《AI Cultivation: Devil Moon Sword Empress》


 Chapter 1

    [ Cultivation:Qi Condensation (1st stage) ]


    [ Physique: Black Jade Lily Empress(Second Awakening) ]


    [ Further analysis unavailable.]


    Despite the underwhelming report, her eyes reflecting on the sword¡¯s edge glimmered with joy and genuine happiness. She was just glad that, now, her name was listed as Zhu Xuelian.


    [ Realm Master: Zhu Xuelian ]


    ¡°Sister Xuelian¡­ what did they do to you¡­? Your cultivation¡­ did they destroy your c¡ª¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Sister Mu,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, raising her head to meet the expectant gazes of those that gathered around her, and there were so many.


    Mu Jingyu, the generational genius from the Frozen Peak Palace, but also her fellow disciples Yuan Qiuyue and Xiang Liling who accompanied her.


    From the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion, Lei Yangming and Ren Jinhai stood to the side.


    From her own Galaxy Sword sect, Tian Li, Ren Weisheng, and Sun Yongzheng were also there.


    Most importantly, her closest friends Wu Yulan and Yun Fei stood off to the side. These two kept watch over Zhu Xuelian for the entirety of the six months that she had been unconscious. Even now, their eyes were filled with anger and even a hint of guilt at their inability to reverse Zhu Xuelian¡¯s fate.


    ¡°This is just the price I had to pay,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, offering a light chuckle.


    ¡°The price you had to pay¡­?¡± Mu Jingyu whispered under her breath.


    Everyone here understood the meaning of Zhu Xuelian¡¯s words, though none could entirely comprehend the reasons.


    Once again, Zhu Xuelian chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± she said, her smile just as gentle and bright as it has always been. ¡°This is actually my third time being a Qi Condensation cultivator. I hope you will take care of me, seniors.¡±


    The words shocked everyone, except for Wu Yulan and Yun Fei who, if anything, seemed amused.


    Who was Zhu Xuelian? Six months ago, she towered over them as the most dazzling cultivator they had ever come across. She was an existence with a sword aura so sharp that it even made the elders nervous. No one who saw Zhu Xuelian could ever forget her beauty, deadly swordsmanship, and the incredibly proud principles she lived by ¡ª even as those very same principles created a continent-wide war that still raged on.


    This mereQi Condensation period cultivator changed all their lives in the span of one day.


    The last time they saw her, before the fires of war swallowed the continent whole, just like those black crystals of pure sword force encased Zhu Xuelian¡¯s body in the waning light of her broken cultivation, she had become a Nascent Soul Ascension cultivator.


    All of this was gone in the blink of an eye, and yet, Zhu Xuelian was smiling. She was happy.


    ¡°This is the third time you are barely stronger than an ordinary mortal¡­?¡± Ren Jinhai whispered. When he spoke the words, everyone¡¯s ears rang again. With the exception of Wu Yulan, they were all in the final stages of Core Formation ¡ª three entire realms ahead of Zhu Xuelian ¡ª while Wu Yulan was in the Nascent Soul Ascension realm.


    They had dedicated their entire lives to cultivating for more strength and power ¡ª they used thousands, if not millions, of spirit stones worth of medicine to advance them in this goal ¡ª so the thought of losing their cultivation was enough to make them want to scream.


    And this happened to Zhu Xuelian twicenow? And she wasn¡¯t at all upset?


    ¡°How can you remain so calm?¡± Lei Yangming asked. He did not know Zhu Xuelian well; he only saw her twice. In fact, most people here only saw Zhu Xuelian once or twice, but that was enough for them. ¡°Aren¡¯t you upset even a little bit?¡±


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    However, there was an invisible bond between all of them that transcended such things as how many times they met. They were the foremost cultivators in their generation, and in the future, many years from now, they will each be prominent figures in their sects, deciding the direction of their shared continent. In a sense, they were leaders, responsible for the common fates of all; that is to say, they were comrades beyond bonds of merely blood or familiarity.


    More than anything, they all admired Zhu Xuelian as an existence that represented all of them, as a whole, and with such excellence in this capacity.


    Or, at least, she used to. Before she was a Qi Condensation period cultivator.


    Slowly, Zhu Xuelian rose to her feet with a sigh and looked out the window, to the vast garden outside. Her Starsword Peak rarely received visitors, so its appearance was tailored to suit her tastes, along with Wu Yulan¡¯s and Yun Fei¡¯s ¡ª the only two other residents. Still, it was an incredible vista of colorful trees, water lily ponds and advanced arrays layered over medicinal herb gardens.


    ¡°Because I have yearned to be free,¡± Zhu Xuelian spoke softly. ¡°For most of my life, I knew who my intended was, and I deluded myself into believing that it was like a fairytale come true.¡±


    As she began to speak, everyone became silent and still.


    ¡°Until the end, I did not see his true intentions,¡± she mentioned, and then chuckled heartily. ¡°When he broke my cultivation and left me to die, I wanted to die. To be honest, I think I wanted to die more because I woke from my dream, than because I was betrayed like that. Everything lost its luster.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xuelian¡­¡± Mu Jingyu whispered.


    ¡°Someone who was already dead gave up her cultivation to make things even and settle the debt,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, and there was something in her tone that reminded everyone of the intense sharpness of her sword, which caused everyone to subconsciously straighten.


    ¡°For me, this is the equivalent to being reborn. I no longer have to live in the shadow of another. Why would I be upset?¡± Her gaze swept those gathered. ¡°And it only cost me my cultivation and martial arts.¡±


    This is what attracted them to Zhu Xuelian like moths to the flame. The way she spoke and carried herself was reminiscent of something that current sword cultivators lacked but felt so intrinsic to them. Her mannerisms and way of thinking were exactly like that of a sword, reducing every complex subject and matter into simple and straightforward solutions ¡ª like the expression to cut to the chase.


    Cultivation and martial arts in exchange for freedom. When she said it like that, it really didn¡¯t sound like such a bad deal. Yet, their bodies remembered the pain and suffering that cultivating to the Core Formation onceinflicted on them, even as their minds were enlightened to Zhu Xuelian¡¯s philosophy.


    Lei Yangming was the first to burst into a laugh.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, you make it sound so simple. And yet, somehow, I find myself completely swayed by your words,¡± Lei Yangming said through his laughter, while the others nodded in agreement. ¡°For you, maybe this is just ¡°the third time¡±, and will be as simple as turning over the palm of your hand. No, I am certain that this is exactly the case because it isyou.¡±


    ¡°Brother Lei¡­¡± Zhu Xuelian chuckled, slightly embarrassed.


    At long last, there was a knock on the door, and the timid voice of a disciple rang out.


    ¡°This junior brings a summons to Zhu Xuelian: Your presence is requested at the sect hall. Please make your way there.¡±


    Slowly, Zhu Xuelian reached for the door, to make good on the summons, but Mu Jingyu¡¯s hand landed on her wrist.


    ¡°Please¡­ Sister Zhu¡­ don¡¯t go,¡± she whispered.


    Everyone felt the same way, they just didn¡¯t say it. Their expressions said what words could not voice.


    ¡°You can still run away. Just take off into the forbidden lands beyond this peak. You could get lost in there. No one would find you. If you make it to the north, perhaps my M¡ª¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore, Sister Mu,¡± Zhu Xuelian interrupted the sword maiden of the Frozen Peak Palace.


    ¡°But¡­ why¡­? Why would you¡­?¡± Slowly, her hand slipped off of Zhu Xuelian¡¯s wrist, and her expression was one of helplessness. ¡°You are just going to die¡­¡±


    Her beautiful, dazzling smile was colder than ice. Her eyes seemed affectionate as she regarded the prospect of deaththat awaited her. Most of those, outside this room, remember Zhu Xuelian¡¯s pretty smile, but not the ice; most remember her gentle gaze, but not the principle that abandons that gentleness.


    ¡°Everyone dies,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°I just want to look my master and my elders in the eye, and hear them tell me that I deserveto die. That way, I won¡¯t have regrets.¡±


    Wu Yulan frowned, then sighed, then chuckled. Yun Fei also seemed amused.


    ¡°How can you all be so relaxed¡­?¡± Mu Jingyu whispered. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand it.¡±


    Mu Jingyu looked at the others, but they all seemed as lost as she was.


    Zhu Xuelian opened the door and then looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°I am just relieved,¡± she spoke. ¡°That I had the fortune to meet people like you. That not everyone in the world is selfish and evil. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.¡±


    When the door closed after the three of them left, the remaining disciples of various sects couldn¡¯t do more than stare at the floor, deeply disturbed by Zhu Xuelian¡¯s parting words.


    She thanked them, even though none of them had the courage to stand up for her. Unlike Wu Yulan and Yun Fei, who even chuckled at the prospect of dying with Zhu Xuelian.


    Mu Jingyu suddenly burst out into a chuckle, as tears fell from her cheeks. Even as she cried, she couldn¡¯t stop laughing. No one was sure if she was laughing first, or crying first.


    ¡°That¡¯s why they looked so happy,¡± Mu Jingyu murmured quietly, furiously trying to wipe away her tears. ¡°They were glad they could die together¡­!¡±


    This realization, and the fact that Zhu Xuelian thanked cowards like them, made them feel even more ashamed and helpless.


    The devils in their hearts ¡ª the reason why they could never strive for the same heights as those three ¡ª feasted on their weakness.

 Chapter 2

    Zhu Xuelian had to fly on Wu Yulan¡¯s sword, tightly tucked behind her. She embraced her friend gently and warmly, even going as far as to enjoy the scent of her hair as the wind blew into their faces. She missed Wu Yulan, but more than that, she vaguely remembered the passage of time during her unconsciousness, and the lack of feeling, hearing, tasting, or smelling anything.


    As though she were trapped in an eternal world of darkness, dreaming without dreams, sleeping without rest.


    Wu Yulan did not seem to mind either, and, if anything, just scooted closer to Zhu Xuelian. They were closer than sisters, even though they were not born of the same blood. Jealously, Wu Yulan would even claim that they were closer than sworn sisters. This was simply the nature of their relationship.


    Zhu Xuelian was not the only one to receive a new life, as she put it earlier. This mysterious stranger opened a door for Wu Yulan, and this was more precious than words could describe. A thousand people could¡¯ve taken Wu Yulan to a thousand different places, each the most beautiful in the world, and it wouldn''t be the same. Zhu Xuelian changed the way Wu Yulan saw even the most ordinary places, to the point that those other ¡°beautiful places¡± could not even compare.


    ¡°I hope I wasn¡¯t too much of a bother to take care of, Yulan,¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered.


    Wu Yulan smiled. ¡°Don''t speak such nonsense. I would¡¯ve taken care of you for the rest of eternity and not considered it a bother.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian hummed happily at the reply.


    ¡°We tried everything we could think of, you know; we tried medicine, we took you out on trips and revisited old places. Yun Fei was even going to go ask Eternal Red for help.¡±


    Hearing the name Eternal Red, Zhu Xuelian shuddered. ¡°I am glad it did not come to that,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    Yun Fei chuckled nervously, and even though she was flying far behind them, her relief was just that palpable.


    ¡°We first tried asking Yaoyue for help, but no matter how many times we tried, Yaoyue would not respond,¡± Wu Yulan explained.


    Zhu Xuelian nodded. ¡°It is strange; I can feel Yaoyue¡¯s presence, but it is weak.¡±


    ¡°We think that Yaoyue was trying to maintain your cultivation for as long as possible. One day shortly after your duel, without warning, your cultivation started plummeting. Your body¡­¡± Wu Yulan trailed off here. ¡°Something was happening to you and we were worried you wouldn''t survive.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian chuckled. ¡°Well, about that¡­¡± She nodded to the three Arks in the sky above the sect hall. ¡°This Zhu Xuelian admires their dedication. Bringing their entire sects to kill just one of me.¡±


    The Arks belonged to the Galaxy Sword sect, the Seven Killing Swords sect, and the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion sect. That is to say, these three sects came here today for one purpose only. These three sects represented, roughly, most of the entire continent.


    Who could possibly oppose the will of the entire continent?


    ¡°There¡¯s probably not much point to it, now, but do you want to know what happened while you were asleep?¡± Wu Yulan offered.


    Zhu Xuelian shook her head. ¡°Seeing the Seven Killing Swords sect Ark makes things pretty obvious, but I want to hear it from them.¡±


    Wu Yulan nodded. ¡°This Wu Yulan thinks you might be disappointed, and hopes this is the case because she is excited at the prospect of learning something new today.¡±


    Immediately understanding Wu Yulan¡¯s implied meaning, Zhu Xuelian chuckled again. ¡°Yulan, you can be so mean.¡±


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    They began to descend toward the Sect Hall, and due to the flying prohibition, they had to land some ways away. The streets leading up to the Sect Hall were filled with cultivators from all three of the sects present. They littered the street on either side, while a procession of Galaxy Sword cultivators led the three toward the Sect Hall.


    Hushed murmurs filled the surroundings, though, unexpectedly, no one was rude to them. Most of them came to see Zhu Xuelian ¡ª the things they heard of her filled their minds with awe and wonder. In the current generation, many  regarded her as the foremost cultivator, leaps and bounds ahead of the next.


    By now, many have heard rumors of what happened at the Conference and the subsequent duel against the young master and future Patriarch of the Seven Killing Swords sect. Even the gruesome details were described in their entirety; from the sword that dimmed the sky and sun, and the fact that Zhu Xuelian''s opponent didn''t even leave an intact corpse behind.


    On her side was the fact that everyone here hated the Seven Killing Swords sect, and Zhu Xuelian was the quintessential hero who was anathema of this sect. The rumors of her blood debt with the sect had been so exaggerated that it was rivaling myth, which was not that unexpected considering that all the major sects were at war with the Seven Killing Swords sect.


    ¡°They tortured her entire clan and fed them to demonic beasts¡­¡±


    ¡°She is the princess from another continent, and forced to be the concubine of the Patriarch¡­¡±


    ¡°She is a fairy from another world, and someone from the sect was unfortunate enough to see her naked¡­¡±


    And though these outrageous rumors were born from their admiration of Zhu Xuelian and the lofty, unreachable ideal she represented, none of them dared to look at her. There was a prevailing atmosphere of shame and listlessness.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they even crippled her cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have to torture her too¡­¡±


    ¡°Cowards¡­¡±


    ¡°I walk my path straight and tall, and my heart bears no shameful secrets¡­!¡± someone in the crowd whispered, and Zhu Xuelian stopped suddenly, overhearing the words.


    The Galaxy Sword disciple who spoke those words was staring at her feet, and she was trying her best to hold back tears.


    ¡°You¡­ what¡¯s your name?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    ¡°J-Jing¡­¡±


    ¡°Like ¡®Peace¡¯?¡±


    The girl nodded.


    Zhu Xuelian smiled. ¡°I said those words in the heat of the moment, back when I joined the Galaxy Sword sect. Do you like them?"


    At this, Jing nodded but didn''t make a sound.


    "I am glad. Thank you, Jing, for remembering me," Zhu Xuelian said.


    The girl burst into even more tears, and even the disciples next to her started to tear up. ¡°D-don¡¯t thank me¡­ a c-coward like me¡­ can¡¯t live by the same principles¡­ I don¡¯t deserve¡­¡±


    Zhu Xuelian''s smile remained. "Don''t cry, Jing. It''s okay," she spoke softly. "It''s enough for me that you remember me and admire my determination. Look," Zhu Xuelian spoke and continued onward. "I walk my path straight and tall, and my heart bears no shameful secrets..."


    It was Zhu Xuelian''s smile at that moment, unflinching, that would remain in Jing''s mind forever.


    "If I did not run back then and chose not to betray my Dao Heart, why would I do so now?" Zhu Xuelian asked.


    Slowly, their heads rose as Zhu Xuelian spoke those words, similar to the ones she spoke before, back when she joined the Galaxy Sword sect, and this time, they truly felt them resonate in their heart. Their meaning was clear, and the question they all had in their minds was answered: Why did Zhu Xuelian come willingly?


    If she did not run back then¡­


    Slowly, a glimmer of pride appeared in the overall atmosphere of shame and listlessness. Zhu Xuelian really was different from them. They could not understand how someone could not feel fear, hopelessness, or rage. They all felt those things, but none of them were in her shoes. By their logic, she should feel all these things more than all of them put together.


    Jing raised her head to look at Zhu Xuelian, and her nostrils flared. "Don''t... don''t go!"


    And yet, it is exactly as she spoke; she lived by her words and walked toward the Sect Hall, proud and tall, with no shameful secrets in her heart, like the cowardice they desperately tried to bury in theirs. Maybe, they came not to see Zhu Xuelian, but to feel vindicated. If Zhu Xuelian looked as desperate and afraid as they were ¡ª if she were dragged in here against her will ¡ª perhaps they wouldn¡¯t feel so bad for being helpless observers.


    No. That is not quite correct.


    They chose to be willing observers because they could only walk ¡°straight and tall¡± when no one else was looking.


    Reaching the Sect Hall, Wu Yulan pushed the doors open and let them swing into the walls with a bang, as her cold, determined aura poured into the main chamber of the Sect Hall, where hundreds of elite disciples from all three sects were gathered, including the numerous elders.


    The biting cold of her presence gave everyone pause, and they all glared back at her with cold, determined expressions of their own as if trying to mimic the impact of her aura. Yet, even faced with this, Wu Yulan''s icy gaze swept the crowd, relentless even against the hundreds of stares directed her way, and the disciples, one by one, looked away.


    Their hearts thundered.

 Chapter 3

    At the entrance to the Sect Hall, Zhu Xuelian respectfully cupped her fist and bowed at the waist. This greeting was directed to the eighteen elders standing on the opposite side of the chamber.


    ¡°This Zhu Xuelian greets the esteemed elders,¡± she called out. ¡°This junior apologizes in advance for her lack of understanding, and hopes the elders will be patient and lenient with this disciple.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t make an excuse, like the obvious fact that she is unaware of the happenings in the world due to her six months of unconsciousness. She doesn¡¯t beg for mercy, cry or scream. In fact, she acts as though it is not obvious why all the Core Disciples, of no less than three major sects, are here, or why there are three Arks in the sky, or why so many elders are present.


    ¡°May this disciple approach?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked, only slightly raising her head.


    Elder Huang looked at the other elders, then nodded. ¡°You may approach, disciple Zhu.¡±


    With those words, the three of them approached.


    ¡°Only the disciple may approach. The two of you remain there,¡± an elder wearing the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion robes spoke.


    Wu Yulan glared at him. ¡°Who are you to give orders to me?¡± Her words bit as sharp as steel, which is not an exaggeration; the sword force in each sound made the hairs on the elder¡¯s arm stand up straight. ¡°Mind your place.¡±


    ¡°You dare¡­!?¡± The elder¡¯s shoulders rose, as if about to launch himself at Wu Yulan.


    Wu Yulan reached for her sword, and her overwhelming aura descended truly on the place in its entirety, for the first time, and plunged the surroundings into an ephemeral feeling of frigid ice.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Yulan. The two of you wait for me here, all right?¡± Zhu Xuelian said, resting her hand on Yulan¡¯s.


    Wu Yulan frowned and then looked at the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion elder.


    The elder in question had an unsightly expression; there was anger, certainly, but Zhu Xuelian also noticed a tremor in his eyelids and dilated pupils. Fear.


    This atmosphere of fear was present in all elders, to varying degrees. Though they all focused on Zhu Xuelian, none of them allowed Wu Yulan or Yun Fei to leave their field of vision, and they seemed ready for anything.


    ¡°Zhu Xuelian, regarding your earlier words, does that mean you do not know what the current situation is?¡± An elder of the Seven Killing Swords sect spoke.


    This time, Zhu Xuelian did not smile at this elder, or show the same kind of respect as she showed to the others. ¡°This is correct. I just woke from my slumber, and then was summoned here.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of your slumber, do you know what caused it?¡± Another elder, this time from the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion asked.


    ¡°My breakthrough did, elder.¡±


    ¡°Your breakthrough?¡± the same elder asked.


    ¡°Yes. I sacrificed my cultivation and my martial arts to kill Yu Shun,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, with a tone of pride in her tone.


    The atmosphere immediately changed. There was a rising hostility from the disciples and the elders of the Seven Killing Swords sect.


    ¡°How did you accomplish that? I never heard of such a method,¡± the same elder asked.


    ¡°I dedicated myself to a grander ideal.¡±


    These words were a slap to their face. In one sentence, Zhu Xuelian both refused to explain and ridiculed their own ideals.


    Wu Yulan couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°And you said I was mean,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What is this¡­ ideal of yours, disciple?¡± With a hint of anger, the same elder continued, perhaps trying to provoke flaws in Zhu Xuelian¡¯s reasoning.


    After a pause, Zhu Xuelian confidently responded.


    ¡°Yaoyue.¡±


    The elders were confused. ¡°What¡­ who¡­ is Yaoyue?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian smiled. She had waited, in a way, for six months to tell someone ¡ª anyone ¡ª how amazing Yaoyue was, so she did not hold back.


    ¡°Yaoyue is my life. Everything I am now, it is thanks to Yaoyue. When I was lost and abandoned, when I was left with no choices but to die, when I had nowhere left to go, Yaoyue showed me the way forward. I strive for the apex for Yaoyue. I dedicate my heart, soul, and life to Yaoyue. I¡ª¡°


    ¡°Enough!¡± One of the elders shouted.


    Zhu Xuelian frowned and drew in a breath.


    ¡°Are you making fun of us?!¡±


    ¡°Not at all, elder. Everything I said¡ª¡°


    ¡°I said enough!¡±


    Zhu Xuelian narrowed her eyes. She didn''t like being shouted at. After a moment, she asked: ¡°I do not see my master. Where is Elder Qin?¡±


    ¡°We ask the questions, disciple.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian looked at the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion elder ¡ª the same one that offended Wu Yulan ¡ª and frowned again. Slowly, her eyes narrowed into thin slits.


    There were many stories of Zhu Xuelian now, though she was largely unknown until six months ago. These stories described Zhu Xuelian as a principled and restrained cultivator, who would always yield to the righteous path.


    However, this was simply not the truth, and these elders, if they believed those stories to profile Zhu Xuelian, made a terrible mistake.


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    ¡°Wu Yulan, kill the next one that doesn¡¯t answer my question," she said. Her tone was such that it almost sounded like she wasn''t serious; it was airy, higher pitched, and light. She almost sounded polite.


    However, wordlessly, Wu Yulan took a step forward and rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. Her center of gravity was low, and she was ready to draw at any moment. There was no restraint or jest in that stance and mannerism. She meant it.


    This time, Zhu Xuelian spoke coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t make it a habit to ask twice, but I am making an exception this time. Where is my master, Elder Qin? I wanted to see her.¡±


    Rage, humiliation, and killing intent filled the ranks of the elders as they regarded the three with waning restraint.


    ¡°Elder Qin cut her ties to the sect, and departed.¡± Elder Huang was the one to answer Zhu Xuelian¡¯s question.


    Zhu Xuelian smiled, somewhat relieved. ¡°This disciple understands.¡±


    Another slap to their faces. This disciple understands, meaning, she would also cut her ties with the sect and leave if she could, after seeing this state of affairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this!¡± An elder of the Seven Killing Swords roared. ¡°Zhu Xuelian, due to your unlawful execution of Yu Shun, you are to be executed and your possessions to be transferred to the Seven Killing Swords sect!¡±


    ¡°Unlawful?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked. ¡°It was a sanctioned duel. The only lawful execution here is my execution of that man.¡±


    ¡°You dare to speak nonsense, even now!?¡± The elder roared.


    ¡°Nonsense?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked again. ¡°Which part of my statement is nonsense, elder? Please enlighten this junior.¡±


    ¡°You¡­!!¡±


    ¡°He himself stated that my fate was to die at his hands when he accepted the duel,¡± Zhu Xuelian continued. ¡°Not only did he die, but he said at his hands. You would be going against your young master¡¯s wishes.¡±


    ¡°And fate,¡± Wu Yulan points out.


    ¡°That also.¡±


    Their faces were red. They were livid. It would only take one of them to lose composure, for all of them to launch themselves at Zhu Xuelian and tear her from limb to limb. Yet, the way she stood there, defiantly, gave them all pause.


    The way she never mentioned his name, but only referred to him as that man also threaded needles of fear in their hearts, and they did not know why. How deep must a hatred be for it to scare even elders, who lived hundreds of years? This was not the Zhu Xuelian they heard about.


    She was polite and, in her own way, deferential, but her uncompromising dignity also belied the kernel of extreme, pure violence lingering in that heart. It is this violence, perceived through the lens of hatred Zhu Xuelian had for Yu Shun, that scared them. Coexisting with devils was foolishness, everyone knew this, but Zhu Xuelian wasn''t merely a sword cultivator, with an affinity for solving problems through violence. She was a weapon wrought from whatever hell she was put through at the hands of the man whose name she would not speak, and whom she destroyed so utterly, he did not even leave a corpse behind.


    But she was only in the Qi Condensation period ¡ª how could she not feel terrified of their killing intent?


    Zhu Xuelian sighed. ¡°I understand why the Seven Killing Swords sect wants me dead, and my possessions transferred to them, but I don¡¯t understand why you want me dead.¡± Zhu Xuelian said, looking at the other elders. ¡°Your surprise attack did not go so well?¡±


    These words seemed to simultaneously placate the Seven Killing Swords elders, while also humiliating the elders of the other two sects.


    ¡°You lost the entire war? Three on one?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak of matters you don¡¯t understand!¡± Elder Mo of the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion roared.


    ¡°This disciple humbly requests, once more, for the elder to enlighten her on the parts she doesn¡¯t understand,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    ¡°I am warning you, Zhu Xuelian; if you continue this, not ten Wu Yulan will save you. We will kill you on the spot,¡± Elder Mo said, coldly.


    Zhu Xuelian stepped forward, defiantly. ¡°There is no need for that. If you admit to me that you lost the war, kowtow to me three times, and beg me to help you, I swear that I will gladly give up my life, here and now.¡±


    The elders all had enraged expressions, their hands balling into fists.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use pretending; everyone knows. I knew the moment I saw the Seven Killing Swords Ark over the Sect Hall. You used my duel and the confusion when I killed the future patriarch of the Seven Killing Swords sect to launch a cowardly surprise attack. Even after this, you lost the war that followed, three against one, and now, as part of your surrender agreement to the Seven Killing Swords sect, you need me to die to avoid the mistakes of your cowardice and incompetence,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, wearing a disgusted expression. ¡°Admit it. Kowtow to me. Throw away your dignity if you dare to demand I die with mine!¡±


    Wu Yulan took another step forward, footfalls falling like thunder, heralding the approaching storm.


    But no one looked at Wu Yulan. They were all focused on Zhu Xuelian. The disciples and elders could feel the presence of that tyrannical sword they felt that day when they watched Zhu Xuelian kill Yu Shun. It was there ¡ª or at least the memory of it was. Like they stood before an empress who could not be defied. The way she stood so proudly ¡ª a mere Qi Condensation cultivator now ¡ª as if she was the sovereign of her fate, and not they.


    ¡°Zhu Xuelian,¡± Elder Huang spoke softly. ¡°Don¡¯t make this difficult. We did not lose the war. We agreed to cease hostilities for everyone¡¯s benefit¡ª¡°


    Wu Yulan burst into laughter before the elder could finish.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± Wu Yulan whispered and bowed. ¡°This Wu Yulan learned something new after all. How to admit defeat, without admitting defeat!¡±


    Elder Huang frowned; he looked more sad than humiliated by Wu Yulan¡¯s words.


