At the same time.

Abyssal Sanctuary.

Deep underground lay the Sword Pool. The sheer cliffs here had been carved into honeycomb-like caves, and massive platforms were hewn from raw metal veins. Countless flying swords, shimmering with flowing light, patrolled the cavern like schools of fish, their overlapping trajectories forming a terrifying, impenetrable net of blades.

Outside the entrance, Qin Lingxue nodded slightly to the young man beside her, her tone cool and professional.

“Qi Yuan, ahead lies the Sword Pool of the Abyssal Sanctuary.”

She pointed to the dark maw of the cave. “Once you enter, the protective talisman on your body will only last for half an hour. That is your time limit.”

Her gaze sharpened. “If you do not exit before the time is up, the talisman will fail, and the thousands of flying swords inside will turn you into minced meat. With your current cultivation, your chance of survival is effectively zero.”

“Understood.”

The young man nodded, masking his eagerness, and strode boldly into the gloomy, chilling depths of the Sword Pool.

The moment he crossed the threshold, a vast, crushing wave of metallic killing aura slammed into him. Even with the golden barrier of the protective talisman, he felt a stinging pain across his skin, as if invisible razors were slicing at his muscles and bones.

Yet, facing this terrifying sword intent that felt thick enough to touch, the young man’s expression didn’t flicker. He didn’t even frown. Following a faint, throbbing guidance in his soul, he marched straight toward the deepest recess of the cave.

Soon, he stopped.

Stuck haphazardly into the rocky ground before him was a cyan longsword.

The blade was long and narrow, forged from an unidentifiable material. It was dull, lusterless, and devoid of any complex inscriptions or runes. To the naked eye, it looked like a piece of scrap metal, inferior even to a common iron sword bought from a village blacksmith.

But when the young man laid eyes on this “scrap,” his face twisted into a look of wild, ecstatic joy. His hands trembled.

“Old friend… I’ve finally found you!”

Taking a deep breath to steady his shaking hands, he stepped forward and gripped the hilt.

“Abyssal Condensation.”

Hum!

Instantly, the dead, dull blade erupted with life. It trembled violently, emitting a high-pitched, resonant keen that sounded like the cry of a reunion between long-lost kin.

At the exact same moment, a phenomenon occurred throughout the vast cavern.

The thousands of flying swords suspended in the void froze. As if crushed by an invisible emperor, they lost their buoyancy and plummeted from the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A rain of steel battered the stone floor as every sword in the pool bowed in submission.

When one sword rises, ten thousand bow.

Outside the Sword Pool.

The Abyssal Frost Sword at Qin Lingxue’s waist suddenly began to vibrate. It let out a low, aggressive hum before shooting out of its sheath on its own accord. The blade hovered in the air, pointing unerringly at the cave entrance, radiating an intense, burning fighting spirit.

The disciples guarding the entrance jumped in fright, staring at the cave in bewilderment.

“What’s going on?”

Qin Lingxue furrowed her delicate brows, her expression turning grave.

The Abyssal Frost Sword was a Spirit Treasure. For it to react so violently, something inside the pool must be extraordinary.

Could it be… another Peerless Divine Sword has awakened?

Her heart tightened. Qin Lingxue quickly formed a hand seal to soothe her agitated blade. She then retrieved a protective talisman from her storage bracelet, preparing to rush inside to investigate.

But before she could move, a familiar figure swaggered out of the darkness.

“Qin Lingxue, this is the sword I chose. According to the rules, it’s mine now, right?”

Wearing a faint, casual smile, Qi Yuan presented the dull cyan longsword to the crowd.

He had risked exposing his identity and come to the Abyssal Sanctuary ostensibly to annul the engagement, but his true objective had always been this: to reclaim the weapon of his past life.

The Abyssal Condensation Sword. A Top-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure.

In his previous life, he had roamed the world for ten thousand years with this blade in hand, slaughtering myriads of beings and earning the title of the Number One Rogue Cultivator Under Heaven.

Sadly, a single misstep had led to his downfall in the final Dao Tribulation before the Great Ascension stage, leaving him with endless regrets.

But fate had dealt him a second hand. Now reborn, he would rise again. He would reclaim his glory, his throne, and this time… he would ascend beyond the heavens!

As his internal ambition surged, the surrounding Abyssal disciples got a good look at the weapon in his hand.

Snickers broke out.

“Isn’t that just a mortal iron sword?”

