In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

“She knew better than anyone else,” Elder Lin sighed. “It was precisely because she knew that she chose to sacrifice herself. Qingyin was too foolish.”

“She’s not stupid.” Su Han raised his head, his eyes shining with determination. “She is a hero of Tianya Peak. And I will never let her sacrifice be in vain.”

Elder Lin stared blankly at the young man before him, seeing in his eyes the shadow of Qingyin from back then—the same persistence, the same determination, the same fearlessness.

"What are your plans?"

"Become stronger." Su Han said, word by word, "Strong enough to completely eliminate the evil thoughts in the sword, strong enough to rebuild my senior sister's physical body, strong enough to restore Tianya Peak to its former glory."

Elder Lin took a deep breath and took out an ancient jade slip from his robes: "This is the complete version of the highest sword manual of Tianya Peak, the Nine Swords of Tianya. In all generations, only the peak master and the sword master have been qualified to cultivate it, but in the past four hundred years, no one has been able to master more than the third sword."

He solemnly handed the jade slip to Su Han: "Three days later, you will enter the Azure Cloud Secret Realm and comprehend the sword intent within. There is a forest of sword steles left by the patriarch in the secret realm, which may be of help to you."

"Thank you, Elder." Su Han accepted the jade slip and felt the vast sword intent within it.

"There's one more thing," Elder Lin hesitated for a moment, "Don't tell the other disciples about Qingyin's matter for now. Tianya Peak needs hope, not tragedy."

"The disciple understands."

Elder Lin nodded, glanced at Su Han one last time, and turned to leave. His aged figure appeared somewhat hunched in the moonlight, yet it exuded an indescribable resilience.

After Elder Lin had walked away, Su Han gently stroked the Tianya Sword: "Senior Sister, did you hear me? I will definitely save you."

The sword trembled slightly, and her senior sister's gentle voice came through: "Silly boy, take care of yourself first. The thing in the sword might erupt even more violently next time. Before you are strong enough, try not to rely too much on my power, so as not to stimulate it."

"I understand." Su Han nodded, then remembered something, "By the way, Senior Sister, how much do you know about the Qingyun Secret Realm?"

"The Azure Cloud Secret Realm," the senior sister's voice was filled with reminiscence, "It was a magical place. On the surface, it was a sacred place for cultivation, but in reality, it was more like a trial ground. The ancestor, Azure Cloud Master, divided his life's work into nine trials, which were scattered throughout the secret realm. In the past four thousand years, only seven people have passed all nine trials, and each of them eventually became a Star Saint."

Star Saint!

Su Han was deeply shocked. The path of star cultivation is divided into Star Apprentice, Star Practitioner, Star Master, Star Spirit, Star Wheel, Star Palace, Star King, Star Emperor, Star Venerable, Star Saint, and Star Emperor. A Star Saint is already a being standing at the pinnacle of the continent, capable of moving mountains and filling seas, and shattering the void with a mere gesture.

"But don't overthink it," Senior Sister said with a smile. "The Ninefold Trial is incredibly difficult; most people can't even get past the first one. Your primary goal in entering this secret realm is to improve your cultivation and strive to break through to the Star Palace Realm. Only by entering the Star Palace will you be qualified to cultivate the later forms of the Nine Swords of Tianya."

"Your disciple will remember this."

The two chatted for a while longer until shouts of someone searching for Su Han came from down the mountain. Only then did he put away the Tianya Sword and turn back to the banquet.

For the next two days, Su Han stayed indoors, focusing on recuperating and healing his injuries. The Life-Creating Pill truly lived up to its reputation as a high-grade Earth-rank elixir; in just two days, his injuries had almost completely healed, and he even benefited from the misfortune, with his cultivation showing faint signs of a breakthrough.

During this time, disciples from various peaks frequently came to visit, some sincerely to offer their congratulations, some to try to make friends, and others to subtly test the waters. Su Han politely declined them all, citing his injuries as the reason, only emerging from seclusion to meet them when Mu Qingxue came to visit.

