The next day.
The sun blazed overhead, a cloudless sky heralding perfect weather.
At the Yu family estate, the courtyard buzzed with activity. One sword cultivator after another arrived to pay a visit.
"Tianxing Sect: Cheng Yu."
"Loose cultivator: Yuan Fei."
"Mingyu Sect: Xia He."
One by one, sword dao prodigies announced their names. Those with some renown were invited in directly. The unknowns, however, had to undergo the Sword Testing Stone's challenge at the gate.
Only those who could leave a mark with their swordsmanship would be granted entry.
Standing high above, Yu Lin watched the procession of sword cultivators from afar.
He was waiting for someone.
Ever since Yu Songnian entered the city, Yu Lin had secretly sent people to track him. But Yu Songnian was cautious. His people never managed to find a trace of him.
But today…
Today, Yu Songnian was bound to appear.
Surely he hadn't come all this way to Lin City just to toy with a few gatekeeping disciples?
No. He was here for the Sword Domain.
Yet Yu Lin had waited for quite a while, and still, Yu Songnian hadn't shown himself. A flicker of doubt surfaced in his expression.
Could it be that Yu Songnian caught sight of the Yuehua Sect disciples and got cold feet?
Yu Lin chuckled mockingly.
That was certainly possible.
But if Yu Songnian thought hiding would save him, he couldn't be more wrong.
The Yuehua Sect had already promised him: once the Sword Domain was settled, they'd accompany him to Tianxing Sect.
What could a mere mid-tier sect do to refuse Yuehua Sect?
Sooner or later, Yu Songnian would have nowhere left to hide.
Just as Yu Lin was thinking this—
In the distance.
A man in black, and a girl with a mischievous, childlike air, arrived side by side.
Yu Lin narrowed his eyes. Then he smiled.
Well, well.
He had underestimated Yu Songnian. The man actually dared to come.
Good. Better to settle this sooner than later.
"May I have your names?" a Yu family disciple asked politely.
Yu Songnian's expression didn't change. "Tianxing Sect, Yu Songnian."
Yun Jin, on the other hand, smiled cheerfully. "Tianxing Sect, Yun Jin."
Tianxing Sect?
Yu Songnian?
The disciple had never seen Yu Songnian in person, but he'd heard the name. His pupils shrank on instinct, and he immediately took a defensive stance.
The other Yu family disciples noticed something was off. They rushed over and drew their swords, surrounding Yu Songnian and Yun Jin.
Yun Jin raised her eyebrows. "What's the meaning of this, Yu family? You open your gates wide, calling for sword dao talents to break the Sword Domain. We travel across a thousand miles to answer, and this is how you greet your guests?"
"Guests?" a disciple sneered at her, his face twisted with hatred. "You wicked woman, how dare you show your face here again!"
Yun Jin glanced at him and suddenly looked enlightened. "Ah, you're that one who knelt and begged me for mercy the other day. I didn't recognize you at first."
The disciple's face turned bright red with rage. "This is the Yu family! And you dare behave so arrogantly? I'll—"
"You'll what? Kneel again?" Yun Jin's gaze sharpened slightly.
The disciple had been about to charge forward.
But under that look, his body froze. He didn't dare move.
If he embarrassed himself again, he'd never be able to show his face in public.
Up above, Yu Lin squinted and turned to Yu Liangping. "Yu Songnian's arrived. Seems he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Go. Take him down. Yu Songnian has no right to step foot in the Sword Domain."
Yu Liangping smiled faintly. "Understood, Father."
He turned and descended the stairs, eyes full of disdain.
Yu Songnian had once been a peerless genius of the Yu family.
But now?
He was nothing but a complete cripple.
He had to hide behind a woman at the city gates — just how useless could he be?
Since he'd walked straight into their hands, he wouldn't be walking out again.
At the gate, tension hung thick in the air.
Then came Yu Liangping's calm voice: "Brother. It's been a while."
The Yu family disciples quickly parted. Yu Liangping stepped through the crowd, smiling as he approached Yu Songnian.
He looked Yu Songnian up and down and feigned shock. "Brother, you were once the Yu family's unrivaled genius. When you left, you were still at peak Core Formation. But now? Your cultivation isn't even stable at that stage. What is this? Cultivating in reverse?"
He sighed dramatically. "Brother, let me give you a bit of advice. In cultivation, talent comes first. A useless man like you might as well give up now. Be a good dog, and you might just survive."
Yu Liangping's voice was full of scorn.
Around them, aside from Yu family disciples, a crowd had started to gather, watching curiously.
Yu Songnian?
That Yu family failure?
He really had the guts to show up.
Yu Songnian stared at Yu Liangping, voice cold. "I see now. That's how you survived. After all, you, and the entire Yu family, have become Yuehua Sect's dogs."
Yu Liangping's face twisted.
"You dare insult my sect? Yu Songnian, do you want to die?"
"I'm just stating the truth," Yu Songnian said flatly. "And I wasn't insulting your sect. I was insulting you."
Yun Jin glanced at Yu Songnian in surprise and gave a low whistle. Their quiet, withdrawn Third Senior Brother had somehow become a sharp-tongued warrior after arriving in Lin City.
Yu Liangping's face turned green.
"Yu Songnian!" he growled through clenched teeth. "Your cultivation hasn't improved, but your mouth certainly has. Come on, draw your sword! Let's see if your swordplay is as sharp as your tongue!"
Yu Songnian snorted and reached for his sword.
Yun Jin stepped forward, voice ringing out. "What's the meaning of this, Yu family? We came to help break the Sword Domain, and this is how you treat your guests? All these talents have traveled from every corner of the world to aid your cause, and you, Yu Liangping, raise your sword at the slightest provocation? What, will you drive away all the heroes of the land?"
Yu Liangping said coldly, "Yu Songnian is a traitor to the Yu family. What's wrong with capturing him?"
"A traitor?" Yun Jin nodded. "Then tell me. What exactly did my Third Senior Brother do to betray the Yu family? Is there a specific charge? Has it been confirmed by the elders' council?"
Yu Liangping frowned. "This is the Yu family's internal matter. I don't need to explain it to an outsider."
Yun Jin laughed coldly, her voice suddenly louder. "Don't need to, or don't dare to? You and your father killed the former patriarch and drove out his only heir. Now you tremble at the thought of letting my Third Senior Brother through your gate. Isn't it because you're afraid he'll expose your lies?"
"Insolent!" Yu Liangping roared, fury overtaking him. Forgetting Yu Songnian for a moment, he slashed at Yun Jin with his sword.
Yun Jin snorted and summoned Tai'a to her hand.
Truthfully, she didn't need Tai'a to handle Yu Liangping.
But this time—
She wasn't just here to win.
She was here to make a statement.
Tai'a met Yu Liangping's sword qi head-on. The blade shone with a brilliance like the midday sun, slicing through the attack and devouring it entirely.
Yu Liangping's face changed. He looked up at the blazing light and trembled uncontrollably.
That sword—
He couldn't stop it.
He had no way to resist it at all.
Was he really going to die here today?
As terror gripped Yu Liangping, the sword light swept over his head and struck the Sword Testing Stone behind him.
The stone — once thought unbreakable — shattered into powder on impact.
Silence.
The entire courtyard fell still.
Yu Liangping's legs were still shaking. He turned slowly to look at the now nonexistent Sword Testing Stone — and began trembling even harder.
Then—
Someone in the crowd gasped. "Did Young Master Yu just... wet himself?"