Li Shuang raised her hand and flung the Dragon Roar Sword into the ground. The blade pierced deeply into the earth with a resonating hum.
The sword spirit, Long Yan, was instantly freed. He emerged from the blade, hovering with confusion as he stared at Li Shuang.
No one knew better than Long Yan how much Li Shuang had sacrificed for him.
But sword spirits were sentient beings, capable of emotion.And Li Shuang… had always been distant—silent, cold, obsessed with the sword.
At first, Long Yan thought that was fine.
Until Ye Zhaozhao appeared.
She smiled sweetly, caressed his sword body, told him charming stories, and made him feel seen. Compared to Li Shuang, she was vibrant and warm.
He thought he'd fallen in love.He thought betraying Li Shuang was worth it.
But now—Li Shuang had really abandoned him.
He felt… uneasy.He had chosen to leave her.
It shouldn't be her choosing to let go of him.
"Senior Sister, are you really giving up the Dragon Roar Sword?" Ye Zhaozhao asked, eyes gleaming as she stepped forward eagerly to seize the blade.
Long Yan was moved by her enthusiasm. The discomfort he felt vanished quickly.
Yes—Zhaozhao truly valued him. He had made the right choice.
Li Shuang looked at the sword one last time, then said coldly,"Once unfaithful, I will never use you again."
Ye Zhaozhao, afraid she might change her mind, quickly clutched the sword and said sweetly, "If Senior Sister doesn't want it, then I'll take it! Don't say I stole it!"
As she grinned triumphantly, she silently checked her system interface again—
Negative Emotion Value: 0.
Still nothing?
What the hell?
Li Shuang had once been so emotionally fragile. Just a few harsh words could have broken her spirit and flooded the system with energy. But now—nothing? Not even a flicker?
Ye Zhaozhao clenched her fists.
Fine. Then she'd raise the stakes again.
With a flourish, she summoned a second sword—a dull, pitch-black one.
Its name: Black Abyss.
This was her original sword, the one she had long since abandoned. The sword spirit within it had never awakened, and she'd considered it trash.
She walked up to Li Shuang with a gentle smile. "Senior Sister, you just lost Long Yan, and you're now without a proper sword. I don't need this old one anymore—why don't I gift it to you?"
She was barely containing her glee.
Li Shuang had always been proud. She would never accept a discarded weapon. If she refused, Ye Zhaozhao could publicly shame her again.
It was perfect.
"Senior Sister," she continued, feigning kindness, "As disciples of the Sword Sect, we only get one chance to choose a sword from the Sword Pavilion. Although Black Abyss is useless to me, maybe you can awaken its sword spirit. Please, take it."
But Li Shuang didn't respond.
She turned to leave.
Suddenly—The Heaven and Earth Furnace in her mind began to glow.
She took a few steps forward—the light faded.
She stepped back—the glow intensified.
Her eyes narrowed.Was it reacting… to this sword?
Ye Zhaozhao was still talking, "Senior Sister, I'm offering this from the bottom of my heart—"
Li Shuang placed her hand on the Black Abyss Sword.
The moment she touched it—
The furnace's progress bar skyrocketed to 100%.
However, 99% of that was still "virtual." It wasn't real… yet. But Li Shuang could sense it. If she absorbed the Black Abyss Sword, it would become real. The furnace would fully awaken.
This sword…
It wasn't simple.
Li Shuang turned to Ye Zhaozhao and said flatly,"Fine. I'll take the Black Abyss Sword."
Zhaozhao froze.
She had expected a dramatic rejection—not this calm acceptance.
Li Shuang had already stored the sword away with no hesitation.
Ye Zhaozhao's brows furrowed. Something felt off.
Li Shuang today wasn't the same person she used to be. Not as easy to provoke.
Still—so what? It was just a trash sword. Let her have it.
Zhaozhao quickly added, "Senior Sister, since we've voluntarily exchanged swords, even if the sect master asks about it later… you can't go back on your word."
Li Shuang's voice was steady. "Don't worry. Just don't regret it."
"I won't!" Zhaozhao said hastily. "So many people saw it happen. I won't take it back."
Indeed, the Sutra Library was one of the busiest areas in the sect. Their little drama had attracted a crowd of onlookers. The sword exchange had happened in full view.
"Good," Li Shuang replied simply.
Zhaozhao checked the system interface again—
Still 0.
Even after being given a trash sword? No reaction?!
Zhaozhao's smile stiffened.
She forced herself to remain composed. "Senior Sister… you left us when we needed you most. Master was furious. You should return to Lingxu Peak and face the consequences."
"That's right," Sheng Yuan echoed coldly. "Come back and accept Master's punishment."
Li Shuang turned and met their gazes.
"I never abandoned you," she said evenly. "But I won't be returning to Lingxu Peak. The master already said I'm no longer his disciple. You don't need to call me 'Senior Sister' anymore."
Her words sent a chill through the crowd.
Li Shuang had always been cold on the surface—but her junior siblings knew she was warm-hearted beneath it.
Now?
She radiated coldness through and through.
Even Ye Zhaozhao felt a shiver run down her spine.
What had changed?
Sheng Yuan couldn't take it anymore. "Fine! If you won't come willingly, I'll force you!"
He drew a rope-like magical weapon and tried to bind her.
Li Shuang frowned slightly.
But just then—
A woman in red appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the rope.
A faint smile played on her lips."Who dares to bully my junior sister?"
It was Luo Mingyue.
She had followed the jade slip's guidance and rushed back to the sect just in time. As the power of the Supreme Forgetting Love Technique flared, the jade slip had lit up—pinpointing Li Shuang as the one.
She didn't know what the situation was.She didn't care.
All she knew was this:
The person her master had acknowledged as a true successor was being harassed.
And she wasn't going to stand for it.