Gu Qingshan stood atop a solitary peak.
He closed his eyes, immersed in countless fragments of the Past Era.
The battles and sacrifices of one sword cultivator after another kept appearing in his mind like scenes playing in fast-forward.
"The path... What exactly should the path of a sword cultivator be?"
He murmured to himself.
In the sky, countless birds circled back and forth, unwilling to leave.
An answer.
An answer.
An answer.
The sword cultivators were waiting for an answer.
Gu Qingshan pondered. "Sword cultivators have never feared death or sacrifice. Time and again, they've cut through every obstacle in their way with the long swords in their hands—"
The flock descended from the sky and began to circle him.
They resonated with Gu Qingshan.
The shadow of Sacrificial Dance Lady quietly appeared beside him. "Have you figured out how to forge a path as a sword cultivator?"
The sharp aura around Gu Qingshan faded completely, and a hint of sorrow appeared on his face.
Such an emotion had almost never shown itself in him.
"What's wrong?" Shadow asked.
"As a sword cultivator, I have my master's protection and the shelter of Chaos, yet whenever I face the enemy on the battlefield, I don't even have enough armor to wear. The circumstances of the other sword cultivators are worse still."
His voice softened. "Just now... I saw countless comrades meet their end."
"As sword cultivators, we wield our swords to turn the tide and save others. Of course we don't fear sacrifice—"
"But,"
"Can't we stay alive?"
All around him, silence fell.
Every bird settled on the solitary peak.
They all looked at Gu Qingshan.
"We have families, loved ones, people we care about and must protect. Can't we live?"
"In other words, why must sword cultivators die in