In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

Su Han held the still-warm jade pendant, shaking his head and smiling bitterly. This icy beauty from Jade Balance Peak didn't seem as cold as she appeared.

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

From the foot of the mountain to the summit, all the disciples of Tianya Peak stood in neat rows on both sides. Upon seeing Su Han's return, they all bowed and greeted him: "Welcome back, Senior Brother Su!"

The sound was deafening, soaring straight into the sky.

Elder Lin stood at the front of the line, his old face full of a gratified smile, his eyes even a little moist: "Good! Good! Good! Su Han, you have brought honor to Tianya Peak today! From this day forward, all disciples of Tianya Peak will regard you as if you were me!"

"Elder, you flatter me." Su Han quickly returned the greeting. "This disciple only did what I was supposed to do."

"What should be done?" Elder Lin laughed heartily. "Do you know that for a full eighty-seven years, no one from Tianya Peak has ever made it into the top three in the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, let alone won first place! Eighty-seven years!"

The old man's voice trembled slightly, and the surrounding disciples all lowered their heads. Every disciple was acutely aware of Tianya Peak's decline in recent years—it received the fewest resources, had the strictest recruitment process, and was often ridiculed by other peaks when they went out for training.
Today, Su Han broke through the Dharma Form with a single sword strike, overpowering all the heroes to seize first place, finally allowing Tianya Peak to hold its head high!
"I have ordered a celebratory banquet to be prepared. Tonight, we will drink until we drop at Tianya Peak!" Elder Lin waved his hand, his heroic spirit soaring to the heavens.

That night, Tianya Peak was brightly lit, and laughter filled the air. Even the senior brothers and sisters who had been in seclusion for years came out of their seclusion, just to see the junior brother who had made history for Tianya Peak.

Surrounded by the crowd, Su Han was offered drinks one cup after another. He wasn't a good drinker, but in this atmosphere, he couldn't help but have a few more.

Halfway through the banquet, Su Han found a moment to slip away and went alone to the edge of the cliff behind the mountain. The cool night breeze dispelled some of the effects of the alcohol.

"What's wrong? Not used to this kind of scene?" A gentle voice came from behind.

Su Han turned around and saw that it was Elder Lin, so he quickly bowed.

Elder Lin waved his hand, walked to his side, and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, looking at the endless lights of the Qingyun Sect below the mountain: "I know you prefer quiet, but today's glory is what you deserve, so don't feel burdened."

Su Han remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Elder, there is something I don't understand."

"explain."

"When I unleashed the 'Heaven-Opening' sword intent today, I vaguely sensed that there seemed to be more than one consciousness within the Tianya Sword." Su Han carefully considered his words. "Besides Senior Sister, are there any other beings?"

Elder Lin's body visibly trembled. He abruptly turned to look at Su Han, his eyes flashing with a complex mix of emotions—shock, hesitation, and longing. After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh: "You did sense it after all. It seems it has chosen you."

"It?" Su Han pressed.

Elder Lin did not answer directly, but asked, "Do you know the origin of Tianya Peak?"

Su Han shook his head. He had only been a disciple for a short time and didn't know much about the sect's history.

"Tianya Peak wasn't called Tianya Peak a thousand years ago; it was called 'Sword Tomb Peak.'" Elder Lin gazed into the distance, his eyes distant. "Back then, this peak wasn't one of the Seven Peaks, but a forbidden area, where the swords of the fallen powerhouses of the Qingyun Sect were buried." "Until seven hundred years ago, a peerless genius emerged. He had mediocre talent, but he possessed an extraordinary dedication to the way of the sword. To comprehend the way of the sword, he applied to enter Sword Tomb Peak to guard the tombs, and he has been guarding them for thirty years."

"For thirty years, he was accompanied by ten thousand swords, listening to the remnants of the swords recount their past and comprehending the sword intent of their masters. Finally, on a full moon night, he found a broken sword deep in the Sword Tomb. The sword was completely black and incomplete, yet it contained an earth-shattering sword intent."

"He is the founder of my Tianya Peak, the True Man Tianya. And that broken sword is now the Tianya Sword."

Su Han held his breath; this was the first time he had ever heard of the origins of the Tianya Sword.

"After obtaining the sword, the patriarch secluded himself for ten years. On the day he emerged, he cleaved the clouds with a single sword strike, drawing divine lightning from the heavens to temper his body and achieve the position of Star Venerable. He petitioned the sect leader at the time to change Sword Tomb Peak to Tianya Peak, establishing his own lineage and specializing in the cultivation of the sword."

"For the next three hundred years, Tianya Peak produced a wealth of talent, with sword geniuses emerging one after another, at one point becoming the leader of the Seven Peaks. Until four hundred years ago."

Elder Lin's voice lowered, filled with unspeakable grief: "Four hundred years ago, the demonic path launched a massive invasion, and the Qingyun Sect was the first to bear the brunt. That battle was so fierce that the heavens and earth trembled, and Star Venerables fell like rain. The current peak master of Tianya Peak, who was also my grandmaster, wielded the Tianya Sword to fight against the three Demon Venerables, and ultimately perished together with the enemy."

"After the master's death, the Tianya Sword was severely damaged, and its sword spirit almost dissipated. What's worse, for some reason, an extremely evil will appeared in the sword. That will was full of violence, killing, and destruction, and it tried to erode the mind of the sword wielder."

"The peak masters of each generation tried every means to eliminate it, and could only seal it in the sword with an array. However, sealing requires a lot of star power, which greatly reduces the cultivation speed of the sword wielder. This is why Tianya Peak has not produced any top experts in the past four hundred years and has gradually declined."

Su Han was deeply shocked. He finally understood why, besides his senior sister, there was another consciousness filled with destructive energy within the Tianya Sword. He also understood why the cultivation of each sword wielder had been difficult to improve—most of their star power was used to maintain the seal!

"What about my senior sister?"

"Qingyin, that child," Elder Lin's eyes welled up with tears, "She is the most talented disciple of Tianya Peak in the past hundred years. She condensed her sword heart at the age of eighteen and entered the Star Palace Realm at the age of twenty-five. In order to revitalize Tianya Peak, she volunteered to become the Tianya Sword Master."

"For the first ten years, she progressed rapidly, reaching the peak of the Star Palace Realm at the age of forty, only one step away from the Star King Realm. 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 within the sword suddenly erupted."

Elder Lin's voice trembled: "That night, the sound of swords echoed throughout the entire sect. To suppress the evil thoughts, Qingyin didn't hesitate to burn her divine soul to strengthen the seal. By the time we arrived, her physical body was completely destroyed, leaving only a wisp of her soul clinging to the sword."

Su Han clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. He finally understood why his senior sister was only a remnant soul, and why she always seemed so calm and collected, yet occasionally revealed a deep-seated sorrow.

"Therefore, when you gained the Tianya Sword's approval, I felt both gratified and worried." Elder Lin turned to look at Su Han, his expression extremely serious. "Your talent surpasses Qingyin's, and your future achievements are limitless. However, the evil intent within the sword, after four hundred years of sealing, has not only failed to dissipate but has become even more cunning and powerful. It has been waiting, waiting for a sufficiently powerful host."

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

“It’s not just about corruption.” Elder Lin shook his head. “The most terrifying thing about that evil thought is that it subtly influences the mind of the sword wielder, gradually making the sword wielder accept its ideology—destruction is rebirth, and killing is eternity. When the sword wielder is completely corrupted, it will possess and be reborn!”

The night wind blew by, carrying a biting chill.

Su Han remained silent for a long time before suddenly speaking, "Does Senior Sister know about these things?" (End of Chapter)