Chapter 110 The Nine Level Of Intent

Chapter 110: Chapter 110 The Nine Level Of Intent

The ancient voice had barely faded when the golden markings covering the road suddenly erupted with light.

BOOOOM!

The entire passage trembled. The golden haze ahead parted, revealing an enormous ancient hall suspended beyond the end of the road. Its towering gates stood open, and countless mysterious inscriptions covered the walls visible through the entrance.

The remaining cultivators slowed as they approached.

After the first three trials, only ninety seven participants remained. Some looked exhausted. Others carried injuries from their previous challenges, while a few wore the same calm expressions they had worn since entering the Primordial Sealing Ruin.

Nobody dared to underestimate the next trial. The first three had tested their endurance, their ability to survive danger, and their capacity to overcome themselves. What would the fourth demand?

Lin Chen stared at the ancient hall.

"Another battlefield?"

Lin Mo shook his head.

"I don’t think so. Look at those walls."

Lin Qing’s gaze had already settled on the inscriptions. Unlike ordinary carvings, the symbols seemed to have a strange vitality. Some resembled swords cutting through the heavens, others flames dancing across the void. One felt sharp and cold, another wild and domineering, and a third carried the weight of an enormous mountain.

Her eyes gradually brightened.

"These aren’t ordinary inscriptions."

Lin Chen nodded.

"They contain intent."

The other eight Lin Clan youngsters turned toward the walls. Their time in the Time Tower had sharpened their perception. They couldn’t fully understand what they were sensing, but they could tell it was something extraordinary.

Before anyone could discuss it further, the ancient voice sounded again.

"The fourth trial shall now begin."

The gates behind the cultivators slowly closed.

RUMBLE!

Golden inscriptions spread across the floor, forming an enormous formation beneath the feet of the ninety seven participants. Nobody panicked. They had already learned that reacting carelessly to the ruin’s mechanisms could lead to disaster.

"This trial is known as the Trial of Comprehension."

"Within this hall lie the remnants of countless intents left behind by ancient cultivators."

"You must select an intent, comprehend its essence, and demonstrate your understanding through your own power."

"Comprehension is divided into nine levels. Those who fail to comprehend an intent before the trial concludes shall be eliminated."

"Those eliminated shall be transported outside the ruin alive, but their cultivation shall be reduced by one minor level."

A heavy silence descended. The voice offered no further explanation, and the gates behind the participants vanished entirely, leaving only the endless inscriptions.

Lin Mo scratched his cheek.

"So we’re supposed to understand these strange markings?"

"Not merely understand them," Lin Jue said, studying a nearby inscription. "We have to demonstrate what we’ve comprehended."

Lin Yu nodded.

"Copying the movements won’t be enough. We need to grasp the intent underneath."

Lin Chen smiled faintly and turned to Lin Qing.

"Which one are you choosing?"

"The sword," she said, without hesitation.

He laughed.

"Then we had the same idea."

Both looked toward a towering inscription near the center of the hall. It showed a single sword suspended above a sea of clouds, with no mountains, rivers or celestial figures around it. Only a sword. Yet the longer Lin Chen looked at it, the more he felt as though he stood before an invisible blade capable of splitting heaven and earth.

"What an extraordinary inscription."

"Let’s see how far we can go," Lin Qing said.

The two of them approached it together.

The other Lin Clan youngsters began choosing their own paths.

Lin Mo stopped before an inscription of a saber cutting through a raging storm and grinned.

"This one suits me."

Lin Zhen chose a spear piercing through layers of clouds. Lin Yu settled before a vast, flowing river that looked gentle at first glance, but the deeper he looked, the more he sensed an overwhelming force hidden beneath its calm surface. Lin Xuan chose an inscription surrounded by blazing flames.

Lin Yuexin approached an inscription of a vast expanse of space filled with countless stars. The stars appeared and disappeared at different positions, and faint ripples spread through the darkness around them.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Space Intent..."

She could barely understand what she was sensing, but she felt an inexplicable pull toward it, and stepped forward without hesitating.

