Tianhe of Those Years, a Question Across Space

Hearing Xie Qingxue's words, Zheng Fa craned his neck and looked up.

It was pitch black.

The flying sword beneath his feet emitted a sword radiance, which shot into the void, only to be swallowed up as if by an invisible maw, disappearing without a trace.

Xie Qingxue wouldn't go so far as to tease herself.

Zheng Fa focused his attention and examined the matter closely, only then noticing the anomaly:

In the dim darkness, a faint glimmer of light flickered in the distance.

Upon closer inspection, one could see a massive, arc-shaped object rotating and undulating.

This face looks familiar...

"Compass?"

An idea flashed through Zheng Fa's mind, and he suddenly realized.

After examining it closely, he confirmed that this thing was indeed the compass that Sect Master Yan had used to verify his identity back then.

The compass has a notch in the middle, which is exactly the shape of the Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant.

Now this compass is rotating around the mountain peak, as if it's putting a headband on this Xuanwei Supreme Peak.

I am standing right in this gap.

Xie Qingxue sighed, "This gap is the gateway to the Myriad Swords Realm. Unfortunately, the Myriad Swords Realm is shrouded in darkness and Chaos. Our Tianhe Sect has searched for hundreds of thousands of years, but we have still not been able to uncover its mysteries."

Does this mean he's already halfway into the Myriad Swords Realm?

Trying to circulate his spiritual power, Zheng Dharma Body transformed into a rainbow and flew upwards.

The Rainbow Transformation Method has been restored!

He flew straight through the gap in the compass, but all that lay ahead was darkness. As he flew, a chill ran down Zheng Fa's spine, and he quickly stopped the rainbow light.

A Sword Qi swept past him, cutting a crack in the darkness before him.

Starlight shone through the crack.

What happened?

This Myriad Swords Realm is quite peculiar; the Creation Jade Disc seems to have been unaffected, and its communication with the Nine Mountains Realm has remained uninterrupted.

Seemingly sensing the danger just now, Senior Sister Zhang's tone was full of anxiety.

"It's nothing, it's just a bit sudden."

"However, the power of this Sword Qi is no weaker than when I use the Immortal-Trapping Sword."

Zheng Fa was also somewhat frightened.

"It's not as strong now," Xie Qingxue added. "According to my records in the Tianhe, this realm was filled with Sword Qi at the beginning of the era. The weak ones were nothing to mention, and the strong ones could even kill True Immortal with a single sword strike."

"So many years have passed, and these Sword Qi are no longer what they used to be..."

"Only then will we dare to explore slowly."

Uncle-Master Pang was stunned, and asked in surprise, "You mean, these Sword Qi existed for an entire era?"

"At least one era."

Even Zheng Fa was somewhat taken aback.

He became more cautious, wandered around in the darkness for a while, and returned to the summit of Heaven-Piercing Sword Peak, his brows slightly furrowed.

"No response..."

He originally thought that with the Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant, the Myriad Swords Realm would be ready to pounce.

When he arrives, even if there aren't huge crowds, there will be plenty of decorations and lanterns.

There was absolutely nothing unusual about it.

The exploration just now, while not entirely fruitless, at least... left us exhausted, didn't it?

The people from the Nine Mountains Realm exchanged bewildered glances, all turning their gazes toward Xie Qingxue.

Xie Qingxue couldn't think of a solution for the time being. After pondering for a moment, she could only guess. "Sect Leader, why not start with that compass?"

These words made Zheng Fa's eyes light up.

How to get started?

"Our sect has a method for refining this compass, which only the Sect Leader can learn. I suppose only my master possesses it."

Zheng Fa glanced at the live stream.

Sect Master Yan seems to be controlled by the sword formation. To contact him, one would have to go through the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor... I should have known better than to tell the truth.

But what made Zheng Fa hesitate was another problem—refining magical Law Treasure always takes a long time, and this couldn't be completed in just a few days.

He feared that the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor was truly gone.

Fortunately, making a key is too slow, and he can also pick the lock...