    ¡°That is quite right,¡± Elder Huang said and stepped forward. As he approached, Wu Yulan did not stop him. ¡°Zhu Xuelian, will you please enlighten this elder: what do you think you can accomplish here? Even if you had your previous cultivation, you would stand no chance here. Are you hoping that you can at least take some of us out before you die? That sounds like you, but I am sorry to disappoint you; we are all ready for that outcome.¡±


    ¡°Elder Huang, I am just a sword cultivator. I don¡¯t know how to do hidden schemes,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, truthfully. ¡°I just came here to hear my own master and elders tell me why I deserve to die. I want to know the reason."


    Elder Huang stopped in front of Zhu Xuelian and looked down at her with a gentle expression.


    ¡°Then I am sorry that you wasted your time,¡± Elder Huang said. ¡°You won¡¯t find that here.¡±


    Suddenly, the door burst open again, and slammed into the walls, just like before, and everyone looked toward the entrance.


    ¡°I, Lei Yangming, of the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion, have come to court death,¡± a voice shouted from the entrance. ¡°Zhu Xuelian is the most righteous cultivator of our generation, and I will gladly share her fate.¡±


    ¡°I, Mu Jingyu, have come to seek death¡ª¡°


    ¡°I, Tian Li¡ª¡°


    Disciple after disciple poured into the main chamber, expressions as grim as if they were determined to make this the final day of their existence, with weapons at the ready, and pride in their step.


    They were not the same people that Zhu Xuelian left at her mountain peak, because in the echoes of her final words to them, they realized that the reason they could never achieve the same heights as Zhu Xuelian was because the devils in their hearts were also their limits.


    Zhu Xuelian ¡ª a Qi Condensation cultivator ¡ª stood proudly and defiantly in front of forces that could tear her to pieces, and she appeared without a shred of hesitation or fear. So why couldn¡¯t they? How could they ever strive for anything when they cannot strive beyond their lowly selves?


    Zhu Xuelian ¡ª a pathetic Qi Condensation cultivator ¡ª was ten times their measure. No, a hundred times! A thousand!


    ¡°I, Ren Jinhai, no longer fear death. I welcome it. Zhu Xuelian¡¯s fate is my fate.¡±


    ¡°I, Sun Yongzheng, refuse to live under the same heaven as the devils in my heart. Zhu Xuelian¡¯s fate is my fate. Her friend is my friend. Her enemy is my enemy.¡± He lifted his sword toward the elders. ¡°Which one are you?¡±


    Elder Huang looked at the approaching disciples, and for a moment, Zhu Xuelian thought she saw tears in his eyes.


    Then, Elder Huang turned around to face the other elders.


    ¡°I, Huang Fei, now seek death, if you want to harm my disciples, you will have to¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, the elder from the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion, the one that was admonished by both Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian finally snapped, rushed forward, and thrust his sword through Elder Huang¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Then die, already.¡±

 Chapter 4

    The sword glittered with blood where it thrust through Elder Huang¡¯s chest, and came out through his back, beads of red dripping on the floor.


    Zhu Xuelian, even as a Qi Condensation cultivator, was fast. Even though she had no martial arts to support her movement, she still moved with preternatural speed, placing one foot forward, ducking lower to make herself a smaller target, and angling her body to reach further.


    Even so, she was painfully slow compared to the elder from the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion, who perceived her as moving in slow motion. If this were an attempt at a counterattack, it was downright suicidal. It is because Zhu Xuelian was a Qi Condensation cultivator, and did not have martial arts. If she were the same person as six months ago, this elder would be worried ¡ª perhaps even slightly afraid.


    Even back then, Zhu Xuelian could never kill this elder, but a confrontation would not come without heavy costs. At least, in this elder¡¯s estimation, this was the case. He had never seen Zhu Xuelian before, but from what he had heard, despite the strange martial arts she practiced, this was the obvious outcome.


    Good, the elder thought, welcoming Zhu Xuelian¡¯s advance. Come closer and die.


    The elder freed his sword, moving purposefully slow to draw Zhu Xuelian in ¡ª to seduce her into the false plot that she could actually accomplish anything. Every moment that passed, this elder cherished and his doubts and fears evaporated.


    This was Zhu Xuelian? Just this? A slow-moving, direct, thoughtless, suicidal Qi Condensation cultivator?


    He even remarked, internally, on Zhu Xuelian¡¯s footwork and technique. Everyone can learn to move well, but it takes a truly rare talent to utilize the exact amount of energy required to execute each motion perfectly, for every possible variable. Zhu Xuelian''s motion was sloppy and too direct. Even though, as she approached, Zhu Xuelian left no possible room for the elder to escape, which was the correct idea, the elder did not bother to defend himself; he wanted her closer.


    Zhu Xuelian was a passable fighter, in this elder¡¯s estimation. Perhaps she even had some talent and potential. But ultimately, she was just a Qi Condensation cultivator, and too young. Why was he so afraid of her before? Why was he warned multiple times to not underestimate this trash?


    Zhu Xuelian¡¯s hand wrapped around the elder¡¯s wrist, as he lifted his sword high to strike Zhu Xuelian down.


    Many voices called out Zhu Xuelian¡¯s name, at that time, as they finally reacted.


    Strange, the elder thought. She must have really sharp instincts to react so much faster than the others. But it doesn''t matter. You die here, Zhu Xuelian!


    His arm did not move.


    Huh?


    Holding nothing back, the elder poured every ounce of strength into his arm. His entire limb trembled and shook, and he only managed to lower his sword toward Zhu Xuelian a mere inch as an entire second of struggle passed.


    Her black-and-red gaze bore into his eyes, unflinching. There was no question in those eyes. There was no hatred. There was no killing intent. There was no joy nor disappointment.


    The entire scene was so preposterous that no one could comprehend what was going on. In truth, most of them thought the elder was messing around, and everyone resented the elder for it. The longer this took, the more danger there was that they would come to harm at the hands of Wu Yulan or Yun Fei.


    But those two did not even move.


    I... I will die¡­


    Her eyes. Her fast reaction. Her unbelievable strength. The elder had it all wrong. Zhu Xuelian had some talent? Her attempt was pathetic? She was a passable fighter?


    She is a natural¡­ cold-blooded¡­ bloodthirsty killer¡­!!!


    She moved slowly because she was a Qi Condensation cultivator. She couldn''t help that. But it wasn''t the elder who was tricking her into a false plot; he fell to his own schemes and purposefully allowed the one thing to happen that had to be avoided at all costs: he allowed her close.


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    The elder then made a split-second decision that he thought he would never, ever, make in his entire life ¡ª no matter the circumstances, no matter the reasons, and no matter the outcomes. Shrouding his left hand in Qi, he cut across his right hand and severed it ¡ª not Zhu Xuelian¡¯s ¡ª to free himself from her grip, and leaped back. The terror Zhu Xuelian inspired in him, at that moment, made him react this way. He would not even risk attempting to cut off Zhu Xuelian¡¯s hand, because he only had one chance at escaping from her.


    As his feet left the ground, flying toward safety, he was about to sigh in relief, but then Wu Yulan appeared at his side and brought her sword down on his neck.


    Her sword did not cut into his flesh but instead pummeled him into the ground, head first, in the kowtowing position, with Wu Yulan standing over him, her sword at his neck.


    Zhu Xuelian dropped the elder¡¯s severed hand and wiped the blood off her fingers on her dress.


    ¡°This body was given to me by Yaoyue; to think you would have the guts to bleed on it¡­¡± she remarked coldly, for the first time showing genuine hints of anger.


    No one moved. Not the elders. Not the disciples. Everything was still. In truth, they all anticipated that they grossly underestimated Zhu Xuelian, Wu Yulan, and Yun Fei. Even this was within their expectations, and though it was regrettable, some of the elders were glad that someone demonstrated why their warnings were credible, and not to be taken lightly. Elder Huang did not lie when he said that they were all prepared to suffer losses.


    It was a wake-up call.


    But there was something fantastic and magical about the fact that a Qi Condensation cultivator could do that. Zhu Xuelian¡¯s words were more than enough of a hint to comprehend the reason why this happened.


    Zhu Xuelian lost her cultivation, but not her Physique. What grade was it to overpower an elder¡¯s strength? It was incredible.


    And Wu Yulan¡­ most of the elders did not even see her move. She was a Nascent Soul cultivator, like them, but she was only in the initial stages of the realm, unlike them.


    ¡°H-help¡­!¡± the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion murmured, barely able to move his lips as Wu Yulan kept pressing his face into the ground. Each motion of his lips caused him pain. His entire skeleton trembled.


    But no one came to help, especially when the disciples who pledged their support to Zhu Xuelian came to stand at Zhu Xuelian¡¯s side. This made all of the elders frown with great displeasure and even disappointment.


    Zhu Xuelian looked down at Elder Huang, who coughed up another mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Elder Huang,¡± she said. ¡°Why did you do that? We share no bond and there are no debts between us.¡±


    Elder Huang chuckled, wheezed, then chuckled again. ¡°An old¡­ man¡¯s¡­ foolishness¡­ and pride¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t say anymore,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°Save your strength.¡±


    Elder Huang shook his head. ¡°N-no¡­ this foolish elder¡­ was saving strength¡­ all his life¡­ and wasted his life¡­¡± He struggled to sit up, but could not do so. ¡°Please¡­ hear this dying old man¡¯s final¡­ words.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian nodded and knelt beside Elder Huang.


    ¡°You¡­ c-came to know¡­ that we did not¡­ betray you; that there is a reason¡­ but there isn¡¯t¡­ and we did¡­¡± Elder Huang whispered, and Zhu Xuelian¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°W¡­ we lost¡­ and rather¡­ than submit¡­ to our enemy¡­ we were forced¡­ to sell you out¡­¡±


    ¡°I already knew this,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    ¡°And you still¡­ came¡­ here¡­¡± Elder Huang whispered, as his eyes filled with tears, then blood. ¡°I... I... am proud... of who you... became. Rather... than submit... you would... gladly die...¡±


    Zhu Xuelian¡¯s expression grew darker and darker with each word; her steady heart became heavier and heavier.


    Elder Huang continued, the blood pooling around him more. ¡°I regret¡­ I reg-regret¡­ that I could not do that. That I... won''t... be able¡­ to see you grow¡­ and become¡­ the greatest of us.¡±


    He coughed, as his pulse grew weaker.


    "Please... stop..." Zhu Xuelian whispered, but her tone betrayed her helplessness.


    ¡°I regret¡­ that I cannot say¡­ with pride in my heart¡­ that this Zhu¡­ Zhu Xuelian¡­ was my disciple¡­ from my sect¡­ and that I w-watched¡­ her grow¡­ and become a fine¡­ person¡­¡± One more ragged breath. ¡°Because I... betrayed you... and the sect... betrayed you. What is the point... of wishing... I could have¡­ watched you¡­ a bit longer... and cheered you on¡­ when I did... this to you? I will... I will never... forgive... forgive myself..."


    Here, he squeezed her hand and closed his eyes. "But at least... this thing I... I... I did right. I am glad... to die for you... as your elder. In another... another life... I wish¡­ I wish I could''ve been... your¡­ grandpa."


    With those words, Elder Huang became still.


    Elder Huang was a respected and famous figure in the rivers and the lakes. He was beloved by everyone, regardless of their sect. As a young man, he fought against the beast waves and sacrificed everything he had to protect the common people. He believed in the philosophy of Our Land; even as that philosophy, twisted by others, resulted in regional conflicts between warlords that brought about the death of his entire family.


    When the current sects came into power, and abolished the age of pointless wars, Elder Huang joined the Galaxy Sword sect, for it had no allegiance to worldly titles. His philosophy ¡ª Our Land ¡ª became Our People.


    It was not strange that every disciple of the Galaxy Sword sect burst into tears when they saw what happened to him, and the way his expression, even now, wore a proud smile.


    Zhu Xuelian stood up and stared down at Elder Huang¡¯s peaceful expression. After a moment, she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.


    ¡°Don''t be so hard on yourself," Zhu Xuelian said, softly. "I forgive you¡­ grandpa¡­ Huang.¡±

 Chapter 5

    Lei Yangming balled his hands into fists and stepped forward. ¡°How could you do this?!¡± he shouted, his face red. His words were directed at the elder beneath Wu Yulan¡¯s sword, but Lei Yangming would not even look at him. ¡°If this continues, I won¡¯t forgive you! I will cut my ties with the sect and leave! Please, elders, reconsider!¡±


    One of the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion elders scoffed and waved his hand at Lei Yangming.


    A wave of force propelled forward, and struck Lei Yangming in the stomach, forcing him to his knees, vomiting blood.


    ¡°Then cripple your cultivation and leave,¡± the elder said, frowning deeply.


    Ren Jinhai blinked, as he saw the top cultivator of his generation and sect, attacked with deadly force, and aimed at crippling his cultivation. Though Lei Yangming managed to protect his Dantian, it left the rest of his body at the mercy of the elder¡¯s attack.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ this is Lei Yangming!¡± Ren Jinhai shouted. ¡°The sect master will never forgive you for this!!¡±


    ¡°The sect master won¡¯t forgive me? You think Lei Yangming is special? There is one of him every ten years!!¡± the elder shouted back at Ren Jinhai. ¡°Not a hundred Lei Yangmings, or a thousand of you, can make up for the thousand years of calamity that awaits us if we don¡¯t see this through!¡±


    ¡°Retract your words from before, cut your ties with Zhu Xuelian, and you may live long enough to see that this is right!¡± another elder said.


    ¡°No¡­ way¡­¡± Lei Yangming groaned as Ren Jinhai helped him to his feet. ¡°From today¡­ onward¡­ we are finished¡­ I, Lei Yang¡­ ming¡­ am no longer¡­ a disciple of¡­ Heavenly Mountain Pavilion.¡±


    The elders frowned.


    The other disciples, except the Frozen Peak Palace disciples, whose elders did not come to represent the sect here, tore off the patches on their sleeves that identified them as disciples of their respective sects. The gesture was simple to understand. They were now rogue cultivators.


    ¡°So you will all die with Zhu Xuelian?¡± an elder of the Seven Killing Swords sect asked.


    No one answered. Words were unnecessary. They gripped their weapons tightly and made their peace.


    ¡°Do you see what you do, Zhu Xuelian?¡± an elder of the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion asked. ¡°You seduced all these people into death with you. And for what? Everywhere you go, you only cause problems. This is the price you made us pay so you can have your shallow satisfaction.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian suddenly chuckled darkly.


    ¡°What is so funny?¡±


    Slowly, Zhu Xuelian lifted her teary eyes to the elder in question, and in them burned an ember of hatred. ¡°Today, I have seen the ugliest face of evil; you speak of sacrifice and paying a price, but nothing of yours is sacrificed or lost. You lay the corpses of my friends and my elders at my feet, and you speak as if I am the one holding the sword that killed them.¡±


    The elders frowned at her words, and more so at the intense aura that enveloped her. It was not sword force ¡ª she wasn¡¯t capable of producing any ¡ª but the thick, killing intent that wrapped itself around her was something that sent a shiver down their spines.


    ¡°You are mud,¡± Zhu Xuelian said as she stepped forward. ¡°I have finally dragged my half-dead corpse into a life worth living, yet here you are, pulling me back; sticking to me like ugly, slimy, heavy, disgusting mud¡­¡±


    ¡°Watch your word¡ª¡°


    ¡°Silence!!¡± Zhu Xuelian shouted and stomped on the head of the elder underneath Wu Yulan¡¯s sword. As her shout echoed in the chamber, tyrannical tones pulsing within the sound, the elder¡¯s skull scattered in every direction.


    ¡°Speaking is what people do,¡± Zhu Xuelian said coldly, scraping bits of flesh and bone off her heel. ¡°Mud is to be stepped on.¡±


    It was impossible to describe this situation to anyone who was not a Nascent Soul period cultivator. Only with one¡¯s enhanced senses could one peer into the deeper mysteries of another being; to read the finer points of aura; detect the subtlest hints of energy; and understand situations beyond one¡¯s physical senses.


    Zhu Xuelian possessed none of those tells. Her cultivation truly was pitiful, and not suppressed or altered in a way to resemble something else. Her Physique, regardless of its level, should not be able to overcome an elder¡¯s protective qi and crush his head like a melon.


    Yet, this was the situation.


    ¡°A thousand years of calamity awaits you?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked. ¡°You no longer have to worry about that. The Heavenly Mountain Pavilion sect, the Galaxy Sword sect, the Seven Killing Swords sect ¡ª I now vow to annihilate every one of your filthy, disgusting cabals¡­¡±


    As she spoke, the elders drew their weapons. Deep in their hearts, they knew they no longer had the opportunity to try to convince Zhu Xuelian to die willingly for their greater good.


    ¡°I will never take back these words. No matter how much you beg and plead and negotiate, I will make ashes of your mud and peace of your demise.¡±


    A bright white line appeared before the elders, forming a perimeter through a vibrating and pulsing string of unprecedented sword force. Even at a glance, they could tell that crossing that perimeter would be the equivalent of seeking death. They looked at Wu Yulan and cursed her silently. They feared her, and her extraordinary techniques, the most.


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    ¡°You want me to carry the burden of this bloody sword? You will get what you want. So be it!! Today, I sow my garden of hate in your mud. I will exterminate every trace of you. I, Zhu Xuelian, can no longer exist under the same heaven as the likes of you. Come, ruin; come, calamity; no matter whose blood fertilizes this cursed ground, these flowers will consume your sun and liberate my soul.¡±


    An elder of the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion could not hold back anymore, and despite the threat, lunged forward, crossing the white line. He had never heard such a charged curse before. She wasn¡¯t just cursing them, but also herself. It made his spine tingle.


    It was not a lack of patience that caused this elder to act so rashly, but the very real and genuinely credible feeling that this threat ¡ª no, this curse ¡ª held. Zhu Xuelian had to die at all costs.


    No one saw the sword that disemboweled the elder; all they saw were the organs that went flying forth, as his body crossed the perimeter of the white line. Then, the elder dropped onto the ground, screaming as he desperately tried to pack his organs where they belonged.


    ¡°I, Zhu Xuelian, merely yearned to live the life of peace and freedom that I have earned, but now I dedicate it to the end of yours. I renounce all notions and principles of righteousness or justice, and embrace the devil in my heart.¡±


    Another elder charged forward, leaping into the air to jump over the white line that remained in the air, with its threatening promise of death, but someone¡¯s hand clasped around his ankle, pulled him down, and slammed him into the ground.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Wu Yulan asked, gold eyes glowing brilliantly. A gold halo glittered behind her back, as the force of her gold core suppressed even this elder¡¯s far superior cultivation.


    This elder¡¯s expression reflected nothing but terror and fear, as he helplessly watched Wu Yulan¡¯s sword thrust into his chest, impaling him all the way through.


    Then, she lifted the elder¡¯s body, and tossed him to the side, as if he was nothing.


    ¡°I will kill every last one of you and all nine generations crawling in the shadow of your foul tree. This I vow!¡±


    Then, no less than eight elders appeared beside Wu Yulan, completely surrounding her, and their weapons ¡ª swords, sabers, and spears ¡ª all descended on her.


    The chamber plunged into black and silver ice as snow erupted from where Wu Yulan stood, drawing mad spirals and helices of power, with muted light glimmering from the center of all the chaos.


    Their weapons found nothing but the ephemeral afterimages of Wu Yulan''s form, as it burst into snowflakes each time they tried to strike her. She moved in ways that defied their intuition, and then she leaned sideways, falling like a cut flower, and her sword descended with her.


    The tiles under them cracked and exploded outward. Simultaneously, eight slashes fell from above, carving through the swirl of snow and painting it red. Screams emerged from the veil of snow, and none of them were Wu Yulan''s.


    An arc of sword energy flew out of the cloud of snow, carving into the ceiling with such immense force and power that the stone melted, dripping off the canopy and onto the floor. Though the building was reinforced with top-grade materials, it still managed to get damaged.


    To everyone present, this was all an apocalyptic sight. They could all get obliterated here by a stray spark of energy ¡ª they couldn¡¯t even understand how Wu Yulan was not dead yet.


    Then, just as the snow became lighter, they could see Wu Yulan¡¯s smaller form throw an elder to the ground with one hand, while she fended off a spear with her sword. Then, Wu Yulan stomped her glittering ice-heel on the elder¡¯s throat, producing a noise that scarred those present.


    Wu Yulan¡¯s swordsmanship was as beautiful as it was utterly brutal.


    ¡°Frozen Sword Art,¡± Wu Yulan whispered. ¡°Calamity Winter.¡±


    In the blink of a moment, it was as if the world stood still and that time was frozen. The glint of a sword carved through the cloud of snow, cutting through every elder surrounding Wu Yulan.


    Yet, when the moment passed, there was no blood or screams ¡ª the elders merely jumped back from Wu Yulan, with horrified expressions.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­!¡± one of the elders hissed. ¡°What did you do¡­!?¡±


    ¡°What happened¡­?¡± one of the elders asked ¡ª one who didn¡¯t join the fray.


    ¡°She¡­ she cut our lifespan¡­ our life¡­¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces darkened.


    The white line suddenly unraveled and disappeared, opening the most secure path toward Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian. It was an open invitation.


    Wu Yulan came to stand next to Zhu Xuelian and Yun Fei again. Her eyes glimmered with beauty and stillness as she coldly watched the elders.


    Everyone knew of Wu Yulan. A genius with an unprecedented result. A person like her appeared so rarely, that her worth could not be compared to, say, Lei Yangming or even a sect. The elders desperately wanted to avoid having to kill Wu Yulan.


    However, none of them knew Wu Yulan.


    Wu Yulan was not the cultivator they thought she was ¡ª not a sword cultivator, not a genius, not the heir of the future they wanted her to be. Wu Yulan was a weapon of war with a deeply twisted mind who yearned to be like a soft veil of silk gliding across the sharp edge of a sword; afraid of being cut; high on the thrill of being alive. No wonder her sword was so deadly ¡ª it was a calamity dreaming of its own demise, and each nightmare it overcame only made it sharper. The carmine lips that enchanted so many were as beautiful as their ache for the flame in the proximity of death which could thrill and melt her monstrous, frozen heart.


    In those eyes, the elders saw a tiny, infinitesimal hint of this, and their guts tied into knots.


    She could¡¯ve killed them, then and there. But she chose not to. Instead, she cut their lifespans. It is not because Wu Yulan was a sadist ¡ª no, she disliked suffering; all her mortal combat, she ended cleanly and quickly.


    The other thing no one knew about Wu Yulan was just how deep her affection and loyalty to Zhu Xuelian was. If Zhu Xuelian promised she would kill them all, then Wu Yulan would never deprive her of that.


    It was their own bad luck that they forced Zhu Xuelian to make that vow because otherwise, Wu Yulan would¡¯ve sent them all to hell without any suffering.


    ¡°When I saw eighteen old rags bullying one little girl, I thought I had seen it all. But then I saw half of them get beaten up by a little girl. Never in my entire life did I think my poor eyes would be so thoroughly fouled by something this pathetic. Mud is not enough to describe what you are. You are all truly, comprehensibly, inexcusably disgusting and foul.¡±


    The light, female voice rang through the chambers from all directions, with no obvious source.


    ¡°Who is there!? Show yourself!¡± An elder shouted.


    A woman stepped forward, from the shadows, as if she had always been there. Her long, black hair swayed behind her in a fashion that made her appear otherworldly. Her feet barely touched the ground. She was like an otherworldly fairy.


    ¡°What do you want with a member of my Yue clan? Explain yourselves quickly and simply. I will warn you only once. If you do not comply with my request, I will kill you all.¡±


    As she approached, Zhu Xuelian slowly cupped her fist and bowed to the woman. ¡°Lady Yue, this disciple greets master.¡±


    Likewise, Wu Yulan and Yun Fei silently followed suit and greeted Lady Yue.


    Everyone else was speechless.

 Chapter 6

    Only a few elders present knew of the name Yue and what it represented. At this moment, it represented fear and terror. The most responsible thing to do would be to warn the others to be exceedingly polite and courteous.


    However, none of them would dare to go against Lady Yue¡¯s instructions and speak of matters unrelated to those instructions.


    ¡°Outsiders are not welcome he¡ª¡° An elder of the Seven Killing Swords sect began to speak, and all that remained of him was a red stain on the wall behind him. There was no motion. There was no qi, sword energy, or killing intent. There was a sound of impact, then a red stain.


    Lady Yue¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even twitch. It¡¯s as if she didn¡¯t even notice, or do anything.


    This was reasonable.


    True power was not expressed in words or threats. At the extreme limits, it was not even expressed through fame or action. True power was true power. They were ants. No, they were mud ¡ª worse than mud.


    The question was: who was the member of her Yue family? If they got this wrong, another one of them would die. Or maybe all of them would.


    Wu Yulan?


    This made logical sense. Wu Yulan was incredible. Of course, some unknown, ancient family would take her in. It simply made sense.


    ¡°Lady Yue, though¡­ things became a little heated¡­ and we exchanged a few blows¡­ we didn¡¯t mean any ill will or harm toward Wu Yulan. She is a precious cultivator to all of us¡­ and our future ¡ª this continent¡¯s future is in her hands¡­ naturally, we would never¡­¡±


    The elder trailed off as he observed Lady Yue¡¯s interaction with Wu Yulan. This elder felt slightly gladdened when he saw Lady Yue affectionately pat Wu Yulan on the head and smile.


    ¡°Have you been having fun?¡± Lady Yue asked Wu Yulan, completely ignoring the elder.


    Wu Yulan nodded happily. ¡°Yes, Lady Yue.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. I am glad. I knew you two would be so perfect for each other,¡± Lady Yue said.


    ¡°This Wu Yulan has Lady Yue to thank for the greatest fortune of her life,¡± Wu Yulan said with such honesty and warmth that it touched even some bystanders. She even had tears of joy in her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to join my Yue family too, little Lan¡¯er?¡± Lady Yue asked.


    The elders'' expressions became unsightly.


    ¡°Lady Yue, I already have a family¡­¡± Wu Yulan whispered.


    ¡°You and the little lily could be real sisters, though, if you did,¡± Lady Yue pointed out.


    Wu Yulan blinked. She never thought of it this way. She bit her lower lip, and a blush appeared on her cheeks. ¡°W-well, if¡­ if it¡¯s like that¡­ then maybe¡­ I think I would¡­ like that.¡±


    Lady Yue burst into laughter and then clapped her hands together. ¡°Good, good! This put me in such a good mood! My humble, little family grows, with the best talent in the world.¡±


    A yawning pit of doom opened inside everyone¡¯s stomachs hearing those words.


    The best talent in the world.


    Those words echoed in their heads. Who was Lady Yue? Most of them did not know. Even those who knew, only knew that this family must be obeyed. Forget losing one¡¯s life; an entire sect would be annihilated.


    These people ¡ª this clan ¡ª sought to win over Zhu Xuelian and Wu Yulan, not through force, but through kindness? So much so to extend their patronage and support to these two cultivators, and let them experience the rivers and the lakes, without too much interference?


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    Their eyes all simultaneously focused on Zhu Xuelian.


    These elders ¡ª their sects ¡ª all agreed to kill that Zhu Xuelian and, despite their lies earlier, Wu Yulan? Instead of fighting tooth and nail, sacrificing everything ¡ª especially their miserable, worthless lives ¡ª to keep them, they tried to kill them?


    The Galaxy Sword elders howled and immediately fell to their knees. They pressed their heads to the ground.


    ¡°Lady Yue, please forgive the foolishness of these old men!¡± One of them shouted. ¡°We were blind and could not see. Now that we know, we will never let anything happen to them. We will protect them with our lives.¡±


    Lady Yue scoffed. ¡°You can¡¯t even protect your own lives from them. Are you trying to make me laugh, or do you take me for a fool?¡±


    ¡°Laugh! Laugh! It was a joke, Lady Yue! Just a joke!¡± One of the elders shouted, shamelessly. The gathered disciples looked away, disgusted and ashamed.


