Chapter 2011: I am not yet a disciple of the Sword Pavilion

Seeing the Sect Leader admit defeat, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and removed the black cloth from his eyes. Fighting these five individuals might have seemed simple, but in reality, it was more complex than defeating five thousand inner disciples. A slight misstep could have led to failure, rendering all efforts futile. Fortunately, he succeeded!

"The Sword Intent of the Gods is indeed powerful!"

Han Jianqiu, the Sect Leader, returned to his seat and smiled calmly, his face betraying no sign of anxiety, disappointment, or other negative emotions from his recent defeat.

"You were all too kind to let me win..." Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.

"A loss is a loss," Han Jianqiu shook his head. "If you have any questions, just ask."

"Sect Leader Han, I wanted to ask if you've ever heard of... the Spirit God Palace!"

Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, feeling a little nervous. The man before him was the Sect Leader of the Ascending Cloud Sword Pavilion, one of the most powerful figures in the Firmament. He surely knew far more information than Elder Lu Yun. If Elder Lu Yun didn't know, perhaps the Sect Leader could easily answer.

"Spirit God Palace?" Han Jianqiu frowned, then shook his head. "I've never heard of it."

Zhang Xuan was stunned.

Han Jianqiu explained, "The six major sects of the continent are: the Ascending Cloud Sword Pavilion, the Starfall Palace, the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate, the Seven Stars Pagoda, the Profound Mirror Sect, and the Ethereal Immortal Sect! Among them, only our Ascending Cloud Sword Pavilion's Sword God Platform is permitted to use the character 'God.' The other five major sects are not allowed to.

"Above the six major sects, there is only the Temple of Deities! It was founded by Hall Master Kong over four thousand years ago. At that time, he alone entered the Divine Temple and claimed the character 'God.' Because of this, the Temple of Deities spread throughout the land, and none of the six major powers dared to oppose it! Since then, for thousands of years, no one has been able to cross the Heaven-Reaching Bridge, let alone enter the Divine Temple and claim a sealing character! Since no one has entered, naturally, no one dares to use the character 'God.' This Spirit God Palace you mentioned either doesn't exist, or it's not on the Forsaken Continent!"

Han Jianqiu looked at him. On this continent, which was abandoned by the deities, the use of the character 'God' is extremely cautious. No power dares to use it without the permission of the Divine Temple. If the Spirit God Palace truly existed, it would be impossible for him never to have heard of it.

Zhang Xuan's face paled. Could it be that... the Spirit God he summoned back then was lying? Was there no Spirit God Palace at all?

"Where... did you hear about this place?" Seeing how concerned Zhang Xuan was about this so-called "Spirit God Palace," Han Jianqiu looked at him.

"I... overheard it accidentally..." Full of disappointment, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Even someone of Han Jianqiu's standing had never heard of it. It was likely that almost no one in the entire Firmament had. So... where exactly was the Spirit God Palace? And where had Luo Ruoxi gone?

"If the information you heard isn't false, and this Spirit God Palace you speak of truly exists, perhaps... you could ask Du Qingyuan. She might know!" Han Jianqiu paused before speaking.

"Du Qingyuan?" Zhang Xuan was surprised.

"She is the Palace Master of the Starfall Palace, one of the six major sects! She knows a great deal about the Divine Temple and has even communicated with true deities, receiving rewards!" Han Jianqiu nodded.

"Communicated with... true deities?" Zhang Xuan froze instantly, a thought surfacing in his mind: "Luo Ruoxi isn't in the Firmament... could she be a true deity?" This mysterious girlfriend knew he possessed the Library of Heaven's Path and could even merge Master Kong's Spring and Autumn Annals with it... Her methods were so profound that even Sect Leader Han probably couldn't achieve them! If that was the case... could she truly be a deity?

"However, Palace Master Du... doesn't have the best temper! Moreover, since it involves the mysteries of deities, she might not tell you..." Han Jianqiu shook his head. "Furthermore, since the deities expelled us, the last thing they want is for us to probe too deeply... If word gets out, I'm afraid people from the Divine Temple might come looking for trouble!"

Zhang Xuan frowned. After reading, he had learned a bit about this so-called Forsaken Continent. Legend had it that this continent, along with all its life forms, had violated the rules of the deities and was thus banished. Generations of people had striven to cultivate, hoping to restore their former glory and return to the Divine Realm! Unfortunately... the Heaven-Reaching Bridge connecting to the Divine Realm was broken. It could only be connected once every hundred years, and behind the bridge, a Divine Temple stood suppressed. Many guardians protected it. Back then, Hall Master Kong and the founding patriarch of the Ascending Cloud Sword Pavilion had contested for a character and half a character there!

"The Divine Temple has sealed this world, blocking our path to becoming true deities! Not only that, but if anyone investigates the mysteries of the deities and is discovered, they will face danger! Even..." Han Jianqiu lowered his voice. "Someone like you, who has comprehended the Sword Intent of the Gods, will also be regarded with apprehension, potentially provoking them to act preemptively!"

"Why?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"I don't know, but it might be that the authority of the Divine Temple cannot be challenged! If someone who comprehends the Sword Intent of the Gods is allowed to grow, they will gain the qualification to challenge them. Naturally, they won't permit such a thing to happen... In short, regarding matters of deities, it's best not to speak of what shouldn't be spoken of, and not to inquire about what shouldn't be inquired about!" Han Jianqiu looked at him, his tone carrying a warning. "Therefore... your identity remains your greatest secret. You must not reveal it until you possess the true strength to protect yourself!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan clenched his fists, surprised that the Divine Temple would act this way. After a moment, he exhaled and said, "I will certainly not speak of it lightly!"

