Myriad Swords Return to Origin, Academy Grand Competition

The Eastern Xuan Hall remained as ancient and solemn as ever, yet the air still seemed to carry a faint trace of lingering killing intent.

Xuanyuan Che stepped into the great hall, where Lu Xuanchen stood with his hands behind his back before a chessboard, gazing at the unfinished game with a calm expression, as if the earth-shattering battle moments ago had never occurred.

"Master." Xuanyuan Che approached.

Lu Xuanchen turned, his gaze falling on Xuanyuan Che, carrying a hint of scrutiny but even more approval.

"You're here." Lu Xuanchen said flatly, his tone neutral, impossible to read.

"This disciple has some questions." Xuanyuan Che cut straight to the point.

"About the Nangong Family, or... the Sword Devouring Gu?" Lu Xuanchen seemed to have anticipated Xuanyuan Che's visit, directly hitting the mark.

Xuanyuan Che's heart stirred. Indeed, this master was not as detached as he appeared on the surface.

"Sigh..."

"Three hundred years ago, the Sword Pavilion was destroyed by the Nangong Family." Lu Xuanchen spoke slowly, his voice low, carrying the weariness of time.

"Back then, the Nangong Family needed a vast amount of sword cultivator Essence Blood and Sword Souls to refine a sinister Gu called the 'Supreme Devouring Gu'." Lu Xuanchen continued, his tone tinged with disgust. "And the Sword Pavilion, as the foremost sword dao sect in the Eastern Wasteland Domain, naturally became the Nangong Family's target."

"The Nangong Family plotted in secret, colluding with traitors inside the Sword Pavilion. In a single night, they launched a surprise attack, slaughtering everyone." Lu Xuanchen's voice turned icy, laced with anger. "Seven hundred elite sword cultivators of the main pavilion, not a single survivor. The Sword Pavilion's ten-thousand-year legacy was destroyed in one fell swoop."

Xuanyuan Che listened quietly, fury rising in his heart. Seven hundred sword cultivators, butchered in a single night—such a atrocity was utterly appalling.

"The Supreme Devouring Gu..." Xuanyuan Che murmured.

"The Supreme Devouring Gu is the final form of the Sword Devouring Gu, achieved after nine transformations." Lu Xuanchen explained. "Once refined, it can devour countless Sword Souls, control the power of the sword dao, and even slay a Supreme."

"The Nangong Family was ambitious, hoping to use the Supreme Devouring Gu's power to dominate the sword dao of the Eastern Wasteland Domain and elevate their status in the Central Continent." Lu Xuanchen let out a cold laugh. "But for all their scheming, they ultimately fell short. Ah, no—can't even call it falling short, since you saved that little girl, heh."

"Oh?" Xuanyuan Che's heart tightened.

Finally, the crux of the matter.

"Refining the Supreme Devouring Gu is extremely demanding. The right time, place, and people—none can be missing." Lu Xuanchen said. "Though the Nangong Family obtained the sword cultivators' Essence Blood and Sword Souls, they lacked the most crucial element."

"That thing is not the Sword Soul or Sword Bone, and even that little girl doesn't possess it yet."

"What is it?" Xuanyuan Che grew interested.

"The Sword Heart." Lu Xuanchen slowly uttered two words.

"The Sword Heart?"

"The Sword Heart is the soul core of a sword cultivator, the embodiment of their sword dao will." Lu Xuanchen explained. "Only those with a pure Sword Heart can truly wield the power of the sword dao. Refining the Supreme Devouring Gu also requires the Sword Heart as a catalyst."

"The Nangong Family annihilated the Sword Pavilion and obtained the Essence Blood and Sword Souls, but they couldn't get the Sword Heart." Lu Xuanchen sighed. "Because the Sword Heart cannot be seized; it can only be nurtured by a born swordsman."

"And without the Sword Heart, the Sword Devouring Gu can still undergo nine transformations, but it no longer holds much value for those people."

Xuanyuan Che nodded. The Nangong Family had schemed endlessly, yet overlooked the most critical link, ending up with nothing.

"The Nangong Family thought that by obtaining Mu Qingxue's Guixu Sword Body, they could complete the Supreme Devouring Gu."

In the end, it was all for naught.

"Master, for the Nangong Family to act like this, surely..." Xuanyuan Che was puzzled. The Sword Pavilion's destruction and the deaths of seven hundred sword cultivators were no small matter.

