The arrangement of furniture within the inner disciple palace betrayed an aesthetic of opulence without an understanding of beauty. Everything was in its right place, even according to the principles of Feng Shui, and it was perfect — perhaps too perfect. Like an uncaring hand arranged it according to a step-by-step guide that exceeded the total knowledge of all experts.

  Primarily, it lacked humanity, as if the godly force that created this impression of classic culture was beyond the domain of humans. Like everything on this mountain created by the same godly force, this did not discourage the cultivators living here, but rather it inspired them for they yearned to reach the same sainthood as those beings unrestrained by the cycles of mortality.

  Meeting halls like these were fashioned to display the core principles of the sect through color, art, and impression. In this case, the colors were predominantly black, with red highlights and gold borders. The art was exclusively swords blazed in sharp white and gold ink, all pointing upward and against the heavens.

  Sects on the Sky Continent were one of two types: they either exalted harmony with heaven or subverted it. They were known as orthodox and unorthodox sects, due to the era of fragile peace. At any other time, they would be regarded as righteous and demonic sects, and they would be mortal rivals, and, in most cases, even enemies.

  Those who follow the orthodox path face gentle tribulation, though the path is harder and requires deeper attainment. On the other hand, those who followed the unorthodox path had ways to achieve easy and fast progress, though the tribulation was by far more severe. Evil sects, which used human lives and disaster to progress and accelerate their cultivation, were all exclusively unorthodox sects and therefore painted a stigma on all such sects.

  Where there is smoke, there is fire, as they say.

  Strangely enough, as they regarded the swords turned against the heavens — symbolism of an unorthodox sect — none of them felt that this sect was unorthodox. It certainly had all the trappings of an unorthodox sect, but at the same time, it also possessed the values of righteous sects. As if to say that if righteous and demonic described two paths to the Dao, then this sect embodied a new, third path that walked in the middle of the road.

  Where unorthodox cultivators by definition never earned their power, the group here has earned every stride of advancement in blood, effort, and tears. Where orthodox cultivators relied on the mercy of Heaven to break into the Nascent Soul realm, they rejected it and faced their tribulation with defiance in their hearts.

  This feeling was painted exquisitely and beautifully into the stone wall behind the head chair at the far end of the hallway.

  Bold red letters distinguished against a black canvas read:

  All under the Heaven of our own.

  All the disciples bowed to the empty chair at the far end of the hall, and the words on the black canvas. There was no road but their own. There was no law but their own. There was no mercy but their own. Under those words, they were either rebels or emperors, and the only consequence for failing to become sovereigns of their own fate was death.

  Which one of them thought those words were too bold or too eccentric after the tree, that subjugated heaven’s punishment, spared them from obliteration, and consumed the lightning?

  None of them.

  Now, they all worshiped these words and this principle of hegemony in their hearts.

  There was no heaven but their own.

  Zhu Xuelian took the chair at the far end of the hall, as she was the eldest disciple here — not by age, but by affiliation. Once everyone else was seated in the chairs at the sides of the hallway, Zhu Xuelian smiled and nodded.

  “We are like brothers and sisters walking the same road with one goal in our hearts. For this reason, I would like to ask you for your thoughts and opinions,” Zhu Xuelian spoke, gazing briefly at each assembled disciple.

  “Please, go ahead,” Tian Li said, and the others agreed with him.

  Zhu Xuelian nodded. “I still have unfinished matters in the place we’ve come from, and the time to collect those debts has come sooner than I had hoped for. To me, I have only spent one month in the Secret Sword Realm Nexus, but to you, I was gone for many more.”

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  They had all suspected that this would be related to the vow Zhu Xuelian made, but their minds ended up lingering the most on the fact that Zhu Xuelian achieved Core Formation in only a month. The time difference did not surprise them so much; it was a secret realm and those almost always had strange and unpredictable Laws.

  “I am sure some of you also have reasons to return. We also need materials. As you know, this land is hostile and filled with dangerous beasts — right now, the treasures of this land are beyond our reach,” Zhu Xuelian continued.

  Mu Jingyu smiled. “Sister Zhu, you are correct. In my heart, I still owe a debt to my master and sect, and with the way we left, I am worried about them.”

  The others nodded at Mu Jingyu’s words, and they each still held some attachment, of one form or another, toward their former sects.

  At this time, the door opened again, and Wu Yulan and Yun Fei stepped into the hall.

  The two of them bowed to Zhu Xuelian and the words above her, and then Wu Yulan spoke.

  “Xuelian, I also wish to return to find out if my mother is alive or not, and to punish the devils that placed her in harm’s way,” Wu Yulan said.

