…


    As Mu Zhi’an and Wei Mengrou entered the cave, the surroundings darkened.


    However, the darkness didn’t affect them as cultivators. They could see everything clearly.


    They walked deeper into the seemingly bottomless cave. Every few steps, they would see a mural depicting a woman in a long dress. She appeared gentle and delicate, but her hand resting on her sword radiated an aura of power.


    The murals seemed to depict scenes of the woman battling monsters.


    “There are so many murals in this cave… They must be records of the Sword Palace’s past. Time is truly merciless. Nothing remains in the end,” Mu Zhi’an sighed.


    Wei Mengrou glanced at him coldly. “Let go of my hand before you say such things.”


    So even using ‘sentimental’ excuses won’t work… Mu Zhi’an reluctantly released her hand.


    “I just thought it would be easier to stay together in this dark environment if we held hands,” he explained.


    Wei Mengrou rolled her eyes, not bothering to respond.


    Cultivators weren’t afraid of the dark. They could see clearly even in pitch-black environments. How could he use such a flimsy excuse?


    It might work on naive young girls, but not on her.


    “Eh?”


    Suddenly, Mu Zhi’an grabbed her hand again. Before she could get angry, he pointed at a mural ahead. “Mengrou, look at that mural. Doesn’t it resemble the scene you saw in front of the Forbidden Zone’s ancestral land?”


    Wei Mengrou looked up instinctively.


    The mural depicted a young girl in simple clothes walking through ruins.


    There seemed to be some characters engraved on the dilapidated buildings.


    Characters that didn’t belong to the Great Qian Dynasty.


    Mu Zhi’an squinted. “It’s very similar to the scene you saw in the mirror in the Forbidden Zone’s ancestral land, but the dynasty seems different.”


    Before leaving the Forbidden Zone, Wei Mengrou had used a mirror in the ancestral land to test her fate. The mirror could reveal a person’s past and future lives.


    The scene she had seen was of a young girl walking alone through ruins.


    This mural was the same.


    However, Mu Zhi’an remembered that the characters he had seen then were from a different dynasty than the ones in this mural.


    These must be two different dynasties.


    “The Sword Palace has a long history. It probably witnessed the decline of a dynasty in the past and recorded the scene in this cave,” Mu Zhi’an guessed.


    If the Sword Palace Master were still alive, she might know which dynasty this was and who the girl in the mural was… Mu Zhi’an thought with a pang of regret.


    Unfortunately, although the Sword Palace still stood, everything within had been erased by time, including the once-magnificent Sword Palace Master.


    The murals also depicted scenes of the Sword Palace Master, so Mu Zhi’an had a rough idea of her appearance.


    What a shame, such a beautiful woman…


    Mu Zhi’an shook his head. After memorizing the characters in the mural, he continued walking deeper into the cave.


    Faint sounds of commotion came from ahead. Mu Zhi’an and Wei Mengrou exchanged glances and silently concealed their auras, cautiously approaching.


    “Ye Yu, do you really think I’m afraid of you?! If it weren’t for the bigger picture, I would have killed you already!”


    The speaker was a young man in luxurious attire, a long sword strapped to his back. He glared at Ye Yu with hatred.


    Standing opposite him was Ye Yu, a thin and frail-looking young man in a black robe.


    They were clearly in conflict. Five or six other cultivators stood nearby with their arms crossed, seemingly enjoying the show.


    Ye Yu chuckled faintly. “If you have the ability, come at me. If not, cooperate with us and decipher the secrets of this bronze gate. As for the treasures inside, it depends on our own abilities.”


    “A mere second-grade Core Formation cultivator dares to order me around?!” The young man sneered. Another cultivator beside him also seemed eager to fight, clearly siding with him.


    “Someone else is coming?”


    Suddenly, a cultivator noticed Mu Zhi’an, who had just entered, and whispered.


    Although Mu Zhi’an had concealed his aura, the cultivators present were all quite strong and alert in this environment. They immediately sensed his presence.


