After leaving Feng Wuchen's room, Mu Qing ascended to the third floor.
Inside, Ye Guluan, covered in blood, quickly stood to greet her. "Miss!"
"Sit down," she ordered. Mu Qing gently raised her hand, channeling green spiritual energy into Ye Guluan's body.
Ye Guluan was astonished. "How could I trouble Miss to heal me personally?"
Mu Qing frowned. "Your injuries… seem worse than they appear."
"Ah…" Ye Guluan sighed. "After all, it was a Sword Sovereign's attack. At that distance, surviving was only thanks to his mercy."
"You think he showed mercy?"
Shocked, Ye Guluan looked up. "It wasn't mercy?"
"Of course not! That sword strike killed everyone from Tianxia First Pavilion except for you. It proves he didn't hold back and wasn't afraid of making enemies of us. You only survived because his power was insufficient to finish you."
"Ah? Miss, you mean…?"
"That Sword Sovereign isn't nearby. The strike crossed space, greatly reducing its power. Otherwise, with his ability, everything within a hundred paces would have been obliterated."
After Mu Qing explained, Ye Guluan finally understood, his expression growing more bitter. "I see… If the Sword Sovereign himself were here, I'd be a corpse."
"It's fine. Learn from this experience and remember: if you encounter him again, give him leeway. Even if you have to suffer some losses, it's better than provoking him."
"I understand… But what about the Qin family's young miss he killed? How should we handle that?"
Mu Qing sneered, her laugh filled with disdain. "What can they do? Even the Chen Kingdom's royal family wouldn't dare challenge a Sword Sovereign. Who do the Qin family think they are? Just explain the situation to them. How they handle it is their problem."
"I understand!"
---
Meanwhile, in his room, Feng Wuchen sat cross-legged, his consciousness delving into his dantian. The massive Dragon Abyss Sword Tower floated before him, exuding a chilling, terrifying aura.
With a focused thought, Feng Wuchen directed his consciousness to the second layer of the tower. "You can hear me, right?"
Clank, clank!
The second layer trembled violently in response, its chains clattering.
"That sword strike earlier—was it you?"
Heh heh…
A sinister laugh echoed from the second layer, and even the sound carried an oppressive force. "Looks like Fan Ye hasn't told you everything, has he?"
Fan Ye? Was that the name of the middle-aged man? As Feng Wuchen suspected, the man hadn't revealed all of Dragon Abyss's secrets.
"Hey… kid! I saved your life. Shouldn't you repay me somehow?" the voice suddenly asked.
Feng Wuchen smirked. "What kind of repayment are you asking for?"
"Inject your sword intent into the second layer of Dragon Abyss Sword Tower. It will ease my suffering, and next time you face a strong enemy, I'll be able to help you again!"
"I see." Feng Wuchen gathered his sword intent, his hand slowly approaching the tower.
"Yes! That's it! Do it quickly!" The voice grew increasingly excited, urging him on.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed. Feng Wuchen's palm didn't touch the tower itself but pressed onto a sealing rune before it. His sword intent surged, causing the chains around the second layer to tighten.
A furious roar erupted from within the tower. "What are you doing? Stop it!"
Gone was the earlier amicable tone, replaced by a frenzied killing intent that enveloped Feng Wuchen's consciousness.
Even bathed in that terrifying aura, Feng Wuchen remained calm, as though he had discovered something crucial. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
"Heh… If I really poured my sword intent into the tower, I'd only accelerate your release, wouldn't I? It seems my swordsmanship is key to maintaining the seals!"
"Arrogant brat! You dare trick me? Once I'm free, I'll ensure you die a miserable death!"
"Oh, threatening me now, are we? No matter how powerful you once were, you're just my prisoner now! Your only fate is to be refined and turned into my strength."
"And don't think I owe you for killing a few small fries. I could've handled them myself!"
With those words, Feng Wuchen's sword intent flared once more.
Rumble!
Another loud noise erupted, and the chains tightened further. The furious roars vanished, leaving only silence.
Feng Wuchen examined his hand and then the Dragon Abyss Sword Tower, exhaling deeply. The earlier killing aura had been overwhelming, and even he felt the weight of it.
However, he'd gained some understanding about Dragon Abyss tonight.
First, the strength of the seals was linked to his swordsmanship, and his sword intent could even reinforce the seals. Second, he held some critical importance to the prisoners within Dragon Abyss. They wouldn't kill him until they broke free and might even protect him.
That explained why the being in the second layer had acted to save him. Yet, these were still just his theories, and he knew he had only scratched the surface of Dragon Abyss's secrets. Who knew when that middle-aged man, Fan Ye, would appear again? Feng Wuchen had plenty of questions for him.
As the night slowly gave way to dawn, Feng Wuchen's eyes snapped open.
"Brother…"
Hearing Feng Ning call him, he immediately got up and approached her, checking her forehead. "How are you feeling? Any discomfort?"
Feng Ning shook her head and flexed her limbs, puzzled. She clearly remembered Qin Xiaorou attacking her last night, injuring her and taking her cold marrow.
"How did this happen? Was it a dream?"
At that moment, a female voice came from outside the door. "Young Master Feng! The carriage is ready. Our miss is waiting downstairs!"
"Alright! Tell your miss I'll be right there."
After dismissing the servant, Feng Wuchen gently patted Feng Ning's head. "Don't overthink it. Get up and get ready; it's time to set off."
"Okay…"