I Have a Sword to Ask the Heavens

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 45: Title

"Did I… win?"

The question wavered in the air. Suiyin’s clouded gray eyes strained uselessly toward blurred shapes.

When hands pried the sword away, she desperately seized the retreating wrist.

"I won."

Though teetering at death’s edge, she refused release until hearing confirmation.

Xia Shi covered the trembling hand with her own, gently patting it. Her peripheral vision glimpsed the other figure standing victorious.

"Yes. You won."

_I’ll reclaim your victory._

Satisfaction softened Suiyin’s features as she slumped into Xia Shi’s hold.

The older woman carefully wiped blood from pale lips, smoothed tangled hair, then laid the unconscious form on stone tiles before rising.

"Shaming yourself by tormenting juniors, Feng Yi. How does the title ‘Fengyue Sword Immortal’ suit such disgrace?"

Feng Yi sneered. "Baiting vermin from hiding requires crude methods. Four Hundred Years in shadows, Xia Wuwei – had enough skulking?"

"Draw steel!"

Today would erase four centuries of humiliation.

He’d expected her cultivation level at the transformation stage’s peak. Yet this woman before him barely reached Nascent Soul realm – weaker than memories recalled.

A disguise? His gaze swept her false features. The face was clearly altered, cultivation suppressed to hide identity.

Impossible. Even after failed tribulation and shattered breakthrough, Xia Wuwei’s talent couldn’t have decayed to this. The realization crystallized as his fingers twitched toward his hilt.

"Not here." Xia Shi gestured westward. "Clearwind Gorge. Unless you fancy explaining collapsed arenas to the sect leader… again?"

Clearwind Gorge wasn’t within the Sanqing Realm. Its rugged terrain made flying on swords impossible, and the slippery cliffs defied climbing. Over time, it became a place abandoned by all.

Feng Yi frowned. "Are you mocking me? How can we duel there?"

Between two mountains, sword strikes would inevitably damage the cliffs. A single misstep could bury them under collapsing rocks.

Xia Shi lifted her sword, eyebrows arched. "Is the Fengyue Sword Immortal scared?"

Feng Yi narrowed his eyes, provoked. "Scared? Never."

"Don’t flee when it starts."

"I honor my dueling vows." Xia Shi formed a single-handed seal. A formation flashed beneath her feet, vanishing her instantly.

Feng Yi pursued on his sword.

Their figures materialized in Clearwind Gorge. A thunderous explosion rocked the ravine, shaking stone walls and raining debris.

Blades met with a grating, teeth-jarring screech. Feng Yi hadn’t used full strength yet. He laughed at Xia Wuwei’s trembling grip. "The best in sword techniques can’t steady her blade?"

"Look how the Heartless Sword dims in your hand!" Feng Yi channeled spiritual power into his blade. "No spiritual energy remains. Give it to your disciple!"

"Useless!"

Xia Shi pressed her lips, swallowing back blood. She studied the faint crimson in his gaze—then struck with a palm gust.

Feng Yi dodged casually. His Long Sword swept out, wind-blade-laced sword energy hurling stone shards like daggers.

Master of the Nine Realms’ wind arts, Feng Yi merged gusts with swordsmanship. Each strike spawned defensive and offensive cyclones, keeping foes at bay.

At the gorge’s base, debris ricocheted between walls. Xia Shi’s shadow flitted through wind blades, the cliffs behind her scarred with grooves.

"Xia Wuwei!" Feng Yi hovered midair, eyes bloodshot. "You only know how to dodge?!"

Wiping blood, Xia Shi crept closer under rubble cover.

Feng Yi’s growing instability demanded investigation. Petty grudges defined his duels, but his general integrity and Great Ascension realm suggested strong mental discipline. This madness wasn’t natural.

To corrupt a Great Ascension cultivator required intimate knowledge of his heart’s demons—and proximity. But why? Answers waited for Feng Yi’s sobriety.

Xia Shi flew swordborne, hands weaving seals. Barriers engulfed the gorge, golden runes pulsing. Sweat slicked her palms as she stifled her breath.

A Nascent Soul against Great Ascension—no duelist’s chance. One killing-intent-fueled strike would end her. Such was the realm gap.

Formations multiplied. Xia Shi accelerated, darting through debris while scanning Feng Yi’s form for weaknesses.

"Xia Wuwei! Come out!" Feng Yi’s face twisted with irritation. "This was supposed to be a sword duel! Why use formations? Are you some spellcaster!?"

"Shattered Cloud, go!"

The sentient divine weapon immediately flew from its master’s hand, weaving through broken rocks to seek its opponent.

When steel clinked against steel, Feng Yi rushed toward the sound – only to find two swords sparring without wielders.

