Chapter 163 - Hand Over the Blood Crystal, Sever Your Arm
The Spirit Treasure Palace's eighth floor had noticeably fewer guests than the lower floors. Those who made it here were essentially the big shots of the Immortal Empire.
Yun Xiao and Stray Dog meandered for a bit before settling down at a tea break spot. Gazing down at the bustling courtyard below, one brother sipped wine, the other tea, both lost in profound reflection.
Just then, from the corner of Yun Xiao's eye, he caught sight of a peculiar group of people. A sly grin slowly crept upon his face. WHOOSH! He suddenly produced a black jade box and set it on the table.
"Damn!" Stray Dog exclaimed, his eyelid twitching. "Put that thing away! This floor's crawling with top-tier demons!"
"No worries, I've got a big ace up my sleeve." Yun Xiao replied nonchalantly. With that, he summoned his Heaven Burial Sword Soul, which boasted 200 layers of Sword Aura. The sword now shone brightly; the Sword Ring of the Ape Saint's son was now useless to him and was discarded.
CRACK! Yun Xiao snapped the black jade box open! A fierce, despairing demonic miasma instantly pervaded the entire eighth floor.
"What the heck?!" Stray Dog was flabbergasted. Had this kid gone mad?
For a moment, the eyes of every guest and attendant on the eighth floor were riveted to the Blood Crystal Sword Ring.
"A Saint Sword Ring, belonging to a Fox Demon Saint. Quite the find!" Yun Xiao murmured to himself, nonplussed. With a snap, he embedded the Saint Sword Ring into his Heaven Burial Sword Soul. HUM! The Blood Crystal transformed into a crimson Sword Ring, encircling the Sword Soul.
HISS! The blood-red six-tailed fox emitted a ferocious shriek, as a demonic miasma formed by its magic engulfed the eighth floor of the Spirit Treasure Palace.
"So powerful!" Yun Xiao exclaimed, his eyes shining with awe.
For a moment, whispers filled the air.
"Who is that?"
"Seems like the son-in-law of the Chen Clan? The Sword Emperor?"
"Wait, is that a Saint Sword Ring?" one onlooker murmured, eyes wide.
"What audacity!" another whispered.
For a moment, many were agog, their jaws dropping.
"This won't end well," someone muttered, feeling a sense of foreboding.
As those words lingered in the air, a man with silver hair abruptly appeared before Yun Xiao. His face was pale, and bloodshot eyes fixed intently on Yun Xiao, filled with fury.
"What are you looking at?" Yun Xiao nonchalantly remarked, retracting his Sword Soul.
"That Blood Crystal... is it from my Fox Clan's Demon Saint?" The silver-haired man's voice trembled with rage as he clenched his fists.
"So what if it is? Who are you to me?" Yun Xiao replied, eyebrow raised in challenge.
"Brother," Stray Dog whispered urgently into Yun Xiao's ear. "That's Moon Fairy, the sole disciple of the Fox Clan's revered Demon Saint, Lady Hua Lian. He's one of those Primeval Demons with boundless prospects!" Panicking, he began looking for Zhao Xuanjian to intervene. By revealing the Blood Crystal in front of Moon Fairy, Yun Xiao had stirred a hornet's nest.
"Hand over the Blood Crystal and sever an arm as your apology," Moon Fairy threatened, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Moon," a voice echoed. A group appeared behind Moon Fairy, but one among them, a young man with pristine white hair, caught everyone's attention. Tall, draped in an unblemished white robe, he resembled an elegant white peacock—regal and aloof. Two violet-haired maidens accompanied him, along with several talents from the Violet Sky Immortal Empire and ferocious demons from the Demon Continent. A cloaked figure, emanating a strong Sword Aura, stood not far from them.
"Your Highness," Moon Fairy said, pointing coldly at Yun Xiao, "This man's Sword Soul uses the relic of my Fox Clan's Demon Saint as a Sword Ring."
The young man was none other than the son of the Eternal Joy Demon Emperor. The Peacock Prince looked over. "Who is he?" he inquired.
"He's the son-in-law of the Supreme Marshal of the Nine Heavens Immortal Army, rumored to possess a Galaxy grade Sword Soul."
