Embers of Sword

Chapter 747: There is no greater sorrow than death.

"Young Master Zhu! Please have some self-respect!"

Xie Yueying suddenly stood up, her eyes filled with anger.

Even though she had prepared for the worst, she never expected that Zhu Shuo would make such a request.

This is outrageous!
"Self-respect?"

Zhu Shuo remained seated with a smile, leaning lazily against a pillar: "Miss Yueying, this is the Li Kingdom, in Xining City. Shouldn't you be the one who should have self-respect?"

"Young Master Zhu... please forgive my rudeness..."

Even now, Xie Yueying was still unwilling to lose face. She pressed down on the bronze bull's shoulder and said coldly, "I will not keep you company any longer!"

Snapped!
Zhu Shuo downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, then casually beckoned. Immediately, a young maidservant knelt down and used her smooth back as a table to catch his wine cup.

A gentle breeze blew.

A figure could be seen flitting about at Baoyue Tower, standing outside in the wind and snow.

A silent, imperceptible pressure had already enveloped the area.

Xie Yueying scanned the area with her divine sense and found a total of twelve figures: ten at the Qi Control Realm and two at the Cave Heaven Realm.

It's alright for cultivators at the Qi Control Realm.

Those two cultivators from the Cave Heaven... possessed powerful auras, and their strength was above mine.

Zhu Shuo had prepared for the banquet held in this building well in advance.

This guy had no intention of letting me leave at all!

"Feel sorry."

Zhu Shuo said calmly, "Miss Yueying, what I said earlier wasn't a request, but a demand... You have to accompany me tonight's drinking party, whether you like it or not!"

"You bastard! This is outrageous!"

The bronze bull could no longer restrain itself and drew its long sword.

A sudden, cold glint appeared.

The entire Baoyue Tower was enveloped in white light, but it wasn't the gleam of the bronze bull's blade.

With a whoosh.

Amidst the wind and snow, a glint of cold light suddenly shot out. This light, incredibly powerful and flicking like a snake's tongue, instantly knocked the hilt of the sword from the bronze bull's hand.

The long sword flew several feet and landed on a large pillar with a clanging sound.

The bronze bull was thrown back by the force of the energy and fell to the ground, its eyes filled with disbelief.

"..."

Xie Yueying looked out into the wind and snow, her expression solemn.

No.

I misread it... There are thirteen powerful figures here, not twelve!
Hidden in the snow and wind of Baoyue Tower is another person. Judging from the attack just now, this person is likely a Yin God Realm cultivator.

That glint of cold light just now was the power of the Dao Realm!
No wonder Zhu Shuo was so fearless; with such a frail body, he dared to coerce me.

"Disgusting thing, who gives you the right to speak here?"

Zhu Shuo slowly stood up, took a brand new wine cup, and came to the bronze ox.

He made no attempt to hide the disgust in his eyes.

The wine cup tilted, and the "wine" fell onto the bronze bull mask.

Chi Chi Chi!
The bronze bull let out a painful howl. Zhu Shuo was naturally not so kind; what was placed in the wine cup was not fine wine, but poison that corroded flesh and blood.

A plume of white smoke rose.

Under the suppression of the Dao Realm, the Bronze Bull was unable to resist and could only let Zhu Shuo spill the wine on its face.

Flesh and blood twisted and blossomed.

Moments later, the bronze bull fainted from the pain.

珰!
Seeing this, Zhu Shuo lost interest and casually tossed the empty wine cup aside.

"What a useless thing..."

Say it.

He walked over to Xie Yueying with his hands behind his back, and said with a smile, "Miss Yueying, you should understand the situation tonight, right? Why don't you obediently submit to me, so that you can enjoy the pleasure of the night and avoid physical pain."

There was silence.

After a moment, Xie Yueying spoke in a hoarse voice: "Young Master Zhu, you never intended for me to see the Marquis of Xining?"

"What's the word?"

Zhu Shuo laughed and said, "Didn't I say before that my uncle is busy? If the Xie family wants to trade, they only need to contact me. To put it another way, if you really want to see my uncle, just serve me well, and you will be able to see him."

Xie Yueying asked, "What if I want to leave Baoyue Tower?"

"You can't leave."

Zhu Shuo shook his head, reached out his hand, and tried to remove the white-clad woman's hat: "Miss Xie, haven't you figured out the situation yet?"

Snapped.

The outstretched palm was slapped in mid-air.

Zhu Shuo paused for a moment, but was not angry. He continued with a smile, "I know that Miss Xie's swordsmanship is superb, and she has advanced to the Cave Heaven Realm at such a young age. Although Xining City is just a small city, it is still full of experts. A mere Cave Heaven Realm expert cannot cause any trouble."

"Behind me... is the Xie family..."

There was a hint of sadness in Xie Yueying's voice.

"The Xie family?"

Zhu Shuo said sarcastically, "A year ago, if you had mentioned the Xie family, how could I have dared to harbor any ill intentions? Now, what is left of the Xie family? If this trip to Xining City were truly a cushy job, why would those old guys have sent you here... Don't they know how difficult it is to collect debts?"

