Chapter 024 - Sword Shattering Vows
Sovereign Sword Technique—Leisurely Wander! Like a silver ghost flitting beside a streak of azure light, Yun Xiao darted and danced through the sky, reminiscent of fish navigating through the depths of an ancient sea. He whizzed past various duel platforms, leaving a trail of astonishment in their wake. A gust of fierce wind arose wherever he went!
"What in the heavens?"
"Who is that!"
"Oh no, my toupée!"
...
Many people gasped in shock. Who in the world was riding their sword across the Conclave Mountain? HUM! The shrill cry of sword whistled through air, sounding like steel needles grazing past their ears, causing many to furrow their brows in discomfort.
Azure light flitted like a shadow! The Leisurely Wander technique unfolded gracefully, akin to a swordfish plunging into the sea and slicing through towering waves!
On the western side of Conclave Mountain, Cai Maomao felt a surge of fear envelop him, he turned and ran, shouting hysterically, "Murder! This is against the rules, murder!" He felt a stabbing pain in his shoulder, and blood gushed out wildly!
"Someone, save me..." Chills ran down Cai Maomao's spine. Death was looming just behind him, his legs were giving out. CRASH! Just as he braced himself for the inevitable, a jarring collision echoed from behind him, sounding like a violent clash between two iron pillars.
The tremendous surge of magical power from the collision struck Cai Maomao square in the back, sending him flying and rolling several times on the ground.
"I... I'm not dead!" Though battered and disheveled, Cai Maomao deduced from his experience that someone had come to his rescue. The noise just now, it was the sound of two Sword Souls clashing! Which meant, if not for the timely intervention of that sword, Jiang Yue's Sword Soul would have pierced right through his heart!
"Who...?" Overwhelmed with emotion, tears flowed from Cai Maomao's eyes. He turned around to see a figure in white slamming onto the ground with a thud, standing protectively before him!
VROOM! Suddenly, from the sky descended an azure Sword Soul, landing gracefully into the palm of the newcomer. The Sword Soul spun like a cyclone of death, emanating a piercing screech that sounded like a primordial beast that devoured death itself, hinting that this was no ordinary sword, but something far more ancient and savage!
"Junior Brother Yun! You have my utmost gratitude!" Cai Maomao cried, his tears flowing unreservedly. Crossing the entire Conclave Mountain to save him? This was straight out of a heroic rescue story! "If... if I were a woman, I would devote myself to you tonight!" he sobbed.
"Don't repay kindness with enmity!" Yun Xiao quipped back, shooting him a glance that contained a mixture of amusement and relief. "Hurry up and get your wounds treated quickly!" Cai Maomao's wounds were bone deep, a ghastly melody composed by Jiang Yue. His arm hung precariously, threatening to sever completely if more time ticked by without intervention.
"For heaven's sake, don't engage with her! She's the one person in the Azure Spirit Sword Sect you don't want to mess with..." Cai Maomao's voice was tinged with a desperate urgency, his eyes meeting Yun Xiao's with a raw plea. However, the fiery look in Yun Xiao's eyes heralded nothing but trouble. It was the same searing gaze that had witnessed the demise of Wang Feng and Yao Qingqian under the moonlit night.
"Off-limits, you say? Watch me invite the storm!" Yun Xiao retorted, spinning around with defiant courage.
Across from him stood a young woman adorned in a robe embroidered with cloud patterns, a sword maven with eyes cold as the winter's frost, bearing down upon him with a contempt that seemed celestial. Perched upon the dueling platform, she exhibited a disdain akin to an Immortal scrutinizing mere mortals from her heavenly abode.
"Yun Xiao, I warned you three days ago, I will return that day's humiliation tenfold!" Her voice was as icy as a glacier, her finger pointing accusingly at Yun Xiao. "Even if you had chosen to hide, after slaughtering him, I would have sought you out specifically!"
Determined to cleanse her honor and wash away the lone stain on her pristine reputation, she perceived herself as a celestial maiden soaring the skies. Yet, the youth before her, despite his breathtaking appearance that held the crowds' attention, irked her profoundly, whether it was his reputation, disposition, or conduct.
