"Brother Qin, run! Don't worry about me!"

Wang Mu, without a second thought, charged head-on against the incoming Red Rhombus.

The next moment, he changed his Divine Equipment in a flash. His hands formed a sword seal, and with a pinch of his right hand, his Flying Sword rapidly spat out scorching flames. It shot towards the heavens as he executed the second form of the Li Fire Burning Bright Sword Technique: Sea Cutting and River Burning.

This form packed colossal power and was one of the strongest single-target sword techniques among the three forms of the Li Fire Burning Bright Sword Technique. Its purpose—one sword to cut seas and burn rivers—was not to repel the opponent, but merely to buy some time.

Then, his left hand formed another sword seal.

It was the third form of the Love Nine Sword Technique: Endless Mountains and Seas.

This move's essence lay in the idea of affection as vast and boundless as the sea, without end. It was itself a single-target skill. While not explicitly stating "emotion," it still allowed one to feel the affection contained within the sword technique—an affection as weighty and limitless as mountains and seas. It also imbued the Sword Intent with this same boundless and vast sensation. It was one of the most powerful forms within the Love Nine Sword Technique.

Employing Spirit and God Dual Use, Wang Mu unleashed both major sword techniques simultaneously, further augmented by his newly equipped Divine Equipment. The power of his sword techniques seemed to have reached its peak. On one side, the Blazing Divine Light streaked across the sky like the first ray of dawn. On the other, the Flying Sword descended with the weight of mountains and the breadth of seas, its majesty seemingly infinite.

In an instant, they clashed with the Red Rhombus.

The tremendous force scattered the surrounding fog, but it was quickly enveloped again by dense mist. However, the terrifying shockwave made the entire space tremble, as if it were about to shatter.

The Red Rhombus remained unharmed—clearly a Supreme Treasure. It was merely knocked back.

In contrast, both Flying Swords shattered.

A brief silence descended.

How strong must this illusion formed by Mu Lanxue be...

Wang Mu's expression darkened slightly. The Big Formation isn't broken, so her Cultivation can't surpass the Golden Core Realm. I've used all my strength, and I only managed to momentarily repel the Red Rhombus... Even with three pieces of Divine Equipment, the Superior Pure Spirit Body, a Foundation Establishment Stage forged by the Eighteen Layers of the Energy Introduction Skill, and using Spirit and God Dual Use to unleash two major sword techniques simultaneously... I only barely repelled it...

However, what Wang Mu didn't know was that Qin Yuyan, who had been sent flying backward, was watching this scene in stunned silence.

Has his strength progressed too quickly? Qin Yuyan wondered. Could he actually withstand a move from Master? I can't even imagine it. If I were to use my Golden Core Realm strength, I probably could only just manage this much... No, wait, he should only be at the Foundation Establishment Realm, right? Where did such immense power come from...

The figure in the red dress paused, seemingly surprised as well.

"It's just like back then..." she murmured softly. With such little strength, he dares to resist head-on. And, wouldn't you know it, he actually *can* fight above his level...

"Hmph, is this all you're capable of?" the figure in the red dress said coldly. "You're so worried about the person behind you; you two must be close... In that case, I'll kill him first and give you a chance to flee."

With that, she casually waved her hand. The Red Rhombus transformed into a sharp spike, pierced through space with a gentle thrust, and instantly appeared behind Qin Yuyan.

Wang Mu's eyelids twitched violently; a chill ran down his spine. He knew this Witch from the Shura Demon Palace wouldn't give up so easily and certainly wouldn't spare Brother Qin, who had appeared so suddenly.

Thinking back to the game, there was an event where they were drinking at the Demon Palace, right before the great war of the Mid Stage. At that time, the protagonist and Mu Hongyuan already had some entanglements and had developed a subtle, budding relationship.

Later, while the protagonist and Yan Qingwu were traveling together to gather information about the Shura Demon Palace, they arrived in a city. There, they heard that a Flower Appreciation gathering supposedly had information on the Shura Demon Palace, so they decided to attend. During the event, the protagonist and Yan Qingwu fought their way through numerous challenges. They reached the final stage, aiming to win the Flower Appreciation gathering and claim the prize: a Flower King known as the Red Rose.

This flower was a vibrant red, as if embodying passionate love, and it shone brilliantly. It was a favorite among many women. Yan Qingwu also liked this flower. Just as the protagonist, having won the Flower King, was about to give it to Yan Qingwu, Mu Hongyuan—disguised as a man—burst in at the last moment. The plot then reached a turning point.

The numerous martial arts experts attending the event collapsed one after another. It turned out that Mu Hongyuan had spread various colorless and tasteless poisons among the many blossoms. These poisons only activated when their scent mingled with the fragrance of all the flowers at the event's climax. This caused all the masters participating in the gathering to be thoroughly poisoned. She had been about to capture them all in one fell swoop.

When she discovered Wang Mu (the player character/protagonist), she initially intended to let him go. However, upon seeing Yan Qingwu leaning against him, she changed her mind.

She told the protagonist, "I can give you the antidote, but you cannot give that flower to Yan Qingwu. You must give it to me."

This forced the protagonist to make a choice. The interesting part about this choice was that, regardless of what the protagonist chose, it was somewhat pointless. The flower itself was actually one of the antidotes to the poison.

If the protagonist gave the flower to Mu Hongyuan, Yan Qingwu's affection, which was already nearly maxed out, would decrease. This would make it impossible to trigger the subsequent plot event needed to comprehend the Love Nine Swords. Therefore, to romance Yan Qingwu, the protagonist would typically give her the Flower King, unless they decided to pursue Mu Hongyuan's route later. However, giving the flower to Yan Qingwu meant closing off Mu Hongyuan's storyline, and Mu Hongyuan's affection for the protagonist would drop significantly.

If aiming for the Love Saint ending, the situation had to be resolved differently. In that scenario, the protagonist had to shred the flower into dust and use it as an antidote. According to previous clues in the story, this particular flower was special and not just an ordinary bloom. Using it as an antidote not only helped Yan Qingwu detoxify but also aided the other poisoned individuals. This unexpected action by the protagonist would cause Mu Hongyuan to see him in a new light; her affection wouldn't increase, but critically, it wouldn't decrease either.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.