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

Inside the cave, He Quan, an elder of the Beggars' Sect, unfolded a blood-stained secret report. The firelight illuminated the white frost at his temples as he reported, "Sect Leader Shi, Emperor Yelü Longxu of Liao is gathering the Iron Forest Army, intending to march south from Juyong Pass."

He suddenly caught sight of Börte standing at the cave entrance, and lowered his voice to say, "The movements of the Western Xia's 'Blood River Army' are strange; they're probably planning to join forces with the Liao to attack Bianliang." Shi Feiyang spun his Xuan Shuang Blade in his palm, the blade's light reflecting off the icicles on the cave ceiling. He turned his head and said, "Li Hao, you take thirty brothers, disguise them as a Western Xia merchant caravan, and deliver the secret letter about the 'Liao-Xia conspiracy to attack the Song' to the Privy Council of the Song court."

He then looked at Börte and said sincerely, "Börte, please take the Uyghur Jade Lotus to see Empress Dowager Xiao of the Liao Kingdom—tell her that the Western Xia is using the 'Blood River Secret Manual' to refine her personal guards."

Li Hao's Wind-Splitting Blade jingled softly at his waist as he asked with considerable doubt, "Master, do you think those pedantic scholars in the Song court will believe us?"

He saw that the ice silkworm on Shi Feiyang's fingertips was drawing a map.

"Besides, why should our Tang Dynasty's iron cavalry need to rely on the Song people?" Shi Feiyang chuckled, his glassy eyes reflecting the flickering firelight. "Li Hao, do you know the wisdom of 'the snipe and the clam fighting'?"

His fingertip pointed to the "Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun" on the secret report, and he analyzed: "When the Liao and Xia are fighting fiercely with the Song, our 'Cold Moon Guard' will send troops out from Yanmen Pass, and the weapons and horses they capture will be enough to arm an army of 100,000."

Suddenly, Börte turned around at the cave entrance, her jade lotus pendant shimmering in the wind and snow, and said excitedly, "Brother Shi, our clan's 'Fire Lotus Flying Pigeon' can cross the Liao-Xia defense line and help the Beggars' Sect deliver messages."

Her gaze swept over the icy silk threads on Shi Feiyang's sleeve. "But Empress Dowager Xiao... she has met my father."

Shi Feiyang suddenly stood up, gently brushed the snowflakes off her shoulders, and said confidently, "That's why your appearance is the best 'secret message'." He suddenly took out half a piece of ice jade from his bosom, which was a fragment of Qu Yanzhong's natal sacred fire token, and then gave a plan: "Tell Empress Dowager Xiao that the Blood River Heart Lamp of Xixia needs the Liao people's 'Black Water Jade' to be activated."

Börte nodded vigorously, completely convinced.

As the snowy night deepened, the Beggars' Sect disciples lit twelve bonfires outside the cave, illuminating the Helan Mountains like a chain of fire.

As Börte watched Shi Feiyang and He Quan deduce the battle formation, she suddenly recalled the scene when he channeled his true energy into her during the breaking of the formation in the underground palace—at that time, his palms were warmer than any heater.

"What are you thinking about?" Shi Feiyang's voice suddenly rang in my ears, carrying the unique clarity of Mingyu Gong, and teasingly said, "On Empress Xiao's golden crown, there is indeed an inlay of the Ice Silkworm Jade from my Yihua Palace. My wife will probably be jealous when she finds out about this."

Börte suddenly turned around, her nose almost touching his silver hair, and said sadly, "Brother Shi, you always talk about 'my wife,' but have you ever thought about... me..." Her voice suddenly lowered, the jade lotus pendant swaying gently between them, and she said sadly, "Actually, I met you before she did." Shi Feiyang's fingertips suddenly stopped at her lips, his glassy eyes surging with complex light, and he said gently, "Börte, some encounters are to help you find your way home."

He suddenly pointed to the campfire outside the cave and said meaningfully, "Look, the Beggars' Sect's Green Bamboo Token and my Great Tang's Ice Shard Banner will eventually meet in the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun." Börte looked at the firelight reflected in his eyes and suddenly chuckled.

At this moment, being able to discuss the world with him and feel the warmth of his palm is more meaningful than a thousand words.

“Brother Shi,” she suddenly took off the jade lotus pendant and tied it around his waist, saying tenderly, “This is the Uyghur people’s ‘Soul-Guiding Bell.’ No matter where you are, I can hear its sound.” Her fingertips traced the Xuan Shuang Blade at his waist, and she said affectionately, “Just like you can always hear my Burning Heart Zither playing for you.”

After saying that, she snuggled into Shi Feiyang's arms.

The wind and snow outside the cave suddenly subsided, and the east began to lighten with the first light of dawn. Shi Feiyang looked at the fire lotus ornament in Börte's hair and suddenly remembered what Qu Feiyan had said at Blackwood Cliff: "The world is too vast. I will guard Blackwood Cliff, and you will guard the world."

