The inheritor of the ancient flying sword technique had surfaced in Xianyang City, humbling Wei Yu with a single sword stroke.

This news rippled through the heart of many a Qin subject, stirring a tempest in their hearts. To many, it seemed this fellow, having vanquished Wei Yu within the same realm, was now poised to command a grand price. “Master the literary and martial arts, and sell them to the imperial family.” Such was the common aspiration.

This stranger, having attained renown overnight and captured the world’s attention, might well catch the eye of some mighty figure, who would wager upon him. From thenceforth, he would leap the Dragon Gate, securing a place for himself within the vast expanse of the Great Qin Empire. Indeed, some were already extending feelers, seeking to uncover his origins.

In Xianyang City, this ripple, though small, was nonetheless significant.

Yet, the one at the center of this storm, Xiang Qian, had already leisurely departed the city. Such matters held no sway over him. Along the course of the Wei River, he drifted, westward bound.

The Wei River had nourished countless generations of Qin folk. But for the commoners, their journey’s end typically lay at Wu Guan. This formidable pass city, straddling the Wei River, served as an insurmountable barrier, protecting the Qin realm from the perils of the northwest. Only the true “Ji Ji Lao Qin,” the valiant warriors, were permitted passage beyond Wu Guan. To journey to Wu Guan and stand guard there was an honor for any Qin subject.

And for Xiang Qian, beyond the gates of Wu Guan, perhaps lay even mightier cultivators within his own realm… those who could truly test the sharpness of his blade. The renowned Wei Yu, he admitted, had not forced him to unleash his full power, a regrettable circumstance. Perhaps Jiang Qingyang, who had achieved fame by defeating Wang Yiwu in Linzi, might have proven a suitable opponent. Alas, following that battle, the one surnamed Jiang had already been admitted to the Inner Mansion. As for challenging Jiang Wang across realms… none under the heavens dared such audacious folly.

Following the path of the surging Wei River, he pressed on, ever northwest. The great river roared, its waves vast and its mist thick, blurring the horizon, stretching water as far as the eye could see. For whom did the surging Wei River flow? For whom did the majestic Wu Guan stand guard? This spectacle, this feeling, truly swelled the heart with heroic fervor.

However, the figure walking beside the Wei River…

He shuffled along, slowly and without urgency, a pair of listless, dead-fish eyes fixed ahead. No matter how one looked upon him, he appeared utterly devoid of spirit or energy. A blot upon a painting, a rat dropping in a pot of porridge… this was precisely the image he projected. It truly served to dampen the grandeur of the scene. Were this man a mere laborer, he would have been beaten senseless by the military overseers several times over by now.

But how others perceived him was of no consequence to Xiang Qian. Even his own perception of himself held no particular significance. The world might insult him, scold him, slander him, or harm him – how was he to respond? You are all correct… In short, his sole pursuit was the Way of the Sword. This, and only this, held importance.

He walked in tandem with the Wei River, coexisting with the mountains and waters of this heaven and earth. Yet, his sole companion was always but a single flying sword.

Just as in this moment…

The Wei River continued its inexorable surge forward. But Xiang Qian halted his steps. He stood upon his side of the Wei River, an unremarkable figure, his dead-fish eyes fixed upon the opposite bank.

At that very instant, sunlight gilded the ripples, and waves danced upon the surface. A man, clad in simple black martial attire, emerged from the other side of the Wei River… stepping upon the waves, he advanced. His initial impression was one of unyielding hardness. Had he not been in motion, one might have mistaken him for one of the very reefs in the Wei River.

Wherever he stepped, he shattered the waves, cutting a path through the surging current. The mighty river was forced to flow around him. And he yielded to none, evaded none. In this manner, step by step, he traversed the Wei River, walking directly to stand before Xiang Qian.

“Ancient flying sword, Xiang Qian?” he inquired.

Xiang Qian remained rooted to the spot, listlessly regarding him. “Something amiss?”

“This humble one, Qin Zhi Zhen,” the man in black announced. His face was resolute, his stature average. Most striking were his fists – hard, unadorned, the knuckles almost worn smooth. Like the man himself, they bore no trace of sharpness. Yet, the feeling they conveyed was one of indomitable, unshakeable strength. His momentum was full, a tide of power. His name, too, was widely known. Qin Zhi Zhen was one of the Qin realm’s cultivators participating in this session’s Yellow River Assembly, a figure of considerable renown within the Inner Mansion realm. Indeed, he possessed the qualifications to vie for the title of the strongest cultivator within the Inner Mansion realm under the heavens.

