Xiang Haikui dispelled distracting thoughts and quickly adjusted her mindset.

Her master had once said that at their level, achievements in martial arts didn’t differ much between opponents; mindset held greater weight.

Often, whoever’s mindset collapsed first would be the one to fail.

It was like when the boss took her to the Guilty Dragon Abyss to fish for river dragons. After a night, he pulled her up with his fishing rod and asked, “Did you see clearly?”

Xiang Haikui thought he was asking about the river dragon’s fighting style, which, of course, she had seen clearly, remembering every detail in her heart.

But the boss shook his head with a smile: “I was asking about the river dragon’s weakness. If you were to slay it, how would you begin?”

He lightly raised the fishing rod, throwing her back down into the abyss. “This lesson your master assigned primarily aims to teach you that before defeating others, you must first defeat yourself.”

So, before Xiang Haikui transformed into a river dragon to fight, she first learned how to slay a river dragon.

Those profound principles taught by her master and the boss—she couldn’t fully comprehend them at the time.

In her mind, this was probably the legendary—when I get vicious enough to kill even myself, who would I fear?

After gradually stabilizing her mindset, Xiang Haikui glanced outside the city.

Lu Xiqiao was still standing in place, watching her nervously yet excitedly, but the boss and Xiao Bai were nowhere to be seen.

They must have hidden to avoid Sword Master Jing Wen.

While she was thinking, a surge of killing intent and murderous aura pressed down like dark clouds, and Xiang Haikui knew that the pervert had arrived.

When Huai Mie landed on the city wall, he looked like a blob of black mud falling from the sky, which then shaped itself into a human figure.

Wearing a black cloak and a mask.

Judging by the pair of hands exposed outside, Xiang Haikui confirmed it was indeed him.

He stepped forward twice, maintaining a distance of three zhang from Xiang Haikui: “Little slut, I’ve arrived as promised. Can you now remove the sword energy from inside the young mistress?”

“Of course.” Xiang Haikui also needed a complete Heaven Fury Sword.

Raising her arm, sword pointing to the sky, she shouted, “Return!”

The crowd inside the city watching the battle didn’t understand what she was doing.

“Young Master,” the female sword cultivator beside Jing Ran asked tentatively, “Lord Xiang of the city intended to take you as his son-in-law, and the chosen one should be that elder daughter with the excellent reputation, right?”

As she spoke, she gave a meaningful look to the male sword cultivator traveling with them.

But the male sword cultivator shook his head.

Jing Ran pretended not to hear and didn’t respond.

These two were the Sword Master’s sword attendants, and since he became a disciple, they had been treating him like a country bumpkin, constantly trying to indirectly extract information from him.

He hadn’t even reached the royal capital yet, and every word he had said was probably already known to all the great families there.

The two weren’t spies; they just naturally sold information to the great families who approached them, being close to the Sword Master.

The male sword attendant transmitted: “Stop probing, be careful he’ll complain to the Sword Master.”

The female sword attendant pouted: “We’ve been following the Sword Master for hundreds of years, while he just arrived.”

But she only dared to complain this much. Looking up at Xiang Haikui, the hot desert weather made her irritable: “What’s so interesting about this arranged battle? Just a fifth-rank sword cultivator…”

Before she could finish, a dragon’s roar was heard!

She raised her head with the crowd and saw a majestic black river dragon winding its way across the sky above the city.

The river dragon flew to the high space above the city tower, then dove downward as if to devour Xiang Haikui.

Amid the crowd’s exclamations, no bloody scene appeared. The river dragon gradually shrank, coiling around the silver-white sword blade that she was pointing toward the sun, instantly becoming lifeless.

“It’s not a river dragon, it’s sword energy. How remarkable!”

“This sword must be a divine grade. Look at her aura, she does resemble the City Lord.”

The cultivators among the citizens whispered.

The female sword attendant, who had just finished mocking, had her face slapped immediately and grumbled: “No wonder she’s so arrogant, daring to challenge a seventh-rank demon cultivator. But having just a divine sword is useless. She’s so young, lacking experience, and still can’t win.”

Jing Ran frowned.

Were age and experience really that important?

Meanwhile, outside the city, Fang Zhiyou from the Azure Sky Sect, who had come as a witness, also saw this scene.

He was startled—wasn’t this river dragon the one that had snatched away the black ball treasure before?

So the treasure wasn’t seized by Devil City but taken by this girl.

If that was the case, why had Qing Ni acknowledged it?

