Chapter 109 - If You Want a War, That's What I'll Give You!
The Sea of Swords was shaken to its core!
"Word has it that the Young Sword Lord of Sword Heaven slew five Great Elders of the Forbidden Tower, wiping out the entire Duanmu Family!"
"Not a soul has ever dared to lay a hand on even one Great Elder since the Forbidden Tower claimed dominance!"
"What's coming next?"
"I've received intel. The entire Forbidden Tower is incensed. Their entire sword force has rallied and is on its way to Sword Heaven!"
"An internal war is brewing in the Sea of Swords!"
Within moments, swarms of Sword Cultivators from various powers and noble families set out for Sword Heaven. To watch the spectacle! To witness history! And perhaps to pick up a straggler or two.
The news swept over the floating sword city like a tempest, setting the city ablaze with anticipation.
Outside Sword Heaven, tens of thousands of Sword Cultivators poured out, forming a defensive line. Some were solemn; others had eyes filled with confusion.
HUM! Suddenly, a thousand sharp swords tore through the dark clouds, falling like meteors and landing right before Sword Heaven!
A tremendous killing intent swept towards them!
Emerging from this onslaught were a thousand figures in black and red robes from the Forbidden Tower, eyes cold with murderous rage.
The Forbidden Tower, due to its practice of inducting only the most talented Sword Cultivators, naturally developed an arrogant and domineering demeanor.
In territories under the Forbidden Tower's control, they were the law, operating without restraint. How could they tolerate someone killing five of their Sovereign Dragon Realm Great Elders, decimating their foundation?
HUM! As they landed, the ground quaked. The vast army of Sword Heaven's Cultivators instinctively took a step back.
A chilling, furious, and overwhelming atmosphere enveloped the scene.
The intimidating gaze of the thousand Forbidden Tower Sword Cultivators heavily pressed down on the tens of thousands from Sword Heaven.
At the forefront stood the Tower Lord of the Forbidden Tower and the remaining five Sovereign Dragon Realm Great Elders.
The Tower Lord of the Forbidden Tower, draped in black robes and shrouded in a dark mist, radiated a terrifying presence.
"Tower Lord, shall we obliterate Sword Heaven, or shall we demand they hand over Yun Xiao?" A delicate woman in black robes coldly inquired.
She was known as Xiao Qiang, a Great Elder from a different branch of the Xiao Family. Moreover, she was the sister of Xiao Yuan. Their family boasted two elders, making their influence in the Sea of Swords significant.
"Patience," the Tower Lord responded coolly.
In that moment, from the crowd of Sword Heaven, Sword Lord Lin Qingfeng and Madame Xiao stepped forward, their expressions solemn. "Tower Lord Xiao," Lin Qingfeng addressed, "Might we step aside for a word?"
"Step aside?" Xiao Qiang scoffed with a laugh.
"Granted," the Tower Lord surprisingly agreed on the spot.
Xiao Qiang paused, her eyes flicking with a hint of irritation, but before she could utter another word, the Tower Lord turned to the irate members of the Forbidden Tower. "Everyone, calm down! The Sword Lord and I will have a private chat. Regardless of the outcome, you will have a resolution today."
With the Tower Lord's assurance, the enraged crowd reluctantly restrained themselves.
"Please, Tower Lord," Lin Qingfeng motioned.
Together, Lin Qingfeng and Madame Xiao escorted the Tower Lord to the Jade Sun Tower. Outside, the thousands from the Forbidden Tower and Sword Heaven stood face-to-face, a tension filling the air.
"Lil Feng!" At the top of the Jade Sun Tower, the Tower Lord suddenly spun around, his eyes glaring fiercely. "Five Great Elders! How do you explain that?!"
"Big Brother!" Xiao Yu rushed forward, her eyes brimming with tears. "Calm down, hear us out!"
