When she had brought down the cleaver earlier, Xiang Haikui had been as decisive as a butcher.

Now, holding the needle, her hand trembled slightly.

The little monk beside her asked: “Does the benefactor need assistance?”

Xiang Haikui: “I’ll do it myself.”

Having grown up in an orphanage, her needlework was not bad. She took a deep breath, chose a spot, and pushed the needle in.

The little black snake showed no reaction.

Relieved, she continued stitching one stitch at a time.

With each stitch, she silently recited a mantra taught by Master Dao Chen.

Halfway through, the Sanskrit inscriptions on the needle suddenly emitted a golden light. The characters flew off the needle, spinning in circles around the snake’s wound.

How miraculous.

Xiang Haikui paused briefly in amazement, then continued stitching.

Each stitch became more difficult than the last, with large beads of sweat continuously forming on her forehead.

Using hair as thread was draining her essence, energy, and spirit.

Though Dao Chen hadn’t explained why, Xiang Haikui made some wild guesses. Daoist tradition spoke of the “Three Flowers Gathered at the Crown” theory, which suggested that one’s essence, energy, and spirit all converged at the top of the head.

There was also a folk saying that the body contained three sources of yang fire, one of which was located at the crown of the head.

In any case, the hair at the top of the head contained vitality and yang energy.

When a person’s essence, energy, and spirit were excessively depleted, they would easily become bald.

“Phew…” After finishing, she let out a long breath.

She gently nudged the snake’s body, now surrounded by golden mantras, carefully examining her work. Not bad—at least all the patterns aligned properly.

Black hair on a black snake, like a same-colored embroidered waistband, didn’t look out of place at all.

Half an hour later.

Dao Chen: How is the situation?

Xiang Haikui: Um, it’s not moving at all.

Dao Chen: It seems to be severely injured.

Xiang Haikui: …

Dao Chen: Benefactor, do not blame yourself. The severing is probably not its fatal wound; its original injuries must have been too severe.

Just as Xiang Haikui was about to speak, she heard the little monk exclaim joyfully: “It moved!”

Xiang Haikui quickly withdrew from the jade tablet. Indeed, the little black snake in the jar had curled its body a few times.

The snake’s head lifted slightly, as if trying to discern something.

Snap!

Feeling guilty, Xiang Haikui quickly slammed the lid back on.

Amitabha Buddha was said to have poor eyesight. Hopefully, it never saw what she looked like.

Xiang Haikui stood up, secured her sword case on her back, borrowed a mesh bag to hold the jar, hung it on the leather shoulder strap of her sword case, and set off to find Dao Chen beyond the border.

In Yin Sha City, separated by a desk, Xiang Tianqing was arguing with Meng Xilou: “I understand you’re considering my father’s interests, but since you can keep an eye on Lu Xiqiao, why would you sacrifice our people instead?”

“Big Senior Brother, if you continue to act so unscrupulously, I’ll tell my father and have him discipline you!”

“Now send someone to find Lu Xiqiao and bring him back. If nothing happens to him, the Lu family won’t trouble my father!”

Her puffed-up, angry appearance resembled a small cat showing its claws and teeth, which Meng Xilou found amusing. He didn’t argue back at all, slowly nodding: “Mm, I was confused for a moment. I’ll send Wu Mian to capture Lu Xiqiao right away.”

“That’s more like it. Don’t do this again, alright?” Xiang Tianqing glared at him with her hands on her waist.

Meng Xilou agreed to all her demands, and though his face remained cold and solemn, the tenderness in his eyes was unmistakable.

Seeing how Xiang Heng had taught her a bunch of useless principles, he never bothered to correct them.

She could grow naturally according to her nature; he would take care of everything else.

Xiang Tianqing waited at the door until she saw Third Senior Brother Wu Mian leave to find Lu Xiqiao. Only then did she feel at ease. Remembering the little black snake, she hurried out of the city.

Arriving at the Buddhist cave, she heard from the little monk that Xiang Haikui had already left for the border. Immediately, various thoughts flooded her mind.

