However, since the remnant souls on the Sword Realm Continent have already begun to harbor suspicions, we need to accelerate our actions. Let's do this: send some more people to the Sword Realm Continent to see if we can break through that barrier more quickly.
While the remnant souls of those extinct sects on the Sword Realm Continent are far inferior to their peak strength in their heyday, those sects all left behind some hidden heritage to varying degrees. For instance, the great formation at the Heavenly Sword Sect Headquarters, if activated to its full potential, can still muster a degree of power. If all the remnant souls on the Sword Realm Continent fight desperately, they might obstruct our plans."
Elder Gong thought for a moment before speaking again.
"That's good. We shall do as Elder Gong suggests and send more people to the Sword Realm Continent. Our Blade Realm, after all these years of recuperation and development, possesses far greater overall strength than before and is not lacking in powerful experts," the Blade Realm powerhouse immediately replied.
"By the way, Elder Gong, the war between the Hunyuan Sect and the Guardian Faction is now entering a true decisive stage. I've received news that both major forces are extremely likely to deploy their true main armies. Once these two ancient super-factions mobilize their true main armies, they will certainly unleash an utterly astonishing war, one that will inevitably affect the eight void fragments of the Chaotic Void Sea, and might even sweep up most factions. How should our Blade Realm respond? Should we stay out of it or participate?"
Another Blade Realm powerhouse nearby spoke up and asked.
"In fact, our Blade Realm is already involved in the war between those two factions. The Guardian Faction is ambitious and has profound heritage. Although the Hunyuan Sect's strength is also considerable, it ultimately cannot match the Guardian Faction. Thus, this war will likely end with the Hunyuan Sect's defeat."
"Our Blade Realm can appropriately dispatch some forces to assist the Guardian Faction. Once the war concludes, our Blade Realm will have reason to share in dividing up the Hunyuan Sect's remaining territory and assets."
Elder Gong thought for a moment before speaking.
"Moreover, during the war, our Blade Realm can take the opportunity to establish our own bases in the eight voids, to develop and grow. Remember, this kind of chaotic era is precisely the best time for our Blade Realm's growth and expansion. The more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it is for our Blade Realm's expansion. Naturally, our Blade Realm must not miss this chance."
Elder Gong then added.
"Elder Gong's words make sense. Our Realm Master also holds this view," another Blade Realm powerhouse beside him said with a smile.
"Very well. Carry out as I've instructed. I must now go discuss some matters with the Realm Master."
Elder Gong nodded, then turned and took a step out of the pavilion, vanishing instantly. The other Blade Realm powerhouses also dispersed one after another.
Not long after, a group of powerful experts from the Blade Realm departed from the realm, traveling through long-distance teleportation altars toward the direction of the Sword Realm Continent.
At the same time, within a Sword Cave of the Tianjian Sect, tens of thousands of swords pierced the cavern walls and floor.
Ye Yunfei sat cross-legged at the very center of this Sword Cave, his psychic energy, Soul Power, two Soul Bodies, sixty Soul Power planets, and the divine pupil at his brow all operating simultaneously, continuously comprehending the sword dao heritages within sword after sword.
"Master, the Sword Intent in this Sword Cave is so strange. It feels exceptionally heavy, completely different from the first Sword Cave," Hu Miao suddenly spoke up.
"Indeed, the swords in this Sword Cave all emanate a sense of weightiness, a heavy and profound sword dao aura."
"It seems each of the twenty-four Sword Caves has its own distinct characteristic. Likely, the ancient sword cultivators of the Tianjian Sect before their fall chose to send their swords into different Sword Caves selectively, probably based on the characteristics of the sword dao heritages they cultivated. A sword would be sent to the Sword Cave most suitable for it."
Hun Lao spoke up.
At that moment, Ye Yunfei was completely focused on comprehending the sword dao heritages within sword after sword, so he didn't answer Hu Miao.
"You better seize this opportunity to cultivate your own race's heritage. The two of us are starting to lag behind," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, who was secluded in the Illusory Shadow Tower, spoke upon hearing Hu Miao's words.
"Who says I'm not cultivating? I've been secluded within the Illusory Shadow Tower all this time. It shouldn't be long before my bloodline can level up again," Hu Miao replied.
"These medicinal pills are the divine pills I refined for you during this period."
Hearing the conversation between Hu Miao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Ye Yunfei opened his eyes and flicked his fingers, sending three separate batches of divine pills to the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Hu Miao, and Hun Lao respectively. Then he resumed his sword comprehension and practice.
In fact, Hu Miao was not wrong. The Sword Intent of this Sword Cave was predominantly heavy and profound, carrying a sense of crushing suppression over all things. Ye Yunfei even felt that the heavy Sword Intent of this Sword Cave bore a slight similarity to the Earth Qi Energy he had sensed.
"The entire blade of this sword has vanished into the ground, leaving only the hilt exposed."
Suddenly, Ye Yunfei's gaze fell upon a sword hilt at a corner of the Sword Cave.
This hilt appeared quite large, unusually shaped, and covered in rust spots. The entire sword blade was completely submerged within the Sword Cave floor.
The floor of this Sword Cave was extremely hard. For the sword blade to be entirely embedded within it indicated that this sword must be of immense weight.
Ye Yunfei's Soul Power and psychic energy focused on that sword hilt, while invisible beams shot from the divine pupil at his brow onto the hilt as well.
With a thunderous boom, the sword hilt suddenly began to vibrate. Rust flakes cascaded away, revealing two ancient characters etched onto the hilt: 'Suppress Mountain'.
A terrifyingly heavy, vast Sword Intent surged out from the hilt, instantly enveloping the entire interior space of the Sword Cave.
