Qinghe seemed to no longer recognize the Sect Master.

His eyes could no longer see anyone.

After devouring the Sect Master, Qinghe continued forward without pause, appearing outside the window in the blink of an eye.

His entire body surged with a murderous aura, blood stains covering him everywhere. Behind him, black qi gathered into a sword. Within the sword’s shadow, one could still see the soul phantoms of slain cultivators. Su Zhuyi even seemed to glimpse, struggling within the writhing black qi, the Sect Master’s figure, and some fellow disciples she had once encountered…

Without realizing it, tears had already formed in her eyes.

The Longquan Sword’s slaughter of living beings would not directly annihilate their souls. When it was originally forged, the swordsmith had relatives throw themselves into the furnace to consecrate the sword. So after its completion, it harvested sacrificial offerings in the same manner, collecting souls into the sword to generate resentment, finally merging with the existing grudges within the Longquan Sword as one inseparable entity that continuously grew stronger. Those newly absorbed souls did not disappear immediately, yet they were no longer the people they once were.

Looking at the fierce black shadows on Qinghe’s body, Su Zhuyi’s heart pounded violently. Her heart seemed ready to leap from her chest. The wind outside, the thunderstorm, and the Gujian Sect’s bell sounds all became barely audible. Only her heartbeat resounded thunderously, as if her blood vessels and heart would explode at any moment.

The aura of resentful malice alone seemed ready to devour people. She was afraid, she was terrified, yet in that instant, Su Zhuyi understood—what she feared was not death.

She had once feared death above all else, stopping at nothing to survive. But now, what she feared was that fate could not be reversed, that Luo Ying and Qinghe would walk the same path as before.

She was afraid, so afraid her heart felt tight, and the hand gripping her sword trembled faintly.

The sky grew darker and darker. Rolling storm clouds blocked out all light. Su Zhuyi had never seen Luoxue Peak so dark before. Even at night, Luoxue Peak had light, yet now, even the accumulated snow seemed covered by a gray veil, everything outside the window a misty gray expanse.

The humanoid black qi that was Qinghe stood by the window. He had stopped outside, just like many times before, standing outside the window gazing at the scene within the room. Only back then the window had actually been closed, and Luo Ying had mostly been asleep.

Su Zhuyi could not see Qinghe’s expression through the black qi, but she knew Qinghe must be suffering and struggling now. He wanted to regain control of his body, he wanted to suppress the Longquan Sword.

Su Zhuyi continuously channeled spiritual energy into the Broken Sword. Azure sword light illuminated the area around Su Zhuyi with a dim glow. She poured spiritual energy into the Broken Sword without cease, beads of sweat already forming on her forehead.

Who in this world could stand against the Longquan Sword?

The Sect Master could not. Luo Ying could not. The Little Skull of the past could only suppress it slightly, and while the current Little Skull might be somewhat more formidable, he was not by her side! Even Qin Jianglan at his strongest probably could not. The only one who could suppress the Longquan Sword was Qinghe himself. In the previous life, hadn’t Qinghe also chosen to disappear from heaven and earth together with the Longquan Sword, rather than continue the slaughter?

Su Zhuyi could only hope now that Qinghe could still recover his sanity and suppress that wicked sword.

“Qinghe, Master is in great pain.” Su Zhuyi turned slightly sideways, bearing the oppressive force of that murderous aura, barely managing to squeeze out a whisper.

By all logic, Su Zhuyi was now directly facing the Longquan Sword’s evil qi. She had a bloodthirsty nature—she should be easily susceptible to losing her sanity now. But Su Zhuyi gripped the Broken Sword with clear, bright eyes. She felt no murderous intent surging within her heart. She only wanted to protect.

To protect Luo Ying behind her.

Even to protect Qinghe, who was controlled by the Longquan Sword.

Suddenly, a muffled thunder crashed, and golden lightning descended from the sky, as if tearing the sky’s curtain apart. What did this represent? Was Heaven’s Will saying that no matter how one struggled, this fate could not be changed?

Her hand gripped the Broken Sword’s hilt tightly, her knuckles already white.

Just then, the black shadow outside the window moved.

