Chapter 300: Accumulating For Ten Months

Chapter 300: Accumulating For Ten MonthsBang!

The first collision shook the air itself, sending thin cracks rippling across the step beneath their feet. Their swords moved so fast that even a powerful True God standing nearby would have seen only blurs of silver and black dancing like lightning.

But for them, it seemed like a simple thing as they continued to clash for some time. Their attacks were simple; there were no fancy moves or techniques, not even a drop of divine energy was used, yet their single swings were stronger than most true gods full-strength attacks.

Despite the clash being without techniques, the sheer force behind each strike shattered the space around them, leaving cracks in the air like fractured glass.

Each strike felt like a fragment of truth, a distilled lesson from countless battles fought across millennia, passed from one swordsman to another.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sword met sword, their movements so fluid and instinctive that it felt less like a battle and more like a dance between two masters who understood each other perfectly—even though they had never met before this moment.

The ancient swordsman’s shadowy aura was sharp, unrelenting, and filled with the wisdom of the past. But Apollo’s Eternal Sword Aura was boundless, constantly growing, adapting, learning even in the midst of combat—a sword path that refused to be defined by past rules.

Apollo’s eyes remained calm.

He was learning.

Every clash was a page turned, and every collision of blades was another step toward the peak of sword mastery.

They fought for some time, but it was time to end as from the beginning the strength shown by the ancient sword shadow wasn’t enough to stop him. But he felt he couldn’t lean more fighting the ancient sword shadow; hence, he drew out the battle this long.

And now he felt he basically understood what could be understood; it was time to end this battle and move forward.

"It’s time."

With that simple thought, Apollo’s body vanished from its place, reappearing just inches from the ancient sword’s shadow. The speed, the angle, the intent—all were flawless, as if the entire flow of battle had been leading to this exact moment.

A single swing. No technique name. No fanfare.

Just a pure and absolute strike, compressing all of his will and eternal sword aura into the edge of his sword.

The shadow raised its blade in response—but it was too slow.

The shadow froze. A thin line of silver light bisected its body.

Shatter.

The ancient sword shadow silently dissolved into countless motes of light, returning to the monolith. The 101st step was his.

The moment the ancient sword shadow dissolved, it transformed into enigmatic sword power and merged with him. He appeared to become enlightened at that same moment, and as fresh ideas kept coming to him, he began to feel his sword aura getting better.

Old flaws in his stance, subtle inefficiencies in his movements—things so small they were barely worth noticing—all illuminated under this newfound clarity.

He stood there, eyes half-closed, body motionless, yet his spirit was dancing through endless sword forms, polishing his understanding at terrifying speed. The Eternal Sword Aura within him trembled in excitement, refining itself instinctively, as if the ancient sword shadow had left behind a final blessing—a seed of ancient wisdom.

This mysterious sword power remained within him for some minutes, like a gentle tide washing over his mind and body. Before it completely disappeared along with the mysterious feeling.

He opened his eyes, feeling the improvement, and then calmly stepped onto the 102nd step.

The moment he entered, the intensity of sword rule increased as it became clearer. Here understanding sword rule was at least 30% faster than the 101st step.

It wasn’t just faster understanding. It was deeper. The sword rule here didn’t just reveal surface-level insights. It dug into the roots of swordsmanship itself, peeling back layers of mysteries.

He understood why the 102nd step and beyond was considered the domain of true sword geniuses.

Apollo stood there silently for a moment, feeling this new clarity settle into his bones. His grip on his sword shifted slightly—lighter, yet infinitely sharper—a natural adjustment born from pure understanding.

But it is far from it; he needed deeper understanding so he could not stop and could only move forward.

Time flowed like water, and as the sky above the Celestial Sword Monolith shifted between day and night, Apollo’s silhouette never faltered. Each step was both a lesson and a test, and through these tests, his understanding of the Eternal Sword Aura was continuously refined as he sword shadowed at each step.

Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months.

Ten months passed.

Ten months have passed since he came here, and he had reached the two hundredth step. His Eternal Sword, although still 99% percent, seemed to materialise and appear stronger than most sword rules understood by swordsmen of the Eternal God realm.

He now was going to face the ancient sword shadow guardian to reach the 201st step.

This was the ancient sword shadow guardian of the second major checkpoint.

Unlike the previous sword shadows he had faced at the last 99 steps, this guardian was different. Its presence leaked into the air even before it fully formed, and the surrounding sword aura instinctively parted around the invisible figure, as if even the Monolith itself respected this ancient spirit.

For most, this was an impossible wall. To clash with a swordsman at this level, with nothing but the sword in your hand and the aura in your heart, was the ultimate test of sword mastery. No tricks, no techniques relying on divine power, just sword against sword, will against will.

This battle wasn’t going to be easy as from this stage it had reached the threshold of eternal god level. And just with swordsmanship and sword aura, it is definitely going to be the most difficult challenge he has faced until now.

The ancient shadow finally fully manifested.

It stepped forward from the air itself, its form condensing from drifting sword aura into the shape of a man—but this was no ordinary figure.

The shadow stood nearly as tall as Apollo, clad in flowing robes that seemed to be woven from countless sword marks themselves. His face was obscured beneath a featureless mask, but from the slit where eyes should be, two thin beams of silver light pierced through the air.

His sword was ancient, so ancient that the blade looked dull, its edge worn down by eras of battle. And yet, the moment it appeared, the very space around it trembled—like reality itself feared being cut apart if this sword truly swung at full force.

Without a single word, the ancient shadow raised its sword in a simple stance—no fancy posture, no mystical technique—just a ready stance honed to the extreme. He seemed to merge with heaven and earth, and he seemed to represent the sword of heaven.

Apollo’s hand gripped his own sword, his breath slow, his mind empty of distractions. This wasn’t a battle of strength anymore. This was a battle of understanding.

Who truly understood the sword more?

The wind stopped.

The world fell silent.

And the moment their eyes locked—

The battle began.

Boom!

The moment their sword collided, it created a large space tear, and large shock waves radiated outwards, quickly gaining the attention of many other swordsmen on the two hundredth floor. As it isn’t every day somebody challenges the ancient shadow guardian here.

"Who’s fighting the guardian?!"

"This pressure... it’s not just sword aura—there’s something more!"

The two hundred steps were already quite high, and there aren’t many swordsmen of this calibre who appear here frequently. Not to mention, his constant climb throughout this ten months naturally attracted the attention of other swordsmen.

The ancient shadow guardian stood firm, unshaken by the shockwaves. Its featureless mask reflected nothing, but its sword vibrated slightly—not from weakness, but in recognition. This was no ordinary challenger.

Apollo didn’t stop to bask in the attention. His gaze locked on the ancient shadow, his heart calm as still water.

Without hesitation, they clashed again.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Every strike tore at space itself, leaving temporary rifts floating around them, like scars left by gods. The air itself howled under the weight of their sword. Swordsmen watching from a distance felt their own swords tremble in resonance, as if submitting to the duel unfolding above them.

As the duel continued, he started to feel different—a brand new power. His eternal sword aura, which had reached 99% for months, started to show transformation again.

Months of grinding let Eternal Sword Aura reach the peak of its threshold, and this battle forced it to break from its shell to complete its final transformation.

His concentration reached peak and everything around him seemed to disappeared only a small simple sword remained in his mind that seems to glowing with eternal brilliance that seems to above all.

And finally it seems to find its path and broke free...

Boom!