Silver waves crashed against the jagged rocks, pounding like war drums. Above, dark clouds churned while sea winds howled like shrieking spirits. Quang Minh stood at the mouth of the cave, clutching his broken sword, his gaze sharp as lightning.
The Figure in Green Appears
Ahead of him, a figure in green robes glided forward, light as a feather skimming the waves. At three zhang away, the figure stopped, robes fluttering. A thin silk veil hid the face, revealing only eyes as sharp as blades.
A cold voice rang out, like ice:
"Nguyễn Quang Minh… so you truly hid yourself here."
Quang Minh narrowed his eyes:
"Who are you? Why seek me?"
The green-robed figure gave a mocking laugh:
"The Lục Phong Sect cannot allow you to live. Hand over the Dragon Soul Diagram."
The First Explosion of Combat
Before Quang Minh could answer, the figure in green thrust a palm forward. A surge of energy, emerald as the ocean tide, surged toward him with overwhelming force.
Quang Minh leapt half a step back, channeling his Condensing Water into a Sword technique. From his palm, a blade of shimmering water nearly a foot long appeared, glistening like silver.
"BOOM!" The two forces collided in an explosive blast. Sea spray shot skyward in towering plumes. Shards of rock splintered and rained down like icy hail.
Quang Minh felt his blood roil, a metallic taste rising in his throat. Yet the green-robed figure also staggered back half a step.
A New Ultimate Technique Emerges
Quang Minh's eyes lit up. He recalled a line from the Dragon Soul Diagram:
"Condense water into a sword, transform frost into rain. When the mind holds no distractions, all techniques become one."
Drawing a deep breath, he gathered energy into his dantian. His palm extended forward, fingertip radiating icy vapor. A white mist shot out—not merely a single icy needle as before, but transforming into a flurry of fine needle-like rain, like a drifting frost shower, shooting straight at the green-robed figure.
The figure's eyes widened, crying out:
"Condensing Frost into Rain?! How did you reach this level?!"
The white frost pierced through the silk veil, revealing the pale face of a woman, her eyes filled with both sorrow and murderous coldness.
The Female Assassin Unveiled
Quang Minh shouted in shock:
"It's you… Lâm Thanh Tước!"
Lâm Thanh Tước—one of the top martial artists of the Lục Phong Sect, once renowned as the "Emerald Phantom of Heavenly Mountain." Her footwork was as elusive as shadows, and her mastery of hidden weapons was unmatched.
She stared at Quang Minh, eyes blazing with grief and fury:
"Why won't you join the Lục Phong Sect? Together, we could rule the world!"
Quang Minh shook his head, his gaze ice-cold:
"Rule the world, built on the blood of the innocent? I could never do that."
The Second Explosion of Battle
Lâm Thanh Tước let out a piercing scream, both hands flashing out. A hundred silver threads shot forth like a blizzard, each strand shimmering with deadly brilliance, sharper than any steel blade.
Quang Minh leapt high into the air, both arms slashing in swift arcs. The water sword in his hands split into countless silver ripples, clashing against the deadly threads in a dazzling storm of sparks.
"BOOM! BOOM!" Explosions echoed off the stone cliffs. The sea erupted into towering spouts of water.
Quang Minh flipped and landed back on the rocks, sweat pouring down his face, but his eyes still burned with unyielding light. Lâm Thanh Tước panted heavily, her face pale, blood trickling from the corner of her lips.
A Twisted Love
Gasping for breath, Quang Minh spoke softly:
"Thanh Tước… you don't have to choose this path."
Lâm Thanh Tước's eyes quivered, her lips trembling:
"You… don't understand. In this martial world… there's no place for the weak. I love you… yet I must kill you."
With that, she turned and vanished, her movement as swift as a shooting star, leaving behind only a fluttering sleeve of green silk in the wind.
Quang Minh stared after her, his eyes filled with deep sorrow:
"Thanh Tước… must it truly be this way…"
Above, sunlight burst through the parting clouds. Waves pounded the shores as beams of golden light glimmered upon the water sword still trembling in Quang Minh's grasp.
He tightened his grip on the hilt, murmuring:
"Lê Hoàng Tử… your time will come."
From afar, the sound of war drums thundered across the sea, heralding that the martial world was about to plunge into its most violent upheaval yet.