Positive-Negative Five-Colored Divine Light, rise!

A rainbow streaks across the darkness, falling straight to the distant compass.

In an instant, Zheng Fa established a connection with the compass through his divine sense.

The Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant in his sea of consciousness suddenly began to spin.

As the Jade Pendant turned, a Taiji Diagram suddenly appeared in front of Zheng Fa, as if a veil had been placed over the Heaven-Piercing Sword Peak.

The Taiji Diagram slowly rotates, and the curve at the center, like an elevator door, slowly opens a crack, through which a faint light shines.

Zheng Fa has not yet made a move.

The ten thousand flying swords on the Heaven-Piercing Sword Peak, like birds flocking to the forest, rushed into the crevice.

Suddenly, the crack became filled with a cacophony of voices.

Hearing the sound, Zheng Fa became even more puzzled, but he didn't make any rash moves. He just waited for the crack to grow bigger and bigger, eventually turning into a passageway with a diameter of over a hundred feet.

The scenery revealed in the passageway was beyond Zheng Fa's expectations, and also left Xie Qingxue of the Nine Mountains Realm stunned.

"Isn't this the Tianhe Sect?"

It was Uncle-Master Pang who broke the silence first.

It's the Tianhe Sect.

Zheng Fa Tianhe Sect, so he naturally recognized him.

Familiar city, same mountains.

Pavilions, terraces, mansions, and waterside pavilions are all clearly visible in the distance.

He even recognized some distinctive buildings—such as the Sect Leader hall of the sect leader and the Scripture Tower.

At the city gate, disciples were coming and going.

On the mountainside, the light of swords flashed back and forth.

A scene of bustling prosperity.

Xie Qingxue slowly shook her head, her tone unreadable. "It's the Tianhe Sect, but not the current Tianhe Sect."

Zheng Fa entered the passageway and then he could see clearly that the disciples at the city gate were all dressed in simple ancient clothes, and he recognized some of them: they had just been shaved.

"This is... the Tianhe Sect from the Previous Epoch?"

He asked suddenly, as if struck by a realization.

"Yes, some buildings have changed a long time ago, and even the terrain of many mountains is very different from what it is now."

Zheng Fa.

He had only been to the Tianhe Sect once, so he wasn't familiar with it; Xie Qingxue was naturally more familiar with it.

But this Myriad Swords Realm is really not what I imagined.

He walked through the passageway, his eyes filled with curiosity, carefully examining the High Antiquity Tianhe Sect.

Needless to say, the disciples of Tianhe, along with the ordinary people in the city, all carried long swords at their waists, their backs straight, and their spirits high.

That makes sense; even if they are mortals, they are still mortals under the feet of the Xuanwei Overlord.

How can someone not have a bit of pride?

At the foot of the Tianhe Sect Mountain, it was ten times more prosperous than Vast Sun Mountain before. Cultivators' escape lights were like rain, and the fragrance of spiritual pills filled the air, making it extremely lively.

On the mountainside behind the city, it seemed that many disciples were sparring and fighting, their sword light flashing and disappearing, stirring up the clouds and startling the birds.

Even by Zheng Fa's current standards, the Sword Dao of these disciples is quite profound.

The city was bustling, and the sounds of swords clashing on the mountain rose and fell, never ceasing, yet they gave him a sense of tranquility and peace.

Perhaps it was because everyone here, regardless of whether they were cultivators or mortals, high or low in cultivation, had a sense of peace on their faces.

As he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard his Uncle-Master Pang exclaim in alarm, "Oh no! Lu Mo has gained the upper hand again!"

Zheng Fa immediately looked towards the live stream room.

Sure enough, the situation of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor began to deteriorate again:

He was probably preoccupied with the progress on Zheng Fa's side, which distracted him somewhat.

After waiting for several days, seeing that Zheng Fa had not yet appeared, Lu Mo seemed to have given up his thoughts and focused on refining the Book of Life and Death.

As one thing diminishes while another grows, the Buddha's light in the Underworld is almost halfway through again.

