For a brief moment, a dazzling brilliance momentarily blinded the eyes of the surrounding cultivators, and then they watched as several intense beams of light shot into the chaotic void streams.

At Yu Ci's side, a low exclamation suddenly erupted, "The Sword Cultivator's Legacy!"

Alerted by Xia Boyang's reminder, Yu Ci instantly recognized that the blinding intensity was none other than the radiant Divine Light emitted by various Magical Instruments and even Magical Treasures. The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave had done something unfathomable to stir these treasures, long buried beneath the snow-capped peaks, into a frenzied upheaval.

Only treasures that possess such a distinct Spirit nature, capable of spontaneous flight driven by their own Spirituality, could be of such caliber. These were surely artifacts refined beyond the hundredth layer of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha, nearing the pinnacle of perfection. And with the added boon of the "Sword Immortal's Secret Domain," how could their quality not ascend another tier? Any one of these, if brought forth, would be a marvel to shake the very foundations of the world.

Who could resist such temptation? In the blink of an eye, at least four or five silhouettes darted out, lunging towards the items about to fly into the chaotic streams.

Xia Boyang murmured, "I wonder which senior sword cultivator it could be? If it's..."

He harbored a guess in his heart, but before he could confirm it, the Incense Slave finally spoke, "That is not the Sword Cultivator's Legacy, it is the Legacy of the Sword Immortal!"

Her tone was cool, yet filled with a breathtaking power due to the gravity of her words.

Xia Boyang's breathing grew heavy.

But before he could make a move, another dazzling halo erupted from the snow peak that had just been pierced by a Light Pillar. It began with a seepage of blood-red color, swiftly expanding over a ten-mile radius, then burst forth with a hum, showering the night sky with a blood rain, like a volley of a thousand arrows—whomever leaped out, met their fate!

The Sword Energy, tainted with bloodthirst, devoured those four or five figures in an instant, leaving only fragmented screams that quickly faded into nothingness.

A deathly silence pervaded the mountains, with only the howling of the Bloodthirsty Sword Qi in the high heavens shaking the soul.

Having devoured those unfortunate souls who died for wealth, the Bloodthirsty Sword Qi, as if sentient, retracted. Before the Magical Instruments and Magical Treasures could plunge into the chaotic void streams, they were one by one swept back.

Watching the Divine Light dim one after another within the Bloodthirsty Qi, Xia Boyang's complexion involuntarily shifted with each light swallowed. His temples twitched with each passing moment, and as they threatened to grow numb, his eyes suddenly widened, his entire being as if slowly being strangled, until at last, he could barely breathe.

Following his gaze, Yu Ci also looked into the distance. There, against the horizon, a Magical Instrument's Divine Light sped away at an astonishing rate, evading the initial retraction of the Bloodthirsty Sword Qi. It surged wildly, crashing into the chaotic void stream before the Bloodthirsty Sword Qi could pursue a second time.

Xia Boyang's eyes momentarily gleamed with excitement.

Yu Ci glanced up at the snow peak. After a ring of Sword Energy passed, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave retracted most of the remaining energy that lingered on the peak, showing no further interest in that matter.

Even without sensing it, Yu Ci knew the atmosphere had changed once again.

He paused in contemplation, then abruptly, without a word of farewell, he began to withdraw.

"Where are you off to, Brother Yu?" The voice trailed close behind his ear. Yu Ci, as if deaf to the call, did not slacken his pace in the slightest. But as a cultivator of the upper echelons of the Golden Elixir realm, Xia Boyang's speed outstripped his own, and even the silent Incense Slave was swiftly catching up.

The wind howled fiercely as Xia Boyang, starting later yet arriving sooner, overtook him. In the fleeting moment their paths crossed, Yu Ci caught a glimpse of a determination that screamed 'victory at all costs'.

Just like him, nearly every cultivator who had entered the source of the Boundary River was making the same move.

The Magical Instrument—or perhaps even a Magical Treasure—that had flown into the chaotic void streams had seized their entire focus. The void streams were perilous, but who among those who had safely reached this point would be daunted by fear?

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Moreover, when it came to seizing a treasure, the choice was clear: would one rather wrest it from the clutches of a formidable beast known to cleave the clouds with its sword, its blade's cry heard for miles, or vie against a few cultivators of the same level? Only a fool would hesitate in their decision.

A thunderous roar filled Yu Ci's ears as his entire being plunged into the chaotic void streams.

With his level of cultivation, venturing into the void streams was somewhat overconfident. Not just for him, but even for someone like Xia Boyang, it was essential to have one or two powerful Protective Talismans at hand. Yu Ci had none, yet as soon as he entered the periphery of the streams, he forcefully steadied his body, dissipating the external forces with his Flawless Sword Circle.

This was a position he had eyed early on—a space where two adjacent voids had not completely merged, leaving a central strip about twenty zhang wide. In comparison to the vast expanse of the void, this area was but a 'hair's breadth,' yet it significantly reduced the intensity of the chaotic streams, allowing Yu Ci to just about hold his ground.

