The snow atop Yunmeng Mountain grew lighter and lighter, and with each passing year, the temperature at the summit climbed.
Yet the aura radiating from Wu Shi turned ever colder.
It was as if the chill had merely transferred from the mountain to her.
In the time that followed, Wu Shi remained at the summit of Yunmeng Mountain, but the sword she awaited never arrived.
Nor did Sword Disciple ever return to the summit.
One day, a woman in a yellow dress looked out across the silver-clad world before her, a smug look in her eyes. "Don't you love snow? From this day forth, it will never snow again on Yunmeng Mountain."
She sought out a Dao God to cast divine dao arts, ensuring that Yunmeng Mountain would see no more snow from then on.
...
"What is Palace Master Yunmeng's true identity?"
"And why has she laid arrangements on Mount Wangzhou?"
Within the Zhoushan Great Realm, several Dao Gods murmured in low voices.
Though Wu Shi had never taken action, they held deep dread toward her.
"Sword Disciple's sword grows stronger by the day," one Dao God whispered.
Originally, Sword Disciple had been formidable, but they had not been truly troubled by him.
His strength still followed traceable paths.
Wu Shi was the one truly shrouded in mystery.
Yet over these years, Sword Disciple's speed of advancement had simply been too rapid.
For those like them who achieved the realm of Dao God through divine treasures, further advancement was extraordinarily difficult, requiring one to endure the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations.
And yet... Sword Disciple had not undergone any calamities or tribulations, yet his power continued to soar.
His sword was sharper than ever before.
"Sword Disciple... is nothing to fear."
"Oh?"
"Yujiao says Sword Disciple... is flawed. She tested him by intentionally hurting him 'by accident,' and he offered no resistance whatsoever."
"Can that really be?" A Dao God was pleasantly surprised.
The world was vast and full of wonders; anything was possible.
Perhaps the bond between this Sword Disciple and his younger sister ran extraordinarily deep.
"His sister stands supreme in his heart, like an inviolable Heavenly Law."
"We initially arranged for Yujiao to seduce and control him, which failed repeatedly. Who would have thought things would develop in this manner instead?"
To supreme experts of their caliber, mortal ethics had long ceased to exist.
Seduction and lust were trivialities, merely pawns placed casually upon a board—to be used if effective, and ignored if not.
"Now that Sword Disciple's soft underbelly is firmly in our grasp, he is not worth worrying about."
"The only thing requiring our attention is Wu Shi's identity and her purpose..."
"Some clues have already surfaced, and we are currently verifying them."
The voices faded away, and silence returned.
...
Within a chaotic pocket of space.
Sword light flashed like a meteor, shattering the local void to dust.
A man clad in blood-red robes appeared, a single sword slung across his back.
Between his fingers, he held a jade leaf, his expression neither sorrowful nor joyful.
"The Devouring Primordial Physique...?"
"Devouring the Zhoushan Great Realm?"
He stood where he was for who knew how long.
At last, he crushed the jade leaf to powder, and his figure flashed out of sight.
"Brother, why did you take so long?" Yujiao trotted over and hooked her arm around Sword Disciple's, gazing into his face as if searching for something.
Yet she saw nothing at all.
"I was delayed," Sword Disciple replied simply.
At that moment, as if recalling something, Yujiao whispered conspiratorially, "Brother, Sister Wu Shi is all by herself at the summit of Yunmeng Mountain, so terribly lonely. So I sent several maidservants up the mountain to attend to her. But..."
"...those maidservants discovered that Sister Wu Shi vanished several times.
A senior Dao God stationed at Mount Wangzhou secretly told me that Wu Shi's traces were once spotted there."
"For a maidservant to detect Master's departures, she must be far from ordinary," Sword Disciple remarked calmly.
In the past, hearing such words would have turned Yujiao pale with fright and worry.
Yet over all these years, she had been steadily probing Sword Disciple's bottom line.
This nominal brother of hers truly possessed no emotions.
Even toward that master of his, he was completely detached.
Most importantly, no matter what she did, Sword Disciple would never harm her, and... he would satisfy her requests as best he could.
"Brother, aren't you curious about what Palace Master really plans to do?" Yujiao shifted the topic.
By now, Sword Disciple had surely learned from that God Lord that Wu Shi possessed the Devouring Primordial Physique.
