Volume One: The Emperor's Sword Chapter 104: Sudden Crisis

From various signs and clues, Yun Que deduced the truth behind Si Ruonan’s strange behavior.

First, Wu Dachuan had once mentioned that Si Ruonan had a younger brother who died young. Judging by the age and the importance Si Ruonan placed on the creature in the secret chamber, it was most likely her deceased brother.

Second, Si Ruonan had long collected all sorts of bizarre materials, many of which were linked to blood or soul energy—such as blood jade amber and locust crystal.

Third, the dead infant doll that Luo Xiaoyu had seen before, combined with the special formation in the secret chamber, led Yun Que to suspect that Si Ruonan was researching something related to resurrection.

Si Ruonan wanted to bring her brother back to life!

She had painstakingly studied for years and inscribed this special formation, with locust crystal being the final required material.

So, as soon as she obtained the locust crystal, Si Ruonan eagerly activated the formation, hurriedly repairing the inner armor and starting the resurrection ritual before Yun Que could even retrieve the crystal.

Unfortunately, what she revived was not her brother but an evil spirit occupying his body.

Piecing these clues together, Yun Que’s sharp mind easily arrived at this conclusion.

Judging by Si Ruonan’s sudden change in expression, he knew he was right.

It seemed Si Ruonan harbored deep guilt over her brother’s death; she was willing to sacrifice her own life just to save him.

Yun Que sighed softly.

While moved by the deep sibling bond, he couldn’t help but want to call her foolish.

There is always something detestable about the pitiful—that saying proved true.

The creature on the stone altar swallowed the flesh in its mouth and tried to bite Si Ruonan again but was stopped by Yun Que’s four flying swords.

The beast growled lowly, its eyes turning bloodshot as it fixed its gaze on Yun Que.

Si Ruonan struggled to stand, but when she pressed her intact arm on the altar’s markings, hesitation overtook her.

After years of preparation, success was within reach.

To give up now would mean losing everything and never having the chance again!

The resurrection ritual could only be used once; if abandoned today, her brother would never be revived.

Si Ruonan gritted her teeth, her expression wavering.

Perhaps if her brother consumed someone sharing the same bloodline—herself—he might truly come back to life…

This thought echoed in her heart.

Seeing her indecision, Yun Que frowned and silently cursed her foolishness.

He didn’t understand what had transpired between the siblings but could see Si Ruonan’s unyielding feelings for her brother.

People with death wishes were the hardest to dissuade; Yun Que found the situation very tricky.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he shouted loudly:

“Think of your son!”

At once, Si Ruonan trembled all over, her eyes reflecting a complex light.

Yun Que exhaled deeply.

So she truly was part of the Hu Tieshan family—this made things easier.

He continued, voice steady:

“Hu Congming grew up motherless, all alone. The kids in town called him a bastard, born but not raised by a mother. Every day, he cried, begging his father for his mother. But his father just drowned his sorrows in alcohol and brushed him off with a few words. Cry more, and he’d get kicked away.”

“Can you expect a grown man to raise a child well? That’s unlikely.”

“You might not understand how pitiful a motherless child is, but I do!”

“I know that loneliness—while other kids nestle in their mothers’ arms, we crouched in corners wiping tears.”

“When other children kicked off their blankets in sleep, their mothers covered them back up. We just lay there with bare bellies, sniffling until dawn.”

“Children with mothers heard lullabies; we only heard our drunken fathers snoring and shouting.”

“If you don’t want to raise us, why bring us into this world?”

Each sentence cut like a knife into Si Ruonan’s heart, making her weep uncontrollably.

“Congming, my son! I’m sorry…” she whispered, tears streaming as she leapt down from the altar, abandoning the formation entirely.

With her control lost, the altar’s formation began to collapse, and the creature grew wild and restless, growling like a trapped beast.

Yun Que’s gaze hardened. His four flying swords plunged into the altar, forming a cage to imprison the monster.

At the same time, a fifth longsword appeared in his hand.

A faint glow shimmered along its blade—the soul of the extraordinary sword had already settled within.

“Die!” Yun Que snarled inwardly and decisively unleashed a sharp sword energy, cleaving the altar in two and blasting the creature away.

The monster crashed into the chamber wall, leaving a large crater.

Yun Que’s strike was unleashed without holding back, exerting full force.

But immediately after, he frowned.

A sword powerful enough to split the altar had failed to sever the monster—it only knocked it back.

A sense of danger surged.

Quickly, Yun Que made a decision, thrusting the longsword into the crater made by the beast.

Bang!

Strange sounds emerged from the pit.

It was not the noise of the sword cutting or piercing but seemed as if the blade was stuck inside something.

The next moment, Yun Que’s fingers trembled.

He felt the sword soul wail in agony.

Not good!

Yun Que activated the sword technique again, attempting to pull the sword back, but it was futile.

The sword plunged in like a stone sinking into water—gone without return!

What was happening?

Amid his astonishment, a dreadful premonition grew.

Hissing sounds came from the pit—not the earlier rage but a sinister, chilling tone that raised goosebumps.

It seemed the creature had somehow gained consciousness.

From a savage beast driven by instinct, it had become a formidable enemy with intellect.

Cold energy strands peeled off from the fractured altar formation, resembling visible venomous snakes slithering toward the wall’s crater.

The pit grew darker and more ominous, its depths pitch black.

“Such heavy demonic energy... could it be…”

Si Ruonan paled and whispered, “I didn’t summon the soul of Si Chen, but a hellish demon from the underworld!”

In a blink, the runes and materials dimmed, the scattered locust crystals on the floor sucked dry, shriveled like withered grains.

A sinister laughter echoed from the depths of the pit, followed by a hoarse voice:

“The mortal realm is indeed interesting. Not only blood to feast on but sword souls too. Delicious, hehe, truly delicious!”

The eerie voice sent chills down their spines, yet its form remained unseen.

Yun Que and Si Ruonan exchanged a glance and nodded in unison before striking together.

Yun Que summoned two barbarian longswords, each marked with blood grooves—testaments to countless blood feasts. The foe, clearly not human, would be drawn to their blood energy.

Si Ruonan ignited a longsword ablaze with fierce flames, surging into the crater on the wall.

The longswords and flames plunged into the darkness.

A roar exploded, shaking the ground.

At last, Yun Que sensed the sword soul’s aura and forcibly retracted the flying sword, though its luster had dimmed greatly—the extraordinary sword soul flickering, nearly extinguished.

Clack, clack, clack.

A figure emerged from the pit.

It resembled the creature before but with vastly changed demeanor and gait—steady steps, more bloodshot eyes, and a crimson horn growing from its forehead.

In its hand, it casually held Si Ruonan’s fiery longsword as if it were nothing.