“Hand over the Ice Dragon Sword, kid!” the tall man barked sharply.
“Better move fast. A treasure like that will bring you nothing but death. An innocent man’s only crime is his wealth—surely you understand?” the short man added with a smirk. “I don’t care who you are or why you drew that sword. Don’t make a move. Hand over the precious-grade treasure, and we’ll overlook your insolence.”
“Hee hee, you heard him, peasant. If you offer up that sword, I’ll graciously let you be my lackey. Your family can even enjoy the Sword King Sect’s protection!” the woman giggled.
“Hurry up! Or do we have to kill you and wipe out your whole family to make you obey?” the tall man said coldly. “My junior sister is the granddaughter of a Sword King Sect elder. Being her servant is a blessing you couldn’t earn in eight lifetimes. No need to kowtow—just hand it over and run to Tianfeng City to check on things there.”
To these three Sword King Sect disciples, even Wan Ben was a mere ant.
Ling Xiao, presumably Wan Ben’s lackey, was less than nothing.
Their words dripped with superiority, heedless of the thoughts of the man before them.
Perhaps they simply didn’t care.
Who bothers with an ant they could crush underfoot?
In their minds, the Sword King Sect’s name alone would paralyze secular martial artists with fear.
Moreover, as Mortal Realm second-level experts, they were gods in the secular world.
“Heh, so arrogant. Are all Twelve Sect disciples this reckless? Aren’t you afraid of kicking an iron plate?” Ling Xiao said with a faint smile. “Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll oblige.”
These fools let him hold the Ice Dragon Sword without a hint of caution.
What was that if not begging for death?
With a step, Ling Xiao thrust the Ice Dragon Sword forward.
A head hit the ground.
“So, Sword King Sect disciples’ heads aren’t as tough as I imagined. What makes you so superior?”
“You killed my senior brother!” the female disciple shrieked.
Ling Xiao had slain the tall man, a Mortal Realm second-level early-stage cultivator, with a surprise attack, not even using a martial technique—just one sword strike.
“Yes, and I’ll kill you too!”
Ling Xiao flicked his sword and lunged again.
But this time, it wasn’t so easy.
Mortal Realm second-level cultivators weren’t pushovers. To kill them instantly, he’d need to rely on surprise.
“Don’t panic, junior sister. I’ll kill him to avenge senior brother!”
The short man, the strongest of the trio at peak Mortal Realm second level, was no easy foe.
Wielding two broken swords, he exuded a savage aura and met Ling Xiao’s Ice Dragon Sword.
“I don’t care who you are. For killing a Sword King Sect disciple, I’ll tear you to pieces and eradicate your family!”
Clang!
One broken sword blocked Ling Xiao’s strike, while the other darted like a venomous snake, its blade glinting.
A freezing sound, like flowing water solidifying, filled the air.
In an instant, bone-chilling cold enveloped the secret chamber.
Sword King Sect’s precious-grade gold martial art—Frost Sword Technique.
Three-Foot Freeze!
Ling Xiao could tell this Frost Sword Technique was on par with the Blazing Sword Technique he’d faced earlier.
But in this man’s hands, its power was clearly greater.
The broken sword’s thrust evoked the illusion of winter’s arrival, sealing the world in ice and snow.
The strike was fierce, instantly piercing Ling Xiao’s protective true essence, like an icy serpent aiming to pierce his throat.
“A peak Mortal Realm second-level martial artist isn’t so easy to handle,” Ling Xiao thought, growing cautious.
This opponent wasn’t like the Mortal Realm first-level foes, and he was fully alert. Underestimating him could lead to the same fate as the tall man.
Instead of retreating, Ling Xiao drew his Snowfall Sword, blocking the short man’s sword beam.
In that moment, icy cold seeped through the Snowfall Sword into his body, infiltrating his meridians like a venomous snake slithering through his veins.
It was deeply uncomfortable.
“Die, ignorant peasant!”
The short man sneered coldly.
He saw Ling Xiao’s body freeze, as if turning into an icy statue.
In past battles, anyone in this state was as good as dead, with no chance of survival.
“Hee hee, senior brother, kill him, but don’t damage the precious-grade treasure!”
The junior sister seemed to have forgotten the tall man’s death, her face now alight with excitement.
She clearly viewed lives as worthless.
To her, Ling Xiao was already dead. She barely spared him a glance, her eyes fixed on the Ice Dragon Sword.
Ling Xiao didn’t counterattack because he noticed the icy sword qi was strangely compatible with his Golden Lotus True Essence, merging with it to enhance his cultivation and true essence quality.
This made him reluctant to end the fight.
But the short man, thinking Ling Xiao was dead, stopped channeling true essence and lifted a foot to shatter the “frozen” Ling Xiao.
What a pity.
Ling Xiao shook his head. He was just a hair’s breadth from breaking through to early Mortal Realm second level.
Boom!
As the short man’s foot swung, Ling Xiao gave a light shake, the ice around him vanishing as if melted by intense heat.
At the same time, he thrust the Ice Dragon Sword forward.
Pfft!
Caught off guard, the short man tried to dodge but was pierced through the heart, blood gushing as he faltered, clearly doomed.
Even Mortal Realm martial artists, without special defensive techniques, would die if their neck was severed or heart destroyed.
“Ah! How could you…”
The sudden turn left the short man stunned.
Only when he felt his life force draining rapidly, excruciating pain radiating from his heart, did he realize he’d been struck with a fatal blow.
“Junior sister, run!”
In his final moments, he understood that the man before them was no peasant or Wan Ben’s lackey.
This was a terrifying figure, capable of taking their lives at will.
He regretted not being more cautious, more careful!