Even the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's face showed a hint of tranquility and liberation, as if he were about to convert.

Zheng Fa finally understood: for Lu Mo to completely refine the Book of Life and Death, the key was to convert the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor; otherwise, it would be difficult to achieve complete success.

Just like how Vast Sun Mountain refined the Immortal-Trapping Sword, without the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor as its Artifact Spirit, the Book of Life and Death would be much less effective.

The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor is now behaving too peacefully, even seeming to want to lay down his sword.

Not good.

Thinking of this, he took out the Creation Jade Disc, recorded the scene in front of him, and sent it to the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor.

During the live stream, the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor was stunned, seemingly having received the footage from Biography of Zheng Fa, and then his eyes turned red.

He suddenly looked up, glaring at Lu Mo, his body radiating intense, fiery light as he desperately tried to suppress Lu Mo's Buddhist light.

Even Lu Mo was a little stunned—after trying to convert him for so long and reciting Buddhist scriptures over and over again, why did the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor look at him with increasing hatred?

Zheng Fa watched the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's vigorous efforts in the live broadcast, smiled slightly, and kept his merits and fame hidden.

The scene before him was like an archaeological dig for him, but for the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor, it was the past.

This is like having a beloved, unattainable love interest who gets murdered. When you face your enemy and see a picture of that love interest, you'll absolutely think... "Where's my murder weapon?"

"Is this your Life-bound Dharma Treasure?"

A voice suddenly rang out behind him, startling Zheng Fa. He turned around and saw... a show-off.

This person's attire is very familiar; it's just like Yan Wushuang's style back in the day.

Wearing a crane-feather cloak and a star-studded crown, dressed entirely in white, with a wide gold-threaded belt, she danced in the wind.

The man was young and not particularly striking in appearance, but his eyes were sharp and piercing, which made Zheng Dharma Body.

"The Venerable Tianhe?"

At this time and in this place, dressed like this, he really couldn't think of anyone else.

The man nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on the Creation Jade Disc Creation Jade Disc. He seemed to have seen through its secrets at a glance, and exclaimed, "This Law Treasure is quite interesting."

"It's all thanks to the Venerable One's Life-bound Dharma Treasure weapon."

Zheng Fa said politely.

Unexpectedly, Venerable Tianhe was not a polite person. He nodded with an air of self-importance, accepting all the gratitude without hesitation.

He pointed to the live stream room and asked curiously, "Is this Nine Nether?"

"Yes, the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor resisted Lu Mo's refining."

"Being completely dominated by Lu Mo, tsk." Venerable Tianhe's tone was disdainful. "After all these years, you haven't improved at all."

"..."

Zheng Fa suddenly had some doubts: was this guy actually Venerable Tianhe?

Something's not right!

Just then, the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor sent Spirit Message, urgently asking, "Is this the Myriad Swords Realm? What else did you encounter?"

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and replied, "I met someone who claimed to be Venerable Tianhe."

"He's still alive? That shouldn't be! What did he say?"

"He's complaining that you, Devil Ancestor, are... weak."

"... It's him!"

The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's reply was decisive and without the slightest hesitation.

Very good, it's not a fake.

"Venerable One, you also know Lu Mo's background?"

"I know, the Demon Emperor, the Vast Sun First Ancestor, the Original Devil Ancestor, is a bit troublesome."

Venerable Tianhe spoke casually, as if he didn't care at all.

Seeing him like this, a glimmer of hope welled up in Zheng Fa's heart.

"Since you, Venerable One, are still alive..."

I am dead.

Then what are you so smug about?

"..."

"I'm actually just a remnant soul. I can't get out of here. The Myriad Swords Realm isn't for fighting, and I wouldn't be able to defeat them even if I went out."

Seeing the Tianhe Remnant Soul's calm expression, Zheng Fa felt somewhat disappointed and asked again, "After the Celestial River Method is Union Realm, is there any next step? If the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor could obtain the perfected Celestial River Method, perhaps he could reverse the defeat."

