Chapter 276: Revival
Shen Yue, Yan Daozong, and Bai Ning’er advanced along the stone pillars, exploring this palace of the Supreme Sword Sect.
The palace was incomparably long. Though the ceiling above remained bright, its far end was shrouded in darkness, as though it stretched on without end.
“Do you think those figures might have encountered some terrifying existence?” Bai Ning’er suddenly asked. He was not afraid in the slightest—after all, Shen Yue was here.
In his view, the more dangerous the place, the greater the opportunity.
Yan Daozong replied, “It’s very possible. Judging from their posture and movements, they seemed to be fleeing.”
Shen Yue did not speak. He walked at the very front, his gaze fixed ahead.
His Sword Intent had already spread outward. He felt as though a pair of eyes were watching them, which made him deeply uncomfortable.
The reason he said nothing was to avoid alerting the enemy.
They continued forward.
At last, they saw the end. Ahead stood a massive gate, five zhang wide, split open from the center. Ancient illustrations were carved upon both doors, depicting what seemed to be a tribe encircling and hunting a ferocious beast.
By this point, there were no longer any luminous crystals above them. The giant gate ahead appeared sinister and eerie in the dimness.
“I feel that once we push this door open, something very bad will happen,” Bai Ning’er swallowed and said softly.
Yan Daozong’s expression grew solemn. He felt uneasy as well. Yet having come this far, were they to turn back?
Shen Yue hesitated too, debating whether to open the gate.
What they failed to notice was that figures had begun emerging from the stone pillars behind them. These figures were dressed in varied attire, both male and female, their faces filled with terror. Their eyes had no pupils—only pale white. They seemed to have descended from another world, landing silently upon the ground.
Before long, the entire hall behind the three of them was filled with shadowy figures.
Shen Yue suddenly turned around, his expression changing drastically.
Yan Daozong and Bai Ning’er turned as well, equally startled.
“Did these people come out from inside the pillars?”
Bai Ning’er felt his scalp go numb. So many figures had appeared out of nowhere, each with strange postures—how could one not feel fear?
Shen Yue frowned tightly. He did not sense any Ghostly Energy from them. Extending his Spiritual Sense, he saw only strands of Vital Energy taking shape.
Was this some kind of spell?
At that moment, the densely packed figures turned in unison and staggered toward them.
Yan Daozong glanced at Shen Yue and asked, “What should we do?”
Shen Yue replied, “Let’s hold them off first and see what happens.”
Hearing this, Yan Daozong immediately rushed forward, drawing the treasured sword from his waist.
Bai Ning’er likewise took up the Clear Sky Sword. He swiftly cast a spell, chanting the Mountain Lord Divine Incantation, summoning a massive Mountain Lord that charged ahead.
Yan Daozong and the Mountain Lord were like tigers entering a flock of sheep—unstoppable. Those shadowy figures could not withstand even a single strike and were repeatedly cut down into white vapor that dissipated.
However…
As more and more figures were destroyed, they discovered that new ones continued to emerge from the stone pillars—unceasing and inexhaustible.
Shen Yue frowned. After pondering for a moment, he decided to retreat.
If he were alone, he might have taken the risk. But with Yan Daozong and Bai Ning’er here, he had to think carefully.
“We…” Shen Yue had just begun to speak when the entire palace suddenly trembled, interrupting him.
Bai Ning’er turned around, his gaze landing upon the mysterious giant gate behind them.
He suddenly heard a voice calling out to him.
“Fated one…”
“Fated one, your immortal fate lies here…”
Bai Ning’er thought he had misheard, but the voice continued, speaking more and more.
He looked at Shen Yue. Shen Yue was staring ahead, clearly having heard nothing.
His instinct told him the voice came from behind the giant gate.
Ever since embarking upon the Path of Cultivation, he had encountered opportunities one after another. Such experiences had made him increasingly confident, always believing he could turn danger into safety.
Just like this time—perhaps if he pushed open this gate, he could resolve their current predicament. Not only that, he might even secure tremendous benefits for the sect.
Though Bai Ning’er held no particular official authority within the Clear Sky Sect, every time he gained something, the sect rewarded him generously. His status had clearly risen. Even the Clear Sky Sect Upper Ranks treated him with courtesy, knowing that the Sect Master valued him highly.
For the Sect Master’s grace, he had to try.
Having made up his mind, Bai Ning’er walked toward the giant gate.
Shen Yue glanced at him and said, “If you open it, there may be calamity. I may not be able to protect you and leave alive.”
Bai Ning’er replied, “We came here to explore this place. How can we fear danger?”
He placed both hands on the giant gate, feeling its icy cold surface.
It was not as heavy as he had imagined. He felt he could push it open with just a gentle shove.
Precisely because it was so light, he hesitated.
He turned his head back. Yan Daozong was still fighting. Though the shadowy figures posed no real threat to him, their sheer numbers made it seem as though they might engulf him at any moment.
Clang—
The giant gate suddenly opened a crack. Bai Ning’er instinctively tried to leap back in shock, but a hand shot out from the crack, grabbed his wrist, and forcibly dragged him inside.
Shen Yue’s expression shifted slightly at the sight. He immediately rushed through the gate, vanishing into the darkness.
Yan Daozong, still fighting, sensed the disappearance of their auras. Turning around, he saw that Shen Yue and Bai Ning’er were gone, and the giant gate stood open by a crack.
He immediately charged toward the gap, while the vast swarm of mysterious figures surged after him, ultimately slamming into the gate and forcing it shut once more.
