Chapter 126

The wind howled.

The Endless Sea, already full of dangers, took on an even more chilling air of slaughter.

Facing dozens of Mahayana cultivators, Si Zang spoke for the first time.

His gaze toward Xu Hua was calm, and even his tone remained steady as he asked, “Why?”

Why betray him?

Why had her tone just now been filled with such hatred toward him?

He and this group of people had known each other for many years and could even be considered close friends. Moreover, he and Xu Hua were distant relatives. He believed that he had never wronged them, yet today, they intended to take his sword bones.

Everyone present knew the fate of those who had their sword bones taken. A sword immortal without sword bones would fall from being a renowned prodigy to a powerless mortal at the mercy of others.

This betrayal was absolute—there was no room for reconciliation.

Xu Hua clearly had no intention of explaining. She wasted no words and simply said, “Do it.”

The gathered experts unleashed their power simultaneously, and a suffocating pressure surged toward them.

Ning Xu knew all too well that, against such a powerful force composed of the highest-tier combatants in the cultivation world, she and Si Zang would not last even the time it took for an incense stick to burn.

This was a battle destined for death, with no hope of survival.

She repeatedly used the technique she had learned from Si Zang—Reverse the Star River.

One after another, her defensive treasures shattered.

The talismans that could withstand a full-force strike from a Mahayana cultivator burned out one by one.

The attack talismans that activated automatically in times of crisis were also exhausted.

Some of these treasures had been given to her by the previous Tower Master, while others were gifts from the great cultivator Xi Yuan.

Noticing her wealth of treasures, a burly cultivator, over two meters tall, glanced at her with some surprise and said, “I didn’t expect you to have so many valuable items. What a pity…”

If she hadn’t had these treasures, Ning Xu likely wouldn’t have lasted until the moment Xu Hua and the others walked into the trap. Fortunately, she was wealthy enough, and she had more than enough treasures to use freely.

As another defensive treasure shattered, she instinctively looked toward Si Zang.

Compared to her nearly maxed-out defenses, Si Zang’s battle was far more brutal.

Xu Hua and the others wielded weapons specifically designed to counter Si Zang’s cultivation. All she could see was the continuous flickering of the Obsidian Sword’s shadows, and she repeatedly witnessed the execution of Reverse the Star River.

The usually honest and simple Old Yellow Ox had long reverted to its true form.

The powerful and ferocious beast looked upon these scheming, petty people with undisguised scorn. “Is this the best you can do?”

Its body was covered in wounds, some large, some small, and one of its legs was already missing.

Yet, there was no fear on its face—only an overwhelming battle spirit.

When they arrived, there had been fourteen Mahayana cultivators on the opposing side, including one at Mahayana Perfection, five at late Mahayana, and several at early Mahayana.

Now, two early Mahayana cultivators had already fallen!

Even the usually sharp-tongued Melon-Eating System uncharacteristically remained silent upon hearing Old Yellow Ox’s words.

Despite its arrogant words, in reality, both the beast and its master were at the end of their rope.

Si Zang’s body was covered in fatal sword and blade wounds. The battlefield where he and Old Yellow Ox fought was completely stained with blood.

Their blood.

Even in this dire situation, Si Zang did not forget to help ease the pressure on Ning Xu.

Most of the spells from the dozens of Mahayana cultivators present had landed on Si Zang.

For the first time, Ning Xu fully comprehended the unparalleled mastery of Si Zang’s sword techniques and realized the extraordinary talent he possessed.

He was too exceptional.

If he had enough time to grow, even if all of these people joined forces, they would still be no match for him in the future.

But he had no time left.

Ning Xu clenched her hands tightly.

This was the most perilous situation she had faced since arriving in the cultivation world, and it was also the most hopeless.

If she could, she wanted to turn the tide alongside Si Zang.

But…

The outcome was already decided.

She shut her eyes tightly. She swore that this would be the first and the last time such a thing happened.

As the battle tilted further out of their favor, a sudden burst of golden light erupted from Si Zang’s body!

The cultivators watching were stunned and confused.

“What’s happening?”

“Damn it, he’s comprehending a Dao!”

“What Dao is it?”

Ning Xu saw the flowers beside Si Zang bloom and wither, wither and bloom, and she saw the withered grass around him turn from yellow to green, from lifeless to vibrant.

The passage of time was vividly reflected in those flowers and blades of grass.

Some of the cultivators noticed this too.

One of them trembled as he spoke the answer.

“It’s the Dao of Time.”

“He’s comprehended the Dao of Time!”

“What? In this situation, he’s still capable of comprehending a Dao? And it’s the most mystical Dao of all—Time?”

The oldest cultivator present, the only surviving one among the three Mahayana Perfection cultivators, spoke with ruthless determination. “This one must not be allowed to live!”

With that, he gathered all his cultivation and prepared to deal a fatal blow to Si Zang.

Si Zang did not retreat. Instead, he burned even brighter, like a fire that only grew stronger.

At that moment, he wasn’t just burning his cultivation—he was burning his lifespan.

Time seemed to slow.

Ning Xu instinctively reached out toward him. It was reluctance—it was farewell.

A simple action that normally took but a second was stretched infinitely. The space around her distorted. She knew—it was the Dao of Time at work.

Just as she finally reached out to take his sword bones, they suddenly came to life.

With a series of sickening pops, the bones forcefully tore themselves from Si Zang’s body.

