The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

It was early morning three months ago when Xie Xuan stood atop the green cliff, his back to the rising sun, and asked him a question.

What did Jiang Chuan say back then? He couldn't remember. But now, on the verge of life and death, the answer was crystal clear.

"A sword is a sword."

Jiangchuan muttered to himself.

"Neither coming nor going, it is both in your hand and invisible."

The Aurora Sword suddenly emitted a clear and melodious sword cry, and the lightning patterns on its blade seemed to come alive as they flowed.

A faint green light appeared in Jiang Chuan's eyes, and his entire aura suddenly changed.

"Ok?"

Yin Wending showed surprise for the first time.

"Man and sword as one?"

Jiang Chuan could no longer hear any sounds from the outside world.

He felt himself becoming one with the Aurora Sword; the sword was him, and he was the sword. His inner energy surged like a mighty river, roaring through his meridians.

"The Fourth Sword - Magnolia Chariot!"

The Aurora Sword was swung out, and a sword aura as thick as an angry dragon shot out from the sky. Wherever it passed, the rain evaporated and deep furrows were carved into the ground. Lightning flashed faintly within the sword aura, and countless tiny sword beams flowed within it.

Yin Wending's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly recalled the Thorn Throne that was floating not far away.

It was a completely black sword case, its surface covered with thorn-like patterns.

He held the sword box horizontally in front of his chest, taking the terrifying sword energy head-on.

"boom--"

With a deafening roar, Yin Wending was thrown back dozens of feet, his feet leaving two deep furrows in the ground. The Thorn Throne emitted a piercing sword cry, the sword patterns on its sheath twisting and changing, as if something was about to burst out of the sheath.

The sword energy dissipated, but its lingering resonance remained.

Jiang Chuan knelt on one knee, leaning on his sword, his face deathly pale, blood constantly spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He took out a chess piece from his sleeve, then took out a Great Rejuvenation Pill from it and swallowed it without hesitation.

In the distance, Yin Wending's black robe had been torn to shreds by the sword energy, revealing the black tight-fitting clothes underneath.

He looked down at the Throne of Thorns, where several fine cracks had appeared on the surface of the sword case.

"good very good."

Yin Wending's voice was as cold as ice.

"A mere Pure Third Realm cultivator has actually forced me to this point."

He slowly lifted the sword case and gently pressed his finger on its surface.

On the other side, the autumn rain fell like silk threads, continuously pattering on the green tiles of Longhai County, making a soft, rustling sound.

Inside the Liang Prince's mansion, a faint smell of blood mixed with sandalwood permeated the sleeping quarters.

"Your Highness, you mustn't move anymore!"

Fan Su bit her lower lip, the silk handkerchief in her hand already soaked with blood.

Xiao Man, standing beside her, was trembling as she pressed another clean handkerchief to Ye Qiu's temple, where thin lines of blood were still seeping out.

Ye Qiu leaned against the carved bedpost with his eyes closed, his face pale. Although the bloodstains from his seven orifices had been wiped away, they still left shocking marks on his skin.

He suddenly raised his hand and grasped Xiaoman's slender wrist.

"enough."

His voice was incredibly hoarse, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.

The two maids froze, watching their mistress slowly open her eyes—a wisp of golden light flowed deep within her pupils, vanishing in an instant.

"Change."

Ye Qiu released his grip, his fingertips tracing a complex rune in the air. In an instant, a faint blue light emanated from his body, and his pale face visibly regained its color, even the bloodstains on his clothes quietly disappeared.

Fan Su and Xiao Man exchanged a glance and quickly retrieved a black brocade robe.

The moment the jade belt was fastened, Ye Qiu straightened his back, as if the horrific scene of blood flowing from his seven orifices had never happened.

Only his two personal maids knew that the prince's hands were trembling slightly inside his sleeves.

Where is Zhu Lu?

Ye Qiu suddenly spoke.

"Your Highness, Eunuch Zhu has just left."

Xiao Man answered softly, glancing out the window out of the corner of her eye. Through the rain, she could vaguely see two figures facing each other in the courtyard.

