The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

A cold wind swept through the dense black bamboo thicket, whispering softly, like countless tiny ghostly hands caressing. The hustle and bustle of Baiyang Gorge, miles away, was isolated by the towering mountains and deep bamboo forests, leaving only a chilling stillness here.

Zheng Bainiao's robes remained perfectly still, almost blending into the dappled light and shadow in the forest, a playful smirk playing on his lips.

"Tsk tsk," he clicked his tongue lightly, and with a slight thought, hundreds of invisible sword energies, like venomous snakes spitting their tongues, silently crashed into the swaying black bamboo thicket. The dense bamboo stalks snapped and shattered in response, and the cold aura was dispersed, revealing a graceful and slender crimson figure behind them.

"Unbelievable, unbelievable... The entire Shang family was slaughtered, leaving only a lonely ghost, yet she managed to cultivate to the level of a Grandmaster of the Mountain Moving Realm without making a sound? And it's this kind of sinister ghostly path? Miss Shang, you've really kept it hidden."

Zheng Bainiao's tone was drawn out, carrying a condescending scrutiny. His gaze pierced the man in red like a needle, then swept over the sword-wielding youth who was nearly ten feet away. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. "Boy, who are you?"

In my perception, the opponent's aura was strange, seemingly possessing the form of the Six Realms, yet it was also unstable and weaker than mine.

In Zheng Bainiao's eyes, such a combination was nothing more than two slightly larger ants.

Killing the former would only require a casual wave of the hand, and as for Miss Shang, who had just broken through to the seventh realm not long ago... serious injury would suffice. After all, although the Shang family was destroyed, this orphan girl's identity was special and involved many things. Killing her would be a considerable trouble, but keeping her in bed for a year or two would be fine.

The sword-wielding youth was none other than Ding Ning, who had altered his appearance and aura to avoid drawing excessive attention from the enemy.

His body seemed to tense almost imperceptibly, yet his face struggled to maintain a stubbornness like a newborn calf, along with a perfectly measured hint of fear. His voice trembled slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"My master...Wen Guanyue!"

High-risk interception naturally requires the use of a pseudonym.

"Wenguan Moon?"

Zheng Bainiao was slightly taken aback, then, as if he had heard something extremely interesting, a wide grin spread across his face. "Hehehe... So you're Master Shang's 'good grand-disciple'! What, you want to stand up for your martial aunt? To seek justice for the Shang family's massacre back then?"

His sarcasm deepened, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Ding Ning and Miss Shang: "As for the skill level... it's still a long way off!"

Upon hearing the words "Master Shang," the young lady, who had been keeping her head down, gently stroked the black guqin that lay across her knees with both hands. No sound was produced, but a chilling silence spread out, as if even the wind held its breath.

Immediately afterwards, countless dark, leaping black flames, seemingly capable of devouring light, silently emerged and rose from the strings and from the void around her, enveloping her.

A gentle voice sounded, like a sigh, filled with endless sorrow and helplessness: "Your Mind Sword... isn't that great either."

Before he finished speaking, the flames leaped toward Zheng Bainiao, and one could almost see countless twisted and wailing phantoms of vengeful spirits within them.

In the past, when the Bashan Sword Sect promoted reforms, it initially relied on merchants. However, in order to balance power, the latter became a victim of power struggles, and their entire family perished. The cultivators of Changling may know that there is still an orphaned girl alive, but the outside world only knows that the merchants have died out.

This soul-burning yin fire is the merchant's final lament and curse.

However, seeing the rather eerie black flames approaching, Zheng Bainiao's eyes showed no fear, but rather a hint of barely perceptible joy, even a touch of leisurely spectator's delight.

He knew it all too well! Wen Guanyue, a name that should have been obliterated along with the merchants, was still alive only because he had become a groveling dog at Zheng Xiu's feet!
An outsider, a lackey who will never be able to access the core secrets of Jiaodong County! Even with the title of Grandmaster, he would never know that there are already undercurrents within the Zheng family, and that the rift between the Empress and the main family is as deep as an chasm.

"very good."

Zheng Bainiao's smile widened, and he straightened his back, exuding an air of arrogance that came from someone who had long been in a superior position: "Since you are Wen Guanyue's disciple... boy, do you know who I am?"

He raised his chin slightly and spoke loudly: "I am Zheng Bainiao, the second uncle of Empress Zheng Xiu. Sixteen years ago, I was a true disciple of the Xinjian Sect. Among the disciples of that generation, I ranked ninth in the order of entry, but most of the cultivation records of the Xinjian Sect were left by me."

