A hush fell over the crowd; many held their breath in shock.
This young man in white, standing against the night sky with a poised elegance, seemed almost divine, like an immortal descended from the heavens. Yet his personality... well, he was certainly unique!
Ye Tiance felt it keenly. The young man's swordsmanship and his desire to conquer were unmatched. In just two days, Ye Tiance felt as though this young man had shaken his very core.
"Heh…" Ye Tiance clenched his fists, his face twisting into a crazed smile in the darkness.
"Wipe that grin off your face!" Yun Xiao scolded. Asking him to release people? That was wishful thinking!
"Hurry and finish up with the third Jianfeng peak! I don't want to waste any more time here when I could be back at Sword Pavilion enjoying the moonlight," Yun Xiao said with a raised brow, giving Ye Tiance a smirk. "How kind of me to let you worry about the view of the moon, right?"
Ye Tiance clenched his teeth and said nothing.
Nearby, Elder Liu Xuan of the third Jianfeng peak hoped they might be spared from this humiliation.
But there would be no reprieve.
"Elder Liu, rest assured. This contamination on your ancestors' legacy—Wu Wu—although they're long dead, I'm sending them a 'gift' on their way to the afterlife!" Yun Xiao's lips curled into a sneer.
Everyone around him stiffened.
"Pour it out!" Liu Xuan could only grit his teeth and accept, hoping that someday he'd find a way to retaliate.
The group moved toward the final destination, the third Jianfeng peak.
This time, however, Ye Tiance, Yao Manxue, and Zhang Jian stayed behind at the first Jianfeng, not willing to follow.
"The shame must be too much for them to bear. They can't wait for Ye Guying to return; they're likely scheming some disgusting counterattack," Senior Sister Zhao said, flying beside Yun Xiao on her sword, the night wind blowing around them.
"I know," Yun Xiao replied, his eyes flashing coldly. "Senior Sister Zhao, this isn't over yet!"
"Not over yet…" Zhao Xuanran's beautiful eyes lingered on the young man, and she felt a pang of sympathy.
Not over yet?
Finally, they reached the third Jianfeng peak.
Crash!
The last cauldron of filth and blood was poured, a send-off gift to accompany Wu Wu on his way to the afterlife.
"His ancestors must be thrilled to receive such a grand tribute!" Yun Xiao laughed heartily, his smile pure and cheerful.
Pfft!
Zhao Xuanran couldn't hold back a chuckle. Yun Xiao could be cold and ruthless one moment, then as mischievous as a child the next. He was a figure of elegance and an avenger in the mortal world. To Zhao Xuanran, these two sides of Yun Xiao fused seamlessly, creating an almost otherworldly hero.
"Elder Liu!"
As the contamination ritual concluded, Yun Xiao suddenly called out to Liu Xuan.
"What do you want?" Liu Xuan froze, suddenly noticing he was standing alone with barely a hundred third Jianfeng elders by his side.
The reality hit him hard. Temporarily, he had held on, but now the third Jianfeng was collapsing, leaving him with little authority and reduced to a mere pawn under Ye Tiance.
"Elder Liu, what is your cultivation level?" Yun Xiao asked.
"I am at the peak of Divine Sea Realm, with a fourth-level Divine Sea!" Liu Xuan replied through gritted teeth.
He was not far from the level of the three revered sword masters.
"Divine Sea peak?"
Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow. He handed the chains to Senior Sister Zhao, then in a flash, lunged at Liu Xuan!
"Help me!" Liu Xuan shouted.
But he was shocked to see no one responding.
All the sword cultivators of the third Jianfeng, seeing Yun Xiao make his move, quickly stepped aside on their own accord!
"Why?" Liu Xuan stammered in disbelief.
"Ye Tiance is unpopular on the first Jianfeng peak. Do you really think being his lackey will earn you loyal followers on the third Jianfeng?"
Yun Xiao's words sent a shiver through Liu Xuan's heart.
He felt rattled. Tonight's disgrace was technically not his doing, yet he was made to bear it alone. But Yun Xiao wasn't going to let him off easily, especially not for a grave desecrator.
Swords clashed violently, electric blue light illuminating the dark sky.
Yun Xiao's sword arts combined with the power of the universe, Sword Soul, and Sword Gang. Even though he was in the middle stage of the Divine Sea Realm, his supernatural powers, sword skills, and sheer technique exceeded Liu Xuan's!
Without support, Liu Xuan had little chance of survival.
Zing!
Azure lightning snaked through the night sky, striking Liu Xuan in an instant!
