255: Chapter 254 Struggle!

Red Fire Peak, Fire Cloud Cave.

Morning light seeped into the quiet room through the gaps in the stone door, casting mottled light and shadows on the Fire Jade Wall. Those lights and shadows flowed slowly within the four-colored radiance like reflections in water, flickering and uncertain.

Jiang Hanzhou sat cross-legged on the stone platform, his eyes slightly closed and his breathing long and steady.

A faint four-colored glow of red, gold, blue, and purple swirled around him, intertwining within a three-foot radius of his body to form a Small World independent of heaven and earth.

The light was not dazzling, yet it contained an indescribable pressure.

That was Dragon Might, Saber Intent, and Dao Heart—the unique "embryonic domain" of a Dragon Fetus Realm Cultivator.

He had been in secluded cultivation within the Fire Cloud Cave for a full seven days.

Seven days ago, he had consumed the spirit essence pill. After enduring the rampage of Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence, the conflict between four types of True Intent, and the interrogation of the Heart Demon tribulation, he finally succeeded in condensing his Dragon Fetus and stepping into the Dragon Fetus Realm.

But these seven days following the Breakthrough were the true transformation.

At the moment his fate ascended to the sixth rank, he clearly perceived something deeper within his body awakening.

It was not an increase in power, but a leap in essence.

At this moment, deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the lake of divine soul had expanded more than tenfold. The surface of the lake was no longer as calm as a mirror, but instead shimmered with a faint golden light—a sign that his Divine Soul power had been refined to the extreme.

On the lake's surface, the golden lotuses born from the Heart Demon tribulation had withered, turning into countless fine golden specks of light that merged into the lake water. Every speck contained the Karma of someone he had slain—not as a burden or a debt, but as solid Foundation stones on his path of martial arts.

Having borne them, he was no longer trapped by them.

Above the Sea of Consciousness, the Heart Blade floated quietly.

The dark gold dragon patterns on the blade were no longer mere "patterns," but had come to life. It was a true dragon, dark gold throughout and only an inch long, swimming and circling upon the Heart Blade while breathing the four-colored radiance.

Every time the little dragon exhaled, a wisp of Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence was drawn from the void, merging into the lake of divine soul, making the water deeper and more vast.

This was the power of a sixth-rank fate—not accelerating cultivation, but making cultivation an instinct.

From now on, he did not need to deliberately capture Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence or intentionally comprehend the Great Dao of heaven and earth. His body, his Divine Soul, and his fate would instinctively resonate with the world, automatically drawing spiritual essence from the void and automatically comprehending the Dao from all things.

Cultivation, for him, would be as natural as breathing.

Jiang Hanzhou slowly opened his eyes.

A flash of four-colored light vanished from his eyes, replaced by an indescribable clarity. Those eyes were deeper than before, like a deep pool, like the starry sky, as if they could see through the essence of all things in the world.

He looked down at his hands.

Beneath the skin of his hands, those dark gold dragon patterns were no longer "patterns," but had turned into a thin layer of scale-like halos. The halos were dark gold, flowing slowly beneath his skin, and with every rotation, a wisp of Dragon Might escaped from them.

This was the sign of the perfect Fusion between Dragon Blood Power and the cultivation of the Dragon Fetus.

With a slight thought, the Dragon Fetus within his body—that inch-long figure—suddenly snapped its eyes open!

Those eyes were identical to his: clear, deep, and resolute.

The Dragon Fetus opened its mouth and took a deep breath—

Hum!

In the quiet room, Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence surged into his body as if swallowed by a whale! That spiritual essence did not enter wisp by wisp, but rather poured in like a cascading waterfall, majestic and unstoppable!

Tide spiritual essence, Pure Yang spiritual essence, Metal Sharpness spiritual essence, and Sky Fire spiritual essence—four attributes of Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence poured in simultaneously, intertwining, merging, and sublimating within him to turn into the purest power, which was then poured into the Dragon Fetus.

That inch-long Dragon Fetus grew slightly larger at this moment.

From one inch to one and two-tenths of an inch.

His cultivation at the Early Stage of the Dragon Fetus Realm was completely stabilized at this moment.

It was not barely stable, but like a great tree that had taken root, deeply anchored into the earth, remaining unmoved despite the wind and rain.

