The Defying Heaven Sect sent wedding invitations throughout the realm. The news sent shockwaves through the martial world, drawing the eyes of countless martial artists to this auspicious day.
The invitations declared that the ceremony would take place on the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month at the Defying Heaven Sect. The groom was Shi Moyong; the bride, Zhou Songyi.
Who was Zhou Songyi?
The question rippled through every corner of the realm. Just who was this woman destined to become the wife of the Descendant of the Stone Fiend?
As the ancient adage goes, "A peerless beauty is the perfect match for a hero."
Calling Shi Moyong the foremost supreme master of the martial world was no overstatement. His triumph over The Blood Hawk Diao Zhufan, master of the Zenith Martial Pavilion, stood as undeniable proof of his invincible martial prowess.
But what of this woman surnamed Zhou? How illustrious was her background? How breathtaking was her visage? Was she the true paramount beauty of the martial world? Could her allure even eclipse that of The Frostflower Maiden, Han Yuexin?
These questions lingered in the minds of many. Yet, this magnificent wedding did nothing to quell the surging undercurrents of martial power struggles.
The Reckless Blade Li Sibei, who had ascended as the new leader of the Zenith Martial Pavilion, began his counteroffensive against the Defying Heaven Sect across various cities. Though he dared not assault their main stronghold directly, the obliteration of seven branch sects was enough to brazenly declare his intent.
The Sword Slave, Left Envoy of the Defying Heaven Sect, who ought to have been hunting down enemies to restore their prestige, had vanished without a trace. Meanwhile, the Right Envoy, One Word Ends Life Ouyang Laobai, was entirely consumed by the wedding preparations for the sect master, his sworn younger brother.
Within the Defying Heaven Sect itself, Li Sibei's brazen provocations seemed drowned out by the auspicious red of the impending nuptials... at least for the moment. However, a far more terrifying rumor circulated in the shadows. It was whispered that Li Sibei had allied with the Han father and son—Heaven-Equaling Mountain Han Zhaoming and The Sage of the Eight Corners Han Xiaozhi—intending to unite their forces and eradicate the Defying Heaven Sect once and for all on the very day of the wedding.
This whisper left the martial world waiting for the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month with bated breath. This was no mere wedding of a great man; it could well be the turning point that would dictate the destiny of the entire realm.
Time flowed on amidst the endless tides of rumors and tales. Finally, the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month arrived. The Defying Heaven Sect, towering like an impregnable fortress, was now festooned with hundreds of thousands of wedding lanterns, casting a brilliant crimson glow over the entire mountain stronghold.
From the moment the sun breached the horizon, invited guests arrived in an endless stream to offer their congratulations. Banquet tables stretched outward from the fortress in a seemingly endless line. Each table was draped in bright red silk, symbolizing auspicious fortune for the bridal couple. Those holding invitations were welcomed with the utmost honor, while those without could only crane their necks from afar, under the strict, watchful eyes of the Defying Heaven Sect's patrolling disciples.
Early that morning, Ouyang Laobai, the groom's sworn brother, donned a shimmering silver festive robe bound by a bright red sash. He performed his duty of welcoming the guests with a stoic expression. It was not until the auspicious hour for the bride's arrival drew near that the thunderous drumming of galloping hooves echoed from the distance. Upon hearing it, he knew at once: uninvited guests had arrived.
Ouyang Laobai's figure launched into the air, obstructing the path. He unleashed a resonant shout infused with internal qi. "Who goes there!" The command carried such weight that even the galloping steeds were startled, violently bucking and swerving aside.
The intruders were two women riding at lightning speed. It was clear they had intended to use their momentum to breach the fortress gates, but now they were forced to confront Ouyang Laobai blocking their way. Seeing her horse rear up, the leading woman stepped gracefully onto the saddle and launched herself into the air, continuing her forward momentum without a pause. The second woman spun her horse around once before accelerating to follow closely behind.
With a single glance, Ouyang Laobai recognized her. The woman in the lead was the Frostflower Maiden, Han Yuexin. His heart trembled violently. Though he knew he must intercept her, he simply could not bring himself to strike. In this vast world, who else would dare act so brazenly before him? Perhaps only this Frostflower Maiden. Even deep within Ouyang Laobai's heart, her silhouette was indelibly etched.
