Chapter 244 - Returning Three Years of Humiliation Twofold
"Sword Slave!"
Just then, a cold, clear voice shattered Ling Chen's grand thoughts. He lifted his head, his eyes shedding their previous confusion and humility, replaced now by the lofty disdain and otherworldliness of his past life. It was a nobility that sprung from deep within!
"What are you gaping at? Bring over the Sword Casket," Bai Wuque, quite fed up with this pathetic creature, grumbled. To win over Qin Luo, he had tormented this sword slave for years, but now the game had grown dull.
Ling Chen's back bore a heavy Sword Casket. The casket was taller than him! Bowed under its perennial weight, his back was stooped.
This Sword Casket, similar to the sheathe carried by Sword Heaven's Lin Chen, contained a liquid made from demon marrow. Long-term nurturing of it could enhance the Sword Soul and Sword Aura, improving their grade.
Legend had it that placing the Sword Casket in a Bag of Holding would degrade its quality, and since the Sword Soul couldn't enter the Bag of Holding, the Eternal Sword Prison devised the role of sword slaves—servants tasked with carrying their master's Sword Casket, ensuring the master could nurture their Sword Soul anytime, anywhere.
A former prodigy capable of triggering Sword Dao phenomena, reduced to a sword slave, groveling and catering to his every need... For Bai Wuque, this was indeed delightful.
Over the years, wherever Ling Chen went, he encountered peculiar gazes. He had tasted the world's warmth and cold. But all that was in the past!
"In this remote place, with no powerful backing, I'll endure you, Bai Wuque, one last time. After the Sword Baptism Ceremony, I'll return this three years of humiliation twofold." A cold glint flickered in Ling Chen's eyes as he straightened up and approached Bai Wuque.
SLAP! Bai Wuque suddenly slapped him across the face, leaving five finger marks.
"What's wrong with you today? Standing there like an idiot. Open the Sword Casket! Do I have to tell you twice?" Bai Wuque's voice was icy cold.
"Yes..." Ling Chen, covering his face, felt a surge of rage in his chest. But he held back. "This boy is in the Awakened Emperor Realm, and I've just been reborn. Just give me a month, and wait..."
Ling Chen made a mental note. The once-mighty Divine Sky Sword Emperor, reduced to such a state, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. One more time, he lowered his head, opened the Sword Casket, and placed it before Bai Wuque.
BANG! Maybe it was the rebirth that drained too much energy, but the Sword Casket slipped from his grasp and crashed to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.
"Ah." A young and charming female Sword Cultivator nearby stepped back, frowning as she glanced at the dirt on her skirt. She complained, "Brother Bai, your sword slave is really clumsy, getting my dress all dirty."
"I'm sorry, Senior Sister Zhaoyu," Ling Chen bowed his head.
"Sword Slave, you dare to call me Senior Sister? Are you out of your mind?" The female Sword Cultivator looked at Ling Chen with a strange expression.
Bai Wuque, standing nearby, was already fed up. Looking at Ling Chen, his eyes turned ice-cold in an instant. "I was just going to let it slide, but you're asking for it, aren't you?"
Just asking him to pass a Sword Casket, and this fool kept messing up! The boy was bowing his head, looking all enduring, but suddenly, his eyes firmed up... Who wouldn't notice?
A sword slave, only worthy of trembling and cowering, suddenly seemed enlightened, as if he had become a different person. Who wouldn't realize his thoughts of revenge?
Did he think everyone else was a fool?
KLANG! Bai Wuque, not bothering to say another word, swiftly drew out his Sword Soul, transforming it into a Palm Sword, slashing towards Ling Chen's head!
This slash was fast, fierce, and decisive! With the sword drawn, there was only one intention: to cleave this eyesore in two, once and for all.
"That ruthless?!" Ling Chen gasped in shock! The once-mighty Divine Sky Sword Emperor, just reborn and at his weakest moment, was startled by this lethal attack! He thought these mortals were fools, but they were even more ruthless than his brother, the Violet Arcane Sword Emperor, who plotted to usurp the throne.
KLANG! In that lightning-fast moment, a streak of azure light flashed, colliding with the side of Bai Wuque's Sword Aura, forcefully diverting its direction.
Bai Wuque's sword grazed Ling Chen's shoulder, peeling off a layer of skin!
THUD! Ling Chen rolled onto the ground, his face pale and sweating profusely. He had just been reborn, with no time to cultivate, and he was almost slaughtered.
"Who saved me?" Ling Chen quickly turned around, only to see a modestly dressed young man in white standing behind him. The young man was handsome and ethereal, seemingly otherworldly, a native yet not at all rustic.
"Yun Xiao?" Bai Wuque glanced at his Sword Soul, which now sported a black spot. His entire body, from the depths of his sword bone, tingled with pain. He hadn't expected Yun Xiao to save a sword slave, and even less, that this native's 1,000 layer Sword Aura would be so unyielding.
"Brother Bai!" Yun Xiao stepped forward, standing before Bai Wuque with earnestness. "Heaven cherishes life, I beseech you to show mercy and spare this brother."
Bai Wuque was momentarily stunned. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"In these troubled times, beset by demons and devils, I was born into this world, always inspiring the people to put aside their prejudices, unite against the enemy. Only then can our race prosper," Yun Xiao said.
Bai Wuque was taken aback. He exchanged a glance with Senior Sister Zhaoyu; both their eyes the same thought. Oh great, another 'Hero'. He'd intended to dispose of this sword slave quietly in the Demon Continent, away from prying eyes. But then Yun Xiao appeared out of nowhere.
Bai Wuque wasn't particularly afraid of Yun Xiao, but after all, he was the last disciple of Gu Baiyi and had merits towards the human race, making it tricky for him to handle. So, he turned to his grandfather.
