Guhán had never expected that Lǐn Lǐn was actually from the Yānjīng Base City! As one of the only two super base cities within Huáxià, the exchanges between Yùzhāng City and Yānjīng City were extremely scarce. Moreover, only the Sword Bearers would travel between the two cities, while 99% of the ordinary people would stay in their birthplace base city until they grew old and died.
The distance between Yùzhāng City and Yānjīng City was over 1,400 kilometers. Within this 1,400 kilometers, there were over a hundred Yuan Kòu strongholds, and dozens of Yuan Kòu forces were intertwined.
Since the sky was dominated by the powerful Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan, the safest way to travel from one base city to another was by land. On this road, there were on average over a hundred brutal battles every day, and three Sword Bearers would die on this road.
Therefore, this road, which could be called a road of death, would not be willingly stepped on by any ordinary person unless it was absolutely necessary. Only the foolish guys who fought for the future of humanity, along with their Sword Maidens, would shed their blood and heads for this road.
So, for an ordinary person like Lǐn Lǐn to appear in Yùzhāng City was a very strange thing. No Sword Bearer would be willing to bring an ordinary person who would be a hindrance through this road, unless this ordinary person had an extraordinary background! Considering Lǐn Lǐn's mastery of ancient martial arts like sound transmission, Guhán was almost certain that Lǐn Lǐn's family was definitely an extraordinary family!
"How did you know that the Yīxiān Sword is in Yùzhāng City?" Guhán asked curiously. "Didn't the Council say that the Yīxiān Sword was permanently sealed and not allowed to reappear? Their location is an S-level secret of the Council. How did you know they are here?"
"Because that is..." Lǐn Lǐn stopped halfway through her sentence. "Annoying, my family doesn't allow me to say it, even though there's nothing to hide! Anyway, the Yīxiān Sword is here, and she is definitely mine!"
"You, you! After all that nonsense, where is the Yīxiān Sword?" Suddenly, Lǐn Lǐn pointed her finger at the nose of the guide who was following her, and without any courtesy, she started to ask rudely.
"Miss Lǐn Lǐn, I really don't know!" The guide was scared and kept backing away. "Our leaders never told us that the Yīxiān Sword was here!"
"Do you know?" Lǐn Lǐn pointed her finger at Guhán's guide, who had just been indifferent, but now was frantically shaking her head in panic.
"They have never known where the Yīxiān Sword is. Don't make it hard for them, Miss Lǐn Lǐn! Let me lead you to find the Yīxiān Sword!" At some point, a withered old man appeared between Guhán and Lǐn Lǐn. This old man looked like a shrunken cotton ball, with his waist bent into an 'n' shape, and his whole body curled up.
After saying this, the old man walked in a certain direction without hesitation, and Lǐn Lǐn followed him with a joyful smile. Guhán also followed Lǐn Lǐn without hesitation!
"Hey! Sour popsicle, what are you doing?" Sòng Hāmǎ quickly pulled on Guhán's sleeve. "Are you crazy? These two people clearly have some shocking secret. If you follow them and learn their secret, you'll be in great danger. Listen to me, just find a Sword Maiden to synchronize with, and let's not get involved in this mess!"
"No, Hāmǎ, I'm definitely getting involved in this mess!" Guhán firmly pushed away Sòng Hāmǎ's hand that was holding his sleeve.
"Why? Why do you want to get involved in this mess?" Sòng Hāmǎ was puzzled.
"Since I know the strongest Ancient Sword-level Sword Maiden is here, what reason do I have not to possess her!" After saying this, Guhán quickly followed the increasingly distant Lǐn Lǐn.
"Damn, I'm out of luck. I'll go with you then!" Sòng Hāmǎ was helpless; he was not the kind of person who could abandon his brother. But when he tried to catch up, Sòng Hāmǎ and Guhán's guide blocked his way at the same time.
"Lord Sòng Hāmǎ, you have already completed the synchronization and fulfilled your mission. Please leave the Sword Pavilion immediately and do not linger here!" Sòng Hāmǎ's guide's voice was gentle, but her attitude was very firm.
"Then why can my friend follow?"
"First, Mr. Guhán has not chosen a Sword Maiden yet; second, with the Pavilion Master there, we have no authority to interfere!"
——
"Lǐn Lǐn, is this good-looking young man a new member of your family?" The old man asked in a soft voice as they walked deeper into the Sword Pavilion, where there were no more counters displaying Sword Maidens.
"Hehe, Mr. Guhán is a genius, our family could never produce someone like him. I picked him up on the way!" Lǐn Lǐn replied.
"Alright, since Miss Lǐn Lǐn picked him up, it's fine for him to follow. Otherwise, I would have to have a serious talk with this young man who doesn't know his place!" The old man was full of malice.
"Sir, may I ask if you are the Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion, the Cloudy Sky Sword Immortal Liú Léi?" Noticing the old man's poor attitude towards him, Guhán suddenly asked.
