Chapter 39: Saint‑grade Sword Manual

Yuan Yao saw this and couldn't help laughing, "hahahaha."

Xie Yan glanced at her lazily and said, "If you laugh again, I'll ruin your vocal cords."

Yuan Yao, hearing that, immediately shut her mouth, but the corner of her mouth still twitched up.

"Cough cough..." Yuan Yao, meeting Xie Yan's icy gaze, coughed heavily a few times, then turned away so he wouldn't see her stifled laughter.

Xie Yan saw her turn her back on him without any guard, really... not afraid of death.

His gaze lingered for a moment on her snow‑white nape, because on her smooth, delicate skin there was a tiny, exquisite red mole.

It was quite eye‑catching.

Xie Yan withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

He needed to find the exit of this secret realm.

The surroundings grew quiet; Yuan Yao didn't need to look back to sense that Xie Yan had left.

She let out a sudden sigh of relief.

Yuan Yao looked up at the empty surroundings and thought to herself: Eldest Senior Brother and the others had likely entered the treasure trove.

She suddenly remembered something and asked the 250 system in her sea of consciousness: "250, how many days of lifespan do I have left?"

250 system: 【Host, your lifespan is only six days and three two-hour periods left.】

Yuan Yao furrowed her brows slightly.

These past days she had been busy dealing with danger, busy cultivating, and had no time to pursue the target person.

She couldn't stay here waiting for Eldest Senior Brother and the others; she had to go find more people.

Yuan Yao raised her bare hand, and the Phantom Spirit Sword instantly materialized in her grasp.

She swiftly swung dozens of swords at the ground, carving a sentence into it:

——I'm leaving first, don't worry about me.

——Yao.

Then she put away the Phantom Spirit Sword and headed toward the passage ahead.

She was afraid Eldest Senior Brother and the others would be anxious looking for her, so she left markers along the way.

After walking a distance into the passage, Yuan Yao felt hungry.

She hadn't eaten anything for several days.

She reached out to touch her belly and pursed her lips.

Because she had come out in a hurry, Yuan Yao hadn't had time to prepare food; she could only take a dry grain‑avoiding pill from her storage space and swallow it.

After taking it, the hunger soon faded.

Yuan Yao continued forward and soon saw many giant ant beast corpses on the ground.

They had all been cut in two by a single sword.

Yuan Yao immediately thought of Xie Yan.

That's good; it saved her the trouble of dealing with these spirit beasts.

Along the way, Yuan Yao saw several waves of corpses, including spirit beasts and cultivators.

They had all been killed by a single sword.

Yuan Yao suddenly felt a bit glad that she had made that damned Xie Yan swear an oath, so he would refrain from killing her out of respect for the vow.

As she walked, the passage suddenly opened up.

Yuan Yao's eyes lit up.

She was finally about to leave this underground labyrinth!

A moment later, she walked out of the passage and saw the open surroundings and the crescent moon in the sky.

She keenly noticed a stone tablet beside the exit.

Approaching, she saw the tablet boldly inscribed: "Nie Lie's Tomb."

Yuan Yao's heart gave a slight start; she walked a few steps forward, then looked back and saw that Nie Lie's Tomb was hidden within a massive mountain peak.

She suddenly recalled that she had obtained five inheritance keys from Senior Nie Lie, feeling reverent, her expression turned solemn, she clasped her hands and bowed three times toward the whole mountain.

"Thank you, Senior Nie Lie, for choosing me; I will surely cultivate diligently and spread your sword fame across the world!"

She was referring to the "Nirvana Sword Technique."

But as her words fell, the stone tablet suddenly burst with a blinding light, and immediately a remnant soul apparition appeared.

Yuan Yao raised a hand to half‑shield her eyes and watched warily.

There appeared a thin, white‑haired old man.

Yuan Yao was startled and stepped back a distance.

The white‑haired old man had a kind face; he smiled, stroked his beard, and said, "Will you really spread my sword fame across the world?"

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao reacted, "Are you Senior Nie Lie?"

The white‑haired old man chuckled a few times.

"Yes."

"Will do!" Yuan Yao immediately straightened her posture, showed respect, then raised her hand to the white‑haired old man and performed a junior's salute.

As the white‑haired elder raised his hand, a solid, ancient‑looking book appeared on his palm; "Since that's the case, I shall give you this sword manual."

Yuan Yao was slightly taken aback.

"Thank you, Senior Nie Lie." She raised both hands.

The sword manual instantly landed in Yuan Yao's hands; in an instant she felt her hands grow heavy, and an indescribable sword intent spread from the manual.

"This is…" Yuan Yao realized something, her expression shifting slightly.

Nie Lie the elder chuckled lightly: "It is a Saint‑grade sword manual."

Would you be willing to take me as your master?

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao shook her head without hesitation, "I already have a master."

Oh? Is he stronger than me?

Yuan Yao spoke of her own master with a proud face, saying, "He will surely surpass you, senior."

Her master from Thousand Jade Mountain is acclaimed as a once-in-a-millennium peerless genius!

Having said that, Yuan Yao stepped forward, intending to return this Saint-level Sword Manual to Elder Nie Lie.

Seeing this, Elder Nie Lie stroked his beard, did not accept the Saint-level Sword Manual, and merely asked, "Will you surpass me and your master in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao showed slight hesitation.

Because she knew her master was extremely formidable, surpassing him was as difficult as climbing to heaven.

She felt somewhat torn, but upon thinking that she needed to win over a hundred million people, she immediately lifted her head and said firmly, "I will!"

Then keep this sword manual. The sword technique within was created by me; if anyone asks, just say it comes from Nie Lie. He devoted his life to the sword path, never marrying, never having children, never taking disciples; when his lifespan neared its end, looking back, all his relatives and close friends were already gone.

The reason he left his tomb in Wuduan Mijing was also to hope to find a congenial genius junior.

This little girl before him is exactly the one he has taken a liking to.

Her blood had a violent reaction in the tomb's soil, showing that her lineage is extraordinary.

So he had the tomb keeper give her the inheritance key.

Yet he never expected she could also form a contract with that golden egg.

The golden egg can resonate with her, further showing she is extraordinary.

Having guarded the Saint-level Sword Manual for hundreds of years, it is now time to pass it on.

Besides Yuan Yao, the young men Xie Yan and Ying Wuji are also his favored candidates for inheritance; perhaps they just lacked the affinity.

Yuan Yao felt the Saint-level Sword Manual heavy in her hands; she lifted her head and earnestly asked, "Senior Nie Lie, may I let my senior fellow disciples also cultivate using this manual?"

This left even Nie Lie, who had weathered great storms, somewhat stunned.

Nie Lie gazed at her, "Others who obtain the Saint-level Sword Manual want to hide it and train alone. Why do you want your senior fellow disciples to also cultivate with it? Aren't you afraid they might harbor ill intentions and kill you to seize the treasure?"