The Börte in his arms at this moment made Shi Feiyang realize that the so-called world is nothing more than countless people who need to be protected.

The snow was still falling. But the campfire inside the cave cast their shadows on the cave walls, weaving together a totem of ice and fire.

When the snow stops tomorrow, Shi Feiyang will part ways with Börte—she will go to the Liao Kingdom to persuade Empress Dowager Xiao, while he will return to the Tang Dynasty to prepare the army and horses.

But some bonds were forged in blood and fire, just like the jade lotus pendant she tied to his waist, which will eventually resonate once again in the wind and snow of the future.

……

In Luoyang, the snow has not yet melted from the glazed tiles of the Daming Palace.

Shi Feiyang's Snow-Treading Black Steed crossed the white jade bridge, the silken pouch on the saddle still covered with grains of Helan sand. Dilirena's Sacred Flame commanded crimson flames to rise from within the palace walls, making her moon-white robe appear like burning clouds. She excitedly exclaimed, "Husband, His Majesty can wield a sword today!"

Shi Feiyang dismounted, his glassy eyes warming when he saw her. He teased, "Did you cry or make a fuss?" His fingertips lightly brushed the Sacred Flame Token at her waist, where the Ice Silkworm Jade Pendant he had given her last year was still attached.

Dilirena chuckled, then suddenly grasped his hand and pressed it to her lower abdomen, saying shyly, "Not only Your Majesty, but the little one here is moving unusually strongly today." Laughter of children echoed from inside the hall. Eight-year-old Shi Hongyun was chasing after a palace maid, clutching a wooden sword whose hilt was taller than himself.

Shi Feiyang caught his staggering figure and suddenly noticed the three characters "Guan Cang Hai" engraved on the wooden sword—which was the starting stance of his Hundred Victories Saber Technique.

"Grandpa, look!" The little emperor, holding up his sword with his nose red from the cold, exclaimed excitedly, "Uncle Li Hao said this is the move used to slay the Liao cavalry!" Dilirena gently touched the wooden sword with her Sacred Flame Token, and the crimson flame danced on the tip of the sword. She teased, "Your Majesty should first learn how to hold a sword."

She suddenly looked outside the hall and said to Shi Feiyang, "Elder He is already waiting in the side hall. The movements of the Western Xia's 'Blood River Army' are faster than expected." Shi Feiyang handed the young emperor to Empress Dowager Yelü Shihan. The Xuan Shuang Blade gleamed coldly in his palm. He asked in a low voice, "Has Li Hao's secret letter been sent?" "It has been carried by the Fire Lotus Pigeon," Dilirena nodded. She then took out half a charred fragment of the secret letter and said mysteriously, "The ink used by Wang Qinruo, the Privy Councilor of the Song Dynasty, was indeed made of Uyghur pine resin."

Inside the side hall, He Quan, an elder of the Beggars' Sect, tapped his bamboo staff on the brick surface, drawing a map of Western Xia. Seeing Shi Feiyang enter, he reported, "Sect Leader Shi, Li Hao has led thirty brothers to infiltrate Bianjing. The fabricated Liao-Xia secret treaty is enough to make the Song court suspicious of Yelü Xiezhen."

He lowered his voice again and said, "But the 'Shadow Assassins' of the Western Xia First-Class Hall have already set their sights on our messenger disciples."

Shi Feiyang's fingertips traced the "Helan Mountain" on the map, when he suddenly heard the sound of icicles breaking on the eaves: "They're here." With the Mingyu Gong activated, his skin became as transparent as ice, and twelve black shadows leaped down from the roof ridge, the wolf head patterns on his cuffs gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Shi Feiyang hurriedly used "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade!" With a light wave of her jade hand, He Quan's green bamboo staff actually led three bone-piercing nails toward the assassin's companion.

Dilirena's Sacred Flame Token simultaneously unleashed the "Heaven-Burning Technique," burning crimson flames into a Bagua formation on the snow, trapping the remaining assassins in the center. Shi Feiyang swung his palms, unleashing the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique: Slash of the Mortal World," and wherever his palm wind passed, the assassins' bone knives shattered inch by inch.

"Leave them alive." He suddenly shouted, noticing the jade pendant around the assassin's neck, which was the totem of the Börte tribe. He then said in a deep voice, "Find out exactly where Li Yuanhao's Blood River Army is hiding."

Dilirena pressed the Sacred Flame Token against the assassin's throat, its crimson flames reflecting in his terrified eyes as she demanded, "Speak! Is the Blood River Army's food supply hidden in Blackwater City?"

……

Thousands of miles away in the Liao capital, Börte's Uyghur cloak fluttered across the icy plains.

