Chapter 9

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Chapter 9: Title

“Why aren’t they back yet?” Wen Zhishu kept glancing at the black box, her face taking on a sickly bluish pallor from either worry or illness.

Time moved differently within the illusion formation. Three days had passed since Xia Shi and Suiyin disappeared, drawing crowds of cultivators to the fifth level until it overflowed with spectators.

“No news might be good news.” Liu Sheng studied Wen Zhishu’s ashen face. “Miss Wen, are you unwell?”

“Just an old condition.” She coughed into her hand before popping two lotus seeds into her mouth. Color immediately returned to her cheeks.

Liu Sheng’s eyebrows shot up. “Those seeds work wonders!”

“This is the lotus seed of the Ziyan Lotus from Cang Mountain. It can cure…” Wen Zhishu suddenly stopped mid-sentence, glancing nervously at Liu Sheng.

Liu Sheng’s eyes darted thoughtfully before he grinned and pressed a finger to his lips.

Wen Zhishu bit her lip, annoyed at her slip-up.

Jiang Xinian tightened his grip on his sword, eyeing the surrounding cultivators ready to pounce. He sent a voice transmission to Lu Ciyou: “More keep coming. You really think we can fight them all?”

“What? The Young Master of Canghai wants to flee?” Lu Ciyou retorted without moving from her seat, her face calm.

“I’m not fleeing!”

After his outburst, Jiang Xinian lowered his voice. “Doesn’t this seem odd? We’re only on the fifth level. Even if the black box holds treasure, how do they know what’s inside? Why camp here so long?”

“Just scavengers sniffing for scraps,” Lu Ciyou snorted, locking gazes with a man in the corner whose mocking stare made her blood boil.

Without warning, a twisting surge of spiritual energy shot downward like a serpent, aiming to engulf the four near the black box. Cultivators scrambled, swords hastily drawn toward the treasure.

Lu Ciyou and Jiang Xinian sprang forward, shattering the attack with spear and sword. Lu Ciyou swept her gaze over the hostile crowd. “Think carefully,” she declared, “about crossing Liujin Pavilion.”

Jiang Xinian added coldly, “We’re still in Canghai territory. You’d be fools to anger both Canghai and Liujin Pavilion over unknown loot.”

While sect disciples at the edges retreated, rogue cultivators kept their weapons raised. A raspy voice jeered from the crowd: “Who’ll know how you died in a realm full of deadly formations?”

Lu Ciyou’s eyes narrowed at the speaker – a figure wrapped in rags with chilling eyes, his foul aura nothing like a normal cultivator’s.

“Thirteen Ghost Domains,” she realized, barely moving her lips to warn Jiang Xinian. His face hardened as he spotted the infiltrator.

Before they could plan their escape, blinding white light erupted behind them. When it faded, Xia Shi and Suiyin stood revealed – one clutching a broken sword, the other an ornate box from the formation.

Suiyin spun her blade casually. “What’s the fuss? Something shiny here?”

Xia Shi stared at the box in her hand before nudging Suiyin with it, her expression unreadable.

Suiyin scoffed, bending slightly to whisper coaxingly by her ear, "Truly don’t want it? If neither of us tells, who’d ever know?"

Red jade was a precious treasure for sword cultivators. Though this woman kept insisting she wasn’t one, Suiyin believed she was either clinging to denial or had endured past events that made her reject the title.

Not a sword cultivator, yet wielding peerless swordsmanship; not a sword cultivator, yet cherishing blades like life itself; not a sword cultivator, yet exhausting efforts to gather sword materials.

Who’d believe such contradictions?

Warm breath ghosted over her earlobe. Xia Shi frowned, leaning away as she thrust the ornate box into Suiyin’s arms before turning her face aside.

Clutching both broken sword and red jade, Suiyin scanned their group. Lu Ciyou and Jiang Xinian held their Shenwu Swords ready, while Liu Sheng—

Liu Sheng had retreated behind Jiang Xinian, fan obscuring his features.

That left only Wen Zhishu.

"Yours now," Suiyin offered, extending the sword.

Wen Zhishu blinked in confusion. "Me? But I can’t wield swords."