Mind Sword!
Known as the fastest and most unpredictable sword in the world! The sword is born from a thought, and its edge strikes when the intention is there! The sword moves with the mind, condensing into the opponent's external energy, ignoring distance, following no trajectory, and appearing without shadow or form!
Even the fastest flying sword can only traverse space, leaving a trace. But a sword of the mind is wherever the thought reaches, an unavoidable and inescapable weapon! It represents an extremely subtle control over the primordial energy of heaven and earth, and a terrifying realm of mental projection.

After making the announcement, Zheng Bainiao licked his slightly chapped lips with a bloodthirsty look, staring at the two blurry figures in the black flames, his eyes flashing with the excited light of a hunter toying with his prey.

He was quite certain that revealing his status as a direct descendant of the Zheng family, whose seniority even surpassed that of the Empress, would be enough to stir up a storm in the hearts of these "disciples of Wenguanyue":
How could a lackey who survives by betrayal and is used as a tool by Zheng Xiu dare to act recklessly in the face of the real master in power?

Even... it wouldn't be impossible for him to defect and betray the merchant's orphan!

This was not just a one-sided massacre, but a thrilling breakthrough!

Not only did they easily clear away the obstacles in front of them, but they also crushed Zheng Xiu's carefully laid plan to use Wen Guanyue as a pawn!
Killing two birds with one stone, how delightful!

“Now,” Zheng Bainiao’s voice suddenly rose, as if declaring a verdict, “if I so much as think of you, you…” He paused deliberately, enjoying the despair of the other party under the suppression of absolute power and status, “are nothing more than fish to be slaughtered by me!”

The moment he finished speaking, he didn't need to make any movement at all.

The mind is the guide to the sword!
laugh! laugh! laugh! laugh!
In the blink of an eye, hundreds of completely transparent, unpredictable, and untraceable sharp sword energies suddenly condensed and formed out of thin air in the void less than three feet around Ding Ning and Miss Shang—at the edge of the swaying black flames!

The sword energy did not come from Zheng Bainiao's direction, but from all directions, up, down, left, and right!
Some stabbed towards Ding Ning's brow, some went straight for Miss Shang's fair wrist as she played the zither, and some insidiously attacked the two men's backs and knees!
Fast! Faster than thought could process! In the instant Zheng Bainiao's mind flashed, the deadly blade was already pressed against their skin! Hanging there, not yet falling! It seemed that if he only needed to further unleash his true power, he could cut the two of them into pieces of flesh and blood!
"Is that so?" Ding Ning's face drained of color instantly, and her voice rang out again, carrying a deliberate, forced fear and struggle, "I don't believe it! Unless, you can prove it..."

"Prove what?" Zheng Bainiao sneered, assuming the other party was simply unable to accept his identity and the reversal of their positions, trying to cling to the last shred of pitiful dignity to buy time: "Don't you recognize my clothes? Stop..."

Just as he was speaking, an extremely strange feeling exploded from the depths of his body! It was as if a smooth river had suddenly been blocked by silt, and his surging true energy had abruptly stopped!
In my perception, a portion of the pure true essence became swollen like a tumor, or like a blood clot that had inexplicably formed. A mottled, grayish, and impure aura emanated from it, uncontrollably dissipating outwards in wisps.

Even more intense, tingling, itchy pain, like thousands of ants gnawing at your bones, spreads wildly along your meridians and bone marrow!

The feeling was so unfamiliar and terrifying that he was forced to forcibly sever his senses from that part of his body!

At the highest level of cultivation, the body is like clear, lustrous glass, revealing every detail. True essence flows freely, like clouds floating in a bright blue sky, without hindrance or obstruction. For a top-tier grandmaster like Zheng Bainiao, who has reached the upper level of the seventh realm, his own body is the most precise training ground.

However, at this moment, this world seemed to be corrupted by filth!

An unprecedented chill, born of exhaustion, loss of control, and shock, filled his mind, and all his thoughts were instantly seized by this bizarre and terrifying turn of events!

The originally harmonious and unimpeded sword intent, which was as easy to control as an limb, became like a sandpile encountering water, instantly scattered and powerless, drifting aimlessly, losing its refinement, and its power was greatly reduced!
"Ho!"

An uncontrollable, hoarse gasp escaped Zheng Bainiao's throat, his face instantly turning from a triumphant blush to a terrifying iron-blue, then revealing furious purplish-black veins.

In that moment of excruciating pain—a chaotic flow of true essence, trembling blood and qi, and the detachment of senses—Ding Ning moved!

As if he had anticipated the other party's moment of stiffness, he cut into Zheng Bainiao's field of vision from the side, and with a strange and smooth posture, he slightly deflected, slid, and lowered his body.

With a very small amplitude, he avoided several almost transparent sword energies that brushed past his scalp, shoulder blades, and waist with exceptional precision!
It didn't seem like it was dodging the rain of mental sword energy at all; it was more like it had "predicted" the landing point of most of the "raindrops" before the "rain" even fell!

