Chương 348: Chapter 347: A Clear Conscience Was Enough.

Lin Qian walked steadily along the great canyon, choosing not to fly, as he made his way back to his cave abode. A graceful female cultivator was already waiting there, her eyes filled with a mix of admiration and worry.

"Senior Brother, are you really going to help Gu Yunyun in the arena?" Lin Qian gave a faint smile, a touch of nostalgia in his eyes.

"Forty years ago, when I left the Sword Sect to travel, I visited the Green Cloud Sect and discussed swordsmanship with Gu Yunyun's master. That's when I first met her. Though she was young, her temperament and talent left a deep impression on me. I wanted to take her as my disciple and bring her to the Sword Sect, but she declined.

"Years later, when we crossed paths again, I invited her to join our sect as a guest elder. Who could have imagined she'd gain such an opportunity? Before the Supreme Elder passed, he recognized her potential, exhausting his foundation to unlock her dormant Sword Heart and passing down the Dugu Sword Scripture. In his final moments, he sealed his entire reservoir of pure sword intent into her body."

"That sword intent propelled her cultivation to soar," he continued.

"If she can fully refine it, she could reach the peak of the Integration Realm. But Dugu Yue, as the Supreme Elder's great-granddaughter, is unwilling to accept this. She demands the sealed sword intent be reclaimed. That intent is so potent that forcibly extracting it would cripple Gu Yunyun. I was the one who brought her into the sect—it's my responsibility to stand by her." Lin Qian's smile was light, but his resolve was unshakable. His junior sister's face dimmed.

"Is it only responsibility? Besides, the legacy disciple from the Heavenly Intention Holy Land is terrifying. They're ruthless, claiming to act on heaven's behalf. Anyone who opposes them is labeled a rebel against fate, and they show no mercy.

"Dugu Yue's dao companion, Ying Tianjing, is the younger brother of the Heavenly Intention Holy Son, deeply favored and immensely talented. Rumor has it that after Yao Gu killed several direct disciples of the Heavenly Intention Holy Land, Ying Tianjing, despite being a minor realm below Yao Gu, sought him out for revenge.

"The outcome of their battle wasn't clear, but it's said to have been a draw. To match Yao Gu at a lower realm shows his caliber. Now at the late Nascent Soul stage, his strength must be even more formidable. If you step into the arena, Senior Brother, you might…" Lin Qian dismissed her concerns with a smile.

"No matter. He's just a legacy disciple, not the Holy Son himself. I may not be an unrivaled prodigy, but I'm no weakling either. With my Seven Heaven-Defying Swords, I'm not without means. As for Dugu Yue, her sword qi is superficial. Though her cultivation is higher, in a real fight, she may not outmatch Fellow Daoist Gu. If I can hold off Ying Tianjing, our chances of victory are high." His junior sister's eyes reddened. The Seven Heaven-Defying Swords—a forbidden technique of the Sword Sect.

Each strike drained the user's life force, and unleashing all seven would cost at least a century of lifespan. Was her senior brother truly willing to go this far for Gu Yunyun? Lin Qian didn't notice her expression. After a brief farewell, he returned to his cave abode with a calm demeanor, beginning preparations for the battle one month hence. Within the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, Ye Chen sat cross-legged in his cave abode, immersed in cultivation.

Divine light shimmered around him, and fleeting visions materialized behind him, casting an aura that made him resemble a deity. Sensing a disturbance outside, he gradually ceased his practice. The radiant glow emanating from his pores faded, and with a long exhale, he released a golden dragon-like breath. His eyes opened, sharp as lightning, and he strode to the entrance where Mo Yuzhu awaited. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Mo Yuzhu presented a jade slip, her eyes brimming with admiration.

"Holy Son, the External Affairs Peak has compiled the information you requested. It was just delivered, and I brought it to you immediately." Ye Chen nodded calmly, a spark of anticipation in his eyes as he took the jade slip. His divine sense probed within, and details about his master flooded his mind. When he saw her current cultivation level, even he couldn't suppress a jolt of surprise. Fortunately, the Holy Land's intelligence was thorough, quickly clarifying his confusion.

His master had caught the eye of the Sword Sect's Supreme Elder, who granted her his inheritance and used a secret sect technique to awaken her Sword Heart. Before passing, the elder had bestowed his entire reservoir of sword intent upon her, propelling her cultivation to soar—nearly matching Ye Chen's own. This filled Ye Chen with joy. However, as he read further, his brow furrowed.

The position of Sword Sect Leader was vacant, and the role came with a rare opportunity: access to the depths of Sword Valley's secret realm. There, one could temper their body with the founder's primal sword qi and intent, harmonizing with a Sword Heart to shed their mortal form and forge the Unbeatable Sword Body—a top-tier physique that had reached its zenith in the sect's founder, Dugu Qiubai, capable of cleaving through anything. Yet, awakening the Unbeatable Sword Body required more than a Sword Heart.

Those lacking sincerity in their swordsmanship or harboring other flaws stood little chance, even within the secret realm. Success hinged on fortune, and the Sword Sect hadn't produced an Unbeatable Sword Body in six thousand years. The Supreme Elder had been optimistic about Gu Yunyun, decreeing before his death that she should be the next sect leader, believing she could awaken the physique. But his granddaughter, Dugu Yue, was resentful, feeling Gu Yunyun had stolen her rightful opportunity.

She appealed to another Supreme Elder, and many within the Sword Sect, wary of an outsider like Gu Yunyun, were less than welcoming. Ultimately, Gu Yunyun would have to face Dugu Yue in a duel to determine the sect leader. In this battle, both could bring their dao companions to the arena, regardless of their sect, and even the companions stood to gain rewards if victorious. Ye Chen's brow furrowed as he read on. How could the cultivation world allow outsiders to meddle in a sect's leadership contest?

As if anticipating his confusion, the External Affairs Peak had included a detailed explanation in the jade slip. Long ago, the Dugu family's influence within the Sword Sect was waning. Their prodigy at the time lacked the strength to defeat rivals for the sect leader's position but had a formidable dao companion. To tip the scales, a Dugu family Supreme Elder intervened, pushing through a rule change: in the contest for sect leader, candidates could fight alongside their dao companions.

The stated reason—that sword cultivators, being too rigid, needed a complementary partner—was flimsy, but the rule was enacted nonetheless. Over time, it proved somewhat beneficial and became tradition. Ye Chen's mouth twitched. So, even the great powers of the cultivation world were just makeshift operations, cobbled together like amateur troupes! As for Dugu Yue's ally, she had enlisted Ying Tianjing, a legacy disciple from the Heavenly Intention Holy Land.

The jade slip included his profile: the younger brother of the Heavenly Intention Holy Son. At mid-Nascent Soul stage, he had fought Yao Gu, then at late-Nascent Soul, for three days to a stalemate. Now at the peak of late-Nascent Soul, his strength was even more terrifying. Ye Chen set the jade slip down with a calm expression, shaking his head. Yao Gu had strutted before him, acting invincible beneath the Holy Son level, yet this was his caliber? Truly underwhelming.

But for a Heavenly Intention Holy Land legacy disciple to help steal what rightfully belonged to his master? That, Ye Chen couldn't tolerate. He knew it was time to act. He had to support his master. Though the battle allowed dao companions, his master had none—so who better to step up than her disciple? As for what others might think? A disciple honoring and aiding their master was beyond reproach. There was no need to dwell on potential misunderstandings. A clear conscience was enough.