[Having cultivated the Taixu Sword Art, the moment you arrive at the Sword Mountain, all the swords across the entire mountain resonate with you.]
[Everyone present is attracted by the commotion you have caused, yet none of them understand why it is happening.]
["What exactly is going on? Could it be that Xiao Lingtian has obtained that immortal sword?"]
["I think that's very likely. Among this generation of the Qingyun Sect, Xiao Lingtian possesses the highest comprehension of the sword."]
…
[Listening to the surrounding discussions, you silently remember the name Xiao Lingtian, planning to kill him first later.]
[You disguise yourself and blend into the ranks of the disciples from the three major sects, intending to seize the treasure first and deal with these people afterward.]
[From the people around you, you learn that this Sword Mountain has a total of ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps.]
[Only by reaching the highest step and passing the trial can one gain the recognition of the immortal sword.]
[If one cannot reach the top, the other swords within the Sword Mountain may also recognize you according to the level you reach.]
[Looking at everything before you, you feel somewhat saddened.]
[This is an inheritance left behind for humanity by the once-great Taixu Sword Sect, yet now it has been occupied by Bizarre Insects.]
[If the ancestors of the Taixu Sword Sect knew of the current situation, who knows what they would think.]
[You walk alone up the staircase leading to the summit, feeling no pressure whatsoever.]
[You even begin to suspect that those people earlier might have been lying to you, but soon you notice something unusual.]
[As you climb higher and higher, every time you surpass someone, you notice abnormalities in their bodies.]
[Meanwhile, the way others look at you is as if they have seen a ghost.]
["Holy shit! Who is this guy? He seems completely unaffected by the sword aura around him!"]
["Could he be another existence like Xiao Lingtian?"]
["No… judging from how calm he looks, he might be even stronger than Xiao Lingtian."]
[In their eyes, you appear to be an existence even more terrifying than Xiao Lingtian.]
[As you continue climbing, every sword on the entire Sword Mountain begins to emit waves of sword cries.]
[After an unknown amount of time, you finally see the summit.]
[At this moment, very few people remain before you—only three: two men and one woman.]
[From their attire, you learn that the person at the very top is Xiao Lingtian of the Qingyun Sect, while a few steps below him stands Jun Moxiao of the Myriad Demon Sect.]
[The remaining woman is from the Wind Thunder Sect, and from earlier conversations you know her name is Luo Xiaoyu.]
[Under the astonished gazes of the three, you calmly step onto the summit without any pressure.]
[Upon reaching the summit, you see a formation before you, and in the center of it is a rusty sword embedded in the ground.]
[For a moment, you do not know how to retrieve the sword. Breaking the formation is obviously impossible—you know nothing about formations.]
[Left with no choice, you try silently reciting the incantation of the Taixu Sword Art: Control the sword with intent, like stars guiding the moon…]
[In the next instant, the sword within the formation seems to resonate with you and begins trembling violently!]
[Immediately afterward, the rusty sword flies directly into your hand and rests there quietly. Only then do you realize that it is a broken sword.]
[Seeing this, Xiao Lingtian's face fills with displeasure.]
[In his view, he was clearly the first person to reach the summit, and that sword should have belonged to him.]
["Kid, you're courting death!"]
[Although Xiao Lingtian is furious, he suppresses the anger in his heart and asks:]
["Kid, who exactly are you? I don't remember anyone like you in the Qingyun Sect."]
[Upon hearing his words, you burst into laughter.]
[The moment you obtained the broken sword, you learned certain information.]
[This sword is called the Taixu Sword. When it once followed the Taixu Ancestor into battle, it was still an immortal sword. Unfortunately, it broke during a later battle.]
[However, even as a broken sword, it still contains the lingering aura of an immortal sword.]
["Who am I? I'm the one who has come to collect all of you!"]
[As soon as your words fall, your facial appearance begins to change, eventually returning to your true form.]
["You're Su Ming, the demonic cultivator?"]
[Upon seeing your appearance, Xiao Lingtian is the first to react.]
[He knows what happened within the Qingyun Sect back then, and he also knows that the Qingyun Sect Master used a Great Divine Power to reveal the true appearance of the murderer.]
[That murderer looks exactly the same as you.]
[As Xiao Lingtian speaks, both Jun Moxiao and Luo Xiaoyu show expressions of shock.]
[Because the Taixu Sword has been pulled out by you, the Pressure covering the entire Sword Mountain disappears.]
[Jun Moxiao and Xiao Lingtian instantly unleash their Core Formation Great Perfection cultivation and attack you.]
[Calm and unhurried, you use the Great Void Technique to evade their attacks, then flash behind Xiao Lingtian. Before he can react, you pierce him through with a single strike of the Taixu Sword, killing him instantly.]
[Seeing that Xiao Lingtian had absolutely no ability to resist you, Jun Moxiao instinctively attempts to flee.]
[You activate the Great Void Technique again, cripple Jun Moxiao's cultivation with a single strike, and then use a Soul Searching Technique.]
[However, to your disappointment, even though Jun Moxiao is a genius of the Myriad Demon Sect, the information he knows is hardly different from that of ordinary disciples.]
[After your disappointment, your gaze shifts toward Luo Xiaoyu.]
[You activate the Great Void Technique again, and just as you are about to kill her, Luo Xiaoyu suddenly speaks.]
["Wait, Su Ming! I am an Awakener. I'm human, just like you!"]
[Hearing this, your brows furrow, and the Taixu Sword in your hand stops right at her throat.]
["How will you prove it? If you cannot give me convincing evidence, I'll have no choice but to kill you."]
["I… I can prove it!"]
[Immediately afterward, Luo Xiaoyu reveals her Primordial Spirit.]
["Look, this is my Primordial Spirit! Those parasitized by Bizarre Insects cannot release their own Primordial Spirit—their souls appear strange and twisted!"]
[Hearing this, you are somewhat surprised, because until now you had never known how to distinguish humans from Bizarre Insects.]
[You only knew that Bizarre Insects cannot enter ruins such as the Fallen Immortal Secret Realm, and that they suffer severe Dao injuries when attempting breakthroughs.]
["Why should I believe you?"]
[Although her reasoning sounds convincing, you do not trust her easily.]
[In your view, when it comes to matters involving Bizarre Insects, it is better to kill by mistake than to let one slip away.]
["Are you really an Awakener? You don't even know this?"]
[Under your icy gaze, Luo Xiaoyu slowly says a name.]
["Wait! I know Ye Chuxue!"]
[Sure enough, the moment you hear her mention Ye Chuxue, you slowly lower the Taixu Sword in your hand.]
["You know Ye Chuxue? Where is she now?"]
["She… her current situation isn't very good. She was chased while attempting to break through before her injuries had fully recovered, and she ended up suffering extremely severe wounds."]
["Later, I arranged for her to hide on a remote island located between Qingzhou and Zhongzhou."]
...
