Chapter 1298: Four Directions Cloud Movement

The scene before his eyes was truly terrifying.

The Disordered Palace Illusion Array, even for him, could only be deciphered by exploiting its flaws. Yet now, it was on the verge of collapse, the power beneath the stream having already exceeded imagination.

With a tearing sound, while still in shock, a sword intent shot straight towards the sky, as if to cleave it in two. The surrounding array, under the impact of this power, was instantly pierced through, creating a large hole.

The turbulent sword intent surged upwards through the opening, emitting dazzling light, forming what looked like a rainbow connecting heaven and earth.

Creak! Creak! Seeing this rainbow, “Zhang Xuan” immediately felt the sword intent he had cultivated within him being thoroughly suppressed, making it impossible to unleash.

Immediately after, the ground rolled again, and a crimson stone platform slowly emerged from a crack in the stream. A long sword was impaled on it. Even from a distance, a sharp sword qi could be felt constantly tearing, as if it could crush a person into dust.

“This is… a high-tier Saint artifact?” His fist tightened, and “Zhang Xuan’s” expression immediately changed.

Such a powerful aura, one that even the Disordered Palace Illusion Array couldn't withstand, and capable of unleashing such potent sword intent, suggested only one possibility… this long sword had surpassed the limitations of a mid-tier Saint artifact and reached the high-tier level!

Only an artifact of this caliber could possess such power, capable of overwhelming even an eighth-tier array. Even he felt a sense of awe and dared not contend with it.

“It’s the Sword Elder’s personal sword!” As he mused, an identical Zhang Xuan appeared, his expression solemn.

The one who had just fought and severely beaten Ji Lingzhen was naturally the clone; the one who had just emerged was the true Zhang Xuan.

Before, realizing he was not a match for the opponent, he had released his clone when he activated the array disk.

As expected, the clone effortlessly overpowered him… but he never dreamed that Ji Lingzhen would still have such a trump card!

This long sword… it must be the Sword Elder's personal sword, the one who left behind the Sword Pool… Could Ji Lingzhen have already refined it?

“I told you that only when you achieve true mastery of sword comprehension would you be worthy of my submission and the Sword Elder's legacy… What? Do my words no longer count?” Amidst the rumbling, the long sword swayed, its voice like a resonating bell, piercing the soul.

A high-tier Saint artifact, upon reaching this level, could not only slay primordial spirits and cause mental collapse but also, with a single swing, likely overwhelm one's state of mind, leaving them profoundly affected.

“To answer Senior, I begged you to emerge simply to help me repel an enemy… to slay that one, that one… Zhang Xuan!” Gritting his teeth, Ji Lingzhen pointed at the young man, then his face froze.

There was only one a moment ago; how did he turn into two in the blink of an eye?

“Kill someone?” The long sword on the stone platform seemed to look over. Zhang Xuan immediately felt a sword intent lock onto him, making escape impossible, and cold sweat instantly drenched his body.

“That’s right!” Ji Lingzhen affirmed.

“Hmm, you’ve provided me with quite a lot over the years; otherwise, I would still be dormant. I acknowledge your kindness. It's just one person; I’ll kill him for you. However… for me to submit to you, you still lack what it takes. Come discuss it with me again when you truly comprehend sword comprehension!” The long sword on the stone platform swayed, its sword intent like a vast ocean, engulfing both Zhang Xuans. It seemed capable of slaying them with just a thought.

“Thank you, Senior!” Ji Lingzhen breathed a sigh of relief, then glared ferociously at the young man not far away, his eyes filled with intense hatred.

If he could easily slay this fellow, then by sacrificing the Whispering Sword and Chirping Sword, he could forge a connection and gain favor… potentially even obtaining the legacy! For now, he just had to ensure his death first.

“These two are identical. Which one should I kill?” Just as the long sword was about to act, its puzzled voice rang out.

“Which one?” Ji Lingzhen also frowned.

He too was puzzled. Wasn’t this Master Teacher Zhang Xuan supposed to be just one person? How had two suddenly appeared, both identical in appearance and aura, without the slightest difference?

“I’m the fake one, he’s the real one!” “I’m the fake one, he’s the real one!” Both Zhang Xuans simultaneously pointed at each other, fuming with indignation and glaring fiercely.

“This…” Seeing the two figures, indistinguishable like reflections in a mirror, Ji Lingzhen froze in place.

As the Sword Elder’s personal sword pierced through the array and emerged from the stream, chaos erupted outside.

The many sword cultivators behind the stone wall all stopped their research, looking at the sword qi piercing the sky, their bodies trembling with excitement.

“This is the Sword Elder’s personal sword… which means the legacy is about to emerge!” “We’ve waited for this day for so many years; let’s go and see!” “No matter who gets it, we must snatch it…” “Anyone who tries to snatch it from me, I’ll kill them…”

Everyone’s eyes turned red.

They had remained here for centuries, partly to deepen their comprehension of the sword, but more importantly, to await the emergence of the Sword Elder’s personal sword and obtain his legacy!

Otherwise, they would have left long ago, instead of guarding this place without complaint or regret.

The Sword Elder, who once roamed the empire unrivaled, would surely bestow a significant power boost upon anyone who received his legacy, making it not too difficult to break through to the Spirit Severing realm, or even the Domain realm!

