“I am fortunate to meet the Nine Hell King Sword, to meet the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family.”

This general was the leader of the God Killing Army, Bai Qi. He glanced at Ding Ning, and then back at Zhangsun Qianxue. He said, “But not every person would be interested in telling the enemy about the past.”

“In a certain way,” his gaze fell on himself, and then he said, “Wang Jingmeng represented Ba Mountain Sword Field, and now, you represent Ba Mountain Sword Field.”

There was frozen blood at the corners of his robes. While his wounds were no longer bleeding, the fight with the old monk had created damage more serious than a bleeding wound. In a cold place like this that lacked primal energies of the universe, he did not have much time to waste.

Ding Ning could hear Bai Qi’s contempt. But he looked calmly at the man and said, “Ba Mountain Sword Field never fears settling accounts, but at least, we need to know where this came from.”

Bai Qi slowly looked up at the night sky, and whispered indifferently, “Only those who live can settle accounts.”

There was no meaning in settling accounts with the dead. Ding Ning knew that Bai Qi meant he was the person who could settle accounts. Ding Ning, Zhangsun Qianxue and the old monk would die here.

But Ding Ning did not think so.

He looked at Bai Qi who was looking at the sky. He did not speak to Bai Qi and said in a voice that only he and Zhangsun Qianxue in front of him could hear, “His confidence comes from Zheng Xiu. This place is extremely cold, and your domain. But it is at a high altitude. The primal energies of the universe are thin, but this is closer to the stars. It is easier for the star energy to come down, so this is also Zheng Xiu’s domain.”

“Zheng Xiu has received the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art so I will not disrupt her battle. Otherwise, she will know that I am not dead.” Seeing Zhangsun Qianxue suddenly turn around, Ding Ning said seriously. “Here, you have no advantages against Zheng Xiu… but you wanted to fight her many years ago. In the years you waited in Changling, you were also waiting for a chance to fight her fairly. So I have confidence in you.”

“You have confidence in me. Of course I will win.” Zhangsun Qianxue gave a rare laugh. She was usually cold, but her smile was full of heat!

Many years ago, she was not convinced. She felt that she would not lose to Zheng Xiu. Yet Wang Jingmeng accepted Zheng Xiu. There was no meaning if she won a sword duel. Proud, she left Changling alone. She thought the destruction of the Gongsun Family was at Wang Jingmeng’s hands, so love turned to hate, and she could not forgive him.

But Wang Jingmeng fought to the death in Changling, and then she returned to Changling. She hid there and cultivated. She did not think of anything else, but a chance to fight Zheng Xiu, and then kill her!

In many past years, this was the only meaning of her life.

**

Many stars lit up in the black sky. Because this was very close to the sky, so the stars appeared large and strange. The brightest star appeared usually pale white in this moment.

Then these stars, so close that they could be touched, started to burn, and the wisps of flame floated down, usually heavy.

A lifebond presence was released from in front of Bai Qi.

A true lifebond sword appeared in his hand. This sword was long, narrow, and transparent. It seemed to be made from pure white crystal but carried a cold killing intent.

When Bai Qi held his sword across his chest, the sword seemed to become a mirror. Pale white star fire fell down and landed on his swords.

“Each time, it is the same… is it really so good to use so many people?” Ding Ning thought of Gu Huai and many others. He sneered, and shook his head.

Bai Qi calmly pushed his sword forward. At this moment, he appeared very relaxed. Because this sword essence did not belong to him. All he had to do was be a mirror, and reflect this sword essence. He believed the mistress of the imperial palace already sensed the presence of the Nine Hell King Sword. So the star fire that fell on his sword this time was cruel but exceptionally fiery!

Countless pale rays of star fire fell on the mirror-like sword, and flowed down the edges of the blade. They formed a thin layer, horizontal to the lake surface, and sliced towards Zhangsun Qianxue.

Her smile suddenly disappeared. Just like how a person’s lips grew sharper and colder when they were pressed together. The rays of star fire formed a layer thinner than snow. The seemingly normal slash carried a sense of endless power.

She had not seen Zheng Xiu for many years. But now, she understood that what Ding Ning had said to her before was correct. She had grown more terrifying these years, and when she used her full power, it surpassed her imagination.

The blue color quickly flowed on her right hand and accumulated. The Nine Hell King Sword was one thought of as the most vicious and coldest sword in the world. Now, its power was being released by Zhangsun Qianxue’s hand. The deep color intensified, and was giving off soul-shaking power. In the next moment, she abandoned the secret sword of the Gongsun Family, and the strongest sword moves she had learned in many years, and attacked with something that was not very special. Her vicious and coldest sword drew out in front of her gently like an eyebrow pencil, and fell on the thin layer of star fire.

The name of this sword move was “Draw Eyebrows”.

Many old matters of the Changling were part of this sword. This sword move was the one that Wang Jingmeng had once used to slash the face of Ji Qingqing. This sword move was not hard to understand, and very normal to most swordsmen in Changling. Back then, Wang Jingmeng had used this normal sword move to win against Ji Qingqing, and left a scar on her face. It was more to embarrass her. Now, Zhangsun Qianxue used such a move because she really wanted… really wanted… to slash Zheng Xiu’s face with this sword.

You have no sense of shame?

This was her sword essence. The sword essence she had accumulated over many years, and which represented her deepest obsession.

So this sword essence was very powerful. In Ding Ning’s eyes, it was perfect and extremely powerful.

Crack!

A crack as thin as spider silk appeared on the thin layer of star fire. Then there were countless cracks over the star fire that stretched to Bai Qi’s sword.

Bai Qi suddenly stopped breathing. He felt he was hit by many giant mountains. A wild beastly roar came out of his throat. His left hand fell to the sword hilt. Blood flew from between the fingers of right hand before he could hold his sword and stop it from flying out of his grasp.

The star fire cracked. It seemed to roll back towards the stars. It looked like a white rope burning towards the sky.

In Changling’s imperial palace, there was a soft pop.

Standing in front of the spirit spring, Zheng Xiu swayed slightly. A mouthful of blood sprayed out between her lips. Red droplets of blood fell among the white lotuses on the spirit spring and rolled like dew.