Her voice was cold, like an icy blade scraping bone. "A Taoist Sect disciple murdered someone on the street and destroyed buildings in my Imperial City. Bi Sheng, are these the rules you teach?"

Bi Sheng cleaned out his ear, but his Nine Layers of Innate Gang Qi silently circulated, shielding Xu Yunfan behind him. "Su Girl, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t just say whatever you want."

He casually pointed to the ruins, barely visible through the distant dust and smoke.

"Those people were obviously trying to stir up trouble, setting a trap to twist right and wrong. I suspect they’re remnants of the Daqian Dynasty who slipped through the cracks thirty years ago."

The Northern Daqian Dynasty’s military maneuvers were no spur-of-the-moment decision.

As early as thirty years ago, Daqian’s spies had already begun their covert operations.

Infiltrating border garrisons, bribing court officials, and even stealing the Great Zhou Dragon Vein Atlas.

Now, with the Empress on the verge of death from the backlash of a blood sacrifice, the court in turmoil, and the nation’s fortune waning, the long-dormant Daqian remnants had been given the perfect opportunity.

Speaking of which, he suddenly slapped his forehead. "Oh, right. During the crackdown on the Daqian Dragon Table affair back then, wasn’t there someone from your Celestial Pivot Start Sect who ’just so happened’ to be in seclusion and didn’t participate?"

The air suddenly froze.

The cinnabar mark between Su Wanqing’s brows abruptly turned as scarlet as blood. Beneath her feet, a ten-foot-wide section of green brick silently turned to dust.

This was precisely the old wound the Celestial Pivot Start Sect was most sensitive about.

Years ago, three Elders from the Celestial Pivot Start Sect were discovered to have colluded with Daqian remnants and were ultimately executed by the Imperial Court. If the Celestial Pivot Start Sect hadn’t desperately clung to the Empress’s favor, it would have been completely wiped out thirty years ago.

"Insolent!"

She made a gesture with a Sword Pointing, and nine transparent sword phantoms condensed from frost appeared behind her. "Jiang Tianyang is the Third Elder of the Sword Pavilion. How dare you slander him as..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I never named any names. Don’t go putting words in my mouth, Little Doll Su. But if we’re really going to talk about it, aren’t you the one whose position might be illegitimate?"

Bi Sheng interrupted with a mischievous grin. "However,"

He suddenly dropped the grin, his old eyes flashing with a terrifying light. "If Sword Master Su insists on making a federal case out of this, why not hand over those rats in the waterside pavilion first? I’d love to ask them why they were plotting against my Taoist Sect disciple from the very beginning."

Su Wanqing’s pupils contracted slightly.

She had already sensed that the auras of the people in the waterside pavilion were strange, but now she was in a bind.

Jade Capital was currently awash with undercurrents. If she backed down in front of everyone, what would become of the Imperial Court’s dignity?

But this old drunkard before her had already reached the Ninth Realm over 60 years ago. Back then, even the Empress had to address him as "Daoist."

If she retreated without a fight, she would lose all face.

She instantly calmed the torrent of thoughts in her mind.

"What a sharp-tongued old bastard."

She suddenly sneered, and the nine Frost Swords formed a Star Array above her head. "Today, I will see just how much of your power is left!"

Before her voice had even faded, the nine swords shot forward!

Each sword carried a chilling cold that could freeze one’s very blood. Wherever they passed, even light was twisted into icy blue vortexes.

Bi Sheng, however, didn’t even lift an eyelid. With a flick of his withered fingers inside his sleeve, a rust-covered Iron Sword slid out silently. Its body was riddled with cracks, yet it faintly revealed dark gold patterns.

Watching from the side, Xu Yunfan’s eyebrows twitched.

’That Iron Sword is extraordinary.’ With the eye he had trained through the Celestial Craft Forging Technique, he instantly determined that it must have fallen from the rank of a Tier Eight Divine Weapon.

’But it’s still at least Tier Seven.’

CLANG!

The Iron Sword trembled lightly, splitting into nine phantoms the instant the nine Frost Swords were upon it.

Each phantom precisely met the edge of a Frost Sword, and their collision erupted in a starlight of intertwining ice and fire.

Even stranger, as the Sword Qi surged, the rust flaked off with a RUSTLE, revealing the Daoist Sect’s All Heaven Star Cloud Pattern inscribed on the sword’s spine.

"Little Doll Su, watch closely..." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Bi Sheng suddenly spun, his Iron Sword tracing a perfect circle.

