Chapter 322: No Sword Cannot Be Forged

The golden light in the lake faded as the Golden Crow broke through the surface.

Large quantities of mud rose from the lakebed, and a foul smell pervaded the knife-like cold wind.

Ning Changjiu seemed to emerge from the abyss. The water stains on his clothes had dried, and a faint white mist still lingered around his sleeves. His black hair was unbound, and the reflection of True Monarch White Crane was visible in his golden pupils.

The elder, with white feathers floating around him, frowned and stared at him indifferently.

He felt no fear. He had already gauged the youth's power and skill; anything else would just be a dying struggle.

However, the moment those golden eyes fixed upon him, a crane's cry suddenly echoed in his mind.

The cry was desolate and mournful, tinged with a bone-deep fear, as if a mortal had encountered an exalted monarch.

True Monarch White Crane's heart trembled. Ancient myths flashed through his mind like lightning, and he blurted out, his voice filled with shock, "Three-legged Golden Crow? Weren't all Golden Crows annihilated long ago? Why do you possess such an ancient divine bird? Who exactly are you?!"

Ning Changjiu did not reply. He covered his chest and coughed a few times, then released his hand, revealing his palm covered in blood.

After being struck into the lake, he had to summon the Golden Crow, using its fragmented Sun Kingdom as a temporary refuge. The Golden Crow swiftly carried him to the deepest parts of the lake, allowing him to evade the great sword's devastating attack.

However, innate spirits are inherently fragile. The sword energy, which affected the entire lake, scraped across the Golden Crow's back like a rolling blade, severely damaging Ning Changjiu's inner being and vital energy centers. His internal and external energies became imbalanced, leaving him in a wretched state.

It had been a long time since he had sustained such severe injuries...

Ning Changjiu gritted his teeth, suppressing his injuries with spiritual power. He looked at True Monarch White Crane and said coldly, "A Five Paths cultivation, yet this is all the sword energy you possess?"

True Monarch White Crane was not provoked. He re-examined the youth standing on the lake surface, his eyes like gold, and realized he had still greatly underestimated him.

He stood amidst the clouds, his withered hair and beard fluttering in the wind. The sword intent that had been dispersed previously re-condensed, instantly creating a magnificent and imposing aura.

True Monarch White Crane said calmly, pushing out the sword he held within his sleeve once more: "It is a fortune to witness the divine Golden Crow in my twilight years. Today, I shall see how many feet of light the legendary Golden Crow, which resides at the center of the sun and once nearly usurped the sun's authority, can emit!"

True Monarch White Crane's words layered in the air like an illusionary melody.

Ning Changjiu's expression remained unchanged. He held the Kunlun Sword, which hummed loudly in its scabbard, its aura spreading across the lake surface and creating ripples.

Ning Changjiu's seemingly relaxed figure suddenly shot upward.

The entire lake surface sank downwards.

True Monarch White Crane had previously unleashed six consecutive sword strikes, expending a significant amount of spiritual energy. Now, his move was still in its scabbard, but Ning Changjiu had already transformed into a golden rainbow and was charging towards him.

If the lake were the sky, he would be the thunderous spirit cleaving upwards through it.

True Monarch White Crane was fearless. He immediately pointed his finger to conjure a sword, and with his left hand, he pushed out the 'Nether' Sword. Sword energy streamed from its scabbard, transforming into a white rainbow to intercept Ning Changjiu.

White rainbow against golden rainbow.

The two sword lights collided, unleashing a torrent of electric sparks.

Ning Changjiu held the Sword Pavilion's sword. Though it remained sheathed, its sword intent was already like a looming tribulation lightning.

True Monarch White Crane's sword rainbow was cut off. He frowned slightly, extended his right hand, transforming his finger into a palm, and simultaneously pushed out his sword with his left hand. The sword unsheathed another foot, and fierce sword energy surged forth, obstructing the space between them like a torrent of water.

Ning Changjiu collided with True Monarch White Crane's sword intent.

True Monarch White Crane struck Ning Changjiu's forehead with his palm, while Ning Changjiu, wielding his sword like a club, broke through the sword cascade and slammed it towards the elder's crown.

Their figures intertwined. Ning Changjiu's forehead took a direct palm strike, sending him reeling backward, while the elder's head was also struck by the sword, with a faint sound of bone cracking.

