Chapter 21

Seeing Yue Shan's arrogant, crazed expression, Xia Wanjin's eyes nearly split with rage. He wished he could swallow Yue Shan alive and tear him apart.

However, the other three Great Perfection of Core Formation Realm auras had Xia Wanjin firmly locked down. The moment he made any unusual move, they would join forces to drive him back.

"Ha ha, well, Xia Wanjin? Are you still refusing to consider my proposal? If you kill yourself, perhaps we can still treat Liu Xuan Su and your daughter Xia Zhilan kindly!"

Hearing Yue Shan's teasing tone, Xia Wanjin trembled with fury from head to toe. Even the flow of his own aura had become somewhat unstable.

At the side, Song Dao, Han Zong, and Han Sheng saw this, and greed flashed through their eyes. Their gazes remained fixed on Xia Wanjin as they secretly prepared to make a move and seize that spirit treasure armor.

"Father!"

Just then, a delicate cry came from above the mountain hollow, echoing through it and alerting everyone below.

"Zhilan, Xuan Su!"

Upon hearing his daughter's voice, Xia Wanjin immediately turned around. When he saw Xia Zhilan and Liu Xuan Su, he cried out instinctively, anxiety evident in his eyes.

Yue Shan, Song Dao, and the others looked up at the sound and saw Xia Zhilan and Liu Xuan Su standing in a tree. Yet upon seeing the two women whom they had sent people to capture, Yue Shan, Song Dao, and the other two showed no joy at all. Instead, their expressions grew even uglier.

Because in front of Xia Zhilan and Liu Xuan Su stood a man. He wore a plain, coarse white robe, fastened at the waist by a simple black sash, while his long hair was casually tied behind his head.

That man simply stood there casually. There was clearly no powerful aura radiating from him, yet an inexplicable chill weighed upon everyone's hearts, like an invisible sharp sword hanging above their heads.

Most crucially, Song Dao, Han Zong, Han Sheng, and the others all recognized that man. He was the mysterious expert they had encountered during the day.

"Sir, I do not know how we have offended you. I hope you can make it clear. Song and the others will certainly offer you an apology and compensation!"

"They are already dead."

Lin Xuan spoke calmly as his eyes slowly lifted, gazing at Song Dao, Yue Shan, and the others before him.

"I owe Myriad Gold Commerce a favor. If you can receive three of my swords, you may leave safely."

Against several people who were merely at the Great Perfection of Core Formation Realm, three swords were enough to repay Myriad Gold Commerce's favor.

At the side, Liu Xuan Su heard that indifferent voice, as though a god were passing judgment, and her heart could not help but tremble lightly. The invisible majesty he exuded made her afraid to even look directly at Lin Xuan's back.

Meanwhile, after Song Dao, Han Zong, and the others below heard Lin Xuan's words, they were slightly relieved.

Three swords... with so many of them joining forces, even if they had to stake their lives on it, they could withstand three swords, right? Probably?

Looking up at that indifferent yet majestic figure, Song Dao, Yue Shan, and the others somehow found themselves completely lacking in confidence.

Xia Wanjin, on the other hand, seemed to recall something after hearing Lin Xuan's words, and his heart gradually settled. If this man made a move, there should not be any mishaps.

"Lend me your sword."

Lin Xuan spoke softly. His indifferent tone startled Liu Xuan Su slightly, and she hurriedly offered her sharp sword with both hands.

Seeing Liu Xuan Su's attitude—so respectful, like a servant before a god—Lin Xuan fell silent for a moment.

In truth, he had always been quite easygoing and did not like fighting and killing. He merely enjoyed practicing the sword. Why was everyone so afraid of him?

As for his current state, it was because Lin Xuan had just comprehended a trace of the true essence of death and destruction. He had only entered the threshold, so he could not yet control the aura around him.

Death and destruction inherently carried an imposing, merciless divine might, which was why people could not help but revere it.

However, Lin Xuan did not dwell on it. Taking the sword from Liu Xuan Su's hands, he held it before his eyes and examined it lightly. A voice colder than a frigid night rang out once more.

"A fine sword. To die beneath such a sword is already your honor!"

The instant his words fell, Lin Xuan's figure vanished from where he stood.

Song Dao, Yue Shan, Han Zong, Han Sheng, and the others were greatly alarmed. They looked around in every direction, trying to find Lin Xuan.

Yet even after looking all around and raising their heads toward the heavens, Yue Shan, Song Dao, and the others saw no trace of him. Only the cold moon cast its frost-like radiance onto Han Zong, Han Sheng, and the others.

Suddenly, Yue Shan saw that crystalline snowflakes had begun drifting down from the sky at some unknown moment. He could not help but exclaim in astonishment.

"What is going on? Why is it suddenly snowing?"

"Snowing?"

Song Dao spoke uncertainly. Following Yue Shan's gaze, he looked up at the suddenly snow-filled sky, and the faintly visible snowflakes that had appeared when that woman drew her sword during the day involuntarily flashed through his mind.

"Not good! This is a high-grade martial art! Be careful!"

One Sword Drifting Snow!

As that icy yet crystal-clear voice pierced into Han Zong, Han Sheng, and the others' hearts, Liu Xuan Su and Xia Zhilan, standing above, witnessed a sight they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

The countless snowflakes that had been slowly drifting down transformed into countless flickering sword lights in an instant.

When the snowflakes fell, what drifted down was not snow, but blood!

As the drifting snowflakes gradually dissipated along with the sword light, countless sprays of blood burst forth in the mountain hollow, weaving a bloody kind of romance through the air.

Swish!

When Lin Xuan's figure appeared again, he was already standing not far from Yue Shan, Song Dao, and the others, looking down from above at Han Zong, Han Sheng, and the other four standing in the mountain hollow.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Just as Yue Shan, Song Dao, and the other four turned their gazes toward Lin Xuan, the subordinates around them began collapsing one after another. The successive sounds made the eyes of the four remaining men—Yue Shan, Song Dao, Han Zong, and Han Sheng—tremble uncontrollably.

One man, one sword, one move—and he had killed more than a hundred of them. Among them were even experts at Minor Perfection of Core Formation Realm and Lesser Core Formation Realm. With such strength, would killing the four of them not likewise require only a single sword?

At this thought, Yue Shan, Song Dao, Han Zong, and Han Sheng began trembling all over. Yet the next moment, that cold voice rang out once again.

"This was the First Sword!"