Lin Jue chose an inscription of land stretching toward the horizon, covered in symbols like layers of soil and enormous underground formations. It gave off an overwhelming sense of stability and endurance.

"This should suit me."

Lin Lian chose an inscription of shifting illusions. Figures appeared and vanished across its surface, and a beautiful landscape would sometimes turn into a terrifying abyss. Her eyes brightened.

"Illusion Intent."

Finally, Lin Haochen stopped before an inscription of a fist striking through a layer of darkness. He studied it for a moment, then nodded.

"This one it is."

The ten of them had chosen different paths, each following the sensation that resonated most strongly with them. None tried to imitate the others. Comprehension couldn’t be forced just because someone else’s choice looked more powerful.

The moment each of them stood before an inscription, a faint light enveloped their bodies. The hall remained visible, but their attention was drawn into the worlds hidden within the inscriptions.

The fourth trial had officially begun.

On the other side of the hall, the Forbidden successors were already examining the inscriptions.

Shi Tianba stood before an inscription of an enormous fist smashing through a mountain. After struggling against his reflection in the previous trial, he had learned that brute strength alone wasn’t enough. He raised his fist and let his spiritual energy circulate slowly, then closed his eyes and studied the sensation the inscription gave off instead of striking it.

"This time, I’ll see how far I can go."

Several steps away, Ji Xueyan had chosen an inscription of a thin blade surrounded by drifting snow. It looked delicate, but the coldness radiating from it was unmistakable. A strand of spiritual energy gathered around her fingertips, and a tiny streak of light appeared, then vanished.

She frowned. She had sensed something, but the understanding was incomplete.

"Interesting."

She didn’t grow impatient. She simply returned to the inscription and began again.

Huangfu Lei had selected an inscription of a roaring beast surrounded by thunder. Its aggressive, destructive quality matched his temperament. He tried to reproduce the sensation, and a faint rumble emerged from his palm before dispersing.

"So that’s how it is. The inscription isn’t teaching me a technique. It’s revealing a principle."

He stopped copying the visible movements and concentrated on the intent behind them.

Beiming Yue stood before an inscription of a vast frozen lake. It carried more than coldness. It carried a profound stillness, as though the entire world could become motionless beneath it. A thin layer of frost formed over her fingertips, and she closed her hand.

"There’s more to it."

Xiahou Jian had chosen an inscription of a blade cutting across a dark sky. He drew his weapon and made a simple horizontal slash.

SHING!

The force was ordinary. He had reproduced the movement, but not the intent.

"Again."

His next slash was slower. Yet for a brief instant, the air in front of him trembled, and his eyes brightened. He had touched the edge of something meaningful.

Across the hall, Feng Yuling stood before an inscription of a phoenix spreading its wings above a sea of flames. The moment she approached, the temperature around her rose, and a faint golden glow like the outline of wings appeared behind her. She had learned in the previous trial that great strength guaranteed nothing, so she refused to rush and searched the fiery movements for their meaning.

Nearby, Mo Chen chose an inscription surrounded by dark red markings. They resembled flowing blood, but what they conveyed was far more complex than violence. He had first meant to pick the most intimidating inscription, but after examining several others, he realized an impressive appearance didn’t mean it suited him. He settled on one whose movements reminded him of the unpredictable rhythm of combat.

"Let’s see what you can teach me."

He sat down before it and began.

The Holy Family and Holy Sect successors were equally unwilling to fall behind.

Long Aotian stood before an inscription of a golden dragon coiling around a towering mountain. Its aura was majestic, but he paid little attention to the spectacle. He studied the dragon’s movements, where every turn looked natural yet carried overwhelming force. A faint dragon-shaped shadow appeared around his arm, then faded.

"There’s no need to hurry."

Beside another wall, Yue Kun had selected an inscription of a colossal figure standing beneath a storm-filled sky. He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. The inscription seemed to hold a kind of strength that didn’t depend on constant movement, and he wanted to understand it.

A short distance away, Fu Xingchen stood before an inscription surrounded by countless points of light. He extended a finger, and several tiny sparks formed a pattern similar to the inscription before scattering.

"At least I’ve found the direction."

