671: Chapter 671 Lu Xueqi and Biyao (50)

Su Han held the jade pendant, which still carried a lingering warmth, and shook his head with a bitter smile. This ice beauty of Yuheng Peak didn't seem as cold as she appeared on the surface.

When he returned to Tianya Peak, Su Han was shocked by the sight before him.

From the foot of the mountain to the summit, all the Disciples of Tianya Peak stood in neat rows on both sides. Seeing Su Han's return, they bowed in unison: "Welcome back in triumph, Senior Brother Su!"

The sound shook the heavens, soaring straight into the clouds.

Elder Lin stood at the very front of the line, his old face covered in a gratified smile, and his eyes were even a bit moist: "Good! Good! Good! Su Han, today you have earned great face for my Tianya Peak! From this day forward, all Disciples of Tianya Peak shall treat seeing you as they would treat seeing me!"

"Elder, you overstate things," Su Han hurriedly returned the salute. "This Disciple only did what should be done."

"What should be done?" Elder Lin laughed heartily. "Do you know that it has been a full eighty-seven years since anyone from Tianya Peak entered the top three of the Seven Peaks Tournament, let alone taken first place! Eighty-seven years!"

The old man's voice choked up slightly, and the surrounding Disciples lowered their heads one after another. Every Disciple had deeply felt the decline of Tianya Peak over these years—they received the fewest resources, had the strictest recruitment, and were often mocked by other Peaks when out on trials.

But today, Su Han had broken the Dharma Idol with a single sword strike, suppressing all rivals to take first place, finally allowing Tianya Peak to hold its head high!

"I have ordered a victory feast to be prepared. Tonight, Tianya Peak shall not rest until everyone is drunk!" Elder Lin waved his hand with heroic spirit.

That night, Tianya Peak was brightly lit, and the sound of laughter was endless. Even those Senior Brothers and sisters who had been in seclusion for years came out just to see this Junior Brother who had made history for Tianya Peak.

Su Han was surrounded by the crowd, with cup after cup of wine being toasted to him. He was not naturally good at drinking, but in this atmosphere, he couldn't help but have a few extra cups.

Halfway through the banquet, Su Han found a gap to slip out and went alone to the edge of the cliff on the back mountain. The cool night breeze dissipated some of his intoxication.

"What, not used to this kind of scene?" a gentle voice came from behind him.

Su Han turned and saw it was Elder Lin, and hurriedly bowed.

Elder Lin waved his hand and walked to his side, looking out at the continuous lights of the Qingyun Sect below the mountain alongside him: "I know you have a quiet nature, but today's glory is what you deserve; there's no need to feel burdened."

Su Han was silent for a moment before speaking: "Elder, this Disciple has one thing I do not understand."

"Speak."

"When I used the 'Heaven-Opening' Sword Intent today, I vaguely felt that there seemed to be more than one consciousness within the tianya sword," Su Han chose his words carefully. "Besides Senior Sister, is there another presence?"

Elder Lin's body visibly jolted. He snapped his head toward Su Han, his eyes flashing with complex emotions like shock, hesitation, and nostalgia. After a long time, he let out a long sigh: "You really did sense it... It seems it has chosen you."

"It?" Su Han pressed.

Elder Lin did not answer directly but instead asked: "Do you know the origins of Tianya Peak?"

Su Han shook his head. He had only been in the Sect for a short time and did not know much about its history.

"A thousand years ago, Tianya Peak was not called Tianya Peak, but 'Sword Tomb Peak'," Elder Lin looked into the distance, his gaze far-reaching. "At that time, this Peak was not one of the seven branches, but a Forbidden Ground where the swords of fallen experts from the Qingyun Sect's history were buried."

"Until seven hundred years ago, a peerless Genius emerged. His Aptitude was mediocre, but he had a persistence for the Dao of the sword that surpassed ordinary men. To comprehend the Dao of the sword, he applied to enter Sword Tomb Peak as a gravekeeper, and he stayed for thirty years."

