Wuxia: Become the 100-Victory Sword King at the Beginning

"Fate is fickle, and cause and effect follow each other." On the shore of the Sword Pool of Taihu Lake, a fierce battle had just ended, and blood mixed with the lake water, staining the scene with a sense of desolation.

Shi Feiyang stood there, blood dripping from his palms, his eyes as cold as ice.

In this battle, he displayed decisiveness and even ruthlessness, with a strong killing intent that seemed almost tangible, emanating from his body.

This overwhelming killing intent seemed to shatter the delicate balance of time and space, triggering a strange tremor in spacetime.

In an instant, the weather changed dramatically, and the once calm surface of Taihu Lake became turbulent.

A mysterious and profound time tunnel suddenly appeared, emitting a cold, eerie light, as if it wanted to devour everything in the world.

Shi Feiyang was caught off guard and was instantly engulfed. He felt dizzy and his vision blurred as the light flickered before his eyes.

When Shi Feiyang regained consciousness, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar place.

The surrounding buildings were ancient and solemn, with flying eaves, carved beams and painted rafters, exuding a simple and grand atmosphere. The people coming and going dressed in a style very different from the world he knew. The men all wore long braids, and their mannerisms and expressions were quite different from what he had seen before.

Shi Feiyang was terrified. He realized with a start that he had actually arrived in the Qing Dynasty.

This sudden change was like a strange arrangement of fate, plunging Shi Feiyang into deep confusion about his own existence and destiny.

He gazed at the unfamiliar surroundings and murmured to himself, "Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?" His voice was low and filled with confusion and bitterness, echoing through the unfamiliar streets and alleys.

At this moment, Shi Feiyang urgently needs to find answers in this unfamiliar era.

In early spring, Taihu Lake unfolds like a delicate ink painting, slowly spreading across the land.

The lake surface shimmered, like countless tiny silver flakes dancing and sparkling in the warm sunlight, radiating a captivating glow.

A gentle breeze stirred the lake, creating delicate ripples that resembled soft fingers plucking invisible strings, producing melodious sounds.

On the riverbank, tender green willow branches droop low, swaying gently in the wind, like a shy maiden dancing gracefully in the breeze.

Occasionally, a few clear bird songs drift through the willow branches, some melodious and gentle, others cheerful and lively.

The birds hopped merrily on the branches or soared freely in the air, adding a touch of life to this tranquil scene.

In the distance, the mountains surround the lake, their peaks rising one after another, like a series of emerald green barriers, quietly guarding this beautiful lake.

At the foot of the mountain, peach blossoms are in full bloom, their delicate pink petals drifting gently in the breeze like pink snowflakes, draping the earth in a romantic veil. The air is filled with a faint fragrance that is intoxicating.

Filled with doubt and fear, Shi Feiyang ran to the lakeside without thinking. When he looked at his reflection in the lake, he couldn't help but gasp.

The reflection in the water showed a disheveled, filthy face with messy, snow-white hair and wrinkled, loose skin that looked as if it could trap a mosquito.

He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his mind screaming, "What's going on? This? Is this me? How could this be Shi Feiyang, the handsome, aloof, and world-renowned leader of the Xiong Ying Society, with his flawless, jade-like skin?"

He clutched his hair tightly with both hands, his expression pained and confused.

Shi Feiyang trembled as he reached out to touch his face in the water, his knuckles bony like withered branches, and a whimper like that of a trapped beast escaped his throat: "This... how could this be me? How could this be?" Suddenly, the silence was broken by the long cry of an owl, and the sound of a folding fan lightly tapping on bamboo ribs came from behind him.

"Ejido, His Majesty sent you on a special mission. Did you complete it?" A middle-aged man in a gray robe walked over, his soft voice tinged with mockery. The four characters "Sleeve Universe" on his fan gleamed with an inky light under the moonlight. "If you didn't complete the mission, do you know the punishment from our Sticky Pole Office?" The night in Jiangnan was as thick as ink that couldn't be dissolved. The pile of decaying leaves by the cold pool gleamed with a bluish-gray light under the moonlight.

Shi Feiyang staggered backward, his back hitting the cold stone wall, and his palm touched the wet and sticky moss.

Chen Feng, from the opposite bank, slowly approached, fanning himself with a folding fan. The four characters "Sleeve Universe" on the fan flickered in the moonlight. A golden whip coiled around his wrist like a snake, its poisoned barbs gleaming with a faint blue light.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Shi Feiyang asked in a hoarse voice, his withered fingers gripping two pebbles tightly.

He could feel the emptiness in his dantian; the Mingyu Gong, which used to flow like a river, could not even stir a ripple at this moment.