Bai Jue had chosen an inscription of overlapping petals, each one independent, yet moving together as a single whole. The longer he watched, the more he realized its power didn’t come from any single movement but from the relationship between every part. He began tracing the pattern in the air.

Zhao Zhen stood before an inscription filled with interwoven symbols. At first they looked chaotic, but after a while he noticed an intricate structure hidden inside the disorder.

"So this is the connection between the movements."

Other Holy successors made similar attempts throughout the hall. Some had chosen sword, spear, saber, fist, elemental or movement-based intents. Several had picked inscriptions for their impressive auras, only to abandon them after realizing they couldn’t grasp the principles underneath.

Others stayed stubbornly with their first choice.

The hall filled with the sounds of weapons cutting the air, spiritual energy surging, and the occasional exclamation of surprise. Yet there was no battle. Every participant was fighting the same opponent: their own lack of understanding.

Inside the world revealed by the sword inscription, Lin Chen stood on an endless plain beneath a pale sky. A vast sword rose in the distance, its blade reaching toward the clouds. Lin Qing stood several dozen steps away beneath another enormous sword. Neither could see the other’s surroundings. The inscription had drawn each of them into a separate space of comprehension.

Lin Chen gathered spiritual energy around his fingers.

SHING!

A thin sword-shaped streak of light flew a few steps and dissolved.

"Too shallow."

He had released sword-shaped energy, but he hadn’t understood the sword’s intent. He closed his eyes and recalled how the original inscription had felt. The sword wasn’t only sharp. It carried direction, purpose, and the determination to cut through whatever stood before it.

This time, he didn’t force his energy into the shape of a sword. He focused on the meaning. A faint sharpness gathered around his fingertips, weak and almost imperceptible, but with a quality his earlier attempt had lacked.

"That’s it."

A mark appeared above the vast sword.

Sword Intent — Level 1.

In her own space, Lin Qing reached the same point. She had spent less time reproducing the sword’s shape and more time observing the feeling it conveyed. A single line of light appeared before her and cut through the air without a sound, yet the space along its path trembled faintly.

"Level 1."

She didn’t become complacent. Reaching the first level only meant she had begun to grasp the most basic essence of her chosen path.

The others followed. Lin Mo’s first attempt was nothing more than an ordinary saber strike, and he clicked his tongue. Then he stopped chasing the movement and focused on the force behind it. A heavy saber intent gathered around his blade, and the air trembled.

"Now we’re talking!"

Saber Intent — Level 1.

Lin Zhen understood that a spear’s strength lay in concentrating force along a single direction. Spear Intent — Level 1. Lin Yu, after repeated attempts, grasped a fragment of the river’s depth, and the energy around his palm flowed smoothly into a concentrated stream. Flowing Water Intent — Level 1.

Lin Xuan’s flames flickered until he stopped trying to make them stronger and focused on their nature instead. Fire could spread, gather, rise and consume, and its strength wasn’t only destruction. A small flame appeared above his palm and burned steadily without spreading. Fire Intent — Level 1.

Lin Yuexin first tried to copy the shifting positions of the stars, and got nothing. The stars weren’t simply moving from place to place. The inscription was showing her something about the space between them. When she extended her hand, a faint ripple appeared in the air, and the space around a tiny star seemed to distort for a moment. Her eyes widened. Space Intent — Level 1.

Lin Jue stopped forcing his spiritual energy outward and concentrated on the earth inscription’s sense of stability until his energy settled. When he moved his hand, the space before him grew heavier. Earth Intent — Level 1.

Lin Lian noticed how the scenery inside her inscription changed with small differences in its patterns, and focused on the boundary between what looked real and what was merely an image. A delicate illusion formed before her, for a moment indistinguishable from reality. Illusion Intent — Level 1.

Lin Haochen tried to reproduce the powerful punch shown in his inscription, and failed every time. Then he stopped focusing on the punch and concentrated on the instant when the fist’s power gathered before release. A concentrated burst of force shot forward. Fist Intent — Level 1.

All ten had taken their first steps. Nobody believed that was enough. The true challenge was only beginning.

