The Sword Palace's Predicament

"You... you two shouldn't have come back." Those were the first words Ye Tianye, the transmission elder of Luo Chen Sword Palace, spoke upon seeing Lian Xinjie and Lian Xinling.

The moment Lian Xinjie returned to the sect, he brought Wang Qi to the Scripture Repository Hall where Elder Ye Tianye resided. It was an ancient little building, seemingly made from some kind of spiritual wood, carrying a lingering fragrance.

Ye Tianye was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator at the great completion stage. He had already completed the division of spirit into thoughts; once he accumulated enough, he could steadily step into the Dividing the Spirit Realm. In this dilapidated sect, which did not even possess a Body Integration Realm cultivator, he was already among its foremost experts and wielded real authority.

He had once been very close to Yi Chen. When Lian Xinjie entered the sect, it was also this Elder Ye who taught him cultivation techniques.

"Elder Ye, is the situation... really that bad now? What exactly happened to my master?" Lian Xinjie's first question was sincere, while his emotions fluctuated slightly during the second. Ye Tianye merely assumed he had heard some rumors, bitterly shook his head, and sighed.

"Your master... Elder Lian... sigh..." Ye Tianye shook his head. "While pursuing a dragon clan traitor alongside the Western Sea dragon clan, he encountered a powerful enemy. Of course, encountering a powerful enemy was no great matter... but he ran... Well, running was one thing. If he had fought with all his strength and been defeated, his punishment would not have been too severe. But... everyone else who went with him died."

"Your master... abandoned the battle and fled."

"Abandoned the battle... and fled." Lian Xinjie repeated the words, savoring the humiliation within them.

Behind him stood "Junior