The place is deserted, and the Sword Master is so angry that his Dao heart is unstable.

Ji Lingxiao hovered above Qingyun City, his expression as indifferent as ice that had never melted for millennia.

His eyes, which seemed to see through all the illusions of the world, slowly swept over the city below, which, in his eyes, was as insignificant as a speck of dust.

He was at a crucial juncture in his seclusion.

The ruthless sword path is nearing completion; only one final step remains before severing the last thread of mortal karma and reaching the legendary state of "unity of heaven and sword."

But the news Lin Qingxue brought back was like a pebble thrown into his calm Dao heart, stirring up ripples.

A child born with the talent to wield a sword.

A baby who can unleash the rudiments of the "Supreme Forgetfulness Sword Intent".

A child who looks about seven or eight parts like him.

At first, he thought it was just a demon in his heart, a hallucination caused by Lin Qingxue's unstable state of mind.

But when Lin Qingxue used the memory crystal to display that faint yet pure sword intent before him, his rock-solid Dao heart cracked for the first time.

That rhyme is definitely right.

That was something unique to his bloodline origin.

He recalled that night in the Cold Abyss a few months ago.

The woman trembling and weeping beneath him, yet possessing a cool, alluring fragrance that captivated him.

He recalled the mysteriously vanished Yuan Yang and the hidden secrets of heaven.

He also recalled the sense of closeness that his natal flying sword "Frostbite" would occasionally emanate from since then, a feeling that originated from the resonance of their bloodlines.

The details he had deliberately ignored were now connected into a clear line.

Ji Lingxiao, the leader of the sword path who has cultivated the ruthless path for hundreds of years, was actually... conceived by someone else?

Moreover, she even had a child who inherited his perfect swordsmanship talent...?

This realization triggered Ji Lingxiao's first reaction not of joy, but of unprecedented rage and humiliation.

What is his identity?

They are the most outstanding beings in this world!

He was actually used as a tool for reproduction by an unknown ant from the lower realm? And even his most prized bloodline talent was stolen?

Unforgivable!

He immediately tore through the void, sparing no expense to expend his own essence, and his true form descended.

He wanted to find that woman and personally erase the "stain" that had inherited his bloodline! To fulfill his ruthless path!

His divine sense spread out like a tide, instantly enveloping the entire Qingyun City.

Then, he frowned slightly.

The city lord's mansion is empty.

The Blood Fiend Sect was reduced to ruins.

Meanwhile, the Jiang family, which Lin Qingxue had mentioned, was engulfed in flames, and... it was completely empty.

Ji Lingxiao's figure flashed, and the next moment, he appeared above the sea of ​​fire.

The flames seemed to possess a spirit, automatically parting three feet away from him, not daring to approach even slightly.

His gaze pierced through the flames and thick smoke, landing on the charred ruins.

What about people?

His divine sense swept over it again.

There was no trace of that woman in the city.

There were none outside the city either.

It was as if they had never existed; they simply vanished into thin air.

For the first time, Ji Lingxiao's face darkened.

There are only two possibilities for someone to evade his divine sense. One is that the other person's cultivation level is far higher than his, which is absolutely impossible. The other is that the other person possesses a supreme treasure that can shield them from divine secrets and prevent detection.

He remembered the jade pendant he had lost as a protective charm.

No, although that jade pendant is nice, it doesn't have that effect.

It was the woman herself, or rather, the strange "thing" on her that could "steal" his vital essence and bloodline, that was causing the trouble.

Ji Lingxiao slowly landed in the ruins of the Jiang family's backyard.

This is the place in Lin Qingxue's memory crystal where that child unleashed his sword intent.

A faint trace of lightning still lingered in the air, along with... a familiar, unsettling, cold fragrance.

It's the taste.

That night, this was the scent that bloomed beneath him.

Ji Lingxiao closed his eyes, and the absurd and chaotic memories of that night uncontrollably flooded his mind. The woman's weeping, the soft touch, the intertwined sweat, and that strange fragrance that almost made him lose control...

"Buzz—"

The ancient sword "Frostbite" in front of him emitted a sharp sword cry, as if reminding its master that his Dao heart was unstable.

Ji Lingxiao suddenly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, and forcefully cut off those distracting thoughts.

His gaze fell on something in a corner of the ruins.

It was a rattle drum that was half-burnt.

It was the toy that the child used to injure Wang Tong, just as Lin Qingxue remembered it.

He flicked his finger, and the rattle flew into his hand.

Above, there remained a very faint scent of that child's milk, and... a trace of bloodline from the same source as him.

It's faint, but it's real.

Ji Lingxiao held the charred rattle drum in his hand, his long, strong fingers turning white from the excessive force.

For the first time, an emotion called "anger" appeared on his handsome, godlike face.

it is good.

well.

She stole his seed and dared to run away with it?

He had originally intended to erase this "stain," but now he has changed his mind.

He wanted to see just what kind of audacious woman she was. He wanted to personally drag her back, make her kneel before him, and show her that some things were not for an ant like her to covet!

"No matter where you run off to..."

Ji Lingxiao's voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, carrying an icy chill.

"I will find you."

He released his grip, and the rattle drum turned to ashes.

He looked up at the "City of Chaos" marked on the map, a flash of insightful understanding appearing in his eyes.

With a flash, he disappeared into the void rift once more.

He himself did not realize that, in the instant he turned around, his heart, which had been frozen by the ruthless path for hundreds of years, beat uncontrollably for a moment longer.

That wasn't murderous intent.

It was an emotion called "caring" that even he himself couldn't understand.