    The young man and Ye Yu both turned to look. Ye Yu’s eyes narrowed as he said, “Mu Zhi’an!”


    His words shocked the other cultivators.


    They hadn’t met Mu Zhi’an before, but as talented disciples from various Primordial Clans, they had heard about him from their elders.


    It was said that the Forbidden Zone’s recent emergence and the investigation of the Primordial Clans’ ‘traitors’ were all caused by Mu Zhi’an’s death.


    Of course, the Primordial Clans preferred to believe that the Forbidden Zone had acted because of the Jade Empress’s return.


    After all, Mu Zhi’an, whose background wasn’t particularly powerful, shouldn’t have such influence.


    “Why are you here?!” Ye Yu glared at him coldly.


    “This area requires resonating with at least 80 glowing swords to enter. Your sword talent is that high…?” The young man who was in conflict with Ye Yu was also in disbelief.


    “I was just lucky,” Mu Zhi’an chuckled.


    Silence fell over the cave as everyone looked at him with hostility.


    They had encountered numerous traps on their way to this cave. Now that they had finally reached their destination, someone else had appeared, intending to share in their spoils… It naturally displeased them.


    “Fellow Daoist Mu, there’s no place for you here. You should leave,” a young and talented cultivator said ‘kindly’.


    They clearly didn’t want to share the treasures with anyone else.


    Although they still didn’t know how to open the bronze gate behind them.


    “Fellow Daoist Mu, if you refuse to leave, we’ll have to force you out. But swords have no eyes. Don’t blame us if you get hurt,” another cultivator said coldly.


    Four others chose to remain neutral, observing the situation with cold eyes, unwilling to intervene.


    Mu Zhi’an’s eyes held a thoughtful glint. “So you think I’m here to steal your treasures and want to drive me away?”


    “You can think whatever you want,” someone said coldly.


    The young man who had clashed with Ye Yu earlier cupped his fists and said with a smile, “Fellow Daoist Mu, I’m Qian Chen, the young master of the Qianyuan Sect. We have no intention of causing trouble, but we’ve encountered many traps in this Celestial Realm while searching for treasures. It’s unfair for you to reap the benefits without any effort.”


    “If you leave now, we’ll forget about this incident,” Qian Chen said with a smile.


    “Does the Sword Palace belong to your family?” Mu Zhi’an asked with a chuckle.


    Qian Chen was stunned for a moment, then said, “Although it doesn’t, but—”


    “If it doesn’t, then shut the hell up.”


    Mu Zhi’an’s blunt words instantly darkened Qian Chen’s expression.


    “Qian Chen, there’s no need to waste words on him. Just throw him out,” a cultivator beside him said.


    “Since you refuse to listen to reason, Young Master Mu, we’ll have to force you out!” Qian Chen said, a cold glint in his eyes. He lunged towards Mu Zhi’an.


    At the same time, another young cultivator beside him also attacked.


    Ye Yu’s eyes flickered as he observed the scene, but he didn’t intervene.


    He was more interested in the treasures behind the bronze gate than in Mu Zhi’an. If these three could kill each other, it would be ideal. If not, they would at least weaken each other, making it easier for him to claim the treasures.


    “Fifth-grade Core Formation… and the other one is sixth-grade?” Mu Zhi’an observed the two attackers, a hint of admiration in his eyes.


    As expected of scions of Primordial Clans; their talent was undeniable.


    Two people were attacking him, not including Ye Yu, who was watching with a calculating gaze, and the other cultivators who were seemingly ‘neutral’.


    These ‘neutral’ cultivators might decide to attack him from behind at any moment.


    Normally, facing so many Core Formation cultivators would be a challenge.


    However, they seemed to be unaware of one thing.


    He wasn’t alone.


    Qian Chen appeared before Mu Zhi’an, his eyes filled with ruthlessness. His sword, imbued with Spiritual Energy, slashed towards him. Behind him, a spectral figure wielding a sword mirrored his movements!


    Mu Zhi’an raised his hand, and a green lotus silently bloomed.


