Some people live their entire lives without ever knowing how they died.

This probably described Master Hongren.

From discovering something was wrong with this “Qiaguo Suba” to his Nascent Soul shattering and dying, the entire process took less than three breaths—there was no time to think about the cause of his death.

“Drip, drip, drip…”

Still-hot fresh blood flowed like a stream from the top of Master Hongren’s head, whose eyes were still wide with terror, staining his already deep red monk robes and the meditation cushion beneath him, flowing toward the hall’s entrance.

But when it reached three feet from the curtains, it seemed blocked by something invisible, pooling into a puddle of blood.

Jian Chou’s gaze lingered on that pool of blood for a long time, or rather, on whatever was blocking the blood pool, before looking toward the figure who had come around the curtains.

Xie Buchen.

His formation had been laid so imperceptibly that even when she entered just now, she hadn’t noticed.

With Jian Chou’s current cultivation level, and having come prepared, instantly killing a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator was no problem.

But she hadn’t expected that almost simultaneously with her attack on Hongren, Xie Buchen’s formation had also activated. Under their combined assault, the mid-Nascent Soul Hongren had no power to resist and was instantly immobilized.

Then she struck with her palm to soul-search him.

After the soul searching ended, Xie Buchen’s formation suddenly contracted.

He was outside and hadn’t even entered. Through the curtains, he struck with a palm at the exact moment Jian Chou withdrew her hand, not a fraction off.

Even though Hongren was at mid-Nascent Soul stage, with his spirit and soul controlled by Jian Chou, what could he do against Xie Buchen?

In the blink of an eye, it became the current bloody scene.

The corner of Jian Chou’s eye twitched slightly as she half-truthfully praised: “Daoist Friend Xie’s mastery of formations is truly divine and without trace.”

“When I arrived, he hadn’t come yet, so I had some spare time to set up first, ensuring nothing could go wrong.” Xie Buchen’s tone was flat, only looking at her. “I wonder what Daoist Friend Jian Chou learned from soul searching?”

“I learned everything I wanted to know.”

At the mention of this, Jian Chou’s brows couldn’t help but furrow, clearly showing the soul searching results weren’t optimistic.

She lowered her eyes and saw the bright dress stained with some blood, reached out to tear it off, and casually threw this inappropriate clothing to the ground, revealing the plain moon-white robes underneath.

Seeing this, Xie Buchen didn’t think this action revealed too much.

Because if the plan went without problems, they would leave the Sacred Temple tonight. Even if they left traces, there was no fear of discovery. Moreover, at this moment, they needed to deliberately leave traces.

Neither he nor Jian Chou used that black qi to kill again, very tacitly.

The reason was simple—

Frame-ups also required skill.

Last night, Jian Chou killed Master Hongren and Xie Buchen slaughtered forty Sacred Temple Dharma Teachers. Beyond the killings themselves, they wanted to sow discord between the Snow Region Sacred Temple and that ancient deity Shaoji.

But if they used the same method to kill today, they would definitely expose themselves.

Because today, they would leave after killing, and being suspected was inevitable. If Hongren died the same way as last night’s victims, even fools would know last night was also their doing.

Xie Buchen was clear about his own scheme, and though Jian Chou had never discussed this matter with him, she was also very clear about it.

After throwing aside the robes, she held the Lamp-Lighting Sword in her hand, her expression somewhat grave.

“Ten days from now, the deity Shaoji will return from the Extreme Region.”

“Then the New Tantric sect will set up altars to perform rituals, healing the monks injured in previous battles while enhancing others’ cultivation. When the rituals are complete, the Eight Directions Yama Halls of the Extreme Region will join with the Snow Region Tantric sect—”

“To attack from both sides and wash the Central Region in blood.”

Ten days from now?

Xie Buchen had expected to learn big news today, but hadn’t expected it to be more serious and terrifying than he’d imagined. He didn’t know much about the so-called “ancient remnant races” and “deities,” but connecting the clues, this should be the root cause of the Snow Region monks’ sudden power surge.

“Attack from both sides and wash the Central Region in blood…”

His two handsome cold brows also furrowed as he thought briefly, already understanding the situation.

“Then we must return quickly. With such urgent timing, ten days from now, the small assembly will likely still be ongoing. Cultivators move like swift wind and strike like thunder. Once fighting begins, it becomes irreconcilable. If the Central Region is unprepared, they’ll suffer greatly.”

