The sword was four feet long, only a finger wide, and much thinner than white paper—almost transparent. The entire blade glowed with a vivid red, like fresh blood that had just left the body and had yet to coagulate.

It was unclear whether it was the soft sword’s own ability or the girl’s exceptional swordsmanship, but that flexible blade was sometimes straight and rigid, sometimes as soft as silk, making it both bizarre and ferocious.

Although Edward White already possessed the pure white greatsword, it was simply too heavy and unsuitable for prolonged battles. If he could have such a light and agile soft sword, he could save a great deal of stamina, allowing him to maximize the advantages of the Pain Blade Technique. The Pain Blade Technique was originally a light and delicate style; Edward White used the pure white greatsword to practice it, partly for training, and partly because he had no other weapons available.

Sophie Lee had already lost hope. Along the way, she had slain eight Head-Splitting Ghosts, but her own strength was nearly depleted. Even swinging the silk-like sword, which once felt weightless, now seemed as heavy as a mountain. She no longer had the strength to kill another Head-Splitting Ghost.

“Is this how I die?” Watching the giant axe of the Head-Splitting Ghost swing toward her, Sophie Lee, too exhausted to dodge, gave up resisting. She leaned against the tree trunk, closed her eyes in despair, and waited for death to come.

Clang!

The deafening metallic crash right in front of her made Sophie Lee’s eardrums feel like they would burst. She involuntarily opened her eyes, only to see a tall figure blocking everything before her.

To conserve as much energy as possible, Edward White stabbed the greatsword into the Head-Splitting Ghost’s vital spot, and while it convulsed, he drove the blade straight through its heart.

With just eight simple strikes, all four ferocious Head-Splitting Ghosts were slain.

Sophie Lee watched, utterly captivated, her heart filled with indescribable emotion, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.

After killing the Head-Splitting Ghosts, Edward White turned to stare at Sophie Lee. The white iron mask showed no emotion, only a pair of eyes gleaming with greed. “I saved you. Shouldn’t you repay me?”

Looking at Edward White, whose face was hidden by the iron mask, Sophie Lee thought that if she saw him elsewhere, she would surely feel disgust or fear. But for some reason, at this moment, she felt an inexplicable sense of security.

Suddenly hearing Edward White say such words, if it were any other time, Sophie Lee would have turned and left, never speaking to him again. But now, under that burning gaze, her cheeks flushed, and she stammered in confusion, “Here... no... it’s not possible... maybe later...”

“What, I saved your life, and that’s not even worth a sword?” Hearing Sophie Lee refuse, Edward White frowned slightly.

“What, you want the silk sword, not...” Sophie Lee’s face burned, and for some reason, she felt a strange resentment.

“Not what?” Edward White realized, looking at Sophie Lee with a half-smile.

“You... jerk...” Sophie Lee threw the sword in her hand at Edward White’s feet, huffing, “You want the sword, take it.”

Edward White picked up the sword that Sophie Lee had just disarmed herself of and immediately equipped it. Instantly, the sword’s information appeared in his life imprint.

“Silk Sword: A sword transformed from a celestial maiden’s ribbon, soft as water, hard as steel, able to cut through iron like mud.” Only now could Edward White see the brand hidden on the blade—it was actually a viscount-level weapon.

Edward White swung it a few times, mastering the sword’s flexibility and rigidity, and couldn’t help but praise, “Good sword, truly a good sword.”

“Where are we going now?” Seeing Edward White continually praising the Silk Sword, Sophie Lee couldn’t help but interrupt him, though she didn’t know why.

“It’s not ‘we.’ You can go wherever you want.” Edward White put away the Silk Sword. In this perilous Undying Altar area, he didn’t think he had the ability to protect others, especially since he still needed to charge up the altar to break the Immortal Crystal.

“You... I...” Sophie Lee felt she had never been so embarrassed in her life and was momentarily speechless.

Seeing Edward White about to leave, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Sophie Lee, and she shouted, “If you want to charge up the altar and break the Immortal Crystal, I can help you.”

“How can you help me?” Edward White stopped in his tracks.

A smile appeared on Sophie Lee’s small face. “So much time has passed, I believe many Head-Splitting Ghosts have already been killed and then revived at the altar. Now, there are at least two hundred Head-Splitting Ghosts at the altar, plus that Skull-Splitting Ghost. Even if you’re a viscount...”

At this point, Sophie Lee paused and glanced at Edward White for a reaction, but because of the iron mask, she couldn’t see anything, so she continued, “Even if you’re a viscount, it would be very difficult to carve a bloody path through the encirclement of so many Head-Splitting Ghosts, defeat the Skull-Splitting Ghost, and shatter the Immortal Crystal.”

“Go on.” Edward White was also troubled by this problem. His strength wasn’t enough to confront the Head-Splitting Ghosts head-on. When dealing with a lone Head-Splitting Ghost, he could dodge its attacks, but if he wanted to charge the altar, he would have to face groups of them directly. At that point, dodging alone definitely wouldn’t work.