Looking at the ice silkworm jade on Empress Xiao's golden crown, she suddenly remembered the warmth of Shi Feiyang's palm and teased, "Does the Empress Dowager know that the ice ridge pattern on this jade is the mark of the 'Ice Soul Cold Prison' of the Yihua Palace?"

Empress Dowager Xiao narrowed her phoenix eyes and asked doubtfully, "Are you saying that the Western Xia used the ice silkworm jade of my Liao people to refine the Blood River Heart Lamp?" She suddenly saw the jade lotus pendant around Börte's neck and said emotionally, "Back then, your father used the Burning Heart Qin to shield me from three arrows on the battlefield of Chanzhou."

Börte's fingertips traced the scorch marks on the strings as she earnestly said, "That's why I risked my life to come here."

She suddenly took out the Ice Silkworm, and Shi Feiyang's handwriting was reflected on its body: "If the Liao emperor believes, he can send the 'Iron Forest Army' to bypass Juyong Pass. The Western Xia garrison there just changed its banner to the Blood River Army yesterday."

The wind on the icy plains whipped her silver hair, and Börte suddenly heard the distant sound of camel bells—these were the ice silkworm bells specially made by Shi Feiyang. She knew that at this moment in Luoyang, Shi Feiyang must be in the snowy scenery of Daming Palace, smiling at the ice silkworms, just like when they were breaking through the formation in the underground palace.

……

The snow on Zhuque Street in Luoyang suddenly turned blood red. The vanguard of the Western Xia "Blood River Army" had arrived at the city walls, led by Tuoba Hong's younger brother, Tuoba Lie, whose Blood River Whip was wrapped with thirty-six living souls.

"Shi Feiyang!" Tuoba Lie's whip swept across the stone slab, and the blood droplets that splashed up actually condensed into a wolf's head in the air. He said angrily, "My brother's blood will be taken from your wife and children today!" He suddenly looked at Dilirena on the city wall and said fiercely, "And that Uyghur girl's Fire Lotus Blood will be just right to consecrate my Blood River Whip!"

Shi Feiyang spun the Xuan Shuang Blade in his palm, his glassy eyes reflecting the curse mark between the other's brows. He said mockingly, "Tuoba Lie, do you know the weakness of the Blood River Whip? It is currently backfiring on the living soul." He used the "Heavenly Silkworm Skill," and a crystal light flowed through his palm. The silvery-white silk-like threads formed by his powerful internal energy pierced through the blood mist.

Immediately afterwards, he unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" technique from the Hundred Victories Blade Technique! The palm wind was like raging waves crashing against the shore, actually shaking the thirty-six living souls into dissipation.

Tuoba Lie's whip suddenly cracked, revealing a Uyghur bone whistle inside. He said intermittently, "You...you actually managed to break my Blood River Secret Manual!" After saying that, he fell backward, blood splattering onto the sky, dying with his eyes wide open.

Dilirena seized the opportunity to strike down with her Sacred Flame Token, the crimson flames burning a lotus mark on his chest. She then kicked his mangled corpse and cursed, "How dare you defile the bone whistle of my clan?" Shi Feiyang caught the Blood River Whip that was flying backward and suddenly noticed that the handle of the whip was engraved with the three words "Blackwater City".

He turned to look at Dilirena, whose Sacred Flame Token was clashing with his Frostblade, producing a clear, resonant sound. He said jokingly, "Madam, it seems our Cold Moon Guard should go and meet the Blood River Army of Western Xia."

"Hehe!" Dilirena smiled sweetly and gently stroked her lower abdomen, indicating that she could no longer launch long-distance raids on the enemy.

……

The candles in Weiyang Palace burned all night. Shi Feiyang gazed at the borders of the three kingdoms on the map when he suddenly heard the ice silkworm tremble slightly. Börte's handwriting appeared on the ice: "The Liao emperor has moved; the Iron Forest Army will soon reach Youzhou." He chuckled softly, his fingertips tracing the Song court's "Chanzhou," where Li Hao's secret letter should have made the bowstrings of the Song and Liao armies even tighter.

Dilirena came over with a cup of hot wine. Seeing the weariness between his brows, she said tenderly, "Husband, there is a military review tomorrow. You should rest early." Her fingertips traced the calluses on his palm, where the bloodstains from his fierce battle with Tuoba Lie still remained. She comforted him, "Börte is in Liao. She will surely be able to persuade Empress Dowager Xiao."

Shi Feiyang held her hand, the warmth of the Sacred Flame Token and the icy chill of the Mingyu Skill mingling in his palm. He said affectionately, "Do you still remember what you said when we first met?" He then looked at the snow scene outside the hall and said meaningfully, "The crimson flames of the Sacred Flame Token are meant to melt the ice of the Mingyu Skill." Dilirena's face suddenly flushed, recalling the snowy night of their wedding.

