Lin Yan's words were like a steel blade, scraping deeply at He Yang Xinci's pride.

If those words had come from an arrogant and ignorant second-rate martial artist, He Yang Xinci wouldn't have cared.

But… coming from Lin Yan's mouth, they sounded particularly grating.

Because everyone who heard her say that would involuntarily agree—her words were true.

"Hmph…" After a couple of seconds, He Yang Xinci gave a cold snort, a sneer on his face, and continued, "I don't know about Yama or anything like that, but if you're also a part of the Central Plains martial world, then you'd better listen up… From this day forth…"

He Yang Xinci had originally intended to repeat his prepared speech about unifying the Central Plains martial world to Lin Yan as well, but…

"Little girl, who did you learn your martial arts from?" Lin Yan completely ignored him. After saying "Just you?" she released the white horse's reins, walked a few steps forward, and asked Feng Meiyu a question.

"I…" Feng Meiyu was also stunned when she was asked, after all, Lin Yan looked much younger than her, and to address her as "little girl" with the tone of an elder right away was a bit unexpected, "...I learned it myself from secret manuals."

"I see…" Lin Yan nodded slightly, "If I'm not mistaken… you should have started practicing several low-to-mid-level internal energy cultivation methods simultaneously, based on your own assumptions, without any foundation in martial arts… which resulted in your meridians and blood being in a complete mess, damaging your body."

"You…" Hearing this, Feng Meiyu's expression changed drastically, because what the other party said was completely correct, "...Senior!" The next second, Feng Meiyu changed how she addressed Lin Yan, "Could it be that Senior has a way to cure me?"

"Yes."

When Lin Yan said those two words, an undisguised look of joy appeared on Feng Meiyu's face. She was just about to open her mouth to ask for help, but Lin Yan's right hand had already turned into a palm, grasping and pressing down on the top of her head.

When she was still "Yama," Lin Yan's martial arts had already reached the realm of the heavens, now that she struck again, she was using methods that ordinary people couldn't even comprehend.

Right now, her palm came very slowly, very lightly, even gentle, but it was precisely this palm that made everyone around think, "There's no way I could dodge that move if it were me."

"Ugh—ah—"

A few seconds later, Feng Meiyu suddenly revealed a look of pain and screamed.

Under the force of Lin Yan's palm, Feng Meiyu knelt on the ground without any resistance. Immediately afterward, oily blood began to seep out of all the pores on her body…

There was so much filth that it was hard to believe, looking like clumps of mud being squeezed out of her body, oozing stickily from Feng Meiyu's clothes. The dent previously blasted out by Feng Bujue with his positron cannon now happened to be a "channel" to contain this filth.

After another moment, Lin Yan stopped her actions without even panting, withdrawing her palm and standing upright, "This is the 'method' you wanted…" To her, this was just a small effort, no need to explain too much, just do it, "I have cleared your meridians and blood. From now on, as long as you don't cultivate using that strange method you've figured out on your own, you'll be fine."

As she spoke, Feng Meiyu, covered in blood and filth, was kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath. At this moment, Feng Meiyu's appearance had undergone an astonishing change… she had transformed from the morbidly obese White Blossom Sect Master back to Feng'er, the graceful and beautiful woman she once was.

"Senior!" Feng'er, having regained her original appearance, looked at Lin Yan with excitement, "Senior's great kindness… Feng'er will never forget!" Her address for herself had also changed, "As long as Senior says the word, even if it means serving as a cow or a horse…"

"I have a horse." Lin Yan still had that nonchalant look, interrupting Feng'er, "Your physique can't even be a cow or a horse, it's better to just be a good person."

Feng'er didn't know what else to say, and tears streamed from her eyes uncontrollably. She used her hands to clutch the dirty and sticky clothes she was wearing, which were obviously too large for her, and slowly stood up. Although the feeling of the clothes wrapped around her body was quite uncomfortable, if she didn't hold them like this, the clothes would basically slide down like a bed sheet.

