Killing Sword Immortal Puppets and consuming Sword Intent Grass can directly enhance one's sword intent?
Such a method was beyond imagination!
However, just as Roy's face lit up with excitement, the elder shook his head and said,
"Don't get ahead of yourself too soon, Roy."
Roy's expression shifted slightly as the elder continued,
"Do you know why only top-tier swordmasters—those who have awakened their sword intent—are usually allowed into the Sword Tower?"
Roy frowned and shook his head.
"I don't know."
It was true—he had no knowledge of the Sword Tower, nor did he even understand why he had been granted a spot.
---
The elder's voice deepened.
"Because everyone who enters the Sword Tower, regardless of their original strength, will have their power standardized to the same level!"
Roy's eyes flickered.
The elder continued,
"Those who are naturally accustomed to wielding their full strength at this level will have an advantage.
Though your abilities are impressive, and you've already awakened mid-tier sword intent, if you encounter someone who has mastered their power better than you have, you will be at a severe disadvantage."
Roy nodded but remained calm.
"That doesn't mean I'm weak."
---
The Sword Tower's Rules
The elder, his expression stern and businesslike, added,
"You should already understand the basic rules of the Sword Tower, but let me clarify a few more things."
"You may stay in the Sword Tower for a total of half a month.
Once the time limit is reached, you will be automatically expelled, no matter what you are doing.
Additionally, if you encounter an unbeatable threat, you may shout 'I forfeit!', and you will be immediately transported out.
However, remember this—if you die in the Sword Tower, you are truly dead.
Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
Roy nodded, already well aware of these conditions.
The elder gave a satisfied nod before stepping back.
---
At that moment, eight more elders suddenly appeared, forming a full council of nine elders.
Each of them took out an engraved token, their hands swiftly forming an intricate seal.
Whoosh!
Nine streaks of radiant light shot from the tokens, merging with the Sword Tower's structure.
A dazzling glow spread across the entire tower, illuminating the surroundings with an awe-inspiring radiance.
At the entrance of the Sword Tower, the air suddenly rippled like water, forming a transparent membrane. At its center, a deep and shadowy passage emerged—mysterious and unfathomable, leading to an unknown destination.
"Go!"
With a unified command from the nine elders, Roy wasted no time and rushed into the dark passage.
Whoosh!
The moment he stepped inside, his entire body felt as if it was spinning through space, an overwhelming sense of disorientation washing over him. In the blink of an eye, his consciousness faded.
When he regained awareness, his surroundings had completely changed.
---
Roy found himself in an immense and desolate world. As far as the eye could see, there were only endless mountain ranges and barren, dusty plains—vast, lifeless, and eerily silent.
The sheer emptiness of this world carried a suffocating loneliness, a test not only of one's strength but also of willpower and mental endurance.
Staying in such a place for three months would undoubtedly be a gruelling challenge. Without unwavering determination, survival would be impossible.
Just then, a pillar of light descended from the sky, enveloping Roy in a mysterious force of rules.
In that instant, although his true cultivation remained at Level 45, his power level suddenly rose to match the Sword Tower's standard!
"This feeling…"
Roy clenched his fist and took a step forward, testing his newfound strength.
"This is on a completely different level from before…"
Now wielding power equal to the tower's environment, he felt far stronger than ever.
However, since his actual cultivation was still only Level 45, even though he had been elevated to this higher tier, he could only control about 60% of its full power.
For an average warrior, even achieving 50% mastery would be an impossible feat. Strength was not just about having power—understanding and controlling it was an entirely different matter.
It was like giving a firearm to two different people—a trained soldier versus a child. Though they held the same weapon, the destructive potential in their hands was vastly different.
For Roy to reach 60% mastery at Level 45 was already a remarkable feat. Anyone else would be far worse off.
However, if he were to advance further, reaching Level 46 or even 50, he would likely fully master this tier of power.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a streak of white light shot toward Roy from the distance at an astonishing speed.
In the span of a few breaths, the light had already closed in, revealing its true form—
A white-robed man.
His expression was vacant, his movements mechanical, and on the left side of his chest, a small sword emblem was imprinted.
This was a Sword Immortal Puppet—a human-shaped construct, resembling a real warrior but devoid of life or free will.
Created through refined forging techniques, its essence was no different from a spiritual weapon.
