Zhenwu Sect sealed the mountain.
The Zhenwu Sword Stele was temporarily closed to outsiders.
As this group of sword cultivators descended the mountain, the news immediately spread throughout Zhenwu City.
In an instant—
Public uproar.
Many sword cultivators who had been waiting in line at Zhenwu City grew anxious.
"I came from thousands of miles away and waited here for a month, and now you're telling me it's closed?" someone complained with resentment.
But those who had just come down the mountain were even more upset.
"I was this close to comprehending a peerless sword technique! Just a few more days and I would've had it. You think you're worse off than me?"
"So—so when will it reopen?"
"Who knows? Sect Master Luo said they have to thoroughly search for spies, to prevent outsiders from sneaking in. Makes sense, honestly. Zhenwu has just risen to prominence and is bound to attract trouble.
Being cautious is the right move. We've all benefited from Zhenwu's generosity—we shouldn't cause trouble at a time like this."
"That's right. We can't be ungrateful. The real problem is those damned spies. If I ever find out who they are, I'd slice them into pieces!"
The group of sword cultivators wailed and grumbled, full of resentment—
But most of that anger was directed at the spies.
However—
There were some with keen experience and sharp minds, who could already guess part of the truth from the faint clues.
"I heard that during the assessment, there were spies from Wuxiang Sect and Wenjian Pavilion. Wuxiang already apologized, but Wenjian Pavilion hasn't made a peep.
Could it be that the ones under interrogation now are Wenjian Pavilion's spies?"
"Very possible. Even if the whole thing isn't entirely Wenjian Pavilion's doing, they're definitely involved."
They gathered in Zhenwu City, discussing the matter over and over.
Some held onto a sliver of hope—maybe Zhenwu would resolve the issue in a few days and reopen the Sword Stele.
Unfortunately—
They were destined to be disappointed.
Time passed slowly.
One day.
Three days.
Seven days.
...
Zhenwu Sect showed no signs of reopening.
The sword cultivators grew increasingly restless.
Meanwhile—
Zhenwu Mountain remained peaceful and serene.
The three hundred seedlings had just entered the sect and were undergoing martial path initiation.
They were the future of Zhenwu Sect—so they couldn't afford to be careless.
Though the stances could be changed later, the foundation laid at the beginning was critical.
Martial Transmission Elder Sun Chuanhai couldn't possibly handle it all on his own.
Several elders worked together to manage this.
They assigned different stances based on the seedlings' performance, with future adjustments made according to their talent and effort.
Li Ling and Zhuang Chen worked hard to serve as examples.
Zhuang Chen was already twelve or thirteen, but Li Ling wasn't much older than the new seedlings.
Both were exceptionally gifted—and along with the White Ape, they became excellent role models for the others.
The sixteen newly appointed Protectors had also been granted various martial techniques.
They were diligently cultivating and quickly developed a stronger sense of belonging to Zhenwu Sect.
They were grouped into different areas according to their personalities and interests.
But now that the mountain was sealed, there was no need for them to descend.
Most of their time was spent digesting their newly acquired techniques.
Zhenwu enjoyed a rare moment of tranquility.
Ever since the world began to descend into chaos, and Zhenwu began to rise—such peaceful days had been scarce.
Ning Qi, naturally, was cultivating in the Seeking Dao Courtyard.
To him, nothing mattered more than pursuing the path to immortality.
The Wenjian Pavilion situation was just a small interlude on the path of cultivation.
The actual execution was left to Luo Wentian—he wouldn't interfere much.
As the sect's Guardian, he only needed to act when the time came.
Now, he refined his mind daily—like water dripping onto stone—gradually forming a mysterious link with his Origin Core.
This step was extremely difficult.
Countless Qi Origin Realm cultivators reached the end of their four-hundred-year lifespans without ever achieving it.
But for Ning Qi—it came naturally.
He was far too familiar with the Heaven-Man Realm.
He had already created multiple Heaven-Man secret arts when he had just stepped into the White Mist Realm.
Especially the Heaven-Human Unity Technique—it had allowed Ning Qi to tap into some of the mysteries of worldly forces early on.
