At this time, at the foot of Mount Kunlun, the Su family had already been guarding this place for several days. They had split their forces into two routes: the front gate was watched by the Su family head leading numerous disciples, while the back gate was guarded by two Nascent Soul old ancestors of the Su family who rarely ever left the mountain, already surrounding Kunlun completely.
These two Nascent Soul old ancestors were “half-step Deity Transformation,” their cultivation already at the great perfection of the late Nascent Soul stage. That the Su family could mobilize these two old ancestors to come to Kunlun showed their determination this time.
At this moment, inside the camp at the foot of the mountain, the Nascent Soul old ancestor who was resting with eyes closed inside a carriage was completely unaware that danger was approaching. The night had already grown deep, all around was silent. The old ancestor who was meditating suddenly heard an extremely eerie hissing sound.
“Who?!”
He lifted the curtain, only to see that the disciples guarding outside the camp had already collapsed limply onto the ground, sprawled in all directions. He was horrified, and when he looked up, he saw on a treetop not far away a swordsman in white, standing with arms folded, calmly watching him.
A giant Jiao coiled beside the white-robed swordsman, hissing and flicking its tongue, powerful pressure pouring outward.
“Where did this nobody come from?!”
The Nascent Soul old ancestor shouted angrily, leaping into the air and striking out with a fierce palm, heavy demonic qi surging as it slammed toward the white-robed figure.
Yan Xueyi raised a brow: this Nascent Soul old ancestor of the Su family was actually also a half-demon.
However, unfortunately for him, a half-demon had encountered a true demon.
At the instant that palm was about to strike, Yan Xueyi turned into a mass of black mist and vanished from the spot. The next moment, he was directly in front of the Nascent Soul old ancestor’s face.
A few breaths later, the half-demon old ancestor on the ground had disappeared completely clean, leaving behind only a set of clothes. The camp fell into utter silence; only a single carriage was heading toward the sect-protecting grand array.
Inside the carriage, grotesque black demonic patterns crept across Yan Xueyi’s face—
When demons devour one another, demonic patterns appear. Slaughter among demons is mutual devouring, strengthening oneself. Yet Yan Xueyi had never expected that the Su family old ancestor he encountered today would also be a half-demon.
He lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment.
On that beautiful face, the demonic patterns looked especially strange and sinister, paired with those demonic horns, he no longer looked human at all. Even after a long while, the black totems still did not dissipate.
He clicked his tongue impatiently, yet still had no choice but to put the veiled hat back on, covering those fearsome demonic patterns.
Not far ahead, the Kunlun Sword Sect’s sect-protecting grand array was already in sight. The carriage could no longer advance even a single step.
How strong the sect-protecting grand array truly was—no one knew. They only knew that this array had, several times, preserved Kunlun during the catastrophic calamity that once nearly overturned heaven and earth and annihilated the sect.
At this moment, Chao Jinsui was gripping the Kunlun Sword, colliding head-on with the enormous golden sword cleaved down by the sect-protecting grand array!
At the instant the sword edges struck, the spiritual qi in her dantian was frantically drained, her fingers went numb inch by inch, and her internal organs felt as though they were being crushed by a Qianjun hammer.
The Kunlun Sword, sealed for ten thousand years, sensed the aura of a powerful enemy and immediately burst forth in brilliant golden light. Before the disciples’ horrified gazes, that slender figure did not fall into the ten-thousand-zhang abyss as expected—
Her boots scraped along the edge of the cliff, forcefully carving deep furrows.
But in the end, she stood firm.
Though her entire body felt as if it were shattering with pain.
Though her qi sea had already been drained by half.
The golden light of the sect-protecting grand array was already gradually fading.
Every clash of sword force was frantically seizing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth; where the spiritual qi vortex emptied, even the air began to tremble and distort.
She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.
This time, Chao Jinsui was absolutely certain—Chao Taichu wanted her to die here.
She heard someone shouting:
“Young Sect Master!”
She saw familiar faces rushing toward her with worry and urgency. Rising and falling cries surged toward her, carried by the wind and snow.
Yes… a hundred years of fellow discipleship—when she fell, there was still at least a trace of concern.
Someone stepped in front of her. One, two, three, four…
But Chao Taichu did not look at anyone else. He only stared at her, a smile at the corner of his lips: “Jinsui, as long as you hand over the sword, I can naturally spare your life. How many strikes can you withstand? So many geniuses have died beneath this grand array, your father is also unwilling to personally kill his own daughter.”
The smugness at the corner of his mouth was almost overflowing. “Hand over the sword, and I will immediately make the sect-protecting grand array stop.”
Chao Jinsui looked at the man called her father. Memories of her past and present life surfaced in her mind, and a mocking smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
She heard the disciples beside her chattering, urging her:
“Young Sect Master, hand it over.”
“Bow your head to the Sect Master.”
Amid the wind and snow, the coldness in the girl’s eyes looked toward them without a trace of warmth.
The Kunlun Sword in her hand swept horizontally:
“In ancient times, one cut the robe to sever ties—today, between me and Kunlun, it shall be like this robe.”
“Grace ended, righteousness severed.”
That was her answer.
Between heaven and earth, it seemed only her voice remained:
“One’s body, hair, and skin are received from one’s parents—so, I cut my hair and return it to my father.”
Her hand rose, the sword fell, and her waist-length three thousand strands of black hair were severed.
“Like this body, it shall never again enter Kunlun.”
