At the first break of dawn, clouds rolled like a churning sea.
Yun Qingyu stood upon the deck of the flying boat, looking down at the boundless mountains and rivers beneath his feet. The "Cloud-Breaker" dispatched by the Taixu Sword Pavilion possessed astonishing speed; departing from the Xuantian Sect yesterday, it had already reached the borders of Zhongzhou by today.
"What are you thinking about?" Chu Yao walked over softly, the tips of her hair still damp with morning dew. Ever since that day when the "Heart-Linked Avatar" was activated, the cold moon mark between her brows had grown increasingly distinct, and every movement she made carried an inherent aura of ethereal aloofness.
Yun Qingyu withdrew his gaze. "I'm wondering just how many sects the Tiansha Alliance has infiltrated." He pointed toward a distant peak billowing with black smoke. "That is where the Chixiao Sect is located. By the look of things, they've fallen victim as well."
Chu Yao fell silent. Ever since Xuanlingzi's betrayal, news of demonic cultivators creating chaos had arrived one after another from various regions. What was even more terrifying was that many of those who were attacked had transformed into bloodthirsty monsters, just like the "Tiansha Demonic Soldiers" recorded in the ancient texts of the Immortal-Demon War.
"Senior Brother Yun, Senior Sister Chu!" Zhao Han, Lin Xiaofan's senior brother, hurried over. "Senior Lingxu asks you both to come to the main cabin."
Inside the main cabin, Lingxuzis was examining a map shimmering with spiritual light. Seeing the two enter, he waved his hand to cast a soundproofing barrier. "The situation is worse than anticipated. The Tiansha Alliance attacked seven major sects simultaneously, seemingly in search of something."
The seven red dots on the map connected to form an eerie pattern. Yun Qingyu examined it closely, and a shock ran through his heart. "This is... the layout map of the Jiuxiao Cold Moon Palace?"
"Correct." Lingxuzi looked at him with approval. "The Tiansha Alliance is locating the other sealing nodes. According to ancient records, a total of nine seals were established back then, and the underground of the Xuantian Sect was merely one of them."
Chu Yao frowned. "Senior, wasn't the Tiansha Demonic Lord sealed away again?"
"That is precisely the problem." Lingxuzi sighed. "The only thing you sealed was the escaping portion of his primordial spirit. The main body of the Demonic Lord is still suppressed, but if the offerings of all nine nodes are gathered..."
"He will be able to completely resurrect." Yun Qingyu finished, recalling the words True Lord Hanchi had spoken before he died. "What offerings are required?"
Lingxuzi looked at the two with a complex expression. "Nine cultivators with special bloodlines. The most crucial among them are... the successors of Jiuxiao and Hanyue."
The cabin fell silent for a moment. Chu Yao instinctively grasped Yun Qingyu's hand, their fingers intertwining as the faint gold and blue light of the Fate Pact flickered at their fingertips.
"So the purpose of the Demonic Extermination Assembly is..."
"To assemble the strength of all sects and strike first." Lingxuzi put away the map. "The Taixu Sword Pavilion has united with the three major sacred grounds and is preparing to launch a proactive assault on the Tiansha Alliance's headquarters. But before that..."
He paused, taking out an ice crystal token from his sleeve—one almost identical to the token left behind by Chu Yao's mother!
"Palace Master Hanyue wants to see you."
Yun Qingyu and Chu Yao were both startled. The Hanyue Palace, a secluded immortal sect in the extreme northern lands, was the hometown of Chu Yao's mother!
"The Palace Master... is my maternal grandmother?" Chu Yao's voice trembled slightly.
Lingxuzi nodded. "Palace Master Hanyue is coming out of seclusion for the first time in three hundred years, and it is precisely to see you." He looked at Yun Qingyu. "And of course, the successor of the Jiuxiao Sword Sovereign."
At the hour of noon, the Cloud-Breaker arrived at Taixu Mountain. As the foremost sword sect of the current age, Taixu Mountain possessed a magnificent and imposing momentum, with nine sword peaks piercing straight into the clouds, and the sect-protecting grand array circulating with sword intent that made one's heart palpitate.
"Such powerful Sword Will..." Yun Qingyu took a deep breath, and the Jiuxiao sword Qi within his body actually resonated with it.
Lingxuzi smiled. "The founding patriarch of the Taixu Sword Pavilion once received guidance from the Jiuxiao Sword Sovereign. Reckoning by that, our two sects share a deep bond."
The flying boat landed in the main peak plaza. To Yun Qingyu's surprise, hundreds of cultivators from various sects had already gathered in the plaza, casting curious gazes as they watched them disembark.
"Is that the Jiuxiao Sword Master?"
"Beside him must be the descendant of the Hanyue Palace Master, right?"