"Interesting," the Peacock Prince mused, narrowing his eyes.
With a swift movement, Moon Fairy stood inches away from Yun Xiao, his face contorted with fury. "Hand over the relic of my Demon Saint ancestor. Sever an arm in penance, or face death!"
Suddenly, Moon Fairy's face morphed, revealing a fox-like visage with elongated sharp teeth.
Yun Xiao chuckled, his gaze piercing. "Who do you think you are, barking orders at me? We're in the Spirit Treasure Palace. Care to test your mettle here?"
Everyone had already heard tales of Chen Xiao's audacious son-in-law, and, upon meeting him today, they confirmed the stories weren't exaggerated in the slightest.
WHOOSH! With sudden vigor, Moon Fairy reached out, seizing Yun Xiao by the collar and head, and fiercely smashed him onto the table!
BANG! Yun Xiao's forehead met the hefty iron table, instantly splitting it. Blood smeared across his brow.
He's taken the first move!
The crowd gasped in shock.
"You!" With a swift motion, Yun Xiao swept Moon Fairy's hands away using his sword, stepping back rapidly. Touching his wound, half his face was already stained in blood. Fury flashed in his eyes, his face contorted in rage. "An uncivilized beast, you dare act wild in the sacred grounds of the Immortal Empire? Do you mistake this place for your demonic homeland?"
"Brother, calm down," Stray Dog hurriedly held him back.
"Calm down? Him?!" Yun Xiao gripped his Sword Soul, pointing at Moon Fairy angrily, "Today, his head must fall by my hand!"
The Saint Sword Ring on his Sword Soul shone even brighter, the blood-red six-tailed fox on it wailed hauntingly.
"My ancestor!!" Moon Fairy's eyes nearly split from rage. He roared, lunging at Yun Xiao, mouth wide, aiming for his head.
CRASH! Stray Dog intervened, forcefully pulling the two apart. "Enough! Make another move, and the Spirit Treasure Palace won't be kind!"
"Stray Dog!" After suffering such humiliation, flames raged in Yun Xiao's eyes. He stared down Moon Fairy, then turned to Stray Dog, "Doesn't the Spirit Treasure Palace have a life-or-death arena? Fighting there wouldn't be against the rules, right?"
"Life-or-death arena?" Moon Fairy's gaze grew even fiercer upon hearing this.
"Yes!" Yun Xiao's Sword Soul was almost pressed against Moon Fairy's forehead. He smirked, "You want to take this Sword Ring, don't you? I'll give you a chance! To the life–or-death Arena! If you win, I'll return your ancestor's pitiful remains!"
Surrounding them, a large group of demons had gathered, their eyes flaming with anger. The Peacock Prince's eyes, too, seemed dark and demonic.
"Let's go now!" Tears of blood streamed from Moon Fairy's eyes.
"But what if you lose?" Yun Xiao chuckled coldly.
"I have but one life, take it!" Moon Fairy replied.
"Who would want the life of a lowly demon like you?" Yun Xiao pressed the Sword Ring close to Moon Fairy's eyes, speaking coldly, "Money's more like it!"
"How much?" Moon Fairy asked.
"This Sword Ring? It cost me ten thousand Saint Stones. If you want it, bet ten thousand of them," Yun Xiao declared.
Saint Stones were not to be confused with Spirit Stones. They were a superior grade of spiritual ore. Each minuscule stone contained an amount of spiritual and immortal energy equivalent to tens of thousands of Spirit Stones. Especially beneficial for those beyond the Immortal Meridian Realm, its compact size and high purity made it more valuable than its lesser counterpart. No amount of Spirit Stones could purchase even one on the market. Ten thousand Saint Stones? That was equivalent to several hundred million Spirit Stones, maybe even upwards of a billion!
Moon Fairy went silent at this, visibly thrown off. His pockets weren't that deep. Looking around, he noticed several hundred guards from the Spirit Treasure Palace emerge, effectively cornering them, all the while shouting, "No fighting in the Spirit Treasure Palace! Break the rule, and pay dearly!"
Seeing the backup, Yun Xiao smirked, "Just as I thought. An uncivilized beast who can't even afford ten thousand Saint Stones. What are you doing here, trying to act bigger than your boots?"
