Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 696 - 345: A Fall From Which There is No Return

Chapter 696: Chapter 345: A Fall From Which There is No Return

Sword Storage Tower, inside the Ninth Layer’s Trial Room.

Standing before Jiang Shouzhong was a woman.

A woman who couldn’t be called beautiful, but whose facial features were sharply defined and whose aura carried a distinctive charm.

This was the sword corpse slave of the Ninth Layer.

Possessing Feathered Transformation’s power.

Back then, because she refused the pursuit of the relentless admirer Gu Chengxin, took the benefits and fled, she was ultimately captured by Gu Chengxin, turned into a sword corpse slave, and stationed at the top of the Sword Storage Tower.

Condemned to guard the Taoist Ancestor Sword Manual for all eternity.

Jiang Shouzhong circled around the woman, and, unable to contain his curiosity, pinched her cheek.

The sensation was ice-cold and rigid, like pinching a piece of dried sheepskin.

"Can’t see what’s so alluring about you."

Jiang Shouzhong scrutinized her face, shook his head, and muttered, "That Sect Leader Gu sure has eccentric tastes—or perhaps he’s simply never seen a woman before?"

He bypassed the sword corpse slave and examined the Taoist Ancestor Sword Manual engraved on the walls.

Unlike the manuals from the other six trial rooms, the characters carved on the walls here carried a distinct intensity of Sword Qi—each character like a sword, its edge unmistakably sharp.

This was likely personally engraved by Sect Leader Gu.

"All Swords Return to the Sect?"

Upon seeing the name of the sword manual, Jiang Shouzhong’s eyes lit up.

Just the name carried an extraordinary sense of grandeur.

Jiang Shouzhong leaned in closer to examine it carefully, softly reading out:

"In the beginning, there was the Tao. The Tao birthed one, one birthed two, two birthed three, three birthed all things... The sword moves when intent arises, the sword arrives when the will reaches... The Tao has no beginning or end, and the sword is boundless..."

Though the manual was profound, Jiang Shouzhong could grasp its essence thanks to prior teachings from Yan Changqing.

This "All Swords Return to the Sect" was a masterpiece of the Taoist Ancestor, able to counter all martial arts under heaven and turn defense into offense in moments of adversity.

Moreover, it did not depend on physical swords but rather formed through the practitioner’s Inner Strength, releasing exceedingly sharp Sword Qi capable of striking from afar with staggering power.

Though it sounded impressive, mastering it would be quite tricky.

First, it required a pure sword heart.

Second, it consumed immense Inner Strength, necessitating a continuous and substantial reserve; otherwise, one might exhaust themselves before completing the technique and die from depletion.

However, for Jiang Shouzhong, with the Taoist River Map at his disposal, none of this was an issue.

The River Map’s two Yin Yang Small Swords could serve as his sword heart.

And the River Map could supply endless Inner Strength. Furthermore, he had absorbed Xia He’s Heavenly Destiny Pearl, providing him with unique restorative and supplementary effects.

Jiang Shouzhong rubbed his nose with force, stretched his sore waist, and diligently memorized the Sword Manual’s heart formula before stepping out of the trial room.

"Congratulations, Master-Nephew, for completing the final trial of the Sword Storage Tower."

As soon as he stepped past the barrier’s stone door, an amiable-looking old man greeted him with a sunny smile.

Master-Nephew?

Jiang Shouzhong looked bewildered.

He turned back, glanced at himself, and asked, pointing, "Sir, are you addressing me?"

Sect Master Qi approached with warmth, took his arm in a hearty grip, and laughed, "Of course, it’s you. Yan Changqing and I once apprenticed under the same master; he’s my junior brother. His disciple, therefore, is my Master-Nephew. Ah, by the way, I am Sect Master Qi, leader of Zhenxuan Mountain."

Sect Master!?

Jiang Shouzhong started in shock.

Examining this elder who looked more like a rustic farmer, he clasped his hands in respect and curiously asked, "Didn’t Taoist Yun say earlier that you and the elders were handling important matters and absent from the sect?"

Sect Master Qi maintained his cheerful demeanor: "Indeed, these past few days have been rather busy, so I neglected to welcome you properly, but fortunately everything is now resolved."

The old man could lie without batting an eye, radiating sincerity.

Jiang Shouzhong nodded, his curiosity unabated. "Sect Master Qi, you mentioned that you and my master were fellow disciples, but my master has never mentioned you before."

Sect Master Qi waved dismissively. "It’s a complicated story—no need to elaborate. The point is, those who understand, understand. Regardless, it’s a fact that you, Jiang Mo, are my Master-Nephew, which makes you one of us at Zhenxuan Mountain."

Jiang Shouzhong was dumbfounded.

How did he suddenly become part of Zhenxuan Mountain?

Seeing that Sect Master Qi was serious and not joking, Jiang Shouzhong’s expression twitched twice before he said, "Sect Master Qi, I think this matter should at least be discussed with my master, and my opinion should be asked as well."

"Discuss? Ask your opinion?"

Sect Master Qi appeared slightly displeased. "Let me give you an analogy: your father married two wives. You’re born to the first wife, and later he has a daughter with the second wife. Is that daughter not your sister?"

"But..."

"Should whether she’s your sister depend on your or her opinion? Aren’t you all family?"

"The thing is..."

"Or do you think she should be your wife instead?"

"..."

Under Sect Master Qi’s torrent of reasoning, Jiang Shouzhong was rendered speechless.

What kind of absurd logic was this?

Was this even the same situation?

Sect Master Qi, satisfied with Jiang Shouzhong’s silence, nodded approvingly and patted his shoulder with a heartfelt expression. "Master-Nephew, do you know why Yan Changqing sent you to Zhenxuan Mountain? It’s to bring you home."

Home?

If it weren’t for Master Luoxue’s company, this "home" would probably have been a fleeting glimpse before he was thrown off the mountain.

Jiang Shouzhong muttered inwardly.

Sect Master Qi, his gaze complex, looked toward the wall embedded with shimmering green jade.

"I never expected Master-Nephew to complete the trial, but I must admit, I’m curious—Master-Nephew’s cultivation rests around Heaven Desolation Boundary, while the sword corpse slave here possesses Feathered Transformation’s power. How did Master-Nephew manage to defeat her?"

Jiang Shouzhong replied with perfect seriousness, "My master taught me a secret technique that cannot be disclosed."

Sect Master Qi furrowed his brows deeply.