With a thunderous crash, the wooden cabin’s doors and windows collapsed entirely. Wild wind rushed in, carrying a dense, bloody stench that made Su Zhuyi unable to open her eyes. The shattered flower vase on the floor was ground to powder by the fierce wind in the blink of an eye, while that plum blossom branch had long since vanished without a trace.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Qinghe walking in with stiff steps, treading upon the fallen door.

Behind him, black qi gathered into a sword once more. That sword directly lifted the roof, splitting it in half before continuing without pause, slashing toward Su Zhuyi’s direction.

Su Zhuyi drew her sword. Ink-azure sword light struck toward the giant sword formed of condensed black qi. The moment it clashed with the black qi, countless wails crashed violently into her mind. Su Zhuyi felt as if countless hands were dragging her down, countless mouths gnawing at her body and soul. She seemed to have fallen into hell itself, being devoured by evil spirits.

The vengeful souls of those slain by the Longquan Sword had entangled her, trying to drag her into the Longquan evil sword as well!

With a flip of her wrist, the Broken Sword spun in her hand. Ink-azure sword light pushed back the surrounding black qi slightly, but in the blink of an eye, it surged forward again. The sword light was like a candle flame in the wind, seeming ready to be extinguished at any moment.

The Songfeng Sword qi within the Zhuxin Curse appeared once more. It was precisely that sword qi that split open a crack in the black qi. But the next moment, the Songfeng Sword qi was also devoured. The Longquan Sword gave a long whistle, like ten thousand people crying in unison. That sound alone formed a wave, radiating outward in circles with the Longquan Sword as center, as if affecting everything within a hundred li radius. Su Zhuyi, who faced it directly, could not escape. The tremendous force sent her flying directly.

With a tremendous crash, Su Zhuyi was flung against the bedside. Her head struck the bed frame heavily, immediately splitting and bleeding. Her injuries had not recovered to begin with—she had only rested for less than an hour after taking the pill Master had given her. Now, injury was added to injury, making even standing somewhat difficult.

Struggling to stand by supporting herself on the bed’s edge, Su Zhuyi felt warmth in her palm. She turned her head and saw that Master’s arm was bleeding so profusely it seemed to dye the entire bed red. She lay quietly in the pool of blood, lying there soundlessly. The pained expression had vanished from her face. Her left hand rested on her heart, gently placed upon the Heart Sword Stone at her chest.

Master…

“Qinghe, wake up!”

Su Zhuyi gripped the Broken Sword with both hands, directly swinging the sword to slash at that surging black qi. “Master can’t hold on much longer!”

The black qi transformed into a hand, directly seizing Su Zhuyi and crushing her tightly, as if to shatter her completely. She held her sword horizontally before her, the faint sword light desperately resisting the erosion of the black qi. Once the sword light was completely devoured, Su Zhuyi would become like the Sect Master, submerged by black qi, becoming a vengeful soul within the Longquan Sword.

Qinghe walked to the bedside. He stood quietly before Luo Ying’s bed.

The resentful qi on his body hissed and roared. Black qi surged downward, spreading toward Luo Ying bit by bit. That frail body was gradually submerged in the black qi…

This was his sacrificial offering.

A willing sacrificial offering…

Just as the black qi covered the Heart Sword Stone, the Heart Sword Stone suddenly emitted a brilliant radiance. Then, a sword light surged forth from within the Heart Sword Stone, directly splitting apart the black qi. Su Zhuyi was first startled, then understood what the sword qi within was.

Just like the Songfeng Sword qi that Qin Jianglan had left within the Zhuxin Curse, within this Heart Sword Stone were also sword intent and sword qi left by the successive generations of Luoxue Peak inheritors.

Brilliant sword intent surged forth from the Heart Sword Stone one after another. For some reason, Su Zhuyi seemed to see faint human figures as well. When she had become Luo Ying’s disciple, Qinghe had also taken her to see the successive generations of Luoxue Peak inheritors, to pay respects to those memorial tablets. But at the time, she had not been attentive, casually glancing over them. Qinghe had also paid them no mind, because his eyes held only Luo Ying. He disdained all other predecessors of Luoxue Peak, and even harbored deep resentment toward that grandmaster who had made Luo Ying sacrifice her heart.

