,/.

Small town, tavern.

The black-robed man was waiting for Bai Shaokong.

Bai Shaokong arrived, carrying a box wrapped in cloth.

The black-robed man smiled.

It was done!

Su Fan had finally been killed.

Bai Shaokong had not let him down.

Looking lazy and carefree, Bai Shaokong casually set the cloth-wrapped box on the table.

"I'm curious. Why did you pay such a steep price to kill a mere Mortal Sword Realm fellow?"

As the black-robed man untied the cloth around the box, he smiled and said, "I was merely acting on someone else's behalf."

Bai Shaokong raised a brow, interest appearing on his face. "Who hired you? How high was the price? How about sharing some with me?"

The black-robed man's lips twitched.

"Brother Bai, you jest."

With a cheerful smile, Bai Shaokong asked as if casually, "The man is already dead. What is there to keep secret? I'm very curious—who hired you to kill Su Fan, and even paid such a high price?"

"That cannot be said."

The black-robed man shook his head.

"The Gan Royal Estate or the Tianwu Royal Estate?"

Bai Shaokong asked, raising a brow.

The black-robed man was opening the box. He shook his head without answering.

Bai Shaokong understood at once.

The client was neither the Gan Royal Estate nor the Tianwu Royal Estate.

There was someone else behind it.

At that moment, the black-robed man opened the box.

He froze.

Inside was an even smaller box.

He proceeded to open the second box.

The result!

The box was completely empty!

No!

It could not be said that there was nothing inside.

There was a... fingernail in the box?

The black-robed man's heart sank. Raising his head to look at Bai Shaokong, he asked in a deep voice, "Where is Su Fan's head?"

Bai Shaokong smiled awkwardly. "It's gone. I used too much force. One strike of my sword and his entire body was gone. Only this fingernail remained!"

"Rest assured, this really is Su Fan's fingernail. I'm not lying to you!"

Bai Shaokong patted his chest in assurance.

Flames seemed to shoot from the black-robed man's eyes, and his entire body began to tremble.

He felt that his intelligence had been gravely insulted!

One sword strike, and the whole person was gone, leaving only a fingernail?

Like hell he believed that!

Who was he trying to fool, an idiot?

"Bai Shaokong, I'll kill you!"

The black-robed man let out a furious roar.

A powerful aura erupted!

Those people from Sword God Mountain had gone too far in bullying others!

They were all faithless bastards!

Tang Duan had taken his treasure and never returned.

Zhou Feng had done the same!

At least Bai Shaokong had returned.

Only to bring back a fingernail and insult his intelligence!

What could be tolerated, and what could not?

He deserved to die!

Bai Shaokong's expression turned cold. Aura surged around him as streak after streak of sword light emerged.

A sword appeared in his hand, seeming to possess a spirit of its own.

"You dared plot to kill a disciple of Sword God Mountain. Who gave you the nerve? Confess honestly—who is the mastermind behind this?"

Killing intent blazed in the black-robed man's eyes as he said coldly, "Good, good, good! Today, I will kill you, the Senior Brother of Sword God Mountain!"

Boom!

He struck with his palm, unleashing a blazing-hot palm imprint of astonishing power.

Late King Realm cultivation!

Bai Shaokong's expression grew solemn. The black-robed man was extremely powerful.

However, he was not afraid in the slightest.

He was no Spirit Sword Realm sword cultivator with only the form and none of the substance. Fighting above his realm was no problem at all.

Sword God Mountain had once been so powerful precisely because it possessed such a formidable sword path, one capable of fighting beyond one's realm.

Layer upon layer of sword light, as though endowed with spirit, surged toward the black-robed man.

A fierce battle erupted!

Boom!

The tavern collapsed!

The black-robed man's expression tightened. Bai Shaokong's strength had exceeded his expectations.

A genuine Spirit Sword Realm?

Although he possessed King Realm cultivation, killing Bai Shaokong was not something he could accomplish anytime soon.

Moreover, Bai Shaokong was far too fast.

