Chapter 61 - Entering the Sword God Hall
Zhou Han: "..."
What the hell?
Just a moment ago those two were perfectly normal—how did they suddenly turn into this?
Praising him, trying to get close, even offering to introduce him to a wife.
Zhou Han felt speechless.
"Damn, am I seeing this right? The usually high-and-mighty sword guards are acting this humble now?"
"It's my first time seeing sword guards like this. I'm shocked."
"I can't believe my eyes. This is a bit too much!"
"It's all because that young guy is insane. I'd want to get on his good side too, but he definitely wouldn't give a damn about me!"
…
The surrounding crowd sighed in amazement.
Even the powerful sword guards were bowing and scraping like this.
It seemed that young man was truly about to soar into the sky.
"So what? Don't like my little sister? My older sister works too. Her tits probably weigh a kilo or two—guaranteed you'll love her body!"
"Brother Han, come visit our Nie family sometime when you're free. We can exchange some experience!"
The two sword guards kept rambling on endlessly,
insisting on winning Zhou Han over.
Just as Zhou Han was reaching his limit and about to snap,
a majestic voice suddenly came from inside the hall.
"That's enough! You two, step back!"
A middle-aged man walked out from the hall. His face was gaunt, like a sharp sword—radiating a fierce edge.
Above his head was the title: [Sword King · Nie Tianchen].
Zhou Han's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw it.
This Sword King was a true expert. A terrifying sword intent was hidden within him.
As someone with a sword soul, Zhou Han could sense it extremely clearly.
"These two useless fools have made a joke of themselves in front of you!"
Nie Tianchen smiled faintly and cupped his hands in apology,
though the corner of his eyes glanced sharply at the two sword guards.
Those two were beyond embarrassing—
actually kneeling and licking boots at the entrance of the Sword God Hall,
completely disregarding its dignity.
"It's nothing. I came here for the awakening."
Zhou Han smiled indifferently, showing he didn't mind, and stated his purpose.
"Mm, not bad. You've successfully passed the first layer of the test. Take this."
Nie Tianchen nodded and handed a token to Zhou Han.
[You have successfully completed Awakening Task 1 and received a reward of 10,000 gold.]
[Due to exceeding task requirements, an additional 50,000 gold has been granted.]
As he took the token, the notification for completing the task sounded.
Exceeded?
"The task was to withstand three moves from the sword guards, but I defeated them in one move. That must count as exceeding it."
Zhou Han thought to himself.
An extra 50,000 gold—pretty nice.
"What's this token for?"
Since the token was currently sealed and he couldn't view its details, Zhou Han asked.
"This is the key to enter the Visualization Hall, where you can comprehend the aura of the Sword God."
"Visualization Hall?"
Zhou Han asked in confusion. He had never heard of it.
"Yes. The awakening consists of five steps. The first step, which you just passed, tests your basic combat power."
Nie Tianchen patiently explained.
"The second step is entering the Visualization Hall. Within a limited time, you must comprehend a technique. This tests your comprehension ability."
Zhou Han nodded. He didn't expect the awakening process to be so complex.
It covered many aspects.
"What about the third step?"
Zhou Han waited for him to continue, but when he remained silent, he asked.
"We'll talk about that after you pass the second step. If you can't even pass the second step, there's no need to continue."
Nie Tianchen spoke as he walked forward without stopping,
heading toward the Visualization Hall.
"You can fail?"
"Of course. The technique you comprehend must be at least Gold-grade. Anything below Gold-grade is considered a failure."
"What happens if I fail the second step?"
Zhou Han followed closely and asked again.
"Fail? If you fail, come back after three days to try awakening again. If you fail three consecutive times, you'll permanently lose the qualification to awaken."
Permanently lose the qualification?
That strict?
Zhou Han's gaze sharpened. He had no idea what kind of challenge awaited him.
"What? Are you afraid of failing?"
As expected of a Sword King—even without looking back, he could sense emotional fluctuations.
Raising an eyebrow, he teased.
"Hah, as if! If I can't pass something this small, I might as well quit. I'll clear it in one go."
Although Zhou Han felt a bit worried, he couldn't show it.
His momentum couldn't weaken. He smiled calmly and spoke with confidence.
"Confidence is a good thing. It seems you really don't understand anything. I won't discourage you—you'll experience it yourself soon enough."
From their conversation, Nie Tianchen had already suspected Zhou Han was a complete newbie,
knowing nothing about awakening.
Otherwise, he wouldn't say something like "clear it in one go."
Inside the Visualization Hall existed the supreme will of the Sword God.
Not to mention comprehending its mysteries—
just the sheer sharpness of its presence alone
was enough that 70% of awakeners couldn't withstand it.
Usually, on the second attempt, people would slowly adapt to the sword intent.
By the third attempt, nearly half could fully adapt,
and only then would they have a certain chance of success.
"Is it really that hard? From what he's saying, the failure rate of this awakening process is extremely high!"
Seeing Nie Tianchen's serious expression made Zhou Han feel a bit uneasy.
While talking, Zhou Han followed Nie Tianchen into the hall.
It felt like entering a starry sky—he stood in midair, yet could walk normally.
In every direction—up, down, left, right—there was endless space.
"What a mysterious place! And there are so many teleportation channels over there?"
It was Zhou Han's first time experiencing something like this, and he was filled with shock.
The Sword God Hall was truly magnificent!
"Of course. The Sword God Hall isn't exclusive to Azure Thunder City. I'm just the guide for this city."
Nie Tianchen explained with a smile.
"There are Sword God Halls in many other cities as well. When they enter, they'll also appear in this same space."
Other cities too?
Zhou Han caught that detail immediately.
That meant people from other regions—not just Area 666—could enter as well.
"We're here. Go in yourself. Remember to hold onto your token—it's tied to your life."
Nie Tianchen's voice snapped Zhou Han out of his thoughts.
Without realizing it, they had already reached the entrance of the Visualization Hall.
"When you can't endure it anymore, channel energy into the token and you'll be teleported out automatically."
"Treat your first time as gaining experience. Focus on adapting to the sword intent—don't push yourself too hard. Go on."
Nie Tianchen gave a serious reminder and patted Zhou Han's shoulder encouragingly.
After all, it was rare to gain anything on the first entry into the Visualization Hall.
He didn't take it too seriously.
[Detected Awakening Task 2. Do you accept?]
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