Chapter 2045: A Freak "That mortal managed to pass this trial in just ten days?! That’s ridiculous!" When the other participants experienced the brutality of the second trial for themselves, none of them could believe that a mortal had managed to pass it in such a short time. Though everyone progressed swiftly at first, they eventually slowed down after the number of enemies they had to deal with increased with each counter. Moreover, one of the participants had already fallen, losing their physical body to the first invisible sword and being forced to forfeit the remainder of the Sword Emperor Qualifications. Several others sustained injuries from the same unseen force, but as God Ascension cultivators, such wounds were easily endured and largely ignored. Meanwhile, Yuan continued his steady ascent up the mountain, his body enveloped in Supreme Sword Aura. Since maintaining Sword Aura required Soul Strength, Yuan had no difficulty keeping it active without rest. However, the audience was astonished by how effortlessly he sustained it, especially now that they knew he was only a mortal. At first, they hadn’t thought much of it, assuming he was a God Ascension Realm cultivator. But after the truth was revealed, their shock deepened. For a mere mortal to possess Soul Strength on par with gods was nothing short of inconceivable. Five days later, Yuan was still ascending the mountain. With each step, he had to gradually intensify the strength of his Supreme Sword Aura and keep it constantly active. After a week within the fourth trial, Yuan finally reached the point required to pass. A shimmering exit portal quietly appeared behind him, signaling the trial’s completion. Yuan raised an eyebrow at the sight of the exit. He could clearly see that the path continued upward. After a brief moment of thought, he turned away from the portal and resumed his climb, completely ignoring it. In his eyes, the exit was nothing more than a distraction—placed there to tempt him into leaving before the true trial had ended. Another week passed, and after spending a total of two weeks within the fourth trial, Yuan finally reached a point where he could no longer advance, as his current understanding of the Supreme Sword Aura had reached its limit. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚 But he didn’t turn back. Instead, he sat down calmly, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, determined to push his comprehension even further. "There’s no way..." The audience almost couldn’t believe what they were seeing. "Is he... trying to advance his Supreme Sword Aura? In the middle of the trial?" Although Yuan was now close to the mountain’s peak, the remaining distance—though seemingly short—was as vast as the gap between heaven and earth. After all, even Sword Emperors required hundreds of thousands of years to approach perfection in their Supreme Sword Aura. For Yuan to attempt the same within the trial meant he was willingly giving away his first-place position. "There’s no denying his talent, but he’s too arrogant," one of the spectators scoffed. "Does he really think he can perfect his Supreme Sword Aura in just a few years? It’s like he’s mocking every swordmaster who’s ever lived." The Sword Emperors present remained silent, but subtle displeasure flickered in their expressions. Though their faces betrayed little, a quiet tension hung around them. If Yuan managed to deepen his mastery of the Supreme Sword Aura during the trial—even by a small margin—it would cast a shadow over their own accomplishments, making a mockery of the centuries, even millennia, they had spent refining their Supreme Sword Aura. As time went on, the other participants steadily advanced through the second trial. After nearly three months into his trial, the Heavenly Son, who was far ahead of the rest, finally reached the end of the path, where he was met by the final challenge: a replica of the legendary True Emperor of the Seas. As for the other participants, a few were forced to forfeit midway, unable to endure the relentless pressure of the trial. Just as the Heavenly Son began his battle with the True Emperor of the Seas, Yuan suddenly opened his eyes and rose to his feet. The audience, who had shifted their attention away from him to focus on the others, immediately snapped their heads back toward him. "There’s no chance in hell he improved his Supreme Sword Aura in just a few months..." someone muttered in disbelief, echoing the thoughts of many. However, Yuan wasted no time in proving them wrong. In the very next moment, his Supreme Sword Aura—previously stagnant—began to surge, its intensity rising steadily, shocking all who watched. "He actually improved his Supreme Sword Aura in months! This guy is a monster—a freak!" "A sword freak!" At that moment, many had already made up their minds—if Yuan truly became a Sword Emperor, they would call him the Freak Sword Emperor. However, despite the clear advancement in his Supreme Sword Aura, Yuan still couldn’t reach the peak. After only a few more steps, he was once again forced to stop. Without hesitation, he sat down and resumed his cultivation, determined to break through the next threshold. "H-He’s trying to improve his Supreme Sword Aura again!" "This guy is ridiculous!" "Call me crazy, but I think this guy might be even more monstrous than the Faceless Sword Emperor." "I don’t doubt it." "My god... does he not intend to leave us even a shred of face?" muttered the Holy Sword King’s father, his expression frozen in utter disbelief. "If ’that’ guy is watching now, I wonder what he’s thinking," said the Holy Sword Maiden’s father. "You mean the Peerless Sword Emperor?" Sword Empress Huang said. The Peerless Sword Emperor was the current strongest Sword Emperor in the Nine Heavens, widely believed by many to have even surpassed the legendary Faceless Sword Emperor. "That guy’s probably itching to fight with him, but with the disparity between their cultivation... he’ll have no choice but to wait." Soon, another month passed, and the Heavenly Son had finally defeated the fake True Emperor of the Seas, passing the second trial.