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

A chill suddenly rose within the Taiji Hall. Empress Dowager Ling Shuangyue drew her Longquan sword with a clang, the dragon patterns on its blade echoing the ice jade in Shi Hongyun's hand. Though over forty, she moved with lightning speed, executing the "Thirteen Forms of Longquan" with her sword, deflecting the hidden arrows of three assassins with the tip of her sword. She urgently said, "Shihan, take the imperial grandson to the secret passage!" Yelü Shihan was about to reply when twelve black-clad assassins, their sleeves embroidered with the scarlet peonies of the Blood Hand Alliance, suddenly burst into the hall.

"Grandmother, be careful!" Shi Hongyun gripped the ice jade tightly, his little face full of anxiety.

Ling Shuangyue swung her longsword repeatedly, sweeping down two people with a single move, "Dragon Leaps from the Abyss." Suddenly, she felt a strong wind rushing towards her head—it was Nangong Lie, the "Absolute Palm" of the Blood Hand Alliance, his palm shrouded in a bluish-purple poisonous mist. At the critical moment, the crimson flames of the Sacred Flame Token roared from the corner of the palace. Dilirena, carrying the infant Shi Zaihuang, flew over, the Sacred Flame Emblem embroidered on her moon-white gauze robe flickering in the firelight. She declared domineeringly, "Empress Dowager, I've come to lend you a hand!" She touched the ground with her toes, and the Sacred Flame Token drew the "Three Absolute Techniques of Burning Heaven," the crimson flames binding Nangong Lie's sleeve arrow like living things.

The cold mist collided with the flames, creating a crackling and explosive sound.

Dilirena tightly protected the baby with her left arm, while her right hand wielded the Sacred Flame Token with impenetrable precision, each flame precisely avoiding the swaddling clothes. She quipped, "Back in the Persian headquarters, my master used this move to roast a desert serpent." A cold smile curled her lips, and she added sarcastically, "Today, I'll test the waters on you." Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Shuangyue changed her move to "Dragon Spring Splashing Dance," targeting the enemy's lower body. The jade pendant on her sword tassel shattered the assassin's ankle.

The moment the palace pillar mechanism was activated, Dilirena had already spun around with Shi Zaihuang in her arms and arrived at Shi Hongyun's side. She slapped the Sacred Flame Token onto the ice jade, and the crimson flames and blue light merged, actually forming a wall of fire in the palace. She said, "Your Majesty, hold on tight to your grandmother's hand."

The silver ornaments of the Sacred Flame Token hanging from her temple brushed against Shi Hongyun's forehead, carrying a warm, fiery glow. But suddenly, the golden bricks of the Taiji Hall trembled beneath their feet, and the black boots of twelve Blood Hand Alliance assassins trod across the pool of blood, leaving behind serpentine, winding footprints.

Empress Dowager Ling Shuangyue's Longquan sword pointed diagonally at the ground, and blood droplets congealed on the sword's spine slowly dripped down along the dragon pattern grooves, spreading into tiny blood flowers on the blue bricks. Her white hair at her temples was whipped by the strong wind, but she showed no panic. Her gaze, like that of a hawk, locked onto Jiang Youchao, who was leading the group, and she angrily cursed, "Twenty years ago, you slaughtered the people at Yanmen Pass. I should have taken your dog's life then."

Jiang Youchao's iron claws gleamed bluish-black in the candlelight, with bits of flesh still clinging between his fingers—the throats of the imperial guards he had just ripped open. He grinned, revealing bloodstained teeth, and said mockingly, "Old hag Ling, back then you hid behind Yang Ye like a coward, but today you dare to play the hero?"

His iron claws suddenly grew three inches longer, and three-inch poison needles sprang out from the claw tips—the Blood Hand Alliance's ultimate technique, the "Soul-Chasing Claw."

"Grandmother, be careful!" Shi Hongyun's small hand, clutching Bingyu, was sweating profusely. Blue light flowed in his palm, resonating with the dark patterns of the Yihua Palace on the pillars. Dilirena, holding her infant son Shi Zaihuang, spun around and stood in front of the Empress Dowager. The Sacred Flame Token drew a half-circle of crimson light, unleashing the "Three Sacred Flame Techniques - Wildfire" to wipe away all the poison needles. She then coldly said, "The Sacred Flame Token of the Persian headquarters is specifically designed to counter you vile insects from the gutter."

Her left arm always protected the swaddling clothes. The child seemed to be sentient, sleeping peacefully amidst the fighting, his little fists occasionally clenching, as if imitating his mother's gesture of holding a command. Suddenly, Beitang Ao, the "Absolute Finger" behind Jiang Youchao, launched an attack, his ten fingers piercing Shi Hongyun's back like steel needles.

This person's finger strength is insidious; he once used his "heart-locking finger" to crush the protective mirror of a Shaolin monk.

Ling Shuangyue swung her longsword back, the spine of the sword, "Dragon's Tail Swing of the Thirteen Forms of Longquan," striking Beitang Ao's wrist. But she saw his knuckles bend strangely, sliding down the sword's momentum toward her heart. She sneered, "Old woman, taste what it's like to have your finger bones pierced through your heart!"

