Termination of Contract

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent thought, Something's not right! How did Ink Bamboo Mountain get so many orthodox techniques? It would make sense if they'd obtained the scriptures scattered across the world by my Beichen Sword Sect. After all, my Beichen Sect's sword arts are the best under heaven, and everyone admires them! But the Shenxiao Sect's Five Thunder Method is a secret art passed down only to disciples of the Three Mountains' Orthodox Register! It's a peerless technique they keep under wraps, teaching it only to direct disciples. How in the world did Bamboo Mountain get their hands on it?

And that move just now! Does this guy think I'm blind? That was clearly the Blood God Sword Art of the Divine Sect! A secret art on the level of the Three Great Sects—and a Foundation Establishment disciple stuck at the Perfection Realm can use it? Impossible! Impossible!

Even the Profound Heaven Sword Intent, with its lofty opinion of itself, looked utterly stunned. There was no need to mention the cultivators surrounding them. They'd gone from Ten against one, and we've got the high ground! How could we lose? Tell me, how could we lose? to Gasp! This kid is terrifying! We absolutely cannot let him live!

The three Nascent Soul generals from the north dropped their act. They waved their spears and halberds, and the three armies drove three dark clouds forward. Blades glinted coldly, lightning crackled, and the clouds swept over the treasure ship from every direction, surrounding it completely as they formed a battlefield array!

Nangong Wushuang no longer dared to shout. She raised her Fire-Tipped Spear and focused on defending herself. The two square-faced, bushy-browed brothers also brought out their ring-pommel sabers and vajra pestles. Along with Zhou Sheng's jade ruler and Dharma Silence of Tiantai Mountain's golden alms bowl, the five Nascent Soul treasures shone like five scorching suns in the black clouds overhead, illuminating the entire Zhen Gui Sword Arena beneath them.

Still, they'd only reacted after two people had been ambushed and wounded. That was a little... well, ridiculous.

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent thought, Treasures like these wear down every time they're used. And in a blood-soaked sword trial like this, they can be tainted by bloodshed and even damaged beyond repair. At first, these people had only come to watch the excitement. They weren't willing to risk their precious treasures by taking the lead.

Xiao Yao struck too hard. He protected Foundation Establishment disciples right in front of everyone, and even killed Nascent Soul rogue cultivators he'd never met. He scared them. Ah, what a pity, what a pity. He won this brief clash, but now that they're on guard, he won't gain an advantage by striking again!

Leaving the Nascent Soul Real Persons' anxious vigilance aside, the slaughter on the Zhen Gui jade platform had reached its climax.

Li Fan watched the sword trial from afar. His heart sank, as though it, too, were shrouded by the murderous clouds hanging overhead.

Yu Danian had gone to his death without hesitation.

Like Zheng Hua and Wang Tanzhi before him, Yu Danian had also kept a trump card hidden away. He didn't waste a word. He swallowed a pill, surged into the Golden Core Stage, and transformed into a three-headed, six-armed figure. Gripping six wooden swords, their Sword Lights flashing and Dao Breath thick, he launched himself forward.

Lü Daolian had already been scared witless. He let out a shrill scream, clutched the sword wound on his face, and huddled on his leopard, howling. He looked just like a little girl who'd spotted a cockroach.

In any other situation, Yu Danian would have killed a piece of trash like him on the spot.

But this was a sword trial, and the Seventeen-Treasure Canopy had already been activated. Wang Tanzhi had only managed to ambush Lü Daolian earlier because he'd planted the blood sword beneath his feet in advance.

Now Yu Danian's three-headed, six-armed form sent swords flashing through the air, hacking at the Seventeen-Treasure Canopy. Five-Element Dao Qi surged in every direction, flames burst forth, and the nine layers of canopy cloth rippled and swayed, on the verge of collapsing.

Yet it was all in vain.

Yu Danian completed his entire sword combo. Even with six times the number of strikes, even with his transformed body, which clearly wielded greater Dao mastery and the strength to lift a thousand jun, he still dealt a mountain of explosive damage.

But just as the Profound Heaven Sword Intent had said: Give up. It was completely useless.

