# Chapter 14: Holy Daughter
Another night had passed.
Leaning against the stone wall, embracing the two young women, Zhou Yan gently withdrew his hand from a soft place on Ning'er. He took a deep breath, inhaling the intoxicating fragrance deeply into his body.
He felt happy, yet uneasy.
Ever since leaving the Zhou family, Zhou Yan had felt a sense of unrest. However, over the course of three blissful days, nothing unpleasant had happened.
They had encountered no wild beasts or cultivators, as if they had entered a utopia — everything seemed too peaceful.
"No—"
Ning'er suddenly cried out, jumping out of Zhou Yan's embrace in a panic. In that instant, her movements were incredibly agile.
Her abrupt movement startled Ping'er, who was still drooling slightly, awake.
"Ning'er, what happened?" Zhou Yan caught Ping'er, who nearly fell, and stood up as he asked with concern.
"Ah—what's wrong with Sister Ning'er?" Ping'er also appeared anxious, thinking enemies had come after them.
"No—nothing, just a bad dream, a dream."
Beads of sweat glistened on Ning'er's forehead, clearly indicating that this was no ordinary dream.
Connecting the dots with his own unease, Zhou Yan's heart grew more anxious.
At this moment, Ning'er took the initiative to return to Zhou Yan's embrace and softly said, "Zhou Yan, don't worry, I'm fine."
"Hmm."
Zhou Yan patted her back, holding her quietly without further mischief.
However, Ning'er then took the initiative to offer a fragrant kiss, and Zhou Yan did not hesitate, diving into the kiss.
...
After a long moment, their lips parted.
"Zhou Yan, I have to go. They're coming."
Ning'er left Zhou Yan's embrace, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon, her eyes seeming to pierce through the illusory end of the world.
"Ning'er, who... are they?"
Zhou Yan trembled all over. He, too, had a feeling that something monumental was about to happen.
He didn't know why, but he knew that the Grandmaster's inheritance from the End of Dharma era on Earth, which enabled him to break Void, had given him a very unique sixth sense!
"I don't know, but I can feel that they are very near."
Ning'er sighed, her face paling to an ultimate beauty that looked almost sickly.
"Young Master, Sister Ning'er..."
Ping'er's eyes reddened. She didn't know what was about to happen, but she felt that their manner seemed to suggest that something big was amiss.
A Sword Light suddenly shot from the sky, seemingly coming from ancient suppression, breaking the sky, and slashing down towards Zhou Yan and the two women.
This was a means of someone, a mighty Supreme Strongman crossing numerous realms. Zhou Yan, because he was guarding Ning'er and Ping'er, suffered such a powerful oppression that blood spilled instantly from the corner of his mouth!
This was an attack from a Supreme Sword Dao strongman, conjuring Sword Intent in the void, killing enemies from a thousand miles away!
The gap in their realms was as vast as the heavens, leaving him with no power to resist, even triggering a thread of Sword Intent from a statue was useless!
He finally understood, it was not that the enemy did not want to kill him, but they wanted him slaughtered in the wilderness after leaving that place.
This was truly cutting the grass by the roots!
He finally realized why... during these three days, not a living soul had been found within the forest's compass. It turned out everything had long been arranged by someone.
Zhou Yan thought of the Great Elder of his family, thought of the Second Elder, and then thought of the Preaching Elder... yet he did not know who could be such a powerful enemy that summoned Sword Intent, killing from afar.
Who was it that wanted him exterminated, he had no clue!
He turned his head to look at Ning'er and Ping'er, somewhat peaceful yet also full of sorrow, only to find Ning'er entirely indifferent to the terrifying Sword Intent, not even caring, but continuing to gaze into the distance.
Just as the abyss-like sword intent was about to fall, suddenly, the world twisted, as if an endless black hole bore through this piece of heaven and earth.
Nine bolts of lightning, silver lightning-like snow-colored phoenixes, traversed the boundless universe, as if coming from the vast primordial land, carrying endless Desolate aura, directly annihilating this piece of heaven and earth.
"Buzz—"
The world shattered, space-time crumbled.
Everything around Zhou Yan turned to dust, and the entire area seemed to Annihilate, leaving only an endless wasteland.
The forest was gone, as was the waterfall.
The limitless vast environment had been reduced to a silver-white pile of ashes.
From the distant heavens, a harrowing howl echoed, heart-wrenching.
It seemed that the assassin, now neither able to live nor die, was never going to escape!
The one who plotted to assassinate Zhou Yan, just like that, endlessly howled in agony across the skies, rendering this space into dead silence.
This was that unimaginable Supreme Strongman, tearing and breaking the spatial barriers, descending upon this place.
Nine phantoms gradually solidified, transforming into nine snow-colored ancient Desolate mutant beasts, magnified several times like phoenixes.
These nine Divine Birds pulled a chariot of colorful clouds, suddenly appearing in the shattered void.
Outside the Colorful Cloud Chariot, layers of glow opened up, revealing nine exceptional young women in snow-colored dresses. Each was a peerless beauty, with unmatched temperament like Ning'er.