Although it possessed a certain level of intelligence, its actions followed a fixed set of combat protocols rather than true independent thought.
This particular Sword Immortal Puppet was a First-Tier Guardian of the first floor of the Sword Tower—
Possessing Level 45 energy and primary-level sword intent.
Swish!
The moment Roy appeared in its sight, the Sword Immortal Puppet did not hesitate.
It swung its sword, unleashing a sharp, lightning-fast sword energy attack—imbued with one-tenth sword intent.
The sword energy sliced through the air at an incredible speed, closing the distance within moments and thrusting straight toward Roy's heart!
"Interesting."
A faint smile crossed Roy's lips—he showed no fear.
Instead of retreating, he stepped forward, his wooden sword slicing through the air.
With a single swing—
A blade of sword energy, infused with mid-tier sword intent, surged forth in a direct counterattack!
Boom!
In an instant, the sword energy unleashed by the Sword Immortal Puppet was torn apart directly.
For ordinary swordsmen, Primary Sword Intent could exert a certain level of suppression—
But when faced with Roy's Mid-Tier Sword Intent, it was utterly overpowered.
Though the difference between the two was merely one tier, the gap in power was immense—enough to place Roy in a position of absolute dominance.
"End it."
After testing the puppet's strength, Roy didn't intend to waste any more time.
With a flick of his wrist—
A streak of sword energy shot out like lightning, slicing through the air at blinding speed.
Swish!
The Sword Immortal Puppet's chest was instantly pierced through—its white crystalline core shattering on impact.
This crystal core was the puppet's power source—once destroyed, the puppet would cease to function.
Crash!
The puppet's body crumbled into pieces—
At the same time, a nearly transparent white stream of energy emerged from the shattered remains, flickering faintly before surging directly into Roy's body.
"Hmm?"
Roy's eyes flickered with surprise.
As the energy entered him, he could feel his Sword Intent subtly strengthen—
Though the increase was barely noticeable, it was indeed a real improvement!
"It's real..."
Roy's expression shifted, his heart stirred.
Even such a low-tier Sword Immortal Puppet could refine his Sword Intent—
What kind of enhancement would come from defeating higher-tier puppets on the upper floors?
The thought sent a surge of excitement through him.
"It seems... I'd better pick up the pace."
A faint smile flickered across Roy's lips.
He looked toward the distant horizon—
His next target... the Floor Guardian!
Inside the Sword Tower, there were a total of nine floors, each containing Guardians scattered throughout the world.
These Guardians were much stronger than the ordinary Sword Immortal Puppets of the same floor—
But still slightly weaker than the Sword Immortal Puppets on the next floor.
Only by defeating a Guardian could one unlock the passage to the next level.
However, Guardians were extremely rare compared to ordinary puppets—
Whether or not one could encounter them largely depended on luck.
Even a swordsman with Sixth Floor strength might find themselves trapped below the Third Floor if fortune did not favor them.
But Roy's luck wasn't bad.
Within just one day, he found a Guardian on the First Floor and defeated it with ease—opening the passage to the Second Floor.
Relentless Progression
Time passed swiftly.
Roy pressed forward non-stop—
In the blink of an eye, five days had already passed inside the Sword Tower.
By now, he had reached the Fourth Floor.
Logically, with his Mid-Tier Sword Intent—already nearing a breakthrough—
Roy's limit should allow him to reach at least the Seventh Floor.
However, without finding the Guardians, he had no choice but to wait—
And those Guardians were far harder to locate than ordinary puppets.
"Five days..."
On a barren patch of ground, Roy walked at a leisurely pace, lost in thought.
"I've killed dozens of Sword Immortal Puppets, but the improvement they bring is... far too insignificant."
To ordinary swordsmen—
Especially those below Mid-Tier Sword Intent—
Slaying these puppets would have been a tremendous boon.
But to Roy, their effects were barely noticeable.
Only Fifth-Tier or higher Sword Immortal Puppets could yield meaningful results—
And ideally, he needed to challenge cross-tier opponents.
But such opportunities could not be forced.
"Hmm?"
Roy's eyes suddenly narrowed—his gaze falling on a hidden corner among jagged rocks.
The ground was covered in moss, giving the area a damp, desolate air.
However, if one looked carefully—
A small blade-shaped grass peeked out from the moss, shimmering faintly with silver light.
"Sword Intent Grass!"
Roy's eyes lit up.