Not long after the black hawk had left, it returned—with none other than the formidable Du Gu Wushang riding on its back, exuding the presence of a true master.
Fengyun Wuji stepped forward and quickly relayed the general situation. This was also the first time Ximen Yibei had heard of the events in Wuji's plane. After listening to his account, both Du Gu Wushang and Ximen Yibei sighed in unison.
"What's wrong?" Fengyun Wuji asked.
Du Gu Wushang gave him an approving look, stroking his silver beard. "Impressive. To have ascended to the Primordial Realm at just thirty-three… That's no mere stroke of luck. That Demon-Slaying Heart Sutra—to think it could allow so many to ascend—it's nothing short of a miracle. What's even more incredible is how it managed to spread across the entire plane."
Fengyun Wuji sighed. "But it also brought twenty years of bloodshed…"
"There's never been a shortage of killing in the martial world," Du Gu Wushang replied calmly. "Even without your sutra, a great slaughter might still have happened."
Ximen Yibei had been silent all this time. He suddenly murmured, "If things had gone differently back then… perhaps they'd be here drinking with me now. Maybe… I wouldn't be so alone."
His voice was laced with such chilling loneliness that both men felt a shiver run down their spines.
"Brother Ximen," said Du Gu Wushang, "if you don't mind, why not come stay in my Sword Domain for a while?"
"Maybe I will—once I tire of this place. Let's begin."
With that, Ximen Yibei stepped into the clearing between several mountain peaks. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky as he placed one hand on the hilt of his sword.
A sharp, invisible sword aura suddenly surged forth, cold and tightly focused. His face was stern, and his white robes fluttered like butterfly wings in the icy wind.
"Watch closely," he said as he slowly closed his eyes, his left hand gripping the scabbard, his right the hilt. Fengyun Wuji expanded his divine sense to its fullest, enveloping the entire space. His eyes were wide—this was a rare opportunity. If he missed it, the next chance might not come for another month. And time, right now, was the one thing he lacked. The Heaven Cleansing operation could begin at any moment.
Shing!
The piercing screech of blade against sheath cut through the air like lightning. A blinding burst of light exploded from Ximen Yibei's sword—so brilliant that it rivaled ten suns. The intensity of the radiance turned everything around to blinding white; all detail vanished. Fengyun Wuji had no choice but to shut his eyes.
This was a matter of grave importance. Fengyun Wuji pushed his divine sense to the limit, observing Ximen Yibei's every move as closely as possible.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar followed. Within the realm of his divine sense, Fengyun Wuji saw a massive black vortex—taller than a man—appear three meters in front of Ximen Yibei. It resembled a swirling mass of black clouds, and the moment it emerged, a violent wind howled outward, forcing all three men to stumble back several steps.
Ximen Yibei's sword draw had been impossibly fast—barely even a fraction of a second. Even with enhanced divine sense, Fengyun Wuji saw only a faint flash of white heat, gone in an instant. Only now did he realize just how unfathomably deep Ximen Yibei's swordsmanship truly was.
As the gaping, bottomless portal took form, Fengyun Wuji extended his divine sense inside. The outer rim of the portal was surrounded by vast, chaotic energies—immense yet unstable. Shockingly, this energy seemed to faintly devour divine consciousness itself.
He braced against the discomfort and pushed further. The deeper he went, the weaker his perception became. Finally, he felt his divine sense touch a thin, invisible membrane. The instant contact was made, his mind went blank, and his divine sense recoiled as if driven back by a storm. A deafening roar rang in his ears, followed by a blast of dark, malevolent energy.
"Filthy beast!" came Du Gu Wushang's furious shout.
Fengyun Wuji opened his eyes. A monstrous creature—its body ox-like, with two long, curved horns and crimson eyes—was emerging from the dimensional passage. It had long whiskers trailing from its chin, and from the part already visible, its size was terrifyingly immense.
Du Gu Wushang glided across the air like a falling feather and landed softly, his palm pressing against the creature's forehead. The beast let out a heart-rending scream. Blood burst from every orifice, and deep sword wounds suddenly split open across its body. Its glowing red eyes faded to dullness, and it collapsed—lifeless—inside the portal.
The swirling black passage began to shrink rapidly, crushing the monster's corpse into fragments until it vanished into the void.
"The chaotic energy within a dimensional passage is immense," Ximen Yibei said softly. "If one fails to exit before it collapses, even a body of diamond would be shredded."
He seemed utterly drained—the sword that had carved open the portal had consumed nearly all his internal energy.
Just as Fengyun Wuji opened his mouth to speak, his expression changed.
"Dao Master of Destruction!" he roared.
At that moment, both Du Gu Wushang and Ximen Yibei's expressions shifted drastically. From the sky, a titanic wave of divine consciousness swept down like a tidal wave.
"I've been waiting a long time for this moment," came a domineering voice from the void. "Ximen Yibei, I've tolerated you for far too long. Today, I'll settle all accounts—past and present."
"Then let's settle them!" Fengyun Wuji growled. His divine sense erupted once more, surging upward to clash with the overwhelming presence above.
"A mere flickering flame dares compete with the moon? I spared you once, but now I'll grant you your end!" the voice thundered.
"You talk too much," Fengyun Wuji replied coldly.
Almost simultaneously, two more divine auras burst forth from the ground—Du Gu Wushang and Ximen Yibei joining him in defiance. Three beams of spiritual power shot into the sky, colliding with the vast consciousness above.
A violent clash followed.
Ugh!
In the sea of consciousness, all four groaned under the strain. In the physical world, blood seeped from the corners of their mouths.
"Three Sword Sovereigns…" The voice hissed with frustration. "Fine! I'll spare you—for now."
The overwhelming divine sense receded like a wave, vanishing into the ether.
The three men opened their eyes, glancing at one another in astonishment. That the Dao Master of Destruction could resist the combined spiritual assault of three Sword Sovereigns—despite the distance—was terrifying.
"Brother Ximen, you…" Fengyun Wuji began.
Ximen Yibei wiped the blood from his lips, clutching his chest as he coughed. And then, for the first time, he smiled.
"With such a ferocious tiger beside my bed," he said, "how could I not keep a trick or two up my sleeve?"
The three of them shared a wry smile. Supporting each other, they departed toward the Sword Domain. Now that they had angered the Dao Master of Destruction, they could not remain on the Shadowpeak any longer.
Before leaving, Ximen Yibei tore a painting of a woman from the icy wall and tucked it inside his robes. He looked around the frozen chamber one last time, regret in his eyes—and left it behind.