Ordinary Cultivators would need at least three to six months after breaking through to the Dragon Fetus Realm to stabilize their Realm and adapt to their power. Those with poor talent might even need more than a year.

But Jiang Hanzhou had only taken seven days.

It wasn't just because of his extraordinary talent—though his talent was indeed far beyond ordinary people—but because the "instinctive cultivation" of his sixth-rank fate had allowed him to complete the stabilization of his Realm the moment he broke through.

Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence automatically surged in, automatically merged, and automatically poured. He didn't have to do anything; he only had to be alive.

This was the true horror of the sixth rank of [Late Bloomer].

It wasn't an explosive boost, but a never-ending accumulation.

Every breath, every moment, every day, his cultivation was growing. Though slow, it never stopped. Like the tide, it was endless; like the blazing sun, it hung forever in the sky.

Jiang Hanzhou took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

That breath contained the lingering charm of the four types of True Intent, slowly spreading through the quiet room and intertwining with the seven types of True Intent from the Seven Stars Return to Origin Array, finally merging into one.

In the quiet room, eleven types of True Intent coexisted harmoniously without conflict.

He stood up and stretched his muscles and bones.

His bones made a slight crackling sound; it was the sound of the Dragon Fetus power tempering his Physical Body. His Physical Body had already been tempered in the Dragon Blood Pool to the Peak of the fifth level of the Li Huo Golden Body Art, "Blood Burning." Now, under the nourishment of the Dragon Fetus power, it was steadily advancing toward the sixth level, "Marrow Transformation."

He clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within him.

Early Stage Dragon Fetus Realm cultivation, the perfect Fusion of four True Intents, the transformation of his Heart Blade, the recognition of tiger soul as its Master, and the ascension of his fate—at this moment, his strength was more than ten times stronger than before his seclusion.

No, it was twenty times.

Thirty times.

The gap between the Dragon Fetus Realm and the Primal Elephant Realm was originally as vast as the heaven and earth. Yet his version of the Dragon Fetus Realm also stacked four True Intents, a natal soul weapon, a natal heart artifact, and a sixth-rank fate. These trump cards combined allowed him to confront Middle Stage Dragon Fetus Realm Cultivators head-on, even though he was only at the Early Stage.

If he went all out, he might even be able to fight a Late Stage Dragon Fetus Realm Cultivator.

He loosened his fists and turned to walk toward the stone door of the quiet room.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the Li Huo Furnace.

Inside the furnace, two spirit essence pills still lay quietly.

He did not take them all, but left two behind. One for Master Xue Mu, and one for Pharmacist Qu Fengchun.

Master Xue Mu's kindness to him was as heavy as a mountain, and Pharmacist Qu Fengchun was the one who had guided him into the Canglang Water Dock. These two spirit essence pills were a small token of his gratitude.

He withdrew his gaze and pushed open the stone door.

Outside the Fire Cloud Cave, the morning light was just right.

The moment Jiang Hanzhou stepped out of the cave, sunlight fell upon him, warm and pleasant, making him narrow his eyes involuntarily.

Outside the cave, Master Xue Mu stood with his hands behind his back.

He had changed into a crimson Daoist robe today, with that crimson longsword hanging at his waist. His long hair was tied up with a fire jade hairpin, making him look much more spirited than usual.

But in those deep eyes, there was a fatigue that was hard to conceal.

Seven days. He had stood guard outside the cave for a full seven days.

Jiang Hanzhou knelt on one knee and gave a solemn salute: "Master, your Disciple has completed his seclusion."

Master Xue Mu did not speak. He merely looked at Jiang Hanzhou, his gaze sweeping over him from top to bottom and bottom to top, as if inspecting a work of art that had been meticulously polished for a long time.

Then, he smiled.

The smile was faint, yet more brilliant than ever before.

"Rise," he reached out to help Jiang Hanzhou up. "Let me see you."

Jiang Hanzhou stood up and straightened his back.

Master Xue Mu placed his hand on Jiang Hanzhou's shoulder, and a warm True Intent surged from his palm into Jiang Hanzhou's body, investigating his Meridians, Dantian, and Dragon Fetus.

A moment later, Master Xue Mu withdrew his hand, the relief and gratification in his eyes almost overflowing.

