Sword Qi Shows Its Might

Behind them, the tide of rats surged even more crazily, trampling over the corpses of their companions.

Though Li Xiaoyu's sword net was fierce, facing this endless horde, he began to feel the strain.

His spiritual energy drained at a terrifying speed.

"This won't do," he thought to himself. "I have to finish this quickly!"

Just as he was about to unleash a more powerful Dao technique, a purple figure drifted out from the shadows of the passage behind him like a ghost.

It was Jin Ping'er, who had returned.

"Hehe, Young Master Li, looks like you're in trouble." Jin Ping'er giggled behind her hand, a purple ribbon swirling around her like flowing light.

"Need this servant's help?"

"No need." Li Xiaoyu replied coldly, knowing full well this demoness had ill intentions.

"Is that so? Then this servant will just enjoy the show." With that, Jin Ping'er flickered and landed on a rock above the passage, watching Li Xiaoyu struggle to hold his ground against the rat tide.

Li Xiaoyu ignored her, focusing entirely on the crisis at hand.

The number of rats was simply too overwhelming.

He felt like a boulder on the shore, battered endlessly by crashing waves.

Gradually, gaps began to appear in his sword net.

One demonic rat seized the opportunity, darting out from under his feet and lunging with its gaping maw toward his calf.

Li Xiaoyu reacted swiftly, turning his sword and cleaving the rat in two with a single stroke.

But more rats surged in from all directions.

Watching from above, Jin Ping'er's smile grew deeper.

She was waiting for Li Xiaoyu to exhaust himself, then she would step in to "save" him, using that leverage to squeeze his secrets out of him.

Yet the scene she anticipated—Li Xiaoyu begging for mercy in disgrace—never came.

Just as he was about to be swallowed by the rat tide, a look of resolve flashed in his eyes.

Li Xiaoyu knew he could no longer hold back.

"Demoness, watch closely." He suddenly spoke coldly to Jin Ping'er above.

Then, he aimed the Immortal-Slaying Gourd at his waist toward the rat tide ahead.

"What is that?" Jin Ping'er's pupils sharply contracted.

She saw a faint golden light flicker across the surface of that wine gourd.

The next moment.

Li Xiaoyu silently recited in his heart.

"Go!"

A golden sword aura, thinner than a strand of hair, shot out from the gourd's mouth!

This sword aura made no sound, nor did it carry any earth-shaking momentum.

It simply, quietly, sliced through the dark air.

Where it passed, time itself seemed to freeze.

Jin Ping'er's eyes flew wide, filled with shock.

She saw that golden thread trace an arc through the rat tide.

And then—nothing more.

Every Bloodthirsty Demonic Rat touched by that golden thread vanished in an instant—body and sound alike.

Not cut apart, not shattered.

But erased from existence by a sharpness so absolute it struck at the very root!

One breath.

It took only one breath.

The rat tide ahead, enough to drive a Jade Purity Realm cultivator to despair, was completely cleared!

A vast fan-shaped zone of deathly vacuum had been carved out!

The surviving rats, as if struck by a primal terror from the depths of their souls, let out piercing shrieks, turned tail, and fled into the deep darkness, never daring to show themselves again.

The entire cave once again fell into a deathly silence.

Only Jin Ping'er's rapid, shocked breathing remained.

Jin Ping'er stared blankly at the green-robed youth below, who held the gourd with a calm expression.

She felt her heart spasming wildly.

What was that?

What the hell was that thing?

Though that golden sword qi was faint, the sharp intent within it made even her, a Jade Purity Realm Seventh Layer expert, feel her soul tremble!

She had no doubt that if that sword qi had been aimed at her.

She absolutely couldn't block it.

She would die without a doubt!

Jin Ping'er looked at Li Xiaoyu, the earlier flirtatiousness and amusement gone from her eyes.

Instead, there was deep wariness!

This Green Cloud Sect disciple, who appeared to be only at the Jade Purity Realm Fourth Layer, must be hiding many big secrets!

Having eliminated the threat of the Bloodthirsty Demonic Rats, Li Xiaoyu continued deeper into the Nameless Cave.

Jin Ping'er remained silent the whole way, the atmosphere strange.

She looked at Li Xiaoyu with caution in her eyes.

Li Xiaoyu, meanwhile, secretly recovered the mental energy spent activating the Geng Metal Sword Qi.

Though that wisp of sword qi was faint, it still took a considerable toll on him.

At the deepest part of the cave, they discovered an abandoned altar.

The altar bore the mark of the Blood Refining Hall, surrounded by dried bloodstains and broken artifacts.

This had once been a secret stronghold of the Blood Refining Hall, where they raised those Bloodthirsty Demonic Rats.

But for some reason, the place had been abandoned, leaving only the out-of-control monsters behind.

Having uncovered the truth, Li Xiaoyu's mission was complete.

Li Xiaoyu didn't linger with Jin Ping'er any longer. They parted ways at the cave entrance, and he flew his sword back to Green Cloud Sect.

"Interesting. Li Xiaoyu, is it? We'll meet again."

A flash of purple light, and Jin Ping'er vanished as well.

Back at Morning Sun Peak, Li Xiaoyu reported everything he had seen and heard to his master, Shang Zhengliang.

After hearing him out, Shang Zhengliang praised his performance lavishly, bestowed healing and qi-restoring pills, and told him to go rest and prepare for the upcoming Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament.

Life returned to calm once more.

Li Xiaoyu spent his days cultivating and studying the secrets of the Immortal-Slaying Gourd—simple and fulfilling.

But that peace was soon shattered by a group of uninvited guests.

One day, Li Xiaoyu was practicing his sword in the courtyard.

Suddenly, several beams of sword light descended from the sky, landing on Morning Sun Peak's Martial Arts Arena.

The leader, imposing and smiling, was none other than Dragon Head Peak's senior disciple, Qi Hao.

Beside him was a girl in a pink silk skirt—Tian Ling'er from Big Bamboo Peak.

Behind them followed several Dragon Head Peak disciples, their expressions arrogant and eyes haughty.

Their arrival stirred up the entire Morning Sun Peak.

Upon receiving the news, Shang Zhengliang immediately brought Li Xiaoyu, Chu Yuhong, and others to the Martial Arts Arena.

"I wonder what brings Nephew Qi to our humble peak?"

Shang Zhengliang asked Qi Hao flatly.

He had no goodwill toward this Dragon Head Peak disciple who had stolen his own disciple's fiancée.

Qi Hao bowed respectfully to Shang Zhengliang, a flawless smile on his face.

"Disciple Qi Hao pays respects to Uncle-Master Shang."

Qi Hao straightened up, his gaze shifting to Li Xiaoyu behind Shang Zhengliang.

"I've come today for a personal matter."

He pulled Tian Ling'er forward and announced loudly, "Some days ago, Junior Sister Ling'er was young and ignorant, and had some unpleasantness with Junior Brother Xiaoyu."

"When I heard about it, I felt uneasy, since it all started because of me."

"So today, I've brought Junior Sister Ling'er here in person to apologize to Junior Brother Xiaoyu."

Qi Hao's words were watertight, his posture humble, like a gentleman of reason and propriety.

But his tone and the contempt in his eyes when he looked at Li Xiaoyu betrayed his true thoughts.

Qi Hao wasn't here to apologize at all. He was here to show off.

To Li Xiaoyu, and to the entire Morning Sun Peak—to flaunt his victory, to flaunt that he had won the girl.