"What do you mean?"

Xie Yueying's pupils contracted slightly, and she vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

"Miss Xie, you are still too young."

Zhu Shuo clicked his tongue and sighed, "Miss Yueying, believe it or not, even if you turn back now, no one will stand up for you... because the person who brought you to my bed was your clan elder. Those guys will only be angry that you don't know your place and don't know your limits."

His recklessness stemmed partly from the fact that Xining City was powerful enough.

on the other hand.

That's because... this deal was already made long ago.

One is willing to fight, the other is willing to suffer.

This statement came out.

The woman in white stood frozen in place, like a stone statue.

Two lines of clear tears silently streamed down the beautiful face hidden by the straw hat.

th.

"All right."

Zhu Shuo rolled up his sleeves and chuckled softly, "Miss Yueying, don't be too sad. Isn't Xining City... much better than Jiangning? What good can you do by following those old fogies from the Xie family?"

After saying that, he reached out again to take off his straw hat.

Swish!
Suddenly, a sword's cry rang out in the wind!
Xie Yueying could no longer hold back. She drew her sword, and the speed of the strike was so fast that it was almost impossible for anyone to react.

The woman in white instantly went from stillness to movement.

"!!!"

Zhu Shuo's hair stood on end, and he instinctively shouted, "Uncle Yao, save me!"

Amidst the wind and snow, the cold gleam reappears.

Although Xie Yueying drew her sword quickly, the Yin spirit hidden in the wind and snow attacked even faster, arriving first despite being behind. The power of the Dao realm bursting forth from the wind and snow instantly engulfed the sword light.

Boom.

A thunderclap suddenly exploded from the top of Baoyue Tower.

Zhu Shuo was sent flying backward by the powerful force, crashing solidly onto the jade table, shattering the entire table into pieces!

His eyes widened in disbelief at what he was seeing...

The woman in white, despite being struck by the Yin God Dao Realm expert, was not seriously injured. Instead, she used the force to retreat and crash into the ambush of the Baoyue Tower soldiers.

The ten Qi Masters and two Cave Heaven Realm experts hidden in the darkness made their move together!
Dozens of divine rainbows, blade auras, and sword lights erupted simultaneously—

The woman in white moved like lightning, her sword energy splashing like ink. Although she had only recently advanced to the Cave Heaven realm, every move she made was extremely fierce. She single-handedly withstood the siege of twelve powerful figures...

"How can it be!"

Zhu Shuo was horrified.

Although his cultivation level was low, he was, after all, the nephew of the Marquis of Xining, and the Marquis's mansion was full of powerful figures.

He knew that only by cultivating to the peak of the Cave Heaven Realm could one condense the "Dao Principles". But every time Xie Yueying swung her sword, a dark sword intent flowed in the void... That sword intent looked exactly like the so-called "Dao Principles", and even a glance at it would shock his heart.

That sword intent contained a profound sense of sorrow and extreme grief. Xie Yueying's sword energy grew increasingly dense.

The sorrow and grief grew ever stronger, eventually coalescing into an incredible force.

"The Way of Destruction".

Amidst the wind and snow, a tall figure slowly stepped out and came to Zhu Shuo's side. It was the retainer of the Marquis of Xining's mansion, the "Uncle Yao" that Zhu Shuo had just called out.

Uncle Yao looked solemnly at the dark sword intent that had been gathering in the void for a long time.

"The Way of Annihilation..."

Zhu Shuo felt the name sounded familiar and said blankly, "Wait, could it be the thing Xie Xuanyi cultivates?"

"I have never seen it either."

Uncle Yao shook his head and sighed softly, "But I'm afraid that's it."

"She only recently advanced to the Cave Heaven realm, how could she possess Dao principles?"

Zhu Shuo was stunned.

"Nothing in this world is absolute; there are always exceptions."

Uncle Yao was silent for a moment, then said, "Those reincarnated bodhisattvas in Buddhism can unleash the Dao Realm as soon as they awaken a little bit of spiritual consciousness. The so-called Dao principles and Dao Realms are nothing more than the understanding of the Great Dao. When the time comes and the understanding is sufficient, then no matter what level the cultivator's own cultivation is, they can unleash some of it."

At this moment, Xie Yueying's sword energy, although tinged with the meaning of annihilation, was still weak.

In a battle between equals, this slight aura of annihilation was enough for her to crush her opponent.

But there is, after all, a real Yin deity here.

"Uncle Yao... could something have happened to you?"

Zhu Shuo tensed up and pleaded, "I've been lusting after this young lady for so long, I have to get my hands on her tonight no matter what..."

"..."

Uncle Yao looked down at Zhu Shuo, unsure of what to say.

His eyes held a complex expression, mostly one of disappointment.

This future marquis had no idea what kind of status a young cultivator who had comprehended the Dao of Annihilation at the initial stage of the Cave Heaven realm possessed.

