Chapter 12: Slaying the Heavenly Gate Envoy, Return to White Bone Pass

Inside White Bone Pass, the roar of battle shook the sky.

The Zhenbei Old Soldiers surged through the gate and clashed blade-to-blade with the Northern Barbarian garrison.

They were few in number, yet their momentum was like a rainbow.

Because the gates of White Bone Pass had been thrown open.

This mighty pass that had pressed down upon Han Zhou for twenty years had at last been split open with a single sword by a descendant of the Jiang Family.

Jiang Che paid no heed to the ordinary garrison.

His gaze fell only upon the envoy in the golden robe.

The golden-robed envoy stepped down from the city wall and hung suspended in midair.

Golden Runes flowed beneath his feet, as though heaven and earth themselves were bearing him up.

Xie Tingxue said in a low voice, "Be careful. He is at least an envoy of the Heavenly Gate Three Realms—his strength is no less than an Earthly Immortal."

Jiang Che asked the Sword Spirit, "Can we take him?"

The Sword Spirit replied, "In the old days, I could cut down ten of them with one sword."

"And now?"

"Now you do the cutting."

The corner of Jiang Che's mouth twitched.

The golden-robed envoy looked down at him.

"Within you dwells the Wine Sword Lingering Soul, and the sword left behind by the Young Master of the Green Robe Sword. But alas, you are still nothing but a mortal."

Jiang Che said, "You certainly talk a lot."

The golden-robed envoy raised a finger.

A beam of golden light thrust down like a spear.

Jiang Che held his sword sideways to block and was blasted back more than ten steps.

The stone slabs beneath his feet shattered into powder.

The golden-robed envoy raised his hand again, and dozens of golden spears materialized in the sky.

"Kneel."

The golden spears fell in unison.

Jiang Che's figure flickered, and the Green Bamboo Sword slashed again and again.

Sword Qi and golden spears collided ceaselessly, erupting in blinding light.

But the enemy's power was overwhelming.

A golden spear pierced through his defense and drove into Jiang Che's shoulder, pinning him to the city wall.

"Young Master!"

Chen Shanhe roared in fury, but was held back by National Preceptor Wu Gu.

Xie Tingxue tried to rescue him, but three Northern Barbarian experts closed in on her at once.

The golden-robed envoy walked slowly toward him.

"The courage of mortals is utterly meaningless."

Jiang Che coughed up blood, raised his head, and smiled. "Does your Heavenly Gate only know how to spout those few lines?"

The golden-robed envoy's eyes turned icy, and a second golden spear took shape.

"Then die."

Just as the golden spear fell, Jiang Che suddenly reached out and gripped the spear in his shoulder.

His palm was seared until flesh turned to black char.

Yet he wrenched the golden spear out by sheer force.

The Sword Spirit said, "Figured it out?"

Jiang Che said, "Figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"I've always been learning your sword, learning Xie Tingxue's sword, learning the sword my mother left me."

Jiang Che straightened his body, the Green Bamboo Sword hanging at his side.

"But my sword should never be only something borrowed."

The Sword Spirit laughed.

"Then what is your sword?"

Jiang Che looked toward the Zhenbei Old Soldiers fighting within White Bone Pass, toward those figures who still gripped their blades even as they fell.

"My sword."

"Is to carve a path open for those who refuse to kneel."

As the words fell, the Green Bamboo Sword hummed and rang.

The Sword Vein within Jiang Che's body, sealed for so many years, at last truly awakened.

Not by borrowing the Soul of the Sword.

Not by relying on a relic.

But by his own Sword Intent.

The golden-robed envoy's expression shifted slightly.

"Human Sword Intent?"

Jiang Che stepped forward.

His figure vanished.

When he reappeared, he was already before the Golden Robe Envoy.

He thrust his sword.

The Golden Robe Envoy raised a hand to condense a shield.

The Green Bamboo Sword pierced the golden shield but did not break through.

Yet Jiang Che twisted his wrist, and the sword tip trembled lightly.

Crack.

Cracks appeared on the golden shield.

The Golden Robe Envoy's pupils contracted; he hurriedly retreated.

Jiang Che pursued closely, his sword strikes faster than the last.

His sword was no longer as unrestrained as the Sword Spirit's, nor as cold as Xie Tingxue's.

His sword was direct, sharp, and carried an unreasonable stubbornness.

You order me to kneel.

Then I will sever your hand.

You block my path.

Then I will cleave this path open.

The Golden Robe Envoy was forced to retreat continuously, his expression growing uglier.

"A mere mortal!"

He roared, and the vertical line between his brows split open.

A Golden Eye opened.

Terrifying pressure descended instantly; surrounding soldiers vomited blood and knelt.

Jiang Che's knees likewise sank.

The Golden Robe Envoy sneered, "Kneel!"

Jiang Che's knees trembled, his bones emitting the sound of being unable to bear the burden.

Yet he did not kneel.

He propped himself up with his sword and slowly raised his head.

"My father once said."

"A son of the Jiang Family may die."

"But he cannot kneel."

He drew his sword and rose.

This strike was aimed at that Golden Eye.

Pfft!

The Green Bamboo Sword pierced through the Golden Robe Envoy's brow.

The golden light suddenly extinguished.

The Golden Robe Envoy froze in place, unable to believe it, and said, "The Human Realm... how dare you..."

Jiang Che withdrew his sword.

"We dare."

The Golden Robe Envoy's corpse fell from the rampart.

Seeing this, National Preceptor Wu Gu completely collapsed and turned to flee.

Xie Tingxue sealed his throat with a single sword strike.

Within White Bone Pass, the Northern Barbarians' garrison morale collapsed.

At sunset, the Wolf Flag fell.

Jiang Che personally planted the Zhenbei Flag atop the pass.

In the wind and snow, Chen Shanhe knelt and shouted loudly:

"White Bone Pass is returned!"

One thousand nine hundred veteran soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the snowy plain.

Jiang Che stood atop the pass, gazing toward the far north.

The Green Bamboo Sword grew slightly warm.

There lay Tian Duan Cliff.

And there too lay the true location of the Sword Vein.