Xuan Yun Sword Sect

In the northern part of the Xiongguan Mountain Range, the peaks stretched on endlessly like azure dragons coiled upon the earth.

Cloud seas churned, the first light of dawn broke, and one large sun with two smaller ones rose from the south, three layers of celestial light piercing through the sky.

Chen Xian sat cross-legged on his flying sword, the chill driven away by the triple rays of heavenly light.

He turned his head to look down; the peaks beneath the sea of clouds were awakening from their ink-black slumber.

Here, traces of human presence were no longer sparse.

Ridgebacks like blades split the clouds and mist, while villages and towns nestled in the mountain hollows scattered like stars. Lamps had not yet been extinguished, but cooking smoke had already turned into strands of green silk, winding through the awakening forests.

Dirt paths and gravel roads connected these settlements, eventually converging like streams flowing toward the same direction, merging into one straight, wide road.

That road was so straight it was breathtaking. Where it passed, thousand-meter-tall mountains were split in two, and thousand-meter-wide rivers were spanned by colossal bridges, refusing to take even a single bend.

The one who paved it seemed to tell all living beings: once you set foot on this road, you can only press forward without turning back.

This straight road was extremely long, cutting through many mountain branches and veins.

Even from high in the sky, Chen Xian strained his eyes but could see neither its beginning nor its end.

For the first time, he intuitively understood just how vast the land of this fantasy world truly was.

He really could spend his whole life and never leave these mountains!

"Senior, you might not know this, so let me explain. This road is called 'Seeking the Dao.' Thirty years ago, Sect Master Lei led all the elders and disciples of the sect and spent five years opening it."

Catching sight of the senior looking down, Shangguan Hongyue voluntarily lowered the flying sword's altitude and began telling him the road's origin.

"Seeking the Dao! What boldness and vision!" Chen Xian stroked his beard, unable to hold back his praise.

"As its name suggests, the purpose of opening this road was to give the mortals of the Xiongguan Mountain Range a chance to seek the Dao."

Shangguan Hongyue pointed at the black dots moving forward one by one along the straight avenue.

Chen Xian squinted, only then making out that they were people carrying packs on their backs.

Before the sky had fully brightened, these people were already walking on the road.

"Follow this road, keep going straight, and you'll reach the foot of the Sword Sect's mountain."

"Seven years ago, when I was eleven, I walked this road to the Sword Sect. Two years, step by step, twenty thousand li."

"The Sect Master received me personally and said I had 'the finest perseverance of youth, walking ten thousand miles alone with a sword,' and then accepted me as a disciple! From then on, I learned to cultivate."

A grateful expression appeared on Shangguan Hongyue's pale face.

If not for the Seeking the Dao road opened by the Profound Cloud Sword Sect, she would have been trapped forever in these endless mountains.

She would never have been able to soar through this vast sky on a flying sword.

Listening to Shangguan Hongyue's story, watching the travelers silently advancing below, Chen Xian's weathered heart was deeply shaken.

He had thought the cultivation world was all about the sacred being separate from the mundane, treating mortals like ants, with great powers caring nothing for common people's lives.

But this Profound Cloud Sword Sect seemed completely different from what he had imagined.

Setting up the Hanging Sword Formation to protect mortals' safety, opening the Seeking the Dao road to give mortals a chance at cultivation.

One deed after another made his goodwill toward the Profound Cloud Sword Sect soar straight up.

It further solidified his determination as a good socialist old man to infiltrate the Profound Cloud Sword Sect.

"I wonder if the Sword Sect will accept me..."

Chen Xian sighed softly. If his fake identity failed and he couldn't sneak in, relying only on his aptitude—this nearly eighty-year-old, decrepit old man—would he still be able to join the sect?

"Pfft... Senior, don't worry. The sect won't abandon you."

Shangguan Hongyue comforted him.

As long as one was a member of the Profound Cloud Sword Sect, even if they became a cripple, the sect would still take good care of them.

The flying sword continued forward along the Seeking the Dao road.

About an hour later, celestial light pierced through the clouds, and the mountains were dyed into a flowing warm gold. The sky had fully brightened.

Seeking the Dao entered a great city directly, cutting straight through it, and finally ended at the foot of a peak shaped like a pair of swords.

With the sword peak as the head, nine peaks converged, forming their own vein.

Celestial light shone everywhere, the clouds and mist receded, and as the main peak shot out a three-colored sword light that split the sea of clouds, strange phenomena suddenly appeared on each peak.

A giant cauldron belched green smoke, a smelting furnace blazed with fire reaching the sky, and a nine-story mysterious tower hummed with buzzing runic light...

