Chapter 923: Actually, the Disciple is a Sword Cultivator

He felt as if he was falling into an endless abyss, his body continuously sinking. Everything around him became ethereal and illusory; only the soft, warm body in his embrace gave Lu Ye a sense of reality, allowing him to maintain a thread of clarity.

After an unknown period, his mind and body suddenly settled.

As he regained his senses, a weathered voice suddenly spoke by his ear.

"A crafter is a cultivator's weapon; cultivation varies in strength, and tools differ in quality..."

"A crafter is a cultivator's weapon; cultivation varies in strength, and tools differ in quality..."

Lu Ye, feeling somewhat disoriented, looked up to see a white-haired, elderly man sitting before him, lecturing him earnestly.

Unable to grasp the situation, Lu Ye turned his head and met a pair of beautiful eyes looking at him with concern.

It was Nian Yuexian. Their eyes met, and after confirming each other's safety, they both relaxed.

Ying Wuji was also present, sitting quietly on his other side, stealthily surveying the surroundings and appearing suspicious.

At that moment, the three of them were positioned in front of a thatched hut.

The elderly man sat upright, while the three of them knelt in a row before him, appearing utterly respectful.

Whizzing sounds of something cutting through the air came, and the three of them simultaneously looked up. In the direction of the sound, large streaks of light streaked across the sky.

"Those are flying swords!" Ying Wuji exclaimed, his sharp eyes immediately recognizing the true forms of the streaking lights.

As he spoke, many streaks of light collectively shot towards a nearby steep mountain peak. The next moment, continuous thudding sounds echoed as all the flying swords embedded themselves into the mountain wall, leaving only their hilts exposed.

The old man's voice stopped. He looked at the cliff covered with flying swords, his expression complex, and slowly began to speak: "Sword Mountain is the foundation of my Sword Crafting Sect. Today, you three are entering my sect. The day you forge a flying sword worthy of being ranked on Sword Mountain, you can graduate."

These words contained a lot of information, at least allowing Lu Ye to understand a few things.

This was the Sword Crafting Sect, and the mountain adorned with flying swords was Sword Mountain. The three of them were currently paying their respects to this old man. Judging from his words, the Sword Crafting Sect was likely a place for training artifact forgers. To graduate, one must forge a flying sword worthy of being ranked on Sword Mountain!

A Secret Realm!

Lu Ye suddenly realized that the vortex on the stone platform was connected to a Secret Realm.

It wasn't just the Spirit Stream Battlefield and Cloud River Battlefield that contained Secret Realms; the ones truly holding great opportunities were found within the Kyushu mainland. Some of these realms could even greatly benefit Divine Sea Realm cultivators.

This particular Secret Realm was clearly different from those Lu Ye had experienced in the Spirit Stream Battlefield and Cloud River Battlefield.

For one thing, Nian Yuexian had also entered.

In other words, this was a Secret Realm that could benefit even Divine Sea Realm cultivators—such realms were rare and highly sought after. If he and Ying Wuji, both True Lake Realm cultivators, could gain any opportunity from here, they would benefit for a lifetime.

Ying Wuji had clearly realized it as well, and his spirits were instantly lifted.

This trip, compelled by circumstances, had him follow Lu Ye and Nian Yuexian to Liyuan Yixiantian. He had originally thought he was just serving as a guide, but who knew such good fortune would come his way?

Despite his joy, he was more cautious.

He wasn't a fool and naturally understood that opportunities came with risks. Heaven knew what kind of dangers a Secret Realm that even Divine Sea Realm cultivators could enter might hold.

While Lu Ye and Ying Wuji harbored different thoughts, Nian Yuexian slowly stood up and frowned, saying, "You want me to join your sect?"

To join a sect meant to acknowledge someone as your master.

To think of her, a dignified Divine Sea Realm cultivator, already among the top cultivators in Kyushu—who in this world could possibly be her master?

Moreover, she was originally a rogue cultivator who had never had a master or fellow disciples since she began cultivating. At her current cultivation level, she certainly wouldn't seek a master.

Not even in a Secret Realm.

"You are unwilling?" the old man asked calmly, looking at Nian Yuexian and completely disregarding her stern expression.

"Whether I'm willing or not depends on whether you have the ability," she retorted. As she finished speaking, Nian Yuexian flicked her wrist, thrusting a sword towards the old man.

She held the two-foot short sword she had taken from the stone platform.

Such a short sword was actually more suited for her as a ghost cultivator's weapon than as a sword cultivator's. With her ghost cultivation attainments, even a mere thought could be turned into a lethal attack, and no Divine Sea Realm cultivator in Kyushu could withstand it.

Nevertheless, even with this, the thrust of her sword was overwhelmingly powerful.

Lu Ye and Ying Wuji hastily dodged, fearing they might get splashed with blood.

They had no doubt about Nian Yuexian's strength. And in any case, having suddenly arrived in this Secret Realm and being told to acknowledge this old man as their master, both of them felt quite unwilling.

If Nian Yuexian could resolve the situation, it wouldn't be a bad outcome.

However, the next instant, Lu Ye and Ying Wuji's pupils constricted, and Nian Yuexian's eyes filled with shock.

The old man, sitting upright, didn't move. He merely raised a hand and extended two fingers, effortlessly pinching the short sword in Nian Yuexian's hand. The old man narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing within them, and calmly said, "Willowfluff was forged by me. I know its power far better than you do."

Nian Yuexian exerted force, but she still couldn't pull the short sword free from between the old man's two fingers. Her heart churned deeply, and only then did she realize she had underestimated the old man's ability.

