“You scoundrel, truly no one can gain even half an advantage over you, Jin Buhui.”

As the voice finished, a figure abruptly strode into the main hall, murmuring coolly, “I have long heard that Brother Long of the Lingyun Sect is a man of deep self-cultivation, always meticulous from start to finish. But seeing you now, I am truly disappointed. I originally had no intention of interfering in this matter, but since my junior brother has already spoken, then Shen Huai cannot stand idly by either. I wonder, Brother Long, could you grant Shen Huai some face and refrain from bullying the juniors?”

Long Ruo’s face instantly cycled through shades of green and white; he wanted to explain, yet found himself at a loss for words.

Finally, it was Han Nishui who spoke, his voice frigid, “Brother Shen, Brother Su, you two step forward on behalf of your sect. But do you even know what kind of figure this Fiend King of Qiantian truly is?”

Su Chen scoffed at the words, unwilling to waste any more breath on these people. Shen Huai merely chuckled coldly, “I care not what manner of person he is, but since my junior brother values him so highly, even going so far as to borrow my strength—it seems this Highness’s character must not be entirely wicked. Furthermore, stop calling me ‘Brother’ in the future. You, Han Nishui, are unworthy—”

Han Nishui’s teeth instantly ground together with a loud clack. Long Ruo’s expression grew even more gloomy.

After a moment of contemplation, he departed without a word, pacing into another chamber. Li Yuan Dan and Han Nishui, sensing they would gain no advantage against these three, could only glare fiercely at Zong Shou in resignation before following Long Ruo.

Ancestor Kuang, however, knitted his brows tightly, completely taken aback by the turn of events that day.

His senior brother Long’s reaction just now was far more unusual than normal, crossing a certain line.

Still, it was not appropriate for him to speak with Zong Shou at this moment. The honor of the Lingyun Sect needed upholding, so he could only manage a bitter smile before also sweeping away with a flourish of his sleeve.

The remaining three said nothing further. They merely offered Zong Shou a smile before dispersing. At most, He Xueying offered a quiet “Be careful,” and Su Chen added a parting, “Let’s chat again another day.”

Zong Shou felt gratitude but did not show it, merely offering a faint nod in acknowledgment.

After the three departed, he patted Jin Buhui’s shoulder. The latter immediately smiled, “This is what I owe you; remember, there is still one life I haven't repaid you.”

Zong Shou couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh; with that token allowing free passage through space, repaying the life he owed would not be easy.

He then fell silent, focusing intently on the illuminated wall again. Just as Jin Buhui and the other two were about to grow weary from finding nothing unusual, Zong Shou also withdrew his gaze. He had roughly familiarized himself with the section on the Ninth-Ninth Dragon Shadow Sword’s General Principles.

What came next were the remaining eight sword techniques of the Ninth-Ninth Dragon Shadow Sword.

The second chamber, where he viewed the images, held the Platinum Dragon Sword, some stances of which he had already grasped. Whether due to prior familiarity or mastering the general principles, it was true that after only two and a half hours, and after the depiction on the wall had repeated only three times, he had fully comprehended everything.

To his pleasant surprise, Zong Shou’s soul sense had actually increased significantly throughout the day, having endured the pressure of the Martial Saint’s lingering intent emanating from the stone walls.

Following this, Zong Shou’s speed in deciphering the wall carvings grew ever faster. The third chamber contained the Mystic Yin Dragon Sword. Zong Shou only spent two hours to mostly memorize it.

When he reached the fourth, the Cold Profound Chi Dragon Sword, it took him only an hour and a half to finish.

In the final few chambers, no matter how complex the sword form, it required only an hour. The depicted image needed to be seen only once.

Of course, this was merely ‘memorizing’; fully grasping its profound mystery, let alone mastering and applying it completely, still required considerable time for contemplation and practice.

At this stage, Zong Shou could barely execute the first or second stance of the nine sword techniques at best.

His seemingly cursory glance initially caused some astonishment among the Celestial Rank experts.

Soon, however, no one paid him any mind, assuming that since Zong Shou possessed no internal energy or vital qi whatsoever, simply being able to remain there was already quite an achievement, let alone observing the projections left by a Martial Saint.

For ordinary people, gazing at them for a few extra moments could lead to soul collapse. The fact that Zong Shou could persist for this long already spoke volumes about his willpower.

As for Long Ruo and his group, they cared even less. They encountered each other a few more times in these chambers, but not a single word was exchanged between them.

Zong Shou ignored them, and no one from Long Ruo’s side bothered to approach him seeking trouble again.

Those who knew the truth, like Zhao Yanran, were filled with suspicion and uncertainty. They pondered if, given Zong Shou’s aptitude, he might have already comprehended all nine chambers and the nine accompanying wall carvings.

If that were the case, Zong Shou truly deserved to be called ‘monstrous’; he was simply too otherworldly.

Zong Shou remained oblivious. By noon on the fourth day, after finishing the Martial Saint’s final recorded projection in the last chamber, he felt that this Ninth-Ninth Dragon Shadow Sword was still missing something.

