Chapter 5853-5854-5855

The little fire qilin grunted and staggered back several steps, its flames dimming considerably, clearly indicating that taking the full force of Man Shan’s axe blow had not been easy.

At that moment, Xuan Ming’s “Xuan Ming Thorn” arrived!

The icy blue prism ignored the little fire qilin’s flame barrier, piercing through it like an illusion, heading straight for Kai’s brow!

“Roar!”

The little fire qilin roared in desperation, trying to block with its body, but the prism was too fast; it was too late!

In that critical moment, a resolute glint flashed in Kai’s eyes.

He abandoned all defense, gripped his sword with both hands, and his mind quickly recalled the ancient, vast sword technique passed down to him by Wan Jianxing in the void passage—a technique containing the true meaning of shattering all constraints.

He hadn’t fully comprehended that sword technique, but at this critical juncture of life and death, he had no choice but to fight desperately!

The chaotic immortal power within Kai’s body circulated wildly along the special path of that sword technique, and a completely different, extremely sharp sword intent erupted from his body!

“Slash—the—void—the—space!”

Kai roared, unleashing the Dragon-Slaying Sword with an unfathomable trajectory!

There was no sword energy, no light.

Only a will to “sever,” a intent to “break”!

This sword strike did not sever matter, nor energy, but… “connection”!

“Clang!”

A soft sound rang out.

The deadly Xuanming Thorn, only three inches from Kai’s brow, suddenly froze.

The next moment, the invisible “connection” between it and Xuanming, formed by the laws of ice, was severed by Kai’s sword!

The Xuanming Thorn, now out of control, instantly disintegrated, transforming into primordial ice-elemental spiritual energy, vanishing into the air.

“What?!”

Xuanming’s expression changed drastically for the first time, his eyes filled with disbelief. “You… how could you sever my legal connection?! What kind of sword technique is this?!”

Man Shan was also stunned; he had never seen such a bizarre attack method.

After unleashing this sword strike, Kai’s face was ashen, he gasped for breath, and his whole body trembled.

Forcibly activating a sword technique he hadn’t fully mastered, and severing the law connection formed by an eighth-grade Celestial Immortal, was too much of a burden for him. It almost drained his last bit of strength, and his soul felt a tearing pain.

The little fire unicorn anxiously nuzzled Kai, whimpering.

Ling Shuang struggled to her feet, staggered to Kai’s side, and supported his swaying body, tears streaming down her face: “Senior!”

The Crimson Cloud Demon Lord’s eyes also reddened, and he stood in front of Kai, his demonic energy surging, ready to fight to the death.

“Hmph, at your last gasp!”

Xuan Ming quickly recovered from his shock, his killing intent intensifying. “No matter what kind of sword technique you have, you must die today! Such a sword technique must not fall into the hands of foreigners!”

Man Shan also grinned maliciously: “Boy, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Show them off! Grandpa wants to see how many more moves you can last!”

The two closed in again, their killing intent palpable.

Looking at the relentlessly closing in enemy, then at the heavily injured Ling Shuang beside him, the Crimson Cloud Demon Lord desperately protecting him, and the anxiously whimpering Little Fire Qilin, Kai felt a surge of helplessness.

Was he really going to die here?

He hadn’t yet obtained Ling Yue’s life-saving medicine, Senior Wan Jianxing was still trapped in the void passage, and he hadn’t fulfilled his promise…

He was unwilling to accept this!　　”I’ll fight you to the death!”

A mad glint flashed in Kai’s eyes as he prepared to burn his life force for a final, desperate gamble.

However, at that moment—

“Stop.”

A clear, ethereal female voice, seemingly untouched by worldly concerns, suddenly echoed from the depths of the Northern Underworld Palace.

The voice wasn’t loud, but it resonated clearly in everyone’s ears, carrying an undeniable authority.

Man Shan and Xuan Ming froze, their faces simultaneously showing astonishment, confusion, and even a hint of fear.

Kai was also startled, looking in the direction of the voice.

Deep within the Northern Underworld Palace, atop the tallest main hall, a thousand feet high, a white figure had appeared.

She wore a flowing white dress, the hem fluttering, appearing ethereal and otherworldly against the aurora and the night.

She looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with exquisite beauty, snow-white skin, and exquisitely beautiful features, yet shrouded in an unyielding coldness and sorrow.

