The Virtue of Devouring the Sun

Looking at the venomous spider silk snapped and scattered across the ground, Sword Slave and the Thousand-Faced Poison Spider were both astonished.

Jie Xiao knelt again. "Big Sister once showed me kindness. I beg the Palace Master to let her leave!"

"You just comprehended the second level of the 'Overcoming' realm?" Xue Duanyun stepped forward once more with light footsteps, helped Jie Xiao up, and smiled like a blooming flower.

Jie Xiao lowered his head. "I merely gained a little insight."

"Among the younger generation across the Nine Provinces, those who have comprehended two levels of the martial path can be counted on one's fingers. I will give you one more chance. If you kill that Liu Yunshen, all past matters will be forgiven! I will even personally petition Lord Devil Master to name you Deputy Palace Master of Heaven-Touching Palace!"

A trace of indescribable emotion flickered in Xue Duanyun's eyes. "But if you fail again, there will be no need for you to return!"

Joy appeared on Jie Xiao's face, only for his gaze to dim again. He hurriedly kowtowed. "Thank you, Palace Master. This subordinate will see it done at once!"

"Ah, you truly are foolish!" Xue Duanyun gently stroked the scar on his shoulder as though she were his lover. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she suddenly turned and glared at Sword Slave. "Little Sister, you need not come again in the future! It is better that you and I sisters do not meet!"

"I obey Elder Sister's command!" Sword Slave's expression turned icy as she took up her sword and departed.

Jie Xiao followed Sword Slave out of the devil's den. As he watched the sun gradually rising into the sky, his heart suddenly began pounding wildly!

"Brother! He's here!" Sword Slave blushed. Disregarding the distinction between men and women, she swiftly seized Jie Xiao and raced onto the great eagle's back. "Quick! Go ahead!"

The great eagle sighed inwardly, beat its enormous iron feathers, and accelerated toward the front!

Fifty li passed in the blink of an eye. It was now nearing the hour of the Rabbit, and the horizon showed a pale fish-belly white! A majestic figure stood atop a mountain peak!

Withered trees on cliffs howled, shattering clouds at heaven's edge; Light sank in the Yang Valley, Horn and Neck moved slow. A dark spear suddenly rose, tearing apart the daylight; Ash fell as nether fangs gnawed at heaven's monument. A peak's shadow swallowed mighty mountains; Still waters, without a ripple, covered an age of peace. In the vast blue firmament, stars devoured; A hand covered the heavens—when would the sun return?

"A heavenly hound devouring the sun?" The great eagle looked in terror at the newly risen sun, which had somehow become an eclipse, and rapidly slowed its flight!

Tenderness filled Sword Slave's eyes. Facing the darkness, she leaped into the air and flew to the mountaintop. "Brother!"

"Silly girl, everyone is watching."

The man's voice was gentle. He lightly took Sword Slave's slender hand, inadvertently touching the callus on the pad of her ring finger and rubbing it with his own fingers.

Sword Slave smiled shyly, withdrew her hand, and stood to one side.

"Li Tianming pays respects to the Venerable Lord!" The great eagle flew onto the mountaintop, immediately transformed into human form, dropped to one knee, and respectfully clasped his fists. Seeing Jie Xiao standing there stupidly, he shouted, "Why aren't you kneeling when you meet the Venerable Lord?!"

"This junior, Jie Xiao, pays respects to the Sect Master!"

Gazing at the colossal shadow that seemed to blot out heaven and sun, Jie Xiao could not see the man's face at all, yet the urge to bow his head and submit arose within him. Not a shred of resistance could form in his heart. Perhaps this is the ruler who can save the countless people of the Nine Provinces and bring order to chaos!

"Rise, little brother!"

The man smiled and helped Jie Xiao up. The eclipse in the sky slowly receded, and the sun's wheel emerged! Only then did Jie Xiao clearly see the man's face—it was seventy percent similar to Liu Yunshen's!

"This..."

"My humble name is Zhang Jingshi, courtesy name Hui Jie." The man appeared to be around thirty. He too possessed a handsome face, dragon brows and phoenix eyes, a straight nose and broad mouth, yet his cheeks were sharply angular, unlike Liu Yunshen's softer, rounder features.

He wore his hair bound beneath a golden crown, dressed in white robes with a jade belt at his waist and black boots on his feet. He stood eight feet and six or seven inches tall, exceptionally imposing!

"The bearing of dragons and phoenixes, the visage of heaven and sun!" Jie Xiao sighed softly, gazing up at Zhang Jingshi with incomparable reverence in his eyes.

"Presumptuous! How dare you stare directly at the Venerable Lord!" Sword Slave threatened. Jie Xiao hurriedly stepped back. Zhang Jingshi seized him, examined him closely, and smiled. "You truly are a remarkable talent. You are barely past twenty, yet you have comprehended the second abyss of the 'Overcoming' realm! A prodigy!"

"You flatter me, Venerable Lord. In my case, there are countless like me within Heavenly Devil Palace. Cao Huan of the Palace of Delusive Thoughts and Shangguan Hui of Celestial Phenomena Palace both possess potential no less than mine!"

As soon as Jie Xiao finished speaking, Sword Slave transmitted her voice to him. "Brother, Jie Xiao's identity is secret. Disciples outside Heaven-Touched Palace have never known of him. He was originally a hidden piece I arranged, but unfortunately..."