…
After the Grand Dao Tournament entered the Top Sixty-Four, the Clear Sky Sect became even more lively. Aristocratic clans and nobles from all across the Nine Provinces arrived in droves—first to broaden their horizons, second to seek immortal fate.
In just half a year, the number of registered disciples in the Clear Sky Sect increased by five thousand—an astonishing figure, and that did not even count the even larger number of menial disciples.
With the founding of the Xuan Dynasty and peace under heaven, people from all corners of the Nine Provinces could traverse mountains and rivers to pursue immortal fate. The world placed immense trust in the Clear Sky Sect. The number of disciples recruited daily would only continue to rise—it had not yet reached its true peak.
The goal of one million disciples that Li Qingqiu had previously set no longer seemed so distant. Yet he did not wish to reach that target too early.
As disciples’ cultivation levels grew higher, their consumption of Spirit Stones, Spiritual Plants, Blessed Land quotas, and other resources increased accordingly. Li Qingqiu had already begun to feel the pressure.
Recently, Li Qingqiu had issued orders to the Tempering Hall, instructing them to increase missions to explore secret realms and ancient ruins. Aside from the Mountain Valley discovered by Jiang Zhaoxia, disciples had already found a small Spirit Mine.
For Spirit Mines located too far away, Li Qingqiu adopted a mining strategy rather than converting them into Blessed Lands.
While the Grand Dao Tournament continued in full swing, Li Qingqiu had not been idle, constantly dispatching additional personnel for such matters.
On this day, within Lingxiao Courtyard, Zhang Yuchun, Chu Jing, and Xue Jin sat opposite Li Qingqiu, awaiting his instructions.
A certain clan had discovered a Spiritual Lake. A member of that clan cultivated within the Clear Sky Sect and fully understood the importance of a Spiritual Lake. Thus, they had intended to keep it secret—but the matter was still uncovered by the sect.
Seeing Li Qingqiu hesitate, Chu Jing spoke first, “Sect Master, we must act. This precedent cannot be set. Without the immortal arts bestowed by the Clear Sky Sect, they would never even recognize the value of a Spiritual Lake.”
“Exactly,” Zhang Yuchun agreed. He shared the same view.
Xue Jin said, “I can personally make a trip.”
Though the Grand Dao Tournament was still ongoing, he was willing to forgo it for the sake of the sect’s interests.
Li Qingqiu lifted his gaze and said, “Of course we must act. I am only considering the manner in which we proceed. First, persuade the clan’s disciple. At the same time, send people to seal off their clan. If they willingly hand it over, the sect must not treat them unfairly. If they refuse, then we reclaim it. Regardless of their choice, this matter must be made public. It will serve to demonstrate to the world the Clear Sky Sect’s stance and bottom line.”
With the Xuan Dynasty honoring the Clear Sky Sect alone, and all resources within the Nine Provinces ultimately belonging to it, Li Qingqiu did not fear public criticism. He had to establish a domineering image in this matter.
When it came to tangible interests, respect was far less effective than fear.
Seeing Li Qingqiu so resolute, Chu Jing let out a sigh of relief. Zhang Yuchun smiled faintly—his senior brother had indeed not changed.
Once Li Qingqiu finalized the strategy, the three immediately departed to carry it out.
After they left, Li Qingqiu began pondering where to establish the next branch city. Only by casting a wide net could the Clear Sky Sect’s control over the world’s resources grow firmer.
Just then—
Li Qingqiu suddenly sensed something. He looked up toward the horizon, his brows furrowing.
“That direction… the west… Yuzhou?”
His eyes flickered as he muttered to himself. He sensed a powerful aura erupting suddenly, as though something had just broken free from a seal and was now venting itself wildly.
He thought of the Supreme Sword Sect that Shen Yue and the others had gone to seek—it was located in Yuzhou.
After a moment’s consideration, Li Qingqiu leapt into the air, transforming into a streak of sword light as he shot toward the horizon.
…
Amid the mountain ranges, dust billowed into the sky. A vast forest was collapsing, and rolling dark clouds began gathering overhead.
Shen Yue, Bai Ning’er, and Yan Daozong leapt out from the dust one after another, landing upon a cliff. Turning back, they saw that the underground cave from which they had burst forth was now buried beneath debris, yet within the dust they could see a figure slowly rising.
“Is he human or ghost?”
Bai Ning’er widened his eyes and asked in a trembling voice.
At this moment, his hair hung loose, and his face bore numerous bloodstains. He looked utterly disheveled.
Yan Daozong’s robes were torn in places, though he was uninjured. Shen Yue, however, appeared completely unscathed.
Shen Yue stared at the rising figure within the dust and said, “He is human, not a ghost. It seems he sealed his own body, waiting for the right moment to revive.”
Upon hearing this, Bai Ning’er’s expression changed drastically. He instinctively reached toward a Storage Pouch at his waist.
“How many years has it been… This seat has finally come back to life…”
A greedy voice echoed through the mountain ranges, like that of a man just awakened from sleep.
Before the words had fully faded, streaks of lightning pierced through the dust among the mountains. A black-clad man revealed himself, floating high in the air, barefoot, with white hair hanging loosely over his shoulders. Like a demon suspended in the sky, bolts of lightning burst from within his body, striking down trees below and shattering the surrounding mountain walls.
Shen Yue felt the other’s aura and grew gravely alert.
The other’s cultivation was stronger than his.
Could this man be a cultivator of the Supreme Sword Sect?