Zhao Xinyi sighed inwardly upon hearing Nangong Shang's words. She understood that convincing him would be difficult, but seeing the heavy burden her father bore, she wanted to help share the load.



"Nangong Sect Master, establishing the Ice Moon Sacred Palace is His Majesty's decree. Could it be that your Canghai Sect intends to defy His Majesty's orders?" The young man beside Zhao Xinyi glared at Nangong Shang with a hostile expression.



"When did I ever say I would defy His Majesty's decree?" Nangong Shang cast an indifferent glance at the young man and said, "His Majesty wishes to establish the Ice Moon Sacred Palace. Naturally, our Canghai Sect will fully support it and select some of our outstanding disciples to go and train there."



After saying this, Nangong Shang paused, flicked his sleeve, and continued coldly, "Besides, since when does a young prince like you have the right to dictate how my Canghai Sect conducts its affairs? Who do you think you are? If you want to speak, go get your father-Xiao Hongchen to talk with me."



On the Divine Continent, power was revered above all. The strong ruled, and the current Xiao family was able to ascend to the royal throne precisely because of their strength. Put simply, the Xiao family was like the strongest sect in the Snow Moon Kingdom, albeit in the form of a royal family.



Yet, even so, it was impossible for the Xiao family to subjugate the other sects. As the leader of the Canghai Sect, Nangong Shang certainly wouldn't care about a mere prince.



"You... Nangong Shang, I will report this matter to my father." The young man spoke coldly, harboring a grudge in his heart.



"Alright...whatever...up to you~~" Nangong Shang replied dismissively.



"I heard that Xinyi just came back???" Just then, a voice echoed from outside the hall. It was none other than Elder Bei, striding in confidently.



"Grandpa Beiiiiiiiii !!!!!!!!" Upon seeing Elder Bei, Zhao Xinyi stood up and greeted him with respect. Elder Bei was the mentor of her father, Zhao Canglan.



"Xinyi, how is your father?" Elder Bei asked, a trace of concern in his eyes. For elders of the sects, taking on disciples was rare, but once they did, their bonds ran deep.



"Still in Broken Blade City," Zhao Xinyi said with a bitter smile.



"Sigh..." Elder Bei let out a sigh, shaking his head with a faint smile.



"Xinyi, you've come for that matter, haven't you? Don't make things difficult for the sect master. I'll recommend someone to you—someone the Canglan will approve of."



"Someone? Well, it sounds like just one person..." Zhao Xinyi forced a smile.



"Didn't your father set out on his own all those years ago? Having more people doesn't necessarily help." Elder Bei shook his head.



"Grandpa Bei, who is it you're talking about?" Zhao Xinyi's eyes lit up slightly. From Elder Bei's tone, he seemed to hold this person in high regard. Could it be one of those few...?



"You'll see when the time comes. Let them leave first. After this sect competition, I'll personally send him to the capital." Elder Bei glanced at Xiao Han and the others.



"All right." Zhao Xinyi nodded in response.



...



On a lone peak, within a narrow gorge, Li Xiaoyao sat inside a stone cave, enveloped by the ambient energy of heaven and earth. The energy wrapped around his body like a silken cocoon, resembling a veil of white mist.



After a moment, a powerful suction force emanated from within Li Xiaoyao's body, drawing in the surrounding energy like a vast ocean absorbing all rivers. The energy was consumed and refined within his body, and a milky-white aura pulsed steadily on the surface of his skin, exuding a sense of vastness. This aura, born from the Pure Essence Technique's refinement of heaven and earth energy, was exceptionally pure.



After a long time, the surrounding energy ceased to gather around Li Xiaoyao, and he stopped his cultivation.



Opening his eyes, a slight smile appeared on his face.



"Though the Pure Essence Technique doesn't have any special effects, it does solidify my foundation. Now my internal energy is at least twenty percent stronger than before."



He muttered to himself, knowing that only by strengthening his internal energy could he endure prolonged battles. Both his explosive power and endurance in combat would improve.



Standing up, Li Xiaoyao's gaze shifted toward the stone wall of the cave. He struck at the air with his palm, calling out in a low voice, "Eight Desolation Palm!"



As Li Xiaoyao's voice faded, seven palm imprints thunderously shot out from his hand, crashing against the stone wall.



"Boom."



The stone wall of the cave trembled violently, and the seven imprints were clearly stamped onto the wall.



"Sure enough, the power of the Eight Desolation Palm has strengthened."



