After Daoist Pingyang left, Lin Yuan returned to his own courtyard.
The thought of the Sword Tomb lingered in his mind.
The Sword Tomb on Dragon Tiger Mountain was where the swords used by previous Heavenly Masters were kept.
The Heavenly Master Mansion worshipped the True Martial Great Emperor, and had deep understanding of swordsmanship.
The 'True Martial Seven-Segment Sword' was reputed as the strongest sword art of the era.
"If I am correct," Lin Yuan mused, "the location of the Sword Tomb must be among those few places."
These 'places' were spots charged with energy beyond the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, making Lin Yuan somewhat apprehensive.
"All things sort themselves out in time," he thought.
"In half a month, I'll know for sure."
He calmed his thoughts, closed his eyes, and began cultivating.
At the top of Dragon Tiger Mountain, inside the True Martial Great Hall, Cangqing Zhenren, with his hands behind his back, gazed up at the towering 'True Martial Deity Statue' in front of him.
"In half a month, it will be time for the journey to the Sword Tomb," he sighed.
"I wonder if any of our current disciples will be chosen by the True Martial Sword."
Dragon Tiger Mountain's Sword Tomb held countless swords: the swords of disciples from generations past, the swords of Zhenren throughout history, the swords of past leaders of the mansion, and even the swords of thirty-six Heavenly Masters.
Most importantly, there was the 'True Martial Sword.'
It's said the True Martial Sword belonged to the first Heavenly Master of the mansion, connected to the True Martial Great Emperor, and thus came to be called the True Martial Sword.
Only those chosen by this sword could step into the role of a Heavenly Master.
Five hundred years, twenty-five journeys to the Sword Tomb, and yet not a single disciple had been chosen by the True Martial Sword again, leaving the Heavenly Master position vacant for five hundred years.
Even though the mansion remained a revered center of Taoism, respected and feared, its power was diminished without a Heavenly Master.
The Ten Thousand Demons Sect had returned repeatedly, causing untold bloodshed.
Would they dare if a Heavenly Master held the seat?
"Leader, do not worry," spoke a plump Daoist beside him.
This smiling, stocky Daoist displayed no aura, but was a strong presence in the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, one of the three strongest figures within the Heavenly Master Mansion.
Time drifted by, and half a month vanished in the blink of an eye.
On this day, as Lin Yuan stepped out of his courtyard, a Daoist from the mountaintop hurried over.
"All Taoist children under twenty, follow me," the Daoist commanded, seeming in his thirties or forties, yet he was a fourth-grade powerhouse.
The cultivation system ranked from nine to one, and a fourth-grade powerhouse stood at the peak of the middle rankings, easily considered an expert below the mountain.
"The journey to the Sword Tomb is happening?" Lin Yuan wondered, standing obediently as instructed.
Quickly, all eligible Taoist children gathered.
Lin Yuan counted roughly over a hundred.
"Follow me. Don’t fall behind or wander off," the Daoist ordered, his voice carrying a hint of sonic martial arts, making the children's ears ring so no one dared misbehave.
In half a day, led by the Daoist, Lin Yuan and the children arrived at a valley behind Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Already waiting there were many other Taoist children, likely from the other seven courtyards.
"So many people," a skinny child near Lin Yuan marveled with a sigh.
"Brother Lin, why do you think the elders brought us here?" the small child whispered.
"I'm not sure," Lin Yuan replied, shaking his head.
This slender child was named Qingping, having a good relationship with Lin Yuan.
Truthfully, many gathered around Lin Yuan due to his connection with Daoist Changqing.
Even on Dragon Tiger Mountain within the Taoist sanctuary, factions and groups naturally formed as small children banded together for warmth.
Another half an hour slipped by before a Daoist quickly approached, carrying many scrolls.
He handed them to the children, instructing, "These contain a technique for sensing. Begin practicing it, and then enter the Sword Tomb one by one. Maintain the technique to find a sword that suits you."
After explaining, he repeated the instructions several times to ensure everyone understood, then moved on to other duties.
"This sensing technique is difficult," Qingping protested while studying his scroll, echoed by murmurs as all diligently tried to grasp it.
"A sensing technique?" Lin Yuan opened his scroll, quickly scanning it.
His remarkable comprehension allowed him to immediately understand and evolve the technique into a higher form: the 'Supreme Sword Sensing Technique.' Streams of insight about the art of the sword and sword intent unfurled in his mind.
Even Lin Yuan, who had already reached the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, took half an hour to fully absorb it all.
