[Fortune decreased by twelve points, current Fortune: 317-398.]

...

[The beggar fell in a pool of blood, and the Demon Sword rolled out of his clothes, revealed by the sunlight, displaying a dazzling silver-white blade...]

[Every man on the street turned to look, eyes glinting with greed, swallowing their saliva. Just by the exposed piece of silver, it looked to be at least a hundred taels, a windfall from the skies. Someone bent down... and the scramble began.]

[Whoever grabbed it would immediately be besieged by the crowd.]

[Everyone’s eyes burned like torches, terrifyingly red. They bit, cried, and struggled fiercely. The losers lay helplessly on the ground, missing arms or legs, their wails echoing continuously, weaving a scene both tragic and eerie.]

[After the Demon Sword devoured the souls of the sixth child and the beggar, an indescribable subtle change occurred. My unique "Sword Demon Heart Eye" also began to greedily absorb the pervasive aura of "desire" around it.]

[Greed, jealousy, fury, hatred... all sorts of negative emotions swirled like tangible tides, wrapping around my heart.]

[I had to enter a state of "neither life nor death."] 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

[Before long, everyone on the street was eroded by the desire unconsciously exuded by the Demon Sword; their eyes turned blood-red, all plunging into this ruthless and cruel slaughter.]

[This sudden riot quickly attracted a small swordsman. He keenly sensed the abnormality around him and locked his sharp gaze on the blood-stained silver being fiercely contended for by the crowd. In his heart, he thought, "This must be something extraordinary, a treasure!"]

[The idea of greed took root and sprouted in his heart in an instant. He drew his sword without hesitation; the sword light was like lightning, instantly slaughtering dozens of crazed contenders. Then, he snatched the Demon Sword, leaped onto the roof, and quickly disappeared from people’s sight.]

[I watched all of this unfold coldly. With a thought, the small swordsman became the Sword Carrier.]

[As the small swordsman dashed away, his hands grew light, giving him a start. Before he could inspect the Demon Sword, in the next moment, a golden light slashed across his neck, and his head tumbled to the ground, eyes filled with horror.]

[I silently absorbed everything from the small swordsman, a faint glow emanating from the sword’s blade.]

["One look at your sneaky demeanor, you must have acquired some treasure," the middle-aged swordsman sneered, slowly sheathing his sword, and then reached out to grab the Demon Sword that was emitting a faint glow.]

[The middle-aged swordsman gripping the hilt of the Demon Sword felt his whole body lighten and couldn’t help but mutter to himself, "Is this a Broken Sword? Blunt? This..."]

Suddenly, a memory of the earth-shaking bloody battle in Ronghe County from a few months ago flashed through his mind—a young swordsman mercilessly slaughtered an entire county of swordsmen in the Wilderness Breath.

Upon thinking of this, his heart jumped, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes: "Could it be, this is the fabled Hidden Blade Sword used by Flying Swallow Thirteen, only the blade has been deliberately dyed?"

As the thought arose, he turned to leave, but at that moment, several Sword Disciples suddenly leaped out, attempting to block his way.]

[The middle-aged swordsman’s Swordsmanship was superb; he quickly broke through the encirclement and sprinted out of the city. Yet, the news that he had obtained a "Divine Treasure" capable of stirring up an entire street spread like wildfire across the county.]

[For a time, more and more swordsmen took action upon hearing the news, and soon even Grade-Entering Swordsmen arrived.]

[Three days later, the middle-aged swordsman died in an unnamed grove.]

[Though the Grade-Entering Swordsmen managed to seize the Demon Sword, they were unable to eliminate the several dozen Sword Disciples present, allowing the news to leak out inadvertently.]

[That "Divine Treasure" could affect thousands of people on a single street, its influence astonishing; could it be a legendary artifact second only to the Divine Sword—the Profound Artifact?!]

[From then on, the Grade-Entering Swordsmen found themselves in endless pursuit. They had no opportunity to thoroughly explore the miraculous nature of the Demon Sword, only able to exert all effort, endlessly fleeing. Until three months later, they were surrounded by dozens of swordsmen of the same rank. By this time, they were thoroughly exhausted, a spent force.]

[The gazes of all the Grade-Entering Swordsmen focused on the Broken Sword in his arms, drawing their swords from the sheaths and looking around warily, the atmosphere tense and explosive.]

[In the Demon Sword, I thought another round of contention was about to begin.]

["Alright, stop it. This is a Demon Sword, something you can’t control." A cold voice suddenly rang out.]

[Everyone’s minds cleared, and they all looked in the direction of the voice.]

[At that moment, a woman’s figure appeared in their sight. Her beauty was unparalleled, her phoenix eyes sharp as blades. She stood about 178 tall, her perfectly proportioned long legs drawing countless gazes.]

Black hair like ink cascaded over her shoulders, her dark combat suit tightly wrapping her curvaceous figure. She wore a crane-cloud patterned, golden-embroidered shawl, draping down to her waist, gently swaying with her steps, her graceful figure occasionally glimpsed, adding a touch of mystery and allure.]

["Princess Mingzhu!! Dongfang Mingyue!!" Everyone exclaimed in unison, their tones full of shock and awe.]

[Dongfang Mingyue, as if walking in an uninhabited land, picked up the Demon Sword for a careful inspection, completely unaffected by it: "This faint aura can stimulate the depths of one’s desires, truly a Demon Sword. No wonder Flying Swallow Thirteen succumbed to it."]

["I will take this sword back to Shaking Light City for destruction; you may go." She finished, then elegantly departed with the Demon Sword, and none of the surrounding swordsmen dared to stop her.]

["Destroy me? Their self-destruction has nothing to do with me?" Hearing this, I suddenly awakened from the chaotic state of neither life nor death and decisively set Dongfang Mingyue as my Sword Carrier.]

[Carrying the Demon Sword, Dongfang Mingyue sat upright in a carriage, gently closing her eyes. In this noisy and jostling environment, merely by breathing, she entered a state of meditation, as if disconnected from all external disturbances.]

[I deeply understood her exceptional prowess, at least at the level of a High-tier Knight. If she intended to destroy me, I would stand no chance.]

[I must think of a way!]

[Seeing her practicing the Breathing Technique, I immediately activated the "Sword Demon Heart Eye" to bring her into the "True Realm."]

[Dongfang Mingyue’s expression turned dazed, instantly drawn into another aspect of the Dark Star Realm. Here, it was utterly different from the world of Liu Xiu and Ah Feng, shrouded in total darkness without a hint of light.

She looked down and saw that she was only holding a Broken Sword that shimmered with a silver-white light.]

[At this moment, a figure slowly emerged from the Demon Sword.]

[As she gazed at the cyan-robed figure before her, Dongfang Mingyue’s pupils narrowed slightly.]

...