Chapter 6: Inside the Divine Sword Sect

When Zhang Nuo opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a room. This room was not particularly large, furnished only with a bed, a table, and a few chairs.

"This kid is finally awake!"

Just as Zhang Nuo opened his eyes, a man's voice reached him. He gathered his focus to look at the person who had spoken, only to see that this man was tall and had two small black mustaches, appearing to be around forty years old.

"Where is this?"

Sitting up from the bed, Zhang Nuo looked at the man with suspicion. He had clearly fainted in Heiniu Village before; how had he suddenly ended up here?

"This is the Divine Sword Sect. Alright, since you're awake, follow me to see the Sect Master!"

The man's few indifferent words made Zhang Nuo's mouth hang open, unable to close for a long time. The Divine Sword Sect! This place that the villagers had always envied—he was actually inside it today. But at the thought of the villagers, a wave of sorrow rose in his heart. The giant blood pool placed in the center of the village had become an inescapable shadow in his mind.

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The Divine Sword Sect had a long history, having been founded three thousand years ago. Its founding ancestor, Deng Tianlin, had risen to fame three thousand years ago, and his terrifying cultivation level had caused the entire Cultivation World of the Tianyuan Continent to change color in fear.

However, when the Divine Sword Sect had been established for over two thousand years, Deng Tianlin suddenly disappeared, entrusting the vast sect to his eldest disciple, Su Po. From then on, there was no more news of Deng Tianlin. Some said he had been surrounded and killed by several powerful enemies while traveling, while others said his lifespan had reached its end and he had passed away in some remote corner.

In short, there were various conflicting accounts, and even the people of the Divine Sword Sect had never figured out the truth.

After Su Po took over the Divine Sword Sect, he focused solely on closed-door cultivation. In order not to disgrace his master's reputation, he wanted to condense his Nascent Soul early, but he was too hasty. During the process of Shou Dan Jie Ying, a sudden accident occurred, leading to a failure in forming the Nascent Soul, and he eventually died after suffering from Qi deviation.

In the hands of the subsequent Sect Leaders of the Divine Sword Sect, the sect gradually headed toward decline. From being one of the few major sects on the Tianyuan Continent, it had once turned into the small, ignored sect it was now, barely clinging to survival.

At this moment, in the main hall of the Divine Sword Sect, an old man in white robes sat steadily in the center. To his left and right sat three people: one woman and two men.

This old man was the current Sect Master of the Divine Sword Sect, Sun Yiyang, and the two men and one woman beside him were the three Elders of the Divine Sword Sect.

The First Elder was named Shi Liang, the burly man among the three. The Second Elder was the woman, named Xiao Jingxuan. This woman appeared to be around thirty years old, with a head of dark hair hanging down like water. Her face was pretty and showed no signs of age; there wasn't even a single wrinkle on her face, but her eyes and brows carried a sharp, fierce Evil Qi that made people feel intimidated.

As for the third Elder of the Divine Sword Sect, he was thin and gaunt, reeking of alcohol, with a small mustache tangled on his chin, looking as if he had just been heavily drunk. He was the sect's famous drunkard Elder, Lin Fan, who called himself the "Wine Immortal"!

At this time, Sun Yiyang sat on his chair with a grim expression, saying angrily:

"To think someone would carry out such a shameful Blood Sacrifice right under our noses! If this were to spread, where would the face of our Divine Sword Sect be!"

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, nearly a hundred people in Heiniu Village died in the Blood Sacrifice. Could it be related to the rumors of the 'Mysterious Heaven Spirit Insect' from a while ago?"

The Second Elder, Xiao Jingxuan, frowned slightly, as if she had guessed something.

"If it were a Blood Sacrifice to find a spirit treasure, the blood pool in Heiniu Village would be too small! In my opinion, there is another hidden story!"

The First Elder, Shi Liang, gave a cold laugh, not agreeing with Xiao Jingxuan's view.

"Both of you have valid points, but the matter of a Blood Sacrifice to find a spirit treasure depends on the distance to the spirit treasure, so this possibility cannot be entirely ruled out! Let's wait until the kid wakes up and ask him!"

Sun Yiyang sighed deeply. Since he had taken charge of the Divine Sword Sect, this was the first time he had encountered such a thing. Although the current Divine Sword Sect was not a famous major sect, having someone perform a Blood Sacrifice right under their noses was still too shameful!

At this moment, a tall man walked into the main hall, bringing a child with him.

"Disciple Gao Dakuan, greets the Sect Master, Master, and the two Elders! The only surviving child from Heiniu Village has woken up!"

The man who brought Zhang Nuo into the hall first bowed deeply to Sun Yiyang, then bowed to Lin Fan and the remaining two.

"Oh! That's great!"

Sun Yiyang's face showed a hint of joy. Heiniu Village only had this one survivor left; all clues were known only to this child.

"What is your name?"

"Zhang Nuo!"

Glancing at the people in the hall, Zhang Nuo did not find them any different from ordinary people, but thinking carefully, these must be the big shots of the Divine Sword Sect. Not daring to be slow, he immediately stated his name.

"Do you know what happened in Heiniu Village?"

Sun Yiyang looked at the child, feeling pity in his heart, and his tone became more kindly without him realizing it.

"Yes! On the way here, this uncle already told me!"

At the mention of Heiniu Village, Zhang Nuo's mood dropped. On the way to the hall, Gao Dakuan had already told him that everyone in the village had died in the Blood Sacrifice, and only he had survived. Now, thinking of the white Kuluotou on the edge of the blood pool, they must have been the skulls of the villagers.

"What exactly happened yesterday? Did anyone go to Heiniu Village?"

Seeing Zhang Nuo's sorrowful expression, Sun Yiyang became even more gentle.

"Yesterday, because I was playing, I got lost outside the village, so I didn't return until dawn. When I went back, I saw..."

When Zhang Nuo said this, he seemed to be in extreme pain, clutching his head with both hands and sobbing "woo-woo" in a low voice. He did not dare to tell the truth, because Zhu Yu had said before he fainted: do not tell anyone about the "Mysterious Heaven Spirit Insect" planted on his arm, otherwise, his life would be in danger.

Having witnessed the battle between cultivators and the giant blood pool in the village, even though Zhang Nuo was a child, he understood how important these things were, yet he was so powerless! Therefore, he made up his mind that he would not say a single word about Zhu Tong.