Suppressing their injuries, they moved agilely in the air above the lake, ceaselessly unleashing sword strikes.

True Monarch White Crane once again felt the sheer number of formidable techniques the youth possessed.

Ning Changjiu pointed a finger. The elder met it with his palm, but his palm felt like a punctured balloon, his flesh burning and rapidly shriveling—this was a wicked technique that drained cultivation.

After the dark art, he held his sword in his right hand, formed a palm with his left, and unleashed a righteous Daoist hand seal. Following the seal, the youth's figure became ghostly once more, his aura concealed. He then used a miraculous teleportation technique to evade the elder's sword thrust aimed at his heart, then reversed his grip on his sword and lunged at the elder's throat.

The elder's Adam's apple twitched as he sensed danger, forcing him to retreat. At the same time, the Nether Sword fully unsheathed, hovering above his head, emitting a brilliant white light, and striking Ning Changjiu like a meteor.

Ning Changjiu had no time to dodge and could only endure the blow with his Asura Dharmakaya.

Ning Changjiu could not ward off the sword.

The white light pierced through, the sword breaking open his Asura divine body, and blood bloomed on his shoulder.

He gritted his teeth, using his body as a lock to trap the sword, preventing it from advancing. Then, with his left hand, he grasped the hilt, intending to pull the sword out.

"You think a few drops of your blood can forcibly seize my Dao sword? Delusional!" True Monarch White Crane shouted.

The sword detached from Ning Changjiu's shoulder, transformed into a flowing shadow, and flew back to hover before the elder.

Its tip hung low.

The elder took a deep breath. He wanted to unleash another sword strike in one go, directly piercing the opponent's heart, but he found that the spiritual energy in his dantian could not withstand such reckless expenditure.

Those six indiscriminate, ocean-like slashes into the lake earlier had indeed been reckless...

The elder stared at him.

Behind the youth, the ferocious Dharmakaya was gone. Instead, electrical threads swirled within his white robes, emanating a brilliant golden light.

"Has his physical body merged with his Dharmakaya? No wonder he could withstand my sword strike..."

The elder pondered for a moment, then spoke solemnly: "When I was young, I first learned swordsmanship by the lake. At that time, egrets frequently took flight, skimming the water. I serendipitously gained a wisp of sword energy, and later used it as a foundation, honing it for a hundred years to perfect this sword formation."

As he spoke, the sword hovering before him suddenly flew out, dancing around his body, drawing countless circles.

These circles were formed by countless sword shadows, which were like snow, layered one upon another.

He stood at the center, his white robes billowing, his body seemingly engulfed by clouds, drifting ethereally.

Ning Changjiu did not look at him. Sensing the killing intent within the sword formation, he suddenly smiled and said, "You esteemed cultivators, even in a life-and-death struggle, you still can't abandon your dignified demeanor."

The elder's expression remained indifferent.

A crane stood amidst the egrets, a sword hummed, and the egrets scattered in fright.

The rings of the sword formation continuously expanded, enveloping Ning Changjiu in an instant.

Ning Changjiu held his sword horizontally. A crackling sound erupted beneath his feet again, and his figure moved suddenly, instantly appearing above the elder's head. He held his sword in mid-air and unleashed a dazzling and magnificent sword light.

The elder closed his eyes, remaining motionless.

One of the sword formation's circles instantly shrank, perfectly blocking Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu struck the sword formation, and his figure was forcefully repelled. The other circles simultaneously closed in. Ning Changjiu's brows furrowed. His figure dangerously leaped through one arc after another. Terrifying sword energies continuously slashed towards True Monarch White Crane, but no matter how tricky his angles, those energies were blocked by the sword formation.

The layered circles not only neutralized all his attacks but also, in a continuous offense and defense, pressed in on him, surrounding him three layers deep, inside and out.

At this moment, these white sword shadows were no longer egrets, but vultures that had spotted carrion.

Ning Changjiu looked at the chaotic, converging circles before him.

He did not try to escape, nor could he.

On Ning Changjiu's body, the golden lines, outlined like Asura totems, suddenly brightened severalfold.

The circles formed by sword shadows whipped his body like iron chains.

Light burst like fireworks on his golden Asura body.

Sword shadows flowed, and fragments of his white robes flew horizontally amidst the sword energy.

Ning Changjiu still did not retreat. He took a step mid-air, reversed his grip on the sword, and blocked the oncoming airflow.

