C1726 The Sword will Remember the Emotions!

Caught off guard, Kong Banbi was suddenly bathed in a burst of sword light that commanded, "What are you all waiting for? Seize them at once!"

The verdant sword light cascaded down, transforming into a flurry of willow leaves. Yuan Hao, recently advanced to the Unbound Stage, directed his Green Leaf Sword at Shen Feiqing, Tan Yuan, and the others, signaling for Kong Banbi and his companions to draw their swords.

His arrival stirred the Sword Sect cultivators, who emerged from their dwellings and abodes.

Whoosh!

In the Sword Cave, the planted Spirit Swords and Divine Swords burst into brilliant light, followed by a resonant hum.

"The Sword Cave is stirring!"

Chen Qingyan, whose bright eyes seemed to mirror the images of sword spirits, was naturally attuned to the Divine Sword. She urgently conveyed, "Master Yuan, the Spirit Swords and Divine Swords within the Sword Cave are resisting! If we persist in apprehending these individuals, the swords will intervene!"

Her words sent a wave of panic through the Sword Sect disciples gathered there.

For years, every disciple inducted into the Sword Sect was granted the privilege of entering the Sword Cave after their initiation ceremony. There, they would attempt to bond with the Spirit Swords and Divine Swords, hoping to be chosen by one.

The Sword Cave held profound significance for the Sword Sect disciples.

Many Spirit Swords and Divine Swords, endowed with sword spirits, had selected newcomers from the Sword Sect, taking on the duty of imparting sword spells and meticulously elucidating the creator's swordsmanship.

For many, the swords within the Sword Cave were not only their most vital companions but also their esteemed mentors.

At that moment, at least one-third of those present wielded swords not forged but obtained from the Sword Cave.

The sword spirits within their blades shared the same disposition as those still unclaimed in the Sword Cave.

Release them!

"Interfere? They've turned the world upside down!"

Yuan Hao's face contorted with rage as he pointed toward the Ebon Star Sect and bellowed, "Yu Yuan, that fiend, wielding the Titanblade, has slain numerous Thunder Sect cultivators and rallied the Sword Cave's sword power to his cause. They've all heeded his call! In the Sect Master's absence, these sentient beings have nearly forgotten their place!"

Yuan Hao's Green Leaf Sword was not a relic from the Sword Cave; instead, it was a masterpiece of his own meticulous forging.

At the time, he failed to win the favor of any Spirit or Divine Swords within the Sword Cave and thus never acquired a blade that truly suited him, leaving him with a lackluster impression of the swords there.

His epiphany regarding the Green Leaf Sword, coupled with the tragic demise of Ji Tianyu from the Ebon Star Sect, led him to an extraordinary breakthrough into the Unbound realm.

Recognizing Ji Tianyu's death as an opportunity, Yuan Hao redoubled his efforts in cultivation, practicing tirelessly with the aspiration of elevating the Green Leaf Sword to new heights.

"It is precisely because they have not forgotten their true nature that they resonate so profoundly with the Titanblade."

Following a deep, wistful sigh, a venerable elder with snow-white hair, his frail form wrapped in a thick blanket, appeared before them. Despite the insulation, he shivered from the cold.

"Grand Ancestor Du!"

"Grand Ancestor Du, what brings you out here?"

Chen Qingyan, Kong Banbi, and all the present Sword Sect elders promptly paid their respects upon his arrival.

Du Yuan, once known as the Sword of Destruction, sustained grave injuries in the Glimmerdrift Nebula. His Divine Visage was shattered, and he was tormented by the invasive aura of his own destructive sword will, causing his fall to the Solar Spirit level.

Since his return to the Everlands, Du Yuan had vanished from public view, and many had nearly forgotten him.

Yet, before his descent, he was the third-ranked Grand Sword Immortal of the Sword Sect, only behind Lin Daoke and Gu Xingkui. His seniority was esteemed, and he commanded great respect among the disciples.

