Chapter 146 - Humanity's Supreme Sword
"Hold on!" Yun Xiao had barely taken a few steps when a rosy apparition swiftly caught up to him. Turning around, he found Su Lianlian already by his side, a delicate fragrance wafting toward him.
Her eyes, rimmed with red, sparkled with mischief as she whispered, "Off the record, am I still considered your aunt?"
Yun Xiao pondered for a moment. "If given the chance, would you wield your sword against the demons?"
"Absolutely," Su Lianlian said, biting her lip. "In my youth, I was quite the firebrand. But over the years, I've seen things, lost people dear to me..."
"I get it," Yun Xiao replied, nodding. When one stood alone, they feared nothing and no one. Yet the more you cared about others, the more you were constrained, the more reservations you'd have.
"Then..." Su Lianlian began, her eyes locked onto Yun Xiao's.
"It's fine," Yun Xiao nodded. "I hope one day we can stand side by side."
"Thank you," Su Lianlian said, her eyes shimmering anew. She leaned in, whispering, "I've noticed you have quite the knack for swordsmanship. Even the basic Star grade techniques you wield with such finesse."
"And your point is?" Yun Xiao replied, a playful eyebrow raised, admiring her enchanting face up close.
"On the Sword Dao Monument, there's an inscription of a Galaxy grade sword technique, left behind by our ancestors," Su Lianlian explained, her gaze fixed on the Monument with a gleam in her eyes.
"A Galaxy grade sword technique?" Yun Xiao felt a surge of excitement. Being a Sword Cultivator, he needed better sword techniques. The stronger ones were only available from the Three Great Sword Tombs.
He had thought he'd have to wheedle them out of Su Lianlian privately, but here she was, offering up the cream of the crop on a silver platter!
"Yes, and it's Upper Galaxy grade," Su Lianlian added, her voice heated. "It's humanity's supreme sword left behind by our ancient predecessors. After the ancient war, no one could master it."
"Really?" The more challenging it sounded, the more Yun Xiao's interest was piqued.
"I've been trying to decipher it for years without much luck," she confessed. "Rumor has it, only those with the Sword Soul of a Sword Emperor can grasp its essence. But give it a shot when you can. If it doesn't pan out, there are other sword techniques of varying grades within the Three Great Sword Tombs. Take your pick."
The fact Yun Xiao was allowed to take his pick hinted at how deeply moved and impressed she along with the other hundred thousand Sword Cultivators had been by Yun Xiao's recent actions.
Breaking ties? Yun Xiao was just trying to protect them, after all... The thought that a sixteen-year-old boy was shielding all of them brought a blush of shame to many a face.
"Alright!" Yun Xiao wasn't one to dawdle. He gazed at the Sword Dao monument, asking, "Where's the sword technique hidden?"
"It's within the sword scars; you'll need to discern it for yourself," Su Lianlian replied, emphasizing that outsiders wouldn't comprehend, and even if they did, they lacked the Sword Soul.
"What's it called?" Yun Xiao asked, his eyes ablaze with curiosity.
"The Constellation Slaying Sword," Su Lianlian answered. Taking a deep breath that accentuated her silhouette, she continued, "It encompasses Flying Sword, Palm Sword, and Sovereign Sword techniques, culminating in seven swords named after the seven grades of the Sword Soul."
"Understood," Yun Xiao nodded.
"The radiant aura of these seven swords is the most formidable in the Heavenly Realm, especially feared by demons specializing in physical prowess. These swords once instilled terror in the demons of the Demon Continent. It's this sword technique that led the demons to persecute us fervently. They were afraid, and their fear made us want to master the technique more. Sadly, no Sword Emperor has been born until now," Su Lianlian said, her head slightly bowed.
"So these seven swords represent... conviction?" Yun Xiao questioned.
"Yes! The hopes and convictions of all of us," Su Lianlian affirmed.
"Good, just wait and see!" With that, Yun Xiao turned, dragging the corpse of the Young Demon Saint, and in a blink, he was gone. The Sword Dao Monument remained in place, awaiting his return whenever he pleased. But he needed to refine this corpse before it began to rot.
