[Right on time, huh? Haha, hand over your monthly tickets! This will basically be the new update schedule from now on! It feels great to post on time!]

Beneath the Demon Sword Master’s black face covering, his expression was livid. A sense of disbelief washed over him. The person before him wasn’t a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy at all, but an incredibly mature old fox! He was clearly weak—at least, compared to him—but he had somehow managed to hit their Achilles’ heel! The sheer, helpless frustration of it all made him feel like he was about to cough up blood.

The plan had seemed perfect. He would tie down the Demon Sword Master beside Ling Xiao, and the remaining four Mad Sword Masters would be more than enough to capture Ling Xiao. After all, no matter how much of a genius someone was, they couldn’t possibly defeat four Mad Sword Masters just half a year after breaking through their Celestial Vein!

But reality was cruel, slapping them hard across the face. The boy’s strength was monstrous; he had cut down two Mad Sword Masters the moment he attacked. Furthermore, that First Rank Demon Sword Master, who was clearly weaker than him, had fought with such desperation that he unleashed an aura even the lead Demon Sword Master was wary of, completely tying him down.

What he found most unbelievable was that even Feng Ling had been subdued. She was the Sect Leader’s beloved daughter! A Sixth Rank Mad Swordsman who had mastered the Lower Tier of the Saint Level sword skill, "Death God Summon"! Just moments ago, he had been terrified Miss Feng Ling’s temper would flare up and she’d kill the boy with a single strike. That would have brought huge trouble down on them. They could afford to ignore the Ling Family, and even the Lanyue Empire. But if the powerful figure backing Ling Xiao discovered he had been killed and, in a fit of rage, tracked them down, their losses would be catastrophic. And even though that possibility was slim, people like them were always exceedingly cautious.

But he never expected the boy to be able to unleash a sword skill so similar to his junior sister’s "Death God Summon." The dazzling flash of light in that instant had made his own pupils contract involuntarily. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’If I were his opponent and he hit me with that unexpectedly, what would I do?’ The conclusion was startling: even he would have been forced to instinctively shut his eyes!

When experts clash, victory is often decided in a single instant!

Moreover, when ranks are similar, it’s hard to predict the winner. If a higher-ranked fighter could always defeat a lower-ranked one, there would be no surprises in this world!

It’s just that the difference in their ranks was far too great. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Ling’Er, don’t worry. I’ll come back for you as soon as I can. Rest assured, he’s a person of status; he won’t make things difficult for a young girl like you!" The Demon Sword Master sheathed his Crimson Treasure Sword, his gaze sharp as he stared at Ling Xiao. "I’m right, aren’t I?"

Ling Xiao’s eyes, however, were fixed on his sword. This startled the Demon Sword Master so much that his hand on the hilt instinctively tightened. He immediately felt a surge of anger. ’I’m a dignified Demon Sword Master, how could I be afraid of a mere greenhorn!’

"Give me your sword," Ling Xiao said calmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"You... Kid, don’t push it! Don’t forget your status—you’re a noble, not a bandit!" the Demon Sword Master roared. In his eyes, this sword was no less precious than his delicate and vibrant junior sister. Of course, he’d never dare say that in front of the Sect Leader or the girl herself, but in his heart, he had always considered this sword more important than his own life.

"And if I kill her, you still won’t give it to me?"

Ling Xiao glanced sideways at the woman in black, who was trembling with rage, and asked, his face devoid of expression.

"I... I..."

The Demon Sword Master pointed a trembling finger at Ling Xiao, speechless with rage. But then he suddenly recalled everything he had witnessed over the past two days. Outside the city, Ling Xiao had cleanly captured the opposing general and blackmailed his forces into surrendering. Upon entering the city, he had made an unpredictable move, charging straight for the City Lord’s Mansion. During the ensuing confrontation, it was Ling Xiao’s own Demon Sword Master who captured City Lord Li Houlin, forcing Li Houlin to shamefully abandon the city that had been his family’s fiefdom since ancient times. To add insult to injury, most of the wealth they had secretly smuggled out had been stolen...

’My defeat wasn’t so shameful after all...’ A thought popped into the helpless Demon Sword Master’s head. ’I’ve been underestimating this boy from the start! He may be young, but his actions, while surprising at first, make perfect sense in hindsight. He’s decisive, ruthless, and bold. I’m afraid that in his hands, even the most complex matters would be handled with such clean-cut efficiency.’

At this thought, the Demon Sword Master couldn’t help but shoot a resentful glare at the composed old man standing nearby, cursing inwardly: ’You old bastard! You’re clearly injured, yet you’re still pretending to be perfectly fine. Damn you! If it weren’t for this old geezer, the kid would never have escaped, no matter how skilled he is!’

Utterly defeated, the Demon Sword Master tossed the sword to Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao caught it. The moment it landed in his hand, he felt its significant weight. He rejoiced inwardly. ’It really is made of that stuff!’ This discovery was a wonderful surprise for Ling Xiao. He casually stored the sword in his ring, then took out a pill and tossed it to the woman in black. "Eat it!"

"I won’t—URK!" The woman in black had just gotten two words out when she felt a sharp pain in her throat. Tears of humiliation streamed down her face as she sobbed, "If you ruin my face, I’ll fight you to the death!" With that, she picked up the pill, and frowning as if it were poison, put it in her mouth.

Unexpectedly, a subtle fragrance filled her mouth. Feng Ling swore she had never tasted anything so delicious. A lazy, languid feeling spread through her body, so comfortable that she almost moaned aloud. But then she immediately realized something was wrong, because she couldn’t summon a single shred of strength in her entire body! She stared at Ling Xiao in horror. "What did you make me eat? What did you make me eat!"