Remould the Glory of Sword Art

This is Misty Cloud Lake.

This truly is a miracle.

In the Ruyi Order illusion, he had met Chen Jingxuan countless times, all in the Book Tower.

That screen, that tea table, Xie Xuanyi could sketch their outlines with his eyes closed.

Tonight’s Chen Jingxuan, however, made him feel somewhat "unfamiliar."

Chen Jingxuan said softly, "What are you talking about, am I disabled? Can’t I occasionally go out?"

"Makes sense."

Xie Xuanyi said with a smile, "I would like to know which divine figure persuaded you out today, has Master Tang returned to the Imperial City?"

"..."

Chen Jingxuan was at a loss for words and said helplessly, "Chu Guo. Today is his examination day, he insisted on coming to Misty Cloud Lake."

"This lad is pretty good."

Xie Xuanyi gave a thumbs up, then said solemnly, "Let’s skip the chit-chat, I came to you for serious business. You should already be aware of the situation over at Jiayong Pass, right?"

A while back, just in time for the busy season.

The intelligence from Jiayong Pass was delayed by two or three days before it was seen.

After reading it, Chen Jingxuan naturally regarded it with utmost importance, but Duan Zhao and Xu Nianning were too quick. By the time he planned to send someone to resolve it, the trouble at Jiayong Pass had already been settled. Afterwards, the Black Scale Guards summarized and consolidated detailed reports, and Chen Jingxuan commissioned Qiantian Palace Master to visit the Western Border to confirm everything was clear before he could let out a breath.

"I’ve already checked Jiayong Pass thoroughly."

Chen Jingxuan said solemnly, "Thanks to Xu You’s meticulousness, those scouts were isolated outside the pass, and no ’epidemic’ broke out within Zhu City inside the pass. You went to the Ruins, what exactly is the situation with those filthy things?"

"Shadows."

Xie Xuanyi uttered two words and said seriously, "These filthy things have names. A thousand years ago, they were called ’shadows.’"

"Shadows? A thousand years ago... these things already existed?"

Chen Jingxuan squinted his eyes, his Heart Lake sinking.

He had once spent a huge price to traverse the River of Destiny.

The "major events" that were about to happen in the future.

To some extent, he had a rough idea.

But information about these "filthy spirits" was absolutely zero. This is why Chen Jingxuan took the intelligence from Jiayong Pass so seriously, even though Duan Zhao had confirmed he had already cleared the filth, he still asked a Yang God expert to ensure it was absolutely foolproof.

This very likely is an unprecedented disaster, yet it is not reflected in the deduced results of the River of Destiny.

For the one mastering the Heavenly Destiny’s deducer.

This kind of "uncertainty" is too frightful, truly unsettling.

"Yes."

Xie Xuanyi slowly recounted his journey to the Ruins.

As for Chen Jingxuan.

There was nothing for him to hide.

The Ancestor Saint Emperor’s ruins, and the Primordial Holy Map’s creation, Xie Xuanyi also told everything about them.

"Since you’ve been to the Ruins, why not head south, directly return to Great Chu?"

Chen Jingxuan said worriedly, "The pursuit from the Great Ape Mountain and Heavenly Phoenix Palace against you has not slackened... although the Demon Country seems peaceful, in reality all the Great Venerables are ’preparing for war.’"

"I know."

Xie Xuanyi calmly said, "Precisely because they are all ’preparing for war,’ I decided to stay in the Demon Country."

Returning to Great Chu is safe indeed.

But doing so...

It completely prevents the next war from erupting.

"Do you remember what I said before?"

Xie Xuanyi smiled, "I want to build a Holy Land in the Demon Country, I want to stir up the Demon Country, and make it chaotic and restless... With their internal chaos, the southern-northern war naturally cannot be fought."

If he heads south now, returning to Great Chu.

The only thing Xie Xuanyi would do is become the Da Sui Sect Leader.

An era of peace will not come because of that.

"You..."

Chen Jingxuan still wore a worried expression.

"Alright, let’s not talk about that."

Xie Xuanyi waved his hand and said seriously, "These shadows, I’ve killed many in the Ruins. But I have a premonition, these filthy things will not die out so easily... It’s possible they’ve already left the Ruins and infiltrated the world."

Chen Jingxuan listened silently.

"In my opinion, Great Chu should be carefully inspected from inside to out."