Watching Yun Xiao's departing figure, Old Man Sun, Nangong Xi, Su Lianlian, and others exchanged glances.
"We must be worthy of him," Old Man Sun, clutching an amber necklace around his neck, his eyes reflecting a life lived.
ι══????????══ι?
In the Chen Heavenly Mansion, Yun Xiao returned, dragging something dripping with fresh blood.
"Young Master, what is that?" a Chen Clan guard asked, pinching his nose.
"Just a beast. Planning to roast it with some wine. Care to join?" Yun Xiao asked with a smirk.
"Thank you for the honor, Young Master!" The guard chuckled, "Considering you're freshly wedded, I wouldn't dare intrude on your sweet moments with the young lady."
"Perhaps another time." With that, Yun Xiao soon returned to the Dawn Pavilion. He wandered through the gardens, past rock formations and ponds, to their bridal chamber. As he looked up, lightning flashed inside the room, producing thunderous roars as thousands of electric snakes darted about.
"That fierce lady sure is wild!" Yun Xiao exclaimed.
"She was a maiden yesterday, and today you're calling her a lady" Blue Star teased with a chuckle.
Red Moon had another lightbulb moment. "A day can make quite the difference."
Yun Xiao, not bothering to entertain the banter, strode forward, pushing open the door and stepping in.
Inside, a young woman in a white dress sat on a cushion, surrounded by thick white lightning, resembling a cocoon of electric fury.
"Didn't anyone teach you to knock?" She snapped open her eyes, casting a bolt of electricity towards Yun Xiao.
"Do I need to knock to enter my own bedroom?" Yun Xiao retorted.
Chen Xi gave him a cold stare for a few moments before gathering up the serpents of lightning, halting her cultivation. The power she wielded didn’t so much as harm a single candle in the room, showcasing her impressive control.
"What is that?" She frowned, looking at the bloodied bundle outside.
"A demon's corpse," Yun Xiao replied nonchalantly. "Do you know how to forge a Blood Crystal Sword Ring? Make one for me."
"I don’t!" Chen Xi glared at him. "Don’t go around the Heavenly Realm killing demons, dragging trouble to my clan. These creatures are vengeful. Kill one youngster, and a horde of elders come calling."
"Alright, I’ll be more discreet next time." Pointing at the bloody package, Yun Xiao asked, "So, what do we do with this? We can't just leave it lying around."
Chen Xi remained silent for a moment, then took out an exquisite Pouch of Holding. From within, she pulled a dark tome and tossed it to Yun Xiao. "Learn it, forge it yourself," she said dismissively.
"Soul Ignition Art?" Yun Xiao caught the black book, flipping a few pages back. "Is this the method to refine the Blood Crystal Sword Ring? It’s from the Daoist Spell Compendium, right?"
"Yes, it’s a daoist spell." Chen Xi settled back on her cushion, legs gracefully parted, her back straight, as she closed her eyes to meditate.
"Can a Sword Cultivator learn a daoist spell?" Yun Xiao asked.
"Yes! At its core, daoist spells are methods to harness and release the power of heaven and earth. Not only can Sword Cultivators learn it, but even demons have similar techniques. However—"
Chen Xi gave him a brief glance and then continued, "A cultivator's focus is limited. You've dedicated yourself to the sword; you're set in your ways. Combining the two disciplines, they're as different as night and day. Trying to juggle both, it's like biting off more than you can chew. History tells us that those who've aimed for dual mastery in both often end up mastering neither."
"I get it," Yun Xiao nodded.
"But this Soul Ignition Art is an exception. This kind of utility spell isn't meant for combat. It doesn't change your fighting style. Many Sword Cultivators dabble in a few of these," Chen Xi added.
"Understood. Thanks for the insight," Yun Xiao responded, then made his way out.
The Soul Ignition Art spanned eight pages, with mantras and diagrams detailing how to channel magic power through the body. For every step Yun Xiao took, he flipped a page. By the eighth step, he slapped the black book shut and tossed it casually in front of Chen Xi.
Chen Xi gave him an exasperated look. "You practice it! Why do you always expect me to do everything? What are you, a big baby?"