“With all that commotion earlier, I thought the kid picked up a divine treasure. Turns out he just grabbed a piece of scrap metal!”

Qin Lingxue ignored the peanut gallery. She scrutinized the unremarkable sword in his hand with a solemn expression. Though it looked plain, the reaction of her own sword told a different story.

“Yes,” she said finally, nodding. “That sword is yours.”

The Abyssal Sanctuary prided itself on being the holy land of swords. To them, a sword was not a tool, but a partner.

The sect had long ago proclaimed to the cultivation world that the Sword Pool was not private property. Any sword lover with “affinity” could enter and claim a blade. If the sword chose you, the sect would not stand in the way.

Of course, the definition of “affinity”—and who was allowed near the pool—was entirely up to the sect. But since Qi Yuan had been granted entry, Qin Lingxue would not break the rules, even if she suspected the sword was more than it appeared.

Seeing the Abyssal disciples backing down, a glint of smug satisfaction flashed in the young man’s eyes.

“In that case, my transaction with your noble sect is complete.”

He glanced at Qin Lingxue, his gaze flippant and teasing.

“I hope the next time we meet, you can keep that lovely ‘cold as ice’ look on your face. It suits you.”

With a mocking laugh, he turned and strutted away, completely ignoring the murderous glares burning into his back.

Not long after.

In a remote, verdant valley outside Yongli City.

The young man strolled leisurely along the forest edge, admiring the scenery like a tourist on a spring outing.

Suddenly, two streaks of light whistled through the air, slamming into the ground in front of him and blocking his path.

Seeing the newcomers, the corner of the young man’s mouth curled into a playful arc. He didn’t look surprised in the least.

“Well, if it isn’t you two. I don’t recall leaving anything behind at the Abyssal Sanctuary. Did you chase me all this way just to bid me a tearful farewell?”

The interlopers were two Outer Sect disciples who had mocked him earlier. Hearing his sarcasm, they sneered, their faces twisting with malice.

“Hmph! You guessed right, kid. We are here to send you off. You were pretty arrogant back there, weren’t you? Let’s see if you can keep acting tough now!”

The leader of the pair darkened his expression. “Junior Brother Wang, cut the chatter. While there’s no one around, let’s beat this kid to a pulp. Just remember—don’t kill him. We don’t want the sect investigating.”

“You got it!” Junior Brother Wang grinned savagely, cracking his knuckles. “I’ve hated this guy since he opened his mouth. I’m going to teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.”

Hearing this, Qi Yuan shook his head with exaggerated disappointment.

“The Abyssal Sanctuary truly lives up to its reputation as a ‘Righteous Sect.’ I practically spit in your faces, and all you want to do is beat me up?”

He sighed. “You two are so kind-hearted… so merciful. It almost makes me feel bad about what I’m going to do to you.”

“What?”

The disciples flew into a rage. “Still posturing even at death’s door? Die, you little bastard!”

With a shout, the two exploded forward, charging at him like fired cannonballs.

They were both in the early Foundation Building stage. Crushing a gnat at the eighth level of Qi Refining should have been effortless.

Suddenly.

Whoosh!

An ominous, blood-colored sword light flashed through the air.

Before the two disciples could even process the movement, their momentum carried them forward—but their bodies were no longer whole.

They had been bisected.

Thud. Thud.

Four pieces of meat hit the ground.

Bizarrely, not a single drop of blood spilled from the severed torsos. Instead, the corpses began to wither at a visible rate, their flesh sinking and drying until, moments later, only two sets of bleached white bones remained in the grass.

At the same time, two streams of rich, concentrated life essence flowed through the hilt of the cyan sword and surged into the young man’s body.

His aura spiked violently, instantly breaking through to the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

“Haa…”

Feeling the abundant, thick magic power coursing through his veins, the young man slowly opened his eyes. They were swimming with bloodlust and greed.

This body’s spiritual roots are trash, but its bone structure is special. Its potential far exceeds my previous vessel. It is practically a perfect sheath tailor-made for the Abyssal Condensation Sword.

As long as I kill enough living beings… I will return to my peak in no time!

Wait!

There’s someone else!

His expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, he exploded backward in a desperate retreat.

But it was too late.

In the next instant, his vision blurred.

A slender, elegant hand reached out of the empty air, bypassing his defenses entirely, and pressed lightly against his forehead.

“How…?!”

The young man’s eyes bulged in terror.

He realized instantly—the intruder intended to Soul Search him!