Liu Xuan raised his sword in anger.
"You'll die by Ye Guying's sword!" he bellowed.
Clang!
Although Liu Xuan's swordsmanship was strong, he barely held his own through three exchanges before his Sword Soul shattered. Yun Xiao's azure blade was upon him!
The white robes swirled gracefully in the air, and a sword pressed lightly against Liu Xuan's throat.
"…," Liu Xuan's eyes widened before he collapsed softly to the ground.
The third Jianfeng elders, witnessing this, looked at Yun Xiao in stunned silence, shrinking back in awe.
"Goodnight, everyone!" Yun Xiao sheathed his sword calmly.
"Y-yes, of course…" One of the elders stammered, visibly shaken.
"I hope the next time the third Jianfeng chooses a leader, it's not another of Ye Tiance's lackeys," Yun Xiao said, returning to the side of the woman in the black dress and taking the chains from her hand.
At that moment, all four peaks of Jianfeng could sense the foul stench of disgrace.
Meanwhile, Sword Pavilion shone brightly beneath the moonlight and stars, with a pure, northern breeze blowing through. Before the ancestral hall, the three revered sword masters stood devastated. In a distant, grand palace, a man in azure robes cracked a small smile. Everything was playing out as Yun Xiao had planned.
"Senior Sister Zhao, since we didn't get to enjoy ourselves last night, shall we drink to our hearts' content tonight?" Yun Xiao asked softly.
Under the moonlight, Senior Sister Zhao's long hair fluttered gently, and her cheeks flushed red.
"There's something I wanted to ask you, Junior Brother Yun." She bit her lip lightly, her gaze holding a hint of reproach.
"Please, go ahead…" Yun Xiao suddenly had a feeling of foreboding.
"Who is Ye Ziyan?" When Senior Sister Zhao mentioned this name, her voice was light, yet an undercurrent of tension seemed to flow through her words.
"Senior Sister Zhao!" Yun Xiao looked her in the eye and asked, "If you had a phoenix by your side under the moonlight, would you bother looking at a pheasant?"
Senior Sister Zhao blinked in surprise, then smiled faintly. *A phoenix?* The word held a deep, profound meaning.
"That's enough!" Cai Maomao suddenly interrupted, staring at the two of them. "Why do I get the feeling you two are hiding something from me?"
"Cai Maomao, you're such an idiot! Your emotional intelligence is even lower than a divine mountain!" Qin Tong quickly pulled him away, embarrassed.
"Could it be?" Chen Dong and Li Chenlong exchanged glances, shocked.
"Most likely," Shangguan Yu said confidently.
"And Ye Guying…" The three of them shivered, realizing that when that man returned, a reign of terror would undoubtedly follow.
As for Jiang Yue, he'd long been forgotten by everyone, left to roam the ends of the earth.
"Junior Brother Yun," Zhao Xuanran said, her eyes fixed on the distant first Jianfeng peak as the cold night wind blew around them. "Ye Tiance may have lost tonight, but he won't give up…"
"Let him stew. Do you really think Ye Guying will return from the Nine Heavens anytime soon?" Yun Xiao replied.
"True."
Everyone who overheard the name "Ye Guying" felt a pang of anxiety. Only Yun Xiao remained unfazed.
"By the time he returns, it'll be too late."
…
In a dark, enclosed room stood a single gate. Its surface was covered in symbols like black serpents, which writhed and glowed with a strange, cold light.
In front of this gate stood a young man in a black robe, his eyes dark and filled with excitement and ambition.
"Beyond this gate lies ascension in just ten days! Such an opportunity—how many cultivators have dreamed of it?"
A crazed smile spread across his face, his eyes gleaming with fervour.
"To think… that I, Ye Guying, have reached this moment…" He glanced down at his dantian, where nine golden dragons coiled, roaring with immense power each time they stirred.
These nine dragons awakened his dantian, allowing him to soar to unparalleled heights in the Ten Thousand Swords Sea.
"Blue Soul, Sword Pavilion, and Yun Xiao…" he muttered, his eyes flashing with something sinister.
"The rumors were right. They say this boy's Sword Soul may have reached the Tianquan level? He even brought Jiang Yue to his knees… interesting. When I return, I'll dig deep and see if he has anything left to hide."
He could barely contain himself. Though his current path was within the Ten Thousand Swords Sea, the Blue Soul reminded him of someone he cared about deeply.
"Zhao Xuanran… even after meeting so many noble daughters in the Ten Thousand Swords Sea, I realize I still have feelings for you. Is this the heartache of unrequited love?" he whispered.