"The swords of the Sword Cave were safeguarded by the master of the Titanblade, either preserved from beyond the stars or returned one by one to the Sword Cave. While people may not hold onto sentiment, the swords do. They are also aware that the passing of the Titanblade's master was not at the behest of our Mr. Lin, but rather the deliberate choice of Han Miaoyuan."

"Mr. Lin and our Sword Sect have often weighed the greater good too heavily. We draw lines between right and wrong, condemning the association between that individual and Taishi of the Boulderdawn Sect as a descent into darkness, but the swords do not judge so."

"They only knew that the Moon Slayer had always been kind to them, allowing their original master to find peace."

"So, when they heard from the Titanblade's sword spirit that their target was the Ebon Star—the very cause of the Moon Slayer's demise—they all rallied to the call."

"Yuan Hao, that's where you're mistaken. They haven't forgotten who they are."

Du Yuan spoke with a heavy heart.

His words left everyone from the Sword Sect and the other sects in attendance, including Yuan Hao, in a contemplative silence.

"Elder Du, you can't speak of Mr. Han like that!" Kong Banbi was distressed. He wanted to say that Han Miaoyuan might be listening, but he restrained himself, not daring to voice the thought.

"I carry a burden of guilt for Nie Qingtian. After all these years, it's been stuck in my heart, unspoken and feared," Du Yuan said with a wistful smile. "Now, with my cultivation path severed and my end near, what do I have left to fear?"

He even dared to utter the forbidden name of Nie Qingtian.

"Ah, his dealings with Taishi would be inconsequential today, yet..."

Du Yuan shook his head, gazing intently towards the Sword Cave, feeling the persistent will of the Spirit Swords and Divine Swords, and remarked, "Sometimes, we truly are no match for them."

Buzz! Buzz!

The Spirit Swords and Divine Swords within the Sword Cave vibrated intensely. Numerous sword lights, stirred by Du Yuan's speech, soared out, joining the River of Swords above the Ebon Star.

The new sword lights, originating from ancient Divine Swords, had no connection to Nie Qingtian.

Yet inexplicably, they too heeded Du Yuan's words, converging with the River of Swords.

Du Yuan himself was baffled, unable to discern the cause.

Only Chen Qingyan, blessed with an innate "clear sword heart," grasped the profound intentions of the ancient Divine Swords through her spiritual insight.

"They, too, hold grievances against Mr. Han, lamenting that their former masters sacrificed themselves for the Everlands and Han Miaoyuan," Chen Qingyan said softly.

Du Yuan had an epiphany. "So that's what it was."

Above the Thunder Sect, Yu Yuan watched as streaks of dazzling sword light once again shot out from the Sword Sect. They soared past Nie Qingtian's head and converged in the River of Swords above the Ebon Star, stirring complex emotions within him.

Surprises abounded within the unexpected!

The new sword light had no connection with Nie Qingtian. Instead, it evoked a sense of familiarity in Yu Yuan. In ancient times, when the Sword Sect was newly founded and the Boulderdawn had not yet become adversaries with other factions, Grand Sword Immortals emerged. They had fought alongside him, traveling to distant extraterrestrial battles against formidable opponents.

Many of these exceptionally talented Grand Sword Immortals had perished in those battles beyond the stars, while others had fallen during the civil strife within the Everlands.

Some had even met their end at his own hands!

The Grand Sword Immortals he had slain had done so because Han Miaoyuan, in league with the Dark Phoenix, sought to topple the Boulderdawn's dominant position in the Everlands and strike against Han Miaoyuan and the God-King of the Boulderdawn.

They were casualties of internal conflict!

Tens of thousands of years had passed, and their masters had long since faded into the annals of history. Yet, at this moment, they were roused from their lengthy slumber by Nie Qingtian's sword spirit. They lent their sword force in support of Nie Qingtian.