"Early Stage Dragon Fetus Realm, with a stable Realm and a solid Foundation." He nodded. "Four True Intents perfectly merged, the Heart Blade transformed, and tiger soul recognized its Master... Han Zhou, you have done better than I anticipated."

He paused, saying word for word: "Moreover, your fate..."

Jiang Hanzhou did not speak.

Master Xue Mu looked at him, a flicker of complex light passing through his eyes. "I do not know what your fate is, but I can feel that it has transformed. There is an aura about you... that resonates with heaven and earth. That is not cultivation, nor is it True Intent, but something much deeper."

He patted Jiang Hanzhou's shoulder. "This is your secret; I will not ask further. But Han Zhou, remember: the stronger the fate, the heavier the responsibility. Heaven and earth do not choose a person without reason."

Jiang Hanzhou was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Your Disciple understands."

Master Xue Mu said no more, only taking out a communication talisman from his sleeve and handing it to Jiang Hanzhou. "Zhou Lie and Liu Ningshuang have been waiting for you for three days. They said they have something important to tell you."

Jiang Hanzhou took the communication talisman and probed it with his Divine Sense.

There was only one sentence inside, written in Zhou Lie's tone, with an urgency that almost seemed to leap out of the Talisman:

"Junior Brother Jiang! The matter with the Alchemy Hall has been cleared up! Behind it is Elder Li of the Alchemy Hall, a confidant of Cold Frost Master from Heavenly Sword Peak! Pharmacist Qu has already been targeted, hurry out of seclusion!"

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils constricted slightly.

He tucked the communication talisman into his sleeve and looked at Master Xue Mu: "Master, I..."

"Go." Master Xue Mu waved his hand. "What must come will come. Remember, no matter what happens, I am here."

Jiang Hanzhou gave a solemn bow and turned to speed toward the mountainside of Red Fire Peak.

His speed was incredibly fast; the Wave-Treading Step, bolstered by his Dragon Fetus Realm cultivation, had reached the extreme. His figure darted through the mountains, leaving only a faint afterimage.

A moment later, he landed in front of the Hanzhou Residence.

In front of the Immortal Cave entrance, Zhou Lie and Liu Ningshuang were waiting anxiously.

Zhou Lie paced back and forth, rubbing his hands together constantly, his expression both anxious and angry. Liu Ningshuang leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, her face pale and her clear, cold eyes full of exhaustion—evidently, she hadn't slept for several nights.

"Junior Brother Jiang!" Zhou Lie was the first to notice him and strode forward to meet him. "You've finally come out!"

Liu Ningshuang also stood up straight, her gaze lingering on Jiang Hanzhou for a moment, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

She keenly sensed that the aura on Jiang Hanzhou was completely different from seven days ago. That kind of aura was not something a Primal Elephant Realm Cultivator should have, but rather—

"Dragon Fetus Realm?" Her voice trembled slightly. "You've broken through to the Dragon Fetus Realm?"

Jiang Hanzhou nodded but didn't explain much, only looking at Zhou Lie. "Speak."

Zhou Lie took a deep breath, took out a stack of letters and several Jade Slips from his robe, and presented them with both hands:

"Three days ago, following your instructions, Senior Sister Liu and I kept a secret watch on Fang Demao of the Alchemy Hall. We discovered that every three days, he would go to a secret room in the back mountain of the Alchemy Hall to meet a Black-Robed Person. We tracked him twice, and on the third time, we finally saw that Black-Robed Person's face—"

He paused, saying word for word: "Elder Li of the Alchemy Hall, Li Daoyuan."

Jiang Hanzhou's brow furrowed slightly.

Li Daoyuan. One of the three great Elders of the Alchemy Hall, with a cultivation at the Peak of the Primal Elephant Realm, specializing in Medicinal Pill appraisal and the storage of medicinal materials. He had served in the Alchemy Hall for over twenty years, possessing deep seniority and an extremely wide network of contacts.

More importantly, he was a confidant of Cold Frost Master, an Elder of Heavenly Sword Peak.

Everyone in the Dragon Abyss Palace knew this, but no one had ever said it explicitly.