Because in Ding Ning's eyes, any insidious and cunning killing methods, any dust and smoke, any sound and light illusions, any changes in sword path and sword intent, can all be simplified in the end and transformed into sword intent and sword stroke by stroke.

When you hold a sword in your hand, everything in the mundane world becomes irrelevant to the sword itself and can be discarded.

This is the essence of swordsmanship that many people pursue their entire lives but never attain.

The young lady's eyes revealed genuine admiration. Having witnessed Ding Ning's moves firsthand, she was already certain that his future achievements would undoubtedly surpass her own by a great deal! "Ding! Ding!"

He charged forward as if he had no self, his broken sword drawing two tragic and resolute arcs, barely deflecting the last two incoming sword energies. He moved with his sword, aggressively closing in on Zheng Bainiao to within five zhang of him!

"Do you recognize this sword strike?"

Ding Ning roared, his voice carrying a fierce determination to fight against overwhelming odds. He swiftly raised his left hand, his fingers forming a sword-like shape, and rapidly slashed across the small space in front of him! Several condensed waves of true energy, like dragons awakening, exploded in the confined space before him, stirring up the wind and clouds!
Almost simultaneously, the broken sword in his right hand, like a poisonous dragon emerging from its cave, thrust out fiercely!

The sword energy surged and swirled wildly through the rapidly rotating airflow! The surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) was ruthlessly plundered and gathered!
Pure white lotus flowers bloomed out of thin air just a few feet in front of Ding Ning!

Holy! Gentle! Perfect! They radiate a pure and immaculate glow, standing out so abruptly and breathtakingly in this dark bamboo forest teeming with danger! The unfolding of each petal carries an awe-inspiring and inviolable aura.

In stark contrast to the pure and beautiful lotus, Zheng Bainiao was experiencing a turbulent internal turbidity and excruciating pain!

"The... the White Lotus?!" Zheng Bainiao exclaimed in shock, as if he had seen a ghost. His voice was distorted by pain and shock. "Zheng Xiu's White Lotus?! You... how could you?!"

He recognized that signature sword technique! It was one of the signature moves that made Queen Jeong Soo famous!

This sword technique embodies the idea of ​​"emerging from the mud unsullied, and being cleansed by the clear ripples without becoming seductive." It appears pure and uncontested, but in reality, it harbors deadly intent and is most adept at restraining enemies with impure true energy and dismantling their defenses!

How did this kid learn Zheng Xiu's unique skill?

Could it be... that today is not a carefully planned trap, but rather the Empress's prepared grave for him?! His mind reeled, and the flow of his protective true energy became significantly out of control and dissipated!
In the next instant, dozens of lotus petals that separated on their own transformed into deadly streaks of light, slicing fiercely through his body! Blood instantly burst forth, crisscrossing across his earthen-yellow robes!

"Zheng——!"

Almost at the same time, deep in the bamboo shadows, Miss Shang's hands, which had been pressing down lightly, suddenly pressed down!
The countless black flames that had been silently surging in front of her instantly condensed, stretched, and hardened, transforming into countless tiny black bamboo shoots, as fine as cow hair, entirely black, and shimmering with a cold luster, all of which shot out!

With incredible speed and absolute precision, it pierced into the numerous tiny wounds that Zheng Bainiao had just been cut open! Like a maggot clinging to a bone! A chilling, filthy, and eerie black aura, carrying a strong corrosive and life-suppressing force, instantly and frantically drilled in and spread!
"Ugh—!" Zheng Bainiao let out another inhuman scream! He was horrified to discover that no matter how much he activated his true energy, he could not stop the bleeding or heal those tiny wounds!
The black energy that invaded his body, mixed with the "tumors" and "blood clots" already in his body and the purifying power of the white lotus, seemed to form a more difficult-to-remove mixed "poison," constantly corroding and destroying his bodily functions!

For the first time, the shadow of death loomed so vividly over my heart!

He no longer cared about saving face, nor did he care about whether this was a scheme by the Empress or something else; the instinct for survival overwhelmed everything! Only the thought of "escape" remained!
Zheng Bainiao took a deep breath, ignoring the excruciating pain churning within his body and the chaos of his uncontrolled true energy, and stomped his feet hard on the ground!

He soared into the sky, attempting to escape through the air, but his flight was far less swift and stable than usual, appearing stumbling and disheveled, completely lacking his usual masterly demeanor!
"boom!"

The ground was immediately blown open into a large crater.

Suddenly, a dark cloud descended from the sky.

The scattered black energy sizzled as it came into contact with Zheng Bainiao, like hot oil being poured onto flesh. His skin began to fester deeply, and his flight path was blocked for half a breath. His fleeing figure was entangled by countless bamboo branches and suddenly sank and plummeted downwards!
"Want to go?"

