Fairy, return my flying sword to me

Chapter 233 Clearing the Area?

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions.

"You saw him!?"

"How is he?!"

"Is he still entangled with the sword-wielding spirits?"

Everyone thought Lin Jian had died in the secret realm, but now, after all the Chunyang Sword Sect disciples who participated in the exploration of the secret realm have left, some people say that they saw Lin Jian before leaving the secret realm.

what does this mean?
This means that Lin Jian persisted even longer than they did.

Of course, simply having a slightly longer time doesn't mean much; it doesn't mean that the forest dwellers are more skilled than them.

Maybe Lin Jian is just more cowardly than them.

The Hidden Edge Plains on the second level of the secret realm allows for delaying.

For example, if you feel you are not in good condition, you can take a break and adjust.

If we take breaks and play for a while, we might be able to stall until this point.

However, since the disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect were there to hone their skills, they naturally disdained to do such a thing.

"Could it be that he thinks the longer he stays inside, the better? Is he still entangled with the first sword-qi spirit?"

Liu Mufeng frowned slightly, "Simply stalling for time can't last this long, can it?"

If one does not harbor the will to fight, the unique bond between oneself and the sword spirit will gradually disappear.

Once it is discovered that the intruder is not a seeker with a sincere desire to learn the way of the sword, those sword spirits will regard the intruder as a mere invader.

In this situation, all the sword spirits and heroic souls in the entire Hidden Edge Plain will erupt in a riot and attack without mercy.

If Lin Jian's only thought was to stall for time and stay inside, then he certainly wouldn't maintain his fighting spirit indefinitely.

In other words, the fact that Lin Jian has been able to hold on until now means that he is definitely not the kind of person who intends to stall for time.

"How exactly did he manage to hold on until now? Could it be that he actually managed to defeat one or two sword-wielding heroes?"

"So the person we saw being swept away by the sword energy gusts wasn't him?"

"It's definitely not him! He can still appear in front of Senior Brother Fang and Junior Brother Ma, so naturally he wasn't caught in the gale. But why do you two keep making that face? Even if you know that kid luckily defeated one or two sword qi heroes, you don't need to be so surprised, do you?"

"Alright!" In the end, it was the elder who spoke up and calmed the surrounding discussions.

Hearing that the Zhengyang Sect brat was still alive, he felt a great sense of relief.

Fortunately, it seems that kid does have some skills.

To have managed to persist in the secret realm until now is at least a victory over two sword-wielding heroic spirits.

As expected of a core disciple whom the Zhengyang Sect went to great lengths to send in, even though he is only at the Foundation Establishment stage, he has accomplished what only Golden Core stage disciples can do.

The elder, relieved, looked at the two disciples who came out last with a serious expression and asked, "Alright, as long as you know he's not dead, you don't need to feel guilty anymore."

As he spoke, he looked towards the entrance to the secret realm, waiting for the return of the Zheng Yang Sect disciple.

Unexpectedly, the two disciples who emerged last seemed to have finally escaped that fear. The older disciple, his lips trembling, said, "No...no. He's not alive..."

The elder was suddenly startled; his heart, which had just calmed down, jolted violently. "Huh? You saw him dead?!"

"No! It's not that they're dead!" Junior Brother Ma swallowed hard, and said with difficulty, "It's just the clearing out..."

"???"

"???"

"???"

"Such niche words."

Do you know what you're saying?

"Did he get brainwashed by the Sword Soul?"

The elder stroked Junior Brother Ma's head, his eyes filled with loving concern, and asked, "Were you frightened inside?"

Otherwise, why would he say such nonsense?
"It's true!" Junior Brother Ma said, his eyes filled with fear, bowing and clasping his hands in greeting.

Senior Brother Fang also said with certainty, "Elder, fellow disciples, what we are saying is true! We really saw that junior brother from the Zhengyang Sect inside... clearing the area."

"Clear the area? Clear what area?"

"Could it be that he can clear out all the sword spirits on the second level?"

Senior Brother Fang and Junior Brother Ma swallowed hard, their expressions filled with reverence, and said, "Indeed."

"..."

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Everyone was wondering whether there was something wrong with their ears or with the two people's brains.

