123: Chapter 123 Hidden Sword Pearl

Shen Yuanshan looked down at Zhao Hongfu, who was slumped on the ground, a mocking curl appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Second level of the Primal Chaos Realm? Is that supposed to be impressive?"

He squatted down and patted Zhao Hongfu's pale face, his tone indifferent. "That old fogey Senior Brother Sun Zhengyang was incredibly arrogant in Guangnan City, even going so far as to attack our Shen Family in public. Tell me, shouldn't he die?"

Zhao Hongfu's entire body trembled, his lips quivering so much he couldn't speak.

Chen Boyuan's face was even paler, his eyes filled with despair.

They had thought that by latching onto the great tree that was the Tiangang Sect, they could stand on equal footing with the Shen Family in Guangnan City, or even suppress them.

But they never expected—

The Shen Family would even dare to kill an Elder of the Tiangang Sect!

And after the killing, they could appear here as if nothing had happened, competing with them for the treasures within the ruins!

This level of audacity and strength was simply beyond their imagination!

"Brother... Brother Shen..." Chen Boyuan swallowed hard, his voice shaking. "We were truly forced! People from the Tiangang Sect came to us and said if we didn't agree, they would wipe out both our families! We had no choice!"

"No choice?" Shen Yuanhe sneered, stepping on Chen Boyuan's chest. "Because you had no choice, you agreed to help the Tiangang Sect deal with our Shen Family? Your Zhao and Chen families have been able to establish yourselves in Guangnan City for so many years; our Shen Family hasn't treated you poorly, right?"

Chen Boyuan's face stiffened, unable to find words.

Shen Yuanshan stood up, hands behind his back. His gaze swept over the two of them as he said calmly, "Colluding with outsiders to plot against the Shen Family—according to the rules, you should know the consequences."

Zhao Hongfu and Chen Boyuan both shuddered simultaneously, their eyes filled with terror.

"Brother Shen, have mercy! Brother Shen, have mercy!" Zhao Hongfu kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the cold ground with muffled thuds. "We are willing to hand over all our Magic Treasures, Medicinal Pills, and Spirit Stones, we only beg Brother Shen to spare our lives!"

Chen Boyuan followed suit, kowtowing with the utmost humility.

Shen Yuanshan watched the two of them, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Colluding with external enemies to plot against the Shen Family, and you still expect to leave alive?"

He raised his hand, spiritual power surging in his palm as a terrifying killing intent spread out.

Zhao Hongfu's pupils constricted, and he let out a shrill roar: "Shen Yuanshan! You dare kill us? Our Zhao and Chen families won't let you off! Neither will the Tiangang Sect—"

*Splurch!*

A palm fell, and a head flew.

Zhao Hongfu's voice cut off abruptly. His headless corpse twitched a few times before becoming completely still.

Blood gushed out, staining the ground beneath him red.

"You—"

Chen Boyuan's face turned ash-white, and he turned to flee.

However, he had only run two steps when Shen Yuanhe blocked his path.

"Wanting to run?"

A palm struck his chest, the sound of breaking ribs clearly audible.

Chen Boyuan sprayed out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying back, slamming heavily into a pillar of the hall before sliding to the ground, his breath extinguished.

Shen Yuanhe withdrew his hand and stood tall. He looked down at the two corpses, took out a pitch-black jade bottle from his robes, and dripped a dark red liquid onto the bodies.

*Sizzle, sizzle—*

The two corpses rapidly corroded and dissolved. In the blink of an eye, they turned into two pools of bloody water that seeped into the cracks of the stone floor, leaving nothing behind.

Shen Yuanshan then turned around, taking out that amber-colored pearl from his robes and playing with it in his hand.

The pearl was about the size of a fist and entirely amber in color. A faint light flowed over its surface, and inside, countless fine runes seemed to swim slowly, emitting an ancient and weathered aura.

Those runes were profound and complex. Each one seemed to contain some ultimate truth of the Sword Dao; just looking at them made one's heart and mind tremble.

Even more startling was that the faint sound of sword chimes could actually be heard coming from within the pearl!