She suddenly took out a moon-white cloak, embroidered with the emblem of the Holy Flame in ice silk, and said shyly, "This is what I prepared for our second child. The left sleeve is your icicle, and the right sleeve is my crimson flame." The sound of the night watchman's drum came from outside the hall, and the snow was still falling. But the candlelight in Weiyang Palace cast their shadows on the window paper, intertwining them into a totem of ice and fire.

……

Snow was falling heavily in Chanzhou City. Shi Feiyang stood outside the Song army camp, his gaze fixed on Kou Zhun's command flag fluttering in the wind. On his silk pouch, Qu Feiyan's red thread stood out vividly in the snow, as if her warmth traveled thousands of miles to warm his palm.

"Mr. Shi has indeed arrived." Kou Zhun's voice was weary, but when he saw Shi Feiyang, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes. "The Liao army's Iron Forest Army has arrived at Baigou River, and their 'Chain Horse' formation..."

Shi Feiyang interrupted him and asked in return, "Does Prime Minister Kou know that the golden crown of Empress Xiao of Liao is inlaid with black jade from Western Xia?" He suddenly unfolded the secret report he had seized from Li Yuanhao and analyzed, "Li Yuanhao agreed to assist the Liao army in attacking Song on the condition that he would take away the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, but the 'Blood River Warhorses' he secretly gave to the Liao army have actually had their tendons damaged by me using ice silkworms."

A glint of light flashed in Kou Zhun's eyes, and he said excitedly, "Sir, you mean..."

"In tomorrow's decisive battle, the Liao army's linked cavalry will surely retreat," Shi Feiyang said calmly, gazing at the distant Liao army camp. He then analyzed, "But Empress Dowager Xiao won't give up so easily. She will send the 'Eagle Claw Guards' to launch a night raid on the commander's tent. The target isn't you, but that fake 'Song-Xia Secret Agreement.'" He suddenly chuckled, "Just like I know you've already smuggled a letter with the Western Xia wolf-head pattern into the secret agreement." Upon hearing this, Kou Zhun laughed triumphantly. That night, the Liao army camp indeed descended into chaos.

Shi Feiyang's "Shocking Calamity" shone in the moonlight, freezing the attacking Eagle Claw Guards into ice sculptures. The Xuan Shuang Blade picked up the secret agreement in their arms, and the words "Song and Xia conspire to destroy Liao" were clearly visible in the firelight.

Empress Xiao looked at the wolf-head patterned seal and suddenly sneered, "What a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone! Shi Feiyang is indeed difficult to deal with."

As the bells of the Treaty of Chanyuan rang, Shi Feiyang was already on his way to Western Xia. The icicles on Blackwood Cliff shimmered in the moonlight as Qu Feiyan gently stroked her gradually swelling belly, reading the secret report sent by the Ice Silkworm.

Shi Feiyang's handwriting emerged on the ice, carrying the scent of the Western Xia winds and sand: "The Liao and Song armies have ceased hostilities, and Western Xia is isolated. My wife, do not worry."

She suddenly chuckled, the Sacred Flame Token drawing crimson flames in her palm, melting her reply onto the cocoon of the ice silkworm: "The snow on Blackwood Cliff has melted, and the plum blossoms in the Sacred Flame Hall are in full bloom. If you do not return, I will take the child to Western Xia to find you."

Touching the word "child" with my fingertips, I could almost feel the tenderness in his crystal-clear eyes.

A mountain breeze swept across the observatory, ruffling the hair at her temples. Qu Feiyan gazed at the Big Dipper in the sky, knowing her husband might be in the deserts of Western Xia, or perhaps on the icy plains of Liao, but she firmly believed he would return, carrying the cold glint of the Xuan Shuang Blade, and his longing for her and their child. The sandstorm of Xingqing Prefecture, carrying the sound of camel bells, rushed into her collar, causing Börte's Uyghur veil to flutter wildly, but it couldn't conceal her gaze upon Shi Feiyang. He stood before the "Blackwater Pawnshop," his silver hair gleaming like platinum in the blazing sun, the ice silk pouch on his sleeve trembling gently with his breath, the ice silkworm inside slowly wriggling along the secret Western Xia script.

“Elder Li, it’s time to act.” Shi Feiyang’s voice was gritty, but it softened slightly when he looked at her. Börte noticed her reflection in his glassy eyes, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up—since their parting at the underground palace, he had often spoken to her in this subtly caring tone, reminding her of the tenderness a Uyghur man would show when coaxing his beloved. The moment the Beggars’ Sect disciples swarmed out of the grain carts, Börte’s Burning Heart Zither slipped into her palm.

She watched Shi Feiyang gracefully leap onto the roof using the "Hidden Identity" technique. In the arc of his flowing robes, she could vaguely see the jade lotus pendant she had given him hanging at his waist.