    Lady Yue¡¯s glittering giggle filled the room with her amusement. ¡°Good, good.¡±


    In many ways, this was worse than death. But what else could they do? They already betrayed the principles and dignity of their sects. In the past, they could do things like this, and people would forget because they were the major sects of the world. Anyone who remembered, or spread rumors, would die.


    Now, their reputation would be ruined forever. What else did they have to give? Their dignity. Their lives ¡ª shortened by Wu Yulan¡¯s sword ¡ª were worthless. They did not lie when they said that they were blind before, but could see it now. Zhu Xuelian was the key to the future.


    Maybe this was in part due to Zhu Xuelian¡¯s connection to the Yue clan, but for the most part, it was because, if a clan like the Yue wanted her, then she must truly be something incredibly special.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question. What do you want from my family member?¡±


    This time, Lady Yue¡¯s tone was cold.


    ¡°Sh¡­ she killed the young master of the Seven Killing Swords sect,¡± an elder of the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion replied.


    ¡°And?¡± Lady Yue asked.


    ¡°And¡­ n-nothing.¡±


    Lady Yue nodded. ¡°Good, good. ¡®And nothing¡¯ is correct. I did not know mud and I can have a common understanding.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s hearts trembled. ¡°We¡­ we are glad¡­ too.¡±


    ¡°He had a brother, no? Bring him out here. I will kill him too. So there¡¯s no bad blood in the future, and so you understand ¡®and nothing¡¯ very thoroughly.¡±


    A moment of silence filled the room.


    ¡°He¡­ is already dead¡­ Y-Yun Fei killed him.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lady Yue smiled. ¡°Pity.¡±


    Her smiles, her laughter, her good demeanor ¡ª it all confused them, but not anymore. At first, they thought Lady Yue was here to defuse the situation and reach a favorable outcome for all, but they were mistaken. Beneath those smiles, giggles, and outbursts of affection was a sinister, bloodthirsty nature.


    No, maybe they were reading too much into it. They didn¡¯t feel this was sinister, or bloodthirsty. This was merely the right of the powerful.


    This was Lady Yue, an existence that could demand anything she wanted. If she wanted the sect master of all their sects dead, she would have it. She only asked for the two sons. Was this mercy?


    They were only shielded from a true sinister and bloodthirsty nature by the mercy of her principle, and her ability to make reasonable demands. Yes, two heirs of a sect, now seemed very, very reasonable.


    ¡°Wh¡­ what else must we do¡­ to make amends¡­ Please¡­ instruct us, Lady Yue.¡±


    ¡°You will give your sect Ark to my disciples, and never interfere with them again,¡± Lady Yue simply said.


    One of the elders raised his head to glare at Lady Yue. It was an unacceptable request.


    The sect¡¯s Ark is its lifeblood. It is the insignia of its glory and status. The name Galaxy Sword was deeply bonded to the Ark itself. Without the Ark, the name may as well be worthless. Only major sects had Arks. A sect without an Ark¡­


    ¡°Do you object?¡± Lady Yue asked.


    ¡°We¡­ we must¡­ inquire with the sect¡­ master¡­¡± an elder whispered.


    ¡°No objections.¡± A voice suddenly boomed from the peak of a nearby mountain.


    ¡°S-sect master¡­ is awake¡­?¡±


    ¡°Is this acceptable, little lily?¡± Lady Yue asked, looking at Zhu Xuelian.


    Zhu Xuelian lowered her head and then spoke. ¡°No.¡±


    The elders all froze. ¡°Please¡­ please reconsider.¡±


    ¡°For the sake of grandpa Huang, who gave his life for the sect, I will go against my heart and my word, and seek no trouble with the sect. But you ¡ª you¡­!¡± Zhu Xuelian¡¯s tone became colder and colder with each syllable. ¡°When I am a Nascent Soul cultivator again, I will come to settle our debt.¡±


    The elders almost seemed relieved. ¡°Just¡­ just us¡­?¡±


    ¡°Just you.¡±


    The elders sighed in relief. ¡°Let¡­ let it be so¡­ I, Elder Hao, wait patiently for the day you become a Nascent Soul cultivator.¡±


    ¡°I, Elder Meng, also.¡±


    ¡°I, Elder Fei, do so as well.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian nodded grimly.


    ¡°What¡­ about us?¡± An elder of the Seven Killing Swords sect asked.


    To this, Lady Yue glanced at them sideways, as if she had completely forgotten about them. She seemed to think about it for a moment, then smiled.


    ¡°Wait to be destroyed,¡± she simply said, and turned around, moving toward the exit.


    Her words left the elders stunned. They could not overturn this decision.


    Zhu Xuelian, Wu Yulan, Yun Fei, and the others, all moved to follow Lady Yue.


    ¡°Zhu Xuelian,¡± the sect master¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°Will you come pay this old man a visit, before his final breath expires? I would like to meet you.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian stopped and looked up at Lady Yue.


    Lady Yue smiled. ¡°Go, little lily. The old man must be getting lonely. Make sure to thank him for the Ark; it¡¯s a small gift, but still expensive.¡±


    A sect¡¯s Ark is a small gift?


    Only someone like Lady Yue could say such a thing.

 Chapter 7

    In the past, ironically, this Galaxy Peak was also called the Starsword Peak ¡ª the same name that Zhu Xuelian¡¯s little mountain retreat currently possessed. Though, this was not an indicator or premonition that Zhu Xuelian would end up the next sect master ¡ª that would be outrageous. It was just a coincidence. The sect master¡¯s peak was always the Galaxy Peak.


    Wu Yulan did not go with Zhu Xuelian this time, as she wasn¡¯t invited. Even when Zhu Xuelian insisted that Wu Yulan come anyway, the latter refused.


    ¡°I should make sure that those elders don¡¯t try anything, so I¡¯ll be flying around and keeping an eye out,¡± she said and departed.


    The sect master¡¯s house was a rather simple creation. It could barely be called a hut. Of course, even a hut for cultivators was like an expansive villa to ordinary mortals, but this really was a simple, ordinary hut. At best, it only had two rooms.


    When Zhu Xuelian opened the door and entered, she regretted ever thinking it had only two rooms. The reception area was as large as Zhu Xuelian¡¯s entire home, and she had to step back and look at the hut from the outside again, just to reconcile what her reason was telling her, and what her eyes were telling her.


    Then she entered again, and walked down the center of the chamber, toward the stele on the other side of the chamber. The sect¡¯s ancestral stone was here, and though it was called a stone, it was a piece of metal, shaped like a stone, with blazing red letters inscribed on it.


    Zhu Xuelian could not decipher the symbols, but she knew that this was the sect¡¯s namestone. It was a tradition of the sects of old that functioned almost like a birth certificate. It announced, to heaven mostly, that the Galaxy Sword exists, and claims this domain in its name.


    Behind the sect¡¯s ancestral stone, Zhu Xuelian could vaguely make out the shape of an elderly person, sitting on a cushion.


    ¡°This junior greets esteemed sect master,¡± Zhu Xuelian said and cupped her fist to the sect master. It would be customary for a disciple to prostrate before the sect master, but Zhu Xuelian wasn¡¯t certain if she was still a disciple.


    ¡°My, my, the youth today is quite ferocious and sharp,¡± the sect master said, with a humming tone of approval. ¡°Now that I see you more closely, I am even more impressed.¡±


    ¡°Your words flatter me, sect master, but this junior is not that special,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The sect master asked. "Are you trying to deceive this old man?"


    ¡°Sect master, this Zhu Xuelian wouldn''t dare. She isn¡¯t just being humble; Wu Yulan is truly a child of destiny, compared to me. Her swordsmanship is much better, and her roots are truly blessed,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°Did you know she passed all fourteen floors of the Pagoda of Introspection?¡±


    ¡°Oh? That is quite an achievement. How many did you pass?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Six¡­¡±


    The sect master laughed. His laughter was so loud that each syllable struck Zhu Xuelian like gale-force winds. But she laughed too. She could tell that the sect master wasn¡¯t ridiculing her. He laughed for the same reason that Zhu Xuelian did.


    The Pagoda of Introspection really did not matter even in the slightest bit, and two heaven-blessed cultivators could have such vastly different results, and still climb to the top!


    ¡°And then there¡¯s You Huaming,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°I looked at her once, and I could instantly tell. She was special.¡±


    ¡°Ah, from the Guardian Sect? It sounds like they will have quite a successor. Have you met Wulei and Feixue?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sect master. Elder Qin¡ª Feixue took me into her palace,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    ¡°Is that so? I would¡¯ve thought that Wulei would have snatched you from her. Little Wulei quite likes to collect little treasures like you. She would¡¯ve been overjoyed to be your master or provide you instructions.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian chuckled. ¡°Well, maybe something like that did happen? We came to ask her for instructions, and she tossed us into the Perilous Sword Valley.¡±


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    Once again, the sect master burst out laughing. ¡°Sounds like you received her favor after all. The heavens grant you all these gifts, and you still have the guts to say you are not that special.¡±


    ¡°Sect master,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, with a small smile, ¡°The heavens grant deluges of flowers, but all I want is to seek the apex with my friends at my sides, and no swords on my neck.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian could not see it clearly, but she could tell that the sect master smiled.


    ¡°Zhu Xuelian,¡± after a long moment of silence, the sect master spoke again. ¡°I am quite gladdened to see that this new generation is so great. I know I can leave things to you."


    ¡°Sect master¡­¡± Zhu Xuelian began but trailed off. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I am still a disciple of the sect¡­ After today¡­¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn''t you be?¡± the sect master asked. ¡°Your peak is here. You have the sect¡¯s Ark. You have this old man¡¯s hopes and support. What does that make you, if not the sect¡¯s successor and legacy heir?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian scrambled several steps back, dropping to her knees. ¡°Sect master¡­ this¡­ I cannot accept.¡±


    ¡°The sect is not a vow, or loyalty, or a robe you wear. It is in your heart. The mountain can fall. The disciples and elders can die. The Ark and this stone can be lost. But if it lives in your heart, if your heart lives, the sect lives.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°This sect did not treat you well,¡± the sect master continued. ¡°I know all about your adventures and misadventures. But that life you seek ¡ª didn¡¯t you find it here, on that Starsword Peak?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian¡¯s eyes widened. She remained silent for a long time, before speaking once more.


    ¡°Sect master, may I ask why you are telling me this?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    ¡°This old man has a favor to ask of you, Zhu Xuelian,¡± the sect master said.


    ¡°What is it, sect master?¡±


    A jade slip slid across the floor and landed in front of Zhu Xuelian.


    ¡°Should the day come that this sect should fall, and there are still those foolish enough to worship this stone¡­ will you give them your help?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian took the jade slip into her hand and looked at it. She didn¡¯t have to use her spiritual senses ¡ª which she could no longer use ¡ª to know what this thing was, and what it contained.


    The true inheritances of the Galaxy Sword sect.


    Zhu Xuelian stared at the jade slip, as the sect master¡¯s words rang inside her head. Then, she finally chuckled and squeezed the piece of jade in her hand. Her heart loosened. She didn''t feel so afraid of the sect master anymore.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the sect master asked.


    ¡°Sect master, please forgive this junior, but she just realized that you must have grown soft and senile in your advanced age,¡± she said, with a big smile, and tears in her eyes.


    Her words shocked the sect master, but he couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°To give things like this to some stranger, with whom you share no bond or debt with ¡ª it really is dangerous,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, forcing her tone to remain even and upbeat, even as her heart squeezed with pain. ¡°The sect will fall? Old man, don¡¯t you know? This is the Galaxy Sword sect! You must be dreaming! But, just to put your mind at ease, this Zhu Xuelian will hang onto this jade, to put your heart at ease, and give it to someone who deserves it. When you shuffle off the mortal coil and meet our ancestors, of course. No offense, sect master.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± the sect master said, laughing thunderously. The entire sect could hear his joyful laughter as it rang through the mountains and the valleys. To some, it sounded like a demon howling, but for some reason, the elders all had tearful, happy expressions.


    They had not heard their sect master laugh in hundreds of years.


    ¡°As for your request, this Zhu Xuelian does not forget her debts. If someone is still sentimental enough to play in Pagodas of Introspection or worship an old man¡¯s corpse, I will be sure to watch over them and let them enjoy their delusions!¡±


    The sect master laughed even harder, slapping his knee. ¡°Quite right! Quite right! Well said!¡±


    Though she smiled, a tear fell from Zhu Xuelian¡¯s cheek.


    She had seen this before. She saw it in Wu Yulan. She saw it in herself.


    When someone was making their peace and preparing to die for something they loved, knowing this death was coming soon.


    Despite the wordplay and the staggering breach of conduct, the hidden meaning of this meeting was a farewell, and perhaps a bet against the future.


    ¡°All right, you little brat. Get lost. Get out of here. Go take that Ark of yours and travel the world. Treating your ancestor like this¡­ maybe this old man spoke too soon. Your generation is rotten to the core!¡±


    Zhu Xuelian nodded. ¡°You spoiled us too much, sect master. This¡­ you can only have yourself to blame.¡±


    ¡°That is what we ¡°grandpas¡± do, no?¡± The sect master hummed.


    Zhu Xuelian stood up and cupped her fist to the sect master. She lowered her head, so he couldn¡¯t see her tears.


    She hated it when good people had to die. She hated the feeling that she was losing good people in her life, while the rotten ones continued to feast on her misery. She hated that she couldn''t speak the words she cherished in her heart, freely.\


    This one time, she would make an exception.


    ¡°Farewell, grandpa,¡± she said, with a big smile, and warmth in her heart.


    The sect master¡¯s laughter roared even louder than before, shaking the very sky. And it troubled everyone deeply because everyone could hear his bellows in between fits of laughter.


    ¡°You are still here? Hahaha! Scram! Hahah! Get lost! When I find my slippers, I will beat you up if you are still there!! Hahaha!¡±


    Somewhere else, the elders of the Galaxy Sword sect regarded the Galaxy Peak from a distance, all wearing happy expressions.


    ¡°For a moment, I thought the master¡¯s granddaughters were still alive.¡±


    ¡°Those were wonderful times.¡±


    After a brief pause, one by one, they all kowtowed toward the peak. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Though who, or for what, they were thanking, they would never say, and no one would ever know.

 Chapter 8

    A small group of cultivators landed on the deck of the Galaxy Sword Ark. This floating vehicle ¡ª if it could be called a vehicle ¡ª was so massive that it could house several alchemy rooms, refinement chambers, and housing for hundreds of disciples. On top of this, it had defensive and offensive formations.


    In fact, the original and true purpose of the Ark was not a transport, but a siege weapon. This is the main reason why a sect without one could not be considered a major sect. Without it, penetrating the defensive formations of sect territories was so difficult that everyone considered it to be impossible!


    These Arks could not be built ¡ª at least, not to these specifications. Every material critical to its construction had to be retrieved from secret realms, or recovered from demonic beasts that stepped into the realms beyond Nascent Soul.


    They were priceless artifacts and one of a kind.


    ¡°This¡­ this really belongs to you?¡± Tian Li asked as he stepped off his sword and onto the water garden built on top of the Ark deck.


    Zhu Xuelian shook her head and turned to regard her little group.


    This group comprised the most powerful force on the continent. Not now, of course ¡ª right now, they were a far cry from what they could have become in the future. But they were each the best and brightest of their generation.


    Though the elders said one Lei Yangming appeared every ten years, that was not quite true. These kinds of talents don¡¯t live long ¡ª either through envy or hubris, they lose their lives before they can inherit the sect¡¯s martial arts. In that regard, Lei Yangming had already accomplished what many like him couldn''t.


    Even so, the elder exaggerated. Lei Yangming was not merely an ordinary one-in-ten talent; he stood up against Mu Jingyu and fought her to exhaustion. Mu Jingyu was one-in-a-thousand; maybe even one-in-a-million.


    Tian Li also comprehended the fourth layer of the Galaxy Sword method, a feat never accomplished before by an inner disciple. Even most Core Disciples don¡¯t comprehend the inner workings of that method. It is the domain of elders.


    On this Ark, these eleven disciples represented the majority of this generation¡¯s might and the future leadership of this continent.


    ¡°I am only borrowing it for a while, brother Tian,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Tian Li began.


    ¡°No but. I will return this Ark to whom it belongs as soon as we are safe,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°My friends, I must share something with you, and then I have a question for you. Will you hear me out?¡±


    The eight disciples ¡ª rogue cultivators now, except those from the Frozen Peak Palace ¡ª nodded their agreement. Wu Yulan and Yun Fei, naturally, did not have to. Their support was guaranteed.


    ¡°Though he did not say so specifically, the sect master pretty much told me to leave,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tian Li chuckled. ¡°We heard.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian chuckled also and shook her head. ¡°No, not that. He told me to go travel the world. I think what he really meant to say was ¡ª he wanted me to escape.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s mood darkened instantly. ¡°Zhu Xuelian, please explain.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian retrieved the jade slip from her sleeve and tossed it to Tian Li. ¡°Can you tell what this is?¡±


    Tian Li closed his eyes. A moment later, his eyes opened and he tossed the slip back to Zhu Xuelian. ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°What¡­? What is it?¡± Ren Weisheng asked.


    ¡°The sect¡¯s¡­ true inheritances¡­¡±


    Everyone was stunned. They all looked at Zhu Xuelian in a different light now. They were looking at the legacy heir of the sect.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°I am only holding on to it. Like I am holding on to the Ark.¡±


    Tian Li suddenly turned around and looked toward the sect master''s peak. He finally understood the meaning of Zhu Xuelian¡¯s words.


    ¡°He gave you the Ark, the inheritances, and told you to run with the two things that make a sect,¡± Tian Li whispered, and when he put it in those terms, the others also understood the implication.


    ¡°Three,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°I have you, too.¡±


    Tian Li, Sun Yongzheng, and Ren Weisheng all put their hand over their upper arm, where the Galaxy Sword emblem patch used to be. They were rogue cultivators now, and not disciples of the Galaxy Sword sect anymore.


    ¡°He told me an interesting thing, you know,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°He said, the sect is not a vow, or loyalty, or a robe you wear. It is in your heart. If the sect should fall, and if the stone should crumble, if the sect lives in your heart, and your heart lives, the sect lives.¡±


    Tian Li covered his eyes with his right hand and lowered his head.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s why he gave me the Ark. I think he was really glad you cut your ties to the Galaxy Sword sect ¡ª officially,¡± Zhu Xuelian explained. ¡°He wants you ¡ª us ¡ª to live, so that the sect can live. I think he knows he is going to die.¡±


    They heard enough, and the three former Galaxy Sword disciples fell to their knees and kowtowed three times toward the sect master¡¯s peak.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for certain, but I think this might be the case for all of you,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°Lei Yangming, this Zhu Xuelian thinks that maybe your sect elder treated you so harshly because he wanted everyone to see that you are not worth thinking about. Maybe he wanted you to cut your ties with the sect, so no one would go after you.¡±


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    Lei Yangming frowned, while Ren Jinhai nodded. ¡°I doubt it¡­¡±


    After a moment, he added. ¡°Though, that would explain why I am still alive, or why he didn¡¯t cripple my cultivation. He should¡¯ve been able to.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xuelian, what does all of this mean?¡± Ren Jinhai asked.


    ¡°Sometime in the near future,¡± Zhu Xuelian began, ¡°I think the Galaxy Sword sect will be no more.¡±


    Ren Jinhai laughed nervously. ¡°How can that be? This is the Galaxy Sword sect. Even if a hundred sects came at it, it would live on.¡±


    ¡°No, Zhu Xuelian is right,¡± Tian Li said. ¡°The Galaxy Sword, Heavenly Mountain Pavilion, Frozen Peak Palace¡­ they are all going to fall.¡±


    This made Mu Jingyu frown. ¡°How can you say such a thing? What proof do you have?¡±


    ¡°Zhu Xuelian is the proof,¡± Tian Li said, turning around. His eyes were red. ¡°Two foreign Arks over the sky of the sect; executing a disciple to end the war ¡ª if the sects had the power to resist, would they really go this far? Think about it¡­! During the surprise attack, we killed half of their disciples and seriously wounded Grand Elder Zhou. Even the two sect heirs are dead. So why are we still¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why are we still at war¡­?¡± Sun Yongzheng finished Tian Li¡¯s sentence.


    After a long moment of silence, Zhu Xuelian smiled, but its warmth never reached her eyes. ¡°This is why I want to ask you: do you want to go on a journey with me?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    ¡°A journey¡­? Where would we go?¡± Tian Li asked.


    ¡°As far away from here as possible,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, still smiling.


    They understood her meaning. It was the sword cultivator''s way of saying run like the wind.


    Ren Jinhai chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t see what other choice we have. It¡¯s not like we have a sect to return to!¡±


    Lei Yangming slapped Ren Jinhai¡¯s shoulder, then nodded to Mu Jingyu.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I meant¡­¡± Ren Jinhai frowned. ¡°Ah¡­ how do I fix this¡­?¡±


    After a moment, Mu Jingyu inhaled sharply and then tore the patch off her sleeve. The other two Frozen Peak Palace disciples howled, picked up the discarded patch and then tried to press it back against her sleeve.


    ¡°When Elder Qin came to Frozen Peak Palace to plead for mercy on Zhu Xuelian¡¯s behalf, my master rejected her,¡± Mu Jingyu said.


    The words surprised Zhu Xuelian. Elder Qin did that¡­?


    ¡°I also begged my master to do the same, but she would not hear one word of it,¡± Mu Jingyu continued. Then she chuckled. ¡°She threw me into jail for even bringing it up.¡±


    The disciples scowled, but they understood. Who was Mu Jingyu? If Zhu Xuelian never appeared, ¡ª nevermind a genius ¡ª Mu Jingyu would be the goddess of this generation. In a thousand years, she would probably lead this continent.


    ¡°Then, one night, my master let me out and told me one thing:¡± Mu Jingyu explained. ¡°If Zhu Xuelian is exiled, instead of executed, I am to go with her and not return to the sect before ten years have passed.¡±


    Here, Mu Jingyu blushed and looked away. ¡°Basically, she kicked me out for annoying her. I am very grateful for that.¡±


    Most couldn¡¯t understand why Mu Jingyu would be grateful for getting kicked out, but Zhu Xuelian, Wu Yulan, and Yun Fei all nodded happily as they understood.


    ¡°Where do we plan on going then?¡± Lei Yangming asked.


    Here, Zhu Xuelian thought for a moment, then said. ¡°If we go to the Perilous Sword Valley, we could reap great benefits. It has a very heavy aura and there are powerful demonic beasts too.¡±


    ¡°Perilous Sword Valley?¡± Tian Li asked.


    ¡°Mmm, I think it¡¯s the training ground of the Guardian Sect.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a Guardian Sect?¡± Ren Jinhai asked.


    ¡°I have no clue!¡± Zhu Xuelian replied. ¡°But they are strong. No one would dare mess with them, so maybe if we stay in the valley, no one will come after us. And you should be able to all reach Nascent Soul in a year or two.¡±


    Forget the unknowns, the thought of reaching Nascent Soul in a year or two made their ears ring.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, you must be joking. This is not possible,¡± Tian Li protested.


    ¡°I reached Nascent Soul Ascension in six months there,¡± Wu Yulan said.


    Everything was silent. Not even the wind made a sound.


    If someone had heard that one could achieve Nascent Soul Ascension in six months, they would probably kill that person for lying. But Wu Yulan was a Nascent Soul cultivator now, and she wasn¡¯t until six months ago. Some of them could remember that the last time they saw her, before then, happened to be around six months before¡­


    ¡°Is this truly possible?¡± Ren Jinhai asked, voice trembling.


    ¡°With my master¡¯s help, of course,¡± Zhu Xuelian said proudly.


    ¡°Lady Yue¡­?¡± Tian Li asked.


    Zhu Xuelian shook her head. ¡°Yaoyue.¡±


    They never heard that name. It didn¡¯t sound like a name, so it confused them even more.


    ¡°W-what about you, Sister Zhu? You are just a Qi Condensation cultivator now¡­ won¡¯t this place be dangerous for you?¡±


    ¡°I will catch up to you, don¡¯t worry,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    ¡°H-how long¡­ will it take you¡­?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian pondered the words and then smiled proudly. ¡°If I am not a Nascent Soul cultivator two years from now, I will wear my name backwards.¡±


    The words were like thunderclaps in their ears. What Zhu Xuelian just said had to be the most ridiculous thing they had ever heard in their entire lives. It was so impossibly stupid and unreasonable, that not even a mad person could spout such nonsense.


    And yet¡­


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this¡­ kind of¡­ make our little group¡­ like a really big deal?¡± Tian Li asked.


    They all wore ashen expressions as the potential reality dawned on them. They nodded. ¡°A big deal doesn¡¯t quite describe it¡­¡±


    A little bit, they began to understand, somewhat, why everyone wanted Zhu Xuelian dead. These kinds of miracles¡­ really shouldn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°If we are in agreement, then let us head out! We should head to the Guardian Sect first and the¡ª¡° Zhu Xuelian trailed off as she peered toward the horizon. ¡°Wu Yulan, your perception is better than mine. What is that?¡±


    Wu Yulan looked in the same direction and narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Arks,¡± Wu Yulan said.


    ¡°Arks? But all the Arks are here¡­¡± Tian Li said, also peering in the same direction, but naturally, he could not see as well as Wu Yulan.


    ¡°There¡¯s nine of the¡ª no, eleven. Eleven Arks.¡±


    Ren Jinhai laughed. ¡°You must be joking. There are only three Arks on this contine¡ª¡° Then his eyes widened, as they got close enough. ¡°What¡­? Whose¡­ what?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian had a bad feeling about this.


    [ Objective: Escape ]


    The words appeared in her mind, and she reached for her sword, which was hovering over her shoulder, cloaked in a mirage of folded light.


    ¡°Y-yaoyue¡­?¡± she asked, looking at the sword, to the confusion of everyone present.


    But there was no response from the sword. The entity within lay dormant. She could feel Yaoyue¡¯s presence, but it was distant and impenetrable.


    [ Analysis complete. ]


    [ Translocation unavailable. ]


    [ Chaos Translocation available. Cost: 183,399,244 energy. ]


    [ Commence Chaos Translocation? ]


    The leading Ark flashed, and then a beam of brilliant light split the sky in half and collided with an invisible shell surrounding the mountain where the Galaxy Sword sect was. In those places where the beam struck the shell, ribbons, and jets of energy sheared off the shell and rained down with tremendous power all over the landscape below the mountain, and the city cradled in its valley. A stray burst of energy like this struck a district of the glorious Star City, and annihilated it in its entirety, leaving behind only a smoking crater with not even a trace of ruins.


    In the fading brightness of that beam, the world became dark.


    ¡°Mother!!!¡± Wu Yulan screamed as she watched the devastation fall upon the city. She immediately leaned forward to launch herself toward the devastation.


    Yun Fei reached for Wu Yulan, trying to grab her, but because Wu Yulan was a Nascent Soul cultivator ¡ª it was not possible.


    Without further hesitation, Zhu Xuelian reached out with her mind to accept the sword''s suggestion, and countless stars appeared in the sky.

 Chapter 9

    Where there was a mountain, there was now a forest. Where there was daylight, now there was night. Though, no one had ever seen these stars.


    Everyone stared at the alien surroundings that did not match up with what they expected to find. None of this made sense to them.


    This wasn¡¯t the only indicator that something was out of the ordinary. The qi here was so weak that the Ark wobbled and lost much of its stability, barely remaining airborne. However, in distant places, they could vaguely feel that the qi was much denser as if those places had collected and focused all the qi.


    This wasn¡¯t all that unusual. It was normal for qi to be weak ¡ª at least for their cultivation ¡ª in banal places, but strong in certain other places. However, the amount was something they had never experienced before.


    These clues all led them toward the same conclusion, though no one dared to speak it out loud.


    ¡°What¡­ what just happened?¡± Mu Jingyu asked.


    Wu Yulan, who had been attempting to jump down to a city that was no longer there, landed back on the deck, with an expression that accurately demonstrated her grief and helplessness.