For so long, he had suffered in silence, convinced that Han Yuexin was the one marrying Shi Moyong. It wasn't until a dozen days ago that he discovered the true bride was not her, but Zhou Songyi. Eight days ago, Han Yuexin had stormed out of the Defying Heaven Sect in a fury. Her return today was not entirely unexpected to him. Yet... he had no idea how to face her. To him, she was the one person in this world he absolutely could not bring himself to harm.
Just then, a beam of red light shot toward Han Yuexin. The crimson flash was, in fact, a blood-red whip lashing through the air. As the whip's shadow materialized, the sharp twang of an ancient zither echoed alongside it. The red whip naturally belonged to The Blood Spider Dian Yihui, while the ancient zither rested in the arms of The Azure Squirrel Yang Qianlian. Both were formidable enforcers of the Defying Heaven Sect.
While Ouyang Laobai hesitated, these two women did not waver in the slightest. Anyone daring to disrupt such a joyous occasion had to be dealt with immediately.
The red whip coiled into a deadly loop, aiming to entangle the Frostflower Maiden in mid-air. She twisted her body with exquisite grace to evade, drawing her sword from its scabbard. Her chilling sword light clashed against the whip's shadow in a flurry of waves.
On the other side, the zither's notes morphed into razor-sharp sonic blades, slicing toward the woman trailing behind. Her galloping horse panicked and went mad. The woman leaped from her saddle, sweeping her wide sleeves to conjure a blast of internal qi that shot straight at Yang Qianlian.
Yang Qianlian rolled her eyes in fury. She recognized immediately that the girl was using the "Divine Sleeve Qi," a signature supreme technique of the Han family. The mere thought of the Han family stoked a murderous inferno in her chest. Her slender fingers flicked, sending zither waves to shatter the sleeve energy in mid-air. She then tucked the zither tightly against her side and charged directly at the young woman.
"Mengyi (梦衣), be careful! That old woman is a master of poison palms!" Even while fending off Dian Yihui's blood whip, Han Yuexin managed to issue a calm warning. The Frostflower Maiden's swordplay was crisp and profound, proving her worthy as the disciple of The Six Decrees Pei Chengyue. The skill she displayed seemed to transcend even that of The Absolute Jade Di Yuning.
The woman called "Mengyi" was actually Han Guimeng, Han Yuexin's half-sister and a true daughter of the Han lineage. Yang Qianlian harbored a deep-seated, bitter resentment toward Han Zhaoming. Seeing Han Guimeng's facial features—so strikingly similar to that man's—caused her anger to surge anew. She accelerated her qi circulation, purging any latent poison in her body, and unleashed the Ten-Poison Palm, raising her hands to her chest as she spoke with icy venom.
"You are Han Zhaoming's daughter... aren't you?"
Han Guimeng offered no reply. She simply struck out with three consecutive palms. The current of internal qi roared as it tore through the air, crashing forward. On the other side, Han Yuexin, still parrying Dian Yihui's whip, shouted another warning. "She has been infatuated with father for years. Do not clash with her directly!"
Those words echoed loudly in Yang Qianlian's mind. Once, she too had been the premier beauty of the martial world. Her arrogance and fiery temper had never dulled with time. Therefore, she refused to dodge the three palm strikes. Instead, she twisted her right wrist, countering with three strikes of her own, her left hand still clutching the zither as she advanced relentlessly.
The two forces collided in mid-air with a deafening detonation of internal qi. Yang Qianlian sensed at once that while her opponent's palm force could pierce the air, her internal qi foundation was not entirely solid. Judging by her appearance, Han Guimeng was not yet twenty. Achieving such power at her age marked her as an undeniable genius. However, attempting to face Yang Qianlian today... was ten years too early.
She flicked her left arm. The zither coiled around it like a slithering serpent before she swung it forward for a devastating close-quarters strike. Han Guimeng excelled in sleeve qi, a technique tailored for long-range combat. But Yang Qianlian closed the distance in the blink of an eye. Facing the whirling zither, Han Guimeng retreated, appearing to lose her footing as she fell onto the defensive.