"We found the correspondence between Li Daoyuan and Fang Demao." Liu Ningshuang took over, taking out a Jade Slip from her robe. "These letters are ones Fang Demao hadn't had time to destroy. They clearly state how Li Daoyuan instructed Fang Demao to tamper with the auxiliary materials of the spirit essence pill, how he swapped the Ice Soul Stamen from the Alchemy Hall's inventory, and how he covered for Fang Demao afterward."

Jiang Hanzhou took the Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Sense.

Inside the Jade Slip, the contents of over a dozen letters were densely recorded. Each one was neatly written and logically organized, clearly having taken Liu Ningshuang a great deal of time to compile.

The first letter, in Li Daoyuan's tone, was dated two months ago:

"Fang Demao, among the auxiliary materials for the spirit essence pills, the Ice Soul Stamen is the most critical. Take three genuine portions from the storehouse and replace them with the inferior ones I purchased from the Flying Fish City black market. If this is successful, Heavenly Sword Peak will not mistreat you."

The second letter, Fang Demao's reply:

"Elder Li, please rest assured. The Ice Soul Stamen has already been replaced. It's just that that old thing Pharmacist Qu Fengchun is watching very closely. I'm afraid—"

The third letter, Li Daoyuan:

"You don't need to worry about Qu Fengchun. He is merely a Third-Rank Apothecary from Canglang Water Dock with no roots or Foundation in the Alchemy Hall. If he knows what's good for him, then so be it; if he doesn't, Heavenly Sword Peak has plenty of ways to make him shut up forever."

The fourth letter, Fang Demao:

"Elder Li, Pharmacist Qu Fengchun seems to have discovered something. He has been wandering near the medicinal material storehouse frequently lately and even secretly checked the inventory of the Ice Soul Stamen. I'm afraid—"

The fifth letter, Li Daoyuan:

"Keep a close eye on him. If he truly discovers anything, tell me immediately. Remember, if this matter is leaked, neither you nor I will have a good end."

The sixth letter had no signature, only a single line of text:

"Qu Fengchun cannot be allowed to stay. Within three days, I want him to shut up forever."

Jiang Hanzhou put away the Jade Slip, his expression as dark as water.

Qu Fengchun.

The old man who taught him to identify medicinal materials at Canglang Water Dock, the benefactor who gave him a way to survive when he was at his most destitute, and the Master who smiled and told him, "Cultivate well, and don't embarrass this old man," when he left Canglang Water Dock.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the killing intent in his heart.

"Where is Pharmacist Qu now?" His voice was calm, but both Zhou Lie and Liu Ningshuang could hear the suppressed fury beneath that calm.

"He is still in the Alchemy Hall," Liu Ningshuang said. "But Li Daoyuan has already sent people to watch him. Three days ago, Pharmacist Qu asked someone to bring us a letter—"

She took a crumpled letter from her bosom and handed it to Jiang Hanzhou.

Jiang Hanzhou took the letter and unfolded it.

There were only a few lines on the letter in Qu Fengchun's handwriting, which was crooked and messy, clearly showing that his hand had been trembling when he wrote it:

"Han Zhou, I have already investigated the matter of the auxiliary materials. Li Daoyuan is behind it, and I have hidden all the evidence. They have their eyes on me, but I am not afraid. This old man has lived for over sixty years; what haven't I seen? Don't worry, I won't let them have their way. Cultivate well and don't be distracted. Qu Fengchun."

Jiang Hanzhou put the letter into his sumeru pouch and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he raised his head and looked at Zhou Lie and Liu Ningshuang.

"How many more of those letters are there?"

"They are all here," Zhou Lie said. "That coward Fang Demao confessed everything after we gave him a little scare. He also said that Li Daoyuan's orders to him were not just to replace the medicinal materials, but also to find a way to cripple your cultivation before the Sword Discussion Assembly."

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Hanzhou's eyes.

"Where is Fang Demao now?"

"Under our control," Liu Ningshuang said. "We have hidden him in a cave on the back mountain of Red Fire Peak; no one knows."

"Good." Jiang Hanzhou nodded. "Organize those letters and the confession into three copies. Give one to Master Xue, one to Grand Elder Great Elder Xuanjizi, and one—"

He paused and said word by word, "Keep it. We will bring it out after the Sword Discussion Assembly."