In an instant, all the Spiritual Qi within a thousand-foot radius was forcibly drained, forming three hundred and sixty golden points of light that floated in the air.

These points of light corresponded perfectly to the stellar layout of the Frost Sword Array, only their positions were reversed!

"Reverse Inference - Star Shifting!"

The nine Frost Swords suddenly went out of control, their tips turning to point directly at Su Wanqing.

Her pupils shrank. Wisps of True Qi burst from her fingertips, but she discovered she had completely lost her connection to the nine Frost Swords. The golden points of light were frantically devouring her True Qi!

"Old bastard!"

Su Wanqing roared, and the cinnabar mark on her brow shot out a bloody light.

She clapped her palms together. The True Qi throughout her body boiled like lava, forming a thirty-foot-tall Dharma Aspect behind her. The Dharma Aspect’s six arms each held an Ice Soul Long Sword, and they all chopped down at Bi Sheng.

Bi Sheng sneered, and his Iron Sword suddenly flew from his hand, spinning through the air.

Crimson Earth Fire erupted from the cracks in the sword. When the Profound Nether Dharma Aspect’s longswords struck the Earth Fire, they were instantly coated in rust, and even the phantom of the Dharma Aspect began to blur!

"Your Celestial Pivot Start Sect is still using the same old tricks. The same old bluff you’ve been using for years."

Although Bi Sheng was taunting her, Xu Yunfan, who was watching from the side, had bright, shining eyes.

’The precursor to a Martial Dao Dharma Aspect!’

’The Celestial Pivot Start Sect’s Profound Celestial Treasure Talisman might be an unorthodox path, scorned by the orthodox Daoist Sects as heretical, but its Dharma Gate for condensing a Martial Dao Dharma Aspect holds a profound mystery.’

’Before I left the mountain, Bi Yuan once had a heart-to-heart with me. He’d said with great melancholy that completing the Martial Arts Nine Realms was the limit. The heavens themselves would not permit anyone to break through the shackles of the Ninth Realm.’

’The so-called Land Immortal Realm is now nothing more than the moon in a well or a flower on the water—an illusion.’

’Su Wanqing’s six-armed, sword-wielding Profound Nether Dharma Aspect, formed through True Qi Transformation, can not only freeze blood and suppress True Qi, but also faintly touches upon the Realm of "Martial Arts to God."’

’Perhaps this is another path to breaking through the shackles of the Ninth Realm.’

’As for heretical paths... whoever has the bigger fist is the Righteous Dao.’

At that moment, Bi Sheng formed a sword-finger and guided the Broken Sword. It suddenly split into twelve rays of sword light, each entwined with a different attribute of Earth Vein Qi. "Let me show you what a true..."

"...Ninth Realm Sword Dao is!"

As his voice fell, the twelve rays of sword light crisscrossed like dragons, instantly shredding the Profound Nether Dharma Aspect.

’What a pity!’

Xu Yunfan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret as he watched. ’That Dharma Aspect... it’s a pewter spearhead that looks like silver—all show and no substance.’

Su Wanqing grunted and retreated abruptly, a trickle of ice-blue blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

She stared intently at the rusty Iron Sword that had returned to Bi Sheng’s hand. Now, urged by his True Qi, the rusty patches began to exude a faint, clear light.

"Su Girl."

Bi Sheng’s voice suddenly entered her mind, carrying a rare, murderous solemnity. "Third Watch of the Night. Meet me at the ’Gui Water Position’ of the Imperial City’s Earth Vein. Bring your Profound Celestial Treasure Talisman."

"If you don’t come... I’ll report the matter of the Celestial Pivot Start Sect secretly possessing the Great Zhou Dragon Vein Map to the Empress on her deathbed."

The Frost Sword Array collapsed with a roar.

Beneath her wide sleeves, Su Wanqing’s fingers trembled slightly.

’Three days ago, I really did find half a Dragon Vein Map in the Sect’s secret vault, but not even my Direct Disciples know about this...’

"Today, I will give Elder Bi face."

She suddenly sheathed her sword and turned, her black palace robes flowing like a cloud as she sped toward the Imperial City. "But if a Taoist Sect disciple dares to act recklessly in Jade Capital again..."

"I know, I know! I’ll come find you for tea and to apologize!"

Bi Sheng waved cheerfully at the sky, then turned and winked at Xu Yunfan. "Kid, I’m taking you to see a good show tonight!"

In the distance, atop a pavilion, Su Wanqing’s figure stumbled almost imperceptibly.