Lin Qingfeng took a deep breath. "The thing is, Yun Xiao is a lunatic. Repaying my kindness and facing pressure from Ye Guying, he took matters into his own hands."
He looked earnestly at the Tower Lord. "Brother, after all these years, you know who I am. If I ever harbored intentions against the Forbidden Tower, may heaven and earth strike me down."
"It wasn’t our idea!" Xiao Yu pleaded, her voice laced with desperation.
The Tower Lord sighed deeply. "I trust you. But what's the use? The Forbidden Tower isn't just mine. They're humiliated! How am I to placate them now?"
He locked eyes with Lin Qingfeng, gritting his teeth. "Tonight, I must take Yun Xiao to the Forbidden Tower for justice. It's the only way to appease the masses."
"Big Brother, just wait one more day!" Xiao Yu begged. "By this time tomorrow, we can extract the sword bone!"
The Tower Lord fell silent.
THUD! Madam Xiao suddenly knelt before him, tears streaming down. "Please, help us once more. Without the sword bone transplant, he won't live long. You've seen what he's been through these past ten years! I’ve lost my son. If you make me a widow, how am I supposed to live? I'd rather be dead!"
She bowed her head repeatedly against the floor, crying out, "Give him a chance! You're the Tower Lord. You can hold them off for a day. Just find a reason!"
"It's not about finding a reason," the Tower Lord murmured. After a moment of reflection, he sharply looked up. "Lil Feng, is there a chance you've been exposed?"
"Exposed?" Lin Qingfeng frowned. "I don’t think so. The Heart Eroding Bone poison is from the Heavenly Realm, there's no record of it in the lower realms."
"He killed your son and genuinely feels remorse? He genuinely wants to fight for you?" The Tower Lord had heard of the evening’s details from Xiao Yu. With a sudden slam on the table, he declared, "I'd bet there's a ninety-nine percent chance you've been exposed! He’s playing you!"
"How could it be?" Xiao Yu shook her head in disbelief. "He's only sixteen, a mere peasant from the backwoods of Azure Spirit! How would he have such discernment? Besides, Brother Feng has been nothing but thorough with him. Not a single flaw from beginning to end."
"You two are so desperate for his sword bone that it's clouding your judgment!" the Tower Lord snapped.
"Brother Tian..." the Sword Lord took a deep breath, "You said there's a ninety-nine percent chance, but what about that remaining one percent?"
"You're willing to risk it all on that one percent?" The Tower Lord glared at him.
"If you were in my shoes, tormented for a decade, you'd bet on even a one-in-ten-thousand chance! Only a Sword Soul of Star Grade or higher can undergo the bone exchange! Tell me, in the limited time I have left, where will I find another Yun Xiao?" the Sword Lord's voice trembled.
The Tower Lord fell silent.
"Brother! Even if he's found out, so what? It's just one day! Maybe he only knows we intend to harm him, but not about the bone exchange. Heck, maybe he's fully aware and still wouldn't dare to destroy his sword and end it all! So, please... wait just one more day! From now on, we won't let him step foot out of Sword Heaven," Xiao Yu pleaded.
All this drama, all to prevent Yun Xiao from destroying his sword before the sword bone could be extracted. That was also a high stakes gamble, but... Lin Qingfeng, the Sword Lord, wasn't willing to risk even the slightest mistake.
"Brother Tian, I'm only forty, yet my hair has turned white. I've even wagered my own son in this gamble. I can't lose this time!" Finally, with a soft thud, the Sword Lord too, knelt.
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Outside Sword Heaven, tension ran high. Forbidden Tower and Sword Heaven. The Sword Cultivators from both sides stood opposite each other, like oil and water.
The cultivators from the Forbidden Tower glared fiercely, eyes full of challenge. They steadily advanced, shrinking the space available for the Sword Heaven cultivators, backing them into a corner.
"Where is Yun Xiao?" Xiao Qiang, seeing no response from the Jade Sun Tower for what seemed like an eternity, felt her anger bubble up. She stepped forward, the memory of her decapitated brother, Xiao Yuan, screaming in her mind.