"Hey! Woman, I haven't finished speaking yet!" When Feng'er stood up, He Yang Xinci spoke again, shouting at Lin Yan, "You listen to me… From this day forth…"

"Guild Leader Feng, long time no see, you haven't changed much." As a result, Lin Yan ignored He Yang once again, continued to walk forward, and said to Brother Jue in front, "But… you seem to have encountered some trouble."

At this time, at Brother Jue's request, Cheng Yong had already put him down. Wang Qiong, Cheng Wei, and He Yang Jingzi, who had been hiding in the dark, had also come to Brother Jue's vicinity.

"Hehe… it's alright." Feng Bujue smiled, "Now that you've arrived, I don't have any trouble."

"You're so sure I'll help you?" A hint of playfulness flashed in Lin Yan's eyes.

"What do you think?" Feng Bujue still smiling, asked in return.

After a brief silence, Lin Yan also smiled.

This smile was truly captivating, enchanting like a dream, as if even the coldest heart in the world could be melted by it.

Lin Yan hadn't smiled like this in many years, and she couldn't remember the last time she smiled from the bottom of her heart.

In these years, although she had given up her identity as "Yama," she was ultimately unable to live like an ordinary person.

Without goals and burdens, she was free, but also lonely.

No one in this world still recognized her, and she didn't want to get to know those foolish people who were still struggling in the mortal world.

Compared to people, she preferred to interact with the world, with this land…

Therefore, she would go to many places every year to see different scenery.

She would go to the snow mountains to find plum blossoms in winter, go on spring outings outside the passes in early spring, travel overseas in summer, and admire cherry blossoms in Burial Heart Valley in late autumn…

Also using martial arts to enter the Dao, Lin Yan's cultivation had already surpassed Cao Qin's of that year; apart from a head of white hair, even time could no longer leave any traces on her body.

At this time, Lin Yan was more like an "immortal" than a person.

The troubles of the mortal world were meaningless to her, and after the age of one hundred… she no longer bothered to calculate her age.

For such a person, what things in this world could still touch her?

Undoubtedly… it was only "old friends."

Not to mention that Feng Bujue was an benefactor to Lin Yan, even if he were an enemy, Lin Yan would save him…

When time erases all the people in your memory and constantly changes all things in the world, you will realize how precious a treasure memories are.

This subtle emotion can only be understood by those who have lived for a very long time.

"Bastard! I'm talking to you!" Just as Lin Yan revealed a smile, He Yang Xinci, who had finally reached the end of his rope, exploded…

Being looked down upon after calling himself the "Sword God" was one thing, but being ignored twice in a row afterward was a great humiliation that He Yang Xinci had never experienced.

He no longer cared about Lin Yan and Brother Jue's conversation, grabbed his blunt sword, and attacked from behind, a vertical chop aimed straight at the top of Lin Yan's head.

"How annoying…" Lin Yan only muttered with a hint of impatience, then turned around, raised her hand, and with a movement that seemed unhurried to others, used three fingers of her left hand to easily pinch the blade of the blunt sword that was slashing towards her.

When the blade was stopped by her casual movement, He Yang Xinci's face twitched…

Not believing it, he exerted more force, trying to press the blunt sword down, but no matter how much strength he used, the blade held by Lin Yan didn't move at all.

"Is ambushing people from behind also what a 'Sword God' does?" When Lin Yan looked at He Yang Xinci, the smile on her face had already disappeared, replaced by a look of disgust.

"Being able to defeat all the heroes in the world with the sword in my hand, of course I am the Sword God!" He Yang Xinci did not back down, he had his own theory, "Only you Central Plains people who seek fame and reputation would be entangled in fallacies such as 'attacking from behind, winning is not honorable'… According to you, is it also not honorable if the weapons used by both sides in a duel have advantages and disadvantages? Are the differences in age and years of martial arts practice… also considered unfair?"

"Is that what you think…" Lin Yan said thoughtfully when she heard the words, "Hmm… that's fine too." She paused, "At least after I defeat you, I won't be said to be 'bullying the young.'"

Her words made He Yang Xinci a little confused again.

