Chapter 1

“Splurt—!” Fresh blood splattered, instantly dyeing the front of his clothes red. Xie Ye slowly lifted his head to look at the young man holding the sword in front of him. The metallic taste of blood seeped through his teeth, spreading from his throat.

“You…” Xie Ye’s inner strength was exhausted, his breath unstable, and he was at the end of his rope. He struggled to stand with the support of his sword, occasionally lowering his head to let out a muffled cough.

The young man’s eyes were as cold as ice. With a flick of his wrist, the sword, carrying a chilling aura, pierced deeper into Xie Ye’s flesh, decisively severing his meridians.

The sword pierced through his right shoulder, and blood flowed along the intricate patterns of the blade, blooming in a strangely beautiful manner before dripping onto the ground.

Outside, the sounds of battle and clashing weapons were deafening, but inside, it was deathly silent. Xie Ye’s meridians were completely severed, leaving him defenseless. After a moment, he gasped for breath and smiled, “I wonder what treasure my little Mingyuan Pavilion holds to warrant the Second Prince’s esteemed presence, lying in ambush here for half a year.”

The young man spoke in a deep voice, “Xie Ye, Pavilion Master of Mingyuan Pavilion, has committed countless evil deeds, bringing disaster to the martial world. Everyone wants him dead.” There was a hint of dryness in his voice, even he couldn’t detect.

This Second Prince was just coming of age, his figure and features not fully developed, yet his hand holding the sword was steady, his posture like a pine tree, and his brows exuded a decisive aura that kept people at a distance.

Xie Ye laughed knowingly, “I see.”

Despite the pain making him tremble, he couldn’t help but laugh softly.

The young man frowned, the tip of his sword slightly unsteady with Xie Ye’s constant trembling.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

A guard stumbled in, bringing with him a strong scent of blood.

“Your Highness, the eight elders of Mingyuan Pavilion have been captured alive, and the others…” The guard hesitated for a moment, instinctively glancing at Xie Ye pinned to the wall.

“Speak!” The Second Prince said coldly.

The young guard gritted his teeth and replied, “Your Highness, the remaining followers of Mingyuan Pavilion have been completely wiped out by our men!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the young man withdrew his sword, and Xie Ye, losing his support, staggered against the wall.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, “That old scoundrel Li Yu, back then, he relied on the power of my Mingyuan Pavilion to ascend to the throne. Now that he’s secure on the emperor’s seat, he guards against me day and night, trying every means to take the imperial edict from me. I’ve sat as the Pavilion Master of Mingyuan Pavilion for three years, blocking countless hidden arrows for him, and in the end, I fall at the hands of you, Li Jingci, a mere youngster. How shameful.”

Xie Ye, dressed in black, with disheveled long hair, was already pale and thin. At this moment, with blood at the corner of his mouth and a smile in his eyes, he looked so strikingly beautiful and mad that it was hard to look away.

“I said, there’s only one place in this world that knows the whereabouts of the former emperor’s edict.” Xie Ye leaned against the wall, slowly sitting down, life slipping away second by second.

“Where?” The guard was anxious, “Pavilion Master Xie, you’re at the end of your rope now. If you reveal the edict’s whereabouts, you might suffer less.”

Xie Ye lazily glanced at him, then turned his gaze back to Li Jingci, who was staring intently at him, “Ten years ago, you wiped out the Wen family in Jiangzhou, found the former emperor’s edict in their secret chamber, and kept it for yourself. Now His Majesty is investigating this matter, ordering us to capture the culprit.”

Xie Ye lightly tapped his temple with his slender fingers, smiling, “It’s in my mind. Let’s see if the Second Prince has the ability to extract it.”

The young man was momentarily stunned, and in the next second, his pupils contracted sharply, shouting, “No—!”

Xie Ye formed a hand seal with his left hand, the last trace of his weak inner strength flowing through his palm.

The young man rushed forward, his long sword clattering to the ground, but it was too late.

Xie Ye struck his own chest with his palm, immediately spitting out a mouthful of blood!

His spiritual core shattered, his meridians completely severed.

His vision went black, and the last shred of his struggling consciousness dissipated into the void.