Mu Zizhe manipulated the puppet strings in his hands. The five puppets—one wielding a sword, one a blade, one a spear, one a judge’s brush, and one a silver hook—surrounded Xie Ba and Xie Qidao.

“The Death-Strike Five Formation,” Xie Qidao examined the five figures carefully. “These people are…”

“Su Clan’s Su Juexing and Su Kuishou, Xie Clan’s Xie Luoze, Xie Fei, and Xie Kai—the original Death-Strike Five Elements, directly under the Grand Elder’s command, existences that surpassed even the Spider Shadow Zodiac Twelve,” Xie Ba frowned. “They should all have died in the Heaven’s Fire incident.”

Xie Qidao looked at Mu Zizhe: “People say you’re mad, and it seems the rumors are true. You not only recovered their corpses but turned them into puppets?”

“Though the people are dead, their muscles still retain memory. If I were to control ordinary puppets, this Death-Strike Formation would have only the form, without the true killing intent,” Mu Zizhe said gravely.

Xie Ba sniffed: “These people have been dead for years, shouldn’t they be nothing but bones by now? What disgusting method did you use?”

“After you die, you too can become my puppet.” Mu Zizhe planted the Sleeping Dragon Sword on the ground and raised both hands to manipulate the puppet strings. The five puppets simultaneously swung their weapons at Xie Ba and Xie Qidao.

“Life Gate Rise!” Xie Ba swung his blade.

“Death Gate Close!” Xie Qidao followed immediately with his swing.

Two overwhelmingly powerful blade energies spread out, blocking all the puppets’ attacks.

“What’s there to fear about puppet killing techniques? No matter how strong the puppet, it’s still controlled by just two hands.” Xie Ba leaped up, and Xie Qidao immediately understood, holding his blade horizontally. Xie Ba’s toes lightly stepped on Xie Qidao’s blade before jumping into the air, flipping, and thrusting toward Mu Zizhe. Their coordination proved why they were once the Dark River’s most fearsome blade duo.

Mu Zizhe frowned slightly, his ten fingers trembling rapidly. The five puppets immediately turned back to block Xie Ba, but Xie Qidao suddenly swung his blade, single-handedly forcing all five puppets back. Mu Zizhe hadn’t expected his Death-Strike Formation to fail to hold them even for a moment. Seeing Xie Ba’s blade coming down, he had no choice but to release the puppet strings and pull the Sleeping Dragon Sword from the ground, swinging it skyward.

Several crisp metallic clashes rang out.

Mu Zizhe and Xie Ba had exchanged five moves in an instant.

On the other side, without Mu Zizhe’s puppet strings controlling them, the five puppets instantly lost their support and collapsed to the ground. Xie Qidao withdrew his blade, watching the two men in the distance.

Xie Ba, confident in his victory, launched lethal strikes with every move: “So this is your Mu Clan swordsmanship? Why do you only dodge like a coward? Where’s your killing intent?”

Mu Zizhe wielded the Sleeping Dragon Sword silently, retreating as he fought, just as Xie Ba said. He truly wasn’t skilled in swordsmanship, and his strongest techniques—the Butterfly Dance secret art and puppet killing techniques—had been broken by Xie Ba and Xie Qidao. His only chance now was to kill Xie Ba instantly before Xie Qidao could come to his aid! With this thought, Mu Zizhe deliberately exposed an opening, allowing Xie Ba’s blade to pierce his left shoulder before falling to the ground.

Xie Ba delighted at his success, brought his blade down, but just as it reached Mu Zizhe’s brow, he suddenly stopped, his expression becoming extremely strange as he looked down.

A wooden hand had extended from Mu Zizhe’s waist, holding a short blade against Xie Ba’s chest.

“So this is the Mu Clan’s Thousand Mechanism Hand?” Xie Ba sneered. “Nothing but heterodox techniques.”

Mu Zizhe narrowed his eyes slightly: “Want to test which is faster—your blade or my heterodox technique?”

“Perhaps we’re equally fast, but unfortunately for you, I have another blade.” Xie Ba glanced back, seeing Xie Qidao slowly walking over, and smiled, certain of victory.

But Xie Ba’s smile quickly froze on his face.

Because a blade had just pierced through his chest.

The one holding the blade was Xie Qidao, who had struck without hesitation.

“I was never your blade.”

“Why?” Xie Ba’s eyes widened as he coughed up blood.

Xie Qidao withdrew his blade, stepping back three paces: “You said before that the Xie Clan position should have been mine.”

Xie Ba turned around, trying to raise his blade but lacking the strength. The blade fell to the ground, and he collapsed: “I said if I became Grand Elder, I would give you the position of Clan Head.”

“I never cared about that position. I had planned to give it to you back then.” Xie Qidao bent down, speaking slowly, “But you didn’t trust me. You married Junior Sister and forced Master to give you the Clan Head position.”

“You resent me for marrying Wan’er,” Xie Ba said with difficulty.

“Wan’er could marry whoever she wanted, as long as she was happy. What pained me was that she was unhappy all those years, and her death was suspicious.” Xie Qidao’s gaze turned cold as he looked at Xie Ba. “All these years, you still called me brother, but you didn’t know that every day when I practiced my blade strikes, you were my imagined target.”

“You!” Xie Ba roared in anger.

“Die!” Xie Qidao swung his blade, sending Xie Ba’s head flying.

Nearby, Mu Zizhe took this opportunity to withdraw the Sleeping Dragon Sword and retreat to the five puppets’ side. He sneered: “If I were Xie Ba, I wouldn’t have spared your life back then.”

Xie Qidao wiped the blood from his blade: “He was a foolish man. He thought that after everything he’d done, giving me the Clan Head position now would settle all accounts. With his abilities, dreaming of becoming Grand Elder was nothing but a fool’s fantasy.”

“But your ability to endure for so many years makes you a formidable opponent,” Mu Zizhe replied.

Xie Qidao turned around: “I won’t fight you. I’m taking those Xie Clan disciples at the entrance with me.”

“You’re not interested in the Grand Elder position?” Mu Zizhe glanced at the Sleeping Dragon Sword in his hand.

“I fear the cold. That position is too high up,” Xie Qidao pushed open the door and walked back into the courtyard.

Mu Clan and Xie Clan’s disciples were still locked in battle, with many bodies already lying on the ground. Xie Qidao raised his blade and brought it down forcefully, carving a deep trench between the two groups. Everyone stopped fighting and turned to look at him.

Xie Qidao announced loudly: “Xie Ba is dead. From now on, I, Xie Qidao, will lead the Xie Clan. If anyone objects, step forward and face me in combat.”

The Xie Clan members looked at each other, all well aware of Xie Qidao’s strength. No one dared to respond.

“If there are no objections, follow me and leave this place. The struggle for Grand Elder no longer concerns the Xie Clan.” Xie Qidao walked out. At the main gate, still covered in thick fog, he turned his head slightly toward Mu Zizhe inside the house.

Mu Zizhe raised his hand lightly: “Disperse the formation.”