After Ye Shisan left, Shen Yaying said, "You all need to be careful following me. Obtaining the Yuhua Sword will be somewhat difficult, as it requires passing through layers of trials, and might even alert my father!"
"Our lives are in your hands!"
Lu Fan rolled his eyes. "If Patriarch Shen wants to kill us then, you'll have to threaten him with your life, otherwise we'll be in danger!"
Shen Yaying nodded slightly, but felt something was amiss and her expression turned peculiar.
Lin Ke and Long Yi exchanged glances but said nothing more. They knew Lu Fan's words were merely to lighten the mood.
Not long after, they returned to the Shen Clan. Led by Shen Yaying, they quickly traversed into the depths of the clan, seemingly very familiar with the internal mechanisms.
"I didn't expect there to be a secret tunnel here!"
Long Yi remarked, "Miss Shen truly knows the Shen family like the back of her hand."
"That goes without saying. She is a member of the Shen family, so she naturally knows every passage," Lu Fan said softly.
"You're mistaken there. Although I am the eldest daughter of the Shen family, I discovered this place myself. Others have no idea."
Shen Yaying stated, "Perhaps even my father doesn't know. It's likely it was built by a powerful figure from the Shen family in ancient times!"
"If you didn't know, why did you want to come here?" Lu Fan asked, puzzled.
"When I was little, I was very playful and used to hide and seek everywhere, which is how I found this secret passage."
Shen Yaying shrugged. "Once we get the Yuhua Sword, we can leave through this secret tunnel. By then, even if my father wants to catch you, he might not be able to!"
"That's a good idea!"
Lu Fan nodded slightly, his expression becoming calm. With this secret tunnel, their safety would indeed be much improved.
After a long while, passing through layers of secret passages, Lu Fan and the others finally reached the core area of the Shen Clan. In this palace, a divine sword was suspended in the very center, protected by a powerful force, appearing quite ancient.
"This must be the Yuhua Sword!"
Lu Fan exclaimed, "Miss Shen, please proceed! Once we obtain the Yuhua Sword, we can leave this place and deal with the many experts of the Netherworld Hall!"
Shen Yaying nodded slightly and stepped forward without any hesitation. As long as she obtained the Yuhua Sword, the five swords would be complete, and the Netherworld Hall would then have to submit.
As Shen Yaying made her move, the core region of the Shen Clan trembled. It was unclear what had happened to cause such a commotion.
Meanwhile, in a meditation room, the Patriarch of the Shen Clan was in seclusion. Sensing the commotion, he frowned, unsure of what was happening.
After all, their Shen family had never experienced anything like this before, which made him furrow his brow.
"Patriarch, could this commotion mean the divine sword is in trouble?" an elder arrived, his expression grave.
"The divine sword has always been protected within the palace. How could it be in trouble!"
The Patriarch of the Shen Clan said indifferently, "Moreover, only someone with the Shen family bloodline can break the divine sword's seal. This commotion must be from somewhere else. Go and investigate!"
"But this commotion is indeed coming from the divine sword!"
The white-haired elder's expression was solemn. "If I'm not mistaken, someone might be tampering with the divine sword!"
"Who dares to be so bold!"
The Patriarch of the Shen Clan suddenly realized, stood up abruptly, his entire demeanor turning cold.
The elder shook his head, unsure of who was responsible. However, he was very clear that someone must be trying to tamper with the Yuhua Sword, otherwise there wouldn't be such a commotion.
At this moment, within the palace, Shen Yaying made a decisive move, breaking through the final barrier and obtaining the Yuhua Sword. Holding the Yuhua Sword, her entire aura began to surge.
Concurrently, the Tai Xu Sword in Lu Fan's hand also resonated, even beginning to tremble. Their cultivation levels were also gradually increasing, reaching the Half-step Battle Saint realm.
At this time, in the Ye Clan, Ye Shisan had arrived. After explaining the situation to the Patriarch of the Ye Clan, the Patriarch prepared to dispatch many Ye Clan experts to the Shen Clan.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, Ye Shisan's aura began to surge, and the Xuan Lei Sword in his hand also resonated, as if summoned by something.
"All five swords are out! Only when all five swords are out can there be such a reaction!"
The Patriarch of the Ye Clan's expression was solemn, and he spoke repeatedly. He was very aware that the divine sword's aura was extraordinary.
"The fifth sword has appeared, then they are in danger!"
Ye Shisan said urgently, "We must hurry to the Shen Clan!"
The Patriarch of the Ye Clan said no more, leading many Ye Clan experts towards the Shen Clan. Lu Fan and the others were still growing, and it would be too regrettable to stifle them in their cradle.
At this moment, having obtained the Yuhua Sword, Shen Yaying's aura had become quite refined, with light radiating from her.
"We can't stay here any longer!"
Lu Fan said, "That massive commotion just now, I'm afraid the Shen Clan has already sensed it!"
As Lu Fan spoke, more than a dozen figures suddenly appeared outside the palace. These were all Shen Clan experts, surrounding Lu Fan and the others. Leading them was Zhuque.
"Miss, how could you have drawn the Yuhua Sword without authorization!"
Zhuque exclaimed in alarm, "What will happen if the Patriarch finds out."
"Even if my father finds out, it doesn't matter!"
Shen Yaying waved her hand. "You all step back. They are my friends, don't make trouble for them."
"This is a restricted area of the Shen Clan. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter!" Zhuque stated directly.
Shen Yaying retorted, "Don't my words carry any weight?"
"Your subordinate dares not!"
Zhuque quickly cupped his fists. "But this matter is of great importance. I hope Miss understands. Once the Patriarch arrives, a decision will be made on this matter!"
"I told you to move aside now!"
Shen Yaying's aura was overbearing. She could not allow Lu Fan and the others to be harmed in any way, otherwise she would have broken her promise.
"Please reconsider, Miss. Even if I lose my head, I will not let them leave!"
Zhuque's expression was solemn. "Everything must await the Patriarch's decision!"
"You have quite the nerve!"
Shen Yaying's expression was cold. "You dare to stop me with just your words!"
As soon as her voice fell, Shen Yaying unleashed a sword energy, which appeared incredibly sharp.
She had promised Lu Fan and the others that she would ensure their safety, so how could she go back on her word.
This sword energy was extremely fierce. Zhuque retreated backward in fear, his eyes filled with shock, as he had never seen Shen Yaying so formidable.
Lu Fan also frowned. If his guess was correct, the Patriarch of the Shen Clan would arrive soon. By then, escaping would be impossible.