At this moment, Ning Fa looked at the blue-skirted young girl who had also let out a sigh of relief.
"You recognize me?"
The blue-skirted young girl immediately smiled charmingly, "Who doesn't know Senior Ning's great name now?"
Ning Fa chuckled, no longer bothering with the two of them, and walked straight into Sword Training Valley.
Although he had never forgotten about taking revenge on the Pei Family.
However, this was currently the mountain gate of the Spiritual Pivot Pavilion, and Pei Ruiqing was a core disciple of the Spiritual Pivot Pavilion.
He had to consider the Spiritual Pivot Pavilion and Hermit Xuyuan, especially since he had received considerable favor from the Spiritual Pivot Pavilion. If he were to make a move against Pei Ruiqing, it would be difficult to explain to them.
Pei Ruiqing also felt as if he had been granted a great pardon, quickly conjuring his escape light and hastily departing.
Soon, Ning Fa passed through the barrier outside Sword Training Valley and entered it using the elder token that Sang Wen had given him.
Looking around, the valley was filled with a faint gray mist, obscuring the specific scenery within. Vaguely, a winding bluestone path could be seen extending deep into the valley.
On the valley walls along the path, some openings had been carved out, and sharp sword cries could faintly be heard from within.
At this moment, Ning Fa's expression shifted. He felt another slight movement from his Sword Soul Pearl, and whatever was attracting it seemed to be deep within this valley.
Just as Ning Fa stepped forward, a grey-robed cultivator approached him, seemingly slowly but actually with urgency, and respectfully bowed, "Greetings, Senior Ning."
The person was slightly hunched, with graying hair, and was at the peak of the Late Core Formation stage.
Uniquely, this person had their eyes covered with a piece of gray cloth, it was unclear if it was due to an eye ailment or some other special circumstance.
"Who are you?" Ning Fa asked, his expression unchanged.
"This junior is the guardian of Sword Training Valley, Ni Yan. Elder Sang had informed this junior earlier that Senior Ning was very likely to come here and asked me to make preparations for your reception. You have indeed arrived, Senior," Ni Yan said respectfully.
"Ning is indeed very interested in this Sword Training Valley. I trouble you, fellow Daoist, to introduce it to me," Ning Fa said with a faint smile.
"Of course," Ni Yan made a gesture of invitation and led the way forward.
"Senior Ning, our Sword Training Valley has a total of nine sword valleys, divided into three grades: Heaven, Earth, and Human. Each grade has three sword valleys. These sword valleys contain special sword tempering methods used to hone the minds and swordsmanship of the sword cultivator disciples."
As Ni Yan led Ning Fa forward, he introduced the various sword valleys on both sides.
Before long, the two reached the end of Sword Training Valley, having passed all nine sword valleys.
Ni Yan respectfully said, "May I ask which sword valley Senior Ning intends to visit?"
Ning Fa's eyes showed contemplation. He could feel that the thing causing the Sword Soul Pearl's movement was likely not in those nine sword valleys.
With this thought, he immediately released his Spiritual Sense and probed deeper into the valley.
Then, his eyes brightened, and he looked forward, "I see another sword valley about several hundred feet ahead. What place is that?"
"Senior Ning indeed possesses powerful Divine Abilities. That sword valley has been sealed by this pavilion with a special barrier. I didn't expect Senior to discover it," Ni Yan said, surprised.
"Sealed? Why is that?" Ning Fa asked, somewhat puzzled.
"It's mainly because that sword valley is too ferocious; ordinary cultivators cannot withstand its Sword Intent. Previously, several disciples of our pavilion entered it to temper their swordsmanship and were killed by the backlash of violent Sword Intent, including a Nascent Soul elder. Therefore, the Pavilion Master later ordered this sword valley to be sealed." Ni Yan answered truthfully.
"Oh, I see. But Ning is very interested in this sword valley. May I go in and take a look?" Ning Fa's eyes flickered slightly.
Ni Yan hesitated for just a moment before nodding, "Since Senior Ning has spoken, then it is naturally possible."
Saying this, he continued to lead the way forward.
Before long, the two arrived before what seemed to be an ordinary valley wall.
As Ni Yan performed several Hand Seals, the valley wall in front of them rippled with spiritual light, revealing a blood-red gate several feet high.
With a creak, the blood-red gate slowly opened.
"Senior Ning, be careful!" Ni Yan suddenly shouted, and he also summoned a black shield-like Magic Treasure to block in front of him.
Immediately after, a fierce sword energy, as if it had substance, rushed towards them.
Ning Fa stood with his hands behind his back, making no defensive moves, but this fierce sword energy shattered before it could even approach him.
Ni Yan glanced at Ning Fa, noticing his slight surprise, and then led the way inside.
This sword valley was only several hundred feet in size, and the surrounding walls were covered with deep sword marks. At this moment, they emitted waves of blood-red sword light as if breathing.
Just looking at these sword marks made Ning Fa's eyes sting slightly, causing him to inwardly shiver. The person who left these sword marks had an absolutely high level of swordsmanship.
At this time, his Sword Soul Pearl was emitting a bright white light within his Storage Ring, with sword shadows rapidly moving on its surface. Clearly, whatever was attracting it was here.
Ni Yan had already lowered his head deeply, seemingly not daring to look at these sword marks.
"Who left these sword marks?" Ning Fa asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Regarding the Sword Demon, have you, Senior Ning, heard of him? After all, he originated from the Jiang Kingdom. These sword marks were left by him."
Ni Yan's reply greatly surprised Ning Fa.
"It's the Sword Demon!"
