He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

The oppressive atmosphere within the Immortal Sword Hall hadn't completely dissipated. Yue Buwei sat upright on the golden throne, his deep gaze sweeping over Zhang Bufan's calm face. The last trace of doubt in his heart had largely vanished with the verification of the spirit silver fish scales. His previous hesitation wasn't due to doubts about the veracity of Zhang Bufan's words, but rather a need to weigh the pros and cons of accepting this person—on one hand, the karma left behind by a Nascent Soul stage expert; on the other, the unknown future of the sect. Now that the source of the spirit spring water's special energy had been confirmed, and the identity of the powerful Xuanqing Daoist behind Zhang Bufan was no longer in doubt, the scales in Yue Buwei's heart had completely tipped.

He no longer dwelled on Zhang Bufan's origins, instead focusing on the sect's survival. After all, for the Immortal Sword Sect, no individual's secret was as important as the sect's foundation. Yue Buwei leaned forward slightly, his imposing aura diminishing considerably, and asked with a hint of solemnity, "Zhang Bufan, since the powerful Xuanqing Daoist has taken the Xuanqing Secret Realm away, the main spiritual vein of the Huashan Secret Realm has also disappeared. What specific impact will this have on my Immortal Sword Sect? Our ancestors have never explored, discovered, or utilized this main spiritual vein. Can its existence or non-existence truly shake the foundation of my sect?"

Upon hearing this, the four Golden Core Grand Elders and Yue Shouren instantly focused their gazes on Zhang Bufan, their eyes filled with urgency and worry. Although they believed Zhang Bufan's identity, they still harbored a sliver of hope regarding the impact of the main spiritual vein's disappearance—perhaps the main spiritual vein was never related to the Immortal Sword Sect to begin with, and its disappearance wouldn't cause much of a stir. After all, the Immortal Sword Sect had occupied the Huashan Secret Realm for tens of thousands of years, always relying on known branch spiritual veins, and had never gained any additional benefits from the existence of the main spiritual vein.

Zhang Bufan already knew this question was inevitable. He didn't answer immediately, but instead lowered his eyes and pondered. The information about the connection between spiritual veins and secret realms from Xuanqing Daoist's inherited memories flashed through his mind. He needed to translate this information into easy-to-understand language while accurately conveying its seriousness. He couldn't exaggerate and cause unnecessary panic, nor could he downplay the crisis and make everyone ignore it.

After a moment, Zhang Bufan slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the solemn faces of everyone in the hall, and replied in a steady tone: "Senior, you may not know this, but although your sect has not directly utilized this main spiritual vein, its influence on the Huashan Secret Realm is deeply ingrained. The most direct influence is mainly reflected in two aspects."

"Firstly, there is the spiritual spring within your sect's forbidden area." Zhang Bufan paused, emphasizing his words. "As far as I know, the upstream source of your sect's spiritual spring is the spiritual stream within the Xuanqing Secret Realm. The water of that stream originates from the spiritual eye deep within the main spiritual vein, containing pure spiritual energy, which is what gives the spiritual spring its miraculous effects. Now that the Xuanqing Secret Realm has been taken away, the main spiritual vein has disappeared, and the source of the spiritual stream has been cut off. Your sect's spiritual spring will naturally dry up, and the Immortal Sword Sect will completely lose this important cultivation resource."

"Secondly, it concerns the spiritual energy environment of the entire Huashan Secret Realm," Zhang Bufan continued. "Although your sect hasn't developed the main spiritual vein, it has always been in a state of natural overflow, constantly releasing massive amounts of spiritual energy into the Huashan Secret Realm through its various branches. This is the key to maintaining the spiritual energy density of the Huashan Secret Realm. The branch spiritual veins that your sect currently relies on have limited spiritual energy reserves, and they are constantly being consumed by the sect's disciples during their cultivation. Without the replenishment from the main spiritual vein, relying solely on the support of the branch spiritual veins will lead to a shortage of spiritual energy in the Huashan Secret Realm, and the rate of spiritual energy depletion will accelerate significantly. Before long, the cultivation environment here will be far worse than before."

As soon as the words fell, the Immortal Sword Hall fell into a deathly silence, with only the heavy breathing of the crowd. Yue Buwei's face turned ashen instantly, his hands gripping the armrests of the throne tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. The four Golden Core Grand Elders' expressions changed drastically, all traces of relief vanishing from their faces, replaced by deep shock and panic. Yue Shouren stood to the side, his body trembling slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief—the spiritual spring and the superior cultivation environment were the foundation of the Immortal Sword Sect's existence in the cultivation world, upon which it had survived for tens of thousands of years. If these two things were lost, the sect's foundation would inevitably shake, and within a few thousand years, the Immortal Sword Sect would surely decline, or even perish!