"Not only should you not speak much, but it's also best not to easily reveal your strength or be too high-profile..." Han Jianqiu continued. Even if you don't speak of it, if you use the Sword Intent of the Gods outside, it's easily discovered! That would also attract trouble.

"Don't worry, I've always been a low-key person!" Zhang Xuan said.

"...Cough, cough!" Hearing this, Han Jianqiu's face flushed red, unsure how to respond. In a single day, he first caused the main gate to collapse, a secret that couldn't be kept hidden... then he challenged the entire inner and core disciples, and now he had challenged the Elder Hall, practically trampling the prestige of the Sect Leader and the Grand Elder. He had done more in one day than others did in a lifetime... And he had the audacity to claim he was low-key? Where was his shame?

"This is a token given by Hall Master Kong of the Temple of Deities, upon learning that someone had comprehended the Sword Intent of the Gods! With this, you won't be charged for purchasing any resources for advancement within the Temple of Deities!" Knowing he might faint from anger if he continued, Han Jianqiu flipped his wrist and produced a token. It was the same one Hall Master Kong had given him earlier.

"Given by Hall Master Kong?" Zhang Xuan's body tensed. "But... Master Kong? Is he... is he still on the continent?" The lifespan of a Pseudo-Immortal realm expert was only three hundred years. Even Immortal Monarchs, or those in the Half-God realm, wouldn't have their lifespans significantly extended. Master Kong had left the Master Teacher Continent tens of thousands of years ago. According to the Firmament's time flow, where ten years equaled one on the Master Teacher Continent, he had been here for at least several millennia. Could it be... that he was still alive? And still living on this continent, not having left?

"Master Kong? Someone used to call him that!" Sect Leader Han Jianqiu smiled. "He is indeed still on the continent... As for his whereabouts, I'm not sure. I only know that his movements are elusive, and he hasn't appeared much for thousands of years. It's only in the past few decades that he's re-emerged... Only then did everyone realize he hadn't passed away into immortality!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. Master Kong not being dead, and being in the Firmament, was the best news he had heard today. As long as he was alive, meeting him would only be a matter of time.

He reached out and took the token, gently stroking it. A warm, gentle current flowed into his body. "It's him..." His fist tightened. If he had harbored any doubts about whether Hall Master Kong was Master Kong, they vanished the moment he touched the token. They were absolutely the same person! As fellow Heaven's Path Master Teachers and having both come from the Master Teacher Continent, they shared a special unspoken understanding.

"The Hall Master of the Temple of Deities bestows such generous gifts upon geniuses. As Sect Leader, wouldn't I be ridiculed if I didn't show appreciation?" Seeing him accept the token, Han Jianqiu smiled, and a long sword appeared in his palm. "This sword is called 'Parasol Robe.' Although it's not as good as my 'Heavenly Call,' it has reached the peak of the Immortal Monarch realm. I'm giving it to you now. Cultivate it diligently; once refined, it will greatly aid your cultivation and strength!"

The Parasol Robe Sword floated gently before him, emanating an intense aura of pressure. It was as if an Immortal Monarch expert had appeared before his eyes.

"Thank you, Sect Leader..." Zhang Xuan bowed. He had previously worried that his cultivation was insufficient, and if someone truly wanted to kill him, no one could save him. With this sword, it was like having an Immortal Monarch expert protecting him; he no longer needed to worry!

However... A weapon of this caliber would surely possess its own sentience, and with his current strength, taming it might not be easy. But with the Library of Heaven's Path, forcing it to obey should not be difficult. With a thought, he put it into his storage ring. The other party must have added some special restriction, otherwise, with a weapon of this level, his spiritual power wouldn't have been able to put it into the storage ring even if he wanted to.

"By the way, which peak are you currently on? And which elder is responsible for you?" Seeing him accept the sword, Han Jianqiu nodded, suddenly remembering something, and asked curiously. The elder who cultivated such a gifted disciple deserved significant praise and reward.

"I'm in... the peak where the inner disciples reside... as for the elder... it's Elder Lu Yun!" Zhang Xuan paused before answering.

"Lu Yun..." Han Jianqiu frowned slightly.

"He was an outer elder before. He received a reward for successfully recommending talented disciples and only broke through to the True Immortal realm today. He has now been appointed as an inner elder..." Seeing that Han Jianqiu hadn't heard of him, Elder He Tian quickly responded. Outer elders had very low visibility, so it was normal for the Sect Leader not to know them.

"An outer elder who just broke through? So... you were an outer disciple before?" Han Jianqiu looked at the young man with disbelief. An outer disciple comprehended the Sword Intent of the Gods? Was this real? Since when had the outer sect of the Ascending Cloud Sword Pavilion become so formidable? No wonder he was dominating the inner disciples, core disciples, and even the elders... It turned out he hadn't been given due importance!

"Outer sect?" Zhang Xuan's face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm not even a disciple of the Sword Pavilion..." After speaking, seeing the stunned expressions of everyone present, he hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "Perhaps, I shouldn't keep this token and the Parasol Robe Sword. Should I return them to you?"