The sound of clashing steel echoed endlessly atop the snow-capped peaks.
Following the sound, I arrived at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a fierce battle. There, beneath the swirling blizzard, a mature, breathtakingly beautiful woman in a single snow-white robe danced across the frozen ground. In her hand was a slender, silver scimitar that glittered like moonlight, its arcs leaving trails of frost in the air.
She was locked in combat with three white-clad assailants, their blades slicing through the icy winds. Neither the beautiful woman nor her enemies seemed to feel the biting cold their strength had already transcended mortal limitations.
The moment my gaze fell upon her, I frowned.
So powerful… She's at least at the Transcendent Realm.
Her strikes carried such overwhelming force that the ground trembled beneath her every swing. Her sheer power reminded me of my father in this life, another Transcendent Realm master whose might had shaken heaven and earth. Yet this was already the second time I had witnessed experts of this level clashing since my reincarnation. A troubling thought surfaced:
'Are Transcendent Realm experts truly this common in this world?'
Even so, it was clear she outclassed her three opponents their combined strength was still no match for hers. But despite her advantage, she couldn't fight at full strength. Behind her stood two people:
A middle-aged man, pale-faced and weak, struggling to remain upright.
A young woman, no older than seventeen or eighteen, whose delicate features closely resembled the mature beauty's own.
It was obvious they were mother and daughter. And from the way the beautiful woman guarded them, there was no doubt: the injured man was her husband.
"Madam Xiangdie!" one of the masked men shouted as his blade cleaved through the storm. "Have your husband hand over the secret manuals for the Supreme Sword Way and Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Origin! Give them to us, and the three of us brothers will leave immediately! We'll never trouble you again, nor reveal where you're hiding!"
"That's right!" another attacker laughed coldly. "We want the manuals, not your lives!"
But the third man's voice was filled with venomous cruelty:
"Refuse us, and we'll rape and kill you and your daughter right here! And we'll do it in front of your crippled husband!"
Their lips promised mercy, but their swords screamed otherwise. Each slash carried tremendous power, their sword energy cutting effortlessly through boulders as thick as a house. The three attackers moved with terrifying precision, their techniques flawless.
Even though Madam Xiangdie's skills were superior, she was being forced back step by step, forced to split her focus intercepting attacks aimed not only at herself but at her injured husband and fragile daughter.
"The Three Evildoers of Snow Mountain!" she spat, her cold voice carrying through the snowstorm. "Don't think I don't recognize you just because you wear masks! With your vicious hearts, you'll never let us go even if we surrender the manuals! Give up and leave now, or die here!"
But the three laughed wildly, circling her like hungry wolves.
"Hahaha! Keep resisting, Madam Xiangdie! You burned your precious inner energy healing your crippled husband. I don't believe you can last much longer!"
"Everyone knows Madam Xiangdie is famed for her beauty!" another mocked. "No one dared touch you before because you were the wife of Marquis Meng Jian. But now? Your man's a cripple! You're defenseless. Today, you belong to us!"
The third man licked his lips, his voice thick with lust. "A body like yours… I bet your husband's the only one who's ever tasted you. Don't worry, Madam we'll show you heaven. With three of us, you'll learn what true pleasure feels like!"
Their vile taunts made Madam Xiangdie's face flush with fury, but deep inside, she trembled. Her body was already strained from overexertion, and though her realm was above theirs, her strength was rapidly fading.
She glanced briefly at her husband Meng Jianhou, once a renowned master, now gravely wounded. The bitter truth twisted in her chest:
If they tried to escape down the mountain, the icy winds would no longer suppress the raging fire energy burning within him.
If the fire erupted, he would lose control.
She knew his pride as well as his strength. If these men tried to defile her or her daughter, her husband would surely force himself to kill them, even if it meant burning his life away… and that would destroy him completely.
> What should I do? How do I protect them?
Her heart grew heavier with each passing moment.
Amid the chaos, the pale-faced Marquis slowly calmed. Placing a trembling hand on his daughter's head, his voice was low, yet steady.
"Xiaorou… From now on, listen to your mother, no matter what. Do you understand?"
Hearing his words, the young girl's face went pale. Her beautiful eyes brimmed with tears as she clung tightly to his sleeve, unwilling to let go.
By now, Madam Xiangdie also understood her husband was preparing to make a desperate move, no matter the cost. That single moment of distraction was all it took one of the masked attackers' blades tore through her snowy-white skirt, splitting the fabric and revealing a long, flawless leg.
