Chapter 14 — A Sword Path of His Own

Jian Wuchen stopped mid-swing.

Clear Wind trembled in his hand.

Once.

Twice.

Then violently.

Lin Yue lowered her palm.

"What happened?"

Jian Wuchen didn't answer.

His attention had shifted toward the rear of Cloudveil Peak.

Something was there.

Calling him.

Not with sound.

Not with spiritual Qi.

His Heart Meridian pulsed.

Thump.

The newly formed pathway from his heart to his sword arm heated.

His Bone Meridian answered.

Hum—

Every bone in his body resonated.

Jian Wuchen's expression changed.

"Master."

Lin Yue followed his gaze.

"You can sense him?"

"No."

He tightened his grip around Clear Wind.

"I can sense something near him."

Then—

space distorted.

Shen Yuan appeared in the courtyard.

Jian Wuchen immediately looked at his hands.

Nothing.

No sword.

No treasure.

No visible reason for Clear Wind to be trembling as though terrified and excited at the same time.

Shen Yuan looked between his two disciples.

"Why are you awake?"

Silence.

Lin Yue pointed at Jian Wuchen.

"He started it."

Jian Wuchen stared.

"You challenged me."

"You were already training."

"You asked to spar."

"You agreed."

Shen Yuan held up one hand.

"I've heard enough."

Both stopped.

He looked at the courtyard.

Cracked stone.

A damaged training wall.

Three broken paving slabs.

One sword mark across a pillar.

Then at Lin Yue.

Then Jian Wuchen.

"Chen An is going to be unhappy."

Lin Yue looked away.

Jian Wuchen didn't know Chen An well enough to fear that statement.

Yet.

Shen Yuan turned toward his second disciple.

"Come."

Jian Wuchen immediately followed.

Lin Yue did too.

Shen Yuan stopped.

He looked at her.

She looked back.

"Where are you going?"

"With you."

"Why?"

"He's my junior brother."

Jian Wuchen raised an eyebrow.

Shen Yuan considered.

Fair.

"Come."

The three crossed Cloudveil Peak.

Moonlight spilled across the mountain.

The farther they walked, the stronger Jian Wuchen's reaction became.

His breathing changed.

His Sword Heart beat faster.

By the time they reached the sealed cave residence, Clear Wind was humming continuously.

Jian Wuchen stared at the entrance.

"What is this place?"

"My predecessor's old cave."

Lin Yue looked at Shen Yuan.

"You've never mentioned a predecessor."

"He left."

"Where?"

"No idea."

Jian Wuchen looked at him.

"You don't know where your own master went?"

Shen Yuan paused.

"Former master."

Lin Yue caught it.

"Former?"

Shen Yuan looked toward the cave.

"This conversation is becoming unnecessarily complicated."

Which meant they weren't getting an answer.

They entered.

Jian Wuchen immediately saw the wooden box.

More importantly—

he felt what was inside.

His entire body froze.

Shen Yuan opened the box.

The broken metal fragment lay quietly within.

Rusty.

Jagged.

Unremarkable.

Jian Wuchen took one step backward.

Lin Yue noticed.

"What?"

He stared.

"I don't know."

His Sword Heart pounded.

"It's dangerous."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Probably."

"You touched it?"

"Yes."

Jian Wuchen looked at him.

"Of course you did."

Shen Yuan ignored that.

Lin Yue approached carefully.

She felt almost nothing.

"What's special about it?"

"Old sword fragment."

"How old?"

"Unknown."

"What grade?"

"Unknown."

"Who used it?"

"Unknown."

Lin Yue stared.

Shen Yuan continued.

"The system—"

He stopped.

Silence.

Jian Wuchen blinked.

Lin Yue's eyes narrowed.

Shen Yuan smiled.

"The... system of classifications available to me was unable to determine it."

Jian Wuchen looked suspicious.

Lin Yue looked even more suspicious.

Neither spoke.

Good.

Shen Yuan moved on.

"It came from something classified as Pre-Severance."

Jian Wuchen's expression changed.

"The Sword Tomb."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Same era."

He closed the box.

Clear Wind immediately stopped trembling as violently.

Jian Wuchen exhaled.

"Why show me?"

"I used part of its Sword Dao comprehension to create something."

Jian Wuchen became still.

Shen Yuan tapped his forehead.

A point of light appeared.