Shi Feiyang, who had never experienced fear in his previous life, was now terrified. Not only was he now old and ugly, but all his internal energy had been destroyed due to the spatial tremors. Compared to his last time traveling to Liaodong, this time was a thousand times worse.

Chen Feng tapped his folding fan lightly, the bamboo ribs drawing a cold arc in the night: "Ejido, are you really crazy?"

Before he finished speaking, the folding fan suddenly deformed, and three fan ribs sprang out like a judge's pen, aiming straight for Shi Feiyang's acupoint.

This "Heavenly Gang Acupoint Strike" is as fast as lightning; it is a secret killing move passed down by the Sticky Pole Office.

Shi Feiyang's pupils contracted sharply as memories flooded back.

During the autumn hunt in the third year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, he hid among the pine branches and used a crossbow to pierce the throat of an assassin; on a cold night in December, amidst the blood mist on the banks of the Qinhuai River, a poisoned silver needle precisely pierced the fatal acupoint of a third-rank official of the imperial court... These scenes were both strange and familiar, yet completely incompatible with his identity as the leader of the Xiong Ying Society in his memory.

At the critical moment, Shi Feiyang inexplicably swung his left palm.

The dragon pagoda ring on his middle finger suddenly burst forth with golden light, and a surge of heat rushed from his dantian to the Baihui point.

The supreme bloodline, the medicinal power of Xu Fu's elixir, and the divine power of the Sacred Heart Technique and the Kunlun Heart-Questioning Technique suddenly awakened in his meridians, and his muscle memory was completely awakened—it was the "Severing the Edge of the Sky" move of the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique"!
The air crackled with a deafening bang as a golden blade of energy, carrying an aura of decay, burst forth.

Chen Feng's expression changed drastically. In a haste, he swung his whip to block, but the golden silk whip shattered inch by inch in the face of the sword energy.

The immense impact sent him flying, his right arm twisting at an odd angle before crashing heavily onto the bluestone slab.

Fresh blood meandered along the cracks in the stone slabs, gleaming with a dark red luster under the moonlight.

"You...you've clearly been crippled!" Chen Feng's eyes widened in horror as he struggled to get up, only to find that his right arm was completely numb. He stared at the faintly visible icy blue true energy in Shi Feiyang's palm, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

Shi Feiyang himself was stunned.

That wisp of icy blue true energy vanished in an instant, yet it stirred up a thousand waves in the meridians.

Just then, a mechanical voice sounded in his mind: "The host has recovered one-tenth of the power of Mingyu Gong! From now on, for every high-level martial artist you kill, you will recover one-tenth of your power and one-tenth of your appearance. After killing ten despicable and shameless people, you can restore the highest level of Mingyu Gong, the Eighteen Levels of Hell of Wuji Shura, which you originally cultivated! You will also restore your chivalrous spirit and handsome appearance when you were eighteen years old and had mastered Mingyu Gong."

The stench of blood grew stronger by the cold pool.

Chen Feng struggled to get up, but Shi Feiyang had already slowly approached.

Under the moonlight, his skin began to glow faintly; though still aged, it subtly revealed a hint of his former glory.

"Chen Feng," Shi Feiyang's voice was as cold as iron, "tell me, why have I become like this?"

Chen Feng suddenly grinned maliciously: "You think you can turn the world upside down just because you've recovered a little bit of your power? The net of heaven and earth at the Sticky Pole is not something you can escape!" Before he finished speaking, he suddenly bit his tongue, spat out a mouthful of black blood, and pounced like a madman.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly. Although he only had 10% of his power, when he activated the Mingyu Gong, the Divine Dragon Pagoda on the ring on his left middle finger emitted a golden light. Under the blessing of the Divine Dragon Pagoda, a chill ran through his body.

Fortunately, the Divine Dragon Pagoda is still there, the system is still there, and the cheat system is still there.

When Chen Feng's attack reached three feet in front of Shi Feiyang, it was suddenly pulled by an invisible suction force.

Shi Feiyang instinctively unleashed the "Demon-Slaying Cloud" technique from the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" with both palms. Golden blade energy crisscrossed, turning withered leaves to dust and cracking bluestone like spiderwebs wherever it went. Chen Feng let out a shrill scream as his arm and leg were severed in the blade energy.

The cold pool reflected Shi Feiyang's gradually straightening figure. He gazed at his hands, now regaining their luster, his eyes filled with both surprise and determination. The sound of horses' hooves approached in the distance; he knew the pursuers from the Sticky Pole Bureau had arrived. And he, Shi Feiyang, was finally about to rediscover his true self.

"Stop!" A sharp sound rang out as thirteen black figures landed like ghosts, bringing with them a chilling gust of wind.

