Spiritual force surged through the giant palm, its pressure rising and falling with Mu Zixu's will. The surrounding qi seemed to freeze in place.
Song Wanníng's expression was icy. Her killing intent, focused into sword intent, tore through the air like a blade through bamboo, striking directly at the palm.
But just as her sword intent touched it, it suddenly split into ten streaks, spinning outward and shooting straight for Ye Chuxue's position behind him.
At the same time, Song Wanníng faced the spiritual palm head-on.
"Impudent!"
Mu Zixu had fallen for her trick again. Furious, he turned back at once to shield Ye Chuxue. He gathered his spiritual energy to deflect the sword intent, but in doing so, left the palm unguarded. Song Wanníng's attack pierced through it with ease.
It scattered like fireworks, vanishing without a trace.
"You're shameless!" he shouted. "Using her to distract me? If you've got real skill, face me head-on!"
Mu Zixu stood protectively in front of Ye Chuxue, glaring at Song Wanníng with undisguised disgust.
"Pfft—" Song Wanníng couldn't hold back her laughter. She looked him over from head to toe with a strange expression.
"Shameless? You, a cultivator in the Divine Transformation stage, attacked a junior like me first. And I'm the shameless one?
Tsk, of course. In the eyes of lofty cultivators like you, your word is law. No one else is allowed to challenge it."
Her smile turned mocking. "Honestly, you're all just too used to getting your way. A mere fragment of divine sense, and you think you're something special?"
She raised her chin slightly, eyes glinting. "I was only playing with you earlier. Can't believe you took it seriously. But then again, I can understand. You've been stuck down here for so long, your brain must've gone soft."
Her words were like poisoned needles, each one striking directly into Mu Zixu's pride.
His face flushed red, his neck stiff with rage, hand trembling as he pointed at her.
No one had ever dared speak to him like this.
This girl was beyond arrogant.
"Even if I'm only a fragment of divine sense, I can still kill you!" he growled, grinding his teeth.
Never had he wanted someone dead as badly as he did right now.
"Is that so?"
Song Wanníng's smile deepened, her gaze laced with a hint of danger.
"Then come on. Let me show you exactly who gets to decide the rules in this lower realm."
Her black pupils swirled like whirlpools. She raised her sword and slashed.
Atop the mountain peak, a single star flared bright in the heavens.
Her strike made no sound.
In the next instant, the starlight pulsed violently, as if bound by invisible chains, struggling to break free.
Mu Zixu sensed something was wrong and poured all his power into resisting the incoming sword energy.
But as Song Wanníng had said, this was a divine fragment left behind for hundreds of thousands of years. It was already a shadow of its former self.
Suddenly, the entire space around him was sealed.
Though silent, a terrifying pressure crept in.
Mu Zixu felt as though he had fallen into a deep abyss. Endless seawater surged upward, crashing down upon him. He shouted and struck out, barely dispersing the pressure. But the next wave was already crashing in.
Roaring, tumbling, overwhelming—trying to drown him completely.
No matter how he struggled, he could not break free from the depths.
"She... she's already grasped the Sword Dao Domain?"
Inside the Wuji Sect, Wang Yang's face was frozen in shock. His eyes lit up with a mixture of disbelief and elation.
"With talent like that, her future is limitless! What in the world is Mu Zixu doing?"
He shot to his feet, panic in his voice.
For a sword cultivator, comprehending sword intent was already a rare and impressive feat. Those who did often swept through all opponents.
But to grasp a Sword Dao Domain? That was a realm far beyond.
The Sword Dao Domain was a mental force shaped by the sword cultivator's will. Once activated, it pulled opponents into their illusion, where illusion and reality became one. A place where death was only a thought away.
Even in the Spirit Realm, very few sword cultivators had reached that level.
And yet she, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, possessed such formidable spiritual power?
How powerful was her soul?
"Mu Zixu, you fool! You're trying to erase a true genius!"
Wang Yang nearly rushed down himself just to slap some sense into Mu Zixu.
Mu Zixu might not like Song Wanníng, but he did.
He would gladly teach her all the sect's inheritances.
Now, he could only watch helplessly, furious he had left no divine imprint behind in the lower realm.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Immortal Lord Moyang's sword trembled wildly in its sheath, emitting loud, violent clatters. It was ready to burst out at any moment.
Immortal Lord Moyang pressed his lips together, clearly holding something back.
Finally, he let the sword go.
It flew into the air and spun a few times in excitement before stopping near the water mirror.
"Hey! Moyang! Moyang!"
"I smell one of your kind!"
It hovered by the reflection of Song Wanníng, practically trembling with excitement.
"Sword of Slaughter! A perfect candidate!"
"She's a natural-born Sword of Slaughter!"
"Take her! Take her now!"
The sword buzzed furiously, as though it could fly down into the lower realm on its own. Wang Yang paused and looked at Immortal Lord Moyang, suddenly realizing something. No wonder this cold, solitary sword immortal had stayed behind so long. He had taken an interest in that black-clad girl. Mu Zixu really was a fool. He had mistaken trash for treasure, and one day, he'd regret it.
"Shameless brat! Let me out at once!"
Mu Zixu had been trapped for too long and was finally panicking. His remaining spiritual energy was nearly gone. His figure was turning transparent, close to complete collapse. Never had he imagined that a true immortal like him would be pushed to this point by a young girl.
Now he was worried not just about the inheritance being taken, but about losing face in front of Wang Yang and Immortal Lord Moyang. His hatred surged. He wanted to tear Song Wanníng apart.
Just as he shouted again, the seawater surrounding him went still. In the span of a single breath, the entire illusion collapsed.
The massive inheritance hall returned to silence, as if nothing had happened.
Mu Zixu stood on the floor, his form flickering and faint, on the verge of vanishing.
One more strike would be enough to erase him completely, without leaving a single word behind.
"You'll regret this," he said, staring daggers at Song Wanníng. "Do you even know who I am?
This remnant of my divine sense is nearly depleted. That's the only reason you managed to take advantage. But my true body still resides in the Immortal Realm. Did you really think this was a victory?
As long as I live, don't even dream of setting foot in the Spirit Realm or the Immortal Realm.
This is the price for going against me!"
At this point, he could tell Song Wanníng would never allow the inheritance to fall into Ye Chuxue's hands. Which meant that, in the lower realm, the Yaowang Sect's legacy would truly be lost.
Unacceptable.
Mu Zixu roared:
"If you come to your senses now, I can still offer you a chance!"