True Monarch White Crane watched the youth enduring myriad sword slashes and gently shook his head: "Your Indestructible Vajra Body is indeed an unprecedented divine art, truly admirable. In the past, I would surely have spent thousands upon thousands of sword strikes to meticulously reverse-engineer this divine art, but..."

"Quiet." Ning Changjiu said coldly.

Countless sword energies, like blades, assailed his body. Ning Changjiu's iron-like skin was cut open, turning charred black, his flesh a bloody mess beneath.

But he seemed to have severed his sense of pain, completely oblivious.

Among his bones, a sound like firecrackers suddenly erupted. Crimson flames burned around Ning Changjiu. Using the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun style as a foundation, he then continuously formed the complex sword incantations of Qiu Ziguan and Li He. The three merged within him, and he used his body as a sword, charging forward with unstoppable momentum towards the layers of sword rings, thrusting towards his lower abdomen, ready to perish together.

True Monarch White Crane's expression changed.

The layered sword rings suddenly tightened, protecting him.

Ning Changjiu crashed into the sword rings like an ordinary person hitting a plank studded with iron nails, bare-chested.

His Asura body instantly became covered in blood.

Yet the sword rings only rippled in layers, showing no signs of collapsing.

But for some reason, despite clearly having the upper hand, True Monarch White Crane suddenly felt an ominous premonition of death.

He didn't understand where the danger came from, but being battle-hardened, he didn't hesitate. He abandoned his massive advantage, his figure directly exploding into a mass of white feathers.

This was the life-saving supreme art he had employed when facing Siming.

With a boom.

Where True Monarch White Crane had vanished, a ball of golden fire suddenly ignited.

A Golden Crow abruptly hovered there.

True Monarch White Crane stared in horror at the three-legged divine bird. He didn't know what was hidden within this seemingly small Golden Crow, but his intuition told him that if he hadn't left earlier, he would have been directly devoured by it!

This strange sensation evoked immense fear.

At this moment, his figure was dispersed, concealed within a feather, ready to reappear at any time.

Ning Changjiu's attack had failed, but he had no intention of pursuing further. Taking advantage of True Monarch White Crane's un-reformed body, he turned and fled, his figure becoming a line, disappearing into the snow-dusted canyon by the lake.

True Monarch White Crane's figure reformed on the lake surface.

He looked in the direction Ning Changjiu had fled, his expression dark.

He knew the opponent's injuries were far more severe than his own and that he couldn't escape too far.

But his already heavily damaged Dao heart couldn't muster any fighting spirit... He looked at the snowy canyon and even entertained the thought of retreating.

"No! I can't leave!" True Monarch White Crane immediately dispelled his negative emotions.

It was precisely because his Dao path was already ruined that he had to kill that youth. The swordsmanship and Dao techniques the youth displayed were all top-tier, and he harbored immense secrets. This endeavor might even turn out to be a blessing in disguise!

With no further hesitation, True Monarch White Crane held his sword, leaned forward, transformed into a crane shadow, and charged towards the snowy canyon.

Ning Changjiu did not go deep into the canyon.

His upper garments were completely torn, and his pale skin was covered in blood. He leaned against the cold rock, the raw pain of his flesh feeling like needles hammered into his bones.

He did not use his authority over time to heal them, letting the agonizing pain tear through his body.

Since his battle with the Sin Sovereign, he had not sustained such severe injuries...

If Xiang'er and the others saw him, they would surely feel great heartache...

The girl's face appeared in his mind, and Ning Changjiu used it to compose himself.

Behind the rock wall, True Monarch White Crane's familiar sword intent drifted closer once more.

He's here.

Ning Changjiu's thoughts stirred.

As True Monarch White Crane crossed the lake and entered the valley, a nearly ethereal cold iron appeared silently before his throat and thrust forward.

The sword carried no visible light, as faint as flowing clouds, as light as the lake breeze, so ordinary it was like a shadow skimming a fish pond.

True Monarch White Crane only reacted to the sword a moment later. After this subtle and desolate strike, he perceived a resolute and fierce killing intent.

This killing intent was thick, like congealed blood, and even he broke out in a cold sweat upon sensing it.

He hadn't expected the youth to not flee deep into the snowy canyon, but instead to wait for him behind the first rock wall... What arrogance!

