Causality Sealed: Burying the Sword in Qingqiu

Just as Su Ji was weighing his options, preparing to set the matter aside until Su Jiu returned to make a decision, an ethereal voice—indiscernible as male or female—suddenly echoed in his mind without warning.

"Choose."

Who?

Every hair on Su Ji's body stood on end. The newly stabilized Glazed Dao Platform within him roared to life, surging with the vast spiritual power of Foundation Establishment as he swept his gaze warily around.

But within this molten cavern, aside from the churning lava and lifeless rocks, there was nothing else.

"Stop looking."

The voice spoke again.

This time, Su Ji pinpointed its origin.

In the empty space before him, the air rippled like water. A faint, indistinct figure in green robes slowly materialized from the void.

It was a woman, clad in simple green robes, her features obscured as if veiled by mist.

She hovered silently in midair, devoid of any detectable spiritual energy, yet exuding an unfathomable pressure that weighed heavily on Su Ji.

His heart sank.

Suppressing the urge to flee, he clasped his hands respectfully toward the apparition.

"This junior, Su Ji, pays his respects to the esteemed senior."

"Might I ask who you are?"

The woman in green did not answer directly. Instead, her penetrating gaze rested on him, as if seeing through his very soul.

"You’ve lingered in this Dragon’s Prison Abyss for so long."

"Who do you think I am?"

Su Ji’s heart jolted violently.

Dragon’s Prison Abyss!

She actually knew the true name of this place!

Coupled with her elusive methods and that unfathomable aura…

A staggering conjecture formed in his mind.

An ancient powerhouse who imprisoned a true dragon?

And… a fellow traveler from his homeland?

Not daring to reveal even a hint of his thoughts, Su Ji lowered his posture further, his words growing even more earnest.

"Senior’s divine abilities are beyond this junior’s comprehension. I dare not presume."

"However, this humble one, Wang San, is but a mere blade cultivator. Though this orange destiny is powerful, it does not align with my path. Forcing myself to take it may taint my Dao heart. I beg Senior to reconsider."

"If Senior has any unfulfilled wishes, this junior is willing to carry them out as repayment for your guidance."

His words were flawlessly crafted—expressing his dedication to the Dao while subtly offering service, hoping to sway her into letting him go.

After all, forced fruit is never sweet.

Could she really force a blade cultivator to abandon his innate talent?

Yet, contrary to his expectations, the green-robed woman did not nod in agreement.

She remained silent.

Her hazy gaze slowly lowered, settling on the sword hanging at Su Ji’s waist.

The very sword that had once drunk the blood of a Golden Core demon.

Su Ji’s respectful smile froze.

His heart skipped a beat.

Damn it.

Now even jumping into lava wouldn’t wash him clean!

"Senior, let me explain!"

Su Ji panicked, waving his hands frantically.

"That sword isn’t mine!"

"It belongs to a friend! He… he had urgent business and entrusted it to me for safekeeping!"

"I swear on my Dao heart—I’ve never learned a single sword technique in my life!"

To prove his innocence, he didn’t hesitate to make such a dire oath.

Because it was true.

He hadn’t learned any.

Surely, after going this far, she wouldn’t still force him to take that orange destiny.

Yet, his Dao heart oath did not earn the woman’s relief.

Instead, the faint figure let out a soft chuckle—one laced with resignation and a trace of something even Su Ji couldn’t decipher.

Melancholy, perhaps.

"As it should be."

"Outside, one must always guard against fellow travelers."

The woman sighed faintly.

"But… when death approaches, even the most cunning speak truthfully."

"Have you ever considered leaving Great Xia?"

Her voice was light, yet it struck Su Ji’s heart like a hammer.

His expression remained reverent, but inwardly, he cursed every ancestor in her lineage.

Thoughts raced through his mind, yet he managed to conjure a perfect mix of confusion and fear on his face.

"Senior jests."

"This junior is but a lowly outer disciple of the Love-Longing Sect, dull in talent. Merely reaching Foundation Establishment was a stroke of fortune."

As he spoke, he subtly retreated half a step, trying to put distance between himself and this dangerous woman.

"The world is vast beyond measure. With my meager skills, even surviving in Great Xia is a struggle. How could I dare dream of realms beyond the heavens?"

"To live as an ant crawling safely within this land—that is enough for me."

His words dripped with sincerity, his humility reaching its peak.

Anyone else might have been moved by his "lack of ambition."

But the green-robed woman remained unmoved.

Her mist-shrouded face seemed to crack slightly.

"Silver-tongued and slippery."

She uttered four icy words.

The next moment, Su Ji felt an invisible hand clamp around his throat.

A suffocating aura of death enveloped him.

His Glazed Dao Platform roared madly, his Foundation Establishment spiritual power surging like a broken dam, trying to break free.

Yet the force clung like a parasite—no matter how he struggled, it wouldn’t budge.

The choking sensation overwhelmed him.

His face turned purple as his feet left the ground, lifted by an unseen power.

Only then did he truly realize the insurmountable gap between himself and this woman.

"Are you done?"

Her voice remained calm, betraying no emotion, before she released him.

"If I wished to harm you, your petty tricks would be useless."

"My time is short. I’ve no patience for your games."

Damn it.

He’d met his match.

This fellow traveler wasn’t so easily fooled.

"Senior’s lesson is just."

"This junior… admits his fault."

"I’ll choose now!"

With trembling spiritual sense, Su Ji pointed toward the purple destiny.

The green-robed woman: "…"

The faint figure seemed to stiffen momentarily at his shameless maneuver.

Finally, an almost inaudible sigh broke the silence.

"Fine."

"Choose, then."

She sounded exhausted, as if giving up on reasoning with him.

[Karmic Destiny: Wind of Death]

[Selected]

Su Ji: ???

Wait, what kind of trick was this?

The moment his spiritual sense landed—

The two destinies had swapped places!

Was this the Wind of Death or the Water of Death?

So underhanded!

The woman’s form grew even more translucent, clearly drained by the effort.

"Listen closely."

"First, don’t resent what I just did."

"Communicating with you is too exhausting. Sometimes, it’s easier to act first and explain later."

"Second, as a child of Great Xia… even if you refused, this karma was always yours to bear…"

"You need not hold any resentment."

"The alliance between the people of Great Xia and the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox has been reforged after a hundred thousand years... The karmic weight upon you is far heavier than you imagine."

"And I... am the last one who failed."

"My apologies for leaving you a Great Xia already riddled with wounds..."

"As compensation, chant my name on the road to the Yellow Springs, and I shall shield you for half a lifetime."

With that, the woman in green robes swept her sleeve.

A cyan Daoist sword plunged into the earth.

"Next year, take this blade and venture beyond Great Xia."

"See for me the ruins of Qingqiu... and hers..."

"Bury my sword beside her..."

"Consider it... a promise kept."

[Karma Sealed: Bury the Sword in Qingqiu]