Chapter 59: Lightning at the Fingertips, Fear Within the Daoist Heart

My voice was soft, yet it struck Tang Feng's heart like a heavy hammer. The blood drained instantly from his face, his lips trembled, and he couldn’t utter a single word. The Tang Clan technique he had prided himself on was caught by the other party as though it were nothing, a reality that shattered his understanding.

This was not martial skill—it was the work of a celestial.

I toyed with the Soul-Chasing Needle at my fingertips, its tip shimmering with a ghostly blue light in the sunlight, clearly laced with deadly poison.

“The secret of the Tang Clan’s hidden weapons lies in catching your enemy off guard, killing with a single strike,” I remarked mildly. “Your technique is fine, but your heart is tainted. An object is neither good nor evil, but those who wield it are.”

My gaze slid off Tang Feng and landed on the disciples behind him, their faces ashen with fear. They instinctively retreated, as if I were holding not a tiny steel needle but a death warrant.

I spared them no further glance and flicked my finger.

With a sharp whistle, the Soul-Chasing Needle shot back at a speed ten times swifter than before, embedding itself precisely in the mechanism Tang Feng had just used to launch it.

A brittle snap rang out—the Tang Clan treasure, composed of intricate parts, split open from within, falling to the ground in a heap of useless scrap.

This move, more than any direct injury, filled Tang Feng with dread. It demonstrated a mastery of force far beyond ordinary comprehension.

“Go back and tell your clan master,” I withdrew my hand and slipped it into my pocket, my tone still calm, “to keep a tighter rein on his disciples and his hidden weapons. I do not wish for there to be a next time.”

With that, I turned, taking Yi Yi with me, and headed for the parking lot.

Yuan Hao cast a deep, sympathetic look at Tang Feng before quickly following me.

Left behind, Tang Feng’s knees buckled and he collapsed, drenched in cold sweat. He stared at the pile of scrap on the ground, then at my departing figure, his eyes filled not only with terror but also with a deep, unaccustomed confusion.

He had always believed that Kunlun was the pinnacle of the ancient martial world, that the Kunlun Saint Child, Yuan Hao, was the peak of the younger generation.

But today, he had glimpsed a sky beyond the sky.

Back in the car, the atmosphere was heavy.

Yuan Hao sat in the passenger seat, hesitating several times as if to speak. His shock was no less than Tang Feng’s. He knew Mr. Jiang was extraordinary, but had never imagined he was this exalted. Even at his peak, Yuan Hao would never have dared claim he could so easily catch and counter the Tang Clan’s Soul-Chasing Needle.

“Senior…” He finally spoke, awe thick in his voice. “What… realm have you attained?”

“Realm is but scenery along the road,” I replied as I started the car and slowly pulled away from the scenic area. “The more you see, the farther you travel.”

The enigmatic words sent Yuan Hao into deep contemplation again.

I said nothing more; some truths he would have to discover for himself.

Not long after, Yuan Hao’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, his expression turning grave as he answered.

“Master.”

On the other end, a venerable voice sounded, stern and commanding even through the phone. It could only be the leader of Kunlun.

“Hao’er, where are you now? I am already aware of what happened at the Tianshan Sword Debate. Victory and defeat are the way of warriors; you need not dwell on it. However… I hear you are traveling with a father and daughter who live next to Ling Qingzhu of Shushan? And that you clashed with the Tang Clan because of them?”

Clearly, Kunlun’s intelligence network was formidable—they had already pieced together the whole affair in such a short time.

Yuan Hao glanced at me and answered respectfully, “Yes, Master. Today, I met a true master who cleared my doubts and showed me how narrow my understanding had been. We have all been walking the wrong path on the road to the Divine Sea.”

He succinctly recounted for his master the debate between sand and water at Crescent Spring, and the matter of the Spring’s Eye.

A long silence answered him.

At last, the Kunlun master spoke again, this time his voice trembling with incredulous excitement: “The Spring’s Eye… true water… So that’s it! That’s it! The hundred-year mystery of Kunlun solved in a single phrase! Hao’er, who is this Senior Jiang you speak of? No matter what, you must bring him to Kunlun! No, I will come to pay my respects myself!”

“Master, Senior’s whereabouts are unpredictable, and he acts as he pleases. I fear…” Yuan Hao was hesitant.

“I don’t care what you must do!” The Kunlun Master’s tone brooked no argument. “This is an opportunity of immense fortune for Kunlun—we must not let it slip away!”

Yuan Hao hung up, a bitter smile on his face.

At that moment, my own phone rang—an unfamiliar number.

I answered. A cool, familiar voice came through.

“Mr. Jiang, it’s me, Ling Qingzhu.”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Are you still near Tianshan?” There was a hint of urgency and entreaty in her tone. “My master and the elders of Shushan wish to thank you in person for your guidance. Also, there is one more matter in which we hope you may lend your aid.”

“Go on. What is it?” I was not surprised—if Shushan had tracked down my number, it must have taken some effort.

Relieved, Ling Qingzhu continued, “It concerns Shushan’s greatest treasure: the Twin Swords of Purple and Azure.”

“The Twin Swords of Purple and Azure?” The name rang a bell—it was at the heart of Shushan’s legacy.

“Yes,” her voice grew grave. “The Twin Swords are not ordinary metal, but were forged by our founder from fallen star iron and a mysterious crystal left from the ancient Shu Kingdom. Within them lies a fragment of the ‘law of space.’ They are both weapons and a key.”

“A key?” My interest was piqued.

“Yes, a key to the forbidden ground of Shushan—the Demon-Locking Tower. But the tower does not truly imprison demons; that is merely what we tell outsiders. Inside, it is the entrance to a small secret realm, which we call the Ancient Shu Ruins.”

Ling Qingzhu paused before continuing, “That secret realm is rich in spiritual energy, far surpassing the outside world; it is the true foundation of Shushan. But ten years ago, the space within the Ancient Shu Ruins became unstable. Fissures appear, and violent energies spill out. We suspect the mysterious crystal used in forging the swords is to blame.”

“Kunlun’s recent pressure on us is not just to swallow Shushan, but also to seize the Twin Swords and the secret of the Ancient Shu Ruins.”

“Yesterday, in my duel with Yuan Hao, I barely won, but to unleash that sword, I forced the Twin Swords to their limits, drawing out their primal power. Now their energy is chaotic, making the spatial instability in the Demon-Locking Tower even worse. My master and the elders are powerless to help, and we fear the entire secret realm could collapse if this continues.”

“So you wish me to help stabilize the Twin Swords?” I immediately understood their intent.

“Yes,” Ling Qingzhu’s voice was earnest, “my master says your understanding of the Dao is beyond mortal ken. Perhaps you alone can unravel the secrets of the swords and the crystal. All of Shushan would be eternally grateful.”

I gazed at the scenery flashing by outside, lost in thought. A fragment of the law of space? A small secret realm? Now this was interesting.

What had begun as a simple favor for an old acquaintance had unexpectedly entangled me in Kunlun’s cultivation path and revealed the hidden legacy of Shushan.

The threads of fate in this world truly are wondrous.

“Where are you now?” I asked.

“We haven’t left. We’re in a small town at the foot of Tianshan.”

“Very well. We’ll come to you.”

I hung up and turned the car around, heading back the way we came.

Yuan Hao, having listened to the entire conversation, wore a complex expression. He had never imagined that the Twin Swords of Purple and Azure, coveted for so long, concealed such secrets.