Han Yi turned back to look into the distance, waved his hand, and transmitted his voice across the miles. "Come!"
The old man, who had been agonizing over whether to ring the ancient bell, gave a sudden leap. In a series of bounds, he traversed the mountains and fields, landing at the foot of Tianmen Mountain.
Then, like a gust of wind, he rushed to the summit in a single breath.
Without a flush on his face or a catch in his breath, he bowed respectfully. "Third-generation disciple Ling Mu pays respects to the Ancestors, the Sect Master, and the Peak Master."
The six of them turned around, gazing at the old man, and gave slight nods in response.
Han Yi clasped his hands and returned the salute. "Brother Ling, there is no need for such formality. The Ancestors wish to know who exactly is inside the Sword Mound."
Ling Mu glanced at the group and said solemnly, "Reporting to the Peak Master, there is no one inside the Sword Mound."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the group shifted subtly. The Fifth Ancestor, dressed in green sword robes, asked in a deep voice, "Xiao Mu, are you certain there is no one?"
"I would not dare speak falsely!" Ling Mu stated firmly. He then added, "Furthermore, no light has appeared from the Sky Gate in recent days. I do not know what has happened, but the aurora has appeared again today."
Receiving this definite answer, the seven of them fell into silence.
No one was in the mound?
Then where did the five-colored aurora come from?
Back in early spring...
When the Little Junior Brother entered the Sword Mound, the five-colored aurora had appeared once. At that time, they thought he had climbed the legendary Divine Sword Pool.
After the light faded...
Less than a day later, the Little Junior Brother had staggered out leaning against the walls. He hadn't pulled out a divine sword, but the Little Junior Sister said Xu Xian had told her with certainty that the Divine Sword Pool existed.
They hadn't thought much of it then, assuming the unprecedented five-colored aurora was something the Little Junior Brother had triggered by accident.
Just like the sword stele.
Perhaps the Little Junior Brother had unexpectedly stumbled upon some fortuitous encounter within the Sword Mound.
After all, he had stayed inside for four long months.
But now, half a year later...
Clearly, no one was in the mound, yet the five-colored aurora had appeared again. This could not help but cause them concern.
Once was a coincidence.
Twice required a reason.
Was it a good thing?
Or a bad thing?
It was impossible to tell.
Their thoughts were a mess for a moment, and they were inevitably filled with unease.
The Sword Mound was the very foundation of the Wendao Sword Sect. If something went wrong there, the foundation would be unstable, and the sect would be in peril...
Han Yi lowered his voice and said softly to Ling Mu, "Brother Ling, you may return for now. Thank you for your hard work."
Ling Mu nodded and withdrew silently.
Han Yi remained standing quietly to the side.
Ye Xianyu was the first to break the silence. "I feel that this might be a good thing."
Lei Yunche asked coolly, "What makes you say that?"
Ye Xianyu spoke bluntly, "The five-colored aurora is so beautiful; it must be an auspicious sign..."
Hearing this, the expressions on the others' faces became quite colorful as they looked at Ye Xianyu.
The Ninth Ancestor, who looked like a fading Old Immortal and was Ye Xianyu's former master, smiled dotingly. "Oh, Yu'er, you're still the same as ever. You never learn your lesson."
The Sixth Senior Sister, Wan'er, gave a faint smile. "Exactly. You little nympho, 'beautiful' is lovely, but beauty can sometimes be even more dangerous. Like a rose with thorns or a poisonous poppy, fatal traps are often hidden beneath a beautiful exterior."
Ye Xianyu did not argue and slumped back, giving up.
Two against one.
She clearly had no chance of winning.
The Fifth Senior Brother shook his head, his gaze heavy. "I hope it is as Little Ten says—that this is a good thing and not a bad one..."
The Eighth Ancestor was a burly man with a booming voice. "Don't worry, Eldest Senior Brother. I performed a divination earlier. The hexagram shows that the Wendao Sword Sect's fortune for the next thousand years is excellent. There shouldn't be any major problems."
The others looked at him with inscrutable expressions.
