Chapter 19: Qing Yi, forgive your master, this is the last time

"Young Master, since the Prince has spoken, do not blame this old man."

Ye Sandao let out a sigh, though he was not surprised.

For his Prince, there were far too many sons, but only those of value could truly be called the Prince's sons.

As Xiao Jing's command took effect, Ye Sandao charged toward Xiao Mo with his blade drawn.

Xiao Mo kicked the longsword embedded in his sole, sending the blade, *Luoxia*, flying upward to pierce toward Ye Sandao's throat.

The moment Ye Sandao tilted his head to dodge, Xiao Mo's figure had already closed the distance. He caught the flying hilt and swung the sword horizontally toward the man's head.

Ye Sandao raised his blade in a contorted, unorthodox posture to parry.

*Bang!*

Ye Sandao felt a massive surge of impact; it felt less like being struck by a sword and more like being hit by a heavy hammer.

He crashed through a rockery, sending shards of stone tumbling to the ground.

"Go!"

Xiao Mo did not linger in combat. He turned, scooped up Jiang Qingyi, and bolted for the exit.

Having regained her senses, Jiang Qingyi acted like a willful young girl, incessantly pounding on Xiao Mo's chest. "Let me go! I don't need your help! Let me go!"

"Since you have come, do not think you can leave." Xiao Jing pulled a token from his robes and activated it with his spiritual energy.

Just as Xiao Mo was about to fly out of the Xiao Estate, the estate's formation activated, enveloping the entire manor and preventing anyone from leaving.

"Sigh..." Xiao Mo sighed inwardly. A pity; they were so close.

"Get out of the way!"

Suddenly, Jiang Qingyi shouted loudly. Pressing her hands against Xiao Mo's chest, she shoved him away with all her might.

In that exact instant, a blade stroke flew through the space between them.

Ye Sandao lunged at Xiao Mo once more.

Xiao Mo raised his sword to meet the enemy.

The exchange of blows was so rapid it was nearly impossible to see.

Only the shattering of the estate's rockeries and the collapsing of houses bore witness to the speed.

Jiang Qingyi charged downward, her longsword aimed directly at Xiao Jing, intending to strike the leader to end the fight.

"It seems I have truly been underestimated."

Xiao Jing let out a cold laugh. He drew his sword and struck Jiang Qingyi with a single blow.

Jiang Qingyi swung her sword in return, the resulting sword qi carving a deep trench into the ground behind them.

However, as a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, it was far too easy for Xiao Jing to kill a wounded Golden Core stage cultivator like Jiang Qingyi.

In the brief moment of their clashing blades, Xiao Jing found an opening. While parrying the force forward, he delivered a heavy kick to Jiang Qingyi's abdomen.

Jiang Qingyi coughed up a mouthful of blood and tumbled across the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Jing thrust his sword forward, intending to kill her where she lay.

*Clang!*

Just as Xiao Jing was about to succeed, Xiao Mo arrived at Jiang Qingyi's side, thrusting his sword upward in a rising strike.

Startled, Xiao Jing scrambled to parry, being sent flying ten meters back.

"A dying man!"

Xiao Jing's brow furrowed. He channeled his will into the formation, and a flaming phoenix lunged toward Jiang Qingyi and Xiao Mo.

He truly intended to put Xiao Mo to death; there was not a shred of mercy in his heart.

He did not even care if he had to extract Xiao Mo's sword bone, causing his soul to dissipate and erasing any possibility of reincarnation.

*Boom!*

Xiao Mo shielded Jiang Qingyi behind him, enduring the full force of the strike!

"No!" Jiang Qingyi screamed.

As Xiao Mo fell backward, Jiang Qingyi held her master tightly. She could feel that his life-flame was on the verge of extinguishing.

"Han'er, go and kill that woman. Take her sword bone. Once you have both the double pupils and the sword bone, you shall be invincible in this world!" With the outcome decided, Xiao Jing spoke to his son.

