Chapter 86

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Chapter 86: Title

"Why seek me out?" Xia Shi’s shaking voice leaked through clenched teeth as she wrestled with her emotions. "I warned you to stay away."

Pei Jiu’s very presence amplified her fury. Xia Shi stared at the slender wrist beneath her palm, imagining how easily those bones might snap. The temptation pulsed through her veins.

"Abandoning your sword… abandoning me?"

Xia Shi’s grip faltered. She turned away, unable to face those eyes mirroring her own derangement.

"Never."

"Then why give me your blade? Planning to confront Pei Jiu and that Lu Qingyu imposter alone?" Suiyin’s anger surfaced. She resented Xia Shi’s silence, hated how this sword cultivator shouldered every burden alone. Most of all, she loathed Pei Jiu for extinguishing Xia Shi’s former brilliance.

"Let me stand with you."

Suiyin twisted free and cupped Xia Shi’s face, murmuring, "Let me be your living sword—"

"Enough." Xia Shi recoiled, voice turning arctic. She rose like a stone monument, back facing her supplicant. "Leave."

"No!" Suiyin’s outstretched hand froze mid-air as those two words plunged her into a cold pond’s depths, stealing her breath.

The person said, "A sword that kills its master… I won’t use it again."

A silent tear rolled down.

Suiyin’s whisper almost disappeared in the air, "You… remembered?"

Killing its master…

Of course. Xia Wuwei’s most severe wound had come from the Heartless Sword.

That single strike had nearly pierced her heart.

That same strike trapped the sword spirit outside the sword body, leaving the Heartless Sword dull and lifeless forever.

The suspended hand slowly fell.

Xia Shi clenched her jaw until it hurt, voice hardening like frost. "Get out!"

"I never want to see you again."

Wind stirred the hem of Xia Shi’s robe as the familiar breath vanished completely, along with the last traces of fading spiritual power.

Her numb fingers uncurled stiffly. The pounding in her skull returned.

Chaotic memories flooded her mind. She shut her eyes—

Beneath the Heavenly Dao barrier, cultivators scrambled for cover. Though heavenly lightning targeted only one person, the overwhelming spiritual energy crushed them all. Some bodies burst like overripe fruit. Others tried absorbing the energy, but the weakened demon suppression array cracked under thunderous strikes—releasing starved Blood Demons who hadn’t fed in a thousand years. The cultivators became easy prey.

Whether torn apart by energy or demons, none left spirits behind. No next life awaited them.

Xia Wuwei endured searing lightning while watching her fellow cultivators suffer for her sake.

Helpless. She couldn’t even raise her sword.

Only by surviving this tribulation could she shatter the barrier. Maybe… maybe some could still be saved.

As the final lightning bolt struck, cold steel pierced her heart.

"Xia Wuwei!"

Someone screamed from the Void.

She looked up blindly. Saw nothing.

The freezing cold felt familiar—her own sword energy radiating from the blade.

Her sword. The one thing she never thought would kill her.

"Xia Wuwei… Xia Wuwei…" The sword spirit’s voice came from nowhere and everywhere. "I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have left! Shouldn’t have abandoned you!"

A wet cough.

Clang—

Someone yanked the Heartless Sword free and threw it aside.

Blood filled Xia Wuwei’s mouth as she lifted her head. Through crimson Blood Mist, she saw Pei Jiu’s sweet face—now splattered red, half-shadowed, twisting into something dark and terrible.

She remained silent, gazing at Xia Wuwei—the once-promising young female sword cultivator now collapsed after failing her tribulation.

A sword technique prodigy? The Nine Realms’ sword immortal?

Hmph. Still foolish enough to become her pawn.

Xia Wuwei hung her head. The chest wound wasn’t lethal, she knew this. The Heartless Sword’s frigid energy had already frozen her blood into crimson ice crystals.

When Pei Jiu suddenly stepped forward, Xia Wuwei lunged. Draining her last reserves of spiritual power, she seized the Heartless Sword. Its blade barely missed Pei Jiu’s throat as demonic energy deflected the strike.

"Still swinging swords?" Pei Jiu dabbed her bleeding neck, smirking at scarlet-stained fingers. "Remarkable talent. Almost makes me reluctant."

The escaped Demon General burned with killing intent. This cultivator’s exceptional talent made its jaws ache to devour her whole.

As it moved to strike, a formation trapped its feet. Cold dread crept through the thousand-year-old demon’s spine—even Tiansui, the Immortal Capital’s leader, had never immobilized it with such ease.

"Not yours to touch." Pei Jiu snapped her fingers. The Blood Demon burst into Blood Mist without warning.

This casually cast annihilation formation proved cruelly efficient.

Xia Wuwei had never witnessed such mastery. Qingyun City’s founders would’ve yielded to Pei Jiu’s realm.

"I’ll kill you someday," Xia Wuwei vowed weakly, unable to muster another strike.