As time passed, more participants grasped the first level of their chosen intents, and the hall filled with faint manifestations of different powers. Swords hummed, flames flickered, saber energy cut through the air, and spears released sharp rays of light.

Some progressed quickly while others stayed stuck at the very beginning. Cultivation realm didn’t decide it. Someone at a higher realm could struggle with an inscription, while someone at a lower one might advance rapidly after finding the right perspective. The hall gave brute force no advantage. It demanded understanding.

Shi Tianba produced a faint manifestation of fist intent and tried to strengthen it, but it vanished almost at once. He frowned without losing his temper. Repeating the same approach without understanding why it failed would only waste his time. He adjusted his breathing and began again.

Across the hall, Ji Xueyan had stabilized the first level, and a thin line of icy light wrapped around her fingers. When she tried to advance, the sensation slipped away.

"So the next level requires more than making the intent stronger."

Huangfu Lei’s thunder was powerful, but it dispersed every time he forced it. Only when he focused on the relationship between the thunder and the force that generated it did he take another small step. Beiming Yue had a stable first level, but the second stayed out of reach.

She sat quietly before the frozen lake and let her awareness settle, beginning to understand that the intent was about something deeper than ice. Xiahou Jian kept refining his blade intent, now carrying a little more of the inscription’s feeling in each movement.

Feng Yuling’s phoenix glow grew clearer whenever she concentrated, but when she pushed further, the flames lost their shape.

"Again."

Mo Chen’s progress was subtler. The red markings seemed to move whenever his understanding deepened, and after a long period of observation, he reproduced a fragment of the intent. A faint red line appeared before him and vanished almost at once, and he smiled. He had found a path forward.

Long Aotian’s intent began to manifest around his arm, while Yue Kun slowly learned to reproduce the stability in his inscription. Bai Jue started to see the relationship between the individual parts of his inscription, and Zhao Zhen finally found a pattern hidden in his seemingly chaotic symbols, tracing it with a finger until a faint glow appeared.

The first big wave of breakthroughs came gradually. Participants with a stable first level began attempting the second, and some succeeded while others failed again and again.

Lin Chen stood before the enormous sword in his comprehension space and released a simple sword strike.

SHING!

The energy traveled farther than before, but he wasn’t satisfied.

"It’s stronger, but my understanding hasn’t changed."

Instead of attacking again, he studied the sword. The first level had let him grasp a fragment of its sharpness. The second seemed to demand a deeper understanding of how that sharpness was expressed. He watched its position, the direction of its blade, and the sensation it gave off. Then he moved, and this time his sword intent followed the direction of his movement with far greater precision.

Sword Intent — Level 2.

Lin Qing took a different route. She focused on the relationship between the sword’s stillness and its potential movement. A sword didn’t need to move constantly to threaten an opponent, and sometimes the intention behind a single movement was enough. Her intent became more restrained, yet the sharpness it carried was more distinct.

Sword Intent — Level 2.

"Interesting."

Neither noticed how much faster they were progressing than many others. They were too focused on the inscriptions.

Elsewhere, Lin Mo reached the second level of saber intent after realizing that a saber strike’s force didn’t depend solely on how much spiritual energy he poured into it. Lin Zhen’s spear intent became more concentrated and precise. Lin Yu learned to keep his movement continuous without letting his energy disperse. Lin Xuan’s flames steadied. Lin Yuexin stopped asking where the stars appeared and studied how the space around them changed, and a faint distortion spread across her palm. Space Intent — Level 2.

Lin Jue’s intent grew heavier and more composed, Lin Lian learned how appearances could conceal what truly existed, and Lin Haochen learned to gather power without releasing it right away.

Their progress wasn’t identical. Some reached the second level quickly, while others spent longer refining their first. None of them interfered with the others. They trusted everyone would find their own path.

Among the Forbidden successors, Feng Yuling reached the second level, and a fiery outline of a phoenix spread behind her before dissolving into sparks. Each new insight only revealed another layer of complexity. Mo Chen’s progress smoothed out after he stopped trying to force the inscription to respond to his attacks and let his understanding guide his techniques. Shi Tianba, Ji Xueyan, Huangfu Lei, Beiming Yue and Xiahou Jian advanced at different speeds. Some had reached the second level, others were still refining the first, but none had given up.

