145: Before the Cliff of Broken Souls

The morning fog at the Tianwaitian Headquarters had not yet dispersed. Jun Xiaoyao was already sitting on the viewing platform of his study, toying with a black jade token. The words “Beyond Heaven” on the token shimmered coldly under the morning sun. From the distant training ground, uniform shouts could be heard—those were the new assassins recruited by The Net undergoing special training from Great Hero Guo. The crisp sounds of fists, feet, and weapons colliding echoed through the valley.

“Young Lord, the reply from Kunlun Ruins has arrived.” Zhao Gao stepped in lightly, placing a fire-sealed letter on the desk. The wax seal bore the snow mountain totem unique to Kunlun Ruins. “Ling Yunxiao has agreed to your terms, saying that the arena is ready at Soul Severing Cliff, and he has also invited people from ‘Ten Thousand Swords Villa’ and Medicine King Valley to act as witnesses.”

Jun Xiaoyao opened the letter. The paper was woven from Ice Silkworm Silk, a specialty of Kunlun Ruins, and felt slightly cool to the touch. Ling Yunxiao’s handwriting was flamboyant and arrogant, revealing a sense of assured victory between the lines: “...See the truth at Soul Severing Cliff three days from now at noon. If Young Master Jun dares not attend the appointment, then bind yourself and come to Kunlun Ruins to beg for forgiveness; perhaps Beyond Heaven might still have a sliver of hope...”

“Dare not attend?” Jun Xiaoyao crumpled the letter into a ball and casually tossed it into the incense burner. “He certainly knows how to provoke.” He looked at Zhao Gao, “Why are Ten Thousand Swords Villa and Medicine King Valley getting involved?”

“The Master of Ten Thousand Swords Villa is an old acquaintance of Ling Yunxiao and received favors from Kunlun Ruins years ago; Medicine King Valley, on the other hand, wants to use this opportunity to discuss medicinal ingredient business with Kunlun Ruins. It is said they urgently need the Kunlun Ruins’ thousand-year snow lotus.” Zhao Gao handed over another scroll. “These are the details of the two factions. Ye Guzhou, the Master of Ten Thousand Swords Villa, is at the Middle Celestial Realm and is skilled in ‘Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Origin’; Hundred Herbs Elder, the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, is a Late Stage Great Grandmaster, whose poison techniques are divine, but his martial arts are slightly inferior.

Jun Xiaoyao lightly tapped the desk with his fingertip: “Have Marshal of the Unruly investigate whether these two ‘witnesses’ have privately reached an agreement with Ling Yunxiao. If they dare to side with Kunlun Ruins, don't blame me for settling the score with them too.”

“Understood.” Zhao Gao added, “The System prompts that The Net's accumulated points from recent mission completions are sufficient for one Advanced Summon. Should we summon now?”

Jun Xiaoyao looked towards the summoning array in the center of the study. The Spirit Stone at the core of the array was emitting a soft glow. He pondered for a moment: “Initiate the summon, targeting ‘Sword Cultivator’.”

[System Prompt: Consuming 2000 points, specified range summoning in progress...]

[Summon Successful!]

A pale golden light burst forth from the array. Runes flowed across the ground like water, coalescing into a tall, straight figure. The person wore a green robe, carried a long sword on his back, had a handsome face, and eyes as sharp as a sword—he was precisely the Sword God from "the smiling, proud wanderer".

[Character Panel Expanded:]

Name: Feng Qingyang

Origin World: "the smiling, proud wanderer"

Realm: Early Earthly Immortal Realm

Martial Skills and Cultivation Techniques:

1. Nine Swords of Dugu: Breaks all martial arts under heaven; formless defeats form; grows stronger against stronger opponents.

2. Zixia Divine Skill: The supreme Internal Skill of the Huashan School; Internal Energy is pure and long-lasting, with purple Qi surrounding the body when executed.

3. Huashan Sword Technique: The essence of basic sword techniques; seemingly plain, but secretly holds profound mysteries.]

[Attached Items: black iron heavy sword (Replica), Nine Swords of Dugu Manual Copy]

[Loyalty: 100% (System Forced Binding)]

Feng Qingyang cupped his hands toward Jun Xiaoyao, his voice clear as a sword chime: “Feng Qingyang greets Young Lord.”

Jun Xiaoyao nodded slightly: “Senior Feng, your swordsmanship is divine. I will trouble you to take action three days from now at Soul Severing Cliff.”

Feng Qingyang stroked his beard and smiled: “It is this old Daoist’s honor to spar with a contemporary expert.” His gaze swept over the training ground outside the window, where Great Hero Guo was demonstrating the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. The palm wind was fierce. “Great Hero Guo’s palm technique has sufficient might, but if he could integrate some Sword Intent, its power would be even greater.”

“If Senior Feng is interested, you may offer him some pointers,” Jun Xiaoyao said. “The stronger the people of Beyond Heaven are, the better.”

Three days later, at Soul Severing Cliff.

The cliff top platform was leveled and paved with blue stone to form an arena ten zhang in circumference. Dozens of flags were planted around it; the Snow Mountain flag of Kunlun Ruins stood opposite the sword-shaped flag of Ten Thousand Swords Villa. People from Ten Thousand Swords Villa and Medicine King Valley stood on either side of the arena. Ye Guzhou stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze occasionally sweeping down the cliff; Hundred Herbs Elder sat on a stretcher, carried by two Medicine Boys, playing with a poisonous herb in his hand.

