The back mountain of the Ling Family is extremely vast, with dozens of giant peaks piercing the clouds, shrouded in mist like a fairyland. From those peaks, faint sounds of martial arts training can be heard, with a vigorous aura permeating the sky.

Led by Ling Tingfeng, the two of them traversed for about ten minutes before finally stopping on a mountain peak near the core of the Ling Family. At the top, a massive ancient stone palace could be seen.

Surrounding the stone palace, there were roads made of green stones and piles of gravel, extending to various parts of the mountain peak. At this moment, there were also many Ling family disciples coming and going. Upon seeing Ling Tingfeng and Ling Chen, these disciples quickly saluted, casting curious glances towards Ling Chen, who had now become a renowned figure within the Ling Family.

Since Ling Chen made his bold claim at the Sword Pool, to enter the top ten of the Heavenly Sword Conference, his fame has exploded among the younger generation of the Ling Family. Furthermore, Ling Chen's great achievements on Qinglong Island made his reputation even more prominent among the young generation.

Ling Tingfeng nodded slightly at those Ling Family disciples and then, without diverting his gaze, led Ling Chen straight towards the ancient stone palace. As they approached, Ling Chen could perceive the imposing grandeur of the stone palace. Though the years had left mottled traces on it, these only intensified the aura of antiquity.

This antiquity symbolizes a family's deep heritage and tradition.

Following Ling Tingfeng into the stone palace, they encountered ancient wards that guarded the place. After unlocking these wards, a vast ancient world appeared before their eyes.

Inside the stone palace, many buildings stood, each exuding a different aura. From Ling Tingfeng, it was revealed that each building was a place for cultivating the Ling Family's secret techniques. The most magnificent palace in the center was where the Ling Family practiced the Sky-breaking Sword Technique.

However, Ling Tingfeng did not lead Ling Chen toward the most prominent palaces but instead headed for a low and simple building.

This building was entirely dark gray, seemingly covered with moss. Faint cracks could be seen, with cobwebs strewn about, clearly indicating that few people visited here.

"Inside here is the place for comprehending the Golden Sword Pupil."

Standing before the shabby building, Ling Tingfeng turned to Ling Chen and said.

"Here?"

Ling Chen showed a hint of surprise on his face. His gaze involuntarily swept to other places, seeing many buildings bustling with people, with young disciples and Elders frequently coming and going, yet theirs was devoid of any visitors.

It was as if it were a forbidden zone.

"Once you enter, you'll understand why no one comes here."

Ling Tingfeng said no more and stepped into the decrepit building. Ling Chen, too, followed without hesitation.

The moment they stepped into the building, a musty, ancient smell flooded their senses. Before them lay what seemed like an abandoned courtyard, where they could see scattered figures numbering a dozen or so.

Among these figures, some were meditating, some sparring, while others were sweeping the ground, giving off a desolate and chilly vibe.

These people varied in age, men and women alike, yet the aura they exuded was strong; even within the Ling Family, they were likely first-rate individuals.

Yet Ling Chen noticed a common feature among these people: their eyes were all dull and lifeless, obviously blind.

"They were once the family's top talents."

Ling Tingfeng glanced at these people and said lightly.

"Could it be..."

Ling Chen's expression changed slightly, he vaguely guessed the reason for their blindness.

"Exactly."

Ling Tingfeng nodded, "They ended up this way because they couldn't successfully cultivate the Golden Sword Pupil."

Hearing this, Ling Chen's heart couldn't help but stir. This Golden Sword Pupil was truly a terrifying secret technique...

"Well, do you still insist on learning it? If you want to give up, there's still time now." Ling Tingfeng said.

"The words have already been spoken. If I back down now, wouldn't I become the laughingstock of the entire family?"

Ling Chen shook his head. Though the price of blindness was too great to bear, there was no turning back now, only a full attempt could be made.

Ling Tingfeng had evidently anticipated Ling Chen's response. He nodded gently and said, "Since you're mentally prepared, I won't stop you. Whether you succeed or not depends on your personal fortune."

Guiding Ling Chen further into the courtyard, the two arrived at its depths, stopping in front of an ancient and fierce exotic beast sculpture.

This exotic beast sculpture was entirely jet-black, covered with hard scales, its muscular build exuding a sense of power. Even though it was just a stone statue, it emanated a haunting wave from it, as if the aura was from ancient times.

This exotic beast sculpture likely represented an ancient ferocious beast, but most striking were its eyes, as large as copper bells. They seemed to be made of gold, flashing with a strange light.

Upon seeing this exotic beast sculpture, Ling Chen's heart tightened. This sculpture was probably significantly related to the Golden Sword Pupil.

"To cultivate the Golden Sword Pupil, one must first pass the trial of this Golden-eyed Divine Beast Sculpture and condense the 'Golden True Eyes' before moving to the next step, which is to integrate sword qi with it, initiating the formal cultivation of the Golden Sword Pupil," Ling Tingfeng stated.

"Golden True Eyes?"

Ling Chen's pupils contracted. This Golden True Eyes was probably akin to Ling Yin's Heavenly Eyes, both formidable pupil techniques. However, while Ling Yin's Heavenly Eyes were innate, this Golden True Eyes was acquired through cultivation.

"Those blind individuals you saw earlier all lost their sight during the process of condensing the 'Golden True Eyes.'"

Ling Tingfeng's tone became grave, seemingly deliberately warning Ling Chen.

"Truly perilous indeed." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Ling Chen couldn't help but feel moved. He hadn't expected that just cultivating such a martial art could cause so many Ling Family talents to fall. No wonder Ling Tingfeng was so cautious.

Once blinded, it would be a tremendous blow to a talented warrior. Although a blind warrior could still rely on strong hearing and sense to compensate, the impact was still significant. Lacking sight for a prodigy was akin to losing a limb, making it challenging to keep pace with other prodigies, no matter how much effort one put in afterward.