41: Chapter 41 I understand!

The Nine Nether Sect has surrendered...

Its surrender was both reasonable and unexpected.

Facing the now incomparably powerful Imperial Dynasty, surrendering was considered a very normal matter.

However.

What was unexpected was how decisively they surrendered.

It was completely unlike the behavior of a major Holy Land Sect!

And in contrast to its actions.

Was another major Holy Land Sect—the Sword Pavilion.

Inside the Sword Pavilion at this moment.

From the Old Ancestors in the Celestial Realm down to every Elder, everyone was gathered in the Sect main hall with grave expressions.

It is worth mentioning.

There was not just one Old Ancestor in the Celestial Realm within the Sword Pavilion.

There were two!

This could be considered their source of confidence...

However, at this moment, even the Sword Pavilion, which possessed two Old Ancestors in the Celestial Realm, fell silent.

"Two Old Ancestors, according to the news, the Nine Nether Sect has already announced its dissolution. Where should our Sword Pavilion go from here?"

The one speaking was the Sect Head of the Sword Pavilion.

At this time, the only ones who could make a decision were him and the two Old Ancestors.

However.

As soon as his voice fell, one of the Old Ancestors slammed the table and stood up.

"Does this even need to be said? Our Sword Pavilion Cultivates the indomitable Dao of the Sword; how could we possibly surrender? Have you been a Sect Head for so long that you've become stupid?"

"Uh... this..."

Hearing these words.

Sect Master Qin Jinghan revealed an awkward expression.

He didn't want to surrender either...

But he was the head of a Sect; he had to consider the entire Sect!

How could he, as the Sect Head of the Sword Pavilion, not have received news of how strong the Imperial Dynasty's power was?

Not to mention anything else.

The Nine Nether Sect's strength was not weaker than theirs, yet the other party surrendered directly without even having the thought of resisting.

If their Sword Pavilion were to resist, they would very likely end up like the Xuantian Holy Land, completely buried by the Imperial Dynasty.

Therefore.

He had to be cautious...

"Enough! The Sect Head didn't say he was surrendering, so why are you getting so worked up? You're such a grown man, why are you so unable to keep your composure?"

The person speaking was named Ancestor Qin Zhenyue, one of the two Old Ancestors in the Celestial Realm of the Sword Pavilion.

And the one who had just slammed the table and stood up was his own younger brother by the same mother, Ancestor Qin Poyue!

Once Ancestor Qin Zhenyue spoke.

The tense, sword-drawn atmosphere in the main hall immediately eased a little.

He looked at his younger brother, his eyes carrying a bit of helplessness, but also a hint of kindness.

"Ancestor Qin Poyue! Sit down first. This matter concerns the survival of the Sect and is no child's play."

Ancestor Qin Poyue snorted heavily, but still sat back down as instructed, though his face remained livid.

His gaze swept over every Elder in the hall who showed hesitation, as if questioning whether their Sword Intent had become dusty.

And Ancestor Qin Zhenyue.

After seeing his younger brother sit down, he shook his head helplessly, then turned to look at Sect Master Qin Jinghan.

"Sect Head, tell us your thoughts, and all the news you have received regarding the Imperial Dynasty, in full detail."

Hearing this.

Sect Master Qin Jinghan first breathed a sigh of relief, then began to speak in detail.

"Two Old Ancestors, Elders! The power displayed by the Imperial Dynasty this time far exceeds our imagination."

"According to the news I received, the Tianxuan Dynasty has six powerhouses in the Celestial Realm alone, and that is just what they have placed on the surface; no one knows how many more there are in the shadows."

"The most critical point is... the current Emperor."

Speaking of this.

Sect Master Qin Jinghan's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling.

"The Emperor's manifestation that appeared that day was definitely not an illusion. It was caused by strength reaching a certain level! Its power... is immeasurable."

"It is said that the 'Old Ancestor of the Underworld River' from the Nine Nether Sect, who is known for being cautious and cunning, felt his heart and soul shatter the moment he sensed that manifestation, and he flatly stated, 'It cannot be opposed.'"

After Sect Master Qin Jinghan finished speaking, the main hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Although they had heard some rumors before, now that Sect Master Qin Jinghan had stated it in such detail, the impact was still enormous.