Previously in the desert, she had personally tied the Uyghur token of love around his waist, which now gleamed warmly in the sunlight.

The crisp sound of metal clashing came from inside the pawnshop, and Börte's zither strings suddenly vibrated—it turned out that the bone knife of the Western Xia assassins had been coated with snake venom. As she turned around, the Burning Heart Zither had already knocked away three crossbow bolts, and the tassels at the end of the zither swept across the blue brick where Shi Feiyang had just stood, where the icicle marks from the soles of his shoes still remained.

In a hidden compartment of the attic, the wolf-head troop-mobilization talisman gleamed with a ghostly blue light under the moonlight. The moment Shi Feiyang's fingertips touched the token, Li Bingliao's Blood River Whip lashed out with a stench, the living souls coiled around its blade emitting a sharp shriek.

He suddenly chuckled, his glassy eyes appearing even clearer in the blood-red light, and said mockingly, "Li Bingliao, was your father's Blood River Formation refined using the soul of my father-in-law?" He then unleashed the "Slaying the Mortal World" technique from the Hundred Victories Blade! The blade energy from the Xuan Shuang Blade collided with the Iron Corpse Armor, freezing ice flowers on the armor's surface.

Börte's heart-burning zither music drifted from downstairs; the notes of "Fire Lotus Armor-Piercing Melody" shattered the glazed tiles, sparks flying onto Shi Feiyang's silver hair like scattered diamonds. He suddenly recalled the warmth of her fingertips brushing against the icy strands of his hair as she combed it in the Helan Mountain cave. Immediately afterward, Shi Feiyang unleashed "Shifting Flowers and Jade!" With a flick of her jade hand, the attacks of the twelve iron corpses were redirected towards Li Bingliao.

Li Bingliao was smashed to pieces by the impact, his body shattering into ice shards scattered all over the ground.

Börte saw the ice silkworm in his palm suddenly swell, realizing that Dilirena's Holy Flame Token reinforcements had arrived.

She leaped onto the windowsill, her Burning Heart Zither held across her chest. The scorch marks on the strings contrasted beautifully with the icicles on Shi Feiyang's sleeves. Excitedly, she exclaimed, "Brother Shi, the Ice Soul Thunder from Helan Mountain!" Her cry was punctuated by the muffled sound of an avalanche. When she saw Shi Feiyang turn his head, the curve of his lips was striking—a smile unique to him when he was confident, exactly the same expression he had when he told her, "I am your home."

After blowing up the Western Xia's gunpowder depot, the two rode away from Xingqing Prefecture. That night, they rested in a dilapidated post station.

Börte gazed at Shi Feiyang's profile as he bandaged the wounds of the Beggars' Sect disciple. His long, silvery hair cascaded down his chest, reflecting the flickering campfire, shining even brighter than the moonstone of the Uyghur royal family. "Does it hurt?" she suddenly asked, reaching out to brush the sand from his shoulder, her fingertips tracing the old scar on his collarbone—the one left from when he shielded her from the Blood River Whip.

Shi Feiyang paused slightly, then suddenly took out an ice silk pouch, poured out a "heart-protecting pill," and said with concern, "This was nurtured by my wife using the Sacred Fire Token. You should take one too." Börte looked at the pill in his palm and suddenly remembered what he had said in the underground palace when he used his own blood to continue her life force: "Ice and fire should coexist."

She held his hand, pushed the pill back, and said tenderly, "Brother Shi's palm is warmer than any pill." The wind and snow outside the inn suddenly intensified, and Shi Feiyang's ice silkworm transmitted a message from Dilirena.

Börte looked at the gentleness between his brows and chuckled, "Is Sister Di urging you to return to Luoyang again?" She lowered her head and stroked the jade lotus pendant on her chest, and said with a pang of sadness, "Actually... I should have realized long ago that your heart has always belonged to the Sacred Fire Hall of Blackwood Cliff and the Taiji Hall of Luoyang."

Shi Feiyang's fingertips suddenly stopped on the sacred fire mark on her wrist, where the ice mark from when he channeled his true energy into her remained. He then asked, "Börte, do you understand how the Uyghur Fire Lotus can bloom on the icy plains?"

He cast his gaze upon the wind and snow outside the inn and said with deep emotion, "Because there is always some warmth that allows ice and fire to coexist harmoniously in the world." Börte nestled tenderly into Shi Feiyang's arms, and the two leaned against each other, unable to contain their emotions, and slowly fell into the quilt.

……

The snow in Chang'an is even more frigid than the sandstorms in the desert.

