After clearing the level, the fairies were reborn!

Xu Ze stopped what he was doing and looked at the thin stream of water seeping out from the crack, a look of surprise flashing across his face.

He hadn't expected there to be underground water veins beneath the mountain.

This is not surprising, after all, this is a glacial secret realm, and it is normal to have underground rivers or glacial lakes.

After thinking it over, he channeled his spiritual power to widen the opening he had dug in front of him, wanting to see the specific situation.

However, at the very moment he used his spiritual power to prop open the soil.

"Boom!"

A sudden change occurred.

The soft soil in front of them suddenly collapsed.

It's not a small-scale collapse, but rather the soil in the entire area is subsiding!

The ground beneath Xu Ze's feet was also collapsing. He reacted quickly, grabbed Mu Qinghe, and retreated rapidly.

However, the collapse occurred too quickly and over too large an area.

Their retreat was not fast enough to keep up with the rate of collapse.

"Ah~!"

Mu Qinghe cried out in alarm as she plummeted downwards.

"Hurry up."

Xu Ze gave a low shout, grabbed her hand, and began to fall.

The ball of light from the illumination spell swayed in the air like a startled firefly, yet it stubbornly emitted its light, illuminating the surrounding collapsing soil and rocks.

Falling, falling endlessly.

This process lasted for about ten breaths.

Then--

"boom!"

Xu Ze landed firmly on both feet.

For a Golden Core cultivator like myself, this kind of unexpected situation doesn't really count as a crisis.

He immediately pulled Mu Qinghe behind him, while simultaneously raising a pale golden spiritual energy shield around himself. His divine sense spread out like mercury, and he warily looked around.

If anything seemed amiss, he planned to fly away immediately.

Unexpectedly, about an incense stick's time passed.

There was no attack, no ambush.

There wasn't even... a hint of danger?

"Where did we get this from?" The little girl peeked out from behind Xu Ze, her big eyes blinking and her mouth agape. "Brother, where have we dug up to?"

Xu Ze remained calm. He silently recited an incantation and cast a lighting spell.

As the orb of light from the illumination spell slowly descended, hovering above their heads, it illuminated everything around them.

But as soon as they saw their surroundings clearly, they were both stunned.

Before them lay a space completely beyond their imagination.

This is a huge cave.

The cave ceiling is hundreds of feet high, with countless stalactites hanging down from it. These stalactites shimmer with seven colors under the light, like inverted swords or frozen waterfalls.

The cave floor is flat and open, several hundred feet square, with various strange plants growing on the ground, emitting a faint light that illuminates the area.

Most notably, there is a huge pool of water in the center of the cave.

The pool is circular, and the water is crystal clear with fluorescent spots floating on the surface, like stars in the night sky.

Above the pool, something seemed to be hanging, but it was too dark to see clearly.

"Brother, where are we?" Mu Qinghe hugged him tightly, whether out of genuine fear or something else, it was hard to tell.

Xu Ze did not answer immediately.

His gaze first swept across the cave, and finally settled on the center of the pool.

He didn't know anything else, but Xu Ze could be sure of one thing right now.

What was hanging above the pool was quite unusual.

Even though it was thirty feet away, even though the glowing water in the pool interfered with its movement, and even though the thing looked like just a dark mass, Xu Ze's sword heart trembled.

It's not fear, it's not a warning...

It's a resonance.

As if his dormant sword intent had been awakened by something, the sword energy in his dantian trembled slightly, emitting a soft hum that only he could hear.

A slight warmth emanated from the spot on his right wrist where he had once worn the Azure Cloud Sword.

"Om-"

Just as Xu Ze was looking in that direction...

The unknown object emitted a faint light, as if in response.

The light was faint and light, like a candle flame in the wind, which could be extinguished at any moment.

But under Xu Ze's gaze, the outline of that dark shadow gradually became clearer.

The first thing that is revealed is its length of about four feet, straight, with a handle at one end.

You can see the faint texture, which is the unique texture of metal after years of weathering.

That looks like a sword?!

Xu Ze's heart began to beat faster and faster uncontrollably.

As a sword cultivator, he has an almost instinctive sensitivity to swords.

Even from this distance, even though the sword looked ordinary, even somewhat dilapidated, he could sense—

It is calling.

It's not with sound, not with light, but with something more essential.

It was as if two lonely souls, at opposite ends of the river of time, finally sensed each other's existence.

"Wait for me here," Xu Ze said to Mu Qinghe, taking a deep breath.

"Huh? You're going over there?" Mu Qinghe grabbed his arm tightly. "Won't it be dangerous? Maybe we should try to get out of here. This place is kind of creepy..."

"It's alright." Xu Ze gently released her hand, his voice calm yet firm. "When a swordsman encounters a sword, it's like encountering fine wine. How can one turn away from such a thing?"

He took a step forward.

Footsteps landed on the translucent white jade surface, producing a crisp sound that echoed through the empty cave.

With that step, the atmosphere of the entire cave seemed to change.

The colorful stalactites overhead dimmed slightly, the fluorescent plants on the ground flickered more slowly, and the starlight in the pool moved more slowly.

Everything seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for something.

Xu Ze walked step by step toward the pool.

His steps were slow, but each step was steady. His long robe fluttered slightly behind him, casting a long shadow amidst the interplay of fluorescent light and stalactite glow.

Thirty zhang was covered in the blink of an eye.

He stopped at the edge of the pool and looked up.

Now it's much clearer.

That was indeed a sword.

The sword was four feet three inches long and two fingers wide. It was completely black, without any decoration, patterns, or even... any sharpness.

The sword was covered with thick black rust, layer upon layer, as if recording the endless years.

The leather wrapped around the hilt had long since rotted away, leaving only a few fragments.

But a flame ignited in Xu Ze's eyes.

Then, he leaped over the pool and pulled the sword out!

Even though it was pitch black at the moment and looked like just a sword blank, the blade even bore the marks of tens of thousands of years of wind and frost.

But Xu Ze's eyes lit up!

As a sword cultivator, how could he not sense the aura emanating from it?!

"A fine sword!"

He couldn't wait to use the system's [Eye of Appraisal] to investigate.

But what appeared next made his eyes widen in disbelief.

【Old Swords】

[Description: Formed from a primordial spiritual sword in the ancient universe, the one who wielded this sword ten thousand years ago was the "Master of All Swords Under Heaven."]

Chapter 87 The Sect Master's Personal Instruction

"The Lord of All Swords Under Heaven?!"

Xu Ze was shocked by this description.

He unconsciously tightened his grip on the black sword blank, feeling its rough texture, which carried the weight of thousands of years of history.

In the world of cultivation, sword cultivators are one of the most unruly groups.

What kind of incredible talent must someone be to deserve this title?

What excited Xu Ze even more was that the moment he grasped the sword, he also felt a sense of familiarity, like reuniting with a long-lost friend.

Xu Ze's first reaction was that the original form of this sword was probably closely related to his teacher Ding Wan's [Qingyun Sword]!

"Back then, when this Mysterious Spirit Realm was still intact, our teacher obtained the sword blank for the Azure Cloud Sword from it, and then forged it into his natal flying sword..."