Next to Ye Chen, Jiang Yao's clear and beautiful eyes also sparkled with excitement.
"Ye Chen, you did it, you really subdued the three Sword Intent Treasured Swords!"
These past few days, she had watched Ye Chen relentlessly train every day without rest, without ever slackening, all in order to overcome this most difficult of regions.
Now, Ye Chen had finally achieved it!
He had finally subdued the three fiercest Sword Intent Treasured Swords, and defeated every sword in this toughest region!
How could Jiang Yao not be thrilled, how could it not move her deeply?
Looking at the heart-stirringly beautiful girl beside him, and into her clear eyes, Ye Chen was slightly mesmerized.
"Ye Chen?" Being stared at by Ye Chen, a blush crept onto Jiang Yao's pretty face.
"Jiang Yao, thank you, thank you for your trust in me." Ye Chen looked at the delicate face before him, recalling how the girl had chosen to face the challenge with him without a moment's hesitation when he decided to tackle the area defended by the three swords, filling his heart with warmth, "We did it, we subdued these treasured swords together, we overcame this toughest region together."
"Yes, together." Jiang Yao's eyes also softened with a touch of a smile.
Seeing the soft smile in Jiang Yao's eyes, Ye Chen couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart, and on impulse, he reached out and grasped the girl's slim hand. The softness and warmth he felt made him reluctant to let go.
This was the second time he had held Jiang Yao's hand, the first being when he led her away from the danger of being pursued by a swarm of swords. Now, it was a completely ordinary moment, with a completely different meaning.
Suddenly having her hand taken by Ye Chen, Jiang Yao's cheeks flushed slightly, she struggled gently but, seeing Ye Chen hold even tighter, her heart began to race, she turned her head away, revealing her equally blushing, snow-white neck. Her small hand no longer resisted and allowed Ye Chen to hold it.
Although she had cultivated to the Spirit Sea Realm, 17-year-old Jiang Yao was still innocent when it came to feelings, having never been this close with any man before.
She felt both shy and happy, feelings she had never experienced in her 17 years, now only surfacing with Ye Chen.
Seeing the somewhat bashful girl and her gentle gestures, how could Ye Chen not understand their meaning, which eased his mind, which had been tense until now.
He was suddenly filled with boundless grand ambition, "Let's go, Jiang Yao, let's tackle the last region of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain!"
"Okay," Jiang Yao softly agreed.
The two, hand in hand, continued their ascent up Ten Thousand Swords Mountain.
At the summit of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain, Qian Jizi sat cross-legged looking down the mountain.
When he saw Ye Chen and Jiang Yao walking hand in hand, an image of a woman crossed his mind.
This woman loved to wear a light yellow dress, always riding a mystical ice-blue feathered bird, and always enjoyed, like Ye Chen and Jiang Yao, adventuring side by side with him.
"Lian Yue, I failed to protect you back then."
"Hopefully, Ye Chen can protect Jiang Yao!"
"This last stretch of the mountain is the true test, a test of one's inner heart!"
As Qian Jizi spoke, he pointed a finger towards one of the two light circles beside him, at the floating, fiery, sword-shaped Form Seed within the circle. The Crimson Seed immediately emitted a bizarre fiery glow, propelling it downwards with great vigor.
Not far below the summit, a row of nine treasured swords stood upright, and as the fiery red glow from the Crimson Seed reached them, all nine swords began to sparkle simultaneously. Endless streams of fire raged like a waterfall, cascading down Ten Thousand Swords Mountain, turning the entire upper region into an ocean of fiery cascades!
At the base of the immense Ten Thousand Swords Mountain, the Three-Eyed Giant Ape and the giant feathered bird both looked up towards the gigantic peak.
When they saw that the uppermost region of the mountain had been completely engulfed by the fiery waterfall, both the mighty magical creatures fell silent.
"Can Ye Chen and Jiang Yao pass this test of the heart?"
"Previously, pairs who journeyed together had reached this last stage, only to crumble and fall apart at the final moment."
"What will happen to Ye Chen and Jiang Yao?"
"If they fail the test of the heart, no matter how strong they are, they cannot inherit the flying swords of the two masters, nor do they deserve the invaluable legacy of the flying swords!"
"We hope they won't disappoint us!"
It's so hot! Unbearably hot, as if everything could be incinerated!
The higher Ye Chen and Jiang Yao climbed, the more they felt a weighty pressure they could hardly breathe under.
Especially Jiang Yao; she felt as though this heatwave was specifically targeting her, to the point where even the Sword Qi Spirit Liquid in her Sword Palace Acupoint ceased to leap.
When the two reached the upper region of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain and saw the whole area covered with the glow of the fiery waterfall, barely making out the row of nine treasured swords above, they knew that this waterfall of fire must be the phenomenon induced by those legendary nine treasured weapons.
"Is this the test at the topmost area of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain?"
Ye Chen observed the fiery waterfall of light that spanned a tremendous length of over a thousand yards from bottom to top. Crossing this vast fiery cascade would mean reaching the true summit of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain!
"Jiang Yao, how are you feeling?"
At this moment, Jiang Yao's small, snow-white face was engulfed in crimson; not the blush of shyness, but one brought on by the oppressive heat that made it hard to breathe.
Jiang Yao's slender eyebrows, curved like crescent moons, were tightly knitted together, and her delicate face showed signs of pain.