A heavy scent of blood filled the secret chamber. Eight figures sat cross-legged, each circulating their techniques to recover spiritual power. Under the dim light of Spirit Stones, their faces were pale as paper, their robes tattered and stained with blood.
Yuyi sat cross-legged in the corner, eyes closed, hands forming seals as the Hunyuan Mental Method slowly circulated. A warm current rose from his dantian, flowing through his meridians, repairing his damaged qi and blood. Seven or eight hours of fierce battle had nearly exhausted his spiritual power. If not for the combined attack technique they had unleashed at the critical moment, they would have struggled to slay that guardian spirit beast.
"That guardian spirit beast's strength was comparable to a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. If not for our combined efforts, I fear we would have failed." Xuantie opened his eyes, his voice hoarse with deep exhaustion. He reached into his Storage Ring and retrieved a Healing Pill, placing it in his mouth. The pill dissolved instantly, a cooling medicinal power spreading through his body.
Duan Changjian rose and took out several Healing Pills from his Storage Ring, distributing them to everyone one by one. "First, heal our injuries, then explore this secret chamber after recovering our spiritual power." His voice was calm, but his eyes shone with excitement. The battle just now, though perilous, had proven their strength by slaying a Nascent Soul Realm-level guardian spirit beast.
Bingxin accepted the pill, thanked him, and immediately closed her eyes to meditate. Yuehua Xianzi and Shuanghua Xianzi sat side by side, each circulating their techniques to recover their depleted spiritual power. Canglong and Liekong also sat cross-legged, silently circulating their mental methods to heal their injuries.
Yuyi opened his eyes, feeling his spiritual power gradually recovering, and began calculating in his heart. This Ancient Sword Pavilion was indeed extraordinary—the guardian spirit beast alone was already this powerful, so the treasures hidden within must be even more precious. He rose and walked toward the depths of the secret chamber, his gaze sweeping around, searching for possible clues.
"Yuyi, what are you doing?" Duan Changjian asked, a trace of wariness in his voice.
"This secret chamber has a guardian spirit beast, so it must hide something important." Yuyi said indifferently, his gaze carefully searching the walls.
Canglong also rose and walked to Yuyi's side, speaking in a low voice: "I'll help search too." His gaze was sharp as a sword, scanning through the dim secret chamber.
The two walked slowly along the walls, carefully examining every inch of stone. The secret chamber was not large, about three zhang square, surrounded by bluestone walls covered with traces of time. Yuyi's fingers gently traced the stone walls, feeling the spiritual energy fluctuations within.
Suddenly, Canglong called out in a low voice: "Yuyi, look here!"
Yuyi quickly walked over and saw an ancient stone tablet embedded in the wall deep within the secret chamber. The tablet was about the height of a person, completely pitch-black, its surface covered with complex runes. In the center of the tablet, four ancient characters were clearly visible—Ancient Sword Pavilion.
"Ancient Sword Pavilion..." Yuyi murmured to himself, his gaze carefully examining the stone tablet. These runes were ancient and profound, containing some mysterious power, as if telling a sealed history.
Canglong crouched down and discovered a mechanism at the base of the stone tablet. It was a fist-sized depression, shaped like a sword, as if requiring some object to be inserted to trigger it.
"This mechanism..." Canglong frowned, reaching into the depression, circulating his spiritual power, attempting to trigger the mechanism.
"Click—"
A crisp sound rang out. The stone tablet slowly trembled, then slid open to both sides, revealing a hidden secret chamber. Light radiated from within, nine brilliant pillars of light shooting into the sky, illuminating the entire space.
All eight rose simultaneously, their gazes fixed on that hidden secret chamber. In the center of the chamber stood a three-foot-high stone platform, upon which were neatly arranged nine brocade boxes. Each box emitted a different light—some with brilliant golden radiance, some with soft silver glow, some with swirling purple qi, some with flowing green light.
Bingxin exclaimed, "These are... the Nine Heavens Spirit Treasures!"