Xia Boyang had already penetrated deep into the void streams and was out of sight. Unexpectedly, the Incense Slave, rather than delving further, had settled beside Yu Ci.

In this tumultuous void, the atmosphere grew strangely stagnant.

"Have you no interest in that object?"

"Seems you're of the same mind, Exalted Immortal Yu."

The term "Exalted Immortal," used by the Incense Slave, was a carryover from their time in Cliff City, common enough then but somewhat peculiar under the current circumstances.

Yu Ci chuckled twice, shaking his head. "They vie for it because they are capable. I stand guard here, merely out of a sense of self-awareness, to avoid the limelight... Perhaps, there's a tacit understanding between us?"

No sooner had he spoken than the patchwork void was once again struck by a formidable external force. Perhaps it was an illusion, but the space itself seemed to tremble. Yet, what happened next was certainly no illusion:

"That's someone with no understanding of subtlety!"

Bloodthirsty Sword Qi coalesced into a tornado thick enough to embrace, shredding a seven- to eight-zhang-tall ice rock and the unfortunate soul hidden beneath it to smithereens. Fragments of flesh mingled within the Sword Energy storm, pitifully small, quickly engulfed by the shattered ice and stone.

Upon witnessing this scene, neither of them showed any sign of surprise. Yu Ci spoke with a nuanced tone, "Look there, that fellow has already provided everyone with a convenient excuse."

Indeed, the overlooked Sword Immortal's Legacy could be considered the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave's explanation to the others, akin to throwing a bone to a pack of dogs, the message clear:

Fight over it, and leave me be!

There were no fools present. The 'dogs fighting over a bone' act was likely half-truth, half-deception. As for the sole individual hoping for a stroke of luck, their fate perfectly illustrated the outcome for those who do not play by the 'script'.

Yu Ci turned his head, offering a smile to the hooded female cultivator behind him.

His smile had not yet fully blossomed across his face when a thunderous roar shattered the silence, grinding its way through the tumultuous void. Turning back, he saw the once towering snow peak now lay collapsed in part, boulders scattered like thrown dice, triggering a massive avalanche that, in moments, had utterly transformed the entire mountain region.

Who had provoked that monster again? Yu Ci was taken aback, but before he could ponder further, a bellow pierced his eardrums:

"Qu Thunderbolt-Free, show yourself!"

A storm of Bloodthirsty Sword Qi swept across the mountains, peak after peak crumbling in its wake. Tons of ice and snow cascaded down, only to evaporate in the scorching Bloodthirsty Qi, yet even this could not muffle the roar of the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave:

"Feeling claustrophobic in this damned place? Come out then! Master of the Sword Competing Pavilion, Thunderbolt-Free Sword Immortal, are you scared? Have you become a turtle, shrinking its head in its shell? Ha! Such a Big Shot, stewing in anger for ten thousand years, are you? If you're so incensed, come out and face me..."

Each shout, akin to thunder, made the mountain region tremble with trepidation.

"He is afraid."

Yu Ci's brow twitched, startled by a voice that suddenly intruded upon his ear. His ability to maintain composure under such circumstances was quite remarkable: "He's afraid, and what are you doing? Elder?"

That one was truly elusive, suddenly establishing contact with Yu Ci again. However, with an Incense Slave beside him, communication proved to be quite the ordeal—for Yu Ci alone.

"He is afraid. He hopes Qu Thunderbolt-Free remains here, weakened and ripe for the slaughter, at least offering him a chance for a head-on confrontation. Perhaps he's found some method from the Great Brahma Demon King, but alas, Qu Thunderbolt-Free wouldn't languish in this wretched place for ten thousand years. Only he, oh, and that fool Xuan Huang would believe such a thing..."

"Uh, Elder..."

The Elder didn't afford Yu Ci the chance to interject, continuing unabated: "This shadow once brimmed with pride, but now, look at him—thrown into disarray by fear, his mind overturned, it's that simple. If Qu Thunderbolt-Free were truly here, there'd be ten thousand ways to seal his doom!"

"Elder, you have a deep understanding of the human heart?"

"A modest hobby of mine—I take pride in my ability to dissect the human psyche."

After a brief pause, the Elder chuckled: "You seem livelier than before, you must have experienced something."

"Admirable!"

Yu Ci chose not to continue the conversation. He observed the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave, who, after venting his rage, fell into an eerie silence, leaving Yu Ci to wonder what he was plotting.

"He is untangling the threads of his Sword Breaking the Void, likely in search of Qu Thunderbolt-Free's whereabouts, or perhaps tampering with the various voids he's already opened. His emotional fluctuations are severe, not indicative of self-regulation, but rather as if someone is pushing him from behind, hmm..."

The Elder fell into deep contemplation, ceasing to speak, yet his interpretation of the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave's emotions seemed plausible. Yu Ci, however, harbored a different view: it seemed the Elder was also somewhat excited... quite the chatterbox!

Yu Ci kept these thoughts to himself, remaining silent. Then, he noticed the Incense Slave moving forward, about to step out of the chaotic streams of the void.