"Impossible... How could the spiritual spring just dry up like that?" The obese elder couldn't help but exclaim, his tone filled with disbelief. "We've been collecting water from the spring for over half a day now. Even if the source is cut off, there shouldn't be no fresh water at all, right?"

His words voiced the doubts in everyone's hearts and eased the tense atmosphere in the hall somewhat.

Yue Buwei took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew this was not the time to panic; he had to verify Zhang Bufan's words as soon as possible. He abruptly stood up and said in a deep voice, "There's no time to lose, we must go to the Spirit Spring Forbidden Area immediately!"

Before he finished speaking, Yue Buwei moved and took the lead in walking out of the hall. The four Supreme Elders and Yue Shouren followed closely behind, and Zhang Bufan also hurriedly followed. The group looked hurried, and the composure they had shown when heading to the sect's main hall had disappeared, replaced by urgency and apprehension.

Leaving the Immortal Sword Hall, Yue Buwei lingered no longer. With a wave of his right hand, a gentle spiritual energy enveloped Zhang Bufan once more. Then, his figure transformed into a streak of light, speeding towards the forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Spring. The four Supreme Elders and Yue Shouren also fully activated their spiritual energy, flying through the air and following closely behind. The wind whistled in their ears, and the mountains and pavilions below rushed past. Zhang Bufan could clearly feel the anxiety in the hearts of Yue Buwei and the others—the survival of the Spirit Spring was related to the future of the Immortal Sword Sect, and they had no choice but to be tense.

In a short while, the group arrived outside the forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Spring. The disciples guarding the forbidden area, seeing Yue Buwei and the others return with solemn expressions, quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Ancestor, Elders, Sect Master!"

"No need for formalities, quickly open the forbidden stone gate!" Yue Buwei ordered in a deep voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Yes!" The disciple dared not delay and quickly turned around to activate his spiritual energy, pressing it towards the stone gate of the forbidden area.

Boom—

The ancient stone door slowly opened again, and a rich spiritual energy rushed out. However, unlike before, the strange, fishy smell mixed with the spiritual energy had faded considerably. Yue Buwei and the others felt a chill in their hearts and quickly stepped into the forbidden area, heading straight for the cave where the spiritual spring was located.

Upon entering the cave, the scene before them struck everyone like a thunderbolt, leaving them frozen in place. The spirit spring pool remained exactly as it had been that morning after the water was drawn; it was now completely empty. The bottom of the pool was nothing but dry pebbles, devoid of even a single drop of water, let alone the gurgling flow of the spring. The entire spirit spring pool was deathly still, devoid of any of its former vitality.

"It's...it's really dried up..." the lean elder murmured to himself, his voice filled with despair. He stepped forward, squatted down, and reached out to touch the pebbles at the bottom of the pool. They were dry and cold to the touch, without a trace of moisture.

Yue Buwei's face was extremely grim. He slowly walked to the edge of the pool, his divine sense sweeping out like a tidal wave, carefully examining every inch of the pool's bottom. However, no matter how he searched, he could not find any trace of water veins. The spirit spring pool was like a dry well that had been drained of all water, completely devoid of vitality.

"It's over... The Spirit Spring is really gone..." Yue Shouren's voice trembled slightly, his eyes filled with despair. The Spirit Spring was one of the most precious resources of the Immortal Sword Sect. Although the amount of water produced each year was not much, it was enough to allow the sect's talented disciples to rapidly improve their cultivation. Now that the Spirit Spring had dried up, the younger generation of disciples of the Immortal Sword Sect would lose a major boost to their cultivation, and the sect's path of inheritance would become dim and gloomy.

The four elders exchanged glances, each seeing a deep sense of helplessness in the other's eyes. They had initially clung to a sliver of hope, hoping Zhang Bufan's words were exaggerated, but the scene before them ruthlessly shattered their illusions. The depletion of the spiritual spring was a fait accompli, and the decline in the spiritual energy density of the Huashan Secret Realm was only a matter of time. The crisis facing the Immortal Sword Sect was imminent.