Ye Qiu sneered and strode towards the door. Just as he lifted his foot, his internal energy suddenly became disordered, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.

He swallowed the blood without batting an eye, and a flash of golden light disappeared from his palm.

"Your Majesty!"

Fan Su exclaimed in surprise.

"It doesn't matter."

Ye Qiu raised his hand to stop him, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Follow me to greet the guests."

The rain grew heavier.

Zhu Lu stood hunched over under the eaves, his cloudy old eyes fixed on the figure holding an umbrella ten steps away.

The umbrella was decorated with flame patterns, which faintly glowed red in the rain.

"What does Elder Lu mean by this?"

The old eunuch chuckled sinisterly, his voice like the friction of rusty iron.

"Is the Liang Prince's Mansion a place where you can run wild?"

A low, guttural response came from under the umbrella.

"Could the Grand Eunuch please grant me this favor and allow me to return to my room?"

Zhu Lu's face was contorted with wrinkles, and his withered fingers suddenly grew three inches of bluish-black nails.

What if we say no?

"Zheng——"

A sword rang out, piercing the air! A long sword, entirely crimson, appeared out of thin air and hovered in the rain.

The rainwater around the sword instantly vaporized, and amidst the swirling white mist, the sharp sword intent sliced ​​the raindrops within a three-zhang radius into dust.

"Chonghua Sword?"

Zhu Lu's pupils contracted sharply, and he subconsciously took a half step back.

"Huoshenshan Hospital actually gave you their sect's signature flying sword!"

Lu Jianxiong remained standing under the umbrella, his voice eerily calm.

"May the chief eunuch return to his room now?"

Zhu Lu's expression changed several times before he finally snorted coldly and turned to leave.

The moment he stepped into the room, he heard Lu Jianxiong's meaningful words behind him.

"It's raining heavily, but I have an umbrella."

Almost simultaneously, a loud crash came from the main gate of the Liang Prince's Mansion.

The entire mansion trembled slightly, and water dripped from the roof tiles.

"coming."

Ye Qiu stood on the steps of the main hall, raindrops dripping down his chin.

Behind him, Fan Su and Xiao Man each held a green umbrella, but he waved them away, signaling them to step back.

"Ten years of sharpening a sword, but the frosty blade has never been tested."

Ye Qiu suddenly recited aloud, his voice piercing through the rain.

"Today I present this to you; who has a grievance to redress?"

The moment the poem's verses echoed throughout the Prince's mansion, three figures burst through the rain curtain.

The leader, dressed in a purple robe that fluttered in the wind, had his face hidden in the shadow of his cloak, with only a blood-red jade pendant at his waist standing out.

"Your Highness Ye has quite the refined taste."

The newcomer lifted his hood, revealing a face covered with strange patterns.

"Seriously injured, yet you still have the mind to compose poetry?"

Ye Qiu stood with his hands behind his back, his rain-soaked robes clinging to his body, outlining his slightly thin frame.

But standing there, he was like a drawn sword, its sharpness fully revealed.

"Wang Zhenyu, Left Envoy of the Demonic Sect".

Ye Qiu's lips curled up slightly.

"When I go out to greet guests, I always have to say some polite words."

A flash of bloodlust appeared in Wang Zhenyu's eyes.

"Does Prince Ye know why I have come?"

"I've simply come to visit an old friend."

Ye Qiu chuckled softly.

"I never expected that the people of the Demonic Sect would have an old acquaintance. Could it be that there are spies from your Demonic Sect hiding in my Liang Prince's Mansion?"

The sound of rain suddenly intensified. Two men in black robes behind Wang Zhenyu took a half-step forward at the same time, but were stopped by their master raising his hand.

The air between the three people distorted, and faint black mist rose up.

"Your Highness Ye is joking."

Wang Zhenyu's voice turned cold.

"I've come here only to retrieve one item." Ye Qiu suddenly coughed, and traces of blood seeped from between his fingers.

He casually shook his hand, and the bloodstains disappeared into the rainwater.