The canopy rocked violently beneath Yu Danian's wild assault, but in the end, he'd only broken through one layer of its cloth. And even that was only temporary. Jewels on the canopy glittered as they absorbed spiritual energy and began weaving fresh layers of cloth from the inside out. The Ninety-Nine-Treasure Canopy regenerated without end, like a never-ending river. Once deployed, it was a defensive treasure almost impossible to break through!

Honestly, Yu Danian had only managed to finish his sword combo and break through a single layer because Lü Daolian, that useless fool, had been completely panicked and still hadn't recovered.

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent thought, That sharp-faced man isn't useless. The problem with Foundation Establishment cultivators is that they lack Divine Sense and can't use many techniques. Though his spirit has been wounded, he can still control a weapon and a beast at the same time. Even if that's thanks to some unusual Cultivation Method, he's still a rare genius. His Divine Sense must far surpass that of his peers. Otherwise, why would his sect protect and indulge him so much? If you survive this, host, don't judge people by their looks and let your guard down.

If I survive...

Li Fan's expression turned grave. Yes, the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain might be unafraid of death, and each might possess astonishing talent or secret techniques. But even if they used every trump card they had, they still couldn't escape death.

The five Nascent Soul cultivators had their full attention fixed on Yao Xuanzhou. There was no chance of taking them by surprise again.

And Nangong Family's Immortal Soldiers had already laid a vast net. Escaping wouldn't be easy, either.

What should he do? They couldn't even break through one treasure. Once Lü Daolian recovered, two more senior brothers might die. What could they do...?

Li Fan furrowed his brow, his thoughts tangled in knots. For a moment, he couldn't sort anything out.

Then someone suddenly tugged at him.

It was Fuling.

"How many lots did you draw?"

She'd changed into a Daoist robe, removing the ornaments from her hair and face. Bare-faced, she'd gathered her long black hair into a crane-shaped crown and donned a black robe. She held a blue-patterned iron sword upside down in one hand. She looked remarkably fresh and composed.

She pulled Li Fan to the side of the ship and produced her bamboo lot with a flick of her fingers. "You can't have drawn a later one than me, right? Switch with me."

Li Fan glanced at it. Lot thirty-three.

He looked up at her and smiled. "Sister Fuling, everyone dies someday. What's the point of switching?"

Fuling glared at him. "What nonsense are you talking about? I've lived for so many years, and you're still so young! If I don't look after you, and just watch you go up there to die, how could I ever face the young miss after she entrusted you to me? Hurry and switch. If we wait, the sect might send help. We might still have a chance."

Li Fan looked at her. "Sister Fuling, don't you want to see Zhang Jiugao again?"

Fuling froze, lost in thought for a moment. "...With things like this, we just have to save whoever we can. It's fine if I never see him again."

Save whoever we can?

Li Fan fell silent, then turned to look at the sword platform.

Lü Daolian had finally come to his senses. In a fit of rage, he shrieked and counterattacked, hurling another Heaven-Overturning Seal from his robes at Yu Danian.

The seal was a tiny square of amber, barely as long as an index finger. Yet when thrown, it bore down like a mountain. Blow after blow broke Yu Danian's arms, smashed his skull, and crushed his shins, spraying blood from his mouth.

But Yu Danian kept spitting blood, his eyes bulging with rage. He stood firm beneath the treasure's relentless blows, refusing to retreat, and continued hacking with his swords at the canopy.

No, he wasn't hacking blindly. He was enduring the assault to destroy as many layers of the canopy as he could, giving his junior brothers a sliver of hope.

Li Fan glanced again at the lot thirty-three Fuling had offered him.

A man surnamed Ju had once said:

If you say it, you must do it.

So he took out the purple-jade, gold-capped, narrow-necked gourd and poured out a handful of pills, gripping them in his sleeve. He handed the rest to Fuling. She jumped in alarm. "Qingyue! What are you doing?"

Li Fan smiled. "Sister Fuling, take these Nine Revolutions Mysterious Purple Gold Pills and distribute them among the senior brothers."