Zhou Lie and Liu Ningshuang exchanged a look, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

"Why not now?" Zhou Lie asked. "This evidence is enough to bring down Li Daoyuan!"

"Bring down Li Daoyuan, and then what?" Jiang Hanzhou said indifferently. "Li Daoyuan is merely a pawn; the one truly playing the game is Heavenly Sword Peak. If we bring it out now, Heavenly Sword Peak will surely sacrifice the pawns to save the king, pushing all the blame onto Li Daoyuan and Fang Demao. By then, Li Daoyuan will be crippled, Fang Demao will be expelled, and Heavenly Sword Peak will remain unscathed—then, they will find a more covert way to continue targeting me."

He paused, his gaze like a blade. "But if we wait until after the Sword Discussion Assembly—until Han Qing is defeated by me in full view of everyone, until Heavenly Sword Peak has lost all face, and until Cold Frost Master is forced to fulfill the wager—when we bring out this evidence then, even if Heavenly Sword Peak wants to sacrifice the pawns to save the king, it will be too late."

Zhou Lie suddenly understood and nodded vigorously. "You've thought it through more thoroughly."

Liu Ningshuang did not speak, only looking at Jiang Hanzhou with a complex light flashing in her eyes.

This youth was even more profound than she had imagined.

Not just in terms of martial strength, but also in terms of intellect.

"About Pharmacist Qu..." she began. "Li Daoyuan said he wanted to make him 'shut up forever.' We need to send someone to protect him."

"No need." Jiang Hanzhou shook his head. "I will go personally."

He turned and walked down the mountain.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and said without looking back:

"Senior Brother Zhou, Senior Sister Liu, help me do one thing."

"What is it?" Zhou Lie asked.

"Spread the news that I have broken through to the Dragon Fetus Realm."

Zhou Lie was stunned. "Why?"

"Because I want Han Qing to know."

Jiang Hanzhou's voice was as calm as water, yet it contained an indescribable killing intent.

"I want him to know that his opponent is already standing at a height he cannot reach."

"I want him to be terrified, to be driven mad, and to be willing to kill me at any cost."

"And then, at the Sword Discussion Assembly, in front of everyone, I will trample him under my feet."

As his words fell, he strode away, disappearing into the depths of the maple forest.

Zhou Lie and Liu Ningshuang stood where they were, watching that gradually receding figure in silence for a long time.

Then, Zhou Lie took a deep breath and murmured, "Han Qing is finished."

Liu Ningshuang did not speak, only nodding her head.

Heavenly Sword Peak, Cold Abyss Cave.

This was the cultivation place for the Inner Sect Chief Disciple of Heavenly Sword Peak, located on the precipitous cliffs on the northern side of Heavenly Sword Peak, with the cave entrance facing the East Sea. Piercing cold winds blew in year-round, freezing the cave walls into a layer of eerie blue frost.

Inside the cave, Han Qing sat cross-legged on an ice platform.

His figure was even thinner than it had been a month ago, with high cheekbones and sunken eyes, and his face was as pale as paper. But those eyes were even more sinister and sharp than a month before—like two unsheathed sharp swords, their edges fully revealed and bloodthirsty.

Before him hung a long sword that was entirely pitch-black.

Fine, blood-red patterns were engraved on the sword's body; those patterns wriggled like worms, slowly moving across the blade. With every wriggle, a wisp of a metallic, sweet scent wafted from the sword.

That was a Sword Gu.

An evil thing formed from the Fusion of an Intent-Devouring Gu and Sword Intent, it was half-gu and half-sword, specializing in devouring an opponent's martial Dao True Intent.

Han Qing had been refining this Sword Gu for three years. For three years, he had fed the Gu worm daily with his own essence blood, letting it sleep, grow, and transform within the sword. He rarely used this sword because every use required essence blood as a catalyst and was extremely taxing.

But today—

His eyes snapped open!

A flash of shock passed through those sinister eyes.

He had sensed it.

From the direction of Red Fire Peak, an aura was rising. That aura was as blazing as a blazing sun, as continuous as a Tide wave, as sharp as a blade edge, and as mercurial as heavenly fire—four completely different True Intents were perfectly fused at this moment, forming a pressure sufficient to crush everything.

