The mask, the transaction

At the corner of the alley.

Lin Tian frowned.

He breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt somewhat disappointed.

As things stood, the situation was still fairly good.

He had actually become Hongyu's new favorite.

This sent goosebumps rising over Lin Tian.

He returned to the courtyard.

The aroma of meat drifted to his nose.

"Big brother, you're back."

The little girl named Qingcheng came skipping up to Lin Tian.

But Lin Tian merely glanced at her before walking inside.

Qingcheng pursed her lips, but did not mind.

After more than ten days together, she and Ling Qiuzi had grown accustomed to the way Lin Tian handled things.

Meanwhile.

Sword Capital, Sword Spirit Square.

Words shifted across the Azure Sword Stele.

A sharp, clamorous presence mingled with dazzling radiance, constantly spilling outward.

A man and a woman carrying swords looked at the names on the Azure Sword Stele, discussing them.

"Gu Changqing still holds first place firmly. It's been over three years now."

A woman spoke.

She wore purple silk robes, her face as lovely as peach and plum blossoms, and held a purple-tinged longsword in her slender hands.

"It's hard on Fairy Mu Yanwan, though. She's been second for four years, and now she's nearly reached the age limit. She'll be leaving the Azure Sword Stele soon."

A man with a sharp presence spoke with some feeling.

"Fairy? Li Shangjue, how does someone from the Joyous Immortal Sect deserve to be called a fairy? She's nothing but a cheap whore any man can have."

The purple-robed woman spoke with some displeasure, her beautiful eyes full of disgust as she looked at Mu Yanwan's name.

The man named Li Shangjue chuckled.

His name appeared in fourth place on the Azure Sword Stele.

The cultivators passing nearby also treated him with great respect.

Li Shangjue shook his head and said:

"But I heard Mu Yanwan has refused to dual cultivate with her master several times already. She's still a virgin."

"She'll become a slut sooner or later."

The purple-robed woman spoke disdainfully, then suddenly froze as her gaze moved down to a name.

"There's something odd about this Lin Tian."

The man paused, following the woman's gaze downward.

Several lines of text shone with a murderous azure light.

Five hundred and thirty-fourth place, Lin Tian.

Eighteen years old, high-grade Sword Momentum.

"What's strange about him? He's merely ranked in the five hundreds. He hasn't even broken through the shackles of Sword Momentum."

The man frowned as he spoke, somewhat puzzled.

The purple-robed woman shook her head, making the jade pendants on the gold hair ornament pinned in her upswept hair sway.

"I remember he only entered the Azure Sword Stele a dozen or so days ago. He'd only just comprehended Sword Momentum then, and he was ranked below a thousand. Now he's already in the five hundreds."

Li Shangjue's expression changed slightly, and he lowered his voice:

"Are you remembering wrong? I remember even Gu Changqing didn't comprehend high-grade Sword Momentum that quickly."

"I don't know."

The purple-robed woman spoke, committing Lin Tian's name to memory.

"No!"

Li Shangjue, who had seemed utterly unconcerned just moments earlier, suddenly froze, his eyes widening as he stared at the Azure Sword Ranking.

"Innate Sword Heart, innate Sword Heart!"

He murmured, his whole body actually trembling slightly.

"What's wrong with you?"

The woman named Zhantai Ling looked at Li Shangjue beside her in confusion.

Li Shangjue stood dazed, only coming to his senses after a long while, a trace of bewilderment still lingering in his eyes.

"Our Sword Sect has nine peaks. You know that, Fairy Zhantai."

Zhantai Ling's eyes flickered, and she nodded lightly.

Li Shangjue's tone was somewhat bitter as he continued:

"Eight of our Sword Sect's nine peaks have disciples to carry on their legacies, but my junior martial uncle's Seventh Peak has had no successor for a thousand years."

At this, Zhantai Ling's beautiful eyes widened.

"You mean Lord Li Baiyi?"

Who beneath the heavens did not know Lone Sword Li Baiyi?

Yet Li Baiyi had been famous for centuries without anyone inheriting his legacy.

Some speculated that Li Baiyi was devoted solely to the sword and had no interest in taking disciples.

Seeing Li Shangjue's expression now, Zhantai Ling was suddenly startled. It seemed that was not the case.

Li Shangjue nodded, gazing intently at the name "Lin Tian" on the Azure Sword Stele as he said:

"My junior martial uncle searched for centuries without taking a disciple because inheriting the Seventh Peak's legacy requires a sword cultivator with an innate Sword Heart. The world only knows of a clear Sword Heart. Who knows of an innate Sword Heart?"

After hearing Li Shangjue's explanation, Zhantai Ling also paled in shock.

So that was how it was.

This Lin Tian...

Her beautiful eyes turned toward Lin Tian's name, actually holding a hint of envy.

"No, I've come to Sword Capital to teach this time, but in a few days, I must return to the sect and tell my junior martial uncle about this."

Li Shangjue clenched his fists and murmured.

Deep in the still of night.

Someone's soul left his body, and he roamed freely above the nine heavens.

White light pulsed around him, surging flames of radiance winding about his body.

Countless principles and laws transformed into profound runes, surrounding him to form a great bell.

He surveyed the entire world.

In his eyes.

The mountains and rivers formed the nine palaces, and heaven and earth formed the game board.

The blazing sun marked the central point, while the bright moon and celestial river marked the star points.

People were the pieces, playing against the years.

Across the game board of the world, several glowing pieces appeared.

Each of these glowing pieces was a cultivator.

"Hmm?"

He looked toward a certain place, into a courtyard.

