Ch. 87 – Fleeting Shadow

The solemn and dignified sound of the bell at the mountain peak repeated a total of one hundred times.

It must be said that while starting at the ring of a bell was cliché, its advantages were obvious. The noisy crowd was immediately silenced, and everyone covered their ears while hoping that the cacophony would end quickly.

Feng Ye looked around at the people around him, who were covering their ears just like him, and hoped for the same.

When the ringing finally ended, the elders of the sect, headed by Ji Chengyue, finally made their appearance. Today, Ji Chengyue was dressed in exceptionally formal attire. His black robes, although very similar to the Lingxiao Sword Sect uniform, were made with incomparable materials and workmanship.

Of course, no matter how expensive the materials were, it couldn’t compare to the robes Feng Ye was wearing.

Ji Chengyue and company stood before a ritual altar in the open area outside Zhenwu Hall. The three sacrificial animals were naturally indispensable. Killing living creatures as sacrifices was a long-standing human tradition, and while humans served as sacrifices in the past, cattle and sheep had now taken their place.

Ji Chengyue lit three incense sticks and solemnly bowed to the heavens: “Disciple Ji Chengyue, second disciple of Xuanxu-zhenren and thirteenth sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect, hereby respectfully informs his predecessors and teachers…..”

He used spiritual power as he spoke, so everyone atop the mountain and below was able to hear him as clearly as if he were speaking directly into their ear.

Any ceremony of even moderate importance inevitably involved complicated rituals and procedures, and this one was no exception. Ji Chengyue’s ritual tribute had only begun, and judging from his tone, there was much more to be said.

Feng Ye’s attention abruptly shifted away from the mountaintop, and he swiftly turned his head.

He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but it felt like he was being watched.

Yet when he looked over, he found only empty space. Nobody was there.

Was it all in his head?

Normally, Feng Ye wouldn’t dwell on it too much. However, undercurrents were surging beneath this seemingly calm trial ceremony, and an unknown enemy may be lurking nearby. It was best to be cautious.

“I’m going to go relieve myself,” Feng Ye said at once.

Hao Chen’s eyes shifted, and he said: “I’ll go too.”

Fang Yang gave them a strange look. Why did they have to go together? But rather than ask any questions, he gave them a word of advice: “Come back soon, ah, it’ll be really exciting once it starts!”

Feng Ye nodded, then walked away.

Hao Chen paced along at his side, and asked once they were some distance away from Fang Yang: “Where is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye planning to relieve himself?”

Feng Ye glanced at the mischievously grinning Hao Chen, who was clearly asking a question he already knew the answer to.

Thus, he didn’t answer. Now was not the time for bickering; the most important thing was finding that person behind the scenes.

He walked very quickly, each stride of his long legs covering more than half the distance of his normal stride. If Fang Yang were following behind him, he would have to jog to catch up.

Fortunately, Hao Chen’s legs were long enough that he could keep up with some difficulty. He and Feng Ye were about the same height and had similar builds, so it was especially convenient to give him clothes. He could just have them made according to his own measurements.

As Feng Ye walked, his gaze swept across the crowd. There didn’t seem to be anything out of place about these ordinary-looking faces.

Hao Chen said nothing more after Feng Ye ignored him, and realized that he was probably searching for something.

What was he looking for?

Naturally, it must be a person.

Hao Chen cast his own gaze across the crowd in search of this person, and wondered if Yinglong was really here.

Xue Ren had likely made some kind of deal with Yinglong, but that didn’t mean that the god himself would make an appearance. Hao Chen attempted to comfort himself with this speculation.

As long as it wasn’t Yinglong himself who took action, he should be able to control the situation.

That didn’t mean that he would ensure the safety of Lingxiao Sword Sect, but rather that he would act to protect his future wife, who was unaware of Yinglong’s true strength.

The owner of that clothing store had referred to Feng Ye in such a way, operating under the belief that they had such a relationship. Hao Chen found it very pleasant to the ear, so in the end, he had simply let the crabs smash up the shop and refrained from taking his anger out on the shop owner himself.

However, he only dared to refer to him like that in his heart, as he might earn himself another beating if he spoke it aloud. He was not the type of fish to forget a lesson learned.

Hao Chen followed Feng Ye around the outer edge of the square. But even with both of them observing, nothing caught their eye.

