During this time, what exactly had happened to make him so desperate that he didn’t even dare to live on?

While she was thinking, Meng Ying’s voice suddenly rang out: “When did this sword appear?”

Everyone’s gaze looked ahead.

At the very top of this sword mountain, a long sword was inserted. Perhaps their attention had been focused on the surrounding cavern walls and Zheng Qing just now, or perhaps this sword had appeared differently than it did now, so it hadn’t attracted anyone’s attention. In any case, this sword’s sudden appearance immediately captured everyone’s gaze.

This was a very dazzling long sword.

The blade was a beautiful silver-white color. The long swords used by cultivators were mostly sharp and coldly keen with sword qi, but the swords before them glowed with a gentle, warm light throughout. Like a pearl wrapped in a shell, elegantly beautiful and moving. It had no scabbard, only at the hilt was carved a small frost flower, probably cast from white crystal, lifelike and vivid.

Above the sword mountain, this sword was inserted at an angle, with all other swords prostrating beneath it, while it stood there carelessly, innocent like a willful little girl.

It quite matched the two characters “Wuyou” (Carefree).

Almost immediately, Zanxing thought this sword should be the Wuyou Sword forged by the swordsmith Chai Sang.

She wasn’t the only one thinking this. Meng Ying spoke softly: “This is the Wuyou Sword.”

“How do you know?” Mu Cengxiao glanced at her.

Meng Ying gripped the “Yuepuo” in her hand tightly: “I’m a sword cultivator. I can sense it. This sword… is a supreme-grade spirit artifact.”

Among their group, Zanxing used a staff, Gu Baiying used a spear, Tian Fangfang had the Qianyang Axe, Mu Cengxiao had the Mieshen Saber, Mendong had no spirit artifact, and only Meng Ying used a sword. Sword cultivators had the most acute sense for swords, so naturally, she could tell at a glance.

“It seems those Huanyang Sect disciples didn’t pull out this sword. The Wuyou Sword didn’t acknowledge them as its master, so the sword remains here.” Tian Fangfang clicked his tongue. “I told you, if you could just casually take away a supreme-grade spirit artifact, these spirit artifacts would be too worthless.”

“So, should we go pull out this sword now?” Mendong asked carefully.

Mimi called out softly, somewhat uneasily swishing her tail.

“It’s better not to.” Gu Baiying frowned as he looked at the silver long sword. “I always feel something’s not right about this sword.”

However, Meng Ying, who usually didn’t speak much, rarely contradicted him. She said, “Master Uncle, I want to take this sword.”

“Don’t you already have a supreme-grade spirit artifact?” Mu Cengxiao looked at her with surprise. “You already have a natal spirit artifact. Even if you pull out this sword, you can’t make it your natal spirit artifact.”

A cultivator could only have one natal spirit artifact. Gu Baiying’s natal spirit artifact was the Embroidered Bone Spear, and Meng Ying’s natal spirit artifact was the Yuepuo Sword. Neither of them could have a second natal spirit artifact.

“I know, but ‘Yuepuo’ doesn’t have a sword spirit. If what Zheng Qing wrote is true and the Wuyou Sword has a sword spirit, even if I don’t make it my natal spirit artifact, I still want this sword.” Meng Ying turned to look at Gu Baiying, insisting: “Master Uncle, let me try. If it doesn’t work, I’ll immediately let go.”

A sword that had developed a sword spirit was equivalent to having spiritual intelligence and would choose a suitable master itself. If Meng Ying couldn’t get the Wuyou Sword’s recognition, she wouldn’t be able to pull out this sword. Conversely, if the Wuyou Sword agreed to have Meng Ying as its master, she would be able to pull it out easily.

It seemed that Zheng Qing and his senior brothers had all failed to gain the sword spirit’s recognition.

“Master Uncle, let me try.” Meng Ying insisted once more.

“Master Uncle, just let her try,” Mu Cengxiao hesitated for a moment, then also spoke up for Meng Ying. “Subduing a sword spirit has always just resulted in success or failure—I’ve never heard of any danger. Senior Sister is a sword cultivator, and naturally doesn’t want to miss a divine sword when she encounters one. In all of the Duzhou continent, divine swords like this can be counted on one hand. If she misses this opportunity, Senior Sister might regret it for the rest of her life.”

Meng Ying glanced at Mu Cengxiao but didn’t speak.

“Just let Senior Sister Meng try,” Tian Fangfang also chimed in to help. “We cultivators don’t encounter opportunities easily. What seems like missing out on a sword, who knows what kind of fortune we’re missing? It’s just pulling out a sword—surely this sword won’t eat people?”

Watching them persuade her one after another, Zanxing couldn’t bring herself to voice the words she originally wanted to use to stop them. She could only stand quietly in place with Mimi. What they said made sense, too—sometimes missing one step could greatly change future opportunities. What if it ruined someone’s prospects? That would be a lifetime’s major matter.

Meng Ying rarely made requests, and among the next generation disciples of Taiyan Sect, she was being groomed as the future sect leader. Gu Baiying hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded, instructing: “If anything seems wrong, immediately let go.”

A hint of joy appeared in Meng Ying’s eyes as she said: “Thank you, Master Uncle!” She turned and walked toward the sword mountain.

Gu Baiying suspended the Illumination Talisman in mid-air, and bright light filled the entire cavern, making the sword mountain seem more towering.

Meng Ying gripped the Yuepuo in her hand tightly, touched the ground lightly with her toes, and flew toward the sword mountain.

Zanxing involuntarily swallowed.

After its earlier pulsing, the Xiaoyuan Pearl had calmed down, but for some reason, the unease in Zanxing’s heart hadn’t stopped. She stared intently at Meng Ying’s movements, afraid something might go wrong.

Meng Ying had already reached the top of the sword mountain, only one step away from the Wuyou Sword.

The beauty in white robes, with her garment corners gently fluttering from her movements, looked like a goddess under the firelight, while the silver-white long sword before her was gentle and elegantly beautiful, appearing as if it had been custom-made for her.

Without hesitation, Meng Ying directly reached out and grasped the sword hilt.

Zanxing was so nervous her breathing nearly stopped.

There was no anomaly whatsoever. Under the illumination of the talisman, everything remained peaceful. Meng Ying took a deep breath, circulated her Yuanli, and slowly lifted the long sword in her hand.

One inch, two inches, three inches.

The long sword was slowly lifted from the sword mountain, like a treasure buried underground, gradually seeing daylight again. In that instant, the radiance was dazzling and brilliant.

“The Wuyou Sword… has been pulled out.”

It had acknowledged Meng Ying as its master.

Zanxing’s heart finally settled, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had been so nervous just now that she could hardly breathe. Now seeing Meng Ying safely pull out the divine sword, she felt greatly comforted, thinking she had indeed been worrying unnecessarily. Indeed, she had never heard of pulling out a sword being dangerous.

She was focused entirely on watching Meng Ying and didn’t notice Mimi pacing around at her feet. She accidentally stepped on Mimi’s tail and nearly tripped, grabbing onto the cavern wall in front of her to avoid falling. Just as she was holding onto the cavern wall, trying to steady herself, her fingers touched an uneven area on the wall. Unlike the scratches left by spirit artifacts, it seemed to be words written by someone.

Zanxing was stunned and looked closer, only to see in that unnoticed corner, a line of crooked characters carved into the cavern wall:

“We were deceived. That’s not a divine sword, that’s an ominous sword. Don’t pull the sword! Don’t pull the sword! Don’t pull the sword!”