"Hmph."

He raised his palm with deliberate slowness.

*BOOM*

Every airborne stone exploded into dust. Through the swirling cloud, a white blur kept darting.

"Found you…"

Feng Yi materialized before the fleeing figure, but his grasping hand closed on empty air. He stared at the torn white attire in his fist, temple veins throbbing.

He was being toyed with.

"XIA! WU! WEI!!"

His bellow shook the valley as he recalled Shattered Cloud. The sword summoned a whirlwind that devoured rubble and dust, uprooting plants, terrifying spirit beasts, and sucking streamwater into its vortex.

Within moments, the scenic mountain nook lay stripped bare except for massive boulders. Feng Yi’s gaze locked on the sole wind-shadowed area.

A sweep of sword energy shattered the protective rocks, exposing the woman behind them.

"Done hiding?" Feng Yi leveled his blade. "Draw your sword."

His patience had expired. If she kept using tricks instead of proper swordsmanship, this would cease being a friendly duel.

Crimson flickered in his eyes as single-minded obsession took hold:

*Cross blades with Xia Wuwei.*

*Disarm her.*

*Claim victory.*

"Fine." Xia Shi’s eyes dropped to the pouch at his waist. She needed to steal or destroy its contents.

As winds gathered around Feng Yi’s blade-

"Wait!"

Feng Yi’s jaw clenched. "Now what?"

"You’re the Great Ascension stage Fengyue Sword Immortal now." She gestured between them. "My cultivation level’s far lower. Where’s the honor in beating me through raw power rather than swordsmanship?"

Her gaze turned nostalgic. "We always dueled as equals before. Win like this, and you’ve only proven your cultivation’s stronger – not your sword arm."

"How about… you lower your cultivation level?"

Feng Yi appeared surprised by her proposal. He’d already noticed her cultivation level was far beneath his and had been contemplating whether to suppress his own realm. Never did he expect the arrogantly willful Xia Wuwei to suggest it first.

Though sword duels weren’t supposed to consider cultivation levels—skill alone determined victory—Feng Yi didn’t mind making exceptions for Xia Wuwei.

He disdained winning through superior cultivation. His obsession demanded he defeat her using only swordsmanship at equal strength.

"Agreed."

Xia Wuwei exhaled quietly, relieved Feng Yi hadn’t yet descended into complete madness and retained some rationality.

She understood better than anyone his fixation on sword techniques.

Clearwind Gorge lay in ruins around them. Xia Shi frowned at the devastation, sending frost crawling from her feet to blanket the ravine in white.

"Pointless," Feng Yi scoffed.

Without warning, his blade flashed in a flurry of unfamiliar sword moves—a new technique Xia Shi didn’t recognize.

The fluid, wind-enhanced motions made his sword nearly invisible.

Too fast.

Their sleeves brushed as they passed. Fresh blood bloomed across Xia Shi’s right arm.

Amusement lit Feng Yi’s eyes at the crimson streak.

"What’s this technique called?"

"Wind Deliverance. Nine forms." His follow-up strike sent sword energy screaming toward her. Wind blades nicked Xia Shi’s cheek, drawing blood.

Steel clashed against steel, sparks flying where their sword energies collided.

Xia Shi analyzed Feng Yi’s blade-work with reluctant admiration—his perfected swordsmanship truly earned the title of sword immortal.

Centering herself, she summoned whirling snow around her body, sword energy radiating bitter cold.

Late Winter Snow.

Feng Yi’s fingers tightened on his hilt, anticipation blazing in his gaze.

Today he’d finally shatter this technique.

His sword trembled in sync with his racing pulse.

Wind Deliverance had been designed specifically to counter Late Winter Snow. If she generated storms, he’d commandeer her winds!

Xia Shi detected his plan immediately. A faint smile curved her lips as she deliberately funneled cold wind toward him.

Her snowy Long Sword lunged forward as she switched to offense.

They danced through the frozen gale, exchanging hundreds of strikes within moments. Xia Shi’s face whitened, eyebrows glazing with ice crystals.

Her movements slowed. Gritting her teeth, she fought through bone-deep cold—each sword swing now sent jagged frost through her veins.

Late Winter Snow’s intensified chill was awakening the poison within. She couldn’t maintain this technique much longer.

As the ice and snow melted like spring returning to earth, fresh sprouts emerged from the wind-scoured ground of Clearwind Gorge.

Everything awaits spring, reborn anew.

Feng Yi’s eyes burned as he watched this scene. He summoned the wind to strike again with greater force.

If she sought life, he’d deliver death.

In that instant, Xia Shi found an opening in his sword move. She hurled a binding formation and darted behind him like the wind itself, severing the pouch’s cord at his waist.

