401: Chapter 401 Jian Yuan

Just as his palm was about to land on Gao Feng, a streak of sword light shot out from Gao Feng's chest.

It was the Sword Heart Token.

The single sword strike Jian Chen had left within the token had been triggered.

That sword light was silent but so fast that even Elder Zhao couldn't react in time. It flew from Gao Feng's chest and pierced straight toward Elder Zhao's heart. Elder Zhao's expression changed drastically as he retreated frantically, but the speed of the sword light far exceeded his imagination.

"Puchi!" The sword light pierced through his protective spiritual light, leaving an inch-deep wound on his chest. Blood splattered, and Elder Zhao was sent flying several yards by the sword light, smashing through the stone railing at the edge of the Sword God Platform before falling pathetically below the stage. He clutched his chest, his eyes filled with horror.

The sword light quickly dissipated after completing its mission, as if it had never existed. But above the Sword God Platform, the phantom of Heavens Punishment had not yet fully dispersed.

Elder Zhao gasped for air, blood continuously gushing from his wound; his cultivation at the seventh level of the Golden Core was utterly defenseless before that sword light. He opened his mouth to say something but could not utter a word—because someone else spoke for him.

"Junior Brother Zhao, what are you doing?"

The voice came from above the Sword God Platform, calm and without anger, yet carrying a majesty that one dared not defy.

The Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect—Jian Wuwei.

He had appeared above the Sword God Platform at some unknown moment, standing with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering lightly in the wind. His face was resolute, and his gaze was deep as an abyss, showing no emotion. But the moment he appeared, all the Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples below the stage knelt down.

Elder Zhao struggled to say something, but Jian Wuwei raised a hand to stop him: "No need to explain. The nine trials have been passed; the rules cannot be discarded. Men, take Elder Zhao back to his peak to rest and recover. He is not to leave without orders."

Several Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples stepped forward, supported Elder Zhao, and withdrew from the Sword God Platform.

Jian Wuwei turned his gaze toward Gao Feng. He looked at Gao Feng for a moment and said indifferently, "The Sword Intent Spirit-Guiding Technique will be sent to the guest house shortly. Your exchange at the Heavenly Sword Sect ends here."

Having said that, he turned and disappeared into the clouds and mist at the mountain peak.

From beginning to end, he did not ask how Gao Feng passed the nine trials, who gave him the Sword Heart Token, or if Elder Zhao's injury was serious. He only did two things—stopped Elder Zhao and fulfilled the Sect Master's promise.

Elder Li closed his ledger and walked up to Gao Feng. He took out a Jade Slip from his sleeve and presented it with both hands: "This is the complete copy of the Sword Intent Spirit-Guiding Technique. It was personally sealed by the Sect Master; there will be no falsehood."

Gao Feng took the Jade Slip and tucked it into his robes. "Thank you, Elder Li."

Elder Li shook his head: "No need to thank me. This old man is merely enforcing the rules. I will record your trial results truthfully in the archives." He paused, looking at Gao Feng, "I have not reported the matter regarding Elder Jian Chen. You need not mention it to others either."

Gao Feng nodded.

Elder Li said no more and turned to leave. The Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples who had originally surrounded them also dispersed.

Lin Yue sat on the ground, leaning against the stone railing, with Yaoguang kneeling beside him, stuffing Medicinal Pills into his mouth. "I told you I'm fine," Lin Yue's voice was a bit weak, but he was still smiling.

"Shut up." Yaoguang didn't look at him; her tone wasn't heavy, but the way she stuffed the pills was a bit rough.

Gao Feng walked to his side, stepping over the shattered formation patterns and stone debris. He sat down, placing his vajra sword across his knees; the nicks on the blade shimmered with a quiet light in the afterglow of the setting sun. In the distance, the sea of clouds surged, cradling the main peak of the Heavenly Sword Sect in mid-air, solitary and solemn.

Behind him, the teammates were each cleaning up the mess—those with depleted spiritual power or damaged Meridians were all taking medicine and regulating their breath under Yaoguang's arrangement. No one complained, and no one celebrated; everyone just tacitly did the task at hand, bringing this trial to a close.

Gao Feng held the vajra sword, the patterns on the blade remaining as quiet as ever in the twilight. The Late Stage Golden Core level three Qi in his Dantian circulated slowly, having gained a minor Realm since he arrived—not a world-shaking Breakthrough, but enough. He exhaled a long breath, sheathed the vajra sword, and stood up to walk down the mountain, with the others following suit.

Above the sea of clouds, the phantom of Heavens Punishment had completely dissipated, and the Sword God Platform returned to its silence of thousands of years. The bluestones of the steps had been worn into smooth indentations by countless Heavenly Sword Sect Cultivators, and now, they were marked by the footprints of a few outsiders. No matter how many footprints there were, they would all be scattered by the wind.

On the way back from the main peak, Gao Feng kept thinking about the last thing Jian Wuwei had said. "A scar is not killing intent."

He wasn't sure if it was praise or something else, but at least it showed that this Heavenly Sword Sect Sect Master had a much more accurate eye for judging people than Cang Song's faction.

When they returned to the guest house, Luo Li was sitting under the porch wiping her zither strings. Seeing him return, she put away the cloth and stood up. "What did the Sect Master say?"

