Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Deep within the Wuji Sword Palace of the Heavenly Sword Sect, in a secluded meditation chamber.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few luminous pearls casting a pale glow. The air was thick with the smell of medicine and a lingering stench of blood.

Jian Wuji sat cross-legged on the cold jade bed, his face still as pale as paper, his breath weak, and his once sharp eyes now dull and lifeless, even showing a hint of disorientation.

The dark red bloodstains on his chest had dried, like a brand of shame.

Jian Wuhen stood to the side, his face equally grim. Several white-bearded and hairy elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect, their auras deep and composed, surrounded them. All of them were senior members of the sect, and at this moment, their faces were ashen, their eyes filled with worry and anger.

"Sect Master... how are you feeling?" an elder asked cautiously, his voice hoarse.

Jian Wuji did not answer. He slowly raised his hand, looking at his still slightly trembling fingertips. This was the hand that, not long ago, had gathered the "Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin," a power capable of splitting mountains and shattering peaks, yet it was shattered by the other party's... gentle finger.

It wasn't just that his sword techniques were broken; it was also that his "ruthless swordsmanship," which he had painstakingly cultivated for many years and believed to have reached its pinnacle, was completely negated and crushed by his opponent at its most fundamental level!

"If you don't rid yourself of your obsession and your killing intent cloud your mind... your sword, no matter how sharp or fast, is nothing but a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water, merely possessing the form but lacking the spirit..."

Shen Mo's calm to the point of indifference echoed in his mind like a nightmare. Every word was like a poisoned steel needle, piercing the deepest part of his heart and leaving his pride and confidence, which had been built up during his seclusion to "slay his inner demons" and achieve mastery of swordsmanship, riddled with holes.

"Ugh—!" Another mouthful of dark blood spurted out. Jian Wuji's body trembled violently, and his breathing became even more disordered.

"Sect Master!" The elders exclaimed in shock.

Jian Wuhen rushed forward and channeled a stream of pure sword energy into Jian Wuji's body to help stabilize his heart meridian. His eyes were filled with a mixture of pain and resentment: "Brother! That brat Shen Mo has gone too far! If we don't avenge this, how can our Heavenly Sword Sect stand in the Southern Region!"

"Revenge? What will you use to avenge us?" Another elder, with a withered face but unusually sharp eyes, sneered. He was the sect's law enforcement elder, Jian Wuqing, known for his strictness.

"The sect leader's 'Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Sect' technique was broken, and his Dao heart was damaged—that's a fact! As for Shen Mo, from beginning to end, did he ever truly make a single move? Did he ever harbor any murderous intent? He didn't even... draw his sword!"

His gaze swept over the crowd, his voice icy: "He's telling us in the most humiliating way that in his eyes, the Sect Master's sword is worthless! The Sect Master's Dao is full of flaws!"

"If we seek revenge now, we will only bring shame upon ourselves and become an even bigger laughingstock for the world!"

"Are we just going to let this go?!" a radical elder roared. "How can we allow the thousand-year-old reputation of our Heavenly Sword Sect to be trampled upon like this?!"

"What good will it do to forget about it?" Jian Wuqing retorted, his aged face clouded with gloom. "You're going to fight? You're going to kill? Shen Mo's strength, insight, and depth of understanding of the Great Dao he has displayed today far exceed our expectations!"

"If he wanted to kill the sect leader, the sect leader would probably be a corpse by now! He held back, not out of mercy, but because he doesn't take us seriously at all! It's like a cat playing with a mouse!"

The quiet room was deathly silent, save for Jian Wuji's heavy, painful breathing. Jian Wuqing's words, though harsh, were the stark truth.

In today's battle, Shen Mo not only defeated Jian Wuji, but also shattered the "dignity of the sword path" and "prestige of the sect" upon which the Heavenly Sword Sect relied in full view of everyone. This is even more painful for them than killing Jian Wuji.

"Then... what should we do now?" a more composed elder asked in a hoarse voice. "After this incident, our sect's reputation has plummeted, the forces that rely on us are restless, and our disciples are filled with anxiety... If this continues, we fear the sect may be wiped out!"

Jian Wuhen's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he gritted his teeth and said, "This brat Shen Mo..."

