Speaking of the Emei Sect, they haven't had an easy time lately. The Heaven-Reliant Sword and the Dragon-Slaying Saber were once hailed as the divine weapons of the Ming Dynasty, rumored to be the keys to Yang Gong's treasure, attracting countless covetous eyes.
The Dragon-Slaying Saber wandered the martial world, with many vying for it. The Heaven-Reliant Sword was held by the Emei Sect, and people constantly tested them.
To avoid trouble, the Emei Sect didn't even send anyone to the Wudang event where the saber was destroyed, choosing to seal their mountain and forbid disciples from leaving.
Only after the Dragon-Slaying Saber was destroyed did the prying eyes around Emei lessen somewhat. After all, with the saber gone, the Heaven-Reliant Sword was just a divine weapon, no longer able to unlock the treasure, and those lurking in the shadows naturally decreased.
Even so, the Emei Sect's situation wasn't particularly good. The Wudang's destruction of the saber set a precedent, making Emei's exclusive hold on the Heaven-Reliant Sword seem narrow-minded by comparison.
This led to a perception in the martial world that the Emei Sect was nothing more than petty thieves, severely damaging their reputation. Facing such embarrassment, the Emei Sect's leader decided to let Emei fade from the limelight for a while.
Dugu Yihe continued to seal the mountain gate to avoid the storm. Even when Song Yuanqiao and others sent invitations, they were politely declined. The reason for their invitation was simple: they wanted to examine the Heaven-Reliant Sword's material to see if it was a spiritual item like the Dragon-Slaying Saber!
Rumors in the martial world suggested that the Heaven-Reliant Sword and the Dragon-Slaying Saber were forged by the same master craftsman. If they came from the same furnace, this speculation was likely true.
Song Yuanqiao and the others knew that Ning Changge had forged the Gold Edge Sword and the Qingyuan Sword from the remnants of the Dragon-Slaying Saber, greatly enhancing his strength. They wanted to do more for their junior brother.
If the Heaven-Reliant Sword was indeed what their junior brother needed, they would propose a trade with Emei. After all, a divine weapon like the Heaven-Reliant Sword was at most comparable to the Seven-Star Sword in their hands, and with some added conditions, a deal could be made. Unfortunately, Emei refused to see anyone, leaving them with no opportunity.
They originally thought they could visit once Emei reopened, but unexpectedly, they received news of Emei's destruction. Song Yuanqiao's expression was grave: "The Emei Sect isn't weak, with many disciples, especially the leader Dugu Yihe, whose dual-wielding sword and saber techniques are renowned in the martial world. To silently wipe out Emei would require at least a top-tier Heaven-Man expert, if not more!"
"Perhaps even stronger forces were involved!" He then showed a puzzled look. "But the question is, why would such powerful forces target Emei? When did Emei provoke such a formidable enemy?"
The Emei Sect, though known for their strictness and occasional arrogance, had never been known to make such enemies, as far as he knew. Song Yuanqiao seemed worried. He feared this incident might affect Wudang, and if a great calamity befell the martial world, Wudang couldn't remain uninvolved.
Ning Changge chuckled softly, feeling little about Emei's destruction, as they had no real connection. He found Song Yuanqiao's concern amusing. "Senior Brother, you might be overthinking.
Consider this: if Emei didn't provoke such strong enemies, then the forces involved might be acting out of greed, indicating that Emei had something they wanted."
Ning Changge subtly hinted. Song Yuanqiao's eyes lit up: "You mean, the Heaven-Reliant Sword!"
"But with the Dragon-Slaying Saber destroyed, the Heaven-Reliant Sword alone shouldn't hold such allure, should it?" Ning Changge simply smiled: "The rumor that both the saber and sword are needed to unlock the treasure is just hearsay. What if one alone can do it?"
"Moreover, the treasure is just a martial world legend. Perhaps the forces involved know more secrets about the saber and sword, giving them a motive to act." Song Yuanqiao suddenly understood. "Junior Brother, you're so clever!"
"This indeed seems likely." He couldn't sit still. "No, I must take the junior disciples down the mountain to find the Heaven-Reliant Sword. If it falls into the wrong hands, it will cause chaos again, making our risk in destroying the saber at Tianzhu Peak seem pointless!"
He spoke righteously. However, Ning Changge saw through his intentions, knowing his senior brother wanted to see if they could bring the Heaven-Reliant Sword back to Wudang. With the sword in Emei's hands, it wouldn't be right to take it by force, as Wudang was a sacred Daoist land. But now that it was ownerless, they could rightfully claim it if found.
For Ning Changge, these senior brothers went to great lengths.
Ning Changge had done much for Wudang, and they wanted to repay him as much as possible. Ning Changge didn't expose Song Yuanqiao's thoughts, merely smiling and saying, "It's a good opportunity to take the third-generation disciples down the mountain for some experience."
Song Yuanqiao nodded hastily and dashed off, as if the Heaven-Reliant Sword would be snatched away if he delayed.
Before leaving, he even took two ounces of Ning Changge's spiritual tea, making Ning Changge chuckle.
Since Wudang became a spiritual land, the cultivation speed of spiritual tea had greatly increased, and its quality had improved two or three times compared to the original variety, aiding martial cultivation. The Seven Heroes of Wudang often came to enjoy it.
He shook his head, not dwelling on Emei's destruction. To him, it was just a minor episode. Even if the Heaven-Reliant Sword was a spiritual item like the Dragon-Slaying Saber, he wouldn't demand it excessively. If he obtained it, it was his fortune; if not, it was fate.