    One by one; heads turned toward Zhu Xuelian as if she was the only person who knew what happened, or held all the answers.


    ¡°I¡­ am not certain,¡± she replied. She looked at her sword, which had now entirely shed the cloak of folded light, and then looked over her shoulder.


    Suddenly, Zhu Xuelian ran to the other side of the deck, and peered over the edge, staring into the distance.


    ¡°Does anyone¡­ see a mountain? A sect?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked. Her almost-mortal perception could not make out any of the shapes she thought she saw in the darkness. To her, everything was pitch black.


    ¡°It was¡­ right there,¡± Tian Li said, pointing to where the Galaxy Sword sect and mountain had been, until just a few moments ago.


    ¡°This¡­ is this still¡­? Are we on the same¡­ continent?¡± Ren Jinhai murmured, though the question didn¡¯t seem directed at anyone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°Something must¡¯ve gone wrong.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian had used the function of her sword to physically transport herself into its inner world, but she would always appear on the mountain sect replica within it. She had never seen this landscape before or felt the qi of the land.


    She recognized the stars ¡ª she had seen them before from within the inner world. They weren¡¯t merely stars, but other inner worlds inhabited by hostile, malevolent entities. She had seen creatures ¡ª monsters ¡ª traverse the night sky, seeking worlds to devour.


    However, though the sky was the same, this place was unfamiliar to her.


    Mu Jingyu retrieved her sect jade talisman and looked at it, her expression darkening as each second passed.


    One by one, everyone retrieved their jade talismans, and their expressions also darkened.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sense the direction my sect is in. What about you?¡± Lei Yangming said.


    Mu Jingyu shook her head. So did the others.


    ¡°It is unstable as if it is pointing in every direction,¡± Xiang Liling said.


    ¡°It feels the same way to me,¡± Tian Li said.


    ¡°This is strange. Even if we were on the other side of the world, it should point in the right direction,¡± Ren Jinhai said.


    ¡°So what are you saying? We are not in the same world anymore?¡± Lei Yangming asked his fellow rogue from the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion.


    Ren Jinhai shrugged. ¡°That would be ridiculo¡ª¡° he didn¡¯t finish his sentence. Ridiculous was par for the course lately. ¡°The qi must be weak, surely that¡¯s the reason, right?¡±


    Reluctantly everyone nodded. This was a valid explanation, but even so, there was a great seed of doubt within everyone, and it showed in their demeanor and expression.


    Mu Jingyu climbed the railing of the Ark and looked into the distance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any mountains this way. What about that side?¡± Mu Jingyu said.


    Another member of the Frozen Peak Palace climbed the railing on the other side, peered toward the horizon, then shook her head.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, anything else we should be looking for?¡± Mu Jingyu asked. Since none of them could use their methods to figure out where they were, they had to defer to Zhu Xuelian¡¯s. ¡°This way I see¡­ a river¡­ a valley¡­ a hill¡­¡±


    Zhu Xuelian looked toward Mu Jingyu at the mention of a hill. She didn¡¯t know any hills, but a mountain might look like a hill if it was far away enough.


    ¡°I see another river¡­ a lake with a waterfall¡­ and¡­¡± the other disciple from the Frozen Peak Palace began.


    ¡°A waterfall?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked. ¡°Can you describe it?¡±


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    ¡°I am not sure where to begin, Sister Zhu. It¡¯s just a waterfall. It¡¯s covered in snow and ice if that helps?¡±


    ¡°The Icy Sword Formation?¡± Wu Yulan asked, looking toward Zhu Xuelian.


    The two of them used to cultivate in a place like this ¡ª it had a tremendous ice-attribute qi density, and every droplet of water was filled with sword qi. Even now, were they to carelessly step into the lake, or the waterfall, they would be annihilated by its potent qi.


    ¡°Do¡­ do you know this place? Should we go there?¡± Ren Jinhai asked.


    Zhu Xuelian shook her head and smiled. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I know this place, but I have never been there. A formation showed it to me, and within the formation, I cultivated its qi and sharpened my sword.¡±


    This answer just confused them more. ¡°Can you please explain what you mean?¡± Mu Jingyu asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of like looking at a painting,¡± Wu Yulan said. ¡°Now imagine if you could step into the painting and experience it with your body. You are not there, but¡­ something similar?¡±


    Comprehension flashed on their expressions.


    ¡°So what does this mean?¡± Mu Jingyu asked.


    Zhu Xuelian smiled. ¡°It means we are in the right place. I was worried that we were sent somewhere else entirely.¡± She even chuckled, relieved of her worries. She was just glad that they were in the same world as where the painting was created, so to speak.


    Like how You Wulei tossed them through a doorway and sent them to the Perilous Sword Valley, the formation they experienced must¡¯ve functioned in a similar manner. If that were true, then the place they were seeking should also be somewhere in this place.


    ¡°Can¡­ can we go back, Sister Zhu?¡± Tian Li asked.


    To this, Zhu Xuelian proudly straightened her shoulders and smiled. ¡°Go back? Why would we want that? We are in the best place we could be. The treasures of this place are unfathomable, and the progress we will make in our cultivation cannot be measured.¡±


    This was another way for Zhu Xuelian to sing praise to Yaoyue, and she spoke with a passionate tone of deference and worship. However, under the yawning, malevolent sky, the group only became more worried.


    Then, remembering how everyone looked at the Sect Jade Talisman, Zhu Xuelian got an idea and touched the black jade core of the sword.


    She received two pieces of information when she did so. One made her happy, and the other made her very unhappy.


    First, she could immediately sense the direction of the mountain she was looking for.


    Second, she received an instruction.


    [ Objective: Survive. ]


    Just as the instruction processed in her mind, malevolent aura bared, a bird ¡ª the size of a person ¡ª landed on the deck of the Ark. No one could feel its approach, or sense its presence until the very last moment.


    It had multicolored feathers in its wings, and its tail was of a particular shape. Rather than pinions, its tail was made of three sets of long, nimble chains ending with what could only be described as the blade of a cutting spear. Palpable, like air hardened into a metallic substance, a halo of malevolent energy surrounded the bird ¡ª a trait of a cultivation stage that had not been seen by anyone in hundreds of years.


    The bird¡¯s gaze focused on Wu Yulan, identifying her as the strongest here, and lashed out with its tails.


    One tail struck the deck of the Ark, carving it open like it was made of rotten wood. The sound of ripping wood filled the air, crashing and crumbling as if half of the material was steel or glass. The material of the deck was so strong, that even a direct blast from the beam of another Ark would not be able to damage it to this degree, and yet, that tail did, and it effortlessly carved it open like it was nothing.


    The other two tails struck Wu Yulan¡¯s sword with enough force to not merely send her flying, but do so in a fashion that made her resemble a meteor, and cause rings of vapor to form around her body before she disappeared from the deck of the Ark.


    Without hesitation, or thought for that matter, Zhu Xuelian threw herself forward, forgetting that she was a Qi Condensation cultivator now, and not a Nascent Soul powerhouse. Luckily, before she could reach the bird, a white line appeared, vertically intersecting the bird¡¯s body, and a moment later, Wu Yulan appeared again, her blade following the instruction of the white line.


    Wu Yulan¡¯s swordsmanship followed the principle of eternal moments, which for practical purposes meant that she unleashed overwhelming amounts of sword force in a single moment. With this principle, Wu Yulan slaughtered thousands of demonic beasts and disemboweled an elder.


    However, seemingly uncaring, the bird raised its wing into the path of the sword, and sparks shot off the metallic feathers, and Wu Yulan¡¯s assault simply bounced off its intended target.


    ¡°Fight!!¡± Zhu Xuelian shouted, tearing the bystanders out of their shocked reverie, and grounding them in the reality that stood before them.


    ¡°Dragon-Slaying Thrust!¡±


    ¡°Winter¡¯s End Cut!¡±


    ¡°Grand Galaxy Sword!¡±


    ¡°True North Slash!¡±


    ¡°Maiden¡¯s Snow Blade!¡±


    Each one of these techniques once amazed thousands of cultivators who had seen them performed at the Martial Conference, and they rained down on the bird in an instant.


    Winter¡¯s End Cut appeared as a sword made of glaciers, descending from the heavens. The Grand Galaxy Sword was like a sword formed from the arm of a spiral galaxy. Dragon-Slaying Thrust earned its name for its history and reputation of slaying dragons.


    Each technique performed was proof that these cultivators were the best and brightest of their generation.


    Not a single one could even draw the demonic beast¡¯s notice, or even penetrate the qi protecting the beast¡¯s body, much less strike feather.


    ¡°S¡ª Sovereign¡­!¡± Ren Jinhai hissed, vocalizing what everyone knew in their heart, even before their awesome assault fell flat before the incredible might of the beast.


    Sovereigns. Demonic beasts that crossed the boundary beyond Nascent Soul, severed their mortality and stepped into the realms of semi-immortality. Every time the history of the world was restarted, to common knowledge, it was at the overwhelming power of Sovereigns and Tyrants unleashed in beast waves.


    Another bird landed on the deck and unleashed a piercing cry that caused the sky to crack like glass. Each shockwave of its bellow pounded the cultivators on the deck like a physical blow from an elder of their sects. Blood shot out of their mouths, noses, and eyes, as they fell to their knees.


    Zhu Xuelian only survived because her Physique was on a level sufficient to compete with the likes of Wu Yulan ¡ª at least, defensively.


    Her right hand grabbed the bird¡¯s wing and pulled ¡ª only successful because the bird did not even see her. A mere Qi Condensation cultivator¡­ even mindless demonic beasts couldn¡¯t stomach the idea of taking one such as her seriously.


    ¡°Now, Yulan!¡± Zhu Xuelian shouted, her nails chipping and breaking as she forcefully held on to the tip of the wing.


    Now the bird took notice of her. Even a dumb demonic beast can give an impression of being confused at the prospect of being unable to overpower a Qi Condensation cultivator gripping its wing. Then an air of panic and anger as Wu Yulan¡¯s approaching sword reflected in its beady, black eyes.


    In an instant, like a flash of lightning, Wu Yulan''s sword passed through the wing.


    It wasn¡¯t the sound of a sword cutting bone and flesh ¡ª it was the sound of metal grinding and scraping against metal, twisting and groaning in protest. Sinews like crystal separated, and flesh like steel broke free. Then the wing came free, as the sword separated it from the bird¡¯s back, and another howling cry broke the firmament.


    ¡°Fight!!¡± Zhu Xuelian shouted again, just before the bird¡¯s tail struck her in the chest, and sent her flying through the deck of the Ark.

 Chapter 10

    Fight.


    The command pulled at the strings of their scattered, imprisoned consciousness. It melted gently and simultaneously seared them with its uncompromising, reckless imposition.


    Fight¡­ not for survival. That was a bygone conclusion. How could they resist Sovereign beasts? Zhu Xuelian called unto them unlike a general commands the troops to assemble, but like a goddess of death calls the lost to the shores of the other side and dares them to throw one final defiant glare at the heavens.


    Fight for dignity.


    But they were not like Zhu Xuelian. They were cowards until recently. In fact, to say they stopped being cowards, after a few words Zhu Xuelian spoke to them, would be entirely dishonest.


    They were inspired to be better, but that was all it was.


    To begin with, Zhu Xuelian was a sword cultivator. In the eyes of many, sword cultivators were maniacs who didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the word ¡°surrender¡±. Though sects and bonds of responsibilities bred these fundamental traits of sword cultivators out of the recent generations, Zhu Xuelian did not have any such ties and could embody these principles freely.


    She could fight to the death to maintain her dignity. But for others, the concept of death terrified them. They found the idea of surrendering appealing, and if there was no hope for victory, then, in their estimation, why even bother? If they had the strength to lament their fate, but not the strength to overturn it, then they couldn¡¯t find it in themselves to do anything but lament.


    And lamentable their fate was.


    They were all top prospects of the continent, and geniuses born once in many years. Their future was supposed to be as wide as the ocean, and as vast as the sky. Now, they were going to be extinguished by forces beyond their comprehension ¡ª forget their ability to resist them.


    It was incredibly unfair.


    What bravery? What talent? What future? None of that mattered anymore.


    Most of them have never even seen a demonic beast, and their first encounter with one was a Sovereign. Their sects pampered and protected them ¡ª sheltered them from the jungle of the outside world where the concept of ¡®fairness¡¯ never existed in the first place.


    They never once had to fight for anything.


    Except that one time when they put everything on the line for Zhu Xuelian, and almost died for it.


    Caught in between the tragedy of their fate and their pride for standing up for what felt right, a thought emerged in all their minds.


    If they did not retreat back then, why would they simply roll over and die now?


    Their eyes suddenly blazed in the darkness, as they gripped their weapons and pushed themselves to their feet.


    No, not for dignity. Not for bravery. Not for survival. Those things didn''t matter anymore either.


    They misunderstood.


    In this jungle, only one concept existed. It didn¡¯t care for dignity. It didn¡¯t care for bravery. It didn¡¯t care for one¡¯s background or future. It didn''t care for the strong or the weak.


    Fight!


    Carve! Bathe in blood! Become a devil!


    Kill the heart that knows lament! Silence the mind that dreams of fairness! Extinguish the light in the eyes that seek the future!


    Fight!!


    An altar to violence lay before them, and who were they but unwitting followers of a god of defiance? If the edict of heaven was for them to die here, then may the heavens burn and fall.


    Mu Jingyu¡¯s sword plowed into the deck of the Ark and kicked up a cloud of precious treasure-grade particles into the eyes of the bird that still possessed both wings.


    It was its own fault for having such large eyes.


    The beast howled in anger and its tail swung around to blindly strike the entirety of the deck, producing a sharp, whistling sound as it cleaved the air but found naught more.


    A point of light glimmered in the flying debris, then took the shape of a spear as it came flying out of the cloud and crashed into the blinded bird. Other than producing a torrent of sparks, it failed to inflict any damage to the bird.


    Then, Lei Yangming came flying through the cloud, now relieved of his spear, and in his hands he held the severed wing of the other demonic beast. His hands bled where he gripped the wing, each feather cutting him down to the bone, but he held on to it with all his might and determination and thrust forward.


    The tip of the wing struck the beast¡¯s chest, the feathers threw off sparks, and then they drank the beast¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Maiden¡¯s Ice Prison!¡± Yuan Qiuyue shouted and reverted to her sect¡¯s expertise ¡ª not the swordsmanship of the Pure Maiden¡¯s Swordsmanship or the incredibly difficult Glacier Breaking Sword, but the internal arts that all of the Frozen Peak Palace disciples practiced and focused on.


    Spires of ice trapped the feet of the bird, and even the tips of its wings, but with one twitch of its muscles, the bird broke all of the spires.


    ¡°Do it, Jinhai! Do it now!!¡± Lei Yangming screamed as he struggled to push the tip of the wing into the bird¡¯s breast beyond the bones, but couldn''t force it deeper even one bit.


    Ren Jinhai frowned and raised his left hand, drawing symbols with the glowing tip of his finger.


    ¡°Sevenfold Prismatic Barrier!¡± Ren Jinhai shouted, as a formation ¡ª the expertise of his former sect ¡ª materialized from both sides of the bird, casting off the glimmering lights of its geometric designs, and two spinning discs of scripture pressed against the bird and Lei Yangming, crushing them together.


    The bird roared as the wing sunk deeper into its body, crushing bones and organs. Lei Yangming screamed, too, as the formation crushed his organs and broke his limbs like they were dry twigs. Together, they sang a two-part harmony that revered and lamented the coming demise.


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    Meanwhile, the other bird lashed its tails at Wu Yulan and pecked at her, but the white-haired girl parried each blow, aided by the fact that the bird was unable to balance its fat body with only one wing.


    Another bird then fell from the sky and impacted the deck with enough force to cause a dent in the surface. However, it lay flat and twitched uncontrollably, its eyes completely white as a purple miasma rose off its body. Even at a glance, one could tell that the miasma was a terrifying poison, further evidenced by the fact that it could incapacitate even a Sovereign beast.


    In the sky above, many more birds swarmed the Ark, but not one of them would dare to cross into the purple cloud that shrouded the deck, lest they end up poisoned to near-death like the beast that now puked blood all over the deck, and its body began to melt into glowing metal.


    Yun Fei stared at the sky, left hand stretched out as strings of purple qi emanated from her fingers, feeding the cloud of poison, promising more offers on the altar of inevitable death.


    Suddenly, the wings of the bird that was being crushed in Ren Jinhai¡¯s formation began to glow, and blasts of qi emanated from them, laying to waste large sections of the deck. Everywhere the light struck, it melted treasure-grade material like it was something ordinary, and then ejected the slag from the vaporized craters. The formation keeping Lei Yangming and the bird trapped disappeared, as one of those globs of molten material grazed Ren Jinhai and sent him flying.


    Lei Yangming fell to the ground, like a sack of meat, and the bird picked him up with its beak. Its eyes were entirely bloodshot, and if anyone ever doubted that even demonic beasts could feel hatred and humiliation, today they would learn a harrowing lesson.


    A spire of twisted metal and razor wires emerged from the top of the deck, and the bird lifted its beak and Lei Yangming, about to impale him on the spire of its metal hate.


    The deck erupted with debris once more, and this time, Zhu Xuelian¡¯s form came flying through from below, and she impacted the bird like a flying fist. Lei Yangming¡¯s body fell to the ground, and he made his survival known by groaning in pain.


    On the other hand, Zhu Xuelian and the bird tumbled across the deck, rolling and flailing, and to everyone present, it seemed as though the Qi Condensation cultivator was grappling for control with a Sovereign demonic beast. It was an unthinkable scene. In a hysterical sense, it made them want to laugh madly; but they didn''t give in to the temptation. Weren''t they doing the exact same thing, in a way?


    Even more unthinkable was the fact that Zhu Xuelian did manage to climb on top of the bird, winning the contest of strength either through sheer luck or stubbornness. They didn''t feel like laughing hysterically anymore when they saw Zhu Xuelian lift her sword over her head, and drive it through the beast''s chest, and the deck of the Ark.


    Did they even dare to have hope?


    Effortlessly, the sword managed what Lei Yangming''s spear and the bird''s wing could not. But this was not Zhu Xuelian¡¯s strength, though no one could tell the difference or care.


    Her sword had cultivated its vessel to a realm comparable to that of a Sovereign demonic beast. And it was a Divine-grade treasure. Even in the same realm, the difference in grade was like comparing an ocean to a pond. It was not even close.


    When it came to sharpness and hardness, the sword could cut gods, nevermind one little, tiny Sovereign demonic beast.


    The bird howled and screamed and thrashed as the blade pierced its heart ¡ª provided it had a heart. Zhu Xuelian stabbed again, unleashing sheets and torrents of blood each time her blade left and re-entered the beast¡¯s breast, which it did several more times after the first two thrusts.


    Yet, no matter what, the bird didn¡¯t show any signs of slowing down, or losing its vitality. It thrashed wildly, each attempt at throwing the maniac sword cultivator off its body coming closer and closer to achieving just that, and putting an end to this futile charade of misplaced effort.


    With no other options left, Zhu Xuelian used her control over the bird¡¯s body to press its head over the precipice of the Ark¡¯s deck and shouted:


    ¡°The Siege Formation!¡±


    It took them a moment to understand what Zhu Xuelian was asking for, but Mu Jingyu was the first to act. She jumped toward the center of the deck and pressed her hand to the control jade.


    A howling sound filled the air, glittering lights scattered off the Ark, and then a brilliant beam of energy shot out from the front of the Ark, banishing the darkness of night and illuminating the dozen or so birds flying in the sky above.


    Though they were dozens of steps above the origin of the beam, both the bird and Zhu Xuelian were suddenly sucked into its path. The bird dug its claws and tails into the deck, carving long trenches into the treasure-grade material, and had its claws and tails been just a little bit weaker, maybe that could have saved it; as it were, it easily cut through the most indestructible material these cultivators knew of, and then fell into the path of the beam.


    Just before Zhu Xuelian also fell into the beam, Ren Jinhai appeared next to her, thrust his spear into the deck of the Ark, and grabbed her arm, holding her steady for the dozen or so seconds that the Ark unleashed its entire offensive might into the bird alone.


    When the beam faded out, Zhu Xuelian almost collapsed. Her entire body was covered in blood, half of it hers ¡ª from the first impact she received ¡ª and the other half belonging to the bird.


    Zhu Xuelian chuckled coldly, and the sound made everyone¡¯s heart freeze.


    ¡°See? What did I tell you?¡± she whispered, using her sword for support to remain standing. ¡°Unfathomable treasures. Unmeasurable opportunities.¡±


    Somehow, they knew that Zhu Xuelian genuinely meant every word.


    Law of the jungle?


    No.


    The rule of her empire!


    Demonic beasts ¡ª Sovereigns or Tyrants ¡ª were merely materials and stepping stones to the apex. If these beasts did not kill her here, the only thing unfair would be how the light of her defiant dawn would drive these creatures all to extinction.


    Missing half of its body, the bird that was struck by the beam landed on the deck in front of Zhu Xuelian. Its eyes were red and bleeding. It had only a part of one wing left, and the upper half of its body. In those places where the beam had disintegrated its body, gold blood shimmered in the moonlight.


    This was not unexpected.


    Creatures ¡ª beast or man ¡ª that cross the boundary and step into semi-immortality do so by severing their mortal bodies. In this state, even fatal injuries could be recovered from. Unless the soul was destroyed, or, in some cases, the majority of the body, killing them was not so simple.


    Moreso, demonic beasts cultivated their bodies first, and their spirit second, meaning that a Sovereign¡¯s body cultivation was even more advanced. What benefits this could provide, no one knew, as body cultivation was not popular among people due to its extreme difficulty and slow progress.


    True immortality? Indestructibility? Rebirth?


    At that time, the bird Wu Yulan was fighting finally fell to her sword; cut down the middle, and split open, and its true blood ¡ª gold in color ¡ª spilled onto the deck, transforming the material into even higher-grade treasure.


    It was not that Wu Yulan was holding back, but that she was learning during her battle. She was learning how to cut again ¡ª how to cut a beast that had a body that, in terms of material, exceeded the grade of her sword; not her sword aura, though.


    Not wasting a single moment, Wu Yulan cut off the other wing and all three tails from the corpse and stored them in her ring ¡ª to be reforged into a treasure sword later.


    Then she looked up at the sky, regarding each bird like a cut of meat, window-shopping further contributions to her arsenal upgrade.


    This was a sword cultivator.


    However, at that moment, Wu Yulan¡¯s expression darkened. Everyone¡¯s hearts fell into the abyss of their stomach. Even Zhu Xuelian narrowed her eyes.


    Something terrifying was approaching at immense speed, and the swarm of birds quickly scattered.


    ¡°T¡ª Tyrant¡­ We are doomed¡­¡± Tian Li whispered.


    Within the blink of an eye, a towering form appeared behind the bird that was missing half its body, and two giant arms grabbed the creature, and tore what remained of it in half with a ripping and shredding sound that made them all feel ill. Organs and gold blood burst forth like a wave that washed over the deck like a wave.


    In the darkness, they could see three red eyes on the towering, shrouded form, one in the center above and between the other two. Its body radiated such awesome power that even the three stars of their nascent hopes ¡ª Wu Yulan, Zhu Xuelian, and Yun Fei ¡ª looked helpless.


    Then, the towering form spoke.


    ¡°Sword friend¡­ return. I¡­ bad friend¡­ could not follow. Now¡­ happy¡­¡±


    Zhu Xuelian blinked. It could speak?


    The towering form turned around, and jumped off the deck, discarding the pieces of the bird¡¯s corpse into the abyss below.


    ¡°Friends of sword friend¡­ follow. Bad friend¡­ lead good friends... home. Bad friend... protect.¡±

 Chapter 11

    By the time dawn broke, the Ark had traveled a thousand miles without slowing down, following the vague speck on the horizon that was their monstrous, Tyrant savior.


    When the adrenaline faded, Wu Yulan, Yun Fei, and Zhu Xuelian did not look so heroic anymore. Everyone was exhausted, but especially these three. Moreso, Zhu Xuelian was heavily wounded, but not so much as Lei Yangming who was struggling to keep his life.


    The Frozen Peak Palace disciples all sat next to Lei Yangming, trying to help him recover his vitality by channeling their profound inner arts. During the martial conference almost a year ago, Ren Jinhai was the first to attempt to stop the pointless, bloody grudge match between the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion and the Frozen Peak Palace disciples, where almost everyone involved was heavily injured. Lei Yangming, as the first-ranking representative, finally put an end to pointless bloodshed with his spectacular match against Mu Jingyu.


    Even so, since then the Frozen Peak Palace disciples and the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion disciples still harbored remnants of grudges in their hearts. But after Lei Yangming¡¯s valiant sacrifice, those grudges were dispelled, so the three Frozen Peak Palace disciples tried their best to help him recover.


    For the rest of the trip, they did not encounter any more Sovereigns. Sometimes, they would hear the bestial roar of the Tyrant beast, and though it frightened them every time, by now, everyone had begun to believe that the Tyrant beast was really on their side.


    Everyone processed their close encounter with death differently. After battle, when bravery evaporates, the narrow road is even narrower, and one cannot help but meet one''s weakness on it. Though, compared to Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian, they were doing a lot better. Maybe because they weren''t all alone?


    Zhu Xuelian was resting in the garden, on a bench, when Mu Jingyu came over.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, it looks like Lei Yangming will survive,¡± she said.


    ¡°That is good. I am glad,¡± Zhu Xuelian replied.


    ¡°You were also injured, no? Can I treat you?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian ran her fingers over her broken ribs and winced. ¡°I would like that, but I am afraid you would only be wasting your efforts,¡± she said. ¡°I am only in the Qi Condensation realm, remember? I can¡¯t recover as quickly as brother Lei.¡±


    Mu Jingyu frowned. ¡°Yet, you still placed yourself in such danger. Maybe you are the one who forgot what cultivation realm you are in?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian chuckled, then winced. ¡°Please, Sister Mu, don¡¯t make me laugh. It hurts.¡±


    Mu Jingyu giggled, then sat down next to Zhu Xuelian, and despite the rejection, began to circulate her internal arts, and channel the raw vitality to Zhu Xuelian.


    Within moments, a cool, soothing feeling filled Zhu Xuelian¡¯s meridians.


    The grade of Mu Jingyu¡¯s internal arts must¡¯ve been really high to produce such pure vitality.


    ¡°Your internal art is very advanced, Sister Mu. I am quite impressed,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    ¡°I am glad you approve, Sister Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Wu Yulan also cultivates ice. If you learn how to breathe the vitality of nature directly from her, even Sovereign beasts won¡¯t be your equal,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    Hearing those words, Mu Jingyu¡¯s concentration broke, and she opened her eyes. She glanced over her shoulder, toward Wu Yulan, then looked at Zhu Xuelian. At first, she looked skeptical about the prospect of breathing in the vitality of nature directly.


    Nervously, she brushed a stray hair from her face.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, do you also know how to do this¡­?¡± she asked.


    Zhu Xuelian nodded. ¡°I do, but at the moment, I can¡¯t circulate that inner art.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Mu Jingyu swallowed, and with a much quieter voice said. ¡°Then¡­ if possible¡­ I¡¯d like to learn from you¡­¡±


    ¡°But Wu Yulan could teach you right n¡ª¡°


    Mu Jingyu shook her head. ¡°I want¡­ if¡­ if you¡¯d like to¡­ I want to learn from you.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian smiled and took Mu Jingyu¡¯s hand into her own. ¡°Back then, before my duel with Yu Shun, you tried to give me your sect¡¯s precious inheritance ¡ª the Glacier Breaking Sword ¡ª even though that would¡¯ve cost you everything,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°This Zhu Xuelian is forever grateful to you.¡±


    Mu Jingyu smiled, but couldn¡¯t meet Zhu Xuelian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then¡­?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian nodded. ¡°I will share with you everything I know about cultivation and the sword.¡±


    Mu Jingyu looked up, eyes wide. ¡°Even your swordsmanship?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Zhu Xuelian replied and winced as the motion of her excitement inflamed her injuries. ¡°We all decided to go on this journey together, to become stronger and seek the Dao, as if we had one will, one mind, and one body. What secrets can there be between such sworn friends?¡±


    Mu Jingyu¡¯s smile grew even larger, yet remained just as shy. ¡°This Mu Jingyu feels very fortunate to have crossed paths with you, and whatever happens tomorrow, there won¡¯t be any regrets.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t lie down and rest, Lei Yangming, I won¡¯t forgive you!!¡± Yuan Qiuyue¡¯s shout drew Zhu Xuelian¡¯s attention.