There was nothing to be done. The crowd was simply too dense, everyone packed together and blocking each other’s way. Since it was impossible to get a clear view of everyone’s actions and expressions, it was equally impossible to spot an abnormality.

Suddenly, a commotion arose within the crowd. Feng Ye looked up and found that Ji Chengyue had finished his long and tedious ritual tribute.

“Disciple Cao Zirui is willing to accept the challenge!” Cao Zirui went down on one knee and bowed to his master, then turned away.

He trotted along the flat ground toward the edge of the cliff. Then, without looking, he jumped.

A gasp of shock rose from the crowd, then swiftly transformed into cheers.

The moment Cao Zirui jumped, he drew the spiritual sword on his back from its sheath and directed it to hover steadily under his feet.

Riding atop his sword, he arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Although he had yet to begin the challenge, the audience was already applauding for him. Fang Yang’s clapping was especially enthusiastic. Not everyone possessed the courage to jump like that on a whim.

Swordflying was not difficult, and the only reason Fang Yang flew so haphazardly was because he was only a beginner at Foundation Establishment stage. Similarly, catching oneself using a sword was not a demanding feat.

But people inevitably made mistakes, and most didn’t have the guts to gamble their lives on whether or not they would be the one to miscalculate. Cao Zirui’s daring showed that he was extremely confident in his swordsmanship. It seemed that he was determined to conquer these one hundred checkpoints.

Everyone had the same thought in mind – except for Xue Ren.

He stood at the peak of the mountain, watching with a cold smile on his lips as Cao Zirui strode toward the first checkpoint.

When he was unable to find what he was looking for, Feng Ye temporarily gave up the search and turned his attention toward Cao Zirui.

Cao Zirui climbed the first step, and the disciple standing there attacked. Their swords clashed three times before the first disciple guarding the pass was defeated.

Only three moves.

Although Cao Zirui’s victory was swift, few people were surprised. The difficulty of these one hundred checkpoints increased from low to high, with the guardians getting stronger as one progressed. The first fifty checkpoints were barely worth watching.

One hundred years ago, the former sect leader hadn’t even drawn his sword before passing the first fifty.

Due to the ease of the first few checkpoints, Cao Zirui didn’t actually need to draw his sword either. However, he was quite different from Ling Yun. Ling Yun possessed an arrogance that emanated from within, and looked down on these weak disciples.

But Cao Zirui felt that drawing his sword was a sign of respect for his opponent, and that he should take them all seriously regardless of their strength.

Very soon, Cao Zirui had broken through ten checkpoints in a row, with nobody lasting more than ten moves against him. His speed was comparable to that of Ling Yun one hundred years ago.

However, there was still a world of difference between his strength and Ling Yun’s. Leaving aside the fact that he was only at Foundation Establishment stage, even just taking swordsmanship into consideration, he was far from a master of the Lingxiao Swordsmanship technique.

He was able to maintain the same speed of progression as Ling Yun simply because, due to the decline of Lingxiao Sword Sect over the past century, the strength of these one hundred disciples guarding the pass was far inferior to those who had guarded it one hundred years ago.

However, compared to the ordinary disciples watching below, Cao Zirui’s swordsmanship was already far beyond their reach. These disciples couldn’t help but discuss it amongst themselves, almost all of them full of praise for Cao Zirui’s excellent swordsmanship.

However, others had the opposite opinion.

“He still needs more refinement.” Hao Chen shook his head, offering a seemingly professional critique.

Upon hearing this, Feng Ye regarded Hao Chen with some surprise. It wasn’t that he disagreed, since Cao Zirui’s swordsmanship did indeed have a lot of room for improvement. He was just taken aback that Hao Chen was able to judge the quality of his swordsmanship.

“You practice swordsmanship?” Feng Ye asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked exceedingly interested, as if he was a moment away from dragging Hao Chen out for a friendly match.

“I don’t.” Hao Chen immediately shook his head. Without using spiritual power, he would lose no matter which weapon he wielded in human form.

Before Feng Ye could ask, he explained with a smile: “It’s just that I’ve seen Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s swordsmanship, and the difference in skill between the two of you is glaringly obvious.”

He gestured with both hands as he spoke. The hand representing Feng Ye was raised above his head, while the hand representing Cao Zirui barely reached his waist.

Feng Ye looked at Hao Chen speechlessly. He had hoped to discuss swordsmanship with Hao Chen, but it turned out that this fish was just flattering him.

