The Great Sui Dynasty, Sea Shark Palace.
"What an Iceheart Pill! What a Seven-String Zither of the Seven Perfections!"
The man in a blue robe, his expression shadowed and severe, his presence immense—Helian Ba—suddenly clenched his fists. The sharp cracking of bones echoed in the hall.
In his mind rose the image of that beautiful yet cold-eyed woman from years past. To his own surprise, a trace of fear stirred in his heart.
Damn it! Damn it all!
The Golden Ranking's reward turned out to be the Iceheart Pill—something that could temporarily strip her of all emotion.
At this moment, Helian Ba truly felt an overwhelming sense of dread.
"The power of the Seven-String Zither of the Seven Perfections is terrifying enough.If that nun, Master Dixin, reaches its final level, this old man might really be slain by her hand."
He took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Now, I must strike first!Otherwise… I may be forced to abandon the foundation I've built here at Sea Shark Palace and flee into hiding."
His gaze grew deep and his tone weighty.
Originally, that nun—Master Dixin—was shackled by her own heart's demons, and could never cultivate The Sevenfold Soul-Dissolving Melody to its highest tier.
But now, with the Iceheart Pill, she could very well become an opponent even Helian Ba feared seven parts out of ten.
"This woman… cannot be left alive."
"In the past, for the sake of old feelings, I spared her life.But now—I can no longer afford such softness!"
Helian Ba's eyes flashed with killing intent, his voice sharp as steel.
Supreme Alliance.
Clad in a golden dragon-embroidered robe, Guan Yutian stood before the skyborne Golden Ranking. His eyes, majestic and cold, glinted as a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Helian Ba is about to face a terrifying opponent."
Ren Qianxing frowned slightly, unable to grasp his meaning.
"Master, what do you mean by that?"
Guan Yutian gave a faint snort before replying leisurely,
"In his younger years, Helian Ba once had an affair with that nun, Master Dixin of the Dixin Sect.But for the sake of his own ambitions, he abandoned her, leaving behind bitter enmity.She's hated him ever since—would tear him apart if given the chance."
"Now that she's obtained the Iceheart Pill from the Golden Ranking, it won't be long before she masters the seventh and final perfection of The Sevenfold Soul-Dissolving Melody.When that happens… Helian Ba will be utterly finished."
"Still, knowing him as I do, he'll definitely strike first—cut her down before she reaches the final stage, and eliminate the threat entirely."
Ren Qianxing nodded thoughtfully, a cold smile curving his lips.
"So it seems the Sea Shark Palace stands on the brink of destruction.In that case, I should congratulate Master—you may soon reap the fisherman's profit."
Guan Yutian chuckled softly, his voice calm and confident.
"Helian Ba's Demonic Shadow Clone Technique is among the finest lightness skills under heaven.Even against Master Dixin at full mastery, he might yet find a sliver of life.
Don't draw conclusions too soon.
Right now, the Ling Shuang Sword is about to be born.Once I obtain that sword—not even Xiongba of the World Society would be my match."
Ren Qianxing frowned slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Master, is that sword the one forged by Sword-Forging City—the Ling Shuang Sword everyone speaks of?Is it truly that powerful?"
Inwardly, Ren Qianxing still harbored some doubt.
After all, Xiongba—the lord of the World Society—was already a master who had stepped into the Heaven-Man Realm.
Could a single sword's edge truly grant his master the strength to cross realms and battle such a man?
Guan Yutian didn't answer directly. Instead, his gaze turned meaningful.
"Do you know of the Xuanyuan Sword wielded by Yuwen Tuo?"
Ren Qianxing blinked, then nodded.
"Who in the world hasn't heard of it?It's precisely because of Yuwen Tuo that, despite Emperor Yang Guang's ruinous rule, the Great Sui still holds a fragile peace.No one dares make a move, fearing the gaze of that man known as the Invincible Grand Preceptor."
Even as he spoke, awe colored his eyes.
Guan Yutian nodded faintly.
"Exactly. Though Yuwen Tuo's strength alone is extraordinary, what truly makes him invincible is the Xuanyuan Sword in his hand.
The Ling Shuang Sword—its sharpness is said to be the closest in all the world to that of the Xuanyuan Sword itself.
Tell me then—if I were to obtain such a divine weapon, would the Supreme Alliance's unification of the martial world still be far away?"
These words sent a tremor through Ren Qianxing's very soul.
He could hardly believe that the sword forged by Sword-Forging City possessed such might.
But then again—it had taken three generations of swordsmiths, channeling the flames of the earth's molten core, sacrificing countless rare treasures, and tempering them for decades to create the Ling Shuang Sword.
No wonder!
Ren Qianxing's doubts vanished completely.
Guan Yutian saw his disciple's reaction and allowed himself a faint smile. His eyes remained calm, unreadable.
Who could possibly guess his other identity?
The world saw only a fraction of his strength.
If he were to unleash his full cultivation—though still a step beneath Xiongba—once he wielded the Ling Shuang Sword, he could indeed slay him.
Among all the forces in the Great Sui's martial world, the World Society was the one he feared most.
"I wonder, Xiongba—how long your Threefold Guiyuan Qi can withstand the edge of the Ling Shuang Sword?"
A faint, icy gleam flashed across Guan Yutian's eyes as his lips curved into a cold smile.
Dixin Sect.
This place was like a paradise beyond the mortal world—serene and beautiful.
Blue stone paths and green-tiled roofs wove through misty mountains.
A quiet bamboo grove whispered beside a murmuring brook, and elegant pavilions stretched for miles around.
As a reclusive sect, Dixin's disciples were few.
Aside from a handful of attendants, each generation had no more than a master and disciple—rarely exceeding ten in total.
At this moment—
Master Dixin gazed at the ten icy pills resting in her palm. The cold light reflected in her eyes, and her frosty beauty softened for a fleeting moment.
"To think that even with the power of the Seven-String Zither of the Seven Perfections, it ranks only forty-fifth on the Divine Weapon List…"
"Still—with this Golden Ranking reward, my divine art shall reach completion."
"Helian Ba! Once I perfect the final level of The Sevenfold Soul-Dissolving Melody, that will be the day of your death!"
A faint smile tugged at her lips as she vanished in an instant, her robes fluttering like snow.
She was heading for a truly secret place—to go into seclusion and cultivate.
Just in case Helian Ba, cornered and desperate, struck first.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking continued to shift—
[Divine Weapon Ranking No. 44 — Po Jun (Armybreaker)]
[Wielder: Yan Zhantian, the Wrathful Sword Immortal]
[Description: This sword is immensely thick and heavy, weighing several hundred catties. Its aura alone can suppress ten thousand troops, fierce and domineering beyond compare.]
[Only those of innate divine strength may wield it—a king's sword without peer.]
[Forged from meteoric iron beyond the heavens, unyielding as the firmament. A single slash can cleave mountains and rend seas.]
[Reward: Esoteric Secret Art — Dragon Elephant Prajna Power, first eleven layers]
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