Zhang Jingshi nodded slightly. Li Tianming had already furrowed his brow and begun cursing at the side.

"Jie Xiao, what is so good about the Devil Palace? My Venerable Lord is the reincarnation of Yao and Shun! His breadth of mind is as vast as the sea, he plans victories from a thousand li away, and his martial arts are invincible in this age! Wouldn't following my Venerable Lord be a hundred times better than serving as a slave in the Devil Palace?"

"I wouldn't dare!" Jie Xiao retreated half a step. Li Tianming flew into a rage. "You ungrateful thing! Do you think you are some—"

"Tianming, do not force him. To remain utterly loyal without forgetting his former master—such character is exceedingly rare and precious!" Zhang Jingshi took the severed arm from beneath Jie Xiao's armpit. With a slight tap of his finger, the stench of rot gradually faded. Then he pointed at Jie Xiao's scarred shoulder. Fresh flesh and blood vessels grew rapidly like tender shoots from withered bones, actively linking with the severed arm. In an instant, the two became one again!

"This is the divine art of raising the dead and fleshing white bones!" Jie Xiao's face changed drastically. Without even moving his arm, he gathered his power and carefully inspected its meridians. It was actually three parts stronger than before, while that life-generating aura thoroughly broke open the seal on his dantian!

Jie Xiao was beside himself with joy and knelt to kowtow. "Many thanks, Venerable Lord!"

"Do not do this. I felt like old friends with you at first sight, little brother. Yet since you are unwilling to leave the Devil Palace, this foolish elder brother cannot force you. From now on, let us address each other as brothers. You may call me Brother Zhang, and I will call you Worthy Brother Jie. How does that sound?"

Zhang Jingshi's expression was sincere, and fiery earnestness rippled in his eyes. Tears filled Jie Xiao's eyes as he immediately bowed down. "Elder Brother!"

"Good brother!" Zhang Jingshi tightly clasped Jie Xiao's hand and drew a longsword from behind his back. "As the saying goes, a treasured sword is given to a hero. This is our first meeting as brothers, and this foolish elder brother prepared no grand gift. Let this token convey a little of my heart!"

"Thank you, Elder Brother!" Jie Xiao gripped the longsword tightly in both fists. Seeing the two words "Viper Venom" on its blade, he immediately drew it and danced with it. The Sword Qi extended only three feet beyond the blade, yet it faintly carried the might to split wind and sever clouds!!

Zhang Jingshi stroked his beard with a smile. "What does Worthy Brother think of the task the Palace Master of Heaven-Touching Palace gave you?"

"Liu Yunshen is a benevolent and righteous man. The first time I tried to kill him, Xiao Jinyu interrupted me. The second time, I intended to kill him honorably and openly, but I could not bring myself to do it!"

"Worthy Brother, you are mistaken! This man is great treachery disguised as loyalty, great falsehood disguised as truth—a treacherous hero born for troubled times!" Zhang Jingshi let out a long sigh.

"How could that be? But I..."

Zhang Jingshi extended a finger deep toward him. Along with countless memories flooding into Jie Xiao's spiritual consciousness came an imperceptibly tiny demon insect with nine legs, nine heads, and scaled armor!

"Senior Brother Liu! Senior Brother Liu! Come here!" Spring longing filled Cao Langao's eyes as she breathed in the ear of the reclining Liu Yunshen in an exceedingly soft voice!

"Little Sister, you made your brother wait so long tonight!" Liu Yunshen wore a lecherous grin.

Cao Langao smiled seductively and cast him a flirtatious glance. Pulling Liu Yunshen along, the two were like wild beasts, hiding in the forest and indulging in carnal pleasure!

"Hahaha! Where do you think you're running?!"

"No! I beg you, Young Master, let me go! Let me go!"

Liu Yunshen laughed viciously. "Those twenty thousand taels of gold are all mine! Not only that, Cai Yuelin's and Lei Zhaoye's silver is mine too, and Gong Liefeng's woman is mine as well!"

"So you really colluded with the devil sect!"

"So what if I did? It was nothing but an act!" Liu Yunshen laughed viciously and tore apart the young woman's clothes. Shangguan Hui and the others burst into wicked laughter at the side. "Brother Liu looks so refined—who would have thought he was also a beast in human clothing!"

As Jie Xiao relived countless memories, rage made his entire body tremble. "That devil!!! I'll kill him! Kill him!!"

"Perhaps I was mistaken. After all, some people have already died, and the dead cannot testify. Brother Jie should still proceed cautiously!" Zhang Jingshi stroked his beautiful beard, his brows tightly furrowed.

Jie Xiao sheathed his sword, fury blazing in his eyes. "Brother Zhang! Your little brother will go take care of this scoundrel at once!"

"Since that is so, remember one thing from your elder brother: do not meet his eyes. That youth possesses crimson eyes with double pupils, holding power that transcends time and space. Yet because he has not killed many people so far, that demonic sword has not absorbed much blood Qi, and his pupil power remains quite limited! But if you meet his gaze, you will surely fall under his bewitchment! Your mind will be seized by him!!"

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder Brother! Your little brother will remember! Take care, Elder Brother!"

"Take care!"

As they watched Jie Xiao depart, Li Tianming wore a sinister grin. Worry filled Sword Slave's eyes.

Zhang Jingshi showed neither joy nor anger. His gaze seemed able to pierce through a thousand li as he stared at the Four Swords Sect west of Great Qin!