Chapter 890: Hit Me If You Can

Chapter 890: Go Ahead, Hit Me If You Can

Zhao Changhe glanced at Ye Wuming, deeply skeptical that this so-called relatively peaceful cultivation world could truly be so serene.

Logically, with magic treasures and conflicts, the friction between the Celestial Sword Venerable and the backer of that weapon shop earlier proved war still existed. After all, this was a world where one contended with fate for survival—peace had its limits.

Would a top-tier powerhouse of the world genuinely deign to personally accompany a child in a trial, caring nothing for face?

Ye Wuming remained expressionless, then spoke: "Then Yu'er will ask the senior for a few pointers."

Ling Ruoyu felt no fear, but rather a surge of eagerness. When she merged with the Star River, their power became one, and she was no longer just Ling Ruoyu—she was a Star River capable of threatening the Heavenly Dao. With her human mind and subjective will added to wield the sword, she was even stronger than when the sword acted purely on its own. That foolish Dragon Sparrow was no match for her; she could toy with it at will.

This Celestial Sword Venerable, weaker than her father, was actually a fine sparring partner.

The girl took a deep breath, clasped her hands solemnly: "Please enlighten me, senior."

The moment she finished this courteous phrase, Ling Ruoyu immediately sensed that the Celestial Sword Venerable seemed to have "vanished."

He was still there, yet he blended into the surroundings, as if this building itself inherently contained such an existence—without him, it was incomplete. So she faced not a person, but an entire environment; expanding further, it felt like facing heaven and earth.

She had no idea how to strike, where to thrust.

Ling Ruoyu closed her eyes and slanted her sword upward, not aiming at her opponent, but at the empty space around her.

The vast, starry intent spread through the building, as if forcing another world into it, disrupting the opponent's unity of heaven and man into chaos.

But the Celestial Sword Venerable's sword was already at her face.

Ling Ruoyu retreated like lightning, the Star River sweeping back. With the motion, a rumbling thunderclap echoed through the space, the sky torn asunder, the Milky Way inverted.

The prohibitions scattered throughout the building began to shake violently. Designed to dissipate energy and prevent collapse, they could not withstand the overflow from this strike; their patterns flickered, on the verge of shattering.

The Celestial Sword Venerable was horrified. Was this a girl of barely ten? Was she sure she wasn't the incarnation of some world's Heavenly Dao?

No... it wasn't the girl's own power—it was shared with that pitch-black divine sword.

With a clang, the Celestial Sword Venerable's blade struck the Star River sword. Both recoiled; Ling Ruoyu stepped back a few paces, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

This man was called "Celestial Sword," and his combat was with a sword. Earlier, the guard downstairs had said something like "such a sword heart will surely please the Venerable," making him seem a pure sword cultivator. But in this exchange, she felt no particular sword intent.

Instead, the environment grew scorching, as if a heartfire was roasting her, threatening to melt her from body to soul.

"You're not a sword cultivator at all..." Ling Ruoyu suddenly said. "You're secretly using a magic treasure. Where is it?"

"Found out so quickly." The Celestial Sword Venerable laughed. "Then keep guessing where the treasure is."

Ling Ruoyu snapped, "This building itself is the treasure! You're trying to refine us!"

The Celestial Sword Venerable was taken aback, quickly glancing at the young couple nearby. They were scratching their heads in perfect sync.

They had seen through it at first glance, but neither expected Ling Ruoyu to catch on so fast. This kid's cheat was too overpowered—even her parents couldn't keep a straight face.

What stunned him even more was the Celestial Sword Venerable. What was with this family? Knowing something was off, they didn't break the situation quickly but just stood there watching. Did they really think they were at the Heavenly Dao level and could casually unravel such a scheme?

Zhao Changhe finally spoke: "So the so-called Hero Pavilion is nothing but a trap... Those heroes who challenge nine floors to meet you are either refined or forced to submit. The few guarding the lower floors had some dignity—I doubt they're your kind, just compelled by necessity."

The Celestial Sword Venerable swiftly dodged Ling Ruoyu's strike, chuckling, "I'm not confident I can trap you two... but aren't you too arrogant? Even if you're not afraid of my Universe Pavilion, what about your daughter? You could have saved her earlier, but since you've held back until now, you've lost your chance."