"Interesting, a young man your age knows my name!" The old man was surprised. It had been over thirty years since his fame was at its peak, and this young man, who had just come of age, actually knew his name and nickname.
It really is him! Guhán had only asked to test, but he never expected that the withered old man in front of him was actually the legendary Cloudy Sky Sword Immortal Liú Léi.
The Cloudy Sky Sword Immortal is a title given to Sword Bearers. The title is created by the Sword Committee based on the Sword Bearer's abilities, characteristics, and battle achievements. Only Sword Bearers of the Famous Sword level and above have the chance to receive a title from the Sword Committee.
This title is very significant. "Cloudy Sky" describes the characteristics of the Sword Bearer, while "Sword Immortal" represents the realm of the Sword Bearer. In other words, the title indicates that Liú Léi is a legendary Sword Bearer who has surpassed the peak! One of the fewer than 20 Sword Immortals in the world!
Many Sword Bearers might never have the chance to meet a Sword Immortal in their lifetime, but on the first day of becoming a Sword Bearer, Guhán was standing next to a Sword Immortal. This made Guhán not know where to put his hands.
"Guhán likes to read books and stories. Over time, I learned about the legends of many predecessors. The story of how Lord Liú Léi, when he was still a Spirit Sword-level Sword Bearer, fought alone against eight Gold Saints, will never be forgotten by us, the later generations!" Guhán calmed himself and flattered the old man. As the saying goes, a thousand lies can be seen through, but flattery cannot.
"Haha, that was a long time ago, no need to mention it! No need to mention it! I'm just an old man watching the gate now!" It was clear that the Cloudy Sky Sword Master still valued and was proud of his heroic deeds from the past. His attitude towards Guhán changed from indifferent to kind and friendly.
"We're here. If it weren't for Miss Lǐn Lǐn, I might never have opened this door!" Liú Léi patted a thick wall, and a door appeared... of course, it wasn't such a cliché mechanism.
Liú Léi patted the thick wall, and a large hole appeared in the ground. Without any psychological preparation, Lǐn Lǐn and Guhán fell directly into the hole.
When the slightly dizzy Guhán stood up and regained his attention, he was surprised to find himself in a vast desert. Countless ancient swords were densely planted in the desert, emitting a sense of profound sorrow.
This desert was located underground, vast and wide, about the size of a football field. The ceiling was a stalactite rock wall, and there were some dim white lights providing a bit of light.
"The Yīxiān Sword is here. Miss Lǐn Lǐn, I'm old and weak, so I'll go back to sleep. I'll come back to pick you up in an hour. Whether you can find the Yīxiān Sword depends on your luck." After saying this, Liú Léi's voice disappeared from above.
"Where are we? Why are there so many swords and broken swords here!" Looking around, some of the swords planted in the desert were intact, while others were broken in two.
"This is the Sword Burial Ground!" Lǐn Lǐn straightened her dusty pants. "For seven hundred years, all the Sword Maidens from Yùzhāng City who were broken in battle and could not be salvaged have been buried here!"
"I see, no wonder I feel an indescribable sorrow here!" In the battles against the Yuan Kòu, some unfortunate Sword Maidens, unable to retreat to the dimensional pocket in time, were destroyed by powerful opponents and thus completely vanished, never to awaken again.
"But if they are broken and cannot be salvaged, why are there still intact swords here?" Guhán asked curiously, as about a quarter of the Sword Maidens were intact.
"Because the Sword Burial Ground is a magical place with the special ability to heal broken Sword Maidens. If enough time passes and luck is on their side, there might even be a chance for resurrection. However, such resurrection cases are rare, only in the double digits."
"But why is the Yīxiān Sword here? Didn't the Council say she was sealed? Why is she in a place like the Sword Burial Ground!" Guhán continued to ask.
"Because the Yīxiān Sword wasn't sealed, but broken!" Lǐn Lǐn casually revealed a shocking secret. "How would the so-called geniuses of the Sword Committee admit their own mistakes to the public!"
"… Such explosive news you tell me, I won't be silenced by you, will I!" Guhán asked his most feared question in a joking tone.
"Who would have thought my brother Guhán is a conspiracy theorist!" Lǐn Lǐn mocked sarcastically. "Since you came with me, I guarantee your safety. But you have to help me find the Yīxiān Sword. Since you know the old man Liú Léi, you should know how to identify the Yīxiān Sword, right?"
"That's not necessary, I do know the characteristics of the Yīxiān Sword!" Guhán nodded. "I have one more question: If I find the Yīxiān Sword first and synchronize with her, what will Miss Lǐn Lǐn do?"
"I'll kill you!" Lǐn Lǐn suddenly turned around and glared at Guhán fiercely, but instantly her expression changed to a bright smile. "Just kidding, you'll marry me!"