"Still too green," Yang Qianlian sneered inwardly, thrusting her right claw forward.
But this time... she miscalculated. Han Guimeng's retreat was merely a feint. Han Yuexin's earlier warning had been a deliberate ploy to mislead Yang Qianlian into believing the girl couldn't fight in close quarters. In truth, Han Guimeng had kept her supreme technique hidden from the very beginning.
The martial art she had mastered to absolute perfection was the Divine Jade Fist, the ultimate technique of the Six Decrees Pei Chengyue. This art feared no poison whatsoever. In the past, Pei Chengyue had defeated The Demonic Doctor Di Jiao entirely by relying on this very fist.
When Yang Qianlian's claw reached her, Han Guimeng twisted her waist a half turn, parrying the strike with her left fist before swiftly snapping her right fist upward in a vicious uppercut aimed straight for the chin. Yang Qianlian reacted with lightning speed, bending backward to evade the lethal blow. Yet Han Guimeng's combination was far from over. She pressed her advantage, spinning her body to deliver a devastating left kick squarely into her opponent's back.
The Azure Squirrel was sent flying, crashing heavily into the hard earth.
Han Yuexin shouted. "Kill her!" But Han Guimeng hesitated, failing to deliver the finishing blow. That moment of hesitation... was a critical mistake. Humiliated and burning with fury, Yang Qianlian abandoned her zither. Pressing her left hand against the ground, she sprang up and lunged at her opponent, her eyes blazing with murderous intent. Now, she would hold absolutely nothing back.
The battle raged on, the scales of fate seemingly tipping. Han Yuexin felt a surge of frustration. She had deliberately stalled Dian Yihui to grant her sister the perfect opening to decisively subdue Yang Qianlian with the Divine Jade Fist. Yet that golden opportunity had slipped through their fingers. Therefore, she had to finish off the Blood Spider herself—and quickly.
The Frostflower Maiden's sword light immediately dropped a degree colder, as she prepared to break through and assist Han Guimeng before the skirmish spiraled out of control. Though Han Yuexin had not mastered the Divine Jade Fist like her sister, her proficiency in the Reversal Wind Heaven-Shaker Sword of the Six Decrees Pei Chengyue was nearing the realm of her master. It could be confidently said she was visibly superior to Di Yuning.
That Absolute Jade was the heir to an aristocratic family, raised amidst luxury and comfort. How could she possibly possess such unwavering, desperate determination in her martial training? Being hailed as a young supreme master was merely a byproduct of being Pei Chengyue's chief disciple. If measured by true martial mastery, she fell short of this junior martial sister by several degrees.
Han Yuexin advanced on Dian Yihui, the sword in her hand moving as fluidly as the wind. Though the Blood Spider's whip was incredibly swift and fierce, it lacked profound versatility. After exchanging just three or four moves, the distance between them shrank drastically. Dian Yihui was a proud, unyielding woman. Even when forced onto her back foot, she stood her ground to fight. Han Yuexin's swordplay revealed deeper profundity with every strike, finally breaching the killing range.
Among all the disciples of The Demonic Doctor Di Jiao, Dian Yihui did not particularly excel in either martial arts or poison. Yet she had survived the brutal martial world because there was always someone standing to protect her. That person was her husband—The Tiger-Striped Frog Eung Sakong.
Seeing his wife in mortal peril, Eung Sakong naturally could not stand idly by. His martial arts were not extraordinary, but his most outstanding trait was his daring recklessness. Han Yuexin's sword thrust down from above. When deflected, she sharply reversed the tip, thrusting at the exact same spot in a blinding flash. Dian Yihui couldn't react in time and was a breath away from being skewered, when suddenly a hand reached out and tightly grasped the razor-sharp blade.
The one who caught it was, naturally, Eung Sakong. Fresh blood immediately poured from his palm, but it created the perfect opening for Dian Yihui to lash her whip in a vicious counterattack. Unable to retract her sword, Han Yuexin was forced to abandon her weapon and leap backward to evade the whip's sweeping arc.
But a supreme master's skill is never wasted. She curled her body in mid-air, abruptly shifted her trajectory, darted behind Yang Qianlian, and swiftly delivered a crushing palm strike.
