Liam Ardent stood calmly, sword in hand, his bearing tall and unshaken. His voice carried effortlessly across the valley:
"The technique may come from Huashan, but I am no disciple of Huashan Sect. Their fortune has not reached so far."
Mother Clarisse Hale's brows furrowed. The move Liam had executed—Eagle-Serpent Life-and-Death Grapple—was unmistakably Huashan's forbidden art, mastered only by their most secretive heirs. Yet Liam's tone was utterly dismissive, as though he bore no allegiance at all. For the first time, the iron-blooded Abbess found herself unable to fully see through this youth.
A cold light passed through her eyes as she stepped forward. Her downward-sloping brows gave her already stern visage an eerie, deathlike cast.
"Arrogant child. You dare flaunt such sharpness before me? If you claim skill, then let me see it myself."
She could no longer rely on her disciples to save face. Saxa Quinn had been struck down in a single blow, and Viola Grace would fare no better. To uphold the authority of Emei Sect, she had to act personally.
Liam's fingers brushed lightly over the hidden Skyblade Experience Card stored in his system. Just the thought of invoking that unparalleled swordsmanship—three minutes of wielding Lord Aelric Skyblade's "Beyond the Heavens Strike"—steadied his breath. Even Mother Clarisse Hale, with her mastery and ruthless will, would not stand unscathed.
But before he could decide, Lady Isolde Serpentis's aged voice broke the tension. Her coral-staff struck the earth with a resonant thud, and her bent frame stepped between Liam and the abbess.
"So. The mighty Abbess of Emei would lower herself to strike at a boy? What pride is there in bullying the younger generation? If you hunger for an exchange, this old crone shall be your partner."
Mother Clarisse's eyes narrowed.
"Lady Serpentis. Why intervene? This boy is no disciple of yours, nor bound to Spirit Snake Island. Why risk your dignity?"
Lady Isolde's withered lips curved faintly.
"He cured the cold poison gnawing at my heart. A debt of life cannot be ignored. Besides… your founder, Lady Guoxia of Emei, once roamed Jianghu with sword unsheathed, bold as the rising sun. I wonder—what remains of that spirit in your hands?"
The abbess's laugh was sharp as steel scraping stone.
"What remains is more than enough to deal with heretical demons such as you!"
Her sword sang from its scabbard, gleaming silver as she lunged. The first thrust was swift and direct, every motion of her Emei Swordplay precise and venomous.
Lady Isolde met her calmly, coral-staff arcing down like a crashing tide. The weapons clashed. Sparks burst. The staff, forged of rare seabed coral-gold, struck with such density that the abbess's sword—iron tempered for decades—snapped in two with a ringing crack.
Gasps swept the valley.
Even Liam's heart gave a faint jolt. The others only saw Isolde's fearsome internal force, but his system whispered the truth.
System Update
[Item Appraisal: Coral Staff – Golden-Tier Weapon, forged from seabed coral-gold, capable of rending steel with ease]
No wonder the abbess's sword had shattered.
Saxa Quinn and Viola Grace rushed to steady their master, but Mother Clarisse cast them aside with an impatient flick. Her eyes burned with suppressed fury as she cast the broken hilt to the ground.
"So your weapon has tricks. But now, old witch, let me show you the true might of Emei's divine treasure."
Her hand slid to the pack strapped across her back. From within, she drew forth a sheathed sword nearly four feet long. A faint cyan radiance shimmered along the scabbard, and two ancient characters gleamed inlaid with gold: Heaven Reliant.
Liam's system surged instantly.
System Update
[Item Detected: Heaven Reliant Sword – Sovereign Divine Weapon, forged of celestial blacksteel, ranked the foremost blade under heaven]
His pulse quickened. To behold the legendary blade—one half of the twin fate-weapons that shaped the destiny of the martial world—was to see the stories of the Jianghu come alive.
Lady Isolde's eyes widened. For the first time in years, her smile faded.
"The Heaven Reliant Sword…" she whispered. "So it lies in Emei's grasp."
The abbess held it reverently, not even drawing it from its scabbard as she leveled it forward.
"With this, what need have I for broken toys like yours?"
She thrust. Even sheathed, the weapon cleaved the air with an edge invisible yet palpable. Lady Isolde raised her coral staff to block—
A clear, terrible sound. Crack!
The golden staff splintered in half.
Even Lady Isolde, seasoned with decades of unfathomable combat, blinked in genuine shock.
She steadied her breathing, muttering:
"To cut coral-gold without the blade even drawn… worthy of its verse indeed. 'When Heaven Reliant appears, who can contend?'"
The abbess sneered, voice sharp as the sword she wielded.
"Shall I unsheathe it then? But beware—when the Heaven Reliant Sword leaves its scabbard, it must taste blood."
The valley held its breath.
Lady Isolde's fingers twitched at her sleeves. She knew her strength matched the abbess's—yet with this sword in hand, her rival's advantage was undeniable.
But Liam Ardent only smiled faintly. His calm voice drifted like the wind.
"If it must drink blood… then why not lend it first to my hand? I would like to see how Heaven Reliant sings."
The challenge cracked across the silence.
And the valley trembled in anticipation.
Glossary – Chapter 19
Mother Clarisse Hale – Abbess of the Emei Sect. Stern, ruthless, wielder of the Heaven Reliant Sword. Known in original HSDS as Miejue Shitai.
Saxa Quinn– Emei Sect disciple (HSDS: Ding Minjun). Skilled in swordplay but brash and often jealous.
Viola Grace – Emei Sect disciple (HSDS: Bei Jinyi). Junior to Saxa.
Lady Isolde Serpentis (Lady Serpentis / Grandmother Goldenflower) – Purple-Robed Dragon King of the Ming Cult, mistress of Spirit Snake Island. Cunning and proud, secretly indebted to Liam for healing her cold poison.
Coral Staff – Golden-tier weapon forged from rare seabed coral-gold. Extremely dense, capable of shattering steel. Broken by the Heaven Reliant Sword.
Heaven Reliant Sword – One of the legendary sovereign weapons. Forged of celestial blacksteel, supreme among swords. Even when sheathed, its aura can sever golden weapons. Known in HSDS as "Yi Tian Jian."
Emei Swordplay – Signature style of the Emei Sect. Elegant, venomous, sharp in both form and intent.
Eagle-Serpent Life-and-Death Grapple – Huashan Sect's secret technique. Combines the ferocity of an eagle's strike with the deceptive coil of a serpent.
This story is inspired from various Wuxia novels ,so if you find any similarities please dont mind . and if you think this is boring wait till the Dual cultivation starts ,Thank you .
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