Many Elders who had originally harbored wishful thinking now turned pale.

More than six powerhouses in the Celestial Realm.

Is there any need for them to discuss this here?

They might as well just surrender!

Ancestor Qin Poyue couldn't help but speak again after hearing this, but this time his voice was much lower.

"Could it be... that our Sword Pavilion's thousand-year Legacy of the Dao of the Sword, the heart's blood of countless predecessors, is to be dissolved so humiliatingly? We Sword Cultivators would rather break than bend! If we lose this breath of unyielding Qi, our Sword Intent will become dusty, and how is that different from being a cripple? Even if we survive, what is the meaning of it?"

His words touched the hearts of many Sword Pavilion Elders.

They were able to Cultivate to their current Realm; which one of them was not a person of firm will and pure Sword Intent?

Surrendering and dissolving meant giving up the Sect's foundation, giving up the Legacy of the Dao of the Sword that had condensed their life's blood and faith, and even more, it meant bowing their heads to power.

For many Sword Cultivators who held "A swordsman would rather stay straight than bend" as their golden rule, this was harder to bear than death.

At this moment.

An Elder with white hair, who was responsible for the Sword Pavilion's Legacy of Sword Classics, slowly stood up, his voice hoarse but firm.

"What the Old Ancestor said is also the voice of this old man's heart. The soul of the Sword Pavilion lies in the 'Sword'. A sword is sharpness; how can one self-inflict the breaking of one's edge and crawl before others? This old man is willing to coexist and perish with the Sect, and with the sword in my hand, I will defend the thousand-year reputation of our Sword Pavilion!"

"Right! Coexist and perish!"

"There are no cowards among us Sword Pavilion Disciples who would live on their knees!"

"At worst, we fight! Let the Imperial Dynasty see whether the sword of our Sword Pavilion is sharp or not!"

"This old man is willing to coexist and perish with the Sword Pavilion!"

...

For a time, the crowd was indignant.

An atmosphere of tragedy and determination permeated the main hall.

Even some of the originally hesitant Elders were infected by this atmosphere, and Battle Intent reignited in their eyes.

"Sigh..."

After seeing this scene.

Sect Master Qin Jinghan sighed; how could he not want to be tough? But as the Sect Head, he had to consider more.

He was not afraid of death.

But if they chose not to submit, the Imperial Dynasty would definitely not let them go.

At that time.

Not only would they, the high-level members of the Sword Pavilion, die, but even the ordinary Sword Pavilion Disciples would not be spared.

Therefore.

According to his personal opinion, they should surrender; meaningless resistance was just throwing their lives away for nothing!

However.

He also knew that this matter was not something he could decide; in the end, it still depended on the will of the two Old Ancestors.

He hoped the Old Ancestors would not do something stupid.

The gap in strength between the two sides had already been stated very clearly; presumably, the Old Ancestors should know how to choose.

Seemingly sensing Sect Master Qin Jinghan's gaze.

Ancestor Qin Zhenyue nodded slightly toward him, as if saying, "Rest assured, I understand everything!"

Seeing the appearance of his Old Ancestor.

For some unknown reason, Sect Master Qin Jinghan suddenly had a bad premonition.

But before he could react, Ancestor Qin Zhenyue had already spoken.

"Everyone is right; a Sword Cultivator does indeed need an indomitable heart."

"However, being indomitable is not about blindly rushing to one's death. Our Sword Pavilion has been passed down to this day, relying not only on sharpness, but also on wisdom and the ability to assess the situation."

"A pure Sword Intent is a good thing. But as the pillars of the Sect, your responsibility is to ensure that the Legacy of the Dao of the Sword does not end, rather than indulging in momentary bravery and letting the thousand-year foundation of the Sword Pavilion be buried by your and my hands."

"The Nine Nether Sect surrendered because they saw the absolute gap in strength and chose the most rational, yet also the most humiliating, way to survive. Our Sword Pavilion is different from them."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over every Elder in the main hall.

"Our Sword Pavilion can die in battle, but we will never live on our knees."

Wait, what?

Old Ancestor, what are you saying? Is that what I meant?

Hearing his Old Ancestor's words.

Sect Master Qin Jinghan was stunned.

What does "We can die standing, but we cannot live kneeling" mean?