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Liu Qingyin shivered. A moment later, a glint of cruelty surfaced in her eyes. “Yes. The Devil Lord has usurped the body of our master and will bring untold disaster to the world! To restore order and eliminate evil, what’s the sacrifice of a few people? It was Master’s excessive kindness that let the Devil Lord take him!”
Qin Yunxi didn’t correct her slip of the tongue and softly instigated: “Exactly, Qingyin. I know you’ve never cared for the pursuit of power or immortality. But for the sake of the world, some things we must do. Qingyin, someone as kind-hearted as you wouldn’t want to see the world plunged into suffering, would you?”
“Senior Brother, what should we do?” A blazing determination ignited in Liu Qingyin’s eyes.
Qin Yunxi gazed up at the sky, where the sword had ripped open a wound-like gash, and let out a quiet chuckle. “Seek out the ultimate tribulation. Claim it. And then—you and I will become his tribulation.” His voice sank into a low, unsettling murmur.
Liu Qingyin didn’t understand. But she knew that more than ten thousand years ago, Huang Chuan had failed to pass his ultimate tribulation. Unable to reach immortality, his immortal vessel crumbled, and he perished from this world.
“You and I become his ultimate tribulation? Tribulation… can be a person? Then what was the original tribulation?”
“It can be anything.”
Liu Qingyin wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but Qin Yunxi’s mood seemed to plummet. Still, she paid no mind to his feelings. Now that she had found the real Master, her heart pulsed with renewed vitality. Hadn’t Zhuo Jin just turned to look at her a moment ago? As long as the Devil Lord died and she helped her master reclaim his body, everything could return to how it once was!
She lowered her eyes so the man beside her wouldn’t see through her. She knew he liked her, and she also knew he was ruthless. In order to possess her, he would surely try everything to kill Master. She hated him more and more—and yet; he was the only one she could rely on and use now.
He surely didn’t know that she carried in her spatial pouch a special artifact capable of storing a soul. When he killed Zhuo Jin’s mortal body, she would secretly collect Master’s soul and hide it in the artifact. Then, when he finally got rid of the Devil Lord, she’d find the chance to return Master’s soul to his rightful place…
With hope finally within reach, Liu Qingyin felt a deep sense of peace settles over her. She looked up at Qin Yunxi, her eyes lit up as she showed him a charming smile. “Don’t worry, Eldest Senior Brother. Evil never triumphs over righteousness. We’ll win, no matter what.”
Qin Yunxi’s breath caught sharply. It had been so long… so long since he’d seen this expression…
“Qingyin… from now on… call me Yunxi.”
Liu Qingyin suppressed the urge to vomit and said sweetly, “Yunxi.”
Qin Yunxi abruptly turned his head away, tears spilling down uncontrollably. So this is what I truly long for in my heart—her calling me by my real name like this…
To avoid detection, the two refrained from flying and made their way down the Cliff of Reflection on foot. Once they got past the Punishment Hall, a shortcut would lead them out of the sect grounds.
When Qin Yunxi had snuck in earlier, he had only come across low-ranked disciples and no elders. Unexpectedly, Elder Xing, having witnessed the sword slicing through the sky, had returned to his hall in high spirits, savoring his prized wine.
“I knew it… Once he let go of that improper affection, the Sword Monarch would finally realize a true Dao and ascend…”
The old man wiped away his tears, like a proud father watching his son succeed, and poured the second cup of wine onto the floor in tribute.
“Old friend Wuchuan… I finally saw the day. If your spirit still lingers in the heavens, you must be at peace… Come now, I’ll toast this cup and go offer my congratulations to your beloved disciple!”
Suddenly, Elder Xing’s gaze sharpened, and his thin figure flashed out of the hall like a bamboo spear.
Qin Yunxi and Liu Qingyin had just rounded the Punishment Hall when they were intercepted.
…
Across the sky, the blood sword, leaving a crimson trail, flew towards the main peak’s rear mountain.
Doulong leaped in front of Lin Jiu, ears pricked and its chubby body lowered, growling menacingly at the unknown intruder.
In the blink of an eye, the sword almost reached its destination.