As he spoke, Ling Ruoyu grunted, her sword's momentum weakening by seventy or eighty percent.

The intense roasting drained too much of her power to resist—if there was a flaw in her unity of person and sword, it was the weakness of the human body, too fragile despite high offense. Normally, the sword's strength masked this defect, but under a widespread, indiscriminate attack, her physical form couldn't hold.

This "Universe Pavilion" treasure seemed to double its assault with each passing breath—the longer one stayed, the stronger the damage.

"Now, can we discuss the matter of this black sword?" the Celestial Sword Venerable said cheerfully. "To be honest, I don't expect this treasure to refine you two, but trapping you for a few breaths and reducing your daughter to ashes is easily done."

Zhao Changhe smiled faintly: "So?"

"So if you two yield the black sword, I'll have it acknowledge me as its master right here. You can take your daughter and leave, and I won't stop you."

Zhao Changhe laughed: "Aren't you afraid we'll come back for revenge?"

The Celestial Sword Venerable gazed at the Star River sword, his eyes burning with fervor: "With this sword, I'll flee far and cultivate. In my hands, my path is complete! In the future, no one will ever be my match again!"

Zhao Changhe smirked: "Dream on."

"How about it?" the Celestial Sword Venerable roared. "Decide now, or your daughter will die without a whole corpse!"

Zhao Changhe yawned: "Is that so?"

The Celestial Sword Venerable was about to retort when his eyes bulged.

The little girl, who had been furiously slashing and stabbing at him, suddenly stopped and vanished with a whoosh.

Vanished...

Only the black sword remained, hovering in midair, its tip pointed at him like the girl's defiant eyes.

The Celestial Sword Venerable rubbed his eyes. Where had that big girl gone?

Had he imagined it? It felt like the girl had slipped into the sword...

With no person left, what was there to roast?

He reacted quickly, reaching for the sword to erase the original owner's imprint and seize control before the couple attacked.

The black sword suddenly erupted, howling as it thrust straight for his spiritual platform.

At the same time, a gale rose behind him. The Celestial Sword Venerable swept his divine sense and found a massive broadsword descending toward his head.

The sword wasn't swinging on its own—the man from the couple had somehow flashed behind him, wielding the broadsword, and chopped down with fury: "Bullying my daughter? Have you figured out how you'll die?"

Clang! The Celestial Sword Venerable hastily parried with his sword. A deafening explosion rang out; his arm went numb, and he stumbled back several steps.

Zhao Changhe didn't pursue. Instead, he slammed the blade into the ground: "A mere pavilion dares call itself the universe? Break!"

Boom! A terrifying force struck the floor. With a crackling sound, the ground fissured, the surrounding prohibitions shattered, and the building collapsed instantly.

"You!" The Celestial Sword Venerable nearly spat blood in rage. This was his most vital treasure, having withstood countless assaults for ten thousand years, and now it was destroyed in a single blow.

"You what?" Zhao Changhe's voice came again at his ear, the massive broadsword reaching his neck: "Roasting my family? We've endured the sun and moon's scorching—who do you think you are?"

Clang! The Celestial Sword Venerable barely blocked another strike, coughed up blood, and immediately transformed into light to flee.

No contest.

This man fought far more ferociously than his daughter, wave after wave giving no respite. Such a style meant that any slight gap in strength would be magnified under his relentless pressure, and his own power was exactly one level lower—impossible to fight!

His blade technique showed no traceable foundation; it had long returned to simplicity—a mere chop or slash was enough to split heaven and earth.

Who was this dragon crossing the river? Even the power of the Heavenly Dao might be no more than this...

As this thought flashed, a sudden alarm rose.

On his escape path, the black sword waited silently, as if offering its target for the thrust.

The Celestial Sword Venerable quickly summoned a small bronze mirror. This mirror, called the Soul-Snatching Mirror, could stun any artifact spirit it shone upon, or even extinguish it outright.

The mirror's light struck the black sword. A girl dropped out of it, gripping the hilt and lunging. The mirror's beam had no effect at all—because the sword had no spirit.

One misjudgment, and the Celestial Sword Venerable lost all chance to escape... Zhao Changhe had already caught up, cleaving off half his body with a single stroke.

Father and daughter exchanged a glance, grinning in perfect sync.

