Qin Yun and Yi Xiao had set their action date for June 26, as June 28 marked the day when many villages in Guangling County would offer young boys and girls to the Water God Great Demon. They planned to act two days earlier, both to save this batch of children from their misfortune and to proceed with their plan.


    With more than half a month still remaining before the operation, the two of them were preparing carefully and frequently discussing their plans together. After all, neither of them wanted to fail.


    One afternoon, as Qin Yun was leaving Yi Xiao’s courtyard, he saw the County Governor standing in the distance.


    “Qin Gongzi,” the County Governor greeted with a smile.


    “County Governor,” Qin Yun immediately walked over.


    “Let’s walk and talk,” the County Governor said with a smile, leading the way down a small path. Qin Yun, though a bit puzzled, followed him.


    The surrounding area was quiet, with the woods dense and secluded, and the nearby guards kept their distance.


    The County Governor sighed, saying, “When you''re young, it really feels different—your body is strong, and many of those old ailments are gone.”


    Qin Yun smiled.


    “Qin Yun,” the County Governor turned to him, “You’ve done me a great favor. With your help, I''ve gained an additional twenty years of life, and that’s thanks to you. In my heart, you are not an outsider.”


    “The matter at Cangya Mountain was also something I should do,” Qin Yun replied.


    “Since I don’t see you as an outsider, there are some things I need to clear up with you,” the County Governor continued. “Before, you and Yi Xiao didn’t have much interaction, but after the trip to Cangya Mountain, you started visiting the Governor’s residence often to meet with Yi Xiao. Occasionally, Yi Xiao also visits your house to meet with you… A man and a woman meeting in private, without anyone else around, and doing so frequently—naturally, people will begin to speculate.”


    Qin Yun froze.


    Indeed, for the sake of dealing with the Water God Great Demon, the two of them often met to discuss the detailed plans.


    “Yi Xiao is truly a beauty among mortals, like a fairy descending to the world,” the County Governor remarked. “She is the most talented of the young generation of the Yi family in Kunlun State, and a disciple of the Daoist sacred ground, the Shenxiao Palace. Cultivators are already few in number, and such beauty… is even rarer among cultivators. How many people do you think are pursuing her?”


    Qin Yun was stunned.


    It was indeed difficult for a rare beauty to appear in the common world, let alone in the small population of cultivators. Even though cultivation could enhance one’s appearance and temperament, it was still rare to find someone like Yi Xiao, who was naturally beautiful.


    “Many must be pursuing Yi Xiao,” Qin Yun said.


    “I know of quite a few,” the County Governor smiled. “And there are many who don’t even dare to pursue her. Why? Because the three who are the most fervent in their pursuit all have powerful backgrounds, which intimidates others. The ones who continue to pursue her are the ones with some courage.”


    “Who are these three?” Qin Yun asked, curious.


    “The first is His Highness the Sixteenth Prince,” the County Governor said. “The Human Emperor has founded the Great Chang Dynasty for over three hundred years, but the number of princes is still limited—only eighteen in total.”


    Qin Yun nodded.


    The Human Emperor had unified the world and had been sitting on the Dragon Throne for over three hundred years. His life span alone showed how formidable he was. It was said that the Human Emperor practiced the inheritance of both gods and demons, making him one of the most powerful figures in the world.


    “Among the Human Emperor’s children, not many have the talent for cultivation, but His Highness the Sixteenth Prince is very gifted. He is twenty-five years old now and already at the Innate Void Elixir realm. He practices the inheritance of gods and demons, making him very strong. He is greatly favored by the Emperor and is entrusted with important duties, currently holding the position of a commanding officer in the Divine Demon Guard, with many elite warriors under his command.” The County Governor continued, “The Sixteenth Prince went to visit the Shenxiao Palace, and after meeting Yi Xiao, he became infatuated and has been pursuing her ever since.”Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    “The second one is the current Grand Senior Brother of Shenxiao Palace,” the County Governor said. “He is only twenty-nine but already at the Innate Solid Elixir realm. Truly a genius of the generation, and his Dao skills are profound. It is said he has been taught the Shenxiao Thunder Technique, and with his talent, it’s very likely he will break into the Innate Golden Elixir realm in the future.”


    Qin Yun was secretly shocked.


    At such a young age, he was already at the Innate Solid Elixir realm?


    The Shenxiao Thunder Technique? Of the thousands of Dao techniques, thunder techniques were the most revered, and the Shenxiao Thunder Technique was the number one thunder technique in the world! When summoned, it could bring forth the Heavenly Thunder of Shenxiao, which had an unimaginable power.


