Young Master, these Thirteen Swords of Heavenly Annihilation are quite simple!

Ye Jing and Hu Jie hadn't known each other long, but the bond between them was no weaker than that of old friends.

Unwilling to let Hu Jie leap into a pit of fire, Ye Jing laid out the pros and cons in full, hoping to make him back off.

But Hu Jie remained unmoved, his eyes brimming with confidence: "Brother Ye, do you think I'm unaware of all that?"

"But today I met a sage who showed me the way, and now I've seen the light."

A sage! Ye Jing's eyes were full of disbelief: "Brother Hu, can you really trust the words of this so-called sage?"

"In the Imperial Capital, there are countless frauds hawking their wares. Your sage is probably just some street charlatan!"

"Brother Hu, this is a matter of life and death. How can you take a charlatan's words so lightly?"

Seeing Ye Jing's tone grow sharper, Hu Jie quickly cut him off: "Brother Ye, mind your words. This sage is an extraordinary figure from the Heavenly Mystery Sect."

"If you insult him, he might sense it. Be careful he doesn't take offense."

The Heavenly Mystery Sect! At those three words from Hu Jie, Ye Jing's face froze, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

The Heavenly Mystery Sect's origins were shrouded in mystery—how many disciples it had, who its Sect Master was, where its mountain gate lay—none of it was known.

But the sect had always excelled in astrology and divination; every disciple could peer into the secrets of heaven.

Whenever a Heaven and Earth Cataclysm or chaotic era arose, the Heavenly Mystery Sect would appear in the Canglan Domain.

Legend had it that a thousand years ago, when the first Emperor Li Long Zhan was still a failed scholar, the Heavenly Mystery Sect found him and declared he was the destined ruler who would found Dali and pacify the world.

It was with the Heavenly Mystery Sect's help that Long Zhan rose swiftly, seizing Heaven-Defying Opportunity after another, until he finally quelled the chaos and established Dali.

After helping Long Zhan build Dali, they vanished without a trace.

The Heavenly Mystery Sect was extremely secretive, barely recorded in historical texts. Ordinary people could never know of its existence.

Ye Jing had only stumbled upon a few mentions of the sect while compiling historical records—just fragments of words.

This so-called sage Hu Jie spoke of, claiming to be from the Heavenly Mystery Sect, didn't seem like a common street charlatan.

But the Heavenly Mystery Sect had always sought out dragon-rising lords who could pacify the realm. Why would they target Hu Jie? Did he have something extraordinary about him?

Ye Jing sized Hu Jie up. Aside from his upright character, he couldn't see anything special about the man.

Even if this sage truly came from the Heavenly Mystery Sect, Ye Jing still didn't approve of Hu Jie answering King Zhennan's call.

Hu Jie seemed to read Ye Jing's worry. Before Ye Jing could speak, he cut in: "To be honest, Brother Ye, even without the Heavenly Mystery Sect, I'd still answer King Zhennan's call."

"Dali is no longer the Dali of a thousand years ago. Haven't you seen it, Brother Ye? The people suffer, lives are ruined."

"I'm willing to be that moth that flies into the flame, to set an example for the righteous of the world."

Hu Jie had always been a man of great ambition, unable to tolerate injustice. After knowing him this long, Ye Jing understood him well.

Yes, the people suffer, lives are ruined. Ye Jing sighed.

The Imperial Capital, as Dali's seat of power, should have been the richest place. But those ragged commoners from yesterday still haunted his memory.

A man of such righteousness—should he really stop him?

Perhaps Hu Jie could be like the first Emperor Li Long Zhan a thousand years ago and pacify this chaotic world!

Ye Jing pulled three Sword Talismans from his bosom and placed them in Hu Jie's hands.

These were talismans he had condensed this morning upon breaking through to Innate Perfection, using his Innate Sword Qi. Each Sword Talisman contained a strand of his original Innate Sword Qi, enough to block a full-force strike from a Grandmaster Realm expert.

These three Sword Talismans were originally meant for Qiuyue as protective charms. But now that Hu Jie aimed to seize Dali, he likely needed them more.

"Brother Ye, this is—!"

"Brother Hu, my late father once owed a favor to a Sword Sect master. These three Sword Talismans were a gift from that master. Each can block a full-force strike from a Grandmaster Realm expert."

He had no choice—his strength was only enough to block a single Grandmaster strike. But these were his original Innate Sword Qi, with room to grow.

As Ye Jing's cultivation rose, these three strands of original Innate Sword Qi would grow stronger too.

"Brother Ye, such a gift—I'm unworthy of it."

"Brother Hu, I spend my days in the Hanlin Academy with few enemies. These three Sword Talismans are of little use to me."

"Your path, Brother Hu, will be fraught with countless dangers and hardships. These Sword Talismans have found a worthy master."

"Please don't refuse. Who knows—maybe these three Sword Talismans will help you reshape the world!"

Hearing this, Hu Jie stopped refusing. He wanted to chat a while longer, but spotting a Night Watch patrol approaching the rundown hut, he hurriedly left.

After parting with Hu Jie, Ye Jing didn't linger and soon returned home.

Back home, after dinner, Ye Jing watched Qiuyue clearing the dishes and said, "Qiuyue, I've been practicing a sword technique lately. Come, I'll teach you."

Seeing how the Night Watch Division had been throwing its weight around lately, Ye Jing realized he'd been neglecting Qiuyue's safety.

Qiuyue was naturally stunning, her beauty undimmed even by plain clothes, like a celestial in mortal guise.

If some reckless Night Watch officer caught sight of her face and grew bold, Qiuyue, a frail woman, would have no way to defend herself.

Those three Sword Talismans were meant for her protection, but he'd just given them to Hu Jie.

They contained his original Innate Sword Qi, and with his current cultivation, he could only condense three—any more would harm his foundation.

For now, the best way to boost Qiuyue's self-defense was to teach her martial arts and raise her strength.

"Sword techniques!"

Qiuyue's eyes flickered with surprise as she asked, "Young Master, why do you want to teach me sword techniques?"

"With your strength, Young Master, you can fully protect me."

This Qiuyue was quite confident in the original master—even talking about protecting her!

With the original master's actual skill, he wouldn't even count as cannon fodder in the Imperial Capital.

"Qiuyue, within the next three months, the Imperial Capital will surely fall into chaos, and I may not be able to look after you the whole time."

"This sword technique is a top-tier Sword Dao masterpiece across all of Dali. If you can master it, there won't be many in all of Dali who can stand against you."

He'd lay out the grand promise first. The Thirteen Swords of Heavenly Annihilation was indeed an unparalleled Sword Dao legacy from the Sword Sect. Though it had only thirteen forms, each form contained countless variations.

Even a prodigy would need years to fully comprehend the simplest first form. How long would it take Qiuyue to learn all thirteen? Still, grasping even a hint of its mystery would greatly boost her strength.

Breaking off a branch, Ye Jing demonstrated the first sword of the Thirteen Swords of Heavenly Annihilation before Qiuyue. He intended to guide her, explaining some of its subtleties to deepen her understanding.

But before he could speak, Qiuyue scolded him: "Hmph, Young Master, such simple sword moves, and you call them a top-tier Sword Dao masterpiece from Dali."

"Young Master, you're bragging again."

Simple! Seeing Qiuyue so arrogant for the first time, Ye Jing was stunned, frozen in place.