As the two passed through Chang'an, a Beggars' Sect disciple reported that the sect's vice leader, He Quan, had passed away. Shi Feiyang entered the city to pay his respects to He Quan's spirit, expressing gratitude for He Quan's lifelong dedication to the Beggars' Sect's growth and prosperity. On the day of He Quan's burial, Börte gazed at Shi Feiyang's retreating figure kneeling before He Quan's grave, his bamboo staff casting a lonely shadow on the snow.

She suddenly recalled that in the Liao Kingdom, Empress Dowager Xiao asked her why she was willing to serve the Liao Kingdom. She replied at the time, "Because the world in my husband's eyes is hotter than the flames of any sacred fire token."

Although she had not yet married Shi Feiyang at that time, she already considered him her husband.

At this moment, Shi Feiyang stood up and solemnly said, "Madam," half a charred secret letter slipped from his sleeve, which was the one He Quan had tightly held in his hand before his death. "The blood words carved by Elder He with his green bamboo staff revealed the supply route of the Western Xia Blood River Army."

Shi Feiyang held her hand tightly, handed her the green bamboo staff, and said in a low voice, "From now on, the Beggars' Sect's Green Bamboo Token will be in your hands. That is to say, you will be the deputy leader of the Beggars' Sect, and from now on you will lead the seven million Beggars' Sect disciples across the world."

Börte's fingers gently traced the crack on the tip of the staff, where He Quan's blood still clung.

She looked up and saw her reflection in Shi Feiyang's eyes. Snowflakes fell on his hair like tiny diamonds, and she said emotionally, "Does my husband know that in the legends of the Uyghur people, a place where green bamboo and fire lotus coexist is a home?"

Shi Feiyang suddenly chuckled, brushed the snowflakes off her shoulders, and said affectionately, "Then let these green bamboos and fire lotuses bloom in a new world on the land of the Tang Dynasty. Just like you and Sister Di, you will eventually make ice and fire coexist harmoniously and prosper together in this martial world and in this world."

Börte gazed at his silver hair fluttering in the wind and snow, and suddenly realized that the most touching vow in the world was not a vow made on mountains and seas, but the back of him shielding her from the flashing blades in the Blood River Formation, the warmth of him warming her hands on a snowy night at the post station, and the light in his eyes that belonged only to her when he handed the Green Bamboo Token to her.

Snowflakes lashed against Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade as he leaped into the air, carrying Börte. The neighing of his black steed, Ta Xue Wu Zhui, was torn to shreds by the wind and snow. Sparks suddenly flew from Börte's jade lotus pendant—a message from Dilirena's Sacred Flame Token—the presence of Empress Dowager Ling Shuangyue had been severed. Börte's voice mingled with the snowflakes, and the icy chill surging in his glassy eyes was palpable.

His fingertips almost dug into her waist, but she was completely unaware. The hem of her dress was still covered with the remaining snow from He Quan's tomb, which felt colder than a knife at that moment.

The outline of Luoyang was faintly visible in the wind and snow, but the firelight on Zhuque Street was more dazzling than the blazing sun. Having just received a message from a Beggars' Sect disciple via carrier pigeon, the Tang Dynasty was in trouble. Shi Feiyang hurriedly hid his prized horse in a mysterious, unseen deerskin pouch at his waist, clutched Börte, and used his unparalleled "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill to fly back to Luoyang.

Börte, who was in his arms, was almost pressed against his chest, but what he saw in his silver hair was not snow, but tears.

She said sadly, "I never expected the Song Dynasty to be so ruthless this time. Zhao Heng, the third son of Zhao Guangyi, after ascending the throne, heavily relied on capable ministers such as Li Hang and Kou Zhun, and signed the Treaty of Chanyuan with the Liao Dynasty, which gave them a chance to recuperate. Then, they hired Nakasin from the Kunlun Jade Void Realm with the Five Elemental Pearls and evil sect masters from the Kunlun area to come to Luoyang to carry out a decapitation operation against the Tang Dynasty."

Börte's Burning Heart Zither trembled slightly in the wind and snow. Suddenly, the scorch marks on the strings glowed red. She said anxiously, "Sister Dilirena is at Xuanwu Gate now, and His Majesty is surrounded in Mingde Hall!"

Shi Feiyang suddenly drew his Xuan Shuang Blade, its blade energy cleaving through the oncoming rain of arrows. He decisively said, "Madam, go and meet Empress Yelü and His Majesty. We must ensure the safety of Empress Dowager Ling Shuangyue; she is my first wife."

He suddenly lowered his head, his forehead touching her brow, and said sadly, "If anything happens to me, take the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and His Majesty to Blackwood Cliff. Qu'er will protect you. From now on, the Beggars' Sect will also need your leadership."

