"Ah..."
At this sight, Wang Xian felt his head was about to explode!
He sprang to his feet!
In that instant, it was as if lightning flashed and thunder roared, splitting the heavens and shaking the earth!
In that instant, he remembered everything...
So it had all been his senior brother's design. His senior brother had framed him, accusing him of poisoning his fellow students at the Academy and poisoning Sima Jue.
So this had all been a conspiracy by that father and son!
They had not only killed Long Jie of the Library Pavilion, but also tied Wang Xian to the Coiling Dragon Pillar on Phoenix Terrace at the Academy...
"Nine hundred and ninety-nine swords! Sima Jue, you father and son stabbed me nine hundred and ninety-nine times! Ah..."
Although he did not understand why he had ended up thousands of miles away in Kunlun as his master's disciple,
he seemed to understand a little. The Coiling Dragon Pillar had turned into a Divine Sword and entered his body!
No wonder the elders of the Four Great Sects had all come to Cloud-Rising Taoist Temple on the Southern Slope of Kunlun. They had come for the Divine Sword...
Just as he was about to lose control,
the woman in white reached out and pulled him back down to sit, saying calmly, "Don't get worked up. Take your time and tell me what happened."
At her words, Wang Xian had no choice but to calm himself.
He muttered, "Senior, that vile father and son framed me. They even tied me to the Coiling Dragon Pillar and stabbed me nine hundred and ninety-nine times!"
"What a vicious pair of father and son!"
The woman in white sighed softly. "I never imagined a cup of spirit wine and a jade disc you happened upon by chance would restore your memories. It's truly unbelievable."
Wang Xian understood, too, that he had never met the woman in white before.
She had no idea about the Divine Sword inside his body, and there was no way she could conjure up a scene from his past to deceive him.
"How close!"
Wang Xian said coldly, "If not for Master, I would have died long ago."
The woman raised her head to the sky and said, "Heaven is my witness. Perhaps it, too, wants justice for you!"
Wang Xian cupped his hands. "Thank you, Senior, for helping me recover my memories!"
The woman in white shook her head. "Your cultivation is too weak right now. Let me give you a hand."
As she spoke, she took the crystal-clear inner core from Wang Xian's hand and pushed it into his mouth.
Before Wang Xian could react, she picked up the jade cup, poured in spirit wine, and tipped it into his mouth.
Wang Xian cried out. He felt a ball of burning fire spreading through his chest.
The woman in white took his small hand and said solemnly, "Gather your spiritual energy. I'll help you refine it..."
Wang Xian nodded. A vast surge of spiritual power poured into his body in an instant.
"Ah..."
With a cry of alarm, Wang Xian found himself unable to bear the rolling flood of spiritual energy.
He held on for only a moment before passing out.
Wang Xian was on his way to the Kunlun Sword Sect when he stopped.
The woman in white took out a beast-fur blanket, wrapped the sleeping Wang Xian in it, and laid him beneath a nearby cliff.
In her estimation, refining the inner core would take Wang Xian at least three days.
Three days meant Wang Xian would likely miss a grand event at the Kunlun Sword Sect.
After an unexpected encounter, Wang Xian had transformed once more.
The woman in white was in no hurry. It seemed to her that the Kunlun Sword Sect's spring recruitment tournament was nothing compared to the good fortune awaiting the boy before her.
A boy who had been framed, stabbed nine hundred and ninety-nine times, and still survived...
A boy who would press on through nine deaths without regret—where else could she find one like him?
She had found no trace of the Divine Sword on this trip to Kunlun, yet she had unexpectedly met Wang Xian.
Could this be fate?
Kunlun Sword Sect.
The spring recruitment had begun on the second day of the second month, with the candidates climbing the mountain.
In the blink of an eye, it was the fifth day of the second month. The entrance trials had already been underway for two days.
Following the crowd, Duanmu Xi and Sima Jue finally stood in the Sword Sect's plaza. It was the dream of the two of them—and of every Academy student.