“Your opponent is me!” Dilirena said coldly, reversing the Sacred Flame Token and unleashing the “Burning Heaven Technique” to strike directly at Beitang Ao’s ribs.

She knew this person had practiced "Iron Shirt" martial arts, so she specifically targeted his vital points.

The instant the Sacred Flame Token struck the opponent's clothes, the crimson flames suddenly surged, scorching Beitang Ao's collar black and revealing the blue poisonous markings coiled on his chest. Beitang Ao cried out in pain and retreated, three black needles suddenly shooting out from between his fingers, but Dilirena used the Sacred Flame Token to attract them all—it was the Persian secret technique of "magnetic attraction," specifically designed to counter hidden weapons.

Outside the palace, the wind and snow intensified, and eight more assassins burst through the window, their short knives coated with bubbling poison. Ling Shuangyue suddenly plunged her Longquan sword into the floor tile, using the recoil to leap into the air. Her "Dragon Raises Its Head" sword strike was as swift as a startled swan piercing the sun, the tip of the sword precisely severing the tendons of two assassins.

She staggered half a step when she landed; her advanced age and the continuous fighting had left her breathing somewhat disordered. Seeing this, Jiang Youchao grinned maliciously and pounced, his iron claws whistling a foul wind as he clawed at the back of her neck, snarling, "Old hag, prepare to die!"

"Not necessarily!" A clear shout came from outside the hall. Shi Feiyang's figure flashed through the window like a ghost, his jade hand gently guiding his beloved wife Ling Shuangyue's shoulder. Jiang Youchao's iron claw suddenly turned, plunging into his own abdomen with a "plop," poisonous blood mixed with internal organs gushing out, splattering all over the young emperor Shi Hongyun. The child, however, clung tightly to the ice jade, refusing to let go. The blue light suddenly intensified, and the blue bricks of the entire Taiji Hall suddenly cracked, countless ice shards shooting out from the cracks, pinning the remaining assassins to the beams and pillars—some were pierced in the throat, their blood slowly freezing along the ice shards; others were pierced in the chest, their organs hanging from the shards, swaying slightly in the cold wind.

Jiang Youchao clutched his lower abdomen and backed away, his iron claws leaving a long trail of blood on the ground. He exclaimed in terror, "You...your sorcery..."

Shi Feiyang slowly approached, his Mingyu Gong activated to the "Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotions: Ice Soul Cold Prison," his skin becoming so transparent that one could see the ice crystals flowing through his veins. He sneered, "This is not sorcery, but the blood debt you owe."

He unleashed the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique - Viewing the Vast Ocean" with both palms, the wind from his palms crashing like raging waves against the shore. Jiang Youchao's iron claws shattered instantly, and he was sent flying by the force of the palm strike, crashing into a pillar and spitting out a mouthful of broken teeth. "Grandpa!" Shi Hongyun threw himself into Shi Feiyang's arms, the bloodstains on his little face smearing onto Shi Feiyang's moon-white robe.

"Don't cry, my dear grandson!" Shi Feiyang smiled as he looked down, noticing Shi Zaihuang in Dilirena's arms, his big, dark eyes wide open, his little hand still clutching the tassel of his mother's Sacred Flame Token. He reached out and stroked the baby's cheek, his fingertips mingling with the coldness of his skin, and suddenly smiled at Ling Shuangyue, "The Empress Dowager's 'Thirteen Forms of Longquan' is even more formidable than when she accompanied me back to the Yihua Palace back then."

Ling Shuangyue wiped the blood off her sword and chuckled as she heard this, "If I don't improve my skills, how can I protect the grandson of an old monster like you who has lived for a thousand years?"

She looked at Shi Feiyang's eternally eighteen-year-old face and recalled that when they first met in the Western Regions twenty years ago, he also had such flowing silver hair.

……

The wind and snow atop Jingshan Mountain carried the stench of blood. The figures of the "Five Masters of Blackwater" spread out in a fan shape at the edge of the cliff, their black robes fluttering in the wind like five circling vultures. Ximen Lixue, the "Peerless Blade," dragged her long sword diagonally across the ground, the century-old ice on the blade reflecting the figure of Shi Feiyang.

With each step he took, ice shards left tiny scratches on the snow as he angrily cursed, "Shi Feiyang, you murdered my younger brother Ximen Chuixue, today I will use your blood to consecrate my blade."

Suddenly, Shi Zaihuang, who was in Shi Feiyang's arms, let out a "yah" sound, as if startled by the sword energy. Dilirena took the child, twirled the Sacred Flame Token in her palm, and said, "Husband, Beitang Ao's finger poison has been tainted by the Sacred Flame Token. I'll go over there to detoxify him."

Holding her child, she retreated behind a pine tree three zhang away, her gaze fixed on the battle—there lay her husband, and the world she was to protect. Suddenly, Dongmen Xiao, the "Peerless Sword," drew his steel sword, unleashing a move called "Meteor Chasing the Moon," thrusting the sword straight at Shi Feiyang's left shoulder.