Xie Xuanyi threw out a Jade Scroll condensed from soul thought from his sleeve and said solemnly, "The detailed information on the shadows and the Primordial Immortal Hall is all in this Jade Scroll. Such investigation, I am not skilled in, so I need to entrust it to you."

"No problem."

Chen Jingxuan took the Jade Scroll but did not immediately check it, instead, continued to await Xie Xuanyi’s next words.

"During this trip to the Ruins... I also fought with the Primordial Saint."

Xie Xuanyi frowned and said, "I find it peculiar that these demon cultivators from Great Ape Mountain appeared here."

He expressed his confusion.

The trip to the Ruins was clearly no coincidence.

Xie Xuanyi really couldn’t understand the truth behind this accidental encounter, hence, he activated the Ruyi Order, hoping to borrow Chen Jingxuan’s wisdom to deduce the truth.

"It indeed doesn’t make sense."

Chen Jingxuan thought for a moment and said, "These demon cultivators couldn’t possibly have come for the Primordial Immortal Hall."

Such important inheritance.

If anyone within the Great Ape Mountain was aware, they would have already dug three feet into the Ruins.

"But if colluding with the shadows, that doesn’t hold up..."

Xie Xuanyi said, "The Primordial Saint is fairly straightforward, and there’s no filthy aura about him."

He can be certain.

The Primordial Saint and those demon cultivators from Great Ape Mountain had no connection with the shadows.

The aura of those filthy things was too distinct.

"What if the person behind these demon cultivators is related to the shadows?"

Chen Jingxuan suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?"

Xie Xuanyi’s expression froze.

"You previously mentioned that the Primordial Saint was invited by a young noble of Great Ape Mountain as a Protector."

Chen Jingxuan said slowly, "If it were a simple trip, why would that young noble invite a Protector... Clearly, that Great Cultivator strategizing this trip to the Ruins had foreseen some calamity coming."

Upon reaching the Yang God Realm, the Heart Lake would somewhat sense future calamities.

"There are only a few Yang Gods in Great Ape Mountain."

Chen Jingxuan said lightly, "Besides the Holy Emperor who has been in seclusion, the Primordial Saint guarding the mountain gate, and Ling Chenzi hidden at the Fighting Holy Peak, there are only two left."

"One is the Saint Prince who just recently entered the Yang God Realm."

"And... the Nether Sea Venerable, younger brother to the Fighting Saint Emperor."

As such.

The range significantly narrows.

"The Saint Prince is impossible."

Xie Xuanyi immediately dismissed the suspicion of the Saint Prince; such a proud heaven’s pride would definitely not be involved with "shadows."

"Ling Chenzi, or Nether Sea Venerable."

Xie Xuanyi continued to analyze along the line of thought, "There might be a Great Venerable within Great Ape Mountain who has been corrupted by these ’shadows.’ Ling Chenzi was once a Taoist Great True Man betraying the Da Chu Dynasty; his Dao Heart usually has weaknesses, easy to be exploited..."

Such an analysis seems somewhat arbitrary, but truly, there’s too little information.

"I lean towards the ’Nether Sea Venerable.’"

Chen Jingxuan said seriously, "No one knows what will happen tomorrow, even if I use the Roundness Instrument, I cannot be one hundred percent sure of future events. This person behind the scenes, foreseeing calamity, invited the Primordial Saint to the Ruins; if not for encountering you, then the Primordial Saint would inevitably be entangled with the Primordial Immortal Hall somehow."

"Although Ling Chenzi joined Great Ape Mountain, due to his Human Race Cultivator status... he has been under the watchful eye of Great Ape Mountain all these years, every move closely observed."

"Being exposed to such creation as the Primordial Immortal Hall spells trouble for Ling Chenzi."

A Human Race Cultivator.

How would he know about the Ancestor Saint Emperor’s creation a thousand years ago in Great Ape Mountain?

Once this news leaks...

Ling Chenzi cannot explain it.

"Of course, this is just my speculation."

Chen Jingxuan looked at Xie Xuanyi and said seriously, "If the shadows truly exist, and have ’tainted’ Great Ape Mountain, is it possible that those corrupted... are more than one person?"

Xie Xuanyi’s Heart Lake shuddered.

He recalled the frequent appearances of those "filthy spirits" near Great Ape Mountain’s territory this year.

Indeed.

With filth like shadows, once you find one...

It’s likely there are already hundreds, thousands hiding in the darkness!