"Barbecuing over here! Fancy a bite, Great Elder Xiao?" A nonchalant chuckle echoed from the crowd of Sword Heaven.
The scent of something burning wafted over.
The Sword Heaven crowd parted in two, revealing a path.
What Xiao Qiang and the other Forbidden Tower cultivators saw made their eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. A young man in white robes had lined up five heads, roasting them over an open flame. And right there, in the center, was Xiao Qiang's younger brother, Xiao Yuan!
"Ah!"
"You audacious brat!"
Such a brazen provocation!
The thousand-strong from the Forbidden Tower were already boiling with rage, forcibly suppressed by their Tower Lord. But now, as their leader negotiated, Yun Xiao had stomped on their pride and dignity, and ground it into the dirt.
"You're asking for death!" Xiao Qiang's eyes blazed red.
Who could remain sane seeing their sibling roasted like that?
"Kill him!!" With a horrifying shriek and a twisted face, she drew her Sword Soul and lunged at Yun Xiao. Behind her, countless Sword Cultivators from the Forbidden Tower, driven mad by anger, drew their blades.
"You come to Sword Heaven's doorstep and cry murder? Think we of Sword Heaven are pushovers?" Yun Xiao stood up, charging at Xiao Qiang with ferocity. "You want war? Sword Heaven will give you war!"
Their two forms collided with explosive force, a storm of energy erupting between the two factions.
A flash of cold light darted across Yun Xiao's eyes. Without a word, he summoned the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, which boasted two gleaming Sword Rings.
Sun Moon Divine Light, Rainbow Through the Sun!
Yun Xiao's Flying Sword burst forth, creating a tempest of water and fire. Like a brilliant comet piercing the night sky, it dashed towards Xiao Qiang in a mere blink.
"Five-thousand-year old Sword Rings!" Xiao Qiang's face paled. She swung her blade in desperation.
The tragic end of Duanmu Yao was relived in that fleeting moment as the Sword Cultivators clashed.
BOOM! Her Sword Soul shattered against the might of the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, which swiftly reached her neck, severing her head from her body.
Xiao Qiang met her end between the two warring factions.
HUM! Yun Xiao, with cold calculation, held Xiao Qiang's head in one hand and stepped on her corpse with his foot. Facing the thousand from the Forbidden Tower, he spat disdainfully. "The Forbidden Tower? The so-called fearless? You're just a pack of dogs, begging on your knees after I kill you! I've taken out another of your Great Elders. Dare to challenge me now?" With that, Yun Xiao laughed coldly.
BOOM! The Sword Cultivators of the Forbidden Tower erupted in fury.
What happened to peace talks with the Tower Lord?
When someone boldly slapped them across the face, all talk was forgotten.
"Kill him!"
"Destroy Sword Heaven!"
The crazed will of a mob is like a potent poison, consuming reason in the blink of an eye. When everyone around you drew their sword, not a soul could resist joining the frenzy.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH! A shimmering downpour of over a thousand Flying Swords pierced the night, like a rainstorm of steel, hurtling towards Yun Xiao alone.
"A thousand against one? You think Sword Heaven is undefended?"
With a ferocious roar, Yun Xiao suddenly turned, charging straight into the thick of the Sword Heaven crowd.
"Strike!"
The barrage of Flying Swords relentlessly pursued him. An arrow drawn had to be let loose!
"You Forbidden Tower folks push things too far!" Yun Xiao, swift as a ghostly shadow, darted into the dense throng in a flash.
THUD THUD THUD! In the ensuing chaos, the Forbidden Tower's swords couldn't be aimed true. With Yun Xiao's deft dodges, at least a hundred Sword Heaven's people were pierced and fell where they stood.
Blood flowed like rivers at the gates of Sword Heaven.
Things had taken a dire turn...
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