He had flattered this fish before, and it was extremely easy to do. Just one compliment, and this fish would leap into the sky. But it wasn’t as easy to flatter Feng Ye, because he wasn’t nearly so superficial.

At such an age, he’s living entirely off the thickness of his skin.

Feng Ye had this thought for what seemed like the thousandth time. Then, he shook his head and continued to watch Cao Zirui face his challenge.

While they were speaking, Cao Zirui had passed over a dozen more checkpoints. Finally, at the forty-seventh level, he was no longer as relaxed as before. This time, he fought a disciple for more than twenty rounds before the winner was decided.

“It seems your descendent is not very capable, ah. He clearly learned your swordsmanship, but it took him so long to pass the forty-seventh checkpoint,” the man said to Ling Yun with a hint of sarcasm. 

Ling Yun watched Cao Zirui make his way upward and replied indifferently: “He’s only learned the basics.”

“Hehe, that’s true. Even you, the creator of this sword technique, haven’t given him any pointers, so how could he possibly learn the essence of it? How about you go and give him some advice later?” The man seemed to have suddenly thought of an idea.

But before Ling Yun could respond, he immediately shot down his own idea: “Ah, I almost forgot. He won’t have the opportunity.”

“Xue Ren will definitely kill him.” The man’s voice contained a beaming smile.

Even when speaking of something as dark as murder, he maintained a genial smile, as if he was simply talking about the weather. 

“It’s just uncertain whether Xue Ren will make a move against your shidi.” The man’s tone was somewhat anticipatory. “If Xue Ren really acts against Ji Chengyue, will you intervene?”

“No.” Ling Yun spoke this single word without any hesitation or fluctuations.

“Aren’t the two of you very close?” the man asked with regret.

Ling Yun looked up toward Ji Chengyue at the mountaintop. Standing in a secluded, unlit corner, he remained unnoticed by Feng Ye, much less the sect leader.

He replied in a flat tone: “That’s in the past.”

The man was a little disappointed by this answer, and shook his head: “You don’t seem to care about anything anymore.”

“Not true,” Ling Yun refuted again. “Don’t you know what I care about better than anyone else?”

“Hehe.” The man chuckled softly in response to Ling Yun’s question. He nodded, assuring him: “I will help you. After all…..that is my wish as well.”

“Now…..” the man’s tone suddenly became somewhat indolent. He stretched, then chuckled as he watched Cao Zirui reach the one hundredth checkpoint. “…..the show is about to begin.”

“Shixiong.” On the one thousandth step, Cao Zirui bowed to Xue Ren before making any move to strike.

“Shidi.” Xue Ren greeted him with a smile.

Ji Chengyue felt a little sentimental as he observed this scene, recalling how he and Ling Yun had been in the same situation one hundred years ago.

After they exchanged greetings, the challenge officially began.

Xue Ren held his sword in a defensive stance, adopting such a posture to invite Cao Zirui to make the first move. 

Cao Zirui didn’t refuse, and charged forward with his sword.

His strike was swift and fierce. It seemed as if his sword was going to pierce his opponent’s chest, but just as it approached Xue Ren, Cao Zirui twisted his wrist, turning the blade.

The tip of the sword, which had been thrust straight forward, angled upward toward Xue Ren’s jaw.

Although Cao Zirui had abruptly altered his move, Xue Ren’s reaction was just as swift. He leaned back slightly to avoid the attack, while simultaneously thrusting his sword forward.

Having missed his first strike, Cao Zirui quickly withdrew his sword and defended against the attack. When the blades connected, the two equally precious spirit swords shook slightly.

As personal disciples of the sect leader, both of them possessed excellent magical tools. Their spirit swords were also top-rank Earth-grade weapons, equally sharp and durable.

And in terms of swordsmanship, Xue Ren had learned the traditional techniques of Lingxiao Sword Sect, while Cao Zirui had learned the Lingxiao Swordsmanship created by Ling Yun, which was a superior technique.

However, Xue Ren was more than twenty years older than Cao Zirui, and he possessed far richer experience.

Thus, for a time, there was no clear indication as to who would emerge victorious. Each took turns attacking and defending, but neither was able to breach the other’s defenses.

After a brief clash, Xue Ren launched another attack. Perhaps due to fatigue after this series of skirmishes, Cao Zirui’s reaction time slowed and the opponent’s sword grazed his sleeve.

When the two parted, Cao Zirui’s sleeve sported a long gash.

