The wind howled across the sky as the group headed back toward the Heavenly Sword Sect. The ruins of the Outer Heaven Frontier slowly disappeared behind them, swallowed by the hazy, broken horizon. Though they had only been within the frontier for a short time, each step out felt as if they were leaving a battlefield where legends slept uneasily.
Liang Chen walked with a newfound steadiness. His aura was no longer unstable or fragmented. Instead, thin threads of Sword Qi curled around him naturally, subtly shaping the air as he moved. The Sword Qi Variant Bronze Core pulsed inside his dantian like a warm flame, radiating power.
Han Xiang kept glancing at him. Not out of jealousy—though there was a hint of envy—but primarily disbelief. The boy who used to trail behind the others… had stepped into an entirely different world overnight.
Even Feng Lian, normally cold and composed, acknowledged him with a small nod as they walked.
Zhou Yu's expression remained unreadable, but there was a quiet satisfaction in his eyes. Not joy, not pride—something more complicated. A mixture of hope, calculation, and the weight of destiny he carried silently.
Ling, the Nether Shadow Wolf, trotted at Zhou Yu's side, occasionally sniffing the air, alert to any threats that dared to draw near.
"Master," Han Xiang said quietly after some time, "the Outer Frontier never felt this… restless before."
Zhou Yu nodded. "The fourth fragment has awakened part of the Sword Dao that has been dormant for thousands of years. This region will react to that awakening."
Feng Lian glanced over her shoulder. "And the people here will sense it too."
"People?" Liang Chen asked.
Feng Lian's eyes hardened.
"Spies. Opportunists. Ambitious sect disciples. The Eastern Sky Continent isn't peaceful anymore."
Zhou Yu's gaze turned to the horizon.
"From the moment the Heavenly Sword Sect regained its first fragment, we ceased being an obscure ruin. Now that we hold four…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence.
Liang Chen said the words out loud anyway:
"…the world will come knocking."
Zhou Yu's lips curved slightly.
"Yes."
By the time they reached the outskirts of Skywind City, a faint tension was already in the air. Merchants gathered at intersections whispering urgently. Traveling cultivators clustered in taverns. Hushed conversations filled every corner of the streets.
Han Xiang paused at the entrance, listening.
"…I heard the Heavenly Sword Sect found some kind of ancient treasure!"
"No, no, the rumor is that the Sect Master killed a Primordial Beast!"
"I heard he's only at Qi Condensation, but he's stronger than half of the Core Formation cultivators in the Continent!"
"That's nothing—I heard he revived the sect's guardian beast!"
Liang Chen blinked. "What—who spread these stories?"
Zhou Yu's expression remained calm, but his eyes sharpened.
"Truth travels slowly," he said, "but rumors fly like demons with wings."
Feng Lian added, "The moment one of us stepped into the Outer Frontier, eyes from three surrounding sects must've taken note."
Han Xiang sighed. "Even those big information networks… The Nine Heavens Pavilion must already know everything."
Zhou Yu remained silent for a moment—then smiled faintly.
"Let them speculate. The truth will come soon enough."
When they reached the mountain pass leading to the Heavenly Sword Sect, something felt different.
The air was clearer. The spiritual energy richer. It wasn't dramatic, but it was noticeable. The damaged spiritual vein beneath the sect was slowly healing—likely due to the fragment resonance and the growing sect vitality.
Su Mei was waiting near the gate, hands clasped anxiously. The moment she spotted them, she broke into a relieved smile.
"You're back! The healing arrays were trembling—I could feel the spiritual resonance even here! Did something happen?"
Zhou Yu nodded. "Liang Chen has broken through."
Su Mei's eyes widened. She looked at Liang Chen, mouth opening in surprise. "Really?! Congratulations! I knew you'd catch up!"
Liang Chen scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. "I-I still have a long way to go."
Feng Lian brushed past with a low murmur. "Just don't let it inflate your ego." But there was the faintest upward curve on her lips.
Su Mei bowed to Zhou Yu. "I've prepared medicinal meals for everyone. The spirit fields produced a batch of Red Cloud Beans, so I made a strengthening porridge—"
Zhou Yu nodded. "Good work. Your contributions are vital."
She blushed. "I—I'm just doing what I can…"
Han Xiang whispered to Liang Chen: "Su Mei's trying to force herself into a healing cultivator stereotype but watch—she has terrifying hidden potential."
Liang Chen raised a brow. "How terrifying?"
"She once healed my fractured ribs in under a day using only Qi and three herbs."
Liang Chen gulped. "Noted."
Once they rested, Zhou Yu led the group to the Sword Pavilion. The crumbling building had undergone changes since the last fragment was placed within.