The gray-clad leader's blood-dripping dart gleamed coldly at his waist, and the five seal characters "Shangyu Beiyong Chu" on the jade plaque at his waist shimmered with an icy sheen under the moonlight. These five characters were the official name of the Sticky Rod Office.

He stared at Shi Feiyang's slightly trembling hands, a look of surprise and doubt flashing in his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Ejido, are you crazy? What is the punishment for injuring a colleague?" Shi Feiyang clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The pool reflected the faces concealing murderous intent, while the distant watchman's clapper sounded "tap tap," but it could not break the thick, inky killing intent.

Shi Feiyang suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter. The laughter was sharp and manic, startling the night herons in the reeds, who flapped their wings and flew away in a panic.

His hoarse voice carried a hint of madness: "What a mess! Today I'll show you whether Ejido is dead or alive! Tell me! Why did you cripple my martial arts? Is the failure of the mission my personal responsibility?"

Actually, there was a person who looked like the now very old Shi Feiyang, so at this time Shi Feiyang was mistaken for another person: Ejido.

But what surprised Shi Feiyang even more was why he had Ejido's memories in his mind? Now it seemed that he had clearly transmigrated with his original body.

Even though he couldn't understand it, he instinctively used the Mingyu Skill and the Hundred Victories Blade Technique to fight back; survival was the priority. With the blessing of the Divine Dragon Pagoda, the remaining true energy of the Mingyu Skill exploded in his dantian, and a faint halo emanated from Shi Feiyang's body. His aged face gradually relaxed as the true energy circulated, his wrinkles slowly disappeared, and his skin gradually tightened.

He unleashed the "Demon-Slaying Cloud" technique from his palms, golden blade energy crisscrossing and scattering, instantly turning withered leaves to dust and spreading cracks like a spiderweb across the bluestone. The gray-clad man hastily conjured a blood-dripping guillotine, a leather pouch containing several sharp blades, controlled by a mechanism. When used, it could be placed over an enemy's head when they were off guard, and by activating the mechanism, it could decapitate them from a hundred paces away, striking fear into the hearts of all.

However, Shi Feiyang's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and he cleverly used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" skill, his palms instinctively swinging rapidly, one floating and one leading.

The black iron flying blade disintegrated inch by inch amidst the sword energy.

Now, although his skills were lacking, with the blessing of the Divine Dragon Pagoda on the ring on his left middle finger, the sharp serrations went out of control and turned back, slicing open the gray-clothed man's own throat, and blood gushed out like a spring.

The gray-clad man stared wide-eyed at Shi Feiyang in disbelief before slowly collapsing to the ground. The other twelve assassins were terrified. One of them brandished his willow-leaf dagger, unleashing the "Eighteen Turns of Yan Qing," the blade flashing with the agility of a swallow.

Another person swung out a nine-section steel whip, using the "Poison Dragon Drills the Heart" technique. The steel whip whistled through the air, like a poisonous dragon emerging from its cave.

In an instant, the system's mechanical voice announced in his ear: "The host has recovered 20% of the power of the Bright Jade Skill and 20% of his appearance!"

Shi Feiyang touched the ground with his toes, his figure moving like a ghost amidst the flashing blades and whips.

The "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" unleashes a series of deadly moves, including "Viewing the Vast Ocean," "Severing the Edge of the Sky," "Slaying the Mortal World," "Breaking the Universe," "Sweeping Away the Demon Clouds," and "Burning Heaven and Earth." These simple blade techniques are imbued with a domineering and fierce killing intent, and the blade energy crisscrosses, leaving blood and flesh flying wherever it goes.

One assassin after another was unable to dodge in time, and was pierced by the blade's energy, screaming as they flew backward and crashed into the stone tablet by the pool.

The last assassin knelt and begged for mercy, his eyes filled with fear. But Shi Feiyang showed no mercy, knowing that letting a tiger return to the mountain would bring endless trouble! So he smashed the top of the assassin's head with a single palm strike, and his brains mixed with blood splattered on the stone tablet by the pool, staining the four characters "Autumn Moon over the Cold Pool" crimson.

The handwriting looked particularly gruesome against the backdrop of blood.

The pool reflected Shi Feiyang's face at this moment. Although he had lost most of his vicissitudes, the traces left by the years could still be seen.

He gazed at the face reflected in the lake, a face that seemed neither old nor young. His withered fingers trembled as he ran his hand over his cheek, touching the still-loose skin. A surge of indescribable pain welled up in his heart. Moonlight shone on him, making his glassy skin glow faintly, a stark contrast to the surrounding darkness, yet it could not illuminate the deep sorrow in his eyes.

