The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

As Bingyin walked through the secret passage, he felt the Immortal-Slaying Sword calling to him. The sword's rhythm grew faster and faster, and finally, at the end of the passage, a small secret chamber appeared before Bingyin.

The walls of the secret chamber are carved with the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, respectively. The walls are golden in color, and the four divine beasts lie flat on the walls, their eyes inlaid with green gemstones.

In the center of the secret chamber was a raised stone platform. Bingyin looked at the platform and saw some white stone dust on it, indicating that it was very old. On the platform was an iron stand, and a long sword with a cold body, a hilt engraved with a blue dragon inlaid on black iron, and a silver-white scabbard appeared before Bingyin.

Bingyin's heart stirred. This sword, lost on the continent for a hundred years, had finally been found today. If it hadn't been for the Red Jade Palace servants accidentally losing it a hundred years ago, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to search for it. However, he hadn't expected it to be in Ling'an Kingdom as well. With his left hand, he lifted the iron frame that sealed the Immortal-Slaying Sword, and with his right hand, he smoothly retrieved the sword from within.

Holding the Immortal-Slaying Sword in his hand, Bingyin smiled slightly, grasped the scabbard with his right hand, and pulled hard, but the scabbard didn't budge an inch!

Suddenly, I remembered that Li Xiyue once said that the Immortal-Slaying Sword was sealed by Shen Lie's grandfather, and no one except Shen Lie could break the seal.

He gave a bitter laugh. The sword once the personal weapon of the Ghost Realm Emperor was now entangled by a mere curse from a mortal. It was laughable that the Shen family of the Purple Gold Hall had guarded it like this, treating it as a family heirloom.

The pale blue spiritual energy in his right hand wrapped around the sword. Bingyin pulled hard, and with a "crack", the scabbard and the sword separated. It should have been a happy thing, but Bingyin saw a black bloodstain on the longsword.

His brows furrowed. No wonder he couldn't draw the Immortal-Slaying Sword. Now that he thought about it, the Shen family had actually used an evil technique to seal the Immortal-Slaying Sword. If he used it before the seal was broken, the evil technique would definitely harm him.

The Shen family is truly ruthless. In order to protect this sword, they actually used those disciples to employ evil magic that is despicable to others.

With a bitter smile, Bingyin felt somewhat helpless. If the person guarding the Immortal-Slaying Sword had been more careful back then, the sword wouldn't have been lost, and this whole mess wouldn't have happened.

He sheathed the sword again, and Bingyin's lips curled into a slight smile. The past was the past, and there was nothing he truly wanted to hold onto. The Immortal-Slaying Sword was sealed away, but that was no big deal. What belonged to him had to be retrieved. Even if he couldn't use it, he couldn't let it benefit others or become a burden to them.

As Bingyin walked back into the secret passage, the candles behind him went out with each step he took. When he reached the edge of the passage again, it was pitch black behind him. He held the Immortal-Slaying Sword in his left hand and gently pushed the door with his right, only to find that it was sealed shut from the outside.

With a little force, the sound of wind suddenly rose in my ears.

Countless arrows shot in from all directions. Bingyin's expression changed drastically. He dodged slightly, waved his right hand, and the candles behind him instantly lit up. Countless small openings appeared on the walls of the secret passage, and each opening released long arrows with sharp blades at irregular intervals.

Shaking his head slightly, Bingyin concealed his figure, gathered all his spiritual power, and used a secret technique to draw a portal on the wall. He walked out of the wall and finally arrived at Minmin's room. The room was still pitch black, but the footsteps were getting closer and closer.

Ignoring the commotion, Bingyin, wielding the Immortal-Slaying Sword, weaved through the crowd, his figure flashing in the void as he rushed southwest towards where Li Xiyue was.

Shen Lie felt a gust of cold wind rush past him, and he stopped for a moment. After seeing no one, he ran wildly toward Minmin's courtyard.

Shen Lie ran frantically. He knew something had happened to the Immortal-Slaying Sword, but the secret passage was riddled with traps, with only one exit. Anyone who went in would never come out alive. Someone had triggered a trap earlier, and now that it was quiet, they must have been killed by a hail of arrows.

As Shen Lie got closer to Minmin's courtyard, he grew increasingly anxious. He stepped into the house, where many servants were already there. He was puzzled to find that there wasn't a single disciple present.

"Get out of the way!" Shen Lie said in a deep voice. After hearing Shen Lie's words, the servants lined up in two rows. Shen Lie walked through them and came to the shelf.

Most of these people were unaware of the strangeness of the place; without today, they would never have known.

Shen Lie's expression was somewhat solemn. "What happened tonight is not to be told to anyone without my permission, or you know what will happen."

The servants lowered their heads obsequiously, none daring to utter a sound.

Shen Lie pushed the shelf aside with both hands, but as soon as he opened a small crack, a sharp arrow shot out from inside and hit the two servants behind him.

Shen Lie was startled. When he turned to look at the two servants, blood was gushing from their shoulders. Their faces were pale and dark. Sure enough, in less than half a cup of tea's time, they foamed at the mouth and collapsed to the ground.

The servants who witnessed this scene turned ashen-faced. Shen Lie drew his sword and swung it with his right hand to deflect the subsequent arrows. The arrows, now broken in two, littered the ground. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the mechanism in the secret passage stopped.

Shen Lie's face was covered in cold sweat. He turned around and glanced at the servants behind him, then pushed the entire shelf to the right. The servants quickly retreated to the corner of the wall, but not a single arrow was shot out.

