Kunlun Sword Sect’s history was ancient, even traceable back ten thousand years.
There are three thousand great Daos—of those who enter the Dao, who does not wish to ascend? Yet over these tens of millions of years, most cultivators have died upon this path of pursuing the Great Dao.
From the gravestones of those countless millions, an endless maze of tombs was formed. Unless one acknowledged and recognized stepped within, they would encounter a ghost-wall-like predicament here, trapped alive until death.
Although she had come to take a sword, and had already resolved to be an unfilial descendant, once Chao Jinsui stepped inside, she still put away her dagger, restrained her aura, and even lightened her footsteps, not daring to offend the departed souls in the slightest.
It was her first time entering the forbidden ground of Kunlun Sword Sect. On these gravestones, she could even see the names of martial uncles and grand-masters she had once been familiar with.
Kunlun’s countless geniuses and glorious past were all buried within these tombs.
The grave of Kunlun’s founding ancestor lay at the deepest point. As for this founding ancestor, the records within Kunlun described him as extremely mysterious. After all, ten thousand years had passed, and many records had long grown vague. To the point that later descendants no longer even knew of the existence of the Kunlun Sword; in contrast, the demon race, whose inheritance was etched into their bloodline, understood matters from ten thousand years ago more clearly than the human race did.
But when she stepped into the Ten Thousand Swords Formation before the founding ancestor’s tomb, Chao Jinsui never imagined that the trial left behind for later generations would greet her the moment she entered—with a gigantic sword smashing straight toward her face!
She rolled on the spot, extremely disheveled as the sword tip swept past her!
The giant sword flashed with golden light, relentless, as if it would not stop until it crushed a person to death, and slashed down viciously once more.
She was just about to fail to dodge in time!
Her eyes and hands moved swiftly—she grabbed a sword at random from within the Ten Thousand Swords Formation, collided with the sword in the void, and was nearly shaken into coughing blood.
The sword was like its master—this founding ancestor did not have a very good temper, practically set on beating later descendants to death.
—Well, that figured. Whoever barged in to take away the Kunlun Sword—what kind of filial descendant could they be?
The giant sword rampaged wildly, yet was incomparably enormous. The space within the giant sword formation was extremely narrow, like a massive garlic-pounding pestle—without any technique at all, it could simply pound a person into pieces!
The sword in her hand had already cracked from a single strike.
If she tried to dodge again, the giant sword was already before her.
With a tap of her toes, her body like an autumn leaf upon a lake, her movement technique light and drifting as she floated past, then flipped and climbed onto the giant sword.
The giant sword was like a furious wild horse, shaking violently.
Several times she was flung down, almost turned into mush, but each time she narrowly avoided it, flipped over, grasped the uneven ridges along the sword’s body, and finally climbed to the sword hilt.
Yes—Chao Jinsui firmly believed that since the very first strike had not truly smashed her to death, it meant the founding ancestor did not genuinely intend to kill this unfilial descendant of his. There must certainly be a sliver of survival left to her!
Sure enough, when amidst the giant sword’s frantic shaking she found the formation’s core on the sword and stabbed down with a dagger—white light burst forth!
The giant sword finally stopped.
Leaning against the hilt, she sat down, her whole body nearly collapsing. She wiped away her sweat. After quite some time, she recovered enough to stand—but the very next second, the giant sword formation, which had just seemed dead, moved again!
Chao Jinsui could practically be certain: the founding ancestor had indeed left a sliver of survival—but his desire to beat unfilial descendants to death was also exceedingly strong.
The sword hilt beneath her feet was only a tiny patch of space, barely enough for her to stand. In her hand was only the broken sword she had just pulled out at random.
But when she lifted her eyes—ten thousand small swords suddenly flew toward her all at once!
Her movement technique drifted strangely. Balancing on a single foot atop the hilt, her waist supple and long in the air, bending into unimaginable arcs—yet after evading one wave, the next followed immediately!
—The founding ancestor seemed to very much want to turn unfilial descendants into sieves.
She realized that dodging like this would not work. Each wave of small swords grew denser—sooner or later, she would be pierced into a sieve!
In that lightning-fast instant, a thought suddenly struck her: could these small swords be controlled with sword incantations?
She indeed possessed an innate sword bone, yet the natal sword incantation she used was utterly ordinary—so ordinary that no one would believe it if she said it. It was simply the basic edition of Kunlun Sword Manual that everyone in Kunlun Sword Sect owned, the kind of common sword technique that people would curse the seller as a profiteer for selling outside for even one low-grade spirit stone.
When Chao Jinsui was little, she was often punished by Chao Taichu, and would copy this sword manual dozens of times, practice it dozens of times at the slightest provocation. To the point that even Chao Taichu never expected that once she truly began practicing the sword, her natal sword incantation would become the Kunlun Sword Manual—and it could no longer be changed even if she wanted to.
At that time, Chao Taichu thought she was finished. The sect elders also believed that this low-grade sword manual, not even worth a single spirit stone, would ruin the sect’s genius—
Yet after she honestly practiced this extremely simple, even despised, sword technique to the fourth level, she discovered that most sword cultivators could no longer defeat her;
After she practiced to the fifth level, she found herself invincible within Kunlun Sword Sect.