This person's swordsmanship is subtle and cunning, targeting joints specifically, and the tip of his sword is wrapped with fine, hair-like poison threads.

Shi Feiyang neither dodged nor avoided the sword. Just as the sword tip touched his body, his left shoulder suddenly sank slightly. He used the "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade" divine skill, and Dongmen Xiao's green steel sword turned as if attracted by a magnet, piercing through the right shoulder of "Absolute Palm" Nangong Lie with a "plop".

Nangong Lie cried out in pain as he unleashed his "Stone-Splitting Palm," the force of which carried the power to split mountains and shatter rocks.

Shi Feiyang's figure floated up like a willow catkin, dodging the palm wind while simultaneously unleashing the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique - Slaying the Mortal World" with his right palm. The palm blade swept across like a bolt of lightning, severing Nangong Lie's left hand at the wrist.

The severed hand twitched on the snow, its five fingers still clenched in a fist position, and blood splattered on the snow, instantly freezing into dark red ice crystals.

Suddenly, Nakajo Shin's figure burst out from the snow, his legs sweeping like steel whips towards Shi Feiyang's lower body. This man had mastered the "Treading Snow Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill, his footprints disappearing in an instant on the snow. He had once kicked and shattered a bronze statue in Shaolin Temple.

Shi Feiyang lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" movement technique made him hover in mid-air like a ghost. At the same time, his left palm condensed the "Supreme Forgetfulness Ice Soul Cold Prison", and the cold air spread along Nakajo Shin's trouser leg, instantly freezing his knee.

With two sharp cracks, Nakajo Shin's knees bent backward, and he collapsed onto the snow. Before he could even scream, Shi Feiyang's "Shocking Calamity" arrived, a cold glint flashing in his glassy eyes.

Nakajo Shin felt a chill penetrate straight to his brain, and the countless wronged souls he had kicked to death appeared before his eyes. Suddenly, his body began to crack from the top of his head, turning into ice shards all over the sky. Only his feet, which had shattered countless lives, remained stuck in the snow in a kicking posture.

"Third brother!" Ximen Lixue roared and swung her sword, the "Seven Forms of Absolute Blade - Freezing a Thousand Miles" sword energy carving a ten-foot-wide icy gully in the snow, snapping pine trees in its path. Shi Feiyang drew his Burmese sword, the blade reflecting his jade-like face, and said coldly, "Your swordsmanship is far inferior to your brother's."

He flipped his wrist, gripped his sword, and unleashed the "Hundred Victories Sword Technique: Mountain Splitting," colliding with the opponent's sword energy. The impact caused an avalanche of snow accumulated on the cliff edge, burying half of "Absolute Finger" Beitang Ao's body in the snow. Beitang Ao struggled to extend his hands, his ten fingers reaching for Shi Feiyang's heart, dark green poison seeping from between his fingers.

Shi Feiyang neither dodged nor avoided the attack. The moment his fingertips touched his body, the suction force of the Mingyu Gong true qi vortex was suddenly activated.

Beitang Ao felt a tremendous force pulling him forward, and his hands involuntarily pressed against Shi Feiyang's chest—the very spot where the "Ice Soul Cold Prison" true energy was concentrated. The cold air surged into his fingertips, and within a few breaths, his arms had frozen into bluish-black icicles. The poison condensed into ice crystals in his blood vessels, spreading from his arms to his heart.

"Ah—" Beitang Ao let out a shrill scream, his body stiffening at a visible speed, and finally his whole body turned into an ice sculpture, maintaining a forward-leaning posture, with only his eyes wide open, reflecting Shi Feiyang's cold face.

Shi Feiyang slammed his palm down on the ice sculpture with a backhand strike. The ferocious force of his "Breaking the Universe" palm shattered the ice, sending shards of frozen internal organs flying, splattering Ximen Lixue all over. Taking advantage of the moment, Dongmen Xiao thrust his sword towards Shi Feiyang's back, his sword technique "Viper Emerging from its Cave" ruthless and cunning. Suddenly, Dilirena's Sacred Flame Token flew in from the side, its crimson flames coiling around the sword tip, drawing it towards Ximen Lixue.

"Fool!" Ximen Lixue swung her knife to parry, but unexpectedly, Dongmen Xiao's sword was coated with "Power-Dissolving Powder." The moment the blade was touched by the poison powder, black rust appeared. "The essence of 'Shifting Flowers and Jade' is to make enemies kill each other." Shi Feiyang's voice came from behind the two of them. Xuan Shuang Blade was already pressed against Dongmen Xiao's throat. He mocked, "Your 'Absolute Sword' even schemes against your own brothers. No wonder you can't amount to anything."

He slightly lowered his wrist, and the blade sliced ​​open the other man's neck. Blood gushed out like a fountain, splashing onto the withered grass on the cliff edge, instantly freezing into blood droplets.