True Monarch White Crane had no time to draw his sword and could only block with his finger over his heart.

*Puchi!*

The faint, shadowless sword pierced his finger and then plunged into his chest.

Blood seeped through his robes, staining his white feathers crimson.

This was the fatal sword technique from the latter half of the Sword Decree Heaven Sect's scrolls.

It was a pity that Ning Changjiu did not have a truly good, usable sword; otherwise, this one strike could have severely wounded True Monarch White Crane.

That day, Liu Xiwun had told herself she no longer wanted to use assassination swords, preferring to wield her sword openly. So, within the command tower, she used the righteous Heaven's Decree sword to strike herself, and then cleanly and decisively lost...

At that time, he looked at the unyielding, unbowed girl and offered no further persuasion. But he knew this was a sword stroke for killing in adversity, one that could only be hidden in the dark... perhaps the Heaven's Decree was inherently subtle.

The sword failed to kill but drank blood; the backlash was not severe.

True Monarch White Crane grunted, crushed the illusory sword with one hand, then transformed his hand into a palm and struck Ning Changjiu's chest.

Ning Changjiu blocked with the Kunlun Sword.

His figure slid backward rapidly, his feet still rooted to the ground, skidding dozens of yards through the snowy canyon before barely managing to halt his momentum.

The two stood opposite each other in the canyon.

The snowy canyon had sheer cliffs on both sides, with only a narrow path in the middle.

"To wound me to this extent, your swordsmanship is truly miraculous," True Monarch White Crane said slowly, staunching the blood from his chest. "But that is all it is."

He took a step, his figure transforming into a white crane again, flying into the canyon.

Ning Changjiu focused and opened his eyes.

The canyon was eerily empty.

The next moment, every snowflake and every stone in the snowy canyon became imbued with monstrous killing intent.

Countless crane shadows appeared out of thin air, instantly condensing into a single point, striking towards Ning Changjiu.

This was True Monarch White Crane's full-force attack.

Ning Changjiu crouched low. Inside his body, the Asura God Record was like boiling water, roaring as it left his body, swinging fists capable of breaking an ancient dragon's spine, colliding with the peak strike of a Five Paths Grand Cultivator.

A massive white light, like a proud torrent, pierced through the snowy canyon, engulfing everything.

Large quantities of snow fell from the canyon walls, submerging into the valley, then suddenly evaporated in mid-air, turning into mist that enveloped the entire mountain, swirling thickly.

In this life-and-death struggle, the entire snowy canyon was transformed into something resembling an immortal mountain.

After a long while, the towering killing intent, as thick as mountain peaks, finally dimmed.

Ning Changjiu and True Monarch White Crane, having pushed their powers to the limit, clashed again and were thrown apart. Separated by a hundred yards, they appeared as mere dust in each other's eyes.

True Monarch White Crane's fingers were withered and decayed, blood flowed from his seven orifices, his hair was largely severed, and his white robes were spattered with blood.

Ning Changjiu's state was even more tragic. He knelt on the ground, his enormous Asura Dharmakaya completely torn apart, turning into golden fragments that scattered in the wind, impossible to restore in a short time. His bare upper body was equally wretched; blood oozed from countless mangled scars, flowing down the lines of his muscles, accumulating in pools among the broken rocks beneath him.

The bones in his knees were also torn, making it impossible for him to stand.

The youth's hands hung low, the Sword Pavilion's sword resting beside him. The Kunlun Sword, still in its scabbard, continued to hum.

True Monarch White Crane let out a long sigh: "If you could draw that sword, perhaps I would truly have become a spirit under its blade... What a pity."

He slowly walked towards the youth, extracting true qi from his nearly depleted Dantian with every step.

His cultivation had reached the Five Paths, perfectly integrating with all things, and he was confident he could recover much faster than his opponent.

Ning Changjiu knelt on the ground, the golden light in his eyes fading. Blood flowed from his body, and he remained silent.

True Monarch White Crane slowly walked before him.

The authority of 'Congeal' activated, freezing all things.

The silver-haired woman had crushed his authority with hers that day; the memory was still fresh. But such things were, after all, merely isolated incidents.

"Immortal pavilion to dust, white crane returns not, cosmos inverted, who replaces sun and moon..." the elder chanted softly.