Below came Ding Ning's calm and even voice, but when it reached Zheng Bainiao's ears, it was as cold as the wind from the deepest hell!
As he spread his arms wide, his internal energy erupted like a volcano, all his true essence surging wildly and without reservation into the dark green, broken sword in his hand! His pupils turned blood red! It was a sign that the tiny blood vessels in his eyes were bursting due to the extreme pressure of his true essence!

"Buzz—Clang!"

The Broken Sword of the End of the Flower uttered a chilling sword cry! The seemingly delicate sword threads on the blade suddenly exploded and stretched out in that instant! They were not scattered, but rather, in an incomparably profound and destructive trajectory, they rapidly spun and intertwined above Ding Ning's head!
Another flower outlined with talisman lines!

A bizarre, ferocious, and bloodthirsty giant red flower blooms amidst a cluster of dark, yin energy!

A terrifying sword intent, originating from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and imbued with endless resentment and slaughter, instantly enveloped the entire mountain forest, like a slumbering demon opening its eyes!

"The Flower of Sinful Seas—!!!"

Zheng Bainiao's scream completely changed, filled with unbelievable terror! This sword intent, this killing intent, this bloody flower that seemed to devour all life... He had seen it before! He had felt it!
Three years before Yuanwu ascended the throne, in that earth-shattering bloody battle, in that final battle in which that person died and fell in Changling, at the top of that Tower of Despair built of countless corpses, this sword intent also bloomed so turbulently, reaping the lives of countless powerful people!

This flower can absorb the blood and death energy that permeates the battlefield, amplifying its destructive power infinitely!
Boom!

The world suddenly lost its color! Hundreds of twisted and leaping "blood-red lightning bolts" formed from scarlet sword intent burst forth from that eerie sea of ​​evil flowers, tearing through the darkness of the black clouds, locking onto and pursuing every flaw in Zheng Bainiao's defenses, piercing countless holes like corrosion.

Countless bursts of energy hissed and surged outwards.

In that instant, his entire being seemed to transform into a tattered, leaky shell!

Like a kite with a broken string, it could no longer maintain its flight and, accompanied by a spray of blood mist, fell helplessly towards the cold rocks below.

On his deathbed, Zheng Bainiao's cloudy, blood-stained eyes were fixed on the figure of the boy who was walking towards him on dust—the violent blood aura around the other party was rapidly fading away, and his disguise was also being removed, revealing his weak and shaky true form—clearly only at the middle level of the fourth realm!

"Four...realms? A fourth-realm...can actually kill a seventh-realm cultivator?"

Utter absurdity and overwhelming resentment instantly engulfed him! A man who had dominated his entire life, fallen to… an ant?!

puff!

A soft sound.

Ding Ning remained expressionless, gripping the broken sword in his hand tightly. With precision and stability, he thrust it forward, the cold blade piercing through Zheng Bainiao's bare chest beneath his tattered robes without any resistance, and penetrating his heart, which had nearly stopped due to shock!

"With such a fragile mind, what's the point of cultivating the Mind Sword?" he said indifferently, wielding his sword and slashing upwards, cutting half of the opponent's torso in two.

“You are… Ba… Shan…” A faint, almost indistinguishable breath escaped Zheng Bainiao’s last breath and vanished completely into the howling wind.

……

"A commendable result! The psychological warfare tactics were merely supplementary; the key lay in a deep understanding of the onset mechanism and timing of the 'Innate Qi Plague,' which allowed us to predict the subtle changes after the Mind Sword dissipated and select appropriate sword techniques to counter it."

Zhao Qing, who was at the bottom of Zushan Temple in the cool of the day, was quite satisfied with Ding Ning's performance and gave his evaluation of the battle on the spot.

Although the situation of breaking through the realm was urgent, with her usual preparations, she certainly had the time to send messages and inform everyone, and could arrange everything. However, the reason she chose to "leave without saying goodbye" was mainly to conduct a crisis test, observe various responses, and stimulate the potential of Ding Ning and others.

Over-reliance on the protection of the strong is not a good thing.

As for the Great Chu Dynasty, his sudden disappearance allowed Zhao Qing to truly see the attitudes of certain people – whether their dissenting opinions and conspiracies were suppressed by absolute force and buried deep in their hearts, or whether they had truly grasped the essence of the reformist ideology.

It's a very simple strategy, yet it can make previously hidden enemies come out on their own, revealing their crimes and sinister intentions, allowing for a fair trial and a complete sweep of them. It also makes Zhao Qingming realize who is trustworthy and who is just a fence-sitter who changes allegiances with the wind.

...(End of chapter)