Seeing that all four of the Four Absolutes were dead, Ximen Lixue suddenly held her long sword to her neck and said resolutely, "Shi Feiyang, His Majesty will not let you go!" Shi Feiyang slowly approached, ice beads dripping from his Burmese sword onto the snow. He said mockingly, "I have lived in this world for a thousand years and have seen more emperors than you have eaten salt. Zhao Guangyi? He is just the most despicable one among them." He swung his palm and unleashed the "Severing Reincarnation" technique of the Hundred Victories Swordplay. As the wind swept through, Ximen Lixue's head flew into the air, and the blood spurting from her neck condensed into a blood mist in the wind, intertwining with the swirling snow to create a tragic scene.

Dilirena carried Shi Zaihuang as the crimson flames on the Sacred Flame Token gradually subsided. Shi Feiyang reached out and pulled her into his arms, their icy skin mingling with her warm body temperature, their breath steaming in the snow. He jokingly said, "Zaihuang didn't cry just now."

Dilirena leaned on his shoulder and chuckled softly, her earlobe brushing against the ice crystals in his silver hair, and said tenderly, "He takes after you, he's naturally unafraid of bloodshed."

From afar came the whistles of the Beggars' Sect. Li Hao's Wind-Splitting Blade cleaved through the last remaining soldier, and he carried Shi Hongyun up the cliff. Shi Hongyun mischievously said, "Grandpa! The Empress Dowager said she wants to reward you with the best ice lanterns from Luoshui!" Shi Feiyang looked at the little emperor's face, which was red from the cold, and suddenly bent down to pick him up. He then took Shi Zaihuang from Dilirena's arms, and stood on the edge of the cliff with one child in each arm.

Beneath Jingshan Hill, the flames of Luoyang City illuminated half the sky, while the Beggars' Sect's Green Bamboo Token and the Iron Palm Clan's Flame Banner rose and fell in the wind and snow.

Shi Feiyang's gaze swept across the city towards Bianliang, his glassy eyes flashing with increasing coldness—Zhao Guangyi's blood debt had only just begun to be settled.

The two children in his arms, one will inherit the Tang Dynasty, and the other will take charge of the sacred flame of the martial world. The future of this world is hidden in these blood-stained swaddling clothes and their innocent laughter.

The morning court session in Bianliang was shattered by a piercing scream. The Imperial Censor, Lord Zhang, had just begun to impeach Pan Renmei for his military defeat when a jet of blood suddenly shot from his throat, and he collapsed stiffly onto the jade steps.

The people in the hall stared intently and saw a crystal-clear ice needle inserted into his throat, gleaming with an eerie blue hue in the morning light—it was the "Ice Soul Silver Needle," a technique long lost by the Yihua Palace.

Zhao Guangyi slammed his fist on the table and rose abruptly, sweeping the memorials off the table with his dragon robe: "What kind of villain dares to commit violence in the court!" Before he finished speaking, the Vice Minister of Revenue in the civil officials' ranks on the left suddenly rolled his eyes back and black blood seeped from his mouth and nose. He had been poisoned by the "Ten Fragrant Softening Powder" from the Western Regions.

The eunuch Wang Yan'en exclaimed in a shrill voice, "Your Majesty, it must be the work of the Beggar Clan's sorcerers!"

In the shadows, Shi Feiyang leaned against the eaves of the palace, his glassy eyes reflecting the chaos inside.

Dilirena, standing beside him, toyed with the Sacred Flame Token, crimson flames dancing on her fingertips. She teased, "We've already cut off Pan Renmei's supplies, and now this commotion in the court..."

Shi Feiyang chuckled, his jade-like skin almost translucent in the moonlight. He advised, "Zhao Guangyi is deeply suspicious and will surely use this opportunity to launch a major purge. Send a message to Li Hao, instructing the Beggars' Sect disciples to continue spreading rumors in the streets that the Tian Ce Army is colluding with the enemy."

At the Yellow River ferry, more than ten cargo boats laden with warhorses were about to set sail. The captain wiped his brow, about to give the order to depart, when suddenly a strange flute melody echoed from the reeds. Immediately afterward, countless icy silkworm threads pierced the air, entangled the sails and masts. Shi Shiyue appeared on a bamboo raft, his Dog-Beating Staff flashing with a cold light, and said mockingly, "The warhorses the Song court purchased from Western Xia should also be given a share to the Beggars' Sect!"

Suddenly, a hundred masked men appeared from the shore; they were disciples of the Iron Palm Clan and the Diancang Sect. Lu Chengfeng unleashed "Iron Palm Mountain Splitting" with both palms, the force of which shattered the sentry posts on the shore. Ye Wuque's longsword flashed like lightning, and his "Diancang Star Picking" technique pierced the throats of seven men.

The Song army guards on the cargo ship brandished their swords to stop them, but a masked man's palm suddenly exerted a strong suction force, causing weapons to fly out of their hands—Qu Feiyan's Star Absorbing Technique had absorbed all the internal energy of the guards on the ship.

Three days later, Zhao Guangyi looked at the memorial about the loss of one million strings of cash in military funds and angrily threw a teacup at Wang Yan'en, cursing, "You can't even protect the grain transport, what use are you!" At this moment, an urgent report came from the border: taking advantage of the Song army's lack of horses, the Liao cavalry had already broken through Yanmen Pass.

