Only Two Dare to Challenge the Southriver Sword Sect

Everyone followed the guide across the swamp, most people moving with extreme caution, terrified of taking a wrong step and sinking into the mire—a risk that simply wasn’t worth it.

Evan Lin walked along, relaxed and unhurried. Out of all these people, he was the only one with a backpack, making him stand out as a bit of an oddball.

After half an hour of trekking forward from the swamp, they arrived at a rocky stretch of ground.

Stepping onto solid ground, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Not far ahead, a long flight of stone steps climbed up the mountain, looking steep and imposing.

"This spot is the foot of Heavenly Sword Mountain. Our Southriver Sword Sect sits right at the summit."

The man glanced back at everyone and began his introduction: "If you've made it this far, it means you’re more gifted and physically tougher than most people."

"But getting here is just the beginning."

He swept his gaze around at the excited crowd, then pointed at the stone steps and said calmly, "Head up these steps to the halfway point—there are 1,555 in total, and the gaps between them aren’t all the same."

"In half an hour, the climb begins. If you reach the sword-practice ground halfway up the mountain within three hours, you’ll pass the first stage of the entrance test!"

As soon as the man finished speaking, everyone looked up.

The stone steps in front of them looked ordinary enough. They were steep, sure, but nothing too outrageous.

"I heard there are two entrance tests for the Southriver Sword Sect. I thought it’d be something impressive, but it turns out it’s just climbing a mountain," someone muttered, shaking his head.

"Over a thousand steps? Won’t even take three hours—two at most. This kind of test is nothing to me!" said a burly guy, grinning confidently.

Harvey He glanced over, then turned to Selina Zhu with a smile: "Selina, if you get tired later and don’t want to climb, just let me carry you. I’m actually pretty good at this sort of thing."

"You?"

Selina Zhu shook her head. "You’d better worry about yourself."

"Why are we only going to the sword-practice ground halfway up? Shouldn’t we go all the way to the summit?"

While everyone else was sizing up the steps, a curious voice piped up from outside the crowd.

The moment he spoke, he drew a wave of contemptuous looks from those around him.

Everyone’s attention shifted to the backpack-wearing teenager standing off to the side.

"The summit is reserved for Southriver Sword Sect members. All the top experts cultivate up there. You haven’t even passed the entrance test, and you’re already thinking about the summit? Bro, you’re getting way ahead of yourself," someone said to Evan Lin, shaking his head.

"If you want to go to the summit, just keep climbing. As long as nobody stops you, go for it. If someone does, just ask them why not—maybe they’ll let you pass?" someone else joked, sparking a round of laughter.

People looked at Evan Lin like he was a complete idiot.

Selina Zhu glanced at Evan Lin, eyebrows furrowed. "Why are you even here? Aren’t you taking the test like the rest of us? Why are your questions so dumb?"

From the moment she’d spotted the backpacked boy, Selina Zhu had found him odd. Most people here knew at least a few others and moved in groups, but this guy hadn’t spoken to anyone the whole way.

That alone made Selina Zhu pretty curious.

"I’m not like you guys."

"You’re here to take the Southriver Sword Sect’s test. I was invited by the sect to tear down their stage."

Evan Lin looked at Selina Zhu, his expression serious as he spoke calmly.

"Pfft."

Selina Zhu was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh. She rolled her eyes and said, "Wow, you’re way more impressive than me. The Southriver Sword Sect actually invited you to tear them down? Who would believe that?"

"If you want attention, at least keep it within reason."

Selina Zhu had been curious about the boy in front of her, even a little interested.

But after hearing Evan Lin’s wild claim, she mentally wrote him off, figuring he was just saying outrageous things to get her attention.

Over the years, plenty of people had tried all sorts of tricks to get Selina Zhu’s attention. The Zhu clan was powerful in Oceanport, and landing Selina would mean a lifetime of easy success—a real leap to the top.

"You? Invited by the Southriver Sword Sect to tear them down?" Harvey He scoffed. "You’re not even qualified to be a stepping stone at the foot of their mountain. Keep running your mouth and you’ll break your own teeth."

"You should be glad we’re at Heavenly Sword Mountain with the Southriver Sword Sect. If we were back in Oceanport, guys like you who talk big—I’d smack every single one of you!"

The others all shook their heads, some even openly laughing. Most people looked at Evan Lin like he was a clown.

Selina Zhu was getting bored. The Southriver Sword Sect guide glanced at Evan Lin but didn’t even bother responding.

Across all of Jinnan, there were only a handful of people bold enough to challenge the Southriver Sword Sect.

Aside from Master Lin and Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin, who’d both popped up recently, there was hardly anyone else.

But after Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin snapped two Misty Rain Swords at the Moore family estate and left with Dustleave, he’d vanished without a trace.

The other, Master Lin, had forced Nathan Lin to his knees at the Su family birthday banquet, crushing his pride so badly he couldn’t even draw his sword. After that, the Southriver Sword Sect issued a formal challenge to the Su family, but so far Master Lin hadn’t shown up to accept.

Most likely, it was because even Master Lin was wary of the Southriver Sword Sect’s strength.

Master Lin and Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin—these two names had become nightmares haunting the entire Southriver Sword Sect.

Few realized that the two were actually one and the same.

Whether it was Zack Zhao or Drake Yu, both had fought against Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin.

It was Master Lin who crippled Sword Master Eric Cui and humiliated Nathan Lin.

The Southriver Sword Sect guide at the front recalled the recent tense atmosphere within the sect and, hearing the boy outside the crowd, found it all pretty absurd.

"The summit of Heavenly Sword Mountain isn’t for just anyone. Kid, my advice is to save your breath for climbing—if you can’t even make it halfway up, now that would be truly embarrassing."

The man smirked coldly and glanced at Evan Lin.

Evan Lin simply looked up toward the end of the stone steps.

His gaze was clear, completely ignoring the noise around him, as if he were lost in his own world.

Just then, Selina Zhu—who’d already turned away—suddenly sensed something and glanced back at the boy.

For a split second, she was stunned. It was like looking at a sword still sheathed—especially those pitch-black eyes of his, which seemed to have a kind of magic that drew people in.