The pouch radiated sinister energy in her palm.

So this was the source.

As Xia Shi moved to open it, sword energy sliced through the air. She twisted aside but caught a wind blade across her back.

A pained gasp escaped her.

Feng Yi advanced slowly, murderous intent blazing in his eyes as blood trickled from his lips. "Return it!"

Seeing his deepening corruption, Xia Shi flung the pouch away instead of examining it. She sprang upward, sword flashing.

Her blade’s energy shredded the pouch’s fabric, exposing writhing black energy that fled toward Feng Yi.

"Feng Yi! Madman! You carried this poison?"

Channeling spiritual power into her sword, Xia Shi aimed to destroy the dark mass.

Crushing pressure suddenly flattened her. Blood sprayed from her lips as she desperately swung her blade.

The sword tip sizzled against the black energy. Feng Yi screamed in tandem, faint tendrils of demonic energy now swirling around him – newly acquired, but dangerous enough.

With the demonic energy momentarily occupied merging with Feng Yi’s own, Xia Shi scanned the battle-scarred gorge.

Her figure blurred as she deployed formations around Fheng Yi, gulping elixirs to sustain her draining spiritual power. When finished, her pallor resembled death itself.

"Come," she whispered, palm raised.

The Heartless Sword pierced through the air to her grasp. Xia Shi gently traced the hilt’s intricate carvings, her gaze softening.

"One sword to cleanse evil."

The blade quivered, remembering its glory from Four Hundred Years Ago.

Xia Shi knew this single strike held all her remaining strength – uncertain if it would suffice to fulfill a sword immortal’s duty, yet trusting completely in her past self and the loyal steel in hand.

"Everything Awaits Spring" had always carried rebirth’s meaning from its inception – new life buried beneath winter snow, signifying "meeting spring."

"Meeting spring" applied not just to plants, but also to people.

Yet Xia Shi couldn’t accomplish this alone, at least not in her current state.

Pale spiritual energy erupted from the earth, flooding completely into Xia Shi’s body.

She’d once reached the Transformation Stage’s peak. Though her realm had fallen, her consciousness and meridians had been reforged. Even channeling earth’s energy wouldn’t make her explode from overload.

Spiritual power surged like tidal waves within her. Xia Shi hadn’t felt such abundant energy in years. Though her meridians strained to near-breaking, she relished the sensation.

Supported by pre-arranged formations, Xia Shi maintained control against the demon-possessed Feng Yi.

His sword moves turned chaotic after demonic possession, creating her opening.

"Shunk-"

The blade pierced three inches into his chest. Xia Shi used heart’s blood to draw out Feng Yi’s demonic energy.

The sentient demonic energy clustered defensively, battering against the barrier’s walls.

But the formations trapped it within moments. Combined sword strikes and spell arrays dissolved the energy completely.

With demonic energy purged, Feng Yi’s spiritual power erupted. Quakes shattered the barrier, sending cliffside debris crashing down.

Half-kneeling and breathless, Xia Shi looked up –

A massive boulder wobbled directly above her.

——

Pleasure. Euphoria.

Xia Shi froze at these alien thoughts. Then came tingling ecstasy – soul-deep tremors she’d never known.

She opened dazed eyes to crimson consciousness.

Her own consciousness floated freely now.

The red essence rubbed against her, seeking fusion.

So that sensation had been… divine connection?!

Inexperienced Xia Shi gaped. Burning shame and anger made her want to shred this intrusive consciousness.

Pushing it away brought overwhelming delight that nearly made her moan. Mere contact induced dizzying rapture.

If she couldn’t fight, she’d flee.

Retreating weakened her further. The red consciousness clung stubbornly, leaving her helpless.

Familiar panting filled her ears.

Xia Shi’s mind reeled – this was Suiyin!

Why was she entangled with Suiyin’s consciousness?!

Before she could think, red essence engulfed the soft white consciousness completely.

Crimson and ivory fused inextricably, twining beyond separation.

In the medicine room of Autumn Forest Peak.

“How is she?” Ye Xiao asked coldly.

Shen Huaiwen’s grave expression made Ye Xiao’s heart clench. “Why… why that look?”

“Using earth’s spiritual power to purge demons! Her meridians are drained and Dantian shattered,” Shen Huaiwen snapped. “She’s lucky to be breathing at all.”

“What about Suiyin?”

“Surface wounds mostly healed. But her consciousness remains fragmented – still unconscious.”

“Troublesome master and disciple both!” Ye Xiao snorted. “Those sly elders must’ve arrived. I’ll check.”

He departed by flying sword.

The grand competition’s first place remained undecided after the incident. Sect leaders agreed the Wugui sword would choose its owner post-conference.

