The sealed doors of the Azure Sky Vault creaked open with a deep, echoing groan that sent tremors through the very earth beneath the sect. Faint blue runes glowed along the archway, forming ancient sigils long lost to modern cultivators. A wave of ethereal pressure rolled out from within, ancient and oppressive, like the breath of a sleeping behemoth.
The Saintess—Xue Linglong—took a cautious step back, her ethereal white robes fluttering in the invisible wind. Her eyes narrowed, trained on the one figure who stood firm at the threshold, unaffected.
Ling Tianxiao's expression remained calm, his hands folded behind his back as his golden eyes studied the entrance with interest. "This vault... is no ordinary test. It has intent."
Xue Linglong nodded slightly. "Only those acknowledged by the Vault Spirit can enter. Others are either rejected… or consumed."
"And yet you stand here, allowing me to enter."
"You are... no ordinary guest," she said, voice light, but with a subtle edge. "The Sect Master said this was your chance. What you find inside... will depend on your destiny."
Tianxiao stepped forward.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the world around him warped. Space folded inward, and the light twisted unnaturally. In a blink, he vanished from view, swallowed by the void of the Azure Vault.
---
The world shifted.
When his eyes opened again, Tianxiao found himself standing on an obsidian platform suspended in the middle of a star-filled void. Above him, a sky of shimmering galaxies twisted in slow motion. Below, nothing but darkness.
> [Azure Vault Trial Initiated.]
[Trial One: Comprehension of Sword Intent.]
[Objective: Withstand the pressure of sword will for ten minutes or break through it with insight.]
[Time Remaining: 10 minutes.]
A phantom sword appeared in the sky—a translucent behemoth formed from condensed sword intent. It pulsed with killing intent so pure, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would've collapsed instantly. The pressure descended like a mountain.
Tianxiao exhaled slowly. He took a single step forward.
The weight increased a hundredfold. His robes fluttered wildly as invisible blades cut at his skin, soul, and spirit. It felt as though he were standing before a battlefield of ten thousand ancient sword cultivators, each slashing at him in unison.
He calmly raised a hand.
In his dantian, a sealed spark pulsed faintly.
His Sword Heart, though sealed, responded. A strand of intent leaked through, circulating into his meridians. Golden lines flashed across his eyes.
"I see," he whispered.
Raising a single finger, he drew an arc through the air. His motion was slow, deliberate. Elegant.
And then—
Crack!
The illusion of pressure shattered like glass.
> [Trial One Cleared in 2 minutes and 12 seconds.]
[Evaluating Candidate: Sword Dao Compatibility – Exceptional.]
---
The scene around him changed.
The obsidian platform faded, replaced by a misty bamboo forest. The air buzzed with spiritual energy, and from the mists, a monstrous puppet stepped out—ten meters tall, formed from ironwood and jade, and armed with dozens of floating swords.
> [Trial Two: Will of the Blade.]
[Objective: Defeat the Guardian Puppet or force it into submission.]
[Time Limit: 15 minutes.]
The puppet's eyes glowed crimson. Its swords pointed at him.
Tianxiao didn't move.
Instead, he let his cultivation circulate naturally. His aura, restrained until now, flickered into being. A dragon's roar echoed faintly in the void.
The moment his aura swept over the area, the swords around the puppet trembled. Then, as if obeying a primal instinct, they dropped from the air and embedded themselves into the ground.
The puppet, recognizing a superior existence, slowly fell to one knee.
> [Trial Two Cleared in 11 seconds.]
[Evaluation: Dominance over Sword Constructs – Supreme.]
---
The final realm appeared with a swirl of stardust.
A single pedestal floated above a void lake, upon which sat a sword embedded in crystal. The sword pulsed with sealed energy—pure, ancient, proud.
> [Final Trial: Acceptance of the Sword Spirit – Heaven's Crying Edge.]
[Warning: The Sword Spirit chooses its master.]
[Proceed with caution.]
Tianxiao floated toward the pedestal, the air thick with the resonance of blade intent. As he placed a hand on the crystal, warmth spread through his palm.
> [Analyzing Soul Compatibility… 78%… 89%… 100% Match.]
[Initiating Bond.]
The crystal cracked.
A flash of multicolored light exploded, momentarily blinding.
And then—
"Uuuu… Mmm… finally!"
A childish voice echoed in his mind as a glowing figure hovered above the sword. A girl—small, no more than ten in appearance—with long silvery hair and bright violet eyes emerged. She floated lazily in the air, rubbing her eyes.
"You're not old and smelly!" she exclaimed.
Tianxiao raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"The last master was a wrinkly old man! Hmph! You're younger and way better looking!" She floated up and patted his face. "You'll do! You feel strong too. Mhm!"
She spun in the air and declared proudly, "I'm Liu Li, the spirit of the Heaven's Crying Edge! From now on, you're my Master! Yay!"
> [Sword Spirit Liu Li has recognized you as her master.]
[Bound Artifact: Heaven's Crying Edge (Soulbound)]
[Liu Li's strength and abilities will grow with your bond.]
[Special Trait Unlocked: Sword Spirit Communication – Passive Soul Link Established.]
Tianxiao stared at her floating form.
"…You're loud."
"I'm cute!" she corrected, puffing her cheeks.
With a small smile, he reached for the blade and drew it from the pedestal. The sword pulsed softly, harmonizing with his energy. Liu Li clapped her hands in glee.
"I'm free again! Time to go beat up bad guys and eat spirit fruits!"
> [All Trials Cleared. Vault Exit Activated.]
---
Outside the vault, Saintess Xue Linglong waited, seated on a nearby stone.
Suddenly, a rush of energy emerged from the vault. She stood up, startled, just in time to see Ling Tianxiao step out. His robe billowed, sword sheathed at his hip. Behind him floated a radiant childlike figure who glanced around curiously.
"Whoooa! Pretty sister!" Liu Li chirped, floating up to the Saintess. "Are you Master's concubine?!"
Xue Linglong's face turned completely red.
Tianxiao's lips twitched. "Ignore her."
"I won't!" Liu Li huffed, clinging to his shoulder. "We're family now!"
---