Chapter 581
The Tianhe Sect now comprises five branches, each a legacy of the five disciples of the Tianhe Ancestor.
However, the Guardian Ancestor of her branch had long since perished, sacrificed to the sword.
Who would have thought that, according to her master, the four Ancestors not only survived but had transformed into the sect's treasured swords?
"But that doesn't make sense..." Xie Qingxue pondered, unable to grasp the situation. "If the four Ancestors have merged with the four swords, how could the Xianjian be in the hands of Haori Mountain?"
"Because after the Tianhe Ancestor's death, the four Ancestors entrusted the four swords to the four sects..."
This revelation struck Xie Qingxue like a heavy blow.
At that moment, she and Zheng Fa shared a profound empathy—could this really be sold?
Such a choice was utterly absurd.
By common reasoning, the Four Swords of Zhu Xian were to the four Ancestors as the Qingping Sword was to her.
They were akin to a life-bound treasure, an essential existence.
How could they be given to the four sects?
Xie Qingxue's thoughts were in turmoil, and she realized that everything could only be explained by one thing:
The reason behind the Tianhe Rebellion.
"Master, back then... why did the Ancestors betray the Tianhe Ancestor?"
Yuan Zhangmen cast a deep glance at the Qingping Sword at her waist and spoke candidly:
"Because of the Four Swords of Zhu Xian."
This was another answer Xie Qingxue had not anticipated.
"The Four Swords of Zhu Xian..."
"Back then, the Tianhe Ancestor unified the Xuanwei realm, suppressing the major sects with such strength that even the current four sects could only hide in the shadows."
"The Ancestor's might was overwhelming, gathering all the spiritual materials and treasures of the world."
"They forged the Four Swords of Zhu Xian."
Listening to this, Xie Qingxue felt a surge of pride and couldn't help but ask, "How could this lead to the Ancestors being abandoned by their followers?"
"You should now understand that during the calamity of declining spiritual energy, ancient celestial beings descended."
Xie Qingxue nodded.
"The Four Swords of Zhu Xian were crafted by the Ancestor to stabilize the Xuanwei realm, entrusted to the four major disciples."
"If these four swords were completed, their power would surpass all ages; according to ancient texts, they could topple heaven and earth, slaying celestial beings."
"With the Xuanwei realm stabilized, peace would be within reach."
Xie Qingxue was even more confused.
"Is there a problem with that?"
Yuan Zhangmen chuckled, a strange smile that seemed self-deprecating.
"But the Four Swords of Zhu Xian target... not just the ancient celestial beings."
"Not just..." Xie Qingxue murmured, her heart suddenly tightening with a guess.
"Indeed, the Four Swords of Zhu Xian are aimed at all cultivators... that is, all practitioners of the way."
"Innocents who kill shall die."
"The strong who oppress the weak shall die."
"Moreover, the Ancestor had an idea to forge the Four Swords of Zhu Xian using methods of the divine path..."
Yuan Zhangmen's tone grew colder, and a hint of fear flickered in his eyes as he spoke. Xie Qingxue could hardly imagine the words he slowly uttered: "If so, these four swords could use the incense and prayers of all beings to slay celestial beings."
"Whether ancient celestial beings or cultivators, who would willingly bear four swords that threaten their very existence? Who would entrust their lives to the masses?"
"So that's how it is..."
Xie Qingxue lowered her gaze, unsure of what to say.
Could she say the Ancestor was wrong?
It seemed reasonable; the Ancestor didn't want to kill all cultivators but aimed to establish rules for the celestial path, to quell the ancient calamity, and to shape the Xuanwei realm as envisioned.
But could she argue that the choices of the four Ancestors were unreasonable?
What did cultivation seek...
Endless longevity and freedom.
It was entirely normal for the Ancestor to be abandoned by their followers.
"Thus... the four Ancestors, merging with the four swords, conspired with the four sects to instigate the Tianhe Rebellion."
"After the chaos, the four swords were split in two, with the sword bodies in the hands of the four sects, while the four Ancestors remained in the Tianhe Sect."
After hearing this, Xie Qingxue still had some doubts and asked:
"Why go through all this trouble?"
"The Four Swords of Zhu Xian are immensely powerful; the four sects would naturally not allow them to remain in our sect."
"While the four Ancestors could control the four swords together, this might provoke the Ancestor's revival... Moreover, they were unwilling to be bound by the swords, seeking a way to transcend."
"Thus, they required the four sects to suppress or even refine the sword bodies."
"Our Tianhe Sect and the four sects have a secret pact."
