Feng jia lin flashed from her position and intercepted Bai li yue's sword that was about to land on another one of her minions. They both flew backwards.

"You came for me, so fight me."

"I didn't come to fight. I came to kill you."

"Then come! We'll have to wait and see who dies."

The remaining students moved back, giving the two of them space. Feng jia lin produced one more silver sword from thin air. They remained suspended in the air beside her. 

"It is still not too late for you. Just quietly return to your place and we'll forget this happened." 

She offered one last time. 

"What is this: a discussion or a fight?" 

Bai li yue shot forward releasing the crimson fire blade skill. Feng jia lin's skin turned a shiny metal and broke through the fire cloud. She arrived in front of Bai li yue in a breath and struck down again trying to catch her unprepared. 

Clank! 

The air rang with the clank of metal. A black sword met two silver swords in a deadly exchange as the two fighters moved in the air in tune to the fatal music of blades.

Bai li yue struck Feng jia lin in the arm and jumped back.  

The two of them landed on the ground. Feng jia lin was breathing hard from the exertion. Bai li yue tightened her grip on her sword. She wasn't a swordmaster but she could hold her own. But these sword spirits were getting on her nerves. They were attacking her while she was busy fighting.

"Stop it! Do you want Bai li yue to die?"

"We'll stop... if you stop merging with her."

"Fine!"

She said through gritted teeth. She'll stop for now but the process couldn't be reversed. It was only a matter of time before the deed had to be done. 

"I'll stop, but you have to do your part in the fight."

"Release her first."

Little black demanded.

"This is not the time!"

She bit out. Explaining to them that this wasn't a possession would take time. It was time she didn't have at the moment. 

Feng jia lin noticed Bai li yue's momentary distraction and sneered. She'd come all this way for a fight and she was not even giving it all her attention. Feng jia lin struck. She would show Bai li yue who was better. The one who deserved to be with Shen duyi was her! 

Bai li yue brought her sword up in time and met the descending sword. She winced as she sank a few inches into the ground. On the other side, little black realised that insisting was a mistake. 

"This isn't over."

The spirit muttered and went silent as it focused on stopping Feng jia lin. Bai li yue ducked and whirled out from the lower position. She was finally free.

Feng jia lin was strong. She was like a battering ram that relied on strength to beat down enemies who failed the initial test of strength. In other areas however, Bai li yue came out on top. Despite clashing several times, there wasn't a definite winner. 

Weak! 

Bai li yue bemoaned her lack of strength. If she was back at her peak, all she'd need was a look to end them all.

I can't continue like this. She will tire me out if I keep on fighting her on her terms. I have a long way to go today. I need to finish this quickly.

Bai li yue made a quick decision and called out to little white. The sword in her hand hummed and changed colour. Little white breezy laugh flowed into her mind as she took over from little black. 

'Let's end this.'

Sun xiqiang rose from his perch high up on the mountain in alarm. He'd been content to sit and watch the two girls settle their differences, but then the girl named Bai li yue was doing something strange.

"Wei zhe, old pal, do you see what I'm seeing? What is she doing?"

Wei zhe's voice came through although it sounded a bit garbled. He also didn't know what she was doing. The light barriers had disrupted communication, but as venerables, they had other means at their disposal. So far, they hadn't been able to break the shields. Their master was more interested in catching the attackers. For now, they were waiting to see what happened next. 

He stroked his beard and studied her stance. He still couldn't figure it out.

"I really don't recognise it. Wait. Let me ask senior Zichen."

After a minute of waiting and still no reply, Sun xiqiang ran out of patience. He could feel the innate danger of the skill she was preparing to use. Better to be safe than sorry. He jumped into the air and landed in the clearing between the two girls. Fortunately, he arrived just as they sprang into action. He sent a gust of wind to push them apart, thereby stopping the fight. 

"Uncle Sun!"

Feng jia lin exclaimed. Sun xiqiang ignored her, turning instead to address Bai li yue. 

"Little girl named Bai li yue, what is the sword skill you are preparing to use called?"