Zhao Changhe had often wielded the Star River in battle, but he had never fought alongside it like this—it felt quite good... An opponent not much weaker than him, if determined to flee, would be hard to pin down, but with his daughter's cooperation, it was effortless.

That blind fool was useless; only his daughter was reliable. A family fighting together, after all.

Looking down, the Celestial Sword Venerable tumbled through the clouds, blood staining them red, howling in agony: "Who... who are you!"

Zhao Changhe descended, landing on the clouds, crouched down, and patted the Heavenly Sword Venerable’s face: “We only came to let the child broaden her horizons, and incidentally to ask if you’d sell that Void-Breaking Star Iron you have, and for how much. But who’d have thought you’d try to snatch my daughter without a word—do I look like someone you can push around?”

I was after the sword, not your daughter... The Heavenly Sword Venerable, pained and regretful, said helplessly, “If I hand over the Void-Breaking Star Iron, fellow daoist, will you spare my life?”

Zhao Changhe laughed: “Do I look like a fool to you?”

The Heavenly Sword Venerable said helplessly, “The Void-Breaking Star Iron isn’t on me. Taking my storage ring won’t do you any good.”

“Nothing much—I only asked to confirm you really have it, that the man didn’t lie to me. That’s enough.” With that, Zhao Changhe raised his blade and struck.

“Wait... wait a moment...” Before the Heavenly Sword Venerable could finish, his head was already severed.

Ling Ruoyu hadn’t expected her father to be so ruthless: “Weren’t we after the Void-Breaking Star Iron? You killed him just like that? Where do we find it now?”

Zhao Changhe ruffled her hair: “He bullied my Ruoyu—if I don’t kill him, do I keep him for New Year’s?”

Ling Ruoyu blinked: “But the Void-Breaking Star Iron is what Queque wants...”

This little white lotus... she’s clearly stirring trouble for Long Que, saying “Dad loves me more than you!”

Zhao Changhe was caught between laughter and tears: “This man has already made a deep enemy of us. How could I let a tiger return to the mountain just for some material? As for the material, there’s always a way... Let Dad teach you a bit of worldly wisdom.”

With that, he stripped the ring from the Heavenly Sword Venerable and swept it with his divine sense. There were materials in the ring, but nothing that met the requirement of “indestructible.”

Zhao Changhe wasn’t surprised. He picked up the Heavenly Sword Venerable’s head and went back into the city, straight to the shop where he’d bought things earlier, and tossed the head to the shopkeeper: “You said you had a grudge with him?”

The shopkeeper’s eyes went wide.

He knew the Hero Pavilion had been destroyed, and they were about to hold a meeting to discuss how to take advantage of this chance to attack the Heavenly Sword Mountain. But he never imagined that in just a few breaths, even the Heavenly Sword Venerable’s head would be severed... I only wanted to stir up trouble for him—when did I ever expect this effect...

This Nightfall Wanderer was too terrifying. When had such a ruthless figure ever appeared in this world? He’d never heard of him before...

Seeing the shopkeeper dumbfounded and lost in thought, Zhao Changhe smiled: “Since he’s dead, you’ll surely not let his faction go, right?”

The shopkeeper wiped his sweat: “Y-yes.”

“When you attack his faction, you’ll naturally take his resources. Is trading his head for the Void-Breaking Star Iron enough?”

“More than enough, more than enough.” The shopkeeper wiped his sweat and said with a flattering smile, “Esteemed senior, earlier I used you to trouble the Heavenly Sword Venerable...”

Zhao Changhe waved his hand: “You told me where the Void-Breaking Star Iron was—the information was true. I asked if you had a grudge with him, and you clearly said yes. We both knew the score—that’s not using me. Enough. I’ll wait here for you. Bring me the Void-Breaking Star Iron before nightfall. After that, the mountains are high and the rivers long—we may never meet again.”

The shopkeeper let out a long sigh, cupped his hands, and said, “Senior, please rest in the back courtyard. We will not disappoint you.”

Ling Ruoyu watched the shopkeeper leave, dazed, and asked, “That’s it?”

“If nothing unexpected happens, yes. I specifically said we’d never meet again—he should understand. No more ties, a clean deal—no need to provoke us.” Zhao Changhe followed the shop assistant to the back courtyard, laughing: “Walking the jianghu isn’t about flaunting force and making enemies of everyone. Remember, enemies have enemies too.”

