Chapter 34: You came up from the third layer?

Be good.

Lin Yang exclaimed in surprise, this obedient disciple goes to train to increase combat ability, and can also gain a large amount of sword intent?

Sure enough, the world of geniuses is absurd.

Afterward, a surge of sword intent poured into Lin Yang's body.

He felt that he was about to break through to the Sword Saint level.

—————————

Meanwhile, inside the Sword Peak Martial God Hall,

Bang!

Bang bang!

Li Yilan unleashed a series of ordinary sword moves in succession, yet she forced Li Mu to retreat explosively twenty-odd steps, and even his Martial God Illusion grew weak, on the verge of fading.

"How is this possible? Why do you get stronger the more you fight?" Li Mu propped himself up with his sword.

He couldn't understand; earlier he had clearly been suppressing Li Yilan, yet this person actually grew stronger the more they fought.

Hmph!

Li Yilan gave a cold snort and said, "Rather than saying I grow stronger the more I fight, you'd better admit you're trash—I'm at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment yet I've forced you, a mid-stage Nascent Soul, to exhaust all your means; if you're not trash, who is?"

"You!" Li Mu seemed unwilling to accept.

Li Yilan, however, continued: "You should be grateful, grateful that you can only measure yourself against me using your Martial God Illusion; if we lived in the same era, your fate would be only one thing…"

Hum!

Li Yilan swung her sword, and Li Mu's Martial God Illusion turned to ash.

Thus, the whole space fell silent.

Li Mu never appeared again.

Li Yilan, however, did not linger long.

She turned and headed toward the fourth layer.

Just now, in her battle with Li Mu, she grasped a large amount of sword intent.

Grasping sword intent is a sign of stepping into the Great Sword Cultivator stage.

She had long decided that once she entered the Sword Dao Great Sword Cultivator stage, she would break through to the Nascent Soul realm.

Just arrived at the fourth layer, she saw a familiar figure—the Vermilion Bird Holy Maiden.

"Huh? You're not that… how are you here?" the Vermilion Bird Holy Maiden asked in surprise.

She had thought Li Yilan had already left.

She never expected the opponent to appear with her in the base layer.

She glanced at the passage opened behind Li Yilan and said, "So you came up from the third layer."

"Moreover, you're still challenging a mid-stage Nascent Soul?"

Li Yilan nodded.

The Vermilion Bird Holy Maiden raised her thumb and said, "My goodness, you're truly a genius."

Li Yilan smiled faintly: "Holy Maiden, is there anything else?"

"No, go in and challenge." The Vermilion Bird Holy Maiden smiled faintly, but she didn't leave; instead she stood outside, ready to watch the challenge.

——————————

Li Yilan entered the fourth layer; before her appeared a woman.

"I am of Sword Peak…"

"Alright, no more talk, let's begin." Li Yilan raised her sword.

She directly attacked that person.

——————

Ten minutes later.

"Ah!"

A miserable cry rang out; the Martial God Illusion of the woman dueling Li Yilan instantly shattered.

Seeing this, the Vermilion Bird Holy Maiden outside was instantly stunned.

Solved in just ten minutes?

You know, she had taken nearly an hour.

Good heavens, what a genius.

——————

Inside the fourth layer.

The woman looked at Li Yilan in silence for a few seconds.

"I lost; go on to the fifth layer."

Immediately.

The gate of the fifth layer opened; Li Yilan, without saying more, walked straight up to the fifth layer.

Behind her, the Vermilion Bird Holy Maiden closely followed.

"Holy Maiden, do you want to go through the gate first?" Li Yilan asked.

The Vermilion Bird Holy Maiden said, "You go first; I'll just wait outside to watch."

Immediately, Li Yilan walked straight in.

Hum!

As she entered the fifth layer, a mighty sword qi surged toward her; she clearly sensed that the sword qi here was far more terrifying than that in the other four layers.

It is indeed living up to its name; after all, the being within this layer is none other than the first genius in Sword Peak's history.

It is indeed somewhat intimidating.

However, she is no longer what she used to be; naturally, she won't be affected by this sight.

She gripped her sword, ready and waiting.

At this moment!

A venerable phantom descended within the fifth layer.

"I am the founding peak master of Sword Peak, the Three Swords True Person. May I ask, little girl, who are you?"

Li Yilan calmly said: "Li Yilan of Heavenly Dao Peak, I have come to challenge."

"Hahaha!" the Three Swords True Person laughed loudly, saying: "No need to fight; I have seen your abilities from the first four levels. I will face you with my Nascent Soul Mid-stage cultivation. I have only a three‑tenths chance of winning, while you have a seven‑tenths chance. You win this match, and congratulations on passing the Fifth Level of Sword Peak's Martial God Hall and obtaining the clearance reward."

