Bei Xinghan's eyes were exceptionally bright.
He knew his sword strike might be a futile struggle, but he had no regrets.
To hear the truth in the morning and die in the evening would be enough.
Though he held the Frost Sword in his hand, he could no longer feel its presence, for the Frost Sword was like a part of his body, an extension of himself.
He believed he had attained enlightenment, and therefore, faced death without regret.
No, there was still one regret...
He had not yet personally told that person of his decision, but it seemed there was no longer any opportunity.
Bei Xinghan watched as the sword energy formed from demonic mist shattered the sword energy he had unleashed, then turned to strike him.
He wanted to raise his hand, to fight until the last moment.
However, all the spiritual energy in his body had been drained by that single sword strike; he didn't even have the strength to lift his sword.
He could only lift his gaze to watch Xiong Zhuangzhuang, Yu Xiaoyu, Hong Jing, and Bai Shan unleash their divine abilities one by one, trying to save him, yet powerless to turn the tide due to the disparity in their cultivation.
"Junior Brother Bei has a distinguished appearance and exceptional talent, making him very suited for me. If Junior Brother Bei also thinks as I do, I will report to our teacher tomorrow and ask her to officiate our marriage."
Xue Qi's words from that day suddenly echoed in Bei Xinghan's ears. A faint smile flickered in his eyes, and he slowly closed them.
"Bei Xinghan!"
Xiong Zhuangzhuang's eyes widened in disbelief. He knelt on the ground, roaring in anger.
Yu Xiaoyu's eyes reddened, hating his own inability to intervene.
From afar.
Ji Buwang's expression changed drastically, his figure almost becoming an afterimage.
However, the black sword energy was already above Bei Xinghan's head, about to descend—clang!
Bei Xinghan's eyes snapped open, and he stared in shock at the icy, merciless, yet overwhelmingly powerful sword energy erupting from within him.
Bei Xinghan exclaimed, "Dad..."
This was his father, Bei Canghai's, Ruthless Sword Qi.
Ji Buwang, who was speeding towards them,'s eyes flickered, and a peculiar smile appeared on his face.
So True Monarch Canghai had left a final trump card.
If Bei Xinghan and the others were invigorated, then the three demon lords, led by the Succubus, were terrified, their scalps tingling and their backs growing cold from the sudden sword energy.
Buzz buzz buzz!
The howling of the vast sword energy almost dispelled all the demonic energy in the sky, sweeping towards the three demon lords with an unstoppable momentum.
"This, this is the sword energy of a tribulation-crossing sword cultivator!" Wu Bang exclaimed in terror, summoning his magical artifact and frantically resisting.
Bang bang bang!
After a few strikes of sword energy, the magical artifact was already shapeless.
He glanced at the still countless, densely packed sword energy, then turned and fled.
If he didn't run now, he feared he would be riddled with holes by this sword energy.
As he turned, he noticed a dark shadow appear beside him.
It was Mo Xin.
The two demons exchanged a look, said nothing, and only focused on escaping forward.
"Wu Bang! Mo Xin!"
The Succubus was furious, but she could not escape as smoothly as the other two demon lords.
Perhaps because she was the one who attacked Bei Xinghan, all the sword energy was directed at her, like a stubborn stain that couldn't be shaken off.
In the end, she had to sever an arm and use the demon race's blood-burning technique to narrowly escape.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xiong Zhuangzhuang and the others looked at the ravaged surroundings and felt fortunate. The sword energy seemed to possess a degree of consciousness and did not attack them; otherwise, they might have died at the hands of their own people instead of the demons.
"Bei Xinghan, you had a backup plan, why didn't you say so earlier? You scared me to death!"
Bai Shan sat down on the ground with a thump and complained loudly. However, after saying a few words, he realized his awkward position and sheepishly fell silent.
Bei Xinghan surveyed the area, reaching out to sense the dissipating sword energy in the air, his expression a mix of sorrow and joy.