"Don't resist."

Jian Wuchen didn't.

The light entered.

For one heartbeat—

nothing happened.

Then the world disappeared.

Sword.

That was the first thing Jian Wuchen understood.

Not a sword.

Not a technique.

Not a manual.

Sword.

An idea so vast that his mind couldn't contain it.

Then words formed.

Ninefold Heaven-Severing Sword Scripture.

Jian Wuchen's consciousness shook.

The first chapter unfolded.

The sword does not begin in the hand.

The sword begins in the heart.

His First Sword Meridian erupted.

Golden light spread from his heart to his right arm.

Then—

The body is not the wielder.

The body is the sheath.

His Bone Meridian responded.

Every bone rang.

Jian Wuchen's consciousness sank deeper.

He saw nine pathways.

Not ordinary meridians.

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Sword Meridians.

Heart.

Bone.

Blood.

Soul.

Void.

Will.

Tribulation.

Swordless.

And—

the ninth remained obscured.

Even the scripture did not reveal it.

Jian Wuchen tried to look.

Pain stabbed through his mind.

A message appeared within the scripture itself.

The Ninth cannot be taught.

He froze.

The Ninth cannot be inherited.

The Ninth belongs only to the swordsman.

Then—

the cultivation method began.

Not by drawing spiritual Qi into his dantian.

Not by circulating energy through conventional meridians.

Instead—

Sword Intent moved.

From Heart.

Into Bone.

From Bone—

through the entire body.

Then spiritual Qi entered.

But it didn't enter his dantian.

It entered the Sword Intent.

Qi was cut apart.

Refined.

Sharpened.

Transformed.

The resulting energy flowed through the two Sword Meridians.

Jian Wuchen's consciousness shook.

For three years—

spiritual Qi had been his enemy.

Every attempt to cultivate caused pain.

His destroyed meridians couldn't contain it.

His damaged dantian couldn't refine it.

Now—

the spiritual Qi never touched them.

It didn't need to.

His Sword Heart replaced the dantian.

His Sword Meridians replaced the spiritual pathways.

His body replaced the vessel.

His sword—

became the final extension.

Jian Wuchen understood.

This wasn't repairing his old cultivation.

It was abandoning it.

Completely.

The realization struck harder than expected.

For three years, everyone had asked the same question.

Could Jian Wuchen recover?

Could his meridians be healed?

Could his dantian be repaired?

Could he return to Foundation Establishment?

Could he become the genius he had been?

The Ninefold Heaven-Severing Sword Scripture gave a different answer.

No.

That Jian Wuchen was gone.

And he didn't need him anymore.

In the cave—

Jian Wuchen opened his eyes.

Tears ran down his face.

Lin Yue saw them.

She said nothing.

Shen Yuan also said nothing.

Jian Wuchen looked at his hands.

Then at Clear Wind.

Then at Shen Yuan.

"Master."

His voice was rough.

"You created this?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"I had help."

"From whom?"

Shen Yuan thought about the system.

"Complicated."

Jian Wuchen closed his eyes.

Of course.

When he opened them again, his expression had steadied.

"What grade?"

Shen Yuan hesitated.

Jian Wuchen noticed.

That was concerning.

"Master."

"Hm?"

"What grade?"

"Dao Scripture."

Silence.

Jian Wuchen stared.

Lin Yue smiled faintly.

She had experienced this before.

Jian Wuchen looked at her.

She nodded sympathetically.

"He did something similar to me."

"What did he give you?"

"Nine-Yin Lunar Scripture."

"Grade?"

"Also Dao Scripture."

Jian Wuchen slowly looked back at Shen Yuan.

"Are Dao Scriptures common on Cloudveil Peak?"

"No."

"How many do you have?"

Shen Yuan considered.

"Two."

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow.

Jian Wuchen asked:

"And both belong to us?"

"Yes."

Silence.

Jian Wuchen rubbed his forehead.

"I need to adjust my understanding of wealth."

"Don't bother," Lin Yue said.

He looked at her.

She spoke from experience.

"It gets worse."

Shen Yuan frowned.

Why was she making him sound unreasonable?

He was extremely reasonable.

Usually.

The system appeared.

[Investment detected.]

Shen Yuan's attention sharpened.

Here it came.

[Disciple Jian Wuchen received: Ninefold Heaven-Severing Sword Scripture.]