As her words hung in the frosty air, a resounding thud echoed. Yun Xiao, the young man in white, had boldly ascended the dueling platform, eliciting a sarcastic shake of the head from Jiang Yue.
"Do you really fancy yourself my equal, just because you've wormed your way into becoming the Sect Master's Disciple? Dreaming of clashing swords with me along the path of Immortals eternally?" She scoffed, her eyes filled with derision. "Wake up, Yun Xiao! Your one-time victory has exhausted a lifetime of fortune!"
Her icy contempt flared, "I hope you realize, on this dueling platform, life and death are inconsequential. Even your new status won't protect you from my Ice Moon Sword Soul!"
Their confrontation drew the gazes of many, setting tongues wagging and heads turning. At the high platform Zhang Jian, the Sword Venerable of the Seventh Sword Peak, conversed with one of his elders Yu Xuanzhoo.
"So that's Yun Xiao?" Zhang Jian eyed Yu Xuanzhou critically, his voice tinged with accusation.
"Yes," Yu Xuanzhou nodded, a flush of shame coloring his cheeks.
"Did you notice Jiang Yue's formidable presence?" Zhang Jian ground out, his teeth clenching audibly.
"I did. A true prodigy destined to rise. Not even the gods can halt her ascent now," Yu Xuanzhou replied, his face a mask of bitterness.
"What possessed you to shield Yun Xiao at that time?" Zhang Jian's anger surged like a tidal wave.
"I had no idea she harbored such terrifying potential!" Yu Xuanzhou defended hastily, "But rest assured, I have already apologized to Yao Qingqian and have decisively severed ties with Yun Xiao!"
"Next time, open your eyes wider, will you?" Zhang Jian spat out, his disdain palpable.
"Yes, yes, yes..." Yu Xuanzhou agreed, his face twisted in distress.
Back on the sword dueling platform, a resonant sound of steel sang through the air.
Jiang Yue had transformed her Ice Moon Sword Soul into a three-foot-long azure ice sword, ready in her grip for battle.
"Yun Xiao, what's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" The disdain in Jiang Yue's voice was palpable as she taunted him, her voice echoing across the duel platform.
"By now, you should've heard that I've reached the Divine Sea Realm, and that I've solidified my seventh layer of Sword Aura! I bet the news has got you shaking in your boots and regretting your choices now, hasn't it?" Her taunts escalated, her voice reaching a fever pitch as her words cascaded down upon Yun Xiao, a torrent of icy disdain.
With a wicked grin that could send shivers down anyone's spine, she issued her ultimatum, "I'll give you a chance, if you kneel, kowtow to me, and declare to the crowd that you, the Sect Master's disciple, are nothing but a dog, I might spare you."
As more disciples from the First Sword Peak gathered, Jiang Yue's arrogance soared to new heights, fuelled by the attention she was receiving from the elders on the high platform. Reveling in the newfound information about the conflicts between the First Sword Peak and the Sword Pavilion, her cruelty blossomed unabated.
"So, forcing the dignified Sect Master's Disciple to kneel before me will indeed make all disciples of the First Sword Peak prostrate themselves in admiration, won't it?" Her eyes glinted with sadistic pleasure as she envisioned her triumph.
Whispers and laughter erupted amongst the assembled crowd, consisting of disciples from various peaks, their words tinged with mockery and contempt for Yun Xiao. "Has he lost his voice?" someone joked, as another added fuel to the fire, "Check if he's wet himself, hahaha..."
Jiang Yue, no longer able to contain herself, lifted her Ice Moon Sword Soul, its Seven-Layer Sword Aura pointing menacingly at Yun Xiao. A chill descended on the dueling platform, the temperature dropping sharply as the sword emitted an icy mist that enveloped Yun Xiao, frosting his long hair and white robes.
"Kneel! Or die!" Jiang Yue commanded, the malice in her voice unmistakable. She waited, a mocking smile dancing on her frosty face, expecting Yun Xiao to surrender and kowtow in submission.
But, at that moment, the young man dressed in white before her chuckled, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Seems like a crow feasting on a phoenix pill really is something, huh?" His voice cut through the chilly air, the amusement evident in his tone.
Jiang Yue's heart skipped a beat, her face contorting in a mix of rage and surprise. How dare he still dare to fight back? "Yun Xiao, you don't even deserve to look up to my future," she spat out, her fury boiling over.
