A favor

Yun Ying reined in her aura, and the sword light in her eyes fell still. Everything returned to tranquility, save for the phantoms of Sword Blossoms endlessly flickering into existence and fading away beside her.

"Her sword intent rivals the gods. To think such a prodigy was born in this era." The Domain Envoy stared at the graceful figure in purple, his heart shaken.

The Void God Realm had been created by the ancient gods. No one in later generations had ever rivaled them. Never mind the gods-even those who could rival saints were few and far between.

The Double-Pupiled One had originally counted among them. He possessed the potential of a Primordial Saint, and if he had grown to maturity, he could naturally have rivaled one. But he had already fallen, defeated by Shi Hao.

Moreover, Primordial Saints and the ancient gods stood on two different levels. The latter had undergone a leap in the very essence of life, and what they represented was entirely different.

Looking at the Record Stele, Yun Ying raised her hand. Using her finger as a brush, she revealed a flash of sharpness and inscribed the character for "Yun" upon it.

The strokes were like iron lines and silver hooks, bold and powerful, containing a wisp of sword intent. Merely looking at it made one's eyes sting, as though one were staring not at a written character, but at streams of terrifying sword qi.

Rosy light shimmered across the heavens. A ball of light descended and hovered before Yun Ying. Astonishingly, it was another Bronze Book Fragment.

"Another rare treasure-a Bronze Book Fragment!"

Everyone was stunned. Four Bronze Book Fragments had appeared today alone.

Yun Ying raised her hand and caught the Bronze Book Fragment, her eyes flickering slightly. Then she flicked her finger, and the fragment shot forth like sword light, piercing the void.

A clear sword hum rang out. Like a wisp of sword qi, the Bronze Book Fragment flew toward the Sky Battlefield and finally came to rest before Shi Hao.

The sight left everyone present dumbfounded. "Why did she send the Bronze Book Fragment to Shi Hao?"

"Little Ying?" Yun Canghai was stunned as well. That was a Bronze Book Fragment! Gathering ten would unlock an unparalleled precious technique.

Shi Hao himself was rather bewildered. Why had she tossed the Bronze Book Fragment in front of him?

"You owe me a favor," Yun Ying said calmly, looking at Shi Hao.

Hearing this, everyone understood. Shi Hao already held many such Bronze Book Fragments, making him the person most likely to gather all ten.

If she gifted this Bronze Book Fragment to him and he truly completed the set someday, he would owe her an enormous favor.

Even if Shi Hao failed to gather them all, she would not lose much. It was only one Bronze Book Fragment. Without a complete set of ten, it was like a chicken rib-too little meat to savor, yet a pity to discard-and could only gather dust in a corner.

"A very clever choice." Once some people thought it through, they understood Yun Ying's actions.

The corner of Shi Hao's mouth twitched. Why did he feel as though he had been forced into this? Still, he certainly would not hesitate to accept something beneficial, especially a Bronze Book Fragment.

With the one Yun Ying had given him, he now had nine. He needed only one more to obtain an unparalleled precious technique.

"Don't die." Having said that, Yun Ying turned away calmly and left.

From beginning to end, she had not spared that young man a single glance, as though his attack had been nothing more than an insignificant splash.

"Hey, do you like me?"

Seeing Yun Ying leave, Shi Hao inexplicably shouted after her.

Everyone present nearly turned to stone at those words. Just how conceited was this fellow? She might have given him a Bronze Book Fragment, but that clearly was not what she meant!

"I'm warning you, don't get any ideas about Little Ying!" Yun Xi glared fiercely at him, then turned and followed Yun Ying away.

Shi Hao rubbed his nose. "Why else would she give me a Bronze Book Fragment and tell me not to die? She must like me."

"This brat..." Even Yun Canghai felt like going over and smacking him.

"Pah! This fellow really is the Bear Child. In his dreams! Fairy Yun Ying is a sword immortal who rivals the ancient gods. As if she would fancy someone like him. What a joke."

"Exactly. This Bear Child is dreaming of feasting on crap. If Fairy Yun Ying likes him, I'll trip and die while walking tomorrow."

"Then I'll choke to death drinking water tomorrow."

"I'll die of diarrhea tomorrow..."

"Ugh... You're disgusting..."

A whole crowd began swearing vicious oaths, each louder than the last, leaving Shi Hao's face dark with exasperation. These fellows just could not stand seeing him be popular, could they?

Shi Hao felt certain they were jealous. There was no doubt about it.

"Brother Shi seems quite lucky in love." At that moment, the young man spoke again. He stared at Shi Hao, his displeasure now rather obvious.

Yun Ying had never once looked him in the eye, yet she had given the Bronze Book Fragment to Shi Hao. Was that not as good as saying he was inferior to Shi Hao?

"What are you trying to say?" Shi Hao glanced at him, secretly delighted.

The young man fell silent for several breaths, then turned to look in another direction. "Never mind. I came for another peerless beauty in the first place. Yue Chan, since you're already here, why not show yourself?"

White robes fluttered as Yue Chan appeared, her entire body shrouded in a hazy radiance. Untouched by dust, she was beautiful beyond description.

"The fairy is here!"

Many people cried out. Yue Chan had not been in the Desolate Region for long, but her name had already spread throughout the world. Wherever she went, people gathered around her like stars surrounding the moon.

Whether Yun Ying, who had just left, or Yue Chan, who stood here now, both were peerless beauties who inspired boundless admiration.

Yet Yun Ying's sword strike was likely beyond anyone else's reach. Even a holy maiden of the Heaven Mending Sect like Yue Chan, or the Demoness of the Heaven Severing Sect, could only look up to her.

In beauty and appearance, they were like a hundred different flowers, each with her own merits. But in strength, Yun Ying had already galloped far ahead, leaving the others in her dust.

Though no one said it aloud, everyone had already reached the same conclusion: a sword immortal of their generation had burst onto the scene.

"The Celestial Clan has produced an extraordinary figure. If the celestials in the Upper Realm learn of this, they will certainly take action."

On the Heaven Severing Sect's side, a middle-aged man in white spoke, his voice filled with wonder.

"A sword immortal. Truly frightening. Is the Celestial Clan's potential really this terrifying?" The Demoness was deeply moved as well.

Her Spirit Avatar had once met Yun Xi in the North Sea. She had intended to join forces with Shi Hao to ambush her, but the attempt had failed.

Even then, she had sensed Yun Xi's strength.

"No. Members of the Celestial Clan only become immensely powerful after undergoing a certain transformation. But that is exceedingly rare even among the direct bloodlines of the Upper Realm's celestials. Yet she completed that transformation entirely through her own power. That is what makes her most terrifying."

The middle-aged man in white shook his head and spoke gravely.

As far as he knew, the Celestial Clan needed outside assistance to transform, drawing upon a Heaven and Earth Divine Stone. Such a divine stone existed only in the Upper Realm.

Even in the Upper Realm, there had never been a celestial who completed that transformation without drawing upon the power of a Heaven and Earth Divine Stone.

That was why the middle-aged man in white had called her terrifying. If Yun Ying went to the Upper Realm and mended the deficiencies in her Dao, another young supreme would surely burst onto the scene, powerful enough to overshadow everyone of her generation.