A Devouring Primordial Physique naturally gave rise to countless ominous conjectures.
"No, I am not curious," Sword Disciple replied.
Hearing this, Yujiao felt as if her fist had struck soft cotton.
She looked at him and finally said, "Brother, I'm craving something tasty. I want to eat something delicious, made by you."
"All right."
"Add a little blood. Yujiao loves your flavor, Brother."
"All right."
...
At the summit of Yunmeng Mountain.
Yujiao clapped her hands, overturning an array of sumptuous dishes into the snow.
"Disgusting! Way too salty!"
"He didn't even bother to mask the stench of blood."
Tall and slender, she carried an innate imperiousness, the arrogant demeanor of a spoiled noble lady.
Having dumped the food onto the ground, she cast a provocative, flaunting glance toward the heights of the summit.
Yet the area remained utterly quiet and cold, devoid of human presence.
Soon, however, Yujiao narrowed her eyes, breaking into a delighted smile.
Before her, a bleak, desolate silhouette had appeared.
Wu Shi wore a red fur coat, the sole splash of color against the blinding white summit of Yunmeng Mountain.
"Wasting food is unseemly," Wu Shi said, her voice betraying not the slightest hint of emotion.
Yujiao grew all the more smug. "If it tastes bad, dumping it out is natural. How is that waste?
In a little while, Brother will make me an even more sumptuous feast."
"Childish," Wu Shi replied, her tone aloof and flat.
"Yujiao may be childish, but I've never thought of harming anyone, let alone plunging the Zhoushan Great Realm into terror.
Sister Palace Master isn't childish, yet everyone dreads you like vipers and scorpions," Yujiao declared proudly. "Sometimes, it's better to be childish. At least Brother dotes on me the most."
As she spoke, she carried herself like a proud princess.
Wu Shi lowered her gaze. The pristine snow was covered in dirty footprints.
Exquisite delicacies, fit for celestial banquets, lay strewn across the dirt, laced with a faint trace of crimson.
That was the blood Sword Disciple had mixed into the dishes.
Seemingly noticing Wu Shi's gaze, Yujiao pressed her provocation further: "He is my brother, willing to do anything for me. It's just that his blood smells far too pungent."
Wu Shi remained silent, saying nothing.
Then Yujiao suddenly leaned in close. "Brother already knows that you possess the Devouring Primordial Physique."
"Oh."
All Yujiao received in return was a cool, indifferent 'oh.'
With that single syllable, Wu Shi vanished from sight.
Vanishing along with her were the dishes spilled across the snow.
"What you cherish as a treasure, I cast aside like an old shoe."
Leaving those words behind, Yujiao departed Yunmeng Palace as well.
Roughly fifteen minutes later, an aggrieved, pitiful voice echoed.
"Brother, Sister Palace Master was jealous of me. She overturned all the food you cooked for me."
Sword Disciple was silent for a moment.
At last, he asked, "What is jealousy?"
After asking that question, he fell into a brief daze.
For in the past, apart from his three anchors, he seemed not to care about anything in this world—including his master, Wu Shi.
...
The dark undercurrents finally surfaced into the open.
In the past, Sword Disciple had heard the Dao Gods whispering every day.
*Wu Shi wants to destroy the world; Wu Shi wants to devour the Zhoushan Great Realm.*
Sword Disciple had never taken any of it to heart.
Or rather, he had simply devoted himself entirely to growing stronger.
And now, no Dao God dared speak such words to him anymore.
Because Wu Shi had merged Mount Wangzhou and Yunmeng Mountain into one.
A summons had also been placed before Sword Disciple.
*Disciple, I intend to become the true master of Mount Zhou. Assist me.*
*Those who submit to me shall prosper; those who oppose me shall perish.*
Looking at this decree, no one could tell what thoughts crossed Sword Disciple's mind.
However, the panic gripping the Zhoushan Great Realm was very real.
Most critically, when Wu Shi moved Mount Wangzhou to merge it with Yunmeng Mountain, seven Dao Gods could no longer hold back and attacked.
Facing the siege of seven Dao Gods, Wu Shi displayed terrifying combat power, effortlessly wounding four of them and frightening the other three into retreat.
Only then did the world realize that Palace Master Yunmeng was truly the strongest entity in the Zhoushan Great Realm.
Even Sword Disciple, with his illustrious military exploits, seemed no match for his master.
