A few weeks ago, when Kent awakened the tower and was going through the messages, he discovered the true nature of his Primordial Genesis Sword Art.
It was at that very moment he made plans to obtain one for his master, whom he was trying to seduce at the time.
Thankfully, being the son of the universe who has access to the Universe Pool, he was offered a way to unlock the 5th sword path.
The quest required him to challenge 100 swordsmen in the Sword Gate of the Divine Palace Sect. Those were the details, and he had to win every single challenge.
Since then, he had kept it in the back of his mind, planning to undertake the quest as soon as he entered the sect with his master.
But who would have thought that a challenge would land in his lap like a morning coffee when he stepped through the sect’s doors?
The sect—or more specifically, the Sword Gate of the sect—had a trial called the Trial of the Sword. It was the most difficult trial in the entire sect, mainly due to its harsh conditions.
The challenge was a duel-style trial where Kent had to face 50 people from the Sword Gate and win against all of them within five days. In fact, if he lost even one duel, the punishment dictated that he would be crippled.
This trial was reserved for those who had committed a grave offense that could not be easily forgiven.
However, since its inception, only three people have attempted the trial, and all were crippled before they could win their fourth match.
“Master, please, isn’t this a bit harsh?” Saintess Selene, who had turned pale upon hearing the punishment imposed on Kent, shouted at the Gate Master, appealing to their past relationship as master and disciple.
“Harsh? Yes, but he deserves it for being arrogant,” Gate Master Mara said, though her tone betrayed a hint of doubt in her own words.
“Master, please,” Saintess Selene pleaded again, but the Gate Master ignored her. She turned to Kent, who was smiling calmly back at her.
“Two days from now, you will enter the Trial of the Sword, where you will face 50 Sword Masters and Grandmasters. You must win all 50 duels within five days, or you will be crippled and expelled as a disciple of the Sword Saintess,” Gate Master Mara declared firmly.
Kent turned to the pale Saintess and chuckled.
“Sorry, but I don’t think this is fair,” Kent said, making Gate Master Mara shrug indifferently.
“You don’t have a say in this. The duel is already set,” she replied coldly. Though her voice was steady, she was clearly suppressing her anger.
She may have met with the Prince of the Kyrrith Kingdom about a potential marriage proposal that would benefit the Sword Gate of their sect. Inter-kingdom marriages like this happen all the time, and this time, it was her turn to enjoy the privilege.
But upon seeing her jewel had been tainted, she became furious. She resolved to ensure that Kent regretted his actions.
However, despite her sharp perception, she failed to realize that she had just challenged an arrogant dragon who thrived on chaos.
“If you’re going to measure my worth, why not make it 100 Sword Grandmasters instead? I mean, 50 Masters and Grandmasters sound like you’re making things too easy for me,” Kent said with a smug smile.
His words, of course, took everyone by surprise. Even Gate Master Mara couldn’t maintain her composure.
“I don’t mean to disrespect, but I don’t think things will look good for your Sword Gate when the news spreads that a random 18-year-old stormed the sect, challenged 50 swordsmen, and won like it was nothing.
At least if the news is going to travel, it should sound more like this: a handsome young man, the kind every mother would want near her daughters, stormed into the Sword Gate of the Divine Palace Sect and challenged 100 Grandmaster swordsmen, winning every match as if it were nothing.”
Kent moved closer to the Sword Gate Master and said something that made her raise an eyebrow.
“I mean, would the disciples be able to fight someone who possesses sword intent, sword qi, and a Sword Body?”
As he said that, Kent unleashed all three, causing the Gate Master to take a few steps back. She glanced toward the Saintess, who now had a smug expression.
At that moment, the Gate Master realized she had made a mistake. However, since she had issued the challenge, she could only try to find a way to take it back.
Yet her words faltered, unable to escape her lips, as Kent spoke again.
“My name is Kent. Kent Madson. I am the one and only disciple of the Sword Saintess Selene. Two days from now, I will challenge 100 Grandmaster Swordsmen to a duel.
If you have the guts—or the courage—to take up the challenge, then meet me wherever the Trial of the Sword is held.
If I lose, I will accept being crippled and expelled.
However, if you win, you will receive this Heaven-Grade Sword Skill, these one million Spirit Stones, and a signed contract from the Sword Saintess herself stating that whoever defeats me will become her disciple.
I will leave all the rewards with the Gate Master to ensure there’s no cheating. See you losers later!”
The disciples who heard his challenge began spreading the word, exaggerating it further with each retelling.
Naturally, in two days, thousands would gather, eager to challenge the arrogant Kent, who may have just angered the entire sect with his brazen words.
With that, the Sword Saintess, along with her three sisters, left the gate and headed toward her residence. She wanted to drop Kent off before taking Unity and Elsa to where they could register.
The Gate Master, who had received the three items, stood there for a few minutes before leaving with her five disciples.
Just now, she had sensed something when Kent unleashed his aura. It was the kind that only those who have fought and killed for thousands of years could wield, and thus, she knew that in two days, she would witness something that would change her worldview.
Of course, she had no intention of hoping for his victory. However, even with that thought, she could tell she had no way of preventing it. She could only ensure he never succeeded.
If only she knew that in two days, Kent would make another announcement that would shatter the will and passion of many swordsmen.
At that moment, she would realize one thing…
In all the 1,003 years she had lived and the hundreds of battles she had fought, for the first time in her life, she would understand the sentence many immortals had passed down to the ancestors:
“There are the Talented, the Geniuses, and the Prodigies. However, beyond these three, there exist those known as Monsters.”
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A few hours after Kent made his declaration, news began to spread throughout the Sword Gate and even reached the other gates.
Everyone who heard the news had the same reaction—they clenched their fists in anger. The audacity of the challenge was simply too much.
However, when they learned about the stakes of the challenge, everyone smiled. Just like that, the sword geniuses within the Sword Gate started registering their names.
In two days, they would teach that arrogant bastard, who dared challenge them all, a lesson. After all, he was the disciple of everyone’s idol… the Sword Saintess.