Jian Chou understood his reasoning.

Though she hadn’t experienced that previous “Yin-Yang Realm War” that nearly swept through the entire Jiushijiu Zhou, she knew cultivator warfare all too well.

Victory could be decided in a breath, let alone a premeditated sneak attack.

Currently, both Kunwu and Yashan only suspected movements from the Snow Region but hadn’t realized the situation was this serious.

If the New Tantric sect succeeded, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In other words, Xie Buchen’s suggestion to “return quickly” was absolutely correct.

But at this moment, Jian Chou’s brow showed a hint of hesitation.

Xie Buchen easily saw through it: “Daoist Friend Jian Chou, do you have other thoughts?”

“Dharma King Baojing, one of the three great Dharma Kings of the New Tantric sect, was severely injured by his own Sky Dancer Yanggin and the Old Tantric’s Dharma King Liyan in the recent battles to suppress the Old Tantric sect. His cultivation has been seriously damaged.”

Jian Chou glanced at him, speaking her thoughts without reservation.

“Dharma Kings are all Void Refining stage powers. With our abilities, we normally wouldn’t dare confront them directly. But his current cultivation is barely stronger than Hongren’s, and tonight he’s borrowing a Noble Consort’s cultivation to heal himself.”

“You want to strike?”

With the words so clear, Xie Buchen couldn’t fail to guess her intention.

“The chance to kill a Void Refining power—we might not encounter such an opportunity again in a hundred years.”

After speaking, regardless of Xie Buchen’s reaction, Jian Chou glanced at the blood in the curtained area and directly activated her “Wind-Riding” Dao Seal, quietly concealing herself in the wind and heading toward the Dharma King Hall to the west.

Just like last night’s killing of Hongren, tonight’s death of Master Hongren wouldn’t be discovered immediately.

After all, to avoid Dharma King Baojing knowing about his private interception of the Dharma King’s Noble Consort, Hongren had been extremely careful, telling no one except his trusted disciple. He only told people he was entering a brief retreat and ordered not to be disturbed.

This meant she had enough time to kill Dharma King Baojing before anyone discovered the incident.

Xie Buchen also understood why she dared act this way, but seeing her leave directly after speaking by concealing herself in the wind, his brow furrowed imperceptibly.

Nascent Soul, Soul Separation, Void Refining.

The differences between these weren’t just simple realm gaps. From Nascent Soul to Soul Separation, crossing the “Heart-Questioning Dao Tribulation” was a qualitative change, after which cultivation shifted from body to mind. Reaching Void Refining, everyone would call them “Great Powers.”

Even with damaged cultivation, this Dharma King Baojing probably wasn’t easy to deal with.

For absolute safety, this wasn’t the time to kill this person.

Reason also told him he shouldn’t follow Jian Chou.

But after standing in place for a moment, the light in Xie Buchen’s eyes flickered like stars in the universe, flowing in reverse. Finally, he concealed his aura to the extreme and quietly followed.

When he approached, Jian Chou sensed it.

But as if she had already known his choice, she felt no surprise in her heart, only grew more wary.

Coming to such a dangerous place as the Snow Region, who wouldn’t have a few trump cards and protective talismans?

But throughout this journey, she hadn’t revealed any, nor had Xie Buchen. When encountering situations, both used ordinary methods, as if they dared enter the Snow Region relying only on their abilities, very confident in themselves.

In fact, they were saving their methods for each other!

Who knew what Xie Buchen’s intentions were in following?

Though Jian Chou felt wary, she didn’t let it restrict her actions. Instead, as if trusting Xie Buchen completely, she didn’t divide her attention to him but instead quickened her pace.

After last night’s incident, there were many more patrolling monks outside tonight.

Though it looked like surface measures, to move freely through the entire Sacred Temple as last night would be a pipe dream. But for Jian Chou and Xie Buchen, this level of patrol was manageable.

Taking slightly longer than expected, they still quickly reached the Dharma King Hall.

This was the highest hall in the entire Snow Region except for the Hall of Saints.

Though there were more patrolling people outside, here there were fewer. Nobody would think that in this Snow Region, someone would dare target a Dharma King.

So when Jian Chou followed Hongren’s memories to approach, she didn’t see a single person.

The current New Tantric sect had only three great Dharma Kings, also called the “Three Treasure Dharma Kings.”

