I tried to kill the heroines of destiny, but they ended up chasing after me.

And suddenly!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

There were actually four attacks, all of which hit the defensive formation.

"A good opportunity!" As the clan leader, the middle-aged man's eyesight was definitely not bad. He sensed that the power of the four attacks had weakened a bit. Although he was puzzled as to why the opponent's attacks had weakened, for him, now was the perfect time!

"Everyone get ready... I'm about to activate the formation..."

After speaking, the middle-aged man clasped his hands together, and a burst of blue light slowly spread out from him. Following this, the Jingling Academy gradually appeared in the area.

He dispelled the formation...

But he also failed to notice that a woman was wielding a slender sword, causing slight changes in the weather...

Suddenly! A raindrop fell, like a tear, crystal clear! The rain was extraordinary, as if the sky was lamenting the short life of the rain.

The same applies to people, but they are always ignored.

……

Let's return to the present, to the location of the Azure Pavilion of the Imperial Sword Clan.

“That’s right! I was indeed present at that battle, and I know everything you’ve said. My father killed all the members of the First Lineage to satisfy his own selfish desires. But survival of the fittest, life and death are preordained. At that time, the strength of your First Lineage was not as strong as our Second Lineage, so being wiped out... isn’t that normal?” Zhang Shen’s eyes flashed as he pointed his left hand at Jue Yi and said seriously.

"Yes! Survival of the fittest is not wrong, nor is the idea that life and death are predestined. So, my father and my mother, even though they sacrificed themselves, made me live..." At this point, Jueyi seemed to have a touch of sadness.

"But I will still avenge this, not for myself, but for the true First Lineage, for my parents, for the souls of my fallen clan! Zhang Shen!! Today I will set things right! Today I will make the true First Lineage reappear before the world!" Jue Yi shouted, his expression slightly agitated.

"Fine! If you've got the guts, then come on!" Zhang Shen sneered dismissively.

“I would do it even if you didn’t tell me, but before that, I want to know where Zhang Xian placed my father’s and mother’s graves back then…”

"Don't tell me about the Imperial Sword Clan's tomb. I didn't find my father's coffin there last time. My father was the forty-first patriarch of the Imperial Sword Clan, but there were only thirty-nine coffins there. From the second patriarch to the thirty-ninth patriarch, apart from the first patriarch who didn't have a coffin, my father's coffin is clearly missing..."

"Tell me! I might spare your life!" Jue Yi said solemnly.

"Spare my life! Don't joke around! You might not even win our fight. But since you've asked, I can mercifully tell you that this matter is a secret to my father and means nothing to me..." Zhang Shen said softly.

"Where?! Where are my parents' graves?!" Jueyi said angrily.

"Hehehe! Don't you already know? It's in... the tomb of the Emperor Sword Clan!" Zhang Shen chuckled.

"Huh?!" Jue Yi's eyes flickered, and he said with even deeper anger, "You tricked me!!"

“No! It’s not! It really is in the tomb of the Emperor Sword Clan, really in those thirty-nine coffins!” Zhang Shen said, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"What?!" Jue Yi exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmph! Let me put it this way! Among the successive patriarchs of the Emperor Sword Clan, besides the first patriarch who didn't have a coffin, there was another patriarch who, for some unknown reason, also didn't have a coffin..."

"Back then, after my father killed your parents, in order to put on a show for the people of the Emperor Sword Clan and maintain his image, he still chose to put your father in the Emperor Sword Tomb and bury your mother with your father..."

"But my father didn't want your father to be recorded in the Imperial Sword Clan's genealogy, because he felt your father was incompetent and unworthy of being part of the Imperial Sword Clan's history. So he placed your father and mother in that missing patriarch's coffin..."

"And that coffin belongs to... the thirteenth patriarch!"

Chapter 222 The Secret Passage

The Imperial Sword Clan has a secret passage located in the southwest direction of the Icefield Cave.

This secret passage is very well hidden; ordinary members of the Imperial Sword Clan have no idea about it. Only those with the rank of Six Swords Green Robe or higher have the right to know about it.

This secret passage has no traps or invisible barriers, so you can say that once you enter, you will be safe and sound.

This secret passage is about a hundred miles long, like a very long corridor. It is divided into nine sections, but unfortunately each section has a door that requires a specific magic seal to open. Otherwise, it can only be opened by force.

At this moment, Huang Quan, Zhang Jian, and Liu Xiyao were walking lightly along the first section of the road.

They encountered no danger and the journey was peaceful. However, the more peaceful and safe it was, the more uneasy they felt, as if they might discover something at any moment along the way.

Perhaps that's why they didn't speak and remained in a very subdued state until they reached the end of the first stretch of road, which was the location of the first door.

This place is very spacious, like a large square, about 5,000 square meters. There are some lights around it that have been activated by the array, which can be considered as illuminating the darkness of this place.

The gate connecting to the second section of the road was a large wooden door about five meters long and two meters wide. Apart from its large size, it didn't seem to have anything special about it. However, Zhang Jian knew very well that no one but a cultivator at the Transcendent Realm could open it.