Moreover, Fang Zhiyou keenly sensed the smell of a demon lizard; people from Devil City had also come to watch the battle.

It seemed to be that thief woman.

Hiding to watch the battle—what did that mean?

“Qing Ni, your other form is also of the dragon race, right?” he transmitted his voice to her. “What’s your relationship with this little girl?”

Could she be Xiang Heng’s illegitimate daughter who grew up elsewhere…

“Are all dragons in the world related to me?” Qing Ni sneered. “Put away those filthy thoughts.”

Fang Zhiyou thought he was indeed overthinking. Xiang Heng and Qing Ni were arch-enemies, and neither had the personality to scheme or act.

Hum…

Hum, hum, hum…

At this moment, the barriers of the inner and outer city gates opened simultaneously, trapping Xiang Haikui and Huai Mie inside.

Even voice transmissions were blocked.

Xiang Haikui withdrew her sword from pointing at the sun, holding it level with her shoulder, the tip pointing at him: “Heaven Fury, an ancient divine sword, forged by a Merging with Dao stage ancestor of my Entering the Sword Gate, material unknown, three feet and six inches long, weighing seven hundred and sixty-six jin.”

Hmm? This opening speech seemed familiar, like something said by Xi Men Chuixue during his battle with Ye Gucheng on the Imperial Forbidden Rooftop?

Whatever, Xiang Haikui, you’ve already unconsciously started to show off.

Especially in front of the Senior, isn’t it a bit embarrassing?

But Heaven Fury was very pleased, rapidly increasing its Fury Value, encouraging her to keep going.

Huai Mie laughed coldly while flexing his finger joints: “What’s this? Want to intimidate me before fighting? I only know that the more someone talks, the more incompetent they are.”

Xiang Haikui tilted her head with a smile: “Aren’t you talking nonsense right now?”

Huai Mie said nothing, his gaze suddenly turning cold beneath the mask. The killing intent around his body surged, transforming into rolling thorns.

Xiang Haikui frowned; this move was similar to what Meng Xilou used when fighting the sand bear.

For a servant to learn the same technique as his master, he must not be an ordinary servant.

Xiang Haikui swung her sword in front of her body. The sword energy overflowed, dispersing around her body and condensing into arc-shaped shields, like riot shields.

The thorns around Huai Mie grew wildly, like several giant pythons, lashing toward Xiang Haikui.

The thorns lashed against the shields, exploding with dazzling light.

This was just a small probe; once their powers made contact, both had a rough idea of each other.

Heaven Fury’s assessment of Huai Mie’s strength changed from estimation to accurate judgment, and the Fury Value began to soar, showing acknowledgment of his strength.

Xiang Haikui pondered. This perverted demon cultivator had swift movement techniques and strong explosive power.

She was a heavy sword cultivator, not as quick as him, but she excelled at taking hits.

His fighting style would likely involve surprising her by getting close, attacking her vulnerable points—the top of her head, the center of her brow, and her chest.

She should start with defense, first depleting his spiritual energy.

With Fury Value on her side, she wasn’t afraid of prolonged consumption.

Having made up her mind, Xiang Haikui only defended without attacking.

Huai Mie attacked several times, and seeing he couldn’t break through her defense for the moment, he immediately stopped.

His main body suddenly disappeared, splashing into countless black mud droplets.

These black mud dots moved around inside the barrier like giant ants.

Xiang Haikui felt like she’d fallen into an ant nest. She couldn’t stand still anymore; her defense couldn’t be completely watertight, and once he found a gap, she’d be in trouble.

Xiang Haikui began swinging her sword to drive away the giant ants approaching from all directions.

But that didn’t work either—her mental energy couldn’t sustain it.

A person’s concentration has limits. Once she became disoriented, she would still be caught off guard by Huai Mie.

What to do?

Xiang Haikui’s eyes flickered, knowing he liked to grab the top of heads, so she deliberately exposed a weakness above her head.

Sure enough, an ant from above suddenly transformed into a human figure, diving down, extending a ghostly claw to grab the top of her head!

Xiang Haikui was elated—he took the bait!

…

The watching crowd sighed.

“The little girl still lacks experience, it’s too obvious. Anyone can tell she deliberately exposed a weakness to draw out the demon cultivator, planning to stab him with her sword while he grabs at nothing.”

“Ah, even we at our level can see through it, let alone the seventh-rank demon cultivator facing her.”

“If she’s doing it deliberately, why did the demon cultivator still come out?”