Only now did Yue Buwei and the others completely dispel their last shred of doubt about Zhang Bufan, and all hope vanish from their hearts. They finally understood that everything Zhang Bufan said was true; the departure from the Xuanqing Secret Realm had indeed brought annihilation to the Immortal Sword Sect.

Yue Buwei slowly turned around, his gaze falling on Zhang Bufan. At this moment, he no longer possessed his previous arrogance and disdain; instead, he was filled with complex emotions—gratitude, relief, and a barely perceptible expectation. He already knew in his heart that things had come to this point, and doing Zhang Bufan no better than this could completely enrage the powerful Xuanqing Daoist far away in the starry sky, bringing true annihilation to the sect.

Conversely, if they were to recruit Zhang Bufan into the Immortal Sword Sect, they could not only settle this karmic debt but also gain a talented disciple with the inheritance of a powerful being. Zhang Bufan's ability to break through from a mortal to the Foundation Establishment stage within fifteen months speaks volumes about his potential; more importantly, he possesses the cultivation knowledge of the Xuanqing Daoist. With such a disciple joining, coupled with the positive connection forged with the powerful Xuanqing Daoist, the Immortal Sword Sect might very well have a chance to rise again.

Thinking this, Yue Buwei's expression softened completely. He took a step forward, revealing a rare, gentle smile to Zhang Bufan, and said sincerely, "Zhang Bufan, since the great master Xuanqing Daoist has entrusted you to join my Immortal Sword Sect to repay your karmic debts, I, on behalf of the Immortal Sword Sect, formally accept you. Furthermore, I see that you possess exceptional talent and boundless potential, and that you have a strong affinity with me. Would you be willing to become my disciple, my personal disciple?"

These words stunned not only the four Supreme Elders and Yue Shouren, but even Zhang Bufan himself was dumbfounded, his face filled with disbelief. He stood there, his mind blank, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

Why not become a disciple of the Nascent Soul Ancestor?

A tremendous wave of emotion surged within Zhang Bufan, causing his entire body to tremble slightly with excitement. His original plan was to use Xuanqing Daoist's name to deceive the higher-ups of the Immortal Sword Sect, making them dare not harm him, thus securing a safe foothold. As for joining the sect, it was merely a temporary measure to stabilize the situation first, and then slowly seek an opportunity to return to the mortal world and reunite with his parents.

But he never expected things to develop this way—the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Immortal Sword Sect actually wanted to personally accept him as a disciple! You must understand, Nascent Soul cultivators are the pinnacle of existence in the current Pangu World; there are only a handful of Nascent Soul cultivators in the entire world. To become a personal disciple of a Nascent Soul Ancestor—what an opportunity countless cultivators dream of?

With such a powerful backer, he could gain a firm foothold in the Immortal Sword Sect and even the entire Pangu World, no longer needing to worry about being bullied. Moreover, cultivating under the Nascent Soul Ancestor would grant him better cultivation resources and guidance, greatly aiding in assimilating the legacy of Xuanqing Daoist. As long as he developed stealthily, avoided provoking those he shouldn't, and focused on cultivation, his future path to immortality would be smooth sailing, and he might even break through to higher realms, fulfilling Xuanqing Daoist's last wish and ascending to the Immortal Realm!

After a brief moment of shock, Zhang Bufan was filled with boundless excitement and elation. He knew this was another tremendous opportunity on his path of cultivation, one he absolutely could not miss!

Zhang Bufan quickly composed himself, strode to Yue Buwei, and knelt down with a thud. He straightened his tracksuit, then respectfully kowtowed three times to Yue Buwei, his forehead hitting the cold ground with a heavy thud. His voice was filled with solemnity and excitement as he said, "Disciple Zhang Bufan greets Master! Disciple is willing to take the Ancestor as my master. From this day forward, I will certainly follow Master's teachings diligently, cultivate assiduously, serve the Immortal Sword Sect, and never fail Master's expectations!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Yue Buwei's smile grew even brighter as he saw Zhang Bufan agree so readily, uttering three "good"s in succession, his tone filled with undisguised joy. He stepped forward, extended his hand, and a gentle surge of spiritual energy lifted Zhang Bufan from the ground, saying with a smile, "Get up. From this day forward, you are my personal disciple and a core disciple of my Immortal Sword Sect."

The four Golden Core Grand Elders stepped forward and bowed to Yue Buwei, saying, "Congratulations, Ancestor, on the arrival of your fine disciple! Congratulations to the Immortal Sword Sect on the addition of another genius!" Their tone was full of sincere joy. Zhang Bufan's joining had given the Immortal Sword Sect, which was on the verge of crisis, hope, and they were naturally delighted.

