Qinghe County, Li Residence.

"Ouch... ah!"

"Darling, did you prick your finger?"

Li Dalong hurriedly moved to his wife's side, taking the embroidered mandarin duck quilt from her hands and sucking on the tiny bead of blood on her fingertip.

"I've been feeling uneasy for days now," Gu Xueqin said, pressing a hand to her forehead as she took a deep breath.

"Too busy lately?"

"Not at all."

"Then it can't be... again..."

Li Dalong suddenly grew serious, only to be silenced by his wife's glare. He coughed lightly and composed himself.

"Are you worried about our son?"

"Mhm. The Imperial Capital is so vast, its waters so deep, and the Celestial Trials so perilous... I don’t know if he’s eating well, sleeping well, or how things are with Little Bing'er..."

Seeing his wife’s genuine distress, Li Dalong had no solution to offer.

As a mere county official, he had no way of knowing what was happening in the Imperial Capital, let alone doing anything about it. All he could do was comfort her and suggest they take a stroll outside to clear their minds.

Yet, the moment they stepped onto the street, they encountered a group from the Cloud-Crossing Sword Citadel.

As the county sheriff, Li Dalong recognized these swordsmen—their status within the citadel was exceptionally high, evident from their elder robes. The white-haired youth among them, with a jade sword embroidered on his sleeve, stood out the most.

This marked him as a Sixth-Realm expert.

"Esteemed masters, a moment please!" Li Dalong stepped forward and bowed.

The white-haired youth swept his gaze over Li Dalong’s face, noting the faintly familiar features.

"You are kin to Young Hero Li?"

"Li Mo is my son. I humbly ask for your guidance."

"You wish to know about his current situation, I presume."

The white-haired youth sighed. "He is gravely injured, hanging between life and death. We are on our way to stand guard for him."

The other Sword Citadel elders nodded solemnly.

Li Dalong froze. Thunder seemed to roar in his ears, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.

The usually steady man nearly lost his footing.

But he couldn’t fall—because Gu Xueqin had already gone limp, on the verge of fainting. Her face was as pale as paper, her eyes unfocused.

The couple had been waiting for their son and Little Bing'er to return home in glory.

They had even prepared a mandarin duck quilt for the occasion...

"Do not despair too much," Elder Xu, the white-haired elder, offered comfort. "The Qingyuan Sect is mobilizing all its resources. Though I don’t know what trump cards they hold, they must have considerable confidence—otherwise, they wouldn’t have summoned us."

"Young Hero Li is a righteous man. Fortune favors the virtuous—he will pull through."

"Yes, yes! He’ll be fine!"

Li Dalong clung to these words like a lifeline, though it was unclear who he was trying to reassure.

"Elder, would it be possible for us to accompany you?" Gu Xueqin steadied herself, refusing her husband’s support.

"Of course. There is no reason to refuse."

Elder Xu had actually been debating whether to inform Li Mo’s family as he passed through Qinghe County.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a cloud-skiff from his spatial treasure.

"After you."

As the skiff ascended, the couple experienced the sensation of soaring through the heavens for the first time. Below them stretched the vast earth, while sword beams—each the stuff of legends to ordinary folk—streaked alongside them.

Yet, the couple had no mind for the scenery. Their eyes remained fixed on the distant horizon, as if their hearts had already flown ahead.

The cloud-skiff was swift.

In less than half a day, the outline of Qingyuan Sect came into view.

It was midsummer, and the sea of trees swayed in waves of vibrant life. Strangely, though, there was no chirping of cicadas—as if the insects had been frightened into silence.

The once-ruined Jade Cluster Peak now hosted temporary lodgings, packed to the brim.

Well, not all of them were necessarily human.

Seeing the couple’s confusion, Elder Xu smiled and explained,

"Young Hero Li’s reputation now rivals even that of our Cloud-Crossing Sword Citadel. These are all individuals who came upon hearing the news, offering their protection."

"From humble peddlers to Seventh-Realm experts, from the Southern Suppressing King to demonic beasts from the southern borders."

"Though the Qingyuan Sect is still only a prefecture-level force, if Young Hero Li raised his banner, even a provincial governor would tremble."

Li Dalong and Gu Xueqin exchanged glances, feeling both pride and guilt.

Hearing that their son topped the Hidden Dragon Rankings had felt surreal.

But now, they realized with a start—he had traveled so far beyond their reach...

Upon landing, they thanked Elder Xu and went to seek out Xue Jing.

As a master physician, Xue Jing would know best about their son’s condition.

---

Main Hall.

At a glance, the hall was filled with either fully transformed demon kings or renowned martial experts, each exuding an aura as profound as the abyss.

A gathering of the most formidable, one might say.

"Hey, does this count as an illegal assembly?" the Whale Clan patriarch mused.

Manbo pondered before nodding slowly. "The~ Great~ Yu~ Laws~ would~ say~ yes~"

"What illegal assembly? We’re here to witness Young Hero Li’s breakthrough!"

Beside Wu Qing stood a middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to Murong Xiao.

Murong Feng, in his youth, had been fond of chivalry and thus had some knowledge of legal codes.

For instance, sparring and brawling were the same thing—except one landed you in prison, and the other didn’t.

"The Qingyuan Sect must have some heaven-defying method. I wonder how confident they are?" Wu Qing frowned.

Nearby.

The Cloud-Crossing Sword Citadel elders entered the hall, exchanging greetings with the others.

When it came to prestige, the Sword Citadel—well, the "Hammer-Marked" Sword Citadel—was no slouch either.

"I’ve just returned from the Imperial Capital. The Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor has announced this generation’s Sword Sovereign."

"Oh?"

The Sword Citadel elders perked up.

It was common knowledge that among martial artists, swordsmen were the most prideful—and among swordsmen, none were prouder than those of the Cloud-Crossing Sword Citadel.

Every year when the Sword Sovereign was announced, the Sword Citadel paid close attention. After all, they had once been the sacred ground of sword arts, the ones who originally bestowed the title.

If the Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor made a poor choice, they’d have plenty to critique.

"This year’s competition was fierce. Every candidate was a peerless expert."

"Was it Ying Bing? I heard even the Sword Manor’s master admitted inferiority to her."

"Or Fairy Tantai from Penglai? Her Sword-Heart Lute-Intent has reportedly reached new heights."

"The Northern Sealed Sword King? He’s low-profile, but his lineage is an ancient, solitary inheritance..."

"Our Elder Xu is a bit lacking in realm, but..."

"Wait—the Liqun Sword Tyrant?!"

The Sword Citadel elders recoiled slightly, their minds flashing back to a certain youth who had once reshaped the Cloud-Crossing Sword Mark... into a hammer.

Clatter—

Turning back, they saw Elder Xu—who had been sipping tea with perfect composure—somehow lose his balance and topple under the table.

Scalding tea had also spilled all over his lap.