"Tingting, Qiuchun, Xiangyu, Xueli, Wanqing, Yili, Baizhi, Simeng, Guihua, Meizhen, Mutong, Shiying, Xiaodie, Hongye, Xueer, where are you...where are you? I love you, I miss you!" His voice was hoarse and choked with sobs. Every name he uttered felt like tearing out his own heart and cutting his own flesh.

Those women who had once shared life and death with him, whose love was deep and whose beauty was like that of an angel, now have no idea where their souls have gone.

Nearly two hundred years have passed, enough time for the sea to turn into mulberry fields and for black hair to turn white, yet Shi Feiyang survived alone. All his beloved ones must have departed one by one. Oh no! Liu Tingting, who has already become an immortal, must still be alive, still in the Heavenly Palace.

"Tianyu, my son!" Shi Feiyang suddenly knelt by the lake, his aged knees slamming heavily onto the bluestone slab with a dull thud. He gazed at his reflection in the water, as if he were seeing the son he had never met.

"I haven't even seen you yet!" Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, dripping into the pool and creating ripples, but they couldn't wash away the regret and remorse in his heart. "Tingting, didn't you become an immortal? Aren't you the Night Maiden Jellyfish?" He looked up at the night sky, as if he could pierce through the endless darkness and see Liu Tingting's figure. "Could you bring my son, Shi Tianyu, to me? Let me see him, just once... please?"

His voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a whisper, which sounded particularly desolate in the quiet night.

A cold wind blew by, ruffling his disheveled white hair, but Shi Feiyang was completely unaware.

He recalled the sweet vows he made with Mu Tong amidst the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake, the tender moments he shared with Yi Li in the water towns of Jiangnan, and the beautiful times he had spent with each of his lovers. But now, all of that had vanished like bubbles, leaving him alone to bear this century of solitude.

In the distance came the sound of the night watchman's clapper, one sound after another, as if accompanying his sorrow.

Shi Feiyang slowly stood up, looking in the direction Chen Feng had fled. His eyes held not only a cold killing intent but also a deep weariness.

He was already tired of these long years, but fate insisted on letting him live on, making him suffer the pain of a parent outliving their child.

“Just you wait,” he clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, “I will find out the truth, even if I have to travel to the ends of the earth, I will find your whereabouts…” Before he could finish speaking, a violent cough struck him, and he bent over, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, staining the bluestone slab red, and also staining his broken heart red.

Shi Feiyang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck.

Three bone-piercing nails, enveloped in a bluish-green poisonous mist, hurtled through the air; they were none other than the "Three Yin Soul-Chasing Nails," a unique hidden weapon of the Sticky Pole Division. He spun around to dodge, his glassy skin crackling with ice patterns, only then realizing with shock that more than ten black-clad assassins were lurking in the reeds by the pool.

The leader wore a bronze demon mask and had a chain hammer engraved with Sanskrit hanging from his waist; he was none other than the "Black Impermanence" messenger from the Sticky Rod Office.

"Ejido's crime of treason deserves the extermination of his entire clan!" the Deathbringer roared, his chain hammer sweeping across the room, the barbs on the hammer sending sparks flying for over ten feet. "However, considering your past merits, I will spare your life!"

Before the words were even finished, the assassins dispersed in a Big Dipper formation, their poisoned daggers gleaming eerily.

Shi Feiyang sneered, activating Mingyu Gong to its full potential, and the chill around him materialized.

The "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" unleashed its "Severing the Edge of Heaven" strike, unleashing five golden blade energies that surged like a reversed Milky Way, shattering the poisoned dagger into dust.

Suddenly, the chain hammer of the Soul Reaper grew three zhang (approximately 10 meters) in size, and the Sanskrit characters on the chain burst forth with bloody light, revealing it to be the "Brahma Soul Locking Array"!
Shi Feiyang felt his breath catch in his throat, as if his inner energy was being gripped by an invisible hand.

The Sanskrit characters on the chain hammer burst forth with dazzling blood light, and Shi Feiyang's meridians felt as if they were being devoured by thousands of ants. His icy blue true energy, which had been circulating at half its power in the Mingyu Gong, was stagnating inch by inch under the strange incantation.

At the critical moment, with the blessing of the Divine Dragon Pagoda on the middle finger ring of his left hand, the yellow silk in his bosom suddenly trembled violently as if it were alive. The eight large characters of the vermilion imperial edict on Yongzheng's secret decree, "Seeing this is as if I am here in person," rose with golden light, just like a real dragon emerging from the abyss.

"Break!" Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Welcoming Pine Tree" move from the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" with both palms. The golden blade energy, carrying golden light, shattered the Brahma Soul-Locking Array.

