Song Yan's expression slightly tightened, and his eyebrows slowly furrowed.

Ning Yunmiao asked, "What's wrong?"

Song Yan said, "Senior Sister... aren't you going to check my Life Lamp?"

Ning Yunmiao did not expect the person before her to be so meticulous, able to notice even this.

She was indeed a little worried. On one hand, she trusted her junior brother and didn't believe he was a spy, so she thought of quickly walking him through the procedure to prove his innocence. On the other hand, she couldn't say much more, after all... who would reveal their entire plans before testing someone?

In her moment of surprise, Song Yan had already understood something. He smiled and said, "Indeed, the Life Lamp is merely a basic item, Senior Sister hopes to bring me to entry-level soon."

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

He stood up and bowed deeply.

Unexpectedly, Ning Yunmiao also returned the gesture, then looked at Song Yan with a serious expression and said, "As long as Junior Brother devotes himself to the sword and does not stray into crooked paths, no one will dare move against you."

Their eyes met, and there was much unspoken between them.

Song Yan was the first to lower his gaze and said, "Junior Brother devotes himself to the sword."

Ning Yunmiao said, "Then Senior Sister will vouch for you."

"Thank you..."

"In this vast Star Sea, being able to forge such a bond deserves extra cherishing. What is there to be thankful for? Just don't disappoint me, otherwise... I'll be the first to kill you!"

By the end of her words, there was a full display of storm and thunder, without any reservation.

Song Yan nodded, then took a deep breath.

Being here, he felt at ease, and the initial nervousness from arriving in an unfamiliar place was gradually fading away. He became calm once again.

Both of them turned into streams of light, swiftly moving.

On the way, Ning Yunmiao reminded, "The intent precedes the Talisman. In the Sword Tomb, all buried are the predecessors of our Sword Palace, as well as some elders who deserve respect. Their intents intertwine here and are influenced by the Sword Tomb itself, making it extremely suitable for our Sword Palace's cultivation. During this journey, regardless of whose intent you comprehend, you can use it to suppress any potential Sword Qi disturbances in your practice of the 'Myriad Stars Melting Furnace Technique'."

"Yes, Senior Sister." Song Yan listened patiently.

...

...

Vast Sea Domain, Celestial Wondrous Sword Palace, Sword Tomb...

This place was not shrouded in darkness with crows flying chaotically; instead, it was sunny with blue skies and white clouds.

On the lush, carpet-like green grass were towering Sword Steles measuring a thousand feet high. The steles pierced into the azure clouds, surrounded by swirling winds, while occasionally Cultivators stood before them, pondering, meditating, or rejoicing, each with different expressions.

From a high vantage point, with a slight sweep of Divine Sense, one could see many such Sword Steles, and beyond the reach of Divine Sense, there were still more.

This Sword Tomb was clearly also a super large Secret Realm, spanning at least tens of thousands of miles.

Tap...

Straw sandals landed on a hard cliff, Ning Yunmiao's black hair slightly floating. She looked towards Song Yan and said, "In this place, go with the flow, stop and start. If you encounter a suitable Sword Intent, then stop; if you encounter an unsuitable one, don't fear getting hurt. Once the Life Lamp is lit, its power will naturally protect you in times of danger, helping you avert these minor crises. This is also a feature of our Sword Palace."

Song Yan focused on the distance, his black hair wildly fluttering, his Divine Sense probing around. Suddenly, he asked, "Where is Senior Gu Mohan's tomb?"

Ning Yunmiao's face showed a peculiar expression at his words, but she did not ask and instead said, "Follow me."

A moment later...

Two figures landed in front of a new tomb.

The Sword Stele behind the tomb had no name, merely affected by the power of the bones buried there, producing cracks as they emerged.

These cracks would eventually transform into Sword Patterns, secretly containing the insights of the tomb's owner from their lifetime.

These insights were particularly harmonious with the sword because of the Sword Tomb.

Gu Mohan was not a member of the Celestial Wondrous Sword Palace but was a close friend of Ning Daozhen, a unique, mysterious, and powerful Cultivator from the Myriad Swords Star Realm. For this reason, the Celestial Wondrous Sword Palace went across vast distances to retrieve his remains and bury them here.

Incense in the censer before the tomb had reduced to ashes recently.

Song Yan looked around in a daze.

Ning Yunmiao understood, grabbed a handful of incense, and handed it over.

Song Yan thanked her, then took the incense, lit it, and inserted it into the censer, watching as the smoke gently climbed up the Sword Stele and seeped softly into the cracks.

For a moment, Song Yan felt a little dazed.

Though he had never met the late Senior Gu Mohan, all three major opportunities in his life were related to him.

Ning Daozhen's reminder allowed him to become fully aware of the Formless Ancestor's ill intentions towards him; Ning Daozhen's Token ultimately helped him escape from a world on the verge of total destruction, bringing him here. Both stemmed from Gu Mohan's white bone fragments washed ashore by the Sea of Suffering. Furthermore, Gu Mohan's very bones later helped him shed his shackles, attain "Freedom," and solve the threat of the terrifying Fire Demon Dragon.

Strictly speaking, due to Gu Mohan's existence, he received a guiding grace, a life-saving grace, and a rebirth grace.

How truly humorous it was that, in that world, the one who treated him the best and helped him the most was a... man who had already died, never spoken a word to him, and whom he never even knew.

Cause and Effect is unexplainable and indefinable; with such a cause, there must be an effect.

Song Yan closed his eyes, knelt before the Sword Stele, earnestly clasped his hands together, and knocked his head on the ground a few times.

Ning Yunmiao looked at the side of the young man's face, amazed, "Junior Brother couldn't possibly have met Senior Gu Mohan, so why be so sincere?"

After bowing, Song Yan stood up.

He picked and chose, recounting most of his experiences, only concealing his astonishing wisdom and the terrifying characteristics of "Freedom"—controlling and possessing at will.

Ning Yunmiao listened quietly, and after listening, there was a hint of sympathy in her eyes, and she sighed lightly, "I didn't expect Junior Brother to have such nine lives threatening experience, indeed you and Senior Gu Mohan have an inexplicable bond, but alas..."

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