Chapter 31: Who Dares Invade My World

This place was once marked by three Sword Monuments. To pass the trial, one only needed to infuse sword intent into all three without suffering backlash. But those three monuments had vanished, replaced now by layers of violet mist.

“How strange,” even Xia Jiuxuan could not help but frown. He found himself unable to discern the origin of this violet fog. He had created this world himself—how could there be anything within it unknown to him?

After some contemplation, Xia Jiuxuan deduced the likely answer: someone had invaded his world. He had expelled this realm from his body thousands of years ago. In all that time, it had drifted, ownerless, throughout the void; it was entirely possible that another powerful being had discovered and entered it. This development added a new, unexpected complication to Xia Jiuxuan’s original plans.

“Hmph, daring to invade my world—I would very much like to see who, or what, you are,” Xia Jiuxuan’s gaze grew cold as he unleashed his spiritual sense to probe the fourth floor of the Sword Tower. Soon, he detected a faint, foreign soul presence.

“Ranran, stay right here and don't move. Your second father will be right back.”

“All right, Second Father.” Seeing the grave look on Xia Jiuxuan’s face, Xia Ran knew something bad must have happened again, so she nodded obediently. Listening to Second Father was always the right thing to do.

With a swish, Xia Jiuxuan shot forward, his figure vanishing into the swirling violet mist.

A thunderous crash echoed out as the fog rolled, and a surge of wild spear intent swept through the air.

He was forced to stagger backwards after releasing a single spear strike.

“So, it’s not a pure soul form!” Xia Jiuxuan was startled. He had assumed that the soul presiding over the fourth floor of the tower was only that—a soul. Unexpectedly, the intruder still possessed a physical body. This rendered his spiritual attacks and slaughter domain useless. Thus, he summoned all his spear intent and charged toward the presence.

But as soon as he attacked, he encountered a powerful resistance—specifically, a formidable sword intent that sent him reeling.

“Well now, your spear intent is impressive,” came a voice from within the violet mist, as the vague silhouette of a woman appeared and disappeared.

“Who are you, and why are you here in this tower?” Xia Jiuxuan’s consciousness locked tightly onto the faint soul aura before him.

“I am the spirit of the tower, of course I should be here,” the woman replied.

“Nonsense.” Xia Jiuxuan raised his spear, preparing to attack again. “You are clearly not a spirit of this world—how dare you try to deceive me?”

A soft sound of surprise issued from the violet fog. “You... you seem quite extraordinary.” After a moment’s silence, the woman continued, “More extraordinary than you appear.”

“Far more than you can imagine,” Xia Jiuxuan replied coolly.

“Oh? Such arrogance, little one. If you knew who I was—no, never mind. My status is not something you could comprehend.”

She cut herself off mid-sentence. Xia Jiuxuan did not press the matter, merely asked, “What are you doing in this tower?”

The woman's figure stepped out from the ethereal haze—a tall, stunning beauty clad in purple gauze, with sword-shaped pupils that shone as brilliantly as stars. She stood still, her gaze seeming to drift into the distance. “Waiting for someone destined to come.”

A faint smirk played on Xia Jiuxuan’s lips. “You put on such airs—I thought you’d be someone truly remarkable, but in the end, you’re just a Sword Sovereign.”

At his words, her eyes narrowed sharply. “You actually know about the Sword Sovereign?”

Xia Jiuxuan ignored her, his tone indifferent. “Not only do I know of the Sword Sovereign, but I’ve slain no fewer than thirty thousand of them myself.”

He had once swept through the ages, sometimes slaying over a hundred Grand Saints in a single stroke. As for Sovereign-level cultivators, they were like weeds before him; he didn’t even know how many he had cut down.

The woman suddenly smiled, baring her teeth slightly. “Arrogant brat! Making up wild tales—do you really think you can scare me off? The humans of this world are truly naive.”

Xia Jiuxuan shot her a contemptuous glance. “You think you’re looking down on others from the tenth floor, not realizing that those on the hundredth floor are laughing at your foolishness.”

At this, the woman’s anger flared. “Enough! I didn’t want to kill you, but your arrogance leaves me no choice. If I don’t, you’ll be dead in this world anyway. I’ll grant you an early reincarnation.”

Xia Jiuxuan remained utterly unperturbed. “With your meager cultivation at the eighth level of the Profound-Yellow Infinite Sword Dao, you think you’re fit to kill me? And besides, your sword soul is seventy percent shredded, your sword core has already burst, and the sword laws of this world are in conflict with your own. With what will you kill me?”

His words left the woman’s face nearly green with frustration. Yet her heart pounded in shock. After a moment, she looked at Xia Jiuxuan with astonishment. “You can discern my origins so clearly!”

Xia Jiuxuan replied with a cold smile, “Now you’re unsettled? If I’m not mistaken, your ancestor was the Infinite Sword Lord of the Heavenly Profound Realm. As for you, you’re just some remote descendant of that lineage—nothing but trash in my eyes. You dare to act arrogant before me? Tell me yourself, are you worthy?”

The woman was utterly dumbfounded by his words. She stood there in a daze for a long while before finally recovering. “This... friend, are you also a descendant of the Sword Lord? Otherwise, how could you know all this?”

It was the only explanation she could think of. This young man was probably not from this world either, and perhaps shared her ancestral lineage.

But Xia Jiuxuan’s answer left her utterly stupefied. “His descendant? He’s not even qualified. I once passed through the Heavenly Profound Realm and nearly slew him with a single sword. Later, that lad shamelessly waited on me hand and foot, so I gave him a pointer or two. That’s how he became a Sword Lord. It’s as simple as that.”

“You’re lying... How could a mere youth like you have met my ancestor?” she blurted out, unable to believe such an outrageous claim.

“Do I need your belief?” Xia Jiuxuan’s expression darkened, though in truth he rather hoped she would believe him—for with his current strength, he truly could not defeat her.

With that, he drew forth a black broken sword and began to recite: “True thunder of Heaven and Earth, wielded by the sword. Majestic heavenly might, summoned by the blade. Reverse the sword veins, shatter the sword core. Break and unite—the sign of the sword’s nirvana...”

In an instant, a wisp of mysterious yellow sword intent flowed from the blade, circling the woman’s neck.

“Aah!” The woman shrieked and dropped to her knees with a thud.

What he had recited was the highest secret art of the Profound-Yellow Infinite Sword. She had only ever heard of it, let alone mastered a single line. Yet this youth had spoken the entire incantation, and conjured a strand of flawless Profound-Yellow sword intent.

She could not help but believe him.

In truth, the incantation was genuine, but the sword intent was only simulated by Xia Jiuxuan’s soul power through the black sword. Had it been real, he would have been unable to withstand its force and would have died.

“Li Luoyan pays her respects, Senior. I was blind and offended you just now. Please forgive me.”

Li Luoyan no longer dared harbor a shred of doubt toward Xia Jiuxuan. In this strange world, she could no longer find any reason to question him.

“At least you know your place. Get up,” Xia Jiuxuan waved his hand. Only then did Li Luoyan manage to compose herself, bowing twice before rising to her feet.

“Senior, I beg you—please save me, show me a way out,” she pleaded with a face full of sorrow, bowing low.

“Stop right there—don’t try that with me. If you want something from me, you’ll have to offer something of equal value in exchange. Otherwise, forget it.”

That was Xia Jiuxuan’s principle. It didn’t matter if you were a peerless beauty or a fairy in the flesh—it held no sway over him. He only did business, never favors.