Long Yan was silent.
Li Shuang continued, her voice calm yet firm. "As disciples of the Sword Sect, you should all know how difficult it is to cultivate a useless sword spirit."
The watching disciples nodded in agreement.
Some of them, too, had once received useless sword spirits. Most had been forced to give up, while a small number persisted, though with poor results. A useless sword spirit's power was far too limited.
But Long Yan was different. He had been born tainted by turbid air—a useless sword spirit among useless sword spirits.
And yet, Li Shuang had cultivated him to this point.The effort required was unimaginable.
"Sister Li, how did you do it?" one disciple couldn't help but ask.
Li Shuang replied steadily, "Even after awakening, a contaminated sword spirit will always regenerate turbid energy. I constantly monitored his condition, and at the first sign of it, I immediately cleansed it with sword energy. There was an unexpected benefit: years of transforming spiritual energy into sword energy strengthened my sword to the extreme. If any of you encounter a sword spirit born with contamination, you may come to me. I will share this cleansing method freely. However, concentrating sword energy is not easy. Sword energy is sharp and easily damages the meridians. Only in recent years have I mastered full control—only now are my meridians no longer torn."
As her words fell, everyone turned to Long Yan.
So… all these years, in order to cultivate this useless sword spirit, Senior Sister Li had endured constant pain and damaged meridians.
A sword spirit that was a burden. A master who favored others. Countless hours wasted teaching her fellow disciples.
And still, Li Shuang had reached Core Formation in three years, and Nascent Soul in ten.
If not for the ones dragging her down, how brightly would she have shone?
And now, she was even willing to share the painstaking sword-cleansing method she had created—for free.
The disciples' gazes softened. Several even stepped forward, asking for jade slips to record the method.
Ye Zhaozhao's face darkened. She had rallied them to condemn Li Shuang, not to watch them fall under her influence.
Tears welled in her eyes as she cried, "Senior Sister, I know how much you've sacrificed for Long Yan. But Long Yan cares deeply for you too! That's why he was so heartbroken when you abandoned him."
She cast Long Yan a meaningful glance, urging him to speak words of pity.
But Long Yan only trembled, lips quivering, unable to utter a sound.
Ye Zhaozhao's fury flared. Trash would always be trash.
Li Shuang gave a small, mocking smile. "Yes, I did not give up on Long Yan when he was just a useless sword spirit. I did not give up when he constantly bred foul energy. I did not give up even when my meridians were torn cleansing him. But when he gained physical form, and I had already mastered the cleansing technique, then I abandoned him. Do you truly think there is no reason for this?"
Ye Zhaozhao's expression faltered, but she quickly tried to argue.
Li Shuang's gaze hardened. "I told Master before: on the snowy mountain, when I was spent and fighting to the death, Long Yan betrayed me. He twisted the Dragon Roar and pierced my dantian. I, Li Shuang, will never abandon a companion for being weak or troublesome—"
Her voice turned cold. "—but I will never look back on those who betray me. I will never forgive those who betray my sword."
The words struck like thunder.
Sheng Yuan and Shen Yue froze, unconsciously turning their eyes to Long Yan.
They hadn't believed Li Shuang's accusation at first.
But now… knowing how much she had invested in him… could it be that what she said about the snowy mountain was true?
Ye Zhaozhao panicked. "Senior Sister, maybe you only thought Long Yan too difficult to train, so you cast him aside. What happened on the snowy mountain was nothing like you claim! Back then, I was surrounded by dozens of snow monsters. Senior Sister, did you ever help me?"
Li Shuang's smile was sharp as a blade. "Ye Zhaozhao, that snowy mountain spawns snow monsters again and again. Why don't we return there? Let you be besieged once more, and we'll see if you can escape unharmed this time."
Ye Zhaozhao's face twisted. "Senior Sister, you… you're being ridiculous!"
But she couldn't explain how.
Shen Yue's eyes flickered. On the stage today, Junior Sister had already shown she lacked true swordsmanship. Facing dozens of snow monsters? Even with her superior spiritual power, she could not possibly have plucked the snow lotus, slain the beasts, and escaped alone.
Emotionally, he did not want to doubt her.But reason whispered otherwise.
She couldn't have done it.
And judging by the silence around him, the others had realized the same. Their expressions toward Ye Zhaozhao turned grave.
"Senior Sister Li, why bring up the past?" Ye Zhaozhao forced a smile. "What you claim about Long Yan betraying you is only your word. But his spirit body was damaged because of you. You helped him countless times—why fixate on that one moment?"
"Because that one moment is everything," Li Shuang said flatly. "He is your sword spirit now, Ye Zhaozhao. Find your own way."
"Senior Sister Li!" Ye Zhaozhao cried desperately. "If you refuse, we'll just kneel here and die!"
She slumped stubbornly, showing no intention of rising.
Li Shuang remained unshaken. "Why beg me? I am only in the Qi Training stage, while he is a fully-formed sword spirit. I cannot expel his turbid energy, but you can."
She handed Ye Zhaozhao the engraved jade slip of the cleansing method. "I mastered this step by step. At the beginning, I was only a novice, yet I never harmed Long Yan. If you go slowly and carefully, at most your meridians will tear—but he will survive. I believe his condition truly isn't good, so you should begin at once. He is your sword spirit. You cannot abandon him just because he is useless. Surely, you would be willing to endure torn meridians for his sake."
Ye Zhaozhao stared at the jade slip, stunned.
What was this?
She had tried to use Li Shuang's morals against her—but why did it feel like she was the one being cornered instead?