Ning Fa was very familiar with this Sword Demon. He did indeed hail from their Jiang Kingdom and possessed exceptionally high talent in the Way of the Sword.
In the past, seeking revenge for the annihilation of his clan, he had wreaked havoc in the Jiang Kingdom, leading to a joint encirclement by the five Nascent Soul sects of the Jiang Kingdom. His whereabouts became unknown afterward.
There were even rumors that an elder of the Giant Sword Gate's Nascent Soul stage, cherishing his talent in the Way of the Sword, had secretly hidden him, which led to the other four major sects jointly demanding his surrender.
Ning Fa also had a significant connection with the Sword Demon, as the Myriad Swords Diagram he had previously obtained came from this very Sword Demon.
Later, by chance, he obtained another Myriad Swords Diagram in the Nine Dragons Sea. The two fused together, eventually tracing back to form this Sword Soul Pearl.
He hadn't expected that this Sword Soul Pearl would now be stirred by the sword marks left by the Sword Demon.
Ning Fa didn't immediately investigate the reason. Instead, he asked, "Why did the Sword Demon appear in your Spiritual Pivot Pavilion?"
Ni Yan replied, "Actually, I'm not entirely clear on the reason.
About two hundred years ago, Elder Li from our Pavilion brought back a person, and that person was the Sword Demon.
Although he was also in the Nascent Soul realm at the time, he was severely injured and even in a state of madness.
However, Elder Li valued his talent in the Way of the Sword and still wanted to try and save him.
Later, it was discovered that the special sword energy in Sword Training Valley could help suppress his madness, so they opened a sword valley here and confined him.
But after a year, the Sword Demon mysteriously disappeared, leaving only these sword marks behind.
In fact, the sword energy emanating from these sword marks wasn't this fierce initially, which is why the Pavilion Master ordered it to be opened to ordinary disciples. But later, for some unknown reason, the sword energy here became increasingly fierce.
The Pavilion Master originally intended to destroy this place, but perhaps due to other considerations, he ultimately sealed it off."
Upon hearing this, Ning Fa's gaze flickered.
This Sword Demon definitely held secrets. He might have even gone to the Nine Dragons Sea in the past, otherwise, how would he have obtained that Myriad Swords Diagram?
"I understand. Fellow Daoist, please leave first. Ning intends to observe this place for a while," Ning Fa said, his expression unchanged.
Ni Yan reminded him, "Be careful, Senior Ning."
With that, he retreated, and the blood-red gate closed again.
The surrounding dense blood-red sword light surged towards Ning Fa like fierce fish smelling blood.
However, golden electric light flashed around Ning Fa, easily shattering these blood-red sword lights.
At this moment, Ning Fa waved his hand in front of him, and a white, misty sphere appeared in a burst of light—it was the Sword Soul Pearl.
The Sword Soul Pearl emitted a bright white light and began to fly around the cave with a "whoosh." Ning Fa stared intently.
Before long, the Sword Soul Pearl suddenly stopped in front of a sword mark. As its white light flickered, the sword mark also lit up with a dazzling blood-red sword light, as if mirroring it.
Following that, an object flew out from the sword mark. It was a black, iron-like piece about the size of a finger.
Before Ning Fa could examine the black iron piece closely, it instantly flew into the Sword Soul Pearl and disappeared.
Concurrently, the white sword shadows on the surface of the Sword Soul Pearl flickered wildly as if boiling.
Ning Fa merely furrowed his brow slightly at this, making no other move.
After a while, the area around the Sword Soul Pearl returned to calm. At the same time, Ning Fa immediately felt that the fierce sword energy in the cave had significantly weakened.
Ning Fa narrowed his eyes slightly, then beckoned with one hand. The Sword Soul Pearl flew back to him.
Despite Ning Fa's careful observation, he couldn't discern any difference from its original state.
Just then, his eyebrows suddenly shot up, because the Source-Crossing Heavenly Book in his sea of consciousness had also stirred.
A divine light flashed in Ning Fa's eyes. With a thought, the Source-Crossing Heavenly Book slowly appeared before him. Its surface flickered with white light, revealing a pattern of this Sword Soul Pearl.
Then, the white light extended, and another seemingly identical white pearl pattern appeared below it.
A profound piece of information then appeared in Ning Fa's sea of consciousness:
"Initial-stage Sword Origin Pearl. Can be traced back with one Fourth-grade Origin Point and three hundred Third-Tier Origin Points."
"Sword Origin Pearl?..."
Ning Fa looked at the Source-Crossing Heavenly Book before him, somewhat astonished.
He hadn't expected that after the original Sword Soul Pearl integrated with that black iron piece, it could be traced back again. And it required Fourth-grade Origin Points, which was enough to show the extraordinary nature of this Sword Soul Pearl.
Ning Fa's expression turned solemn, his eyes lost in thought.
He now vaguely felt that the Sword Demon was likely closely related to the now-destroyed Lingxu Sword Pavilion.
That black iron piece was very likely an item from the Lingxu Sword Pavilion.
And it must be very special, which was why the Sword Soul Pearl could be upgraded into this higher-tier spiritual material—the Sword Origin Pearl—after integrating with it.
In that case, this Sword Origin Pearl was likely also used for tempering Sword Intent. Judging by the high Origin Points required for tracing it back, the effect of the Sword Origin Pearl was likely incomparable to the Sword Soul Pearl.
Thinking of this, Ning Fa's heart couldn't help but race.
After all, the Source-Crossing Heavenly Book currently had one Fourth-grade Origin Point and several hundred Third-Tier Origin Points, which were exactly enough for tracing back.