Old Bai and others had already noticed the commotion.
After a moment of silence, the old man said to Bai Wuque, "Don't make trouble."
"Yes!" Bai Wuque, getting the hint, shot Ling Chen a cold glance. "You better thank your savior. Be smarter next time." Then, he addressed Yun Xiao, "Brother Yun, born in this lesser world, yet possessing such swordsmanship, is indeed admirable. I wish you a sensational debut at the Sword Baptism Ceremony, reaching the pinnacle."
"Thank you, Brother Bai! Today, my unsheathing of the sword was impulsive, I hope you will forgive me. I will heed your teachings in the future and seek your guidance," Yun Xiao said with a bow.
"No problem," Bai Wuque said with a polite smile.
Meanwhile, on the other side...
"Old Bai, this Yun Xiao may have high talent in swordsmanship, but he doesn't seem very smart. Such a person, even if brought back to Sword Ruins, probably won't last long. Why bother?" a Sword Judge whispered.
Old Bai shook his head. "Gu Baiyi entrusted his Sword Rings to him. Out of respect for the dead, we should give him some face, especially since he discovered Heavenly Land and contributed greatly."
After a pause, Old Bai glanced at Yun Xiao again. "The Sword Dao is humanity's most lethal dao, yet he cultivates it with kindness, dooming himself to a short journey. But as long as he doesn't die at the hands of my Bai family, we need not fear gossip."
The Sword Judges exchanged awkward smiles, one of them saying, "Old Bai, we're all close to you, even if this kid dies, it'll be blamed on demons and devils."
"Sure sure." Old Bai chuckled, waving them off. His eyes flickered with a disdainful gleam. I trust you foxes as far as I can throw you.
With that, the incident seemed to come to an end. Afterwards, Bai Wuque was outwardly courteous to Yun Xiao, but inwardly, he harbored hostility. For Ling Chen, he could draw his sword with ease, but for someone of Yun Xiao's special status... often, disliking someone didn't necessarily mean he'd have to act personally.
"This hero will not survive three days in the Sword Graveyard," Senior Sister Zhaoyu sneered quietly.
"Three hours would be impressive," Bai Wuque said indifferently.
Yun Xiao had just lucked his way into joining the elite ranks of the Sword Ruins. Yet, for a sword slave, he'd openly defied the will of a young master... if that wasn't a lack of brains, what was?
Ling Chen also shared the same sentiment. He looked up, his gaze strange as he observed the young man in white before him. "You dared to save me, aren't you afraid of death?"
"Seeing injustice on the road, drawing the sword to assist is the instinct of Sword Cultivators like us. I didn't think too much at the moment," Yun Xiao said with a smile, helping Ling Chen up.
"Oh?" Ling Chen smirked, slightly shaking his head. Mercy and kindness are the privilege of the strong. Lad, you were lucky, being born into this lesser world with such great talent... Or else, there would be no way you would have survived this long. Of course, he wouldn't voice such thoughts.
His eyes blazing, Ling Chen spoke earnestly, "Regardless, you saved my life at my lowest. For a drop of kindness, I shall repay a hundredfold, let alone for saving my life. The day I ascend to the heavens will be the day you join me there!"
"Oh? Then I'll thank you in advance," Yun Xiao nodded.
Ling Chen's mood lifted, musing to himself, This lad might not be the brightest, but he had luck on his side. Stumbling into saving me, if only he were a bit sharper. I might personally teach him the Sword Dao, making him my right-hand man. He could even carve out a place for himself in my Divine Sky Sword Court!
Their eyes met again, each harboring their own schemes as they exchanged smiles.
"Having survived this ordeal, we now await the Sword Baptism Ceremony," Ling Chen said, turning to look at Bai Wuque's retreating figure, a magma of resolve stirring in his eyes.
"Just don't give him that look too often, or he might guess you're plotting revenge," Yun Xiao warned good-naturedly.
".." Ling Chen's expression froze, and he awkwardly coughed and looked away.
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On another side of the Demon Continent stood the War Princess in a tight black dress. Her body was wrapped with blood-red dragons formed from Mortal Dust Devil Blood. These dragons, coiling around her waist and legs, bound her tightly.
Though it was her own blood, it brought an unusual sensation, painting her entire body a drunken red, her legs trembling uncontrollably, occasionally letting out a soft moan.
She, the dignified devil princess, could only stand immobile, feeling utterly frustrated. But there was no choice! Yun Xiao was using her body for cultivation.
At that moment, her heart, arteries, blood vessels, and Mortal Dust Devil Blood were all out of her control.
Yun Xiao was like a blood-red leech, parasitically attached to her body. Every time he cultivated, she could only watch helplessly, drenched in sweat, her body soaked.
"When will these days end?" the War Princess murmured to herself.
"The day you die, that's when," a cold voice from the Mortal Dust Devil Blood in her heart rang out.
"Damn it," the War Princess gritted her teeth, "Can't you be a bit more tactful, you deadpan man?"
"My emotional intelligence varies with the person. If you were my Senior Sister Zhao, I'd be much more considerate," Yun Xiao replied nonchalantly.
"Who's Senior Sister Zhao?" The War Princess froze. "I heard you were Divine Dawn's husband, and now there's a Senior Sister Zhao? Playing quite the field, aren't you?"
"What's it to you?" Yun Xiao chuckled, "You enjoyed showing off with my Mortal Dust Devil Blood, and now you dare to sigh and complain?"
The War Princess tried to retort, but Yun Xiao suddenly intensified his cultivation speed, the dragons from the Mortal Dust Devil Blood coiling even tighter! She was left gasping for air. "This is too shameful..."
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