Chapter 143 - Demonic Aura!
SMACK!
"Wake up, my boy!" Old Man Sun's hand came down again, scattering the endless sea of blood that filled Yun Xiao's vision.
For a moment, Yun Xiao's eyes were bloodshot, and he panted heavily, staring blankly at the aged man with weathered eyes standing before him.
"Stop staring and close your eyes!" Old Man Sun ordered gravely.
"Yes..." Taking a deep breath, Yun Xiao slowly shut his eyes, the blood-red haze in his mind gradually fading.
"The Sword Dao Monument holds the resentment of a billion souls. With your Galaxy grade Sword Soul, you're naturally more susceptible to its corruption! You must keep your heart steady. Don't act rashly," Old Man Sun's voice, laden with concern and wisdom, echoed in his ears.
"Understood!" Yun Xiao nodded firmly. He continued forward. After what felt like an eternity, he whispered to the little black creature hidden in his robe, "Blue Star, what happened there?"
"The truth is, you're a human Sword Cultivator. Your stances, representing the humans and the Sword Cultivators, with their resentment, grievances, and indignation, are all magnified in your heart," Blue Star remarked impassively.
"Is that a good or bad thing?" asked Yun Xiao.
"I don't know. It depends on your heart! If you want to rage, then rage. If you want to hate, then hate. Do as your heart desires!" replied Blue Star.
"I am human!" Yun Xiao declared defiantly.
"Then act like one," Blue Star said.
"Ah, the Dao is so complex. I just want to drink some demon milk as soon as possible," Red Moon remarked with a shake of its head, clearly not getting the gist.
Yun Xiao slowly opened his eyes, gazing at his slender fingers, his determination growing. "I am human! I am Yun Xiao! I was born in the Sword Realm, in the Cloud Nation!" He repeated this, grounding himself.
Gazing again at the Sword Dao Monument, blood vessels sprawled across Yun Xiao's eyes. "One day, I will let you all rest in peace!"
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Bypassing the Sword Dao Monument, Yun Xiao trod across a desolate, uninhabited wasteland. From the depths of the mist ahead, three grand sword gates loomed. Each gate was constructed from three massive stone swords. Engraved atop the gates were distinct characters—Holy, Demon, and Heart.
The three Sword Cultivator lineages—Holy Sword Tomb, Demon Sword Tomb, and Heart Sword Tomb. Three distinct schools of thought. His aunt, Su Lianlian, was the Tomb Master of the Heart Sword Tomb.
Although these three Sword Tombs had always maintained a low profile, today their entrances buzzed with unparalleled excitement.
Gazing ahead, Yun Xiao spotted a staggering hundred thousand Sword Cultivators, arranged in three formations, standing solemnly before the tombs. What a grand show of force!
As Yun Xiao approached, a hundred thousand pairs of eyes suddenly fixed on him. It was as if a hundred thousand sharp swords, a torrential sea of sword energy, swept toward him. Their presence was commanding but not malicious.
"There sure are a lot of formidable Sword Cultivators," Yun Xiao mused, a tad surprised. He had assumed the place would be more desolate, not realizing it'd be this thriving. Perhaps this was the result of years of discretion and laying low.
Not only were they powerful, but their conviction was also profoundly unwavering. Sword light surged in everyone's eyes. Though they remained silent, their gazes said it all.
Yun Xiao didn't detect any particularly hostile looks. Mostly, they were scrutinizing him. This was expected; many didn't know Yun Xiao, only that he had slain Ye Xingchen.
"Everyone, I've escorted the Sword Emperor," Old Man Sun declared with a hearty laugh.
"Many thanks, Old Man Sun!" echoed a hundred thousand voices in unison, their words dripping with respect.
Old Man Sun gazed briefly over the massive crowd, saying in earnest, "Once Yun Xiao has been welcomed, you should all hurry back. It's a sensitive time for us. We can't be seen gathered for too long."
"Old Man Sun, please step aside for a moment."
Yun Xiao's ears perked up at the familiar voice. He turned to see the origin—a graceful woman in a pink dress standing near the Heart Sword Tomb. It was his aunt, Su Lianlian.
She winked at Yun Xiao, quipping, "Same old rules. Sword Cultivators get straight to the point. Yun Xiao, show everyone your Sword Soul. Among these hundred thousand, some still doubt the birth of a Sword Emperor."