Of course, it's also possible that there's a problem with the secret realm itself...

After a long pause, a disciple hesitantly tried to confirm, "So you mean... that Junior Brother Lin is currently in the Hidden Edge Plains of the secret realm, chasing after those sword-qi heroes?"

The two nodded in unison, "Yes."

"..."

"..."

"Should we call a pharmacist to come and take a look? Brain damage is a serious matter, it can't be delayed."

"Are there any types of sword qi heroes that create illusions? Could it be that my two junior brothers have fallen for it?"

The two disciples sighed, holding their heads in despair, "Why won't you believe me when I tell you the truth?!"

"Because what you're telling the truth is a bit untrue."

"So now you want us to believe that he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, not only cleared out three sword qi spirits, but also wiped out all the sword qi spirits in the entire Hidden Edge Plain?"

"exactly!"

The elder carefully observed the expressions of the two, and even used his true energy to assist in the investigation.

A moment later, it had to be confirmed that "aside from being slightly agitated and emotionally disturbed, they really had no other problems."

Liu Mufeng frowned. "So what they said is really true?"

Feng Lingling asked in surprise, "You really saw him cleaning up the sword qi and heroic spirits everywhere?"

"Absolutely true!"

Junior Brother Ma's face was filled with grief, and the thought of his last glance before leaving only intensified his sorrow. "Not only that, he even stole my last sword qi spirit!"

"I was still racking my brains trying to figure out how to counter his moves when suddenly I saw a gust of wind blow by, and the heroic spirit that was originally my enemy had already entangled with him. In the blink of an eye, my heroic spirit was gone..."

"He's so heartless... So many heroic souls weren't enough for him, he even tried to steal my third one." Junior Brother Ma rambled on, recounting what he had seen and heard at the last moment.

Liu Mufeng turned to look at the elder, and asked with a solemn expression, "Elder, is this situation really possible?"

The elder also looked solemn. After thinking carefully, he nodded and said, "Theoretically speaking, as long as one passes the test of the three sword qi heroes in the second level of Hidden Edge Plain, one will have an additional mark of recognition from the secret realm."

"Therefore, our disciples usually continue to explore after slaying three sword spirits. After all, for so many years, the purpose of our Pure Yang Sword Sect disciples in exploring the secret realm has always been to find the natal flying sword that our ancestor lost in the core battlefield."

"But actually, during the early explorations, some of our elders tried to clear away the sword energy and heroic spirits from the second level of the secret realm, but..."

"It can't be cleaned up completely."

It's impossible to clean it all up completely.

Those sword-wielding heroes can regenerate.

Ultimately, sword energy and heroic spirits are merely energy entities with obsession at their core.

As long as the sword energy in the entire secret realm has not completely dissipated, these sword-energy spirits will continue to regenerate over time.

Even though the ten elders who suppressed their cultivation to enter the Sword Ruins Secret Realm during that historical operation tried their best to break through the barriers one by one, they still had to exhaust their true energy and escape in a sorry state under the endless battle of attrition.

And right now...

Someone actually managed to clear the area.

He even tried to steal the last opponent from his two disciples!

How utterly inhumane!

The elder frowned, staring at the last two disciples who emerged, and asked, "So, before you left, what changes occurred in the secret realm?"

"Cleared..."

"The fog over Cangfeng Plain has dissipated."

"That really was an ancient battlefield, with spiderweb-like cracks everywhere, and dark fissures scattered throughout the air, making it look terrifying..."

"..."

After a long silence, the elder had to admit one fact: "What they said might actually be true."

Although their elders were not able to completely eliminate all the sword spirits on Cangfeng Plain back then, they still achieved remarkable results.

The secret realm, which had begun to reveal its true nature, was exactly what the two of them were talking about.

They couldn't possibly know the details of the elders' cleanup of the secret realm back then. The only reason they could describe the specific changes now is because they actually saw it with their own eyes.

That disciple of the Zhengyang Sect surnamed Lin actually accomplished something that the entire elders of their Chunyang Sword Sect couldn't do over a hundred years ago!

The elder's affirmation finally brought this seemingly absurd matter to a close.

After several rounds of internal turmoil, the disciples present finally accepted this premise.

