“What the hell is wrong with you?” Lian Qian screamed at Ma Yongzheng.

While he wanted nothing more than to attack him right then and there, he could still feel the city lord's presence overhead. Lian Qian still remembered his words and couldn't bring himself to disobey him, as he couldn't antagonize two great clans at the same time. All he could do was grit his teeth and let this slide, no matter how unwilling he was.

Lian Huiling rushed to Qin Yun's side, only to find his mangled right arm sprouting out of the collapsed rubble. While she had seen some gruesome things in her years as a cultivator, even she could barely look at that arm while trying not to hurl, despite not having eaten anything recently. It was so bad that it didn't even resemble anything a human would possess. She couldn't even bring herself to dig as she feared the worst and was too scared to find out.

On the other hand, Yun Jingfei was almost catatonic. She could barely process that Qin Yun had pushed her out of the way only to bear the full brunt of that strike. If not for her, she held no doubts that he could have evaded somehow. Her heart drowned in guilt, but more than that, fury. Indeed, a flame of hatred arose in its depths.

While she knew it was futile, her actions weren't driven by logic but by something much more visceral. In prior circumstances, she might have shrugged it off as the price would be too high for her, yet now she didn't care. If Qin Yun wasn't with her anymore, nothing seemed to matter.

She lashed out in rage, her target an unsurpassable mountain. Yet, to her surprise, she was the one in control, the one to set the pace of battle. Chun Xue danced as Yun Jingfei sliced with abandon, barely conscious of her actions. Her body moved instinctively, trying to inflict as much damage as possible.

While Ma Yongzheng sneered at first at her futile attempt at revenge, he soon couldn't help but frown. As a Nascent Soul cultivator specializing in brute strength, he was confident that nothing Yun Jingfei possessed could threaten him. Yet, he stood corrected.

Although minimal, her blade could nick his skin and, on some occasions, even draw blood. Furthermore, her swordplay was so esoteric that he could barely follow her sword's path. All he could do was stay on the defensive, waiting for her to tire herself out. Unfortunately, such a plan was misguided.

How could a swordswoman be exhausted swinging her sword? Wielding her sword was her life, and her blade's path was breathing. How could such a natural occurrence put any burden on her body? Still, Yun Jingfei's sword was imperfect, and some losses of strength were inevitable. Yet, if he sought a battle of attrition, he would be the one to lose.

Yun Jingfei's sword path was fueled by her emotions, which furthered it. The barrier she had once felt and had been unable to cross was now nothing more than a fine mist she could cross at any time. The acceptance of the natural way she once denied had crumbled when faced with her own deepest desires.

Her sword was now free from rationality's hold, yet her heightened state of mind only temporarily emboldened it. While her body wouldn't get tired in this state, her heart would, even more so, as she wasn't used to her heart being in such a state. If she couldn't get control of herself, she would crumble before her opponent.

Although she was aware of this, in fact, she had been aware of all her actions thus far; she couldn't care less. She let herself be overwhelmed by her own emotions, letting her heart flow wherever it wished to, even through a path of no return. Besides, what would she have to return to if Qin Yun wasn't there to welcome her back? What was the point of seeking eternity if it was spent living with regrets?

Her blade collided with Ma Yongzheng's skin, and tears flew from her eyes. The audience watched in disbelief as a small girl of barely twenty, with not an ounce of Qi in her body, overpowered an ancient being at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm. Even if he was out of Qi and could only rely on his physical body, this was so far out of the realm of possibilities for any of them to conceive.

Watching this scene, Lian Qian couldn't help but remain still, stunned. He couldn't comprehend how Qin Yun and his wife could achieve such feats so removed from their common sense. He didn't understand the principle behind her swordplay, yet her power was undeniable. Still, he knew this would be far from enough to overcome the mountain that was Ma Yongzheng. Whether in experience or pure power, he was above her in all aspects. In time, his Qi would return, and the tables would turn.

While Lian Qian couldn't act against Ma Yongzheng for fear of escalating this incident further, he could at least protect Yun Jingfei once she would inevitably be overwhelmed, if only to alleviate his guilt toward what happened to Qin Yun.

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“Not bad little girl," Ma Yongzheng said, sneering slightly. "I hadn't expected someone to be so achieved in the path of the sword. Too bad your cultivation is crippled; otherwise, I might have been in danger."

Then, Ma Yongzheng went on the offensive. As Yun Jingfei only struck with abandon, such a change surprised her. She barely had the time to evade as a giant fist sought to crash into her. She took her distance, hoping to use her added range to her advantage, yet Ma Yongzheng wasn't a newborn cultivator: how could he let her?

He rushed forward, closing the distance as Yun Jingfei lightly hit the uneven ground with her foot. She then rushed backwards, all the while still striking with her sword. Yet, without being able to put her weight behind her strike, her blade only nicked the old man's skin, causing no lasting damage. She knew that unless something changed, she would undoubtedly lose this fight.

Still, it wasn't as if she rushed into this conflict, hoping to emerge victorious. She knew from the start that her chances of victory or even survival were bleak. Yet, she went for it regardless. Her emotions were a part of her, and she saw no reason to stifle them, at least not in this case.