Thus, when he finally attempted to break through the Heaven-Man bottleneck—it was even easier than advancing from Jade Elixir to Origin Core.
He could feel himself improving every day.
For others, cultivation was monotonous.
But for him—it was endless joy.
Ning Qi was reading the Daoist scriptures sent by Wuxiang Sect.
They hadn't dared to cut corners—some of the rare scrolls were genuinely valuable.
"All things are formless and featureless, capable of mutual transformation? Now that is an interesting concept."
Ning Qi smiled faintly, a spark of insight rising in his mind.
Why did he love reading Daoist texts?
Not for the cryptic language—
But for the authors' reflections on heaven and earth.
Sure, any single person's perception might be biased or limited—
But when Ning Qi took in everything, refined it, and distilled the essence—he bypassed those flaws.
Those flashes of brilliance left by past thinkers often brought him new realizations.
The Ascending Heaven Steps, the Heart-Questioning Platform, and even some of the martial arts and secret techniques he created—all bore traces of those insights.
And it wasn't limited to Daoist texts.
Buddhist sutras, miscellaneous theories, books by martial masters—even the decades of wood-chopping experience of a mountain woodsman—could all inspire Ning Qi.
This was the path he intended to walk.
"If I could one day create a supreme technique that contains the wisdom of all beings—what kind of sight would that be?"
Ning Qi yearned for it.
This idea had occupied much of his thinking lately.
Though his current realm wasn't enough, it didn't stop him from building up the theory and framework.
All because—
Since establishing the Zhenwu Sword Stele, he had truly experienced its benefits.
It had been over half a year since the stele was erected.
During that time, many sword cultivators came to comprehend it.
While they gained greatly from the sword intent Ning Qi had left behind—
He was actually the biggest winner.
To comprehend the stele, sword cultivators had to interact with his sword intent.
In doing so, there were no secrets from him.
Eventually, some genius's sword intent would spark his inspiration.
With his comprehension—
In a single thought, he could internalize the essence.
One sword cultivator—two sword cultivators—might not show much.
But accumulated over time, the growth was substantial.
Compared to before the stele was built—
Ning Qi's sword intent had already grown by leaps and bounds.
Previously, his strengths across various paths were fairly balanced—
The Heaven Sword Technique just happened to take a sword form at the time of its creation.
But now, he could say without hesitation:
Of all the paths he mastered—his sword path was the foremost.
This was the benefit brought by the Zhenwu Sword Stele.
If this continued—
Ning Qi's sword intent would surely become the strongest in history—unmatched in all ages.
"Pity I can't set up a blade stele or a fist stele just yet—otherwise, the Heaven Sword Immortal identity might collapse, and suspicions would arise.
Still, it's no big deal.
My sword path now far exceeds all others—
I can use sword insights to enhance other paths through analogy."
Ning Qi chuckled softly.
It would be difficult for others—but not for him.
Otherwise, how could he aspire to master all paths?
"When the time is right, I'll create more steles like the Sword Stele.
But this method has its flaws—
It's not very efficient.
And if others aren't willing to come and comprehend, there's no helping it."
Sword cultivators were like fish in a river—countless.
But how many could actually come to Zhenwu and study the Sword Stele?
Ning Qi gently shook his head.
No rush.
Just knowing that the path of harnessing collective wisdom held great promise was enough.
A breeze blew through.
The fragrance of the Enlightenment Tea Tree tickled his nose—he glanced at it.
Last month—
The tea tree had suddenly shot up, now reaching his shoulder.
Ning Qi's current height wasn't far off from that of a typical fourteen or fifteen-year-old.
So shoulder height wasn't exactly short.
In another year or two, he might actually be able to sit in the tea tree's shade.
At the top of the tree, new leaves had already sprouted—emitting a strange, fragrant scent.
Though not many, it would be enough for this year's Zhenwu Peach Blossom Festival.
Ning Qi didn't expect the tea to benefit him personally—
It was just the satisfaction of having cultivated it.
He looked at the peach tree outside the courtyard.
The blossoms were beginning to fall—
And the peach fruits were already forming.
This year's peaches would surely be sweeter.