"What a coincidence, I went out to kill someone."

The Prince's mansion fell into a deathly silence. In the distance, on the pavilion, Lu Jianxiong's umbrella tilted slightly, and the Chonghua sword hummed; behind the window of the side room, Zhu Lu's fingernails dug deeply into the window frame.

Wang Zhenyu suddenly burst into laughter.

"Who does Prince Ye intend to kill? That little demon king Zhang Wei in the city? Or..."

His eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty light.

"Wang himself?"

"How about we make a bet?"

Ye Qiu raised his hand and caught a raindrop; the water droplet condensed in his palm and did not disperse.

"Let's bet on whether Jiang Chuan can kill Zhang Wei."

"bet?"

"If you win, I will give you whatever you desire; if I win..."

Suddenly, the water droplets in Ye Qiu's palm exploded.

"Your Demonic Sect has withdrawn from Longhai County by three thousand li."

A collective gasp of cold air came from within the rain. Wang Zhenyu's face contorted with emotion, and after a long pause, he finally spoke.

"Prince Ye has quite the appetite."

"Don't you dare?"

Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow.

"It's a bet!"

Wang Zhenyu suddenly shouted.

"But I, Wang, want to add one more condition—if Jiang Chuan dies at Yin Wending's hands, I will still consider it a win!"

Ye Qiu's pupils contracted slightly, then returned to normal.

"It's a word."

He meditated in his heart.

Jiang Chuan, oh Jiang Chuan, you must not disappoint me.

Meanwhile, on the ruins of Gaomo Lane.

Yin Wending's black robes fluttered in the wind, and rainwater flowed upwards within a three-zhang radius around him.

The ground beneath his feet was cracked, and golden light shone through the cracks.

"How dare a mere mortal body contend with a divine body?"

Yin Wending laughed in anger, and suddenly formed an ancient hand seal with his hands.

"Today I'll show you what a world of difference truly is!"

Jiang Chuan stood holding his sword, the dripping water from the tip of the sword not being rain, but blood.

He scoffed.

"A divine body? It's nothing but a baby that hasn't been weaned."

"stop!"

Yu Youwei suddenly appeared between the two, and with a wave of her hand, a curtain of water appeared out of thin air.

"Senior Brother Yin, the sect rules..."

"Junior sister, move aside!"

Yin Wending had completed the hand seal, and the void above his head suddenly twisted.

"When the divine body opened the sea of ​​suffering, it was able to plant the seed of the Dao. Today, let this ant understand what the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth is!"

In an instant, all the rainwater in the entire Gaomo Alley was suspended in mid-air.

"A strange phenomenon in the Sea of ​​Suffering!"

Yu Youwei paled as images from the "Tales of the Nine Provinces" flashed through her mind—back then, Xie Xuan manifested as the True Martial Emperor, causing cultivators within a hundred miles to kneel in submission!

Yin Wending grinned maliciously as he completed the final hand seal.

Yin Wen stood in the rain, his whole body radiating intense golden light, like a god cast in gold.

The golden-winged roc totem behind him spread its wings, each feather exuding an ancient aura, its oppressive power sweeping across all directions.

Jiang Chuan knelt on one knee, his bladeless sword planted in front of him, its divine light dimmed.

The sea of ​​bitterness within his body was nearly depleted, but the mysterious vortex at its center spun wildly, devouring the last remaining true energy within him like a bottomless black hole.

"what happened"

Jiang Chuan gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. This vortex had existed since the creation of the Sea of ​​Bitterness, but it had never surged so violently as it did today. Ordinary cultivators...
The scholar's dantian was as calm as a lake, while his dantian spun endlessly, which was an anomaly. The vortex spun faster and faster, devouring the medicinal power of the Great Rejuvenating Pill in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Chuan could sense that it was not satisfied and began to greedily suck the last bit of true energy from his body.

"not good!"

Jiang Chuan was shocked. Those who cultivate the Tao emphasize cultivating their inner microcosm and their outer macrocosm.