Later, when Chao Jinsui looked again at that Kunlun Sword Manual, five words came to mind: Great Dao is utmost simplicity.
But in her previous life, she had been a cripple for several years. When she returned to the sword path again, because the damage was too severe, she could only ever cultivate the Kunlun Sword Manual to the fifth level—she never again had the chance to touch the supreme realm of the sword path.
If she had never glimpsed the scenery of the supreme realm, perhaps she would have been content to remain at that level, an ordinary sword cultivator. But after faintly glimpsing the highest realm of the sword path, only to lose the chance to ascend because of her injuries—that became the regret of her lifetime.
In her heart, she had always held a question: who exactly created this Kunlun Sword Manual?
At this moment, she already had the answer.
When the ten thousand swords once again flew toward her, she held only a broken sword in hand—yet she used the Kunlun Sword Manual, so familiar, so deeply missed.
Her body like an autumn leaf, incomparably light; her sword like frost, spiritual energy condensed.
This was—the Kunlun Sword Manual, fifth level, Frost Realm.
In the end, the ten thousand swords condensed into frost before her, then one by one fell into the deep abyss.
A massive stone gate rumbled open before her.
She put away the broken sword and walked in smoothly.
This was a vast, empty palace chamber.
Inside stood rows upon rows of bookcases, filled with sword techniques, movement techniques, even manuals on how to forge swords left behind by the founding ancestor—dazzling in abundance. The quantity was enough to recreate another Kunlun Sword Sect.
She merely swept her gaze over them and did not linger long.
With clear purpose, she passed through rows of shelves, and finally arrived at a sword-forging pool, where she beheld the true form of the Kunlun Sword.
The appearance of this sword was almost identical to the foundation base of Kunlun Sword Sect. Only, its blade was clean and smooth, bearing only simple, ancient patterns, without any gemstones or fine jade as decoration. At a glance, it looked no different from the cheapest swords sold on the streets—yet from head to tip it exuded an ancient, majestic aura. The closer one drew, the more an oppressive pressure made it hard to breathe.
Her eyes shone astonishingly bright. She gathered up her long hair, tapped her toes, and was about to leap into the sword-forging pool to take the sword!
She was absolutely certain—at the moment the great gate opened, the Kunlun Sword had already acknowledged her.
But the moment she touched the Kunlun Sword, she suddenly felt the blade tremble. Her brow moved slightly and she was pulled into the Kunlun Sword itself.
Countless images flashed past.
There was her past life, guarding Kunlun Sword Sect before its gates; there was her leading Kunlun’s people to break through the encirclement… and even at the final moment, when she was pierced through the heart by ten thousand arrows.
The Kunlun Sword—was it testing her temperament?
Her status was orthodox; she was the rightful Young Sect Master.
Though the ending of her previous life had not been good, it had now given her a strange, mystical resonance with the Kunlun Sword.
After all, she had once lived herself into becoming Kunlun’s living protective formation—
in a certain sense, she had also guarded the Kunlun Sword.
Just as that demon had once said: no one was more qualified than her to obtain the Kunlun Sword.
Sure enough, light burst forth brilliantly.
Yet the very next moment, she was flung away by the Kunlun Sword!
It was the sword spirit of the Kunlun Sword.
—After looking through her memories, the sword spirit threw her out.
She heard the sword spirit’s voice echo from all directions at once:
“Indeed, no one is more qualified than you to obtain the Kunlun Sword.”
“But—you are not suitable.”
After being thoroughly mocked by the sword, she was swept out the door.
She froze. The great gate behind her was about to close.
She should have been disheartened and left but she stood up, her gaze blazing:
“No—you clearly acknowledged me!”
She could feel it—after sensing her memories, the Kunlun Sword had originally acknowledged her.
If both had gained the Kunlun Sword’s acknowledgment, then why could the founding ancestor take the Kunlun Sword away back then, but she could not?
Give up just like this? She refused to accept it!
She stepped forward and wedged the broken sword into the closing gate.
“The founding ancestor established Kunlun Sword Sect at the edge of the demon realm back then, to keep the demon race thousands of miles away and defend all living beings. Though I am not equal to him, if the Kunlun Sword is in my hands, I will not disgrace the name of the ancestors!”
“Is it because my attitude toward Kunlun has changed—because I no longer wish to be Kunlun’s protective formation—that you refuse to go with me?”
The sword spirit was full of disdain. “Those who step in here—could they possibly be filial descendants?”
“If the Dao is different, we cannot walk together!”
When Chao Jinsui looked at the Kunlun Sword, she suddenly realized something.
Her sword had always belonged to the side of “defense.” No matter how fierce the Fumo Sword’s killing intent appeared, no matter how formidable it was, in essence, it was still “defense,” not “offense.”
Because before, she used “protecting Kunlun and all living beings” as her Dao to wield the Fumo Sword and that was enough. The Fumo Sword and she matched each other perfectly.