"Junior Sister."
Sima Jue said quietly, "Today is the last day. After this, we'll be cultivating here."
Duanmu Xi took a deep breath and gazed at a sliver of morning sun above the snowy mountain.
She murmured, "I just remembered something. My mother said she was coming to Kunlun today. I wonder if she'll get to see me compete onstage."
"She definitely will."
Sima Jue replied excitedly, "We're not near the front of the lineup today. If the senior disciples haven't finished competing by noon, we'll have to wait until the afternoon."
Duanmu Xi fell silent for a moment, then smiled radiantly. "I hope my mother can make it."
Sima Jue nodded. "I'd like to see her, too."
In a mountain ravine behind the main hall,
a red blur flashed past. It was Dantai Xiaoxue, hurrying to find her master.
From a distance, she called to Dongfang Nishang, who sat at a table beneath a tree, "Master, why hasn't Junior Brother from the temple arrived yet?"
Once today was over, the Kunlun Sword Sect's spring recruitment tournament would be finished.
They had waited for days, but there was still no sign of Junior Brother Wang Xian.
Dongfang Nishang sighed and gazed toward Kunlun's southern mountain. Her lips parted. "Senior Brother, where is that precious disciple of yours? Today's the last day of the trials..."
The Old Daoist froze at her words.
He looked at Donghuang Shuyu and Bear Two before him, thought for a moment, and replied, "On the morning of the second day of the second month, he left to come see you, didn't he?"
Dongfang Nishang shook her head. "Xiaoxue has been looking for him for three days. There's no sign of him."
The Old Daoist furrowed his brow and looked north. He searched for a long while, but saw only a patch of mist in a certain mountain ravine...
After calculating on his fingers, he couldn't help but freeze.
He had taken everything into account, yet somehow, he had overlooked one person.
"Master, has something happened to my junior brother?"
Donghuang Shuyu had just arrived on the mountain. She glanced at Bear Two and asked the Old Daoist, "Didn't Bear Two say Junior Brother was really fierce?"
The Old Daoist sighed deeply.
He waved a hand. "Go take care of your own business. I'll have a word with your martial aunt."
With that, he walked out of the main hall, saying, "Bear Two, help your senior sister dig this pit bigger. We'll plant water lilies in the summer."
Bear Two gave a loud howl.
Donghuang Shuyu giggled. "Master, aren't you worried Junior Brother will get lost?"
"He won't. Don't worry!"
The Old Daoist didn't explain Wang Xian's situation to Dongfang Nishang.
He merely smiled. "He's on the way. He'll be here soon... Keep an eye on him for me. Make sure he doesn't cause trouble."
"What do you mean?"
Dongfang Nishang was startled and hurriedly asked, "Could it be..."
The Old Daoist shook his head. "Don't let your imagination run wild. I'm just worried he might suddenly recover memories of his past on the way and run into an enemy."
Dongfang Nishang shuddered at his words.
She blurted out, "Could it be that the person I met was just a child who had lost his memory?"
"What do you think?"
The Old Daoist sighed and gave a bitter smile. "If you see him... bring him back to me as soon as possible."
Dongfang Nishang nodded. "All right."
Then she looked at Dantai Xiaoxue beside her and sighed softly. "It seems your junior brother isn't an easy one to deal with, either."
On the plaza, prodigies from the Four Great Sects and all over the land had gathered.
All the disciples bowed together and said, "Greetings, Elders."
The Great Elder smiled faintly and glanced at the Disciplinary Elder.
The Disciplinary Elder then stepped forward and called out, "Everyone, you are the greatest prodigies of this age. The Kunlun Sword Sect has stood for a thousand years, and we welcome you here to cultivate."
The prodigies in the plaza erupted in cheers.
The Disciplinary Elder continued, "Today is the last day of the trials. Afterward, all the disciples who make the Prodigy Ranking will receive the rewards that belong to you."
"Now, continue your trials!"
Before you continue