On the Isolated Island behind the Martial Arts Alliance, the sky was gloomy.
Shen Han walked along the island, slowly nodding as he integrated the memories of his predecessor.
"This was my predecessor's decision, and I accept it."
This year, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader demanded that all major sects unite to launch a suppression campaign against the Demonic Path.
As a result, the suppression campaign failed, and anyone with eyes could see that the failure was due to the Martial Arts Alliance's inaction.
However, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader was too powerful, and he demanded that all sects provide an explanation.
Put nicely, it was an explanation; put bluntly, it was voluntarily taking the blame.
Shen Han came from Cangjian Villa, whose master had two sons.
The eldest son possessed exceptional martial arts talent, standing out among his peers.
The younger son, Shen Han, had mediocre martial arts talent.
The suppression campaign had nothing to do with Shen Han; he hadn't even left the villa, yet the villa needed someone to step up and take responsibility.
His predecessor almost instantly volunteered to step forward.
He would bear the blame.
At that time, his uncles, elder cousins, and eldest brother within the family were all shocked.
They never expected Shen Han to step forward.
Without giving anyone present a chance to persuade him otherwise, he stepped forward because it was the best choice.
Though the family was in deep agony, they ultimately accepted Shen Han's decision.
All the descendants of various sects who took responsibility were sent to this place.
Starting three days ago, they were confined here for ten years, forbidden to leave during this period.
"My predecessor traveled all the way here in a frail state, and his body was already weak. He just passed away."
"You could say he did his utmost for Cangjian Villa."
Shen Han left the small courtyard.
He walked toward the edge of the isolated island, catching sight of other descendants from various sects walking around with dazed expressions.
Life on the isolated island was agonizing.
Although one could cultivate, there was no one to guide them; relying solely on oneself was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
The environment on the isolated island was also extremely harsh, scorching hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter.
As for the disciples sent to the isolated island,
except for a tiny fraction of geniuses who refused to let their friends and family bear the blame for them, the vast majority were just like Shen Han.
They lacked martial arts talent and possessed only empty lineage status.
Now they were all arranged to be locked up here in solitary confinement for ten years, completely cut off from the world—it was sheer torture.
"Fortunately, my talent is strong."
Thinking of all this, Shen Han let out a sigh of relief.
In the eyes of the Martial Arts Alliance, he was just like everyone else—an abandoned child of his family, a good-for-nothing.
Let alone cultivating, simply surviving a few years on the isolated island was supposed to be impossible.
In reality, in his past life, he had rescued a drowning child while fishing.
Though he drowned and died in the process, he had brought a cyan bamboo fishing rod with him to this world.
Through fishing, he could obtain bestowed blessings and inheritances.
Unbeknownst to him, Shen Han had already reached the edge of the isolated island, looking at the chilly lake before him.
[Martial Arts Alliance - Cliff Pool]
[Remaining Blessings:]
[Introduction: The cold lake on the isolated island behind the Martial Arts Alliance, ten miles away from a thousand-zhang precipice.]
Shen Han could now fish in the Cliff Pool.
Every treasure obtained through fishing would consume some of the accumulated blessings of this place.
Once the blessings were exhausted, he would need to change locations to fish, but that was a matter for another day.
Right now, Shen Han looked at the lake with utter calmness; that was his own fortune.
The fact that the Martial Arts Alliance Cliff Pool had accumulated a full 110,000 points of blessings showed just how extraordinary the inheritance within it must be.
Therefore, even if he weren't locked up in confinement, he would have found an island in Cangjian Villa to fish on.
Having now found a fairly decent spot, Shen Han retrieved the innate cyan bamboo fishing rod from within his body.
The hook of the cyan bamboo rod gently landed beneath the surface of the water.
Shen Han fixed his eyes on the icy pool water, his expression gradually growing calm.
About an hour passed when he suddenly felt some weight transmitted through the fishing rod.
As the fishing rod was pulled up,
[Congratulations on obtaining the Cliff Pool inheritance!]
[You have learned the cultivation technique "Ten Thousand Swords Return to One"!]
Before Shen Han could recover his senses,
the very next moment,
a thousand miles of glowing clouds suddenly appeared in the sky above the Martial Arts Alliance, the rays shining like swords, piercing the firmament.
The momentum was vast.
The sword intent was awe-inspiring!
At this moment, all the disciples on the isolated island were raising their heads to look at the magnificent spectacle in the sky.
Or rather, not just the disciples on the isolated island—this extended to a radius of a thousand miles around the Martial Arts Alliance!
Regardless of whether they were in cities or small towns, or villagers laboring in the fields, everyone raised their heads in a daze.
Many people even fell to their knees, praying to the miraculous heavenly manifestation for happiness and well-being in the coming year.