    “The third one is the youngest—Master Fu from the Zhang family of Shenxiao,” the County Governor said. “Master Fu is the most talented of the Zhang family’s current generation, and he is only sixteen years old, yet he has already reached the Innate Void Elixir realm. And you should know the position of the Zhang family within Shenxiao Palace.”


    Qin Yun murmured to himself.


    Of course, he knew!


    The Zhang family was the ruling family of Shenxiao Palace—the leaders of the Daoist sacred ground had always been from the Zhang family, a position that had never changed. Master Fu, being the most talented of the Zhang family’s current generation, held a position that no ordinary prince could compare to.


    “The current Grand Senior Brother of Shenxiao Palace, Master Fu from the Zhang family, and the Sixteenth Prince,” the County Governor said, “These are the three most powerful suitors of Yi Xiao. They are all young and accomplished, making them excellent matches.”


    “Of course, Yi Xiao is not moved by any of them, and no one has succeeded so far,” the County Governor looked at Qin Yun. “You and she have only known each other for a short time. Let me remind you, don’t get caught in this trap. Both Master Fu and the Sixteenth Prince are very domineering, and the Grand Senior Brother is very clever.”


    “Thank you for the warning, County Governor,” Qin Yun said.


    The County Governor nodded, “It’s up to you to decide.” He then left.


    Qin Yun guessed as much.


    As the saying goes, “A graceful lady, a worthy match for a gentleman.” Even his Daoist heart, which had been tempered on the northern frontier, had been startled when he first met Yi Xiao. She had spent so long cultivating in Shenxiao Palace that many of her peers must have pursued her. A Grand Senior Brother, Master Fu from the Zhang family, and a Sixteenth Prince who had even visited Shenxiao Palace. It was only natural.


    “Compared to them, I am just a loose cultivator,” Qin Yun smiled and walked out of the Governor’s residence.


    Time passed quickly, and soon it was June 19.


    That night.


    Qin Yun was sitting cross-legged on his bed in the inner room, with an incense burner lit.


    “Whoosh.”


    His true essence swiftly lifted a large box from the corner of the room. This box had been specially made by the household. When opened, it revealed numerous fragments, pieces of a large axe! The axe had been refined and absorbed, leaving behind only about a thousand one hundred pounds of fragments, now scattered inside the box.


    With his true essence guiding them, the fragments flew out one by one, quickly forming a pile in the room.


    “If I’m not mistaken, today should be the day my life sword is completed,” Qin Yun had a strong premonition. He focused his will, and the ‘sword pill’ in his dantian unfolded rapidly, transforming into a strand of metal wire. It left the dantian, traveled through the meridians in his body, and shot out from his fingertips. As it met the air, it grew to three inches in length.


    At this moment, the life sword was still silvery white, though it glimmered with a faint cold blue light.


    Following Qin Yun’s thoughts, the sword immediately flew over to the pile of axe fragments on the ground.


    “Ssss~”


    As Qin Yun activated his technique, the sword’s surface glowed again, and one of the fragments below began to emit light, drawing the light points into the sword above.


    Seconds ticked by.


    Half an hour later, after absorbing more than thirty pounds of the axe’s essence, the sword suddenly vibrated and emitted a sword chant. Its absorbing power surged dramatically. The fragments below rapidly shattered, and countless light points surged upward into the suspended sword. The speed of absorption was so fast that it was Qin Yun’s first time witnessing such a phenomenon. The fragments of the axe could clearly be seen turning to dust.


    Qin Yun''s face showed an excited expression as his eyes gleamed with heat as he stared at the flying sword. “We’re at the crucial moment!”


    The sword continued its frantic absorption, and within a short time, the fragments were reduced to only about six hundred pounds. Finally, the life sword’s vibration stopped, and the sword chant faded. The room fell silent.


    Only the silvery flying sword remained floating in the air, with an invisible sword aura visible at its tip.


    “What a treasure.”


    Qin Yun''s face showed joy.


    The life sword was nurtured over time with his true essence and even his soul. It was nurtured daily with sword intent, and over time, it had become a part of his life—more important than his own hands or feet! Losing a hand or a foot could be repaired through cultivation, but if the life sword were destroyed, it would be a serious injury. Worse, it could end his cultivation path.


    It was the core of a sword immortal’s power—the life sword. Without it, the sword immortal''s true power couldn’t be revealed. With the completion of the life sword, Qin Yun’s strength would soar. Before, he had relied solely on his powerful sword intent to hold on.