With a long sigh of relief, Shen Lie pushed open the door, jumped into the secret passage, and plunged his longsword into the door knocker. The door closed tightly, but just as it was about to close completely, the hilt of the sword blocked the door knocker, creating a small gap that was just enough for Shen Lie to pass through alone.

"You all stay here. If the master and madam come out, stop them." After saying that, Shen Lie walked towards the end of the secret passage without looking back.

The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise were still in the secret chamber, their green eyes staring intently at the empty iron frame on the stone platform. Shen Lie's heart skipped a beat; the Immortal-Slaying Sword had vanished!

Who on earth could steal the Immortal-Slaying Sword? Many have tried to steal it over the past hundred years, but none have succeeded. Who is this person tonight?!

Completely disoriented, Shen Lie braced his hands on the stone platform, his eyes tightly shut. The thing that the Shen family had protected for a hundred years had been destroyed in his generation.

To be precise, he lost it. There was a sense of guilt in his eyes, and suddenly his eyes widened.

Li Xiyue!

Li Xiyue was still waiting for him.

Without the slightest hesitation, Shen Lie slammed his right palm down hard on the stone platform. With a loud "boom," the stone platform collapsed, and the iron frame and the platform immediately disintegrated.

Pushing open the small door to the secret passage, and casually pulling out the long sword stuck in the door knocker, the small door slammed shut with a clang, and the shelf next to it instantly shifted to the left, blocking the secret door.

The servants saw Shen Lie rushing off with his sword drawn, their faces filled with anxiety.

He rushed through the Zijin Hall, driven by a firm belief: this time, he couldn't let Li Xiyue leave. But when he left her to protect the Zijin Hall, did he ever consider what Li Xiyue would think of him?

Li Xiyue sat inside the barrier. A gust of wind blew past her. She turned around and saw Bingyin holding a silver-white longsword. With a slight movement, he landed beside her.

When Bingyin saw Li Xiyue pull off the white veil covering her eyes, her expression changed, but seeing her composed demeanor, she felt relieved.

Reaching out to help Li Xiyue up, Bingyin looked down into her eyes and asked, "Silly girl, did you run into anyone here?"

Li Xiyue shook her head without speaking, then, as if she had thought of something, said, "No, I haven't met anyone, really."

Bingyin smiled slightly. This silly girl can't even lie properly. Since she didn't see anyone, why is she reacting so strongly? She clearly encountered someone she didn't want to see.

Shaking his head, Bingyin drew the white jade flute from his waist and silently recited an incantation. The jade flute suddenly grew larger and hovered in the air. Bingyin leaped up and stood on the flute. He looked at Li Xiyue and extended his right hand.

Li Xiyue glanced at the right hand, then suddenly froze. She turned around and looked at the bustling northeast, her eyes filled with a deep longing. She waited for a long time, but no one came.

She turned around absentmindedly, and Bingyin was still holding out his right hand. Xiyue looked up at Bingyin, but before she could speak, she heard him say, "I promised you that as long as you help me find the Immortal-Slaying Sword, I will keep you by my side. I will not break my promise. So silly girl, don't be afraid. From now on, you will stay by my side and won't have to spend your time being afraid."

Li Xiyue stared at Bingyin's bright eyes, momentarily mesmerized. She reached out and grasped his hand, and Bingyin pulled her up, placing her petite figure on the long flute behind him.

Subconsciously pulling her right hand away from Bingyin's grasp, Li Xiyue looked towards the northeast of the Shen family's residence, where a dark figure was moving outwards.

Suddenly, she gave a bitter laugh. "I waited for him there for a long time, but no one came to find me except you."

Following Xi Yue's gaze, Bing Yin saw a dark figure standing at the barrier, holding a bright yellow silk scarf in his hand, slowly raising his head to look in their direction.

The distance was too great, and Bingyin finally couldn't see what the person looked like. He could only see the coldness around the person, as if he had been suppressed here for too long, and even his spiritual energy had become very cold.

"Release the arrows!!!" Shen Lie said coldly, and the servants behind him all gaped when they saw Li Xiyue.

"I said, fire the arrows!!!"

"Yes!!!"

With his arms crossed, Bingyin stared at Li Xiyue in front of him. The other woman was tightly clutching the bronze mirror in her arms, her eyes clear and bright.

"Thank you, Bingyin... I..." Li Xiyue said, but then she saw Bingyin's expression change. Following Bingyin's gaze downwards, long arrows rained down on her and Bingyin.

"I killed him!!!" Bingyin said viciously, but Li Xiyue held him tightly. He turned around and looked at Li Xiyue's seemingly relaxed eyes, which were filled with tears. The muscles at the corners of Bingyin's mouth trembled with anger.

"Forget it, we've already got it. Whatever he does now is useless. From now on, I only have Sixth Brother, and I'm severing all ties with the Shen family." Li Xiyue said, her voice barely audible.

"What are you doing?!?!" Li Xiyue was shocked as she watched Bingyin throw down the Immortal-Slaying Sword without hesitation.

"Isn't this what he wants?! Give it to him. In this life, the Immortal-Slaying Sword is his destiny. He chose it himself, so he can't blame anyone else!!!"

Bingyin woke up with a start. Yingli was quietly watching him, her brows slightly furrowed. She patted Bingyin's shoulder and said, "It's time to go. Lianyi is waiting."

“Ying Li! I have a bad feeling, there’s something fishy about the third door!!! That dream I just had, the dream I had when I failed my first mission, I feel like it’s a warning… I…” Bing Yin was covered in cold sweat as he looked at Ying Li.

"We can only deal with it as it comes!!!" Ying Li looked at him, her fingers clenched into fists. She could guess that the higher up she went, the more dangerous it would be.