Her voice trembled with disbelief and shock. The Nine Heavens Spirit Treasures were nine supreme treasures handed down from ancient times. Each contained astonishing power, enough to greatly enhance a Golden Core Realm cultivator's strength, and even make Nascent Soul Realm cultivators take notice.
Shuanghua Xianzi's eyes flashed with a trace of greed, but it was quickly suppressed by reason. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. The Nine Heavens Spirit Treasures were certainly precious, but with seven others present, rash action might trigger conflict.
Yuyi's gaze swept across the nine brocade boxes, feeling the powerful spiritual energy fluctuations they contained. Each spirit treasure emitted a unique aura, as if possessing its own life.
Duan Changjian was the first to approach the stone platform, reaching out to open the first brocade box. The moment it opened, a brilliant golden light shot into the sky, illuminating the entire secret chamber. Within the golden light, an ancient long sword quietly floated. The sword blade was covered with patterns of sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers, its edge sharp as frost, radiating a righteous aura.
"Heavenly Derivation Sword!" Duan Changjian exclaimed, his hands trembling as he gripped the sword hilt. A vast power surged into his body, as if the supreme principles of heaven and earth were appearing in his mind. He slashed with the sword, sword qi crisscrossing, leaving a deep sword mark in the secret chamber.
"Ancient holy sword, containing the supreme principles of heaven and earth—truly worthy of its reputation." Duan Changjian praised, placing the Heavenly Derivation Sword back into the brocade box.
Xuantie walked to the second brocade box and opened it. A soft white light emerged. Within the white light, a completely white long sword quietly floated, its sword light like water, radiating an aura of compassion and peace.
"Compassion Light Sword." Xuantie said softly, reaching out to grip the sword hilt. A warm power surged into his body, and his injuries healed at a visible rate. He exclaimed, "Sword of compassion, capable of healing injuries—truly miraculous."
The third brocade box was opened by Liekong. A sharp sword qi shot into the sky. Within the sword qi, a completely crimson long sword quietly floated, its blade like blood, radiating an imperial pressure.
"Cold Sky Sword!" Liekong's eyes flashed with excitement, both hands gripping the sword hilt. A majestic imperial pressure emanated from him, as if he were now an emperor ruling over the world. He slashed with the sword, the sword qi incomparably sharp, leaving a blood-red sword mark in the air.
"Imperial sword, sword qi sharp, containing imperial pressure—truly powerful." Liekong praised.
The fourth brocade box was opened by Canglong. A majestic sword intent shot into the sky. Within the sword intent, a completely dark-green long sword quietly floated, its blade heavy, as if it could suppress all things.
"Limitless Sword!" Canglong exclaimed, both hands gripping the sword hilt. A vast sword intent surged into his body, as if it could suppress heaven and earth and all things. He slashed with the sword, the sword intent majestic, causing the entire secret chamber to tremble.
"Sword of power, sword intent majestic, capable of suppressing all things—truly extraordinary." Canglong praised.
The fifth brocade box was opened by Bingxin. A dragon's roar resounded through the secret chamber. Amidst the dragon's roar, a completely silver-white long sword quietly floated, its sword light like a dragon, circling and dancing in the air.
"Hidden Dragon Sword!" Bingxin exclaimed, reaching out to grip the sword hilt. A gentle power surged into her body, as if it could sense the thoughts in her heart. She slashed with the sword, the sword light like a dragon, leaving a silver-white trajectory in the air.
"Sword of integrity, sword light like a dragon, capable of sensing human hearts—truly miraculous." Bingxin praised.
The sixth brocade box was opened by Yuehua Xianzi. Two lights emerged simultaneously. One silver-white, one pale green—two long swords quietly floated, their sword qi mutually generating and restraining, like a loving couple.
"Frost Blade Sword, Moon Flower Sword—male and female twin swords!" Yuehua Xianzi exclaimed, both hands gripping the two swords respectively. A gentle power surged into her body, the sword qi of the two swords interweaving, their power doubled.
