Zong Zheng took the immortal stone that recorded the life of the Nine-Leaved Sword Grass and left without hesitation.
Judging by his demeanor, it seemed as though he intended to place the stone in the highest level of the archives. But in truth, he wanted to take it away to study and comprehend it in private.
The Grass Character Sword Art had long been an object of admiration for Zong Zheng.
However, despite numerous attempts in the past, he had never succeeded in mastering it.
Unlike Ye Wushuang, whose innate talent allowed him to grasp the Grass Character Sword Art without needing to witness the life of the Nine-Leaved Sword Grass, Zong Zheng lacked such gifts.
Nor could he, like Ye Wushuang, reverse-engineer the life of the Nine-Leaved Sword Grass from the sword art itself.
Thus, his failure to master the Grass Character Sword Art had always been a lingering regret.
Now that Ye Wushuang had reconstructed the life of the Nine-Leaved Sword Grass, Zong Zheng finally saw a glimmer of hope. Naturally, he was determined to seize this opportunity.
Yet, he felt too embarrassed to study the newly imprinted memories in front of Ye Wushuang—doing so would have made him feel utterly ashamed.
Hence, he resolved to practice in secret.
But no sooner had he left than someone else emerged from seclusion.
This person was none other than the Grand Elder, who had previously been cultivating the All Laws Return to One technique.
The Grand Elder’s aptitude was decent. Though he hadn’t fully mastered All Laws Return to One, he had already touched the threshold of comprehension.
With just a little more time, he would officially break through.
This progress filled the Grand Elder with immense satisfaction, making him feel decades younger.
“Zong Zheng claimed this technique was impossibly difficult, saying even he couldn’t grasp it!”
“But now it seems it’s not so hard after all! Just a bit more time, and I’ll surely master it!”
“Once I achieve great success, no one in the same realm will be my match!”
The thought filled him with smug pride.
In the past, the Grand Elder had never been considered a top-tier genius.
Yet through relentless effort, he had climbed his way up to become the Grand Elder of the Divine Dragon Imperial Family—a position of immense prestige.
However, his combat prowess had never been unrivaled among his peers. Many could still overpower him.
But now, with All Laws Return to One on the verge of mastery, everything would change.
Once he fully comprehended it, his combat strength would multiply. The deeper his understanding, the greater his power.
At this rate, it would be impossible for him not to dominate all others in the same realm.
The very idea made his blood surge with excitement.
“No, I must review the original All Laws Return to One again—immerse myself in its essence to deepen my understanding!”
With this in mind, the Grand Elder paid little attention to his surroundings and headed straight for the highest level of the archives to study the technique once more.
Since he had already contributed enough merit points, he was entitled to unlimited access to All Laws Return to One.
However, upon arriving at the top floor, he noticed someone was already there.
A suspicion arose in his mind.
“Could it be… Zong Zheng again?”
“Is he still secretly trying to master All Laws Return to One?”
“If so, should I let slip that I’ve already touched the threshold? Heh heh!”
The Grand Elder speculated that Zong Zheng might still be struggling to grasp the technique, hence his prolonged seclusion in the archives.
The thought filled him with a sense of superiority.
What Zong Zheng had failed to achieve, he had accomplished.
It was undeniable proof of his own brilliance.
Yet, recalling Zong Zheng’s murderous aura the last time they met, he decided to remain low-key.
Boasting about this might provoke Zong Zheng.
Given the man’s volatile temper, the Grand Elder feared he might end up beaten to a pulp.
So he moved as quietly as possible, cautiously approaching the highest level.
Upon entering, he indeed saw Zong Zheng standing with his back turned, intently studying an immortal stone.
The Grand Elder immediately assumed it was the one containing All Laws Return to One.
This put him in a dilemma.
He needed to study that very same stone.
Should he interrupt Zong Zheng’s contemplation?
After some hesitation, he decided to speak up for the sake of his own cultivation.
Stepping closer, he called out softly:
“Lord Zong Zheng…?”
“Who?!”
The Grand Elder’s voice startled Zong Zheng so badly that the latter’s overwhelming aura erupted instantly.
The pressure of a Half-Step Sovereign—surpassing even an Immortal Emperor—crushed the Grand Elder to the ground, rendering him immobile.
At the same time, an even more terrifying killing intent surged toward him, far more ferocious than before.
It felt as though his annihilation was imminent.
Horrified, the Grand Elder screamed in panic:
“Uncle! Uncle, don’t attack! It’s me! It’s me!”
To him, Zong Zheng seemed on the verge of losing control, consumed by rage.
But his pleas did nothing to diminish Zong Zheng’s murderous intent.
“I know it’s you! Why are you sneaking up behind me?!”
“I—I just wanted to study All Laws Return to One! Uncle, you—you took the technique I needed!”
“Who took your technique? Isn’t it right over there?”
“Huh? Wha—?”
The Grand Elder glanced in the direction Zong Zheng indicated and indeed saw another immortal stone placed exactly where All Laws Return to One was supposed to be.
Then he looked back at the stone in Zong Zheng’s hands. Though similar, they were clearly not the same.
The realization left him dumbstruck.
He had misunderstood.
Zong Zheng wasn’t studying All Laws Return to One at all.
Moreover, he couldn’t fathom when another immortal stone had appeared in the archives.
Before he could process this, Zong Zheng’s expression darkened further.
“Do you have a death wish?”
Zong Zheng had gone to great lengths to study the life of the Nine-Leaved Sword Grass in secret, avoiding prying eyes at all costs.
Yet despite his caution, he had still been discovered.
This infuriated him beyond measure.
Seeing Zong Zheng’s wrath, the Grand Elder nearly wept in terror.
“I—I didn’t mean to! I was wrong, Uncle, I was wrong! Uncle, please spare me!”
The Grand Elder couldn’t help but think that he must have forgotten to divine his fortune before leaving today—otherwise, how could he be so unlucky?
