My Ambition: The Strongest Sword Cultivator

"And this man, what is his relationship with you? He's coming back with us too, to be dealt with by Young Master Huangfu."

Zi Heng's gaze landed on Mo Tianxiao again. No matter what this man's relationship with Zi Ling'er was, Young Master Huangfu had specifically ordered that anyone who dared to covet his woman would be dealt with personally by him.

"This matter has nothing to do with Senior. I will go back with you, but let Senior leave! Otherwise, you can just take my corpse back!"

Zi Ling'er glared directly at Zi Heng, her eyes completely devoid of fear, filled only with intense hatred and determination.

Given Huangfu Yunteng's personality, he definitely wouldn't let Senior go.

She had already dragged her parents into this; she couldn't drag Senior into it too.

"Zi Ling'er, you should know Young Master Huangfu's temper. If you threaten us with your death, your parents will wish they were dead instead."

Zi Heng's tone left no room for negotiation. Whether it was Zi Ling'er or this strange man, both had to be handed over to Young Master Huangfu.

Many cultivators here had already witnessed the situation. The Huangfu family would easily find out that Zi Ling'er had been with a male cultivator before her return just by sending someone to ask around.

If the Zi family didn't bring this male cultivator back as well, they wouldn't be able to bear the consequences when Young Master Huangfu cast the blame.

In the center of the Great Yan Dynasty's capital, a figure wearing a golden dragon robe with slightly greying hair flew over rapidly, bowing to Zi Heng's group.

"Yan Zhen of the Great Yan Dynasty pays his respects to the Immortal City's Zi family."

The Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty, a cultivator at the peak of the Void Refinement realm, still had to maintain a respectful demeanor when facing people from the Zi family.

He was the strongest expert in the entire Great Yan Dynasty, while the other party was merely an elder of the Immortal City's Zi family. If the man were just a rogue cultivator, he naturally wouldn't need to be so respectful.

But the other party represented an entire entity. His Great Yan Dynasty was nothing more than a small fry in front of the faction backing them.

It was just like big fish eating small fish, and small fish eating shrimp.

The Zi family were ants in front of the Huangfu family, and the Great Yan Dynasty was exactly the same in front of the Zi family.

"Mm." Zi Heng glanced at Yan Zhen and gave a slight nod. "The Zi family is conducting business. Irrelevant personnel, disperse."

His tone was flat, lacking any trace of respect. This was the confidence the Zi family gave him, even if the other party was a sovereign emperor, and even if the other party's cultivation was stronger than his own.

"Yes." Yan Zhen cupped his hands. Even though he was displeased inwardly, his surface remained calm. "All cultivators, withdraw from the royal city!"

After dispersing the surrounding cultivators, Yan Zhen glanced at Mo Tianxiao and Zi Ling'er, then also retreated backward.

Why would people from the Zi family come to his little place? He only hoped they would leave quickly. His small territory couldn't accommodate the big shots from the Immortal City.

After the bystanders retreated, Zi Heng's gaze locked onto Zi Ling'er and Mo Tianxiao, his brows furrowing slightly. "Let's go. Don't make Young Master Huangfu wait."

His tone sounded as if he had already dictated their fates, completely devoid of emotion.

"Senior, I'm sorry. I've dragged you down."

Zi Ling'er looked at Mo Tianxiao, who wore a calm expression and was still drinking wine. Her heart felt as if it had been fiercely squeezed. Had Senior given up resisting?

It was all her fault. If she hadn't wanted to rely on Senior to return to the Heavenly Melody Pavilion, they wouldn't be in this situation, both stepping into the abyss together.

Now look what happened. The Zi family gave her no chances at all, directly dispatching elder-level figures to capture her. The Huangfu family had completely cut off her escape routes. Now, in the entire Eastern Region, there was probably no faction that would take her in.

Biting her lip with her pristine white teeth until traces of crimson blood seeped out, Zi Ling'er's eyes were full of unwillingness—unwilling to accept her fate, unwilling to be reduced to someone else's plaything.