Among the Holy successors, Long Aotian reached the second level, and Yue Kun steadily strengthened his understanding. Fu Xingchen found a better way to approach his inscription and began making progress. Bai Jue and Zhao Zhen also moved past their initial comprehension.

Time continued to pass inside the hall. The inscriptions remained unchanged, but the atmosphere grew more intense. More cultivators reached the second and third levels, and a smaller number advanced further. The strongest comprehenders were no longer satisfied with reproducing the visible manifestations of their intents. They had begun to grasp the principles behind them.

Lin Chen’s sword intent reached the third level. A faint sword-shaped mark hung in the air before him and, unlike his earlier attempts, remained stable even after he withdrew his hand. He studied it for a moment, then dispersed it.

"Level 3."

He knew this was only the first stage of a much longer journey. The first three levels were the beginning of comprehension. The next three would demand deeper understanding and finer control. The final three would test how profoundly a cultivator had grasped the essence of the intent.

Lin Qing had reached the same level, and her sword intent had become more precise. But she knew the gap between the third and fourth levels wouldn’t be crossed through repetition, so she returned her attention to the sword.

Lin Mo, Lin Zhen and Lin Xuan were also making progress, and the other five youngsters continued working through their own challenges. None of them rushed simply because someone else had advanced.

Among the Forbidden and Holy successors, Feng Yuling’s fiery intent reached the third level, and the phoenix inscription no longer looked like a mere representation of fire. Mo Chen’s red markings grew clearer, and his intent answered more naturally to his movements. Shi Tianba finally passed the second level after correcting his approach again and again. Ji Xueyan’s icy intent grew more stable, Huangfu Lei learned to stop forcing his thunder, Beiming Yue stayed patient, and Xiahou Jian kept working on the precision of his blade. Long Aotian, Yue Kun and Fu Xingchen advanced along their paths, Bai Jue’s comprehension deepened, and Zhao Zhen kept uncovering the structure hidden in his inscription.

The initial confusion of the participants was gone. The hall had become a place of quiet determination.

Suddenly, a faint golden light spread across the hall.

Several cultivators opened their eyes. The inscriptions hadn’t changed, but a new sensation had appeared within them. Those who had reached the higher levels felt it most clearly. There was something beyond the movements they had been studying, something deeper than the sharpness of a sword, the force of a saber, the heat of a flame or the stability of the earth. Yet it stayed hidden beneath layers of understanding.

Lin Chen sensed it first. He stood motionless before the sword inscription. His sword intent had reached the third level and he could reproduce its essence with more precision, but his understanding still felt incomplete. The inscription seemed to be pointing toward something beyond itself.

"What exactly are you trying to show me?"

The sword remained silent. He didn’t force an answer, and kept observing.

Lin Qing had noticed the same sensation. The sword’s intent was profound, but it wasn’t the end of the path. Something lay beyond it that neither of them could yet identify.

Across the hall, the other Lin Clan youngsters were running into similar questions. Lin Mo’s saber intent had grown refined, but he sensed a deeper principle hidden in the inscription. Lin Yuexin focused on the distance between two stars, and for a moment she felt as though she could sense the space separating them rather than merely observe it. Then the sensation vanished.

"There’s something more."

She didn’t try to force another breakthrough. She returned to studying the inscription, determined to understand the intent before reaching for anything beyond it.

The Forbidden and Holy successors were realizing the same thing. Feng Yuling sensed something deeper in the phoenix inscription. Mo Chen felt that the principles he had uncovered were only the beginning. Long Aotian’s chosen intent seemed to point toward a broader understanding of power, and Bai Jue and Zhao Zhen noticed that their inscriptions held more than the patterns they had first studied.

The fourth trial had not revealed all its secrets. For now, the participants could only keep advancing one level at a time. Somewhere beyond the nine levels lay a kind of understanding none of them had yet grasped, and reaching it would demand that they discover what their chosen paths truly represented.

End of Chapter 110