Chapter Thirty-One: The Sect Master's Disciple

The storm finally subsided.

Feng Qian turned and left, his demeanor tinged with unwillingness and a sense of desolation.

Lin Fei tossed his headpiece onto the ground, instantly drawing countless gazes of reverence and admiration. The elders of the four main peaks stood silently by, as if waiting for something. Lin Fei’s eyes swept over the spot where Xia Yi stood, then he turned and walked toward Ye Xianghan.

Originally, he had planned to head to Mount Beiyou, as the Sea of Swords there was highly beneficial for cultivation, the environment was pleasant, and he could enjoy the sunshine in his leisure. But seeing Xia Yi, a thread of concern stirred in his heart. After three thousand years of wandering, he did not know what consequences he would face if his identity as a member of the demon race were exposed. More importantly, he currently lacked the strength to protect her. Thus, he decided to see for himself.

...

The crowd’s eyes followed Lin Fei’s movements, and a look of joy appeared on Su Yueke’s face.

"Lin Fei."

At that moment, a strange yet gentle voice broke the silence of the scene. Elder Fazhao was already standing beside him. Lin Fei turned to look at him. Su Yueke seemed to realize something, her expression shifting to one of anger and helplessness. Gu Chuanqiong and Guan Shao took deep breaths in the shadows, the atmosphere growing tense.

Ye Xianghan asked, "Elder Fazhao, may I ask if this is your personal intent, or..."

Elder Fazhao replied with a smile, "Today’s events are, naturally, by order of the Sect Master."

The Sect Master had not taken on a disciple for decades. If he truly intended to accept one, no one present would dare to stop him, nor would they have the authority to do so. A brief silence fell over the grounds.

Ye Xianghan asked again, albeit with some reluctance, "But I heard the Sect Master is in seclusion?"

Elder Fazhao responded with a smiling question, "Are you doubting me, or are you doubting the Sect Master?"

Ye Xianghan’s expression changed, and she fell silent.

Elder Fazhao turned his head and spoke kindly to the youth, "Would you like to come with me to Mount Dongming first? There might be something there that interests you."

"What is there?"

"Swords."

Lin Fei was silent for a moment, then asked, "I heard that the Sect Master is the strongest sword cultivator on the continent today?"

Elder Fazhao chuckled and said, "I do not know, but I imagine that is about right."

Lin Fei nodded, gently ruffled Xia Yi’s hair, tapped the forehead of the young fox, Xiaobai, and said, "Remember to take care of yourself."

Elder Fazhao took a step forward and placed his right hand gently on the youth’s left shoulder. The next second, a long rainbow of light erupted from the ground, soaring into the sky. In the blink of an eye, the two figures vanished into the distant horizon.

The morning sun rose slowly at the edge of the sky, casting golden light across the earth. The disciples present stared at the beam of light vanishing toward the east, stunned. The events of this long night had been far too bizarre. First, Xia Yi unexpectedly became their junior martial aunt, then the renowned Feng Qian of Mount Xiling lost face in front of everyone, and finally, Lin Fei seemed poised to become the personal disciple of the Sword Sect’s Master. Any one of these three events would be enough for them to dwell on for quite some time.

Some quick-witted disciples began to cast odd glances at Zhao Xiuyuan. Xia Yi had inherited the red silk of the previous Master of Mount Nanmi, leaping to become everyone’s junior martial aunt. As for Zhao Xiuyuan, who had inherited the sword of the late Martial Uncle Wentian of Mount Beiyou, what would his fate be?

The elders and deacons of the other twelve peaks, though slightly regretful, had ultimately gained something. As the matter drew to a close, they departed with their disciples. Before leaving, Xia Yi bid farewell to Zhao Xiuyuan, then stood on her tiptoes to ruffle Fang Zhenghua’s hair, saying in a mature tone, "Little nephew, I’m off then."

Zhao Xiuyuan nodded silently, while Fang Zhenghua rolled his eyes unabashedly. The elders could not help but smile at the sight of the spirited and adorable little girl.

Ye Xianghan remained behind, as she still needed to guide the disciples who had not been recognized by the ancient swords. On the way back, Gu Chuanqiong saw Zhao Xiuyuan’s silent expression and teased, "What, do you also want to be the Peak Master’s junior brother?"

"I wouldn't dare," Zhao Xiuyuan replied with a bitter smile, quickly denying it.

Someone looked up at the sky and asked with curiosity, "Isn't it said that flying on a sword within the Sword Sect triggers the killing intent of the Divine Surprise Sword Array?"

"Triggering the sword array is due to the backlash of sword energy," Ye Xianghan explained. "Elder Fazhao has reached the 'Void-Piercing' realm and can soar freely between heaven and earth using his own cultivation."

Upon hearing this explanation, a sense of excitement surged in the hearts of the crowd. With a sword whistle cutting through the sky, the ancient sword Qiankun flew away from the top of Sword Tomb Mountain and returned to the Great Sword-Casting Platform. Sword Tomb Mountain was once again slowly shrouded in mist, returning to its usual mystery and tranquility.

...

Deep within the Sword Sect, a hundred zhang above the ground, a massive mountain floated in the air. Amidst the swirling clouds, one could vaguely see rugged cliffs, plunging waterfalls, vibrant flower fields, chain bridges, and a few unassuming wooden huts. The rising sun cast its radiance, illuminating the place like a celestial paradise, beautiful and dreamlike. Few knew that Mount Dongming, where the strongest member of the Sword Sect resided, was actually situated above the sky.

A long rainbow streaked across the heavens. The two appeared at the foot of the mountain. Lin Fei surveyed the mountain before him and marveled, "I never expected Mount Dongming to be an entire innate spiritual treasure; what a grand gesture."

Fazhao looked at him with some surprise and explained, "This mountain is called Wentian. Hidden within it is a massive meteorite from beyond the heavens. It possesses powerful magnetism and, invisibly, gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to aid in cultivation. Whether it is precious is one thing, but it is certainly extremely rare."

Lin Fei asked, "Then why didn't we fly directly to the summit?"

Elder Fazhao shook his head and said, "One cannot fly within the mountain. Whoever comes here must walk on foot from this point forward. Also..."

Lin Fei noticed the other's hesitation and said directly, "If you have something to say, feel free to speak."

Elder Fazhao looked at Lin Fei and said slowly, "In truth, the Sect Master is still in seclusion in the Heaven Beyond Heaven and has not specifically named anyone as his disciple. What I said earlier was a lie."

Lin Fei was not surprised; he simply nodded, signaling the other to continue. From the beginning, he had harbored doubts about Elder Fazhao’s words because there were too many loopholes. Even now, he had not sensed the aura of a Saint-realm sword cultivator on the mountain, which only confirmed his guess.

"But before the Sect Master went into seclusion, he instructed me to bring the strongest of this generation's disciples here."

Elder Fazhao looked at Lin Fei with burning eyes, his tone tinged with relief. "At first, I did not know who that person was, until I saw you. In just one day, you completed the Sword Spirit Blood Inheritance. You are the second person in our Sword Sect’s millennium-long history to do so."

If the Sword Spirit Inheritance was an acknowledgment of the chosen one's talent, the Sword Spirit Blood Inheritance was akin to a bloodline succession that recognized a master. To have the notoriously aloof sword spirit accept a master on the first attempt could only be explained by the word "talent." This was also why Feng Qian had been so despondent when he saw the sword mark on Lin Fei’s forehead last night.

Lin Fei did not ask who the first person was; he simply asked calmly, "And then?"

Elder Fazhao looked toward the winding mountain path and said firmly, "As long as you can walk to the top, you shall be the Sect Master’s personal disciple."