Among them, Dharma King Baojing had the lowest cultivation, only entering Void Refining before the Yin-Yang Realm War. Dharma King Baoping had medium cultivation among the three, but Hongren didn’t know his specific level. Finally was Dharma King Baoyin, with the highest cultivation, and able to be named “Baoyin” because he controlled the Houtu Seal.

Heaven’s Mirror, Earth’s Seal, All Beings’ Command.

These three were first-class treasures of the Jiushijiu Zhou, legendary companion treasures of the entire realm, formed by heaven and earth with immense power.

Heaven’s Mirror had always been in the Central Region, alternately controlled by Kunwu and Yashan.

All Beings’ Command was lost in the Southern Region, reportedly seen during the transition from ancient to modern times, then disappeared.

As for Earth’s Seal, it was originally in the Buddhist sect, but after the split between Chan and Tantric Buddhism and the Buddhist sect’s northern migration, this seal fell into Tantric hands during the struggle and was now controlled by the New Tantric sect.

Jian Chou had personally witnessed Heaven’s Mirror’s terror.

At Kunwu’s Heavenly Halls, Fudao Shanren brought down the mirror, almost destroying the entire Jianzhu Sect, shocking all directions into silence and aweing the assembled heroes. Despite Candle Heart Fairy’s considerable cultivation, she perished under the mirror in an instant without any power to resist.

If today’s injured party were Dharma King Baoyin who controlled Earth’s Seal, she definitely wouldn’t dare go.

But luckily, the injured Dharma King Baojing was precisely the one with the lowest cultivation, and the other two Dharma Kings had sent their Nascent Souls to the Extreme Region after deity Shaoji went there, apparently to discuss important matters.

This was an absolutely perfect opportunity—how could Jian Chou miss it?

Dharma King Baojing’s side hall was within the Dharma King Hall, with two layers of seemingly sophisticated arrays outside, which she discovered immediately upon arrival.

Xie Buchen, following closely behind with his excellent eyesight, also saw clearly.

Neither wasted words, each seeking gaps to break the arrays while both foresightedly tampering with them slightly, hoping to provide some concealment if a real fight broke out with too much commotion.

About half a moment later, they passed through the arrays.

Thus, some fragmented sounds originally blocked by the arrays intermittently reached both their ears. The moment they heard clearly, Jian Chou’s expression became unpleasant.

It was Sangyang.

“Dhar—Dharma King, I…”

“What, afraid?”

“No, no, Sangyang has hoped to dedicate herself to the Buddha Lord since childhood, only wishing to one day enter the Sacred Temple and behold the supreme Buddha Dharma. Today, receiving your initiation, Dharma King, I—I am happy.”

“Haha, the Buddha Lord will know of your sincerity…”

Then came a low exclamation from inside.

Still Sangyang’s voice.

She seemed startled by some action of the Dharma King, her voice showing timidity and panic, but no resistance—even a kind of young girl’s surprise.

Xie Buchen naturally heard clearly too.

While concealing his aura, he also glanced at Jian Chou, clearly having some expectation about her insistence on coming to kill Dharma King Baojing.

But what floated at his lips was only a rare pity.

This pity wasn’t for Sangyang, who had warmly received them at the inn, but for Jian Chou, who had come to save Sangyang at this moment.

Her fingers holding the Lamp-Lighting Sword quietly tightened.

A shallow vertical line had appeared between Jian Chou’s brows. She sensed Xie Buchen’s gaze but didn’t look back, only walked forward with a grave expression.

The two doors of the great hall were ajar but not tightly closed, allowing easy viewing inside through the gap.

The little girl who had once looked at them with surprise from behind the inn’s wooden counter now had her Noble Consort’s dress half-stripped, her clothing half-open, completely exposing herself to Dharma King Baojing before her.

Dharma King Baojing still looked like a young man, with hard features carrying some faint evil aura.

Having reached this realm, his aura should be deep and restrained, even undetectable. But his aura, though deep, was scattered and overflowing—he was indeed seriously injured.

Though he spoke gently to Sangyang, seeming different from Hongren and Hongren, his eyes looking at Sangyang held no pity or emotion.

Just like looking at some lifeless object!

When Sangyang’s legs went weak and she fell, he had already caught her in his arms, a cold smile hanging on his somewhat bruised lips: “So eager already?”

