C1351 The Adoration of the Young Girl

Xi Quan was unaware of Yu Yuan's covert surveillance.

She traversed the Frozen World on her Withered Sword, its blade adorned with White Bone, occasionally glancing skyward.

Behind her, within an ancient castle, lay several Shura warriors of seventh-level bloodline and their entourage, now fallen in pools of blood.

The Withered Sword left desolation in its wake; vegetation perished and insects were slain by its unyielding will.

Xi Quan hailed from Darkpinion.

Drawn by rumors of numerous desolate Domains within the Wingkind's Darkpinion, where flowers bloomed extravagantly amidst deathly silence and trees flourished in abundance, she set out to explore, driven by curiosity.

She had an inkling that a strange power akin to her Withered Sword lay hidden somewhere within Darkpinion.

However, at the fringes of Darkpinion, she fortuitously encountered Qiao Yuling and her master Qi Yunhong, learning of the eerie transformations in Brugeth.

She also discovered that Chen Qinghuang and several Wingkind elders had returned to Darkpinion with Brie.

She was informed that Yu Yuan was in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, while the mighty from the Everlands had taken up residence in the Silver Sands Nebula of the Silverscale Tribe.

Yet, none of this truly mattered to her.

Her decision to venture to the Glimmerdrift Nebula was spurred by her junior sister, Ji Ningshuang!

Upon hearing news of Ji Ningshuang, she knew the headstrong girl would surely make her way to the Glimmerdrift Nebula.

In the Glimmerdrift Nebula, there was Alonso and a platinum Shura in possession of the Frost Well.

Thus, Xi Quan too made her way there.

Shortly after arriving in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, she beheld the River of Swords.

From it, she sensed the formidable sword force emanating from a Mighty of the Sword Sect.

Unlike her fellow Sword Sect cultivators, she was neither oppressed nor constrained by the River of Swords.

The Withered Sword she practiced was considered a deviation from the norm; she was a swordswoman who had succumbed to demonic influences, and her Withered Sword Spell was not found in the ancient annals of the Sword Sect. It was a unique path of swordsmanship she had forged herself.

The River of Swords left behind by Nie Qingtian couldn't detect her presence and posed no threat to her. With her intense nature, she had been on a killing spree en route to the River of Swords, wielding her blade at will, yet only targeting Shuras of a higher bloodline level than her own. This was her way of challenging the mightiest of the Shura Race, hoping to slay a few worthy adversaries before reaching the River of Swords. Oddly enough, despite her numerous attacks and even lying in wait, no Shura of significant rank had shown up. Forget about a ninth-level platinum Shura; not even an eighth-level Shura had made an appearance. She was inwardly fuming with frustration.

Back in Ionodios, the Skyreach Consortium and Boulderdawn had joined forces to severely wound the Blood King Sabonis. She was indifferent to the fallout between the factions and unconcerned with the Shura's fate or fear of retaliation. "Maybe I've been too cautious due to the constraints imposed by those two groups," she pondered.

Ciara's gaze was icy as she reflected on the limitations set by the Skyreach Consortium and Boulderdawn, which had led her to hunt only seventh-level Shuras in the Glimmerdrift Nebula. She paid no mind to the weaker, lower-level members of the Shura clan. As she contemplated whether to fully unleash the might of the Withered Sword across the Shura's lands, she felt a sudden surge of excitement.

Whoosh!

In a blink, she reappeared in the desolate expanse of space, the Withered Sword in hand. She gazed transfixed at the broad Rivers of Swords in the distance, watching as one began to shift direction, exuding a chilling frosty essence. "Truly worthy of being my junior sister, Xi Quan!"

...

Atop the fragmented stars, Alonso, who had been frozen in place holding a crystal orb, suddenly jolted to life within a burst of golden radiance. After expending much of his strength, he pushed a drop of golden blood back into his heart. Demian, Lollar, and the other platinum Shuras breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his limbs loosen.

"Commander!"

Demian stepped back and approached the rear of the Earth-Tethered Cage, calling out in a hushed tone.

The four remaining platinum Shura, though silent, fixed their gazes on Alonso, clearly awaiting his command. They had just observed Alonso's apparent communication with Yu Yuan within the crystal ball's world. But in a flash, Yu Yuan and the Dragon Slaying Stage vanished. Alonso, too, transformed into a bolt of golden lightning and sped away.