    Qian Chen felt his Spiritual Energy draining rapidly. He didn’t have time to think and immediately tried to retreat.


    However, a strange formation appeared beneath his feet.


    Boom!


    The formation erupted in flames, engulfing Qian Chen.


    A figure in a yellow dress silently appeared. As Qian Chen struggled to break free from the formation, Wei Mengrou charged towards him, her sword radiating a powerful aura, surpassing everyone else’s.


    At the same time, another strange formation appeared beneath the feet of the other attacker, stopping him in his tracks.


    “Mengrou, don’t kill them. I need them alive!” Mu Zhi’an reminded her.


    Wei Mengrou formed a hand seal, and five formations appeared around Qian Chen and the other cultivator, trapping them.


    Brilliant golden light erupted from the formations, striking the two cultivators.


    Qian Chen coughed up blood and stumbled back a few steps.


    The other cultivator also suffered, crashing to the ground, nearly losing consciousness.


    Wei Mengrou silently returned to Mu Zhi’an’s side, then vanished without a trace.


    The cultivators who had been watching the spectacle were stunned, their gazes fixed on the spot where the maid in the yellow dress had disappeared.


    She had single-handedly suppressed two Core Formation cultivators in less than three moves?


    And they hadn’t even noticed her presence beside Mu Zhi’an?


    If she had attacked them…


    A cold sweat broke out on their backs as they silently congratulated themselves for not intervening.


    Mu Zhi’an was also impressed.


    He was used to seeing Mengrou’s shy and reserved side. Only at times like this did he realize that she wasn’t just beautiful.


    Her strength was equal to her beauty.


    Also, Qian Chen… Could he be the Qianyuan Sect’s young master…? Mu Zhi’an glanced at the young man clutching his chest, glaring at him with hatred.


    Then, he unfurled the Eight Chaos Dream Scroll and pulled the two cultivators inside.


    Of course, he separated them from the injured Lin Keyu.


    He controlled everything within the Eight Chaos Dream Scroll. Creating a few more small worlds was no problem for him.


    After dealing with them, Mu Zhi’an looked at the remaining cultivators and smiled. “Perfect timing. Now that we’re down two people, can we join you?”


    The cultivators exchanged glances and nodded silently, reaching a silent agreement.


    It wasn’t that they were cowardly. It was just that the woman beside Mu Zhi’an was too terrifying.


    Wei Mengrou’s cultivation level far surpassed theirs.


    She had single-handedly suppressed two Core Formation cultivators. In this situation, they couldn’t possibly object to Mu Zhi’an joining them.


    Mu Zhi’an didn’t even glance at Ye Yu. He looked at the ancient bronze gate ahead and was about to ask about it.


    Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed through the cave, and the gate slowly opened.


    The cultivators were surprised, exchanging glances.


    Why did the previously sealed bronze gate suddenly open on its own?


    Despite their curiosity, their gazes were fixed on the opening behind the gate, their eyes filled with anticipation.


    After all, they had endured so much for the treasures within the Sword Palace.


    And now, the treasures were within reach, naturally exciting them.


    However, as they looked through the doorway, they saw only an ancient hall. At the end of the hall, a woman was encased in ice.


    She was incredibly beautiful, dressed in a long dress with intricate patterns. Her features were delicate, her eyes closed, her eyelashes long and thick, her lips a delicate pink. She exuded an aura of mystery, her arms wrapped around her knees as she curled up within the ice sculpture.


    “Doesn’t she resemble the Sword Palace Master from the murals?” someone whispered, recognizing her.


    Mu Zhi’an’s eyes flickered, and he took a closer look, his gaze lingering on her chest.


    D+, almost E… There’s no mistaking it. This is the Sword Palace Master.


    Did she seal herself within a formation after her death and then freeze herself?


    As this thought crossed his mind, he heard Wei Mengrou’s voice, “Something’s wrong… The ice around her is melting.”


    Steam rose from the woman’s body as the ice slowly melted.


    Is she still alive?! Sёarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As this thought entered their minds, the woman within the ice sculpture slowly opened her eyes.