"Alright." With a nod, Yun Xiao unsheathed his Sword Soul, and it pierced the sky. A profound silence enveloped the hundred thousand onlookers. In mere moments, many gazes shifted from scrutiny to admiration.
"Welcome!" they chimed in unison. Simple as that.
Whispers filled the air. Su Lianlian, Yun Xiao's playful aunt, sauntered over, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Your other aunt had to step out. You'll meet the eldest today."
Everyone knew about the faux aunt-nephew relationship from the public affirmation during the Nine Heavens Immortal Army's grand wedding. Fake or not, in the Heavenly Realm, it was now gospel.
The heads of the The Three Great Sword Tombs were all women—a curious coincidence given that in the Sword Realm, both Azure Spirit and the Sea of Swords, the most powerful Sword Cultivators were men. Observing this assembly, women made up half the population. Clearly, they harbored no gender bias—women held their own, standing tall.
Yun Xiao soon met his eldest aunt—a dignified woman in a white sword robe. At first glance, she exuded grace and poise. But a closer look revealed resolute eyes, a window into her poetic soul. She led the most significant sword lineage in the Heavenly Realm, hardly the mark of a delicate flower.
"Holy Sword Tomb Master, Nangong Xi," Su Lianlian introduced with a radiant smile.
Yun Xiao greeted her calmly, "I'm honored to meet you, First Aunt."
Nangong Xi nodded gently. "Impressive." Whether she praised Yun Xiao's Sword Soul or his striking features remained a mystery.
"Absolutely charming!" Su Lianlian said, clearly pleased.
Though Nangong Xi appeared to be of the same age as the Supreme Marshal of the Chen Clan, her radiant complexion bore no signs of aging. She exuded an aura of purity, clearly a seasoned elder with profound inner strength.
While the two conversed, a vivacious girl dressed in orange snuck up beside Nangong Xu, eyes dancing with mischief.
"He hails from our ancestral land of Sword Cultivators, not raised in the Heavenly Realm. To integrate him, we must show sincerity," Nangong Xu replied.
"But what if he gets all high and mighty?" she pouted.
"That's on him. We only need to do our part," he responded.
"Alright then!" The girl in orange nodded, then teased, "One thing's for sure; he's got something over you."
"What's that?" Nangong Xu blinked in surprise.
"He's more handsome!" She chuckled.
Nangong Xu could only sigh. "..."
"Too bad he's already spoken for," she added with a smirk.
As they chatted, Nangong Xi and Su Lianlian introduced Yun Xiao to numerous elite and powerful Sword Cultivators from the three tombs. Yun Xiao, reserved and composed, quickly meshed with the crowd. The Sword Cultivators were relieved to find him neither arrogant nor condescending. Talent was admirable, but a haughty talented person? Quite a handful.
It felt as though the Sword Cultivators of the Heavenly Realm stood on a precipice.
After the initial introductions, Nangong Xi stood before the masses, smiling warmly. "From today, Yun Xiao is a part of our Three Great Sword Tombs!"
"Yes!" The hundred-thousand Sword Cultivators said in unison.
"Following our rules, with his Galaxy grade Sword Soul, he's admitted as a top-tier prodigy! The three Tomb Masters have decided unanimously—we grant him five Rank Twenty Azure Kites!" Nangong Xi announced.
"Azure Kites? Rank Twenty?" Yun Xiao's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"You have a hundred-layer Sword Soul. That means you've absorbed Azure Kites before, right? Those Azure Kites in the Sword Realm are our gifts to the lower realm," Nangong Xi said.
"Oh, so that's how it is!" Yun Xiao's eyes lit up with realization. Those Azure Kites were no strangers to him. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he hurriedly said, "Thank you, Tomb Masters and fellow Sword Cultivators!"
Upon Nangong Xi's declaration, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Five Rank Twenty Azure Kites?" The girl in the orange dress looked envious. Turning to the boy beside her, she remarked, "Hey, isn't your aunt being overly generous? Even you've only absorbed four of them till now. With how hard it's become to obtain demon bones, there are barely any Rank Twenty Azure Kites left!"