At that exact moment, Yang Qianlian was pressing Han Guimeng hard, on the very verge of claiming victory. Her entire focus was committed to her thrusting claw, leaving her completely oblivious to the lethal danger approaching from behind. Han Yuexin's palm force slammed squarely into her spine. The gathered internal qi jammed in an instant. Yang Qianlian violently coughed up a stream of blood, her body staggering wildly off in another direction.
The momentum in the courtyard reversed in the blink of an eye. Dian Yihui, overly concerned with the gruesome wound on Eung Sakong's hand, failed to press her attack, leaving an opening for Han Yuexin to successfully ambush Yang Qianlian.
Seeing her enemy severely injured, Han Yuexin did not hesitate. Her heart was resolute and ruthless, accelerating to claim her life. But in that exact moment, a flash of light rained from above. Dozens of flying knives plummeted from the sky like a torrential downpour.
Han Guimeng spotted them first. She unleashed both the Divine Sleeve Qi and the Divine Jade Fist to deflect the barrage, saving her half-sister just in time. But the overwhelming, suffocating pressure of the flying knives forced the two sisters to retreat, stripping them of the chance to finish off the Azure Squirrel.
The one who had appeared was The Verdant Dragonfly Zhou Xingxuan. This meant that all four enforcers of the Defying Heaven Sect were now present. Han Yuexin, stripped of her sword, naturally lacked the confidence to face Zhou Xingxuan's heavenly flying knives alone.
Zhou Xingxuan was a surviving supreme master from the Defying Heaven Sect's previous generation. Her martial prowess and mastery of poisons were renowned across the land. But now, she was a mother. The cruelty of her past had faded, leaving behind only an ocean of calm composure.
"Yihui, take Seventh Sister back to be treated. Third Brother, go tend to your wound. I will handle these two children." Her command was serene, yet brimming with unquestionable authority.
As the two sides locked into a tense standoff, a hoarse voice suddenly echoed from the edge of the woods. "Mistress... Mistress..." The voice was both sorrowful and terrifying, sounding akin to the wailing of a damned ghost.
Soon, a figure emerged. His skin was as dark as baked earth, his body severely emaciated, and his head entirely devoid of hair. His facial features were so blurred they were almost indistinguishable; only his eyes indicated he was still human. Wearing no outer robe and leaving his upper torso completely bare, he staggered out of the woods, heading straight for the fortress decorated for the wedding.
That bizarre visitor was none other than the Sword Slave, Left Envoy of the Defying Heaven Sect, a figure equal in status to One Word Ends Life Ouyang Laobai. Seeing him, Ouyang Laobai could not remain still. He quickly bounded forward and announced loudly: "The Left Envoy has returned! Clear the way and welcome him!"
The words sounded welcoming, but his body dashed forward to physically confront him, terrified that the Sword Slave had come to cause chaos. The wedding had already been disturbed enough by external enemies; if internal strife broke out now, it would be a disastrous omen.
The Sword Slave did not even look at Ouyang Laobai, his mouth continuing to mutter in a trance. "Mistress... I, Sword Slave, wish to see the Mistress..." Ouyang Laobai grabbed his shoulder, only to be violently repelled by a rebounding force that jolตed his arm. He channeled his qi and grabbed again, this time securing his hold firmly.
The Sword Slave suddenly flew into a feral rage, twisting his shoulder to violently shake off the grip. His right hand thrust straight at Ouyang Laobai's chest like a blunt sword—a simple yet devastatingly decisive move. Ouyang Laobai had been prepared, parrying the strike with his left hand, but the Sword Slave instantly followed up with a left punch. A loud collision echoed. In the end, it was Ouyang Laobai who was forced to retreat, never expecting his comrade to strike so mercilessly.
Zhou Xingxuan stepped out calmly to block his path. Seeing her, the Sword Slave averted his gaze and lowered his head submissively. Yet his hoarse voice kept repeating on a loop. "Mistress... Mistress... I wish to see the Mistress..."
The joyous atmosphere of the wedding turned freezing cold in an instant.
