Long Yan couldn't help but look at Ye Zhaozhao.
He had given up everything for her. Wasn't it time for Ye Zhaozhao to do something for him too?
He didn't want to become a mindless soul again.
Li Shuang had cultivated him before—so surely Ye Zhaozhao could as well.
But deep down, Long Yan understood her character.
He had always thought himself special to her, believing he was the only one who truly saw Ye Zhaozhao's darker side. Back then, he even found her flaws a little endearing.
But now—those same flaws that once seemed cute filled him with dread.
Ye Zhaozhao… might truly do what Luo Mingyue had warned.
The turbid energy inside him kept spreading. If she delayed any longer, he might not escape the fate of fading into nothingness.
"Zhaozhao!" Long Yan's face twisted in agony. "Please, don't abandon me. Please—save me."
All eyes turned toward Ye Zhaozhao.
Her throat tightened. She wanted to cry, but no tears came. Grinding her teeth, she forced out, "I… I'll try again!"
She tried again.
Since her time-traveling, everything had gone smoothly. The spiritual power others struggled years to cultivate, she had easily gained through Li Shuang.
But this—this was the first time she had encountered the true difficulty of cultivation.
She failed seven or eight times in a row. Each failure tore at her meridians, leaving her pale and trembling with pain.
Cursing Li Shuang, cursing Long Yan, cursing Lingxu Peak and the entire Sword Sect—she finally succeeded.
A wisp of sword energy flickered at her fingertips.
"Too much sword energy. Retract some," Li Shuang instructed evenly.
Ye Zhaozhao glared at her.
But Li Shuang remained calm. "The sword spirit's body is too weak to withstand it."
Ye Zhaozhao bit back her resentment and forced herself to pull back.
"Good. Now, send even more next time," Li Shuang continued.
The sharp surge of power coursed through Ye Zhaozhao's meridians, making her grit her teeth. Her heart seethed with growing hatred toward Long Yan.
This wasn't just a one-time ordeal. His useless body could breed turbid energy again and again, at any time.
Did this mean she would have to live with this torment forever?
Ye Zhaozhao felt madness gnaw at her mind.
Li Shuang had thrown this useless sword spirit at her on purpose—and she had fallen right into the trap.
Again and again, Ye Zhaozhao forced the sword energy into Long Yan. Her expression twisted more and more with each attempt.
But her efforts were too slow. The turbid energy inside Long Yan only grew.
"Zhaozhao, hurry! My spiritual body can't hold on!" Long Yan cried, desperate.
Ye Zhaozhao's gaze snapped to him, blazing with murderous fury.
She was in so much pain—yet this useless thing dared urge her?
"Long Yan, don't go too far! Can't you see Zhao Zhao is already suffering?" Chang Le'an shouted angrily.
"Didn't Xiao Shuang endure this pain thousands of times in the past?" Liu Juncheng said coldly. "And hasn't Ye Zhaozhao been claiming all along that Xiao Shuang abandoned Long Yan, while she—simple and kind—took him in? If she's truly so kind, surely she can endure just this much pain."
"No way, no way? Backing down already?" Luo Mingyue sneered. "So it turns out that some people's kindness is rather limited."
"You—!" Chang Le'an shot to his feet, furious, ready to argue.
But Ye Zhaozhao raised a pale hand. "Third Brother, it's fine… I can do it."
Having come this far, she could only play the scene through to the end.
If she quit now, her reputation and her persona would both be destroyed.
"I… I can continue…" she forced out, clenching her teeth as she pushed sword energy again.
But it was too late.
Long Yan's body could no longer endure. Before the turbid energy was fully expelled, he screamed. His form shattered, slowly dissolving until only a transparent wisp of a spirit remained.
"What a pity. Junior Sister Ye, if you had been a little faster, Long Yan wouldn't have lost his physical form," Li Shuang sighed, her eyes glinting coldly.
With Ye Zhaozhao's shallow skills, she was bound to suffer. And Long Yan was bound to collapse.
Their retribution had only just begun.
And Li Shuang would stand by the shore, watching them sink.
Long Yan stared at his fading body, despair twisting his face.
Ye Zhaozhao looked little better—wracked with pain, and furious that all her suffering had been wasted on this useless sword spirit.
"Junior Sister, at least dispel the last trace of turbid energy," Shen Yue reminded with a sigh.
Though reluctant, Ye Zhaozhao obeyed. She expelled the final wisp of corruption. But by then, Long Yan's entity was gone, his strength diminished beyond recognition.
"Very good," Li Shuang said calmly. "Now Junior Sister Ye has mastered the cleansing method. When the turbid energy resurfaces—and it will, likely within three months—you can do this again. Of course, your devotion to Long Yan is touching, so I believe you will persist, no matter the cost."
She smiled faintly. "I was useless as his master, nurturing him only into physical form. But you—you are truly talented. Who knows? Perhaps one day, you and Long Yan will achieve unity of man and sword, in accordance with the Way of Heaven. I wish you both… eternal harmony."
Unity of man and sword, in accordance with the Way of Heaven?
Ye Zhaozhao and Long Yan exchanged looks. What they saw reflected in each other's eyes was not affection, but resentment.
Long Yan blamed Ye Zhaozhao for failing to save him.
Ye Zhaozhao blamed Long Yan for being a burden.
Li Shuang simply watched.
A sword spirit who once betrayed himself for love—now harboring resentment so soon after.
How utterly… ridiculous.
"The turbid aura has been dispelled. If you have no further business, you may leave," Luo Mingyue said, dismissing them.
But Long Yan did not move.
A realization dawned on him.
If he were truly a peerless sword spirit, perhaps it wouldn't matter—he could thrive with anyone.
But the truth was cruel. He was useless.
If he stayed with Ye Zhaozhao, he would only rot away completely.
Only Li Shuang could lead him back to glory.
Long Yan's transparent form trembled as he gazed at her. "I… I didn't know you endured so much for me. There were so many misunderstandings… But misunderstandings can be resolved. Can we… start over?"
He stared at her with pitiful hope.
Thirteen years of companionship—he refused to believe she felt nothing at all.
"Long Yan!!!"
Before Li Shuang could respond, Ye Zhaozhao's shrill scream tore through the air.