When Ye Xiao entered Yuxing Hall, all were present. Mo Ye sat beside Feng Yi – now restored to his true form. When dug from the earth days prior, blood had fountain-spurted from Feng Yi’s chest, though protective formations around his heart meridian spared his life.

“Our host keeps us waiting,” Xuanchen remarked mildly, smiling.

“You came from Autumn Forest Peak, Sect Leader Ye. How fares Xia Shi?”

All eyes turned to Ye Xiao.

He drawled, “Thanks to Taiyi Sect’s failure to control their disciple’s crumbling state of mind – nearly demonized – my disciple’s still unconscious cleaning up their mess.”

Neither Mo Ye nor Feng Yi were spared his barbs.

Mo Ye stayed silent, guilt-ridden. Who could’ve stopped Feng Yi’s whims? Worse – a Great Ascension cultivator succumbing to heart’s demons!

Feng Yi rose, bowing. “Taiyi Sect will fully fund Xia Shi and Suiyin’s recovery resources.”

Mo Ye’s eyes bulged. Deciding without consulting him?

Ye Xiao’s lips twisted. “The Fengyue Sword Immortal’s reputation holds true.”

As discussion lulled, Jiang Feng interjected, “Shall we address actual business?”

The Immortal Sect Conference aimed to counter Thirteen Ghost Domains’ chaos.

Xuanchen proposed, “Strike the head – besiege Endless Sea, kill the Ghost Lord.”

“Jesting, Lord Xuanchen?” Jiang Feng countered. “Between Thirteen Ghost Domains and Nine Realms lies Dark Domain’s Sixteen Peaks – poison mists, freakish flora-fauna. We’d fall before reaching Endless Sea. Better gather elite disciples to purge Thirteen Ghosts from Nine Realms first.”

“Bandaging wounds, not curing illness,” Xuanchen scoffed.

Unfazed, Jiang Feng continued, “Kunlun’s ruler summoned Wugui sword after Four Hundred Years – clearly seeking its master to purge evil.”

Lu Nanlin cut in, “Vice Leader Jiang’s point has merit. But when you say ‘elite disciples’…” His tone sharpened. “Are those you brought truly elite?”

All ten disciples had lost every match – inferior cultivation and talent, not even outer sect disciple material.

They wanted to send their most talented disciples, expecting the Realm of Canghai to stand by idly?

Each time they addressed him as Deputy Leader Jiang, Jiang Feng clenched his teeth. Maintaining a smile, he said, "Naturally not. Our Leader recently took disciples into the forbidden area for trials and couldn’t attend the conference, hence my presence. Rest assured, the Realm of Canghai will fully commit to eradicating the Thirteen Ghosts."

"The Gold and Silver Token Lords of our realm will also join this mission."

These Token Lords, tasked with safeguarding Canghai, possessed unfathomable cultivation and exceptional talent.

Mentioning the Token Lords silenced further objections.

"Destroying ghosts within the Nine Realms isn’t enough," Xuanchen interjected. "My Qingyun City disciples can seal the Sixteen Peaks of the Dark Domain with formations, blocking the Thirteen Ghost Domains’ access."

Jiang Feng chuckled. "Excellent."

…

Three days later, Suiyin awoke bursting with energy.

She blinked, then sat up giggling like a thieving cat.

After laughing, she threw off the blanket and dashed barefoot from the medicine room, shouting, "Xia Shi!"

Finding Xia Shi’s room easily, she approached the bed where the woman lay breathing steadily.

"Stop faking sleep."

Xia Shi: "…"

She kept pretending, unwilling to face Suiyin. Days of forced consciousness merging had made Xia Shi hyperaware of Suiyin’s presence – even the girl’s proximity made her spine tingle.

"You remember too?" Suiyin pressed. "What was that? It felt amazing! My wounds healed faster and my cultivation improved!"

"Since you’re still hurt, let’s try again."

She leaned down to touch foreheads, attempting consciousness contact.

Xia Shi scrambled backward. "Stay away!"

Blushing fiercely, her neck flushed pink.

Suiyin eyed Xia Shi’s flushed skin, recalling their intertwined consciousness. She licked her lips hungrily. "What’s it called?"

"You!" Xia Shi’s sharp inhale sparked rib pain. The earlier rubble impact still ached despite the defensive formations.

"You’re still injured?" Suiyin tilted her head. "Then why not–"

"Silence!" Xia Shi’s ears burned. "Never mention this again!"

"Never!" Suiyin grinned, emboldened by Xia Shi’s current appearance – not her usual Master’s visage. "You know what it’s called, don’t you?"

Xia Shi shut her eyes, reciting calming mantras.

"Tell me."