The Sword Pavilion might not be famous across the Central Continent, but it was renowned in the nearby dao domains. Surely someone would seek justice for them.

Take Lu Xuanchen, for example—he clearly knew some secrets, yet he hadn't made any major moves.

Relying solely on the Nangong Family? They weren't qualified.

Lu Xuanchen was silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "I know. The Sword Pavilion Master of that time even had some ties with me."

"After the Sword Pavilion was destroyed, I secretly investigated, wanting to avenge them." Lu Xuanchen's voice grew low, tinged with guilt. "But the Nangong Family's influence in the Central Continent is vast and deeply rooted. One move affects the whole. I hadn't broken through to Supreme back then, and I was alone, too weak to contend."

"Later, my strength improved, but the deeper I dug into this matter, the more troublesome it became." Lu Xuanchen paused, his tone turning complex. "Behind the Sword Pavilion's fall, there are deeper reasons. The Nangong Family was merely following orders."

Xuanyuan Che frowned. "Master means there's an even stronger force behind the Nangong Family?"

Lu Xuanchen nodded, his expression growing grave. "The Nangong Family is a local power in the Central Continent, but what truly makes them act without fear is their backing—a powerful family from the Central Continent."

"A powerful family from the Central Continent?" Xuanyuan Che repeated, pondering which families in the Central Continent were formidable.

"Is Master referring to one of the Five Great Ancient Families of Central Continent, the Sword Dao Xiao Family?" Xuanyuan Che asked, a guess forming in his mind.

"Exactly." Lu Xuanchen was somewhat surprised by Xuanyuan Che's broad knowledge.

"The Nangong Family is nothing but a dog propped up by the Xiao Family."

Xuanyuan Che narrowed his eyes.

"The Xiao Family and the Sword Pavilion are vastly different in strength, yet both follow the sword dao. Why destroy the Sword Pavilion?" He was puzzled.

The ancient families of the Central Continent had deep foundations. All for the Supreme Devouring Gu? A family like that probably had no shortage of Supremes, right?

"For 'Myriad Swords Return to Origin'." Lu Xuanchen slowly uttered four words, his tone laced with wariness.

"Myriad Swords Return to Origin?" Xuanyuan Che was confused. The name sounded like a sword dao divine ability.

He had only recently entered the Lower Realm, and despite reading many texts, he didn't know enough about its secrets.

"'Myriad Swords Return to Origin' is rumored to be one of the supreme secret manuals of the sword dao. The Sword Pavilion somehow became entangled with its karma." Lu Xuanchen explained. "It is said that 'Myriad Swords Return to Origin' contains the secrets of the sword dao's origin. Once fully comprehended, one can control all swords under heaven, become a sword dao Supreme, and even..."

Lu Xuanchen pointed at the sky, his heart full of longing.

"And did they get it?"

"They did, but even the Sword Pavilion only held fragmented pages. Their goal was not fully achieved."

"To act with such utter depravity—does no one in the Central Continent step in?" Xuanyuan Che asked, curious.

Back home, he had heard many tales of the Lower Realm's chosen ones and righteous sects.

Lu Xuanchen gave a bitter smile at this. "The Central Continent's powers are tangled and interwoven, a web of complexity. That family is an Ancient Noble Family, vast in influence—who would dare provoke them lightly?"

"And besides..." Lu Xuanchen paused, his tone turning helpless. "Which of those great Central Continent powers isn't scheming and backstabbing for their own gain? Would they risk offending the Xiao Family for the sake of a Sword Pavilion in the Eastern Wasteland Domain?"

Ridiculous!

Xuanyuan Che curled his lip.

"Master let Nangong Huo go to release the tiger back to the mountain and lure the snake out of its hole, right?" Xuanyuan Che shifted the topic.

"As expected of my disciple—sharp as ever! Nangong Huo is nothing but a small fry. The real big fish is still in that family." Lu Xuanchen's gaze grew deep, carrying an air of immortal grace.

Xuanyuan Che felt a stir of anticipation in his heart. He understood what Lu Xuanchen meant.

What secrets was that family still hiding?

"Alright, that's enough for today." Lu Xuanchen rose, walked to the window, and gazed into the distance.

"Oh, right. In a while, I'll take you to the Central Continent. The Academy Grand Competition, hosted by the so-called number one academy under heaven, Xuanhuang Academy, is about to begin—once a century, a rare opportunity! With you and your senior brothers and sisters here, this competition is in the bag, hahahahahahahahahaha!"

"Psycho."