"So this Junior Brother Lin from the Zhengyang Sect is actually a hidden sword immortal?"

"How on earth did he do that?!"

Liu Mufeng was actually the quickest to accept it. Seeing his fellow disciples' reactions, he subconsciously murmured a fact, "Actually, this Junior Brother Lin made a trip through the old mountain gate on his first day at our Chunyang Sword Sect..."

"What?! Isn't that the necessary test for our disciples to graduate? He's already passed it?"

"Does that mean he's already considered a senior to us disciples?"

“Not only that…” Liu Mufeng only now understood what his master meant back then, “He even passed the Sword Ascension Pool.”

Ordinary disciples only need to pass the first two stages of the old mountain gate's assessment.

The final Sword Ascension Pool is usually only open to ambitious disciples to observe and admire. Even if someone really wants to leave their mark there, they usually need to have made certain achievements in swordsmanship before being recognized by the sect to attempt the challenge.

Every disciple of the Chunyang Sword Sect who can leave their mark in the Sword Ascension Pool will be admired by all the disciples of the sect. That is the greatest honor in the life of every Chunyang Sword Sect disciple.

And now... a Foundation Establishment disciple from an outer sect has already left his mark in their Pure Yang Sword Sect's Sword Ascension Pool on his very first day there?!
Feng Lingling's eyes sparkled as she stared expectantly at the last two fellow disciples who emerged, asking, "Could you tell us how he dealt with those sword spirits? What sword techniques did he use? Does our Chunyang Sword Sect have any?"

"do not know……"

"Can't see clearly..."

The two men gave each other wry smiles. "Too fast."

"His sword is so fast."

"When they stole my sword spirit, I didn't even see the sword spirit that originally belonged to me make a move. I just saw it being cleaved in two by a single sword strike."

“I think it’s no longer just about ‘technique’. It’s as if the sword spirits’ moves are completely seen through by him, and they are often intercepted before they can even be used.”

Upon hearing this, the elder sighed deeply, "That is a realm beyond your reach. This is what is meant by 'the pinnacle of skill.' From now on, all the sword techniques in the world will hold no secrets for him."

As he spoke, he looked at his two disciples, "Before you left, he had already cleared away all the sword spirits?"

"He went to the third floor..."

……

When the news reached the training ground, the previously despondent Chuan Gong and Zang Jing were instantly revived.

"What did you say? Jian'er isn't dead?!"

"Not only did they not die, they even cleaned up the entire secret realm?!"

"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous! Elder Tang, why is he reporting every little piece of information?! Is that even possible? Is that even possible? The things that even our elders couldn't accomplish, he, a mere Foundation Establishment stage brat, has done?!"

"Hey? Why aren't you guys saying anything? Do you really believe he did it?"

"Speak up! Why aren't you all saying anything?"

The elder who was speaking felt isolated.

The senior and powerful elders in the sect seemed to remain mostly silent.

This situation seems to have started when I suggested that the kid from the Zhengyang Sect participate in my sect's Five Veins Sword Selection.

These elders, who held real power, seemed to know some inside information, and their expressions were quite strange when they heard the news.

"It seems Elder Jianyin has good judgment. No wonder he didn't say anything when he heard that the kid might have died in the secret realm."

"I was actually worried that the kid might perish in the secret realm. What a worrying fool I was..."

"As expected of a cultivator who possessed sword intent and cleared the old mountain gate at the Foundation Establishment stage, he has now directly broken through the secret realm... I can hardly understand what level he is at now."

"Realm? That's naturally a realm that we can hardly look up to. Back then, all ten of us elders suppressed our cultivation to explore the secret realm, but we never expected that we would fail in the end. Now, this child, single-handedly with his sword, has actually wiped out all the sword spirits on Hidden Edge Plain. This is truly another great joy for us swordsmen!"

"Wait! Wait! What did you say?" The elder who first made the suggestion widened his eyes, only then realizing what a major matter these elders had been keeping from him.

That kid from the Zhengyang Sect... that kid has actually accomplished such a feat?
He's only at the Foundation Establishment stage!

How dare he? !
Not only him, but also those who transmitted skills and stored scriptures only then learned what their disciples had actually done at the Chunyang Sword Sect.

(End of this chapter)