Chapter 367: Holding the Sword to Establish Fate

Outside the Grand Seclusion Pillar, the sky remained azure, and the ground gleamed. The cold wind continued to blow, and snowflakes, as always, drifted over Grand Initial City, settling on the crowds around the Grand Seclusion Pillar.

Here, the number of trial-takers was just over two thousand. Most of them had been teleported back early, and even now, their expressions still showed lingering shock. Clearly, everything within the Ghost Cave had been too terrifying for them. And the danger this time was indeed a matter of life and death, just as the sword wielder in official robes had stated three days prior.

Xu Qing stood among the crowd, one of the last to be teleported back. The moment his body materialized, he immediately looked around and noticed several others who had returned at the same time. The Captain was among them, covered in injuries, but thankfully, all his limbs were intact. However, he had lost an eye and an ear, and there was still a wound on his abdomen. He was grinning while clutching it, smiling at Xu Qing. Even with only one eye, he still exuded smugness, seemingly very satisfied with his gains from this experience. Evidently, there were many caves within the deep pit; while Xu Qing had seen the deity, others might have encountered different supernatural phenomena in other caves.

Besides the Captain, Xu Qing also saw Hong Nv. She had also been teleported at the same time as him, clearly having persevered until the very end. The mask she wore had turned blood-red, as had her body. The demonic entity on her scythe was constantly chewing, yet it could not hide its dying state.

There was one more person Xu Qing didn't want to see: the Grand Preceptor Daoist Disciple Zhang Siyun. He clearly possessed life-saving methods, which was why he hadn't died. However, he was extremely weak, and the foreign matter in his body had clearly reached a certain level. He was currently consuming pills non-stop, attempting to dispel it. He also bore a massive scratch extending from his brow to his chest, deep enough to expose bone, as if a little deeper would have completely torn him into several pieces.

Xu Qing looked at Zhang Siyun, who also saw Xu Qing. His expression was grim, and his eyes held a cold malice. Xu Qing remained expressionless and withdrew his gaze.

He mused that the Sword Holders' Court could not possibly be unaware of the deity in the Ghost Cave. If so, then perhaps the ritual in the five-pointed wooden house had been arranged by the Sword Holders' Court, the purpose being to keep the deity continuously asleep. Of course, this was just a guess. It was also possible the wooden house had existed before the Sword Holders' Court. Regardless, this did not affect his next deduction: the red fate lamp inside the wooden house could not be taken away. If the Sword Holders' Court had arranged it, they naturally wouldn't allow others to take it. If it had existed beforehand, even the Sword Holders' Court couldn't have taken it, let alone these trial-takers.

"So what was Zhang Siyun's purpose in going there?"

Lacking information, Xu Qing couldn't guess the answer. As he recalled the lyrics sung by the woman in the wooden house, he suddenly had a feeling. It seemed that from the very beginning, the singer had already revealed the story of the Ghost Cave to all who arrived, within the second line of her song. Someone had been buried here for a long time, their longing cut into countless fragments, each piece scattered like paper money, fluttering as if dust dancing in the wind. Each fragment contained a deep yearning, as if waiting across past and present lives for someone to appear and piece together that shattered longing. He wondered if it was the woman in the wooden house who was waiting, or the deity in the Ghost Cave.

Xu Qing fell silent. In his eyes, this world was gradually becoming more and more mysterious.

At the same time, he also saw another human cultivator who had been teleported back at the same time as him. Their figure hadn't fully materialized before, in an instant of returning, their body trembled and was instantly obliterated by a beam of light emanating from within the Grand Seclusion Pillar. This person's death made Xu Qing bury his thoughts about the Ghost Cave deep in his heart. As his eyes narrowed, an emotionless voice emanated from within the Grand Seclusion Pillar.

"Verified: Killed fellow kin. Erased."

Xu Qing's mind jolted. He had previously guessed that the teleportation jade slip had a function to record violations, and now he saw that it was indeed true.