As noon approached, Ling Yunxiao led the Kunlun Ruins Disciples up the cliff top. His right arm was wrapped in a bandage, and his face was gloomy—the arm injured by Guan Yu that day had not yet healed. But he still wore a magnificent brocade robe, followed by twelve Law Enforcement Elders, each possessing steady Qi, clearly all masters.

“Why hasn't Jun Xiaoyao arrived yet? Could it be that he's truly afraid?” An Elder mocked, drawing laughter from the Kunlun Disciples.

Ling Yunxiao raised his hand to stop the laughter, a fierce look flashing in his eyes: “We will wait another quarter of an hour. If he doesn't arrive, we will treat it as a breach of contract and immediately send troops to Beyond Heaven!”

Just as his voice fell, the sound of clothes ripping through the air came from below the cliff. Everyone looked over, only to see three figures stepping through the Void Realm. Leading them was Jun Xiaoyao, followed by Feng Qingyang and Guan Yu. The three of them did not touch the ground, moving as if walking on level land, and landed on the arena in the blink of an eye.

Jun Xiaoyao wore a white robe, his face expressionless. His gaze swept over Ling Yunxiao: “Ling Yunxiao, can your right arm still hold a sword? If not, someone else can take your place.”

“Stop boasting!” Ling Yunxiao roared, drawing the long sword from his waist. The blade flashed cold light in the sunlight. “Today, I shall let you witness the might of my Kunlun Ruins!”

“Young Lord, why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?” Feng Qingyang stepped forward. The long sword on his back automatically unsheathed half an inch, revealing a flash of cold light. “This old Daoist will meet him.”

Ye Guzhou suddenly spoke: “Senior Feng is a Senior expert. Wouldn't it be beneath your status to personally fight the Kunlun Ruins Master? Why not let the juniors spar first?” Although his words seemed fair, he actually wanted the Kunlun Ruins Disciples to exhaust Feng Qingyang’s stamina.

Feng Qingyang sneered: “Villa Master Ye certainly knows how to look out for his friends. I just wonder if Ten Thousand Swords Villa intends to stand up for Kunlun Ruins?” His eyes narrowed, and an invisible Sword Intent enveloped the entire area. The Disciples behind Ye Guzhou immediately turned pale, their sword-holding hands trembling.

Ye Guzhou was startled—this Feng Qingyang's power was unfathomable! He quickly waved his hand: “Senior Feng misunderstands, I was just speaking casually.”

Seeing this, Ling Yunxiao knew he could no longer delay. He roared and his long sword transformed into a streak of light, stabbing toward Feng Qingyang: “Kunlun Sword Technique—flying fox of snowy mountain world!”

Feng Qingyang remained still, merely flicking his wrist. His long sword shot out like a spiritual snake, accurately tapping the spine of Ling Yunxiao’s blade. With a crisp "ding," Ling Yunxiao felt a skillful force transmit through the sword, which nearly flew out of his hand. Greatly alarmed, he quickly changed his Move, making his sword Moves increasingly fierce.

However, Feng Qingyang’s Nine Swords of Dugu seemed to see through all of his Moves. No matter how fast or tricky Ling Yunxiao’s sword Moves were, they were effortlessly neutralized by Feng Qingyang. In fewer than ten Moves, Ling Yunxiao was already struggling, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

“What kind of swordsmanship is this?” Ye Guzhou exclaimed involuntarily. He had never seen such exquisite sword art.

Hundred Herbs Elder stroked his beard, a look of solemnity flashing in his eyes: “Nine Swords of Dugu truly lives up to its reputation. Ling Yunxiao is bound to lose.”

Sure enough, after three more Moves, Feng Qingyang used a sword strike to send Ling Yunxiao’s long sword flying, placing his own sword tip against Ling Yunxiao’s throat: “Thank you for the match.”

Ling Yunxiao’s face was ashen. He never imagined that the Kunlun Sword Technique he had painstakingly practiced for decades would be so utterly vulnerable.

Jun Xiaoyao stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the Kunlun Disciples below the stage: “Ling Yunxiao lost. According to the agreement, the deeds to the three cities and the latter half of the Grand Void True Scripture should be handed over.”

Just then, Ye Guzhou suddenly drew his sword: “Wait! Feng Qingyang used unorthodox means; it doesn't count!”

Guan Yu stepped forward, holding his green dragon crescent blade horizontally across his chest. His phoenix eyes glared angrily at Ye Guzhou: “I’d like to see who dares to break the contract!”

Hundred Herbs Elder also sat upright. The Medicine Boy opened the medicine chest beside him, which was filled with bottles and jars emitting a pungent odor: “Villa Master Ye, we agreed to be witnesses; we cannot go back on our word.” He clearly did not want to get involved in this mess.

Ye Guzhou looked at the great blade in Guan Yu’s hand, then at the seemingly ordinary but deadly long sword held by Feng Qingyang, and finally sheathed his own sword in defeat—he knew that even if he intervened, he would gain nothing.

Ling Yunxiao gave a bitter laugh, pulled the city deeds and the half-scroll of the True Scripture from his robe, and threw them onto the ground: “Jun Xiaoyao, you won. But the score between my Kunlun Ruins and your Beyond Heaven is not settled!”

Jun Xiaoyao had Zhao Gao collect the deeds and the True Scripture, and said indifferently: “I welcome it anytime.” He turned to Feng Qingyang and Guan Yu and said, “Let’s go.”

The three figures once again stepped through the air and departed, only leaving behind the scattered Kunlun Disciples and the grim-faced Ye Guzhou. The wind at Soul Severing Cliff whipped up broken stones, seemingly announcing a new era—Beyond Heaven had officially stepped onto the stage of the continent, and no one would dare underestimate it again.