"I can!"

The man lurking in shadows darted forward like smoke, snatching at the blade. Suiyin twisted away instinctively, the broken sword releasing a burst of sword energy.

Icy waves radiated outward, coating everything in their path with frost. Though Song Chen dodged swiftly, the energy still grazed his palm. Frozen meridians stiffened half his arm, blood flow stalling.

He stared at Suiyin, astonishment flashing across his face.

"This sword energy… it’s familiar," someone muttered.

Temperatures plunged on the fifth level, breaths visible as white puffs. "The secret realm suppresses cultivation! What use is strong sword energy when she’s holding that?" a voice jeered.

All eyes snapped to the broken sword they’d earlier ignored. Though damaged, spiritual energy coiled around its blade like living mist—a sword retaining spirit despite being broken. A Shenwu Sword!

"That’s Broken Stream! Lingyang Jun’s Shenwu Sword!" came an awed shout.

The crowd erupted. Shenwu Swords were priceless treasures, especially one belonging to Lingyang Jun. Even broken, it promised glory worth bleeding for.

Blades gleamed as cultivators pressed forward, eyes fixed on Broken Stream, already envisioning triumph. When desire’s illusion takes hold, reality becomes peripheral.

The biting cold wind jolted them awake—too late. Formations activated, swallowing dozens in moments. Only sixteen remained.

Lu Ciyou and Jiang Xinian exchanged puzzled glances. What sorcery was this?

Sharp claps pierced the silence. Song Chen’s gaze settled on Xia Shi. "Never imagined your formation skills reached such heights."

Understanding dawned. Lu Ciyou tilted her head, appraising Xia Shi with newfound respect. "You’ve been hiding remarkable talents."

The formation heavily tested the arranger’s control, requiring absolute precision when channeling spiritual energy during activation. Xia Shi had not only deployed it unnoticed by hundreds, but also executed it flawlessly.

This woman’s mastery of spiritual power was clearly exceptional.

Suiyin, standing nearby, caught the fleeting golden glow in her peripheral vision as the formation activated.

Golden spiritual energy…

She narrowed her eyes at Xia Shi.

Sharing that surname…

This couldn’t be mere coincidence.

"You—" Suiyin began.

Xia Shi grabbed her arm. "Save it."

Only Xia Shi’s group remained separate while others clustered behind Song Chen, including the Thirteen Ghost Domains member who’d spoken earlier. The gathering clearly belonged to the notorious faction.

Song Chen advanced, twirling his broken blade until its tip pointed at Xia Shi. "Care to guess if you’ll die by this blade?" His casual tone carried deadly certainty.

Lu Ciyou snorted, stepping between them. "I’m guessing you’ll taste my spear first!"

Jiang Xinian raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated Xia-clan people?"

"Shut it!" Lu Ciyou snapped. True, she despised Xias, but loathed Thirteen Ghost Domains’ filth more.

The vile faction grew bolder yearly – preying on minor sects and rogue cultivators while avoiding the Esteemed Elders Sect, treating victims as less than human. Each fresh atrocity deepened her hatred for Xia Wuwei, originator of this scourge. Without that woman, the Ghost Domains wouldn’t exist.

"Seize it!" Song Chen barked. His Golden Core subordinates surged forward.

Outnumbered two-to-one, Lu Ciyou and Jiang Xinian were forced to retreat. Liu Sheng shielded Wen Zhishu with his fan while guiding her sideways.

Suiyin grinned at Xia Shi, brandishing her broken sword. "Need protection?"

Xia Shi hesitated, puzzled by the friendly demeanor. Hadn’t Suiyin recognized the treasure-thief who’d buried her?

A sudden shove at her back provided answer.

Song Chen’s blade whistled toward her face.

"…"

Retribution had begun.

The steel nearly kissed her eyelashes when Xia Shi arched backward. Mid-dodge, she locked eyes with a smirking Suiyin.

The swordswoman followed her momentum, parrying the blade with one hand while seizing Xia Shi’s waist with the other.

As Xia Shi steadied herself, warm breath tickled her ear: "Quick reflexes… and flexible too."

“……”