  Yun Fei avoided Zhu Xuelian’s gaze and remained quiet.

  “Of course, Yulan,” Zhu Xuelian said with a sad smile. “No matter who did that, there can never be peace between us.”

  Wu Yulan nodded and took a seat next to Yun Fei.

  “Sister Zhu, as for the treasures of this land, we have made a few discoveries,” Lei Yangming began, and when everyone looked at him, he continued. “We have discovered dozens of Secret Realm entrances around this sect.”

  These words stunned Zhu Xuelian. Secret Realms were legacies of ancient cultivators, filled to the brim with dangers and treasures for those brave and capable enough to explore them. Most of them were legacy trials, but there were as many types as there were stars in the sky.

  One of them alone was enough to be an era-defining discovery, but there were dozens of them?

  “We also believe that this place is the ancient central continent that disappeared from the world hundreds of years ago,” Tian Li said.

  Zhu Xuelian furrowed her brows. “Brother Li, what makes you say that?”

  Ren Jinhai replied to this question. “Sister Zhu, I recognized a mountain chain while exploring the surroundings. The mountain chain I mentioned is without a doubt the Dragon’s Fangs. My family ancestors revered this mountain, and they were all descendants of the sect in that area. There is no way I cannot recognize that mountain!”

  Zhu Xuelian nodded. Sun Yongzheng mentioned that there were some conflicting opinions, and Zhu Xuelian could deduce that it was related to these discoveries.

  “There is also a dragon living here,” Mu Jingyu said, almost as if it were just a small, unimportant detail.

  This stunned Zhu Xuelian again, and it even excited her a bit — dragon bones! But dragons did not exist in this world for hundreds of years. Perhaps even thousands of years. The last mention of a dragon in this land was the Red Dragon of the Red Banner Festival, but Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian found out the hard way that Eternal Red was not a dragon at all.

  “While we were exploring the surroundings — oh, we think Sovereigns avoid the vicinity, likely due to the Tyrant — we saw flashes of lightning, and the shadow of a dragon in the clouds, headed north,” Wu Yulan explained. “I didn’t see it clearly, but it was definitely a dragon.”

  “An ancient continent, secret realms, Sovereigns and Tyrants, dragons,” Zhu Xuelian whispered. “When we cross the boundary and step into the realms beyond Nascent Soul, we will explore these possibilities. Right now, we have other, more attainable, goals in front of us. Do you agree?”

  After a moment, they all nodded in agreement.

  “Since this is the case, and you boldly made all these discoveries, I won’t be timid about my intentions either. I will erase the Seven Killing Swords sect from existence. At first, I will have to go alone,” Zhu Xuelian said.

  Mu Jingyu jumped out of her chair. “Sister Zhu, you can’t—“

  Lei Yangming put a hand on Mu Jingyu’s shoulder, also standing up, and shook his head.

  “Zhu Xuelian, we all have grievances with the Seven Killing Swords sect,” Lei Yangming said after a moment. “So, why do you have to go alone?”

  “Since Yulan and I have the blood of Yaoyue, the two of us are the only ones who can enter and leave this realm freely,” Zhu Xuelian explained. “And since Yulan and I passed the Challenge Pagoda, only the two of us can activate the Translocation spell.”

  Wu Yulan frowned at the explanation, but she did not challenge it.

  “This Translocation spell is mysterious and difficult to comprehend. Whether we will return to the same place we left from, or somewhere else, together or not, is too much of a risk to attempt blindly,” Zhu Xuelian explained. “However, I know I can set up a target to direct the destination of the spell, and then Yulan can activate the spell and bring you all there. Setting up the target, though, will have some difficulties involved.”

  They all listened to Zhu Xuelian and found her explanation reasonable. They didn’t know anything about spells, certainly not spells of this kind, so whether what Zhu Xuelian was saying was correct or not, they couldn’t tell the difference.

  “What are these difficulties, Sister Zhu?” Ren Jinhai asked.

  At this question, Zhu Xuelian smiled in that way that reminded them of her uncompromising and ruthless nature.

  “I will need a lot of spirit stones to set up the formation,” Zhu Xuelian said coldly. “After forcing two sects to surrender to them, the Seven Killing Swords must have quite a reserve. What do you think?”

  An audible gulp filled the silence of the hall. No one bothered to question Zhu Xuelian’s qualifications or remark on her cultivation, or her casual suggestion to rob a major power. Why would they, when they all felt that the core revolving in her body exerted such an oppressive force?

  This was the same Zhu Xuelian that killed Yu Shun. Maybe something even more.