"You!!" Moon Fairy's face contorted with rage, his fists clenched, veins bulging.
THUD! Suddenly, beside Moon Fairy, the Peacock Prince threw down a Pouch of Holding. He glared coldly at Yun Xiao before telling Moon Fairy, "Moon, I'll front the ten thousand Saint Stones to help you claim his life."
"Your Highness..." Moon Fairy murmured, visibly moved.
"It's fine. Win, and the Saint Stones remain yours," the Peacock Prince replied.
"Thank you!!" Moon Fairy whispered, thinking to himself, It was worth getting chummy with him last night.
With the sudden introduction of ten thousand Saint Stones, everyone knew: a clash was inevitable. Not just a clash—a bloodbath. The Supreme Marshal's son-in-law, the Sword Emperor, would face off against a genius demon of the Demon Continent.
"Alright, come meet your end!" Yun Xiao, wiping the blood from his forehead, flashed a fierce look, his eyes blazing with sword energy. He leapt straight down from the eighth floor. The life-or-death arena, situated in the atrium of the Spirit Treasure Palace's first floor, was always bustling. From there, battles could be watched from any floor.
WHOOSH WHOOSH! In no time, spectators filled the balconies on each floor.
This duel, agreed upon by both parties, had the Spirit Treasure Palace acting as the arbiter. With no elders present, this battle was entirely driven by the fiery zeal of youth.
BOOM! Yun Xiao landed in the very arena meant for battles of life and death, his silhouette contrasting against the vast expanse. Not far from him, Moon Fairy descended, backed by the formidable presence of the Peacock Prince, the princesses of the Violet Sky Immortal Empire, and a host of other powerful individuals and demons. Their eyes? Brimming with murderous intent.
"Activate the sealing formation!" Yun Xiao's voice sliced through the air like a dagger.
"Activate!" Moon Fairy agreed with a nod.
Zhao Xuanjian had just finished washing his feet and walked into this chaos. Seeing the blood-red Sword Ring, he nearly fainted. "What's going on here?" He turned to Stray Dog, confusion evident in his eyes.
"Hey, don't look at me. This guy and his wife, both are like short-fused powder kegs. I couldn't hold him back!" Stray Dog lamented with a pitiful tone.
With that, the sealing formation activated and sealed the arena. The Spirit Treasure Palace, with its myriad floors, was soon surrounded by tens of thousands of spectators, their anticipation palpable.
HUM! The moment the sealing formation was activated, without a single word, Yun Xiao's Flying Sword charged out with ferocious speed. With 200 layers of Sword Aura, backed by the Demon Saint's magic, it was a force to be reckoned with.
BUZZ! The demon magic was unleashed, engulfing Moon Fairy with a crimson shroud, making him appear as though trapped in a bloody purgatory.
"You're going down!" Moon Fairy shrieked, his body morphing into a three-tailed fox as he lunged at Yun Xiao.
Chuckling, Yun Xiao's sword danced in the air, bursting repeatedly. With just an ordinary Ten-Step Scale, it detonated over twenty times, elevating its power to at least the Star grade.
WHOOSH! With a deafening sound, that sword, infused with the bloody purgatorial magic, struck the three-tailed fox squarely on its shoulder blade.
THUD! The blade dug deep into the bone. The fox's face contorted in shock.
"He's that strong?!" The Peacock Prince frowned.
"He's playing us, pretending to be weaker than he is, just to provoke Moon Fairy!" the Fifth Princess of the Violet Sky Immortal Empire muttered.
The arena echoed with the sheer impact of that strike. Capitalizing on his advantage, Yun Xiao advanced relentlessly. His Flying Sword transformed into a Palm Sword, and with countless variations, pierced straight through Moon Fairy's heart!
Moon Fairy collapsed, his demon blood gushing out like a river.
THUD! Without a second thought, Yun Xiao stepped on him, repeatedly driving his sword through, painting the three-tailed fox a harrowing shade of red.
"Just another uncivilized beast," Yun Xiao sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Is this the level of a so-called genius Primeval Demon from the Demon Continent? Pathetic." But under his breath, he whispered to Blue Star, "Damn, that really hurt. I didn't screw up, did I?"