But Xiang Qian continued to gaze upon him, his expression unruffled. He repeated, “Something amiss?”

Qin Zhi Zhen spoke slowly. “I am Wei Yu’s friend.” His pace of speech was deliberate, as if each word, each phrase, had been carefully considered and could not be altered.

“Oh,” Xiang Qian replied. “Here to defend your friend?”

Qin Zhi Zhen stated, “You broke his sword, you seized his name. As his friend, I have come to demand an explanation.”

Xiang Qian could offer many explanations. For instance, he had not sought to seize Wei Yu’s name; it was Wei Yu who had initiated the public challenge. For instance, in battle, blades and swords had no eyes; while he might refrain from killing Wei Yu, he could not spare Wei Yu’s sword. Ultimately, however, it was true that he had taken the initiative to call upon Wei Yu and issue a challenge.

These reasons, if explored, would lead to a discussion of right and wrong… and that was far too troublesome. Xiang Qian dreaded trouble above all else. Therefore, he simply said, “Then, what explanation do you seek?”

“It is simple,” Qin Zhi Zhen replied. “I shall treat you as you treated Wei Yu. However, your current cultivation is insufficient. I, Qin Zhi Zhen, do not bully those of lower realms. Thus, I have come now to make an agreement with you. Wait until you enter the Inner Mansion realm, then come and fight me.” His voice remained slow but firm, hard, carrying immense weight. “At that time, I shall seize your name, and I shall shatter your sword.”

As he spoke, he produced a piece of paper, imbued with an ancient aura. At the top of this paper were three large characters in the Qin script: Military Order Document. The character “Order,” in particular, bore a seal above it, lending it a sense of solemn authority. Looking further down, the vast blank space on the document contained only a fist print on the left side, undoubtedly Qin Zhi Zhen’s own. The blank space on the right was clearly intended for Xiang Qian.

Xiang Qian had challenged Wei Yu within the same realm, and Qin Zhi Zhen now sought to challenge Xiang Qian within the same realm as a matter of fairness. This military order document was meant to preclude any possibility of Xiang Qian evading the impending battle.

Xiang Qian regarded the military order document with an expressionless gaze. “In truth, there is no need for your words. After entering the Inner Mansion, I shall indeed seek out the heroes of the Qin lands once more to test my blade.” He lifted his eyelids. “However… if you desire a fight, why await a later time?”

His eyes, previously lifeless and resembling those of a dead fish, burst forth with a sudden, piercing sharpness in that instant.

At the same time, within the unseen sea of five mansions, a streak of light flashed abruptly, crashing directly into the vast, boundless expanse of ignorant mist. In the next moment, millions of sword lights pierced through the mist! Ten thousand rays of cold light shattered the ignorance. The ignorant mist that enveloped the sea of five mansions above was thus rent into fragments, washed away clean. The millions of cold lights then converged once more, transforming into a small flying sword, which merely flicked upwards in the air.

Rumbling! The first Inner Mansion revealed its form, thus opening wide. The sword had knocked upon the door of the Inner Mansion!

On the banks of the Wei River, he had, in that moment, temporarily shattered the ignorance and opened the Inner Mansion, leaping to the same realm as Qin Zhi Zhen to fulfill the other’s battle agreement!

Even the solemn and steadfast Qin Zhi Zhen, like a reef stone, was inevitably somewhat surprised. This successor of the ancient flying sword technique, having challenged others along his journey, had evidently not planned to break through at this juncture. Judging by his route, he was likely still bound for Wu Guan to seek out fellow cultivators within the same realm. And Qin Zhi Zhen possessed sufficient confidence that, even after this person ascended to the Inner Mansion in a complete state, he could still defeat him and demand an explanation for Wei Yu.

But he had not anticipated that this person, who appeared lazy and indifferent to all, once sharp, was truly sharp.

After a moment of silence, Qin Zhi Zhen spoke. “I am not one to bully others. I was willing to wait for you for a few years. Why did you feel the need to do this?”

Xiang Qian, with a rare flicker of seriousness, replied, “Someone has walked up from the depths of despair, step by step, all the way forward.”

“That kind of glory illuminated me.” He extended a hand towards Qin Zhi Zhen, a gesture of invitation.

“And I, no longer wish to retreat.”