The three stared at the door for a while, then Liu Xiyao looked at Zhang Jian and asked directly, "Brother Zhang, you led us this way, so you must have a magic seal to open this door, right?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhang Jian remained silent for a moment, then looked at Huang Quan, who was also looking at him, before saying softly, "Yes, I do, but I only have the seals for the first seven gates. As for the last two gates... we might need to launch a full-scale attack!"

"The first seven gates?" Huang Quan murmured, his brow furrowing.

“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. The last two doors are already close to the exit, so even if we make a big commotion, it’s unlikely to attract the attention of the Emperor Sword Clan,” Zhang Jian said confidently.

"Okay." Huang Quan nodded and said softly, "In that case, thank you for your trouble."

"It's alright!" Zhang Jian smiled slightly, then walked to the large wooden door. He then formed a hand seal, and spiritual energy surged. Soon, a sword-shaped rune appeared on his forehead and rushed directly towards the large wooden door.

There was no suspense. The moment the sword-shaped rune came into contact with the large wooden door, the door creaked and groaned. In less than a few breaths, the second passage inside the door was revealed to the three of them.

After calming themselves down, the three of them walked forward without hesitation.

The road ahead wasn't difficult. After about an hour, they reached the end of the second section of the road, opened the second door, and so on, through the third door, the fourth door, the fifth door...

The three of them had traveled safely for most of the way, but for some reason, the depression in their hearts had become even stronger. It wasn't until they reached the end of the sixth passage and saw the sixth door that they finally understood the source of this depression.

The sixth gate is also built on a 5,000-square-meter plaza, but unlike the previous five gates, there is not nothing here; there are two people, two women.

They seemed to have been here for a long time, as if they had been waiting for Huang Quan and his companions to arrive, as if they had come to stop them...

One of the women was wearing a green robe of the Emperor Sword Clan, but there was no sword on the back of the robe, which was a bit strange. The other person was wearing a wide black robe that seemed to cover her face and feet completely, highlighting a sense of mystery.

Upon seeing the two women, Huang Quan and the other two showed different emotions in addition to their confusion. Zhang Jian looked surprised, Liu Xiyao's eyes were cold, while Huang Quan's expression was complicated and conflicted.

Zhang Jian's surprise was not because anyone had come to this place, but because he seemed to recognize the woman in the green robe; after all, they seemed to be quite familiar with each other.

Liu Xiyao felt a chill because of the hostility that arose naturally from being blocked in her way; she didn't want all her efforts to be in vain.

Huang Quan's complex and conflicted state was rather unique, because he didn't care that there were people here. On the contrary, he felt that if it was so easy to escape from the Emperor Sword Clan, then there was really something wrong with the Emperor Sword Clan. Similarly, he wasn't concerned about whether the woman in the green robe knew Zhang Jian, but rather about the woman in the black robe behind her.

Although he couldn't see the woman in the black robe clearly, he had a strong sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her before.

“You cannot leave here,” the woman in the green robe said.

"You can't stop us." It wasn't Huang Quan who spoke, but Zhang Jian, his tone as firm as ever.

"Is that so? I know what you're thinking, but I'm not the person you think I am! Brother! Go back! I don't want to hurt you!" That's right, the woman in the green robe was Zhang Qing, but this Zhang Qing was not the Zhang Qing you were thinking of.

Huang Quan had met Zhang Qing before, and so had Liu Xiyao, so neither of them were particularly surprised. However, unlike Liu Xiyao, Huang Quan already knew what Zhang Qing meant.

"What do you want?" Huang Quan suddenly interrupted.

"Hmph!" Zhang Qing sneered, a deep, intense hatred flashing in his eyes as he looked at Huang Quan: "What do you want? Don't you really know what I want?"

"Hmm?" Huang Quan asked doubtfully, but then he understood: "You can't stop me, and the future of the Emperor Sword Clan has already changed."

"Change? Heh! Are you joking? I don't think the future will change so easily. As long as you live, as long as you keep moving towards the future, the future of the Emperor Sword Clan cannot be changed!" Zhang Qing said, her beautiful eyes flickering slightly.

However, at this moment, Zhang Jian and Liu Xiyao had no idea what Huang Quan and Zhang Qing were talking about. They were confused and puzzled.

"How could the future not change?" Huang Quan asked, then continued, "I have already understood the cause and effect of the future. I know that in another timeline, I destroyed the Emperor Sword Clan, seized the Tree of Time, and killed your father, but that was something another me did, and it has nothing to do with the current me, does it?"

"Of course not!!" Zhang Qing retorted, "You are you in the future, and you are you now, you are you! What timeline, what does it matter? You think you can absolve yourself of your sins with just a few words?!" At this moment, Zhang Qing's emotions seemed to become a little more agitated.

Her excitement made Huang Quan realize one thing: nothing he said would make a difference.

"Sigh!" Huang Quan sighed softly, then said, "Fine! Since you are so stubborn, then let's settle our future grudges today!"