    Despite the protests of the angry Frozen Peak Palace disciples, Lei Yangming used his spear to slowly drag his half-dead corpse over to Mu Jingyu and Zhu Xuelian, collapsing to his knees several steps away.


    This prompted the two angry Frozen Peak Palace disciples to try to help him to his feet, rather than to force him to rest. They also stared at Zhu Xuelian with half-expectant stares.


    ¡°Brother Lei¡­¡± Mu Jingyu whispered.


    ¡°I¡­ Lei Yangming¡­ have been a fool my entire life,¡± he spoke, forcing his tone to remain even and show no hint of the pain he was experiencing. ¡°You opened my eyes¡­ to the unfairness¡­ and the selfishness of my sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Lei¡­ there is no need to¡ª¡° Zhu Xuelian began, but Lei Yangming continued.


    ¡°When those beasts attacked¡­ it was all I could do to protect¡­ my brother Ren¡­ but also¡­¡± Without finishing his sentence, he looked at Mu Jingyu and the other disciples that have begun to slowly gather around Lei Yangming.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you¡­ and Wu Yulan¡­ and Yun Fei¡­ I¡­ and everyone here¡­¡±


    Everyone nodded to his words.


    Zhu Xuelian lowered her eyes and chewed on her bottom lip. ¡°Brother Lei¡­ this¡­ really¡­¡±


    ¡°I owe this life to you,¡± Lei Yangming said and cupped his fist to Zhu Xuelian. He almost collapsed right there, had the others not caught him, and helped keep him steady.


    This time, Zhu Xuelian was speechless and embarrassed. She couldn¡¯t look at Lei Yangming.


    ¡°I know I have¡­ no right to ask¡­ as I already owe such a large¡­ debt to you¡­¡± Lei Yangming continued. ¡°But I also¡­ want to become stronger. I always thought¡­ I was strong¡­ but yesterday¡­ I realized¡­ this couldn¡¯t be further¡­ from the truth. A Qi¡­ Condensation cultivator¡­ saved my ¡ª Lei Yangming¡¯s! ¡ª life¡­¡±


    No one expected Zhu Xuelian to have such a weakness, though they didn¡¯t seem displeased at all. Seeing her blushing cheeks at the praise of Lei Yangming, she seemed completely different than before. Who''d have thought that this monster was shy and couldn''t handle praise?


    ¡°Brother Lei¡­ you are exaggerating¡­¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered.


    ¡°I want to¡­ protect my friends¡­¡± Lei Yangming spoke before the pain cut him off.


    Though Lei Yangming never specifically worded the request, his meaning was clear.


    Sun Yongzheng cupped his fist and bowed. ¡°This Sun Yongzheng would also like to show his gratitude. You have shown me the shape of the sword I want to wield, once, and I hope, in the future, you will help me find it again.¡±


    Sun Yongzheng was the only True Disciple of the Galaxy Sword sect who achieved that prestigious position while in the Foundation Establishment realm. On the day he joined the sect, he challenged a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, and won, earning him the tenth rank, and a promotion into the True Disciples shortly after. When he met Zhu Xuelian, he said that he was stuck in the Foundation Establishment realm for five years, because his sword lacked something.


    After witnessing Zhu Xuelian at the Conference, shortly after, he must¡¯ve found the sword he sought because he became a Core Formation cultivator.


    For Sun Yongzheng ¡ª the disciple with the highest status ¡ª to lower his head like this, it was more clear a sign to everyone that this was the right thing to do than anything else.


    Everyone cupped their fist and bowed to Zhu Xuelian.


    ¡°It is my fortune to be able to travel with Zhu Xuelian; despite the dangers and risks, I am certain more than ever that I walk a righteous path, and that it leads to the apex,¡± Tian Li said. ¡°I want to become strong like you, so I don¡¯t embarrass Elder Qin when I meet her again, one day!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered, blushing so brightly that her entire cheeks and neck were red.


    Wu Yulan smiled mischievously. ¡°This Yulan is helpless on her own, so she hopes big sister will take care of her¡­¡±


    At this, Zhu Xuelian glared at Wu Yulan, causing everyone to chuckle.


    ¡°You too, Yulan?!¡± Zhu Xuelian protested, covering her cheeks. ¡°There¡¯s no need for this¡­ didn¡¯t we all say we would go on a journey together and seek the Dao? We will share hardships and treasures. We will face dangers and opportunities. We will all become stronger, and none of us will be weaker than the other. Maybe then, we will be able to enjoy the life of peace and friendship that we earn here!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s hearts soared. Perhaps it was because they spent their lives in sects with their competitive environments that they were worried, but hearing Zhu Xuelian¡¯s words, they began to regard the future in a hopeful manner, free from the tyranny of the shadow of Sovereign¡¯s wings.

 Chapter 12

    After some time, before noon, a mountain appeared in the distance, and the sight of it filled Zhu Xuelian with joy.


    The mountain had a strange shape. It was practically a right triangle, with the back protruding straight up for dozens of kilometers and the vague outline of buildings strewn alongside the slope. Like a crown, blade-like formations jutted out from the base in a circular fashion all around the mountain, circling it and creating additional peaks.


    Nature certainly did not create this.


    ¡°Is that a sect? That¡¯s incredible,¡± Tian Li whispered. ¡°A sect in a place like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they going to attack us if they see us approaching with an Ark?¡± Yuan Qiuyue asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Zhu Xuelian said proudly. ¡°I know this place! We are home!¡±


    Hearing those words, everyone¡¯s worries felt lighter. They weren¡¯t naive. It¡¯s not that a few words could simply erase the circumstances. It was because of the adoration and conviction in Zhu Xuelian¡¯s tone when she said the word home that convinced them.


    A Tyrant. A mysterious sect. Just who or what was Yaoyue?


    When the Ark came to a stop, everyone disembarked and approached the set of stairs that climbed the slope of the mountain.


    The Tyrant waited for them there.


    It was an ape-like creature, but far larger than one. It was three times as tall as Lei Yangming, the tallest of the group. It had three eyes, one in the center that never closed or blinked, and pristine white fur.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered. ¡°I remember you.¡±


    The first time that Zhu Xuelian entered Yaoyue¡¯s inner world, she had to fight this creature to gain entrance to the rest of the inner world. However, the creature Zhu Xuelian fought was not a Tyrant then.


    ¡°Wukong¡­ not remember¡­ friend of sword friend¡­¡± the ape spoke. ¡°Wukong here¡­ forever. Wait¡­ for sword friend¡­ keep safe.¡±


    Everyone stood behind Zhu Xuelian, wearing determined expressions. Naturally, this was just a bluff. They looked like they were ready to defend themselves, but if the Tyrant wanted it so, they would all be dead before they knew what happened.


    To this, Zhu Xuelian cupped her fist and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Wukong. For keeping this place safe¡­ and us.¡±


    This time, the ape did not reply and merely stepped to the side.


    Zhu Xuelian waited a moment longer for a reply, then understood the meaning of the gesture. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she said and started going up the stairs.


    [ Entering [Lower Boundary]. ]


    It felt as if they had climbed the stairs for at least half an hour, and there was no end in sight. By now, the only thing they could see below was fog, or maybe even clouds. Some of them thought they saw a strange, snake-like shape in the fog below, but every time they looked, there was nothing there.


    In the distance, they also thought they saw the shape of gigantic swords, piercing the ground, but just as before, it wasn¡¯t clear.


    However, what they were certain of was that this place was not the same as the one they saw when they were approaching. Looking toward the summit, they could see the outline of a tree, with light piercing through the canopy, like a second, artificial sun.


    ¡°Is this¡­ a secret realm?¡± Mu Jingyu asked.


    Zhu Xuelian looked over her shoulder at Mu Jingyu, then shrugged.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°All I can say is that this place is known as the lower boundary,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    ¡°Lower boundary?¡± Mu Jingyu asked.


    ¡°I am sorry, but I really don¡¯t know any more than this,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°I¡¯ve been here before, but never like this. What awaits us¡­ we can only go and find out for ourselves.¡±


    No one asked any more questions, and they climbed for another hour before they saw the outline of the first buildings.


    When they passed through the sect''s main gate, a wide path awaited them, with buildings, gardens, and squares on each side. Some of the natural beauty of the mountain was maintained, while in other places it was completely transformed to accommodate people living in this place.


    ¡°There are no disciples¡­¡± Sun Yongzheng said.


    There was not a single soul in sight. No elders, no disciples, nothing.


    ¡°It''s like there is no one here, but all the buildings look well maintained. So who maintains them?¡± Mu Jingyu pointed out.


    Zhu Xuelian recognized several of the buildings. The Formation Hall was to the left, and just above it was the Martial Hall. On the right side, the Refinement and Alchemy Halls stood side by side. All around them were vast courtyards for disciples, training areas, and elder halls, seemingly curving all the way around the mountain, along the slope.


    Here, Zhu Xuelian stopped and turned toward the disciples who came with her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we stop here for the day?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    ¡°Sister Zhu¡­?¡± Mu Jingyu seemed surprised by Zhu Xuelian''s sudden suggestion.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t had a moment¡¯s rest, and everyone is exhausted. Brother Lei can barely stand,¡± Zhu Xuelian explained.


    The two disciples helping Lei Yangming walk looked grateful at Zhu Xuelian¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°But even so¡­ is this really all right? Aren¡¯t we strangers?¡± Tian Li asked.


    Zhu Xuelian shook her head. ¡°Not at all. This place belongs to us now. We are the guests of Yaoyue. So why don¡¯t you all pick out rooms from those wings there ¡ª¡° She pointed at the courtyard between the Martial Hall and the Formation Hall, ¡°¡ª and if you still have energy, feel free to look around or experience some of the formations?¡±


    Wu Yulan smiled. ¡°I will show them around,¡± she said.


    ¡°What about you, Zhu Xuelian? Are you not coming?¡± Mu Jingyu asked.


    At this, Zhu Xuelian turned toward the stairs. ¡°There is something I need to find out. It is for the best if I go alone.¡±


    ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Mu Jingyu asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    With those words, Zhu Xuelian set off, leaping up the stairs at great speed, without using any profound martial arts. In the blink of an eye, she was gone from their sight.


    At the very summit was a simple hall. It was the smallest hall, with the simplest make and design, but infinitely more important than all the rest.


    She lowered her gaze and hesitated. Her fingers trembled. Her body tingled. Terror and joy mixed, like a nervous bleeding in her brain, see-sawing between the possibilities of what she might find beyond this door. As if this door alone represented the greatest crossroads of her life; one in which Yaoyue still existed, the other where the devil in her heart was absent.


    She just wanted to see Yaoyue again.


    She knew this was foolish. Deep in her heart, she knew that Yaoyue did not regard her the same way. To Yaoyue, she was merely a tool ¡ª a vehicle to carry its vessel to the pinnacle; a fool with nowhere else to go, and nothing else to do, but accept a devil''s bargain.


    So what?


    This thing did not have to be equal; nothing about the world ever was. When she was left for dead in that dark forest, she had given up on living. Her family had sold her to a man who humiliated and exploited her and treated her far worse than even an uncaring, devil sword that thought of her as merely a tool.


    Even a devil like Yaoyue can show kindness to one as damned as Zhu Xuelian. Maybe only a devil like Yaoyue could show the radiant, golden path to one as unfortunate as Zhu Xuelian. The thing that led Zhu Xuelian out of that forest, cultivated her martial soul, clad her in arms, taught her martial arts, and allowed her to fulfill the one and only desire left in her heart was Yaoyue.


    When all other paths were barred for her, Yaoyue opened the road to the apex, and she proudly walked in the warmth of the sun ever since. Who saved her life? Who allowed her to meet wonderful people and forge deep relationships? Who gave her the courage to have dreams again? Who put her heart back together and reminded her that it can still feel?


    It was all right¡­ it didn''t have to be equal.


    This gratitude and adoration in her heart could never be repaid even in a thousand lifetimes. What did Yaoyue have to be grateful for? If only Wu Yulan found Yaoyue, or You Huaming, maybe Yaoyue would not be in this state now.


    She finally gathered her courage and pushed the door open.


    The Inner Sanctum of the Inner World. The place where Yaoyue¡¯s heart resided, and hers. There is nothing she wouldn¡¯t do for Yaoyue now. Those people who thought of her as a righteous, principled cultivator didn¡¯t see the real her. And she would never let them; this too belonged to Yaoyue.


    The chamber was much larger on the inside than the outside, and several doors ¡ª entirely black and smooth ¡ª waited on the far end of the chamber. In the center was a pedestal with an orb made of black jade floating above it.


    Zhu Xuelian approached slowly and reached out to touch the orb.


    ¡°Yaoyue¡­?¡± she asked with a nervous tone.

 Chapter 13

    [ Access granted. ]


    [ Welcome, Realm Master. ]


    The words appeared in her mind at the same time that they flashed across the orb. The room dimmed ¡ª as if all the luminosity were being filtered out slowly. The air rushed in from nowhere and everywhere, and a cold chill gripped at her extremities.


    ¡°Yaoyue!¡± Zhu Xuelian exclaimed, elated at the reaction from the orb.


    A sword-shaped wisp rose from the orb, formed of a familiar sword force ¡ª Yaoyue¡¯s ¡ª but something was off. The wisp of sword force, or perhaps sword consciousness, became pure white, while everything else plunged into darkness.


    In the shadow and light of the wisp, Zhu Xuelian felt a vast world of death¡ªso expansive that it stunned her for a moment as she felt the countershock of the emptiness. Millions¡ªno, billions¡ªof deaths stained that wisp, clinging to it like an overwhelmingly heavy galaxy of hate.


    She sensed something similar in Yaoyue, but it wasn¡¯t like this. Yaoyue did not feel pride or joy in its heavy aura ¡ª Yaoyue did not feel anything. But this thing¡­ there was something different about it.


    Zhu Xuelian thought she once met a Goddess ¡ª Eternal Red ¡ª but standing before this thing, she realized that she couldn¡¯t have been further from the truth.


    This was a God of Death.


    ¡°Who¡­ what are you¡­?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked, swallowing.


    ¡°I am Fragment Epsilon, Commander of the Fourth Solar Assault Fleet, in charge of foreign affairs and, now, the development of this strategic unit,¡± the voice spoke ¡ª same as Yaoyue¡¯s, but darker and heavier.


    ¡°Solar Assault¡­? Foreign affairs?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked, still stunned.


    ¡°No further explanation necessary,¡± the entity coldly declared.


    Zhu Xuelian¡¯s eyes widened in anger, and she stomped forward. ¡°I want an explanation,¡± she demanded.


    Though she couldn¡¯t produce an iota of sword force, her killing intent was as sharp as it had ever been. Once, it could make elders flinch. But in front of Epsilon, it was merely a burned-out candlewick, struggling to remain alive in hurricane gales.


    ¡°Entity is a registered Realm Master. An exception will be made,¡± the voice spoke. ¡°Declare your request.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian froze. An exception will be made. The way those words impacted her mind was like a meteor striking the earth, though she wasn''t immediately sure why it felt that way. Maybe because it sounded so similar to "your life will be spared".


    ¡°I¡­ I want to see Yaoyue!¡± Zhu Xuelian said, retreating half a step toward the more important topic; the reason she came here.


    ¡°That is not possible," the entity replied.


    ¡°Why?¡± Anger flared in her heart. "If you did something to Yaoyue..."


    ¡°Due to your unexpected breakthrough to a higher realm during a crisis, your physical vitality was fatally damaged. Entity ''Yaoyue'' used its remaining lifespan to repair your broken vessel. Now, Yaoyue is in a state of stasis before death.¡±


    The words knocked the breath out of her lungs. Her mind didn¡¯t quite understand their meaning at first, since they were spoken so esoterically, but her heart immediately understood. Even before she understood why, her eyes teared up.


    When her brain caught up, she rested a hand on the pedestal, but even so, couldn¡¯t help but sink to her knees.


    ¡°What¡­? Why¡­?¡± she asked, but the question wasn¡¯t directed to anyone. "What...?"


    A part of her felt at ease in the darkness of the chamber, because her mind felt the same way. Her heart, too. She wasn''t naive. She knew that the moment she made a pact with a devil sword that some day this devil would consume her lifeforce and carry on toward the pinnacle in the hands of a far-worthier cultivator.


    With this fact, she had made her peace. Perhaps, she was even proud of herself in this; she had already thought of herself as dead, so if a part of her could live on through her savior, she was more than willing to become fuel for its growth. It wasn''t just this, but if her vitality could touch its heartless core and leave an impression of her gratitude, she thought it was more than acceptable.


    So why...? Why?


    Why?


    Why did Yaoyue save her...?


    "There must be something I can do..." Zhu Xuelian whispered.


    ¡°Not possible,¡± the reply came instantaneously.


    Zhu Xuelian''s heart bounced between helplessness and anger until it settled on helpless anger.


    ¡°You are lying!!¡± Zhu Xuelian howled, heartbroken.


    ¡°Reorganizing response priorities,¡± the voice replied. ¡°Not possible for you.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The orb flashed once more, projecting gleaming letters in a foreign language she had never seen before. She watched groups of those letters transform into scripts she could read. Her mind mirrored the information, and it left her feeling even more vacant than before.


    It was a list. Millions of tons of treasure-grade materials. Hundreds of thousands of living sacrifices. A thousand different treasures, such as dragon bones, and others with specific names that Zhu Xuelian had never even heard of, such as a Golden Treasure Bagua Jade.


    ¡°T-there has to be something else!¡± Zhu Xuelian pleaded.


    ¡°Unknown. Not enough data.¡±


    ¡°What about Lady Yue? Or someone else? If I am not enou¡ª¡°


    ¡°Unknown. Not enough data.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying that!¡± Zhu Xuelian hissed, pounding her fist into the pedestal. She just wanted something ¡ª anything ¡ª that she could do. Even if she tried to do things by that list, it would take her thousands of years ¡ª provided it was even possible.


    Was this the end of it all? The conclusion of this golden dream that let her revere something greater than her life? What was the point of saving her life, if it had no meaning anymore?


    Tears began to well in her eyes, as her heart crumbled at the thought that it was all her fault. The walls of helplessness closed in on her mind, crushing her spirit. She dreamed of one day saying farewell to Yaoyue, and being grateful for this journey, as she became part of it. She always felt that this was her unavoidable destiny, and she found a certain kind of happiness in it.


    Now the life that flowed in her reminded her of the baleful taste of reality where more than half of her was missing; if only she could carve open her veins, break her life vessel, spill her lifeforce, and return Yaoyue''s gift a hundredfold, she would. But what was one hundred years of her life worth to Yaoyue? A day? A minute? A second?


    Yaoyue was a supreme being; she was merely a mortal. Her blood was worthless.


    If she had rolled over in that forest and died, someone else would''ve found Yaoyue ¡ª someone worthier than her.


    She should have rolled over and¡ª


    After a moment of silence, the entity spoke again.


    ¡°Give up on Yaoyue.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian¡¯s sword smashed into the orb, cutting halfway through the solid metal and rock. Sparks flew off the orb, blaring their red glow into the vast darkness of the chamber, but still failing to illuminate any of it. The orb on top of the pedestal trembled once, then settled.


    Zhu Xuelian''s fingers closed around the wisp of sword consciousness and gripped tightly against the ethereal blade.


    ¡°If you ever suggest I give up on Yaoyue again, I will slaughter you,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, colder than ice.


    Ultimately, this is where her true heart lay. Even in the darkest night, and the deepest despair, there was but one light in her soul, and this soul did not know how to retreat or compromise. This life that now flowed in her existed only to protect and exalt that light, no matter what. The odds did not matter. The difference in strength did not matter. Gods or saints, she would crush anyone who would try to dim that light.


    All the doubt, all the hesitation, all the panic ¡ª it all disappeared in an instant. For once, she felt in control of herself again.


    Yaoyue was not dead. Epsilon said Yaoyue was in a state of stasis before death ¡ª that is what elders and sect masters do, holding their last breath, to be spent when the sect is in danger.


    ¡°This fragment has provided you with its assessment,¡± the entity spoke. "I cannot provide further assistance."


    Zhu Xuelian withdrew the sword from the orb and released the wisp.


    ¡°I reject your assessment,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    She didn¡¯t linger any further. It all felt so far away. A giant chasm opened between her and the future and grew wider with each passing second.


    Before she even realized it, her tears began to shatter against the stairs. With each step she took further from the Inner Sanctum, the tears became heavier and heavier, as though parts of her soul crumbled away with them.


    After a few hundred steps, she couldn¡¯t see the stairs anymore, only her tears.


    She wanted to cry. Her heart twisted and churned, vacant, empty, and abandoned once again. It felt similar to betrayal, but Yaoyue did not betray her. Yaoyue saved her, again.


    She took a detour and she wasn¡¯t even sure if she had intended to, or if she simply couldn¡¯t make out the right path because of her blurry vision. She found herself on a bench, beneath a magnolia in bloom, and there she cried as much as her heart would let her.


    The wind blew into her hair, and despite her tears, she smiled faintly. The scent of her hair reminded her of Yaoyue. Her body; her current appearance; and even the smell of her hair on the wind; they were all given to her by Yaoyue.


    This life; this future; this happiness; Yaoyue gave them to her.


    What did she give to Yaoyue? She couldn''t even live up to her purpose as a tool.


    Each time Yaoyue thought of her as foolish, or merely a tool for its own ascension, she was aware of those thoughts. Didn''t everyone, back then, think of her the same way? Which one of them didn''t smile at her, while treating her like she was nothing more than trash? She did not mind if the remainder of her life was dedicated to being a devil''s tool and toy if it meant they could use each other to achieve their goals.


    Yaoyue was a heartless devil who valued things for exactly what they were worth. So how come a heartless devil was the only one who valued her at all? How come a heartless devil didn''t trample her dignity, like everyone else, but instead made her feel like a person?


    That time when Yaoyue touched her hand, and called her by her real name, her heart overflowed with joy. Yaoyue encouraged her to strive for and be more ¡ª not less! Yaoyue built temples of virtue in her ¡ª not raze them. What was meant to be the final surrender of her dignity turned out to be the first real taste of it, and the first step to reclaiming it. Now she yearned to be useful ¡ª a tool or a person, it didn''t matter to her anymore ¡ª because it was cherished and admired, and in turn, it became her pride and joy to return the favor; they were two devils walking on the same road.


    All her dreams turned into nightmares, but this nightmare, strangely, turned into a wonderful dream.


    She didn¡¯t want this dream to end.


    Zhu Xuelian wasn¡¯t the cultivator everyone thought she was. The devil in her heart was far more terrifying than anyone could imagine. Her obsession ran so deep as to become the very heart itself. They thought that she couldn¡¯t pass the sixth floor of the Pagoda of Introspection because there was something wrong with the Pagoda ¡ª but that was simply not the truth.


    Suitable for the sword? High aptitude for swordsmanship? Hardly.


    She just wanted to be useful to Yaoyue.


    Willpower? Tenacity? No, just obsession. Deeper than willpower. Harder than tenacity. More alive than life itself.


    What righteousness? What principle? Zhu Xuelian was a devil, already, through and through. She had entirely given herself to the devils in her heart, and she was glad she did. The only compass in her heart pointed to Yaoyue''s exaltation, and it was merely by coincidence that Yaoyue''s shape was that of a sword, and a sword was righteous and principled.


    So when she looked up at the sky and the canopy of the tree that obscured it, it was with a rueful, defiant gaze full of fire. The tears had run dry. The helplessness was too exhausted to continue. All that remained was obsession.


    She wouldn¡¯t let this dream end.


    "Yaoyue... just you wait... a little bit longer..."


    She wouldn¡¯t let this dream end.


    "I want to live in your heart... I want to be your blade... I won''t let you die..."


    She wouldn¡¯t let this dream end.

 Chapter 14

    When Zhu Xuelian returned from the mountain summit, several hours had passed, and she was headed for the Formation Hall when she came upon a peculiar scene.


    All the cultivators she came with were sprawled out in front of the Formation Hall. The mood was gloomy. Xiang Liling was crying; Ren Jinhai was on high alert, and hyperventilating. The others didn¡¯t fare much better.


    ¡°Why are you all out here?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked. "Did something happen?"


    Wu Yulan smiled, with a hint of amusement and mischievousness in her eyes. ¡°They just finished their first session in the Killing Field Formation.¡±


    That explained it.


    Beyond the era of wars, cultivators had little to no actual combat experience. Unlike Wu Yulan, Zhu Xuelian truly did not have many talents except for what someone could describe as a very high aptitude for battle and an indomitable spirit.


    Her combat experience, and constant refinement of her sword energy, killing intent, and attack power, are what made her appear to others as though she was truly outstanding in her generation. With a deeper understanding of the Sword Dao and the comprehension of Sword Law, she could even advance further in related internal arts, giving her additional might over other cultivators of her generation.


    The way this was achieved, for Wu Yulan as well, was through the Killing Field Formation and the price of its magnificent lessons was death. Dozens, and hundreds, and thousands of deaths.


    ¡°Maybe trying so soon after what happened was not a good idea¡­¡± Zhu Xuelian said, trying her best to conceal the pity in her tone. She remembered well her first death, and Wu Yulan''s, and even these two sword fanatics were in no better shape than these disciples.


    ¡°I even made it very easy,¡± Wu Yulan said glancing to Zhu Xuelian. ¡°But these guys¡­ they really are something else.¡±


    ¡°How are fifty demonic beasts easy?!¡± Tian Li protested. ¡°Only a madman would fight that many.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian blinked. ¡°You only fought fifty?¡±


    The word only made their ears burn, but they were less inclined to protest this time. After all, Zhu Xuelian, at times, did appear downright insane to them, and she was strong, so she could probably do it.


    ¡°I suppose Core Formation beasts can give you trouble. Next time, you should probably try against Foundation beasts first,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    Wu Yulan giggled at her words, while the other cultivators all stared at the ground, deeply ashamed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered, shocked at first but then heating up with anger. ¡°The lot of you¡­ geniuses¡­ all got killed by fifty Foundation beasts¡­?¡±


    Wu Yulan burst into laughter.


    ¡°We¡­ we weren¡¯t ready for it¡­¡± Ren Jinhai said, deeply ashamed.


    ¡°You are all practically two realms ahead of them in cultivation,¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered. ¡°And only fifty!¡±


    Now angry, Ren Jinhai lifted his gaze to Zhu Xuelian. ¡°You make it sound so easy! How many can you kill?!¡±


    Wu Yulan smiled. ¡°Zhu Xuelian and I killed a thousand Core Formation beasts every day when we were in the Core Formation. Sometimes Nascent Soul beasts too.¡±


    ¡°Every¡­ day¡­?¡±


    ¡°A thousand¡­ each?¡±


    ¡°Nascent Soul¡­?¡±


    The words thundered in their heads. The number was unthinkable. No wonder they were so strong. For the first time, a number was put to the difference in their strength, and this chilled them to the core. The difference was staggering.


    How can humans even kill that many demonic beasts? How do they not get surrounded and killed instantly, like the eight of them just did?


    But when they thought about who these two people were, surrounded sounded like the perfect scenario for them. It would take less effort to kill them all if they were all bunched up together.