[Evaluating investment...]

The interface paused longer than usual.

[Resource suitability: Perfect.]

[Disciple need: Critical.]

[Compatibility: 100%.]

[Unique cultivation path detected.]

[Innate Sword Heart resonance detected.]

[Ancient Sword Tomb resonance detected.]

[Pre-Severance Dao source detected.]

[Special Disciple Mission synergy detected.]

Shen Yuan smiled.

This looked promising.

[Cashback multiplier calculating...]

One hundred.

Five hundred.

One thousand.

The number continued.

[3,000×.]

[5,000×.]

Then—

stopped.

Shen Yuan waited.

[10,000× Cashback activated.]

His smile widened.

Jian Wuchen saw it.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Teaching is rewarding."

Lin Yue looked suspicious.

Jian Wuchen looked more suspicious.

The system continued.

[Direct multiplication unsuitable.]

[Optimizing reward.]

Of course.

Ten thousand copies of the same Dao Scripture would be useless.

Golden light filled Shen Yuan's vision.

Then—

[Reward obtained.]

[Heaven-Severing Sword Dao Origin.]

Shen Yuan's smile disappeared.

Origin?

The description appeared.

[Heaven-Severing Sword Dao Origin]

Grade: Dao-Origin.

A primordial Sword Dao source containing the conceptual origin of Severance.

May be used to:

— establish a Sword Dao Origin Domain.

— create a supreme Sword Dao artifact.

— strengthen Sword Dao physiques.

— evolve Sword Dao scriptures.

— sever high-order laws.

— cut karmic connections.

— damage spatial and temporal structures.

— sever restrictions imposed by Heavenly Dao.

Warning:

Full manifestation exceeds current mortal-world tolerance.

Unrestricted release may permanently damage regional world laws.

Shen Yuan stared.

Lin Yue noticed.

"Master?"

He dismissed the interface.

"Nothing."

That was not nothing.

Cut karmic connections.

Sever Heavenly Dao restrictions.

Damage temporal structures.

The Primordial Lunar Origin had already been absurd.

This was equally unreasonable.

Perhaps more dangerous.

And—

something bothered him.

The system had returned a Heaven-Severing Sword Dao Origin from a scripture created using a Pre-Severance sword fragment.

Severance.

Pre-Severance.

The words were beginning to connect.

Not enough to form an answer.

Enough to become uncomfortable.

The system chimed again.

[Special Disciple Mission updated.]

Forge a cultivation path worthy of the Innate Sword Heart.

Completion: 67% → 92%.

Remaining requirement: Disciple must establish First Sword Foundation.

Shen Yuan looked at Jian Wuchen.

"Sit."

Jian Wuchen immediately obeyed.

"Now?"

"Now."

"What about sleeping?"

Shen Yuan smiled.

"You wanted to cultivate."

Jian Wuchen couldn't argue with that.

Lin Yue sat nearby.

She wasn't leaving.

Shen Yuan didn't stop her.

"Follow the scripture."

Jian Wuchen closed his eyes.

Clear Wind rested across his knees.

He breathed.

Once.

Twice.

Then—

his Sword Heart moved.

Hum.

Spiritual Qi across the cave reacted.

Not much.

A thin stream.

It approached Jian Wuchen.

His damaged meridians instinctively resisted.

Pain began.

Then the Ninefold Heaven-Severing Sword Scripture activated.

Sword Intent emerged from his Heart Meridian.

Slash.

The incoming spiritual Qi was cut.

Not physically.

Conceptually.

Impurities separated.

Wild energy separated.

Only the purest portion remained.

It entered the Heart Meridian.

Jian Wuchen trembled.

No pain.

For the first time in three years—

spiritual Qi entered his body without pain.

His breathing stopped.

"Continue," Shen Yuan said.

Jian Wuchen did.

More Qi arrived.

Sword Intent refined it.

Heart.

Bone.

Heart.

Bone.

A cycle formed.

Small.

Primitive.

But stable.

Jian Wuchen's body began absorbing spiritual energy.

Lin Yue's eyes widened.

She could see it.

"He's cultivating."

Shen Yuan nodded.

The system displayed his status.

[Cultivation architecture restructuring.]

[Conventional realm measurement incompatible.]

[Establishing Sword Foundation...]

One percent.

Three.

Seven.

Jian Wuchen breathed.

