Chapter 4 — Ten Thousand-Year Sword Spirit: I Am Yours No More

My heart constricted abruptly as I noticed the divine seal upon his brow had fractured down the middle, causing my fingertips to tremble involuntarily. His gaze, however, drifted languidly toward the blade in the hand of Dao Quang, and the demonic energy surrounding his body erupted with sudden, violent intensity.

"The sword in your possession," he murmured, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. "It belongs to me."

Dao Quang stared back at Le Huyen, his grip tightening around the hilt until his knuckles turned white. Le Huyen stood before us, a being caught in the harrowing duality of god and demon, his mere presence radiating a pressure so immense that a single glance was enough to rattle the soul. Yet, Dao Quang held his ground, neither flinching nor retreating.

"Frost-Snow, come here." Le Huyen reached out a hand toward me, his tone echoing the gentle, melodic cadence he had used every time he called my name ten thousand years ago. In those days, a single word from him would have been enough to make me joyfully spill from the blade, rushing to his side without a moment’s hesitation. But now, I held my breath, dampening my aura, and remained motionless within the steel. Le Huyen had truly succumbed to the darkness of the demonic path—what could have possibly transpired over the last ten thousand years to lead him here? He had once harbored such profound hatred for demonic cultivators; why had he become one himself?

Le Huyen’s expression hardened, his voice growing heavy with frustration. "You abandoned the Divine Realm of your own accord. I have spent ten thousand years searching for you. Do you still mean to keep up this petty resentment?"

Before I could muster a response, Dao Quang frowned, retorting sharply, "You spent ten millennia searching in vain, so how is it that you suddenly know Frost-Snow is here?"

Le Huyen glanced at him, his eyes filled with bottomless contempt. "Frost-Snow and I were bound by a covenant for ten thousand years. When she entered into a new bond with you, I felt the reverberation instantly. You should know by now: she is not merely my sword, she is my consort. Your ownership of her is nothing more than a tantrum she threw to spite me. Once she returns to my side, I shall find you a far superior blade."

"I want only Frost-Snow!" Dao Quang replied without a second of hesitation, his guard instantly raised. "She is a divine sword who has accepted me as her master; she cannot be returned. Even if you are the great Le Huyen, it shall not be allowed!"

As the words left his lips, Le Huyen’s expression plummeted into a dark, frigid stillness. He had never been a man of gentle persuasion; everything up until now had been a display of forced restraint. He reached out once more, but this time, the gesture was an absolute command. "Frost-Snow, emerge at once!"

Dao Quang immediately burst with protective fervor, readying himself for battle. I realized then that unless I made our position clear, Le Huyen would never allow us to leave. Moreover, I knew all too well that, in his current state, Dao Quang was no match for him. With a weary sigh, I finally yielded, manifesting my physical form as I stepped out from the sword.

The moment his eyes fell upon me, the corners of Le Huyen’s lips curled, his gaze burning with a fierce, suffocating longing that could not be ignored. "Frost-Snow, I have finally found you!" He stepped forward, intending to seize my hand, but I deftly eluded his touch.

"I have already severed our pact," I said coldly. "Exalted God Le Huyen, there is no longer any tie between us."

His hand hung suspended in the void, rigid and trembling. He fell silent for a long moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice was thick with raw emotion. "I can explain what happened all those years ago. I do not blame you for leaving, and I ask that you do not blame me. The priority now is to mend your blade; I have already gathered the necessary materials. I am taking you with me."

He moved to grasp my wrist, refusing me the chance to refuse. I pulled back with all my might. "Does the Exalted God Le Huyen lack the capacity to understand plain speech? I told you, I am not going anywhere with you!"

He prepared to offer further entreaties, but Dao Quang pulled me behind him. "I hear the Exalted God has acquired a new sword. Since you are both god and demon now, surely you have no need to contest this one with me?"

"One does not 'contest' when reclaiming what is already theirs," Le Huyen corrected him icily. The killing intent radiating from his form swelled, darkening the air around us. "But if you insist on fighting, I fear you shall not leave the Demon Realm with your life today."

"Even if I must perish here, I will never surrender Frost-Snow to you!" With that, Dao Quang struck first. He lunged forward, the blade in his hand piercing the air without a moment’s hesitation.

In the blink of an eye, the blade was caught firmly in Le Huyen’s bare palm. Dao Quang instinctively tried to yank the sword back, but it remained locked in place, immovable as a mountain. He gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of his strength into a forward thrust, the edge of the blade slicing deep into Le Huyen’s palm until fresh blood gushed forth. Yet, even through the pain, Le Huyen did not loosen his grip; his eyes instead reflected a terrifying, manic joy at having recovered a lost treasure.

I furrowed my brow and channeled my energy, striking with a sword technique of my own. A thunderous crash echoed through the air. Taken off guard, Le Huyen was struck squarely in the chest; his face paled instantly as he staggered back several paces. He stared at me in disbelief, clutching his chest, too stunned to move. I seized the opportunity to drag a still-defiant Dao Quang toward the sky. "We are no match for him—we must leave now!"

Dao Quang pressed his lips together, allowing me to pull him into flight. But no sooner had we ascended than a jagged, piercing wave of sword energy slammed into us, driving us back to the earth.

Gui Ying stood nearby, her eyes narrowed, rushing toward us with the desperate intensity of one who has nothing left to lose. "Do not think you can escape!"

At the same moment, Le Huyen struck from the rear. Gui Ying aimed directly for Dao Quang, while Le Huyen focused his assault on me. Pincer-attacked from both sides, I felt a sense of peril unlike any I had ever known. Dao Quang clutched my hand tightly, prepared to release every shred of his core essence in a suicidal final stand.

I broke into a cold sweat, yet I made my choice with absolute resolve. Le Huyen would never truly kill me, but Dao Quang’s life hung in the balance. I stepped in front of him, intercepting a lethal strike meant for him from the blade of Gui Ying.

"Frost-Snow!"

As I was sent flying backward, a cry of agony erupted from two different throats simultaneously. Both Le Huyen and Dao Quang lunged toward me. Ultimately, the god was faster; before Dao Quang could reach me, I was already caught in Le Huyen’s arms. He looked down at the blood at the corner of my mouth, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Why would you risk your life to shield him? You shouldn't have..."

Before he could finish, Gui Ying stepped before him. Her face was deathly pale, clearly having exhausted her spiritual essence to the point of collapse. "Le Huyen, I have helped you corner them. Is it time you returned my heart to me?"

I was struck by a jolt of realization. Gui Ying’s heart… was it held within Le Huyen? I knit my brows in horror. If a sword spirit were to lose its heart, it would be akin to losing all its senses; the physical blade would wither and weaken day by day until it inevitably shattered into nothingness.