When they arrived at their destination, Yuan noticed a few familiar faces, all standing before a fist-sized red crystal that floated on a circular platform.

The first familiar face was Li Bowen from the Holy Sword Clan, and then there was the potty-mouthed Sword Empress. The other familiar faces were obviously the Holy Sword Maiden and the Holy Sword King.

Right as their arrival, Yuan could see a handsome man standing before the red crystal with a sword in his grasp and his body gushing with Supreme Sword Aura.

"You may begin," said a middle-aged man clad in the Gates of Heaven’s Sect Elder uniform.

Then, the handsome man swung his sword at the floating red crystal, striking it with his Supreme Sword Aura.

However, the red crystal remained undamaged, emitting a faint red glow the next moment.

"I’m sorry, but your Supreme Sword Aura is not strong enough to participate," said the Sect Elder.

"Damn it!" The handsome man clenched his teeth in anger and frustration.

"Hahaha!" The Holy Sword King suddenly laughed as he stepped forward.

"Let me show you how it’s done!"

He retrieved his sword and immediately surged with Supreme Sword Aura that was noticeably much stronger than the man’s.

Once the Sect Elder nodded, the Holy Sword King swung at the red crystal, causing it to emit a bright crimson light.

"Holy Sword King of the Holy Sword Clan, qualified," said the Sect Elder.

The man sucked his teeth in annoyance at the Holy Sword King but didn’t say anything since the Holy Sword King was clearly stronger than him.

After the Holy Sword King, the Holy Sword Maiden stepped forward and repeated the same thing, striking the red crystal with her Supreme Sword Aura.

The red crystal radiated a brilliant crimson light, comparable to that of the Holy Sword King, and perhaps even subtly stronger.

"Holy Sword Maiden of the Holy Sword Clan, qualified."

"Senior Huang, what do you think? Do you think we can become Sword Emperors?" The Holy Sword King asked the Sword Empress.

She snorted and said, "Just because you qualify to participate doesn’t mean you’ll qualify as a Sword Emperor. However, judging by your results, I think you’ll have a good chance of—"

The Sword Empress abruptly cut herself off when two figures caught her eye from the corner of her vision. Normally, such a sight wouldn’t warrant her attention, but one was the Sixth Elder, and the other wore a mask.

Ignoring the Sixth Elder, the Sword Empress focused her attention on Yuan, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Faceless Sword Emperor?" she muttered in a daze.

"What?" The others followed her gaze.

Since everyone who trained inside the Holy Sword Temple had fought the Faceless Sword Emperor, they were all familiar with his appearance.

"No way..."

The Holy Sword Maiden and the others were just as stunned as the Sword Empress.

After all, Yuan didn’t just resemble the Faceless Sword Emperor in stature—he was, in almost every way, his mirror image.

Yuan stepped up and asked the Sect Elder, "I just need to hit this crystal with my Supreme Sword Aura, right?"

"Yes, but you’re..." The Sect Elder looked at Yuan with raised eyebrows because of his low cultivation.

However, Yuan ignored him.

Without even drawing a sword, he simply extended a finger toward the crystal before channeling a vast amount of Supreme Sword Aura, all concentrated at his fingertip.

The Holy Sword Maiden and the Holy Sword King immediately frowned as they sensed his Supreme Sword Aura, as it was far superior to their own.

A moment later, Yuan unleashed his Supreme Sword Aura, directing it straight at the red crystal.

The crystal flared with a brilliant crimson light for a brief second, then abruptly dimmed as cracks began to spread across its surface.

"Ah?!" The Sect Elder exclaimed in a shocked and nervous voice when he saw the cracks.

The red crystal was renowned as the strongest and most durable material in the Nine Heavens when it came to withstanding sword auras, and only Sword Emperors would be able to damage it. Yet, Yuan had cracked it with such ease.

"Sorry, I didn’t think it would be so fragile," Yuan quickly apologized to the Sect Elder, who was speechless.

"Wait a second... that voice and cultivation!" The Sword Empress suddenly realized something and approached Yuan.

However, as she stood before him, she began doubting herself.

"No... it can’t be you..." she muttered.

She thought he was Yuan, but he’d entered the Holy Sword Temple a few years ago. There was simply no way he could’ve learned Supreme Sword Aura and honed it to such a terrifying degree in such a short amount of time.

"It is him." The Sixth Elder suddenly spoke.

The Sword Empress turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"He came out of the Holy Sword Temple a month ago, and we came straight here because he wanted to participate in the Sword Emperor Qualifications," she continued.

After hearing this, the Sword Empress turned to look at Yuan again.

Then, she spoke in a somewhat trembling voice, "I had expected you to be a True Reincarnator when I saw your talents at the Holy Sword Temple, and you’ve just confirmed it. If I had to gamble, I’d bet my entire fortune that you were the Faceless Sword Emperor in your past life."

"Him?! A True Reincarnator?!" The others exclaimed, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

Yuan smiled behind his mask and said, "You’re giving me too much credit. I’m flattered."

"Hmph!" A cold snort suddenly resounded, and the Holy Sword King stepped forward.

"Even if you’re the Faceless Sword Emperor’s reincarnation, I won’t lose to you! The Sword Emperor Qualifications are much more than just the strength of our Supreme Sword Aura!"

"..."

After staring at him for a second, Yuan pretended not to know him and said, "Sorry, but who are you?"

The Holy Sword King trembled in anger before responding in a loud voice, "I am the Holy Sword King, Zhang Wu Bing, the man who will defeat you! You better remember my name!"