Zack Zhao!
The crowd erupted in startled cries.
Everyone turned to look behind them.
Zack Zhao wore white, swordless, but his presence was still ethereal. With each light step, he seemed to float upward, looking effortlessly cool and striking.
"That's Zack Zhao, the so-called little genius of the Southriver Sword Sect! I heard he’s a master of the Misty Rain Sword!"
"I didn’t expect him to be this handsome—wow!"
The crowd watched Zack Zhao climb the mountain, faces full of excitement.
Zack Zhao, the little genius of the Southriver Sword Sect, often visited Oceanport City and knew plenty of rich young heirs there. Even more rare, he seemed interested in Yvonne Zhu of the Zhu clan.
That’s why, last time, the Zhu clan arranged for Yvonne Zhu to visit the Mu family. Officially it was for her to broaden her horizons, but really it was to give her and Zack Zhao some alone time.
Zack Zhao, the acknowledged little genius of the Southriver Sword Sect, had limitless potential. The Zhu clan was happy to bet on him—if Yvonne Zhu and Zack Zhao hit it off, the Zhu clan could leverage the Southriver Sword Sect’s influence in the future.
But fate had other plans. Last time, Zack Zhao’s Misty Rain Sword was snapped in front of everyone by some nobody named Lin Jiuxuan. After that, the entire Southriver Sword Sect branch got wiped out, the Moore family’s ancient sword was taken, and Zack basically vanished from public view after crawling back to the sect.
So when Zack Zhao showed up now, Selina Zhu’s eyes lit up. She was just about to go over and say hi, but Zack didn’t even pause—he just vaulted forward, sped past the whole Sword-Practice Field, and charged straight up the stone steps leading to the top of Heavenly Sword Mountain.
Zack moved fast, his face dark and stormy, heading up the stairs all the way to the mountaintop.
At the summit of Heavenly Sword Mountain stood a towering main hall. Above its doors hung a wooden plaque with three bold characters: ‘Heavenly Sword Hall.’
In front of the hall were three incense burners, smoke curling skyward in a blue haze, drifting gently with the wind.
Inside, at the highest seat, sat an elderly man with a white beard, maybe in his sixties, eyes closed in thought. Beside his hand rested an ancient sword.
Below him sat six more people. Four were old men around his age.
One of the others looked about forty, his face icy cold. Even though his sword was still sheathed at his side, it radiated a chilling, lethal aura.
The last one sat cross-legged on a mat, silent. He was young, with sharp, heroic features—it was none other than Yujinglong, whose Misty Rain Sword had been snapped by Lin Yi.
The atmosphere in the hall was heavy; nobody seemed in the mood to speak.
Soon, footsteps echoed outside the hall.
Zack Zhao strode through the doors, face grim. He marched up to the head seat and bowed deeply: "News from the Miracle Hand Sect—Deputy Chief Bonesword Master, he..."
Zack stopped there, not daring to raise his head.
"What happened to him?"
The forty-something man’s eyes sharpened, stabbing into Zack like a sword’s edge.
That glare made Zack shudder from head to toe.
"Deputy Chief Bonesword Master has fallen—he died inside the Miracle Hand Sect!"
Zack’s voice was strained, and as he said it, he started to tremble.
"Where’s the body?"
The man’s face changed instantly. He shot to his feet, his roar like thunder, and the sheathed sword at his side snapped upright, ready to leap from its scabbard at any moment.
Zack, standing off to the side, went pale as a sheet. The man’s aura nearly crushed him to the ground.
"Deputy Chief Bonesword Master... his body was completely burned to ash—nothing left at all..."
By now, Zack was sprawled on the floor, unable to move.
Burned to ash!
At those words, the elder at the head seat, who’d kept his eyes closed all this time, suddenly snapped them open. His gaze was icy as he stared down at Zack.
Everyone else in the hall turned pale.
Suddenly, the whole hall was flooded with murderous intent. Swords snapped upright, killing aura swirling everywhere.
Every eye was on Zack, and the pressure made him keep his head down.
"Who did it?"
The elder’s voice rumbled out, each word packed with sword intent and heavy power.
"Word is... it was Lin Jiuxuan!"
Zack’s face twisted in fear as he spoke that name, head still bowed.
A while back, Southriver Sword Sect sent Bonesword Master to the Miracle Hand Sect to strike up an alchemy partnership, hoping to boost the sect’s strength with pills as fast as possible.
All just to prepare for Lin Jiuxuan, who could show up at their sect any day now.
After Lin Jiuxuan snapped two Misty Rain Swords at the Moore estate, he’d become the most terrifying enemy the sect had seen in years.
Most folks in the sect still believed that even if Lin Jiuxuan showed up in person, he wouldn’t get away unscathed—but the way their disciples kept embarrassing themselves outside had everyone on edge.
"Lin Jiuxuan!"
When Zack said that name, Yujinglong’s face contorted, turning ice-cold. He clenched his fists, eyes filled with murderous rage.
Before all this, Yujinglong was the undisputed prodigy of the sect—a genius who might’ve inherited the entire Southriver Sword Sect.
But Lin Jiuxuan had crushed everything.
Now, hearing that name again, Yujinglong’s anger flared—but deep down, he felt a stab of despair.
He’d fought Lin Jiuxuan himself, and knew just how massive the gap was between them.
That crushing sense of helplessness had shattered his sword heart. If he couldn’t rebuild it, he’d never amount to anything—his cultivation would be stuck forever.
"It really was Lin Jiuxuan. I got this intel from a contact. Last time, when Deputy Chief Bonesword Master went to Miracle Hand Sect, he ran right into Lin Jiuxuan there."
"Bonesword Master teamed up with the Miracle Hand Sect’s master to ambush Lin Jiuxuan, but Lin turned the tables and killed them both."
Zack’s eyes went wide, still struggling to process the news: "And now, Lin Jiuxuan has basically taken over the Miracle Hand Sect."
"And..."
Zack swallowed hard.
"And what?"
The forty-something man who’d stood up first barked out, eyes blazing with fury—he wanted nothing more than to chop Lin Jiuxuan down right now.
That man was the Chief Sword Master of Southriver Sword Sect!
He’d grown up with Bonesword Master—they were as close as brothers. Hearing this, how could he not be furious?
"Plus, Medicine King Valley from Seacrest just entered Miracle Hand Sect, and it looks like the two sects might merge!"