Ye Xianyu especially pouted. She couldn't agree with the Eighth Ancestor's divination skills at all.
With his level of skill, one might as well toss a coin; the probability of being right would be higher.
However... for now, they could only hope for the best.
They could not enter the Sword Mound.
They could not see through that gate.
And they certainly couldn't fathom the mystery of the five-colored aurora...
While the Ancestors were discussing and debating, Xu Xian was about to draw a sword at the Divine Sword Pool...
Within the Divine Sword Pool.
There were twelve divine swords.
Each one was imprisoned by countless cold chains, yet they still radiated a vast and majestic sword pressure.
As Xu Xian appeared, the cold iron chains on one of the swords began to crack inch by inch.
In the blink of an eye, the thousand iron chains wrapped around it all snapped, scattering across the ground. The sword simply stood there, its tip buried in the floor.
Pitch black.
Ancient.
Rusty.
An old sword, steeped in the vicissitudes of time.
The Little Book Spirit urged from the side, "Master, that is the sword of the first floor. Go on, take it. It has been waiting for you for a very, very long time."
Xu Xian took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright!"
He stepped forward, crossing over the cold chains and moving through the forest of swords until he stood before this particular blade.
Above his head was the scorching sun and blue sky with white clouds, but around him was a bone-chilling cold, exceptionally sharp.
Standing amidst the twelve divine swords...
It felt as if he were surrounded by twelve ancient behemoths, each one looking down upon him.
Heartless.
Overbearing.
Wild and untamable.
They continuously released an invisible pressure toward Xu Xian, like a warning or a test.
He was clearly the master of the Sword Mound.
Yet it felt more like he had walked into their den.
Only this single sword right in front of him did not exert any pressure on him.
Surging killing intent and turbulent winds...
Having experienced the battle of Yecheng, Xu Xian was no longer the youth who had first arrived here.
He was more sensitive to killing intent.
Yet, he was also fearless.
He held his breath and focused, slowly raising his hand to grasp the hilt of that sword.
The moment his fingers closed around it...
A violent surge of energy swept outward. The entire sword pool erupted with howling winds and crashing waves.
Xu Xian's long hair whipped wildly, and the corners of his robes snapped loudly.
His mind buzzed incessantly.
Buzz!
Buzz!!
Buzz!!!
Xu Xian stared at the sword, his eyes momentarily losing focus.
His vision extended infinitely. In his mind, a fragment of an unfamiliar memory surged like a tide, flashing frame by frame like a slideshow.
He seemed to be standing at the peak of a mountain range, overlooking a continent.
He saw that the continent was bleeding, a vivid crimson.
No.
That wasn't blood.
That was magma—scorching, molten lava!
Suddenly, the earth shook and the mountains swayed. Magma erupted, and countless volcanoes exploded simultaneously.
Molten rock shot into the sky, its momentum like a reverse waterfall.
Then, a cry rang out.
"Kree!"
High-pitched and loud, it drowned out the roar of the world.
He saw a giant bird spreading its boundless wings, traversing the firmament. Its feathers were like flames, burning the very sky to cinders.
Before Xu Xian could recover from his shock...
The bright sky darkened.
A black shadow eclipsed the sun.
Raising his eyes slightly...
Xu Xian glimpsed a terrifying figure standing high at the summit of the heavens.
He was infinitely massive, looking down upon the entire continent. His eyes seemed to contain stars, as vast as two nebulae.
Every movement carried the power to destroy the world.
He saw the figure reach out a massive hand.
He actually plucked a star.
With a wave of that massive hand...
The star fell toward the world, smashing into the giant bird.
Then, the figure made a grasping motion.
A giant hammer appeared in His hand. He raised it high and struck down.
Boom!!
The entire world trembled violently before shattering apart.
The giant bird shrieked.
The star deformed.
The world collapsed.
Xu Xian was filled with an indescribable shock.
Each roar, each strike of the hammer, was like a violent storm, like the sifting of great waves.
The youth's throat bobbed as he whispered in disbelief:
"He is forging a sword!!"
Rate on N.U.
