Just like his Daoist title indicates, he is a sword cultivator. And just like some sword cultivators do, he is carrying a sword box.
He is carrying a large thin box on his back. The box is white with black runes on it, just like him. But the sword box looks like a sword itself.
While the box looks like it can only contain one sword, its content defies the imagination. There are millions of swords in that sword box.
He has been making swords and putting them into the sword box for centuries now. No one knows exactly how many swords he has in his possession.
Not even the people who knew when he made the sword box and started putting swords in it know how many swords are in it now. All they can be sure of is that the sword box becomes powerful with each sword that is stored within it.
He didn't become a sword cultivator because he thought that swords were cool. He became a sword cultivator because swords were the easiest weapon to make, the fastest to make, and the weapon that required the least amount of resources to make in bulk.
His choice to become a sword cultivator was one of pragmatism. He simply wanted a weapon that he could make millions of easily. But after a while, he eventually fell in love with swords.
If there is any weapon that he relies on and needs by his side as he ventures into the dangerous unknown where his life will be at risk, that weapon must be his trusty sword box.
However, as one of the patriarchs of a well-to-do sect, it would be beneath his status not to bring more artifacts with him.
It is not even about self-image and showing off now. His life is going to be at risk. So the more tools he has at his disposal to save his life, the better.
The last thing he needed to take were his avatars. As someone with a perfect foundation, perfect core, and even perfect soul, he was able to form 1,024 spirits which are an extension of his power.
In his normal state, his avatars are scattered about doing various things. But this time, what he wants to do requires his full unscattered power. So his avatars must return to his body.
He willed it and the golems moving around him stopped moving. Then they fell to the ground as tiny spots of light left their figures.
These tiny spots of light left sparkling trails in the air. This was because they were agitating the environmental mana as they moved through it.
All the tiny spots of light converged on Sword Flash's body. There were many of them coming from various directions and from varying distances.
As his avatars returned to his true body, his power swelled. The volume of his existence remained the same, but the density of his existence was skyrocketing.
When the last spot of light entered his body, he became complete. Outwardly, he looked harmless. But this was only an illusion. Those with spirit sight could tell that he was formidable both in body and soul.
With everything in place, he looked back at the two patriarchs solemnly. Then he stepped into the swirling light within the metallic gateway.
His figure disappeared. Only then was Lady Evergreen certain that this wasn't some trick to fool her and that Sword Flash had really gone.
She was sure that it was Sword Flash's true body that left after she saw the sword box that he was carrying. So she felt elated when his figure disappeared.
It is unlikely that Sword Flash could fool her into thinking an avatar was his true body. But even if Sword Flash could do something like that, there was no way he would risk losing his sword box, which he has spent hundreds of years nurturing.
With Sword Flash gone, she was able to turn to Thunder Drake and say, "I think having five sects in this region is a waste of space and resources. There should be only one sect."
Gaining control of everything in the Five Veins region has always been her ultimate dream. Unfortunately, she hasn't been able to pursue it because Sword Flash doesn't let her do something like that.
Thunder Drake sighed and said, "Do whatever you want."
She was taken aback by his quick surrender. She had expected more of a fight from him.
Since he was willing to cave in to her demands, she decided to accept the victory with humility.
So she said, "It is good that you are being reasonable. I promise you that this will bring our sect to the next level. With five secret realms under our control, we will be able to produce more nascent souls."
Thunder Drake scoffed and asked her, "For what? What will more nascent soul cultivators change for us? Will having more nascent soul cultivators help us advance to the unity realm?"
She nodded and said, "There is strength in numbers. With more power on hand, we will be a considerable force to deal with when we travel upstream closer to the Ethera tree. That way, our chances of advancing to the unity realm will be higher."
What she said made him laugh. His laughter was the sound of thunderclaps. resounding through the world.
After he was done laughing, he asked her, "What difference will ten or a hundred enemies at the fourth mortal coil make to you? Won't it still take just one move of yours to kill all of them?"
She shot back, "There is Void Claw. He can defeat a cultivator at the fifth mortal coil."
Thunder Drake shook his head and said, "Void Claw is special. And the nascent soul cultivator that he defeated was weak."
He pressed her again, "I was talking about you as the nascent soul cultivator, the great and powerful patriarch of the Blood Skull sect, not some loose cultivator who barely formed his golden core with a seventh transformation foundation."