Fang Yang couldn’t help being worried for his friend. In order to better view the scene, and to fulfill his promise to cheer Cao Zirui on, he managed to fly up somewhat unsteadily on his sword. Having flown halfway up the mountain, he had a clearer view than most of the disciples and was able to witness this dangerous moment.

Had Cao Zirui reacted any slower, he would have lost his arm.

Ji Chengyue frowned as he watched this scene. Cao Zirui had been slow to react, and even when Xue Ren’s sword was about to cut into his shidi, he showed no signs of calling off the attack.

This was just a spar, but Xue Ren seemed to be going all-out.

Could it be…..? A bad feeling came over Ji Chengyue. But he was reluctant to believe it, and convinced himself that perhaps Xue Ren was unable to stop in time, but had not done it deliberately.

Ji Chengyue continued to watch the spar……but his hand clenched slightly where it was hidden in his sleeve. He was ready to step in at any moment.

Sometimes, a bystander was able to get a clearer picture than the person involved. Cao Zirui was completely unaware that Xue Ren was trying to kill him. He just assumed that mistakes could be made in the heat of battle, and that Xue Ren would have pulled his swing if Cao Zirui was unable to react in time.

Although Xue Ren didn’t usually pay much attention to him, he had specially gifted him that warning bell before Cao Zirui entered the Floating Island Secret Realm, which showed that his shixiong was a good person.

He didn’t really want to fight Xue Ren, but this was a friendly spar, and also the final checkpoint out of one hundred. He had no choice but to win.

And it needed to be a quick victory, because he was growing tired. Ling Yun had passed these one hundred checkpoints as if strolling through a garden, casual and relaxed. Although this was not a truly grueling battle, the first ninety-nine checkpoints had certainly taken a toll on Cao Zirui’s stamina.

Cao Zirui abruptly changed his swordsmanship style. He had started off aggressively, then switched back and forth between offense and defense, but now….he abandoned defense entirely.

He would use offense as his defense!

His blade struck the middle of Xue Ren’s sword, and the sudden increase in force vibrated through the metal, bringing a tingling sensation to Xue Ren’s hand.

Xue Ren had just blocked the attack, and before he had a chance to retaliate, he barely managed to block a second incoming strike.

The second strike was even stronger than the first, and the tingling sensation in Xue Ren’s hand intensified.

“This is…..” Fang Yang murmured as he watched this familiar scene from the sidelines. This looked similar to the sword technique Useless Shixiong had used to defeat Lu Chengye.

When Cao Zirui swung again and Xue Ren was forced to take a step back, Fang Yang was certain – this technique was not similar. It was exactly the same.

Four, Cao Zirui counted to himself while once again increasing the power of his next swing.

Ever since he witnessed Feng Ye use this technique, it had never left his mind. He had attempted it before during the Foundation Establishment tournament, but without success.

But he didn’t give up after this failure. Instead, he practiced it on his own time. Although he had learned Lingxiao Swordsmanship, there was no absolute distinction between different sword techniques, as martial arts were inherently versatile.

Ling Yun had studied the strengths of many schools of swordsmanship before designing his technique.

Cao Zirui had been practicing this particular technique for almost half a month. At first, he could only use the first four or five moves at most, but now he could use the entire set of seven.

Five.

With the fifth swing, Cao Zirui reached the limit of his strength.

The vibrations from the sword were no longer limited to Xue Ren’s hand. This time, his entire arm went numb.

What sort of technique was this?! Xue Ren was filled with surprise and bewilderment.

Due to his early departure, he hadn’t witnessed the battle between Feng Ye and Lu Chengye, and therefore never learned about the Seven Strike Takedown technique.

But although he was unaware that there were seven strikes in total, Xue Ren could sense by the increasing strength of the attacks that he might not be able to keep his grip on his sword after two more moves.

Losing to Cao Zirui?

What a joke!

This trial ceremony explicitly forbade the use of spiritual power, so he was unable to simply overwhelm Cao Zirui using his Golden Core stage might. However, a different sort of power was not expressly prohibited…..

Xue Ren’s lips suddenly curved upward.

Cao Zirui spun in place, using the acceleration of the rotation to unleash a sixth sword strike that exceeded his physical limits.

The clash of their swords emitted a reverberating hum.

Just then, amidst the vibrations, the sword in Xue Ren’s hand suddenly darkened very slightly in hue.