He Yang's martial path was the "path of power," pursuing "slaughter" and "victory"; and slaughter and victory were both "obsessions" that only worldly people would have.

These kinds of "obsessions" were precisely the threshold blocking the path of "entering the Dao through martial arts"; therefore, He Yang Xinci could not walk the path of "Dao," and he would not understand why this woman who looked so young would consider herself a "senior" everywhere.

"Then… according to your theory…" After a while, Lin Yan released the blade of the other party's sword and continued, "As long as you are defeated by my sword today, it will prove… that I am the real Sword God, right?"

He Yang Xinci took advantage of the situation to retrieve his sword, retreated a few steps, and stood at a distance where he was most confident in a duel, "The winner is king, the loser is a bandit… If you can really win against me, calling you 'Sword God' is only natural." He paused slightly, squinting at Lin Yan, "However… where is your 'sword'?" He looked the other party up and down, and no matter how he looked at it, Lin Yan didn't seem to be hiding a sword anywhere, "Could it be… you're using a soft sword hidden in your belt?"

Hearing this, Lin Yan revealed a look of disdain. She slowly put her hands behind her back, stood proudly, and gave a strange response, "Where is your sword then?"

This seemingly simple question made He Yang Xinci's whole body tremble.

He did have a sword in his hand, but that didn't explain anything…

The realm of "the sword in hand" and the realm of "the sword in the heart" were as different as clouds and mud.

He Yang Xinci was very clear about this, because… he was also a person who had reached the realm of "no sword in hand, but a sword in the heart."

If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have used this long, narrow blunt sword without an edge or a scabbard as a weapon.

"Hmph…" After thinking for a few seconds, He Yang Xinci clenched his left hand into a fist and gently knocked on his chest, "My sword… is here."

"Oh…" Lin Yan said in an almost lazy tone, "Then my sword is also there with you."

"What… did you say?" This time, He Yang Xinci really didn't understand.

"Whether it's the sword in your hand, or the sword in your heart…" Lin Yan continued, "You think those are your things, but… they're not."

"Then it can't be your thing, can it?" He Yang Xinci felt that the other party was deliberately mystifying, so he retorted with a strong tone.

"Sigh…" Lin Yan sighed softly, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you…" She revealed a look of pity for the world, "Make your move, when you lose… you'll understand."

"Don't worry…" He Yang Xinci was also unconvinced, and he immediately took a stance, "Without you telling me, I'll also…"

Before he could finish his words, his whole body shot out like a shooting star.

He Yang Xinci was obviously doing it on purpose… his last half-sentence was just a way to make the other party lower their guard; in this situation, people tend to subconsciously think that the other party will finish speaking before making a move, but He Yang suddenly launched a surprise attack when he was only halfway through speaking.

Although this method was not complicated, it was indeed very effective. In the past… many top masters from Dongying had been defeated by his sudden sword.

And He Yang Xinci's sword was also the strongest move in the sword technique he had created with all his might—Shintenchukyoku Sword Style - Final Secret - Santō Oborozuki.

This was the most evil and murderous sword in the world, and also the pinnacle technique of the martial path that He Yang Xinci followed.

The moment the sword style appeared, He Yang Xinci transformed his figure into a stream of light with a speed that even the players were shocked by.

In an instant, the sound of a sword breaking flesh and blood suddenly rose!

In the blink of an eye, He Yang Xinci's figure reappeared, and the blunt sword in his hand, for some reason… had pierced through his own heart…

"Do you understand now?" Lin Yan stood in place, not moving half a step, and no one saw what she did in that instant.

But that was no longer important, what was important was… that at the moment of his death, He Yang Xinci did understand some things…

It turned out that above the "no sword realm," there was an even higher realm; those who reached that realm had no sword in their hand, nor a sword in their heart.

The true Sword God did not need to ask, nor would they care "where the sword is."

At the last moment, He Yang Xinci also smiled, a smile revealing a bit of misery, but there was no regret in his eyes.

For a swordsman, being able to die in the hands of an opponent like Lin Yan, and being able to understand his own insignificance and the true meaning of the sword through death… then he would definitely die without regrets.