In truth, their outburst was a roar of discontent over the demise of their masters!

Yu Yuan felt a sense of surreal detachment, as images of Grand Sword Immortals from tens of thousands of years ago, who had resignedly handed over their swords in the face of certain death, surfaced in his mind.

Now, their Divine Swords, whose sword spirits had changed hands multiple times, were seeking justice for them, ready to strike on their behalf.

Their blades were directed at Han Miaoyuan of the Ebon Star Sect!

"Mr. Han?" Qin Luo tentatively addressed the trembling Han Miaoyuan, observing that the human leader was no longer brandishing the Banner of Duality.

"Sword spirits, after all, are but anomalies; they simply do not comprehend human nature!" Han Miaoyuan muttered darkly as the ancient sword lights from the Sword Sect joined the stationary River of Swords in the void. His expression turned grim, and his mood soured dramatically.

He had dedicated himself to the human race, selflessly nurturing the likes of Yuwen Hao, Lin Daoke, Tan Xiaotian, and a host of other unparalleled geniuses.

Han Miaoyuan was convinced that his actions were meant to elevate the human race to supremacy in the Everlands and to ascend above all extraterrestrial beings!

Yet, those obtuse sword spirits harbored resentment towards him and dared to challenge the Ebon Star Sect!

The lack of recognition for his sacrifices left Han Miaoyuan in a state of deep discontent, prompting him to question his own decisions.

Had he truly made a mistake?

This troubling thought introduced a tiny fissure in Han Miaoyuan's otherwise impervious Sacred Heart.

"If you truly harbor no selfish intentions, then what's the deal with Cao Jiaze?"

This whisper of self-doubt emerged just as his gaze settled on Cao Jiaze, who wielded the nine Mark of the Celestials and was considered even more crucial to the sect than Lin Daoke.

Why did he invest in Cao Jiaze? What was he hoping to gain?

With this thought, it wasn't just Han Miaoyuan's Sacred Heart that showed signs of fracturing; his very Supreme God seemed to be cracking.

Boom!

The Dragon Slaying Stage ascended once more, shrinking down as it lifted Yu Yuan and transported him directly above the Ebon Star.

Sensing a surge in spiritual energy, Yu Yuan seized the moment to unleash the fully charged River of Swords into the sect's grand formation.

As the Dragon Slaying Stage departed, Wei Zhuo, like a wrathful Thunder God on the verge of madness, prepared to burst forth from the lightning-filled pit. He was ready to shatter Yu Yuan, using the force of thunder and lightning to obliterate his soul and avenge the fallen disciples of the Thunder Sect.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Above him, towering peaks materialized out of thin air, plummeting down and embedding themselves into the cratered earth of the Thunder Sect.

The once-leveled Thunder Sect seemed to have made an abrupt resurgence.

Wei Zhuo's Divine Transcendence was on the verge of breaking free when it was forcibly suppressed once again.

"Don't move."

Zu Ann's voice rang out, calm and detached.

"Zu Ann! You dare to obstruct me?!"

Wei Zhuo was nearly driven to madness. Thunderballs condensed from the pond and burst forth, exploding nearby and fracturing the very fabric of space.

Yet, the Thunder Sect, encircled by towering peaks, had become a self-contained little world.

Wei Zhuo's thunderous outbursts were confined to the Thunder Sect's domain, further scarring the land with an array of massive craters and caverns.

"Do you realize that if Han Miaoyuan hadn't interfered, I would have ascended to godhood before Ji Tianyu, Tan Xiaotian, and Gu Xingkui? I was the one bound to guard the blight at Skyreach Peak year-round, which left me shackled. Now that the blight is no more, I have no more constraints."

Zu Ann hovered in the sky, a sneer on his face as he observed Wei Zhuo's fury.

"The difference between you and me is that you were thrust into the highest echelons, whereas I could have become a god long ago, had it not been for Han Miaoyuan's persistent obstruction."

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