Yue Shouren quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting to Zhang Bufan, saying, "Congratulations, young friend! From now on, we are fellow disciples. If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask." His tone was respectful and warm, showing no disrespect for Zhang Bufan's background or attire. After all, Zhang Bufan was now the personal disciple of the Nascent Soul Ancestor, his status far surpassing Yue's. Even as the sect leader, Yue had to treat Zhang Bufan with courtesy.

Zhang Bufan quickly returned the greeting by cupping his hands in thanks to Yue Shouren, saying, "Thank you, Sect Leader! I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

Yue Buwei watched the scene unfold before him, feeling immensely gratified. His acceptance of Zhang Bufan as a disciple not only brought in a genius for the Immortal Sword Sect but also forged a positive connection with the powerful Xuanqing Daoist. With Zhang Bufan already a disciple of Xuanqing Daoist and now a student of him, it was as if Yue Buwei and Xuanqing Daoist had shared a disciple—a bond that would provide the Immortal Sword Sect with an extra layer of protection in the face of future crises.

Yue Buwei gently patted Zhang Bufan's shoulder and said softly, "Bufan, you've just joined the sect and broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage. You need some time to adapt and stabilize your cultivation. I will arrange the best cave dwelling for you and prepare some cultivation resources. Focus on your cultivation and familiarize yourself with the sect's rules. As for the depletion of the spiritual spring and the decline in spiritual energy, you don't need to worry about it for now. I will discuss countermeasures with the elders and the sect leader."

"Thank you, Master!" Zhang Bufan bowed again.

Yue Buwei nodded, then instructed Yue Shouren: "Shouren, take Bufan to the core area of ​​the sect first, arrange a cave with the richest spiritual energy for him, and then take some cultivation resources suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators from the sect's treasury for him, so that he can settle down properly."

"Yes, Master!" Yue Shouren replied respectfully, then gestured to Zhang Bufan and said, "Bufan, please come with me."

Zhang Bufan bowed to Yue Buwei and the four Grand Elders and said, "Master, Grand Elders, I shall take my leave now."

"Go ahead," Yue Buwei waved his hand and said with a smile.

Then, Zhang Bufan followed Yue Shouren and turned to walk out of the forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Spring. Stepping out of the cave, the sunlight once again bathed him, warm and dazzling. Zhang Bufan looked up at the sky, his heart filled with anticipation for the future. He knew that becoming Yue Buwei's disciple and joining the Immortal Sword Sect was only a new beginning on his path of cultivation. The road ahead was long, and many challenges awaited him, but he was confident that, through his own efforts and fortuitous encounters, he could go further and higher on this path of cultivation!

Inside the forbidden area of ​​the Spirit Spring, Yue Buwei and the four Supreme Elders watched Zhang Bufan's departing figure, their smiles gradually fading, and their expressions becoming solemn once again.

"Ancestor, the spiritual spring has dried up, and the spiritual energy is about to decline. We must come up with a solution as soon as possible," the lean and slender elder said in a deep voice.

Yue Buwei nodded slowly, his eyes deep, and said, "Yes, this matter is urgent. The news of the dried-up spiritual spring cannot be announced to the public for the time being, so as not to cause panic among the sect disciples. As for the countermeasures, Bufan may have the answers we need. He inherited the legacy of Xuanqing Daoist, so he must know some knowledge about spiritual veins and cultivation environments. Once he is settled, I will personally ask him about it."

"What the Ancestor says is absolutely right," another Supreme Elder said. "The Xuanqing Daoist is a powerful being above the Nascent Soul stage. His legacy must contain many heaven-defying knowledge and methods, which may truly help us solve the current crisis."

Yue Buwei took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Things have come to this point, and we can only pin our hopes on Bufan. Before that, what we need to do is stabilize the sect and prepare for the worst. Shouren has already gone to arrange Bufan's accommodations. Let's return to the sect's main hall and discuss the follow-up response plan in detail."

"Yes!" the four elders replied in unison.

Afterwards, Yue Buwei, accompanied by the four Supreme Elders, turned and left the Spirit Spring Forbidden Area. The Spirit Spring Pool remained empty, but the Immortal Sword Sect's higher-ups now held new goals and hopes. Zhang Bufan's arrival was like a ray of dawn, illuminating the Immortal Sword Sect's bleak future.