Most crucially, Xiang Haikui’s death lacked any dignity.

When it comes to entering the Way, sooner is better than later. As soon as she arrived, her father helped her build her foundation and spent half a year helping her stabilize her realm.

After she adapted to life in the cultivation world, he went into seclusion.

He had previously suffered severe injuries, and now, after multiple expenditures of energy, he needed to seclude himself for a while.

A few days later, Xiang Haikui worked up a smelly sweat while practicing, so she took a flower petal bath in her room. Suddenly, a ghostly figure appeared behind her.

Before she could react, the person viciously grabbed her hair bun and forced her face into the bathwater.

Under the pressure of that hand, her dantian was sealed, preventing her from releasing spiritual power. But she already had a foundation in the Dao, so she struggled for a full ten minutes until blood flowed from her eyes, ears, and nose, turning the entire bathtub red before she drowned—

When Xiang Haikui woke from this nightmare, her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

The terror of suffocation and the despair of death kept pounding her brain.

She couldn’t help but curse: “Damn! Sick pervert!”

But something was strange.

To infiltrate the heavily guarded City Lord’s Mansion with its many formations, to sneak into her room with its special security lock, to evade the guards her father had arranged for her—the culprit must have possessed very high cultivation.

If they wanted to kill her, it would have been as simple as flicking a finger at her forehead.

Why kill her in such an inhumane, torturous way?

“Who did this?!” Xiang Haikui never saw the culprit’s face, which infuriated her!

“As the person involved, you would only see more than I did,” Yin Changli implied that he also didn’t know who it was. “I suspect this matter is related to Xiang Tianqing.”

“W-what?” Xiang Haikui could hardly believe it.

Xiang Tianqing was the biological daughter of the body her father had transmigrated into.

At that time, the original owner was being hunted by demonic cultivators and was fleeing for his life with the newly born Xiang Tianqing. When both were near death, the original owner used his last strength to seal Xiang Tianqing away.

When her father transmigrated into the original owner’s body, the original owner still retained some consciousness and begged her father to take care of Xiang Tianqing.

Being fathers themselves, both having precious daughters, and having occupied someone else’s body, with Xiang Heng’s straightforward and responsible nature, he naturally agreed without hesitation.

He detoxified her, removed the seal, cured her illnesses, and carefully raised Xiang Tianqing to adulthood, never hiding his identity.

As for Xiang Tianqing, though she knew from childhood that her biological father was dead, she still regarded him as her father and insisted on keeping the surname Xiang.

“Why would she kill me?” Xiang Haikui couldn’t think of a reason.

Was she unhappy about sharing her father’s love?

Or afraid Xiang Haikui would take her inheritance?

Seated behind the desk, Yin Changli rested his chin on his hand, his phoenix eyes slightly raised, his gaze never leaving Xiang Haikui’s face, constantly observing the changes in her expression.

He was making his final decision.

But this didn’t prevent him from answering Xiang Haikui’s question: “It wasn’t she who killed you, but the forces behind her. Xiang Tianqing’s background isn’t simple—she’s the daughter of a powerful family from the Upper Realm, who came to the Lower Realm to accumulate experience…”

Upper Realm?

The realm above the cultivation world—that would be the realm of immortals.

Xiang Haikui understood.

Xiang Tianqing was originally a celestial maiden who had descended to undergo her tribulation.

From what Yin Changli was saying, the great families of the heavens liked to send their descendants to transmigrate and reincarnate in the Lower Realm, slaying demons and establishing achievements.

When they returned to the Upper Realm, these accomplishments would become their capital for standing and comparison.

This should have been a good thing.

But at any time, there never lacked those who were keen on taking shortcuts.

Just like the forces behind Xiang Tianqing, who would send servants to the Lower Realm to quietly protect her, and even plan her entire future path.

Without merit, they would artificially create merit.

So, the murderer who drowned her was paving the way for Xiang Tianqing.

The target was—

Her father, Xiang Heng.

The murderer specifically tortured her, making her continually unleash her survival will during suffocation.

