Chapters One, Two, and Three: Failure?

Yun Fan's mother was a mysterious and legendary figure, even by the standards of the Southern Jambu Continent. Yet her son, Yun Fan, had been simple-minded since birth. It was a pity that such a remarkable woman had given birth to such an enigmatic son. Paradoxically, the boy had inherited his mother’s bloodline and innate talent, making him incredibly powerful. In order to nurture her simple son, Yun Fan’s mother had taken great pains. Immediately after his birth, she used supreme divine arts to forcibly impart Taoist cultivation to him through his dreams, which was why, even now, Yun Fan had never truly met her in person.

It was not until five years ago, after she had finished teaching him the final volume of the "Heart Dream Without Trace" in a dream, that she quietly disappeared. She merely told Yun Fan that all the mental cultivation techniques had been imparted, and that subsequent levels would unlock as his strength increased, so he should not be anxious and should cultivate with peace of mind. Before leaving, she also told him that the recruitment of disciples by the Green Pond Sect in five years would be a fated opportunity for him and that he must go. Thus, the current scene came to pass.

Hearing Che Wuyou’s words, Yun Fan was somewhat convinced, but he still couldn't help but ask, "My mother said I would have a great opportunity at the Green Pond Sword Sect. Do you know what this opportunity is? Did she ever tell you?"

"…Uh," Che Wuyou frowned. Since even Yun Fan didn't know what the opportunity was, how could he? But fearing he might reveal a flaw—and needing to rely on Yun Fan—he thought for a moment and repeated what Yun Fan had once said: "Just follow your heart. You are a person of great destiny and an extraordinary talent; you cannot go wrong by following your heart."

Che Wuyou had been making it up, but to Yun Fan, it sounded more and more as if Che Wuyou had indeed met his mother. This made him feel closer to Che Wuyou. "You also think I am a person of great destiny? My mother often says that. It seems what you said must be true... Since that is the case, I will help you this once." With that, he ignored Che Wuyou and went back to wrestling the Edgeless Sword from the steel giant.

Che Wuyou helped up Zhang Qing'er, who was even more severely injured than himself. The two exchanged a glance before tacitly looking away. Zhang Qing'er seemed to have something to say, but in the end, she only opened her mouth slightly before letting out a silent sigh.

Watching Yun Fan locked in a stalemate with the steel giant, Che Wuyou spoke as if to himself, or perhaps to Zhang Qing'er: "Once we reach the second level, there should be some medicinal herbs for healing... Let's wait until their battle reaches a critical point and then make a break for it. This might just be our chance."

"…Okay, I'll listen to you," Zhang Qing'er replied softly, her voice gentle. However, she did not look at Che Wuyou again, her head lowered, lost in her own thoughts.

There were many others who harbored the same intentions as Che Wuyou. Knowing the steel giant’s strength was unfathomable, they stood far away watching, not daring to interfere for fear of being dragged into this senseless catastrophe. Yet, even though they wished to remain still, the situation would not allow it. The more the steel giant and Yun Fan fought, the greater the commotion, the wider the area affected, and the faster their movements became. Eventually, the two of them rolled right into the center of the crowd of youths.

At some point, the steel giant suddenly broke free from Yun Fan’s restraint. His giant sword swept through the air, and wherever it passed, some youths didn't even have time to scream before they were decapitated. Yun Fan tried several times to get close to the steel giant to seize the Edgeless Sword, but the giant instinctively dodged whenever Yun Fan attacked, and Yun Fan could not suppress him.

The youths were being slaughtered, crying out for their parents. The giant tried several times to move toward Che Wuyou, but was blocked by Yun Fan. Yun Fan didn't care about the others; his entire focus was on the Edgeless Sword. But he was determined to protect Che Wuyou—partly because Che Wuyou might have seen his mother, and partly because he had promised to help him, and he was a man of his word.

Che Wuyou watched as the sharp-tongued youth who had spoken earlier fell under the giant's blade, his eyes narrowing. A moment later, his expression changed as he whispered, "This is bad. The old steel thief’s strength seems to be increasing... How can this be? How can this be?" It was no wonder Yun Fan could no longer suppress him. Thinking back to the giant's strange behavior and that eerie smile when Yun Fan tried to take the sword...

Could it be that tampering with the Edgeless Sword caused the steel giant’s strength to unseal? Or was his power growing as time went on? This was not good news. Che Wuyou pulled Zhang Qing'er toward the pillar of light. Previously, he hadn't dared to approach for fear of provoking the giant, but now he could not delay. The longer they waited, the smaller their chances of success would be.

Li Zhen also watched the giant with a furrowed brow. Though he lacked Che Wuyou’s immense spiritual power, he too sensed that the giant was gradually becoming stronger. Seeing Che Wuyou and Zhang Qing'er moving toward the pillar of light, he hesitated for a moment before following closely behind.

The steel giant noticed their movements. He let out a furious, heaven-shaking roar that changed the very color of the sky. Several youths with weaker foundations collapsed and died instantly from the shockwave, and even Che Wuyou and Zhang Qing'er were heavily impacted.

Fortunately, Che Wuyou practiced the extraordinary manual, the "Qihuang Classic," which gave him a solid foundation, especially in defense. Seeing Zhang Qing'er lose consciousness from the blast, he hurriedly carried her on his back and, gritting his teeth, pressed forward toward the pillar of light with unwavering resolve.

The steel giant roared repeatedly, but Yun Fan’s tenacity exceeded his expectations. Several times, the giant tried to break through Yun Fan’s blockade to chase after Che Wuyou and the others, only to be dragged back. At one point, Yun Fan once again grabbed the Edgeless Sword, struggling with all his might to seize it. He seemed determined to take that sword at any cost.

Che Wuyou suddenly felt a powerful vibration from behind. He pushed his spiritual power to the limit, sensing everything behind him. What? The steel giant’s energy was increasing again. Could it really be true? Was the Edgeless Sword a key that unlocked his own power?

Because of the surge in his strength, the steel giant broke free from Yun Fan once more. He charged toward Che Wuyou’s group with speed even greater than Li Zhen’s. Hearing the wind rushing behind him, Che Wuyou’s expression shifted. He was still some distance from the pillar of light. Was this the end? Was he really going to fail?