Even at this point, he was still preoccupied with matters in bed!
Although tonight's banquet at Baoyue Tower is a mutually agreeable deal, if those old fogies of the Xie family were to find out that Xie Yueying has comprehended the Dao of Annihilation, they would definitely turn on her immediately...

What an amazing achievement this is!

The Xie family is now in dire straits.

But if another master of the "Way of Annihilation" appears, it won't be long before the glory is restored!

These old guys, even if they empty their pockets, will still help Xie Yueying advance to the Yin God level.

As long as you get promoted.

This is almost the strongest Dao realm!

At that time, the chaos in Jiangning will naturally subside, and the Xie family's status will naturally be restored.

"No surprises are expected tonight."

Uncle Yao spoke softly, "If she doesn't comprehend this Dao of Annihilation, then so be it... But if she does comprehend it, then we must not let her go back."

Xie Yueying would never let him return to Chu.

If they can be tamed, they can stay in Xining City and be of good use to the Marquis.

If he cannot tame it, he would rather kill it than let it continue to grow.

The words fell to the ground.

Uncle Yao suddenly took a step.

In an instant, he appeared at the end of Baoyue Tower. Xie Yueying had gained the upper hand. With one person and one sword, she made the twelve experts breathless... The sword energy swept past, leaving behind wisps of dark Dao principles. Although the power of these Dao principles was small, it was not to be underestimated. Several cultivators in the Qi Control Realm had their natal treasures melted by half just from a slight touch!
"Your Majesty!"

Uncle Yao stretched out his palm and pressed it down on Xie Yueying's head.

A powerful surge of energy poured forth!

The entire Baoyue Tower was severely shaken by this attack... Rolling snow burst forth from the void, carrying an irresistible and intense pressure that enveloped the area within a radius of twenty feet!

The Yin spirit made its move.

Those who controlled qi and those with celestial auras immediately retreated.

Only two people remained in the room.

Xie Yueying turned around, and all she could see was a vast expanse of snow and wind. The power of the Dao Realm, carrying boundless cold, instantly washed over her entire body.

just.

My heart is filled with sorrow.

Xie Yueying felt no cold at all; she turned around and swung her sword.

The Dao of Annihilation condensed in the void, its beginning and end connected, transforming into a mournful yet dazzling dark flame—

This path is far too weak.

They are simply unable to resist a mature "Dao Realm".

With a single palm strike, these scattered fragments of the Dao of Annihilation were completely annihilated!
A powerful snowstorm swept by.

The pitch-black sword intent shattered instantly.

Uncle Yao's domain enveloped Baoyue Tower, but he did not use his full strength... because at this moment he still had a "cherishing heart" for talent. What if someone like Xie Yueying could be used by Xining City?

“Miss Xie… Cultivation is not easy.”

Uncle Yao looked at the young woman not far away and said softly, "Since the Xie family has wronged you, why not abandon the darkness and embrace the light? If you stop now, the Marquis of Xining will surely treat you as an honored guest."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yueying slowly turned her head and looked behind Uncle Yao.

Zhu Shuo was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks.

"Distinguished guest?"

Xie Yueying chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Is it the kind of VIP sent to the couch?"

Although she was engaged in battle, she had overheard the conversation between the two men.

Given Zhu Shuo's personality, how could he let himself off the hook?

"I will take you to see the Marquis."

Uncle Yao said earnestly, "If Miss Xie has any needs, she can discuss them with the Marquis."

He knew all too well what the Way of Annihilation meant.

Unfortunately.

The conversation never had a chance to continue—

Although the Yin Shen Realm's Wind and Snow Dao Domain shattered the Dao Law of Annihilation, it failed to shatter Xie Yueying's Dao Heart.

The woman in white neither knelt down nor stopped wielding her sword.

She took a step towards Uncle Yao, holding the sword in both hands, pouring all her energy, strength, and mind into this single strike.

Amidst the wind and snow, specks of dark Dao principles began to coalesce once more!
The snow-white sword blade was covered with a foot of black ink.

This was Xie Yueying's answer.

We would rather die fighting than surrender!

"you……"

Uncle Yao looked at the woman walking against the wind and snow, a hint of coldness appearing in his eyes: "Is this really how it should be?"

Xie Yueying remained silent.

She simply looked up calmly and met the gaze of this malevolent spirit from the Marquis's mansion.

She knew that offering a sword to the spirit of the underworld was tantamount to suicide...

But now, what does death matter?

To die is to die.

Amidst the wind and snow, a tall figure stretched out his hand and grabbed the dark sword blade.

"Uncle Yao!"

Zhu Shuo cried out in alarm upon seeing this.

But things have developed to this point.

His thoughts are no longer important.

Rumble!
A deafening roar erupted atop the Baoyue Tower—

Behind the towering figure, the void shattered, and a blizzard dozens of times stronger than before poured out, instantly turning the entire Dao Domain silvery-white.

(End of this chapter)