He also noticed that the fragments he had collected were gone. The moment he was teleported back, those fragments seemed to be swept away by an immense force, integrating into the Grand Seclusion Pillar. Clearly, the Sword Holders' Court had its own method of record-keeping.

At this moment, amidst the cold wind and the crowd's waiting, the sky suddenly glowed brilliantly. Figures descended, each clad in official robes, standing in the air. Initially, there were dozens, but soon, as long rainbows whistled, more and more figures descended, reaching hundreds. The pressure emanating from them roared all around, causing the sky to seemingly dim at that moment. And more figures continued to descend. This scene caused all the trial-takers below to be deeply shaken, and the surrounding spectators and guardians from various sects also grew solemn.

After a moment, thousands of figures stood in the sky. Each one's cultivation exuded considerable power; the weakest among them possessed a Heavenly Palace Golden Core, Nascent Soul cultivators were present, and Spirit Store cultivators as well. And each one carried an identical greatsword on their back. The sword was green and bore an engraved mark. The mark resembled the character "Yuan". Their similar official robes made them appear incredibly orderly, and their auras seemed connected, forming an awe-inspiring momentum that could suppress all ages, sweeping away all races and external enemies! Their presence was overwhelming!

They were the entire Sword Holders' Court of Yinghuang Province, all the Sword Holders. At this moment, they arrayed themselves in a dual-wing formation in mid-air, like two colossal wings spreading in flight. While their pressure was immense, a sense of solemn majesty also rose into the heavens and earth.

The entire Grand Initial Seclusion City fell silent. No sound came from around the Grand Seclusion Pillar or from the tents within the city during this solemn moment. Everyone held their breath, gazing at the sky. Because they knew that next... would be the grand ceremony of the Sword Holders! Every second-stage trial for the Sword Holders was like this, with a very high standard for the ceremony. After all, this was an assessment of the Five Departments of the Human Race's Upper Profound, representing the dignity of humanity.

At this moment, as everyone's expressions grew solemn, a booming sound slowly emanated from the clouds high above the sky. The sound grew louder and louder, until finally, a seven-colored vortex appeared high in the sky. Nine figures, radiating dazzling light, emerged from within the seven-colored vortex. Each of them possessed cultivation at the Return to Ruins realm; any one of them could become an Ancestor in a sect of Yinghuang Province. And they... were the Nine Great Sword Elders of the Yinghuang Province Sword Holders' Court. All their expressions were serious. As they emerged, four stood suspended above each wing on either side, with only one person in the very center. This person was the Grand Elder of the Yinghuang Province Sword Holders' Court, also serving as its highest authority.

Xu Qing looked up and, upon seeing the person, was stunned for a moment. This Grand Elder was actually the elderly man who had lectured on the accomplishments of herbal alchemy at the Dao Altar, the one who strongly resembled Grandmaster Bai! Xu Qing knew he must have some standing within the Sword Holders' Court, but he had never imagined his status was so high, in charge of an entire Court!

As Xu Qing's mind was stirred, a middle-aged man stepped forward from the front of the left wing. With a solemn expression, he clasped his fists and bowed deeply to the Grand Elder in the center.

"Yinghuang Province Sword Holders' Court, a total of four thousand three hundred and eleven Sword Holders. Today, four thousand three hundred and eleven are present, with no absentees. Please review, Grand Elder."

The Grand Elder, in the very center, nodded slightly. "Read the list."

"As per the Grand Elder's decree!" The person who had stepped out from the left wing turned swiftly and respectfully, his gaze sweeping over the ground, his voice like a great bell. "After review by the Sword Holders' Court and reporting to the Sword Palace, based on the number of fragments acquired, ten members of our human race have been selected to receive the qualification to meet the Emperor as Sword Holders!"

"The list is as follows: Xu Qing, Chen Erniu, Qing Qiu, Zhang Siyun, Ning Yan..."

As the middle-aged man spoke, names were announced one by one until all ten names were quickly read out.