"I heard they can merge for combat..."
amidst the whispering, an old man in white robes walked forward, his aura as deep and vast as an abyss, several times more formidable than Lingxuzi!
"School Master, Senior Brother." Lingxuzi bowed respectfully.
A shock jolted through Yun Qingyu's heart—this person was none other than the renowned master of the Taixu Sword Pavilion across the realm of cultivation, Lingxiaozi!
Lingxiaozi's gaze was like a sword, sweeping across the two of them. "Not bad, indeed the orthodox successors of both lineages." He lingered a bit longer on Yun Qingyu. "Little friend, has that demonic Qi within your body been behaving itself recently?"
Yun Qingyu was secretly startled by the other's insight. "Thanks to your blessing, Senior, it is currently harmless."
"Come with me." Lingxiaozi turned around. "Palace Master Hanyue has been waiting in the Sword Pavilion for a long time."
The Taixu Sword Pavilion was a hundred times more majestic than the one belonging to the Xuantian Sect. Forged entirely from a bizarre metal known as "Starfall Iron," every single inch of it was engraved with ancient sword patterns. The moment he stepped into the pavilion, Yun Qingyu felt the Jiuxiao sword box in his embrace suddenly grow hot, actually flying out on its own to hover suspended in midair.
"Three thousand years. Wuhai's sword box has finally returned home."
An ethereal, cold female voice drifted from inside the pavilion. Yun Qingyu raised his head to see a woman in white sitting upon the main seat; her appearance seemed no more than thirty years of age, yet the cold moon mark between her brows was a hundred times deeper and more profound than Chu Yao's. Most astonishingly, the chilling aura swirling around her entire body slightly froze the surrounding space itself!
"Palace Master Hanyue..." Chu Yao murmured, tears shimmering in her eyes. The feeling of a blood connection was so intense that no introduction was necessary; she knew this was her maternal grandmother.
Palace Master Hanyue—Su Ningshuang's gaze fell upon Chu Yao, her icy countenance rarely revealing a trace of softness. "Like, far too much like Xueyou..." She raised a hand in a gentle beckoning gesture. "Child, come over and let me look at you."
Chu Yao stepped forward slowly, suddenly dropping to her knees when she was three steps away. "Granddaughter Chu Yao pays respects to... pays respects to Maternal Grandmother!" Before she could finish speaking, she was already choked with sobs.
Su Ningshuang personally helped Chu Yao up, her fingertips lightly touching the cold moon mark between her brows. "You've suffered..." Then she looked at Yun Qingyu. "You must be Yun Wuhai's descendant?"
Yun Qingyu bowed respectfully. "Junior Yun Qingyu greets the Palace Master."
"No need for such formalities." With a wave of Su Ningshuang's hand, the Jiuxiao sword box landed in Yun Qingyu's hands. "Since the sword box has chosen you as its master, it is Heaven's will. I have summoned you here today to discuss an important matter."
She signaled for everyone to be seated, and then unfurled a massive spiritual energy scroll. The painting displayed a gloomy valley where nine bloody stone pillars stood erected, with a cultivator bound to each and every pillar.
"Tiansha Valley, the lair of the Demonic Lord." Su Ningshuang said in a cold voice, "Three days ago, our scouts transmitted this image back."
Yun Qingyu looked closely and discovered that among the nine bound individuals, two were particularly striking—a golden-robed youth and a blue-skirted young girl whose appearances bore a five-tenths resemblance to themselves!
"This is..."
"Collateral bloodlines of the Jiuxiao and Hanyue families." Su Ningshuang's eyes flashed with icy light. "Since the Tiansha Alliance couldn't find you two, they are using collateral blood relatives as substitutes. Although the effect is somewhat inferior, if all nine are gathered, it remains possible to awaken the Demonic Lord."
Chu Yao's face turned pale. "Then we must hurry and rescue them!"
"That is precisely the purpose of the Demonic Extermination Assembly." Lingxiaozi interjected. "However, Tiansha Valley is guarded by the 'Nine Nether Yellow Springs Array', and a direct assault would exact too high a price."
Su Ningshuang nodded. "Therefore, we need a plan." She looked at Yun Qingyu. "You possess a sliver of the Demonic Lord's divided spirit within you, which is both a crisis and an opportunity."
Yun Qingyu gained a sudden insight. "Is the Palace Master thinking... to have me disguise myself as being controlled by demonic Qi and infiltrate Tiansha Valley?"
"Clever." Su Ningshuang praised. "The Demonic Lord's divided spirit will help you deceive the array's detection. Once you enter the core region, you can then coordinate from the inside and outside with the outer army."
Chu Yao immediately objected. "That's too dangerous! What if the demonic Qi turns back and consumes him..."