The Deathbringer let out a horrific scream, and the bronze mask shattered as if struck by lightning, revealing half of a face scorched by flames—the twisted scars and the remaining phoenix eyes were none other than Xiang Kun, the "Iron Flute Scholar" from the Xiong Ying Society more than a hundred years ago!
“Brother Xiang…” Shi Feiyang’s voice stopped abruptly.

Memories surged like a burst dam: amidst the towering flames of Sword Island on Taihu Lake, Shi Feiyang shattered the magma sword demon with his ultimate technique, "Severing Reincarnation," while Xie Zhichuan's screams mingled with Mu Tong's cries and the shouts of the Xiong Ying heroes; in the instant the vortex of time and space tore the heavens and earth apart. And what he saw last was Xiang Kun's hand desperately reaching out to him…

Suddenly, the surface of the cold pool boiled and surged, and nine red-chained snakes burst out of the water, their forked tongues flicking as purple mist filled the air.

Shi Feiyang activated the Mingyu Gong, and in an instant, an area of ​​ten zhang in radius was transformed into an ice field.

Amidst the crisp crack of the red-chained snake turning into an icicle, a silvery laugh echoed from beneath the ice: "Lord Ejido, can your Mingyu Skill withstand my 'Soul-Seizing Demonic Sound'?" A woman in red gauze slowly walked across the ice, the melody played on her jade flute like a venomous snake piercing the ear.

Shi Feiyang felt a throbbing sensation in his temples, and fine cracks appeared on his smooth skin.

The jade flute suddenly transformed into a soft sword and thrust forward. The three characters "Blood Droplet" on the sword blade gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light. It was none other than the "Soul-Hooking Sword," the sect's most prized treasure, from the Sticky Rod Sect!
In the distance, the sound of horses' hooves thundered, and torches dyed the night sky blood red.

Shi Feiyang stared at the venom in Xiang Kun's eyes, the sinister smile on the red-veiled woman's lips, and seemed to glimpse the fading golden light on the secret edict. He felt the world spin. The tender moments he shared with Mu Tong in Cangshan more than a hundred years ago, the fervent loyalty of his brothers in the Xiong Ying Society, and the flashing blades of the Blood Droplet assassins before him overlapped and intertwined. "No—" Shi Feiyang cried out, clutching his head in excruciating pain, a tearing agony shooting through his temples.

The long-buried memories cut open the scars like a sharp blade. Just as the red-veiled woman's soft sword was less than half an inch from his throat, Shi Feiyang suddenly raised his hand to block. The dragon pagoda on the ring on his left middle finger suddenly emitted a golden light.

The woman in the red veil suddenly exploded with a bang, turning into ashes.

Shi Feiyang also fell backward.

As the icy pool water filled his mouth and nose, he vaguely saw Mu Tong reaching out to him from the clouds, and he also saw Xiang Kun playing the flute when he was young.

Shi Feiyang slowly sank into the water, while the shouts of battle on the shore gradually transformed into the sound of waves from Taihu Sword Island two hundred years ago.

Fine rain, like silk threads, slanted across the vast, misty waves of Taihu Lake.

The lake surface rippled with delicate waves, like a light veil swaying in the breeze.

In the distance, the mountains rise one after another, shrouded in mist, like faint shadows in a traditional Chinese ink painting, hazy and mysterious.

Along the riverbank, weeping willows sway gently, their tender green branches appearing even more graceful in the rain, lightly brushing the water's surface and creating ripples.

Fishing boats on the lake appear and disappear in the rain, their lights flickering, creating a heartwarming scene.

Occasionally, one or two waterbirds skim across the lake, leaving behind a series of clear calls, adding a touch of life to the tranquil rainy night.

A rainy night on Taihu Lake is like a graceful poem, delicate and lingering.

When Shi Feiyang slowly awoke, he saw raindrops dancing on the dark blue lake surface, splashing up thousands of tiny jade fragments, in the dim light shining through the carved wooden window.

He felt a throbbing pain in his temples, as if his whole body had been pierced by countless steel needles, and the metallic taste in his throat had not yet dissipated. However, when he smelled the faint fragrance of orchids by his pillow, he vaguely thought that he had returned to Mu Tong's side on the top of Cangshan Mountain.

"Oh, you've finally decided to open your eyes?" A silvery laugh rang out from above, as clear and melodious as a mountain stream flowing in the early morning.

Shi Feiyang struggled to sit up and saw a young girl in a moon-white dress leaning against an embroidered couch.

Her dress was predominantly moon-white, with the hem swaying gently like the shimmering surface of a lake under the moonlight, giving her a fresh and refined look while also exuding the heroic spirit of a woman from the martial arts world.