“I, I…”

Sangyang was somewhat afraid, but more embarrassed by the skin contact. Her clean face was immediately covered with red clouds, unable to speak coherently.

Watching from the shadows, Jian Chou frowned even deeper.

If she had come today purely to save Sangyang, seeing such a scene would probably make her turn and leave, unwilling to risk further danger. But at this moment, she had other purposes.

If one of the three great Dharma Kings was eliminated, the Snow Region’s strength would be greatly weakened—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

She finally steadied her mind, completely withdrawing her attention from Sangyang and focusing on Dharma King Baojing, while more carefully concealing her aura and approaching the great hall.

The opponent’s strength, though severely damaged, was indeed formidable.

Jian Chou didn’t strike immediately, nor did Xie Buchen. They were waiting for the right moment.

For Dharma King Baojing, compared to usual times, this was just an ordinary day.

Perhaps the only difference was his injuries.

Previously, when performing initiation ceremonies or dual cultivation with Noble Consorts, he was always the lofty Dharma King Baojing. But today, not only were his cultivation and spirit damaged, but last night’s mysterious deaths among his sect members forced him to be careful, even activating the external arrays.

But even so, he didn’t let his guard down.

He had suffered too heavy and harsh a setback with his previous Noble Consort, so now facing this ordinary girl with no cultivation or weapons, he dared not relax. He divided his attention to guard against her every move while watching the entire array’s movements…

Until he completely entered this Noble Consort’s body, his nerves taut for days finally relaxed quietly.

The Buddha power, somewhat scattered and mixed due to his injuries, flowed from his body’s meridians into Sangyang’s body, naturally becoming purer, then being absorbed back during their movements, repeating this cycle.

Before long, his face showed some red glow, already immersed in the process.

Sangyang, held in his arms, was being impacted by these unfamiliar sensations, feeling like her entire body didn’t belong to her, her limbs weak and powerless, her whole body faintly cold.

But knowing nothing about cultivation, she only thought this was natural.

So she endured these feelings, not only not crying out but devoutly cooperating.

Her tender body bloomed under his ravaging, and Dharma King Baojing was almost completely immersed in the joy of gradually recovering cultivation and the pleasure of lust.

He felt his condition continuously climbing, continuously climbing…

But just as his Buddha power was about to successfully complete a great circulation, an extremely ominous premonition suddenly struck his heart, making him open his slightly closed eyes!

At this instant, the bright lights filling the hall suddenly dimmed!

A pale tender green light like a bean shot from the darkness!

Seeing this light, feeling its seemingly ordinary aura, Dharma King Baojing immediately broke into cold sweat!

Even with damaged cultivation, he was still a Void Refining cultivator with basic reaction speed intact.

At this critical moment, without even thinking, he directly threw Sangyang from his arms!

“Ah!”

Sangyang’s mind was completely dazed, not even knowing what was happening before feeling herself thrown out. While in mid-air, she screamed in terror.

That bean-like green light looked ordinary but moved extremely fast!

Sangyang was thrown to exactly the right position, blocking the green light’s path, about to be hit. But who could have expected that at this moment, the green light passed through Sangyang’s body as if she were nothing!

As Sangyang’s body rolled to the ground, the green light had already reached Dharma King Baojing!

A completely unexpected scene!

With so little cultivation remaining, how could Dharma King Baojing react in this brief moment? Not to mention Jian Chou’s profound late Nascent Soul cultivation, and this green light’s extraordinary origin!

He hadn’t even begun to make evasive movements when the green light drilled into his forehead!

Initially, it felt like being hit by a water drop—nothing special.

But the moment the green light penetrated, it felt like being violently stabbed by something sharp—extremely painful!

That bean of green light quickly spread, like a tree’s madly growing roots, weaving into a net in just a breath, covering Dharma King Baojing’s entire Nascent Soul and spirit!

Screams immediately echoed!

Dharma King Baojing’s cultivation was already damaged, his mind now even more chaotic.

Jian Chou’s timing for this sneak attack was impeccable. After releasing that green light, she didn’t retreat but rode the wind forward, aiming at Dharma King Baojing and directly drawing her blade!

The artistic conception she had comprehended at Mingri Xinghai instantly attached to the Deer-Cutting Blade, and as she moved, shocking blade qi struck out!

At this life-and-death moment, how could Dharma King Baojing care about the green light drilling into his spiritual platform?