Her breath hitched as another strike grazed her back, ripping her robe apart. The cold wind licked at her now-exposed skin, revealing glimpses of her smooth, creamy shoulders and the soft swell of her chest beneath the torn fabric.
The attackers froze for a heartbeat.
Even these seasoned predators, who had defiled countless women, had never seen such perfection. Madam Xiangdie's mature figure was exquisite beyond words long, slender legs, a narrow waist, soft curves, and the proud fullness of her breasts. Their movements slowed, their eyes burning with primal greed.
"Husband, don't!" she shouted, seizing the momentary hesitation to cry out toward Meng Jianhou. But her plea was drowned by the storm and the attackers' next move.
The three struck in unison not with their swords this time, but with their hands.
One clawed at her lower body, his fingers striking at the forbidden depths beneath her skirt.
Another grabbed the torn fabric and ripped it away completely.
The third seized the front of her robe and shredded it apart.
In an instant, the once-imposing Madam Xiangdie stood nearly bare, her snow-white skin glowing against the storm, a ripped bellyband barely clinging to her voluptuous chest.
The sight of her sensual, mature beauty left the three masked men breathless. And for the first time since the battle began… Madam Xiangdie's defenses collapsed.
The moment Madam Xiangdie's nearly naked body was revealed under the stormy sky, the three masked men's gazes turned utterly feral, their lust laid bare.
Seeing their depravity, Meng Jianhou, who had hesitated until now out of concern for his wife and daughter, could endure no longer.
With a thunderous roar, he unleashed everything.
A terrifying sword aura erupted from him like a volcanic explosion, shaking the very heavens. It was a power so overwhelming that even compared to my father and his strongest rivals in this life, Meng Jianhou stood on a different plane entirely.
The three masked attackers, who had just been brimming with arrogance, instantly froze as that unfathomable killing intent swept across them. Their expressions twisted from lustful madness to pure terror.
"N-no…! Impossible!" one of them gasped, his voice trembling.
But before they could even turn to flee, Meng Jianhou was already upon them.
In a single flash, his sword surged with destructive force. A storm of sword energy erupted outward, engulfing the area within a hundred feet in a sea of shimmering blades. The snow, the rocks, the very mountain itself trembled beneath its devastating power.
The three masked men didn't even have time to scream.
Their bodies were torn apart instantly, reduced to nothing but blood mist scattering into the icy wind.
As the last shred of their existence vanished, the blizzard grew eerily quiet once more. But victory came at a price.
Meng Jianhou staggered violently, a pained groan escaping his lips. A mouthful of scorching hot blood burst forth, splattering onto the pure white snow where it hissed and instantly melted the ice beneath it, evaporating into rising steam.
His body trembled as his blazing inner energy raged out of control, threatening to consume him entirely. Before collapsing, Meng Jianhou forced himself to move his hand, sending a gentle pulse of energy into Madam Xiangdie's body, releasing the blockage in her lower meridians caused during the chaotic fight.
"H-husband!"
Madam Xiangdie, still disheveled and half-naked, rushed to his side and caught him as he fell, cradling his burning body against her trembling chest. Tears welled in her eyes as she held onto him desperately.
"Dad!" Qingyao, their daughter, dropped to her knees beside them, clutching her father's hand tightly, her delicate face streaked with tears.
Meng Jianhou forced a faint smile despite the agony wracking his body. His breathing was ragged, but his voice remained steady as he looked at his wife and daughter with deep regret.
"Don't… don't cry," he said hoarsely. "I'm already… beyond saving. These past few years, you've carried me, Xiangdie… running across the world, searching for a cure, fighting enemies at every turn… You've done everything for me. I… I should have been the one protecting you both. But in the end… I've only become a burden…"
"No!" Madam Xiangdie sobbed, clutching him tighter, her bare shoulders trembling in the cold wind. "Don't say that! We've loved each other for so many years… I don't care what I have to do, I will save you! No matter the method, no matter the cost! Please, don't leave me… don't leave Qingyao…"
"Dad, please!" Qingyao cried, burying her face against his arm. "We'll find a doctor! The best doctor in the entire world! You can't leave us!"
I watched from a distance, my chest tight with emotion. The bitter wind carried their cries to where I stood hidden among the rocks, and an all-too-familiar feeling washed over me helplessness.