Li Xiaoyao showed a faint smile. The Eight Desolation Palm was a low-tier martial skill of the profound, divided into eight stages. Reaching the fifth stage was already impressive, as it allowed one to produce five palm imprints in a single strike. To reach the sixth stage required considerable talent, while the seventh stage could only be mastered by a true martial prodigy.



At the eighth stage, the technique could fill the sky with palm imprints, each strike blanketing the entire space in a devastating display of force. Reaching this stage not only required exceptional talent in martial arts but also continual insight and understanding gained through real combat.



Profound martial skills were not easy to cultivate.



However, for Li Xiaoyao, this is not a problem at all. When he activated his martial soul, both his comprehension and calculation abilities became extraordinary. Within a single day, he had already trained the Eight Desolation Palm to the seventh stage, just one step away from mastery, where he could shake the Eight Desolations with a single strike.



But Li Xiaoyao was not satisfied with this. The vast Canghai Sect was filled with talented individuals. Inner sect disciples far surpassed outer sect disciples, with formidable warriors everywhere. He was about to participate in the sect's grand tournament, uncertain of what challenges lay ahead, so the stronger his abilities, the better.



The Nirvana Sword Technique—if he could grasp it—might be able to elevate his power to another level within a short period of time.



The so-called Nirvana comprised only three moves: the Life-Taking Sword, the Death Sword, and the Withering Sword.



The Life-Taking Sword: a single strike that seizes life.



The Death Sword: a step forward, a life claimed.



The Withering Sword: the silence of all techniques, the annihilation of everything.



Staring at the three moves of the sword technique, Li Xiaoyao fell into deep thought. The illustrations described in the sword technique manual slowly took shape in his mind, imprinting themselves directly within.



As the martial soul was released, it transformed into darkness in Li Xiaoyao's world. The heavens and earth lost all color, leaving only blackness. Everything around him appeared within this dark world, while he stood silently by himself, deep in thought, undisturbed by anything.



Closing his eyes, a figure emerged from his mind and entered his world. This figure wielded a long sword, repeatedly performing the same movement, executing the first strike recorded in the "Nirvana Sword Technique"—The Life-Taking Sword.



After a long time, Li Xiaoyao opened his eyes, and a flash of light as sharp as a sword's edge shot out, slicing through space.



He took a step forward, and a sword's hum resonated. One strike—Reaping.



"Rumble..."



The entire cave trembled violently. A long sword mark appeared on the ceiling, with a trace of sharp sword energy lingering above it.



The trembling grew louder, as stones began to rain down. Li Xiaoyao was momentarily stunned, then his figure flickered, and he stepped out of the cave. Shortly after he left, the cave was buried under a landslide and had already collapsed.



"Just the first strike, The Life-Taking Sword, is already far more powerful than the eighth-level 'Eight Desolations Palm.' How formidable must the powers of 'Death' and 'Desolation' be?"



Li Xiaoyao retracted his martial soul, feeling a hint of excitement. A mid-tier Profound Martial skill was indeed much more powerful than a low-tier one. Once the "Nirvana Sword Technique" was mastered, its power would rival that of a high-tier Profound Martial Skill. How terrifying would that be?



What Li Xiaoyao didn't realize was that the reason The Life-Taking Sword such devastating power in his hands wasn't just due to the strength of the technique itself, but also his mastery of sword momentum.



The Life-Taking Sword requires a fusion of sword aura, sword intent, and sword momentum to unleash its true power. Li Xiaoyao had already grasped the essence of sword momentum, so he mastered the Life-Taking Sword with ease, wielding it with formidable strength. If it were anyone else, they would have struggled to achieve the same.



"Who's there?" At that moment, Li Xiaoyao turned his body, looking towards a narrow mountain pass. He immediately saw someone approaching, their gaze filled with resentment.



"Zhao Xinyi." Li Xiaoyao was slightly surprised. He didn't understand what this woman intended—she had let previous opportunities to confront him slip by, but now she showed up alone.



"You scoundrel! You seized my territory, humiliated me—today, I will have my revenge!" Zhao Xinyi's glare was fierce, as though filled with deep hatred. From a young age, her father had taught her to be independent and strong, and she had always lived up to that. As a woman, she was in no way inferior to men. Coupled with her talent and background, she was proud and ambitious.



But she had never expected this shameless Li Xiaoyao would try to peep on her. When he defeated her, he even claimed he had no interest in her, and then he went on to take her precious cultivate ground. She had never suffered such humiliation, and she could not let this grudge go."Now I've reached the Spirit Martial realm, let's see how I crush him," Zhao Xinyi thought fiercely.