"You ten, step forward!"

Xu Qing took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stood at the front. The Captain did the same, and the others whose names were called also stepped out one after another. Soon, the ten of them stood together, spaced ten zhang apart, in front of the crowd, conspicuous under the gaze of thousands.

After Xu Qing and the others stepped out, the central Sword Holder in the sky turned, bowed to the Grand Elder, and returned to his original position. The Grand Elder of the Sword Holders, standing in the very center of the sky, did not look down at Xu Qing and the others. Instead, he turned around, filled with solemnity, and bowed deeply towards the sky, towards the seven-colored vortex. A weathered, hoarse voice slowly emanated from his mouth, in an immensely solemn tone.

"We respectfully invite the Extreme Immortal, Glorious Emperor Yuan Zai, and the Sword-Wielding Heavenly Venerate of the Human Race to descend upon our Court!"

The moment his voice rang out, all the Sword Holders in the two wings around them, including the other eight Sword Elders, became solemn. They clasped their fists, bowed deeply towards the sky's vortex, and spoke in unison.

"We respectfully invite the Extreme Immortal, Glorious Emperor Yuan Zai, and the Sword-Wielding Heavenly Venerate of the Human Race to descend upon our Court!"

This kind of ceremony, incredibly formal, exuded the orthodoxy of the human race. Xu Qing, participating in it, couldn't help but grow solemn. At this moment, as all the Sword Holders spoke, their voices surged into the clouds, into the vortex, causing the seven-colored vortex to instantly radiate brilliant light. Streaks of rosy light emanated from within, eventually illuminating the entire sky, filling the endless firmament with brilliant auroras.

Finally, the seven-colored vortex transformed into a colossal divine statue that made everyone's souls tremble. This divine statue stood towering between heaven and earth, immensely vast. It could be seen that the statue depicted a middle-aged man whose expression exuded natural authority without anger. His eyes shone with dazzling light, and he wore a Nine-Dragon Imperial Robe that swayed with the wind. On his head, he wore a Nine Heavens Morning Cloud Crown, sparkling with divine splendor. On his back was a greatsword, green in color, engraved with the character "Yuan," and identical in appearance to the Sword Holders' swords!

Furthermore, the moment this divine statue appeared, the rosy light caused intense ripples across the sky. Heaven and earth changed color; winds surged and clouds gathered! This scene caused all humans below to be profoundly shaken, their bodies' qi and blood surging uncontrollably. A profound, ethereal sense of kinship surged powerfully within the heart of every human.

That was the Human Emperor! That was the founder of the Sword Holding Department!

Everyone involuntarily bowed their heads, even Xue Lianzi and the Ancestors from other sects. They willingly showed their utmost respect, bowing before the divine statue of this Human Emperor. Xu Qing did the same, his heart stirring with constant waves of emotion. He thought of the Ghost Emperor, but clearly, compared to this Human Emperor, the Ghost Emperor was far inferior. Moreover, the Emperor's face actually bore a seven-tenths resemblance to the statue of the Profound Nether Ancient Emperor that Xu Qing had once seen.

As all the humans paid their respects, the solemn voice of the Grand Elder of the Sword Holders echoed through heaven and earth. "By the sagacious wisdom of the Profound Nether Emperor of Ten Thousand Ages, granted by the Heavenly Dao of the Four Extremes, the Sword Palace lineage wields the sword for humanity. We sever the misfortunes of the common people and radiate light throughout heaven and earth. Thus, the Emperor's divine statue shines with widespread rosy light, a testament to this truth."

This voice, like heavenly thunder, spread across the sky, reverberated through the earth, and spread within the heart of every Sword Holder, imprinting itself deep within the minds of all humans below. It exploded directly in the minds of Xu Qing and the other ten, like the resounding of the great bell of heaven and earth, deafening and awakening!

Because this was the Sword Holders' founding purpose!

To sever the ill fates of the common people, and radiate light throughout heaven and earth!

Only then can one be... a Sword Holder!