Her aura was elusive, seemingly blending into the surrounding ice and snow, yet giving off an unfathomable aura.

She stood suspended in mid-air, descending step by step from the palace rooftop, as if treading on an invisible staircase.

With each step, an ice crystal lotus bloomed beneath her feet, supporting her jade-like feet.

In just a few breaths, she arrived at the archway, landing between Kai and the two divine generals.

“Palace Master!”

Man Shan and Xuan Ming bowed simultaneously, their tone respectful yet tinged with doubt. “Why have you emerged from seclusion? Such petty villains can be dealt with by your subordinates.”

Palace Master?

Kai’s heart skipped a beat.

This woman before him, with her aloof and exquisite beauty, was the Palace Master of the Northern Underworld Palace?

The woman ignored the two divine generals, instead focusing her gaze on Kai, or more precisely, on the Dragon-Slaying Sword in Kai’s hand, and the lingering, unique sword intent emanating from him.

Her gaze was initially icy, but the moment it met that sword intent, it trembled violently! A

storm of emotions suddenly surged within those eyes, which seemed like millennia-old ice!

Shock, disbelief, longing, pain, hope… a complex tapestry of emotions raged within them!

“You…”

Her voice trembled slightly, her gaze fixed on Kai. “The sword technique you just used…where did it come from?!”

Kai was taken aback, not expecting her to ask this.

He forced himself to remain calm despite his weakness and replied, “This sword technique was taught to me by a senior.”

“That senior…what is his name? Where is he?”

The Palace Master’s voice grew increasingly urgent, even taking a step forward.

Kai hesitated for a moment, but remembering that she was the Palace Master of the Northern Underworld Palace and might know something, he answered truthfully, “That senior called himself Wan Jianxing, and was trapped in a special void passage. I entered by chance and received his sword technique.”

Kai didn’t mention the Heavenly Dragon Palace, nor that Wan Jianxing was a hall master of the Heavenly Dragon Palace.
“Wan Jianxing… Wan Jianxing…”

the Palace Master murmured, repeating the name. Her delicate body swayed slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes, but those tears were instantly frozen by the extreme cold, turning into ice crystals that slid down her cheeks.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions, but her voice still trembled: “He… he’s still alive? He really… is still alive?”

“Yes, Senior Wan Jianxing is still alive, but he’s trapped and can’t escape,” Kai affirmed.

“Impossible!”

Xuanming suddenly interrupted, his tone filled with surprise and doubt. “Wan Jianxing violated the divine race’s prohibition, and… and…”

He glanced at the Palace Master, not daring to continue, “He should have been personally suppressed by the patriarch long ago, his soul and spirit destroyed! How could he still be alive? Boy, don’t talk nonsense and deceive the Palace Master!”

“I’m not lying.”

Kai met his gaze calmly. “Senior Wan Jianxing said it himself. He was cast into a void rift by the divine race’s patriarch with supreme divine power, imprisoned for eternity. If it weren’t for his extraordinary cultivation and special secret method protecting his soul, he would probably have perished long ago.”

The Palace Master closed her eyes, remaining silent for a long time.

When she opened her eyes again, the emotional storm in her eyes had subsided, returning to its previous coldness, but deep within that coldness lay an indescribable complexity.

“All of you, step back.”

She commanded Manshan, Xuanming, and the divine race warriors within the archway.

“Palace Master!”

Man Shan cried out anxiously, “This boy’s origins are unknown. He trespassed into the forbidden area and killed our warriors. He must not be let go! Moreover, his words may not be credible. The matter of Wan Jianxing is a taboo of the Divine Race…”

“I said, step back.”

The Palace Master’s voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Man Shan and Xuan Ming exchanged a glance, both seeing the resentment in each other’s eyes, but ultimately dared not disobey the Palace Master’s order, bowing and saying, “Yes.”

The two led the warriors within the archway and quickly retreated, disappearing into the depths of the palace. Only

Kai and the other two, along with the mysterious Palace Master of Beiming, remained in the room.

The Palace Master’s gaze fell on Kai again, this time not with scrutiny, but with a complex assessment.

She slowly spoke, “Your name is Kai?”

“Indeed.”

“You say Wan Jianxing is still alive, do you have any proof?” the Palace Master asked, her gaze fixed on Kai’s eyes.

