The scene was beyond belief.
Not only was Meng Dongxing horrified to his core, but the entire crowd of onlooking students were utterly stunned. Their eyes were wide with disbelief, jaws slack as they tried to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
Five minutes.
In less than five minutes, Jiang Chen had cleared Lingyun Tower.
This wasn't just breaking Shi Xingchi's thirty-year record—it was utterly demolishing it!
---
"Did I just see that? He passed Lingyun Tower in under five minutes!"
"This has to be fake! There's no way anyone could achieve that!"
"Something must be wrong with Lingyun Tower. It's impossible!"
The crowd erupted with disbelieving voices, unable to accept what they had seen.
But at that moment, the Lingyun Monument, which had remained silent, began to tremble.
A brilliant beam of light erupted from the stele, shooting into the sky and drawing everyone's attention.
Then, at the very top of the Lingyun Monument, Jiang Chen's golden name condensed into existence, shining brighter than all the others.
Shi Xingchi, the legend who had reigned supreme for thirty years, was unceremoniously pushed to second place.
---
Among the crowd, Meng Dongxing stood motionless, his face frozen in disbelief.
He had barely had time to revel in seeing his name appear on the monument before Jiang Chen's accomplishment overshadowed him completely.
"This… This can't be real…"
He couldn't even process what had happened. Jiang Chen had entered the tower, and in what felt like the blink of an eye, he had emerged victorious—setting a record nearly twice as fast as Shi Xingchi's.
---
While the crowd stared in shock, Jiang Chen remained completely indifferent.
With the inner academy token in hand, he walked away from Lingyun Tower as if nothing remarkable had happened, leaving behind an awe-struck audience.
---
Returning briefly to the golden student residence, Jiang Chen freshened up. Wasting no time, he turned to Meng Qingxue and said, "Let's go. Take me to the Sword Mark Hall in the inner academy."
Meng Qingxue nodded, knowing Jiang Chen was eager to see the legendary hall.
---
The Sword Mark Hall was one of the most treasured places within the Lingyun Martial Academy's inner academy.
It was said that an ancestor of Lingyun Academy had left behind three sword marks within the hall, each infused with profound sword intent.
Sword intent was not a mere martial art technique—it was the true meaning of the sword, a profound martial concept that elevated any warrior far beyond ordinary techniques.
To comprehend sword intent was to surpass mortal limitations.
Once a martial artist grasped it, they could dominate opponents of the same level and even challenge those of higher realms.
However, comprehending sword intent was extraordinarily difficult. In the academy's long history, only a handful of geniuses had achieved it.
---
Ten minutes later, Meng Qingxue led Jiang Chen to the grand gates of Sword Mark Hall.
She looked at Jiang Chen and explained, "Only inner academy students are eligible to enter the Sword Mark Hall. However, it costs 10,000 student points to enter."
She glanced at Jiang Chen and added, "Most students, except for those ranked on the Lingyun Monument, hesitate to spend so many points on something as elusive as sword intent."
Without hesitation, Meng Qingxue handed over 10,000 student points for Jiang Chen and stepped aside.
"Go ahead," she said softly.
Jiang Chen nodded, striding confidently into the hall.
---
The interior of Sword Mark Hall was minimalistic and solemn. In the center stood a single square stone, upon which three ancient sword marks were etched.
Each mark radiated a sharpness so profound that it felt as if a real sword had been embedded into the stone.
Jiang Chen's eyes gleamed with curiosity as he examined the marks.
At that moment, a series of mechanical notifications echoed in his mind:
"Ding! You took a look at the sword mark stone and gained 100 x 100 experience!"
"Ding! You have successfully comprehended a sword intent!"
Jiang Chen's expression froze for a moment.
Then, a subtle smile appeared on his lips.
---
To the outside world, sword intent was a mythical concept—something that even the most talented martial artists could spend years trying to comprehend without success.
But for Jiang Chen, all it took was a glance.
"Interesting… This sword intent will be fun to play with."