“Chapter 158: In Front of the Sword-Questioning Stone! Senior Sister, Your Sword Heart is in Disarray!”

As Jiang Wanqing's resolute sword strike fell, although it was blocked by Gu Lan—

the layer of window paper between the two of them was completely pierced—it was poked into a huge hole, the kind that was still letting the wind leak through.

On Qingyun Square, the atmosphere was awkward to the extreme.

The Righteous Path Disciples wore faces full of indignation, feeling that the Senior Sister had met the wrong person; the Demonic Sect Disciples wore looks of watching a show, feeling that Lord Sword-Wielding Envoy's charm was boundless.

"Cough, cough!"

The Qingyun Sect Master sitting atop the high platform finally couldn't bear to watch any longer.

A perfectly fine Sword Trial Conference was forcefully turned into a melodramatic romance scene by these two juniors. What kind of propriety is this?

He coughed heavily twice, his voice imbued with the coercion of the Soul Transformation Stage instantly sweeping across the entire venue, forcibly shattering the still-lingering atmosphere of sorrow (and gossip).

"Personal grudges are temporarily put aside!"

"The auspicious hour has arrived; the Sword Trial Conference officially begins!"

With a wave of his large sleeves,

the ground in the center of the square rumbled and split open.

A huge boulder standing ten zhang tall, pitch-black throughout, and exuding an ancient and vicissitudinous aura slowly rose.

The surface of the stone was covered with crisscrossing sword marks, each containing a different Sword Intent—some like raging fires burning across the plains, some like murmuring streams, some overbearing, and some gentle yet insidious.

This was the Qingyun Sect's supreme treasure—the Sword-Questioning Stone.

"The first stage: Testing the Sword Heart!"

The Qingyun Sect Master said in a clear voice:

"All participants must attack the Sword-Questioning Stone with their own Sword Intent."

"Those who leave a mark of one inch are qualified; three inches are excellent; five inches are Prodigies!"

"As for those who go deeper…"

He stroked his beard and smiled, his gaze sweeping over the top Disciples present.

"Ever since the Sword-Questioning Stone was established, only the founding Ancestral Master from a thousand years ago managed to leave a nine-inch mark, stunning the world!"

"Today, who dares to be this first person?"

As soon as his voice fell,

"I'll do it!"

without the slightest hesitation or humility,

Jiang Wanqing carried the hanshuang sword, carrying an un-dissipated chill, and walked straight toward the Sword-Questioning Stone.

At this moment, her eyes were hollow and cold, as if her heart had just died once.

"It's Senior Sister Jiang!"

"The Senior Sister is going to turn grief and anger into strength!"

The Righteous Path Disciples all held their breath.

Jiang Wanqing stood in front of the giant stone, not rushing to draw her sword.

She closed her eyes, and what flashed through her mind were all the bits and pieces with Gu Lan in Nuanxiang Pavilion—

the meals he cooked, the injuries he suffered, his profile when looking at the stars on the roof, and just now… his resoluteness when holding the Demonic Sect enchantress.

"The word 'love' is the most hurtful of all."

Two lines of clear tears slid down her exquisitely beautiful face.

But the moment the tears fell, they condensed into two crystal-clear ice beads.

"Since he cannot be kept, then… let's sever it!"

"Clang—!!!"

The hanshuang sword was unsheathed.

This sword strike had no fancy Moves, only ultimate coldness, and ultimate… pain!

"Severing Love!"

"Boom!"

A blue-and-white sword light heavily slashed onto the Sword-Questioning Stone.

The incomparably hard Sword-Questioning Stone trembled violently, emitting an unbearable wail.

Frost instantly covered half of the stone's surface.

When the frost dissipated,

an unfathomably deep sword mark abruptly appeared on the stone surface.

"One inch… three inches… five inches…"

The Elder responsible for the measurement was shaking in his voice.

"Seven inches! It's actually seven inches!"

"Good heavens! This is the best result in nearly a hundred years!"

The entire audience was in an uproar.

"Is this the Heartless Sword Dao? It's too terrifying!"

"It seems the Senior Sister has truly given up…"

Jiang Wanqing withdrew her sword, her face devoid of any joy, and only coldly turned back to give Gu Lan a look.

That gaze seemed to say:

"Look, without you, I am even stronger."

Gu Lan felt a sharp pain in his heart, almost failing to hold back from rushing up to hug her.

"Senior Sister, this isn't severing love at all, this is clearly heartbreak!"

"Hmph, putting on an act."

Saintess Ji Wushuang by the side curled her lips, her face full of displeasure.

"Isn't it just a breakup? Making it look like her whole family died."

She pushed Gu Lan.

"Blockhead! Go up!"

"Crush her fiercely for this Palace!"

"Let her know what it means to have people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens!"

Gu Lan smiled bitterly.

"Shuanger, is there any need? Senior Sister's emotions are unstable right now…"

"Less nonsense!"

Saintess Ji Wushuang glared.

"You are the Demonic Sect's Sword-Wielding Envoy! You represent the face of my Heavenly Demon Palace!"