Gao Feng recounted Jian Wuwei's words. When he mentioned the words "Sword Abyss," Chu Lan poked her head out from the room, still holding a handful of spiritual plant seeds. "Sword Abyss? That Forbidden Ground of the Heavenly Sword Sect? I read a travelogue in the Wuxiang Sect's Scripture Pavilion that said very few people who enter that place come out."

"When did you read that travelogue?" Lin Yue leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.

"Before we set out, I flipped through all the information regarding the five sects in the Scripture Pavilion," Chu Lan said as if it were a matter of course, her gaze falling on the red-marked area on the map. "The travelogue was very vague, only saying it's an ancient battlefield where Sword Intent and Devilish Qi intertwine, and there are monsters in the depths, though it didn't specify what kind. The author of that travelogue hadn't entered either; it was just hearsay."

Su Ning took the map, her finger tracing the marked route once: "From the entrance to the location of the Jade Slip, the straight-line distance isn't long, but the terrain is complex. With wraiths and demonic creatures, the actual distance might double. Also..." She pointed to several unmarked areas on the map, "These places have no route markings at all; they might be places predecessors didn't explore, or places they explored but didn't return from alive."

Tianxin pulled a stack of Talismans from her sleeve and laid them out one by one on the table: "The underground environment is damp and dark; ordinary Talismans can easily become damp and fail. I've modified several types of waterproof and moisture-proof Talismans, but their power will be compromised. We need to test the effects on the outskirts of the Sword Abyss."

Lin Yue picked up a protective jade pendant and inspected it under the light: "Last time in the Sword Domain, four pendants were shattered. I've replaced three, with one still missing. I'll pull an all-nighter to finish it before dawn."

Yaoguang counted the medicine bottles, categorizing rejuvenation pills, detoxification pills, and life-prolonging Golden Core pills, placing a portion under each person's name. She didn't say anything, but she placed an extra bottle of life-prolonging Golden Core pills under Lin Yue's name.

Lin Jingyu sat on a stone stool in the corner of the courtyard, resting his sword across his knees with his eyes closed to nourish his spirit. Situ Lan stood at the guest house entrance, gazing toward the horizon, her thoughts unknown.

Gao Feng put the Sword Abyss map and the Demon Suppressing Talisman into his Myriad Spirit Space and said in a deep voice: "We set out early tomorrow morning. Everyone, get some rest tonight."

The group dispersed.

Just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the nine of them were already standing in front of the guest house. Situ Lan had changed into a dark-colored martial outfit, with her azure phoenix sword hanging at her waist and her hair tied tighter than usual. She walked up to Gao Feng and spoke in a quiet but clear voice: "Senior Brother Gao Feng, I have been to the outskirts of the Sword Abyss. Before leaving the Heavenly Sword Sect, I once searched for Grandmaster's remains at the edge of the Sword Abyss. I am familiar with the outer terrain; let me lead the way."

"Alright." Gao Feng did not ask further.

The group descended along the mountain path on the north side of the main peak. The morning mist of the Heavenly Sword Sect was very thick; one couldn't see anyone ten steps away. Su Ning walked in the middle of the group, using the Space Power to sense the surrounding terrain and prevent anyone from getting lost. Chu Lan held a "Fluorescent Grass" that glowed; the leaves emitted a soft cyan-white light in the mist, barely illuminating the stone steps beneath their feet.

The further north they went, the narrower the mountain path became, and sword marks began to appear on the stone walls on both sides. Those sword marks were denser and more chaotic than those at the Heavenly Sword Sect's mountain gate, looking like the final strikes thrown with all their might by countless people before death. Some sword marks still contained faint traces of Sword Intent—not pure Sword Qi, but a complex emotion mixed with resentment, anger, and despair.

Elder Li was waiting at the entrance of the Sword Abyss. Seeing them arrive, he closed the ledger in his hand with no intention of opening it. "This is the entrance to the Sword Abyss." He stepped aside, revealing a diagonal downward crack behind him, about three yards wide and bottomless; the wind blowing out of the crack carried a scent of decaying iron rust.

The path beneath their feet was a naturally formed stone slope with an incline of about thirty to forty degrees, covered with a thin layer of moss. The stone walls on both sides were so high the tops couldn't be seen, and sword marks and broken murals were faintly visible in the darkness. Two kinds of scents permeated the air—one was Sword Intent, sharp and cold; the other was Devilish Qi, foul and putrid. The two scents intertwined like a bizarre state of fire and water coexisting.

Situ Lan walked in the second position of the team, her gaze sweeping over the stone walls on both sides. "I've been here," her voice echoed in the empty cavern. "From that broken stone tablet forward, another two hundred steps is where Grandmaster last sent a message."

Lin Jingyu walked at the very back of the group, his long sword unsheathed by three inches, staying alert to any movement from behind. The entire team moved downward quietly, with only the sound of footsteps and the occasional rolling of loose stones breaking the silence.

After walking for about half an hour, the passage became more open, and a massive underground space appeared ahead. The dome was dozens of yards high, supported by several thick stone pillars carved with runes, some of which still faintly glowed with light. This had once been the assembly hall for ancient Sword Cultivators, but now it had become a place where wraiths wandered.