“The demon cultivator is countering her plan. We can’t tell, but the demon cultivator can surely predict which way the female sword cultivator will dodge.”

“So the demon cultivator grabbing for the top of her head is just a feint. As she changes her position, he’ll change along with her and grab her fatally!”

Only Meng Xilou, sitting in the ceremonial chair, knew that Huai Mie didn’t need to adjust his movements along with hers.

Huai Mie’s primary cultivation technique was called “Thousand Demon Hands,” which, when deployed, was like the Thousand-Hand Guanyin.

No matter how Xiang Haikui tried to dodge sideways, she could be caught by his hands.

Meng Xilou shook his head; it seemed he had overestimated her.

However, as his eyelids lowered and raised, he was slightly surprised.

The crowd was somewhat surprised. Xiang Haikui didn’t dodge sideways at all but performed a one-handed handstand in place.

Her speed was almost synchronized with Huai Mie’s. When her head was pointing toward the ground, Huai Mie couldn’t withdraw in time and grabbed her offered ankle.

Xiang Haikui instantly executed a scissors leg move, locking Huai Mie’s neck in a reverse hold!

Then, with a side flip, she slammed Huai Mie heavily to the ground, her Heaven Fury fiercely stabbing downward!

The movement was fluid and seamless!

Huai Mie transformed into a shadow and slipped away, but Heaven Fury’s thousand-jin force pierced the top of the city tower.

The construction of Yin Sha city tower used Black Tortoise stone, containing the power of the Black Tortoise, known for its exceptional solidity, but it was now pierced by Heaven Fury and quickly cracked.

The sword energy spread out in waves, tracking the shadow until Huai Mie was forced back into human form.

Further impacted by Heaven Fury’s sword energy, he stumbled forward and violently coughed up blood!

His mask shattered, revealing a pale face like an evil ghost that had been hiding in the darkness, long deprived of light.

Xiang Haikui pulled out Heaven Fury from the Black Tortoise stone, rested it on her shoulder, and transmitted provocatively: “Upper realm person, is this all you’ve got?”

Huai Mie wiped the blood from the corner of his lip, staring at her with eyes nearly bursting with rage: “Slut, who will have the last laugh remains to be seen!”

“Who will laugh last is unknown, but you definitely won’t be laughing. Even if I can’t kill you, I’ll smash all your teeth.” Xiang Haikui laughed heartily. “Also, can’t you show some real skill? With just this, can you escort Xiang Tianqing to the pinnacle of life? This might be the funniest joke I’ve heard lately!”

She was pouring oil on the fire, breaking his composure.

And at the mention of Xiang Tianqing, Huai Mie indeed became particularly agitated, his eyes blood-red: “Fine!”

He stomped on the ground and soared into the air, his hair flying wildly. As he raised both arms, countless phantom arms appeared behind him.

After a fierce shout, innumerable black palm prints smashed toward Xiang Haikui.

It was overwhelming; Xiang Haikui retreated continuously. This was truly like a dark version of the Mighty Golden Vajra Palm, and there were so many!

But her mood was like blooming flowers, extremely elated!

Come on, be more fierce!

Deplete yourself to death!

As those black palms descended, Xiang Haikui was slapped by hands, pounded by fists, clawed by “Nine Yin White Bone Claws.” She swung her sword to protect only three vital areas, allowing other parts of her body to be beaten.

Before long, she was covered in blood, almost becoming a bloody figure.

“Sister Kui, what are you doing? Why aren’t you using your berserk transformation?” Though the barrier was activated and Xiang Haikui couldn’t hear him, Lu Xiqiao still called out anxiously.

He didn’t understand why she was allowing herself to be injured like this without transforming.

After transforming, these palm strikes would be no more than a tickle!

Xiang Haikui couldn’t transform because the consumption wasn’t enough, and she wasn’t certain what trump cards Huai Mie still held.

Though Heaven Fury could move mountains, its heroic energy was short-lived—it was an “eight-second man.”

She had to use it at the crucial moment, when she was confident of killing him with one strike.

Otherwise, once the berserk state ended, she would be like a salted fish, at his mercy.

Xiang Haikui swung her sword to protect her vital points, continuing to taunt: “Is this all? For your young mistress, come on, slaughter me!”

When she opened her mouth, her teeth were blood-red.

Huai Mie was furious: “Let’s see how long you can keep acting tough!”

The demon hands behind him doubled.