As for the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, a middle-aged man with a harsh-featured face, he took a single step and instantly appeared in his courtyard, raising his head to look at the exaggerated, dazzlingly golden sword qi across the firmament.
"The aura of Ten Thousand Swords Return to One!"
Alliance Leader Jian Yunshan recognized what this aura belonged to almost instantly!
It was definitely Ten Thousand Swords Return to One!
Yet Ten Thousand Swords Return to One had been lost for a thousand years!
It was the ultimate technique pioneered by the first Martial Arts Alliance Leader!
It was the sword technique deduced by that founding ancestor after spending a full hundred years observing the changes of heaven and earth!
As heaven and earth shifted and the winds and clouds grew unpredictable, there arose a momentum as if ten thousand swords were returning to one to cleave open the heavens and split the earth!
Yet this sword technique was simply too difficult. Back then, the founding ancestor tried his utmost to pass it down, but to no avail—no one possessed the level of comprehension required to grasp the sword technique of Ten Thousand Swords Return to One!
Jian Yunshan was already a practitioner of the Postnatal realm, possessing overwhelmingly powerful strength capable of casually suppressing the so-called sect masters across the world.
Yet compared to this aura of Ten Thousand Swords Return to One, the difference was truly as vast as heaven and earth.
"Could a disciple have comprehended Ten Thousand Swords Return to One?!"
Thinking of this, Jian Yunshan immediately shook his head.
"Impossible! To truly comprehend Ten Thousand Swords Return to One would require the most terrifyingly monstrous talent!"
"And while the Martial Arts Alliance has many geniuses, not a single one of them is capable of comprehending Ten Thousand Swords Return to One!"
Not only Jian Yunshan, but other Great Elders and elders of the Martial Arts Alliance were also currently shaken to the core.
Never mind failing to fully read the heavenly sword qi—
once they truly comprehended the terror of Ten Thousand Swords Return to One, they suddenly realized what an exaggerated stroke of fortune this was!
After thinking it over carefully, Jian Yunshan was still satisfied: "Heaven blesses my Martial Arts Alliance! Those other sects merely cultivate a bunch of good-for-nothings; only my Martial Arts Alliance shall endure for a thousand autumns and generations!"
He stroked his beard and laughed heartily!
Had he known that the mastermind behind all this was Shen Han, sitting quietly by the riverbank with a fishing rod,
he would probably have been sitting on pins and needles, unable to sleep a wink through the night.
To Shen Han, the sword technique lost for a thousand years melted into his mind at this moment like flowing water.
A split second later, he achieved grand comprehension and absolute perfection!
Even the limits of the cultivation technique that the founding ancestor perhaps never managed to grasp were now completely mastered by Shen Han!
Right now, Shen Han closed his eyes to observe his internal state.
Deep within his body's void, a giant sword grew, towering perhaps ten thousand zhang high.
The giant sword was majestic and imposing, exuding an archaic and vibrant aura of opening heaven and earth and creating nature!
And this towering giant sword required no activation from Shen Han whatsoever!
Merely by virtue of the giant sword's appearance, Shen Han could sense his internal organs being tempered!
Compared to his previous mediocre and ordinary talent, he now appeared even more archaic and restrained.
Without reaching such an expansive state of mind of opening heaven and earth, it would be utterly impossible to detect such a terrifying miracle hidden within Shen Han's body.
"Remarkable."
Realizing this, Shen Han couldn't help but feel amazed.
After the giant sword appeared, he could even sense his body undergoing a process of naturalization!
And this was only the first time fishing.
Thinking further about how justice and evil were irreconcilable in this world, and how the various sects suffered under the pain and indignity inflicted by the Martial Arts Alliance Leader,
in such a chaotic era, demons and evil spectres were everywhere.
Without strength, trying to find a corner of peace and quiet in this world was an absolute impossibility.
Yet at this moment, he had no need for anxiety whatsoever!
[Martial Arts Alliance - Cliff Pool]
[Remaining Blessings: ->]
[Introduction: The cold lake on the isolated island behind the Martial Arts Alliance, ten miles away from a thousand-zhang precipice.]
This time, obtaining Ten Thousand Swords Return to One had consumed 4,000 points of blessings from the Cliff Pool.
That was a huge number.
However, he still had over 100,000 left; through this Cliff Pool moving forward, he would undoubtedly be able to acquire even more treasures!
"What others view as the agonizing torment of solitary confinement on an isolated island is, for me, a place brimming with blessings that can allow me to grow into an unimaginably powerful figure."
"With such strength, where in this world can I not go?"
"With such fortune, I shall also seek out longevity in this lifetime."
"Let's see what the flavor of longevity is like, and watch the rise and fall of the world." Shen Han smiled slightly.
The glowing clouds in the firmament had completely faded by now, and the previously breathtaking scene seemed like nothing more than an illusion.