Tianhe Remnant Soul nodded. "Yes."

"Please, Venerable One, impart your teachings!"

Zheng Fa was surprised that things went so smoothly and quickly said...

"Well, I can't make that decision."

"Can't make the decision?"

Zheng Fa was stunned.

"I'll listen to them."

The Tianhe Remnant Soul pointed towards the Tianhe Sect.

He was referring to the disciples of the Tianhe Sect.

Zheng Fa became increasingly puzzled. Was this really so democratic?

Seemingly noticing his confusion, the Tianhe Remnant Soul chuckled softly, "Come with me."

Zheng Fa was also confused, and followed behind him towards the Tianhe Sect.

After taking two steps, the scenery before my eyes suddenly changed.

Although the two were still under the Tianhe Sect's feet, the air was thick with a chilling atmosphere.

In the sky, shimmering light emanated as countless Immortal Sword gathered.

"Back then, my Tianhe Sect had just begun to rise to power, and my strength was not yet invincible, but the unique nature of the Celestial River Method had already been exposed," said the Tianhe Remnant Soul. "When the Sacred Dynasty invaded our territory, the Four Sects deliberately delayed and did not come to our aid; that was almost the most critical time for the Tianhe Sect."

The Sacred Dynasty is the power of the Devil Ancestor and also a major enemy of the Tianhe Sect.

Zheng Fa could naturally imagine the danger of the situation.

He is now stronger than most Loose Immortal, but the Nine Mountains Sect still faces great pressure.

"I'm being held back by the Devil Ancestor." Tianhe Remnant Soul spoke calmly, but Zheng Fa fully understood the danger involved. "We can only rely on these disciples to protect the Tianhe Sect."

He looked at the disciples on the flying swords; they didn't speak, but simply gathered silently.

Half an incense stick later, without any orders, they flew off into the distance as if by telepathy.

Ten thousand swords emerge from the Tianhe, their Sword Qi sweeping across the sky.

Zheng Fa watched this scene with a somewhat downcast mood.

The Tianhe Remnant Soul remained silent.

The two simply walked forward, seemingly traversing time and space, as the light and shadow before them shifted once more.

A disciple has returned.

When he went there, he had over ten thousand disciples.

When they returned, it seemed there were fewer than four thousand.

These disciples had been through countless battles, both large and small; their auras were weak, they were all wounded, their flying swords at their waists were stained with blood, and the air was filled with a stench of blood.

Their eyes seemed somewhat vacant as they stared at each other, as if searching for someone.

They couldn't find it, and didn't say anything.

Zheng Fa could only watch in silence.

Tianhe Remnant Soul, carrying Zheng Fa, continued forward, passing through this deathly silence, when they heard human voices.

He then saw another Venerable Tianhe.

This venerable one, along with several thousand disciples, formed a circle.

Inside the circle, rows of Immortal Sword stood upright, their hilts planted in the ground and their tips pointing to the sky.

One of the disciples sang aloud an ancient ballad that Zheng Fa had never heard before, but the sorrow in it still moved him.

One disciple remained silent, flicking his sword with his fingers, the sound ringing out, his anger barely concealed.

Many others, like Venerable Tianhe, simply stared blankly at the sword forest.

Suddenly, a disciple turned to look at Venerable Tianhe and asked:

"Sect Leader, what will Tianhe and Xuanwei be like in the future?"

Venerable Tianhe remained silent.

"If these senior brothers could see the future, would they regret it?"

The crowd gradually fell silent, and all eyes turned to Venerable Tianhe in the center of the crowd.

Venerable Tianhe turned his head and looked in the direction of Zheng Fa.

Thousands of eyes were simultaneously fixed on Zheng Fa, as if seeking an answer.

The Tianhe Remnant Soul beside him had disappeared.

Zheng Fa suddenly understood what the Tianhe Remnant Soul meant by "listen to them."

He and these souls lost in the Tianhe have waited for hundreds of thousands of years, waiting for an answer.