In this way, Xiang Heng, who was secluding himself in the city at a distance that wasn’t too far, would be able to sense it.

Seven days into seclusion was precisely when one’s internal energy completed a great cycle. Additionally, when he previously detoxified Xiang Tianqing, he had accumulated demonic poison in his body. Suddenly stopping and breaking seclusion would essentially cause him to go berserk.

Rushing over in a hurry, only to see his daughter’s naked body drowned in a bathtub full of blood, would be another tremendous shock.

This was just her speculation.

Shortly after, the calculating brush touched her forehead again, confirming her deduction.

Her father went mad on the spot.

Unable to find the culprit, he slaughtered half of Yin Sha City, which he had once protected with his life.

Then, one city, another city, yet another city…

No one on the Central Plains continent could stop this madman, so they invited one of the three top Sword Masters of the era.

However, by the time that Sword Master came out of seclusion and arrived, someone had already ended the demon.

It was Xiang Tianqing.

Even if he had gone insane, the daughter he had raised still left an impression and caught him off guard.

Eliminating evil to uphold righteousness, sacrificing personal ties for justice—in an instant, Xiang Tianqing’s reputation soared, and she caught the eye of the Sword Master, who took her as a disciple.

In the future, her path of “merit” would still be long.

But the path for her father and her ended here.

Xiang Haikui stood there for a long while, her mind blank.

No one disturbed her.

When she gradually recovered, she quickly thanked Yin Changli, truly sincere: “Thank you, Senior, for saving my life!”

Yin Changli: “You believe it?”

Xiang Haikui nodded: “I believe.”

Judging from the characters’ behaviors, she could discern that it wasn’t a fabricated illusion, but a truly divined fate.

If Yin Changli hadn’t suddenly intervened, it would most likely have happened.

Yin Changli was slightly surprised that she could accept everything so quickly and adjust her mood so rapidly.

Then he found himself interesting—the reason he had chosen her was because he discovered she had thick skin and often acted unpredictably.

“This makes things easier.” Yin Changli nodded. “Although you have no spirit root, I have a divine sword that can be cultivated without one, named Heaven Fury.”

“Little White.” He gave the Tuntun Shu another look.

The Tuntun Shu made another “poof” sound and spat out a sword from its food pouch.

With a “clang,” Xiang Haikui watched as the “divine sword” that Yin Changli spoke of landed on the ground like a drunkard who had consumed too much alcohol.

It also resembled a fish washed ashore by waves, flopping around on the ground a couple of times.

No matter how Xiang Haikui looked at it, this sword didn’t have any dignity befitting a divine sword.

Moreover, was this even a sword?

Long and unwieldy, it had only a silver-white blade and a jet-black hilt.

A black flood dragon was coiled around the blade, and the hilt was the dragon’s tail.

There was no guard. Setting aside the decent craftsmanship, it looked like a fire poker with a coiled flood dragon.

How could one use this to cut people?

“This Heaven Fury was acquired by me years ago and has been idle for many years. If you can make it awaken today and accept yourself as its master, I will take you to meet a sword arts expert who will initiate you into the way of the sword. Within a hundred days, you will be completely transformed.”

When Yin Changli mentioned that sword arts expert, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I will only do this much. Afterward, you will take the demon-repelling medicine I give you and return to your father’s side. Remember, don’t tell him any of this.”

Xiang Haikui: “I understand.”

Otherwise, out of worry, he wouldn’t succeed in his seclusion.

Yin Changli: “During your father’s seclusion, you must strive to survive, to live until he thoroughly eliminates the demonic poison and emerges…”

People from the Upper Realm couldn’t easily descend to the Lower Realm. They could only divide out an aspect of themselves and attach it to a cultivator in the Lower Realm, greatly limiting their cultivation.

With Xiang Heng’s strength, after removing the demonic poison, the forces behind Xiang Tianqing would find it difficult to move against him and would give up, seeking alternatives.

The information was overwhelming, and Xiang Haikui’s reaction was slow as she needed to process it gradually.

The powerful expert meant to give her a hundred-day intensive training, and then let her confront the murderer who could kill her with one hand?

