As the toll of the Dao Bell continued to echo in Sea-Sealing County’s Swordsage Palace, back in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, Zhang Siyun stood atop the staircase over Netherflight City, his face grim and his heart filled with indescribable, fiery emotions.7

He had been widely known as the top figure among the younger generation in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. He had grown used to being the center of attention. And yet on this day, he experienced the rare sensation of being an actor playing a supporting role, with no choice but to watch someone else shine brilliantly. His heart filled with even more complex emotions when he thought about how his mother and Sect Grandfather were waiting for news in Sea-Sealing County. Xu Qing had ruined everything for him, and as a result, hatred took root in his very bones.31

If Xu Qing hadn’t pulled a fast one on him, he would have achieved his goal. After all, he hadn’t been after the life lamp in that log cabin, but rather, something else inside. But his hopes had gone up in smoke. He would just have to wait until the next time the Swordsage Court lifted the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar, and there was no telling how many years would have to pass before that happened.5

Mother is going...3