A few jasmine flowers were tucked behind the girl's ear, trembling gently with her movements and emitting a faint fragrance that complemented her temperament perfectly.

Her hair was as black as ink, falling casually over her shoulders, with a few stray strands gently brushing her cheeks, adding to her gentle beauty.

She held a white jade bowl in her hands, the rice porridge inside still steaming and smelling delicious.

The girl's eyes were clear and bright, as if she could see into people's hearts, and her brows revealed an indomitable spirit.

This beautiful young woman exudes a heroic spirit between her brows, yet that spirit is cleverly blended with a touch of playfulness, like a flower just beginning to bloom in spring, carrying a hint of unintentional agility and liveliness.

A slight upturn of her lips revealed a playful smile, and her bright eyes gleamed with cunning.

She spoke, her voice clear and melodious, with a hint of barely perceptible teasing: "Seeing how resolute you were when you jumped into the lake, I wondered which heartless man had driven you to such desperation."

As she spoke, her eyes darted around gently, as if she were telling a trivial yet fascinating story.

Shi Feiyang gazed into the girl's bright almond-shaped eyes, his throat bobbing but unable to utter a word.

Memories, like shattered mirrors, are piecing together piece by piece as the throbbing pain in my temples reverberates—Xiang Kun's distorted face during the bloody battle at the cold pool, the soul-stealing sword thrust by the woman in red gauze, and the secret edict of Emperor Yongzheng sinking into the water.

He suddenly grabbed the girl's wrist and was surprised to find that her pulse was as steady as a mountain spring, indicating that she was a martial arts practitioner with superior internal strength.

Instead of being annoyed, the girl laughed, easily freeing herself from the restraints with a flick of her wrist: "The way you called out 'Ellie' and 'Mutong' in your dreams, sir, is even more infatuated than the romantic heroes in plays. Are these delicate names your granddaughters? Or…"

Before he finished speaking, Shi Feiyang had already sat up. His fair skin glowed faintly in the rain, but it couldn't hide the pain surging in his eyes.

Shi Feiyang was really uncomfortable being called "Grandpa".

However, judging by his age, he could indeed be considered the great-great-grandfather of the beautiful girl in front of him.

Hey! How did you suddenly become a grandfather?
Ah! Time is truly a cruel mistress!

Outside the window, the rain was fine and dense, like woven threads, gradually gathering into a trickle, rapidly pattering against the carved eaves of the painted boat.

The tinkling sound was like heavenly music, melodious and lingering.

At night, Taihu Lake is vast and misty, gently shrouded in a veil of rain and fog, making it appear even more hazy and mysterious.

The painted boats float leisurely on the lake, carrying endless poetry and reverie.

Inside the cabin, candlelight flickered, illuminating the antique furnishings, with every detail exuding elegance and charm.

On the lake, raindrops and water intertwine to create a series of beautiful scenes, shimmering and sparkling with crystal light.

The distant mountains appeared and disappeared in the rain, like a light ink painting, adding a touch of hazy beauty.

The painted boat moved slowly in the rain, as if shuttling through a series of flowing paintings. The rainy night was like a painting, and the painted boat was like a poem.

Every scene seems to be imbued with life, telling stories and legends from thousands of years ago.

The raindrops, like strings, created countless ripples on the surface of Taihu Lake.

Inside the vermilion-lacquered painted boat, the sandalwood incense burner emitted wisps of ambergris, which intertwined with the jasmine scent adorning the young girl's hair.

She leaned against the bamboo couch, her slender fingers supporting her rosy cheeks as she gazed at the bewildered Shi Feiyang. With a light touch of her nail polish, she carved a half-inch deep mark into the solid wood grain of the sandalwood table.

"Sir, look at you, you're full of murderous aura, like a demon who just crawled out of a battlefield." She parted her cherry lips slightly, her voice as clear as a nightingale's song, yet with a hint of teasing. "This porridge is all cold. I wonder, in your heart, is the white fish of Taihu Lake more delicious, or are those old stories more captivating?"

As he spoke, he placed the celadon bowl heavily on the table, the rim of the bowl making a crisp sound that startled the flame of the gilded candlestick on the table.

Shi Feiyang got up and walked to the carved window. Raindrops drifted in slantingly, soaking his moon-white undergarment.

The lake's surface was like a mirror, reflecting his face, which, though wrinkled, was becoming increasingly firm—appearing to be around sixty years old, a sign that Mingyu Gong had recovered to sixty percent. The reflection in the clear lake water gradually overlapped with the image of the boy under the moonlit Cangshan Mountain in his memory.

He suddenly chuckled, startling the egrets in the reeds. The fluttering of their wings broke the tranquility inside the painted boat.

