The head priest of Qingcheng Temple stared grimly at the dozen lifeless bodies of his disciples. Gripping his cyan sword, he immediately charged at Li Xuanxiao again.

"Seeking death!"

Li Xuanxiao swiftly grabbed a fallen sword from the ground. The moment his hand touched the hilt, a cold gleam shot toward him like a meteor, carrying overwhelming force as it violently collided with his blade.

A crisp metallic clang rang out as the two swords met midair, sending sparks flying in all directions. Li Xuanxiao felt tremendous power transmit through his weapon, sending him flying backward once more.

The head priest glanced disdainfully at the poison creeping along his blade. "Pathetic tricks!" he sneered, forming a sword seal with one hand while pointing his weapon at Li Xuanxiao.

Blood trickled from Li Xuanxiao's mouth. The gap in their strength was simply too vast.

His fingers tightened involuntarily around the sword hilt. Then, slowly, he closed his eyes, shutting out all external noise. In this quiet darkness, he could clearly sense the sword intent flowing through the blade - swirling, darting, as if possessing its own vitality.

Li Xuanxiao took a step forward. Thrust!

This single thrust represented the culmination of his honed sword intent.

The head priest frowned slightly as he sensed the opposing sword energy. But that was all. "...Di Nü Feng!"

"Too late for regrets now!"

The priest's blade was already at Li Xuanxiao's throat. Yet in the next instant, his movement froze completely.

Di Nü Feng's cultivation allowed her to move far faster than the priest could imagine. An elegant figure appeared in his field of vision. Her palm met the head priest's prized sword.

The priest felt his internal energy tremble violently as his beloved sword shattered into countless fragments. With his lifebound weapon destroyed, he coughed up blood. Di Nü Feng grabbed him with one hand and hurled him away like a ragdoll before flashing after him.

Their battle carried them outside Qingcheng Temple. The head priest summoned a glowing talisman seal in his palm. Di Nü Feng smirked and punched straight through it. His body crashed heavily into a mountain stream, with Di Nü Feng following close behind. A thunderous explosion echoed through the ravine.

"Who dares?!" A giant stone face formed from the cliffside - the mountain god of this territory glared furiously to see who would be so bold.

"Scram!!" Di Nü Feng roared.

"Right away!"

Moments later, Di Nü Feng dragged the thoroughly battered head priest from the water. "Spare... spare me... we have no quarrel..." he begged.

"Keh keh keh!" Di Nü Feng planted a foot on his chest, hands on her hips. "Do you yield?"

"...I...I yield!"

"Good. That's settled then." The head priest blinked in confusion as the breathtaking woman suddenly vanished. He waited in disbelief - surely death would come any second now. One second... two... three...

After a long while, he shakily stood up. What? He looked around bewildered - that terrifying presence was truly gone. "Is that woman... insane?" The priest couldn't comprehend why she'd appear just to beat him senseless. Did she simply dislike his face?

"........."

Di Nü Feng returned to Qingcheng Temple to find Li Xuanxiao. She still didn't understand why he'd brought her here, though the question quickly faded. Probably just taking me for a walk...

A flicker of firelight caught her attention. The entire temple was ablaze. Di Nü Feng landed amidst the conflagration to find the courtyard littered with dead disciples. Qingcheng Temple had been exterminated.

Her footsteps faltered at the sight. "Li..." The next syllable caught in her throat.

Li Xuanxiao drove the Myriad Soul Banner into a disciple's body. The man screamed in agony before being abruptly silenced - his flesh and soul both sucked into the sinister banner. Di Nü Feng recognized this artifact from when Li Xuanxiao had orchestrated the old emperor's demise. She'd fought the emperor and witnessed him wielding this same evil treasure.

Now the banner remained, but its wielder had changed. She watched as Li Xuanxiao absorbed another disciple into the soul-devouring artifact. A gravely injured disciple charged with his sword, only for Li Xuanxiao to effortlessly dodge and decapitate him with the banner.

Blood sprayed. Li Xuanxiao inhaled deeply as he recalled the banner into his body. Its dark power nourished his flesh, visibly healing his earlier injuries. He approached Di Nü Feng through the flames.

She stared at him blankly. "Li Xuanxiao..." she ventured hesitantly. "Why... why kill them all? Did they... refuse to submit?"

Instead of answering, Li Xuanxiao asked: "The head priest?"

"I beat him into submission."

"Where is he?"

Di Nü Feng blinked. "............"

The wounded head priest flew desperately back toward Qingcheng Temple, only to see a pillar of fire in the distance. He hesitated - they'd spared him but burned his temple. What was their aim? Remembering the woman's terrifying strength, he made his decision.

Run! Where there's life, there's hope. The head priest had risen to prominence decades ago by joining the army that stormed Mount Shushan, using that achievement to establish his sect. Survivors of that era knew when to stand firm and when to retreat.

But as he turned to flee, danger prickled his senses. He slashed with his sword, sending a cyan blade beam streaking toward Li Xuanxiao. The attack vanished the moment it touched the Myriad Soul Banner, swallowed like a pebble into the sea.

The banner spun faster, emitting terrifying suction that greedily devoured the priest's cultivation base. His energy poured out uncontrollably like water through a broken dam. Already injured from Di Nü Feng's beating, the evil energy worsened his condition.

Several spectral figures emerged from the banner. "Bang!" Though Li Xuanxiao could only control a limited number of souls, it was more than enough against the weakened priest. Combined with Di Nü Feng's intimidating presence, the pressure became overwhelming.

"Fellow Daoist!" the priest cried desperately. "We bear no grudge! Why this persecution?"

Li Xuanxiao grinned savagely. Di Nü Feng raised her hand, making the priest flinch in anticipation of another attack - only for her to yawn loudly. In that moment of distraction, Li Xuanxiao plunged the banner into his body.

"You've enjoyed thirty years of fortune. That's enough!"

"You... you're from Shushan!?" The head priest's face twisted in horror. These were his final words.

"........"

Inside a rain-lashed inn, a waiter brought two bowls of plain noodles. "Eat up," Li Xuanxiao said to Di Nü Feng. She picked up her bowl and moved to sit apart, slurping her noodles noisily. (╯ε╰)

Li Xuanxiao glanced at her. "What's wrong? Why sit so far?"

"Nothing," she mumbled into her bowl.

He picked up his chopsticks. "Really, what is it?"

"Why do you seem so strange to me~" Di Nü Feng said.

"......"