His destroyed dantian remained quiet.

His shattered meridians remained shattered.

Neither mattered.

Sword Intent flowed through his bones.

Clear Wind hummed.

The broken sword began absorbing tiny traces of refined energy.

[Sword Foundation: 12%.]

Then—

something unexpected happened.

The broken fragment inside the wooden box moved.

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed.

The box opened on its own.

The Pre-Severance sword fragment floated.

Jian Wuchen's Sword Heart reacted violently.

Shen Yuan stood.

The system flashed.

[Warning.]

[Sword Dao resonance detected.]

The fragment pointed toward Jian Wuchen.

Lin Yue rose.

"Master?"

"Stay back."

The fragment moved.

Shen Yuan prepared to stop it.

Then—

a voice entered the cave.

The same voice from the vision.

Ancient.

Broken.

"When the heavens sever the path..."

Jian Wuchen's eyes opened.

The fragment flew.

Straight toward his chest.

Shen Yuan moved.

His fingers caught it.

The world stopped.

Not metaphorically.

The candle flame froze.

Dust stopped in the air.

Lin Yue stopped breathing.

Jian Wuchen became motionless.

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed.

Time.

Someone had stopped time.

Yet he could still move.

The fragment trembled between his fingers.

A figure appeared at the far end of the cave.

Transparent.

Incomplete.

A man.

Or perhaps only the memory of one.

His robes were torn.

His face could not be seen.

In one hand—

he held a sword with half its blade missing.

Shen Yuan became very still.

The figure looked at him.

Then at Jian Wuchen.

"Not him."

The voice sounded distant.

Shen Yuan frowned.

"What?"

The figure pointed at Jian Wuchen.

"Not yet."

Shen Yuan looked at the fragment.

"You were trying to enter him."

"No."

The figure's head moved.

"Remember."

"Remember what?"

The apparition looked toward the cave ceiling.

Beyond it.

Toward the heavens.

"The cut."

Shen Yuan's expression sharpened.

"What cut?"

The figure began fading.

"Seven guarded the door."

Sword Tomb.

"Nine walked the path."

Nine Sword Meridians.

"One..."

The apparition flickered.

"...cut the bridge."

Shen Yuan's eyes widened slightly.

"What bridge?"

The figure looked at him.

For the first time—

Shen Yuan saw its eyes.

Empty.

Burned away.

"The one between heaven and man."

Then—

the apparition vanished.

Time resumed.

The candle flame moved.

Dust fell.

Lin Yue inhaled.

Jian Wuchen's cultivation continued.

Neither seemed to realize anything had happened.

Shen Yuan looked at the fragment in his hand.

The system appeared.

[Unknown temporal phenomenon detected.]

[Duration: 0.0000 seconds.]

[Host consciousness remained unaffected.]

So even the system had barely registered it.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Shen Yuan returned the fragment to the box.

This time—

he placed a seal around it.

A serious one.

Immortal-level.

The fragment became quiet.

Jian Wuchen continued cultivating.

[Sword Foundation: 21%.]

Shen Yuan sat again.

His expression remained calm.

Internally—

questions multiplied.

Seven guarded the door.

Nine walked the path.

One cut the bridge.

The bridge between heaven and man.

Pre-Severance.

The mortal world had once been directly connected to the Immortal Realm.

Then the connection had been severed.

Perhaps—

Sword Tomb wasn't merely related to Jian Wuchen.

Perhaps it was related to the entire reason the mortal world had become what it was.

Shen Yuan looked at his disciple.

Of course.

Lin Yue had an Immortal physique.

Jian Wuchen apparently carried an eight-thousand-year mystery tied to the severing of worlds.

He wondered what his third disciple would bring.

Hopefully something simple.

The system remained wisely silent.

Morning arrived.

Chen An walked toward the rear mountain carrying breakfast.

He had learned several things during six years on Cloudveil Peak.

First—

Shen Yuan forgot meals when interested in something.

Second—

when Shen Yuan became interested in something, leaving him alone usually resulted in structural damage.

Third—

the Peak Master's definition of "small breakthrough" was unreliable.

Chen An reached the cave.

He stopped.

Spiritual Qi spiraled above it.

Sword Intent filled the air.

A faint sword-shaped cloud had formed over the mountain.

Chen An stared.

"No."

He turned around.

A system of self-preservation developed over years told him breakfast could wait.