“Young lady,” he said, his fingertips tracing the carved twin lotus blossoms on the window frame, the raised wood grain digging painfully into his palm, “some debts must be repaid with one’s life.” Before he finished speaking, the faint sound of horses’ hooves came from afar, growing louder as they approached, shattering the tranquility of the rain.

A cold glint flashed in Shi Feiyang's glassy eyes, the sound of a death knell unique to the sticky pole.

The beautiful young woman rose gracefully, her wide sleeves flowing like clouds. In the instant she brushed against the table, the celadon bowl shattered into pieces of jade scattered on the floor.

She walked barefoot on the cool blue bricks, each step like a lotus blossom. "Interesting, interesting!" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, as if she had discovered the most precious treasure in the world. "I want to see what kind of soul is hidden in this body full of mysteries."

She suddenly leaned close to Shi Feiyang's ear, her warm breath mingling with the scent of jasmine, brushing against his earlobe like a feather: "You always say in your dreams that you want to find your true self, but what if even you now are just a mirage?"

Before he could finish speaking, the pleasure boat suddenly shook violently, and the paper of the carved window frames was torn by the strong wind.

A dark figure burst out of the water, the blood-dripping weapon in his hand gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light, aimed straight for Shi Feiyang's back like a venomous snake's tongue!

Shi Feiyang spun around like a ghost, his icy blue true energy of Mingyu Gong instantly flowing throughout his body.

The beautiful girl remained calm and composed. With a light touch of her jade-like feet, she gracefully danced amidst the shattered jade fragments on the ground. As her wide sleeves fluttered, several silver needles shot out, aiming directly at the vital points on the dark figure's body: "Trying to kill someone on my pleasure boat? Have you asked my silver needles first?"

The shadowy figure roared and turned its blood-dripping weapon to attack the beautiful girl.

Shi Feiyang's heart tightened, and he unleashed the "Demon-Slaying Cloud" technique from the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" with both palms. Golden blade energy crisscrossed and collided with the cold light of the Blood Droplets. Sparks flew and wood chips flew everywhere inside the painted boat.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the beautiful girl lunged forward, her silver needles flying like shooting stars. The dark figure couldn't dodge in time, let out a muffled groan, and fell into a pool of blood.

"Thank you for saving my life, young lady." Shi Feiyang withdrew his palm and stood up, a strange light flashing in his glassy eyes.

The beautiful girl merely chuckled, picked up the half-broken porcelain bowl from the ground, and toyed with it in her hand: "What are you thanking me for? I just wanted to keep you around and slowly unravel the mysteries surrounding you."

She looked out the window. The rain had stopped sometime earlier, and a crescent moon climbed above the willow branches. "Speaking of which, the moonlight over Taihu Lake is quite nice. Why don't we admire the moon while we chat about your story? Hey, sir, how come you look so young again? Are you a master of disguise? Could you teach me your disguise techniques?" Before she could finish speaking, another flying dart struck Shi Feiyang on the back of the head.

The raindrops were like fine silver needles, and dark blue waves surged on the surface of Taihu Lake.

Hearing the sharp whooshing sound behind him, Shi Feiyang felt a chill run down his spine. The eerie blue light of the blood-dripping dart was like a venomous snake's tongue, just three inches from the back of his head, a split second before the girl suddenly spun around. Her wide sleeves flowed like clouds, and three bone-piercing nails, imbued with the fragrance of crimson nail polish, shot out and precisely pierced the wrists of the dark figures. The man in black groaned, his leather bag falling into the lake. Before the splashing water had even settled, seventeen dark figures were already rushing towards him, riding the broken waves.

"Ejido's crime of defection is unforgivable!" The purple-faced man leaped onto the painted boat, his nine-ringed goose-feather saber vibrating like muffled thunder. "By order of the Sticky Pole Office, I will take your dog's head!"

The sixteen men behind him spread out in the shape of the Big Dipper, their steel judge's pens gleaming with an eerie blue light, and the air was instantly filled with the stench of rotting flesh—it was the Imperial Guards' trump card, the "Heavenly Dipper Poison Array".

Shi Feiyang's glassy skin rippled with icy blue patterns, and the dragon pagoda ring on his left middle finger suddenly shone with golden light.

The pleasure boat rocked violently in the downpour, and the paper of the carved window frames fluttered loudly in the strong wind.

He swung his sword backhand and unleashed the "Hundred Victories Sword Technique: Severing the Horizon," a golden sword aura carrying a chilling force sweeping across the area. Where the sword light passed, the first guard who rushed forward was cleaved into four pieces, sword and all. Blood splattered like a fountain onto the painted window lattice of "Plum Blossom, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum," turning the elegant patterns into a hideous blood painting.

