Martial Saint through Reading

She couldn’t comprehend why her master didn’t flee but instead advanced against the waves.

But in the next moment, Xing Man’s face changed from fear and doubt to shock.

On that terrifying thousand-foot-tall giant wave, seven stars emitting deadly light converged, the Seven Stars Linked Sword descending as if from the heavens.

The sword fell.

Boom—

The entire Fifth Sword Tomb trembled.

Perhaps provoked by this, even before the sea had fully descended, the seventeenth sword wave followed suit.

In the depths of Chu Ming’s eyes, there flashed a hint of delight, but not much.

The True Intent had successfully merged into the Sword Technique, but only the Silent Extinction intent had melded successfully.

The previous sword strike seemed to crush the sword wave, but it had actually reached the limits of his fusion ability.

And this time, the terror of the sword wave, even if two True Intents were fused, Chu Ming estimated it might not be enough to withstand it.

If it can’t be withstood, staying would be courting death.

The Elemental Shield Shuttle flew out, and Chu Ming transformed into a streak of light, sweeping away the Sword Intent, Sword Fragments, and Xing Man obtained from defeating the wave.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Behind were three-hundred-foot sword waves, as Chu Ming carried Xing Man on a frantic sprint, countless Sword Qi shooting like raindrops.

Clang clang clang—

The Celestial Cyan Lock Chain formed a Celestial Cyan Chain Net to block, Sword Qi scattered, revealing the original terrifying appearance of the Fifth Sword Tomb, like a storm tsunami trying to devour the sky and earth.

Fortunately, Chu Ming’s tunneling speed was swift, dodging and blocking, he precariously passed through the Sea of Swords, reaching the other side—the Sixth Sword Tomb entrance.

Xing Man’s chest heaved violently; she never imagined she would pass the Fifth Sword Tomb in such a thrilling way on the brink of life and death.

Gazing at the dark-robed figure ahead, her eyes were filled with admiration, born not from soul subjugation but from sincere respect.

Chu Ming stopped at the entrance, not hastily entering; he needed to adjust his state first and then integrate the Sword Intent and Sword Fragments from the Sea of Swords into the Seven-Star Divine Sword.

In a moment.

Like before, the fifth star of the Seven-Star Divine Sword radiated a blue glow, absorbing the Sword Intent and Sword Fragments.

Upon completion, the Seven-Star Divine Sword, originally only at the level of a third-class Innate Spiritual Treasure, faintly emitted an aura comparable to a second-class Innate Spiritual Treasure.

Under ordinary circumstances, it would take reaching the Sixth Sword Tomb to gather enough Sword Intent and Sword Fragments to elevate the Seven-Star Divine Sword to second-class level.

But Chu Ming forged a unique path, provoking waves upon waves in the Fifth Sword Tomb, collecting Sword Intent and Sword Fragments comparable to the Sixth Sword Tomb, which initially equipped the Seven-Star Divine Sword with second-class Innate Spiritual Treasure aura.

“Let’s go.”

After a brief rest, the two stepped into the Sixth Sword Tomb.

The scene shifted, and the Merak Sword Tomb appeared before their eyes, a world of obscurity filled with dark, ominous energy.

As the two entered, a probing gaze swept over them.

Xing Man’s heart trembled, instinctively thinking it was Han Court.

“Don’t move.”

She nearly reacted but was stopped by the young man in the dark robe.

Chu Ming’s eyes narrowed slightly, fixing his gaze towards the left, like the Black Abyss.

Although nothing could be seen in that direction with the naked eye, the Sword Gourd Spirit had already detected it.

A figure in a black robe, completely shrouded under it, the robe also had the effect of blocking detection; if not for the extraordinary capabilities of the Sword Gourd Spirit, conventional methods wouldn’t see through it.

“Black robe… Evil Ghost…”

“Shadow Tower?”

Through meticulous probing, Chu Ming discovered the evil ghost emblem hidden beneath the robe, an emblem he’d seen at a Shadow Tower hideout he’d destroyed in the Imperial City.

He looked at Xing Man and asked, “Is there a sword talisman for entering the Sword Tomb that might have been left outside?”

With this question, Xing Man was shocked: “Do you mean that the one who was spying just now wasn’t Han Court, but someone else?”

Chu Ming nodded: “It’s the Shadow Tower.”

“Shadow Tower?!” Xing Man’s face changed dramatically: “Could it be that half a month ago, the disappearance of the three Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm experts from the Seven Stars Hall was the doing of the Shadow Tower?”

“…” She paused, then anger flared: “I understand now, because I killed a Shadow Tower assassin, they want vengeance against the Seven-Star Kingdom!”

As a National Guardian Realm expert of the Seven-Star Kingdom for hundreds of years, hearing of the Shadow Tower appearing in the Seven-Star Sword Tomb, her first instinct was to believe it a retaliatory act against the Seven-Star Kingdom.

But she quickly knelt before Chu Ming: “Master, I didn’t mean to…”

Chu Ming looked at Xing Man, his eyes gleaming.

Being now at the Sixth Sword Tomb, there were matters he needed to discuss with Xing Man.

“Before Han Court entered the Sword Tomb, he sent a message via your kingdom’s Seventh Star Lord, Pang Chong,” he said. “Han Court instructed Pang Chong to inform you that within the Third Star State, the location of the murderers of Xing Hong and Xing Rong was found. I went there; it holds a True Intent Soldier Embryo aura that will break its seal upon your entry.”

“And I’ll sense it immediately.”

Swoosh—

Kneeling there, Xing Man trembled; the emotions in her downcast eyes were fear rather than anger.

The implication was that the strongest of the Seven-Star Kingdom, her husband who fought alongside her for hundreds of years, intended to trap and kill her.

Usually, such news would provoke anger, not fear.

Why afraid?

Because she didn’t quite believe Chu Ming’s words, feeling instead that he discovered her deepest thoughts.

Though controlled by soul, forced to submit to Chu Ming, she still possessed independent thought.

Xing Man knew well why she was brought into the Sword Tomb; witnessing Chu Ming’s terrifying power, she became more firm in her resolve.

She planned, upon seeing Han Court one last time, to sacrifice herself by suicide as a warning to him.