Then—

Shen Yuan's voice came from inside.

"Chen An."

He stopped.

Slowly turned.

"Yes, Peak Master?"

"Come in."

Chen An sighed.

He entered.

Lin Yue sat near the wall.

Shen Yuan sat beside her.

Jian Wuchen cultivated at the center.

Sword Intent flowed through his body.

Chen An couldn't understand what he was seeing.

But he understood one thing.

Something expensive was happening.

He placed the food down.

"Breakfast."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Good."

Chen An looked at Jian Wuchen.

"Is he alright?"

"Yes."

"He's glowing."

"Yes."

"His sword is floating."

"Yes."

"There's a sword-shaped cloud above the mountain."

Shen Yuan paused.

"Really?"

Chen An closed his eyes briefly.

"You didn't know."

"I've been watching him."

Of course.

Chen An walked toward the entrance.

"Where are you going?"

"To activate the privacy formations."

"Good idea."

"I know."

He left.

Lin Yue watched him go.

"He's very good at this."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"I should have appreciated him earlier."

Lin Yue looked at him.

That sounded unusually reflective.

Shen Yuan noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Good.

Jian Wuchen's Sword Foundation reached thirty percent.

Then forty.

Fifty.

The Sword Intent became denser.

His aura began changing.

No longer mortal.

Yet not Qi Refining.

Something else.

The system struggled.

[Attempting realm classification.]

[Qi Refining equivalent detected.]

[Classification rejected.]

[Foundation Establishment characteristics detected.]

[Classification rejected.]

Shen Yuan became amused.

Even the system wasn't sure what Jian Wuchen was becoming.

[Creating provisional classification.]

A moment later—

[Sword Cultivation Realm: Sword Foundation.]

[Stage: Initial.]

There.

Simple.

Jian Wuchen's eyes opened.

Boom.

Sword Intent erupted.

Lin Yue's hair moved.

The cave walls gained hundreds of tiny cuts.

Shen Yuan protected the breakfast.

Priorities.

Jian Wuchen inhaled.

The Sword Intent returned to his body.

Silence.

Then—

the system chimed.

[First Sword Foundation successfully established.]

[Special Disciple Mission completed.]

[Forge a cultivation path worthy of the Innate Sword Heart.]

[Reward calculating...]

Shen Yuan's attention sharpened.

[Reward obtained: Sword Dao Disciple Investment Authority.]

He frowned.

Authority?

The description appeared.

[Sword Dao Disciple Investment Authority.]

Due to Host successfully guiding a disciple onto a unique Sword Dao path, investments related to Jian Wuchen may now trigger specialized evolutionary cashback.

Possible returns may prioritize:

— Sword Dao resources.

— weapon evolution.

— Sword Heart development.

— Sword Meridian evolution.

— Sword Law comprehension.

— Sword Dao inheritances.

Additional function unlocked: Weapon Cashback.

Weapons genuinely gifted or evolved for registered disciples may trigger returns.

Shen Yuan smiled.

That—

was useful.

Very useful.

Jian Wuchen stood.

He looked at his hands.

Then at Clear Wind.

The sword floated beside him.

He didn't touch it.

He thought.

Clear Wind moved.

Left.

Right.

Forward.

Back.

Jian Wuchen's eyes widened.

"Sword control."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Try cutting something."

Jian Wuchen looked around.

Chen An had just returned.

He heard that sentence.

"No."

Everyone looked at him.

Chen An stood at the cave entrance.

"Not inside."

Jian Wuchen paused.

Fair.

They moved outside.

Cloudveil Peak was bright beneath the morning sun.

Chen An pointed toward an old boulder beyond the path.

"That."

Jian Wuchen raised two fingers.

Clear Wind floated.

He focused.

The broken blade shot forward.

Slash.

It passed through the boulder.

Nothing happened.

Jian Wuchen frowned.

Then—

the top half slid away.

Boom.

The boulder separated cleanly.

Lin Yue nodded.

"Better than the post."

Jian Wuchen smiled.

Chen An looked at the boulder.

Then toward Shen Yuan.

"Who's paying for that?"

"It was a rock."

"It was landscaping."

Shen Yuan stared.

Chen An stared back.

"Fine."

"Thank you."

Jian Wuchen retrieved Clear Wind.

Then his expression changed.

Someone stood at the end of the path.

