Jian Lin deeply respected the Sword Immortal but trusted the Demon Lord even more. When he said it was a hallucination, Jian Lin believed him, thinking she was just too tired and her mind was muddled.
After sleeping in the Demon Lord's embrace for a while, she woke up refreshed, her confidence soaring, and her head filled with bravado as she decided to spar with her master.
The Demon Lord had expected the Sword Immortal to refuse, but to his surprise, the old man smiled, waved his hand, and recalled Ming Yan, agreeing to spar with Jian Lin.
His heart leaped into his throat, fearing the Sword Immortal might accidentally injure Jian Lin, given the vast difference in their strength. Then, he remembered they were master and disciple and decided not to worry unnecessarily.
He wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.
Jian Lin, however, was quick-witted. Seeing her master draw his sword, she immediately protested, "Master, we're just sparring casually. You don't need to use your sword!"
The Sword Immortal remained calm. He had his reasons for drawing his sword. Jian Lin had been cultivating within the sword formation for three days, and her cultivation had improved significantly compared to herself. Moreover, they were scheduled to leave the secret realm in four days. The Sword Immortal wanted to use this time to push Jian Lin, hoping she could at least connect with the He Yi Sword and spark the beginnings of sword intent.
The divine sword was powerful, and its falling into Jian Lin's hands was certainly no coincidence. The Sword Immortal was willing to take a gamble. If Jian Lin faced a life-threatening situation, the divine sword would undoubtedly intervene.
The Sword Immortal had a secret plan, which he kept hidden, and said gently, "If I use my sword, you should use yours too. Sparring like this is more interesting."
Jian Lin was still arguing, "Master, if I draw my sword, how can I spar with you?"
"It's not a battle to the death, my dear disciple, don't be so serious," the Sword Immortal cajoled with a smile. "Come on, let's not waste time with idle chatter."
Before Jian Lin was ready, her master's long sword had already attacked. She hurriedly brought the He Yi Sword before her to block the strike, then retreated repeatedly, finally backing into the sword formation.
As the Sword Immortal stepped into his own sword formation, the aura within the formation instantly changed. Jian Lin sensed the powerful presence and was startled, instinctively feeling something was wrong, and a hint of fear crept in.
She wanted to beg her master to stop, but he gave her no chance, his moves swift and fierce, forcing Jian Lin into a desperate defense, leaving her unable to utter a word.
As they fought, the Sword Immortal suddenly vanished. Jian Lin panicked, unsure of what to do, when countless figures suddenly appeared before her, each wielding their own techniques, attacking Jian Lin from all sides.
Jian Lin was going mad. She cried out in panic, "Master! Stop, stop! Enough!"
How could it be enough? This was just the beginning.
The voices of the Sword Immortal and Ming Yan mingled, surging from all directions, "Good disciple, this is the Sword Intent Formation. I'll give you a good lesson."
It felt like an army of thousands was attacking. Jian Lin had never witnessed such a grand spectacle. Her master was relentless, and she instinctively searched for the Demon Lord, but all she saw were killing moves; she couldn't see anyone else.
At this point, Jian Lin began to sober up. She couldn't rely on others. Her master's intention was clear: don't come out until you've dealt with all of this.
With this realization, Jian Lin abandoned her unrealistic hopes and stopped begging. She gripped the He Yi Sword tightly and bravely charged forward.
At first, she thought it was a trial. It wasn't until a sword intent directly struck her, sending her flying, that she opened her eyes in disbelief. This old man, her master, was serious this time!
Jian Lin wasn't worried about losing her life. Given the Sword Immortal's character, he would definitely save her, but he wouldn't hesitate to let her get hurt. That was just the kind of person he was!
Jian Lin dodged with a flash, ignoring her injuries and the taste of blood in her throat, rallying her spirits to fight.
It was an incredibly long battle. She once again experienced the power of sword intent. Her master alone was equivalent to an army of thousands.
By the latter half of the fight, Jian Lin was numb. For some reason, she didn't want to ask the system for help. She looked at the divine sword in her hand, yearningly questioning it, "Divine sword, divine sword, do you feel it? I want to possess that kind of power too. Are you willing to help me?"
Another tricky move struck. Jian Lin lost focus for a moment, failed to dodge, and slipped, falling to the ground.
Her highly concentrated mind finally broke. She lay flat on the ground, her eyes filled with dazzling streams of light. The army of thousands was gathering, and Jian Lin sensed they were preparing a powerful killing blow.
As the saying goes, she believed her master wouldn't kill her, but he certainly wouldn't mind taking half her life.
The Sword Immortal firmly believed in the adage that a strict teacher produces a talented student; one cannot achieve greatness without hardship.
It was over. This time, it was truly over.
Jian Lin raised the divine sword before her eyes, breathing heavily, and said in a hoarse voice, "I believe in you. If you can appear and fight with me, we can definitely annihilate them all. You are the most powerful."
After speaking, she slumped onto the ground, exhausted, preparing to face the final killing blow.
Little did she know, her words were heard by the He Yi Sword.
The sword spirit of the He Yi Sword had awakened when the Sword Immortal's divine sense probed it, as it sensed a powerful force of equal magnitude.
However, realizing there was no danger, it intended to continue its slumber. While brewing its sleepiness, it was repeatedly disturbed by Jian Lin's various challenges.
It watched coldly, unmoved. At the very least, Jian Lin had to break through to the Nascent Soul stage before she could even attempt to draw it. Until then, it had decided to ignore her.
Today, in the Sword Intent Formation, its master was repeatedly repelled. It scoffed at her weakness and remained indifferent.
Until she spoke those words just now.
Her blind trust and admiration pleased the sword spirit. Seeing the Sword Immortal's sword intent about to strike, the He Yi Sword couldn't help but act, blocking a move for her.
Jian Lin, within the sword formation, was so exhausted she was drowsy and completely unaware of what had happened.
Outside the sword formation, the Demon Lord was silently watching. Suddenly, two immense forces collided, emitting a violent sound. The Sword Immortal flew out of the sword formation, and the Demon Lord quickly moved to intercept him.
"Senior, are you alright?" the Demon Lord asked with concern.
The Sword Immortal clutched his chest, coughing repeatedly, and waved his hands excitedly, saying, "Fine... I'm fine..."
He could barely speak clearly, so how could he be fine?
However, the Demon Lord cultivated demonic energy, while the Sword Immortal cultivated spiritual power. Even with his concern, there was nothing he could do to help the elder.
"I'm really fine," the Sword Immortal sat up, looked at the figure within the sword formation, and said to the Demon Lord, "Go and check on her. This has succeeded."
The Demon Lord reacted, asking with surprise, "Senior, you mean...?"
The Sword Immortal nodded proudly, "I've drawn out her obsession with sword intent, allowing her to rapidly cultivate and comprehend the Dao. Finally, I used force to pressure her. All my hard work and planning have finally awakened the sword intent of her divine sword."
Where there was one, there would be another. Once a breakthrough was achieved, future matters would naturally be much easier. Drawing out that sword was only a matter of time.
The Demon Lord smiled knowingly, filled with admiration for the Sword Immortal. He was truly a senior, possessing wisdom and insight that were beyond his reach.
After ensuring the Sword Immortal was alright, the Demon Lord took a step and slowly walked towards Jian Lin.