"Which is why you need to go along." Su Ningshuang gently stroked her granddaughter's hair. "The Hanyue bloodline can purify demonic Qi, and coupled with the fact that you two have already formed a Fate Pact, safety will be greatly increased."
Yun Qingyu pondered for a moment. "The plan is feasible, but the details need refinement."
Lingxiaozi stroked his beard and smiled. "I knew the little friend would agree. Junior Brother Lingxu will discuss the specific arrangements with you in detail; the operation will commence in three days."
After the meeting concluded, Chu Yao was kept behind by Su Ningshuang alone. Yun Qingyu followed Lingxuzi to a side chamber to discuss the infiltration plan in detail.
"Tiansha Valley is divided into nine layers of restrictions, and the most troublesome is the 'Demon-Heart Mirror'." Lingxuzi drew out the layout within the valley. "This mirror can reveal the most terrifying things hidden in one's heart, and many heroic and valiant figures have fallen victim to it."
Yun Qingyu recalled the scenes of his betrayal in his past life and grew inwardly vigilant. "Is there a countermeasure?"
"Two choices: either experience the most terrifying thing in advance to numb your mind; or..." Lingxuzi looked at him meaningfully, "find an emotion even more powerful than fear to resist it."
Yun Qingyu was deep in thought. After the Fate Pact was forged, his feelings for Chu Yao had surpassed life and death, and this might well be the key.
Night fell, and Yun Qingyu was regulating his breath in the guest room. Suddenly, the window opened silently, and Chu Yao leaped in with light steps. She had changed into Hanyue Palace attire, her dark hair secured with an ice crystal hairpin, adding an even more ethereal disposition to her.
"Maternal Grandmother gave me many Hanyue Palace secret treasures." She excitedly displayed a storage ring. "And this—the 'Heart-Linked Bell', which is said to triple the effectiveness of the Fate Pact!"
Yun Qingyu poured her a cup of tea. "Did the Palace Master say anything else?"
Chu Yao's smile subsided slightly. "She said... this trip is fraught with peril, and told me to prepare for the worst." She drew an ice pearl from her embrace. "This is the 'Soul-Condensing Bead'. If one of us meets with disaster, the other can use this to preserve their soul..."
Before she could finish, Yun Qingyu suddenly pulled her into his embrace. "It won't come to that." His voice was low. "I was reborn into this world not to lose the person who matters most to me all over again."
Chu Yao nodded gently in his embrace. Moonlight streamed through the lattice window, casting their tightly intertwined silhouettes onto the wall where they blended into one.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Before departure, Su Ningshuang personally cast the "Hanyue Heart-Protecting Curse" on the two of them, which could temporarily isolate the invasion of demonic Qi. As for Lingxiaozi, he gifted Yun Qingyu a "Taixu Sword Talisman", which contained a strike embodying thirty percent of his full cultivation power.
"Remember, launch the general assault at the hour of the horse, third quarter." Lingxuzi instructed finally. "Before that, no matter what you see, do not act rashly."
When the Cloud-Breaker reached the outer periphery of Tiansha Valley, it was precisely dawn. Overlooking from high above, the entire valley was shrouded in black mist, where nine bloody stone pillars could be vaguely seen piercing the sky like sharp swords.
"Are you ready?" Yun Qingyu looked at Chu Yao.
Chu Yao took a deep breath and grasped his hand. "Together."
Yun Qingyu circulated the demonic Qi within his body, and his eyes gradually flushed with a red glow. He deliberately amplified the aura of the Demonic Lord's divided spirit, masquerading as someone under complete control. Chu Yao, meanwhile, put on specially crafted chains to pose as a captive.
The moment the two of them landed at the valley entrance, black-robed figures rushed forward to greet them. "Who goes there?"
"The Jiuxiao Sword Master." Yun Qingyu said in a cold voice, "By order of the Demonic Monarch, I have brought the Hanyue successor as an offering."
The black-robed figures inspected the demonic Qi seal and respectfully let them pass. Along the way, Yun Qingyu saw countless demonic cultivators bustling about, seemingly preparing for some sort of grand ritual. What was most alarming was that many cultivators were locked in cages along the roadside, some of whom had already been eroded by demonic Qi to the point where they no longer looked human.
"Don't look..." He transmitted his voice to Chu Yao, feeling her hand tremble slightly.
After passing through seven layers of restrictions, a massive bronze mirror appeared ahead, its frame carved with distorted human faces—it was none other than the Demon-Heart Mirror!
"Halt." The guard leader intercepted them. "You must undergo the test of the Demon-Heart."