Without time to think, his hands instinctively raised high, and with a sharp shout, he pulled his hands to both sides. Countless silver lights immediately appeared, gathering into a huge silver mirror!

He held this silver mirror high in the void with both hands!

Dharma King Baojing, Heaven-Shining Treasure Mirror!

To activate this treasure mirror required at least Soul Separation cultivation.

With Dharma King Baojing’s remaining cultivation, he shouldn’t have had the strength to activate it, but his realm remained, and facing life-and-death crisis, his hidden power was triggered, achieving the unexpected.

Though Jian Chou knew this from Hongren’s memories, she had never faced it personally and was somewhat surprised at this moment.

But her reaction speed was never slower than anyone’s!

Realizing what this was, she unhesitatingly used her wind-riding momentum to forcibly shift three inches to the side while charging forward at high speed!

Almost simultaneously!

Two blade qi identical to Jian Chou’s previous draw-blade technique, like reflected light beams, flew directly past her shoulder!

Deep wounds to the bone immediately appeared on her shoulder, blood flowing!

“Clang!”

Under this massive blade qi impact, even the Deer-Cutting Blade flew from her hand to the ground nearby!

Her blade qi hitting the opponent’s silver mirror was directly reflected back without damage, plus one additional strike!

Jian Chou saw clearly—that extra blade qi came from within the silver mirror!

Any attack hitting this silver mirror would be perfectly replicated and returned to the attacker—using their own method against them!

If her reaction hadn’t been fast enough, her head would probably have been severed by her own blade qi!

She could dodge partly due to luck.

But Xie Buchen, somewhat behind her, didn’t seem so lucky. Though the blade qi had weakened after passing Jian Chou, his position was directly in line with the two blade qi strikes!

Xie Buchen naturally knew less about this Dharma King Baojing’s abilities than Jian Chou, who had soul-searched Hongren. He only had some knowledge by reputation.

So though somewhat behind Jian Chou, his reaction speed couldn’t match hers.

Moreover, his cultivation was somewhat weaker. Facing these two blade qi, he had no way to avoid them!

There was no time for him to dodge!

Two identical “draw-blade” qi almost simultaneously struck Xie Buchen. But an unexpected scene occurred—

At this life-and-death moment, the two blade qi striking him left no trace at all.

Only a pure snow-white light gently flashed, faintly carrying a sense of conquering the world with unquestionable vicissitude, then disappeared.

Xie Buchen stood in place completely unharmed, without a hair out of place!

Unfortunately, though Jian Chou sensed this scene, with a great enemy before her, she couldn’t spare the thought to consider it carefully or pay attention.

After avoiding the two potentially fatal blade qi, she continued charging forward.

The Deer-Cutting Blade was lost, but the Lamp-Lighting Sword instantly unsheathed!

She didn’t necessarily need to personally kill this Dharma King Baojing, but needed to find an opportunity for that green light that had already penetrated his ancestral orifice!

The entire deep black long sword immediately overflowed with warm yellow light.

In this great hall where all lights had been extinguished, Jian Chou’s sword thrust was like lighting a dim yellow lamp in that instant, filling the entire hall with the atmosphere of mortal life.

The raised silver mirror was already used by Dharma King Baojing at his limit.

Treasures being extraordinary, using them naturally required great effort. After blocking and counterattacking Jian Chou’s previous draw-blade technique, he was already at his limit, not to mention the backlash from the Heaven-Shining Treasure Mirror.

Before Jian Chou’s sword even arrived, the silver mirror shattered with a crash!

“Puff”—Dharma King Baojing spat out blood.

As silver light scattered everywhere, he only saw through the hall’s illusory mortal atmosphere the long sword thrusting toward him. Such ancient design, such full Zen meaning…

And this moment’s mortal atmosphere that drew people into the mundane world!

“Lamp-Lighting Sword!” His eyes finally showed infinite shock. “You and the Chan sect—”

“Boom!”

Before he could finish speaking, the green light in his mind, previously desperately resisted by his Nascent Soul, suddenly expanded!

Like spring rain falling and countless tender shoots beginning to grow, one after another tender green light-glowing grass tips, like blades piercing bubbles, penetrated his Nascent Soul!

Dharma King Baojing’s pupils dilated at this moment.

All memories from over a thousand years of cultivation, all scenes he remembered or had forgotten, rapidly flashed before his eyes in the overwhelming mortal atmosphere, then suddenly darkened!

