A sword gate stood at the mountain peak, three hundred meters tall. Clouds floated by its sides. Tens of meters wide, it was majestic and grand, resembling a gateway to the heavens set between the sky and the verdant mountains.
Looking up...
It looked like a divine palace descending from the empyrean, shimmering with a sacred light. It didn't look like a physical object, but rather a phantom illusion.
In modern terms, it would be called a holographic projection; in the parlance of this era, it was a mirage.
Above the sword gate were three large characters: [Heaven Beyond the Sword].
Xu Xian looked up at the gate, pointing at the script on the lintel and reciting softly, "Heaven Beyond the Sword..."
All three people beside him were stunned, their gazes shifting from the gate to the young man in a daze.
Ye Xianyu asked in surprise, "You recognize these characters?"
Xu Xian looked back at the three of them, reading the confusion in their eyes, and casually said, "Just a wild guess."
The script on the sword gate was not from Fanzhou, yet Xu Xian recognized it.
Li Qingshan's lips twitched. 'Who is he trying to fool?' He was truly lying through his teeth without even a hint of a blush.
Wen Qingxue remained silent.
Ye Xianyu, however, questioned him, "You can guess something like this?"
Xu Xian made up an excuse on the spot. "I heard someone mention it. Heaven Beyond the Sword—it just happens to be three characters, so it fits."
Ye Xianyu clicked her tongue and looked down, choosing not to press further.
Wen Qingxue and Li Qingshan, however, exchanged a look of mutual skepticism.
This gate was the entrance to the Sword Mound; therefore, everyone in the sect called it the Sword Gate. The three characters written on it were indeed 'Heaven Beyond the Sword'.
In the entire sect, those who knew these three characters could be counted on one hand. Not even Li Qingshan knew them.
He claimed he heard someone mention it? False. It had to be false.
There was only one truth: he recognized the script. This was an incredible revelation, but not entirely incomprehensible. They suspected it had something to do with his four years of enlightenment within the sword stele.
However, since Xu Xian was unwilling to speak of it, they didn't intend to pry further. Instead, they got straight to the point.
Ye Xianyu went straight to the matter at hand. "Alright, let's talk business. I assume Little Wen has already told you about the situation in the Sword Mound?"
Xu Xian nodded. "She mentioned a few things."
Ye Xianyu looked up at the Sword Gate, standing with her hands behind her back. Her voice was solemn as she spoke. "The Sword Mound is the foundation of our Wendao Sword Sect. The world outside has coveted it for a long time. Any disciple of our sect who reaches the foundation establishment stage may enter through this gate to seek an immortal sword."
"Since Little Wen has already explained it to you, I won't nag. If there's anything else you're unsure of, ask now. If not, go in and claim your sword."
Xu Xian actually did have a question. He immediately asked, "Senior Sister, do you know how many swords are in the Divine Sword Pool?"
As if expecting Xu Xian to ask this, Ye Xianyu showed no surprise. On the contrary, Wen Qingxue, who was standing nearby, cast a curious and longing gaze toward her.
Ye Xianyu smiled. "I don't know. I've never been up there."
Pausing for a moment, she added certainly, "However, what I can tell you is that after the fourth Sword Heaven's Immortal Sword Pool, the stone steps do not end; they continue upward. Therefore, there must be another level of Sword Heaven above. As for how many steps there are, or how many swords lie there, or if a sixth Sword Heaven exists beyond the fifth... no one knows. Not even the Master knows. The reason it's called the Divine Sword Pool is simply because gods rank above immortals. Thus, it's called the Divine Sword Pool, nothing more."
Xu Xian nodded instinctively, understanding the situation.
So, the so-called fifth Sword Heaven was a theoretical construct. In reality, no one had ever seen it.
Ye Xianyu suddenly patted Xu Xian's shoulder and smiled softly. "Perhaps you can give us the answer."
"Huh?" Xu Xian was taken aback.
Ye Xianyu nodded in encouragement.
Xu Xian curled his lip and clicked his tongue. "Senior Sister, you think too highly of me."