The sword chimes were crisp and loud, like a Dragon's roar in the Nine Heavens or a Phoenix's cry across the sky, causing the entire hall to tremble slightly.

"This thing... is not simple," Shen Yuanshan murmured to himself, his eyes flashing with sharp light.

Shen Yuanhe leaned in, staring at the pearl with a face full of curiosity. "Third Brother, what kind of treasure is this?"

Shen Yuanshan did not answer but instead sent his Divine Thought into the pearl.

The next moment—

His whole body jolted, and his pupils constricted!

An unimaginably vast amount of information surged into his Sea of Consciousness like a tidal wave!

It was strand after strand of Sword Intent!

Sharp, domineering, elegant, steady...

All kinds of Sword Intent were densely packed like stars, forming a vast ocean of Sword Intent inside the pearl.

Each strand of Sword Intent contained the lifelong insights and Legacy of a Sword Dao expert.

Some Sword Intents were fierce and domineering, able to split mountains and crack stones with a single strike; some were elegant and agile, like willow catkins in the wind, impossible to grasp; some were steady and heavy, like the earth, unshakeable.

Shen Yuanshan was immersed in this ocean of Sword Intent, his heart and mind shaking.

He could clearly feel that the level of these Sword Intents was extremely high, far beyond his understanding.

The Dao Rhyme contained in some of the Sword Intents was even more profound than the Great Desolation Demon-Suppressing Fist that Shen Qingyuan had given him!

"This... just what level of treasure is this?!" Shen Yuanshan's voice was trembling.

Just then, the most brilliant strand of Sword Intent in the pearl suddenly erupted, transforming into an illusory figure that floated before Shen Yuanshan.

It was a middle-aged man with a majestic countenance, wearing a green robe and holding a longsword, his gaze like a torch.

Although it was only a phantom, the extremely sharp Sword Intent caused the hairs on Shen Yuanshan's body to stand on end, and he subconsciously took half a step back.

"To obtain this treasure is to be a person of destiny." The phantom of the middle-aged man spoke slowly, his voice aged and carrying a hint of emotion. "This pearl is named the Hidden Sword Bead, the foundation treasure of my Heavenly Sword Sect. Within the bead are sealed the Sword Dao insights of many experts, containing ten thousand strands of Sword Intent."

Shen Yuanshan sucked in a breath of cold air.

Ten thousand strands of Sword Intent!

The Sword Dao insights of many experts!

The value of this pearl was simply immeasurable!

It was no wonder the Heavenly Sword Sect could become a top Sword Dao Sect in the Southern Region; with the assistance of this treasure, comprehending the Sword Dao would be much easier.

"The Heavenly Sword Sect has stood for over ten thousand years, established upon the Sword Dao. Although it never produced a Sword Saint, it has produced twelve Sword Dao Great Powers," the middle-aged man's phantom continued. "Though the Hidden Sword Bead is not a weapon of conquest, it is the most precious Legacy treasure of the Heavenly Sword Sect. He who obtains this bead can contemplate the Sword Dao insights left by the experts and grasp the true essence of the sword."

"I only hope that the person of destiny can continue a flicker of the incense for my Heavenly Sword Sect."

Before his voice had finished fading, the phantom slowly dissipated, turning back into a strand of Sword Intent and merging into the Hidden Sword Bead.

Shen Yuanshan held the Hidden Sword Bead and bowed deeply.

When receiving a favor, one should naturally feel grateful.

Having obtained such a treasure for free, their Shen Family could be considered to have accepted a favor from the Heavenly Sword Sect.

As for whether they could continue the Sect's incense, that would depend on the future.

"Third Brother, this bead..." Shen Yuanhe had also heard the phantom's words, and his face was full of shock.

Shen Yuanshan took a deep breath and carefully tucked the Hidden Sword Bead into his robes, his eyes gleaming.

"Good stuff. I'll take it back for Little Nine to see."

The two turned and walked toward the outside of the hall.

Just as they reached the entrance, they heard the sound of fighting coming from outside.

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