Three years ago, he'd had the chance to marry her. But fate had other plans, and everything was thrown off course.
Ye Guying didn't regret it. Without that fateful day, Sword Pavilion wouldn't be on the verge of ruin, and he wouldn't be where he was now!
"Now that I'm back, I'm no longer the adopted son of the Ye family. I'm a genius within the Ten Thousand Swords Sea's Taboo Tower! Can you, Zhao Xuanran, still hold your head high and look down on me?"
His gaze settled on the dark gate before him, his desire burning stronger than ever.
There was no denying it—this had been his dream since childhood.
He had been only an adopted son, never of high standing, while she was the favored daughter, an unattainable figure among the clouds. How could he let go of the hope he'd held onto for so long?
Finally, the day he'd been waiting for had arrived!
"To drink and conquer," he said with a smirk, striding toward the gate.
"My adoptive father raised me, and he's getting old. I'll strive to obtain a 'Source Pill' to extend his life by another decade!"
A bright future lay ahead.
Ye Guying looked forward to his glorious return with unparalleled anticipation.
With a deep breath, he focused his gaze and clenched his teeth, stepping through the gate as night fell.
…
In the Blue Soul hills, there's a remote place called Misty Hollow. Although Blue Soul was lively that night, Misty Hollow remained eerily silent. Dense fog cloaked the mountains, casting shadows and filling the air with strange shrieks and howls. The eerie atmosphere was so intense that ordinary sword cultivators dared not venture there after dark.
But now, a young girl, ragged and bloodstained, staggered through the fog. Her eyes were red with tears, her face marked by cuts and bruises.
"Senior Brother Ye, where are you? Please…save me, Brother Ye…" she cried out desperately.
After coming down from the peak of Dingshan today, no one had spoken to her. It was as if she had become an outcast—discarded, as though she no longer mattered. Just a day before, she had been the center of attention, admired and envied. But now…all that warmth had turned cold. Everyone avoided her, some even mocking and taunting her.
"She really put on a show a few days ago," they sneered.
"That Yun Xiao really exposed her true colors."
"A low-grade Kaiyang? Ha! What a joke!"
These words pierced her deeply, as if stabbing her with sharp blades. She stumbled blindly, the world around her shrouded in darkness. It felt as though countless ghosts and shadows whispered mockingly around her, brushing against her skin like delicate, feathery touches. She couldn't tell if it was her imagination or if there really were creatures reaching out to her in the darkness.
"Brother Ye, where are you…?" she murmured, her voice cracking. "You said you'd take me along the path to immortality… that you were a hundred times better than Yun Xiao… I know you'll come back for me…"
Jiang Yue cried and crawled through the dense forest. The rocks and branches scraped and cut into her skin, leaving trails of blood. But in her anguish, she hardly felt the pain. She could feel soft, delicate feathers brushing against her wounds, soothing her, numbing the ache.
"Brother Ye…?" she whispered.
The gentle, feathery touches seemed to wipe away her pain. In her pitch-dark world, a faint light began to glimmer. It was a soft, rosy light that seemed to embody all the warmth and joy she longed for.
"Come to me…"
A sweet, lilting voice filled her ears, resonating deeply, like a gentle caress reaching her very soul.
"I am Yuexian, and you are Jiang Yue. Enter my world, become my puppet, and you'll find that all men will fall at your feet…"
The voice seemed to slip into her ears and whisper directly into her heart, seizing her very spirit.
"Yuexian…" Jiang Yue murmured, her voice filled with awe. She reached forward, her movements dazed and trance-like.
Under the spellbinding moonlight, a graceful, snow-white fox emerged from the mist. Its coat shimmered, absorbing the silvery light of the moon, casting a pearly glow that felt almost like a dream.
It turned to Jiang Yue, giving her a mysterious, enchanting smile. Then, under the veil of the fog, the fox began to change shape, slowly transforming into a beautiful woman, dressed in flowing white.
She had a face as innocent as a maiden's, yet her eyes held an alluring depth. Every movement, every expression, was a mesmerizing blend of purity and seductive charm. She was a temptress of legendary beauty.
This was a true femme fatale.
With a treacherous smile, she stood before Jiang Yue, barefoot and exuding a dark allure.
"Yue, in this world, I am the only one who truly loves you."
She leaned down, her face close to Jiang Yue's, and tore open a cut across Jiang Yue's cheek, revealing flesh and bone beneath.
Then, in a flash, the woman dissolved into a cloud of soft pink mist and slipped inside.