Above Ning Changjiu's head, the shadow of a tall, ethereal pavilion appeared. The pavilion was like a fiery sunset, with brilliant golden flames. At its upturned eaves, immortal cranes circled endlessly.

The elder tossed the sword in his hand.

The sword, along with the ancient pavilion, suppressed Ning Changjiu together.

***

**Sword Pavilion, Seventy-Two Grotto-Heavens**

Liu Xiwun had changed out of her tight black clothes, now wearing a brand-new sword attire: a top and a skirt with a high waist, complemented by her cloud-shaped bun. She looked quite dignified, like a young lady from a noble family.

She seemed to have... yielded to her femininity.

The young woman carried a lunchbox, passing through the melancholic, watery grotto-heaven and the suspended corridors, arriving at the second-ranked of the Sword Pavilion's Seventy-Two Grotto-Heavens.

The grotto-heaven was like a carving amidst jade, all its splendors exquisitely beautiful.

At the end of the path was a secluded immortal dwelling.

Before the immortal dwelling, a stunning woman with heroic features and black hair flowing over her shoulders knelt.

The woman kneeling was none other than Second Senior Sister Liu Junzhuo, who was so overbearing outside.

Liu Xiwun slowly approached, gracefully kneeling beside her Second Senior Sister. She opened the lunchbox, arranged the pastries one by one, and whispered, "Senior Sister, please eat something. This time... it's my fault for being weak and causing you trouble. Let's go together and plead with Eldest Senior Sister. Please don't kneel anymore."

Liu Junzhuo gently shook her head, her voice soft. "It's not your fault. Your defeat is not a major issue, but I lost the crown and the sword... My sword heart is tarnished, and the Sword Pavilion has lost face. A great mistake has been made, and spilled water cannot be retrieved. I know my error and must sincerely repent."

In her early days, Liu Xiwun had secretly mocked her Second Senior Sister for being fiercer than anyone outside, yet as docile as a lamb before Eldest Senior Sister. But her Senior Sister had been kneeling for a month straight, which filled her with guilt.

Second Senior Sister had always treated her like her own child... she knew that.

"Then I'll kneel with you, Senior Sister," Liu Xiwun said.

She had deliberately changed out of her male attire, thinking that wearing this would make her seem cuter, and perhaps Eldest Senior Sister would soften.

Liu Junzhuo said, "Why are you joining in this nonsense? Isn't Eldest Senior Sister angry enough?"

Liu Xiwun lowered her head and said, "But I can't just watch you keep kneeling, Senior Sister. I... I'll go retrieve the Kunlun Sword. He can't even draw it anyway, so it's useless to him. Besides, I'm very familiar with Ning Changjiu; if I ask for it, he'll definitely give it back."

"Ning Changjiu?" Liu Junzhuo's expression shifted slightly.

"Uh... that's his name when he's out in the jianghu. Zhang Jiu is his real name," Liu Xiwun said, twisting the facts.

Liu Junzhuo nodded, not pressing the matter. She said, "No need. Since the sword was lost, we must find a legitimate reason to retrieve it, otherwise, Eldest Senior Sister will get angry again."

As Second Senior Sister spoke softly, a cold female voice echoed throughout the grotto-heaven from within the immortal dwelling.

"Weren't you very overbearing outside? Now that you've lost the sword and the crown, do you know how to rein it in?"

It was Eldest Senior Sister's voice, very stern. Liu Xiwun also knelt down, whispering, "Greetings, Eldest Senior Sister."

Eldest Senior Sister said coldly, "It's one thing for Junior Sister not to know better, but why are you joining in her nonsense? Just because you're ranked seventh in the world, you think you're invincible? Do you know how much hope Master placed in you when he gave you the Kunlun Sword?"

Liu Junzhuo kept her head down, not daring to utter a single word in response.

Back then, she had been personally taught by Eldest Senior Sister, just as she herself taught Liu Xiwun now.

"When I told you not to focus on the mundane world, I meant for you to set your sights higher, not to disdain the human realm," Eldest Senior Sister's voice softened considerably. She paused, then said, "Recently, Master has emerged from seclusion again."

Liu Junzhuo's expression shifted, "Why has Master emerged from seclusion? Could it be..."

Eldest Senior Sister nodded, "Yes, after searching for centuries, we finally have a lead."

"Then we..." Liu Junzhuo hesitated, trailing off.