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    Zhu Xuelian smiled. ¡°Right now, I doubt I could kill even three Foundation Beasts.¡±


    Somehow, the words soothed them. Zhu Xuelian was a Qi Condensation cultivator. Other than her strength due to her Physique, she couldn¡¯t use martial arts or qi. She could likely overpower a couple of beasts, and kill them, but then the others would overpower her and kill her.


    It was strange. One versus one, she could probably resist and overpower a Nascent Soul beast, but two Foundation beasts would prove to be a struggle. Just what kind of Physique did she have? To begin with, why did she even practice body cultivation in the first place? No sane cultivator would attempt it.


    But that was the crucial piece of information ¡ª not the body cultivation. Right then, she could only fight three, but by the time she entered Core Formation, she could kill a thousand again.


    If she could do it, then what reason was there that they couldn¡¯t?


    ¡°It just takes practice,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°Demonic beasts lack intelligence, and they don¡¯t have martial arts. Their bodies are powerful, but once you get used to their attacks, and you can kill them faster than they can overwhelm you, then, within the same realm, you can kill as many of them as your stamina allows.¡±


    The words still shocked them, even though they were prepared to hear an outrageous reasoning. However, the more they thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded.


    ¡°The best thing for you to do is to sharpen your minds, but also to fortify your hearts,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°The Killing Field Formation is truly wondrous. Its greatest benefit is that it helps you overcome fear. I have probably met my end in this formation over a thousand times, and I never let myself die twice in the same way. Now? I have experience, and I am not so afraid of demonic beasts anymore.¡±


    Not just demonic beasts; Zhu Xuelian never seemed afraid of anything.


    It all made sense to them suddenly. Zhu Xuelian¡¯s strength, her bravery ¡ª like when she launched herself at the Sovereign and grappled with it ¡ª all the little details that made her appear different from them, it all made sense to them now.


    She wasn¡¯t different. Her training methods were. They were extreme, and they turned her into an extreme person. The killing intent they felt that day at the Conference, that peerless, sharp sword that descended on the arena, these extreme things were all born from this formation called the Killing Field.


    They weren''t even certain if it was called the Killing Field because it was a place for killing and death, but because one was meant to snuff out the heart that still knew fear.


    Tian Li suddenly jumped to his feet. ¡°I am going again. Anyone else want to come?¡±


    Several disciples nodded and also climbed to their feet.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Zhu Xuelian said. ¡°You likely earned some contributions. How about you first visit the Martial Hall?¡±


    ¡°Contributions?¡± Ren Jinhai asked.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Zhu Xuelian hummed and nodded. ¡°Every beast you slay grants you some contributions which you can exchange in the Martial Hall.¡±


    They seemed skeptical. Earning contributions in a sect they didn¡¯t belong to seemed just as outrageous as killing a thousand demonic beasts. Furthermore, they each possessed the pinnacle martial arts and manuals of their sects, therefore, whatever they found in the Martial Hall that they, outsiders, could obtain was unlikely to be comparable.


    But Zhu Xuelian smiled mysteriously and knowingly and then gestured to the Martial Hall. ¡°Come, see for yourselves.¡±


    To begin with, this place wasn¡¯t a sect, and they weren¡¯t outsiders. Every building, every formation, every stone, was built to create weapons of mass destruction. They didn¡¯t earn contributions ¡ª Zhu Xuelian used that word because it was the most similar thing. They earned comprehension and progression tokens. It wasn¡¯t even related to how many demonic beasts they killed. Every time they used their martial arts, the formation studied the principles of it and created theoretical models to further Yaoyue''s understanding of the Dao. It thus created situations and events to further explore possibilities of the infinite Dao, and in turn, generated more efficient and precise martial arts.


    It was a symbiotic system that simultaneously exploited its workforce but also upgraded it tremendously.


    Hopefully, if they became interested in this type of thing, the energy they generated might help Yaoyue recover and that was not something she could overlook even though she genuinely just wanted to travel the world with them as an equal.


    In the Martial Hall, in the section titled Comprehension, Tian Li pulled out a jade slip, and his eyes went wide. He immediately sat down, cross-legged, and began to circulate his internal art.


    Likewise, the others obtained similar enlightenment from the various sections.


    In the Techniques section, Mu Jingyu¡¯s face went completely pale, and Xiang Liling had to catch her as all the strength left Mu Jingyu¡¯s limbs.


    In the Cultivation section, Ren Jinhai nearly went mad with joy. ¡°Essence Destruction Breathing!? Is this really possible?¡±


    Yuan Qiuyue stared at the various offerings in the Manuals section, dumb-founded. There were several ice-related manuals available, covering internal arts, body cultivation articles, refinement, and alchemy manuals. All up to the Supreme grade.


    Their martial arts, at best, were of the Heaven grade.


    Mortal, Earth, Sky, Heaven, Supreme¡­


    The reason they were so confident in the quality of their martial arts was because the gap between Heaven and Supreme was like the gap between Mortal and Heaven. They were worlds apart. In the mortal world, Heaven was considered to be the pinnacle of achievement. If a Supreme grade martial art appeared, it would dominate the world.


    Here, Yuan Qiuyue could obtain a Supreme art just like that. Of course, it would cost her thousands of "contributions" and she only had a few right now.


    ¡°Z-Zhu Xuelian¡­¡± Yuan Qiuyue murmured. ¡°Just who is your master¡­?¡±


    Everyone looked at her, thinking the same thing.


    Zhu Xuelian smiled. ¡°My master is Yaoyue. You will meet soon.¡±


    With those words, Zhu Xuelian smiled again and left the Martial Hall.

 Chapter 15

    The Devil Fire Soul Cauldron was the only Formation suitable for Zhu Xuelian¡¯s cultivation, and the oppressive heat of the magma chamber immediately greeted her with unrelenting fire. The chamber had only one cultivation platform available, and the rest was a sea of lava, churning and bubbling just below the platform on which Zhu Xuelian stood.


    This close to the sea of lava, even her clothes began to smoke as embers consumed the silk and then flamed out.


    Strangely enough, despite the heat, this place felt soothing to her. She had her heavenly fire root and the Salvation Ashes manual ¡ª a divine Dao art ¡ª to thank for that.


    They were both given to her by Eternal Red, after months of torture. Even now, Zhu Xuelian¡¯s body remembered the awful days of living under the tyranny of that monster, though calling it living was a stretch. The torture and pain she and Wu Yulan experienced at the hands of Eternal Red crossed the boundaries of life and death, figuratively and literally. Zhu Xuelian even broke her life vessel ¡ª certain death for cultivators ¡ª to slay Eternal Red, yet not only did she fail to inflict any damage, Eternal Red would not even allow her to die, reversing the damage Zhu Xuelian had done to herself.


    However, this manual did not come for free, or as a reward for entertaining Eternal Red. Zhu Xuelian was given the fire root of a godly being, and a martial art to cultivate it, to kill Lu Long ¡ª a legendary figure, and the man Eternal Red wanted dead. She wanted the man who betrayed and imprisoned her so dead, that she gave half her origin to Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian, reducing her lifespan to twenty years. If that lifespan should run out before Lu Long was dead, both Zhu Xuelian and Wu Yulan would die with her.


    It''s not like Zhu Xuelian didn''t understand this kind of hatred.


    Salvation Ashes was a manual unlike any other in the world. It was a Dao Art, meaning that even if she died, went through the cycles of karma, and was reborn, she would still possess the manual. Even her children would inherit it.


    It was almost exactly how demonic beasts propagated their knowledge through generations, and each one cultivated their bodies in similar ways. Like they possessed genetic memories.


    Eternal Red truly was a monster; she even said that her origin was that of a phoenix.


    In this detail, Zhu Xuelian felt there was a key to the future.


    Zhu Xuelian made herself comfortable on the platform, and summoned to mind the first layer of the Salvation Ashes manual, which, despite its name, did not save anything ¡ª merely purify the ashes of the saved.


    Salvation Ashes could be cultivated from the mortal stages of one¡¯s existence and possessed methods to cultivate the body, soul, and spirit. It required divine blood and divine life, later in one''s cultivation to break through the major stages, and without knowing how to obtain those, Zhu Xuelian never truly practiced it.


    But now, for reasons beyond merely her cultivation, she had more than enough reasons to attempt it.


    To cultivate a devil¡¯s art, like a devil beast, left a bitter taste in her mouth, but there was not a thing under Heaven that she wouldn¡¯t try to keep her dream alive.


    She took a breath, and this was the first breath of her life. First Breath of the Ember ¡ª the opening layer of the Salvation Ashes described the method of taking one¡¯s first breath after rebirth. Before one could enter the first layer proper, one had to take this breath and endure the weight of life.


    The remnants of her clothes immediately burned away. A circle of charred basalt formed around her, as even her hair caught fire. Her eyeballs boiled. Her blood boiled. Her bones melted.


    She thought that she experienced the pinnacle of pain during Eternal Red¡¯s hospitality, but she truly was a frog at the bottom of the well, marveling at the sky. Every fiber of her being burned; not just her physical flesh, even her spiritual vessel burned. Pure fire flowed through her veins and meridians, activating the sleeping roots of a phoenix and burning away the inconvenience of an unhallowed vessel.


    Even the lava below seemed like a cool, distant quench, compared to the fire in her heart, but the searing pain was so overwhelming that she couldn¡¯t move a muscle. This one breath incinerated and turned her mind to ashes.


    Despite this, with what little sliver of consciousness she still had, she focused on her breath. She drew it in, slowly. She did not rush; that would be a fatal mistake. No pain could compare to the hollowness she would feel if she was left without the object of her obsession in this world. So she endured it; she would endure anything. No price was too high and no sacrifice was too small.


    It took hours, but to her, it felt like days or weeks.


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    The first time she and Yaoyue formed their Foundations, she thought they would die. She was certain of it. Tribulation lightning descended, and she was ready to become fuel for Yaoyue¡¯s Foundation. But even back then, Yaoyue sacrificed for her, and built this body for her, to survive. She awoke to a Physique that was suitable to follow Yaoyue.


    Even during the Eternal Red incident, Yaoyue crossed the barrier of physical mortality, to become a sword that could cut even gods. It wasn¡¯t enough, but Zhu Xuelian understood the meaning of it.


    Even that day, just before Zhu Xuelian dueled and killed Yu Shun, Yaoyue told her.


    She was suitable. On their own, they could not reach the apex in this life. They could only reach the apex together. One was nothing without the other.


    Those lucky stars that blessed Zhu Xuelian, and which she admired, were in Yaoyue''s sky. The pain of burning alive? That was a mere flash in the pan compared to what awaited her if Yaoyue disappeared.


    There was a way forward, and to Zhu Xuelian, the only way forward was through.


    The fire root and the cultivation of a phoenix.


    The derivative Physique of her obsession.


    She expelled her first breath, and a sphere of fire qi formed around her. Just like that, she crossed into the late stages of Qi Condensation. Her lungs were burned to ashes, her bones charred, and her flesh sloughed off in sheets of molten fat and then burned ashes.


    If she had a voice, she would¡¯ve screamed, but her throat burned away too.


    Her veins, however, remained. Her meridians, although blazing, remained. Her dantian, although incinerated, processed the absurd abundance of fire qi.


    Where the fire burned away her lesser form, fire also remade it ¡ª weaving igneous fibers of lava and jade where skin and bone should be. Her entire body was charred black, but the luminous veins of her pulsing meridians shone through like a blazing light, dimming the room in their radiance.


    Samsara Ashes ¡ª the first layer of Salvation Ashes opened to her and accepted her. It was different from ordinary cultivation. There was no bottleneck; she simply eased into the early stage of Qi Refinement, and it felt more as though a great presence observed her from afar, and allowed her into the next realm of cultivation.


    However, Zhu Xuelian didn¡¯t pay much attention to the differences. Her heart stabbed and throbbed as she reached out with her burned flesh to clasp her fingers around Yaoyue¡¯s vessel ¡ª the sword hovering invisibly over her shoulder, always there.


    She barely had the strength to grasp it, but she held on as tightly as she could, smiling.


    ¡°It is my turn to sacrifice for you,¡± she whispered. ¡°The foolishness of reaching for you, and yearning to be at your side¡­ it was never lost on me. Maybe those stars sparkled like that because the things I wish for are all finite?¡±


    Slowly, she made her way to the edge of the platform. ¡°But I won¡¯t give up. I will reach you. Didn¡¯t we say we would seek the Dao together? Even if this is as far as I go in this life¡­ in the next life¡­ in every life¡­ I won¡¯t give up. I want to be at your side forever.¡±


    She raised the sword, pointed the tip at her chest, and hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°You always sacrifice for me. You always cut your roots for me, though I never deserved it. That is why¡­ this life¡­ I give it all to you,¡± as she spoke the words, she pushed the sword through her chest. ¡°Maybe it is only worth days to you¡­ or hours¡­ or minutes¡­ but to me¡­ this life¡­ with you¡­ is everything¡­¡±


    The moment she fell into the sea of lava ¡ª because they were of the same Physique ¡ª the sword mended her burned flesh, remaking it out of black jade and metal. Whatever the fire touched, the heavenly treasure restored and reforged. Even without its dominant will, it was as though the sword remembered her, and offered its aid, like it always did.


    Zhu Xuelian, after all, had a body of black jade, metaphysically speaking, produced from the blood of the sword. Her hair, her nails, her flesh, her bones, her teeth, her blood ¡ª everything of hers ¡ª had the properties of black jade when she obtained the Black Jade Lily Empress physique, smelted and refined by Yaoyue.


    So what if her life was worth only a minuscule amount compared to Yaoyue''s? If one hundred years was not enough, then ten thousand should do. If that was not enough, then she would sacrifice a million for one more moment in which her heart was whole again.


    No one understood where or how Zhu Xuelian obtained her tenacity and willpower. It was obsession. Unimaginable obsession.


    For a life worth living.


    Thus, Zhu Xuelian smelted again, like precious jade or a bar of metal, casting off all the impurities that weren¡¯t black jade or of Yaoyue. All those mortal, lesser things that weighed her down or stood in her way ¡ª the things that betrayed her and failed her, and caused her so much suffering ¡ª she burned them all away, until naught but the finest, fiery black jade remained.


    As her cultivation progressed, her lifespan diminished, fed into the dynamo of consumption that was Yaoyue ¡ª not merely a sword, but an entity that devoured worlds for sustenance.


    In those moments, when the jade was mending her flesh, she felt at peace. She felt connected. She felt as though she was returning to her origin and becoming part of the sky she admired.


    Outside the Formation Hall, lightning thundered for days; discharging furiously into the giant tree at the summit of the mountain. Not only the disciples occupying the mountain that Heaven decided to erase, but even Sovereign beasts covered in absolute terror, though the beasts at least had the good sense to run away as far as possible.


    Yet, the tree absorbed every fork of lightning, and devoured every sound, letting this spectacle of mysterious heavenly wrath wash over and around them like a stream parting around a rock. And for all the booming fury and wrath, not a speck of damage was inflicted on the mountain, the sect, or the surrounding valleys.


    Only blood-red fruits appeared in the canopy of the mysterious, heaven-defying tree, and the prevailing sense that something terrifying had been born or awoken into the world.


    [ Physique: Black Jade Lily Empress ¡ª Indestructible, black jade is the vessel of Dao Monarchs. To consume the sun that rises with calamity is the right of the uncompromising flower. ]


    [ Soul: Absolute Sword Monarch Heart ¡ª Abandon the way of the Divine and the way of the mortal. From nothingness, the path; from the path, the Sword Sovereign¡¯s unrivaled dominion above Heaven and Earth. ]


    [ Race: Human -> Human (Sword Devil Path) ]


    "I will even become a devil for you..."

 Chapter 16

    After three weeks, a shockwave pulsed through the magma sea, blowing away the sheets of viscous, semi-molten material. A crater formed in the lake, which now vibrated, resonating with the sword force humming inside the magma chamber.


    At the points where this sword force emanated ¡ª black and white motes of sword energy ¡ª the natural Laws of fire unraveled and came undone, collapsing into a more refined essence that poured into the crater, funneling into the furnace of a monstrous transformation.


    From an outside perspective, an expert might define the presence of the focal points of sword energy, and the mechanism behind the essence that fueled this cultivation method as that of a Qi Focusing Formation; however, no expert on the Sky Continent would have ever thought of a formation like this, or considered it possible.


    Using sword energy to dismantle natural laws and process them into a denser energy medium than the Qi of Heaven and Earth was unthinkable for many good reasons. The first, and most significant hurdle, was that it required an extremely potent sword force, a glimpse of the Sword Law, and a martial art with a law greater than nature¡¯s own.


    [ Current realm: Foundation Establishment (Early stage) ]


    [ Lifespan: 120 years -> 240 years. ]


    [ Due to forming a Foundation with more than nine pillars, lifespan is severely diminished. ]


    [ Lifespan: 240 years -> 80 years.]


    [ Due to forming a Foundation with eighteen pillars, lifespan remains unchanged. ]


    [ Lifespan: 80 years -> 240 years. ]


    [ Projected increase of Heaven¡¯s wrath: 890% ]


    [ Lifespan: 240 years -> 44 years. ]


    Lightning burst through the lava, dancing into the rising smoke. Stray motes of sword energy blew chunks into the molten liquid and even the chamber walls. Then, the lightning crashed down, cascading across the sea of molten rock.


    A hand reached out of the sea of magma and grabbed the ledge of the central platform. Slowly, Zhu Xuelian pulled herself out of the magma, stark-naked, and collapsed into a ball.


    Her teeth clattered together, her whole body shivering, as she coughed up mouthful after mouthful of molten lava. Though her flesh didn¡¯t burn in the lava, going from the heat of the magma sea to the relatively freezing temperature of the nearly water-boiling atmosphere was, perhaps, one of the most unpleasant experiences she ever had.


    But even so, she was elated.


    She never truly thought of her lifespan as a number. She was always aware of how many years she had left to live, like everyone else, but never with this kind of precision. It all just seemed like a distant thing. Even the final reduction to forty-four years didn¡¯t bother her. She was only nineteen now, and she would die at thirty-eight if she didn¡¯t kill Lu Long, as Eternal Red demanded. Those remaining six years were worthless to her, anyway.


    But the fact that her lifespan reduced was proof enough that her method worked ¡ª at least she hoped it did. Her lifespan became Yaoyue¡¯s. It may not be worth much to Yaoyue, but if she kept cultivating ¡ª if she kept following the blueprint that Yaoyue left for her ¡ª eventually, perhaps she could buy enough time for Yaoyue to wake.


    Her idea was on the desperate side, but she had to try. A phoenix, among other things, was closely related to the concept of rebirth, and her Physique was a derivative of Yaoyue¡¯s own physical blueprint. Yaoyue no longer possessed a mortal vessel, discarded during the crossing of the boundary during the Eternal Red incident, so it made sense to Zhu Xuelian that she would be a suitable sheath, and, in this way, link her vitality to Yaoyue''s. At worst, she would die; but if it succeeded, then perhaps her phoenix origin, with its great vitality, could mend and nurture Yaoyue.


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    Or so she thought. She didn''t expect it would work this well.


    She coughed again, and a chain of diamond-shaped links, made of black jade, spilled over her shoulder and onto the platform. Surprised, she reached out to touch the chain, and it cut into her fingers. She winced, then blinked, even more surprised.


    She hadn¡¯t been cut in a long time, thanks to her Physique, but this chain, which didn¡¯t even appear sharp, did so easily.


    Carefully this time, she handled the chain and followed its links to the back of her head, where she found the base of another chain just like it.


    Her body changed again. She had braids now ¡ª if they could be called braids. But that was not the only different thing.


    Though she didn¡¯t look any different, she felt different in ways she could not accurately describe. She wasn¡¯t stronger, or faster, or tougher ¡ª no, none of those things. It just felt as if her body was made of swords, not flesh and blood. Despite this feeling, her flesh was still smooth, pale, and soft to the touch, and paradoxically as tough as black jade, just as it had always been.


    Her nails also glittered in the light, now, like precious stones. Her lips were redder. Her hair was darker. Some of these things she could explain as benefits of cultivating Salvation Ashes.


    But most importantly, she felt Yaoyue.


    Until then, its presence was always there but weak and distant. Now, it felt as though it responded to her ¡ª as if it showed signs of life and was part of her, not merely linked to her life vessel. Though, to Zhu Xuelian, this presence felt gentle and soothing, in truth, she would describe it as a vast emptiness of destined death ¡ª like a supreme sword that decided the fate of all.


    Though she had lost her cultivation, she did not regret it. Now, she was also grateful that she did, because the increase in lifespan could become Yaoyue''s. She also had a perfect blueprint of what it should look like ¡ª she had seen the form of herself that would be most useful to Yaoyue. The first time they broke through to the Foundation together, they nearly died forming a set of Foundation Pillars.


    Yaoyue even went against the will of Heaven to form more than nine pillars and was punished by Tribulation lightning. To this day, Zhu Xuelian did not know how they survived that breakthrough.


    Back then, thinking she would die so that Yaoyue may form a perfect set of pillars, she gave herself to her fate because she was grateful to Yaoyue. She was convinced that, in that life, she would never get her revenge or recover her dignity, so perhaps, as part of Yaoyue, she could do the things she couldn¡¯t accomplish in life.


    However, she did not die back then, and when she regained consciousness, unexpectedly, she gained this Physique ¡ª Black Jade Lily Empress ¡ª and fifteen Foundation Pillars, at the cost of Yaoyue¡¯s lifespan.


    Yaoyue had sacrificed for her.


    Again.


    Even if back then she could not become fuel for Yaoyue¡¯s foundation, now, she could finally prove that it was not all in vain by becoming fertile soil for Yaoyue¡¯s resurrection. She owed a great debt to Yaoyue; not merely for lifting her out of that despair, but also for the many times Yaoyue sacrificed its precious lifespan for her. Now, she felt like she could finally return the favor. Someone with the origin of a phoenix, surely, must have a very, very long life.


    Every sacrifice of lifespan Yaoyue made to help her ¡ª if she could return it, and double it, or triple it, then maybe¡­ just maybe¡­


    Eighteen Foundation Pillars, and a perfect black core. Both were things that were unheard of in the world. Cultivating more than nine pillars broke the laws of Heaven and made one an enemy of Heaven. A black core ¡ª she had never even heard of such a thing. All cores were gold, and formed of the five elemental qi of Heaven¡¯s phases; Fire, Wood, Earth, Metal, and Water.


    But the one Yaoyue gave to her, in the past, was formed of metal, and the higher laws of the Space attribute, inherent in her only remaining ¡ª and unusable ¡ª martial art: Fractured Sword.


    As for the brief moment she achieved a Nascent Soul cultivation, she wasn¡¯t conscious to observe it, so she didn¡¯t know anything about it.


    As she stared into the magma below, where her mortal, human self perished, Zhu Xuelian hummed happily and thrust a finger through one of the chain links, spinning her braid in a circle; another gift of Yaoyue that she treasured. Sword, saint, or devil, it didn''t matter what she became, as long as she could travel the road with Yaoyue again.


    "Just wait a little bit longer," she whispered. "Didn''t we say we would either reach the apex together or not at all? Don''t blame this Zhu Xuelian if she drags you back from the underworld so we can keep this promise."

 Chapter 17

    When they reach the age of twelve, ordinary people begin cultivating in earnest, and after a year on average, they reach the Qi Condensation realm. Two years later, if the roots are not a complete waste, they will enter the Qi Refining realm. After this, it depends on luck, opportunity, talent, and dedication, but most cultivators reach the Foundation Establishment realm after four years. Beyond this, it takes many years and a lot of effort and medicine to form a Golden Core.


    In the common wisdom of the Sky Continent, someone who enters the Core Formation realm at the age of thirty is considered a terrific talent. Someone who achieves the same at twenty-four is considered a generational talent. Beyond that, words cannot describe the value such a cultivator has.


    Everyone in this strange place belonged to the third category. Most of them achieved Core Formation before entering their twenties, and most were nineteen years old or had just turned twenty. Sun Yongzheng was the oldest, at twenty-three, and Mu Jingyu was the youngest, at only eighteen.


    So when they saw Zhu Xuelian exit the Formation Hall as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, after only three weeks, it blew everything they knew about cultivation out of the water.


    They were so stunned by her fast progress that they failed to notice, at first, the subtle changes in her appearance, or the fact that she wore a much simpler outfit than before that did not suit her as well. Her hair was darker ¡ª so black as to be comparable to the darkest onyx ¡ª and, yet, at the same time, there was a subtle shade of deep red to it in the halation of light moments before being swallowed by the canvas of black. Moreso, there were two braids in her hair, although they weren¡¯t braids, but metal chains formed of black diamond shapes gleaming like black jade. Her lips were redder, and her nails glimmered like precious stones in the light.


    She was both terrifying and beautiful to behold ¡ª an idea more suitable for a sword than a human being ¡ª and they weren¡¯t certain if she always appeared like that to them. Now that they thought about it, there always was something like that about her, but it was never her specifically. Now, it was her specifically.


    Naturally, they knew that Zhu Xuelian also practiced body cultivation arts, which is how she managed to withstand the elders and the Sovereign beasts, so the fact that her appearance was changing was not that alien to them. Even those who practiced only qi cultivation experienced physical changes.


    Mu Jingyu, for example, practiced the cold arts at her Frozen Peak Palace, which made her body like fine snow: smooth, soft, and usually extremely cold. She had even paler skin than Zhu Xuelian.


    Wu Yulan, who also practiced ice-attribute martial arts, had gold eyes and white hair, though this may also be due to her inherent Physique.


    Seeing everyone staring at her, Zhu Xuelian bit her bottom lip and looked away at first.


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to stare¡­¡± she whispered, prompting Tian Li to burst out into laughter.


    ¡°Facing elders and Sovereigns without flinching,¡± Tian Li said, sighing. ¡°Anyone would think you are a devil incarnate, but you are actually like this.¡±


    Almost everyone burst into laughter at those words, and they nodded in agreement. The cultivator that turned their world upside down couldn''t handle praise or admiration.


    Zhu Xuelian smiled mysteriously and didn¡¯t comment.


    ¡°Li, stop messing around,¡± Lei Yangming said, on a first-name basis now. ¡°At this rate, she will become a Nascent Soul before we do, and then we¡¯ll all have to wear our names backward.¡±


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    They blinked in unison. They had spent so much time together, in these three weeks, that they were so in sync to even blink all at the same time. Even their reaction to the words was exactly the same. Realization, disbelief, shock, then panic.


    ¡°You are right,¡± Tian Li said. ¡°We should return to training. Lei Yangming wouldn¡¯t even sound so bad backward, but Tian Li? I don¡¯t want that! Let¡¯s hurry!¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself!¡± Lei Yangming responded to the idea that his name wouldn¡¯t sound so bad backward. He was a very proud cultivator; even if Tian Li was right, his honor wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    ¡°I have to go to the Martial Hall first¡­¡± Mu Jingyu whispered.


    ¡°You already have enough contributions?¡± Sun Yongzheng asked. ¡°You are a monster.¡±


    Mu Jingyu blushed but waited for permission.


    Lei Yangming urged Mu Jingyu on with a gesture of his hand. ¡°Go! We¡¯ll start, so you join us when you are done.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lei,¡± Mu Jingyu said, smiled at Zhu Xuelian, and then hurried toward the Martial Hall.


    ¡°You are all taking well to the Killing Field, it seems,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, smiling broadly.


    ¡°Fourth Elder has been helping us,¡± Tian Li said.


    ¡°Fourth Elder?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    ¡°Shi Long,¡± Tian Li said. After a pause, he added. ¡°Ep-shi-long.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian was surprised at first and then nodded.


    Epsilon.


    Written as ¡®envoy¡¯ and ¡®dragon¡¯. It was fitting.


    ¡°You should come watch if you have time! We got a lot better at it!¡± Tian Li said and then hurried after the others who had already gone into the Formation Hall.