"Hehehe! I couldn't be happier! Let me tell you the truth! The moment I returned from the future, I wanted to find you directly and kill you, because only if you died would all of this in the future not happen. But your confidante has been hindering me all along, forcing me to find the descendants of the Xuanyan clan and use the Xuanyan to block her tracking!" Zhang Qing sneered.

But when his gaze reached Huang Quan's ears, it made Huang Quan frown: "My confidante? Mystic Eyes?"

In that instant, Huang Quan seemed to understand something crucial, which made him look at the woman in black robes beside Zhang Qing. But in just a moment, his thoughts became completely clear...

"Guo Qin!! It's him!!" Huang Quan's expression changed, and he exclaimed in surprise, finally finding the source of his sense of familiarity.

"Oh! It seems you know this woman! But what a pity! She... is no longer the person you know!" With that, Zhang Qing extended his left hand and gently waved it, causing the black-robed woman's upper robe to loosen slightly.

Needless to say, at this moment, the woman in black robes finally revealed her true form, and without any suspense, she was none other than Guo Qin, who had once fought alongside Huang Quan.

However, to Huang Quan's surprise, just as Zhang Qing had said, Guo Qin had undergone a complete transformation. The left side of her face was a bloody mess, and her eyes, nose, and even half of her lips were all covered in what looked like peeled skin, making her look extremely horrifying.

But most importantly, Guo Qin had clearly lost consciousness and was like a puppet. If Huang Quan hadn't been able to sense her presence, she would probably be no different from a dead person!

"What did you do to her?" Huang Quan asked, slightly angry. Although he didn't know Guo Qin well, they were still comrades-in-arms. How could he not be angry to see his comrade-in-arms turned out like this?

"Heh! It's nothing. I just helped her fully activate her Profound Eye. After all, without doing that, I wouldn't be able to hide my aura. And the reason she became like this is entirely due to the side effects of the Profound Eye..." Zhang Qing replied dismissively.

"Side effects?" Huang Quan frowned and asked.

"Yes! That's the side effect. Because she's not a true member of the Xuan Eye clan, but rather a descendant of a true member of the Xuan Eye clan and a person from the True Xuan Continent, her body can naturally only withstand half the power of the Xuan Eye," Zhang Qing explained.

"You really are selfish!" Huang Quan said, but his tone was cold.

Indeed, Zhang Qing is very selfish. If he wants to kill Huang Quan, he must keep it a secret from Huang Quan's confidante. But to do that, she must activate her Xuan Eye and rely on Guo Qin's power.

Guo Qin has half the bloodline of the True Profound Continent and half the bloodline of the Profound Eye Clan. From Zhang Qing's words, it can be inferred that the so-called Profound Eye Clan is probably a race from another world. Therefore, Guo Qin will naturally suffer a backlash from having her Profound Eye forcibly activated, which would cause discomfort.

"Selfish? Hmph! I think I'm alright! At least I didn't kill her directly and take her Xuan Eye, but kept her by my side all this time." Zhang Qing said with a faint smile.

"Now that you've found me, you should be able to let her go, right?" Huang Quan said with a chilling aura.

“Of course, but only after I kill you!” Zhang Qing replied, his killing intent rising.

Just then, Zhang Jian, who had only vaguely understood what the two were saying, looked at Huang Quan and suddenly asked, "What exactly is going on?"

However, given the current situation, Huang Quan was unable to explain things clearly to Zhang Jian, so he simply replied, "The matter is indeed very complicated, and I cannot explain it clearly in a short time. In short, I hope you can trust me and leave here first."

As soon as Huang Quan finished speaking, Zhang Jian fell silent. Fortunately, he trusted Huang Quan as much as a real family member, so he didn't think for long before letting out a breath and nodding.

"Alright!" Zhang Jian said no more after that. Although Liu Xiyao was also a little confused, she didn't think too much about it, because for her, the Yellow Springs were the most important thing.

At this moment, Huang Quan said to Zhang Qing again, "I don't want this feud to involve others. Let your elder brother leave first, and I will fight alongside you here!"

Zhang Qing didn't seem to have any intention of hindering Zhang Jian, so she silently agreed to Huang Quan's request.

However, Liu Xiyao was somewhat unhappy. She had finally managed to see Huang Quan, but now they had to part ways again, which was really hard for her to accept. Unfortunately, before she could make a scene, Huang Quan seemed to know what she was thinking and directly used his spiritual power to knock her unconscious.

With Huang Quan's current strength, accomplishing this is not a difficult task.

"I'm entrusting her to you. Wait for me at the end of the next leg of the journey. I'll catch up as soon as possible." With that, Huang Quan placed Liu Xiyao in a princess carry next to Zhang Jian.

He knew that once the other party made a decision, it would never be changed, so he did not try to persuade Huang Quan, but simply promised Huang Quan that he would be waiting for him at the end of the seventh section of the road.

Furthermore, he believed that Huang Quan's current strength was sufficient to face most dangers, after all, he had genuinely been surprised several times during the battle that was both real and fake during the marriage ceremony.