Wei Liang flicked his long sleeve and, with his usual careless air, strolled over to Lin Jiu and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Seeing the blazing light plunge straight downward, Xu Ping’er trembled in fear, her legs nearly giving out. But still, she stubbornly stepped in front of Zhuo Jin, ready at any moment to throw herself over him and shield him with her body.
The most miserable was Wang Weizhi. Still pinned to the stone bench by his own sword, he watched the incoming firelight and cried out in incoherent panic, “Hey, hey, Wei Liang save me hurry take this sword out ahhh!”
Zhuo Jin patted Xu Ping’er on the shoulder and said gently, “It’s okay.”
By now, the sky was filled with the roar of a sonic boom, yet it couldn’t drown out Zhuo Jin’s soft voice—his words seemed to command even the storm of fire and thunder to part before them.
At long last, the sword plunged downwards.
He raised his hand and caught it.
Contrary to what one might expect from a sword that had caused such a breathtaking spectacle, this one was neither brilliant nor radiant. In Zhuo Jin’s hand, it showed no trace of bloodlust or fiery power. Slender and lighter than a standard iron sword, its blade bore several jagged chips, looking so plain and inconspicuous—more like a piece cast aside in a blacksmith’s scrap heap than a weapon of legend.
When Zhuo Jin’s pale, slender hand gripped the hilt, the blood fire filling the sky… suddenly vanished.
“What… what the…” Wang Weizhi’s bulging eyes looked like they’d pop out of his skull. “Ascension?! What the heck?! You’re a mortal—how are you becoming an immortal?!”
Zhuo Jin smiled faintly. “My sword intent is now one with heaven and earth. But I’ve yet to reach that level of cultivation. All things considered, I’d say I’ve reached about the Sword Monarch’s level.”
He took a deep breath, faced Wei Liang, and gave a deep, respectful bow. “Sword Monarch Zhuo Jin greets senior.”
When he rose, the chill in his expression had vanished. At this moment, he looked more like a scholar than ever.
Wei Liang responded casually with a nod. “What are your plans?”
Zhuo Jin said, “Since I awoke, my cousin has whispered thirty-eight times about how much she misses the duck necks from Gathering Clouds Pavilion. I’ll start by taking her back home to eat her fill.”
Wei Liang said meaningfully, “You’re sure she wants to stay with you?”
Zhuo Jin laughed heartily. “I’m confident enough on that front.”
He bowed once more and smiled. “I wish the two of you a swift and joyous union.”
With that, he seemed unwilling to delay even a moment longer. Taking Xu Ping’er with him, he followed the mountain path and left.
Lin Jiu saw it clearly—this Zhuo Jin was, in truth, the real Wei Liang. That final statement of his held a hidden message: he had already let go of his former shell.
‘So, this ‘bargain husband’ of mine is capable of even guiding a Sword Monarch into ascension?!’
‘What the heck?! Did I get another jackpot?!’
Wang Weizhi was still fuming on the side. With him present, Lin Jiu couldn’t ask Wei Liang anything directly, so she cast a few sneaky glances.
Wei Liang caught her sidelong look. His lips curled slightly, and something deep and subtle shifted within him. His features remained the same, but now a distinct aura emanated from him—like his handwriting: ancient, yet elegant.
“Congratulations on the Sword Monarch’s ascension!”
“Congratulations on the Sword Monarch’s ascension!”
The first wave of disciples arrived to offer their blessings.
“Congratulations on Master’s ascen… uh? Master didn’t ascend?” Gu Fei looked completely lost.
The disciples glanced at one another. Their cultivation wasn’t strong enough to tell whether the Sword Monarch had truly ascended or not.
The atmosphere turned extremely awkward.
Wei Liang was just about to speak when a Punishment Hall disciple came scrambling up in a panic.
“Bad news! Liu Qingyin escaped the barrier with Qin Yunxi! They’ve… they’ve slaughtered the Punishment Hall! Elder Xing is dead!”
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Author’s Note:
Liu & Qin: “Let’s go get Zhuo Jin!”
Jiu: “Ehh… okay, whatever makes you happy.”
Author: “Mwahaha! Let’s get this chaos going!”
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