Under the chaotic palms, Xiang Haikui found it increasingly difficult to hold on.

Huai Mie seized the opportunity and transformed into a black shadow amid the chaotic palm strikes, rushing toward Xiang Haikui, preparing to strike her spirit platform with his true form.

This was Xiang Haikui’s biggest advantage in defeating him.

Huai Mie couldn’t kill her by other means; he could only strangle her sea of consciousness, and he had to do it inch by inch, making her spirit realm collapse, falling into extreme pain.

Only in this way could her father sense it.

Now was the time!

Xiang Haikui gripped Heaven Fury tightly. The sword energy flowed back, surging into her body, rapidly inducing her berserk transformation!

By the time Huai Mie’s palm struck her spirit platform, she had already grown two horns on her head and was covered in scales.

She didn’t resist; as her forehead experienced intense pain, her hand with sharp claws conjured the Soul-Binding Lock, using all her strength to grab into his chest cavity!

The two faced each other, maintaining a posture of mutual harm, motionless for a long time.

Seeing this scene, Lu Xiqiao outside the city was so suffocated that he nearly fainted.

And the previously noisy crowd inside the city seemed to have had their acupoints sealed, falling silent.

Who had won?

But regardless of who won, the cultivators who saw through the moves all had one thought: “The younger generation is indeed formidable…”

The male sword attendant beside Jing Ran showed shocked eyes: “If the Sword Master were here, he might take another disciple.”

The female sword attendant’s red lips moved slightly, wanting to argue, but finally bit her tongue and swallowed her words.

Jing Ran’s expression was one of astonishment. He should have been the person among all present who had spent the most time with Xiang Haikui.

Now, she was like a stranger he had never known.

“Young Master, the ‘expert’ behind her is likely not someone we can provoke…” The elder sighed deeply as the outcome was decided. “In such a short time, to have cultivated a girl without spiritual roots to reach this state…”

Even the heirs of upper realm families, with their entire family’s power behind them, couldn’t achieve this. “Young Master, your shadow is gone…”

Meng Xilou raised his head, looking at the bewitchingly transformed Xiang Haikui, somewhat bewildered.

He didn’t believe Huai Mie would lose. He had planned to stop the fight before Xiang Haikui was killed, performing a true hero’s rescue.

Now…?

“Young Master? Young Master?”

The elder called twice but couldn’t bring Meng Xilou back to his senses.

The elder thought losing a shadow in exchange for teaching the young master a lesson wasn’t too bad.

The young master’s parents were from powerful families; he had been praised since childhood and always looked down on others.

It was good for a “lowly” mortal in the lower realm to open his eyes.

Meng Xilou’s family in the upper realm was also surnamed Meng.

The Meng family’s teachings had always been like this—never educating heirs too much, letting them grow freely.

Let them stumble more in their youth, let opponents teach them how to be human.

They were closely protected anyway, so there would be no danger to their lives.

If there were accidents, they would just choose another heir; there were always backups.

Every generation of the Meng family heads had gone through this.

The elder added: “But this girl’s fighting style reminds me of someone recorded in the classics.”

Meng Xilou came back to his senses: “Who?”

The elder pondered for a moment: “The first war general of the Mountain Sea Race, Sword Emperor Qi Yin, nicknamed Qi Mad Dog. When fighting, he was just like this girl—seemingly displaying brute courage but employing subtle techniques within crude moves…”

…

On the city tower.

“You lost,” Xiang Haikui laughed maniacally.

With her laughter, a golden light burst from Huai Mie’s chest, completely tearing apart his chest cavity!

Huai Mie himself couldn’t believe that he would be defeated by a mortal!

“I…” he tried to say something, but only gushed blood.

The Soul-Binding Lock had locked even his true body in the upper realm!

At this moment, Huai Mie’s mind was filled with Xiang Tianqing’s original appearance. He softly called out “Young Mistress,” then suddenly looked coldly at Xiang Haikui with a sneer. “You mortals, even if gilded with a layer of gold, still have lowly blood flowing in your bones…”

“You’re just a servant of Meng Xilou after all, yet you have such a superiority complex.” Xiang Haikui withdrew the hand that had crushed his heart, raised the other hand holding Heaven Fury, and gave him a sword strike!

Watching him kneel on the ground, the light of his soul extinguished, her feelings were indescribably complex.

The nightmare that had haunted her was finally dispelled by her own hands.

Looking up again, the sun was setting in the west, and the crisis for her father was also about to pass.