They were clueless about the subsequent events and why Alonso had hurried over so urgently. It was clear that both the Sword of Destruction and Rillrender would take time to arrive. It was also clear that their combined might was more than enough to defeat Du Yuan and Yue Mu, who wouldn't stand a chance of causing any disturbance.

"There are things you cannot perceive," Alonso stated, having returned and immediately setting aside his dispute with Yu Yuan to concentrate on the present situation. His attention was drawn to one particular River of Swords amidst the multitude, which, while not especially prominent or intertwined with the others, was subtly deviating towards the Wintermaw.

Alonso's sharp senses caught the slight, momentary deviation. Something was amiss. After scrutinizing the River of Swords, he abruptly turned to Ji Ningshuang. Indeed, there she was within the Earth-Tethered Cage, her body angled as she intently watched the deviating River of Swords. In the depths of Ji Ningshuang's icy gaze, myriad tiny stars twinkled faintly, aligning in an extraordinary pattern as if calculating something profound.

The Earth-Tethered Cage could not hinder her. But as its master, Alonso was intimately attuned to any minute fluctuations of the holy weapon. Through the subtle shifts in the Cage's aura, he discerned that Ji Ningshuang was covertly engaging in deep contemplation.

What could it be, if not the profound truths of swordsmanship, the essence of Nie Qingtian's sword's will, embedded within the River of Swords? Nie Qingtian, the Grand Sword Immortal, was the foremost combatant of the Sword Sect and had ultimately turned against both the Sect and the five factions. Could Ji Ningshuang possibly unlock any insights from him?

Alonso was initially not concerned because Ji Ningshuang's understanding of the sword had not elicited any subtle shifts. However, his anxiety set in when the changes finally began to manifest!

Taking a deep breath, he pointed a finger at the Earth-Tethered Cage and gently twisted his wrist, seemingly toying with it casually. The stationary cage suddenly shifted, gliding across to another part of the starry sky.

Ji Ningshuang's gaze could no longer directly follow the drifting River of Swords. The tiny stars, already dim, now faded completely.

She turned to look at Alonso.

"Yu Yuan has surprised me greatly. His past or whether he practiced alchemy doesn't concern me. I admit I underestimated him, and because of that, my people have paid a price," Alonso said, his voice tinged with bitterness.

"You, too, have given me an immense surprise," he added with a sigh.

Inside the Earth-Tethered Cage, Ji Ningshuang's demeanor was serene, no longer icy. Mentioning Yu Yuan seemed to pique her interest in conversing with Alonso.

"Three hundred years ago, his path to cultivation was blocked by obstructed meridians," she reflected, her eyes sparkling with an astonishing brilliance. "Had he been able to cultivate then, and if he had successfully become a cultivator, I believe his accomplishments today would be no less than mine. In three hundred years, I ascended to become a Grand Sword Immortal, second only to the primordial spirit, and he could have done the same."

"I even believe he's more deserving than Zu Ann to ascend as a new primordial spirit!"

A radiant glow suffused her face, her words brimming with pride and a genuine admiration from the depths of her soul.

No one understood Yu Yuan's aptitude and insight better than she did. Knowledge of medicine, sword's will, spells, and the Cosmic Order were all interconnected. During their time together, she was frequently inspired by Yu Yuan's insights.

The occasional remarks from Yu Yuan often provided her with revelations, sparking moments of enlightenment.

She had always been convinced that Yu Yuan's natural talent and perceptiveness were superior to her own.

Her regret was that Yu Yuan, constrained by his physical limitations, never took that crucial step. And as his life neared its end, in desperation, his nature drastically changed, leading him down the path of a demon.

"Do you realize how quickly he rose from his awakening in this life to his current level of mastery and combat prowess?"

A rare smile played at the corners of Ji Ningshuang's lips.

It was an uncommon sight.

Alonso shook his head.

"Less than fifty years," Ji Ningshuang declared with pride.

Alonso's face blanched in astonishment.

Whoosh!

Among the many streams of sword light, one veered off course. It rapidly condensed and sharpened into a slender streak of brilliance, effortlessly bypassing the Earth-Tethered Cage and merging into Ji Ningshuang's body.

"You can't block it."

Ji Ningshuang's eyes narrowed as she spoke softly, her voice transporting her back in time, transforming her into the aloof young girl she was three hundred years ago.

Silently, she stood behind Yu Yuan, her sword in hand, gazing at him with unabashed admiration.

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