Chapter 2038: Sword Emperor Qualifications’ Second Trial After stepping through the second door, Yuan found himself in a familiar setup—a solitary path stretching ahead, offering only one direction: forward. But unlike before, it wasn’t a dirt path flanked by trees. This time, he stood on a narrow platform, sandwiched between two vast, seemingly endless seas on either side, their shimmering surfaces stretching out to the horizon. Though the surface of the sea was calm and without any ripples, like that of a glass of water resting on a table, Yuan could sense countless sea beasts stirring beneath the tranquil waters, their presence concealed. Once he took in his surroundings and grasped the nature of his situation, Yuan began walking forward at a calm, steady pace. With the trial’s rules still unknown to him, caution was essential. After taking about a dozen careful steps, Yuan suddenly came to a halt when a faint ripple disturbed the otherwise motionless surface of the sea. The very next second, a massive sea creature burst from the water, launching itself toward him with its jaws wide open, as if intending to swallow him whole in a single bite. Yuan instinctively drew his sword, Supreme Sword Aura already surging to the surface. But just as he was about to strike, he paused—his eyes narrowing as he recognized the familiar aura enveloping the sea creature. A knowing smile tugged at his lips. In the next instant, he withdrew his Supreme Sword Aura and channeled ordinary Sword Aura instead, slashing toward the creature with precision and confidence. His sword cut right through the sea creature, killing it in a single strike. The sea creature not only had the same aura as his opponents from the last trial, but it also required Yuan to strike it with matching strength. After dispatching the sea creature, Yuan resumed his path, his pace quickening slightly with confidence. But just as he advanced a few more steps, his eyes narrowed sharply. Without hesitation, he raised his sword and swung it at the empty space in front of him, as if trying to hit an invisible enemy. In the very next moment, a sharp shattering sound rang out as Yuan’s blade collided with something unseen. The invisible force became visible upon impact, revealing a sword forged from Supreme Sword Aura. It functioned similarly to the swords from the previous trial, but with one critical difference: this one had been completely invisible to the naked eye. "He actually blocked that?!" Sword Empress Huang exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief. Every Sword Emperor Qualification was unique, its trials ever-changing and unpredictable. Because of this, those who had passed them in the past couldn’t pass down any concrete knowledge to the next generation. And when the current Sword Emperors witnessed the sudden invisible strike, many of them felt a rare twinge of uncertainty. Had they been in Yuan’s place, facing that same hidden assault, few were confident they could have blocked it as cleanly—or even at all. "Is it just me, or does this year’s Sword Emperor Qualifications seem much harder than the last?" one of the Sword Emperors murmured aloud, his brows furrowed in concern. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢 "Not just the last one..." another replied solemnly. "This year’s qualifications might be the hardest in history." While it was normal, even expected, for the trials to gradually grow more difficult over time, reflecting the world’s constant evolution, such a sudden and immense spike in difficulty was completely unprecedented. "I was fairly confident those two would succeed," the Sixth Elder remarked, referring to the Holy Sword Maiden and the Holy Sword King. "But after seeing the trials this year... I can’t help but feel a little worried." "Though this year’s trials are especially difficult, I have confidence in my son and his ability," said a fierce-looking red-haired man seated beside Sword Empress Huang. He was one of the three Sword Emperors of the Holy Sword Clan, and his calm, unwavering tone reflected the confidence he had in his son, the Holy Sword King. "The same goes for my baby girl," said a handsome silver-haired man seated beside the red-haired Sword Emperor, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He was the father of the Holy Sword Maiden, one of the most respected figures in the Holy Sword Clan as its faction leader, and his voice carried both pride and confidence. Sword Empress Huang shook her head and said, "It’s fine to have confidence in your children, but you’re fooling yourselves if you think they have a good chance. Even we would’ve struggled if we had faced trials this difficult during our own qualifications." "And you shouldn’t look down on other people’s children, especially when you don’t know what it’s like to have any," the red-haired Sword Emperor replied, a mocking smile tugging at his lips. "Why the fuck would I want any children? They’re too much of a pain in the ass," she quickly responded. "With that potty mouth of yours, I’m honestly glad you don’t have any children," said the silver-haired Sword Emperor, shaking his head with a sigh. "I don’t think I could handle multiple potty mouths around me." As word spread about the unprecedented difficulty of this year’s Sword Emperor Qualifications, more and more cultivators from across the heavens began tuning in, drawn by curiosity and the desire to witness history in the making. Meanwhile, after handling the invisible strike, Yuan pressed onward. The farther he traveled along the path, the more ripples appeared on the water’s surface—each one signaling an impending attack from the sea creatures below. And without fail, every time Yuan defeated a beast, an invisible sword would lash out from the air, attempting to catch him off guard. This meant that the farther Yuan advanced, the more sea creatures he had to face at once, each wave more aggressive than the last. And as soon as he brought them down, invisible swords would strike without warning, giving him barely a moment to breathe. The trial was no longer just a test of control—it had also become a relentless gauntlet of endurance, awareness, and speed.