneath the inheritance...
Had awakened.
The roar echoed through the ancient tomb like rolling thunder.
The stone platform beneath Lin Chen's feet trembled violently. Dust rained from the ceiling as cracks spread across the walls.
The inheritance...
Was shaking.
Lin Chen immediately steadied himself.
The jade token in his hand had become scorching hot. The second ancient symbol engraved upon it glowed faintly, sending streams of warm energy into his meridians.
Before he could examine the change, the ancient voice sounded one last time.
"The First Seal has been accepted."
"The inheritance is complete."
"Leave... immediately."
The words were no longer calm.
For the first time, they carried urgency.
Lin Chen frowned.
"Leave?"
Another deafening roar answered him.
This one was much closer.
The roar wasn't merely powerful—it was filled with hatred.
It was the cry of something imprisoned for countless years.
The floor suddenly split apart.
A massive c***k raced across the platform before stopping just inches from Lin Chen.
Far below...
Only endless darkness remained.
Then a terrifying pressure surged upward from the abyss.
It was unlike anything Lin Chen had encountered since his rebirth.
His spiritual qi froze.
Even breathing became difficult.
"What kind of existence is this?"
Without hesitation, he turned toward the bridge of light.
The bridge had already begun collapsing.
Golden fragments drifted into the darkness before disappearing completely.
There wasn't much time left.
Lin Chen dashed forward.
The moment he stepped onto the bridge, the jade token released another pulse of light.
The collapsing bridge stabilized beneath his feet.
It was as though the inheritance itself was helping him escape.
As he crossed the final stretch, the scenery changed once more.
He arrived back in the chamber of the Second Trial.
Qin Yu was already there.
The Inner Sect disciple sat cross-legged beside one of the stone platforms, his face pale but composed.
When he noticed Lin Chen, he stood up.
"You passed."
Lin Chen nodded.
"So did you."
Qin Yu smiled faintly.
"Barely."
"My trial almost broke my resolve."
His eyes fell upon the glowing jade token.
"You received something."
Lin Chen neither confirmed nor denied it.
Qin Yu didn't press further.
Some opportunities belonged to fate alone.
Moments later, another bridge lit up.
Luo Jian stumbled out, breathing heavily.
His clothes were soaked with sweat.
The moment he saw Lin Chen, relief flooded his face.
"I thought..."
"I thought I'd never leave that illusion."
Lin Chen placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You passed."
Luo Jian laughed weakly.
"I nearly failed."
"I kept seeing everyone I couldn't save."
Before either could ask more, the fourth bridge shone brightly.
The cold young woman appeared.
Although her expression remained composed, there was a trace of sadness hidden in her eyes.
She silently joined the group.
Only one bridge remained.
The mysterious old man.
Several moments passed.
Nothing happened.
Then...
The bridge suddenly exploded into countless particles of light.
Everyone instinctively drew their weapons.
From within the brilliant light, the old man slowly walked out.
His gray robes were untouched.
His wooden staff looked exactly as it had before.
He sighed dramatically.
"It seems..."
"Even old men have regrets."
Qin Yu looked surprised.
"Senior, even you were tested?"
The old man chuckled.
"No one escapes the heart."
Before anyone could ask another question, the entire chamber shook violently again.
The roar from the abyss became louder.
Closer.
This time...
It was followed by the sound of chains breaking.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Each metallic echo shook the mountain.
The old man's relaxed expression finally disappeared.
His eyes became frighteningly serious.
"We're leaving."
Now."
Luo Jian blinked.
"What about the inheritance?"
"The inheritance is over."
The old man pointed toward the ceiling.
"The prison..."
"...is opening."
Those words stunned everyone.
Qin Yu frowned.
"Prison?"
The old man nodded slowly.
"This inheritance was never built merely to pass on sword techniques."
"It had another purpose."
His voice became heavy.
"To guard what lay beneath."
The disciples looked at one another.
Their hearts sank.
If the inheritance had existed to guard something...
Then what exactly had been sealed below for thousands of years?
The answer came almost immediately.
A terrifying shockwave erupted from beneath the chamber.
Boom!
The floor collapsed.
From the endless darkness below, a gigantic black chain shot upward before crashing into the ceiling.
The chain was thicker than an ancient tree.
It was covered in countless glowing runes.
Crack!
Another chain snapped.
Then another.
The old man gripped his staff tightly.
"We're too late."
A low laugh echoed from the abyss.
It wasn't loud.
Yet it reached every corner of the inheritance.
It was ancient.
Cold.
Filled with endless malice.
"So..."
"A successor has finally appeared."
The voice did not seem to come from below.
Instead...
It sounded directly inside everyone's minds.
Luo Jian dropped to one knee, clutching his head in pain.
The remaining disciples struggled to remain standing.
Only Lin Chen and the old man managed to keep their composure.
The jade token suddenly blazed with brilliant golden light.
It shielded Lin Chen from the invisible pressure.
Deep within that light, the words of the ancient swordsman resurfaced.
"Beware..."
"The ones who destroyed my age..."
"Have never truly disappeared."
Lin Chen's grip tightened around the token.
At that moment...
He finally understood.
The inheritance had not chosen him simply to inherit a legacy.
It had chosen him...
To continue an ancient war that had never truly ended.
- Writer