"Ha ha, little boy named Zhao, do you still remember your old lover?" A booming shout erupted from the woods on the opposite side. A tall, robust man stepped into view, looking every bit the valiant, dominant hero. In one hand, he gripped a pitch-black blade, and with the other, he dragged a woman behind him.
This person could be none other than The Reckless Blade Li Sibei, who had finally chosen to show himself. The key figures were beginning to reveal themselves one by one. The woman being dragged through the dirt was The Everlasting Love Sword Tie Guanyong. A voluptuous beauty like Tie Guanyong was not only bound and dragged like a wild beast; her clothes were torn to shreds, barely concealing her figure. Her smooth, fair skin, when struck by the harsh sunlight, seemed to glow even brighter.
Li Sibei spoke without pause, shouting in a resonant, mocking voice. "Little boy named Zhao, what Mistress? Weren't you this Tie Guanyong's personal servant boy? Or have you forgotten your first taste of passion, to the point of not even recognizing this woman?"
The Sword Slave's original name was Zhao Xianzhi. He was a swordsman who had once followed and lived with The Everlasting Love Sword Tie Guanyong in Wei City. Hearing Li Sibei's words clearly, his darkly cursed body shuddered violently. He then lunged at Li Sibei, roaring, "I will kill you all!" as he drew the sword at his waist. The sword, much like his own twisted body, was contorted and pitch-black.
The Sword Slave leaped forward, but before he could even reach where Li Sibei stood, three shadows shot straight at him. Immediately, his body was blasted backward through the air. The three shadows were all renowned figures in the martial world. The first shadow was The Absolute Jade Di Yuning, who slashed a soft sword across the Sword Slave's torso. The second shadow was The Sage of the Eight Corners Han Xiaozhi, who slammed robust internal qi into the Sword Slave's flank. And lastly, The Six Decrees Pei Chengyue met him head-on, slamming the Divine Jade Fist directly into the Sword Slave's body and blasting him away.
The rumor that The Reckless Blade Li Sibei had joined forces with the Han father and son of the Virtue Association to destroy the Defying Heaven Sect had proven completely true.
The Sword Slave crashed to the ground, then struggled to his feet again. But the destructive power of the Divine Jade Fist left his body severely dazed. He had to prop himself up with both hands, remaining on his knees. Di Yuning, lacking true combat experience, cried out in panic, "Could it be that this man has also mastered an armor qi technique?"
Han Xiaozhi spoke up gravely, "This is an evil creation of the Defying Heaven Sect. Back then, we martial artists united to eradicate the Defying Heaven Sect because they intended to release such monsters into the martial world. I never expected that in this era, a zombie fiend like this would actually be created. His skin is steeped in various poisons, making his body completely fearless of attacks because he no longer feels pain."
Suddenly, a shadow intervened, accompanied by a pitch-black blade arc carrying vicious, cursed power. As the blade swept past in a wide arc, black rain scattered into the sky. The black rain was the Sword Slave's blood, and the black blade arc belonged to Li Sibei.
Taking advantage of the Sword Slave's dazed state, Li Sibei slashed downward with all his might. The Sword Slave's body bounced violently off the ground, twisting and contorting. Li Sibei's blade had cut deeply into his midsection. Under normal circumstances, any person would have fallen dead instantly, but the Sword Slave did not. Still gripping his sword, he lumbered toward Li Sibei once more.
A deeply satisfied, sadistic smile appeared on Li Sibei's face, and he swept his blade out yet again. The Sword Slave tried to use his sword to parry, but his body no longer obeyed his commands. Li Sibei's blade sank into his kneecap, creating another grisly wound. Though this cut was not as deep as the first, the sword slipped from his failing grip. His twisted body went entirely stiff, both knees crashing heavily into the dirt. His eyes locked onto Tie Guanyong, who was trembling violently in fear.
The word "Mistress" he spoke, was the final word in the Sword Slave's life.
Yet, that "Mistress" did not refer to Tie Guanyong. It referred to Zhou Songyi, the one and only mistress in his heart, the woman who had turned him into this inhuman monstrosity. Despite this, the Sword Slave did not harbor even the slightest shred of resentment toward Zhou Songyi, not even a fraction of his heart. Because the heart of the Sword Slave, of this man named Zhao Xianzhi, had been irrevocably given to Zhou Songyi from the very beginning.