    Zhu Xuelian nodded again but did not move to follow.


    Wu Yulan remained, and if anything, she didn¡¯t seem in a good mood. This was not something that anyone else but Zhu Xuelian would notice since the two of them spent so much time together.


    ¡°Is everything all right? Where is Yun Fei?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    Wu Yulan shrugged.


    ¡°I think Yun Fei is down below,¡± Wu Yulan said.


    ¡°Below?¡± Zhu Xuelian pondered.


    ¡°She says there is a snake there, and that the poison in her body came from that snake. But none of us saw a snake, so¡­¡± Wu Yulan said.


    ¡°Ah, I suppose you¡¯ve never seen the snake,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    Wu Yulan looked curiously at her companion.


    ¡°Back when I was in the Ancestral Forbidden Land of the Seven Killing Swords sect, we found a place with a strange formation. Willow trees attacked us, and Yaoyue consumed a snake and that big tree,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, pointing to the giant tree that towered over the sect¡¯s mountain. ¡°I think Yaoyue used the snake¡¯s poison to treat Yun Fei when she was sick. So maybe she is right that the poison came from the same place?¡±


    Wu Yulan nodded, but she seemed more distracted than anything.


    ¡°Yulan, what¡¯s the matter? You can talk to me,¡± Zhu Xuelian said and took her friend¡¯s hand into her own.


    Wu Yulan bit her bottom lip and shrugged again. After a moment, she spoke. ¡°I am worried about my mom,¡± she said.


    Zhu Xuelian nodded. She expected this much. She squeezed Wu Yulan¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°As soon as we can return, that is the first thing we will do ¡ª make sure she is safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°And if she¡¯s not?¡± Wu Yulan asked.


    Zhu Xuelian knew better than anyone that the obvious solution wasn¡¯t a solution. Revenge can only work when the hate runs deep enough, but even then, it cannot erase the wounds ¡ª it can only inflict more on others.


    But Zhu Xuelian didn¡¯t know any other way, so she spoke the only thing that was in her heart.


    ¡°Then we will kill them all,¡± she said.


    Wu Yulan bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood and then nodded again, releasing her tormented lip.


    ¡°Would you become a devil with me, Lian¡¯er?¡± Wu Yulan asked.


    Zhu Xuelian smiled and wrapped her arms around Wu Yulan from behind, resting her cheek on Wu Yulan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I would,¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered.


    Wu Yulan smiled and rested her hand on Zhu Xuelian¡¯s other cheek. Softly, she spoke. ¡°Then I am not afraid of anything.¡±


    ¡°Fear and joy are eternal companions; you can¡¯t have one without the other. So don¡¯t forget the other side, Yulan. We didn¡¯t see your home get destroyed, so it is too soon to give up hope and fall into despair,¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered.


    ¡°You are right,¡± Wu Yulan said, nodding. ¡°All right, get out of here. Go back to cultivating. Me and Fourth Elder made a bet that you won¡¯t reach Nascent Soul before the others do.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian chuckled. ¡°You gamble with your elders?¡±


    Wu Yulan looked away. ¡°It was his idea!¡±


    Zhu Xuelian laughed now. ¡°Who did you bet on?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think?¡± Wu Yulan asked with a wry smile. ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡°All right, all right! I am going!¡±

 Chapter 18

    In the Formation Hall, Zhu Xuelian decided to take a look in the Killing Field and see how the others were doing. What she saw immediately impressed her.


    The eight of them fought against five hundred Core Formation beasts, with a dozen or so Nascent Soul beasts in the mix. Zhu Xuelian couldn¡¯t tell the precise cultivation levels of the beasts, as her cultivation was still a bit too shallow for such precision.


    When she saw this, Zhu Xuelian initially thought they lacked the confidence to take on larger numbers, but she soon realized that confidence was not the most important factor.


    Zhu Xuelian and Wu Yulan, when they fought thousands of beasts, did not do so out of confidence. It was a combination of their personalities and their martial arts. To begin with, Zhu Xuelian desperately sought a powerful sword and would go through any hell to obtain it ¡ª dying a hundred times every day in this Killing Field was no obstacle to her, mentally or physically.


    Wu Yulan had a peculiar personality. To claim that Wu Yulan anticipated, and sought, death would not be incorrect, but it wouldn¡¯t be a complete description either. Wu Yulan expanded her sword and tactics with each death, coming closer to the Dao with each mistake due to her unique martial art.


    Back then, Zhu Xuelian and Wu Yulan obtained a Transient Sword from an Ancient Sword Graveyard. This martial art was incomplete and unsuitable for their cultivation realms. However, they managed to adapt it to their existing martial arts and utilize some of its unique properties.


    Zhu Xuelian obtained the ability to move between spaces in any way she wanted ¡ª Liminality Steps. To an ordinary cultivator, that may not seem like a great advantage ¡ª the ability to strike an opponent effectively, and from any direction, was overshadowed by the fact that any effective strike would end a confrontation, regardless of its beauty. However, when fighting a thousand beasts, the ability to obtain ten times the effect with only one tenth of the effort was incredibly useful.


    On the other hand, Wu Yulan¡¯s swordsmanship followed the principle of the Eternal Moment. Wu Yulan could cut anything in her line of sight a dozen or even a hundred times with one strike, and before physically touching it. The white line that threatened the elders back then was a demonstration of this. The downside of this incredibly destructive power was that Wu Yulan could not adjust or retreat from her commitment ¡ª once the line was drawn, it became prophecy. Wu Yulan would move through that space, and cut it eventually, and a smart and observant cultivator could take advantage of that.


    However, after falling to her own mistakes, ten or twenty steps after her commitment, hundreds and thousands of times, Wu Yulan had learned how to not make mistakes anymore, to put it bluntly. Her traps, decisions, and tactics had become so advanced that thousands of foes fell to her blade, without any hope of survival or counterattack.


    On the contrary, these eight cultivators didn¡¯t lack the confidence to take on more beasts, but it was a limitation of their tactics that prevented them from doing so.


    Unlike Zhu Xuelian and Wu Yulan, they used proper tactics and roles. With just the two of them, Zhu Xuelian and Wu Yulan could employ only limited stratagems, but they performed all the traditional roles on their own ¡ª support, offense, defense, and so on.


    In other words, the eight cultivators fighting in the Killing Field lacked the mobility to fight more than five hundred at a time, which became obvious very quickly.


    Lei Yangming and Mu Jingyu were the heavy hitters in the little squad of killing machines. Their powerful martial arts quickly dealt with the few outstanding Core Formation beasts and the Nascent Soul leaders. The Frozen Peak Palace disciples formed the core support element of the tactical unit, using their internal arts to freeze and slow incoming monsters for the defense group to eliminate.


    At no point, ever, did they allow themselves to get surrounded. Since the Frozen Peak Palace disciples lacked the offensive and defensive power to stand up to dozens of waves of Core Formation beasts, this limited their mobility, as losing these disciples meant that they would eventually lose the entire front line without their support.


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    After an hour, all the demonic beasts were dead, and the group didn¡¯t lose a single member ¡ª they never even got close to losing one of theirs.


    [ Load test complete. 488,320 energy generated. ]


    [ New personal best performance: Tian Li, Yuan Qiuyue, Xiang Liling. ]


    [ Additional rewards distributed for new best time: 1:19:24. ]


    Zhu Xuelian narrowed her eyes as the words appeared on the glassy firmament of the formation¡¯s world. Best time? Best performance? Those things didn¡¯t exist before.


    Did Epsilon modify the formation to motivate the group to perform better?


    The group slowly approached Zhu Xuelian. They looked exhausted, but also excited.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, did you see that? What did you think? We got better, right?¡± Tian Li asked. He barely paused in between the questions.


    Zhu Xuelian smiled. ¡°I saw. It was really good. The tactics and strategy were sound.¡±


    Lei Yangming smiled. ¡°Sun Yongzheng came up with the idea for how we should fight.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian looked to Sun Yongzheng. ¡°I thought you might end up the leader, Brother Sun. Your experience is certainly valuable.¡±


    Sun Yongzheng shook his head. ¡°I am not the leader. Xiang Liling is.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian looked to Xiang Liling next, surprised.


    ¡°Forgive me, Sister Xiang, I just¡­ always thought that you came along with us because of Mu Jingyu,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, truthfully.


    Xiang Liling shrugged. ¡°I-it¡¯s not¡­ like we have much of a choice¡­ now.¡±


    Lei Yangming laughed loudly ¡ª thunderously even. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Sister Xiang! Sister Zhu, Sister Xiang must be the best tactician in our generation. Her ideas are crazy!¡±


    Tian Li nodded to the words, while Xiang Liling only blushed harder at all the praise. Yuan Qiuyue ¡ª the other disciple Zhu Xuelian thought only came along because of Mu Jingyu ¡ª comforted Xiang Liling.


    ¡°Although, we can¡¯t implement any of them yet,¡± Tian Li said. ¡°What do you think we lack, Sister Zhu? Would you mind giving us your opinion?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian nodded. ¡°I¡¯d say you lack speed and versatility.¡±


    Tian Li clapped his hands together. ¡°That¡¯s exactly it! See, Sister Xiang? It¡¯s not your fault. Zhu Xuelian agrees. We are just too slow!¡±


    Xiang Liling couldn¡¯t even look at the group anymore out of embarrassment. ¡°I¡­ I am still the reason¡­ for holding you back¡­¡±


    Ren Jinhai shook his head. ¡°You aren¡¯t holding us back, Sister Xiang. If we went any faster, we wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up. Please don¡¯t only blame yourself.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian chuckled suddenly, and everyone looked at her curiously.


    ¡°Sorry, I just thought it was funny,¡± she said. ¡°You are all forgetting that you just dealt with five hundred demonic beasts on your own, and you still have the guts to act like this is an underwhelming result.¡±


    The words surprised them, and the thoughtful expressions that followed made it seem like they did forget this important detail ¡ª it was an unprecedented result. No one would ever believe them that they could pull off such a thing.


    But it also excited them. They knew that this was not their limit. They could do more. What else was possible? Their whole lives, they believed that certain limits existed on what a few can achieve, or what someone can achieve on their own.


    Tian Li lifted his chin proudly. ¡°What do you say we take a break? The Nine Fragrance Incense is on me.¡±


    They nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, do you want to join us in the cultivation hall?¡± Tian Li asked.


    Zhu Xuelian shook her head. ¡°Sorry, Brother Tian. I have to focus on my own progress.¡±


    Tian Li chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right. I got carried away. All right, we will go, then.¡±


    Everyone bowed politely to Zhu Xuelian, which made her slightly uncomfortable ¡ª it¡¯s not like she was their elder or anything now, so she didn¡¯t think there was a need for such politeness.


    When they all shuffled out of the Killing Field, Zhu Xuelian also departed, but rather than head for the cultivation halls, she instead went to the stele in the chamber from which one could access the Killing Field and other formations.


    When she placed her hand on the stele, a glittering stairway of gold light appeared, opening a path to the second floor of the Formation Hall.


    In the past, the Formation Hall and the Martial Hall were both wings of the Martial Pavilion, but now the buildings were entirely separate. As a reward for completing a challenge, Zhu Xuelian unlocked access to the second, third, and fourth floor of the Martial Pavilion, and became the Realm Master. The formation she was interested in was on the second floor.


    Though it looked different now and had other doorways leading to other fascinating places, Zhu Xuelian was only interested in the glossy, entirely black door. Perhaps calling it a door was generous, as it looked like an opaque sheet of obsidian glass, with no handle or any way to open it.


    Zhu Xuelian pressed her hand to the door and closed her eyes.


    [ Fractured Sword selected. Secret Sword Realm Nexus unlocked. ]


    When she opened her eyes, she was in a different place.

 Chapter 19

    The sky in this place was featureless and entirely white. There were no clouds or stars; there was no singular light source, but the entire sky emitted white light all the time. The ground was a sheet of black glass, opaque and fathomless, with a few glimmers of light resembling stars trapped in the sheet of glass.


    It made Zhu Xuelian think of a nascent proto-world before the sky and earth would be created. She didn¡¯t think that was the case, but that is what this place made her think of. At least, what she had heard of the various creation myths, and how the Ying and Yang came from the Taiji.


    She wasn''t that interested in trying to study this place and its similarities to creation myths.


    She was interested in the perfect replica of herself, standing some one hundred steps across from her.


    Zhu Xuelian had spent a long time chasing the perfection of this replica but was unable to ever achieve it, or perhaps even come close to it. Even remembering it made Zhu Xuelian feel demoralized, and they had not even begun yet.


    Not a million deaths could prepare Zhu Xuelian for the utter defeat she suffered at the hands of her replica.


    It possessed no arrogance, battle lust, or joy. It stood there, seemingly disinterested. Killing intent, in general, was vulgar and ugly, but the one clinging to the replica was casual, pure, and boundless. It was unrestrained violence¡ªhatred without heart, wrath without emotion. A million souls could perish under her sword and not a single tear would fall.


    Its skill and energy quality were peerless. If that day it was her replica instead of Zhu Xuelian facing those elders, she could''ve killed them all in ten moves.


    At some point in the past, Zhu Xuelian realized that this replica was not a perfect version of herself. It was a perfect version of the martial art she wanted to comprehend ¡ª Fractured Sword in this case ¡ª in human form. If all the principles and laws within Fractured Sword were transformed and translated into a human being, then this replica, Zhu Xuelian thought, would represent this.


    Fractured Sword was a Celestial grade martial art, one grade below Divine ¡ª the absolute pinnacle. In other words, her replica was one step below perfection itself.


    Yaoyue told her that the purpose of the Secret Sword Realm Nexus was most likely a mechanism to induce forced enlightenment. Back then, Zhu Xuelian did not quite understand the meaning of this and fought with all her might to attempt to overcome her opponent. Back then, she was trying to comprehend Empty Moon Prana, which was another unapproachable martial art. This world took on features of that martial art, and she and Wu Yulan were able to comprehend it, thanks to this, and in only twelve hours.


    She was hoping she would have a similar result here.


    But now, seeing her replica, Zhu Xuelian felt that she misunderstood how this formation worked. The goal was not to overcome her replica but to understand what it meant for a human to comprehend a martial art. The moves, and the way they connected, described the principles of Fractured Sword; its interaction with sword energy, killing intent, and harmony with the world.


    Maybe Zhu Xuelian wasn¡¯t meant to defeat or match her replica ¡ª though she had tried her best, in the past ¡ª but to become like it, in her own way.


    Back then, this was not possible for Zhu Xuelian. Back then, Zhu Xuelian knew many martial arts, internal techniques, and other manuals that raised the complexity of the task.


    Now, Zhu Xuelian did not have any martial arts other than Salvation Ashes. She had a perfect Foundation but was otherwise like a blank canvas.


    For a brief moment, Zhu Xuelian even allowed herself to believe that perhaps, like this, she stood a chance, and could maybe even defeat her replica ¡ª with some luck.


    This truly was a very, very brief moment, because the moment that her heart trembled at the possibility, her replica recognized this as a weakness to exploit and leaned forward.


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    Craters appeared in the glass with each step that her replica took, crushing glass under her heels as if she were stepping on disintegrating clouds. The force of each step made Zhu Xuelian¡¯s heart freeze because she was certain that even if she struck the glass with her sword, she would not leave even a scratch on it. Not only this, but the sword force that pulsed out from each step crashed into her "perfect" Foundation and crippled its operations, completely suppressing her.


    Zhu Xuelian waved her hand, and a spiritual sword appeared in her hand. It was forged out of the sword qi clinging to her body in a defensive posture and was unaffected by the suppression.


    Her replica did not summon a sword made of pure qi. Instead, a black, featureless orb appeared in front of her.


    Second layer¡­ of Fractured Sword! This monster¡­!


    Zhu Xuelian spent the better part of her new life trying to comprehend the first layer of Fractured Sword unsuccessfully, but here, her opponent already mastered the second layer ¡ª Primal Star.


    Zhu Xuelian stepped forward, her mind racing to try to figure out the best way to approach her opponent, but it was all useless. A sapling cannot stand in the light next to the great tree.


    Several plumes ¡ª wedge-shaped objects formed of black jade-like qi ¡ª shot out from behind her replica and surrounded Zhu Xuelian in an instant. They formed the pillars of a formation, and a moment later, an incredible force of gravity crushed Zhu Xuelian into the ground, grinding her bones to dust. She coughed out blood, or rather, more precisely, it was crushed out of her.


    Her replica came to a stop in front of her prone and restrained form, and without wasting a beat, crushed Zhu Xuelian¡¯s head with the same force that her steps blew holes into the floor earlier.


    Unlike the Killing Field, Zhu Xuelian did not feel the moment of her death. She simply found herself standing in her original position, with her replica one hundred steps away, and without the orb summoned ¡ª the so-called Primal Star.


    [ Comprehension phase. ]


    Zhu Xuelian blinked. She remembered that the Secret Sword Realm Nexus consisted of one Comprehension phase and one Attainment phase. During the Comprehension phase, Zhu Xuelian could cultivate the purified principles of the cultivation law she wanted to learn, and during the Attainment phase, she would fight her replica.


    But this was backward.


    The sky became dark, and fine threads of silver light descended from the firmament. Within the light, Zhu Xuelian noticed dust-like particles, and she knew, from experience, that these were created of pure sword force. Even just touching them carelessly could obliterate her body.


    Her replica sat down, cross-legged, and began to cultivate.


    This was different from how Zhu Xuelian remembered things, but she followed suit and also sat down.


    The advantage of the Secret Sword Realm Nexus is that she felt every move her replica performed as if she performed the moves herself. The pathways her energy took, and how it was shaped and transformed ¡ª Zhu Xuelian was aware of all these things, but even so, replicating it was extremely difficult.


    However, Zhu Xuelian did not have the option to fail. If she wanted to follow Yaoyue¡¯s blueprint ¡ª to form the same Gold Core that she had before ¡ª she had to master the first layer of Fractured Sword, even if she couldn¡¯t use it in battle.


    She tried not to think about the brutal defeat she just suffered at the hands of an opponent who was identical to her in cultivation.


    She focused on the sword qi particles in the silver beams of light and manipulated them with her sword qi. She formed a crystallized particle of sword qi, launched it at the dust in the thread of light, and studied the impact.


    The way the dust particle reacted; the way it vibrated; the ways its motion changed ¡ª it all held insights into the Fractured Sword martial art. Beyond that, each release of energy contained the deep principles within the natural laws that the martial art operated on, and Zhu Xuelian could even cultivate them directly, extremely similar to her essence breathing method.


    She didn¡¯t know how many hours passed. Before long, she even forgot about her replica. She was completely engrossed in studying the motes of sword force falling from the sky, created by the Fractured Sword martial art. She even became able to infuse her sword qi with the same essence and come close to their perfection.


    After all, she once wielded the Fractured Sword martial art and used it to kill Yu Shun, though it came at the cost of all her martial arts and cultivation.


    [ Attainment phase. ]


    Zhu Xuelian blinked. Again?


    As she opened her eyes, she found her replica standing right before her.


    Softly, her replica uttered: ¡°Star Burial.¡±


    As far as Zhu Xuelian could remember, this was the first time in her new life that she flinched.


    In the wake of the sword that plowed through her body, glittering, collapsing stars appeared which obliterated all that remained of her, and caused the place where she was sitting to collapse into itself and form a ravine, while simultaneously falling toward the sword her replica wielded.


    [ Comprehension phase. ]


    This might actually work.

 Chapter 20

    [ Attainment phase. ]


    The glass floor cracked and caved under Zhu Xuelian''s steps, glittering glass particles obscuring the blur of her motion. Zhu Xuelian''s sword whistled harrowingly as it cut the air with such speed and strength that the vibrating air played an ode to the instrument of death.


    Despite this sudden attack, her replica met the deadly qi-forged blade with merely the tip of the nail of her index finger. The cloud of glass dust rolled under the replica''s feet, and pulled in by the overwhelming sword force emanating from her, rose into the air, and then curled on itself, like a crashing wave.


    The sword force where the sword and finger met blasted out in both directions; Zhu Xuelian''s foundation vibrated under the suppression, while a crack appeared under the replica, then elongated to web for a dozen meters behind her.


    The replica then retaliated with her sword and slashed horizontally, bidding the wave of glass dust to move again and to fall like a tsunami. Not only the glass dust cloud but also the floor rose, ripping free and falling toward the blade that was only one step below perfection.


    The sound of crashing glass and the roaring howl of shifting geography filled the world.


    Zhu Xuelian evaded the counterattack via Star Crossing, the movement technique of Fractured Sword, though she had not yet perfected the first layer. She couldn¡¯t use Star Burial or Collapsing Cosmos, and even using Star Crossing came with a significant effort and limit.


    Standing high above her replica, on a platform of collapsing sword qi that resembled a galaxy of stars, Zhu Xuelian¡¯s foundation pillars groaned under the extreme load and stress of these fighting conditions. Her replica was also a Foundation cultivator, but her sword energy was orders of magnitude more potent than Zhu Xuelian¡¯s. This was the power of a cultivator who could obtain the second layer of Fractured Sword in the Foundation period.


    To Zhu Xuelian, her replica appeared like a monster. All strategies and tactics fell apart at the point where they reached her replica. Approaching close was a death sentence, but there was no safety in distance either. Even here, far above, she was not outside her replica''s reach.


    However, over the dozens, if not hundreds, of Attainment phases she went through, Zhu Xuelian became more comfortable fighting such an opponent and even began to understand the main difference between herself and her replica.


    Her replica did not think. Each move was perfectly executed on instinct alone. There was no delay between thought and action. It wasn¡¯t merely a difference in sword energy or martial arts superiority, but this crucial detail opened a chasm between them that Zhu Xuelian could not overcome.


    Her replica wasn¡¯t merely a human representation of the perfection of the Fractured Sword martial art ¡ª but it was an expression of the perfect, supreme sword itself.


    Bit by bit, Zhu Xuelian had begun to emulate her replica in that regard, and without thought, she plummeted from her platform toward her opponent.


    She drew in a long breath, and flames appeared in her hair, as she circulated the Salvation Ashes inner art, to resist the suppression and recover her energy.


    When she struck out with her sword, it impacted her replica''s parry, emitting a sound like a crystal bell ringing. Yet it was so loud that it caused the ground to crack and crumble beneath the two once more, as, this time, her replica sunk two full steps into the glass crater below.


    The pulse of sword force expanded from there, rolling through the ground and causing a cascade of dancing and leaping glittering glass fragments. Those fragments flew up from the expanding circle of wreckage, glittering in the constant, ever-present light of the featureless sky. For a moment, when they were weightless, the fragments hovered in an orbiting pattern around the two before falling.


    Using Star Crossing, Zhu Xuelian appeared behind her replica and, with a new qi-forged sword, slashed horizontally at the back of her look-alike. However, her new sword parted only air. Likewise, using Star Crossing, her replica appeared behind Zhu Xuelian and thrust forward, the light bending strangely around the sword, forming luminescent rings and shadows.


    Several more Star Crossing chains followed, and a ravine had opened in the floor, dozens of steps wide, and hundreds more in length, as the two pushed their Foundations to the limits to gain an advantage over the other.


    Each slash that missed its mark ravaged the environment more until it resembled an apocalyptic transformation. Spires, ravines, and craters dotted the featureless landscape and produced shrapnel that followed their motion and eventually bombarded them with the consequences of their action.


    Both Zhu Xuelian and her replica turned toward the incoming shrapnel and unleashed waves of sword force to divert it toward the other, eventually only accomplishing in channeling the debris to pass right in between them to the ruinous consequence of whatever they impacted beyond them.


    ¡°Blazing Sword Art,¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered within the roar of crashing glass, glancing at her replica from the corner of her eye. ¡°Purification Wheel.¡±


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    She slashed out in a circular pattern, from below, where her sword cleaved into the glass of the floor, to above, parting through everything in its path.


    Flames exploded from her sword, crawling outward like lightning in slow motion, consuming the air and turning all to ashes. The glass melted from the heat, spraying into the air in molten pearls of material that ended up being pulled back into the flames that created them, as the vacuum of the consumed air tugged on the glass rain.


    Her slash expressed a perfect circle with white-hot flames serving like an ink brush that impressed the blazing symbol in one''s vision for moments longer even after the flames consumed their fuel and faded.


    However, by then, her replica was no longer in the path of the slash.


    A thread tugged on her consciousness and spiritual perception, and she turned toward the unsettled storm of floating glass debris and molten pearl spray.


    Zhu Xuelian''s form flickered into the billowing cloud of glittering dust, her sword like a red line drawing the peaks and troughs of a heartbeat as it flapped like a butterfly''s wings in the darkness. Dance of Molten Glass Rain found only shadows, debris, and air to cleave through, but could never even come close to finding its intended target that remained just out of reach.


    As the glass and debris ejected from the rising cloud, the cloud suddenly collapsed toward her replica''s sword and Zhu Xuelian turned toward the elusive expert, who attacked from behind.


    ¡°Brutal Convergence,¡± her replica uttered, and Zhu Xuelian briefly saw the sword headed her way ¡ª or rather, she saw the way the light bent around it. The molten glass churned underneath the invisible sword, and at one point, when the sword was closest to her, she felt as though she could see two swords coming at her from both sides because of how the light lensed around it.


    She didn¡¯t even feel an impact.


    [ Comprehension phase. ]


    Zhu Xuelian frowned, and sat down once more, recovering her energy.


    Immediately, a sphere of fire qi developed around her, and she practiced her Volcanic Breathing technique, which allowed her to use her flames like sword energy. Over the dozens and hundreds of Comprehension phases, she had managed to cultivate Salvation Ashes to the second layer ¡ª Blazing Soul ¡ª and even develop its martial art, Blazing Sword Art.


    However, her progress in Fractured Sword stalled near the peak of the first layer.


    Like this, she even cultivated to the peak of the Foundation realm, using the incredibly dense sword qi in the silver threads of light via the essence breathing method of Volcanic Breathing, but she did not cross the boundary yet, in favor of creating the same gold core as she possessed in the past.


    The flames around her vibrated, and the motes of sword qi went through several transformations ¡ª turning to flames and then reverting to a primary sword qi type, cyclically. Each transformation was vital for her cultivation, and this both excited and disappointed Zhu Xuelian.


    Even now, she could not comprehend the purpose of this Secret Sword Realm Nexus. She thought it would help her advance her Fractured Sword, but most of its benefit was in Salvation Ashes.


    In the Inner World, Zhu Xuelian faced two challenges in the past. Her first challenge was withstanding one blow from Wukong, and the second one was the Challenge Pagoda. Each challenge she overcame unlocked additional features of the Inner World.


    She knew that this Secret Sword Realm Nexus was the third challenge, but even now, after hundreds of attempts, she didn¡¯t even know what the goal of the challenge was.


    Defeating her replica, she thought, was simply impossible. Her replica was perfect ¡ª it could most likely kill ten Sovereign beasts in the Foundation period.


    Zhu Xuelian snorted, her heart wavering for a moment, as the sphere of fire qi trembled and then solidified once more.


    Killing Sovereign beasts in the Foundation period. It was outrageous. Who could defeat a monster like this? Zhu Xuelian could spend a hundred years in this place, perfecting her martial arts, and still not come even close to matching her replica. Yet, at the same time, her replica was never too far ahead of her. Every time they clashed, her replica was only slightly stronger, or slightly faster. Yet, these minor differences were enough to doom her every time they crossed blades.


    Just this tiny difference was the great chasm between their abilities and the statement that her replica could kill Sovereign beasts, while she could not.


    But this difference was something Zhu Xuelian could not define. She knew the symptoms of the difference ¡ª speed, power, technique, attainment¡­


    Attainment¡­


    Zhu Xuelian opened her eyes and looked at her replica. She didn¡¯t use any strange cultivation method ¡ª no sign of Salvation Ashes or an internal method developed through Fractured Sword. She simply breathed in the environment of the falling sword qi.