"I thought you wouldn't kill him." At this time, Feng Bujue had recovered from the side effects of the Devilish Combat Descent and had downed a bottle of survival points supplement; although Xu Huaishang and Juan Meng were very eager to stop Brother Jue from restoring his health, considering that Lin Yan was present… they really didn't dare to act rashly.

"I didn't plan to kill him." Lin Yan turned her head to look at Brother Jue again and said, "Whether he could survive depended on himself… If there was still a bit of benevolence in his sword, he probably wouldn't have died. Unfortunately, his martial path had no benevolence or righteousness, it was simply a bloody path paved with death…"

"Oh… so that means he deserved to die." While Feng Bujue was saying this, he approached He Yang Xinci's body without showing any signs.

At this moment, apart from Lin Yan, everyone knew what he was going to do…

"What are you going to do?" Therefore, the only person who would ask this question could only be Lin Yan.

"Taking something." While Feng Bujue was answering, he had already used a very skilled body searching technique to pull out "Sword Dance Grass Notes" from He Yang Xinci's body.

At the same time that he obtained that item, the system prompt immediately sounded in his ear: [You have obtained ownership of "Sword Dance Grass Notes"]; and the other three players, as Brother Jue had expected, also heard the system prompt [Main Quest has failed].

"That's the Sword Dance Grass Notes?" When Brother Jue put the item into his arms, Lin Yan asked calmly.

"Oh?" Feng Bujue guessed something from the other party's question and tentatively continued, "You also know about this sword manual?"

"Of course I know." Lin Yan's words were all straightforward and honest, there was nothing to hide, "Even if I am no longer a member of the martial world, would I not know about this kind of well-known news?"

"Then…" Feng Bujue rolled his eyes and said again, "You… shouldn't have any thoughts about this sword manual, right?"

"No." Lin Yan replied in a very ordinary tone.

It was still very convincing when she said this, after all… even if Pei Min, the person who wrote the Sword Dance Grass Notes, were to be resurrected, he probably wouldn't be her opponent…

"Oh." Feng Bujue also put on a very casual look, responded, and then said, "Then what are you doing here today…"

"I wanted to leave my seclusion and take a walk." Lin Yan replied.

If someone else said this reason, they would definitely be considered to be talking nonsense… What a coincidence? The day the Sword Dance Grass Notes appeared here, you just happened to be passing by on your travels?

But, for Lin Yan to say this… it didn't seem inappropriate.

"Eh~ what a coincidence! I also wanted to leave my seclusion." As soon as Feng Bujue heard this, he immediately took the opportunity to climb down the pole, and continued, "Since we're going the same way, why don't… we travel together for a while and chat for a bit?"

"Sure, I also wanted to chat with you for a bit." Lin Yan casually replied, then she went over to take the white horse's reins and continued forward along the main street of Linlu Town.

Feng Bujue rushed to Lin Yan's side with the fastest speed, only a person's width apart, and walked forward shoulder to shoulder with her.

"Boss Wang, our deal still counts, don't worry." Before leaving, Brother Jue didn't forget to give Wang Qiong a reassuring pill; after all, Wang Qiong was also one of the contenders for the "Sword Dance Grass Notes", in order to avoid any unexpected problems, Feng Bujue very considerately greeted this NPC first, meaning—"I'll hand over the Sword Dance Grass Notes to you later, but not now."

Wang Qiong was also a smart person, according to his idea… it was actually better for Brother Jue to take the sword manual away first; as long as Brother Jue stood near Lin Yan, then both his people and the sword manual would be absolutely safe.

On the contrary, if Brother Jue handed over the sword manual to Wang Qiong now, Boss Wang would be very embarrassed, because the other two groups of players and the martial artists ambushing around were all potential threats to the sword manual holder.

It's just… for Xu Huaishang and the others, Feng Bujue's current actions were a bit of cheating; if he did this, the other two teams would be killed by Lin Yan if they dared to attack him.

But if they didn't attack, then an hour later, Brother Jue could chat idly and win the scenario…