Börte's fingertips traced his translucent, jade-like cheek, where the scratches from the sands of Xingqing Prefecture still remained. She forced a smile and said, "Husband, have you forgotten?" Then, she added firmly, "The fire lotus of the Uyghurs never blooms alone on the icy plains." With that, she slid out of Shi Feiyang's embrace, gathered her Beggars' Sect brothers, and covered the retreat of Ling Shuangyue, Yelü Shihan, Shi Hongyun, Dilirena, and others from the Tang Dynasty.

The gilded eaves of Mingde Hall gleamed coldly amidst the heavy snowfall, and the bronze bells on the eaves had long been frozen by the black ice. Only the Five Elemental Pearls in Nakasin's palm shimmered with an eerie light, making the snow on the roof of the hall appear as if it had been splashed with blood.

The woman, dressed in the robes of the Kunlun Saintess, stood barefoot on the icicles, her fair toes resting on half a broken dragon-patterned roof tile. The soul of the Empress Dowager Ling Shuangyue was swirling in the jade bottle, turning into white mist. The Jade Void Realm runes engraved on the bottle flickered, as if they were wailing.

"Shi Feiyang, the blood of your precious grandson is just the right amount to appease the remnant soul of my Kunlun Ancestral Witch." Nakasin sneered, the silver ornaments at her temples clinking together, creating an eerie resonance with the wails that rose and fell in the hall.

The hall was littered with the corpses of Tang Dynasty officials. The official hats of civil officials lay scattered on the ground, and the armor of military generals was twisted and deformed. Wherever the golden light of the Five Elemental Pearls swept, the beard of the Minister of Revenue turned snow-white at a visible speed and instantly turned into withered bones; the blue light wrapped around the armor of the Imperial Guards, and the refined iron melted like mud, revealing the flesh underneath corroded into pus; and the crimson light was even more sinister, the court robes of the Vice Minister of Personnel spontaneously combusted for no reason, he roared in the flames, and finally turned into a handful of charred ashes, which scattered in the cold wind.

Shi Feiyang's figure appeared like a ghost beneath the steps of the palace. He rapidly circulated his Mingyu Gong, and three feet of ice mist rose around him. His skin, beneath his black martial arts attire, was crystal clear, and his meridians, like jade veins in ice, were clearly visible.

But when his gaze fell upon Ling Shuangyue lying on the steps, her ice-sculpted body trembled violently, as if her heart had been pierced by the sharp light of the Five Spirit Pearls—the Empress Dowager's white hair was covered with inch-by-inch ice crystals, a unique mark of the Xuanbing Curse. Her withered fingers were still in the gesture of making hand seals, and in her palm, an Ice Silkworm Jade shattered into dust.

"My beloved wife, Shuangyue..." Shi Feiyang's voice was icy as he slammed his right hand into the ground. The moment the Heavenly Silkworm Technique was activated, more than a dozen silver threads burst forth from the earth, darting like serpents into the seven orifices of the nearest Western Region evil sect master.

Just as the man was about to swing the Corpse Whip, his body suddenly swelled up like an inflated sack, and the muffled sound of his internal organs being crushed mixed with the sound of bones breaking exploded. Filthy blood splattered on the dragon pillar, melting with the snow to form a foul-smelling red liquid.

"Husband, beware of the Five Elements' rotation!" Börte cried out in alarm. Her Burning Heart Zither suddenly trembled like a dragon's roar, and seven lines of fire formed lotus petals to protect Shi Feiyang's back.

Nakasin had already thrown the Five Elemental Pearls into the air. The five spiritual lights of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth formed a ring, coiling towards Shi Feiyang like a giant python.

He spun around with his toes barely touching the ground, skillfully redirecting his spiritual energy towards the palace pillar. With a deafening crash, the dragon pillar, carved with a scene of the "Reign of Zhenguan," broke in two, and the rubble struck several surviving officials, abruptly silencing their screams.

"Look, these are the pillars of the Tang Dynasty." Nakasin laughed, standing on a broken pillar, mercilessly gripping the jade bottle as she absorbed the life force of another imperial censor. She sneered, "Once the Five Elemental Pearls have absorbed enough lives to reach a hundred, they can break the Ancestral Witch's seal. Then the entire Central Plains will become the Kunlun Ice Plains." She suddenly pointed towards the Xuanwu Gate, and the green light of the Five Elemental Pearls shot out like arrows, chillingly saying, "Your precious grandson Shi Hongyun, and Shi Chengyu in Dilirena's swaddling clothes, are probably already..."

Before she could finish speaking, a fiery red figure burst into the hall. Börte's Uyghur battle cloak was stained with blood, two strings of her Burning Heart Qin were broken, and a deep, bone-revealing wound on her shoulder was oozing black blood—the spot where the jade bottle had struck her, and the chill was creeping up her veins.

"She's lying! Sister Di is protecting the children at Xuanwu Gate!" Börte hurriedly reminded Shi Feiyang, then held the zither horizontally to block the bone-piercing nail thrown by the Western Region expert. She poured her Fire Lotus True Qi into the zither strings, and two golden lotus flowers actually ignited at the broken string.

