The Royal Capital.
Above the Lishui Imperial Palace.
As that startled cry of "Immortal Lord Nine Swords" rang out.
Shing—!!!
A sword rang as it left its sheath, its voice resounding through heaven and earth.
That single sword cry pierced the vast sky.
Then a longsword abruptly appeared overhead.
The sword's appearance instantly pinned this stretch of heaven and earth in place.
Heaven and earth were a painted scroll, and that sword was a nail that fixed it in the void.
In an instant.
All things froze, and heaven and earth fell silent.
The fist also stopped in midair, leaving only the sword's ringing as the sole thing still vibrating in this world.
The blade hung high overhead, strands of sword intent cascading down to seal time and space and lock heaven and earth in place.
"Are we alive?" The terror had yet to fade from Shuiyun's eyes.
Just then.
Amid the descending sword light.
A figure appeared.
He wore an azure robe, with a wine flask hanging at his waist, disheveled hair atop his head, and eyes brighter than sword light.
He was none other than Immortal Lord Nine Swords of Biyou Heaven.
The appearance of this figure.
Instantly made him the center of heaven and earth, the focus of every gaze.
The void collapsed toward where he stood, like a taut net suddenly struck by a heavy weight.
And just then.
"So it was you!" The voice was clear and youthful.
Those four unremarkable words instantly shattered the silence that had gripped heaven and earth.
Boom—!!
The void exploded.
When everyone turned to look.
They saw that the place where Shuiyun had stood had already become a stretch of pure nothingness.
And within that void, a young man stood suspended in the air.
His long hair streamed like