Xie Qingxue listened, beginning to piece together the puzzle:
After the Tianhe Sect's rebellion, the four sects and the four Ancestors were mutually wary, each taking what they needed.
The four Ancestors had the power to activate the Four Swords of Zhu Xian, but this could potentially affect the Tianhe Ancestor's Dao fruit, making it a last resort.
On the other hand, they were unwilling to be constrained by the swords, and the four sects naturally did not trust leaving them with the Tianhe Sect—fearing they might go mad.
Thus, the four swords were taken by the four sects for suppression, while the four Ancestors remained in the Tianhe Sect, seeking a way to transcend.
"How could one transcend..."
Xie Qingxue couldn't help but ask, as her relationship with the Qingping Sword was similar.
Yet, even the master, who had openly shared such secrets, now fell silent, changing the subject:
"Haori Mountain is either suppressing the Xianjian or refining it..."
"Refining?"
"They have been studying the Xianjian for an entire era, and as the foremost sect in refining within the Xuanwei realm, they might indeed find some methods..."
"Then why do they keep the Xianjian in the Hundred Immortals Alliance?"
Yuan Zhangmen shook his head slightly: "I don't know about that."
Having learned that the four Ancestors were still alive, even within the sect... Xie Qingxue, as the number one traitor of the Tianhe Sect, dared not linger and quickly took her leave from Yuan Zhangmen.
As she was leaving, she suddenly heard Yuan Zhangmen ask her a question: "If you were one of the five Ancestors... how would you choose?"
Xie Qingxue's heart jolted, and she turned to look at her master, only to find Yuan Zhangmen had closed his eyes, no longer looking at her.
...
When she returned to the Jiushan Realm from the Tianhe Sect, Zheng Fa was in the Heavenly Palace, holding a jade tube and reading intently.
Upon seeing her return, he merely greeted her, seemingly too busy to pay her much attention.
Xie Qingxue was puzzled; she could understand if he was indifferent to her, but she had brought back news of the Xianjian!
What could be in that jade tube that made Zheng Fa set aside everything else?
Secret techniques?
New refining methods?
After a while, Zheng Fa finally looked up, still somewhat absorbed, and noticed her curious gaze on the jade tube. He smiled and explained, "This is the 'Hundred Immortals Alliance Census Report' sent back by Uncle Pang."
"So soon?"
Xie Qingxue was taken aback.
"This is a rough survey, mainly targeting various cultivation sects and their spiritual material reserves."
Xie Qingxue understood.
She was aware of the Jiushan Sect's census and even knew how detailed the data Zheng Fa wanted was:
According to Zheng Fa's vision, Uncle Pang and the others should ideally clarify even the population numbers, occupations, and incomes of ordinary people.
This was naturally a time-consuming task.
But now, this preliminary report, if it only involved major cultivation sects and spiritual materials, was a different story.
Compared to ordinary people, the number of cultivators might be one in ten thousand, or even one in a million.
The reserves of spiritual materials were easier to discuss—after all, they were rare.
"Uncle Pang is thinking that we need to do business with the major sects, so he first gathered this data."
Xie Qingxue initially nodded without much thought, but suddenly remembered something, biting her lip and reaching out to Zheng Fa: "Can I... take a look?"
Zheng Fa was slightly taken aback but readily handed her the jade tube, smiling, "It's not a secret."
As Xie Qingxue immersed her consciousness in the jade tube, she found the survey report written in a distinctive style, likely influenced by Zheng Fa.
The content of the jade tube had a large title: "Census Report of Cultivators in the Hundred Immortals Alliance."
It was divided into four main sections:
The first section was an overview of the Hundred Immortals Alliance, detailing its geographical environment, area, major powers, and surrounding forces.
Xie Qingxue was already familiar with this, but the data here was more detailed.
After glancing at it for a moment, she moved on.
The second section was about the wealth distribution within the Hundred Immortals Alliance, which she examined very carefully:
"All spiritual fields are controlled by the major sects... with ninety percent of high-grade spiritual fields in the hands of sects above the Golden Core level."
"Over eighty percent of the markets for magical treasures, elixirs, and spiritual talismans are monopolized by Yuan Ying sects."
"More than ninety-five percent of the output from major spiritual mines flows to Yuan Ying sects?"
Xie Qingxue murmured softly.
She glanced back at the first section's overview of the Hundred Immortals Alliance, where Master Pang had clearly written that after the demonic calamity, there were over sixteen hundred various sects or families in the territory of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
Among them, the Yuan Ying forces, including the Jiushan Sect, numbered only five.
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