Pan Renmei knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, it must be the Beggars' Sect colluding with the Liao people."

Before he could finish speaking, he spat out a mouthful of black blood; he had been poisoned by the "Seven-Day Soul-Severing Powder." ...

In the Miao region of the south, Akana gazed at the Netherworld Jade Talisman in her hand, its runes glowing red in the moonlight. Shi Feiyang's carrier pigeon message landed on her lap: "The Song army's provisions are stored in Jiangling; they can be destroyed using Gu worms."

A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips as she ordered the elder beside her, "Release the 'Gold-Eating Ants'!" Three days later, at the Jiangling granary, the soldiers guarding the grain were dozing off when they suddenly heard a rustling sound.

Where the torchlight illuminated, countless tiny red ants surged forth like a tide, turning grain sacks and beams into dust wherever they went.

"Oh no! It's the gold-eating ants from Miao territory!" The soldiers panicked, only to see crimson flames erupting around the granary—Dilrena's Sacred Flame Token had turned the entire grain-producing area into a sea of ​​fire.

When the news reached Bianliang, Zhao Guangyi nearly fainted. Even more devastating was the fact that Beggar Clan members, disguised as Song soldiers, were requisitioning grain throughout the land, causing widespread resentment among the people. The children's rhyme "Zhao Guangyi's oppressive rule" spread throughout the streets and alleys. Li Hao, wielding his cleaver, killed three Song soldiers who were forcibly requisitioning grain in front of the prefectural government office. Their blood splattered on the plaque inscribed with "Upright and Honest," creating a satirical scene.

Bianliang Road. Shi Feiyang's Xuanshuang Blade gleamed coldly in the rainy night. He chuckled and said, "Zhao Guangyi, you sent the Tiansha Tower to assassinate my son Li Danqing. Did you ever think of today?" He turned to Dilirena behind him and said, "Rena, your Sacred Flame Token is responsible for covering our retreat. Now, it's time to go and meet Zhao Guangyi."

Later, he gathered martial arts heroes from the Iron Palm Clan, Diancang Sect, and Sun Moon Sect to form the "Alliance of Righteous Men," and marched to the imperial palace in Bianliang to avenge Li Danqing. In the Bianjing imperial palace, Zhao Guangyi stared at the words "Pan Renmei secretly colluded with the former subordinates of the Southern Tang" on the secret report, his nails digging deeply into his palms.

This is the third impeachment memorial this month, each accompanied by "conclusive evidence"—forged letters, "witness" testimonies, and even a portrait of Pan Renmei and Li Hao's "secret meeting."

At this moment, Pan Renmei knelt on the steps, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Your Majesty, please be wise! This must be a frame-up by treacherous officials!" Zhao Guangyi sneered, threw down a cup of poisoned wine, and angrily cursed, "You were defeated at Junshan, the grain transport was ruined, and now..."

Before he could finish speaking, Pan Renmei suddenly sprang into action, drawing a concealed dagger and stabbing at the emperor. The imperial guards intervened in time, only to see Pan Renmei die, bleeding from all seven orifices—he had already been afflicted by Shi Feiyang's "Evil Blood Calamity" and was now merely a puppet controlled by internal energy.

The rain in Bianliang was like knives, slicing against the copper nails of the Vermilion Bird Gate and sending sparks flying. Shi Feiyang stood atop the green tiles, his silver hair wet with rain and plastered to his forehead, his crystal eyes reflecting the swaying lanterns inside the palace gate, like crystal goblets tempered with ice.

He lightly stroked the ice silk hilt of the Xuan Shuang Blade with his fingertips, when he suddenly heard the sound of the Sacred Flame Token burning behind him—Qu Feiyan walked over on the roof tiles, her moon-white gauze dress already soaked by the rain, yet she still stubbornly held an oilcloth umbrella for him.

"Brother Shi, Yelü Xiezhen's Iron Forest Army has already set up camp in the north of the city." Her voice was mixed with the sound of rain, and her ears were hot from being so close. She then whispered, "Chief Lu and Sect Leader Ye are holding back the Tian Ce Army outside the West Gate."

The crimson flames of the Sacred Flame Token flickered in the rain, making her cheeks flush red. She asked with concern, "You...you really want to break into the palace alone?"

Shi Feiyang turned his head, raindrops sliding down his translucent, jade-like cheeks, and said confidently, "Only my Mingyu Skill can crack Zhao Guangyi's secret passage mechanism." He suddenly chuckled, his fingertips lightly stroking her rain-dampened hair, and teased, "Besides, you're there to cover my retreat—the Sun Moon Divine Sect's 'Three Sacred Flames' are something even the Liao people's iron hooves fear."

Qu Feiyan's heart skipped a beat, and she almost dropped the Sacred Flame Token. She stammered, "I...I will definitely guard the retreat route!" Looking at his turning back, she suddenly remembered three years ago at Blackwood Cliff, when he stood on the mountain peak in the same way, his silver hair fluttering in the night wind. At that time, she knew that this man was the light she was willing to protect with her life.