The originally bright silver sword suddenly turned faintly greyish, like a pearl covered in dust. 

This subtle change was not very noticeable, and even Ji Chengyue, who was closest to their battle location, failed to spot it.

But Feng Ye noticed. He was particularly sensitive to the thing that caused the sword to change.

At once, he raised his head and looked toward the sky.

At some point, bright sunlight had been obscured by dark clouds. Although it wasn’t quite to the point of blotting out the entire sky, the light was much fainter than before.

And those dark clouds seemed to be growing in density.

Seven. Cao Zirui uttered the last number to himself, simultaneously thrusting his sword forward. The first six strikes had forced Xue Ren to retreat repeatedly, leaving him on the defensive and completely unable to counterattack.

The final strike would knock the sword out of his hand, resulting in Cao Zirui’s victory.

However, just as the two swords were about to collide, Cao Zirui suddenly noticed that Xue Ren’s sword had turned black.

Pitch black.

Despite being made of metal, the blade lacked the reflective properties metal should have.

Even the patterns engraved on the spirit sword had been swallowed up by the blackness.

There was nothing on the sword apart from that monotonous darkness.

Although Cao Zirui was baffled, he had no time to withdraw his sword. The blades collided.

A sword flew away as a result, but it was not Xue Ren’s.

Cao Zirui stumbled back several steps and went down on one knee, leaning on the remaining half of his sword.

“Cough, cough…..” Cao Zirui spat out a mouthful of blood, which stained his collar and dripped to the ground.

The entire place fell silent.

No one had expected this. Cao Zirui was clearly the one with the upper hand, beating Xue Ren back repeatedly, so how had he ended up losing?

And how had Xue Ren managed to sever the spirit sword in Cao Zirui’s hand?

Feng Ye had spent a considerable amount of time building up to severing Lu Chengye’s sword. He struck the same spot repeatedly, and the accumulation of these strikes had caused it to shatter in the end.

But the material of the sword itself had also played a role. Ultimately, no matter how exquisite it may be, the sturdiness of ordinary steel was limited.

But Cao Zirui’s spiritual sword was a genuine Earth-grade magic weapon. How could Xue Ren so easily sever it in two?

Ji Chengyue stared at the jet black sword in Xue Ren’s hand, his expression one of bewilderment.

Xue Ren met Ji Chengyue’s gaze with a smile. At the same time, he sheathed his sword and bowed slightly, saying: “Shifu, victory is mine.”

The silent crowd finally stirred, and the disciples at the foot of the mountain began to whisper amongst themselves:

“This was Cao Zirui’s succession ceremony, but Xue Ren won in the end. So who should be the successor?”

The same question was raised throughout the square, reflecting everyone’s common concern.

But this did not include Ji Chengyue and those next to him. There was something wrong with the sword in Xue Ren’s hand. Those far away were unable to see it clearly, but those watching from the mountaintop were able to see perfectly well.

Without even using spiritual power, he was able to cleave a spiritual sword in two. There was no way that a low-grade magic weapon was capable of such a feat. Even Ji Chengyue’s Heaven-grade spiritual weapon Mountain Breaker, which was reserved for the use of successive sect leaders, was incapable of doing this.

He had never heard of a sword with this degree of sharpness.

No…..

He came to a sudden realization. He had heard of such a sword before, and had even seen it with his own eyes.

He had witnessed firsthand the divine sword that had severed Jianmu in one strike…..

Ji Chengyue recalled their late night conversation three days prior, during which Xue Ren had suddenly mentioned Jianmu, and a premonition arose in his heart. Unbeknownst to him, a conspiracy had been brewing.

“Shifu, the position of sect leader has always been held by whoever is most capable. Since shidi failed his trial, how about giving it to me?” Xue Ren suggested with a smile.

Ji Chengyue’s gaze shifted from the sword in Xue Ren’s hand to his smiling face, which seemed to belong to a stranger.

He had already made one mistake, and to his surprise, the decision he made three days ago had been another one.

Xue Ren had never considered repentance. Instead, he had become even more excessive than before.

Ji Chengyue sternly rebuked him: “Enough! Winning through external power is not fair play! My Lingxiao Sword Sect would never accept such a person as its leader!”

Xue Ren’s face immediately iced over. His fake smile vanished as he finally did away with all pretense, revealing an expression of fierce resentment.

He confronted his master: “What do you mean by ‘fair play?’ That’s just an excuse. Shifu, you never even considered passing the position of sect leader over to me.”