Nangong Xu replied calmly, "It was a collective decision by the Tomb Masters. Obeying orders is a Sword Cultivator's duty."
The girl in orange pouted. "Well, being gifted them is one thing. Whether he can absorb them is another. His Sword Soul might be of a high grade, but if he's only in the Sovereign Dragon Realm, absorption won't be easy."
"Su Yuan. Let's mind our own business instead of others." Nangong Xu turned to look at Nangong Xi and Su Lianlian, "The three Tomb Masters have faced life-and-death challenges to secure a path for our Sword Tombs. It's tough. We, the younger generation, have two tasks. First, trust their decisions. Second, shine in the War of Immortals. Beyond that, it's none of our concern."
Su Yuan playfully stuck out her tongue. "I get it. Grandpa always says, with our declining Sword Cultivation power, we should help and support each other, not fight or be jealous."
"That's right," Nangong Xu's gaze was intense. "In the face of demonic threats since the ancient Sword Realm's fall, we've survived by fighting side by side. Trust those you stand with."
The girl in orange nodded earnestly, clearly chastised.
Suddenly, a cry rang out, "The Rank Twenty Azure Kites are here!"
Under Su Lianlian's command, five azure birds, wings spanning twenty feet and radiating powerful sword energy, sped towards them, landing right before Yun Xiao.
"We'll arrange a residence for you. Later, these Azure Kites will be placed in your courtyard for long-term absorption," Nangong Xi said, smiling at Yun Xiao.
"Long-term absorption?" Yun Xiao stared intently at the kites, his eyes blazing with anticipation. He hadn't expected such a delightful surprise upon his arrival! "Unless I'm mistaken," he mused, "the potency of these five Rank Twenty Azure Kites surpasses that of the entire flock back in the Azure Kite Sea."
As the density of Yun Xiao's Sword Aura grew, the more difficult it was for him to augment it. Perhaps another Azure Kite Sea would only increase the number of layers by thirty.
"Thank you!" Yun Xiao said, bowing to those who believed in him without reservation.
"You're welcome." Su Lianlian winked, her eyes playful. "Stay near Third Auntie's place. If you happen to quarrel with that posh wife of yours, you're always welcome to come back here." With that, she motioned for Yun Xiao to follow.
"Hold on just a moment." Without hesitation, in front of the crowd, Yun Xiao summoned the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, directing it at one of the Azure Kites.
"What's he up to?" the crowd wondered, puzzled by the sudden move. Surely, he wasn't trying to refine a Rank Twenty Azure Kite in a day?
Their thoughts barely had time to form when Yun Xiao's Heaven Burial Sword Soul plunged into the Azure Kite's beak. The massive blue kite froze, then let out a horrifying scream, engulfed by the Sword Soul. The whole act? Merely a matter of moments.
"What the...?" The girl in orange stood dumbfounded.
Including the two Tomb Masters, a hundred thousand Sword Cultivators widened their eyes, frozen in shock.
Then, in the span of a few breaths, they watched as Yun Xiao absorbed all five Rank Twenty Azure Kites.
"One hundred and eighty layers of Sword Aura!" Yun Xiao gazed at the swirling azure Sword Aura around his Sword Soul, satisfaction glowing in his eyes. It was so incredibly potent. Feeling a burst of euphoria, he looked around and noticed the entrance of the Sword Tombs had gone eerily silent. A sea of a hundred thousand faces stared blankly back at him.
"What kind of monster are you?" Su Lianlian muttered, her face a picture of confusion.
A collective gasp went through the crowd. Eyes met, some filled with excitement, others with disbelief.
"Bravo!" Old Man Sun, with tears brimming in his eyes, applauded, "Fantastic! If we can just hang on, someday, we Sword Cultivators will also produce a powerhouse to reckon with!"
"Yes!"
A powerhouse! They needed a titan among them. And as if on cue, as his words barely faded, dark clouds suddenly shrouded the sky. An oppressive demonic aura ominously blotted out the sun.
A collective shiver ran down the crowd's spine. Everyone hastily looked up to see dozens of shadows, shrouded in that haunting demonic mist, perched atop the Sword Monument, their eerie laughter echoing through the air.
HISS...! Streams of muddy brown liquid began to trickle down the monument, flowing through the sword scars, creating a chilling scene right before their eyes.
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