Inside the Golden Palace, Zhao Guangyi's eyes reflected the firelight outside. Pan Renmei's corpse lay on the steps, the black blood flowing from his seven orifices already frozen.

Suddenly, he heard the roof tiles above him rattle, and when he looked up, he saw Shi Feiyang burst through the window. The cold light of the Xuan Shuang Blade reflected on his transparent, jade-like skin, making him look like a war god formed from ice and snow.

"Zhao Guangyi, when you sent the assassins from the Heavenly Slaughter Tower to ambush me in the suburbs of Luoyang, did you see the resentment in my son Danqing's eyes?" Shi Feiyang's voice was like an ice river cracking. With the Mingyu Gong activated, the temperature in the hall plummeted, and the candles in the hands of the palace maids went out one by one. Only his body shone with a cold, eerie blue light.

Zhao Guangyi took a half step back, bumping into the dragon table, and angrily shouted, "Shi Feiyang, you...you dare to trespass into my palace!" Suddenly, he clapped his hands, and sixteen Imperial Guards rushed out from behind the hall, their swords dipped in Liao's "Black Water Poison".

Shi Feiyang neither dodged nor avoided the blade. Just as the blade was about to touch him, he used the "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade" divine skill. All sixteen horizontal blades turned at the same time, carving out sixteen streams of blood in the Jinwu Guard's own formation.

Qu Feiyan's Sacred Flame Token flew in from outside the hall, its crimson flames swirling around the poisoned blade, melting it into molten iron, as it warned, "Brother Shi, watch out for the roof beams!"

Her voice trailed off with a Persian accent, and the Sacred Flame Token danced so fast it was impenetrable, catching all of Zhao Guangyi's hidden crossbow bolts. Shi Feiyang seized the opportunity to pounce, his Xuan Shuang Blade pressed against her throat, but then he heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats coming from outside the hall—Yelü Xiezhen's Iron Forest Army reinforcements had arrived.

Shi Feiyang immediately unleashed "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder!" transforming ice into lightning, blasting a ten-foot-wide gap in the hall, and ice shards rained down on the Iron Forest Army. Before the Liao soldiers clad in black armor could even scream, they were frozen into ice sculptures, their spiked clubs clattering to the ground, shattering into ice flowers on the blue bricks.

Zhao Guangyi seized the opportunity to escape towards the secret passage, but was blocked by Qu Feiyan's Sacred Flame Token, its crimson flames reflecting on his terrified face. She said coldly, "Do you think the Liao people will save you? They have long been allied with my Great Tang."

The candlelight in the secret passage suddenly went out, and Shi Feiyang's "Shocking Calamity" was activated in response, his glass eyes shining with an icy blue light in the darkness.

He saw Zhao Guangyi stuffing a poison sac into his mouth. With a light wave of her hand, she unleashed the "Heavenly Silkworm Skill," a crystalline light flowing through her palm. Silver threads formed from the true energy of the Heavenly Silkworm Skill had already wrapped around the other's wrist. She then angrily rebuked him, "Zhao Guangyi, your crimes of murdering your brother, usurping the throne, and slaughtering loyal ministers must be settled today." After cursing, she slashed him with her knife, and Zhao Guangyi's head fell to the ground, his body splattered with blood, and he collapsed with a thud.

Qu Feiyan's sacred flame token was rekindled, revealing the words of the secret treaty between Song and Liao carved on the stone wall of the secret passage: "The sixteen prefectures of Yan and Yun are ceded, and one million taels of silver are paid annually..." She suddenly remembered what Shi Feiyang had said to her at the top of Mount Hua: "Although the Liao cavalry is strong, it cannot withstand the support of the people." Looking at his transparent and icy back at this moment, her love for him grew even stronger.

Shi Feiyang led Qu Feiyan out of the secret passage. In the morning mist, the banners of the Righteous Alliance were planted all over the corner towers of the palace. Dilirena carried Shi Zaihuang as they approached. The Sacred Flame Token clashed with the Xuan Shuang Blade, producing a clear and melodious sound.

The morning mist over Luoyang had not yet dissipated when the soldiers guarding the city recognized Shi Feiyang. He dismounted and escorted Dilirena and her child to the city gate. His Xuan Shuang Blade gleamed coldly in the morning light as he said in a deep voice, "Lieutenant Li, the safety of the Empress Dowager and the young prince is entrusted to you."

Dilirena, holding Shi Zaihuang, smiled gently at Qu Feiyan and said, "Don't worry, little sister, when you return from Blackwood Cliff, I'll have the imperial kitchen make your favorite Persian honey cakes." Shi Zaihuang seemed to understand, his little hand grabbing Qu Feiyan's sleeve, babbling softly. Qu Feiyan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly placed a piece of warm jade into the baby's hand, saying affectionately, "This is a peace charm I obtained from the Sun Moon Divine Sect's headquarters."

As she turned around, she saw Shi Feiyang looking at her. She hurriedly lowered her head to tidy her wind-blown hair, but her fingertips quietly brushed against the saddle he had just touched—the warmth of his palm still lingered there.