She then warned, "Husband, this witch's Five Elemental Pearls are afraid of the cold; their spiritual power will dissipate in the snow!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Feiyang's eyes sharpened, and the chilling aura of Mingyu Gong suddenly emanated outwards, causing the temperature inside the hall to plummet, and the falling snowflakes condensed into ice beads in mid-air.

He tapped the ice brick with his toes, and the "Mountain Splitting" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade was fierce and unparalleled. The snow particles stirred up by his palm wind turned into thousands of ice blades, which actually tore a gap in the colorful light of the Five Spirit Pearls.

Nakasin's saintess robe was torn by the ice blade, revealing the Kunlun Ancestral Witch totem tattooed on her chest. The blue-faced, fanged pattern seemed to come alive in the icy mist. She screamed and activated the Five Elemental Pearls, then said fiercely, "You're courting death! I'll show you the true power of the Jade Void Realm!"

The five beams of light suddenly merged into a five-colored pillar of light, and wherever it passed, the floor tiles shattered inch by inch, and the snow evaporated instantly.

Shi Feiyang simultaneously activated the Heavenly Silkworm Skill and the Bright Jade Skill, causing a surge of silver light to shine from his palms, which wove a net of ice silkworm silk in front of him.

The moment the beam of light struck the net, the ice silk emitted a groan of unbearable strain. Blood trickled from the corner of Shi Feiyang's mouth, but he stared intently at Nakasin and roared, "You stole the Xuanbing Curse and harmed living beings! If the ancestors of the Jade Void Realm have spirits, they will surely cast your soul into the Nine Netherworlds!"

At this moment, the battle at Xuanwu Gate was reaching its climax. Dilirena leaned against the mottled city bricks; the crimson flames of the Sacred Flame Token had long since been extinguished, and the flame totem engraved on the tattered token was now dim and lifeless.

She cradled the infant Shi Chengyu in her arms, with Yelü Shihan and the young emperor Shi Hongyun behind her. All three were soaked in blood, indistinguishable between their own and the enemy's. From below the city walls came the roars of the Western Regions' evil sect, and the Corpse Whip, reeking of decay, lashed out, leaving black welts on the brick wall. "Shihan, hold Hongyun tight," Dilirena said, wiping the blood from her mouth as she fought off several Kunlun experts, her voice filled with concern as she reminded Yelü Shihan.

She suddenly laughed again, a laugh that, amidst the bloodstains, possessed a breathtaking beauty. With unwavering resolve, she said, "Back then, when I was hunting snow leopards on the Turpan grasslands, I was surrounded by a pack of wolves in an ice cave for three days and three nights, but I still managed to come out alive, didn't I?"

After saying that, he threw the Sacred Flame Token to Yelü Shihan and said loudly, "Take this token. The Sacred Flame Token's legacy cannot be broken." As soon as Yelü Shihan caught the token, she was pushed back by a strong force—Dilrena actually rushed towards the Corpse Whip, her palm wind carrying the last trace of Sacred Flame True Qi, and collided with the evil sect expert.

A stench of decay and burning filled the air. Her figure swayed on the city wall, and the hem of her dress fluttered down like a broken red silk ribbon.

"Sister Di!" Börte's Burning Heart Zither suddenly cried out in anguish. The white light bursting from the Jade Lotus Pendant caught Yelü Shihan, who was falling from the city wall, but it failed to stop Dilirena.

She saw the fiery red figure fall into the horde of corpses, and fragments of the Sacred Flame Token streaked through the air, much like the burning lotus in Uyghur legend.

Inside the Mingde Hall, Shi Feiyang's long, silvery-white hair was now mottled with the colorful light of the Five Spirit Pearls. He suddenly recalled the snowy night at Blackwood Cliff, when Qu Feiyan had said that his white hair resembled the icicles eroded by the fierce winds on Kunlun Mountain.

At this moment, those strands of hair danced wildly in the colorful light, each one seemingly bearing a thousand-pound weight—he saw the young son of the Ministry of Revenue official crawl out from the pile of corpses, about to cry out, but was swallowed by the green light; he saw the Imperial Guard Commander grit his teeth and charge forward with his sword, but was turned into dust by the golden light; and he even saw the Empress Dowager's soul desperately pounding in the jade bottle, that was his beloved wife.

"Nakasin!" Shi Feiyang's roar shook the snow off the roof of the palace, causing the vortex suction force of Mingyu Gong to increase a hundredfold.

Nakasin felt an immense force emanating from the jade bottle, causing it to fly out of her hand and crash into the icy mist in Shi Feiyang's palm. The five elemental pearls suddenly flickered violently, as if frozen by the icy mist, fine cracks appearing on their surface. (End of Chapter)