Ning Qi planned to save a batch after the Peach Blossom Festival—
To use as rewards for the newly admitted seedlings during year-end.
Ning Qi smiled faintly.
He checked the time, stretched on his rattan chair—
Then raised a finger.
Vast qi energy surged out, condensing into the form of the "Heaven Sword Immortal."
After advancing to the Origin Core Realm, his Formless Qi Body had become increasingly refined.
Grinning to himself, Ning Qi murmured:
"Off you go, friend."
The "Heaven Sword Immortal" said nothing, and departed toward the back mountain.
Li Ling had already been waiting there.
After learning from the Northern Suppression King about the "No Martial Sage Law in the World" and the Heaven-Suppressing Fist—
Ning Qi had kept his word.
Every now and then, he sent a projection of the Heaven Sword Immortal to teach Li Ling sword techniques—
Laying the groundwork for future study of the Heaven Sword Technique.
...
Zhenwu Sect was at peace.
Even Luo Wentian had rare moments to breathe.
Since becoming Sect Leader, his burdens had increased.
Though he still had to deal with the Wenjian Pavilion matter—
During the mountain's closure, he at least had no other interruptions.
He could focus fully on this one issue.
But inside Zhenwu City—
The sword cultivators' anxiety was reaching its peak.
More cultivators, unaware of the situation, kept arriving—
Only to be bewildered, joining the crowd waiting in vain.
"The Zhenwu Sword Stele still isn't open?"
"What's going on?"
"Did Zhenwu regret it and decide never to open it again?"
This growing unease neared its breaking point.
Some even started voicing resentment against Zhenwu Sect.
But soon after—
The tide began to turn.
At some unknown point, a certain rumor started to circulate.
"Insider info! Word is that Sect Master Luo sent a letter to Wenjian Pavilion, demanding an explanation about the spies—but Wenjian Pavilion flatly denied it.
They even said: if Zhenwu can prove the spy was theirs, they'll immediately apologize!"
"Zhenwu Sect's mountain closure is directly related to this! Wenjian Pavilion covets the Zhenwu Sword Stele—Zhenwu is guarding against them!"
In that instant—
All the anxious emotions exploded.
Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense.
No wonder they had to seal the mountain just to interrogate spies—turns out someone was after the Zhenwu Sword Stele.
Thinking back to Luo Wentian's anguished expression and words left unsaid, everyone understood.
"So it was because of Wenjian Pavilion?"
"How shameless. I heard Wenjian Pavilion has a Sword Inheritance Tower they never open to outsiders—yet now they're drooling over someone else's Sword Stele?"
"Disgrace to all swordsmen!"
Voices rang out in every corner.
Most people wouldn't dare speak too openly, but their thoughts were identical.
And under a bit of subtle guidance, the wind shifted quickly.
Many sword cultivators started to change their thinking—
Placing the blame for their inability to study the Zhenwu Sword Stele squarely on Wenjian Pavilion.
Certainly, there were forces manipulating the narrative.
But even without that—the contrast was obvious.
Wenjian Pavilion had their Sword Inheritance Tower.
Sure, they didn't open it to outsiders—but no one could say much about that.
The problem was…
There was a comparison.
Zhenwu Sect also had a sacred place for comprehending sword dao—the Zhenwu Sword Stele—
Yet they had opened it generously to all sword cultivators.
Side by side—the difference was clear.
Previously, some had praised Zhenwu Sect's openness and generosity.
But it hadn't gone as far as resenting or demeaning Wenjian Pavilion.
Now, though—
Because of Wenjian Pavilion, we can't access the Zhenwu Sword Stele anymore?
That wave of fury erupted.
You don't want to share your own stuff, fine—
But now you want to steal what others have willingly offered to everyone?
That made every sword cultivator furious.
Some even had latent "hate-the-rich" sentiments—
They'd always grumbled about Wenjian Pavilion's closed-off tower.
Now they had a reason to vent.
"What does Wenjian Pavilion want, huh? To block all of us from advancing in our sword path?"
When voices like that started appearing—
Many sword cultivators reached a consensus.
The sword world's resentment toward Wenjian Pavilion reached a peak.
And it spread even faster than Luo Wentian had anticipated—
Rippling outward across the land.