Not just his heart, not just his life. His Mistress was absolutely everything to the Sword Slave.
Zhao Xianzhi, once so blindly obsessed with Tie Guanyong that he barely remained human. Zhao Xianzhi, now so blindly devoted to Zhou Songyi that he cared nothing even for his own survival. Zhao Xianzhi, or the Sword Slave, was a man hopelessly, blindly devoted to love until his very last breath.
Li Sibei instinctively flicked his black blade upward to block, assuming a poisoned arrow had been fired swiftly at him from the shadows. The blade's edge clashed with the incoming force, sending violent tremors all the way up his wrist. But upon looking closer, he realized—it was no arrow, just a burst of pure fist force transmitted through the air. Yet the sheer power of the rebound was incredibly forceful, causing him to take half a step back involuntarily.
A figure silently materialized in the center of the courtyard, swiftly dropping to one knee to check on the Sword Slave's condition. Getting a clear look, Li Sibei saw the newcomer was Jin Tianwang, The Merry Meanderer—yet another man renowned across the land for his foolish devotion to love.
Jin Tianwang checked the pulse for a brief moment, realizing the Sword Slave's life force had completely extinguished. Yet he did not set the body down. Instead, he propped it up and hoisted the corpse onto his broad shoulder. The dark, tainted blood stained his brand-new robes entirely, but he paid it absolutely no mind.
When the Sword Slave was alive, no matter how much he had despised him, Jin Tianwang had never taken offense. On the contrary, from the moment they first crossed paths, he had admired the unwavering resolve burning in Zhao Xianzhi's heart. Such a young man should have walked a long path in the martial world. But the heavens were never fair. The Sword Slave—Zhao Xianzhi—was now nothing but a lifeless, tragic corpse.
Jin Tianwang carried the body toward the Defying Heaven Sect, completely ignoring everyone's gaze, be it Li Sibei, Pei Chengyue, Di Yuning, Han Xiaozhi, or even Han Yuexin.
But after taking only a few steps, his eyes locked onto a woman—Han Guimeng. The woman who had shared that winter by the frozen lake with Jin Tianwang... He recognized her at once, never expecting their paths to cross again in a place like this. Jin Tianwang's lips parted as if to speak, but in the end, no sound escaped them. He simply adjusted his grip on the breathless body and walked past her in total silence.
"Mengyi, do not stare at this man. He is not even worth a glance." Han Yuexin's voice rang out sharply, as she pulled her half-sister back toward Han Xiaozhi's group.
Han Guimeng had grown up almost like Han Yuexin's living doll. Her mother was merely a lowly maid in the Han household, someone who had briefly passed through Han Zhaoming's life to give birth to her. Despite sharing the same prestigious bloodline, she was never truly accepted.
Han Yuexin used to favor the little infant, keeping her close and practicing martial arts together, until she discovered this quiet, reserved girl possessed an unexpected, terrifying martial talent. Even the Divine Jade Fist, which Han Yuexin struggled endlessly to master, was perfected flawlessly in Han Guimeng's hands.
But as Han Yuexin matured into a young woman, this "toy" was cast aside. Han Guimeng—who breathed yet seemed lifeless—could not tear her eyes away upon seeing Jin Tianwang again. The deep, unspoken sorrow in his eyes was indelibly etched into her heart; it was a sight she desperately yearned for but could never reach. Even with her sister's harsh warnings ringing in her ears, she barely registered them.
In front of the Defying Heaven Sect's grand gates, another woman was already waiting. She was tall and slender, with eyes and hair color strikingly different from ordinary women of the mainland. She was Fan Qingqing, the one who now firmly possessed Jin Tianwang's heart.
Fan Qingqing flashed a brilliant, white-toothed smile when she met his eyes from afar. Her beauty was so radiant and unearthly that people rumored she might be one of the absolute top beauties in the martial world. She said nothing, merely stepping gently to Jin Tianwang's side, and they walked forward together at a slow, deliberate pace.
And at that exact moment, Shi Moyong, dressed in the blindingly bright red attire of a groom, emerged from the fortress gates of the Defying Heaven Sect...