"This young man is indeed a sword cultivator, but his words and actions are odd, and his identity is unclear. I intend to take him to see Elder Lu," one of the white-clad men declared.
"Odd words and actions, unclear identity?" Hearing this, many of the surrounding sword cultivators looked at Ye Yunfei with suspicious eyes.
"This kid is indeed a bit strange. I can't sense his cultivation level or his true sword path cultivation base," someone quickly remarked with a tone of astonishment and doubt.
"Now come with us to meet Elder Lu," one white-clad man said, glancing at Ye Yunfei before leading the way into the palace. Without a change of expression, Ye Yunfei followed.
Upon entering the palace, Ye Yunfei saw five elderly men seated within. Brilliant sword aura emanated from their bodies. Among them, one sat cross-legged in the very center, around whose body faint illusory longswords seemed to circle incessantly.
The moment Ye Yunfei walked in, the gaze of these five elders fell upon him, and they released their Soul Power energy, beginning to sense him. Since the two white-clad men had used a message jade slip to report their arrival, the five elders were already aware of what was happening.
"Young man, how did you enter the Sword Realm, and why have you come here?" the elder seated in the center asked, his eyes scrutinizing Ye Yunfei.
"I am a descendant of the Sword Realm. I entered to see for myself the current state of the realm," Ye Yunfei answered.
"Oh? You are a descendant of the Sword Realm? Then which Void, which branch do you belong to?" Elder Lu followed up immediately after hearing Ye Yunfei's words.
"I do not belong to any branch," Ye Yunfei replied.
"What? You don't belong to any branch? Then how dare you claim to be a descendant of the Sword Realm?" Hearing Ye Yunfei's words, the expressions of all five elders in the palace grew cold. Elder Lu spoke again, his tone turning considerably frostier. "How can you prove you are a descendant of the Sword Realm?"
At the same time, his body erupted with a burst of dazzling sword rays. These dense rays shot towards Ye Yunfei's location like a violent downpour.
"I am indeed a descendant of the Sword Realm. I have no need to prove it." Ye Yunfei's tone remained as placid and unaffected as ever. As he spoke, dense streams of sword aura instantly erupted from within his body.
At this moment, the Sword Heart within Ye Yunfei trembled lightly, beginning to communicate with the sword dao energy permeating the surrounding world. Instantly, all the sword dao energy, sword dao laws, sword rays, and sword auras in the surrounding space resonated with the Sword Heart within Ye Yunfei. Even the sword rays released by Elder Lu automatically deflected, avoiding Ye Yunfei's body.
"How is this possible?" Seeing this, Elder Lu's face changed immediately.
"Young man, the sword dao energy you wield is indeed the purest legacy of our Sword Realm. Could you truly be a descendant?" Sensing the sword dao energy emanating from Ye Yunfei, the other elders all seemed startled and uncertain. One spoke up to inquire.
"Correct. I have said it many times: I am indeed a descendant of the Sword Realm," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"The sword dao inheritance you cultivate is indeed that of our Sword Realm," Elder Lu spoke again. "But you just said you don't belong to any branch. What is the meaning of this? Where did you obtain your sword dao inheritance?"
"Part of my sword dao inheritance was obtained from my master, and another part from my master's teacher," Ye Yunfei answered. This was true: some of his inheritance came from Jian Shenzi, and some from Sword Elder.
"Then who are your master and grandmaster? Who instructed you in sword practice?" Elder Lu pressed.
"My master and grandmaster have already perished. I won't mention their names," Ye Yunfei replied lightly. "My swordsmanship, I cultivated on my own." If he revealed the names Jian Shenzi and Sword Elder, someone would likely recognize them, but before he assessed the situation, Ye Yunfei did not intend to reveal his origins.
"Your swordsmanship, you cultivated on your own? You mean, with no instruction, you managed to reach this level in the sword dao solely by your own exploration? How could that be?" Hearing his words, the five elders in the palace were stunned momentarily.
"I understand," one elder beside Elder Lu ventured, speculating. "Was it a case of serendipitous circumstances? You happened to obtain our Sword Realm's inheritance—perhaps in some secret realm or forbidden land, or at an auction, or through other means? And then you practiced on your own?"