Like a human-shaped sword light, he flickered unpredictably.

The small town was not far from Sword God Mountain. If the battle dragged on, Sword God Mountain's experts would inevitably be drawn here.

Though Sword God Mountain had declined, powerful figures still guarded it.

The black-robed man was filled with fury!

Boom!

After forcing Bai Shaokong back with a palm strike, his figure flickered and he departed at once.

His chilling voice drifted back. "Sword God Mountain, hmph, just wait!"

Bai Shaokong frowned and did not pursue him.

"There truly is more to this matter. The Tianwu Royal Estate may have clues!"

Without lingering, Bai Shaokong also left the small town and headed for the Tianwu Royal Estate to investigate the task Su Fan had assigned him.

On a mountain peak.

The black-robed man appeared.

In rage, he swept both palms in every direction, blasting the surrounding trees into splinters to vent the fury in his heart!

"Sword God Mountain, you bully others beyond all measure!"

When had he ever suffered such humiliation?

They had toyed with him time and again. Detestable!

The black-robed man was so furious he was nearly driven mad.

His eyes were bloodshot, as though he wanted to choose someone and devour them!

After a long while.

He finally calmed down somewhat.

He took out a short flute and sent a message.

"That piece of news will surely interest the Yan Kingdom Imperial Family and the Devil Palace. Sword God Mountain, wait to pay the price."

The black-robed man thought viciously.

After sending Bai Shaokong to investigate, Su Fan continued to lie low in the Forbidden Art Graveyard, cultivating forbidden arts, increasing his proficiency in them, and raising both the speed and limit of his lifespan-burning.

Half a month later, Ling Rushuang came bringing food again.

"I'm going into seclusion for a while. I don't know how long it will take before I emerge. Do you want me to have someone bring you food?"

Su Fan shook his head. "No need!"

Ling Rushuang was going into seclusion, and for an uncertain duration. Clearly, she was not breaking through a minor realm, but a major one.

She was about to break through to the Emperor Sword Realm!

Su Fan was somewhat astonished. Bai Shaokong's talent was already formidable.

Yet Ling Rushuang was clearly even stronger!

Bai Shaokong was the current Senior Brother. Who among Sword God Mountain's disciples did not know him?

Yet Ling Rushuang, whose talent was even more monstrous than his, was utterly unknown.

Since joining the sect, Su Fan had never heard of Ling Rushuang!

"Senior Sister, what realm are you in?"

Su Fan could not help asking curiously.

Ling Rushuang turned her head to look at him. "For now, Void Sword Realm perfection."

"Senior Sister, are you breaking through to the Emperor Sword Realm?"

Su Fan asked in surprise.

Ling Rushuang nodded.

"Senior Sister, how old are you?"

Appearances sometimes could not reveal one's age, especially for women.

The stronger one's cultivation, the longer one's lifespan, and youth could be preserved.

"A little older than you, perhaps."

Ling Rushuang smiled.

Her eyes seemed to hold a trace of reminiscence, as though she had thought of something.

"Senior Sister's talent is truly rare in this world!"

Su Fan sighed in admiration.

At such a young age, she was about to enter the ranks of the world's foremost experts.

In the current Sword God Mountain, only the Sword Master was in the Emperor Sword Realm!

As for the other elders, though they were also called Emperor Sword Realm, they merely had the form and none of the substance.

In truth, they could not be considered Emperor Sword Realm.

Ling Rushuang was clearly not that kind of sword cultivator, one with only the form and none of the substance!

"Talent is alright, I suppose. Effort is what matters most."

Ling Rushuang seemed worried about discouraging Su Fan, so she did not say much about talent.

After Su Fan finished eating, Ling Rushuang carried away the food box.

Watching Ling Rushuang leave, Su Fan's own fighting spirit blazed. He had to break through to the Emperor Sword Realm before Senior Sister emerged from seclusion!

Only a few days remained until he could use the Fate-Defying Heavenly Ladder again!

After breaking through to the Void Sword Realm, the Emperor Sword Realm truly would not be far away!