I Have a Sword to Ask the Heavens

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Chapter 96: Title

Four Hundred Years Ago,

in the Sword Pavilion of the Sanqing Realm.

Fu Qing gazed at the child she’d raised, her chest aching. The wound over Xia Wuwei’s heart nearly proved fatal, frost clinging to the sword strike left by the Heartless Sword.

What could’ve driven her disciple to undergo tribulation in the Qinghu Region? She knew Wuwei—reckless at times, yes, but never one to risk others’ lives or choose a trial ground swarming with thousands of cultivators.

Something was wrong.

Fu Qing exhaled sharply and turned away.

Within moments, she reappeared clutching the Past Mirror.

“Wuwei. I’ll right this wrong for you.”

Xia Shi’s eyes burned. Tears fell as she knelt by her Master, cheek pressed to Fu Qing’s knee.

A glance revealed her past self lying broken—clothes shredded, skin marred by blood.

So this was how pitiful she’d looked.

“Master, I’ve missed you,” Xia Shi whispered through tears.

But the scene before her was mere smoke in the Past Mirror. A memory she could only witness.

Seconds later, Fu Qing’s face hardened. The Sword Pavilion’s hidden blades hummed under her wrath.

“Pei Jiu.”

Murder thickened the air. She’d have lunged for that deceitful woman’s throat had Xia Wuwei not stirred—eyes blood-red, mind lost to madness.

As Fu Qing and Ye Xiao restrained her, shouts erupted. The Liujin Pavilion and Qingyun City had encircled the Sanqing Realm, demanding Xia Wuwei’s head.

“Stay!” Xia Shi grabbed at empty air as Fu Qing’s silhouette vanished through the pavilion gates.

The vision dissolved. When it reformed, Fu Qing lay bleeding yet still manipulating the Past Mirror—now viewing Nine Realms four centuries ahead. Her disciple stood beneath thunder tribulation’s fury, sword-struck again.

“Master, I’m fine! Don’t look—”

Xia Shi clawed at Fu Qing’s scarred hand, knowing what came next. Useless.

Crimson light flooded Xia Wuwei’s body until memories sealed within her Golden Core. Fu Qing crumpled, vitality spent.

“This…is all I can give.” Fu Qing smoothed the unconscious girl’s hair. “With this power…no more suffering.”

“Master!”

Ye Xiao and Shen Huaiwen collapsed weeping at her side.

Fu Qing patted their heads, gaze softening.

“Care for each other…and your junior sister…when I’m gone.”

“Impossible!” Ye Xiao shook his head vigorously, choking back tears. “Master will definitely ascend to immortality…”

His voice faded to nothing by the end. How could they not see Fu Qing’s exhaustion? With no spiritual power left, ascension was impossible.

Fu Qing smiled faintly, producing the Past Mirror and Baiyu Minghun Sword to hand them both to Ye Xiao.

“From this day forward, you’ll lead the Sanqing Realm.”

Ye Xiao tried refusing, reaching to push the items back. But seeing his Master’s skeletal wrist, he tearfully accepted.

“Check my study’s secret chamber for details about these relics,” Fu Qing’s weakening voice strained through final instructions. “I sealed some of Wuwei’s memory. Let her stay peacefully in Sanqing.”

Ye Xiao and Shen Huaiwen kept nodding.

When Fu Qing’s trembling hand rose, Ye Xiao rushed to support it. Her fingers brushed against the Baiyu Minghun Sword.

“Wuwei’s blade shattered.”

“For my junior sister?” Ye Xiao asked.

No answer came. Fu Qing’s arm dropped limply as her spirit separated from the body. After one last glance at her three disciples, she dissolved into countless light streaks.

“Master!”

Xia Shi knelt with her senior sisters, all three performing the formal disciple’s bow with foreheads pressed to the ground.

Near Fu Qing’s corpse, the gravely wounded Xia Wuwei stirred. A crimson tear slid down her cheek.

Xia Shi raised her head as the vision shifted again – now showing Wentiang Peak after her return from Qingshou. She saw herself collapsing indoors from cold poison’s assault.

The moment she fell, Ye Xiao appeared. Though resentment flashed in his eyes when seeing her on the floor, he gently carried her to Autumn Forest.

Discovering the weakened barrier, Ye Xiao used the Past Mirror to reinforce the seal. During this process, Xia Shi glimpsed Suiyin cutting herself with a sword.

That hadn’t been a nightmare after all – she’d accidentally seen future events through the mirror. This explained why she’d suspected Suiyin was Pei Jiu in disguise.

The Past Mirror’s revelations about Xia Shi ended abruptly as heavenly lightning loomed overhead. Crimson spiritual energy surged within her, forming a protective shell. Tears welled as she tightened her grip on the sword.

Master, I won’t fail you!

