Swordmark

"Twelve hours? I doubt he'd be human if he managed that. Out of all the super swordsmen that have tried, only one has ever managed to last twelve hours. And that person isn't much weaker than Six Paths. Do you really think Han Sen stands a chance?" Furnace Emperor wore a wry smile.

"But we need someone that accomplished. Otherwise, how can we be happy with our selection of Xu Mi's teacher?" Fire Empress said with certainty.

Furnace Emperor merely shook his head and did not speak. Powerful elites such as that wouldn't teach others, he believed. He thought Han Sen was fine, as he had the strength and had learned Six Paths' Heartsword. He would be a fine choice for Xu Mi's teacher.

But Furnace Emperor wouldn't do anything Fire Empress did not approve of, so the decision was ultimately up to her.

Han Sen was unmoving while he battled Holy Sword Emperor's swordmind.

The swordmind was like a grinding wheel, but it couldn't diminish Han Sen's mind. Instead, it felt more like a smithy's grindstone. The hard edges swept by Han Sen, making him sharper as time went on.

If Han Sen's swordmind was comparable to steel, the grinding process was making it sparkle like a well-cut jewel. Time passed, and after six hours—seeing he was doing fine—Xu Mi looked ecstatically happy.

Furnace Emperor had to give another compliment, and he said, "This kid is not bad! Xu Mi's got taste. With such a strong will and sword skills, Xu Mi is bound to learn a thing or two by accepting this guy as his teacher."

Fire Empress, seeing Han Sen performing without trouble or anything, found herself half-convinced, actually. But she still showed refrain and said, "We've only reached the halfway point. It's still too early for us to say anything."

Another two hours passed. Furnace Emperor was very convinced by this point, and he said, "This kid still hasn't moved at all! His will is stern. Finding another person like this would be difficult."

Fire Empress was more convinced, as well, but she quietly said, "There are still four hours to go. Let's see if he can make it first."

Another two hours passed and Han Sen hadn't moved at all, just like he hadn't the past ten hours.

Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress were in shock. Even now, Han Sen wasn't showing signs of moving. It almost looked as if he wasn't affected by the swordmind. They now thought Han Sen could safely make it to the twelve-hour mark.

"My son has a good eye. Finding a teacher like this will be of a great boon and benefit for him." Every time Furnace Emperor spoke about Han Sen, his tone was different. He had passed from simple observation to agreement, and now he was full of admiration. He had changed his views a lot.

Fire Empress didn't look so arrogant now, either. She watched the stream in shock, and she said, "This human is indeed different. He is qualified to be Xu Mi's teacher."

The two emperors thought Han Sen could easily make it to twelve hours, and their opinions of him began to become the same.

More time elapsed, and after twelve hours passed, Xu Mi couldn't help but blurt out compliments. "Teacher, you are super special! Across all these years, only one person has ever made it twelve hours against the swordmind. You are the second one to achieve this."

Han Sen didn't hear what he said, though. His focus rested solely on the swordmind. The swordmind was grinding against his will, and all that time, Han Sen's own swordmind had been growing stronger.

But after a while, Han Sen started to believe there was something wrong with the swordmind. He couldn't grind his own swordmind anymore, and Han Sen walked towards the swordmark without realizing it. He wanted to get closer to it, so he could get a stronger feel for it.

"What is he doing?" Fire Empress watched Han Sen approach the mark.

Holy Sword Emperor's swordmind always appeared tame, but things were vastly different when Han Sen got nearer. Holy Sword Emperor had swung his sword and left the mountain with his swordmind. And it had lasted ever since his departure.

This swordmind was extreme.

The closer to the swordmark you got, the more intensely you could feel Holy Sword Emperor's will. It was the faith he had used to break the dimension. It was an everlasting swordmind.

Back then, many elites came to watch Holy Sword Emperor ascend. Many of them wished to claim the mountain for themselves afterwards, but in the end, it was Furnace Emperor who owned it. And that was because normal folk wouldn't dare touch the mountain, and they could not move it as he could.

Inside the swordmind, it did not matter whether or not you were an emperor that focused purely on sword skills; if you simply touched the swordmark, you would be attacked by the will required for Breaking Through the Vacuum. Your will would be heavily damaged.

The reason the elites weren't able to take the swordmarked mountain was because only Furnace Emperor met the teleportation requirement via Furnace Shelter. He teleported Furnace Shelter around the base of the mountain. Then, he was able to take it away with him.

Now Han Sen had been grinding against the swordmind for twelve hours, his own will had proven far too effective. It had not broken, and so he dared to venture closer to the swordmark. This was way too shocking for Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress.

"This young man's will is strong. It's like the best elite in existence." Furnace Emperor spoke with a look of seriousness.

Fire Empress didn't say anything, but the way she looked at Han Sen said it all. There was no more disdain, just surprise.

Han Sen approached the swordmark and felt the swordmind become stronger. His swordmind got even sharper, and his will became stronger. He was one hundred meters away from the swordmark when he slowed down. But every step was so sure, there was no hesitation accompanying a single one.

Han Sen's entire body looked as if it had become a sharp sword. It was as if he was breaking the water as he advanced towards the cleft.

Finally, Han Sen stepped onto the mountain and touched the mark.

Boom!

The endless swordmind came at Han Sen like the ceaseless discharge of an infinite river. It was like putting Han Sen's swordmind into a river of time to remain washed forevermore.

Furnace Emperor and Fire Empress' faces changed. They did not expect Han Sen to approach the mountain and use his hand to physically touch the swordmark.

That mark had been left behind by an elite that was halfway through the process of becoming a god. He was ascending to the Fifth Sanctuary when this happened, and even an emperor's will would be damaged if they touched it.

Han Sen's will was strong, but there was a chance even he would be damaged by touching it. If he did it poorly, his will would be broken and never return.

"Oh no!" Furnace Emperor's stomach fell. He was very satisfied with Han Sen's skill, and it'd be a shame if the human was destroyed right there. It wasn't easy for Xu Mi to find such an accomplished teacher.

Fire Empress sighed. She agreed Han Sen had enough power, but she never thought he'd be reckless enough to go and touch the mark. That was sure to hurt.

Fire Empress merely hoped he wouldn't be damaged too badly to teach Xu Mi.