Ribbons of Sword Qi floated through the air like drifting starlight. The cracked interior pillars were slowly mending themselves. A faint hum echoed from the depths, resonating with the fragments.
As Zhou Yu stepped inside, the fragments already in the pavilion lit up—pulsing in synchronization.
Ding—
The fourth fragment in his hand trembled, as if reuniting with lost kin.
Liang Chen felt his new core vibrate in response, pulling him forward slightly.
Feng Lian steadied him. "Careful. Too much resonance could destabilize your core so soon after forming."
"R-right."
Zhou Yu set the fragment on the stone pedestal.
The pavilion shuddered.
Sword Qi erupted upward, forming a swirling vortex that reached the ceiling. Cracks along the walls healed. Damaged runes glowed with life. A long-dormant sword stele flickered, ancient characters surfacing from beneath the dust.
Han Xiang wiped his eyes. "Master… this building is absorbing life from the fragments."
Zhou Yu nodded.
"The Sword Pavilion was once the heart of the Heavenly Sword Sect. When the founder forged immortal swords, the pavilion served as the spirit hub."
Liang Chen whispered, "Then… with each fragment we recover…"
"The sect returns to life," Zhou Yu finished quietly.
The vortex of Sword Qi suddenly condensed into a single ray of light and shot deep into the pavilion's floor—into the area where the founder's inheritance once lay sealed.
A voice—not spoken, but felt—echoed faintly.
"Four of Nine… The Sword Returns…"
Liang Chen shivered.
Feng Lian went pale. "This… this is an ancient spirit voice."
Zhou Yu's expression darkened slightly. "The Sect's foundation is awakening, but so will its enemies."
The Sword Pavilion doors slammed shut behind them.
Once outside, Zhou Yu gathered everyone in the courtyard. The dusk sky painted the sect in shades of red and gold. The air was rich with sword energy.
Zhou Yu looked at each one of them in turn.
"From this moment forward, our sect is no longer in hiding. The recovery of the fourth fragment will cause a wave of attention we cannot avoid."
Liang Chen's expression hardened. "Master, what should we do?"
"Strengthen. Train. Prepare."
Feng Lian crossed her arms. "How much time do we have before someone comes knocking?"
"Not long," Zhou Yu said. "Two weeks, perhaps less."
Han Xiang's eyes widened. "That soon?!"
Su Mei bit her lip. "Do we have to fight?"
Zhou Yu turned to her with a gentle look. "Not immediately. But conflict is inevitable."
He gestured toward the mountain range in the distance.
"The Azure Cloud Sword Sect has likely heard the rumors. Violet Star Palace will send scouts. The Scarlet Moon Demonic Sect will be more direct. They've been searching for a reason to eradicate any potential rivals."
The group stiffened.
Liang Chen gripped his sword. "Let them come."
Zhou Yu's gaze sharpened. "Courage is good. Recklessness is not."
He then addressed each disciple one by one.
"You must stabilize your Sword Core within ten days. I will personally supervise your tempering."
Liang Chen bowed. "Yes, Master."
Feng Lian: "You stand on the brink of Silver Core advancement. The awakening Sword Pavilion will assist you. Train in the Frost Lotus Hall."
Her eyes flashed. "Understood."
Han Xiang: "Your arrays will decide the outcome of future battles. Prepare a defensive perimeter."
Han Xiang nodded. "I'll reinforce the entire mountain."
Su Mei: "You will nurture the spirit fields. With the sect awakening, herbs will grow faster. We will need pills and healing resources."
She clenched her fists. "I'll work day and night!"
Ling: Zhou Yu placed a hand on the wolf's head. "Guard the sect. Kill anything that approaches with bad intentions, without my permission no enemy are allowed near the sect."
Ling growled softly in acknowledgment.
That night, the Heavenly Sword Sect glowed faintly with awakened energy. Sword qi drifted like fireflies through the courtyards. Even the broken halls seemed to breathe again.
Liang Chen sat cross-legged in the training yard, the moonlight illuminating his newly refined aura. Every exhale sent a ribbon of Sword Qi swirling through the air.
Feng Lian trained nearby, summoning lotus-like ice petals that spun in elegant arcs.
Han Xiang etched new array lines along the perimeter stones, sweat dripping down his forehead.
Su Mei knelt in the spirit field, nurturing tiny glowing herbs with her healing Qi.
And Zhou Yu watched them all from the highest peak of the mountain, cloak fluttering in the wind.
A faint voice carried on the breeze.
"They are growing."
Zhou Yu didn't turn. "The world will test them soon enough."
Far in the distance, across the continent, lights flickered in the sky—messenger talismans being sent by rival sects.
The Eastern Sky Continent was stirring.
The Heavenly Sword Sect had returned.
And the storm would arrive sooner than anyone expected.