Li Shuang stood as cold and indifferent as ever.
Long Yan's gaze instinctively drifted to the Black Abyss Sword at her waist.
The blade looked as dim as ever, its light extinguished. Yet strangely, Long Yan felt a surge of relief.
His choice had been correct.
After leaving Li Shuang, he would have a brighter future.
And Li Shuang—having lost him—was reduced to wielding such "trash" as the Black Abyss.
How could the crude, inky appearance of that sword ever compare to the exquisitely forged Dragon Roar Sword?
"Zhao Zhao, I will perform splendidly today," Long Yan declared proudly. "You don't even need to act. I will control the Dragon Roar myself."
Ye Zhaozhao's voice was soft and sweet. "Then I'll entrust this battle to you, Long Yan. I've always believed that sword cultivators and sword spirits should be one, complementing each other perfectly. I've never seen you truly fight before. Now, you can finally show the world your brilliance."
Long Yan straightened, eyes shining. "I won't disappoint you."
As Ye Zhaozhao and Long Yan spoke, Li Shuang turned her face away, her expression calm and unreadable.
"Are they not utterly shameless?" Luo Mingyue muttered bitterly. "They act as if you suppressed Long Yan and kept him from fulfilling his purpose!"
Li Shuang only smiled faintly. "Let them say what they like."
Her expression remained serene, but in her heart she knew the truth.
From the moment Long Yan left her, he was destined for silence.
Her eyes darkened.
By now, Long Yan must have sensed that something was wrong. His spirit body was growing dim, his strength waning, and the once-glorious Dragon Roar Sword was already losing its brilliance.
Sooner or later, it would be reduced to mediocrity.
And when that day came… would Ye Zhaozhao still look at Long Yan with such gentle eyes?
A memory surfaced.
More than a decade ago, Li Shuang had successfully formed her core, entered the Sword Pavilion, and obtained the embryo of the Dragon Roar Sword.
It was then that she discovered the dormant Long Yan within it. Yet even in slumber, something about him was wrong.
A sword spirit was supposed to be born pure, clear, and untainted. But Long Yan's essence was clouded with turbidity. The elders of the Sword Pavilion called him a "contaminated" sword spirit—the most useless and difficult kind.
Any other disciple would have abandoned the blade immediately.
But Li Shuang had not.
Instead, she spent nights scouring the classics, until she discovered a method: by constantly baptizing a spirit with sharp sword energy, it was possible to cleanse its impurities.
She had been overjoyed.
For forty-nine days and nights, she endured sleepless training, infusing Long Yan with pure sword energy until at last, he awakened.
From then on, she never abandoned him. Each time the contamination threatened to resurface, she fought against it. She constantly praised him, shielding him from the truth—that he was considered worthless by others. She told him, again and again, that he was destined to be a peerless sword spirit.
But her kindness had become his delusion. Her compassion inflated his pride until he truly believed himself unmatched.
Li Shuang smiled faintly.
Cultivating the Supreme Forgetfulness Art did not mean she was without human feelings. If Long Yan had honestly confessed that he wished to leave her for Ye Zhaozhao, she would have let him go—even telling him the truth.
But instead, he betrayed her. Worse, he had tried to take her life.
And so, his decision marked the beginning of his downfall.
By abandoning the Dragon Roar Sword, Li Shuang had already delivered his punishment. Now, she only needed to wait patiently for fate to play itself out.
Compared to that, the provocations of Ye Zhaozhao and Long Yan were meaningless.
"The Sect Master is here!"
"The Five Peak Masters as well!"
"And Hall Master Pang!"
The martial field erupted in commotion.
Meng Yifei, the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, and the five Peak Masters took their seats on the high platform, eyes fixed on the Central Arena.
Meng Yifei's expression carried a flicker of expectation.
Lin Qingling looked elated, her pride showing openly, while Lingxu's expression darkened. Though he had heard of the Sword Domain, he still doubted its authenticity. A mere recording could not prove such mastery.
Once everyone was seated, a deacon's voice rang out:
"The first round of the round-robin competition is about to begin. All participating disciples, please step onto the stage."
Ye Zhaozhao cast Li Shuang a lingering glance before heading to her own arena.
Chang Le'an snorted coldly and left as well.
In the Central Arena, all eyes turned to Li Shuang.
But she remained unaffected. Calmly, step by step, she ascended the stage.
Her opponent, Duan Ziyu, faced her with a solemn expression. He had always ranked well in the qualifying rounds, the fruit of decades spent at the Foundation Establishment stage.
He was no prodigy, and he knew it. But his stability was his strength.
Why had he been placed in the Central Arena this time? Not because of his skill, but because he had been chosen as her opponent.
He was to be Li Shuang's whetstone.
But even a whetstone must prove its worth. Passing him would not be easy.
"Senior Sister Li, please." Duan Ziyu saluted with grave respect.
Li Shuang nodded, drawing the Black Abyss Sword. Its blade gleamed with inky darkness.
Duan Ziyu gripped his Rock and Earth Sword tightly, spiritual power flowing steadily into the blade.
The battle began.
One at the ninth level of Qi Condensation.
The other at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
From the start, the odds were uneven.
Li Shuang could strike Duan Ziyu countless times. Yet if he landed even a single decisive blow, she would be defeated.
Meng Yifei's eyes gleamed.
Come, Li Shuang. Show me your true power.
With such disparity in cultivation, only the Sword Domain could grant her victory.
Duan Ziyu, possessing both water and earth roots, channeled his energy into earth. His Stone Sword Technique wrapped his body in layers of defense, offense hidden within. Though heavily guarded, he could shift into attack in an instant, making him an opponent not to be underestimated.
Li Shuang slowly closed her eyes.
The Sword Domain unfolded.
Within its scope, every weakness in Duan Ziyu's defense was laid bare. But her cultivation was far too shallow.
She had only one chance.
Gathering all her spiritual power, she prepared to unleash her strongest strike. If she failed, she would exhaust herself before breaking through.
Meng Yifei's eyes widened, a flash of awe crossing them. "It truly is… the Sword Domain."
At her age, she had already reached this level. Even the peerless genius of the Cang Yuan Sect had been a decade older when he first achieved the Sword Domain.
The Supreme Forgetfulness Art… the Sword Domain…
Could this truly be destiny for the Sword Sect?
Lingxu's expression grew darker as he stared at the arena.