Eldest Senior Sister slowly said, "After over a hundred years of tempering, it is about to emerge. And you, as the Second Senior Sister of the Sword Pavilion, bear such a heavy mission. Therefore, my severe punishment this time is meant to be a warning to you. Such a mistake must never be repeated. If it happens again..."

Eldest Senior Sister continued, "If it happens again, I'll make Liu Xiwun the Second Senior Sister, and you'll go be the Fourteenth Junior Sister!"

"???" Liu Xiwun's body stiffened, and she immediately knelt upright, thinking that this was not a good thing for her at all, but rather an unprovoked disaster.

Liu Junzhuo dared not refute, obediently saying, "Junzhuo knows her mistake and will certainly not repeat it."

After a long silence, Eldest Senior Sister finally spoke: "Alright, stop kneeling, come in. I will teach you some swordsmanship."

Liu Junzhuo was pleasantly surprised and was about to rise, but then she heard Eldest Senior Sister say, "I was talking about Xiwun."

"..." Liu Junzhuo knelt back down.

Liu Xiwun silently rose, gave her Second Senior Sister a sympathetic glance, and then walked into the immortal dwelling... an enviable bond between generations.

Eldest Senior Sister said, "You stop kneeling too. Go back and reflect. When you legitimately retrieve the sword, then you may come see me again."

Liu Junzhuo bowed and left, relieved, knowing that Eldest Senior Sister's anger had mostly subsided.

"Legitimately retrieving the sword..."

She had a bit of a headache.

But it didn't matter. Anyway, that youth couldn't draw that sword, and as long as it couldn't be drawn, the sword Dao true intent she had nurtured in its scabbard for years wouldn't leak out. When it was returned to its rightful owner, she presumed Eldest Senior Sister would forgive her...

Liu Junzhuo sighed, and just as she was thinking, her expression suddenly changed dramatically.

In her heart, a sudden tremor originated from her soul.

The sword has been drawn!

This was her immediate thought.

"No, impossible. How could a mere Purple Court realm cultivator draw my sword?" Liu Junzhuo gently shook her head, calming her Dao heart, and walked towards her grotto-heaven.

***

True Monarch White Crane witnessed another miracle.

As the ancient pavilion pressed down, the youth, whom he had clearly 'congealed,' raised his head as if nothing had happened.

He couldn't understand why... Did he also possess an ability similar to that silver-haired woman?

How could that be...

If so, did he suppress such a powerful authority until this very moment to use it?

The thought lasted but a moment, changing nothing as the ancient pavilion pressed down.

Ning Changjiu looked up again.

The sword that had fallen before his knees was now, at some unknown point, in his hand.

He seemed to have drained the last of his strength from his bones. Charging forward, leaping, gripping the hilt, drawing the sword—all these actions, practiced countless times in his mind, were executed in a single, fluid motion.

This unruly Sword Pavilion's sword had actually been drawn by him!

From within the scabbard, Second Senior Sister Liu Junzhuo's sword intent, suppressed for years, roared like a flood beast. The immortal pavilion, encircled by white cranes, was instantly cleaved in two. The sword intent, unimpeded and unstoppable, instantly engulfed True Monarch White Crane.

True Monarch White Crane did not hesitate, employing his old trick, exploding his figure into white feathers. But Second Senior Sister's sword intent was far stronger than his, clinging to his true form like a soul-reaping ghost, leaving him no room to escape.

Over a dozen blood holes instantly appeared on the elder's concealed body.

His movements were slowed.

Ning Changjiu, enveloped by the authority of time, had already caught up. Holding the ancient sword, which shrieked loudly, he soared past True Monarch White Crane's head.

The despair of death surfaced in the elder's mind.

Ning Changjiu's figure descended, striking True Monarch White Crane to the ground with sword energy. He firmly pressed his knee against the elder's back of the neck, gripped the sword hilt with both hands, its tip lowered, and plunged it downward with force.

"How... is this possible..." the elder muttered indistinctly.

True Monarch White Crane's head was pierced by the blade and split into pieces, like a smashed watermelon.

This Grand Cultivator of the Five Paths died then and there.

Ning Changjiu leaned on his sword with both hands, and only after confirming True Monarch White Crane was completely dead did he finally relax.

"In this world, there is no sword I cannot forge."

Ning Changjiu whispered, as if answering the unseeing True Monarch White Crane.