Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

"Your disciple is innocent."

Ji Lingxiao remained expressionless, his sword still pointing forward, showing no intention of backing down.

"You bastard!"

Xuanjizi roared, his voice like thunder: "You are born with the bones of a sword, a future sword immortal! How could you, for the sake of love and affection, for a vixen, willingly degenerate?!"

"Have you forgotten that you once told your master that you wanted to ascend and break through the realm to find the cause of the beast tide?"

"Or are your vows just empty words?"

In mid-air, Ji Lingxiao's knuckles, gripping the sword, turned white, and his fingertips trembled slightly from excessive force.

Sensing its master's emotional fluctuations, the Broken Heart Sword emitted a low, mournful cry, as if it were weeping blood.

Xuanjizi stepped through the air, each step creating visible ripples in the void.

That was the oppressive aura of the peak Mahayana stage, like invisible mountains pressing heavily on Ji Lingxiao's straight spine.

"Three hundred years ago, you knelt before the portrait of the patriarch and made a vow."

Xuanjizi's voice, aged yet resonant, echoed throughout the desolate abyss: "You said you would break through the void to find the source of the Blood Moon Beast Tide, to seek a glimmer of hope for all living beings!"

"Now, beast tides are frequent, the red moon is unpredictable, and devastation is imminent!"

Xuanjizi suddenly threw the decree in his hand into the air.

The scroll of gold swelled in the wind, transforming into a golden curtain of light that blotted out the sky. Ancient runes swirled like stars, emanating a suffocating aura.

"And you!"

Xuanjizi angrily pointed at Ji Lingxiao, heartbroken: "Yet you hide in this filthy, desolate abyss, serving as a watchdog for a demoness! Where is your swordsmanship? Where is your morality?!"

"Ji Lingxiao, are you willing to betray the entire world for one person?!"

This question, imbued with the vast and righteous spirit of heaven and earth, struck straight to the soul.

Below the desolate abyss, the rogue cultivators who were originally haggling in the market were shocked by this overwhelming force, their faces turning pale. Many of those with lower cultivation levels even knelt on the ground, trembling.

This is not only a crushing defeat in terms of strength, but also a judgment from the moral high ground.

Ji Lingxiao swayed slightly, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

That was the backlash from a wavering Dao heart.

On one side is his revered teacher and his grand ambition to save the world and its people; on the other side is the budding affection between him and his wife and children.

Dilemma.

"It's so noisy."

A cool, languid voice abruptly broke into the tragic and solemn atmosphere.

Jiang Yining sat on the armchair covered with a white tiger skin, holding a steaming cup of spiritual tea in her hand, and gently blew away the foam.

She didn't even lift her eyelids, as if the world-destroying decree that could fall from above at any moment was less important than the cup of tea in her hand.

"Butler Zhao," Jiang Yining said slowly.

"This old servant is here," Steward Zhao replied, bowing under immense pressure.

"Keep accounts."

Jiang Yining took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Lingxiao Sword Sect has one Mahayana stage cultivator and twelve Integration stage cultivators."

"Unauthorized trespassing on private property and intimidating customers caused a 15-minute disruption to the market. The penalty will be calculated at 100,000 spirit stones per minute for lost work time, plus three times that amount for emotional distress."

She paused, then looked up. In her beautiful peach blossom eyes, there was no fear, only calculation.

"Oh right, that old man's voice was too loud and scared my baby. He has to compensate me."

The entire room fell silent.

Even Xuanjizi was stunned.

He had lived for thousands of years and had seen people begging for mercy and fighting desperately, but he had never seen anyone still settling scores even on the verge of death.

"Witch!"

Behind Xuanjizi, an elder from the Punishment Hall roared in fury: "You dare to speak so arrogantly even when you're about to die! Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven!"

Clang—!

A crimson flying sword fell like a meteor, heading straight for Jiang Yining's face.

That was a strike from the late stage of the Void Refinement realm, delivered with rage and without the slightest mercy.

Jiang Yining didn't move.