Yun Xiao chuckled, then opened the bloody package. With a twist of his palm, a flame shaped like a primordial dragon engulfed the pile of flesh. The carcass of the Young Demon Saint trapped in the dragon's flame began to sizzle, popping and crackling as it was being refined.
Chen Xi merely sighed, feeling as if her very spirit was being eroded by his antics. "You knew how to do it all along, didn't you? Why the charade?"
"Think what you will," Yun Xiao replied nonchalantly.
A storm seemed to brew in Chen Xi's eyes, and she bit her lip. "Did you just learn it now?"
"It doesn't matter," he responded.
At that moment, the demon corpse had been steadily refined and shrunken. The pitiful remnants of the Young Demon Saint's soul were screaming within.
"You insolent mortal! Your entire race will perish, just wait... Ahhhhh!" Amidst its shrieks, it was turning into a Blood Crystal Sword Ring—a fate seen by demons as the most humiliating and wretched.
Furthermore, Yun Xiao had absorbed its demon bone and marrow, propelling his Sword Soul to 181 layers.
Chen Xi, her eyes fixed on the shrinking blood corpse, suddenly stood up and frowned at Yun Xiao. "A Golden Eyed Flame Ape?"
"You're quite knowledgeable," Yun Xiao said with a sly smile. "Indeed! I've certainly given the Heavenly Chen Mansion some face. It was a Golden Eyed Flame Ape, and even a Young Demon Saint at that!"
"..." Chen Xi's face remained expressionless.
"To keep those demons in check, I declared the name of the Chen Heavenly Mansion right then and there. They ran off, scared witless," Yun Xiao continued.
"..." Again, silence from Chen Xi. She glared at the screaming Young Demon Saint within the flames, then back at Yun Xiao, her teeth clenched.
"Your husband's looking pretty pleased with himself. Why do you seem so upset?" Yun Xiao asked, genuinely puzzled.
"This is the son of the Demon Saint! It's a precarious time, and your actions could place our clan in the eye of the storm!" Chen Xi shot back. "And you dare to turn it into a Blood Crystal Sword Ring? Do you really want to incite a massive battle between the Nine Heavens Immortal Army and the Demon Continent, leading to countless casualties?"
"Whoa, is it that bad?" Yun Xiao feigned shock, then gazed deeply into Chen Xi's eyes, "Darling, back me up here."
Chen Xi remained silent.
"You've taken advantage of me; you've got to take responsibility now," Yun Xiao added.
Again, silence from Chen Xi.
"Besides, you haven't paid for yesterday." Yun Xiao eyed the Pouch of Holding in her arms.
Chen Xi was utterly at a loss for words.
At that moment, the Blood Crystal Sword Ring was finally refined. Yun Xiao held it up to the sunlight, and it shimmered brilliantly. Inside the crystal, the tormented soul of an ape screamed.
"So, considering the fuss this thing has made, I should probably just toss it, right?" Yun Xiao quipped, glancing at her.
Chen Xi was about to lose her cool. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You've already made the damn thing. Just put it on and don't waste it!"
"Got it." From her reaction, Yun Xiao could tell she'd cover for him. Even if Chen Xi couldn’t, the Divine Dawn Empress surely would.
So, Yun Xiao summoned the Heaven Burial Sword Soul. Upon it revolved four Sword Rings of water, fire, wind, and thunder, each with a history of nine thousand years, brimming with demon magic.
Yun Xiao then casually slid the Blood Crystal Sword Ring onto it.
HUM! The five Sword Rings circulated around the Sword Soul.
"..." Yun Xiao froze, and so did Chen Xi.
"My bad." With an unfazed expression, Yun Xiao removed the four elemental Sword Rings. He mused, "With this twenty-thousand-year-old Sword Ring, the other four just seem... mediocre. Might as well sideline them."
Those four rings had served their purpose for barely three days. A twenty-thousand-year-old Sword Ring!
In the Sword Realm, the mightiest demon was referred to as a ten-thousand-year-old Demon Lord. Yet, in truth, this exalted demon likely hadn't lived for ten thousand years. By the same token, Moon Fairy, hailed as a thousand-year-old Demon Emperor, was far from reaching a thousand years in age. In fact, he was astonishingly young, which was why he could participate in the War of Immortals in the Heavenly Realm.