Pei Jiu chuckled. "You won’t."

She erected a barrier and strode away, scanning the scorched earth like a hunter tracking prey.

Xia Wuwei slumped against a charred tree. Corpses littered the wasteland.

"My fault…"

So many dead because of her…

She channeled spiritual power through her meridians, guiding the icy sword energy toward her heart. She knew precisely how to make death painless.

Frost crept across her body.

An unseen figure screamed soundless pleas. Desperate hands passed through Xia Wuwei as her breathing slowed.

"Save her?"

The sword spirit nodded frantically before the woman finished speaking.

"Come with me. She lives."

No hesitation. The spirit would pay any price.

"YES!"

The barrier shattered. Frost retreated from Xia Wuwei’s body as her wound closed.

"Now," the woman commanded.

Taking one last look at Xia Wuwei, the gravely injured woman’s eyelids fluttered.

The sword spirit lunged forward. Though knowing she couldn’t physically reach the woman, she gently cradled Xia Wuwei’s face, pressing her forehead to hers. "Don’t choose death," she wept. "This wasn’t your fault. Live properly. Wait for me—you must wait. Don’t forget me."

"…Alright."

The sword spirit wasn’t certain if she imagined that faint reply.

"Wait for me."

She lowered her head until her lips barely grazed Xia Wuwei’s in the most cautious ghost of a kiss.

"I’m leaving now."

She loved Xia Wuwei more than anyone ever had.

Endless Sea.

"Satisfied?" Yan Ge arched an eyebrow at the red-eyed girl below. "Your heart and eyes overflow with her. What does she give you in return?"

Suiyin ignored the words, boldly confronting the woman lounging on the dais. "You claim to be an immortal! Then why rule as Ghost Lord of Endless Sea!?"

Hongling’s eyes widened. She frantically signaled Suiyin to stop.

Stillness spread through the hall.

"Immortal?" Yan Ge’s voice resembled calm lakewater. "Define immortal. Define ghost."

"Those helping others become immortals? Those with selfish desires become ghosts?"

Suiyin had no answer. She’d never sought ascension to immortality. As sword spirit, she’d only wanted to stand beside Xia Wuwei. As Suiyin, she’d first sought the sword, then turned her attention to Xia Shi.

Always, her gaze remained fixed on one person.

"Ah Yin." Yan Ge sighed. "Am I evil in your eyes?"

Suiyin considered before answering. "No."

Aunt Yan had saved Xia Shi. Rescued Lu Ciyou and Yan Li. Helped countless others.

Not evil.

"Then why create the Thirteen Ghost Domains?" The words curdled Suiyin’s tongue.

Yan Ge’s frown signaled vanishing patience.

She waved dismissal. Hongling moved to drag Suiyin away.

Suiyin’s knees buckled toward the floor.

A black-and-red figure materialized, hauling her upright.

Yan Ge’s finger pressed against the girl’s throat, eyes narrowing dangerously. "You think I won’t kill you?"

Suiyin smiled fearlessly. "Kill me, and the Divine Bone gets destroyed."

Yan Ge’s gaze flickered. Hongling gaped.

"Threatening me?" Yan Ge tightened her grip, eyes glacial.

"She’s just a sword spirit. I could easily pull you out of this shell and replace you with a more obedient one."

"Your Majesty! Ah Yin spoke carelessly—she wasn’t thinking clearly." Hongling pleaded urgently when she saw Yan Ge preparing to extract the soul, not daring to say anything more.

Yan Ge glanced sideways, and Hongling immediately lowered her head into silence.

Suiyin’s head was forced back, the jade bead on her wrist having shattered back in Lingyang City.

The splitting sensation of her spirit separating from her body washed over her again.

"Hmph."

Yan Ge released her grip and drawled, "I only saved Xia Wuwei because your sword spirit could nurture her Divine Bone. I even gave you elixirs to cure her cold poison—I’ve done more than enough. Now you want me to extract your soul so you can become a sword spirit again and return to Xia Wuwei? Ah Yin, you’re being naive."

Suiyin laughed, eyes bloodshot. She slowly pressed the Wugui sword against her own throat, the blade drawing blood the moment it touched skin.

Yan Ge’s expression darkened. "You wouldn’t dare."

"Scared?" Suiyin’s tears finally overflowed as she stared at the woman she’d once considered family—the woman who’d used her as disposable fuel for nurturing divine bones.

"Ah Yin! Don’t act rashly! You misunderstand Her Majesty!" Hongling interjected desperately. If the sacred weapon killed its master, not only would the Wugui sword shatter, but the half Divine Bone inside Suiyin would vanish—destroying Yan Ge’s last hope.

"Let her try!" Yan Ge’s lips curled into a frosty smile as she watched the blade tremble. "Let’s see if she has the spine to follow through."

"Strike that blow, and Xia Wuwei’s sword will become lifeless scrap metal. Without it, she’s worthless!"