Extinguished were the old past;

Extinguished were former ambitions;

Extinguished were all the good that had been destroyed and the evil that had been magnified…

The Lamp-Lighting Sword burns away the past, leaving only ashes.

At the moment his eyes closed powerlessly, Dharma King Baojing only saw that lamp extinguish and a bit of ash quietly fall, like his life about to vanish into smoke…

The light in his ancestral orifice had turned deep green, instantly destroying his Nascent Soul and spirit.

His face, originally carrying some evil aura, completely stilled, dying in confusion without even knowing where his opponents came from!

Even if Snow Region cultivators had reincarnation, that was only when the spirit wasn’t destroyed. In this state, even if great immortals came, he was thoroughly dead.

The tip of Jian Chou’s Lamp-Lighting Sword was still embedded in Dharma King Baojing’s forehead.

This sneak attack was extremely swift and extremely dangerous. The wound on her shoulder was slowly healing, but her back was covered in cold sweat.

Staring at the departed Dharma King Baojing, she didn’t recover for a long time.

Only Sangyang, who had fallen to the ground, finally belatedly realized what was happening.

Seeing Jian Chou actually holding a sword against this supreme Dharma King Baojing of the entire Snow Region, she almost without thinking picked up the Deer-Cutting Blade that had fallen near her and stabbed it toward Jian Chou!

“Puff!”

The seemingly blunt-edged Deer-Cutting Blade almost instantly penetrated Jian Chou’s back!

The blade tip passed through her right shoulder blade, carrying hot blood drops, emerging from her chest, stained with blood, shocking in its brightness!

The pain was unfamiliar.

But the blade was familiar.

At this moment, looking down at the blade tip, Jian Chou felt a strange confusion. Her first thought was of Xie Buchen’s calculation, but the next moment she knew it was impossible.

If Xie Buchen were calculating against her from behind, how could he not know she practiced the “Human Weapon” technique and only give such an ordinary strike?

Though the wound was deep, she wouldn’t die from it.

So the most impossible became possible.

Jian Chou’s movement when turning was somewhat stiff.

Sangyang seemed frightened, her white face splattered with some blood, looking so innocent and helpless. Like being burned, she immediately released her grip and staggered backward several steps, extremely flustered.

“Qi—Qiaguo sister…”

The little girl before her was both familiar and strange.

Familiar was still this face, still these eyes, clean and pure like the Snow Region’s sky. Strange was her face stained with Jian Chou’s blood, her eyes holding disapproval hidden beneath fear.

Jian Chou looked at her, feeling absurd at this moment.

The question she had considered before surfaced again: in this Snow Region, almost everyone was a believer of the Sacred Temple. She thought others were suffering, but they were content; she drew her sword to save them, but they didn’t need her salvation and even turned against her…

“I, I just…”

Under Jian Chou’s gaze, Qiaguo felt as if she had done something wrong, inexplicably finding this look unbearable. But where had she erred?

“You—you’re crazy! How dare you disrespect the Dharma King?!”

When this sentence came from Sangyang’s mouth, her voice still carried the clear sweetness of spring water, but falling on ears, it was so sharp and abrupt.

Jian Chou’s face really showed no expression.

Xie Buchen also hadn’t expected such a scene. Hearing this sentence, he finally frowned, drew the Human Emperor Sword, and casually swung it toward Sangyang.

This strike was effortless.

Without wasting any spiritual power or showing excess emotion, he didn’t even bother to let his gaze linger on Sangyang for a moment, completely emotionless, indifferent to the extreme.

Sangyang seemed about to say something more, but the moment this distant sword struck her, her eyes had already dimmed.

A touch of bright red seeped from her forehead.

She opened her mouth and reached out, but ultimately made no sound before her entire body softly collapsed to the ground.

Her still-bright clothing billowed as she fell, covering her body, leaving only a pair of blood-stained bare feet visible.

A pair of empty, lifeless eyes that had lost their vitality remained as clear and pure as when first seen at the inn, bright and transparent.

As he sheathed his sword, the Human Emperor Sword’s lacquer-black blade gradually disappeared into the sheath with a slight resonance, like the sound of flowing blood in the hall.

Xie Buchen watched Jian Chou, his voice like his sword—calm, emotionless, almost cruel.

“I told you, you can’t save them.”