Now his microcosm is on the verge of collapse, and the vortex in his dantian is beginning to devour his life essence!
As excruciating pain struck, Jiang Chuan's face contorted, and he let out a heart-wrenching roar as he looked up at the sky.

He could clearly feel his life slipping away, as if the Grim Reaper's scythe was already at his neck.

"Jiang Chuan!"

Yu Youwei exclaimed in surprise, keenly sensing that the boy's life force was rapidly fading away.

With a resolute look in her eyes, the girl in black lightly touched the ground with her jade-like feet and was about to rush towards Jiang Chuan.

"Don't go there!"

Yin Wending shouted loudly.

"My vision of the sea of ​​suffering will crush you!"

Ignoring the warnings, Yu Youwei moved with lightning speed, directly entering the golden light domain.

In an instant, the two divine bodies met, and the world changed color.

"boom--"

Yu Youwei's Bitter Sea rippled with azure waves, and a clear moon slowly rose, its bright light clashing with the blazing golden light. The celestial phenomena of her innate pure Yin divine body were fully unleashed, clashing head-on with the Golden-Winged Roc.

Correct.

"Two divine bodies."

Yin Wending's pupils contracted; he hadn't expected Yu Youwei to also be a possessor of a divine body. What shocked him even more was that, at this critical moment of life and death, she had disregarded her own safety and barged into his domain.

The shockwaves from the collision of the two celestial phenomena swept across the area, tearing the buildings in the southern part of Longhai County to shreds like paper.

Inside the Liang Prince's mansion, four experts at the fifth realm simultaneously looked up at the sky where the blazing golden sun and the clear, cold moon intertwined.

"With the manifestation of the Little Peng King, what are the chances of your worthy brother winning?"

Wang Zhenyu looked at Ye Qiu beside him with a strange expression.

Ye Qiu stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"The seed has sprouted, but the real show has only just begun."

In another part of the Prince's mansion, Wu Shuang, the genius girl from Huoshenshan, suddenly stood up, her beautiful eyes reflecting the two strange phenomena in the distance.

"This is... divine awakening?"

Inside a tavern in the county town, a scholar in a Confucian robe suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his appearance with blood flowing from all seven orifices frightening those around him into retreating.

He seemed oblivious, muttering to himself.

"So big"
"The secrets of heaven are filled with profound cause and effect."

In the center of the battlefield, Yu Youwei groaned, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Her cultivation level was inferior to Yin Wending's, and she suffered internal injuries the instant the celestial phenomena collided.

But she stood stubbornly in place, the clear moon phenomenon fiercely resisting the oppressive power of the Golden-Winged Roc.

"Are you crazy?"

Yin Wending roared.

Is it worth it for a dying person?

Yu Youwei did not answer, but turned to look at the withered boy.

Jiang Chuan's hair was completely white, and his face looked as old as an elderly man, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.

"Jiangchuan."

Yu Youwei called out softly, but her voice was drowned out by the thunder and storm.

At that very moment, something unexpected happened!

"Click——"

A crisp sound came from Jiang Chuan's body, as if some kind of shackle had been broken.

Centered on him, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of a hundred miles began to collapse wildly, forming a huge vortex.

"This is... a whale swallowing?!"

Yin Wending's expression changed drastically.

The cultivation method for refining Qi has three stages: the first is breathing exercises, the second is swallowing Qi like a whale, and the third is the unity of heaven and man. And what Jiang Chuan is displaying now is precisely the legendary phenomenon of swallowing Qi like a whale!
A massive amount of spiritual energy surged into Jiang Chuan's body like rivers flowing into the sea, and his withered body regained vitality at a visible speed.

Gray hair turns black, wrinkles smooth out, and the parched sea of ​​bitterness is instantly filled.

Even more terrifying is that the true energy within his body is undergoing a qualitative change—rapidly liquefying from a gaseous state to a liquid state!
This is a realm that ordinary cultivators would need to cultivate diligently for decades to reach!
"impossible"

Yin Wending took a step back in disbelief. (End of Chapter)