As she stared at the defiant figure before her, a sudden realization struck her. The parallels between Yun Xiao and the young emperor who had once faced Ye Guying were too uncanny. The resemblance shook her to her core, her internal fortress crumbling under the pressure.
"You deserve to die!" Jiang Yue's voice was a mix of panic and rage. Despite knowing that the dead could not come back, the eerie resemblance drove her into a frenzy, stirring a whirlpool of emotions, including a hint of fear.
"No, I am in the Divine Sea Realm! I am among the elite disciples of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect!" she reminded herself, gritting her teeth. Determination replaced fear, her eyes shining with a cold, stormy fury as she gripped her Ice Moon Sword Soul tightly, ready to launch herself at Yun Xiao.
With a roar that echoed like thunder, Jiang Yue's magic power surged, showcasing her might that now rivaled even that of Yao Qingqian! She initiated her offensive, unleashing her Glacial Sword Art, an imposing technique where sword rays flowed like icy rivers, cascading with an overpowering momentum that threatened to engulf Yun Xiao.
With a blade in hand, Yun Xiao retaliated with a ferocious thrust!
"A nine-layer Sword Aura?" Jiang Yue discerned the details, her pupils contracting subtly. Had the Sword Pavilion really gone to such lengths to forge a Low Meteor grade Sword Soul?
In the world of Sword Cultivators, skirmishes were decided in mere moments. Was Jiang Yue strong? Yes, indeed! Her prowess was undeniable! However, in Yun Xiao's eyes, no matter how powerful her magic power or Sword Soul was, it amounted to nothing more than a trifle.
In the center of the sword dueling platform, the young man clad in white tapped his foot, suddenly accelerating with immense speed. Utilizing his Palm Sword Technique, he executed the Azure Lightning Crane!
Jiang Yue had honed her Glacial Sword Art for three months, while Yun Xiao had mastered the initial strike of the Azure Lightning Crane in merely half an hour. And yet, the moment his blade surged forth, the Heaven Burial Sword Soul erupted with a frenetic surge of azure electricity, melding with the nine-layer Sword Aura to forge a heavenly crane in flight! This strike was as swift as lightning descending from the heavens!
The Glacial Sword Art was merely a Lower Meteor grade technique, while the Azure Lightning Crane was Mid Comet grade. The gap between them was simply immense.
When Yun Xiao unleashed his strike, the ferocious azure currents instantly overwhelmed Jiang Yue's icy streams, resembling a thunderous lion pouncing upon a helpless rabbit.
"Ah!!" Jiang Yue's Sword Soul trembled in her grip, the structure of her Glacial Sword Art crumbling in an instant. A shock resonated in her heart as her eyes widened in disbelief. In her eyes, Yun Xiao transformed into a force as monumental as the heavens and the earth. The azure lightning sword rays acted as the judge of life and death, the awe-inspiring might piercing through her arrogance once more.
It was the arrogance she had painstakingly built, breaking through the five stages of the Dragon Spring Realm into the Divine Sea Realm, all shattering in an instant! Much like the last time, it was identical! She was so frightened that she lost even the courage to counter with her blade! She realized that if she chose to retaliate, death might be her fate!
THUD! Her complexion turned ghastly, a shriek escaped her as she, a peerless celestial genius, retreated in utter disarray. Under the oppressive sword intent, tears streamed from her eyes as she stumbled and crawled away frantically.
KLANG! The azure Sword Soul grazed past the Ice Moon Sword Soul for the second time, creating a shower of sparks in its wake.
Streaks of azure light entwined with the Ice Moon Sword Soul, causing it to screech and quiver vehemently. Multiple sword rays whisked past Jiang Yue's neck and body, leaving over a dozen wounds and causing blood to spray out wildly in a ghastly dance.
"No!" She cried, not even having regained her balance, letting out a scream of utter desperation. Before her, a fist ballooned in size, threatening to eclipse the sun in her panicked sight. Within a heartbeat, it collided ruthlessly with her face.