I remembered the day I lost my parents and brother in this life, the same powerlessness gnawing at me now.
I want to help them… I want to change this fate… but I'm not strong enough yet!
Diving deep into the ocean of knowledge within my consciousness, I searched frantically for a solution. After what felt like an eternity, I finally found a possible method to save Meng Jianhou. I was just about to step forward and reveal myself when..
A sudden, ominous aura swept across the battlefield, freezing the blood in my veins.
From atop the mountain peak, a wild, mocking laugh rolled down with the storm.
"Hahahaha! Meng Jianhou, so this is what's left of you! You've burned the last of your strength… and now, your Supreme Sword Dao and Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Origin will finally belong to me!"
A figure streaked down from the snowy summit, his speed blinding, his presence suffocating. His voice reached us even before his body touched the ground.
Meng Jianhou's expression darkened instantly. His pupils trembled slightly as he whispered the name like a curse:
"Jian Wangchi…"
An elegant figure descended lightly upon the snow, dressed in pristine white robes, his aura refined and composed. To anyone else, he might have appeared as a righteous swordsman, the very image of nobility.
But the deep hatred in Meng Jianhou's eyes told a different story.
Jian Wangchi's gaze swept over them lazily first at the weakened Meng Jianhou, then at the tearful Qingyao, and finally lingering far too long on Madam Xiangdie's half-exposed, snow-pale body. A faint, lustful smirk curved his lips.
"Jian Wangchi," Madam Xiangdie said coldly, her voice trembling with suppressed anger as she clutched her ripped robes around herself. "Were you the one who sent the Three Evils of Snow Mountain after us?"
"Of course," Jian Wangchi replied casually, as though discussing the weather.
Her hands clenched around her scimitar, her pale knuckles trembling. "Why? Wanjian Villa is one of the foremost righteous sects in the world. During the great war between good and evil, my husband risked his life to aid you! And yet you ambush us now?!"
Jian Wangchi chuckled, shaking his head slowly, his handsome face twisted with greed.
"Don't misunderstand, Madam. This isn't Wanjian Villa's decision it's mine. That old fool Jian Donglai ordered us to find you and assist you, yes… but I never intended to save you."
His voice sharpened, his polite facade melting into unbridled ambition.
"What I want is Meng Jianhou's Supreme Sword Dao and Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Origin! With those two arts, I'll shatter the limits of the Transcendent Realm and ascend into the Saint Realm. Once I become the strongest under heaven, I'll seize Wanjian Villa for myself! That throne belongs to me!"
Madam Xiangdie trembled with fury, her tear-streaked face beautiful even in despair. "You… you're betraying the entire righteous path for your selfish greed!"
"Righteous path?" Jian Wangchi's laughter echoed coldly across the mountainside. "In this world, strength is righteousness! When history remembers this day, it will say that I Jian Wangchi found Meng Jianhou's family surrounded by the Three Evils of Snow Mountain. Though I valiantly slew those villains, Meng Jianhou succumbed to his wounds, and Madam Xiangdie… took her own life out of shame."
His smirk widened, sharp and cruel.
"And of course, before his death, Meng Jianhou entrusted me with the Supreme Sword Dao and Wanjian Guizong as repayment for saving his wife and daughter."
Meng Jianhou let out a hoarse laugh despite his condition, his eyes burning with defiance.
"You… dream! I'd rather take the secrets to the grave than hand them over to a snake like you!"
Jian Wangchi's gaze darkened, his smirk vanishing. "Then you leave me no choice, Meng Jianhou."
His next words dripped with venom.
"If you don't give them to me, I'll break every meridian in your body, turn you into a useless cripple, and then"
His eyes shifted toward Madam Xiangdie and Qingyao, a twisted light glinting within them.
"I'll drag your precious wife and daughter into the depths of the Demon Dao. They'll become playthings, slave girls, violated by countless beasts until they beg for death. And even then, I won't let them die."
Madam Xiangdie's face turned pale, her body trembling in shock and fury.
"You… you've allied yourself with the Demon Dao?!" she spat.
"Allied?" Jian Wangchi laughed, his handsome face twisting into madness. "No, Madam Xiangdie… I am the Demon Dao. Before I joined Wanjian Villa, I was a proud disciple of the Blood River Sect! You should have realized long ago… you're already standing in hell."
The chilling wind howled as his words faded, and the world seemed to sink into silence.