"Let's go." Shi Feiyang's voice was tinged with laughter. As he mounted his horse, he deliberately handed the reins closer, his fingertips brushing against the back of her hand. Qu Feiyan's heart suddenly raced. The moment she took the reins, the Sacred Flame Token clattered against the saddle, causing Shi Feiyang to chuckle softly.

On the ancient road west of Luoyang, the setting sun cast long shadows of the two. Qu Feiyan's Rouge Horse kept pace with Shi Feiyang's Snow-Treading Black Steed. She looked at his silver hair fluttering in the wind and said softly, "Brother Shi, the mountain road at Blackwood Cliff is difficult to travel. I have prepared anti-slip horseshoes."

As he spoke, he took out an iron palm wrapped in oilcloth from his bag, his fingertips trembling slightly with nervousness.

Shi Feiyang reined in the horses, and as he turned his head, his glassy eyes reflected the sunset. He exclaimed, "You're quite observant." He took the horseshoe and suddenly noticed the small Olympic emblem embroidered on the oilcloth. He asked in surprise, "Did you embroider this yourself?"

Qu Feiyan's ears turned red instantly. She lowered her eyes and stared at the horse's mane, saying shyly, "The embroiderers at the main altar said... said that this way it won't wear out easily." In fact, she had been embroidering under the lamp for three whole hours last night, and her stitches had been pricked crooked seven times, just because she couldn't help but look up at his profile as he practiced his knife under the lamp.

As the night breeze picked up, the two rested at the mountain god's temple. Qu Feiyan burned her fingertip with a spark while starting a fire. Just as she was about to pull her hand away, Shi Feiyang grasped it. His jade-like fingertips covered the back of her hand, and the chilling aura of Mingyu Gong instantly dispelled the burning pain. He teased, "Silly girl, you have to follow the wind when starting a fire."

Qu Feiyan looked at his face so close to hers and suddenly mustered up her courage to ask, "Brother Shi, do you think... Father might like you?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it so much that she wanted to bite her tongue, and her cheeks turned so red that they could bleed.

Shi Feiyang chuckled and handed her the hot pancake, teasingly saying, "I'm so handsome, he'll be overjoyed to see me." He suddenly leaned closer and said in a very low voice, "Besides... we can make it a done deal."

After saying that, he put his arm around Qu Feiyan and jumped into the tent on the back of the Vermilion Bird.

Qu Feiyan's heart pounded like a drum; she paused in her bite of the biscuit, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears. Even the wind outside the mountain temple seemed to carry a sweet smile. The two were overjoyed with their marriage, utterly blissful.

The next morning, just after passing Luoma Slope, they suddenly heard the sound of weapons cutting through the air from the woods on both sides.

Iron Blood Sect Master Tie Canglan leaped out, wielding a nine-ringed broadsword. Dew still dripped from the blood grooves on the blade. He grinned maliciously, "Shi Feiyang, hand over Qu Feiyan and the Star Absorbing Technique, and I'll spare your life!"

Qu Feiyan immediately held the Sacred Flame Token horizontally in front of her, blocking Shi Feiyang's left side. Pointing at the enemy, she angrily said, "Tie Canglan, how dare you covet the martial arts of my Sun Moon Divine Sect!" She secretly glanced at Shi Feiyang and saw that he was looking at her. She immediately straightened her back and became much more energetic.

The black-robed figures from the Dark Gate surrounded Qu Feiyan like ghosts. The leader's skull mask gleamed blue in the morning light as he said menacingly, "Little girl, if you know what's good for you, come with us, lest you dirty our master's hands." With that, he lunged at Qu Feiyan.

Shi Feiyang used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" skill to lead the "Mountain-Splitting Axe" of the Dragon Tiger Gate. The two weapons clashed, and sparks flew onto Qu Feiyan's skirt.

"Husband, watch out behind you!" Qu Feiyan cried out in alarm, suddenly unleashing the "Star Absorbing Technique" to redirect the "Great Handprint" palm strike of the Snow Mountain Temple lama into the air. She saw that Shi Feiyang's "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" was clashing with the Chang Le Gang's "Meteor Hammer," so she deliberately diverted the enemy's attack towards herself, even though the palm strike made her blood surge, she didn't want him to be distracted.

Shi Feiyang, with his keen senses, unleashed a powerful palm strike, "Mountain Splitting," sending the three men flying back. At the same time, he grasped her wrist, saying tenderly, "Silly girl, don't push yourself." His palms gleamed with the icy light of the Mingyu Gong, instantly calming her disordered qi and blood. He added with concern, "If you're injured, how can I face Sect Leader Qu?" This gentle reproach instantly reddened Qu Feiyan's eyes. She grasped his hand in return, the crimson flames of the Sacred Flame Token intertwining with his icy light, and said affectionately, "As long as I can be by your side, what does it matter if I take a few blows?"