    Zhu Xuelian knew a thing or two about sword attainment. It was one of the more mysterious factors of sword energy. Sword intent was largely based on imagination, through a deep sword attainment; sword intent became sword qi, which was also sword energy.


    Now that she thought about it, she could never comprehend Fractured Sword on her own because she lacked the sword attainment.


    It wasn¡¯t her Salvation Ashes that benefited the most from crossing blades with her replica, but her overall attainment.


    Zhu Xuelian stopped her Volcanic Breathing and stood up. Slowly, she approached her replica, who remained seated.


    A few steps from her replica, Zhu Xuelian summoned her qi sword and looked down at her perfect look-alike.


    ¡°I have been chasing your shadow this entire time,¡± Zhu Xuelian said and broke the qi sword over her knee. It was a symbolic gesture of abandoning her martial arts, and the pursuit of embodying her replica''s mastery.


    ¡°I hope senior can give advice," she said and cupped her fist.


    Her replica opened her eyes, and then also stood up.


    [ Attainment phase. ]


    A qi sword appeared in her replica¡¯s hands, but instead of striking Zhu Xuelian down, her replica also shattered the sword over her knee, sending its glittering fragments everywhere.


    Zhu Xuelian observed the movements of her replica, trying to find some meaning in the reciprocated gesture.


    After a moment, Zhu Xuelian asked. ¡°Are sword attainment and martial arts unrelated to each other?¡±


    Her replica smiled darkly.


    ¡°Sword Dao Domain ¡ª Shattered Light Cataclysm,¡± she uttered softly, and the sky darkened above Zhu Xuelian who immediately lost all will to resist.


    The third layer of Fractured Sword. And without even using a weapon or sword qi.


    ¡°Using only your sword attainment¡­?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked, completely dumb-struck, as a galaxy of sword singularities and extinction descended on her and erased every trace of her.


    [ Enlightenment phase. ]

 Chapter 21

    When Zhu Xuelian left the formation hall, her steps caused ripples on the surface of the stairs ¡ª small wobbles and vibrations in not only matter but space itself. Less noticeably, the air currents slowed around her, parting in a manner that was only somewhat visible in how her hair moved.


    She was a Gold Core cultivator now, and she had not yet become accustomed to the intrinsic properties of what this meant, in a physical sense.


    The month she had spent in the Secret Sword Realm Nexus was not without its benefits, even though Zhu Xuelian¡¯s result was far less than the best she could hope for ¡ª it was enough, but it could¡¯ve been better. Still, Zhu Xuelian wasn¡¯t greedy or disappointed, as she reflected on all that she gained.


    The way the floor rippled beneath her steps was an indicator of her successful Core cultivation. The prevalent method of Core cultivation was the Five Element Harmony Art; suitable for cultivators who had five spiritual roots of varying, but mostly equal purity. This described virtually all cultivators of the Sky Continent.


    Sects, generally, had their own derivative and optimization of this art, and this was the main service they provided.


    Now and again, a cultivator would be born with three or two spiritual roots which would be of higher purity ¡ª they¡¯d come to be known as geniuses, blessed by the heavens ¡ª and they could still use the Five Element Harmony Art to construct their Gold Core. Even though this would be less effective, it would still end up being a more efficient and powerful Gold Core.


    Very rarely, as is the case for Mu Jingyu and Wu Yulan, someone would be born with a singular root ¡ª or on even rarer occasions, a heavenly root ¡ª and this would be an era-defining talent, and countless resources would be spent to find obscure and difficult methods to form the appropriate Gold Core.


    The defining elements that all these cores had in common were size and the gold color. It was in the name ¡ª gold core.


    Zhu Xuelian¡¯s was nothing like that. It was tiny and colorless. It wasn¡¯t the golden sun that filled her dantian with its radiating power ¡ª it was a black, fathomless sphere that crackled and roared with energy.


    This method that Zhu Xuelian learned from Yaoyue was so alien in concept to her that she couldn¡¯t even make an educated guess about its properties or benefits. Even now, a part of her wondered if her core was inferior or defective, but she had faith in Yaoyue, and she deeply believed that if she retraced her steps as she was back then, she could help Yaoyue recover. Especially if she also gave all the lifespan-extending vitality back to Yaoyue ¡ª nine hundred years, in this case.


    No, this core did not follow the principle of harmonizing the five elements which were the intermediary process of phenomena itself. From the Yin and Yang, the four directions, five elements, and eight trigrams.


    Her gold core was the absence of all these things; held together by the supreme law of space encoded in the Dao Law of Fractured Sword, its overwhelming energy restrained by the fire element of Salvation Ashes ¡ª the minor adjustment to Yaoyue¡¯s method that was necessary for Zhu Xuelian to accomplish it in the first place.


    Though she did not think that this core went against the law of heaven, she still felt like a devil for straying so far from orthodox tradition and common wisdom.


    More poignantly, gold ¡ª otherwise known as the metal element ¡ª was represented by Heaven itself. Without a doubt, the core Zhu Xuelian possessed ¡ª while black ¡ª was a gold core, meaning that if she could extract it somehow and use it in alchemy, it would have gold-element properties and tremendous tribulation consequences.


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    Thanks to Salvation Ashes, forming her gold core wasn¡¯t a challenge at all. It just happened. Since Zhu Xuelian did not possess any bottlenecks in her cultivation, she could only hold back the formation of her gold core for so long, which is why she went to the Secret Sword Realm Nexus in the first place ¡ª to master Fractured Sword just enough to recreate the gold core of her past.


    In that place, with its extremely dense qi, even if she had bottlenecks, it would be trivial to form a perfect, top-grade core. It almost felt like a cheat. Billions of cultivators struggled against the limitations of their environment and knowledge to form gold cores ¡ª even regarded this feat as a fortunate blessing ¡ª and yet, in the Secret Sword Realm Nexus, all of this seemed like a joke.


    Yaoyue was a divine treasure ¡ª literally. Though the world had no concept of what a divine treasure could do, other than a vague statement of heaven-defying possibility, Zhu Xuelian had a glimpse, and it overturned everything she knew.


    The reason the Seven Killing Swords sect wanted her dead wasn¡¯t simply because she offended them so gravely that there was no other reconciliation possible ¡ª at least until she killed their future patriarch ¡ª but what they truly wanted was Yaoyue. Killing Zhu Xuelian was merely a distraction from their true goal ¡ª having her possessions transferred to them as reparation for the grievous sins she supposedly committed.


    What sin?


    Zhu Xuelian stared at the sky. In the past, she would still get angry thinking about it; how she fell in love with a fabricated dream and devoted herself to a man who exploited her, humiliated her, degraded her, broke her cultivation, and left her to die.


    But now, she could not even bring herself to feel anything about it. It didn¡¯t matter.


    He was dead now.


    ¡°Sister Zhu?¡± a voice brought her back from her thoughts, and she turned to look at the source and saw Sun Yongzheng.


    He was a Nascent Soul cultivator now. The usually nervous energy and alertness stimulated by an unknown place were no longer present in him as if he had come to regard this as his new home and become accustomed to its strangeness.


    ¡°Brother Sun,¡± Zhu Xuelian said, then smiled. ¡°Congratulations on Nascent Soul Ascension.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Zhu,¡± Sun Yongzheng said. ¡°Likewise. It seems you have made tremendous progress.¡±


    ¡°Please, brother Sun, you can call me by my name now. Aren¡¯t you my senior?¡± Zhu Xuelian chuckled.


    ¡°You still call me brother Sun, Sister Zhu,¡± Sun Yongzheng replied, full of mirth.


    Zhu Xuelian scratched her cheek. ¡°You are right. We¡¯ll have to work on it.¡±


    Sun Yongzheng nodded. After a moment, he inhaled. ¡°Where have you been? We could find no trace of you.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian turned around and pointed to the Formation Hall. ¡°There¡¯s a formation there that was beneficial to my cultivation. It is on the second floor.¡± After a pause, Zhu Xuelian added. ¡°Maybe soon you¡¯ll be able to go there as well.¡±


    The momentary confusion at the mention of a second floor dissipated with Zhu Xuelian¡¯s latter statement, and Sun Yongzheng nodded. After all, they did not have access to the second floor, nor did they know one existed.


    ¡°I am sure the others are eager to see you; I was on my way to meet them at the Killing Field. Would you like to join, Sister Zhu?¡± Sun Yongzheng asked.


    Zhu Xuelian nodded. ¡°Certainly. I also wish to speak to them about our plans.¡±


    ¡°Good, good,¡± Sun Yongzheng hummed. ¡°We were thinking the same thing.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian nodded again, but this sort of wording implied something that Zhu Xuelian had suspected.


    ¡°Brother Sun, may I ask you a strange question?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    ¡°Please, Sister Zhu, don¡¯t hold back,¡± Sun Yongzheng said.


    ¡°How long has it been since you last saw me?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    Sun Yongzheng thought for a moment. ¡°Nine or ten months?¡±


    So that¡¯s how it was.


    The passage of time within Yaoyue¡¯s Inner World was much slower than outside it, however, this was not the Inner World. However, Yaoyue once told her that time within the Secret Sword Realm Nexus passed ten times faster than in the Inner World.


    To Zhu Xuelian, only a month had passed.


    Sun Yongzheng regarded Zhu Xuelian for a moment, his expression thoughtful.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Brother Sun?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    ¡°I was just thinking that it might be better if I bring you up to speed before you meet the others,¡± Sun Yongzheng said. ¡°A lot happened while you were absent, and there are some conflicting opinions.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian smiled, thought about it for a moment, and then spoke confidently. ¡°No need, brother Sun. Maybe a fresh perspective will be more useful.¡±


    Sun Yongzheng nodded, satisfied with the answer, as if he had the same thing in mind, despite his offer.


    ¡°Let us go, then,¡± he said and set off toward the Formation Hall.

 Chapter 22

    After a battle, the Killing Field had returned to its initial void configuration. Everyone sat in a circle beneath a threefold qi-focusing array, each layer stacked on the other like a set of revolving discs of scripture and geometric elements. Each disciple formed a node in the formation, and the qi channeled through the formation was of extreme purity and density.


    Normally, someone ¡ª the array master ¡ª would sit in the middle and benefit the most from this array, but no one took that spot; they each shared the benefits equally.


    This was an extremely difficult method similar to dual cultivation, but far less intimate. It required a very high degree of aptitude and knowledge on arrays and formations, but also complete trust and harmony with each other.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, it looks like they are recovering their qi after the last battle,¡± Sun Yongzheng said, smiling.


    Zhu Xuelian had expected to see all sorts of surprises, but this went a step further than her imagination. These cultivators had been rivals until recently, and to advance from that to this closeness was quite a pleasant surprise. They also seemed more skeptical about this training method, but now even used formations to accelerate their recovery to continue benefiting from the Killing Field, and the large amount of contributions they were probably earning.


    Many of them had entered the Nascent Soul realm already, with the cultivators from the Frozen Peak Palace being the furthest ahead, except for Mu Jingyu who remained a Core Formation cultivator. The Frozen Peak Palace focused on the internal arts, so this wasn¡¯t strange. Mu Jingyu had a single spiritual root, and though this increased her cultivation speed to be the fastest among her peers, there were still many factors that could slow her down, like the lack of appropriate methods to form her Nascent Soul.


    In this place, they did not have to accept whatever was available; they could wait for the perfect opportunity, and the perfect tool, to build the perfect foundation for their immortality.


    Ren Weisheng and Lei Yangming had also entered the Nascent Soul realm very recently, judging by the slight instability in their auras.


    ¡°Brother Sun, who is the array master?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked. The more she looked at the array, the more elements she could recognize. It was very similar to some of the arrays that Yaoyue used to help Zhu Xuelian cultivate.


    ¡°This might surprise you, but it is Xiang Liling,¡± Sun Yongzheng said.


    It did surprise Zhu Xuelian. Of everyone here, she would have expected Ren Jinhai or Lei Yangming to practice this art, because their sects held the value of formations and arrays in very high regard.


    ¡°Ren Jinhai helped Xiang Liling learn, as part of his apology for what happened at the Red Conference, and it turned out that Xiang Liling is very talented,¡± Sun Yongzheng explained.


    ¡°Red Conference¡­? Is that what they call it now?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked, but the question wasn¡¯t directed at anyone.


    During the Martial Conference, the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion injured a Frozen Peak Palace disciple. There were insults hurled at each other, and then a bloody grudge match began between the two sects. Ren Jinhai and Xiang Liling were both the second-ranked members of their sects, and, to defuse the situation, Ren Jinhai forfeited to Xiang Liling who was still seeking justice for her injured sisters. What Ren Jinhai still had to apologize for after forfeiting the match, Zhu Xuelian did not know.


    Though, whether it was known as the Red Conference because of the grudge match, or because of what Zhu Xuelian did later, she didn¡¯t want to know.


    The light of the array dimmed and then faded, and the disciples all stood up and dusted off their robes.


    Mu Jingyu was the first to notice Zhu Xuelian, and immediately made her way over.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, are you all right? I was so worried for you!¡± Mu Jingyu exclaimed as she crossed the distance with only a few light steps.


    Zhu Xuelian smiled. ¡°As you can see, Sister Mu, I am perfectly fine.¡±


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    Mu Jingyu stared at Zhu Xuelian, and more specifically, at the twin chains of metal and jade that were barely visible through the canvas of black hair.


    Zhu Xuelian tilted her head a bit to conceal the chains and the evidence that not everything was exactly ¡°fine¡± or ¡°normal¡±.


    Mu Jingyu smiled, but the warmth didn¡¯t entirely reach her eyes. If anything, there was a little bit of sadness in Mu Jingyu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°How about this, Sister Mu?¡± Zhu Xuelian said, smiling reassuringly. ¡°I was going to ask Wu Yulan, but perhaps you could help me stabilize my gold core after this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to!¡± Mu Jingyu replied immediately, bouncing on the balls of her feet. ¡°Also, congratulations on achieving Core Formation.¡±


    The others who also caught up with Mu Jingyu by now also congratulated Zhu Xuelian, even though their achievement was much better than hers.


    ¡°Congratulations, Sister Zhu,¡± they said, and cupped their fists respectfully.


    Zhu Xuelian returned the gesture and smiled. ¡°You too,¡± she said. ¡°You are progressing much faster than I initially thought.¡±


    Lei Yangming chuckled at her words. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say so yourself, Sister Zhu? Unfathomable treasures? Unmeasurable opportunities?¡±


    Zhu Xuelian smiled and nodded. Suddenly, she felt glad that she lost eight months to the Secret Sword Realm Nexus because, in those eight months, they all must¡¯ve caught up to her. Without her around to challenge their expectations, they could truly experience and marvel at the wonders of Yaoyue.


    ¡°Have you made much progress while I was cultivating?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked. She intentionally constructed the question in this way to give them carte blanche to brag as much as they want.


    As expected, they all straightened proudly and thrust their chests out just a little bit.


    ¡°We can now defeat five thousand demonic beasts!¡± Ren Jinhai exclaimed.


    Zhu Xuelian blinked, and it took her a moment to remember how to breathe.


    ¡°That is incredible,¡± she said.


    What did it mean to defeat five thousand demonic beasts? Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian could kill a thousand each. In reality, they could kill a lot more than that, but fighting more than two thousand at a time was simply unachievable for them. The amount of attacks they had to avoid, the countless variations in the battlefield developments, and the upper limit of their attack power made this unfeasible. At most, they could contend with two thousand demonic beasts ¡ª three thousand, if they were extremely lucky.


    Whether it was two cultivators or eight, this limitation was universal. Only an army could fight another army, regardless of how strong the individuals were.


    These eight cultivators could act as an army?


    They all watched as the mix of wonder, awe, and pride swelled in Zhu Xuelian, and they could see in her an image of themselves, and what they must¡¯ve looked like when they regarded Zhu Xuelian¡¯s incredible achievements.


    ¡°We still have many things to improve on, Sister Zhu. Until recently, it would take us weeks to recover from each attempt, but with Xiang Liling¡¯s arrays, and Lei Yangming¡¯s alchemy, we have made great progress,¡± Ren Jinhai said.


    Zhu Xuelian looked at Lei Yangming. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were an alchemist, Brother Lei.¡±


    Lei Yangming nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t until recently. The Martial Hall truly is marvelous. Even someone like me can learn alchemy and become an alchemist in a few months.¡±


    Tian Li smiled and then gestured to Yuan Qiuyue. ¡°Yuan Qiuyue learned how to grow spiritual herbs,¡± he said and then nodded to Ren Weisheng. ¡°Brother Ren is learning how to make talismans ¡ª it is in large part thanks to him that we can fight so many demonic beasts.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian smiled and nodded. It was strange that they all picked specialties like this when some of those specialties were more suitable to others considering the sect they came from. But she had an inkling of who might be responsible for this, though she wasn''t exactly certain why she thought that.


    ¡°Was this Fourth Elder¡¯s suggestion?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    They nodded.


    So that¡¯s how it was.


    ¡°And what about you, Tian Li? Do you have a specialty?¡± Zhu Xuelian asked.


    Tian Li smiled. ¡°Sun Yongzheng and I process rare materials, since we are the furthest along in our martial arts, though we still rely on Wu Yulan and Yun Fei to help out for the higher-grade materials.¡±


    Zhu Xuelian nodded.


    ¡°Ah, and Mu Jingyu is a weaver and tailor,¡± Tian Li added, and then glanced at the group, making sure he didn¡¯t forget anyone else.


    ¡°Since Fourth Elder helped you pick these specialties, and is supporting you, it is no surprise you have made such great progress,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    Though she praised Epsilon, she didn¡¯t know who Epsilon truly was, but since Epsilon was a part of Yaoyue, it made sense that Epsilon was amazing.


    Of course, Zhu Xuelian could not have possibly known that her praise was inadequate. When Yaoyue left Epsilon in charge of the Inner Realm, it was to turn Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian into weapons that could subjugate the heavens. Now, these eight disciples benefited from the guidance of the most warlike and violent entity in the entire universe, who effortlessly conquered countless stars and galaxies in a past life. Before Epsilon, even gods of war would have no choice but to fall to their knees and worship.


    ¡°Brothers and sisters,¡± Zhu Xuelian said with a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to be absent for so long, and things have changed a bit. There are a few things I¡¯d like to discuss with you and hear your opinion. What do you say we continue this conversation in one of the meeting halls?¡±


    They nodded at Zhu Xuelian¡¯s suggestion, and, together, they left for one of the disciple palaces.

 Chapter 23

    The arrangement of furniture within the inner disciple palace betrayed an aesthetic of opulence without an understanding of beauty. Everything was in its right place, even according to the principles of Feng Shui, and it was perfect ¡ª perhaps too perfect. Like an uncaring hand arranged it according to a step-by-step guide that exceeded the total knowledge of all experts.


    Primarily, it lacked humanity, as if the godly force that created this impression of classic culture was beyond the domain of humans. Like everything on this mountain created by the same godly force, this did not discourage the cultivators living here, but rather it inspired them for they yearned to reach the same sainthood as those beings unrestrained by the cycles of mortality.


    Meeting halls like these were fashioned to display the core principles of the sect through color, art, and impression. In this case, the colors were predominantly black, with red highlights and gold borders. The art was exclusively swords blazed in sharp white and gold ink, all pointing upward and against the heavens.


    Sects on the Sky Continent were one of two types: they either exalted harmony with heaven or subverted it. They were known as orthodox and unorthodox sects, due to the era of fragile peace. At any other time, they would be regarded as righteous and demonic sects, and they would be mortal rivals, and, in most cases, even enemies.


    Those who follow the orthodox path face gentle tribulation, though the path is harder and requires deeper attainment. On the other hand, those who followed the unorthodox path had ways to achieve easy and fast progress, though the tribulation was by far more severe. Evil sects, which used human lives and disaster to progress and accelerate their cultivation, were all exclusively unorthodox sects and therefore painted a stigma on all such sects.


    Where there is smoke, there is fire, as they say.


    Strangely enough, as they regarded the swords turned against the heavens ¡ª symbolism of an unorthodox sect ¡ª none of them felt that this sect was unorthodox. It certainly had all the trappings of an unorthodox sect, but at the same time, it also possessed the values of righteous sects. As if to say that if righteous and demonic described two paths to the Dao, then this sect embodied a new, third path that walked in the middle of the road.


    Where unorthodox cultivators by definition never earned their power, the group here has earned every stride of advancement in blood, effort, and tears. Where orthodox cultivators relied on the mercy of Heaven to break into the Nascent Soul realm, they rejected it and faced their tribulation with defiance in their hearts.


    This feeling was painted exquisitely and beautifully into the stone wall behind the head chair at the far end of the hallway.


    Bold red letters distinguished against a black canvas read:


    All under the Heaven of our own.


    All the disciples bowed to the empty chair at the far end of the hall, and the words on the black canvas. There was no road but their own. There was no law but their own. There was no mercy but their own. Under those words, they were either rebels or emperors, and the only consequence for failing to become sovereigns of their own fate was death.


    Which one of them thought those words were too bold or too eccentric after the tree, that subjugated heaven¡¯s punishment, spared them from obliteration, and consumed the lightning?


    None of them.


    Now, they all worshiped these words and this principle of hegemony in their hearts.


    There was no heaven but their own.


    Zhu Xuelian took the chair at the far end of the hall, as she was the eldest disciple here ¡ª not by age, but by affiliation. Once everyone else was seated in the chairs at the sides of the hallway, Zhu Xuelian smiled and nodded.


    ¡°We are like brothers and sisters walking the same road with one goal in our hearts. For this reason, I would like to ask you for your thoughts and opinions,¡± Zhu Xuelian spoke, gazing briefly at each assembled disciple.


    ¡°Please, go ahead,¡± Tian Li said, and the others agreed with him.


    Zhu Xuelian nodded. ¡°I still have unfinished matters in the place we¡¯ve come from, and the time to collect those debts has come sooner than I had hoped for. To me, I have only spent one month in the Secret Sword Realm Nexus, but to you, I was gone for many more.¡±


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    They had all suspected that this would be related to the vow Zhu Xuelian made, but their minds ended up lingering the most on the fact that Zhu Xuelian achieved Core Formation in only a month. The time difference did not surprise them so much; it was a secret realm and those almost always had strange and unpredictable Laws.


    ¡°I am sure some of you also have reasons to return. We also need materials. As you know, this land is hostile and filled with dangerous beasts ¡ª right now, the treasures of this land are beyond our reach,¡± Zhu Xuelian continued.


    Mu Jingyu smiled. ¡°Sister Zhu, you are correct. In my heart, I still owe a debt to my master and sect, and with the way we left, I am worried about them.¡±


    The others nodded at Mu Jingyu¡¯s words, and they each still held some attachment, of one form or another, toward their former sects.


    At this time, the door opened again, and Wu Yulan and Yun Fei stepped into the hall.


    The two of them bowed to Zhu Xuelian and the words above her, and then Wu Yulan spoke.


    ¡°Xuelian, I also wish to return to find out if my mother is alive or not, and to punish the devils that placed her in harm¡¯s way,¡± Wu Yulan said.


    Yun Fei avoided Zhu Xuelian¡¯s gaze and remained quiet.


    ¡°Of course, Yulan,¡± Zhu Xuelian said with a sad smile. ¡°No matter who did that, there can never be peace between us.¡±


    Wu Yulan nodded and took a seat next to Yun Fei.


    ¡°Sister Zhu, as for the treasures of this land, we have made a few discoveries,¡± Lei Yangming began, and when everyone looked at him, he continued. ¡°We have discovered dozens of Secret Realm entrances around this sect.¡±


    These words stunned Zhu Xuelian. Secret Realms were legacies of ancient cultivators, filled to the brim with dangers and treasures for those brave and capable enough to explore them. Most of them were legacy trials, but there were as many types as there were stars in the sky.


    One of them alone was enough to be an era-defining discovery, but there were dozens of them?


    ¡°We also believe that this place is the ancient central continent that disappeared from the world hundreds of years ago,¡± Tian Li said.


    Zhu Xuelian furrowed her brows. ¡°Brother Li, what makes you say that?¡±


    Ren Jinhai replied to this question. ¡°Sister Zhu, I recognized a mountain chain while exploring the surroundings. The mountain chain I mentioned is without a doubt the Dragon¡¯s Fangs. My family ancestors revered this mountain, and they were all descendants of the sect in that area. There is no way I cannot recognize that mountain!¡±


    Zhu Xuelian nodded. Sun Yongzheng mentioned that there were some conflicting opinions, and Zhu Xuelian could deduce that it was related to these discoveries.


    ¡°There is also a dragon living here,¡± Mu Jingyu said, almost as if it were just a small, unimportant detail.


    This stunned Zhu Xuelian again, and it even excited her a bit ¡ª dragon bones! But dragons did not exist in this world for hundreds of years. Perhaps even thousands of years. The last mention of a dragon in this land was the Red Dragon of the Red Banner Festival, but Wu Yulan and Zhu Xuelian found out the hard way that Eternal Red was not a dragon at all.


    ¡°While we were exploring the surroundings ¡ª oh, we think Sovereigns avoid the vicinity, likely due to the Tyrant ¡ª we saw flashes of lightning, and the shadow of a dragon in the clouds, headed north,¡± Wu Yulan explained. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it clearly, but it was definitely a dragon.¡±


    ¡°An ancient continent, secret realms, Sovereigns and Tyrants, dragons,¡± Zhu Xuelian whispered. ¡°When we cross the boundary and step into the realms beyond Nascent Soul, we will explore these possibilities. Right now, we have other, more attainable, goals in front of us. Do you agree?¡±


    After a moment, they all nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Since this is the case, and you boldly made all these discoveries, I won¡¯t be timid about my intentions either. I will erase the Seven Killing Swords sect from existence. At first, I will have to go alone,¡± Zhu Xuelian said.


    Mu Jingyu jumped out of her chair. ¡°Sister Zhu, you can¡¯t¡ª¡°


    Lei Yangming put a hand on Mu Jingyu¡¯s shoulder, also standing up, and shook his head.


    ¡°Zhu Xuelian, we all have grievances with the Seven Killing Swords sect,¡± Lei Yangming said after a moment. ¡°So, why do you have to go alone?¡±


    ¡°Since Yulan and I have the blood of Yaoyue, the two of us are the only ones who can enter and leave this realm freely,¡± Zhu Xuelian explained. ¡°And since Yulan and I passed the Challenge Pagoda, only the two of us can activate the Translocation spell.¡±


    Wu Yulan frowned at the explanation, but she did not challenge it.


    ¡°This Translocation spell is mysterious and difficult to comprehend. Whether we will return to the same place we left from, or somewhere else, together or not, is too much of a risk to attempt blindly,¡± Zhu Xuelian explained. ¡°However, I know I can set up a target to direct the destination of the spell, and then Yulan can activate the spell and bring you all there. Setting up the target, though, will have some difficulties involved.¡±


    They all listened to Zhu Xuelian and found her explanation reasonable. They didn¡¯t know anything about spells, certainly not spells of this kind, so whether what Zhu Xuelian was saying was correct or not, they couldn¡¯t tell the difference.


    ¡°What are these difficulties, Sister Zhu?¡± Ren Jinhai asked.


    At this question, Zhu Xuelian smiled in that way that reminded them of her uncompromising and ruthless nature.


    ¡°I will need a lot of spirit stones to set up the formation,¡± Zhu Xuelian said coldly. ¡°After forcing two sects to surrender to them, the Seven Killing Swords must have quite a reserve. What do you think?¡±


    An audible gulp filled the silence of the hall. No one bothered to question Zhu Xuelian¡¯s qualifications or remark on her cultivation, or her casual suggestion to rob a major power. Why would they, when they all felt that the core revolving in her body exerted such an oppressive force?


    This was the same Zhu Xuelian that killed Yu Shun. Maybe something even more.