Yun Qingyu walked toward the bronze mirror without changing his expression. The mirror's surface rippled like water, gradually revealing a scene—it was precisely the scene from his past life where he had been killed by Lu Mingxuan and Su Wanrou combined!
Excruciating pain, betrayal, despair... negative emotions rushed over him like a tide. Yun Qingyu endured the discomfort, calling out the image of Chu Yao in his heart. Miraculously, the Fate Pact responded in kind, and Chu Yao's smiling face emerged with vivid clarity in his mind, instantly dispelling the shadows of his inner demons.
"Passed." The guard looked at him in surprise. "As expected of Lord Sword Master."
Chu Yao was also brought before the mirror. Through the Fate Pact, Yun Qingyu sensed that she had experienced immense pain, but she too managed to stabilize herself shortly after.
The final test was the blood pool. The two of them needed to drip their blood to verify their identities. Yun Qingyu's blood caused the pool water to boil, while Chu Yao's blood caused the surface of the pool to freeze over, perfectly matching the characteristics of their respective bloodlines.
"Welcome, Lord Sword Master!" The guards dropped to their knees in unison. "Lord Demonic Monarch has been waiting by the altar for quite some time."
The altar was built in the center of the valley, with nine stone pillars surrounding a massive blood pool. Floating in the pool was a bronze coffin with its lid half-open, emitting an unceasing, dense demonic Qi that felt almost physical.
On the stone pillars, eight cultivators with special bloodlines were on the verge of death. Yun Qingyu noticed that the golden-robed youth remained conscious, gazing at him with a complex look in his eyes.
"Hahaha!" A burst of wild laughter came from the top of the altar. "You've finally come!"
Xuanlingzi—or rather, the third disciple of the Thousand-Eye Demonic Monarch—stood with his hands behind his back. The vertical eye between his brows was fully opened, emitting an eerie red glow.
"Well done, Yun Qingyu." Xuanlingzi nodded with satisfaction. "Tie the Hanyue girl to the last pillar, and the ritual can begin."
Feigning obedience, Yun Qingyu escorted Chu Yao toward the stone pillar. Along the way, he sent a voice transmission through the Fate Pact: "Hold on just a moment longer, it's almost noon."
Chu Yao gave an imperceptible nod. Just as Yun Qingyu pretended to bind her, she suddenly crushed the "Heart-Linked Bell" hidden within her sleeve!
"Clang—"
A crisp bell chime echoed across the valley. The power of the Fate Pact erupted instantly, and brilliant gold and blue radiances burst from both of their bodies simultaneously! Yun Qingyu's disguise vanished completely, his Jiuxiao sword Qi soaring like a blazing sun; meanwhile, Chu Yao unleashed her Hanyue Sword Will to the fullest, instantly freezing all demonic cultivators within a radius of ten zhang!
"You!" Xuanlingzi was furious. "Courting death!"
With a single sword strike, Yun Qingyu shattered all eight chains, rescuing every single offering. "Hide behind the altar!" He then charged straight toward Xuanlingzi.
"The hour of noon has arrived!" Chu Yao shouted aloud. "Seniors, if not now, when?!"
As if responding to her call, a massive fissure suddenly ripped open across the sky above the valley, and Lingxiaozi and Su Ningshuang led hundreds of cultivators charging down into battle! Simultaneously, the ground began to tremble—the ethereal phantom of the Jiuxiao Cold Moon Palace plummeted from the skies, suppressing the bronze coffin directly beneath it!
"No!" Xuanlingzi's eyes split with rage. "How dare you..."
Yun Qingyu did not give him the chance to finish, executing the Jiuxiao Sword Art with his full might. Xuanlingzi rushed to meet him in battle, only to discover with horror that every single sword strike from his opponent precisely countered his own cultivation arts!
"Surprised?" Yun Qingyu sneered. "We fought three times in my past life; I've long since seen through every one of your moves."
Xuanlingzi panicked at last. "You... are you someone who was reborn?"
His answer was a sword Qi piercing straight through his chest! Staggering backward, Xuanlingzi suddenly wore a ferocious grin. "In that case... let's all die together!"
The vertical eye between his brows burst open, and fresh blood splattered across the bronze coffin. The coffin lid flew off with a thunderous crash, and a pale hand slowly reached outward...
"The Demonic Lord... has awakened!" Someone in the distance screamed in absolute terror.
A violent jolt shook Yun Qingyu's heart, and he looked back toward Chu Yao. Their gazes met, and in an instant they reached a consensus—they had to execute the Heart-Linked Avatar once more!
Just as the two of them were on the verge of merging, a streak of black light suddenly shot forth from the bronze coffin, striking Yun Qingyu squarely in the chest!
"Senior Brother Yun!" Chu Yao's heart-rending cry was the very last sound he heard before plunging headlong into darkness...