At the same time that Liang Hao and Huang Xiaoting were locked in battle, Linghu Ming arrived at the edge of a cliff, standing quietly with his eyes closed as the fierce wind whipped around him.
"Come out. You've been following me all this way. Isn't this the moment you've been waiting for?"
"Heh heh heh..."
A sinister laugh echoed through the air.
A figure clad in a brown cloak appeared in midair before Linghu Ming. With a hood covering his face, his appearance remained hidden.
Linghu Ming slowly opened his eyes and sighed.
"You really never give up. From the Dao Domain to the Central Domain, then to the Southern Domain, and now you've even infiltrated the Divine Phoenix Ancient Ruins. You're certainly persistent."
"Heh heh heh... Are you afraid now? Admit that you were wrong, and I might consider sparing your life."
Without another word, Linghu Ming drew his sword and lunged forward.
The cloaked man had expected the attack and swiftly dodged.
"What? So impatient? We were martial brothers once. Can't we at least have a proper conversation?"
"I have nothing to say to you."
"Still the same as ever. In that case, let your senior brother see whether your swordsmanship has improved."
As soon as he finished speaking, the cloak fluttered.
"Sword, come!"
A three-foot azure sword descended from the heavens and landed steadily in his hand.
Linghu Ming immediately formed a sword seal.
"Vertical and Horizontal Sword Art—Roam Freely Between Heaven and Earth!"
Countless afterimages burst forth as icy sword light swept toward the cloaked figure.
Yet the man remained perfectly still.
Holding his sword behind his back, he waited until the attacks were almost upon him before casually swinging his blade.
A massive azure sword beam instantly illuminated half the sky, obliterating every one of Linghu Ming's afterimages.
Forced onto the defensive, Linghu Ming rapidly retreated to the cliff.
The moment he landed, a chill ran down his neck.
A bead of cold sweat slid down his cheek.
Before he could react, the cloaked man's sword was already resting against his throat.
"Heh heh heh... All these years, your cultivation has improved, but your swordsmanship hasn't progressed at all.
I've already deciphered every move of your Vertical and Horizontal Sword Art. Unless you use the techniques of the Demon Domain, you'll never defeat me."
Linghu Ming sighed softly.
He let go of his sword.
"Do it."
Closing his eyes, he calmly awaited death.
Unexpectedly, the cloaked man withdrew his sword.
"Killing you now would be too easy. There's no satisfaction in it. I'll give you another three years.
If you still can't defeat me by then, I'll personally take your life."
With that, he turned to leave.
"Senior Brother!"
Linghu Ming called after him.
"I know you hate Master. She expelled you from Taibai Tower all those years ago, ignoring your feelings.
But she had no choice—for the sake of the sect.
She's thought about you every day since then.
Come back."
The cloaked man suddenly turned around and pulled back his hood.
His handsome face was weathered by hardship.
A long scar stretched across his forehead, impossible to ignore.
Linghu Ming's pupils contracted.
"Senior Brother... your..."
"This scar..."
The man touched his forehead.
"...was given to me by your master.
Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is stare at this scar in the mirror.
Only then can I remember the humiliation she inflicted upon me.
One day, I, Li Jianxin, will return to Taibai Tower and reclaim everything I lost."
"Senior Brother, why continue like this?"
Linghu Ming shook his head helplessly.
"I know you've always wanted to return.
After all, between you and Master..."
"Enough!"
Li Jianxin interrupted coldly.
"I am irreconcilable with her.
Don't try to play on old ties.
Practice your sword well.
The next time we meet, only one of us will leave alive.
Do you understand?"
After saying that, Li Jianxin pulled his hood back over his head, mounted his flying sword, and disappeared into the horizon.
Linghu Ming let out another sigh.
"Ah... love is truly the hardest thing in this world to understand.
Senior Brother, Master may have wronged you, but she truly had no choice.
For the honor of the sect...
For the continuation of its legacy...
Sacrifices had to be made.
I only hope that one day you'll understand and return to her.
She still needs you."
With those words, Linghu Ming turned and headed toward the ancient temple.
Inside the Ancient Temple
The temple's interior was a maze of winding corridors.
Every path branched into countless others, as though there were no end.
Guided by the resonance of the Ice Phoenix bloodline within her, Yu Xiyan navigated through the labyrinth, leaving everyone else behind as she ventured deeper.
After turning left at yet another intersection, she entered a massive chamber spanning tens of thousands of square meters.
The room glittered with starlight.
Rich spiritual energy filled the air.
Rare crystal ores covered the floor.
Mining only a small portion would be enough to elevate an ordinary third-rate sect into prosperity.
Yet Yu Xiyan's attention was fixed entirely on the bronze statue standing at the center.
It depicted a general gripping a military saber, gazing resolutely ahead.
His unwavering expression suggested that no hardship could shake his determination.
For some reason...
The statue felt strangely familiar.
She slowly approached and carefully examined its face.
"This is... Shen Zhao?
How is that possible..."
Her discovery left her utterly stunned.
Suddenly—
Boom!
"Ugh!"
A powerful blast struck her from behind.
Caught completely off guard while focusing on the statue, Yu Xiyan was sent flying.
Blood sprayed from her mouth onto the bronze statue.
At the same time, an aged voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"I never expected someone to find this place before me.
What a surprise."
Yu Xiyan immediately sealed several acupoints around her body to suppress her injuries before turning around angrily.
Standing there was an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a bluish-purple Daoist robe and leaning on a staff taller than himself.
He wore a sinister smile.
"Despicable!"
Wiping the blood from the corner of her lips, Yu Xiyan summoned a Heaven-grade spiritual sword and prepared for battle.
"Oh? Such a beautiful little girl.
Perhaps fortune is smiling upon this old man today."
His hoarse laughter reverberated throughout the chamber.
Yu Xiyan's gaze turned icy.
She circulated the spiritual energy within her dantian.
An intense frost instantly enveloped her sword.
"Hmm?"
The old man's eyes narrowed.
"Such cold energy... and I sense Phoenix blood.
You're from the Ice Phoenix Clan?"
Yu Xiyan ignored him.
She twisted her sword, unleashing countless intersecting sword qi that carved glowing streaks through the chamber before surging toward the old man.
"Hmph!"
"In front of me, how dare you act so arrogantly!"
The old man slammed his staff against the ground.
Powerful currents of energy swirled around him, forming a protective barrier that effortlessly blocked every strand of sword qi.
Without hesitation, Yu Xiyan changed techniques.
"Frozen Thousand Miles!"
The freezing aura transformed into a soaring ice phoenix.
Its piercing cry shook the entire chamber.
An overwhelming wave of frost spread outward, freezing the entire room—including the old man.
"Haa..."
Believing the battle over, Yu Xiyan finally let out a relieved breath.
But just then—
Boom!
The frozen statue around the old man exploded apart.
He shattered the ice with brute force and slammed his staff heavily onto the ground.
"Excellent.
You're ruthless despite your young age.
I like that.
You'll become the one hundred and eighty-third cultivation furnace in my collection."
"Ao Ying?
A member of the Flood Dragon Clan!"
Yu Xiyan's pupils shrank.
She immediately raised her sword defensively, her expression becoming incomparably solemn.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)