CRASH! Jiang Yue's face became a canvas of splattering blood, her body flying away like a kite whose strings had been severed with a vicious snip. She crashed onto the ground, a grotesque mask of gore was all that was left of her once delicate face. Her nose was smashed into her facial bones, teeth shattered, several falling as useless remnants of what once was a pristine smile. Her heart shattered, crumbling in a way that seemed irreparable.
She was a beauty, wasn't she? A heavenly prodigy on the verge of soaring to unparalleled heights? But here she was, dumbstruck. Her head buzzed, a cacophony of disbelief and shame echoing within. The prospective Immortal, who stood at the pinnacle of existence, had fled in fear of a sword and was now disfigured by a punch. A spectacle witnessed by all!
The disciples from the nearby Sword Peaks had a front-row seat to this horrifying drama, observing every gruesome detail with unflinching clarity. If the previous disgrace on the Heavenly Path was a minor embarrassment seen by a few, this was a lifelong shame, an indelible mark on her brilliant future.
Even if she ascended to immortality in the future, this dark history of being punched in her pretty face and reduced to tears in front of an audience would be a tale even dogs would shake their heads at.
"Yun Xiao!" Jiang Yue screamed, her voice tearing through the sky like a rending fabric, a blend of fury and humiliation. She screeched, struggling to get up. "Why... why the face of all places?"
"Alright, not the face then." With a nonchalant swagger, Yun Xiao approached, his fist finding a new target in her abdomen.
"Ah!" Jiang Yue instantly curled up like a shrimp thrown onto a hot pan, her face turning an unnatural shade of purple, her mouth foaming. A pitiful cry of agony escaped her as she collapsed to the ground, her finger trembling as it pointed at Yun Xiao, her eyes finally giving birth to an endless fear.
The young man in white glanced at his fist, then back at her, his gaze filled with utter contempt. "Not bad at putting on airs. But can you even fight?" Yun Xiao remarked, his voice a cold and mocking sneer.
Jiang Yue nearly choked on her rage. Yes, she couldn't fight physically. But she was a talented Immortal of the ages! "I will have my revenge! Just wait one month, I—"
THWACK! Before she could finish, Yun Xiao's foot landed on her mouth, silencing her bitter vow. "In a month, grass will be growing on your grave!" he quipped, his voice carrying an air of undeniable finality.
Yun Xiao eyed her with an icy detachment, his arm wielding the Sword Soul with a commanding grace. With swift yet deliberate strokes, he slashed across Jiang Yue's legs, each blade biting deep, exposing the cruel white of bone amidst the angry flesh.
"AH! AH—" Jiang Yue's cries were agonized, tearing through the silence like shattering glass. A cold sweat broke across her trembling body, wracked by convulsions of pain.
With a contemptuous flick of his wrist, Yun Xiao ripped open her garments and yanked her up only to cast her down before him, forcing her to her knees in a degrading display of dominance. "You seem to have a fondness for making people kneel, don't you? Fine!" he spat with venomous triumph. "Now it's your turn to kneel before me! If you dare move, I'll carve you piece by piece!"
Despair engulfed Jiang Yue, drowning her in a tidal wave of hopelessness. "Someone save me!" she howled, her voice breaking into a hysterical sob. But before she could even finish her desperate plea, a chill caressed her tongue, stopping her words in their tracks. The azure Sword Soul hovered dangerously at the tip of her tongue, a grim reminder of the razor-thin line between life and death.
"I'm...I'm really going to die," Jiang Yue realized, the sickening realization settling like a cold stone in her stomach. The bone-chilling fear spread like wildfire within her, paralyzing her until her very guts felt like they were twisted in knots. Silenced, she remained kneeling, a pathetic, trembling mess before Yun Xiao, hardly daring to breathe, lest she invoked further wrath.
All around, the Conclave Mountain echoed with a haunting silence, a testament to the chilling scene unfolding before them. It wasn't that no one wanted to save Jiang Yue, but from the very outset, Yun Xiao had her life precariously balanced on the edge of his sword.
The once proclaimed peerless beauty with heavenly talents now faced a gruesome end, a loss so devastating that not even the complete annihilation of Yun Xiao and the entire Sword Pavilion could ever hope to compensate. The crowd was rooted to the spot, their faces pale masks of shock.