A young man.

Azure Origin Sect robes.

Sword at his waist.

Strong aura.

Foundation Establishment.

Jian Wuchen froze.

The newcomer froze too.

For several seconds—

neither moved.

Lin Yue looked between them.

Shen Yuan already knew.

Chen An did not.

The young man's face changed.

Shock.

Disbelief.

Then something almost like relief.

"Wuchen."

Jian Wuchen's hand tightened around Clear Wind.

His voice became quiet.

"Ye Feng."

The former rivals stared at each other.

Three years.

Three years since Jian Wuchen's cultivation had been destroyed.

Three years since Ye Feng continued climbing while Jian Wuchen disappeared from the world of geniuses.

Ye Feng's gaze moved over him.

The robes.

The wounds.

The broken sword.

Then—

the aura.

His eyes widened.

"You..."

Jian Wuchen said nothing.

Ye Feng stepped closer.

"You're cultivating again."

Jian Wuchen looked at Clear Wind.

"Something like that."

Ye Feng stopped several meters away.

His expression became complicated.

Then—

he smiled.

Not mockery.

Not pity.

A genuine smile.

"Good."

Jian Wuchen's expression shifted.

Ye Feng continued.

"Because I've been waiting three years to beat you properly."

Jian Wuchen stared.

Then laughed.

"Your sword was slow before."

Ye Feng's smile disappeared.

"It isn't anymore."

"We'll see."

Sword Intent stirred.

Lin Yue looked at Shen Yuan.

"Are they going to fight?"

"Probably."

Chen An immediately spoke.

"Not here."

All four looked at him.

Chen An pointed toward the training grounds.

"We have a designated area."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Very responsible."

"Someone on this mountain has to be."

They started walking.

Then Jian Wuchen stopped.

Something had occurred to him.

He turned toward Ye Feng.

"You were at my master's funeral."

Ye Feng's expression changed.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Jian Wuchen continued.

"You left early."

Ye Feng became still.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Silence.

The smile vanished completely from Ye Feng's face.

His hand slowly moved away from his sword.

"I wondered when you'd ask me that."

Jian Wuchen's eyes narrowed.

Ye Feng looked toward Shen Yuan.

Then Lin Yue.

Then Chen An.

Finally back at Jian Wuchen.

"Because I received a message."

"From whom?"

Ye Feng's jaw tightened.

"My master."

Jian Wuchen waited.

Ye Feng continued.

"He told me to leave the Jian Clan immediately."

"Why?"

"I didn't know then."

"And now?"

Ye Feng looked at him.

"Now I think he was trying to keep me alive."

Silence.

Jian Wuchen's expression changed.

Ye Feng took a breath.

"Because the next morning..."

He paused.

"...my master disappeared."

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed.

Another missing person.

Ye Feng continued.

"And three days later, your meridians were destroyed."

The morning wind passed across Cloudveil Peak.

No one spoke.

Finally, Shen Yuan sighed.

Jian Wuchen looked over.

"Master?"

Shen Yuan stared toward the sky.

First an ancient Sword Tomb.

Then seven lost keys.

Then a missing Profound Sword Sect elder.

Now another missing master.

He had only wanted disciples.

The system had neglected to mention that disciples came with conspiracies.

"Nothing."

He turned toward the palace.

"Chen An."

"Yes?"

"Bring more tea."

Chen An nodded.

"How much?"

Shen Yuan looked at Jian Wuchen and Ye Feng.

Then thought about Li Cangwu.

The Profound Sword Sect.

Zhou Xuanji.

The eight-thousand-year traitor.

The Pre-Severance fragment.

"All of it."

Chen An stared.

"All the tea?"

"All the tea."

Chen An became concerned.

Things were apparently serious.

And somewhere far beyond Azure Origin Sect—

a man who had been missing for three years opened his eyes inside a dark prison.

Chains pierced his shoulders.

His cultivation was sealed.

Blood covered his robes.

Before him stood a stone wall.

For three years, he had carved the same symbol into it.

Seven swords.

One circle.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Then—

the chains trembled.

The imprisoned man slowly raised his head.

For the first time in years—

he felt something.

Sword Intent.

Distant.

Faint.

But familiar.

His cracked lips moved.

"Wuchen..."

Tears filled his eyes.

"You're alive."

Behind him—

something in the darkness opened its eyes.