In the Southeastern Region, a celestial sword pierced the ground, with half of its blade exposed, towering like a mountain.

 

It is said that this sword descended from the sky without any warning.

 

Many Heaven's Pride who were nearby witnessed it firsthand, utterly shocked.

 

They looked up at the sky, which was a clear blue with no gaps.

 

Where did the sword come from?

 

Whose sword was it?

 

Why did it suddenly fall?

 

These questions lingered in the minds of the Heaven's Pride, hard to dispel.

 

The news quickly spread to various factions within the ancient secret realms, attracting a large number of Heaven's Pride who came to witness the celestial sword.

 

The sword's body appeared rough, with numerous nicks on the blade, suggesting it had been through an unimaginable battle. Its dark red hue seemed like the traces of dried blood.

 

"This sword is terrifying."

 

The Heaven's Pride observing from a distance were filled with fear. With their abilities, they couldn't break through the sword's aura within a hundred-mile radius. Approaching carelessly could easily result in injury from the sword's power.

 

"It looks like there's a character engraved on the hilt, but it's obscured by a layer of mist, making it hard to see clearly."

 

More and more people gathered, numbering in the thousands.

 

Due to the sword's overwhelming power, no Dao Technique could break through the surrounding mist, and even divine senses couldn't probe it. They could only observe the anomaly with their naked eyes.

 

"If one could control this treasure sword, it would be the greatest fortune of the Hundred Veins Banquet."

 

Many desired the celestial sword but had no way to approach it, standing in place, at a loss.

 

After a few days, Chen Qingyuan and his companions arrived in this territory.

 

An endless desolate plain, with half of the thousand-meter-long sword exposed, exuding an immense pressure that made onlookers tremble.

 

Clouds of mist drifted to the sword's hilt, obscuring some details.

 

"Zheng—"

 

Just a glance at the celestial sword, and Chen Qingyuan felt the high-quality holy sword within him react, trembling several times, as if expressing respect and a hint of fear.

 

The Seven-Star White Jade Sword, the treasured sword of the first dean.

 

Since obtaining this sword, Chen Qingyuan had never revealed it.

 

Firstly, the sword was of extraordinary significance and easily coveted by others; secondly, with his current cultivation level, he couldn't wield the Seven-Star White Jade Sword's power and could easily suffer backlash.

 

Another sword, the Yulan Sword, had no reaction, directly falling into a slumber, not daring to show any disrespect before the celestial sword's aura.

 

"Incredible…"

 

Noticing the state of the treasure sword within him, Chen Qingyuan's clear eyes showed a trace of disbelief, murmuring to himself.

 

The White Jade Sword, which had once accompanied the first dean in conquering the world, was one of the most supreme swords of any era, in a class of its own.

 

Yet, its current reaction was so unusual.

 

"This sword is extraordinary."

 

Daochen Buddha's child, dressed in a simple light yellow robe and ordinary cloth shoes, had a glint of golden light in his eyes, likely using a special Dao Technique of the Buddhist Sect to observe the celestial sword.

 

"Looking at it for too long gives a feeling of submission, an inability to resist."

 

Song Ningyan withdrew her gaze, sharing her thoughts.

 

"Where did this sword come from?"

 

At some point, this question popped into Chen Qingyuan's mind.

 

Later, Chen Qingyuan inquired and learned more detailed information about the celestial sword.

 

It descended from the sky without any warning.

 

Strange.

 

Chen Qingyuan gazed at the hilt, hearing that someone had vaguely seen characters engraved on it, but couldn't discern them.

 

Perhaps by coincidence, or for some reason.

 

As Chen Qingyuan looked, the white mist that had been obscuring the hilt began to disperse rapidly.

 

Soon, the ancient characters engraved on the hilt became visible to everyone.

 

"Look! The mist is clearing!"

 

Everyone was astonished, enduring the stinging pain in their eyes, focusing intently on the hilt of the celestial sword.

 

At the end of the hilt, a single character was engraved—"Wither."

 

The meaning of desolation and bleakness surged into everyone's hearts, causing them to shudder.

 

"Wither?"

 

Everyone fell into contemplation, unable to understand the meaning of the character.

 

While everyone was puzzled, someone soared into the air, reaching the same level as the hilt of the celestial sword. Though separated by a hundred miles, this allowed for a clearer view.

 

That person was Jiang Xun, a top-tier evildoer from the Imperial Province and a sword disciple of the Dongli Sword Sect.

 

Jiang Xun wore simple light-colored cloth clothes, his entire being like an unsheathed treasure sword, with a restrained aura that seemed ordinary but hid sharpness.

 

Undoubtedly, Jiang Xun was one of the strongest young sword cultivators of the current era.

 

"Yan Ku Sword."

 

Jiang Xun's eyes sparkled with uncontrollable excitement and joy, muttering to himself, clearly recognizing the sword's origin.

 

The crowd looked up at Jiang Xun's back, not hearing his muttering, slightly curious.

 

How did Jiang Xun recognize this celestial sword?

 

Because he had perused the ancient texts and secret tomes of the Dongli Sword Sect since childhood, once seeing a painting of the Yan Ku Sword.

 

To be precise, it was an ancient painting of a swordsman holding the Yan Ku Sword.

 

That swordsman was an ancestor of the Dongli Sword Sect, the strongest existence since the sect's founding.

 

The Yan Ku Sword had been missing for three hundred thousand years. The Dongli Sword Sect had searched for it using countless methods, almost scouring every corner of the Imperial Province.

 

Yet, the Dongli Sword Sect had found nothing.

 

Jiang Xun's true reason for attending the Hundred Veins Banquet was to try his luck, hoping to find clues about the Yan Ku Sword and their ancestor in the ancient secret realms.

 

"Where did our ancestor go back then? What kind of battle did he experience?"

 

The ancient texts of the Dongli Sword Sect only recorded a strange change in the world. Three hundred thousand years ago, the laws of heaven and earth became greatly chaotic, with anomalies occurring everywhere for months on end.

 

One day, that ancestor took up the Yan Ku Sword, intending to head to a distant place.

 

According to the ancient texts, the Dongli Holy Lord at the time asked, "Where are you going?"

 

"To the end of the sky."

 

The ancestor replied.

 

"For what?"

 

The Dongli Holy Lord asked again.

 

The ancestor said, "To do something that might change the world's situation."

 

Dongli Holy Lord: "When will you return?"

 

The ancestor, standing with the sword, said, "I don't know. If I succeed, I might come back alive. If I fail, I won't return."

 

Dongli Holy Lord: "Must you go?"

 

The ancestor replied, "Some things must be done by someone. Besides, it's my honor to go, even if it means death."

 

Dongli Holy Lord: "Safe travels…"

 

The ancestor left, taking the Yan Ku Sword, never to be seen again.

 

It is said that the top-tier powerful figures who left at that time were not only the ancestor of the Dongli Sword Sect but many others.

 

The common people didn't know what happened back then, so it was never recorded.

 

Strangely, not long after that event, a demon abyss appeared in the Imperial Province, expanding rapidly, threatening to devour the entire world.

 

"Sword disciple, do you recognize this sword?"

 

At this moment, a Heaven's Pride from the Imperial Province noticed Jiang Xun's unusual expression, mustering the courage to step forward and ask.