He abruptly turned to look at Cao Zirui, his eyes brimming with malice: “In your heart, I am inferior to him in everything. Everything I do is wrong.”

His voice grew louder and louder: “Nothing good was ever given to me. You gave him the Linxiao Swordsmanship technique, and you even want to give him the position of sect leader!”

When he uttered the last word, he was screaming almost uncontrollably.

At the same time, he swung his sword. An invisible sword glare swept toward Cao Zirui, who was kneeling on the ground, staring in shock.

This jet-black sword had easily severed an Earth-grade magic weapon, and there was no need to mention what it would do to fragile human bones.

If this attack connected, Cao Zirui would be cleaved in two.

Fang Yang, who had been stunned by the scene unfolding before him, saw this and immediately came to his senses. He directed his sword downward, intending to rush to Cao Zirui’s aid.

But he was too far away. No matter how fast he was, he wouldn’t get there in time.

And Cao Zirui himself was suffering from severe internal injuries due to the severing of his spirit sword, to which he was bound heart and soul. Forget dodging this strike. He was only managing to remain upright through sheer power of will.

At the sight of Cao Zirui moments away from death by sword glare, Ji Chengyue finally moved. He flashed in front of Cao Zirui, simultaneously gathering his spiritual power to form a protective barrier. Normally, his Nascent Soul stage strength would have been more than enough to handle an attack from a Golden Core stage cultivator.

But at this moment, not only did the sword cleave straight through his barrier, but he was even knocked back a step.

Fortunately, Ji Chengyue was quick to react. He immediately took a protective magic weapon from his sleeve and held it in front of him, ultimately managing to block the attack.

Such terrifying power…..his suspicions were only further confirmed.

“Xue Ren, have you gone mad?! How can you attack your own shidi?!” The perpetually good-tempered Elder Zhou finally reacted to the scene before him, in complete disbelief.

Xue Ren showed no sign of backing down, and raised his sword with a sneer.

The disciples at the checkpoints reacted accordingly. Although the reason for Xue Ren’s sudden madness was unknown, he had violated the sect rule against harming fellow disciples, and should be apprehended.

Amidst the sound of countless swords being drawn, Xue Ren was surrounded.

Xue Ren swept his gaze over the swords pointed toward him. Each one was razor-sharp, gleaming with a cold and deadly light under the overcast sky.

Even so, he showed no signs of panic. He had regained his composure after his earlier outburst, and his smile returned as he looked back toward Ji Chengyue: “Since Shifu won’t give it to me, I have no choice but to take it for myself.”

Although Ji Chengyue already had a vague guess in mind about the origin of that sword, Elder Zhou didn’t recognize it, and had not yet realized that this was not the first time Xue Ren had attempted to kill Cao Zirui.

He advised Xue Ren: “Apologize to your master at once! Do you really think you can win against so many people alone?”

As he spoke, he even went to snatch the sword from Xue Ren’s hand. He truly didn’t wish to witness the tragedy of master and disciple coming to blows, nor disciples fighting one another.

However, just as he took a step, Ji Chengyue raised an arm to stop him.

At this moment in time, Ji Chengyue no longer dared to say that he understood Xue Ren. His repeated actions had completely shattered his previous understanding of his disciple.

But the one thing he was certain of was that Xue Ren was not an impulsive person. To have taken this action, he must be absolutely certain of his success.

Xue Ren reacted to Elder Zhou’s words with a scoff, asking him: “Apologize? What have I done wrong? I’m only taking back what is rightfully mine! Also…..who said I’m alone?”

What did he mean by that? Did he have accomplices? 

Just as the disciples surrounding him were filled with uncertainty, Xue Ren held the jet-black sword in front of him horizontally and flicked the blade with his finger.

He listened to the crisp sound with near rapture, then infused his voice with spiritual power and raised his voice to say to everyone: “This is the divine sword – Fleeting Shadow!”

Fleeting Shadow?! Wasn’t that…..

Everyone with knowledge of that past event recited the name in their hearts, staring at Xue Ren in abject shock.

Feng Ye, who had been weaving through the crowd in search of the person behind the scenes, also raised his head.

His eyes widened slightly as he listened to Xue Ren utter that name…..a name he had never expected to hear.

“And the name of my master is…..” Xue Ren paused, then said with a grin, “Yinglong, the God of War!”

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Chapter 86 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 88