"This technique..." he wondered, sensing a subtle resonance with the nearby Sword Tomb after mastering and elevating the skill.
Above the tomb, three figures sat, overlooking everything below.
The leader was Cangqing Zhenren, the current head of the Heavenly Master Mansion.
In the absence of a Heavenly Master, the mansion leader took command, wielding absolute authority.
To his left sat the unkempt Daoist Pingyang, and to his right, the plump Daoist.
These were the three Heavenly Phenomenon Grandmasters of the current mansion.
"The Sword Tomb journey is crucial for us to produce a Heavenly Master," Pingyang Daoist mumbled, eyes scanning the tomb below.
"The candidates choose a sword, but the swords also choose their wielders," the plump Daoist remarked, "Every sword in the tomb contains sword intent. If one can cultivate the 'Sword Intent Sensing Technique' to a certain level, they can perceive many sword intents and have a chance to be chosen by past Heavenly Masters' swords."
As to why the children weren't taught the technique in advance, it wasn't just for sensing; it was a measure of one's innate talent.
Cultivating the technique to a decent degree within hours indicated significant sword talent, and the swords chosen reflected one's true skill.
Even so, achieving mastery was rare.
Only potential candidates for the Heavenly Master, who might resonate with the True Martial Sword, possibly reached that level—and it had been ages since it appeared in the mansion.
Half a day later, as the children began to file into the Sword Tomb to find their swords, smiles emerged on the faces of the three monitoring grandmasters above.
Thus far, four children had chosen swords of previous Heavenly Masters, indicating potential to ascend to the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm.
Thirty-one others had selected swords from past mansion leaders, assuring they would at least reach high levels.
This outcome greatly comforted Cangqing Zhenren.
Before the journey began, he had optimistically hoped a child might be chosen by the 'True Martial Sword.' But hope was fleeting; after five centuries with no such selection, why expect this time to be different?
Still, it was more realistic, as the current results promised.
More powerhouses would emerge, and the Heavenly Master Mansion's safety wouldn't face significant threats even without a Heavenly Master.
"This won't do," Lin Yuan muttered within the Sword Tomb.
"These sword intents are far too weak."
His advanced 'Supreme Sword Sensing Technique' allowed him to perceive every sword's intent clearly.
Yet, being in the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, all offered swords seemed insufficient.
"I sense a true sword intent over there," he realized, advancing deeper into the tomb.
Simultaneously, atop the stage, the grandmasters' attention fixed on Lin Yuan.
"Who's that? Instead of choosing a sword, going deeper in the tomb?" the plump Daoist frowned.
"Is that Lin Yuan?" Daoist Pingyang recognized him, sharing the confusion.
He did advise Lin Yuan to stand out, but exploring the tomb wasn’t what he meant.
Deep inside the tomb, uncontrolled sword qi could invade their bodies, causing hidden dangers.
Cangqing Zhenren hesitated as well.
"I'm bringing him back," the plump Daoist readied to intervene when, suddenly, Lin Yuan's demeanor changed, his right hand stretching deeply among the swords.
"Come out!" he commanded, employing the 'Supreme Sword Sensing Technique' as he drew forth.
A soft, scraping sound followed his action, capturing everyone's incredulous gaze.
Within the tomb, countless swords quivered and trembled as Lin Yuan pulled, echoing through the tomb, resonating with the mountain itself.
In the Frozen Northern Wasteland, a majestic figure rose, golden eyes trained in shock towards Dragon Tiger Mountain.
On a street, a robe-wearing fortune teller nearly fell, catching the surprised eye of a child nearby.
The old man was famed for his prowess, yet seemed unsteady.
His expression turned incredulous: "A Heavenly Master?"
In a remote, barren land, an elder half-buried in the earth scrambled out, bewildered, unable to believe his senses.
Back at Dragon Tiger Mountain, Lin Yuan slowly extracted a weathered sword engraved with 'True Martial' in hand.
Around him, the multitude of swords shook as every Taoist child in the mansion fell to their knees before the 'True Martial Sword.'
Thirty-nine first-grade experts of the Heavenly Master Mansion offered deep bows to Lin Yuan.
Even Cangqing Zhenren, the mansion leader reaching the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, found himself weeping uncontrollably.
Dragon Tiger Mountain had been without True Martial for five centuries.
Today, True Martial revealed itself to me.
(Note: Grateful to the reader 'Reader20170710214209745' for the generous support of 1,000 book coins.
Thanks for everyone's votes this month.)