"The Zhoushan Great Realm must unite!"
"Mount Wangzhou cannot be lost!"
"Palace Master Yunmeng is a fiend!"
"She possesses the Devouring Primordial Physique. She surely intends to devour Mount Wangzhou, and then devour the entire Zhoushan Great Realm to empower herself!"
Palace Master Yunmeng's 'wild ambitions' were laid bare for all to see.
All supreme experts had to cooperate to confront this world-ending catastrophe.
Right at this moment,
a divine decree descended from the Nine Heavens Divine Palace.
*"If Sword Disciple slays Wu Shi and resolves the crisis of Mount Zhou, the Heavenly God is willing to take Sword Disciple as his disciple."*
This divine decree turned the eyes of every Dao God red with envy.
The Heavenly God was the master behind the Nine Heavens Divine Palace, its supreme backing.
This mighty being did not reside in the Rebirth Realm, but dwelt high within the Yang Realm.
Even ancient monsters who had passed the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations had to bow their heads before the Heavenly God.
To think that the gaze of such a terrifying entity would fall upon the tiny Zhoushan Great Realm!
One had to know that the Zhoushan Great Realm did not possess a single supreme expert who had survived all Three Calamities and Three Tribulations.
Facing the emissary of the Nine Heavens Divine Palace, Sword Disciple replied:
"I will protect Mount Zhou, but as for becoming the Heavenly God's disciple... there is no need."
Hearing this, all the Dao Gods were stunned, some beating their chests in despair.
The Nine Heavens Divine Palace reached far beyond the Zhoushan Great Realm; rumors even held that their tentacles extended into the Yin Realm.
If one became the Heavenly God's disciple, would that not mean one could use the Nine Heavens Divine Palace to find the 'other self' in other realms to avert calamities?
Surviving the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations would become entirely feasible.
Yet Sword Disciple refused.
Was this Sword Disciple's pride?
Did he not realize what monumental fortune he had just cast away?
The entire Zhoushan Great Realm was engulfed in rising winds and surging clouds.
Palace Master Yunmeng sat at the summit of Yunmeng Mountain, her aura so unfathomably profound that none dared draw near.
The remaining Dao Gods either clustered around Sword Disciple, hoping to stop Palace Master Yunmeng from consuming the world;
or drew close to the Nine Heavens Divine Palace, hatching new schemes;
or... fled far away.
Within the Nine Heavens Divine Palace:
"Sword Disciple actually refused Lord Heavenly God's divine decree!"
"In this world, no one has ever dared refuse a divine decree!"
"He does not know what is good for him!"
"Whether the Zhoushan Realm is destroyed or not does not matter, but Mount Wangzhou must not fall. It is a critical node."
Yet the moment those words fell—
*Rumble!*
The mountains collapsed and the earth tore apart; the heavens wept molten gold, and devastation stretched as far as the eye could see.
"Mount Wangzhou has fallen?!"
"Mount Wangzhou is gone!"
"Yunmeng Mountain... is destroyed as well!"
Every Dao God was gripped by sheer terror.
No one had anticipated that Palace Master Yunmeng would strike beforehand, toppling Mount Wangzhou.
Mount Wangzhou, standing countless tens of thousands of light-years high, snapped in two and crashed down onto Yunmeng Mountain. The spine of the earth fractured, the bedrock of mountains and rivers shattered into dust, and the agonizing wails of living beings lingered endlessly.
All the Dao Gods were panicked, hesitant, and bewildered.
"Now that Mount Wangzhou is destroyed, this place... holds no further value," a Dao God within the Nine Heavens Divine Palace declared.
Thus, on that day, many Dao Gods followed the Nine Heavens Divine Palace and abandoned the Zhoushan Great Realm.
Other Dao Gods turned angrily toward Sword Disciple.
"If you hadn't aided her tyranny, how could Wu Shi have possibly toppled Mount Wangzhou?!"
"If you hadn't refused to stop her this entire time, how could such a catastrophic mistake have occurred?!"
Sword Disciple gripped his sword in silence.
Naturally, such rebukes were loud only in the beginning.
Back when Wu Shi appeared like a pure, harmless 'white lotus,' everyone had accused her of wanting to destroy the world, slandering her endlessly.