Ling Ruoyu thought that was probably how she ended up with so many aunts...

Oh, right—where’s Mom?

Ling Ruoyu turned to look, and saw Ye Wuming standing right behind her, a hint of apology in her eyes.

“What are you looking at her for?” Zhao Changhe sat down at the stone table in the back courtyard, pouring himself a cup of immortal wine: “She saw someone bullying you, got furious, wanted to fight, but was afraid of stirring up this world’s Heavenly Dao, so she held back and didn’t act. Isn’t that it?”

Ye Wuming said nothing.

Zhao Changhe shot her a sidelong glance: “Still have the nerve to fight for custody?”

Ye Wuming said stubbornly, “If I really stirred up this world’s Heavenly Dao, the fight wouldn’t be about who wins or loses—it might bring our own great enemy, the Yellow Sparrow, lurking behind. We’re not ready. Besides, a real conflict would be bad for Ruoyu.”

“Fine, fine.” Zhao Changhe couldn’t be bothered to argue. He handed a cup of wine to Ling Ruoyu: “Come, try the wine of this immortal world. How does it compare to ours?”

Ling Ruoyu sat down, took a sip, and her eyes curved into crescent moons: “It’s pretty good, and rich in spiritual energy.”

“After all, it’s a high-end map. The villain almost escaped from my hands—that level of antagonist doesn’t even exist in our world anymore.” Zhao Changhe sipped the wine, analyzing its composition, then shook his head with a sigh: “Apart from differences in raw materials, wine is still wine. Just like fighting them—different forms, but at its core, still power.”

Ye Wuming said, “Naturally. But they rely more on external forces than we do... They summon all kinds of dazzling artifacts, making it easier for them to punch above their weight.”

Zhao Changhe tossed over the ring he’d just taken: “There are plenty of artifacts here. See if any are suitable for us—not just the three of us, but also for others. You know what I mean.”

Ye Wuming said, “Why should I pick things for them?”

Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes: “For the final battle against the Heavenly Dao. Are you picking or not?”

Ye Wuming said coolly, “We don’t need that many people... Take that indiscriminate scorching from the Qiankun Pavilion just now—there are too many similar artifacts or techniques. Weaker ones are meaningless in such a battle.”

Zhao Changhe seized on the key point: “So your subtext is that you’ve agreed to join forces with them against the enemy?”

Ye Wuming tilted her head slightly, said nothing more, and simply took the ring to scan.

If she could never break through that thin line, it would be hard not to join forces with these people—especially the Netherworld.

Ye Wuming still felt that Zhao Changhe’s arrow thirty years ago was meddling. Everything had been finished; why did he have to make it like this? But of course, Zhao Changhe had acted to protect her life, and ended up sleeping for thirty years himself. To scold him for being meddlesome would be inhuman—she couldn’t say it.

In theory, she should thank him... But both tacitly avoided the topic, since his motive for saving her life wasn’t entirely pure. Once that thread was pulled, the conversation might run wild.

“The Heavenly Sword Venerable was quite wealthy... Some things here are indeed suitable for them. I’ll tag them one by one, and you can teach them how to use them...” Ye Wuming weighed the ring, studying it for a long while, then glanced at Zhao Changhe: “Wait, you don’t even know how to use artifacts yourself. Want me to teach you?”

“How would you teach?” Zhao Changhe blinked. “If it’s like how Wan Zhuang taught me to play the zither, hand over hand, that might work. But the method of pointing a finger at the spiritual platform—forget it.”

Ye Wuming said angrily, “This is serious business. Are you never going to stop flirting?”

Zhao Changhe was silent for a moment, then answered with utter sincerity: “Don’t you know? For me, flirting with you and making sure you can’t get angry has been my greatest serious business ever since I crossed over?”

Ye Wuming’s brows shot up.

Ling Ruoyu quietly moved her stone stool back a little.

You two are divorced spouses... no, wait, you’re not even spouses. If this flirting keeps up, it feels like a fight is about to break out...

But no, Mom doesn’t seem to dare act rashly, afraid of provoking this world’s Heavenly Dao...

Just as she thought that, she saw Zhao Changhe openly reach out and grab Ye Wuming’s hand: “Go on, hit me if you dare.”