So his father hadn't completely abandoned him.
But when and how had his father implanted the sword energy within him? He had no idea.
Although Hong Jing and the others didn't know what was happening, seeing Bei Xinghan's strange expression, they didn't press for details, giving him a quiet environment.
When Ji Buwang arrived and saw the five people, all intact, he couldn't help but sigh with relief.
"This place is not safe to linger. Let's leave."
"Okay!"
Before leaving, Bei Xinghan glanced back at the place one last time, imprinting the destruction caused by the sword energy in his mind, before turning to leave with the others.
...
"You were ambushed?"
Xu Yi was sitting in a newly dug stone cave, studying a boundary-breaking talisman that could allow passage in and out of Zhuzhou.
Seeing the disheveled group entering the cave, she immediately put down the boundary-breaking talisman in her hand, asking with concern while stepping forward to check on their injuries.
Among the six, Xiong Zhuangzhuang and Bei Xinghan were more severely injured, Ji Buwang was unharmed, while Yu Xiaoyu, Bai Shan, and Hong Jing had sustained minor injuries.
Xu Yi handed Bai Shan a pill. Bai Shan took it and quietly said thank you.
Xu Yi:!
"Bai Shan, what's wrong with you? Did you hit your head? Don't scare me."
Xu Yi stared at Bai Shan's head, examining it up and down, trying to find a wound.
Bai Shan: ...
"My head is fine."
Bai Shan retorted loudly, then lowered his head guiltily.
Seeing this, Xu Yi raised an eyebrow but didn't expose him. Instead, she first tended to everyone else's injuries.
After all wounds were bandaged and medicine was administered, Xiong Zhuangzhuang and Yu Xiaoyu turned to Bai Shan with solemn expressions.
Their gazes were so sharp that Bai Shan dared not look up.
"Bai Shan, aren't you going to explain?" Xiong Zhuangzhuang clenched his fists, baring his teeth, as if intending to force Bai Shan into submission with his might.
However, his face was covered in wounds, and his head was even wrapped in bandages. This action not only failed to intimidate Bai Shan but almost made Bai Shan laugh.
"What am I supposed to say?" Bai Shan mumbled, head bowed, resolved to deny everything.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang chuckled, "Heh, you fellow, you've been exposed by the demons, and you still want to hide it from us. Xu Yi, let me tell you, Bai Shan is actually..."
"A demon, right?" Xu Yi interjected first.
Xiong Zhuangzhuang, Yu Xiaoyu, Bai Shan:!
"You, you know, you knew?" Bai Shan's tongue almost got twisted into a knot.
Xu Yi smiled helplessly, "You had too many flaws, you could only fool Xiong Zhuangzhuang and Yu Xiaoyu."
Bai Shan blinked in surprise, then understood the hidden meaning in Xu Yi's words and turned to look at Ji Buwang and the others.
As expected, Ji Buwang and the others showed no surprise on their faces; instead, they looked as if it were a matter of course.
"Fine, so, so you were all in league to trick me."
Bai Shan's face turned red with anger. He had been constantly on edge, fearing they would discover his secret, only to find out they had known all along and had been mocking him.
"What, are you allowed to deceive me, but we're not allowed to deceive you?" Xu Yi asked with a smile.
"Hmph!"
Bai Shan crossed his arms, huffing in anger, returning to his usual demeanor.
"Alright, since you're exposed anyway, why don't you tell us your purpose?"
Upon hearing Xu Yi's words, Bai Shan looked at her incredulously, "Xu Yi, do you really think I'm an idiot? How could I possibly tell you my purpose!"
She was really trying to fool him!
"You really aren't going to say? If you don't, I'll have Lu Zaiye question you."
"You think I... I'm afraid of him." Bai Shan's voice grew smaller and smaller under Ji Buwang's gaze.
Alright, he was a little afraid of Lu Zaiye, just a little.