Kai pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, “When Senior Wan Jianxing taught me his swordsmanship, he left behind a wisp of his innate sword intent, instructing me to show it to any trustworthy person as proof.”

As he spoke, he forcefully channeled a faint wisp of chaotic immortal power into the Dragon-Slaying Sword, simultaneously recalling the unique Daoist aura Wan Jianxing had imparted when teaching the swordsmanship. The

Dragon-Slaying Sword trembled slightly, and a wisp of extremely faint yet pure silver sword intent, containing the essence of severing all laws and roaming freely across heaven and earth, slowly rose from the sword.

This wisp of sword intent was very faint, almost dissipating at any moment, but the “flavor” it contained was unique!

The moment she saw this wisp of silver sword intent, the Palace Master’s delicate body trembled violently, staggering back half a step, her face instantly turning ashen.

She reached out her trembling hand, wanting to touch the sword intent, but stopped just before touching it, as if afraid it was a fragile dream.

“It really is him…it really is his sword intent…”　　She murmured softly, her voice choked with emotion, “Thousands of years… I thought you had long ago… long ago…”

Two lines of clear tears finally slid uncontrollably down her cheeks, but before they could fall, they froze into glistening ice beads.

Kai sheathed his sword intent and waited quietly.

He could sense that there was probably a very deep connection between the Palace Master before him and Wan Jianxing.

After a long while, the Palace Master calmed down. She wiped away the icy tears on her face, regaining her cold expression, but the look in her eyes towards Kai had softened considerably.

“This is not the place to talk. Come with me.”

She said, turning and walking towards the Northern Underworld Palace.

Kai looked at Ling Shuang and the Crimson Cloud Demon Lord beside him, then at the Blood Soul Cold Pool in the distance, and hesitated, “Palace Master, my friend urgently needs the Thousand-Year Ice Soul Blood Lotus in the Blood Soul Cold Pool to save his life, I wonder…”

The Palace Master paused, then said without turning her head, “We’ll talk about the Blood Lotus later. Come with me first. I have something to ask you, and some things… I need to tell you.”

Her tone left no room for argument.

Kai remained silent for a moment, then nodded to Ling Shuang and the Crimson Cloud Demon Lord: “Let’s follow.”

The three followed the Palace Master into the mysterious and majestic Northern Underworld Palace.

Passing through the tall archway, a completely different scene unfolded inside. Along the wide, icy avenue stood various exquisite ice sculptures and ice crystal lampposts, emitting a soft glow.

The palace complex was intricate, with interconnected corridors and cascading icefalls, beautiful as a dreamlike fairyland, yet eerily silent.

Along the way, they occasionally encountered patrolling divine warriors, who bowed respectfully to the Palace Master, but cast curious, wary, and even hostile glances at Kai and his companions. However, under the Palace Master’s imposing presence, no one dared to approach and question them.

Finally, the Palace Master led them to a relatively smaller, but more exquisite, side hall.

The hall was simply furnished, with only a few ice crystal chairs and an ice table. The walls were smooth as mirrors, reflecting their figures.

“Sit,”

the Palace Master gestured for Kai and his companions to sit, while he himself took the main seat.

Once everyone was seated, the Palace Master’s gaze fell upon Kai again, and she slowly spoke, “Now, tell me everything you know about Wan Jianxing. Don’t leave anything out.”

Kai nodded and recounted in detail how he had mistakenly entered the void passage, encountered Wan Jianxing, and received his inheritance and instructions, omitting only the matter of the Heavenly Dragon Palace.

The Palace Master listened quietly, her face expressionless, but her tightly clenched hands and slightly trembling eyelashes betrayed her inner turmoil.

When she heard that Wan Jianxing had endured thousands of years of torment in the void passage, suffering the pain of spatial rupture day and night, yet still held onto hope and remembered his old friend, she finally couldn’t help but close her eyes, taking several deep breaths to barely suppress her surging emotions.

“Did he… did he say anything else about me?”

The Palace Master opened her eyes, a glimmer of hope in them.

Kai recalled for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Senior Wan Jianxing didn’t mention a specific name, only that… if there’s an opportunity, help him find an old friend from the Divine Race, tell them he’s still alive, and don’t seek revenge for him, just live well.”

Kai made up a story; he had long suspected that the Palace Master and Wan Jianxing were not simple.

The two might have a secret affair, or even be lovers.