It was true he had some talent, but Xu Xian didn't think for a second that he was stronger than the legendary Sword Ancestor. Playing with his brain might be one thing, but climbing those sword steps was a test of physical constitution, willpower, and perseverance. He knew himself well enough to know he didn't excel in that field.
Ye Xianyu said nothing more. Opportunities are seized by oneself, and destiny takes its course. Xu Xian would walk his own path, and she had no need to interfere.
She simply glanced at Li Qingshan and signaled, "Xiaoshan."
Li Qingshan understood immediately. He stepped forward and, from his storage ring, took out a white pill as large as two fists, thrusting it in front of Xu Xian.
Xu Xian instinctively backed away, not forgetting to take a bite of the bun in his hand. He asked unclearly, "What are you doing? What's this?"
Li Qingshan remained silent.
Wen Qingxue took the initiative to explain. "A Spirit Ration Pill. It's for eating."
Xu Xian froze.
Ye Xianyu stared at Xu Xian's rounded belly and said gloatingly, "There are specific laws within the Sword Mound. Once you step through that Sword Gate, you cannot use any external items. However, claiming a sword can take as little as a few days or as long as several dozen days, and it consumes an enormous amount of energy. Therefore, the Elixir Hall specifically created these Spirit Ration Pills for disciples. Once you eat one, you won't feel even a hint of hunger for two months, no matter how much energy you expend. Every disciple who enters the Sword Mound eats one of these."
She didn't forget to emphasize one point. "It's free of charge, you know."
Xu Xian was dumbfounded. His eyes widened as he stared at the pill, which was nearly the size of a soccer ball. The bun in his hand suddenly lost its flavor, and the food in his mouth felt like it was stuck in his throat.
The mischief in Li Qingshan's eyes grew even more pronounced as he teased, "It just came out of the oven this morning. Eat it while it's hot."
Xu Xian turned to Wen Qingxue, his face darkening.
"Little Wen, care to explain?"
Wen Qingxue acted confused. "Explain what? I don't understand what the Little Grand-Uncle is saying."
Xu Xian pointed at the Spirit Ration Pill. "If this existed, why didn't you say so earlier?"
Wen Qingxue replied matter-of-factly, "You didn't ask."
Li Qingshan forced the Spirit Ration Pill into Xu Xian's hands, his expression somewhere between a smile and a smirk.
Ye Xianyu squinted her eyes, looking on in anticipation.
Wen Qingxue looked away, acting as if it had nothing to do with her.
Holding the Spirit Ration Pill, Xu Xian felt like crying but had no tears. He felt like he was being toyed with, but he had no proof.
He truly hadn't asked.
Yesterday, he had actually mentioned it to Lin Qianqian. She had told him that she ate a very large pill before entering the Sword Mound and had even gestured its size. At the time, Xu Xian just thought Lin Qianqian was being hyperbolic.
How could a pill be that big? Even a dung ball wasn't that large. Was this a joke?
She had also specifically emphasized that her master had given it to her. Xu Xian had thought back then that since he didn't have a master, and given the Wendao Sword Sect's high standards for an ancestor, he shouldn't expect anything and could only rely on himself. That was why he had woken up before dawn and roused Zhou Tao.
He had drunk four large bowls of spiritual porridge, eaten ten boiled spiritual bird eggs, plus ten large buns.
Now, his stomach had reached its limit. He couldn't eat another bite.
Staring at the pill in his hand, Xu Xian instinctively swallowed hard. He looked at the three of them and stammered, "Um... I've thought about it. How about I come back tomorrow? I'll go back and... consolidate my state a bit more."
Ye Xianyu's figure blurred, appearing behind him just as he turned around. Their eyes met.
She said with a beaming smile, "No can do."
Xu Xian didn't back down, saying righteously, "If I don't go, can you actually force me?"
Ye Xianyu cracked her knuckles, her smile turning sinister. "Hehe! Little Junior Brother, if you don't behave, your Senior Sister will have to spank your bottom!"
Xu Xian's hair stood on end, and he felt a cold chill run down his spine.
Wen Qingxue stepped to the side.
Li Qingshan crossed his arms, enjoying the show.
Xu Xian swallowed hard, staring at the pill in his hand. After a difficult internal struggle, he said speechlessly, "Childish. Fine, I'll eat it."
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