In the ancient Gu Province, Tang Ruowei took out a jade pendant and verified it in front of two disciples from the Azure Nether Sword Sect. Then, amid their respectful greetings, she walked through the sect's mountain gates. Following the winding path upwards, she first went to the sect's affairs office to hand over her borrowed training tasks, before making her way directly toward the main hall at the highest point. "I owe her a favor, and now I am returning it. I believe this secret may assist you in your Dao foundation breakthrough," she remarked.
As she climbed halfway, an unusual phenomenon occurred in the skies. A towering shadow of a demon god suddenly appeared beneath the swirling storm clouds, its three heads and six arms emanating a fierce aura, with two horns on each head and a knife in each hand.
“Ah, speaking of which, Su Xiangxue specifically asked me to tell you that during my tribulation in the wild lands, I discovered some buried secrets in those terrains," she continued, retracing her steps amidst the chaotic energy converging around her.
As the phenomenon reached its height, the shadow's loud roar sent tremors throughout the Azure Nether Sword Sect, causing all its members to feel shaken and alarmed. Jue Yunzi, the Grand Elder, placed the mapping scroll into a drawer, turning to Tang Ruowei. "Your master is currently on Seven Stars Peak," he declared, his voice filled with authority.
Ruowei carried on upwards, finally reaching the office of the Grand Elder. “The inscriptions on the tablet are beyond my understanding, but I managed to make some rubbings,” she reported, presenting the scroll.
“Since when have you been tasked with such studies?" he replied, genuinely surprised.
Her heart thumped as she thought of the Shadow of the Demon God, aware it had appeared close to the Seven Stars Peak, where Bai Qiuran resided. After assessing the situation, she regained her calm.
Further along, she recounted, "When I was at Duanhun River withstanding the heavenly tribulation, the clash of knife qi and tribulation lightning accidentally opened up a pit by the riverbank, and within it lies a stone tablet."
The words hung in the air. Ruowei felt a mix of pride and determination. As a princess, deep down, she yearned to prove herself worthy to Bai Qiuran and the Azure Nether Sword Sect. Yet, she was also painfully aware of the formidable gap in their cultivations, not just because of inherent talent, but the vast wall of time—three millennia—that separated them.
“Your sword skills have improved,” Grand Elder Jue noted, his brow furrowed.
“Ah, I simply strive to catch up as best I can,” Ruowei replied, her voice steady yet distant.
The Grand Elder resumed, "You’ve done well. From the mapping data you collected, it appears those smaller sects indeed have been conspiring against us - this is clearly a sign of energy cycles at work." He looked at her earnestly. “Thank you for undertaking this task."
With a newfound sense of purpose, Tang Ruowei acknowledged the Grand Elder and took a step back. “Have you heard? I saw the shadow of a demon god appearing earlier at Seven Stars Peak! Who was fighting with the Sovereign?”
“Not to worry. We all have our own paths to tread,” he replied, brushing off her concern. As she made her way back through the mountain, the aura of the Azure Nether Sword Sect surrounded her.
The specter of the demon god loomed ominously on the horizon. Across this dangerous landscape, whispers of ancient scrolls and powerful techniques mingled, leading to secrets that could shift the very foundations of their world.
In her heart, Tang Ruowei vowed to discover these secrets and bring them to light, even if it meant traversing a path shrouded in darkness and danger.
She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and continued her journey upward, ready to face whatever awaited her in the depths of the unknown.