Bai li yue frowned, already cautious of the newcomer. Feng jia lin had just called him uncle. There was no way he was a passerby or impartial.

"Isn't it impolite to ask such an intrusive question? Don't all cultivators have the right to keep their secrets to themselves?"

In a few words, he was properly chastised. He'd been too curious and hadn't thought before speaking. 

"My apologies! I forgot myself since I've never seen a sword skill quite like yours."

"If that's the reason, then kindly excuse us. We are in the middle of something."

She said.

"Feng jia lin, what is going on?"

"Uncle, this slut is out of her mind with jealousy! She wants to kill me before the ceremony tomorrow. Uncle, you have to save me! She's crazy!"

Sun xiqiang knew Feng jia lin wasn't telling the truth. He knew her well enough to know that. She'd been spoiled by her father and he knew this wasn't the first time someone had come looking for justice or vengeance. Despite knowing this, he still had to intervene. She was the daughter of his best friend and his ward. She'd joined the Sword mountain sect only because of him. He would not be able to look her father in the eye if anything happened to his precious daughter while she under his care.

"Girl called Bai li yue, why don't you let things go? The sect is now under a state of emergency, but once things settle down, you will still be held responsible for killing your fellow students."

He warned pointing at the dried husks of the students she'd killed and sucked dry. 

"Don't make it worse for yourself."

"Uncle, just kill her now! My father told me that mercy will come back to bite me. Sooner or later, a person like her will try to kill me again, if i let her go."

Feng jia lin urged. Sun xiqiang was indulgent toward his ward but in this case, he had to let her down.

"Hush, Xiao lin! Girl named Bai li yue, go back now and consider this matter settled."

Bai li yue's answer was to raise her guard. She wasn't scared of a venerable, she had the two sword spirits. It was the other person she was wary of. His position was impossible to pinpoint but she could sense his presence. 

He wasn't a sage.

Hmmm… a sovereign. 

She had to be on her guard.

"Little girl, you shouldn't be too stubborn. You're still a sapling. Learning how to bend won't kill you."

In the past, Bai li yue would have listened. But that was the old her. Today, she will only move forward.   

"I have already said it. Anybody who stands in my way will taste my sword. I don't care if you are a venerable. I will kill you too if you try to stop me!"

"Arrogance and ignorance are the advantages of youth and wisdom and instruction, the responsibility of adults. I shall take it upon myself to teach you."

He gathered a gale of fierce winds in the length of his sleeve and directed them at her  in a powerful attack. The winds were meant to throw her down the mountain, but Bai li yue was prepared. She recited the first mantra of the soul sword formula as she cut through the gale with surefooted steps and slashed at him.

"In the thirteenth year of the Ruxi war, 

wading through a sea of bodies. 

Dreams filled with endless bloodshed. 

Enemy and comrade were one and the same. My blade was blind. 

I transformed into a butcher. 

My purpose for living is simple.

My mission, a holy one

I shall sever your soul from your flesh.

To end this war, I shall extinguish all souls.

All the souls before me."

Curious about the effect and strength of the sword skill, Sun xiqiang didn't evade the attack or protect himself. He caught the damage in his torso and came crashing to his knees, grunting in pain.

"Uncle!"

Feng jia lin cried from behind him. Normally, she would have rushed to his side, but when death rears its head, even a mother could turn against her child. Bai li yue had brought even her uncle to his knees - and he was realms above her in strength. What would she do to her when she was done with Uncle Sun? For the first time, she felt true fear for her life. She didn't wish to die. Her father hadn't taught her how to deal with this kind of fear. Feng jia lin's only thought was to save herself. She stepped away from the injured Sun xiqiang. She had to escape as discreetly and quickly as possible while Bai li yue was occupied.

Meanwhile, Bai li yue pressed on when Sun xiqiang fell to his knees, she approached him ready to strike again. But fortunately for him, the hidden spectator revealed himself in time. Immense pressure filled the area around them as he released his aura. Bai li yue's steps slowed to a stop under the pressure. It was like wading through neck high mud. She looked up at the old man who stood not too far away.

"You finally show yourself."

