Far away from the small city where Damian crushed the Heavenly Sword Sect Core Disciple Token, a towering mountain pierced through the clouds.

This was the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Endless sword light moved through the sky like silver rivers. Disciples flew between mountain peaks on flying swords, while elders sat in secluded caves, comprehending sword intent that could split mountains and seas.

At the highest eastern peak, inside a quiet bamboo courtyard, a woman suddenly opened her eyes.

Her eyes were silver and sharp, like two unsheathed swords.

She wore a simple white robe, but the sword pressure around her was so strong that even the drifting bamboo leaves stopped in midair.

This woman was Elder Selvara.

For many years, she had been in closed-door cultivation, rarely caring about the outside world.

But at this moment, her calm expression finally changed.

A silver token mark was glowing on her palm.

Selvara slowly lowered her gaze and frowned. "The token..."

That token was something she had given out many years ago.

Back then, someone had saved her life during a dangerous expedition. To repay that favor, she had handed over a Heavenly Sword Sect Core Disciple Token.

She had promised that whoever carried that token, whether descendant, successor, or chosen heir, could become her core disciple.

But after so many years, the token had never been used.

Selvara had almost forgotten about it, but now, it had suddenly been activated. More importantly, the location was extremely far away.

The token’s aura was not coming from any territory near the Heavenly Sword Sect. It was not even within the usual influence of their sect.

It was coming from a distant region, a place so remote that most Heavenly Sword Sect disciples would never bother visiting.

Selvara’s eyes narrowed slightly. "How did my token end up there?"

For a moment, she remained silent.

She did not know whether the person who activated it was truly connected to the old friend who had saved her, or whether the token had passed through strange hands over the years.

There was even a chance someone had stolen it, but none of that mattered right now because one fact was clear.

The token had been activated.

It was a promise, and Elder Selvara was not the kind of person who casually broke her word.

She slowly stood up.

The bamboo leaves around her instantly scattered as a sharp sword aura rose into the sky.

Several disciples outside the courtyard felt the pressure and immediately lowered their heads in fear.

Selvara waved her sleeve.

A silver flying sword appeared beneath her feet.

Her expression was cold and serious as she looked toward the distant horizon.

"No matter who you are, since you activated my token, I have no choice but to go."

The next instant, silver sword light flashed.

Elder Selvara disappeared from the Heavenly Sword Sect.

---

The silver light shot into the sky like a sword piercing the heavens.

For a moment, the entire courtyard became silent.

Damian stood beneath the light, gripping his sword with one hand while blood slowly slid down from the corner of his mouth.

The old Golden Core elder floating above the courtyard looked at the silver light.

Then he lowered his gaze back toward Damian and waited for a moment before asking in confusion, "What are you doing?"

Damian frowned.

The old man, Elder Brok, looked at him as if he were watching a child throw a stone at the sky.

"You crushed some fancy token, and now what? Do you think someone will instantly fall from heaven to save you?"

The Night Fragrance Pavilion leader, Mogo, also laughed coldly from below. "Damian, are you stupid? Even if that token belongs to some sect, do you think they can arrive immediately?"

Damian’s expression darkened slightly because that was exactly what he had been thinking.

He had crushed the Heavenly Sword Sect Core Disciple Token, but Elder Selvara had still not appeared.

"Damn it..." Damian cursed inwardly. "Where is she?"

His mind quickly turned, and soon, he realized there were only two possibilities.

Either the Heavenly Sword Sect was too far away, or Elder Selvara had not received the message properly yet.

No, maybe she had received it, but the distance was so damn ridiculous that even someone powerful needed time to arrive.

Damian clenched his teeth because whatever the reason was, he could not just stand there and wait to die.

He needed to buy time.

Elder Brok slowly raised his hand, and dark-purple poisonous Qi gathered above his palm. "Enough playing. Hand over your storage ring, and I may make your death slightly less painful."

Damian suddenly laughed.

Elder Brok narrowed his eyes. "What are you laughing at now?"

Damian wiped the blood from his lips and grinned. "I’m laughing because you’re a Golden Core cultivator, but you’re still talking so much. What? Are you scared of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

The courtyard instantly became quiet.

Mogo’s expression changed. "You dare insult the elder?"

Damian glanced at him. "Shut up, purple robe extra. I’m talking to the old poison grandpa."

Elder Brok’s face twitched, and he immediately released even more aura, pressing Damian harder toward the ground.

BOOM!

Damian’s knees bent slightly, but he forced himself to stay standing.

His bones creaked under the pressure, and his blood surged violently, but his grin did not disappear.

"That’s it?" Damian said through clenched teeth. "Damn, I thought Golden Core cultivators were supposed to be scary."

Elder Brok’s eyes turned cold. "You really want to die."

Damian lifted his sword slowly.

Flame and thunder wrapped around the blade again, though weaker than before.

He knew he could not defeat this old man head-on, but he did not need to win.

He only needed to survive because he believed Elder Selvara would come.

No, it was not even just belief. This was a system reward, so how the hell could Elder Selvara not show up?

So in the end, he would endure.

Mogo shouted, "Elder, kill him already!"

Elder Brok snorted and pointed one finger forward.

A thin beam of poisonous Qi shot toward Damian’s chest.

Damian’s pupils shrank.

[Thunder Flash Steps]

He barely dodged to the side, but the poison beam still tore through his shoulder.

Damian staggered back and almost fell, clutching his injured shoulder.

Elder Brok smiled mockingly. "Still acting tough?"

Damian gritted his teeth and swallowed another Blood Qi Recovery Pill. "Yeah... because you’re still not done talking."

Elder Brok’s expression finally turned ugly.

He raised his palm again, this time gathering even denser poisonous Qi.

But just as he was about to strike, the silver light in the sky suddenly trembled.

A sharp sword cry echoed across the night.

SHIIING!

The poisonous pressure covering the courtyard was split apart in an instant.

Elder Brok’s face changed drastically.

Mogo looked up in horror.

Above the courtyard, a silver sword light descended from the clouds.

A white-robed woman slowly appeared within the light, her silver eyes cold and sharp.

The entire city seemed to fall silent.

Damian looked up and finally let out a tired laugh.

"Damn... took you long enough."

Elder Selvara lowered her gaze toward him, then toward the broken token mark fading in his hand.

Her voice was calm, but it carried terrifying sword pressure. "Who injured my disciple?"