This practice of defining a demon's power by its age began in the mortal world, where the inherent potential of demons was quite limited, leading to tales like a demon maturing every hundred years. However, truly elite bloodlines could surpass the mightiest demons of the Sword Realm within just a few decades of cultivation.
In places like the Heavenly Realm or the Immortal Empire, demons and Immortals were typically identified by their realms. For instance, the Sword Ring that Yun Xiao refined from the Young Demon Saint, would be called a twenty-thousand-year-old Sword Ring in the mortal world, but in the Heavenly Realm, it'd typically be termed a Demon Meridian Sword Ring, signifying its origin from a demon of the Demon Meridian Realm. The earlier four nine-thousand-year-old Sword Rings were termed Sovereign Physique Sword Rings.
While the latter naming might lack the flamboyance of the millennia-themed labels, it had the virtue of accuracy. "With limited perspectives," Yun Xiao mused, "even a mere shadow could be revered as an Immortal. It's hardly surprising for a Sovereign Physique Realm demon to be dubbed a ten-thousand-year-old Demon Lord."
Mortals had a habit of attributing the unexplained to divine intervention and filling gaps with exaggerated tales. But none of that mattered now. What was paramount was that the son of the Demon Saint was now hanging on Yun Xiao's sword.
"Did you just embed five Sword Rings into your Sword Soul...?" Chen Xi finally broke her silence, looking intently at him.
"Nah, you were probably just seeing things..." Yun Xiao replied.
The two exchanged silent glances.
"Have you rested enough?" Yun Xiao's gaze slid from her face, drifting downwards.
The power of the Yin Void! Breaking through three stages in one go, and there was still room to spare. The second time, he would receive a third of her magic power, and by the third, he'd be given it all!
Since the Divine Dawn Empress had forced his hand, Yun Xiao had no plans of holding back. With three rounds completed, he would be at the top of the world. As for her? Well, she had to start over. Though, that wouldn't be a big issue since Yun Xiao would protect the Heavenly Realm in her stead.
"No way!" Chen Xi, typically so aloof, wouldn't entertain any discussion. With a swift motion, she shoved Yun Xiao out and slammed the door with a resounding bang.
Just as Yun Xiao opened his mouth to speak, an overwhelming and sinister force, dark and malevolent, surged throughout the Chen Heavenly Mansion! Lifting his gaze, he witnessed a vast shadowy demon cloud rolling in from the west, blotting out the sun as it bore down on the mansion.
Daylight was quickly consumed, and the entire Chen Heavenly Mansion was submerged in darkness and a malevolent mist. The ferocious demonic energy intertwined with a low rumble, creating a storm of evil that hovered ominously overhead.
The eerie wail of ghostly winds filled the air.
"Yun Xiao! Come out!" A sharp, brutal screech pierced the fog, causing many of the Chen Clan to clutch their ears in pain.
"They're quicker than I thought." Yun Xiao murmured, his eyes cold.
"All thanks to your handiwork!" Chen Xi flung open the door, shooting him a glare. "You darned troublemaker!"
"..." Yun Xiao had no reply. He watched Chen Xi head out, slipping into the crowd and following the flow of people outside the Chen Heavenly Mansion.
The demonic cloud ahead rumbled with deadly intent. Its dark energy was already enveloping the people. Resting just above the ground, one could discern tens of thousands of demons. Their ferocious-looking faces and sharp teeth glinted menacingly, mainly resembling ferocious apes. With eyes full of rage, they hopped and jumped about, scratching their heads and baring their fangs.
But these weren't mindless lesser demons. Each was a powerful demon at the Demon Core Realm, equivalent to a Demon Emperor of the Northern Wastelands. Among them, numerous stronger beings pulsed with a formidable demonic energy at the Demon Meridian Realm or higher, their chilling presence concentrated in the middle of the crowd.
From the dense fog emerged a pair of golden, fiery eyes. Enormous in size, the flames within them churned ferociously. Its shadow cast an oppressive and terrifying aura. Unmistakably, this was the father of the Young Demon Saint!
The sourc𝗲 of this content is fre(e)webnovel