If Ian hadn't brought it up, Serena might have kept her cool. But his taunt about saving her life made her blood boil—rage surged up from her chest, impossible to suppress.
The sword sang out, its voice sharp and clear. Three bolts of sword-qi shot forth like lightning—crack! crack! crack! They punched right through the gang-qi shields covering the attackers' hands and kept going, streaking straight for their chests.
Gang-qi exploded around Serena as she stepped forward, her eyes burning red. She glared at Ian, voice trembling with fury: "You shameless little rat, how dare you mention that! I swear on my name—Serena Skye—today I will see you dead at my feet!"
Ian's mood sank. Every single one of these twenty-three newcomers was a peak ninth-stage Transforming-Gang Realm expert. If he were at his best, he wouldn't have cared. But right now? His lower dantian was almost empty, and his middle dantian was still being sucked dry by the sword.
"Whew!"
Wan Tianchou couldn't help but exclaim, his face lighting up with greedy joy. If he could get his hands on the Cyan Hiltless Sword, his strength would soar—he could become truly unstoppable.
Wan Tianchou nodded, his voice carrying the weight of command. "Elder Warren, Elder Markham, Elder Jones, Elder Longman, Elder Shea—five of you, together! Show this brat what true power looks like!"
Everyone's eyes widened. To drive back two peak ninth-stage elders without anyone wielding it—this Cyan Hiltless Sword was no ordinary weapon. It was a true treasure, the kind that could change the fate of a sect.
Just then, the sound of air currents colliding and the angry shout of the old ghost echoed from outside the cavern.
Ian grinned and teased, "Tsk tsk, Saintess, you really are cold-blooded. Not long ago, I saved your life—and now you want to pay me back with a knife to the heart? That's gratitude for you!"
Ian's expression changed sharply. He wanted to cut off the sword essence flow and resume pouring it in later, but frustratingly, he simply couldn't stop.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
A series of sharp sounds split the air, and then, twenty-three figures suddenly appeared—one of them was Serena Skye, the Heavensnare Saintess.
Instantly, Ian's face grew even darker. All twenty-three were peak ninth-stage Transforming‑Gang Realm experts. If he were at full strength, he wouldn't fear them, but now, his lower dantian only had a tenth of its sword essence left, and his middle dantian was still supplying the sword.
As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Warren strode forward, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze proud and condescending. "Junior, don't say I never gave you a chance. You make the first move!"
"Ian Song, I didn't expect to find you here too!" Serena Skye's eyes flashed with hatred. Suddenly, her gaze fell on the hiltless sword in his hand, and a trace of greed flickered across her face.
Ian forced himself to stay calm and laughed loudly, "Haha, Saintess, what a coincidence! The world is so big, yet we bump into each other again!"
Serena's frustration only deepened. She opened her mouth to protest, but seeing even her master dismiss her, she could only swallow her words, a bitter helplessness rising in her chest.
Next, thin rays of light appeared between the hundreds of inscriptions, linking them all together.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, the Cyan Hiltless Sword wrenched itself free from Ian's grip, shot into the air, and began to radiate a faint cyan glow, its aura surging outward.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two figures flashed by, leaping into the air to grab the Cyan Hiltless Sword.
Seeing this, Ian didn't move. Instead, he focused on quickly recovering his sword essence.
Just as their hands were about to touch the Cyan Hiltless Sword, two streaks of cyan sword‑qi shot out from the blade, aiming straight for their foreheads.
Both of them reacted instantly, channeling gang‑qi to shield their bodies while punching at the sword‑qi to block it.
The sword‑qi was scattered, but both were forced to fly backward.
Seeing this, everyone's eyes lit up. To be able to repel two peak ninth-stage elders without anyone controlling it—this Cyan Hiltless Sword was clearly a rare treasure.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Three more figures shot upward, reaching out with gang‑qi‑covered hands to seize the Cyan Hiltless Sword.
"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"
The sword rang out, and three streaks of sword‑qi shot out like lightning. With three soft thuds, the sword‑qi pierced right through the gang‑qi‑covered hands of the three attackers and sped toward their chests.
"Not good!"
The three were shocked and quickly unleashed dozens of palm strikes to block the sword‑qi, retreating rapidly.
"What a treasure!"
Wan Tianchou couldn't help but praise it, his face lighting up with joy. If he obtained the Cyan Hiltless Sword, his strength would surely double.
"Master, this man is extremely powerful. If we let him go, he'll be a threat. Why not kill him first, then worry about claiming the treasure?" Serena Skye suddenly pointed at Ian, her eyes burning with hatred.
Both treasures she’d gained from the Inheritance Altar had been snatched by Ian. She knew she couldn’t break the fourth layer of the Ninety‑Ninefold Seals on her own, so she’d reported the ruins to her Order, hoping their strength would help open more layers and earn her a share of the rewards.
Still, she felt bitterly resentful. If Ian hadn’t stolen her treasures, she would never have reported the ruins—she’d have waited until she grew stronger and returned for them herself.
"Tsk tsk, Saintess, you’re ruthless! Not long ago I saved your life, and now you’re already repaying kindness with vengeance!" Ian joked, grinning.
If Ian hadn’t mentioned it, Serena Skye might have kept her cool, but now she felt her anger boiling over.
Boom!
Gang‑qi erupted as she stepped forward, her eyes tinged red as she glared at Ian. Gritting her teeth, she spat, "You despicable scoundrel, how dare you bring that up? I swear, I, Serena Skye, will cut you down here today!"
Ian sneered, "Saintess, with your strength, you won’t be cutting me down anytime soon."
"Maybe not one person, but what about ten? Twenty?" Serena Skye turned and bowed deeply to Wan Tianchou. "Master, I beg you—please help me kill him!"
"Granted!"
Wan Tianchou nodded and said, "Elder Warren, Elder Markham, Elder Jones, Elder Longman, Elder Shea—join forces and kill him!"
"Order Master, isn't it a bit much for all five of us to attack together?" Elder Warren protested. As peak ninth-stage Transforming‑Gang experts, it felt like bullying to gang up on one young man. Their pride wouldn’t let them accept it.
The other four elders didn't object, but their faces clearly showed they agreed.
Serena Skye said, "Elder Warren, you may not know—this man is incredibly strong. Even with five of you, you might not be able to kill him. So, we should send even more people!"