In Your Name, Forge Your Sword

Su Qingyue, there was originally a better-looking picture, but the file size exceeded 5MB and couldn't be uploaded.

[Ding, Immortal King Trial Card has been activated. Duration: one hour.]

An indescribable power, as vast as a sea of stars and as majestic as heavenly law, poured into Qin Hao's body.

Qin Hao's aura skyrocketed at an inconceivable speed.

"Nascent Soul, Soul Formation, Void Refinement, Body Integration, Great Vehicle, Tribulation Transcendence... Immortal King!"

After his cultivation realm ascended to the Immortal King stage, Qin Hao slowly opened his eyes. An aura that stood above all creation quietly emanated from him. His dual pupils were now so profound they seemed to contain two swirling universes, where the sun, moon, and stars appeared to be born and destroyed within!

Not far away, Qin Zhongtian, who had been watching the two of them, felt Qin Hao's Immortal King aura. His pupils contracted violently, and towering waves surged in his heart.

The pure aura of an Immortal King's Dao Fruit! His unlucky little uncle's aura had actually risen to the Immortal King realm! What kind of method was this? Was it the work of that exalted figure? To actually give him such a life-saving trump card.

Beside Qin Hao, Su Qingyue was even more shaken. Looking at Qin Hao, who seemed to have incarnated as the ruler of heaven and earth, a primal sense of awe and reverence swelled within her.

But more than that, it was an indescribable emotion. Was this the height he truly stood at? So out of reach...

Feeling the surging power within his body, Qin Hao reached out toward the sky and gently clenched his fist at the star-filled heavens.

Buzz—

The entire sky trembled slightly. Endless spiritual energy, descending stellar power, earthly dragon veins, and even the fragmented laws that constructed the entire world answered Qin Hao's call, converging madly into his palm.

The sight before him was simply too terrifying. Hidden in the dark, Qin Zhongtian's eyelids twitched violently. This absolute control and tyrannical extraction of the world's energy—even he wouldn't dare to be so unbridled!

He could only sigh in admiration: Qin Hao was truly worthy of being the descendant of that exalted figure.

But to Qin Hao, this was still not enough!

With a shift of his will, Qin Hao pushed his dual pupils to their limits. The chaotic halos within his eyes spun to the extreme, seeing through the essence of all creation and tracing back to the origin of the Great Dao!

"In my name, I sever the law fragments of 'Protection', 'Growth', and 'Obstacle Breaking' from this heaven and earth..."

As his words fell, three streams of light—invisible to the naked eye yet brimming with a profound, mystical aura—surged into Qin Hao's palm.

Qin Hao drove these three streams of light into Su Qingyue's body, fusing them with her Innate Dao Body.

"Fuse!"

Qin Hao gave a low shout as a dazzling dark light erupted from his dual pupils. Like finding their true home, the three clusters of law fragments perfectly merged with Su Qingyue's Innate Dao Body.

Having done this, Qin Hao looked up at the starry sky. He reached out and grabbed the brightest star in the heavens. Under his Immortal King's mighty power and the origin-piercing gaze of his dual pupils, that star was first stretched out, then transformed into the rough shape of a longsword.

Using the power of his dual pupils, Qin Hao kneaded the stellar power together. Immediately after, he extracted a wisp of origin qi from Su Qingyue's Innate Dao Body and infused it inside.

Finally, using his finger as a blade, Qin Hao carved the words "Qingyue" onto the nearly fully-formed sword.

With that, a peerless immortal sword—one that contained the power of stars and laws, and could only be wielded by Su Qingyue alone—was completed.

[Ding, the Immortal King Trial Card's duration has ended.]

Accompanied by the system's prompt, Qin Hao's cultivation base rapidly plummeted back to the Golden Core realm.

He stumbled, staggering backward several steps and nearly falling over. Fortunately, Su Qingyue was beside him to catch him in time, saving him from making a fool of himself.

Qin Hao's face was a bit pale, but he smiled. That smile was still as warm as the morning sun.

Qin Hao handed the sword to Su Qingyue. His voice carried an unconcealable exhaustion, yet it was incredibly gentle:

"This sword is named 'Qingyue'."

"Forged in your name, to be your sword. It will grow alongside you, protect you, and bear witness to you. In the future, no matter where you are or what hardships you face, holding it will be like having my strength by your side."

Su Qingyue did not reach out to take the sword Qin Hao offered. Did accepting this sword mean they were parting ways? Even though she knew this day would come sooner or later, and she had believed she could face it calmly.

But when it actually arrived, Su Qingyue was startled to realize that she had never been prepared for it at all.

"Qingyue," Qin Hao spoke first. His voice was gentle, yet it lacked its usual deliberate intimacy, replaced by a sense of distance.

Su Qingyue's heart sank slightly at his call. Her fingers unconsciously gripped her sleeves tightly. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him at all.

"Our 'rental period'..." Qin Hao paused. Facing Su Qingyue's trembling frame, he clearly articulated the next words:

"Is over."

Despite having mentally prepared herself, despite reminding herself countless times that this was merely a transaction, when Su Qingyue heard the words "is over" from Qin Hao's mouth, a sharp, aching sorrow fiercely rushed to her nose.

Her eyes instantly turned red, but she bit her lower lip fiercely to keep the sob from escaping her throat.

"Alright now!" Qin Hao rubbed Su Qingyue's head, then said to her:

"You have successfully joined the Holy Land and become the Holy Maiden of the Profound Heaven Holy Land. In the future, you will even have an Almighty Immortal King personally guiding your cultivation."

"Your future is bound to be dazzlingly bright."

"I..." Su Qingyue opened her mouth, her voice hoarse. Thousands of words were stuck in her chest. She wanted to ask Qin Hao if they could ever meet again. She wanted to ask him if this rental arrangement was truly nothing more than a transaction to him.

That gentleness, that protection, every moment that made her heart race—was it all really just an act?

But the words reached her lips only to be swallowed back down. She didn't dare to hear the answer. She was afraid that whatever Qin Hao said would shatter all her illusions. Rather than that, it was better to leave herself with a shred of longing.

Su Qingyue forced herself to straighten her back. Wiping the tears from her face, she tried her best to flash Qin Hao a smile. However, this smile was more heartbreaking than if she had cried.

"Qin Hao, thank you. Thank you for walking this part of the journey with me. I will never forget any of this."

Qin Hao pinched Su Qingyue's cheek, then handed the Qingyue Sword over to her:

"Take it. Just treat it as a souvenir."

This time, Su Qingyue did not refuse. From Qin Hao's hands, she accepted the immortal sword forged by his Immortal King's mighty power.

"I will cultivate diligently. I will become very strong, strong enough to grasp my own destiny, strong enough that I won't be a burden to anyone!" Su Qingyue said, emphasizing every word with absolute seriousness.

Qin Hao looked at the stubborn yet brilliant light in Su Qingyue's eyes and nodded gently, giving the most concise yet powerful affirmation:

"I believe in you!"

Having said that, Qin Hao took a step back. This single step seemed to draw an invisible boundary between him and Su Qingyue.

"Then..." Qin Hao's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the silent night sky. "Let us part ways here."

Qin Hao didn't say goodbye. The path ahead was unpredictable, and he couldn't make any promises.