In a trance, Ye Yunfei saw numerous figures of Jian Shenzi active in this area: some were in seclusion, quietly meditating within cultivation caves; some were practicing sword swings in a vast square; others were discussing insights on sword techniques with fellow disciples inside a grand hall. The various scenes became increasingly clear, each one portraying Jian Shenzi’s figure with vivid realism.
Ye Yunfei saw how incredibly prosperous this Tianjian Sect was in ancient times. Countless sword cultivators moved about within the sect, endless Sword Energy soaring into the heavens. Among them were figures radiating terrifying Sword Intent; even across the vast expanse of time, they made Ye Yunfei feel immense pressure and boundless yearning.
'It seems this Tianjian Sect must have been one of the strongest sects in the Sword Realm in ancient times,' Ye Yunfei thought to himself.
Standing before the ruins of the Tianjian Sect, Ye Yunfei felt that everything within him related to the sword — Sword Energy, Sword Intent, Sword Laws — was particularly active, seemingly cheering, giving him a sense of exhilaration akin to returning to his element.
Ye Yunfei couldn't help but walk into the long-shattered Tianjian Sect. Around him were dilapidated structures, scattered tiles and bricks everywhere, along with many fragments of broken treasured swords and lingering traces of Sword Intent.
'One hundred thousand sword cultivators, stand together against the enemy!' Suddenly, Ye Yunfei heard a thunderous roar, and then he saw a dense sea of sword cultivators appear before his eyes. Every one of them had Sword Intent soaring from their bodies, and each wielded a sharp longsword.
Buzz, buzz, buzz…
Countless sword cultivators simultaneously raised their swords and unleashed devastating Sword Intents. Sword after sword, tens of thousands of Sword Intents surged skyward, forming a waterfall, even an ocean, of swords that exploded upwards.
In the sky above, numerous formidable foes abruptly appeared, each towering and exuding horrifying auras.
The densely packed sword cultivators within the Tianjian Sect headquarters simultaneously rode their swords into the sky, charging to meet the enemies above. A fiercely intense battle commenced.
Ye Yunfei saw that none of the sword cultivators retreated; they charged forward with unwavering resolve against the powerful foes.
However, the enemies were terrifyingly strong. Their casual strikes erupted with unimaginably dreadful energy. Large numbers of sword cultivators were no match, getting wounded, maimed, even killed, falling from the sky like falling rain.
'Something's wrong. Why do all the members of the Tianjian Sect seem constrained during the fight, as if... as if something is restricting the energy within their bodies and their Sword Intent? Could they have been injured even before the battle started?' Suddenly, Ye Yunfei sensed something amiss.
Originally, those sword cultivators within the Tianjian Sect were each quite powerful, and their fighting will was fearsome. Yet during the battle, they clearly seemed hampered, unable to act freely, as if something was fettering the energy and Sword Intent within them.
'I understand,' Hun Lao spoke up at that moment. 'These sword cultivators of the Tianjian Sect were already injured or poisoned before the battle—and it was a collective injury or poisoning. So when the powerful enemies attacked, although they fought desperately, they couldn't unleash their true combat strength. They suffered terribly in this battle, with heavy casualties.'
'Hun Lao, can you also see the scenes I'm seeing?' Ye Yunfei was startled and immediately asked.
'Of course I can see them. The reason you can see these scenes is that a significant portion of the sword path inheritance you cultivate should originate from this Tianjian Sect. Therefore, upon returning here, the Sword Energy and Sword Laws within you resonated with the ancient Sword Intent lingering in this place, triggering reactions in space and time, allowing you to see these ancient scenes engraved within space. And as a member of the Chaos World Tree Clan, I possess a keen sense for spatial laws. Thus, I can also use my own methods to perceive some of the ancient scenes imprinted in this space,' Hun Lao explained.
'So that’s how it is,' Ye Yunfei said, suddenly understanding upon hearing Hun Lao's words.
At this moment, the battle scenes before Ye Yunfei's eyes continued to evolve. Finally, Ye Yunfei saw several exceptionally powerful figures erupt from the core area of the Tianjian Sect headquarters. These figures looked like peerlessly sharp, treasured swords, soaring skyward and immediately slaying several of the invading enemies.
But soon, several especially formidable figures also appeared on the enemy's side in the skies. Ye Yunfei knew this was the top masters of both sides beginning to exchange moves.
Thus, the battle entered its most intense phase.
Not long after…
'Today, the Tianjian Sect shall perish!' A voice like a funeral bell suddenly rang out from the high sky, resonating throughout the entire world.
As that voice echoed, more and more Tianjian Sect sword cultivators fell from the sky like rain.
Those falling Tianjian Sect sword cultivators were already corpses.
'No…
I cannot accept this!
You filthy scoundrels used such despicable means to annihilate my Tianjian Sect! We do not submit!'
Countless Tianjian Sect sword cultivators simultaneously unleashed cries of unwillingness, interspersed with the enemy's triumphant, mad laughter.
Suddenly, all the scenes vanished together. Ye Yunfei found himself facing absolute stillness. Looking around, all he saw was the same scene of ruins from before.
'The brutal battle scenes just now were merely spatial echoes,' Hun Lao said softly.
'Yes, but those scenes were events that truly happened,' Ye Yunfei replied, thinking back to the sight of so many Tianjian Sect sword cultivators dying gruesomely in those scenes, and their unwillingness-filled wills, feeling somewhat sorrowful.
'The Tianjian Sect, and indeed the entire Sword Realm, truly carries a sea of blood and a debt of deep hatred.' Ye Yunfei walked amidst the ruins of this once-glorious place, murmuring to himself. His heart was filled with sorrow, and also brimming with rage.
Simultaneously, Ye Yunfei once again felt the Sword Energy and Sword Laws within him producing increasingly clear resonance with the Sword Intent lingering within these ruins.
Next, Ye Yunfei found himself as if drawn by something. Without realizing it, he arrived before the giant stone sword towering a thousand *zhang* high. Up close, the sovereign Sword Intent radiating from within the colossal stone sword was even more pressingly oppressive. The air seemed to grow thick and heavy with pressure, as if a supreme Sword Deity lay in eternal rest here, his indomitable will enduring through countless ages, still guarding this ancestral land.
'This stone sword seems to contain extremely dreadful Sword Intent. There might be something profound about it,' Hun Lao said to Ye Yunfei.