The Dragon Fetus Realm.

Jiang Hanzhou had broken through to the Dragon Fetus Realm.

Han Qing's breathing suddenly became rapid.

"Impossible..." His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing together. "He has been in the sect for less than half a year. How could he possibly break through to the Dragon Fetus Realm so quickly?"

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.

But that aura was too strong. It was so strong that even across the entire Dragon Abyss Palace, he could clearly perceive it—that perception was not a probe of Divine Sense, but a resonance of the Dao Heart.

A resonance between Dragon Fetus Realm Cultivators.

Jiang Hanzhou was telling him: I am here. I have broken through. Come at me.

Han Qing's hands were trembling.

Not from fear, but from rage.

A rage born of being humiliated.

He was the Chief Disciple of Heavenly Sword Peak, had been in the sect for seventeen years, had refined half a Sword Seed, and cultivated the Sword Gu secret technique; his cultivation was at the Primal Elephant Realm Peak—he should have been the strongest existence among the Inner Sect Disciples.

But Jiang Hanzhou's appearance had shattered everything.

Defeating Ao Zhan in the Inner Sect Minor Competition, defeating Senior Brother Su Jingyuan in three moves, fusing four types of True Intent into a single strike—and now, he had even broken through to the Dragon Fetus Realm.

While he, Han Qing, was still lingering at the Primal Elephant Realm Peak.

"No... I cannot lose."

He gritted his teeth and took out a blood-red Medicinal Pill from his bosom.

The pill was only the size of a longan, entirely blood-red, with fine black patterns flowing on its surface. The pill emitted a metallic, sweet scent; just one sniff made the blood and qi in his body surge wildly.

The blood gu pill.

An evil pill refined over forty-nine days using the Intent-Devouring Gu source as the core, his own essence blood as the catalyst, and thirty-three types of poisonous insects as materials.

By consuming this pill, one could activate the Sword Gu secret technique to its limit in a short time, causing their cultivation to skyrocket by an entire Realm.

But the price was half of one's lifespan, a damaged Foundation, and a clouded Dao Heart.

After consuming this pill, it would be impossible for him to ever break through to the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm in this lifetime.

Han Qing stared at that pill and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he put the pill into his mouth.

The moment the pill entered his stomach—

AHHH!!!

A shrill scream echoed through Cold Abyss Cave!

Han Qing's body convulsed violently, and the veins on his face bulged like black snakes slithering under his skin! His eyes turned blood-red, black blood overflowed from the corners of his mouth, and his entire body was surrounded by dense blood fiend qi!

The Sword Gu wriggled madly inside his body, devouring his essence blood, his True Intent, and his Divine Soul!

Pain!

Pain to the extreme!

But he gritted his teeth, using his will to forcibly suppress the backlash of the Sword Gu, refining, absorbing, and fusing that violent power bit by bit.

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

When the third wisp of morning light pierced through the frost at the cave entrance and shone on him—

He opened his eyes.

In his eyes, a blood-red light flashed and vanished.

At this moment, his aura skyrocketed!

Primal Elephant Realm Peak... Dragon Fetus Realm Early Stage... Dragon Fetus Realm Early Stage Peak!

The moment his cultivation surged, the Sword Gu inside him let out an excited hiss! On that pitch-black long sword, the blood-red patterns flowed madly, the entire sword vibrated, and countless fine black tendrils emerged on the blade like a living thing!

He stood up and gripped the sword hilt.

A bloodthirsty craving came from the sword: Kill! Kill! Kill!

A sinister smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

"Jiang Hanzhou..."

His voice was hoarse, like a curse coming from the depths of Hell:

"At the Sword Discussion Assembly, I want you dead."

He released the sword hilt and turned to walk out of the cave.

When he reached the cave entrance, he suddenly stopped and said without looking back:

"Someone, come here."

Outside the cave, a Heavenly Sword Peak Disciple hurriedly bowed. "What are Senior Brother Han's orders?"

"Go tell Elder Cold Frost," Han Qing's voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable killing intent, "tell him that I am ready."

"At the Sword Discussion Assembly, I will personally cut off Jiang Hanzhou's head."

As his words fell, he strode out of Cold Abyss Cave and disappeared into the morning light.