Luo Ying’s room contained a portrait of that grand-master. Su Zhuyi’s gaze was unfocused—she was tightly bound by black qi, her hands growing weak, nearly unable to grip the Broken Sword.

But she saw that stunning sword light, saw within the sword light her grand-master’s countenance.

Those sword lights surged forth from the Heart Sword Stone one after another. The sword intent was like shooting stars and lightning, like frost and snow filling the sky, tearing through the darkness and splitting apart the resentful qi. It caused the ancient sword to shake violently, and Luoxue Peak itself seemed to experience an avalanche. Su Zhuyi seemed to hear other voices—had the sword qi surging from the Heart Sword Stone also broken open Luoxue Peak’s seal?

Her divine consciousness was weak; she could not see what was happening in the distance, whether disciples were gripping swords and rushing up Luoxue Peak.

Even if they came, it would be useless, she thought. They must not come.

Ice and snow filled the sky, striking the Longquan Sword, but only managed to scratch the sword formed of condensed resentful malice. It still could not harm the Longquan Sword’s essence. That evil sword still stood there, completely unmoved.

But Su Zhuyi felt the pressure on her body lessen somewhat. The Longquan Sword’s resentful qi was also its power source. It seemed that when the resentful qi was injured, it would still be somewhat affected. Seeing the Heart Sword Stone gradually dimming, the sword qi within seemingly about to be exhausted, Su Zhuyi grew anxious. She directly bit her tongue tip, spitting out a mouthful of tongue-tip blood, then forced herself to concentrate, using tongue-tip blood to draw talismans, channeling the power of heaven and earth to enhance her cultivation.

The same Burning Lifespan Talisman as the Sect Master had used.

“Burn five hundred years of lifespan, seek vast righteous qi, slay demons and evil in all directions!” This spell traded lifespan and potential for temporarily increased cultivation realm and greatly enhanced soul power—essentially a technique that overdrafted one’s life force. In the Righteous Path, it was called “Jade Blood Azure Sky,” while in the Demonic Path, it was called “Blood Sacrifice.” The spell’s effects were similar, but the incantations used when casting differed.

Su Zhuyi had never imagined she would have a day of burning lifespan to slay evil.

She had not thought so much about it at all—she seemed to act instinctively, because in her current extremely weakened state, she could not even grip her sword properly. Only through this method of overdrafting her life force could she have the strength to fight.

She was still young. She still had a long lifespan ahead.

The sky overhead seemed pierced by a hole, and a ray of sunlight descended from heaven, falling upon Su Zhuyi and her sword. The Broken Sword’s azure radiance blazed brilliantly. She gripped the Broken Sword and split apart the black qi’s restraints, then, with her body as sword, threw herself together with her sword toward Qinghe!

In that instant, the Broken Sword’s azure radiance seemed to grow longer by several degrees, lacking only a bit of sword tip.

The azure sword radiance merged completely with Su Zhuyi as she plunged headlong into the black qi.

She seemed to become a sword herself.

The moment she collided with the Longquan Sword, her body felt excruciating pain, as if the sword had been snapped in half.

Still lacking just a bit.

The Broken Sword had not yet been reborn. She still could not suppress the Longquan…

In the instant she pierced through those countless wailing, resentful qi, Su Zhuyi’s entire body burned with agony. Her voice hoarse, she called out softly, “Senior Brother.”

The Broken Sword in her hand fell. Su Zhuyi collapsed to the ground. She lay on her back, feeling as if her body had been broken in two.

Thunder rolled.

Rain poured down torrentially.

Never had she imagined that the ending of her second life would be like this.

Qin Jianglan… Su Zhuyi wanted to say something to Qin Jianglan, yet her divine consciousness could barely gather. Just then, she heard the frantic barking of a dog.

“Woof woof woof!”

It was the same torrential rain, the same snarling large dog. Yet this dog, though so frightened its tail was tucked between its legs, still stood before her, barking madly at that mass of black shadow.

It charged toward Qinghe.

It whimpered as it fell, scalding blood splashing onto Su Zhuyi’s eyes.

She had hated dogs for two lifetimes.

Now, blood and tears mingled together.

“Xiaoxiao…”