"He must not be allowed to live! His humiliation of our sect today is an attempt to utterly crush our Heavenly Sword Sect!"

"We must unite all forces that can be united—the Blazing Sun Sect, the Profound Yin Sect, even… the Northern Desert and the Southern Wilderness! We must eliminate this great threat at all costs!"

"An alliance?" Jian Wuqing scoffed. "That old fox Huoyun ran faster than anyone else today! The Xuan Yin Sect's Ghost Hand is opportunistic and a fence-sitter! The Northern Desert and Southern Wilderness are even more treacherous, plotting with tigers!"

"I'm afraid we'll be devoured by them before we even get rid of Shen Mo, leaving not a bone behind!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?!" Jian Wuhen roared, his heart filled with extreme frustration. His brother had been humiliated, his sect had been disgraced, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

"Wait." Jian Wuqing slowly uttered a single word, his gaze falling on the barely breathing Jian Wuji. "Wait until the Sect Master's injuries stabilize and his Dao Heart is rebuilt. Wait until the situation changes, wait until Shen Mo... makes a mistake. This boy's brilliance is too dazzling; a tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind."

"He may seem to be riding high today, but he has actually placed himself in the eye of the storm. The Blazing Sun Sect, the Profound Yin Sect, and even those opportunists who fawn over him—how could they not harbor resentment? The moment he reveals a weakness, that will be our opportunity!"

He paused, his voice low: "Right now, we must consolidate our forces, close the mountain gates, and restrain our disciples to prevent any further trouble. To the outside world, we'll say that the sect leader is in seclusion to heal his injuries and comprehend a higher level of swordsmanship."

"Internally...investigate those with wavering minds, those who flirt with the Qingyun Alliance, and eliminate them all! The swords of the Heavenly Sword Sect may break, but its backbone must not be bent!"

The elders remained silent. This was perhaps the only, and most humiliating, choice they could make at the moment. Endure, endure until the wounds heal, endure until the enemy makes a mistake.

Jian Wuji slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse and cracked, as if sandpaper was being rubbed: "Elder Wu... what Elder Wuqing said... is very true."

With each word he uttered, it seemed as if he had exhausted all his strength: "Issue the order... to seal the mountain... I... am going into seclusion... to comprehend... the true... way of the sword..."

Having said that, he coughed violently, spitting out another mouthful of dark blood, his eyes fixed on the void, burning with a mad and obsessive flame: "Shen Mo... today's humiliation... will one day... be repaid a hundredfold! My sword path... is not wrong!"

"The mistake was... I wasn't strong enough! I need to become stronger... even stronger!"

Looking at his brother's almost manic eyes, Jian Wuhen felt a sharp pain in his heart, but also a chill ran through him.

He knew that his brother's inner demons had not been "slain" but had instead intensified under today's crushing defeat and humiliation, taking root and sprouting completely. They had intertwined with his obsessive desire to win and his overwhelming hatred for Shen Mo, transforming into something even more terrifying.

The Heavenly Sword Sect is in turmoil. And the source of all this points to the now-powerful Azure Cloud Mountain and that unfathomable young man.

Qingyun Mountain, Liuyun Palace.

In stark contrast to the gloomy, repressed, and indignant atmosphere of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the entire Qingyun Mountain was immersed in a restrained yet irrepressible excitement and fervor.

The news spread like wildfire, arriving much earlier than expected. When Shen Mo and his group safely returned to the main peak aboard the Flowing Cloud Boat, the mountain gate was already packed with people.

The disciples, elders, and even many alliance members who rushed to the scene packed both sides of the road.

"The sect leader is mighty!"

"The Alliance Leader's Divine Power!"

"May Heaven bless Qingyun! May the Alliance Leader live a long life!"

The cheers were deafening, almost shaking the mountains. Countless fervent, worshipful, and awe-inspiring gazes were focused on that moon-white figure.

In today's battle, Shen Mo not only upheld the dignity of the Qingyun Alliance, but also established its unshakeable supreme status in an almost mythical way!

One finger can shatter ten thousand swords, one word can vanquish the demons of the heart! What a magnificent display of skill! What formidable power!