A few days after his exchange at the Sect Vault, Su Ming stood at the base of the grand stone stairs that led to Heavenly Sword Peak. Behind him stood Lin Yao and Wang Tian, their robes rustling in the mountain breeze. The air here was different from the serene atmosphere of White Lotus Peak. It was sharp, carrying a constant, metallic hum of disciplined sword energy that left a dry taste on the tongue.
The peak itself rose into the clouds like a giant sword pointing toward heaven. Every stone pathway, every ancient pine, and even the disciples walking past seemed to carry a sword-like presence in their Qi.
'It took almost three months to finally use this free pass,' Su Ming thought, his fingers lightly brushing the polished jade token in his sleeve.
When the Sect Master first granted Wang Tian unrestricted access to the Sword Pool, Su Ming chose to wait. At the time, his meridians were newly reconstructed, and his physique was not fully under his control.