Fuling could tell from his expression that he wasn't just being polite. Normally, she would never have accepted them, but at a time like this...

On the sword platform, Yu Danian's limbs had already been smashed. He lay there like a lump of meat, barely alive, while Lü Daolian continued to howl in a frenzy, striking him again and again until blood and gore flew everywhere. He gave Yu Danian no chance to die quickly, simply venting his terror and fury.

The scene was unfolding right before them. Another Nine Revolutions Golden Core might be the one chance they had to turn things around. The lives of so many fellow disciples aboard the ship could depend on that one pill.

The matter was too important. Fuling forgot all about exchanging lots. Her expression complicated, she nodded at Li Fan and hurried off to distribute the pills to the disciples aboard the ship.

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent thought, ...Fuck! Host, what are you doing?! Have you lost your mind? Don't get carried away!

They were all on the same ship. At a time like this, there was no point hiding anything. They could die together or survive together. Why keep the pills to himself, only to let those people from the Immortal Palace get their hands on them? Would they get a pleasant surprise when they searched the bodies? Better to share them with his own people.

And what about the system? If he died, what would happen to the Profound Heaven Sword Intent and Kun? Could he break their contracts now?

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, Li Qingyue, what are you doing?!

Kun said, ?

The system determined that the Profound Heaven Sword Intent is a temporary contracted native remnant soul. If the host dies, it will perish as well. Its contract can be dissolved.

The system determined that Kun is a contract reward. If the host dies, the system will reclaim it. Its contract cannot be dissolved.

All right, forget Kun, then. Dissolve the contract with the Profound Heaven Sword Intent. Sword Intent, go form a contract with Yao Xuanzhou. He's also an heir who meets your bizarre criteria, isn't he?

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, You damned brat!

If you don't act when the time comes, you'll only make things worse. Sword Intent, don't you want to revive the Beichen Sword Sect and avenge its destruction?

What good would it do to stay with him? Li Fan was only at Foundation Establishment. If he went up there, he wouldn't survive a single blow from their embroidered balls and seals. Would his chances of surviving be better with Li Fan, or after all those deadweight disciples were gone, escaping alongside Yao Xuanzhou?

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, ...

You old bastard, if you die here with me, the Beichen Sect will be gone from the world forever.

Then Li Fan felt a sharp pain in his right palm, and a silver leaf shot out of it. Yao Xuanzhou's whole body trembled. He literally shuddered, then whipped around and glared at Li Fan.

His sudden turn startled the surrounding cultivators. They all flew back three zhang and readied their treasures.

The Profound Heaven Sword Intent's contract has been dissolved.

So it had.

Li Fan let out a long breath.

It wasn't that he was selfless. He'd gotten familiar with the Profound Heaven Sword Intent, and since there was no hope of survival anyway, he might as well help it.

At least he could repay a little of the debt he owed it for saving his life by blocking that Sword Light earlier. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything else he could do for it.

Now he could do certain things without any reservations.

Li Fan turned and walked into the cabin, stopping in front of Lu Xing, who was leaning against the doorframe and gazing up at the sword trial.

The girl glanced at him calmly, then turned the lot in her hand to show him. Sixteen. "I like this lot. I'm not switching."

Li Fan nodded. "Family Head Lu, I have a favor to ask."

Lu Xing nodded expressionlessly. "If you have any last words, go ahead. If I survive, I'll carry them out for you."

"Who said anything about last words?" Li Fan fixed her with a blazing stare. "I don't just plan to stay alive. I plan to turn the tables. But my move will destroy heaven and earth. I'm afraid it might wipe out our allies along with the enemy. So I need to ask a few things and make preparations. I hope you can put the past aside and help me."

Lu Xing looked away from the Zhen Gui jade platform, now smeared with her fellow disciples' blood and flesh, and met the young man's gaze. In his eyes, where flames seemed to dance, she clearly saw a reflection of her own madness.

She nodded. "All right. I'll help you."

They entered the cabin side by side. Behind them, Master Yao and their fellow disciples spoke in voices devoid of emotion.

"Next match."

"Sun Yang of Ink Bamboo Mountain requests a match!"