"Where does my martial path stand now?" Lin Fei inquired, fixing his gaze upon his revered master, Zhao Kongming, the leader of the Nine Profound Sect.

"Why do you ask?" Lin Fei responded.

"Great Chang is now teeming with formidable experts. From the Golden Core True Persons of the Immortal Dao to the Martial Sovereigns of the Martial Dao. Their numbers are vast. If Elder Lin continues to display such dominance, I fear..."

The leader of the Nine Profound Sect left his sentence hanging, but his meaning was evident. They wished to ascertain Lin Fei's true strength, to determine if he could withstand the pressure from such numerous powerful figures. Otherwise, if Lin Fei boldly made declarations, yet the pinnacle of martial artists broke through the Nine Profound Sect's gates, disaster would ensue.

Lin Fei remained silent. Instead, Shen Lianxin spoke coolly, "Above a Martial Saint are the Martial Sovereign and the Martial King. And Brother Lin is unmatched beneath the Martial King."

Shen Lianxin's succinct words caused a ripple of shock to surge through the hearts of the sect leader and Zhao Kongming.

Unmatched beneath the Martial King! In just two years, Lin Fei had progressed from a mere Martial Saint to becoming unparalleled beneath a Martial King?

Shen Lianxin was a man of his word, never one for exaggeration. If he proclaimed Lin Fei as "unmatched beneath the Martial King," it would likely be the undeniable truth.

Though they were astounded, on reflection, Lin Fei's rapid progression from a mere body-cultivating martial artist to the unparalleled saber saint of the Nine Profound Sect in Great Chang was no less astonishing.

"Ha! Unparalleled beneath the Martial King!" the sect leader exclaimed. "Splendid! The misfortune of the Hidden Sword Sect is deeply unsettling. Currently, all of Great Chang is on edge. We fume in silence. However, with Elder Lin's return, hope was rekindled.

The Golden Core True Person responsible for obliterating the Hidden Sword Sect is called True Person Youming. Presently, he dominates the Hidden Sword Sect. It was also this True Person Youming who took the life of Liu Yibai. Moreover, the True Person Youming leads a group that includes eight Golden Core True Persons. They rank among the most powerful forces in all of Great Chang, a force even those Martial Sovereigns and Golden Cores revere."

The Nine Profound Sect leader recounted the calamitous events that befell Liu Yibai and the Hidden Sword Sect in detail.

"Youming..." Lin Fei's eyes turned icy. In an instant, he transformed into a streak of light, soaring away from the Nine Profound Sect. As he departed, he left behind a message for Shen Lianxin, "Brother Shen, watch over the Nine Profound Sect for me. I shall make a brief visit to the Hidden Sword Sect and return shortly."

His voice echoed in the ears of the onlookers as his silhouette vanished into the horizon.

...

At the foot of the Hidden Sword Sect's mountain, Lin Fei initially flew directly toward the sect's location. However, upon nearing the base of the mountain, he suddenly sensed a familiar aura. Drawn to this energy, he ventured to the base of the Hidden Sword Sect's mountain. There, he discovered a solitary grave, standing desolate in the wilderness. Its simplicity was heartrending.

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Not too far from the grave, there was a faint murmur of voices. Lin Fei chose to ignore it and approached the grave instead. There was a wooden board placed in front, inscribed with the words: "Grave of Liu Yibai Sword Saint of Hidden Sword Sect."

The realization dawned upon him that this solitary grave belonged to Liu Yibai. The grand Sword Saint of the Hidden Sword Sect was laid to rest in such a desolate grave.

"Did you dig this grave?" Lin Fei noticed a figure lurking in the distant bushes. It was a young man. His once pristine white clothes were now tainted with dirt and grime, bearing a rather haggard appearance.

"Yes, I did. Who are you?" the young man replied with caution.

"I could be considered a friend of Brother Liu," Lin Fei responded gently.

"You knew my master?" the young man seemed to recognize Lin Fei. "Then you must be a grandmaster! I indeed dug this grave. I am also a disciple of the Hidden Sword Sect. I was away during the disaster and hence survived. When I returned covertly to the sect, I only found Master's two broken swords. So, it's not him buried here, but his swords. Master's body is nowhere to be found."

The young man's voice quivered with rage and pain, the once glorious disciples of the Hidden Sword Sect now reduced to such a tragic state. But Lin Fei admired the young man's audacity. Not even being at the Innate stage, just an acquired disciple, he had dared to stealthily enter the Hidden Sword Sect.

"Weren't you aware that the Hidden Sword Sect is occupied by several Golden Core True Persons?" Lin Fei questioned. "How did you manage to sneak in without being detected?"

"I've been watching from the foot of the mountain. There are eight of them. I hid for over ten days and saw a dominating light flying out of the Hidden Sword Sect. Guessing they had departed, I ventured up the mountain," the young disciple elaborated.

Lin Fei understood. The disciple had waited patiently for the right moment, only climbing up after True Person Youming had left.

"Where is the True Person Youming now?" Lin Fei inquired further.

"They returned to the Hidden Sword Sect," the young disciple informed.

"Why didn't you leave?"

"I won't leave. I am an orphan, and since childhood, the Hidden Sword Sect has been my home," the young man's voice choked with emotion. "Now, with my master, elders, and sect leader dead, I stay here. Once those villains leave, I plan to climb back up, hoping to retrieve and properly bury the swords or bodies of more elders."

Lin Fei fell silent. The young disciple from the Hidden Sword Sect had evidently moved beyond the concerns of life and death. Perhaps his only resolve was to keep watch over these graves, ensuring that more members of the Hidden Sword Sect would be laid to rest.

However, as Lin Fei gazed at Liu Yibai's grave, he suddenly reached out and slapped it. The grave crumbled.

"What are you doing?" The young man's eyes went red with rage, and he drew his sword swiftly and aimed it at Lin Fei. But just as he was about to strike, he felt his body go rigid, unable to move.

Staring at the two broken swords inside the grave, Lin Fei was all too familiar with them. With a simple gesture, the swords flew into his hands. "Indeed, it's Brother Liu's sword. Shouldn't the swords of the Hidden Sword Sect be buried in the Sword Tomb? Only there, I believe, would Brother Liu rest in peace."

"Sword Tomb? Since you know about it, you must truly be a friend of the master," the disciple remarked. "But the Hidden Sword Sect is occupied by those villains. Taking the sword to the Sword Tomb is difficult."

The young man now realized that Lin Fei wasn't an enemy. Lin Fei released him, looking towards the entrance of the Hidden Sword Sect. "The first time I came to Hidden Sword Sect, I visited the Sword Tomb. I never imagined that upon my return, everything would be so changed. Come, I'll take you to the Sword Tomb. Once we've dealt with these Golden Core cultivators, you can remain here and rebuild the Hidden Sword Sect. I believe Brother Liu would be proud to know of a disciple like you."

With that, Lin Fei reached out and pulled the disciple into the void. In the next moment, with a single step, they soared into the sky, heading towards the Hidden Sword Sect's entrance.

Watching Lin Fei fly effortlessly, the young disciple was overwhelmed. "Who are you, senior? Only a Martial Saint can tread the sky like this. In the entirety of Great Chang, there were only three Martial Saints: my master, and Saber Saint Lin from Nine Profound Sect. Maybe there's also a mysterious Shen-named Martial Saint, but they've never been seen... Could you be..."

Lin Fei nodded calmly, "It seems there are still those in Great Chang who remember me."

The realization hit the young disciple hard, and his eyes widened in astonishment. The legend, Saber Saint Lin Fei, had returned!