"Don't worry," Blue Star replied with a smirk. "With your Divine Desolation Physique, you won't die."
"Great, back to business then!" Yun Xiao suddenly slammed the three-tailed fox's head into the ground, brutally kicking its face. "Why shouldn't I use your ancestors as my Sword Ring? You lowly creatures come to our Immortal Empire in the Heavenly Realm, stirring up trouble. Do you think no one will stand up to you? You're nothing!"
BANG BANG BANG! He embedded the Heaven Burial Sword Soul into the fox's tongue, laughing derisively. "See this? This is your ancestor, and I'll keep it here forever. What can you do about it? Aside from rage impotently, that is."
"A genius demon? Ha!" He insulted the fallen Moon Fairy over and over. And as Moon Fairy lay in a pool of its own blood, every attempt at retaliation was met with even deeper humiliation.
"That's how you do it, Yun Xiao!" The human cultivators watching were ecstatic, giving sporadic applause.
In contrast, the talented demons of the Demon Continent looked as though they'd been slapped. Their faces were so dark, they seemed ready to bleed.
"All those Saint Stones gone to waste because of this useless Moon Fairy," the Sixth Princess of the Violet Sky Immortal Empire grumbled.
"Silence!" The Peacock Prince shot her a fierce glare.
"I'm sorry, please don't be mad, Brother Kong Ming," the Sixth Princess said, startled. She soon realized that not only had Moon Fairy been defeated, but Yun Xiao's arrogance was also a slap in the face to every demon present. Especially the Peacock Prince. Moon Fairy was with him, his man, and he had sponsored those Saint Stones. Every insult to Moon Fairy was also an insult to him.
The crowd noticed the Peacock Prince's eyes glowing with murderous intent, veins bulging on his neck, and a chilling aura emanating from him. THUD! The bloodied Moon Fairy, barely clinging to life, collapsed at the Peacock Princer's feet.
"Your Highness," Moon Fairy whispered, its eyes dimming, "I'm sorry... I've shamed the Demon Continent."
"Really now?" Yun Xiao bent down, plucking up a trove of ten thousand Saint Stones from the earth. He weighed them in his hand, casting a sardonic grin at Moon Fairy. "What's this? Getting ahead of yourself? Think taking a human form makes you human? You're just filthy vermin trying to act like you're people." With a flourish, he turned on his heel, ready to make a graceful exit.
"Hold it right there!" A voice, cold as a winter tide, anchored him in place.
Frost formed on Yun Xiao's hair. He glanced back to find the source of the chilling command—the Peacock Prince himself.
"Yun Xiao," he drawled, eyes squinted, hands clasped behind him, fingers morphing into talons sharp as blades. "I challenge you to a duel to the death."
Beast on the ground, bird in the sky... Moon Fairy was the filthy vermin on the ground. So, who was the flying vermin in the sky?
The crowd held their collective breath.
Fortunately, Yun Xiao just chuckled. "Peacock Prince, do you take me for a fool? No thanks!" He resumed his departure.
THUD! Something heavy landed on the ground. Yun Xiao peered over his shoulder to find ten bags casually tossed down by the Peacock Prince. Each bag held ten thousand Saint Stones.
The Peacock Prince's voice dripped with malice, "All you have to do is last thirty breaths inside the sealing formation, and you win. Take them all. What do you say?"
Yun Xiao hesitated, eyeing the glittering wealth, clearly tempted, but he managed to resist. "While the money is tempting, it's useless if I'm not alive to spend it. I decline..."
"Oh, really?" The Peacock Prince smirked and, with a flourish, began tossing out not just Saint Stones, but also the universal currency of the Demon Continent—Desolate Essence!
Yun Xiao's eyes widened, his breath catching.
THUD! Finally, the Peacock Prince set down a chest with a solemn declaration, "Galaxy grade Desolate Essence! Just endure for thirty breaths."
Yun Xiao's entire being shook with tension. He exchanged a glance with his body double, both sets of eyes sparkling with the same thought. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his teeth and said slowly, "Well, then... I'd kindly ask you to be gentle with me..."
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