"Male and female twin swords, sword qi mutually generating and restraining—infinite power." Yuehua Xianzi praised.
The seventh brocade box was opened by Shuanghua Xianzi. A blazing light shot into the sky. Within the light, a completely golden long sword quietly floated, its sword light like the sun, radiating a scorching aura.
"Sun Sword!" Shuanghua Xianzi's eyes flashed with excitement, both hands gripping the sword hilt. A scorching power surged into her body, as if it could burn all things. She slashed with the sword, the sword light like the sun, leaving a golden sword mark in the air.
"Sword of nobility, sword light like the sun, capable of burning all things—truly powerful." Shuanghua Xianzi praised.
The eighth brocade box was opened by Xuantie. A dark-black light emerged. Within the light, a short long sword quietly floated, its blade pitch-black as ink, radiating a sharp killing aura.
"Shadow Sword!" Xuantie said softly, reaching out to grip the sword hilt. A sharp killing aura surged into his body, as if it could break through all protective true qi. He slashed with the sword, the sword qi silent and traceless, leaving a dark-black sword mark in the air.
"Sword of courage, blade short, specialized in breaking protective true qi—truly sharp." Xuantie praised.
Finally, Yuyi walked toward the ninth brocade box. His hand slowly reached for the box, feeling the unique aura it contained. This aura was completely different from the other eight spirit treasures, as if hiding some mysterious power.
The moment the brocade box opened, there was no brilliant light, no sharp sword qi, only a faint ghostly glow emerging. Within the ghostly light, a completely pitch-black long sword quietly floated, its blade flickering between visibility and invisibility, as if it had form yet was formless.
Yuyi reached out to grip the sword hilt. An icy power surged into his body, instantly resonating with his Killing Sword Art. He felt the killing intent contained within the sword, as if this blade was born for slaughter.
"Shadowless Sword..." Yuyi murmured to himself, slashing with the sword.
The sword qi was silent and traceless, cutting through the air without leaving any mark. But Yuyi could clearly feel that where the sword qi passed, the air was silently torn apart, as if space itself had been cut open.
"Having form yet being formless, killing without a trace." Yuyi was shaken in his heart. This sword perfectly matched his Killing Sword Art, as if tailor-made for him. He circulated his spiritual power, and the Shadowless Sword emitted a faint ghostly glow, as if connected to his soul.
Yuehua Xianzi exclaimed, "Shadowless Sword, having form yet formless, killing without a trace—this sword seems tailor-made for Valley Master Yuyi."
Everyone nodded. They could all feel the compatibility between the Shadowless Sword and Yuyi. Although the other eight spirit treasures were powerful, they all required substantial time to refine, while the Shadowless Sword seemed to have actively chosen Yuyi.
After testing, everyone returned the spirit treasures to their brocade boxes, preparing to distribute them later. But Yuyi directly placed the Shadowless Sword into his Storage Ring, not returning it to the box.
Duan Changjian frowned slightly and asked, "Yuyi, aren't you putting it back in the box?"
Yuyi answered indifferently, "This sword has an affinity with me. I'll use it directly."
Everyone had their own thoughts, but no one objected. The compatibility between the Shadowless Sword and Yuyi was obvious to all. Even if others obtained it, they couldn't unleash its true power.
Yuyi felt the fluctuations of the Shadowless Sword in his Storage Ring, and a strange premonition rose in his heart. This sword would unleash astonishing power in his hands, becoming an important aid on his cultivation path.
In the secret chamber, the eight people each sat cross-legged, recovering their depleted spiritual power. The appearance of the Nine Heavens Spirit Treasures excited them, but also made them realize that the secrets of the Ancient Sword Pavilion were far deeper than they had imagined.
Under the dim light of the Spirit Stones, Yuyi closed his eyes, circulating the Hunyuan Mental Method, feeling his spiritual power gradually recovering. The Shadowless Sword quietly floated in his Storage Ring, as if awaiting its next unsheathing.
A new storm was quietly brewing.