The darkness was illuminated by the flames, revealing a square monument in the room.
"The inscriptions on it record the names of the cultivators who sacrificed their lives in Jian Ge throughout history, but not all of them are inscribed; some only have their deeds recorded," the expert said.
Chen Jing looked over and found that the words were too small and densely packed, making it impossible to read any of the names.
Behind the square stele are the Song Dynasty's banner and the sword command flag of Jiange.
The expert said, "When you were my apprentice, before you saw through me and told me your wishes, I was not sure whether I wanted you to truly join my sect."
"Now I can tell you, I am a practitioner of the Jiange sect, the state religion of the Song Dynasty."
He knelt properly in front of the square monument, placing his long sword at his side.
Chen Jingxue followed suit and put the lonely city aside.
"King Shennong ordered Jian Ge to forge swords to fight against various tribes, which is why Jian Ge became known as Jian Ge."
"By the time of the Song Dynasty, those who murdered the emperor stained their swords with the blood of the rebellious emperor, and only then did the Sword Pavilion issue the Bloodstained Sword Order."
"Now, the Sword Pavilion is in decline, but the spirit of its heroes remains."
"The Sword Pavilion and the human race have faced countless crises. No matter what, we have always survived and become stronger and more resilient. This time will be no exception."
"Since you have chosen to join the Guardians and the Sword Pavilion, then join me in worshipping our ancestors and reciting the sword oath with me."
As Chen Jing listened to the expert speak, the entire ancestral hall fell into darkness as the expert stopped gesturing with his fist.
"Our ancestors and sages are above us."
Chen Jing followed him and recited: "Our ancestors and sages are above us."
"From this day forward, I will be a cultivator of the Sword Pavilion."
"I will forever uphold the sword oath, forever abide by the sword rules, and forever follow the sword's commands."
"One man can hold the pass against ten thousand."
As Chen Jing thought about it, in the darkness, he suddenly felt as if the square tablet in front of him was emitting a fiery warmth, but that warmth only vanished with the wind and did not truly leave an imprint on his heart.
After the experts finished their worship, they stood up and said, "The Sword Oath is this oath. In the past, the Sword Oath had the binding force of magic, but now that the Sword Pavilion has fallen, the Sword Oath no longer has any binding force."
"The Sword Law is the law of the Sword Pavilion. I will give it to you when we get back. The Sword Law is quite lenient, but it restricts you from harming ordinary people and requires you to help the weaker human race to the best of your ability. In the past, the Sword Law was upheld by law enforcers, but now the Sword Pavilion has no law enforcers."
"A sword order is an emergency command, and often a distress signal. Once a sword order is issued, the cultivators of the Sword Pavilion should rush to the aid immediately."
Chen Jing listened attentively the whole time.
"As a disciple of Jian Ge, you should receive many gifts upon entering the sect." The expert sighed, "But we can't give you any more. This is all we can offer you."
“These are…” Chen Jing took them; they were five smooth pebbles, about the size of cobblestones.
"Most of the items in the sect's treasury have been looted. The few remaining items are either of great use and cannot be given away, or they are intended for use by the original cultivators. Only these five stones are known to be of a special material and difficult to damage, but their purpose is unknown. I will bestow them upon you today."
Chen Jing looked at the five pebbles and thought it was too tragic. A sect that was a national religion was now left with only a few pebbles.
He solemnly accepted it and said, "Master, you have given me the Straight Sword of Lonely City."
“That’s apprenticeship, not formal entry into the sect,” the expert said. “Come on, I’ll take you to the sect’s library. I got all the martial arts you learned from there. You can go there to read books anytime, as long as it’s safe to do so.”
Chen Jing was overjoyed. He learned the Shadow Sword Sect's martial arts by simply reading them; he didn't need to practice them at all. If he could read the books anytime, wouldn't all the Shadow Sword Sect's martial arts within be his?
Of course, having experienced his battle with himself in the Dark Gate, Chen Jing did not believe that knowing more martial arts techniques would necessarily translate into combat power. The key was to consider how to use them, how to combine them, and their weaknesses and patterns.
But Chen Jing was still very excited; he was looking forward to all sorts of amazing martial arts!
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