Such an act of absolute finality made Ning Xu’s heart ache.

The pristine, flawless sword bones, as if guided by intent, flew straight into Ning Xu’s embrace.

That moment was both fleeting and endless.

Holding the sword bones in her arms, she seemed to think of many things—or perhaps, nothing at all.

She had imagined countless possible outcomes and speculated on many of Si Zang’s possible reactions, but she had never expected this…

She had thought that if she took Si Zang’s sword bones, he would be in utter disbelief, that he would feel the agony of betrayal once more, that he would hate her…

In truth, in some ways, she was no better than Xu Hua and the others. Even though she had done it under the guise of obtaining the sword bones for Si Yan.

But regardless of their reasons, their goal had been the same—to take Si Zang’s sword bones.

The harm they inflicted on him was the same.

Previously, she had deliberately avoided thinking about how Si Zang might react.

But she had never expected that he would take out his sword bone himself and hand it to her.

The sword bone in Ning Xu’s arms was as cold as jade, yet at this moment, it felt as heavy as a thousand catties.

She heard Si Zang shout at her, “Go!”

Without looking back, Ning Xu leaped into the sea of the Endless Ocean, holding the sword bone tightly as she plunged straight down. The moment before she was about to hit the water, she turned around.

In that instant, amidst the sky full of sword light, she saw Si Zang looking deeply at her. That gaze seemed to hold many emotions, yet also seemed to hold nothing at all.

The next moment, countless sword techniques descended from the sky, tearing him and the old yellow ox apart completely.

—

Ning Xu sank heavily into the sea.

Unlike when she had arrived, the water of the Endless Ocean on her return seemed much colder. Her cheeks felt icy.

The Melon-Eating System remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

【It’s not that the seawater has gotten colder, but… Host, you’re crying.】

Ning Xu froze for a moment.

Was she? She was actually crying?

From the moment she returned to three thousand years ago, she had known clearly that Si Zang was merely a tool meant to provide a sword bone for Si Yan. His fate had already been sealed, and they had no power to change it.

But…

Seeing the “tool” being surrounded and attacked by a large group of cultivators, and ultimately falling—who would have thought it would make her so sad?

During those times together—
The cold and aloof Si Zang.
The quiet Si Zang.
The Si Zang who, at the moment of parting, sacrificed all his cultivation to send her away.

And the simple and honest old yellow ox.
The old yellow ox who loved eating melons.
The old yellow ox who, in the end, perished alongside Si Zang to protect his master.

These images replayed over and over again in Ning Xu’s mind.

She held Si Zang’s sword bone tightly in her arms, closed her eyes, and said nothing.

When she opened them again, she had returned from three thousand years ago to the present.

In this world, there was no longer the Sword Immortal Si Zang, nor the old yellow ox who always chewed on spirit grass while listening to gossip…

But in this world, there was Si Yan.

And an egg that was about to hatch.

She knew all of this, yet her heart still felt strangely empty.

At that moment, the Melon-Eating System suddenly shouted arrogantly,

【Host, we’re back!】

【Three thousand years later, this world shall tremble before us!】

【We are no longer who we once were—we are Vengeance】

Ning Xu: ……

The Melon-Eating System’s overly dramatic proclamation scattered the thoughts lingering in her mind.

She quickly pulled herself together.

Just as she left the Endless Ocean and stepped onto the training grounds at its perimeter, the sword bone in her arms, as if drawn by some unseen force, suddenly shot out and surged madly in one direction.

She did not hesitate—she followed it immediately.

The Melon-Eating System let out a sigh of relief and commented,

【Host, it’s heading toward Si Yan.】

【He’s been waiting for you all along.】

After saying that, it suddenly started sniffling,

【The little pup is really so obedient… You told him to wait, so he just waited. Three years have passed, and he hasn’t taken a single step away from here.】

Ning Xu was slightly stunned. “Three years?”

The Melon-Eating System replied,

【Yes, you spent three months in the past.】

【But in this era, three whole years have gone by.】

Three years…

Did that mean Si Yan had endured the pain of being torn apart by sword light for an entire three years?

The Melon-Eating System seemed to realize this as well.

It muttered awkwardly,

【Host, I’ve told you before—he’s the perfect combination of beauty, strength, and tragedy. He truly is beautiful and strong… And as for the tragedy? Well, that’s real too.】

Compared to the old dog, he had a slightly better fate, perhaps, but in the end, both of them were beautiful, strong, and tragic. The only difference was tragic versus even more tragic.

Ning Xu chased after the sword bone until she reached the place where she and Si Yan had parted ways.

When she arrived, she saw the glowing, jade-like sword bone slowly merging into Si Yan’s body, bit by bit.

He floated in midair, arms outstretched, with golden light faintly appearing around him.

The sight before her was both mystical and incredibly powerful.

Ning Xu and the Melon-Eating System remained silent.

They simply watched Si Yan quietly.

The moment the sword bone completely fused with him, the entire world suddenly changed!

Thunder rumbled across the sky.

This sudden clap of thunder carried an overwhelming force, as if it could shatter the heavens and the earth.

Flocks of birds and beasts, startled by the commotion, fled in all directions in panic.

Even the great demons that had long resided around the Endless Ocean were disturbed.

One of them glanced up at the sky and, upon seeing the thunderclouds, muttered in a daze,

“So much commotion… Is another Sword Immortal about to be born?”