But she couldn't change it. She was too weak. The disparity in strength between the two sides was too vast. Even if she chose mutual destruction, she wouldn't make the slightest ripple. The others only needed to control her parents to easily make her obedient.

"Nothing has happened to me, so how can you say you've dragged me down?"

Mo Tianxiao smiled, looking completely unbothered, and was actually quite pleased.

At the very least, he highly approved of Zi Ling'er's character. A little girl unwilling to be toyed with by fate, wanting to escape a tragic end and fight against destiny, yet immediately willing to compromise upon hearing about what would happen to her parents.

She was simply a good girl.

The people he valued had to possess absolute peerless talent, upright character, strong will, and the ability to shoulder heavy responsibilities.

Of course, it actually didn't matter if their talent was a bit lacking. The most important thing was that they had to be pleasing to the eye, understand instructions, and know how to handle situations tactfully.

"Senior, stop joking around. Quickly find a way to escape. Flee to the Demon State! Don't you have friends there? Although the Huangfu family has great power in the Eastern Region, their reach doesn't extend to the Demon State."

Zi Ling'er's eyes carried a hint of resentment. She had racked her brains to the point of breaking trying to figure out how to let Senior escape, yet he still had the mood to joke with her.

"Escape? Do you treat me as a mere decoration?"

Zi Heng looked at the two with cold eyes, letting out a cold sneer.

Two Nascent Soul cultivators were actually discussing how to escape right in front of him. It was simply the biggest joke in the world.

He naturally assumed Mo Tianxiao was also a Nascent Soul cultivator, because when Mo Tianxiao wasn't fighting, he would always naturally suppress his cultivation by several realms, as if it had become a habit.

This was also a point where Zi Ling'er felt Mo Tianxiao's thought process was a bit strange. He clearly had such powerful cultivation, so why hide it? She couldn't quite understand.

Those old monsters with profound cultivation in the Immortal City were so afraid others wouldn't know when they broke through a realm, frequently hosting banquets to invite everyone to celebrate.

"Kid, considering your cultivation didn't come easy, follow us back obediently and you might still have a hope of survival. If you try to escape, then don't blame us for being ruthless."

As he spoke, Zi Heng's late-stage Void Refinement cultivation erupted explosively. The terrifying aura caused the surrounding space to tremble violently. The tyrannical pressure crushed down on Mo Tianxiao, seemingly wanting to make him understand the disparity in their strength.

"Boom!"

The majestic spiritual energy pressed onto Mo Tianxiao. The entire restaurant began to totter, cracks splitting across the walls as if it would be torn to shreds in the next second.

Although capturing him alive would be better, if the other party refused to comply, bringing a corpse back would also count as completing the mission.

Anyway, he was just an insignificant person.

"Senior!"

Zi Ling'er's heart leapt into her throat, her large eyes filled with worry.

Facing the pressure of a Void Refinement cultivator, Mo Tianxiao "revealed a look of difficulty." His face turned pale as if he couldn't withstand the pressure, but he still pretended to struggle to his feet. Staring fiercely at Zi Heng, he shouted with unyielding determination:

"Although I, Li Yu, am just a rogue cultivator, I am a man with a spine!"

"Even if I die today, I will absolutely never submit to anyone! You can kill me, but you can never defeat me!"

"Senior! You can't die! This had nothing to do with you in the first place! Ninth Elder, I beg you, please let Senior go!"

Seeing the absolute resolve in Mo Tianxiao's eyes, Zi Ling'er felt endless regret. She dropped straight to her knees toward Zi Heng. "If it weren't for Senior, I would already be dead!"

Observing the posture of the two, the lofty Zi Heng revealed an arrogant expression, the corners of his lips curling into a smirk. "Brat, sparing you is completely out of the question. However, on account of your backbone, I can grant you the privilege of choosing your own death. Speak, how do you wish to die?"

At these words, a barely perceptible gleam flashed through Mo Tianxiao's eyes. A moment later, his body slowly levitated into mid-air, and he spoke in a bleak tone:

"My ambition was to become the strongest sword cultivator in the world. Now, it seems that dream will never come to pass. If I may choose the manner of my death, I wish to perish beneath the ultimate sword strike."