“It must be that young man who just went in! Let’s go check it out!” Someone shouted, and everyone, no longer concerned with their research, hastily rushed towards the Sword Pool Illusion Array.

Zhang Xuan, who had just effortlessly defeated Ma Minghai—a master of half-step sword comprehension—had entered less than ten minutes ago before the sword qi burst forth. This indicated… he must have been the one to release the long sword from its seal!

With a treasure and a legacy emerging, everyone wanted to claim it. Even if the other party was powerful, they would not give up.

Soon, they arrived before the array.

At this moment, the Disordered Palace Illusion Array, pierced by the long sword, had its structure compromised and was on the verge of shattering at any moment.

Previously, entering it was exceedingly difficult, but now, it could be done with ease.

“Hold on,” an elder stopped the crowd. “We’ve seen that fellow’s extraordinary strength. If we face him alone, we definitely won’t be a match… Why don’t we join forces?”

“Exactly, only by cooperating do we stand a chance!” Someone else chimed in.

“All right then, we can cooperate, but what happens if we obtain the legacy?” someone asked.

“We’ve been together for so long; we know each other well,” the elder said. “Let’s first cooperate to secure the legacy, and then we can all study it together!”

“Agreed!” everyone responded in unison.

The Sword Elder’s legacy possessed infinite power. If they could have studied it individually, they wouldn’t have lingered before the stone wall for years without breakthroughs.

Furthermore, if they truly intended to keep it for themselves, they knew they wouldn't make it out alive.

“Let’s go!” With their objective aligned, they all walked into the array in unison.

On the island where the Sword Pool was located, several young men stood facing each other, their eyes alert.

“Sun Qian, we are old acquaintances and know each other well,” one young man began. “Even if you could snatch my jade token, you’d surely suffer a great loss of vital energy and would still be eliminated if you encountered someone else later. I think it’s better if we team up…” The person he was addressing was indeed “Brother Sun,” whom Ma Minghai knew.

“Brother Hu is right,” Sun Qian, “Brother Sun,” smiled slightly. “Fighting you would indeed deplete my vital energy. Since only 13 people are being eliminated, and there are only ten of us left, we can definitely team up against the others instead of fighting to the death.”

“All right then, let’s make a Master Teacher’s Pact to cooperate and eliminate others together,” the young man nodded.

Master Teachers valued their reputation; once a Master Teacher’s Pact was made, it was rarely broken.

“Good…” Sun Qian nodded with a faint smile, just as he was about to speak further, he felt the spiritual energy around them violently fluctuate. Immediately after, he saw a surge of sword intent shooting straight towards the sky.

“A treasure is emerging…” Their eyes narrowed simultaneously.

They were all geniuses from within the empire, well-traveled and knowledgeable about the phenomena that accompanied the emergence of treasures.

“I heard there’s a Sword Pool in Qianchong Empire, where an unknown Saint artifact of unknown tier is hidden. Some experts once came to investigate, but were driven away by the Master Teacher Pavilion, who stated it was Qianchong Empire’s own opportunity to resolve… I always thought it was just a legend. Could it be true? Is the island we’re on actually the location of the Sword Pool?” His fists suddenly clenched as Sun Qian recalled something, filled with excitement.

They had all heard about the Sword Pool in Qianchong Empire. He never expected the re-examination to be set here. Most importantly, the aura of the emerging treasure was so strong, meaning… the treasure no one had ever seen had finally appeared!

If the legend was true, obtaining it would undoubtedly lead to a significant increase in strength, allowing them to stand out and make a name for themselves even in a place like the Saint Son Hall.

“Let’s go take a look!” Brother Hu nodded, struggling to contain his excitement.

“Hold on,” Sun Qian said, stopping those who were about to rush off, after a moment of thought. “Such a large phenomenon must have been noticed by everyone on the island. When that happens, everyone will make a move, and the struggle will be intense. Why don’t we first agree on a pact? Otherwise… we won’t have an advantage over others, especially that Zhang Xuan!”

“Zhang Xuan? Weapons aren’t allowed here, nor are puppets. He’s just strong among those of the same cultivation level. As long as we don’t suppress our cultivation, won’t we easily crush him?” Brother Hu said dismissively.

That fellow was only invincible within the same cultivation level; his true strength was still far behind theirs.

He was nothing to worry about!

“Teacher Zhao’s requirement is not to use puppets for fighting, but with a treasure right in front of us, who can control themselves? Besides, he could simply use his puppets to block us from entering, allowing him to monopolize the treasure. As long as he doesn't snatch jade tokens or destroy anything, it wouldn't count as violating the rules!” Sun Qian explained.

“This…” Brother Hu was stunned.

Teacher Zhao Xingmo had only stated that they were not allowed to use weapons to snatch jade tokens… Puppets merely blocking them would indeed not be a violation.

“So, what do you suggest?” Brother Hu asked after a pause, knowing that given their strength, they were no match for those puppets.

“It’s simple… If we see Zhang Xuan, my suggestion is… we immediately join forces and rush him. We’ll defeat and injure him before he even has a chance to release his puppets! That way, we can definitely avoid a lot of trouble!” Sun Qian’s eyes flashed as he spoke.