But the Kunlun Sword was different.
This sword was vast and domineering, sharp and aggressive—it was absolutely not a sword of “defense.”
The great gate slammed shut.
This very opinionated sword clearly had no intention of paying her any further attention.
She fell silent for a moment.
“At least tell me—what did the founding ancestor use to move you back then?”
Was it his talent, his temperament, or his great ambition?
She refused to accept it—at the very least, she had to know why.
The sword spirit’s voice came: “He only said one sentence.”
And then the Kunlun Sword followed him.
The next moment, she got her wish and heard the founding ancestor’s furious shout from back then:
“I damn well please!”
Chao Jinsui: “……”
She was stunned.
“That’s it?”
Sword spirit: “That’s it.”
Back then, the founding ancestor established Kunlun Sword Sect because he damn well pleased;
He placed Kunlun Sword Sect at the edge of the demon realm because he damn well pleased;
He used the Kunlun Sword as the foundation, even setting up trials for unfilial descendants to pull the sword—because he damn well pleased.
Keeping the demon race thousands of miles away, becoming a shield for the human race… all of that was nonsense. In the end, the reason was simply:
He damn well pleased.
Just that simple.
Free and unrestrained, following one’s heart without constraint.
That was the previous master of the Kunlun Sword.
So the sword spirit said: if the Dao is different, we cannot walk together.
From childhood to now, she had lived too repressed, too constrained.
She once told Chao Zhaoyue that she would slay demons and monsters, that entering the sword path was for that and she truly took it as her duty, never regretting even in the face of death; when she was very young she became the Young Sect Master, taught daily to lead by example—so she truly made Kunlun her responsibility, the life or death of every disciple something she must bear; she carried the lives of others upon her shoulders.
But had she ever done anything she herself truly wished to do?
Never.
Perhaps only that one sword she thrust into Su Liuyun had been the moment she most wished for—her most satisfying moment.
Compared to the founding ancestor’s shout of “I damn well please,” she was practically the complete opposite.
After realizing this, she was almost a little lost in spirit.
This sword was far too wild and unrestrained for her.
No wonder the Kunlun Sword let her enter, yet did not acknowledge her.
She was thrown out once more.
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
This time, when she sat up from the ground, she looked extremely dejected.
Xiao Yanjing came closer, using suspicious little yellow-bean eyes to examine her.
Behind her, sensing her low mood, that demon also emerged.
The demon formed of gathered black qi looked at her empty hands. The shadow from his lowered head almost enveloped her, his phoenix eyes in the darkness revealing a cold, dangerous scrutiny.
The suspicious demon’s mind flashed through ten thousand schemes and conspiracies but before he could speak—
The next moment, he heard a very soft voice, “Yan Xueyi, did you do it on purpose?”
The lord of the demon realm’s cold expression went blank for a moment.
He was even a little confused—what had he done on purpose?
She looked rather terrible, long hair disheveled, complexion pale.
“You deliberately used this sword to mock me?”
“To mock me for living so repressed, so bound by rules, without a self?”
Demon lord: ?
Her voice was very soft, but each sentence sharper than the last, nearly pressing him aggressively.
The Demon Venerable formed from black qi was stunned at this moment. That beautiful face wore an odd expression.
How was he supposed to answer her?
Deny that he mocked her or thought poorly of her?
—Wouldn’t that force him to admit that he thought she was good?
The Demon Venerable was greatly annoyed.
Humans—not only did they love pretty words, they loved hearing flattery too!
Xiao Yanjing immediately fawned: Master, she might be acting spoiled!
His beautiful phoenix eyes flickered. He leaned back, retreating into the darkness.
The tall demon youth coughed awkwardly.
“I never thought of mocking you. You’re very good.”
“You’ve always been very good.”
A bit rigid, rather upright—but thinking of how she used to point blades at him, even chasing after him to recite the Qingxin Scripture, a little fool—also quite cute.
He awkwardly shifted his gaze away.
She calmed down very quickly.
Clearly, the blow she had suffered was too great, so much so that the demon had been dragged into it as collateral—but the usually ill-tempered Demon Venerable did not rage, and instead behaved strangely.
She raised her head to look at that demon. His entire figure was in darkness, yet his eyes shone frighteningly bright, staring at her like a big wolfdog.
“……”
She had lost her temper at him, so why was he so happy?
She looked at him with some suspicion. Just as she was about to move closer, she saw that the demon had already turned into a wisp of black qi and vanished on the spot with a whoosh.
—Why did he leave so quickly!
Her mood gradually calmed. She paced in circles for quite a while, thinking about how exactly she could gain the acknowledgment of that overly wild sword spirit. Her gaze slowly grew firm.
Give up just like this? She refused to accept it.
Every pore in her body was shouting that she would not accept it.
She was absolutely certain—she was determined to obtain the Kunlun Sword.
However, just as she made up her mind and was about to charge into the Ten Thousand Swords Formation again to try once more, her steps halted.
She saw Chao Zhaoyue’s figure.
She narrowed her almond eyes. Not far away, shadows of people shifted and gathered.
