Chapter 1: Shenjian Peak

The terrain of Shenjian Peak is steep, rising high into the clouds; viewed from afar, it looks just like a giant sword that has descended from the heavens, thrust into the ground.

The Divine Sword Mountain Range stretches for hundreds of miles, a spectacular and continuous expanse of peaks, and the highest mountain in the entire range is this very Shenjian Peak!

Ordinarily, the mountainside of Shenjian Peak is always wreathed in faint clouds and mist, making it impossible to see its true face. Located at the very summit of Shenjian Peak are countless scattered pavilions and halls; that is the home of a somewhat famous cultivation sect on the Tianyuan Continent—the Divine Sword Sect!

At the foot of Shenjian Peak, some thirty miles away, lies a small village of over two hundred households named "Heiniu Village." Most of the villagers make a living by cutting firewood, and they are always full of envy when they occasionally see disciples of the Divine Sword Sect flying through the sky on giant swords.

The disciples of the Divine Sword Sect are also extremely protective of this only village at the foot of the mountain; if a giant beast occasionally runs down from the mountain to harass the villagers, the Divine Sword Sect disciples will help the villagers slay or drive the beast away.

On this day, the sun was shining brightly, and several children, boys and girls in their early teens, were playing in the village. Suddenly, all the children ran off in every direction, leaving only a nine-year-old girl standing in place. Although this girl was born to an ordinary family in the village, she was quite pretty.

She pouted her little mouth high, muttering with great reluctance on her face:

"Why is it always me?"

After finishing, she closed her eyes slightly and began to count down.

"One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight..."

Counting all the way to one, the girl opened her eyes and shouted with her mouth wide open:

"I'm starting to look!"

After the shout, she dashed into the village like a flash. It turned out these children were playing "hide-and-seek," and judging by the little girl's appearance, she was the one tasked with finding the others.

Just as the little girl was finding her companions one by one in the village, an eleven or twelve-year-old boy had already run to a dilapidated temple outside the village.

This temple was very old and had fallen into such disrepair that it was a wreck. The little boy walked quickly into the temple and then dove headfirst into the tall Buddha statue. From the outside, there was not a trace to be seen.

After the little boy hid himself, he secretly gloated in his heart: Now you won't be able to find me!

By this time, the little girl who had been counting had already found everyone, with only one person left.

"Where did Zhang Nuo hide?"

The little girl said with a helpless look on her face; if she couldn't find this last person, she would have to continue being the one to search. The other children nearby watched her with giggles, praying in their hearts that the boy named Zhang Nuo would not be found by her.

The child named Zhang Nuo was, naturally, the little boy hiding inside the Buddha statue in the dilapidated temple. That place was the first one he had discovered, and he believed that even if others racked their brains, they would never guess his location.

After some time had passed, the little girl still hadn't found Zhang Nuo; she actually burst into loud tears, turned around, and ran home. When the other children saw this, they knew she was angry, so they lost interest in playing and all headed toward their own homes.

But they had forgotten about Zhang Nuo. Zhang Nuo, who had been hiding in the Buddha statue the whole time, never heard the little girl admit defeat. He was also very stubborn and insisted on staying inside, refusing to come out. As time dragged on, he actually grew sleepy and fell asleep inside the Buddha statue.

The sky gradually darkened, and before long, the stars filled the sky, twinkling brightly. Suddenly, a streak of cyan light cut across the sky and, in an instant, landed inside the dilapidated temple where Zhang Nuo was hiding.

The cyan light dissipated, revealing a man of about forty. This man was dressed like a scholar, panting heavily, his eyes filled with intense fear.

He looked around in all directions, his eyes slightly closed, and a moment later he opened them abruptly, his gaze fixed firmly on the location of the Buddha statue in the temple.