As the mountain mist closed back in, faint figures could be seen shuttling among the peaks, their forms like illusions, yet real—so wonderfully mysterious.

On the straight Seeking the Dao road, the crowd was like ants, climbing the stone steps from the mountain's base.

The Profound Cloud Sword Sect had arrived!

Outer Sect, Morning Sun Peak—the gathering place for the eight halls of Sword, Pill, Artifact, Talisman, Formation, Beast, Law Enforcement, and Missions.

The elders were conducting morning lessons for the outer sect disciples on the vast square paved with white jade.

"Swoosh—"

A silver sword-light, barely flickering, wobbled crookedly through the mountain-guarding clouds, and finally, under everyone's gaze, slammed into the center of the square with a "bang!"

"Who dares trespass on Morning Sun Peak!"

A nearby elder shot forward like a thunderbolt, closing in an instant.

Dozens of patrolling disciples in white robes swiftly drew their swords and encircled the area.

But when the elder swept away the dust with his sleeve and saw the scene clearly—

All the disciples' breaths caught, their faces tense.

"It's... it's Senior Brother Lin Xiaoyan! And Senior Sister Hongyue!"

"Heavens! How did Senior Brother Lin get hurt like this? What happened?"

"Who's that old man?"

"No idea!"

"Finally back." Spotting the familiar surroundings, Shangguan Hongyue could hold on no longer. She collapsed to her knees, pale-faced, gasping for air.

Chen Xian rubbed his sore old back beside her—that hard landing had nearly rattled his old bones apart.

Seeing Lin Xiaoyan start bleeding everywhere again, he quickly reached out two fingers to check under his nose: "Good, good, still breathing."

"All of you, stop gawking and get back to your business!"

The elder who had arrived first furrowed his brow, waving off the patrolling disciples and the outer disciples who had gathered to watch, then stepped closer to the three.

He first glanced at the unfamiliar old man, then helped Shangguan Hongyue up and pressed a white pill into her hand: "Hongyue, what happened?"

Shangguan Hongyue took the pill, her complexion improving instantly, her voice gaining strength.

"Elder Hu, it's a long story. Senior Brother Lin's injuries are related to the Blood Demon Sect. This matter involves the Hanging Sword Formation and needs to be reported to the Sect Master as soon as possible!"

"Blood Demon Sect? Hanging Sword Formation!" Hu Buwei's brows knit tightly. Seeing Shangguan Hongyue's frantic urgency and Lin Xiaoyan's severe wounds, he knew this was likely a monumental affair.

He walked over to Chen Xian, first helped Lin Xiaoyan up, and stuffed three red pills into his mouth. Sensing his breathing quickly stabilize, he then turned his gaze to Chen Xian.

He didn't use his divine sense, only relying on instinct to gauge: "First Realm Dao Disciple? But I feel a sharp sword intent from this person that's no weaker than my own."

Could this be an old monster hiding his cultivation?

So he cupped his hands respectfully toward the other: "May I ask who you are?"

With the topic turned on him, Chen Xian's heart fluttered in panic. This was too sudden—he hadn't prepared a story yet!

Luckily, Shangguan Hongyue stepped in.

"Elder Hu, this is a senior of the sect who was stranded outside decades ago. He escorted me and Senior Brother Lin safely back this whole way."

"A disciple from decades ago?" Hu Buwei froze. That would mean someone from the Sword Gate era.

"Little Yue'er came through!" Chen Xian breathed a sigh of relief internally and began to put on his act.

He slowly raised his clouded eyes, taking in the bustling white jade square and the towering peaks around, then let out a long sigh: "Has the Sword Gate... grown this grand now?"

"Sword Gate?"

Hearing those two words, Hu Buwei's heart jumped again.

How long had it been since that name was used!

Ever since the sect was promoted thirty years ago, the outside world had long since changed its address to "Sword Sect."

Only the old folks retired and living in seclusion in Hidden Dragon Valley would habitually call it "Sword Gate."

The Profound Cloud Sword Sect had weathered several great calamities, and not many from that era were still alive.

Hu Buwei himself had only joined the sect forty years ago.

"So it's a senior."

Though he hadn't fully confirmed the other's identity, Hu Buwei's demeanor still turned courteous.

"This matter is grave. I'll take you to the main peak to see the Sect Master immediately!"

Hu Buwei waved his hand, and a streak of light flew over from afar—a boat-shaped dao artifact the size of a sedan chair stopped beside the three.

"Senior, please!"

Having just stepped off a flying sword, Chen Xian found himself muddleheadedly boarding a flying boat.