But Xiang Haikui’s expression remained solemn. Senior was still standing in the crowd, indicating that Sword Master Jing Wen hadn’t come looking for them.

That meant he had gone to find the boss.

She didn’t know how the boss was doing now.

…

Yin Changli had taken Bai Xingxian, not even riding the camel beast, walked back to the Buddha Cave, and stayed in the room.

He wasn’t hiding from Sword Master Jing Wen but was afraid that if Jing Wen discovered him and attacked at the city gate, it would distract Xiang Haikui.

“Give my body back to me, even temporarily!” In the sea of consciousness, Dao Chen kept persuading.

“I’m not afraid,” Yin Changli’s voice was extremely steady. “Even if he is at the peak of the Tribulation stage, there’s still a gap compared to my soul power. He cannot expel my soul, and if he forcibly harms me, you will be scattered.”

Dao Chen was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: “But Senior Yin, he’s coming to kill me…”

Yin Changli, who had been pacing in the room, paused his steps.

Dao Chen said carelessly: “I’m not deceiving you; he’s coming to kill me.”

When Sword Master Jing Wen was injured, to harmonize yin and yang and recover quickly, he had slept with his female sword attendant.

Afterward, that female sword attendant discovered she was pregnant. Believing that, given the Sword Master’s usual conduct, he wouldn’t allow a lowly sword slave like her to bear his offspring.

So she ran away and secretly gave birth to Dao Chen.

When Jing Wen found Dao Chen, he was just twelve years old. The female sword attendant had died in childbirth, and Dao Chen had been raised by a wet nurse.

Jing Wen didn’t say much, seeing Dao Chen’s bone structure was acceptable, and wanted to take him back for cultivation.

But Dao Chen insisted that the wet nurse come along, or he wouldn’t go.

Jing Wen believed the wet nurse was deeply scheming and drew his sword to kill her.

With no more attachments, Dao Chen was taken back to the Sword Pavilion, first serving as a sword attendant.

At the age of twenty, Dao Chen discovered that his father was fond of his youngest female disciple.

Hindered by his reputation, he kept it in his heart.

“He said I was too emotional, which wasn’t good for the sword path. Killing my wet nurse was helping me cut worldly ties. How could I, as his son, bear to see him sink into a sea of suffering?”

“Of course, I had to help him. I drugged that female disciple he couldn’t love, then chopped off her head with one knife.”

He threw the beautiful head onto his bed, then escaped and changed his name.

Yin Changli silently listened to his story: “Meeting your father and son is truly unfortunate for those around you.”

Dao Chen was silent for a moment, then shouted hysterically: “Yin Changli, even if you’ve lost your memory, don’t disgust me, alright? Do my father and I together even amount to a thousandth of you?”

Yin Changli was worried about Xiang Haikui and ignored him.

Dao Chen cursed for a while, then fell silent too.

Opening long-sealed memories, Dao Chen became somewhat melancholic, talking to himself: “Actually, that beloved female disciple of his wasn’t any good. Do you know, she had a lover surnamed Wei, and they secretly had a child together? That child was born ill and was frozen.”

“As for why secretly, because although my father didn’t tear down this window paper, he strictly controlled her. She didn’t want to escape at all, using my father’s doting to act spoiled and stupid in front of him, asking for benefits.”

“The three of them were constantly sucking my father’s blood. Yet my father, with his green hat reaching the sky, was still foolishly thinking that woman was some priceless treasure.”

When choosing his method of revenge, Dao Chen had considered telling Jing Wen about this.

But he gave up.

Dao Chen only killed the woman. This way, Jing Wen, kept in the dark, would foolishly suffer over her death—wasn’t this a double torment?

“Hahaha,” Dao Chen laughed loudly.

The laughter suddenly stopped.

“Huh,” he was somewhat surprised. “Now that I think about it, my father’s little sweetheart looked somewhat similar to Xiang Tianqing?”

Could it be reincarnation?

No.

Dao Chen desperately tried to recall, even more surprised: “I only saw her lover once, and he seemed somewhat similar to Xiang Heng?”

“Has Xiang Heng changed his name before?”

“Two or three hundred years ago, was he at the Golden Spirit Academy?”

By the time Dao Chen said this, Yin Changli also showed some surprise.

Xiang Heng hadn’t changed his name; he was originally called Xiang Heng. But he had soul-traveled from another world and possessed Xiang Tianqing’s birth father.

The original body was in Yin Sha but had an unknown origin. Xiang Heng didn’t know the original’s name, so he used his name again.