Upon hearing this, Li Yilan said nothing.

The Three Swords True Person again said: "I have techniques, treasures, pills, and opportunities here. Little girl, what do you want?"

Li Yilan shook her head and refused: "I want nothing."

"Why?" the Three Swords True Person looked at Li Yilan with curiosity.

From ancient times to the present, countless challengers have braved the Martial God Hall for its rewards, yet she wants nothing.

This is strange.

"Just some misshapen melons and cracked dates; I'm not interested." Li Yilan said truthfully.

"Cough cough!" After hearing Li Yilan's explanation, the Three Swords True Person coughed continuously for a long time, nearly fainting from anger.

His treasures are all top‑of‑the‑top, yet the other party called them misshapen melons and cracked dates.

Li Yilan's expression remained calm; she possessed an Emperor‑level mental method, an Emperor‑level treasure, and a Sword Dao intention technique, and she truly had no interest in those things.

She then asked: "If you were at Nascent Soul Late‑stage and we fought, what would my chances of victory be?"

"So, your aspiration lies here."

Three Water True Person narrowed his eyes, finally understanding why she didn't value his rewards: she was pursuing self‑breakthrough.

However, her wish to fight him at Nascent Soul Late‑stage with a Foundation Establishment Ninth‑layer cultivation is somewhat arrogant, after all he too is a genius, once an overwhelming presence, and certainly not some misshapen melon to be toyed with.

"Little girl, others may have zero percent hope, but for you I'll give you a ten percent chance."

Upon hearing that!

Li Yilan nodded: "Good, I will challenge you at Nascent Soul Late‑stage."

"Little girl, you're serious?" the Three Swords True Person exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course!" Li Yilan turned and left the Martial God Hall.

Now she already has the feeling of breaking through the Nascent Soul realm.

And she has touched the Sword Intent Gate Corridor.

But she ultimately cannot cross that step.

It feels like she has hit a bottleneck.

Thus, she gives herself ninety percent pressure, burning her boats.

Seeing Li Yilan come out, the Vermilion Bird Saintess went after her again to ask the reason; upon hearing that the other party wanted to raise the Martial God Phantom's strength to Nascent Soul Late‑stage, she was utterly stunned.

Just where did this little girl come from, to be so formidable?

……

Outside the Martial God Hall, Fang Chi and the others had not yet left.

Moreover, the impatient Fang Chi approached the goat‑bearded old man and asked.

"Elder, which level did Li Yilan reach? She couldn't be stuck inside, could she?"

"She went to the fifth layer."

"What?!" Fang Chi jumped up in shock, saying: "You mean she challenged the Martial God Phantom at Nascent Soul Mid‑stage and reached the fifth layer?"

Ordinary people consider clearing a single layer worthy of offering incense, yet Li Yilan actually reached the fifth layer, fighting above her level with a Foundation Establishment cultivation.

"Elder, I'm young; don't joke with me."

"What would I gain by deceiving you?" the goat‑bearded old man said: "In this world there are always greater people and greater heavens; disciple, don't fixate on appearances."

Upon hearing that.

Fang Chi plopped onto the ground, his Dao heart near breaking.

He couldn't understand; Li Yilan is merely a Star‑level talent, so how could she be so formidable?

At that moment, Li Yilan walked out from the Martial God Hall.

Seeing this, the discouragement on everyone's faces vanished instantly.

"Hehe, I just said she's only a bit strong, not invincible—how could she possibly pass the Fifth Level?"

"I heard the Fifth Level is guarded by the Three Swords True Person, who is Sword Peak's founding ancestor, gifted beyond compare and invincible; how could Li Yilan possibly defeat him?"

"Li Yilan, you're still too tender; if you wanted to cause trouble in Sword Peak, you lack the qualifications."

They traded barbs, mocking Li Yilan.

Upon hearing that.

Li Yilan's eyes turned cold, and she swung her sword.

A powerful sword haze sent several people flying.

Afterward, she approached the goat‑bearded old man and said: "Please raise the strength of the Martial God Phantom on the fifth layer to Nascent Soul Late‑stage."

Afterward, she turned and continued onto the Martial God Hall.

Behind her, the goat‑bearded elder and Fang Chi and the others stood dumbfounded.

It turns out Li Yilan didn't come out defeated; she simply found the Nascent Soul Mid‑stage Martial God Phantom lacking power and wanted to change it to Nascent Soul Late‑stage.