Some were fanning the flames—
Including a few blade cultivators.
They had suffered a crushing loss in the last sword-blade rivalry at Zhenwu.
Now that Zhenwu and Wenjian Pavilion might go to war—they were thrilled.
In fact, they were even more eager than Luo Wentian.
If they got to see two Heaven-Man Ranking swordmasters fight—
It was a win no matter who lost.
With the momentum building—
More and more sword cultivators began gathering near Wenjian Pavilion's mountain gates.
If not for Wenjian Pavilion's formidable strength—especially the presence of the Heaven-Man Rank #14 Heart-Sword—
Someone might've already stormed the gates to demand answers.
Even so—
Wenjian Pavilion wasn't having an easy time.
They couldn't act too overtly, but the "small moves" were piling up.
If your disciples went out to train—
Well, inviting them to drink tea for half a month wasn't too much, right?
If your businesses spread across Chuzhou—
Then it was natural for some of them to get "swallowed up," wasn't it?
If your disciples joined a sword conference—
No one talked to them. That's just how it is.
If it were just a few rogue sword cultivators doing this—
Wenjian Pavilion could easily retaliate.
But now, the majority of sword cultivators were behaving this way.
Among them were Heaven-Man Realm cultivators.
Some of these acts even bore the vague influence of other Heaven-Man Ranking experts.
Those figures wouldn't show up in person—
But subtle suggestions or indirect approval? That was no problem.
If Wenjian Pavilion dared retaliate now—
It would only escalate the conflict.
This—was the power of momentum.
Many of these sword cultivators likely understood Zhenwu Sect's intentions.
But under the wave of collective emotion—
Having received Zhenwu's generosity, and now seeing Wenjian Pavilion infringing on their own interests—
They didn't care.
They weren't just standing up for Zhenwu Sect—
They were standing up for themselves.
At that moment—
Inside Wenjian Pavilion—
The atmosphere was stifling.
They never expected that in just a month or two, Zhenwu Sect would force them into such a passive state.
...
At Zhenwu Mountain—
Luo Wentian handed off reports from the city below to Daoist Longshan and Ning Qi, smiling brightly:"This worked even faster than we thought. Those blade cultivators really pulled their weight."
Daoist Longshan shook his head with a wry smile:"The martial world is all about chasing fame and fortune.
Even Heaven-Man Rank experts don't fully understand it.
In truth, what difference is there between blades and swords?
Fighting over it like this is foolish."
Ning Qi sipped his tea and said calmly:"But it benefits us.
I'd bet Wenjian Pavilion can't sit still now."
Luo Wentian gave a thumbs-up:"Xiao Jiu, you're brilliant.
Half a month ago, Wenjian Pavilion started sending letters frequently.
They still won't admit to the spies—but their tone has softened.
They claim someone might have impersonated them, and they accept partial responsibility for failing to detect it.
They're now offering compensation."
He clicked his tongue—not impressed by the offer—
Then pulled out a few letter scrolls.
"Looks like they're feeling the pressure.
Their wording implies they want us to let the spy matter go and reopen the mountain."
His tone carried a trace of mockery.
Daoist Longshan sighed:"I'm sure they've realized—Zhenwu Sword Stele is the crux of all this.
If it reopens, everything settles down.
Too bad they don't know… they already hold the key to solving this themselves."
Luo Wentian nodded:"Exactly.
If Wenjian Pavilion took this chance to open their own Sword Inheritance Tower—
And spun the story to frame us—
They'd not only resolve the crisis, but gain tons of prestige.
They'd force us into a defensive position."
"Unfortunately, they won't do it.
Not everyone has Xiao Jiu's magnanimity."
"If they'd had that kind of mindset, they wouldn't have stooped to sending spies into Zhenwu in the first place.
With how they operate, there's no way they'd open the Inheritance Tower."
Ning Qi smiled faintly.
"So, Senior Brother—what's your next move? Sit and wait?"
Luo Wentian straightened up:"Of course not.
We can't let this end weakly.
Now they're talking compensation, but just tossing us some scraps—
Clearly, they think they're safe because they've got that Heart-Sword backing them."
