I. The Broken Blade Cliff
Three days had passed since the upheaval at the Emei Hundred Herb Hall, yet the storm had not subsided.
Shen Qingyuan sat atop the rear cliff behind the hall, the Severing Soul Blade resting across his knees, his brows furrowed. The words of Night Howl Soul that night still lingered in his heart — two of the three segments of the divine weapon were already in his possession. But the final piece, where could it be hidden?
After poring over fragments and old scrolls, he finally discovered a cryptic line on the edge of Shen Ruofan's blood-written message:
"When the blade first broke, at the northern shattered cliff. Amidst starlit fire, a fragment of soul lies hidden."
The "northern shattered cliff" — he had heard whispers of it in old martial tales. It was said to lie beyond the passes, at the southern base of the Helan Mountains — a cliff shaped like a broken blade, long abandoned, a place of ancient evil.
Shen Qingyuan said little. He left Xiaoyu in the care of the hall's apprentices and departed alone.
Twenty days later, the skies beyond the pass were shrouded in wind and sand. The cold pierced to the bone.
Trekking through snow, Shen Qingyuan finally arrived at the base of the Broken Blade Cliff.
The cliff rose nearly a thousand feet high, slanted like a severed blade. At its summit, jagged rocks resembled a snapped edge, emanating a chilling aura. As he looked up, he noticed a hollow halfway up the cliff, seemingly naturally formed.
Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed through the snow. A group of black-clad riders charged from a side path. Their leader bore a cold expression and wielded a blood-stained red-tasseled spear.
"I am Qi Duo, chief enforcer of the 'Raging Horse Hall' of the Three Gates of Tiezhou."
Shen Qingyuan narrowed his eyes. "What do you want from me?"
Qi Duo sneered. "A deal. That's what."
"I don't make deals with killers."
Qi Duo raised his spear, pointing toward the cliff. "We've been guarding this place for seven days—waiting for you."
"Who sent you?"
"Blood Shadow Tower."
Before the words finished, Qi Duo spurred his horse and thrust his spear like a thunderbolt, stirring up three feet of snow. Shen Qingyuan drew his blade and countered. He unleashed the "Soul-Shaking Form" and "Hidden Edge Technique" in quick succession. Blade energy filled the air as the two clashed violently.
After dozens of moves, Qi Duo suddenly leapt back, flipped onto his horse, and tossed something to Shen Qingyuan.
"My master knows you won't believe us—so here's the proof."
Shen Qingyuan caught it. It was a purple jade token engraved with the word "Soul" and etched with fine cracks—astonishingly, they matched the fracture lines of his Severing Soul Blade.
"The blade's soul fragment… is in your hands?"
"Not all of it," Qi Duo replied coldly. "But my master is willing to meet you. Perhaps... you might survive."
With that, he turned and waved. The riders withdrew swiftly, leaving behind a trail like a bloodstained line across the snow.
II. Encounter at the Ghost Market
Following the jade token's markings, Shen Qingyuan entered the "Ghost Market" of an abandoned city beyond the pass.
Once a bustling hub of northern trade, the city had been swallowed by a sandstorm three decades ago. It was now occupied by martial vagabonds and criminal factions — a dark market where all kinds of outlaws mingled. Rumor had it that the famed "Bone Oracle" had constructed a hidden labyrinth here, used to conceal secret treasures.
As Shen stepped into the market, he sensed an oppressive air. All faces were veiled, and even vendors whispered their wares with a deathly chill.
Suddenly, a voice hissed, "Bearer of the Severing Blade — care to trade for its soul?"
He turned to see a blind old man, cloaked in straw, ringing a copper bell. The man leaned close and whispered:
"North Gate, Black Wind Alley. Third ruined building. The one you seek is called 'E'Gu'."
With a flicker in his mind, Shen Qingyuan turned and headed off.
Black Wind Alley was thick with gloom. The buildings were half-collapsed. Inside the third ruin, a faint glow flickered. A gaunt figure sat in a wooden chair, wearing a silver mask, toying with a broken blade shard.
"You've come."
He placed the shard on the table gently. "We are both heirs of the Severing Blade. Why fight one another?"
