The Sword Trial (1)

Ye Jing could sense powerful waves of energies that emanated from the cave. She knitted her brows as she turned around to look at Fan Yuqing, Xiaofang, Feng Minyue and Xuan Danfeng, "This is the Sword Trial?"

The smiles on her countenance had vanished as she quietly said, "It seems…really dangerous."

She had keen energy sense and she could already pick up dozens of killing arrays within the cave. It was akin to walking into a carefully laid trap except that they were willing to walk into it.

Xiaofang nodded as he said solemnly, "I have since probed this cave many times. It is not as simple as it looks."

Fan Yuqing nodded without any expression before she said coolly, "It seems that the energy levels have suddenly surge since the last time that I've been here."

Then she looked at Ye Jing with a smile, "Xiaofang is actually right. This cave is beyond what they can handle but the two of us can still handle it. Why don't we explore the Sword Trial together?"

Feng Minyue was startled, "Sister Saintess Yuqing, you're going there alone?"

Fan Yuqing nodded, "I am really interested in obtaining the Heaven Refining Energy. It seems that the difficulty of the Sword Trial has suddenly undergone a change since our last visit. How weird."

Ye Jing giggled, "I am interested to enter the Sword Trial as well but if you want to obtain the reward then what benefit do I get? Then it is better that I stay put instead."

Fan Yuqing hummed coldly as she began to walk to the entrance of the cave, "You can treat it as an experiential training."

Ye Jing shook her head, "I rather stay put…"

"Don't you want a breakthrough to the Third Immortal Positioning of your Heaven Eye?" Fan Yuqing curled a subtle smile. "Since you are not interested, well then…"

Ye Jing panicky came to her side and sighed softly, "Wait for me…"

Xuan Danfeng was smiling weakly as she said behind them, "Good luck sisters…"

Feng Minyue said anxiously, "We can only stand watch as guardians here…"

Xiaofang was suddenly following Ye Jing and Fan Yuqing as he said, "Let me go too. I may be of some help…"

Fan Yuqing paused in her tracks as she turned around with a gentle smile, "You have better stay put or you will only be a distraction to us. This is actually no ordinary Sword Trial. I'm sure that you can clear the first level but you will be no help to us at the second or even third level. Do you understand?"

Just as Xiaofang was about to protest, Ye Jing looked at him solemnly. "Xiaofang, don't worry. She will protect me so I will be alright. If you are with us, it will be hard for her to look after the two of us."

Ye Jing was dead serious as she nodded subtly to Xiaofang. Through their dual cultivation, Xiaofang knew that Ye Jing wanted him to stay put.

What could he do but to sigh?

Fan Yuqing smiled at Ye Jing as she said coolly, "About that protect part, I didn't say that. So you have better watched out yourself."

Ye Jing murmured, "Eh?! You're asking me to join you yet you don't want to look after me?"

Fan Yuqing laughed softly as she took a glance at Xiaofang, "I don't want your man to come after me if something were to happen to you. After all, I may not be able to resist his charm."

Ye Jing groaned softly, "At this time, you're still in a mood to joke?"

Fan Yuqing looked at her intently before she smiled, "I'm not joking."

"You are kidding me!" Ye Jing muttered.

Soon they had entered the cave together and their bickering voices were slowly diminishing.

Xiaofang muttered anxiously, "Will they really be alright?"

Feng Minyue said, "You ought to have some faith in them. After all, the two of them are daughters of the heavens."

Xuan Danfeng had a perplexed look on her countenance as she suddenly said, "No, this doesn't sound right."

Feng Minyue looked at her curiously, "What is wrong?"

Xuan Danfeng said, "Why should the difficulty of the Sword Trial increase all of a sudden? This has never happened before. Moreover we are only at the second level of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth. It is as though there is a force that is manipulating the Sword Trial?"

Feng Minyue was startled, "Don't scare me, alright?"

Xiaofang was also startled, "Then they are in danger?"

Xuan Danfeng smiled weakly, "Don't be too quick to panic first. It is just my guesswork."

Xiaofang heaved a soft sigh of relief, "Thank goodness…"

But silently Xuan Danfeng was anxious as she prayed silently, "Hopefully, they know what their limits are…"

There were three levels to the Sword Trial. Each time that they had passed one level, they were allowed an option to exit the Sword Trial.

Accordingly to the lore of the celestials, the great saints of the past were able to clear the Sword Trial of the first level of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth but not the second level. So far, no one had ever cleared the Sword Trial of the second level.

Xuan Danfeng had an ominous feeling as she extended her spirit sense into the cave to probe. She had actually been to the Sword Trial of the second level in the past but it was nowhere as ominous as in the past…