"Correct. Indeed, it was due to serendipitous circumstances that I obtained the Sword Realm's inheritance and then began practicing," Ye Yunfei nodded. It was not wrong, as he had indeed obtained Jian Shenzi's inheritance by chance in the past.
"So that's the case. It seems you are a sword dao loose cultivator, merely fortunate enough to obtain our Sword Realm's inheritance, not belonging to any branch of our Sword Realm," the elder who asked concluded with sudden realization.
"The fact that you reached such a level relying on your own exploration… your talent in the sword dao truly must be exceptional," Elder Lu remarked, assessing the aura of sword dao energy emanating from Ye Yunfei, an appreciative light appearing in his eyes.
"Since you have cultivated our Sword Realm's inheritance, you can be considered one of our descendants as well," Elder Lu continued. "From now on, you must contribute to the reconstruction efforts of our Sword Realm. You two, find him a place to settle. From this moment, he is part of the Sword Realm. Arrange a suitable identity and tasks for him." Elder Lu's gaze shifted to the two white-clad men who had brought Ye Yunfei.
"Rest assured, Elder Lu. We will take him to settle immediately," one of the white-clad men promptly replied.
"Wait," one elder suddenly addressed Ye Yunfei. "Young man, you just said you obtained our Sword Realm's inheritance by serendipitous chance. Well then, take some time to inscribe all the sword dao inheritances you have obtained into this jade slip. I will send someone to retrieve it from you later. Remember, do not withhold any part, for the inheritances you obtained are part of our Sword Realm's heritage. They will be used to strengthen the Sword Realm's power in the future. This is what you ought to do."
Hearing this, the other four elders in the palace all had their eyes lit up.
"Indeed. Immediately find the time to inscribe all the sword dao inheritances you have obtained and hand them over," Elder Lu also nodded in agreement.
Hearing this, Ye Yunfei could not help but frown.
"These fellows actually want you to hand over all your sword dao inheritances? How outrageous!" Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm raged.
"Just inscribe some of the foundational, ancient sword dao inheritances of our Sword Realm for them," Sword Elder's voice suddenly transmitted into Ye Yunfei's mind. "First ascertain their origins and identities. They are likely descendants cultivated by the Sword Realm outside over the years. But certainly some among them have already betrayed us. You cannot hand over your true sword dao inheritances to them."
"Rest assured, Master. I know what to do," Ye Yunfei gave a slight nod. He accepted the jade slip and then followed the two white-clad men out of the palace.
Carrying Ye Yunfei with them, the two white-clad men soared into the air and headed into the distance.
Inside the palace after Ye Yunfei left, Elder Lu looked at the other four elders. "What do you think?"
"Judging by the sword dao energy aura emanating from him, what he cultivates is indeed the orthodox inheritance of our Sword Realm," one elder pondered and spoke. "Moreover, this young man is entirely unfamiliar, not a descendant from any of our external branches. So what he says might be true—that he obtained our inheritance by serendipitous chance. Besides, at such a young age, to possess such superb sword dao skill shows truly remarkable talent. Perhaps he can be properly nurtured."
"That is possible," Elder Lu nodded.
"Furthermore, the fact that he could enter the Sword Realm means he must know at least one Teleportation Formation that leads in and out," Elder Lu suddenly thought of this and spoke. "Transmit a message to Zhang Yu immediately and have him find out the specific location of that Teleportation Formation from this newcomer. That way, we will have another passage in and out of the Sword Realm."
"Correct. I shall send a Sound Transmission to Zhang Yu at once," another elder said.
At this time, the two white-clad men had brought Ye Yunfei to land in front of a crude little courtyard, within which stood a simple two-story building.
"This will be your place for living and cultivation from now on," one white-clad man said. Taking out three sets of Formation Flags, he tossed them to Ye Yunfei. "Here are three formations: one isolates external interference, one provides defense, and one gathers the energy of the surrounding world. You set them up yourself."
Ye Yunfei accepted the three sets of Formation Flags without a change in expression.
"By the way, you must have entered the Sword Realm through a Teleportation Formation, correct? The elders require you to disclose the specific location of that formation," one of the white-clad men then addressed Ye Yunfei.