"Yes, Father!" Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Han approached them with a short blade.

Though Xiao Han had never met this brother of his, he loathed him intensely.

Because no matter what Xiao Han did, he was always compared to Xiao Mo.

This infuriated him.

Xiao Mo was nothing more than a waste who had received a transplanted sword bone; what right did he have to be compared to him?

Furthermore, after Xiao Mo discovered the sword bone belonged to someone else, he actually left the Xiao Estate to find that woman.

Utterly ridiculous!

In Jiang Qingyi's arms, Xiao Mo coughed a few times. He lightly tapped his fingertip against the ground.

The ground rippled like the surface of a lake, with ripples spreading outward from the center where Xiao Mo and Jiang Qingyi stood.

Before Xiao Han's eyes, the two of them suddenly vanished.

"Father..." Xiao Han spun around abruptly, thinking they had escaped.

"That sword bone is indeed extraordinary; it allowed a sword cultivator of the Nascent Soul stage to manifest a Sword Realm," Xiao Jing said, stepping forward. "Rest assured, son, they have not left."

Xiao Jing picked up a stone and tossed it. The stone hit an invisible wall in the air and instantly shattered.

"This is the Sword Realm of a sword cultivator. Xiao Mo has pulled Jiang Qingyi into it, which is why they appear to have vanished."

Xiao Jing turned to Ye Sandao. "How long will it take to break his realm?"

"Reporting to the Prince, this old man only needs three strikes," Ye Sandao replied confidently, stroking his beard.

Every person's Sword Realm is unique.

Xiao Mo's realm was a clear lake, reflecting a bright blue sky where white clouds drifted slowly.

"Master, you won't die... you won't die..."

Inside the realm, Jiang Qingyi sat kneeling on the surface of the lake as ripples spread out around her.

Reflected in the water were the shadows of the two of them.

"Foolish girl... no one is immortal. It is only a matter of time."

Leaning in his disciple's arms, Xiao Mo's breath grew increasingly faint.

But in the next moment, streams of water rose from the clear lake surface.

These streams acted like ropes, binding Jiang Qingyi and hoisting her into the air.

"Master, what are you doing?"

Jiang Qingyi struggled, but she could not break free.

Xiao Mo stood up with great difficulty, walking toward her step by step. "Nothing much. I am simply returning what belongs to you."

Jiang Qingyi froze, then began to curse. "Xiao Mo! Are you insane? Let me go! I don't want that sword bone! Even without it, I can still have my revenge!"

Xiao Mo acted as if he hadn't heard her, continuing his walk until he stood behind the young woman.

"Xiao Mo, I'm warning you! If you give that sword bone to me, I will never forgive you in any lifetime! I said I would kill everything related to Xiao Jing! You are also someone I must kill! If your soul dissipates, how can I kill you? I don't want to use anything that you have used! Get away from me!" Jiang Qingyi's voice grew louder and louder.

But Xiao Mo remained deaf to her cries. He gripped his longsword and cut into her fair back.

A portion of Jiang Qingyi's spine was composed of spiritual energy.

Xiao Mo struck directly, shattering that segment of spiritual bone.

"Ah!"

Jiang Qingyi's limbs went rigid with pain as she let out a piercing scream.

Immediately after, Xiao Mo controlled his flying sword to cut into his own back. He reached behind him and extracted his own sword bone.

Holding the translucent, crystalline sword bone, Xiao Mo placed it into her back.

As if returning home, the sword bone rapidly fused with Jiang Qingyi, and even the torn flesh began to knit itself back together.

Xiao Mo walked to the front of Jiang Qingyi. His body was turning into specks of spiritual light, gradually drifting away.

Xiao Mo looked at his disciple with a smile. He reached out and placed his hand on her head, just as he had when he first brought her into his sect.

"Qingyi, forgive your master. This is the last time..."

(End of Chapter)