But... were there truly such powerful cultivators in this world?

"Your temperament is not stable enough," the old man said. "You look down on everyone with just a little cultivation. You are not suitable to join my sect. You may leave."

As he spoke, a beam of sword light suddenly shot out from his mouth, slashing directly towards Nian Yuexian.

Nian Yuexian's face instantly turned pale with fright.

The power of this sword light was something she had never witnessed in her life; the old man's seemingly casual strike was already more powerful than her full-strength attack.

The moment the sword light shot out from the old man's mouth, he also released his fingers from the Willowfluff short sword. Nian Yuexian retreated with the momentum and held her sword horizontally in front of her.

Accompanied by a clang, Nian Yuexian let out a muffled groan, her entire body flying away like a willow catkin, disappearing in an instant. There was no telling where she had been sent.

The old man's voice then rang out again: "Since Willowfluff has come into your possession, it means you have a destiny with it. I hope you don't bury its potential."

He had no intention of taking back the Willowfluff short sword.

Lu Ye and Ying Wuji stood not far away, staring dumbfounded at this incredible scene, unable to move.

Only when the old man turned his head and looked at them did the two of them hastily walk back, sitting obediently side by side in front of him.

Ying Wuji even loudly declared, "Your disciple Ying Wuji respectfully greets Master!"

After witnessing the old man's terrifying methods, Ying Wuji truly understood the saying, "There are always people better than you, and there's always a higher heaven," making him forget about Nian Yuexian and anyone else he considered powerful.

Acknowledging such a powerful figure as his master was not shameful.

Ying Wuji had always been someone who knew when to yield and when to stand firm. First, he acknowledged Lu Ye as his Senior Brother; what was acknowledging a master today?

The old man smiled faintly. "It's too early to speak of acknowledging a master," he said. "Today, I'm merely taking you two in as beginners. My Sword Crafting Sect has always been strict in accepting disciples. Whether you two can stay depends on your own abilities."

Ying Wuji sat upright, feeling a slight disappointment. He had thought he had latched onto a powerful figure, but who knew the old man wasn't actually taking him as a disciple.

"Disciples of my Sword Crafting Sect," the old man continued, "are both the most outstanding artifact forgers and the most outstanding sword cultivators. All flying swords they use are forged by themselves. You two must remember this point."

"Yes!" Lu Ye and Ying Wuji responded in unison, as obedient as kittens.

"I am Kongkong," the old man stated, "the one hundred sixty-third sect master of the Sword Crafting Sect. Today, as you two enter the sect, you must also remember the sect rules and regulations..."

Next came a series of lengthy sect rules. However, both Lu Ye and Ying Wuji were considered accomplished cultivators, so remembering these things was naturally no problem.

As he was speaking, Kongkong suddenly frowned, looking at Lu Ye's waist with displeasure. "You use a saber?" he questioned.

Lu Ye's expression became serious. He quickly realized the problem: it seemed that it wasn't just in Kyushu that saber-users looked down on sword-users and vice versa; it was the same here in the Sword Crafting Sect!

He silently put away his Pan Mountain Saber, took out a long sword, and hung it on his waist. Calmly, he said, "That was just a trophy from my spoils. In fact, I am a sword cultivator."

"Pfft..." Ying Wuji almost burst out laughing.

But upon sensing Lu Ye's sharp gaze, he quickly sat upright and composed himself.

Kongkong's expression then softened slightly. "Remember," he said, "saber-users are all reckless oafs. The sword is the king of weapons."

"Yes," Lu Ye respectfully replied, thinking, 'Reckless oaf or not, your fist is bigger, so you make the rules.'

"Today, you two have just arrived, so you may go," the old man said. "Tomorrow, I will impart the artifact forging methods to you. Once you two can forge a presentable flying sword, I will then teach you the path of sword cultivation."

Lu Ye and Ying Wuji respectfully withdrew.

When they looked back, the Sword Crafting Sect Master, who called himself Kongkong, had already disappeared. They didn't know where he had gone; only the thatched hut stood in its original spot.

The two exchanged glances, both feeling a chill in their hearts.

"You scout the surroundings," Lu Ye instructed Ying Wuji, then pursued in the direction Nian Yuexian had been sent flying.

The thatched hut was located in a valley, one side of which was Sword Mountain, which had just been covered with flying swords—a magnificent sight.

Ying Wuji also had the same intention. As newcomers, it was naturally important to first explore the environment, figure out what kind of world this was, and what trials awaited them.

The two separated, and Lu Ye went to look for Nian Yuexian.

He quickly found her, as Nian Yuexian hadn't gone far and was standing at the mouth of the valley.

She had changed into clean clothes, but she had expended a great deal of energy earlier and had many injuries on her body, leaving her face somewhat pale.

Seeing her unharmed, Lu Ye felt a little relieved and stepped forward, saying, "My Lady."

"Hmm," Nian Yuexian nodded. "Did that old man cause you any trouble?"

Earlier, she hadn't given Kongkong much thought, but after their exchange, Nian Yuexian now understood that Kongkong's cultivation absolutely surpassed hers by a significant margin.

In other words, Kongkong was very likely a cultivator beyond the Divine Sea Realm.

This greatly interested Nian Yuexian, giving her a desire to investigate, because Divine Sea Realm cultivators in Kyushu had been exploring the path beyond for many years.

They could feel that the Divine Sea Realm was not the end of a cultivator's journey, but they had always been clueless about how to take that next step.

Having seen Kongkong today, Nian Yuexian naturally wanted to understand clearly. Unfortunately, she had offended him as soon as she arrived, so now it was not good to ask anything further.