He looked at her for a long moment and with a simple grabbing gesture, pulled the fallen venerable to his side.

"Mas-ter!"

"Little Sun, when will you stop being careless?"

"I was curious."

"How many times have I told you? There are some things you are better off not knowing."

"I was wrong."

"As long as you know. I won't be around every time to save you. 

He passed Sun xiqiang a translucent pill the colour of amber.

"Rest. Your wounds will take time to heal."

"Thank you, master."

When he was sure that his disciple was in no great danger, he turned to Bai li yue.

"Child, what you practise is no doubt a great legacy. Do not besmirch it with the useless bloodshed."

"Useless?!"

Bai li yue growled, taking offense at his use of that word. She remembered Meixiu's false friendship. She remembered the fear and pain she'd felt falling into the abyss. Feng jia lin had attacked her without provocation. Even now, she could still feel Shen duyi's eyes on her body. All that and he called it useless?! The banked flames burned brightly once more as she relived the suffering.

"My very existence depends on washing their sins from my soul. There is nothing useless about this. They must all pay for what they did to me!"

Hai bolin, known to his friends and enemies as Sovereign Divine eye shook his head. After a lifetime of travelling, he'd put his tumultuous days behind him and settled down in the Sword mountain sect. He got his sovereign title thanks to the Divine eye pierces heavenly secrets skill. The secret skill opened his third eye. Using it, he had bypassed the veil and sensed the great power dormant in her. The veil around her had been stronger than usual, but Divine eye pierces heavenly secrets demonstrated its power. He glimpsed a few flashes of Bai li yue's past. Most of them made no sense to him, but in one particular sliver of recent memory, he saw her crying out to the heavens in despair. Anger and hatred dominated her thoughts and revenge became her life's purpose. He knew that there would be no stopping her until her anger was assuaged. She would wreak havoc until she was stopped or she achieved her aim. Such a dangerous person had to be stopped. As sect protector, it was his duty to protect the sect.

However, Hai bolin never made a move without considering all the possibilities. His invisible third eye went into overdrive as he peered into the future. 

Annihilation.

The images chilled his soul. She won't stop. Even in death, she won't stop until she got her revenge.

He looked to his disciple, Sun xiqiang. He knew how precious his ward was to him. He knew there was no amount of persuasion that could sway the girl, but he had to try.

"You might not believe me now, but the repercussions of her death will follow you till the end of the world."

"I want nothing but her death. I will live with the consequences."

It didn't look like a coincidence that she had entered the Sword mountain sect while it was experiencing a bizarre occurrence. A quick glance at the light barriers around the sect gave him an idea of the perpetrator's intention. Numerous elders stuck inside the barriers and unable to mobilise or communicate. Students were stuck in their courtyards until further notice. The whole sect was paralysed. The barriers had withstood several attacks from him and didn't show any signs of weakening. He wasn't knowledgeable about formation circles, but he'd broken his fair share of them through brute force. This was his first time since reaching the sovereign realm that he was stumped. 

He'd made a few conjectures. He was now further convinced after seeing Bai li yue in person. 

Hai bolin summed all that he knew of the situation and Bai li yue in his mind. A moment later, he arrived at a decision and a course of action that would involve the least amount of damage. He moved all of a sudden.

Bam!

The space between him moving and acting was no longer than a heartbeat. His rippling palm hit Feng jia lin in the chest. Her eyes widened in shock at the unexpected attack. The bones holding her upright cracked as the force travelled through her body. She fell to the ground, dead. Her death was brutal and clinical. It was an execution.

"Master! No!"

Gongsun xiqiang roared in disbelief and rushed to Feng jia lin's side. 

"Master, what have you done?!"

"She is dead. The debt of blood she owed is paid. Now leave my sect!"

Bai li yue was the most surprised by the unexpected turn of events. She had been preparing herself to block his strike the second he'd moved without warning. However, he hadn't moved toward her but toward Feng jia lin, killing her as a result. She watched the unmoving corpse in Sun xiqiang's arms. Feng jia lin was dead. Bai li yue turned around and left.