On the morning of the third day, just as dawn was breaking, Su Han arrived at the Qingyun Palace.

Located atop the main peak, the Azure Cloud Hall is where the sect leader handles sect affairs and receives distinguished guests. Constructed entirely of azure jade, the hall stands nine zhang and nine chi tall, symbolizing supreme authority. Nine dragon-carved pillars stand in the plaza before the hall, each adorned with a lifelike azure dragon, its eyes inlaid with rare gemstones that gleam in the morning light. When Su Han arrived, two people were already waiting before the hall—Ye Wuhen and Mu Qingxue.

Ye Wuhen had changed into a brand-new blue robe, and his complexion was much better than three days ago, but his gaze towards Su Han remained complex. Mu Qingxue, on the other hand, wore her usual white dress, her aloofness as pure as the moon.

"Junior Brother Su," Ye Wuhen spoke first, his voice calm, "Congratulations."

"Senior Brother Ye, you're too kind." Su Han returned the greeting. "Senior Brother's Azure Cloud Dharma Form is incredibly powerful. If it weren't for luck, I would have been the one who lost."

Ye Wuhen shook his head: "Victory is victory, and defeat is defeat. There is no such thing as luck. After that day, I reflected for a long time and finally understood where I lost—I relied too much on the power of the Dharma Form and neglected my own foundation."

He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes: "But next time, I won't lose again."

Su Han smiled: "Looking forward to another battle with my senior brother."

The two exchanged a glance, and a sense of mutual respect arose between them. Geniuses are always lonely, and to encounter an evenly matched opponent is certainly a kind of luck.

At this moment, the gate of Qingyun Hall slowly opened, and a young Taoist priest stepped out, bowing and saying, "Senior brothers and sisters, the sect leader invites you."

Upon entering the main hall, the first thing that catches the eye is a huge star chart, almost covering the entire ceiling. The stars in the chart are arranged according to some mysterious law, slowly flowing, just like the real night sky. Su Han only glanced at it, but felt as if his mind was being drawn into it, and quickly looked away.

At the far end of the main hall, Yun Qingzi sat upright on a futon, with several elders standing on either side, including Ling Xiaotian.

"Disciples pay their respects to the Sect Master and all elders." The three bowed in unison.

Yun Qingzi nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the three of them before finally settling on Su Han: "Su Han, do you know why I personally selected cultivation techniques for you?"

"Disciple doesn't know."

"Because the key to cultivation methods lies in compatibility," Yun Qingzi said slowly. "No matter how powerful a cultivation method is, if it is incompatible with the cultivator's physique and temperament, it will not only be less effective but may even lead to qi deviation. The three of you are the future hope of our Qingyun Sect, so we must be careful."

He raised his hand and waved, and three jade slips floated in the air: "Here are three high-grade Earth-rank cultivation techniques. Each of you may choose one."

The first jade slip is cyan in color with flowing wind patterns on its surface—"Nine Heavens Azure Cloud Technique," one of the Azure Cloud Sect's most treasured techniques. Upon mastering it, one can transform into an azure cloud and roam the nine heavens at unparalleled speed.

The second jade slip was as red as fire, and faintly, the sound of a phoenix's cry could be heard—"Nirvana Burning Heaven Technique." When cultivated to its extreme, one can be reborn from the ashes, with true fire burning the heavens, possessing unparalleled power.

The third jade slip was pitch black and had no luster, yet it exuded an aura of devouring everything—the "Void Star Devouring Technique," which could devour the power of stars and convert it into one's own power, allowing for extremely fast cultivation, but also fraught with danger.

Ye Wuhen chose the "Nine Heavens Azure Cloud Technique" without hesitation, as this technique was in line with his Azure Cloud Dharma Form. Mu Qingxue pondered for a moment and chose the "Nirvana Burning Heaven Technique," as she cultivated fire-based sword intent, making this technique perfectly suitable.

When it was Su Han's turn, he did not choose immediately, but asked, "Sect Master, may this disciple choose a sword cultivation method?" (End of this chapter)