Xiang Haikui had just begun the path of cultivation, hadn’t even reached a ranked level yet, but dared to venture alone beyond the border—was it really for a snake demon she had cut in half with her own hands?

She and Lu Xiqiao had arrived in Yin Sha on the same flying boat, so they might know each other and be acquainted.

Was she going beyond the border to persuade Lu Xiqiao to return?

That would help her father resolve a major problem.

With this thought, Xiang Tianqing became uneasy, lingering at the entrance of the Buddhist cave for a while before setting off beyond the border herself.

Before leaving the border, Xiang Haikui first purchased a camel beast.

The camel beast was the most commonly used mount in the Yin Sha region. It looked like a camel but could move at a remarkable speed.

Under the fierce midday sun, with a blue gauze scarf wrapping her entire head, Xiang Haikui exposed only her large eyes, yet her skin still felt painfully dry from the heat.

She took out a bamboo tube from her storage ring, drank a few sips of spirit spring water, and as she was putting it back, remembered the little black snake. She opened the jar, pinched the snake’s mouth, and poured in a couple of sips.

As she was about to put it away, the little black snake suddenly extended its tongue and licked the tiger’s crease of her hand where there was some water residue.

Xiang Haikui quickly placed the bamboo tube near its mouth again.

Probably parched from being pickled for too long, the entire snake head plunged into the bamboo tube, gulping down water with audible sounds.

“Leave some for me, Great Snake Master.” Xiang Haikui smacked her lips.

Don’t ask why cultivators still feared desert environments. Here, a single grain of sand weighed as much as a handful of Earth’s sand, painful when it hit your face.

The sun was even more vicious, capable of drying a person into jerky in just two days.

Then there were various storms, sand beasts, and rock monsters.

For instance, right now, many sand monkeys were circling beneath her feet.

Sand monkeys had little magical power but loved to play pranks. They constantly moved through the sand layers and would suddenly reach out from the sand to grab the legs of passing camel beasts, flipping them over.

However, now the camel beasts’ ankles were equipped with numerous spikes, like punk-style studded hand guards. The sand monkeys, fearing being pierced, no longer dared to easily attack.

All these were not the greatest threats in Yin Sha.

The truly terrifying enemy was the Dual-Form Demon Tribe.

Near Yumen Pass in China, there was a Devil’s City, and outside Yin Sha City, there was also a Devil’s City, inhabited by a group of shape-shifting dual-form demons.

They normally appeared in human form, possessing extraordinary strength and robust physiques.

During battle, they could transform on the spot, like werewolves during a full moon, taking on the appearance of demonic beasts with their power multiplied several times.

When Xiang Haikui first heard about this, she was chilled to the bone. But after cultivating Tian Kuang, she realized that she, too, could transform into a flood dragon during her berserker state, so it didn’t seem so strange anymore.

She suspected that the Sword Sect ancestor who forged Tian Kuang might have drawn inspiration from these dual-form demons.

Fortunately, as she was nearing her destination, she hadn’t encountered any major creatures.

Just as she finished this relieved thought, her heart skipped a beat.

Good heavens, she spotted Lu Xiqiao again!

This reckless troublemaker stood motionless on a dune, likely having encountered some trouble.

Just as Xiang Haikui was wondering whether to check on him and knock him unconscious to bring him back, thus saving her father some worry, Lu Xiqiao spotted her first and shouted excitedly like a man finding water after a long drought: “Miss! Miss!”

Xiang Haikui guided her camel beast to walk over.

“Miss, please help me!” Lu Xiqiao didn’t recognize her, and in his current state, he couldn’t release his spiritual sense to gauge Xiang Haikui’s cultivation level.

But since she carried a sword case and dared to come to the border region alone, she must be no ordinary person.

Xiang Haikui examined the area beneath his feet, not daring to approach carelessly: “What happened to you, young master?”

Lu Xiqiao: “I don’t know! When I walked into this area, my camel beast suddenly sank. I fell to the ground, and after standing up, my feet seemed to be stuck in the sand—I can’t move!”

Xiang Haikui frowned. What kind of strange creature was this? She hadn’t heard of such a thing.

