In the Azure Sword Hall, the formation that had been active earlier had now completely shut down after Elder Chu Baishan removed the yellow spiritual stone.
Only torchlight flickered softly along the ancient walls, casting long, wavering shadows.
At this moment, only the Fang family remained inside the hall.
Fang Qinxian, Fang Qing, Fang Hanbo, Su'er, Ling'er, along with a few family disciples and elders, were still standing there in silence.
Fang Lin had already left earlier, following Elder Chu Baishan to receive his rewards.
Breaking the quiet atmosphere, Fang Qinxian spoke:
"We should also return to the manor now."
He paused briefly, then his gaze softened as it fell on Ling'er. A trace of joy appeared on his face as he continued:
"Ling'er, go and inform the family servants. Prepare a banquet for tomorrow morning and send invitations to all the families."
Ling'er, who had been staring absentmindedly toward the formation, was suddenly pulled back to reality by his voice…
Ling'er was startled for a brief moment.
She quickly turned around, realization flashing across her face.
"Yes, Family Head," she replied respectfully.
She gave one last glance toward the silent formation—her eyes lingering with complicated emotions—before lowering her head. Turning around, she hurried out of the Azure Sword Hall to carry out the orders.
As her footsteps faded, the atmosphere inside the hall shifted.
Fang Hanbo let out a quiet breath he had been holding for a long time. His shoulders finally relaxed, yet the worry in his eyes did not completely disappear. Standing beside him, Su'er clasped her hands tightly together, her gaze fixed on the direction Fang Lin had left from.
"He'll be fine…" she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else.
Fang Hanbo nodded slowly, his voice calm but firm.
"Yes. He will be."
Not far away, Fang Qing stood in silence. His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, yet his expression remained cold. The flickering torchlight reflected in his eyes, hiding the storm of emotions churning deep within his heart.
Fang Qinxian glanced at his surroundings once more, then turned toward the exit.
"Let us go," he said.
One by one, the members of the Fang family began to leave the Azure Sword Hall, their shadows stretching across the ancient floor as the torchlight continued to burn quietly behind them.
**********
Fang Lin followed silently behind Elder Chu Baishan as they left the Azure Sword Hall.
The night air was cold.
Ancient stone pathways stretched ahead, illuminated by rows of dim spirit lamps embedded along the ground. Each step echoed faintly, the sound swallowed by the vast silence of the Tianjian clan's inner grounds.
Fang Lin's expression was calm, but inside his heart, waves were crashing.
Rewards…
He knew very well what that word meant.
An A-grade aptitude was not something that appeared once in decades—it was something that could shake an entire generation. The rewards given by the clan would never be ordinary.
Elder Chu Baishan walked ahead with steady steps, his hands clasped behind his back.
"You have done well," he said without turning around.
"Not only did you awaken an A-grade aptitude, but you also survived the formation's backlash. That alone proves your will is far above ordinary disciples."
Fang Lin bowed slightly.
"This junior was merely fortunate."
Chu Baishan let out a low chuckle.
"Fortune favors only those who can endure."
Before they could reach the Sword Repository, a figure was already waiting along the stone path ahead.
Tian Wuyan stood there quietly, as if he had been waiting for some time.
His attire was the same as before—neat, restrained, and dignified—but this time, there was one clear difference. Upon his head rested a circular cap carved from dark wood, its surface etched with faint, ancient patterns. The cap was shaped in such a way that it blocked the moonlight completely, leaving his face hidden in shadow.
The pale glow of the full moon washed over the path, yet it could not reach his eyes.
Only his silhouette could be seen clearly—straight-backed, unmoving, and calm, like a still lake concealing unseen depths.
Elder Chu Baishan slowed his steps slightly when he noticed the figure ahead.
Fang Lin's gaze sharpened.
He could not see Wuyan's expression, but he could feel it—
A quiet pressure lingered in the air, subtle yet deliberate, as if this encounter was not a coincidence… but something long prepared.
Tian Wuyan stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Tian Wuyan pays his respects to the Sect Master."
Elder Chu Baishan's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the figure before him. His expression turned serious as he spoke in a firm voice:
"So it is you, Wuyan."
"Shouldn't you be in training within the sect?"
"Why are you here… blocking my path?"
The torchlight flickered softly between them, casting shifting shadows as the tension in the air quietly deepened.
Tian Wuyan spoke quickly, his tone careful—as if afraid Elder Baishan might misunderstand.
"Sect Master, please do not think wrongly. I came only to deliver a message… nothing more," he said, his words restrained, almost deliberate.
Elder Chu Baishan gently stroked his white beard, his sharp gaze lingering on Wuyan for a moment longer than necessary.
"So that is the matter…" he said slowly.
Then his voice softened, though its authority remained unchanged.
"You may go now. There is no other reason, I presume—nothing personal?"
Tian Wuyan straightened at once. A faint trace of embarrassment crossed his face, hidden beneath the shadow of the carved wooden cap.
"No, Sect Master."
Without another word, he bowed lightly. Turning around, his figure soon merged with the darkness of the stone path, disappearing as silently as he had appeared.
Still shaken by what had just happened, curiosity quickly rose within Fang Lin. He could no longer hold himself back.
He asked at once,
"Elder Baishan… are you the Sect Master?"
He paused, then continued without waiting, his questions coming one after another,
"And what did that person just say? I couldn't understand anything at all."
"Also—how did he disappear so suddenly?"
"What kind of technique was that?"
"Will I be able to learn something like that one day?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Fang Lin realized he had asked too much at once.
Elder Chu Baishan halted his steps.
He turned around slowly, looking at Fang Lin with a complicated expression—half amused, half thoughtful—as if the boy's reaction had stirred something long forgotten.
Elder Chu Baishan replied without the slightest hesitation, his voice calm and natural, as if it were nothing worth hiding.
"Yes."
"You may call me the Sect Master."
He continued evenly,
"Because I am the one who oversees the Holy Sword Sect of the Tianjian Clan."
There was no pride in his tone—only quiet authority, the kind that came from long years of standing at the peak.
"His name was Tian Wuyan," Elder Baishan said calmly.
"He also resides within the Holy Sword Sect."
After a brief pause, he added,
"The techniques he uses belong to the assassination path."
"They are not suitable for you to learn."
Then, as if to put the matter to rest, he continued in an even tone,
"He came only to deliver a message to me. Nothing more."
The night air grew quiet once again as his words settled in Fang Lin's mind.
The words "assassination path" echoed again and again in Fang Lin's mind.
His eyes lit up with interest, and without thinking much further, he asked immediately,
"Elder Baishan… why can't I learn such a technique?"
Then, almost childishly, he added,
"It sounds… cool."
The question hung in the air, honest and straightforward—
completely unaware of the weight those words carried in the cultivation world.
Elder Baishan replied calmly, his tone steady and unquestionable.
"You cannot learn such techniques because they are not worth it for you."
He glanced at Fang Lin before continuing,
"You possess an A-grade aptitude."
"Techniques of that type are generally used by disciples below B-grade aptitude."
His words were not meant to belittle—
they were simply a statement of fact, spoken from long experience.
Fang Lin thought to himself,
In this world, it seems everything is given according to one's worth.
Since I received an A-grade aptitude, there must be something different… something special prepared for me.
The excitement within him continued to rise as he wondered what awaited him next.
Just then, Elder Baishan spoke,
"We have finally arrived."
He lifted his gaze forward.
"The Sword Repository."