After pondering, she wanted to ask, could she just hide away after her father entered seclusion?

Probably not, or they might have a second plan!

It was better to face the ever-changing situation with constancy, to confront it head-on!

Even the great Yin believed she could handle it, so why should she doubt herself?

“Senior Yin, I have a question.”

“Ask.”

What Xiang Haikui couldn’t understand was, according to her father’s accounts, this powerful figure wasn’t particularly kind-hearted.

Seeking information from him, obtaining techniques or treasures—all required a transaction.

Without exception.

Suddenly intervening to save her life, gifting a sword, and finding her a teacher for a hundred-day intensive training—wasn’t this too indulgent?

Could it be that he had taken a liking to her father?

Yin Changli noticed her stealing a glance at him and became curious: “Ask?”

Xiang Haikui closed her mouth and shook her head.

Yin Changli’s voice grew a bit colder, though he was still smiling: “Ask.”

His smile made Xiang Haikui’s heart chill.

She realized that the refined-looking Yin often seemed to be smiling, but wasn’t happy—his mouth corners were naturally upturned.

When slightly displeased, his tone, combined with this smiling face, was terrifying.

She could only steel herself and ask: “Why are you helping us? Being so kind doesn’t match your reputation.”

“Just this? Worth all that hesitation?” It hadn’t piqued Yin Changli’s interest. “Because this matter benefits me.”

Xiang Haikui:?

Yin Changli: “I was curious about Xiang Tianqing, so I also calculated her future, and surprisingly, she even wanted to establish a connection with me.”

Xiang Haikui widened her eyes.

Yin Changli tilted his head slightly, his gaze penetrating the roof toward some unknown place: “The Heavenly Dao, without my permission, always tries to pair me with women. How many times now? Each time, it’s the Dao that loses, yet it never learns.”

Xiang Haikui: …

This was an expert who remained single through sheer ability.

Returning his gaze, Yin Changli pointed at the sword on the ground: “Alright, time is short. Go quickly and make Heaven Fury awaken.”

Xiang Haikui hurriedly approached, hunching over, wanting to pick up the corpse-like Heaven Fury.

It was very heavy. Despite using all her strength, the divine sword didn’t budge an inch.

The Tuntun Shu spat out a glove.

Without questioning, Xiang Haikui immediately picked it up and put it on. Sure enough, she could easily lift the Heaven Fury sword.

Yin Changli: “Go now?”

Xiang Haikui was bewildered: “Go where?”

Yin Changli: “For Heaven Fury to awaken, it needs to feel that you are sufficiently wild. Go outside now—this is beast territory. Just go slash a few, preferably fierce beasts.”

Xiang Haikui:?

Now that Heaven Fury was in her hand, it was like a dead object. Even if it came alive, she didn’t know the first thing about swordsmanship—wouldn’t she be torn to pieces?

The Tuntun Shu gave her a meaningful look, seeming to say that their master wasn’t a very patient person.

Indeed, Yin Changli was heard saying with a smile: “Miss Xiang, you’re not my only option.”

Xiang Haikui shuddered, picked up the sword, and turned to walk out.

Slash! Just slashing some beasts!

Someone who’s already died once—what is there to fear?

When she thought this way, the Heaven Fury in her hand seemed to tremble slightly.

This sword indeed liked sufficiently wild people.

Just as Xiang Haikui was about to walk out of the palace, she paused, turned her head, and asked: “Senior, must I kill beasts? Is there another way?”

Yin Changli: “I only need Heaven Fury to awaken.”

Good! That’s exactly what she was waiting for.

Xiang Haikui turned and headed back into the hall. To the astonishment of the Tuntun Shu and the calculating brush, she suddenly raised her sword and pointed it at Yin Changli sitting on the throne above, shouting with full vigor: “You son of a melon, who do you think you’re scaring here?!”

For a moment, silence reigned.

Crack.

A sound.

The Heaven Fury sword in her hand awakened.

Indeed, in Heaven Fury’s perception, a woman who dared to point a sword at Yin Changli and curse him was more courageous than one who went out to slash beasts.