"Heh heh. Is there a rule that says a human can’t be the High Priest of the Beast Race?"
The High Priest chuckled softly. "If I weren’t human, how could I have t with you so easily?"
"Aren’t you worried in the slightest?" Ling Xiao asked. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll return to human territory and leak all your secrets?"
"You won’t, though. Will you?" The High Priest offered a placid smile, her voice full of confidence.
"..."
Ling Xiao stared speechlessly at this woman who was the spitting image of Ye Zi. He couldn’t see a single trace of ti’s passage on her face, but he knew in his heart, ’This woman... is definitely not young.’ He knew because he himself was also an... old soul hidden in a young body.
"As a human, you were able to help when mbers of the Beast Race were in danger, and you even saved those two Leopard People who were on the brink of death. This shows you aren’t the bloodthirsty type. Furthermore, I heard from Mad Leopard of the Leopardman Race that you’re not as obsessed with riches as the typical human Adventurer. Therefore, I surmise you’ve co to Penzes Swamp for training, yes? A brave young man, unafraid of death! Though I’m more inclined to believe your boldness stems from your great skill."
The High Priest spoke in a soft, low voice. "In truth, I don’t care if you go back to human territory and reveal our secrets. Do you know why, for thousands of years, no news from this place has ever reached the human world?"
Ling Xiao shook his head. "Is it because of all the powerful Magical Beasts running rampant in the swamp?"
The High Priest nodded, then shook her head. "The powerful Magical Beasts can stop the Adventurers who venture deep into the swamp to hunt for treasure, but they cannot stop the true experts!"
Ling Xiao thought for a mont, his mind turning to the hidden clans and sects. He nodded in understanding. ’Indeed,’ he thought, ’if an expert like a Sword Emperor, Sword Venerable... or even a Sword Saint wanted to enter the swamp’s depths, I’m afraid nothing could stop them!’
The High Priest smiled. "A secret told is no longer a secret. It’s actually quite simple. Penzes Swamp, like Vendia Great Snow Mountain, is known as one of the continent’s ten great forbidden lands. They are also the two forbidden lands within the Lanyue Empire. But as for what makes them truly magical... not many people actually know!"
"Oh?" Ling Xiao gave the High Priest a skeptical look, his mind racing.
’I’ve set foot in both of the Lanyue Empire’s great forbidden lands. It’s true there are countless powerful Magical Beasts, and while I only ascended a single main peak of Vendia Great Snow Mountain and didn’t venture deep into the range, I never sensed anything particularly magical about either place.
’Penzes Swamp is the sa. It’s full of aquatic Magical Beasts, many of them powerful enough to make one tremble with fear. But aside from that, I haven’t noticed anything else that’s unusual.
’There were plenty of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, a bountiful harvest for , but in the eyes of this world’s people, those are probably just common plants. They wouldn’t qualify as the ’magical’ thing the High Priest is talking about!’
The High Priest smiled. "There’s no harm in telling you. The magic of Vendia Great Snow Mountain stems from a legend! It is said that long ago, in the Ancient Era, all the native inhabitants of the Canglan Continent possessed imnse power. When I say native inhabitants, I’m not just referring to the Human Race, but also... the Beast Race, the Elf Race, the Dragon Race, the Sea Race, and many others. In fact, humanity was not considered the most powerful race back then. Even the elegant Elf Race was stronger! But humanity’s ability to learn was sothing no other race could hope to match. From the Beast Race, they learned thods to strengthen their bodies. From the Elves, they learned their elegant and noble ways, as well as Magic. From the Dragon Race, they learned various kinds of Dragon Language Magic. And from the Sea Race, they learned how to conquer the seas..."
The High Priest calmly recounted a tale Ling Xiao had never heard before. Unlike the people of the Canglan Continent, who believed the other races existed but largely dismissed the ancient myths as re stories, Ling Xiao was different. His soul was not from this world, and he himself was a cultivator who defied the heavens. As such, he could listen to even the most incredible-sounding tales with rapt attention.
"Humans also created a powerful skill of their own: the sword techniques that nearly everyone on the continent today knows a little sothing about! So powerful individuals even integrated Magic into their sword techniques, creating a variety of even more formidable styles! Sword techniques are a creation that truly belongs to the Human Race. That is why, when the Ancient Era ca to an end, Magic was lost to the river of ti, but sword techniques... were preserved."
The High Priest smiled as she spoke. "Are you thinking this story has nothing to do with Vendia Great Snow Mountain?"
Ling Xiao just smiled and didn’t answer. When it ca to patience, he wasn’t afraid of a contest with anyone.
The High Priest was quite pleased with Ling Xiao’s reaction. Her beautiful lips curved into a graceful arc. "Legend has it that deep within Vendia Great Snow Mountain lies a hidden... Divine Temple from the Ancient Era. And within that temple are countless... sword techniques, Cultivation Techniques, and even... Magic Secret Manuals, all left behind from that ti!"
"A Divine Temple?"
Ling Xiao’s brow furrowed slightly. This was the first he’d ever heard of such a thing. During his ti in Penzes City, he had collected a large number of books in his spare ti, including more than a few rare and incomplete volus. It seed that, just like his sister Ling Su, Ling Xiao had a natural interest in the history of the continent’s Ancient Era!
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