Lord Ling Tianhou’s sword Qi was legendary in its sharpness. The moment he manifested, boundless sword Qi surged across the eight corners of the heavens, whistling like thunder. This very sword Qi hurtled forth, plunging into the vortex, giving chase to the venerable ancestor of the Huan Clan. The vortex shattered upon impact, a muffled groan echoing from within, a testament to the Huan ancestor’s pain.

Far away on the celestial body of Qianhuan, within the ancestral estate of the Huan Clan, the Huan ancestor sat in secluded meditation. Before him lay a massive vortex, yet now it seemed to possess substance, crumbling away bit by bit.

As it utterly disintegrated, a flash of white light, carrying Liu Mei, burst forth and vanished into the secluded chamber. The light dissipated, flinging Liu Mei aside, with no time to spare. Instead, it sped with anxious haste into the Huan ancestor’s brow.

The Huan ancestor’s eyes snapped open, a flicker of terror in their depths. Without hesitation, he raised his right hand, striking towards the void where the vortex had been, and whispered: “Shatter!”

He had just sent his spirit forth, crossing the vast expanse of stars, to rescue Liu Mei. He had initially dismissed Wang Lin, intending only to extinguish his life with a single gesture.

Yet, at that crucial moment, as his power entered Wang Lin’s being, it was violently disrupted within his spirit, leaving him wounded, but alive.

This revelation startled the Huan ancestor. At once, he recognized the Xian Guard puppet and its mastery of the Yin-Yang Emptiness and Reality. The Huan ancestor was shaken. He knew he was weakened, his cultivation reduced to the Yin-Yang Emptiness and Reality realm. To face this puppet, even if victorious, would further diminish his power.

Moreover, Wang Lin’s spirit was undeniably bizarre, causing the Huan ancestor further hesitation. Had his cultivation not diminished, he would have unleashed utter carnage without a second thought.

Even so, Wang Lin’s chilling words had not been taken to heart. The Huan ancestor believed his own countermeasures were sufficient, even with the Xian Guard puppet. Thus, he hurled a harsh retort and fled with Liu Mei.

Liu Mei had been painstakingly cultivated for a purpose beyond superficial matters. The Huan ancestor could not allow her to be killed before she reached the second step.

But the Huan ancestor never anticipated that his opponent would unleash a sword Qi at that precise moment. He scorned it at first glance, but in an instant, it shattered the vortex of the possessed god. The Huan ancestor was inwardly stunned.

The annihilation of the vortex would have been bad enough. Instead, the sword Qi pierced through, undeterred, aimed squarely at his spirit. Its power surged to a level that made the Huan ancestor’s scalp crawl.

He sensed a terrifying aura of the Clean Nirvana realm emanating from it. Fear clenched his heart, and he fled in disarray.

He channeled his spirit’s fastest possible speed, carrying Liu Mei from the vortex, and into the secret chamber of the Huan Clan. He then tried to scatter the portal to ensure that sword Qi remained trapped in nothingness.

As the vortex crumbled into glittering motes, the Huan ancestor breathed a sigh of relief. Yet his face changed at once as he leaped up from his seat, seizing Liu Mei and retreating. From the spot where the vortex had been, a golden beam burst forth.

In that instant, the secret chamber exploded with millions of swords. A thunderous roar, shaking Qianhuan, reverberated throughout the realm.

The Huan Clan’s secret chamber was rent asunder by the sword Qi, forming a colossal ring of destruction. The ancestor emerged, covered in dust and shock, clutching Liu Mei, and fled like a shooting star.

“Damn it! How could this whelp possess such sword Qi?! What Clean Nirvana elder is so deranged as to bestow such power upon a first-step novice? This is nothing but bullying!” The Huan ancestor cursed inwardly. He could have withstood the sword Qi had his form not been weakened. To bear such an attack would destabilize his very being.

The secret chamber collapsed. The sword Qi surged forth, aimed squarely at the Huan ancestor, infused with Lord Ling Tianhou’s domineering intent. At that instant, it seemed all of heaven and earth were filled with this imposing presence. The blade’s edge reached a pinnacle. The world faltered!

Time seemed to still. The wind and clouds retreated, forming a cloud sea. The great powers of Qianhuan sensed it. The sky darkened.

As the golden light flared, the heavens were filled with sword Qi, its intent overwhelming. It seemed all other powers were forced to yield, unable to vie for dominance. This unyielding force was its innate nature. The golden sword Qi hurtled forth, pursuing the Huan ancestor.

Though he could dodge, the intent of Lord Ling Tianhou would grow the more he resisted. The sword was strengthened by cowardice.

The Huan ancestor’s face grew ashen as he flung Liu Mei away. His hands came together, and a white light flared. His Dao, the myriad illusions of the formless, could enthrall.

His fingers surged with power, and he channeled his energy, shouting, “Begone!”

The white light collided with the sword Qi. An earth-shattering boom reverberated across Qianhuan. As the white light dissipated, the sword Qi shot through his hand and into his body.

The Huan ancestor staggered, his face ashen, and his eyes widened. He remembered the younger one’s words: “You save her, and the Huan Clan will fall!”

He had dismissed those seven words, but now they were as bolts of lightning ringing in his ears. With such power, he had no doubt Wang Lin could destroy his clan. More terrifying was the thought of how many of these blades Wang Lin possessed.

“If he has six or more, unless I recover to the level of the Heaven’s Peering realm, I am surely doomed! And more terrifying still is the master of this blade… to grant such power to this whelp suggests a close relationship, perhaps a favored disciple…” Dread washed over the Huan ancestor.

Though a Heaven’s Peering master, he understood the gulf between the first and second steps of cultivation.

The first step could sometimes overcome tiers with treasure or power. The second step offered no such chance. Each level was separated by an impassable gulf.

The difference between Heaven’s Peering and Clean Nirvana was stark. Such as the single sword causing the elder such grief.

The best option was to yield Liu Mei. The Huan ancestor glanced at Liu Mei’s face, but he steeled himself and pushed the thought from his mind.

“He must be of the Alliance Star System. Even if his master were strong, he could not enter unless he possessed a Luo Tian Stone. Perhaps they have their own teleportation arrays there, but by the time his master arrived, it would no longer be a matter between us, but between the star systems, and the Lei Xian Temple would be involved. Besides, if my plan for Liu Mei succeeds, I may reach the Clean Nirvana realm. Even if I do not, I should reach Heaven’s Peering’s limit. The Huan ancestor transmitted to the rest of the clan that he needed assistance.

On Ran Yun, Wang Lin stared at the collapsing vortex before turning to the black mist enclosed by the Xian Guard puppets. From within came the high-pitched shrieks of a child, each one like a sword piercing Wang Lin’s heart. A trace of pain flitted through his eyes as he gazed at the mist, particularly the pair of turbid eyes that met his own with a deep-seated resentment. “This is my child… my own flesh and blood in this world…”

Wang Lin slowly approached the mist, tenderness in his gaze. He hesitated before raising his right hand and reaching into the darkness. The vengeful infant bit his finger, drawing blood, and a chill entered Wang Lin’s body through the wound.

Wang Lin did not withdraw his hand. His gaze held only tenderness.

“It will be alright. Your name is Li, is it? Li is not a good name. It is replaced by Ping… From now on, your name is Wang Ping… I hope you live a peaceful life, unlike me…”