"If you lose to a woman (even though she is one herself), when we go back, I'll have the Sect Master throw you into the Myriad Snake Cave!"

Helpless, Gu Lan could only bite the bullet and walk out.

With this movement of his, the audience's gazes focused once more.

"That Demonic Sect traitor has gone up!"

"Hmph, let's see how much capability he has!"

"He probably won't even be able to leave a three-inch mark, right? After all, he climbed up by eating soft rice."

Facing the mockery around him, Gu Lan turned a deaf ear.

He walked in front of the Sword-Questioning Stone, looked at the sword mark above whose chill had not yet completely dissipated, reached out, and gently stroked it.

"Senior Sister, your heart… is in disarray."

He sighed softly.

Although this sword mark was deep, its edges were somewhat messy, revealing the unease of the person who struck it.

"In that case, let me help you… stabilize it."

Gu Lan's gaze condensed, and he slowly pulled out the soul-devouring sword at his waist.

"[Big Boss, Big Boss! Is it my turn to shine?]"

"[Do you want me to swallow this crappy stone directly? Give Big Boss some face?]"

The Soul-Devouring Sword Spirit shouted excitedly in his mind.

"Don't mess around, just leave a mark, don't exaggerate too much."

Gu Lan warned in his heart.

He was currently an undercover agent; although he needed to establish his authority, he couldn't show off too much against the heavens, otherwise those Righteous Path old monsters would target him and slice him up.

"Rise!"

Gu Lan held the sword with one hand, and the Purple Extreme Golden Core within his body circulated.

An incomparably overbearing Devilish Qi, mixed with a trace of imperceptible Pure Yang Fire, poured into the sword body.

The soul-devouring sword instantly became excited, purple light surging wildly, emitting a roar resembling a dragon's roar.

"Slash!"

Gu Lan casually swung a sword strike.

A seemingly light and airy sword strike, the moment it contacted the Sword-Questioning Stone, erupted with a bizarre suction force.

"Hum—"

The Sword-Questioning Stone didn't tremble violently like just now; instead, it seemed like…

enjoying it?

Where the sword blade passed, the hard black stone split open silently like tofu.

There were no flying gravels, no earth-shattering movements.

Only a neat, smooth, and unfathomably deep crack spread across the stone surface.

One inch, three inches, five inches, seven inches…

The sword mark was still deepening!

Until—

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound.

That Sword-Questioning Stone that had stood for a thousand years actually split open with several tiny cracks centered on Gu Lan's sword mark!

"What the fuck?!"

Gu Lan's hand shook, and he hurriedly withdrew his sword.

"[Oops! Used too much force! Sorry, Big Boss! This stone is too fragile!]"

The sword spirit quickly shifted the blame.

The audience once again fell into dead silence.

The Elder responsible for the measurement opened his mouth wide, shaking off a few beard hairs.

He measured with a ruler for a long time, and finally tremblingly reported a number:

"Eight… eight inches and nine fractions!"

"Only one fraction short of tying the Ancestral Master!"

"And… this Sword Intent also seemed to carry a trace of… corrosive force, even destroying the internal structure of the Sword-Questioning Stone!"

"Boom!"

The crowd completely exploded.

"Eight inches and nine fractions?!"

"How is this possible?! He's a traitor, what right does he have to such high attainments in the Sword Dao?!"

"It must be the merit of that Demonic sword! That's cheating!"

The Righteous Path Disciples were so sour their teeth were about to fall out.

As for the Demonic Sect side, cheers thundered.

"Lord Gu is mighty!"

"The Sword-Wielding Envoy is awesome!"

"Fell the Righteous Path! Unify the Jianghu!"

Saintess Ji Wushuang even more proudly raised her chin, arching her eyebrows at Jiang Wanqing opposite her.

"Did you see that?"

"This is the man this Palace has taken a fancy to."

"One hundred times stronger than your so-called 'Severing Love Sword'!"

Jiang Wanqing's face was pale, and the hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

She lost.

Not only did she lose the person, but even the Sword Dao she was so proud of was lost to him.

"Gu Lan… you hide so deeply…"

Gu Lan didn't pay attention to the surrounding clamor.

He put away his sword, and was just about to go back to claim credit from Saintess Ji Wushuang.

Suddenly.

A subtle Divine Sense voice transmission drilled into his ears.

That was Hongxiu's voice.

Carrying a trace of anxiety, a trace of apology.

"[Junior Brother, don't look back, listen to me.]"

"[Tonight at the Tzu hour, the Forbidden Land.]"

"[Bring your soul-devouring sword, that is the key to open the Demon-Locking Pagoda.]"

"[I'm sorry…]"

Gu Lan's footsteps paused.

Senior Sister Hongxiu?

Open the Demon-Locking Pagoda?

The key?

He suddenly realized that this so-called Sword Trial Conference was probably just a facade.

The real conspiracy was only just beginning.

"What a scam!"

Gu Lan wailed in his heart.

"I just wanted to quietly be an undercover agent and eat soft rice…"

"Why force me to save the world (or destroy the world)?!"