She didn't even bother to activate her protective spiritual energy; she simply shifted to a more comfortable position, leaning back in her chair, and looked at the flying sword with a mocking gaze.

Someone was even more anxious than her.

"court death."

boom--!!

A jet-black demonic aura arrived first, transforming into a giant ghostly hand in mid-air and grabbing the flying sword.

"Click."

The crisp cracking sound made my teeth ache.

That top-grade spiritual artifact flying sword was easily broken in the ghost's hands, just like a toothpick.

"puff!"

With his natal magic weapon destroyed, the elder of the Punishment Hall coughed up blood and his aura instantly weakened.

Ye Wuhen was dressed in a black robe, his long silver hair danced wildly, and his heterochromatic eyes burned with a violent flame.

He maintained the posture of crushing the flying sword, a cruel smile curving his lips.

"To lay a hand on the mother of my child right in front of me?"

Ye Wuhen took a step forward, shrinking the distance to an inch, and instantly appeared in front of the elder.

"Who gave you the guts?"

"Demon...Demon Lord Ye Wuhen?!"

The elder stared in terror, but before he could even cry for help, Ye Wuhen slapped him away.

He crashed into the distant mountain wall like a tattered sack, and couldn't be pried off.

"Tsk."

Chu Jinglan strolled leisurely from the direction of the academy, fanning himself with a folding fan. Behind him followed Erbao Chu Anyan, who was excitedly recording with a photo-recording stone in his hand.

"Senior Xuanjizi, although it is said that 'those who follow different paths cannot make plans together,' such shouting for war is unbecoming of a great sect."

Although Chu Jinglan was smiling, a righteous aura surged around him, subtly rivaling the golden decree in the sky.

"If the so-called 'acting on behalf of Heaven' is based on the indiscriminate killing of innocent people, then what's the point of cultivating this 'righteous path'?"

"The Confucian Sage Chu Jinglan!"

Xuanjizi's face turned ashen: "You, as the Imperial Tutor, have actually colluded with the demonic path?! What kind of bewitching potion has this demoness given you?!"

"There's no bewitching potion."

Bai Ze yawned and emerged from the spirit field, carrying a five-colored pheasant he had just caught. "But the food there is really delicious. Old man, why don't you come down and try some?"

"Stop talking about 'the common people' all the time. The common people are busy and don't have time to listen to your bragging."

The four bigwigs gathered together.

Demonic energy, righteous energy, demonic energy, and sword intent—four completely different forces intertwined above the desolate abyss, forcefully pushing back Xuanjizi's oppressive aura.

The initially one-sided situation was instantly reversed.

Xuanjizi was so angry that he trembled all over.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He said "good" three times in a row, and finally fixed his gaze on Ji Lingxiao: "Lingxiao, I'll ask you one last time."

"Do you want this vixen, or the world?!"

"If you don't turn back today, you will be betraying your master and ancestors! The Sword Sect will cease to exist!"

This is a final ultimatum, and the most ruthless form of coercion.

All eyes were on Ji Lingxiao.

Ji Lingxiao slowly closed his eyes, countless images flashing through his mind.

The strictness of his master when he was young, and the high spirits of his youth when he vowed to eliminate demons.

"Master."

Ji Lingxiao opened his eyes, his gaze clear yet revealing a trace of resolute pain.

He slowly raised the sword of severance in his hand.

A glint of joy flashed in Xuanjizi's eyes: "You've come to your senses? Then kill her! Sever all ties to this world!"

Ji Lingxiao did not move.

He simply turned the blade around.

The tip of the sword was aimed at his left shoulder.

"Ling Xiao! What are you doing?!" Xuanjizi exclaimed in shock.

"I will always remember Master's teachings."

Ji Lingxiao's voice was hoarse: "The kindness of raising and nurturing is heavier than Mount Tai."

"But in this world, if one cannot even protect the ones they love, how can one talk about protecting the world?"

"Since Master wants me to choose between righteousness and personal feelings..."