She leapt out from the broken cliff, without the slightest hesitation turning into a burning meteor, charging straight toward the sect-protecting grand array head-on!
So what if another strike came?
Even if she died, she would sever everything cleanly with Kunlun.
To make her bow her head—unless the Nine Heavens collapsed, unless the Yellow Springs flowed in reverse!
The clashing sounds rang without cease—this was the true first confrontation between this father and daughter.
Chao Taichu had thought the sect-protecting grand array had already drained Chao Jinsui’s spiritual qi completely, yet he had never expected that the Kunlun Sword in her hand moved as if it were part of her own arm; he did not gain the slightest advantage against her.
Chao Taichu’s sword momentum surged violently, and wherever the blade swept, faint violet lightning flickered—where was the usual moderate and restrained demeanor he always showed?
From the sword intent carrying wind and thunder, Chao Jinsui discerned the truth: she had never truly known this blade that concealed its edge.
She retreated several steps sharply, revealing a smile, and frost instantly condensed in her hand—
The Kunlun Sword sensed its master’s battle intent and transformed into countless ice spikes.
The next moment, the frost, carrying the howl of the wind, whistled past Chao Taichu’s ear. He could not block in time and his shoulder was pierced through.
He staggered back dozens of steps, his face pale, greed and fear intertwined in his eyes. “You actually comprehended the Patriarch’s secret method?”
He had no idea that Chao Jinsui had already grasped the true usage of the fifth level of the Kunlun Sword Art in the second trial of the Kunlun Sword. He only assumed she had obtained the Patriarch’s inheritance, his gaze greedy and vicious.
“However, it’s too late.”
At that very moment, the sect-protecting grand array rumbled. It had already gathered sufficient spiritual qi and was brewing its second attack.
Chao Jinsui had no choice but to withdraw her hand. She glanced at Chao Taichu on the ground and sneered, “When I step into Deity Transformation, I will personally split open this sect-protecting grand array. At that time, what will you still be able to rely on?”
Yet after withdrawing her gaze, her expression gradually turned grave: as long as she remained within the range of the sect-protecting grand array, there was no avoiding that sword qi—she could only withstand it head-on.
She tightened her grip on the Kunlun Sword.
She did not know how many more times she could endure it. The way she looked toward the sect-protecting grand array now carried the resolve of breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats.
She had already prepared herself to face certain death without retreat.
However, heaven and earth suddenly changed color. Before her eyes, a crack split open across the sect-protecting grand array.
It was the Fumo Sword!
The moment she saw that sword, she nearly burst into laughter.
Sure enough, she saw that demon as if yesterday had returned.
The youth, with two incomplete demon horns atop his head, once leaned in with an overly beautiful face, grinning as he asked her, “What’s so good about that pretty boy? Come back to the demon realm with me, how about it?”
Now, with the same demon horns, the same beautiful face, he extended his hand toward her.
This was the sect-protecting grand array of the Kunlun Sword Sect! Even when the Demon God destroyed the world, this array could withstand it until the very end.
She stared in disbelief at the demon on the opposite side, her eyes shining like stars.
Just like many years ago, when Yan Xueyi, still the lowest-level little demon, could carry Chao Jinsui on his back and climb out of the ten-thousand-zhang demon abyss; now, though he was not yet the Demon God, he could still pierce a hole in the heavens for her.
The smile on her face grew wider and wider.
The golden giant sword of the sect-protecting grand array cleaved toward her. She neither dodged nor avoided it; instead, with a light tap of her toes, she ran straight toward the direction from which the giant sword struck—like a burning meteor.
The movement was extremely perilous, yet she felt no fear at all.
The howling wind roared past her ears as she sped forward like a streak of white light.
The next second, she placed her hand in his.
The sword wind of the sect-protecting grand array roared in, yet only just grazed the tips of her hair. She heard the thunderous sound of the cliff behind her collapsing, but that distant rumble was far less clear than his breathing.
The wind, too, grew quiet.
Stars fell, the bright moon embraced.
Their hands clasped, and they vanished into the fissure.
Chao Taichu was still roaring something, but no one cared anymore.
From then on, the heavens were vast, the earth boundless, the clouds high, the seas wide.
Where could they not go? Where could they not roam freely!
Though at this moment her figure was disheveled, her white robes stained with blood, she was like storm clouds that, in one instant, behold the boundless open sky.
Her eyes shone brightly as she called him, “Yan Xueyi.”
She said, “I am very happy.”
The great demon wore a bamboo hat, its veil hanging down, looking quite proper indeed, an immortal aura drifting about him. The half of his face revealed was extremely cold and stern, who could tell he was a demon guilty of countless evils?
He glanced at her: if she was happy, she was happy—why call his name?
But his gaze quickly fixed on her short hair.
Yan Xueyi did not like black, because demonic qi was black. But he liked the color of her hair very much. Her long hair had been beautiful—three thousand strands of black silk, like dark clouds at the edge of the sky.
Yet now those three thousand strands had been cleanly severed by the sword, leaving only a length barely reaching her shoulders.
Humans liked to say “body, hair, and skin are received from one’s parents.” He scoffed at it, but he knew humans all cared deeply about kinship.
He had no father, no mother, no place to return to. Naturally, he did not understand why humans valued kinship so much. But he also vaguely knew what it felt like to be abandoned by one’s own kin, forced into severance.
From now on, this foolish sword cultivator was also someone with nowhere to return.
