Meanwhile, at the Ten Thousand Swords Sect,
Chu Jianchen arrived.
He came to witness the Sword Mountain of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.
"The Ten Thousand Swords Sect is hailed as the foremost sacred land of sword arts in the Mortal Realm. I hope it doesn't disappoint me!"
Previously, he had observed the sword techniques of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.
Though sharp, they couldn't be called the best in the Mortal Realm,
At most, they were on par with the Holy Spirit Sword Technique inherited within his saint-grade sword Mo Ye.
So now he personally ascended the Sword Mountain,
Hoping to discover even more profound sword arts.
On a stone mountain that pierced the clouds like a sharp sword,Countless broken swords weathered by time were scattered haphazardly, embedded in the rocks.
As Chu Jianchen approached,
The swords on the mountain simultaneously vibrated, emitting sword hums,
Then an overwhelming invisible sword intent surged toward Chu Jianchen,
As if trying to drown him within it.
Buzz!
At the critical moment,
Sword light emanated from his body,
Sharp and intimidating!
As if sensing his sword energy,
The invisible sword light completely dissipated.
"So that's how it is. Without sword talent, one probably can't even ascend this Sword Mountain!"
Chu Jianchen's expression turned cold yet determined,
Holding the saint-grade sword Mo Ye in his right hand,
He steadily walked up the winding path of the Sword Mountain.
Behind him,
Many elite members of the Chu family also wanted to ascend,
But the moment they stepped forward,
They were forced back by the terrifying sword intent.
"Those without sword talent shouldn't force their way up, or you'll be injured by the sword intent here!"
Chu Jianchen turned and warned.
"Yes!"
The others could only nod helplessly.
Though Chu Jianchen was no longer an elder,
His status was no less than any elder's,
And his strength surpassed all elders.
After all, only the strongest of the Chu family could join the Dragon Protector Guards.
Thus his words carried great weight,
Though many Chu family members coveted the opportunities here,
Those without sword talent could only obediently leave!
Only a few managed to ascend the Sword Mountain.
As Chu Jianchen climbed higher,
The vanished sword intent reappeared,
Pressing down on him.
"A test?"
"The stronger one's sword talent, the higher one can climb?"
"If that's the case..."
The Heavenly Sword Martial Soul manifested behind him,
Its sharp sword intent permeating the surroundings.
Sure enough,
The pressing sword intent disappeared again.
After walking for a long time,
Chu Jianchen reached the mountainside.
Here,
The swords embedded in the surrounding rocks occasionally vibrated,
Emitting low hums,
And even sporadic sword energy slashed toward Chu Jianchen.
Even with his martial soul activated, cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"How terrifying!"
"With my Emperor-tier Heavenly Sword Martial Soul, I can only reach this far?"
"Then what level of sword talent is needed to reach the summit? Saint-grade? Or Emperor-tier?"
Thinking this,
Chu Jianchen stopped holding back,
A blood-red sword mark appeared between his eyebrows,
And crimson sword light shot out from his body,
Blocking the sword intent from the mountain.
This was his saint body—the Nine Calamities Sword Body,
A reward from the Heart Refining Pagoda.
The first time Chu Jianchen cleared the Heart Refining Pagoda, he obtained a Martial Soul Evolution Pill,
Evolving his Spirit-grade martial soul to Emperor-tier.
He had hoped to get more evolution pills,
But unexpectedly received the saint-grade Nine Calamities Sword Body instead.
For a moment, Chu Jianchen didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
As a sword cultivator,
He only wanted to focus on improving his Heavenly Sword Martial Soul,
Hoping to elevate it to saint-grade or even emperor-tier one day!
"It seems I'll need to challenge the Heart Refining Pagoda more times!"
The thought made him shudder.
The more times one entered the Heart Refining Pagoda,
The more terrifying the illusions became,
And clearing it perfectly was extremely difficult.
He wasn't confident he could obtain more evolution pills!
Taking a deep breath,
Chu Jianchen cleared his mind and continued climbing.
With the Nine Calamities Sword Body and Heavenly Sword Martial Soul,
He felt much lighter,
His steps quicker.
But ultimately,
He stopped about a hundred meters below the summit,
This was his limit!
Chu Jianchen didn't force himself.
After all, the Sword Mountain was now under the Chu family's control,
And there would be more opportunities.
He sat cross-legged, comprehending the supreme sword arts around him.
Meanwhile, at the Desolate God Pavilion,
A rugged-looking youth with unkempt hair
Entered the feared Desolate God Pavilion that others dared not approach.
"Holy crap, Chu Huang actually has a connection with the Desolate God Pavilion's legacy?"
Many watched enviously.
"Perhaps this is his destined opportunity,"
Chu Yunling said.
The Desolate God Pavilion's legacy was terrifying,
Containing a mysterious power that could wither all life,
Not even Martial Emperors could resist it.
But she felt no envy,
For the Beast God had already granted her opportunities that made the entire clan jealous.
...
As the Chu family reaped the rewards from the five sacred lands,
The regions housing these sacred lands were thrown into chaos,
News of their destruction spread like a hurricane.
"The Divine Fist Sect was destroyed?"
"How is this possible? There were no signs!"
"Who has such terrifying power to destroy a sacred land?"
"It's the Chu family from the Qian Region!"
"Impossible! The Chu family is just a new Seven-Star Clan. How could they destroy sacred lands guarded by multiple Martial Saints?"
"The Chu family is indeed a Seven-Star Clan, but rumor says they have a Demon Emperor backing them. It was this Demon Emperor who secretly destroyed the sacred lands!"
"A Demon Emperor? Can Emperor-tier powerhouses emerge in the Mortal Realm now?"
"Moreover, wasn't the Divine Fist Sect subordinate to Hell's Gate? Will Hell's Gate just ignore this?"
"..."
Almost all martial artists were discussing this.
The destruction of sacred lands was no small matter,
Especially for the Divine Fist Sect's subordinate forces, who grew fearful,
Worried the Chu family would target them next.
But soon,
More shocking news spread across multiple regions—
The Chu family hadn't just destroyed the Divine Fist Sect,
But also the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Desolate God Pavilion, Myriad Stars Mountain, and Severing Heaven Sect.
Instantly,
The world was shaken.
These five sacred lands had existed for decades,
Yet were now destroyed by a newly risen family.
"Is the Mortal Realm about to change?"
At the Tai Xuan Sect,
Lu Chen and other Martial Saint elders felt chills run down their spines.
They were also a sacred land like the Divine Fist Sect.
If the Chu family could destroy five sacred lands,
They could destroy the Tai Xuan Sect too.
"Thankfully we were cautious before, or we might have ended up like the Divine Fist Sect,"
Lu Chen sighed.
"But strangely, why is the Heavenly Dragon Abyss untouched?"
"They, along with the Divine Fist Sect, were all subordinate to Hell's Gate. They should stand together!"
"Now that the others are destroyed while the Heavenly Dragon Abyss remains unharmed—there must be a reason!"
"Then what should our Tai Xuan Sect do?"
"With the Mortal Realm seemingly entering turmoil, should we seize the opportunity?"
"For now, we'll see how Hell's Gate responds. From today onward, seal our sect. The Tai Xuan Sect will retreat from the world until the Mortal Realm's situation becomes clear!"