When the lightning struck, unprecedented agony tore through her. Her clenched jaw slackened, unleashing a sky-rending scream.

Hurt. So much.

Flesh stripping from bone. Bones grinding to powder.

They claimed ultimate pain brought numbness, yet Xia Shi’s torment kept escalating. Her sword hand faltered.

“Xia Shi.”

A familiar voice pierced the storm. Suiyin’s phantom materialized, hovering near the blade in her skeletal grip.

Why was she here?

Xia Shi couldn’t voice the question. Speaking proved impossible.

The heavenly lightning persisted. Only bleached bone remained where her sword hand had been.

“Crack—”

Something shattered, and Xia Shi instinctively released her grip.

She let go of her sword.

What would happen falling from this height?

Still better than facing the heavenly lightning.

Xia Shi thought so, but Suiyin didn’t follow the sword. Instead, she stepped forward and embraced Xia Shi tightly, determined to share the burden.

"Go…"

Xia Shi tried to push her away but couldn’t make contact, just like how she’d failed to stop Fu Qing in the Past Mirror’s final memory.

Suiyin smiled through tears, voice choked. "I’m staying."

"…Alright."

Their fingers interlaced as Suiyin’s translucent form reshaped into a Long Sword.

Sword moves flashed through Xia Shi’s mind – Sanqing Sword Style, Late Winter Snow, Everything Awaits Spring…

All merging into the simplest downward slash she’d practiced ten million times.

Xia Shi mustered all her strength. With a fierce cry, she swung the blade.

The heavenly lightning seemed cleaved in two. Piercing sword energy froze countless demons across Qinghu Region, silencing the world.

As thunder ceased, Xia Shi closed her eyes, feeling torrents of spiritual power converging.

"You succeeded," sighed the Heavenly Dao.

The storm clouds parted. The Heavenly Dao barrier dissolved.

Xia Shi opened eyes now glowing with faint amber light.

Her golden ritual robes showed no burns, their hems glittering with mystical runes.

"Cultivators of the Nine Realms! Join my formation to purge these demons!"

Her icy voice shook every cultivator’s soul.

Those hesitating outside Qinghu Region instantly drew swords and charged.

Morale soared. With half the demons already frozen by Xia Shi’s strike, the battle became decisive.

Xia Shi formed hand seals to activate the region-wide formation. Retrieving her sword, she materialized before Pei Jiu.

"Your end comes today."

Though beaten, Pei Jiu snarled while manipulating Xia Shi’s golden spiritual power to summon Blood Demons.

"Ascension means nothing! I’m the Heavenly Dao’s incarnation! You can’t kill me while the Nine Realms exist!"

"Really?" Xia Shi mocked. "You’re just condensed malice. The true Heavenly Dao only ever created one immortal – Yan Ge. What are you?"

Sword light flashed. Pei Jiu dodged, only to feel her spirit ripped from her body.

"You don’t deserve this flesh! Least of all this Divine Bone!"

Pei Jiu struggled wildly as sword energy slashed her right eye, Dantian, then both arms…

"AAAAHHHH!!!"

In just a few breaths, Pei Jiu’s spirit became riddled with sword wounds.

"Xia Wuwei!" She angrily reached out to conjure an attacking formation, but the magic circles dissipated before even reaching Xia Shi’s hem.

"I told you – even in formations, I’m superior." Xia Shi thrust her final sword through Pei Jiu’s heart, mirroring their confrontation four hundred years prior.

"Impossible!" Pei Jiu raged. "I taught you formations! How could you surpass me!"

Xia Shi materialized two golden seals into chains that pierced Pei Jiu’s shoulders, pinning her arms. "You secretly taught me through these seals. Thought sword cultivators couldn’t master formations? Never imagined I’d learn faster than you could handle. Stopped teaching after one month, didn’t you?"

Pei Jiu’s face twisted with fury. "I should’ve killed you when I had the chance!"

"Kill me?" Xia Shi jerked the chains, heavenly flames engulfing Pei Jiu’s spirit. "Then who’d you mock when geniuses fall? Who’d steal spiritual power from?"

The burning spirit kept screaming "Xia Wuwei" through the agony. Bitter resentment filled Pei Jiu – she’d been moments away from replacing the Heavenly Dao, becoming the Nine Realms’ supreme being.

Securing her prisoner, Xia Shi soared above Qinghu Region. Her raised sword froze every demon across the land with a single strike.

One sword. Ten thousand miles sealed.

"Is this immortality?" Feng Yi whispered, watching the sword energy pierce the heavens. Though at the Great Ascension stage himself, he knew no immortal could wield such power.

"God!" The cry spread through the crowd. Beyond immortals lay divinity.

Thus the Nine Realms witnessed its first god’s ascension – a celestial challenge answered by one sword strike.