"During those thirty years, he kept company with ten thousand swords, listening to the remnant souls within the swords tell stories of the past and comprehending the Sword Intent of the sword masters from when they were alive. Finally, on a night with a full moon, he found a broken sword deep within the Sword Tomb. That sword was pitch black and incomplete, yet it contained earth-shaking Sword Intent."

"He was the founding ancestor of our Tianya Peak, Immortal Master Tianya. And that broken sword is the current tianya sword."

Su Han held his breath; this was the first time he had heard of the tianya sword's origin.

"After obtaining the sword, the Ancestral Master entered seclusion for ten years. On the day he emerged, he split the clouds with a single sword strike, drawing Nine Heavens Divine Thunder to perform Body Tempering and achieving the rank of Star Venerable. He petitioned the Sect Master of that time to rename Sword Tomb Peak to Tianya Peak, establishing it as its own branch dedicated to the Dao of the sword."

"For the next three hundred years, Tianya Peak produced many talents, and sword geniuses appeared in succession, once becoming the head of the seven branches. Until four hundred years ago."

Elder Lin's voice grew low, carrying an unspeakable sorrow: "Four hundred years ago, the Demonic Path invaded in force, and the Qingyun Sect bore the brunt of it. That battle shook the foundations of the world, and Star Venerables fell like rain. The Peak master of Tianya Peak at the time, who was also my Grandmaster, took the tianya sword to face three Great Demon Sovereigns, ultimately perishing along with the enemy."

"After Grandmaster fell, the tianya sword was severely damaged, and its sword spirit almost dissipated. Worse still, for some reason, an extremely evil will appeared within the sword—a will full of violence, slaughter, and destruction, attempting to erode the wielder's mind."

"Successive Peak masters tried everything but could not eliminate it; they could only use a Formation to Seal it within the sword. But the Seal requires a massive amount of Star Power, causing the wielder's cultivation speed to be greatly reduced. This is also why, for four hundred years, Tianya Peak has not produced another top-tier powerhouse and has gradually declined."

Su Han was shocked. He finally understood why there was a consciousness full of destructive aura in the tianya sword besides Senior Sister. He also understood why the cultivation of previous wielders had difficulty progressing—most of their Star Power was used to maintain the Seal!

"Then Senior Sister..."

"Qingyin, that child..." Tears welled up in Elder Lin's eyes. "She was the most talented Disciple of Tianya Peak in a hundred years, condensing a sword heart at eighteen and stepping into the Star Palace Realm at twenty-five. To revive Tianya Peak, she volunteered to become the master of the tianya sword."

"For the first ten years, she improved at lightning speed, reaching the Peak of the Star Palace Realm at forty, just one step away from the Star King rank. We all thought the revival of Tianya Peak was in sight. But just as she was preparing to break through to the Star King Realm, the evil will in the sword suddenly erupted..."

Elder Lin's voice began to tremble: "That night, the cry of the sword echoed through the entire Sect. To suppress the evil thoughts, Qingyin did not hesitate to burn her Divine Soul to reinforce the Seal. By the time we arrived, her Physical Body was destroyed, leaving only a wisp of a remnant soul attached to the sword..."

Su Han's fists clenched tight, his nails digging deep into his palms. He finally understood why Senior Sister only had a remnant soul left, and why she always seemed so calm and indifferent yet occasionally revealed a sorrow that reached her very bones.

"So, when you gained the recognition of the tianya sword, I was both gratified and worried." Elder Lin turned to look at Su Han, his expression incredibly serious. "Your talent is even higher than Qingyin's, and your future achievements are limitless. But after four hundred years of being sealed, the evil thoughts in the sword have not dissipated; instead, they have become more cunning and powerful. It has been waiting, waiting for a host strong enough..."

"Is the Elder worried that I will be eroded by the evil thoughts?" Su Han asked.

"It's not just erosion." Elder Lin shook his head. "The most terrifying part of those evil thoughts is that they will subtly influence the wielder's mind, making the wielder gradually agree with its philosophy—that destruction is Rebirth, and slaughter is eternity. When the wielder completely falls, it will take over the body through Possession!"

The night wind blew past, carrying a bone-chilling cold.

Su Han was silent for a long time before suddenly asking: "Does Senior Sister know about this?"