At a woman slowly eating demonic pork in small bites.

"Interesting."

He chuckled and waved one hand.

A streak of light shot from his hand, flying toward that woman.

Then the white light dispersed, and he vanished into the night sky.

Meanwhile.

A hundred li from Blood Town.

Space twisted.

An incomparably lovely figure stood in midair.

It was none other than Mu Yanwan, the holy maiden of the Joyous Immortal Sect.

She stood in the air, her white robes fluttering.

Her beautiful eyes watched the white light approaching from the horizon, and she extended a slender hand.

Sharp sword light instantly shot forth.

It stabbed toward that white light.

Formation after formation rose into existence behind Mu Yanwan's delicate frame.

They transformed into gales, ice, and raging flames, charging toward the white light.

A moment later, the white light collided with the moves Mu Yanwan had unleashed.

Boom!

An explosive rumble resounded.

Yet the white light only paused for a brief instant.

It instantly vanished from before Mu Yanwan, flying into the distance.

"I actually... still couldn't stop it."

Mu Yanwan murmured, her dark brows furrowing as a sheen of cold sweat seeped onto her forehead.

Then she chased after the white light.

After she had pursued it for a thousand li, the white light flying through the sky suddenly vanished, as though slipping into the void.

Mu Yanwan froze, staring blankly at the place where the white light had disappeared.

Only after a long time did a trace of bitterness surface on her face.

"It was actually an Extreme Realm Mask. Just who controls the Extreme Realm?"

Beneath the moonlight, a thin veil of silvery white lay over Mu Yanwan's delicate frame.

It gave an impression of flawlessness and solitude.

"According to the information I investigated, Lin Tian should have disappeared somewhere around here."

"But why isn't there the slightest trace?"

"He concealed his abilities for over a decade, then erupted with a single move and actually entered the Azure Sword Ranking. Could his innate Dao Body have awakened?"

Meanwhile.

In the courtyard, Lin Tian stepped out of his room after changing clothes.

"Young Master Lin, just put the bloodstained clothes in the basin. I'll wash them in a little while."

Ling Qiuzi spoke to Lin Tian with a lovely smile.

Lin Tian nodded and was just about to walk toward the stone table.

Buzz!

The Heavenly Sword abruptly trembled, and Lin Tian sensed something and looked toward the sky.

There was nothing there.

Yet he vaguely felt as though something was shooting toward them.

"Ow!"

Ling Qiuzi gave a soft cry and held her head, as though something had struck her.

"Big sister, what's wrong?"

Qingcheng put down the pork in her hands and asked with concern.

Lin Tian frowned, looking at Ling Qiuzi.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she raised her head, looking utterly bewildered at something in her hand.

"Lord Lin, this thing suddenly fell from the sky."

Ling Qiuzi held something in her slender, fair hand as she spoke to Lin Tian.

"Big sister, there's nothing in your hand."

Qingcheng's childish voice rang out as she looked curiously at Ling Qiuzi.

Lin Tian narrowed his eyes slightly. In his eyes, there was nothing in Ling Qiuzi's hand.

But that was certainly not the case.

Lin Tian and the Heavenly Sword were connected in mind and spirit.

The Heavenly Sword had indeed sensed something, right there in Ling Qiuzi's hand.

"Give it to me."

Lin Tian spoke, extending his left hand.

"All right."

Ling Qiuzi nodded and passed the thing in her hand to Lin Tian.

Lin Tian took it, and the sensation against his hand told him.

There was indeed an object.

To the touch, it seemed to be a mask.

"Big brother, big sister, what are you doing?"

Qingcheng widened her eyes and asked, her face full of confusion.

Just as Lin Tian was about to speak, Ling Qiuzi said:

"This mask is so strange. It's completely white, without a single image on it."

Ling Qiuzi instinctively assumed that Lin Tian could see it.

So it really was a mask.

Lin Tian's heart tightened.

Neither he nor Qingcheng could see it.

Only Ling Qiuzi could see it, and the mask had come straight for her.

No matter what, he must have taken something that belonged to Ling Qiuzi.

"Give it to me, and I'll compete for this month's subsidiary pill for you."

Lin Tian spoke quietly.

A trace of delight visibly appeared on Ling Qiuzi's face.

"Thank you, Young Master Lin. It's just..."

Ling Qiuzi looked at Qingcheng beside her, who wore a bewildered expression. Complicated feelings and difficulty flickered in her beautiful eyes.

Lin Tian was very strong.

But ultimately, he was only in the Body Opening Realm.

She needed a subsidiary pill herself, and seizing even one extra would already be very difficult.

If Qingcheng was added to that, then...

But Qingcheng was still so young.

For a moment, Ling Qiuzi's eyes were filled with despair and desolation.

She recalled Li Musheng, who had single-handedly brought her to her present plight.

Ling Qiuzi clenched her teeth, her delicate frame trembling slightly.

Lin Tian glanced at Qingcheng and Ling Qiuzi, then continued:

"If circumstances permit, I'll seize a few more."

Ling Qiuzi looked up, pressing her rosy lips together, her eyes filled with gratitude.

She hurriedly tugged at Qingcheng and said:

"Quick, thank Young Master Lin."

Qingcheng was still holding meat, grease smeared around her mouth, her large eyes blinking.

Though she did not understand the situation, she still said to Lin Tian:

"Thank you, big brother."

Lin Tian glanced at Qingcheng and Ling Qiuzi without saying anything, then went ahead and began eating.

"Sister, big brother is ignoring me."

Qingcheng complained aggrievedly, and Ling Qiuzi stroked her head with a soft laugh.