The changes within the Ninth-Ninth Dragon Shadow Sword should be more than just this. Based on the sword arts and mental techniques he currently practiced, at best, he could only integrate the nine True Dragon Sword Techniques together for mutual enhancement.

The power of these sword forms, even at Zong Shou’s current level, could only reach the peak of the ninth tier, a Heaven-Shaking martial art. He was at the cusp of the tenth tier but ultimately failed to step through.

Yet, in the ancient Primordial Era, the Ninth-Ninth Dragon Shadow Sword was the genuine article, universally acknowledged by all experts as a truly top-tier, tenth-grade ultimate skill!

“Something vital is definitely missing—the most crucial part is absent—”

Zong Shou didn't suspect the Dragon Shadow Elder of hoarding secrets; he was only afraid he had overlooked something.

Without hesitation, he re-entered the first chamber. This time, he proceeded with extreme meticulousness, not allowing even the slightest variation in the sword technique’s transformation to slip by.

He spent a full two days, but when Zong Shou emerged from the final chamber again, he still had gained nothing. Other than a deeper mastery of the nine sword techniques, there was no further discovery.

“Could this set of sword techniques be inherently incomplete? But the Dragon Shadow Elder, if he sought someone to inherit his ultimate skill, shouldn't he withhold this final key—”

He let out another bitter laugh. What manner of person was the Dragon Shadow Elder? A Martial Saint, a figure of such immense power and resounding fame—how could his temperament be something Zong Shou could possibly fathom?

He could only do his best and leave the rest to fate; what he needed to do now was search with all his might. If he could not learn the complete sword art, then that was simply unavoidable.

Zong Shou finally returned to sit before the illuminated wall, staring silently at the true dragon carving, lost in thought.

This was the only place his mind could turn to now.

He recalled that the moment he first looked upon the massive dragon carving on the wall, he felt something was amiss, as if something was missing.

Correlating this with the Ninth-Ninth Dragon Shadow Sword, it also lacked a segment—there must be a connection between the two.

Perhaps the profound secret lay entirely within that wall.

It was on the evening of the sixth day that a kacha-kacha sound echoed once more through the upper cavern.

In the chamber of the Thunder Dragon Sword, another iron door actually opened. This time, Zong Yuan and Gong Yue walked in from outside.

Not only did this surprise Zhao Yanran and her companions, but the Celestial Rank experts also turned their heads, deeply puzzled as to how these two had managed to enter.

However, with Zong Shou and his group having set a high precedent, these two managing to reach the upper level on the sixth day seemed less extraordinary.

Upon learning Zong Shou was present, Zong Yuan let out a long sigh of relief. He forewent contemplating the stone carvings and headed straight for the main hall.

When he saw Zong Shou’s figure seated exactly before that illuminated wall, a flicker of joy finally touched Zong Yuan’s face. He moved to the side, only then sensing something was amiss.

The Zong Shou before him was clearly entranced, the entire person seemingly utterly obsessed, staring fixedly at the illuminated wall.

Even after Zong Yuan stood beside him for a long time, Zong Shou didn't seem to notice; his consciousness appeared to be entirely elsewhere, only the expression in his eyes shifting restlessly—sometimes fervent, sometimes suddenly filled with disappointment.

His hands occasionally moved, gesturing as if calculating or deducing something.

Zong Yuan stood there intently for a moment, then finally smiled faintly. He did not attempt to disturb him, simply turned around, and returned to the chamber of the Thunder Giant Dragon.

By the eighth day, almost everyone in the entire cavern knew that another 'fool' had appeared in this grotto.

Entering this grotto was a once-in-a-century opportunity. In total, there were only nine days. Once the nine days passed, they would be forcibly moved out. There wasn't even enough time to continuously observe the stone wall projections without eating or drinking, so how could anyone afford to spend time on the illuminated wall—which, despite appearing somewhat mystical, was clearly a 'trap' abandoned by everyone?

Observing the images in those stone walls provided tangible benefits; even if one couldn't comprehend the sword techniques, it could enhance their mastery and understanding of martial intent.

What could possibly be in that illuminated wall? Aside from an initial sense of strangeness, it was nothing more than irregularly patterned lines forming a dragon shape.

And Zong Shou had been staring blankly like this not for one or two hours, but for two full days—

There were even gazes laced with ridicule, but since all occupants were elite disciples from various sects and factions, they were all superior in skill and aptitude, and possessed an uncommon level of composure.

At most, this ridicule was confined to exchanged glances and never voiced aloud.

“Is this person an idiot? Why waste so much time on that illuminated wall? Does he really think he’s the only clever person in this world?”

“—Perhaps it’s out of necessity. I observe that this young man has no internal energy or soul power. If he continued watching those Martial Saint projections, he might not even survive until the exit. Choosing the illuminated wall is better than having his soul shattered—”

After the ninth day, even these silent exchanges ceased. Everyone was seizing the final moments, paying no further attention to him.

It was only around noon on the very last day that Zong Shou’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he sprang to his feet.

His Winged Thunder Sword was abruptly drawn, pointing remotely at the illuminated wall before him. (To be continued)