"Well then—let's show them Zhenwu doesn't eat dirt!"
"I plan to hang those Wenjian Pavilion spies we captured—on the city gate of Zhenwu City.
Let the world judge—are they from Wenjian Pavilion or not?"
"Let's throw some fuel on the fire!"
Ning Qi nodded with a smile:"Go ahead, Senior Brother."
Luo Wentian's confidence solidified.
This was a full-scale escalation.
He was about to disgrace Wenjian Pavilion so badly—
Even that Heart-Sword Gu Changhe might have to show up personally.
With Ning Qi's support, he could proceed without hesitation.
The next day—
Zhenwu disciples descended the mountain, bringing two captured Wenjian Pavilion spies to Zhenwu City.
Before the sword cultivators could ask when the Sword Stele would reopen—
The Zhenwu disciples hung the two crippled spies on the city gate.
They raised their voices and proclaimed:"By order of the Sect Master, these two shall hang here—so the world may judge whether they are of Wenjian Pavilion, lest we wrong any innocent men!"
With that—
They turned and left.
The watching crowd was stunned.
Some instantly realized—
This was big.
The conflict between Zhenwu and Wenjian Pavilion had reached an irreversible point.
A clash was inevitable.
But soon after—
Many grew excited.
This might become a spectacle.
Outside Zhenwu City, people came and went.
Every day, sword cultivators arrived to view the two spies hanging on the gate.
Several Zhenwu Protectors were assigned to watch them—
To prevent a rescue.
If a Heaven-Man cultivator tried to intervene—
There would be no stopping them anyway.
Because such an act would say everything.
Someone asked:"May I ask when Zhenwu Sect will reopen the mountain?"
The Protectors merely smiled:"Once we confirm the spies' identities, the mountain will reopen."
Everyone was shocked.
They now understood Zhenwu Sect's determination.
The news spread like wildfire.
Countless eyes turned toward Wenjian Pavilion—
Waiting to see how they would respond.
...
Inside Wenjian Pavilion—
The atmosphere was choking.
In just the past month or two—
They'd faced unprecedented pressure.
Nothing was going smoothly.
Even some of their talented disciples had been ambushed.
If this continued—
It would severely harm their long-term development.
Everyone knew the source.
Sect Master Tang Qiu had sent letter after letter to Zhenwu Mountain—
But it was like throwing stones into the sea.
Now—
After hearing what had happened outside Zhenwu City—
All of Wenjian Pavilion's senior members were enraged.
"Outrageous! This is outrageous!"
Tang Qiu's cold and furious voice echoed in the great hall.
"They've trampled on Wenjian Pavilion's thousand-year reputation!
If we don't act now, we'll become a laughingstock in the Great Yan!"
The elders were united in anger.
"That's right.
We're already facing widespread boycott.
If we don't hit back—soon everyone will come step on us."
"We can't let our ancestors' thousand-year legacy collapse in our hands!"
Someone's voice turned murderous:"Zhenwu doesn't know their place!
They think just because they've made a splash in the past two years they can ignore every other sect?
The Great Yan might prevent us from wiping them out—
But we can still make them pay in blood!"
"It's been too long since we acted.
Maybe it's time the world remembered Wenjian Pavilion's true power."
The entire hall boiled with fury.
All of it ignited by Zhenwu's act of hanging Wenjian Pavilion spies for all to see.
Coupled with the pent-up frustration from having been forced into submission by overwhelming public pressure—
It all erupted at once.
They were determined to make Zhenwu Sect pay the price.
Tang Qiu swept his gaze across everyone and said in a low voice:"At this point, we have no choice but to ask the Supreme Elder to act."
No matter how much they belittled Zhenwu Sect with their words—
The strength of the Heaven Sword Immortal was no fabrication.
A cold, indifferent snort rang out from outside the hall:"A bunch of useless trash!"
Everyone lowered their heads.
"Greetings, Supreme Elder."
Gu Changhe simply gave them a cold glance—
Then waved his hand and pointed to a few among them:"You, come with me to Zhenwu Mountain.
I want to see for myself whether those two are truly Wenjian Pavilion's spies."
His voice carried a frigid killing intent.