“I’ll refine the Soul Cycling sword after I take a look at the Sword Collection Manual of Heaven and Earth,” Li Qingshan said.

  With the Blade Spirit of Frenzy Flower around, he would probably never refine the Soul Cycling sword.

  “Fair enough. You’re in no hurry anyway. You can comprehend the swordsmanship properly in the meantime. Hopefully, we can fight alongside one another one day!” Ji Xuanri clasped his hands and left gracefully.

  Li Qingshan rubbed his chin in thought for a while. Various questions flowed through his head. As it seemed, the Light Queen and Ji Xuanri really were not the murderers responsible for Xiao An’s death, while Ji Xuanri was clearly trying to befriend him and rope him in. He did not seem to possess any ill intentions.

  However, the matters of the world and the minds of people were unpredictable, so he could not just confirm it here. He could not help but sigh inside again. Why don’t I have a Xiezhi Transformation?

  Whatever, I’ll go learn the Sword Collection palace’s ultimate art first and see just how impressive it is! Even if I don’t practise the path of the sword, I can teach it to Xiao An. I can give her this Soul Cycling sword too.

  With that, Li Qingshan strode into the Pavilion of Heaven and Earth.

  ……


  The howl of a thousand ghosts rang out by his ears. Fu Qingjin awakened from the darkness. He felt like his head was about to split apart as every part of his body moaned. He reached towards his side almost instinctively, and the cool, mellow sensation entered his hand, giving him peace. The Green Ruins sword was still around!

  “Senior brother, you’ve awakened!” Yu Zijian said in delight.

  “Zijian, as long as you’re fine.” Fu Qingjin saw Yu Zijian and squeezed out a smile with difficulty, but it did come from the bottom of his heart.

  “Senior brother, your cultivation…” The rims of Yu Zijian’s eyes reddened.

  Fu Qingjin shut his eyes and peered inside his body, only to find that his cultivation had virtually been destroyed. Even his soul was heavily injured, probably impossible for him to recover ever again. If a regular cultivator experienced something like this, they would probably lose their minds.

  “That’s fine. If my cultivation is gone, I can always develop it slowly again. As long as I’m still alive, I still have a chance. Oh right, who saved me?”


  Fu Qingjin opened his eyes and only smiled wryly. Back then, when the Green Ruins sword broke, he was under far greater mental distress than right now, and yet he still managed to get through it. Since everything would be reduced to ruins, he did not particularly care about his cultivation anymore.

  Yu Zijian explained everything that happened and became apologetic. Li Qingshan had originally possessed the ability to save Fu Qingjin. Although she understood the grievance between these two men and was unable to blame Li Qingshan for his choice, she still felt like she had let Fu Qingjin down.

  “I see. A lot sure happened last night. I really have to thank this honoured guest elder,” said Fu Qingjin.

  “You don’t blame him?” Yu Zijian said in surprise.

  “Didn’t he save me? And at the very least, he saved my life too, or I would have never lasted until the palace master and the others arrived,” Fu Qingjin said as he gently stroked the Green Ruins sword.

  As he sensed the declining intelligence inside, he sighed a little inside. He was not the only one who had been sucked into the aftermath of the Myriad Ghost Banner from so close away. Even the Green Ruins sword had been heavily damaged.

  His expression changed, having suddenly sensed something different. “Hmm?”


  “Senior brother, what’s wrong?” Yu Zijian noticed that and asked.

  “It’s nothing.” Fu Qingjin shook his head and sent his soul sense into the Green Ruins sword, but his brows gradually became furrowed.

  Suddenly, warm sunlight flowed into the room, and Ji Xuanri walked him. He was completely immersed in the morning sunlight such that he seemed friendly even at first glance. He asked gently, “Qingjin, are you better?”


  “You’ve come, first senior brother!” Yu Zijian stood up. She respected this first senior brother very much.

  “Senior brother Xuanri, I don’t feel too well, so please forgive my rudeness.” Fu Qingjin sat in bed and clasped his hands with a smile.