Their ice-like skin and jade-like bones displayed an indifferent expression, cold and emotionless like wood.
Yet, each of them was like an unparalleled Divine Sword, dazzling Heaven and Earth, making it impossible to draw near.
Looking at such imposing figures shocked Zhou Yan profoundly, making his entire body tremble.
He was not afraid, but the aura was such that he lacked even the ability to remain calm!
Nevertheless, ordinary person Ning'er and Ping'er seemed to remain unharmed.
After the nine Divine Birds hung in the virtual void, they turned into nine snow-colored long swords. The swords were colossal, each carved with vivid images of Divine Birds.
These nine Divine Swords suddenly shrank, falling into the scabbards on the backs of the nine women in white veils.
"Sword... Sword Spirits? Legendary Supreme Sword Spirits, derivations of Divine Beasts?"
Zhou Yan murmured internally, feeling shocked and horrified.
Ning'er remained silent, quietly watching the Colorful Cloud Chariot in the sky, seemingly lost in thought.
The rosy clouds shimmered, and after the nine swords were returned, a ray of light as a rainbow flickered again. Immediately, within that glow, it was as if there were Taoist vowels in Zen chants, as if divine beings were deriving Sword Dao laws, and a boundless spiritual light shone upon Heaven and Earth.
Bathed in such light, Zhou Yan felt as though he underwent a baptism of infinite spiritual liquid through his body, absorbing boundless essence energy madly.
And Ning'er, beside him, upon being radiated by this energy, her delicate body trembled slightly, revealing a few moments of sudden realization in her eyes.
The door of the Colorful Cloud Chariot opened, and out walked a woman almost identical to Ning'er, with slight differences—Ning'er bore a trace of humanity, while she was cold like a god, devoid of human traits.
She seemingly didn't want to speak, yet upon seeing the sword in Zhou Yan's hand and the clothes on Ning'er, she too showed a momentary expression of emotion.
"Zhou Wangchen's promise went unfulfilled after all. If we hadn't found a way, this Extreme Cold Sword Body would have been utterly wasted."
The woman's voice was cold, indifferent, and emotionless.
"Senior, do you know my father?"
Zhou Yan asked neither arrogantly nor humbly.
Despite the unease in his heart, at that moment, he was but an ant in the eyes of the other party, so what else could he do?
"So you are Zhou Wangchen's son, no wonder. Your foundation is firm, and while you have comprehended Sword Qi, your talent is average, slightly better than your father's. However...you're already old, and with your root bone set, failing to achieve the Sword Intent Realm by sixteen, it's wasted."
The woman muttered to herself, unexpectedly saying a few more words than usual.
Zhou Yan felt that she, like Ning'er, wasn't a talkative person, yet she spoke to him like this, was it...
His father knew such a person?
"Palace Master, he is my... family. If you respect me, respect him! His talent is beyond what you could comprehend!"
Ning'er suddenly looked up at the woman in the sky, speaking with a surprisingly firm tone!
Zhou Yan was astonished, while Ping'er was already completely stunned.
"Holy Daughter, you... have returned?" The woman asked tremulously.
"Yes, I have returned."
Ning'er nodded silently.
The woman and the nine attendants on her side, whose faces were like frost, showed a few traces of joy.
"Zhou Yan... I have to go now, there are extremely important matters that need attending to. But I promise you, I will wait for you, wait for you to come to Bixue Palace for me one day!"
Ning'er had many words hidden within her eyes complex with emotions, but ultimately, she only said this one sentence.
"Ning'er... go ahead."
Zhou Yan nodded. He knew that there must be many things compelling her to leave.
"Zhou Yan, Ping'er has unique talents in other aspects. I know a secret, so I want to take her with me too."
"Hmm... if you and she are together, you'll have a companion, it puts my mind at ease."
Though his heart was desolate, Zhou Yan knew it was Ning'er's opportunity, and he could not hinder her future.
As for Ping'er, he also understood; this maid had a steadfast heart and chose the path of a Sword Cultivator for him, and would surely keep striving for him.
But her talent was mediocre, making it difficult to achieve significant progress. Judging by the terrifying strength of these people, in the future, he would have no power to protect those around him should similar events occur.
He knew Ning'er must have thought of removing his 'ties' and considering Ping'er's future, so taking her away truly made sense to him.
"Zhou Yan... I... love you. Eternally unchanged."
Ning'er hesitated, her lips moving without uttering those words, but their meaning was clear.
She was wise not to reveal too much in such a situation.
Zhou Yan's heart tremored with longing, wanting to embrace Ning'er and melt her into his soul and bones.
Yet he controlled himself, for even though Ning'er seemed influential, he didn't want to complicate things for her at this moment.
He did not want to see those powerful women frown because of Ning'er's actions, knowing it would surely make her future difficult...
Again, he hated himself for his lack of strength, for being unable to safeguard those around him. If he had such power, why part with his beloved? Why rely on these people for Ning'er to find her 'self'?
"Ning'er... I love you, unwavering unto death!"
Zhou Yan's lips moved silently, but the meaning was exceedingly clear.
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