Now that she had truly toppled Mount Wangzhou, revealing her terrifying might and sharp fangs,
those resisting her actually dwindled.
In fact, many Dao Gods gathered around Wu Shi instead, venerating her as Palace Master Yunmeng.
Just as they had once crowded around Sword Disciple.
After all, even if the Zhoushan Great Realm were destroyed and countless lives were extinguished,
they were Dao Gods, fully capable of remaining detached.
What did the survival of mortal masses have to do with them?
The once-deserted Yunmeng Palace became bustling once more.
By contrast, Sword Disciple's side grew desolate and empty.
"Lord Sword Disciple, you are the Palace Master's disciple after all. Since the Palace Master intends to devour the Zhoushan Great Realm, we implore you to continue serving her," a God Lord urged.
This was the very same individual who, before Wu Shi demonstrated her formidable power, had urged Sword Disciple to imprison or even execute her.
Now, everything was flipped.
The world was fickle, shifting with the tides of circumstance.
This time, Sword Disciple stood completely alone.
"Lord Sword Disciple, lay down your sword. Palace Master Yunmeng still values the bond between master and disciple."
"You remain the sharpest sword in the Palace Master's hand."
Faced with these voices, Sword Disciple remained unmoved.
Ever since Mount Wangzhou broke, he had not seen his master, nor had Wu Shi come to see him.
It was just like the last time, when he cooked for his master for a hundred thousand years, only to never visit her again.
As if in a petulant huff.
Or perhaps...
Sword Disciple turned a deaf ear to the clamor of the outside world.
"Grow strong. Be kind. Sister."
he murmured, the sword in his hand like flowing fire, like falling snow.
Kindness... kindness...
Why had Master done this?
Ever since he acquired this peerless talent in the sword dao, this was only the second time a true doubt had arisen in his heart.
The first was when he asked what jealousy was; this time, he asked why Master had done this.
He could not understand.
He did not wish to see Yunmeng Mountain fracture, nor countless lives perish in vain.
All of this... had been caused by his master.
Why... did she have to do this?
His doubt came to an abrupt halt three years later.
A broken corpse dropped onto the floor of the hall—it was Yujiao's body.
His sister, one of his three anchors, was dead.
Slain by Wu Shi's own hand.
His heart felt an aching void of loss.
He knew not whether it was because of his sister's death, or because Master had killed her.
...
Snow began to fall once more atop the summit of Yunmeng Mountain, where it had not snowed in ages.
Drifting down alongside the snowflakes were pear blossoms.
Though Yunmeng Mountain had fractured, Yunmeng Palace remained entirely intact.
Upon the nine thousand nine hundred stone steps, all was blanketed in silver.
At the summit, a woman clad in a red fur coat stroked a hand warmer, a smile appearing in her eyes.
"Whenever it snows on Yunmeng Mountain, I know... you have come."
At the foot of the nine thousand nine hundred steps, Sword Disciple raised his head, looking upon this woman he knew better than anyone.
His gaze was calm as ever, and just as detached.
He could not quite understand his master, could not understand Wu Shi.
Just like the vast expanse of steps separating them, he could not fathom Wu Shi's heart, and Wu Shi seemed unable to enter his.
"Shouldn't you begin with... 'Master, I need an explanation'?" Wu Shi said with a soft smile.
"Master, you should not have shattered Mount Wangzhou, you should not have caused billions of lives to perish, and you should not have killed my sister." Sword Disciple looked up at the cold woman standing atop the steps.
She stood so high, as if perched among the clouds.
"Sometimes, death is not the end. Perhaps..."
"...living is the greatest torment."
"By killing them, I am helping them escape the sea of suffering,"
Wu Shi said placidly.
At this moment, she truly carried the unique demeanor of a world-destroying demon.
It was as if all living beings knew only suffering in this world, and death... was the only release.
She was performing an act of benevolence, pulling them from their misery.
Sword Disciple said nothing, merely looking at his master.
After an unknown time, the snow grew tired and paused, snow blanketing their shoulders, painting the entire world in white.
"Master, are you still waiting for that sword?" Sword Disciple asked.
Wu Shi's smile was as enchanting as peach blossoms, yet as pale as pear blossoms.
"Yes."
"I wonder if this disciple's sword can take its place!"
As the words fell, his sword drew forth like snow.
—End of the Sword Disciple Arc—
Chapter 612