“Miss, my name is Lu Xiqiao, a direct descendant of the Lu family from the capital. Do you know the Lu family? The entire Central Plains Merchant Association has one-third of its resources in my family’s hands. If you save me, you can name your price.” Lu Xiqiao thumped his chest with exceptional confidence.

Xiang Haikui tossed a spirit bead toward him. Sure enough, as soon as it entered Lu Xiqiao’s area, it was instantly pulled down as if attracted by a magnet, immediately falling to the ground.

Whatever monster it was, it couldn’t be too powerful, since Tian Kuang showed no reaction—it wasn’t worthy of the sword’s attention.

“I can save you, but you must promise to leave the border immediately and return to the capital,” she said.

“That’s impossible.” Lu Xiqiao refused. “I came to the border region for an important matter.”

Xiang Haikui: “What do you need to do?”

“I…”

“Tell me the truth, or I won’t save you.”

“Can you save me, miss?”

“Yes.” Xiang Haikui didn’t waste words. With a click, she opened the sword case on her back, drew out Tian Kuang, raised her arm to point it at him, and raised an eyebrow.

That sword…!

“It’s you!” Lu Xiqiao suddenly remembered—she was the one who had kicked him on the flying boat earlier!

He instantly became furious, his chest began to ache again, and he wanted to curse. But she had indeed saved him before, and now he needed to rely on her again.

Lu Xiqiao considered for a moment: “Then you must also promise me that if I tell you, you won’t tell anyone else.”

Xiang Haikui: “I can do that.”

Lu Xiqiao: “Well, it’s like this. Beyond the border, there’s a cave that has sealed inside it a Shen Yao. This Shen Yao is no ordinary creature—it was the ruler of this vast desert in ancient times.”

“A major family in the Central Plains learned of this and hired a formation master who has been secretly investigating here for many years, searching for the location of the seal. They plan to release the Shen Yao to break Xiang Heng’s defenses at the border, eliminate this thorn in their side, and profit from the ensuing chaos along the border during the national crisis.”

Xiang Haikui seriously recalled her dreams and remembered that something like this had indeed happened.

But Shen Yao had been rather unfortunate.

After it escaped, intending to wreak havoc and restore its former glory, her father had coincidentally gone berserk, already slaughtering everyone at the border, leaving nothing behind.

With its thunder stolen, the furious Shen Yao had gone to reason with her father, only to be hammered to death.

From beginning to end, it hadn’t made even the slightest splash.

Xiang Haikui scratched her head: “Is it Meng Xilou?”

Lu Xiqiao waved his hand dismissively: “What would Meng Xilou know about formations! Besides, this information was obtained by my Lu family, and the formation master was hired by my Lu family. My family would never hire someone with the surname Meng.”

Xiang Haikui was stunned: “Your Lu family did this?”

Lu Xiqiao: “Yes!”

Xiang Haikui couldn’t believe it: “You’re lying, right? How could you dare to reveal such a family scandal?”

Lu Xiqiao glared at her: “Do you think I want to tell you? Wasn’t it you who said you would only save me if I told the truth?”

Xiang Haikui: …

“Then what are you doing beyond the border?”

“I also understand formations. I came to reinforce the seal.” Lu Xiqiao flashed his storage bracelet, using his eyes to frantically hint that he had a secret treasure that would succeed in reinforcing the seal. “I advised my father, but he wouldn’t listen and even scolded me as a fool, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and show him my capabilities.”

Xiang Haikui gave him a thumbs-up.

She suddenly found herself wondering why this reckless troublemaker seemed somewhat endearing.

“Close your eyes,” she said.

“Certainly!” He promptly closed them.

Xiang Haikui raised her arm, and the flood dragon coiled around the Tian Kuang sword seemed to come alive, writhing up and down.

A power flowed from her sword-wielding hand, crawling up her arm and spreading throughout her body.

This was her first time using “Berserker Mode,” but since Tian Kuang had just been upgraded, there was too little wild energy, allowing only a mild transformation.

