A night howl over Northern Darkness stirred thunder; sword and lance rang together, burying the tides!

Midnight.

Under the torrential rain, Northern Darkness Lake had become a realm of chaos. Its pitch-black waters churned with dark waves, almost merging with the lightless sky.

The Goddess of War stood solemnly in the storm. Rain trickled down her ink-black blade. Her figure remained utterly still, yet her presence pierced the curtain of rain like a sharp sword, pointing straight between her formidable enemy's brows.

Daoist Kongkong restrained all his qi. His Confucian Robe slowly soaked through, while the three-foot flying sword beside him hummed. The flickering light along its blade seemed to remind its master how perilous this battle would be.

But a wall of death that no living being could cross towered on every side. There was nowhere left to go.

Daoist Kongkong pondered briefly, then raised his wine gourd and drained the last mouthful of strong liquor. Almost tangible sword intent spread around him, pushing back the rain and suppressing the churning waves. "Empty clouds, empty cranes, an empty lodging for this self; idly fishing for cloudlight, forgetting worldly dust. I understood those words long ago, really. Unfortunately, I am a worldly man of the Jianghu. Even now, I have yet to touch my teacher's realm. Only my swordsmanship has not disgraced the care he put into raising me-"

As he spoke, sharpness gradually surfaced in Daoist Kongkong's expression, finally revealing the arrogance that belonged to a swordsman alone. He raised his right hand and roared, "Sword, rise!"

Hum! The flying sword beside him shuddered violently. White swordlight turned heaven and earth to daylight. The three-foot blade hung between chaotic heaven and earth, radiating such boundless sharpness that even Xie Jinhuan, behind the Goddess of War, found it somewhat dazzling.

But the Goddess of War's gauzy skirt fluttered in the wind, and her eyes showed not