  “I don’t have to worry then, seeing how you are fine. Swords can break, but the heart cannot. Don’t worry. Even if I have to do everything that I can, I’ll help you recover your cultivation. You can accept these pills for now.”


  Ji Xuanri patted Fu Qingjin on the shoulder and took out many porcelain bottles. They were all pills and medicines at the apex of the world, not just bestowed upon him by the Sword Collection palace, but also from Ji Xuanri’s personal supply.

  “Thank you, first senior brother.”


  Yu Zijian warmed up inside. In her eyes, this care and concern for one another exactly happened to be the charm of the Sword Collection palace, while the first senior brother right before her was a spitting example of this. Swords might have been devoid of emotion, but people had emotions.

  Fu Qingjin nodded gently, but he did not open the sumeru ring. Yu Zijian helped him accept the pills in a hurry.

  Fu Qingjin suddenly said, “Senior brother, I want to go out for a stroll.”


  “Right now?” Ji Xuanri said in surprise.

  “My body is like a set of ruins. I can use this opportunity to comprehend the Green Ruins swords intent. When I was injured last time, my cultivation progressed drastically.”


  “No. It’s too dangerous,” said Ji Xuanri.

  “It’s fine. I have Zijian to protect me. The Dark Queen probably won’t come again. This is a path of slaughter, the path of the sword, so how can I go without facing any danger at all?” Fu Qingjin was extremely feeble, but his eyes were extremely determined.

  “Alright then!” Ji Xuanri considered it for a good moment before still agreeing in the end. He left behind another stack of talismans. “Though, it’s best if you recover first. I’m not going to disturb your rest then.”


  When Ji Xuanri stepped out of the door, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked back. He gave Fu Qingjin and Yu Zijian another gentle smile before flying off on his sword.

  Fu Qingjin tailed Ji Xuanri with his eyes as he vanished. Yu Zijian beside him said in praise, “First senior brother is such a good person!”


  “Yeah.”


  Fu Qingjin nodded. Before last night, he also believed that. Ji Xuanri had basically been the figure of an elder brother to his junior brothers and sisters, but now, he felt a hint of doubt. Was everything really as it seemed on the surface?

  “Senior brother, when do we set off?” Yu Zijian asked.

  “Right now,” said Fu Qingjin.

  “We’re in such a hurry?” Yu Zijian was surprised.

  “I can’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity. Can you protect me, Zijian?” Fu Qingjin smiled.

  “I can!” Yu Zijian’s eyes shone brightly.

  Fu Qingjin gazed at the woman before him with a smile. She had gone from weak to strong, while her thoughts had become much sharper and more mature too, but there always just seemed to be something that had not changed. He glanced at the Violet Clouds swords behind her and thought to himself, I will protect you too, even if it costs me this life of mine.

  “Let’s go!”


  Yu Zijian took out a tiny, delicate paper boat and tossed it into the air gently. The paper boat expanded to the size of a regular boat, hovering in the air. Yu Zijian carefully helped Fu Qingjin onto the boat.

  “This must be a machine by the mohists! Where did you get it from?” Fu Qingjin asked curiously.

  “A friend from the Clear River prefecture gave it to me. It’s very interesting, isn’t it? Lie down well, senior brother. We’re setting off!” Yu Zijian sat down on the nose of the boat, and the boat glided down from the mountain peak, delivered into the distance by the mountain gales.

  On the Heaven Leaning peak, Ji Xuanri watched all of this unfold, waving his hand with a smile. Only when the small boat left the Sword Collection palace did his smile gradually fade away. He said without looking back, “Mother, Qingjin seems to have sensed it.”


  “If he’s sensed it, then let him sense it! They’re still incapable of changing anything.” The Light Queen leaned against a pillar, standing in the shade. “If it weren’t for that Li Qingshan, would you really have let that bitch go?”


  Ji Xuanri smiled. “The Umbral Yin sect is not our enemy!”


  ps: 还有!