In the midst of this eerie silence, Yun Xiao suddenly turned, his piercing gaze sweeping over the gathering of disciples from the First, Third, and Sixth Sword Peaks. "Wish to save her, do you?" he taunted with a cold, derisive smile. "Here's your chance. Step right up, one by one."
His strategy was clear as day. By holding Jiang Yue hostage, he intended to lure her fellow disciples into his trap, rapidly accumulating Sword Points in the process.
"Hurry up!" Yun Xiao called out arrogantly, an audacious grin splitting his face. "I've accumulated over forty Sword Points, temporarily securing the top position. Isn't anyone itching to contest my lead in this duel?"
The crowd of disciples bristled with indignation, their anger boiling over at his audacious taunts.
"He's too arrogant!"
"He has a death wish!"
"I'll go first!"
...
A disciple from the First Sword Peak stepped forward defiantly, his body adorned with three Sword Points, indicating his standing in the Late Dragon Spring Realm.
"Yun Xiao, I am—" THWACK! His proclamation was abruptly cut short as a sword pierced through his forehead, a gruesome eruption of blood marking the abrupt end of his bravado. THUD! His body hit the ground, legs twitching in a grotesque dance of death, his life snuffed out in a single, merciless stroke.
With a casual flick of his hand, Yun Xiao summoned the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, which trembled violently and exuded a menacing glow in his grasp. He raised an eyebrow, sweeping a disdainful glance over the crowd before he chuckled coldly, his voice ringing out like the crisp sound of breaking ice. "That was just the first! Who's next to die?"
"Me!" Before the word was fully out from the crowd below, a burst of blood erupted from the speaker's mouth. SPLAT! Blood splattered violently across the stage. Dead. Another body crumpled to the ground with a dull thud.
"I'd advise you all..." Yun Xiao sneered, turning back around, his voice echoing with a menace that froze the crowd to their core. "If you haven't even reached the Divine Sea Realm, then don't fucking dare to speak in my presence!"
THUD! With brutal force, Yun Xiao's foot found Jiang Yue's face, grinding it into the ground. Jiang Yue didn't dare resist, her pitiful sobs echoed through the mountain, as her dignity scattered like dust in the wind.
"What kind of genius are you? Dead geniuses don't count, understand?" Yun Xiao taunted, staring down at her cruelly.
"I—I understand, Brother Yun Xiao..." Jiang Yue wept miserably, the pinnacle of humiliation evident in her tear-stricken face. Once the goddess of the First Sword Peak, adored and revered by everyone, now was trampled upon by Yun Xiao, like she was nothing more than a swine.
"Junior Sister Jiang!" The disciples from the First, Third, and Sixth Sword Peaks were engulfed in a fury too immense to contain. Among them, several Sword Venerable disciples who had reached the Divine Sea Realm, along with the Top Swords of various Sword Peaks, gathered, their eyes blazing with uncontained wrath.
"Yun Xiao, if you can walk away alive today, we'll shatter our swords and kill ourselves!" Many of Ye Tiance's disciples stepped forward. Their vow reverberated in the air, echoing the sentiment of the numerous disciples present, a mix of anger and anticipation crackling in the atmosphere.
Only three days ago... Yun Xiao had stood on the Sword Inheritance Platform, beneath the scrutinizing gaze of these very geniuses, these Sword Cultivators who had then deemed him unworthy of even a glance.
But now... They all unsheathed their Sword Souls, showcasing their robust magic power that shook the heavens and filled the air with an overwhelming murderous intent. Yun Xiao had not only trampled on their revered goddess of the First Sword Peak, but he was also now challenging them, mocking their dignity and inciting their wrath.
CRACK CRACK! Jiang Yue's face split under Yun Xiao's relentless trampling. Yun Xiao then turned his eyes to the group of self-righteous Sword Venerable disciples and Top Swords.
"What are you all staring at? Come up here and meet your death! A bunch of worthless trash!" Yun Xiao taunted, his voice echoing ominously across the mountain.
The disciples glared back at him, their teeth grinding in anger, their rage roaring like a wildfire.
"Destroy him!"
"Tear him to pieces!!" "Save our Goddess!"
...
And so, the Sword Debate truly began. BOOM! The entire Conclave Mountain erupted into flames, setting the stage for an unprecedented battle never before seen in the history of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect.
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