Unexpectedly, the original owner of Xiang Heng’s body had such an experience—giving Sword Master Jing Wen green hats and cultivating by sucking Jing Wen’s blood…

The background arranged to temper Xiang Tianqing was truly dramatic.

This is bad.

Yin Changli suddenly stood up.

Jing Wen’s sudden change of route to Yin Sha was probably not because of his possession of Dao Chen, but because he was guided to come settle accounts with Xiang Heng.

Yin Changli looked toward the City Lord’s mansion, then immediately left the Buddha Cave with Bai Xingxian to find Xiang Haikui again.

In the City Lord’s mansion.

After the river dragon left her body, Xiang Tianqing lay for a full afternoon before slowly waking up.

“Junior Sister?” Wu Mian was watching beside her and immediately knew when she stirred slightly.

Xiang Tianqing was confused as he helped her up, her mouth dry: “What happened to me?”

Wu Mian bit his lip, remaining silent, turning to pour water for her to drink.

Xiang Tianqing slowly recalled, suddenly remembering Ye Qianzhi’s death. She jolted awake with cold sweat: “Is Second Senior Brother dead, or am I dreaming?”

Wu Mian stood at the table, not responding.

“Third Senior Brother, say something.”

Wu Mian didn’t move at all.

“Third Senior Brother?” Xiang Tianqing suddenly sensed something was wrong. Wu Mian had completely stopped moving, as if someone had frozen him.

Silently, what terrifying cultivation level did the other person have?

Xiang Tianqing opened her beautiful eyes wide in terror, watching as a shadow gradually materialized beneath the window.

He appeared to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, but with a lofty and cold demeanor.

Xiang Tianqing immediately stood up and drew her sword: “Who are you?!”

“Jing Wen.”

The name was familiar, but Xiang Tianqing couldn’t recall it immediately.

Jing Wen made no move, slightly raising his hand, his little finger curling to hold up an amber pendant. This amber sealed a drop of blood from his once-beloved female disciple.

Its blood energy was consistent with Xiang Tianqing’s—undoubtedly, mother and daughter.

After accepting Jing Ran, Jing Wen had planned to take him back to the Sword Pavilion in the royal capital.

Unexpectedly, that night, he received a secret letter telling him about a past event.

Jing Wen initially didn’t believe it, but after seeing Xiang Tianqing, he had to.

Never did he imagine that Xiang Heng, the Yin Sha City Lord whom he quite approved of, would have such a connection with him.

Jing Wen stepped toward Xiang Tianqing.

“Stop!” After Xiang Tianqing’s warning, she thrust her sword!

Unexpectedly, the sword tip curled up to the hilt!

While Xiang Tianqing was dumbfounded, her neck was already gripped by Jing Wen: “Where is your father in seclusion? Tell me, and I’ll spare your life.”

So he came for her father. Xiang Tianqing remained silent.

As the pressure increased, tears squeezed out of Xiang Tianqing’s eyes, but she still tightly pressed her lips together.

Jing Wen: “If you don’t tell me, do you think I can’t do anything? Crushing your sea of consciousness can also force Xiang Heng to come out.”

His hand covered her spirit platform.

Xiang Tianqing knew she couldn’t resist and tightly closed her eyes.

Her curled eyelashes, hanging with tears, pitiful and touching, reminded Jing Wen of someone from the past, momentarily distracting him.

He took a deep breath, unable to bring himself to act.

His precious disciple must have been deceived by Xiang Heng; what fault was her daughter’s?

Thinking of this, the sword energy around Jing Wen grew even stronger.

He released Xiang Tianqing and disappeared on the spot.

…

Xiang Haikui was still standing on the city tower. The duel had ended, but the barrier between the inner and outer city walls hadn’t disappeared.

She mouthed “idiot” to Meng Xilou: “Close the barrier!”

At this point, under everyone’s gaze, Meng Xilou could only notify the guards: “Close…”

Before the words “the barrier” could leave his mouth, a flying sword from somewhere pierced through the barrier.

The barrier was like thin paper, pierced with a hole.

Xiang Haikui was also startled. Before the flying sword fell, Heaven Fury, which had been lying flat like a salted fish, struggled to warn her, but she couldn’t react in time and watched as the meteor landed a zhang before her eyes.

After the flying sword landed, Jing Wen appeared, his little finger still curled, holding that amber.

The refined blood inside the amber showed no movement—no blood relation.

This was good.