C12 The Background of the Little Girl!

Armillary Sphere Sect.

Xie Feng and Sushang ventured behind the mountain to hunt a pair of mountain pheasants. They gathered some lotus leaves from the verdant lake, carefully wrapping the birds and placing them on the stove to prepare a meal of Lotus Leaf Chicken.

Sushang sat dispiritedly, her small face pressed against the tabletop, forming a tiny mound of flesh.

As the flames danced, a delicate aroma soon seeped through the lotus leaves. The scent stirred the little girl's senses, and she sat up abruptly, her gaze fixed on the Lotus Leaf Chicken, her finger absently caught between her teeth.

"The meat's ready!"

The dish was quickly done. When Xie Feng unfurled the lotus leaves, the rich scent of chicken mingled with the fresh lotus fragrance filled the air.

A gleam sparked in Sushang's eyes.

Xie Feng handed her a hefty drumstick, which she grasped eagerly; it was nearly as large as her face.

With each bite, the succulent chicken fell effortlessly off the bone, its tender flesh melting in her mouth, both savory and sweet—an exquisite taste.

"It's so delicious!"

"Mother used to roast chicken like this, and it was just as tasty..."

Sushang's tongue darted out to lick the grease from her lips, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. Suddenly, she fell silent, her lashes casting shadows over her cheeks, her tiny fists clenched tight, betraying a hint of...

Sorrow, longing, and rage!

Xie Feng noticed the shift in her mood, his brow furrowing. He watched her bite her lip, her eyes darting about, and gently tapped her head.

"Something's weighing on you, isn't it?"

"Umm... No..."

"Children shouldn't lie."

"I, I..."

Overwhelmed by emotion and Xie Feng's probing, Sushang's youthful composure gave way to tears.

"Master, I lied to you before. My mother didn't die of illness! She was killed in a fight, bleeding too much!

"She was a formidable figure in the Heavenly Sword Holy Land, revered as a Great Venerable. But recently, someone targeted her life.

"After she fought off many attackers, wounded, she fled with me to a forest. Her injuries were grave, and... she ultimately left me behind."

Sushang's sobs shook her frail frame, tears streaming down her face, her eyes swollen red.

Xie Feng's expression turned grave. The reputation of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land was well-known, even to him.

The Great Venerable Mo Zicheng was famed for his formidable strength and decisive nature, his exceptional swordsmanship earning him the top rank among the Holy Land's eight Venerables.

But...

Mo Zicheng was human, and Sushang was of the Great Beginning White Tiger lineage!

How could a human sire a descendant of the Great Beginning White Tiger?

Historical records indicated that the bloodline of the White Tiger Clan was exceedingly fragile, requiring a pure-blooded union to produce offspring.

This meant that if Mo Zicheng was not a Great Beginning White Tiger, Sushang would have inherited purely human traits!

There must be more to this story.

"Why would the Heavenly Sword Holy Land want your mother dead?"

Xie Feng inquired.

Through her tears, Sushang replied, "The man who fought my mother sought the 'sword source'... Master, I must grow stronger, for vengeance!"

"Sword source! That's the essence of a swordsman's power, the loss of which would cripple one's cultivation! What was his name?"

"She called him Sword Master."

"Sword Master!"

Xie Feng's gaze chilled. He recognized the name; once the tenth on the Heaven Ranking, the ruler of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land—

Mu Shuang Ling!

"Xiaoshang, do you remember where that forest is?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's go have a look."

"Yes!"

"Hold on, one more thing..." Xie Feng gestured to the tear tracks on Sushang's plump cheeks, "Brave girls dry their tears before setting out."

"Yes!"

Sushang lifted her chin, her response ringing clear. She then fiercely wiped her face clean of tears.

Beyond the renowned continents of the Three Thousand Worlds—Eastern, Heaven, Spirit, Central, and Holy—lay many lesser-known lands.

The Armillary Sphere Sect was nestled at the juncture of the Southern and Yuan Continents, on a vast expanse that was once an ancient battlefield. Over time, it transformed into a sprawling wasteland.

At the southern tip of the Southern Continent, a dense forest thrived under a shroud of red mist, resembling a heavy crimson cloud, eerie, mysterious, and foreboding.

The Land of Sanguinity!

Where the Ancient Devil Dragon fell!

A forbidden realm enduring for a hundred millennia!

As space itself seemed to warp, two figures emerged from the void, appearing at the forest's edge.

Xie Feng, draped in a misty green robe, and Sushang, clad in a white vest and dark orange lantern pants, her features delicate and endearing.

Xie Feng gazed intently ahead, his palm lifted as his striking eyes narrowed. His soul consciousness surged out like tumultuous waves, sweeping across the surroundings.

Before long, he sensed a faint energy signature—the residual force of a sword. When life is extinguished, the vital essence fades swiftly, yet one's will can linger briefly. The more formidable the consciousness, the longer its persistence. The mightiest could endure for centuries, even resurrecting through the bodies of others. Such beings were surely at the Eclosion Stage.

Xie Feng's soul consciousness chased this lingering will, transmitting visions of a blood-soaked tableau to his mind. A woman in crimson garb approached from afar, her complexion ashen, her steps faltering, with a trail of blood marking her path into the infinite.

In her grasp was a sword, dripping with blood—a weapon that had claimed innumerable lives.

"I, Mo Chai, have slain all your foes for you, safeguarded the Mu Clan's legacy with unwavering loyalty," she declared. "To sustain the Supreme Mystery Sword Physique, you've butchered swordsmen of formidable prowess. And now, does your blade turn towards me?

"When the birds are no more, the bow is put away; when the hare is caught, the hound is cooked!

"Ha! Ha! Ha!

"Poor child..."

Mo Qianyu's silent sneer gave way to a fit of bloody coughs. She braced herself with her sword, refusing to fall.

"Mother!"

A girl's cry pierced the air as she ran forward.

"Xiao Qiu, remember, your true name is Sushang," Mo Qianyu imparted.

Then, with a soft thud, she collapsed, her bloodied sword shattering in an instant, along with the sword source—and her body.

Xiao Qiu?

A crucial detail caught Xie Feng's attention. Why did Mo Qianyu address her as Xiao Qiu, yet in her final moments, reveal the girl's true name to be Sushang? What significance did this name hold?

The girl, naive to the ways of the world, had been well shielded by Mo Qianyu. It was clear she had been spared life's harsher trials over the past twelve years, her understanding of her own origins muddled and incomplete.

Xie Feng's thoughts were adrift when suddenly, he felt a stirring in his spirit—a notable fluctuation of energy!

A hundred meters away, two figures emerged: Mu Shuangling and Liu Zhen.

"Our Sword Sect's innate capabilities are deficient; we've resorted to forceful means to acquire the Supreme Mystery Sword Physique. For nearly three decades, we've exhausted numerous sites rich in sword energy and tapped into an abundance of sword sources to sustain our physical state.

"The Heaven Ranking has bestowed upon us the Shaking Spirit Heaven Sword, yet to wield such a weapon, our sword qi is still insufficient," Mu Shuangling spoke through clenched teeth, his eyes revealing a growing glint of greed and ferocity.

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