Far from becoming a flood dragon, she didn’t even grow dragon horns on her forehead—only her face gained what looked like smoky makeup.

After flying up from the camel beast’s back, she performed a rolling somersault in mid-air.

When the mysterious sand patch beneath Lu Xiqiao prepared to pull her down, she positioned herself head-downward, using this powerful suction force to thrust the Tian Kuang sword heavily into the sand heap!

Hum…

Hum hum…

The sand surface rippled like ocean waves, rising and falling, followed by a surging force from below, erupting like a volcano, blasting both her and Lu Xiqiao upward.

In her berserker state, Xiang Haikui’s weight was calculated in tons, so she wasn’t blown far before landing.

Lu Xiqiao, however, was sent flying high!

When he fell back down, he was already unconscious, foaming at the mouth.

After the berserker transformation, Xiang Haikui entered a sage-like calm state. Without bothering to investigate what creature might be in the pit, she picked up Lu Xiqiao, tossed him onto the camel, and quickly fled.

…

An hour later, Xiang Haikui spotted earth-colored castles in the distance, standing tall on the vast Gobi Desert—this was the tribe she was looking for.

“Halt!”

Dozens of people appeared on the castle walls, aiming glowing bows and arrows at her.

Xiang Haikui quickly stopped: “I’m from Yin Sha, looking for…”

Before she could finish, a voice interrupted: “Amitabha Buddha, she is here at this poor monk’s invitation.”

The people on the walls immediately lowered their bows and clasped their hands to Xiang Haikui: “So you are the Master’s honored guest. Please forgive our offense. Please enter!”

After entering the castle, Xiang Haikui immediately noticed a “white lotus” standing among a group of burly men.

There were no appropriate words to describe his purity, clarity, and goodness.

Even looking at him for a moment longer felt like defiling him.

Xiang Haikui took a deep breath, stepped forward with her hands pressed together: “Master, I apologize for the trouble.”

Dao Chen first looked at Lu Xiqiao on the camel beast: “This benefactor…”

“Oh, he’s fine.” Being in the sixth rank, he couldn’t be injured from a fall. Xiang Haikui handed the jar in the mesh bag to Dao Chen with both hands. “Master, please look at this first.”

Master Dao Chen accepted it, opened the lid to examine the little black snake, his gaze revealing compassion: “This poor monk will do his best.”

Hearing these words, she realized the situation must be grave, but she still expressed her thanks.

She waited outside as Dao Chen carried the jar into the meditation room.

Sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion with the jar placed before him, Dao Chen looked at the poor creature wearing a “black silk belt” inside, and his lips suddenly curled into an eerie smile: “Yin Changli, so it is you! How the mighty have fallen!”

What a coincidence—the enmity between Dao Chen and Yin Changli ran as deep as the sea.

How to explain this grudge?

Years ago, Dao Chen wasn’t yet a monk. He had gone through countless hardships to find the legendary Yin Changli, who was said to be omnipotent. He was willing to sell everything he possessed to ask Yin Changli to guide him in becoming the world’s strongest sword cultivator.

Yin Changli proposed one condition: that he serve as a slave for a hundred years.

Dao Chen agreed.

He worked tirelessly, diligently serving in all matters.

After a hundred years, Yin Changli gifted him a divine sword, saying it was the strongest sword in the world.

Knowing Yin Changli’s capabilities, Dao Chen was naturally overjoyed and began practicing with it.

To his dismay, he discovered the sword couldn’t harm anyone at all. Not only that, but within the sword realm, there was a water tank.

Each time he saved someone and received their gratitude, the water level in the tank would rise slightly.

This was how he would increase his cultivation.

He went to confront Yin Changli.

Yin Changli sat gracefully on his throne, composed and smiling elegantly, saying: You wanted to learn the world’s strongest sword, and this sword suits you best.

Because this sword is named “Tianren Jian” (Heaven’s Benevolence Sword).

The benevolent are invincible.

If one is invincible, isn’t that the strongest sword under heaven?

Dao Chen was so enraged on the spot that his hair fell out, leaving him bald. What the hell did “the benevolent are invincible” mean?!