Suddenly, Ma Yongzheng's fist aimed straight for her face, and she could only barely evade it. It touched the edge of her mask, prying it away, revealing her features hidden beneath. To everyone's surprise, her skin was flawless, without any blemish. After all, most had heard the rumours surrounding this woman's past that had been spread around town. Besides, her mask had been far too conspicuous.

Gasps echoed in her surroundings, yet Yun Jingfei's expression didn't change. How could this all matter, considering the situation? She didn't miss a beat and started on her counter-attack. While she managed to push him back, Ma Yongzheng was relentless in his assault.

Slowly, Yun Jingfei could feel her opponent gain the upper hand as his movements became more fluid, and he struck with more force. She could even feel the surrounding air respond to his will. He was slowly recovering his Qi, and once he did, she would be done for.

While her situation was grim, Yun Jingfei's gaze was clear if somewhat maddened, which couldn't help but unsettle the surrounding audience. While they were entranced by her beauty as her long black and blue hair danced in the air, they were also stunned by the might she evoked.

The advent of cultivation did wonders to close the gaps between the genders, yet, in cities like these, traditions were deeply ingrained into the psyches of most everyone, especially for those who lived so close to the mortal populace. As such, seeing a woman stand her ground against a man so superior to her couldn't help but evoke some conflicting emotions in the hearts of those who witnessed it.

Still, as all this started, so too must it come to an end. While Yun Jingfei was relentless and fierce with her sword, her opponent had always been out of her reach. She was slowly cornered, restricting the space she had left to dodge. After all, Ma Yongzheng possessed much more experience than she did, even if it took him a while to use it.

Soon enough, she had been cornered, her back against a stone wall. Yet, to her dismay, this was precisely where her husband had been blown away as she could see Lian Huiling kneeling next to the collapsed rubble.

Yun Jingfei's eyes narrowed, and she frowned, feeling nothing but disgust for her opponent. Not only had he attacked a junior so much weaker than himself in a surprise attack, but he wouldn't even let him go now that he had fallen. While she felt unwilling, she knew there was nothing she could do.

Suddenly, an explosion rang behind her, yet she couldn't afford to see what happened as a fist was aimed at her core. Still, she could see the consternation on her opponent's face and a familiar figure reflected in his eyes.

Qin Yun had broken free from his stone prison as if he had risen from the dead. Yet, his body was still battered and bruised, and his right arm was all but gone. Still, he stood again, if only to pay back what he owed.

In his left hand was a black blade with an edge of crystal, as if an abyss trying to suck all light to its depths. While his body wobbled slightly, the blade was firmly held in his hand, and his eyes were clear despite the blood flowing over them.

Ma Yongzheng sneered and then chose to change target. While Qin Yun seemed to see him say something, the words couldn't reach him as he had only just awoken after being knocked unconscious. Still, his body already knew what to do.

Qin Yun took a single step forward, bypassing his wife and facing the incoming strike of death. His feet dug into the muddy soil, breaking the ground below. Using the rebound force, Qin Yun slashed upwards with his remaining good arm, putting all the strength he could muster into it and using the trump card he had saved for such a moment.

Qin Yun felt a pounding headache assault his mind, yet his mind had never felt sharper. His black blade slid along its already predetermined trajectory, slicing everything in its path, whether it was the body that stood in its way or the very space itself.

This slash shattered reality as it reached for the sky. It was the very embodiment of destruction, the meaning of slaughter. It was a pure and unadulterated sword intent, breaking free from Qin Yun for the first time in his current lifetime.

As expected, Ma Yongzheng couldn't bear the strain, and a long, deep ravine appeared on his torso, showing the white bones that had been hidden beneath. Still, as Qin Yun was fully aware of the destructive nature of this sword, he had intentionally aimed it toward the sky, hitting Ma Yongzheng with but a fraction of it. Qin Yun couldn't bring himself to aim the full brunt of that strike toward the city, raining pure destruction upon it.

As such, the sword intent contained in this slash rose upwards toward the heavens. Then, another surprising thing happened. The slash collided with something above as if it had hit the world's ceiling. Yet, nothing could impede its path, nothing could stop this embodiment of destruction.

Following the collision, the sky cracked and shattered, leaving behind a prominent scar unto it as Qin Yun’s slash faded into the void beyond. Then, from beyond the scar, one could see a giant eye look over them, filling all creatures with a sense of dread and madness as if the world could grow insane from its mere sight.

Giant dark grey tentacles wrapped around the scar's edge, trying to pry it open, hoping to offer passage to their world to the large eye. Everyone was rooted in place as the fear of whatever lay beyond took root in their hearts. Some fainted at its sight, frothing at the mouth, while others ran around like headless chickens.

Pandemonium ensued. No one could keep the peace, as barely anyone could keep their sanity, except for a few more resilient than the rest.

With a pounding headache in his skull, Qin Yun raised his head, seeing the monstrosity from beyond. Yet, unlike the rest, who couldn't comprehend what had occurred, he finally had some answers.