"What a lackey of the imperial court!" Shi Feiyang sneered, his bloodshot eyes bulging.

The purple-faced man roared and swung his sword, his "Splitting Three Waves" move creating a thousand layers of water curtain, and thirteen sword shadows pressed down like a raging storm.

Shi Feiyang lightly touched the carved railing with his toes, his figure transforming into a ghost as he weaved through the net of blades.

He unleashed a flurry of palm strikes, executing the ultimate move of the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique: Demon-Slaying Cloud." Nine golden blade energies crisscrossed, scattering wood chips wherever they went. The gilded eaves of the pleasure boat instantly turned to dust, and the wood fragments rained down into the lake. A clear laugh echoed from the bow of the boat, and a young girl danced gracefully on the wood chips. Suddenly, nine silver threads shot from her sleeve, coiling around the throats of two guards like serpents.

"So the imperial guards are nothing special after all." She smiled charmingly, and with a flick of her wrist, the two men were dragged into the lake, leaving only strings of bloody bubbles on the surface. However, the true power of the "Big Dipper Formation" was only now revealed. The six judge's pens wove an impenetrable net of light in the rain, and wherever they passed, the wooden planks sizzled and were corroded with honeycomb-like holes by the deadly poison.

Shi Feiyang suddenly felt his breath catch in his throat, as if his true energy in his dantian was being gripped by an invisible hand.

He bit his tongue hard, spitting a mouthful of blood onto his palm. The sweet, metallic scent of blood spread in the rain: "Break!" He activated the Mingyu Gong "Limitless Asura's Ice Soul Cold Prison" at full power, his glassy skin becoming almost transparent, and his meridians flowing like a crimson star river.

His body was surrounded by icy blue true energy and crimson flames that intertwined to form a huge yin-yang fish pattern. The powerful aura caused the lake water to swirl back, and the seventeen guards lost their footing, revealing a slight flaw in the formation.

Shi Feiyang roared, "Those who block my way shall die!" He unleashed the "Slaying the Mortal World" move with ferocity, his palms cleaving down like giant axes, the golden blade energy carrying the momentum of splitting the heavens and earth piercing through the rain.

The purple-faced man raised his knife to parry, but a crisp "crack" was heard. The goose-feather blade shattered inch by inch, but the remaining power of the blade did not diminish, splitting him in two. His internal organs mixed with blood splattered on the deck of the pleasure boat.

The other guards were terrified and before they could react, they were pulled into the true energy domain by the vortex suction force in Shi Feiyang's palm.

A bone-chilling cold spread along their meridians, and the skin of the sixteen guards was covered in frost at a visible speed.

They tried to struggle in terror, only to find that they couldn't even move their eyes.

With a light tap of his fingertip, Shi Feiyang unleashed the incantation "Ice Soul Cold Prison - Seal," which resounded across the lake, instantly transforming the sixteen people into grotesque ice sculptures.

Then, with a loud "boom," the ice sculpture shattered into countless pieces of ice, which, mixed with blood, fell into the lake, turning the entire area of ​​water into an eerie dark red.

The rain intensified, and blood trickled down the deck of the pleasure boat, flowing through the drain holes and mingling with the lake water to create a gruesome scene.

The girl gazed at Shi Feiyang's almost transparent, glass-like skin, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes: "So, you really are a master of disguise? I never imagined you could be so handsome! You're even more breathtaking than the thunderstorms of Taihu Lake."

She picked up the half-shard of the blood-stained porcelain bowl and played with it in her hand. "However... the people from the Sticky Rod Office are not only capable of this."

Before the words were finished, a sudden, rapid sound of horses' hooves echoed across the distant lake, reverberating like a heart-pounding war drum amidst the rain.

The torrential rain created countless whirlpools in Taihu Lake.

Shi Feiyang knelt on one knee, his knuckles deeply embedded in the cracks in the deck. The heat rising from his glassy skin collided with the rain, turning into a hazy white mist.

The battle with the Big Dipper Formation had exhausted his strength, and the blood that spilled from the corner of his mouth mixed with the rainwater, winding into a dark red stream on the blue bricks.

But when more than twenty dark figures appeared on the water in the distance, his pupils suddenly contracted—reflected in the shimmering water was a face that was gradually losing its wrinkles and regaining its handsome appearance, a sign of Ming Yu Gong's breakthrough.

A figure emerged from the water, stepping on an icy lotus, his bright yellow silk cloak fluttering in the downpour. Nine luminous pearls, inlaid with blood-red darts, shimmered with an eerie light as he moved; this was none other than Nalan Lie, the "Bloody Hand Asura," commander of the Sticky Pole Bureau. (End of Chapter)