Ye Yunfei felt as if his body was bearing the weight of countless divine mountains; he couldn't move.
"Such terrifying Sword Intent!"
Ye Yunfei thought to himself, shocked.
He knew that this long sword bore no hostility toward him. This was merely a trace of its Sword Intent leaking out, yet it was almost unbearable for him.
Then, Ye Yunfei found himself seemingly transported to a special world.
In this world, everywhere he looked were towering mountain ranges and lofty divine peaks piercing the clouds, stretching endlessly beyond count.
An old man clad in heavy battle armor stood atop a mountain peak ten thousand zhang high, holding an unusually thick sword, facing a vast tide-like army of thousands upon thousands of warriors.
Relying solely on that thick sword in his hand, he single-handedly blocked the surging onslaught.
Ye Yunfei saw that the sword art this elder executed was as solid, heavy, and unyielding as a mountain suppressing its target—unbreakable, unbeatable.
What surprised Ye Yunfei even more was that while this elder executed his sword art, the many lofty mountains under his feet seemed to move rhythmically in unison with the sword in his hand. It was as if all the mountains, all the mountain ranges, and even the entire earth resonated with that sword.
Vast, billowing, yellow energy rose continuously, endlessly empowering that thick sword.
Every swing of that elder's sword would cause the entire world to become immensely heavy.
The army charging toward him like a tide would all fall as if into a quagmire and, in the end, be completely annihilated.
By observing that elder annihilating his enemies, Ye Yunfei quickly grasped the sword dao heritage contained within this long sword.
Gradually, an exceptionally heavy Sword Intent began to emanate from Ye Yunfei's body, sharing the same lineage as the Sword Intent from that long sword.
One thick long sword after another began to materialize around Ye Yunfei's form, each sword profoundly heavy, like individual suspended mountain ranges.
At Ye Yunfei's feet, vast streams of Earth Qi Energy poured into his body and were then transformed into heavy and profound sword radiances.
"The sword dao of the first Sword Cave leaned toward nimbleness and mutability. The sword dao of this second Sword Cave leans toward heaviness and suppression. One is agile, the other heavy. One is good for attack, the other for defense, perfectly complementing each other."
Sensing the Sword Intent radiating from Ye Yunfei's body, Hun Lao couldn't help but nod lightly, commenting softly.
Just as Ye Yunfei was comprehending and practicing his sword within this Sword Cave, deep within the Heavenly Sword Sect Headquarters lay a small realm that housed a tall library pavilion. This library had seven floors in total, shaped like a sharp sword pointing toward the sky.
Within the first-floor hall of this library, Sword Elder and five other Tianjian Sect elders sat around a simple stone table.
Scattered across the stone table were piles of yellowed, even somewhat tattered, ancient books. The pages of these books were forged from top-tier refining materials and engraved with many profound formation characters. Every single ancient book contained attack and defensive formations, making each tome a high-grade magical artifact in itself.
Yet, even these books, having endured the endless erosion of time's laws, appeared yellowed and worn.
Sword Elder and the five elders continuously pored over the ancient books, searching within for all records related to the Sword Realm Continent, but they had found no significant harvest yet.
"The elder of the Azure Dragon Sword Sect has arrived!"
Suddenly, Sword Elder's expression shifted, revealing joy as he spoke.
He then pointed his finger, and a portal opened directly within the Sword Formation enveloping the Tianjian Sect headquarters. Several figures entered through the portal and soon arrived at the library pavilion's first-floor hall.
"Old friends, it has been a while. How are you?"
Sword Elder and the five Tianjian Sect elders all immediately stood up and greeted them warmly.
The Azure Dragon Sword Sect was one of the most powerful ancient sword sects in the eastern region of the Sword Realm Continent. At its peak, its overall strength was not inferior to that of the Tianjian Sect.
In that ancient war, the Azure Dragon Sword Sect's Grand Elders and Sect Leader led the sect's army to resist the invading formidable enemies.
In that battle, the Azure Dragon Sword Sect suffered heavy casualties. Their Grand Elders and Sect Leader were all blasted apart, only their remnant souls surviving and hiding deep within certain small worlds and secret realms of the headquarters.
"The elder from the Taiyi Sword Sect has also arrived!"
Just then, Sword Elder looked out beyond the Tianjian Sect Headquarters again. Several figures were already standing outside the Sword Formation that protected it.
Sword Elder pointed again, and the Sword Formation opened another portal. Those figures entered, proceeding all the way to the library pavilion's first-floor hall.
The Taiyi Sword Sect was another celebrated sword cultivation sect in the ancient Sword Realm Continent. During that war, the Taiyi Sword Sect's Sect Leader, wielding the sect-protecting treasure the Taiyi Divine Sword, slew several powerhouse adversaries of the same rank from the Blade Realm consecutively. Sadly, he was ultimately besieged by a dozen powerful enemies, exhausted his energy and fell. He didn't even leave a remnant soul behind, which was why all the remnant souls on the Sword Realm Continent held the Taiyi Sword Sect in deep respect.
In the following time, more elders or even Sect Leaders from other sword sects arrived one after another. They brought numerous piles of ancient books with them.
"Everyone, based on my investigations over this period, there must be a massive secret hidden deep beneath the Sword Realm Continent. Through my deductions, I've discovered that this secret might involve the reasons behind the decline and fall of our Sword Realm Continent in those ancient times. It may even concern the future direction of our Sword Realm Continent. Therefore, we must ascertain the truth about the secrets hidden in the depths of this continent."
Looking at the elders and Sect Leaders from the other sword sects, Sword Elder spoke in a solemn tone.