Before the words were even finished, she had already pulled him around to avoid the Tai Chi Sect's "Cloud Hands" attack, their robes drawing a red and blue arc in the air. In the midst of the fierce battle, Qu Feiyan's hairpin was knocked off by the Eagle Claw Gang's "Throat Lock Claw," and her black hair fell onto Shi Feiyang's shoulder.

Instead of panicking, she took the opportunity to get closer to him and wiped the bloodstains from his cheek, saying with concern, "Husband, there's blood on your temples." The moment her fingertips brushed against his skin, a secret joy welled up in her heart.

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique: Severing Reincarnation," his palm wind sweeping across the surroundings like a raging torrent, forcing the masters of the ten sects to retreat. He then embraced Qu Feiyan's waist, leaping onto the roof of the mountain god temple amidst the falling leaves, and soared away.

Qu Feiyan nestled in his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, and whispered, "Brother Shi, no matter how many people block our way, I will go with you."

Her voice trembled slightly in the wind, yet it was more resolute than any vow.

Shi Feiyang looked down at her wind-blown hair and placed a light kiss on her forehead: "Okay." Qu Feiyan smiled sweetly, gently parted Shi Feiyang's arms, leaped onto her horse, and the two rode off, traveling by day and night at an extraordinary speed.

The wind at Eagle's Beak Cliff carried pebbles, cutting like knives against the face. Shi Feiyang reined in his Snow-Treading Black Steed, his glassy eyes sweeping over the swaying shadows on the cliff top. Suddenly, he grasped Qu Feiyan's hand and said calmly, "Madam, the Iron Blood Sect's 'Mountain-Breaking Axe' is best at taking advantage of high ground. He will follow my orders later."

Qu Feiyan's fingertips trembled slightly as she gripped his hand tightly. The Sacred Flame Token glowed warmly in her palm as she said tenderly, "Don't worry, my husband. I've already buried 'Thunderbolt Fireballs' at the bottom of the cliff, and the fuse is tied to the saddle."

She quietly slipped a handkerchief embroidered with twin lotus blossoms into his sleeve, saying affectionately, "I finished embroidering this last night; use it to wipe your sweat." Before she finished speaking, a deafening shout echoed from the cliff top. Tie Canglan, the leader of the Iron Blood Sect, brought down his nine-ringed broadsword with a whooshing sound, the blade's wind sweeping away shards of rock. He grinned maliciously, "Shi Feiyang, hand over the Star Absorbing Technique, and I'll spare your and Qu Feiyan's lives!" This man possessed astonishing strength; his axe strike carried the force of a thousand pounds.

Shi Feiyang neither dodged nor evaded. Just as the axe blade reached its tip, he wrapped his left arm around Qu Feiyan's waist and unleashed the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique: Viewing the Vast Ocean" with his right palm. The palm wind crashed into the axe surface like a raging wave. Tie Canglan felt a tremendous force surge through the axe handle, his tiger's mouth split open, and the broadsword flew out of his hand, flying towards the top of the cliff, cleaving his three disciples in two.

"My husband, what skill you have!" Qu Feiyan's voice was filled with joy. At the same time, the Sacred Flame Token drew the "Heaven-Burning Technique," and crimson flames coiled around the black-robed man at the Dark Gate like long snakes. The leader's skull mask was charred black by the flames, revealing a bluish-purple face underneath. He cursed angrily, "Witch, how dare you burn my 'Bone-Corroding Poison Smoke'!" Black mist suddenly spewed out from his sleeve, and the vegetation in its path withered instantly.

Shi Feiyang spun around, shielding Qu Feiyan behind him. He activated his Mingyu Gong to its maximum, his body condensing into an ice wall of icy energy. The black mist struck the ice wall, turning into water droplets that dripped to the ground and emitted white smoke. "Madam, use 'Sacred Fire Heart-Cleansing Powder'." His voice was close to her ear, his warm breath making her ears burn, yet he had already handed her the powder.

The moment Qu Feiyan took the powder, she deliberately brushed her fingertips against his palm, then smiled and sprinkled it into the black mist, saying tenderly, "My husband is right."

The medicinal powder turned into golden specks upon contact with the mist. The black-robed man screamed and covered his eyes as he retreated, revealing the blue poisonous markings on his neck—it was none other than Qian Tong, the "Poisonous Demon" who had slaughtered the small town of Jiangnan years ago. "It's you!" Qu Feiyan's Sacred Flame Token suddenly grew three inches larger as she angrily rebuked, "My father's left leg was injured by you with 'Bone-Melting Water'!" Her figure moved like a butterfly, weaving among the black-robed men. The Sacred Flame Token specifically targeted the vital points, and after knocking down each person, she would turn back to look at Shi Feiyang.

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade had already cleaved through the Dragon Tiger Gate's "Double Hook Formation." Seeing bloodstains at her temples, he suddenly turned and came to her side, wiping them with his sleeve, saying affectionately, "Madam, be careful, their hooks are forged with 'Seven Steps Down'." The instant his fingertips brushed her cheek, the Xuan Shuang Blade had already pierced the throat of the attacker behind him, blood splattering onto his jade-like hand like red plum blossoms falling on snow. (End of Chapter)