Shen Qingyuan's gaze was sharp. "Are you the master of Blood Shadow Tower?"
"No," came the reply. "The master no longer stands alone."
E'Gu continued, "The tower is now split into Seven Shadows, each ruling a domain. I oversee the Soul Domain. I have… history with the blade's third fragment."
He lifted the corner of his mask, revealing a half-charred face. There was no life in his eyes.
"This shard once pierced my bones. I survived by fusing with it over three years, but my soul was lost in the process."
Shen Qingyuan was shaken. "What do you want?"
"I'll give you the shard — if you help me retrieve my soul."
"From where?"
"From the 'Lunar Abyss'."
"What did you say?"
E'Gu pointed a finger. Suddenly, the world shifted. Shen saw a grey realm filled with hundreds of tormented souls. At the center hung a black mirror, and behind it… the face of a woman appeared—it was his mother!
"She is imprisoned in the abyss. As am I. If you wish to save her, you must also save me."
When he returned to his senses, Shen was drenched in cold sweat. "How do you know she's still alive?"
"I was once a deputy of the Shadow Sect," E'Gu said. "Your mother and I were comrades. She perished in battle with the former tower master, but her soul lingered. Night Howl Soul trapped it in the Lunar Mirror using the Soul Seal technique."
He handed the soul shard to Shen and solemnly said:
"Lunar Abyss. Far west desert. Opens in three days, at midnight."
Shen Qingyuan took the fragment. Light flared from the blade. As he brought the three parts together, they fused naturally. A dragon-like cry erupted, and chilling energy swept through the air!
III. The Lunar Abyss
Three days later, the western desert stirred again with fierce wind and sand.
Shen Qingyuan and E'Gu rode to a black stone canyon. A hidden gate opened deep within the cliffs, exuding deathly energy — the legendary Lunar Abyss.
Inside, the path wound like a serpent, flanked by skeletal remains. Shen felt his soul being pulled apart, nearly driven mad. Only the Severing Soul Blade carved a path forward, slicing through the miasma.
At the abyss's bottom stood a massive mirror, its surface gray, with countless anguished faces swirling inside.
E'Gu knelt and chanted. The mirror lit up.
A soul burst forth — E'Gu's true soul. Once reunited, his aura changed; his eyes gleamed red, and his features regained vitality.
"Soul returned. Man restored."
Shen Qingyuan stepped forward, but the mirror rippled again. A woman's spirit emerged, her eyes tearful, her face gentle.
"Mother…"
He choked, ready to strike and free her—but just then, darkness surged from the mirror, dragging her spirit back.
"Night Howl Soul!"
A twisted laugh echoed from the dark: "So, you came. Now that the blade is whole, my prize is not just the weapon."
With a furious roar, Shen unleashed the blade. The Severing Soul Blade, now complete, rang like a dragon's cry.
"Soul-Shaking Final Form — Break Spirit: Seal the Gods!"
The strike cleaved through the darkness. The spirit reappeared.
E'Gu joined in, using his soul to channel the strike. The Lunar Mirror shattered. Spirits scattered.
The woman's image lingered for a moment. She smiled at Shen, her lips moving soundlessly:
"Qingyuan… I've finally seen the man you've become…"
Then she vanished into the void.
Shen Qingyuan knelt in silence. After a long while, he caressed the blade and whispered:
"I swear… I will tear Night Howl Soul limb from limb."
IV. The Return of Shadows
Shen Qingyuan and E'Gu left the abyss and returned to Hundred Herb Hall.
The three pieces of the Severing Soul Blade were now united. Its power could cleave mountains, yet a heavy weight pressed on Shen's heart. His mother's soul had dispersed. The Blood Shadow Tower master had revealed himself. Chaos stirred across the martial world.
Urgent news arrived: the Kunlun Sect's master had been assassinated, an infiltrator exposed within the Tower of Prophecy, the Five Poison Sect annihilated overnight. All signs pointed to Blood Shadow Tower's shadowy hand.
Then, a letter arrived for Shen Qingyuan, sent from "Heaven Beyond Tower."
Its message:
"To learn the truth of your father's vengeance and your mother's fate, come to Dragon Gate of the Western Sea."
Signed — Bai Jingyi.
End of Chapter Six.