Chapter 261: Taiji Sword, Wuji Dao!
Yun Xiao had barely taken a few steps inside the Ancestral Sword Tomb when two sword-shaped tombstones materialized before his eyes. Apart from these, other tombstones lurked, shrouded in a mysterious veil.
Disregarding the rest, Yun Xiao's gaze settled on the two distinct tombstones.
"Gongshu Jian, Gongshu Dao."
These were the names of the tomb's occupants.
"Fae, these ancestors were the famed Twin Jailers of our Sword Ruins a thousand years ago. Born as siblings, they have a tale so touching it could melt stone!" exclaimed Mu Xiaolong, her eyes already brimming with tears, swept away by the story she had yet to tell.
"Well, let's hear it then," Yun Xiao encouraged.
"It's so moving, I need a moment to weep first! Waaah!" Mu Xiaolong wailed.
After indulging in her emotions, she continued, "They were born twins. Yet, only the older brother possessed a Sword Soul. One soared in the heavens, the other grounded on earth. Everyone thought the older brother would abandon the younger brother, who would succumb to despair. But the world was wrong!
"The older brother continued to look after his younger brother, even after becoming a Sword Cultivator. And the younger brother, refusing to let his brother down and lacking a Sword Soul, zealously pursued the dao. Eventually, one with the sword and one with the dao, the two reached the pinnacle and carved a legend in the Eternal Sword Prison!"
"What? That kind of story has you drowning in tears?" Yun Xiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"You don't know the half of it. They faced all sorts of rumors, hardships, and perils together," Mu Xiaolong sobbed.
"Tell me the rest when we have more time," Yun Xiao said.
"Sure thing!" Hearing she would have more time alone with Yun Xiao, Mu Xiaolong's tears turned to joy, and she bounced up, beaming with happiness.
"Sword and dao, huh?" Yun Xiao gazed at the two tombstones, and before his eyes, the epitaphs began to transform. The tombstone of Gongshu Jian on the left morphed into a Taiji diagram of Yin and Yang fish, while the Gongshu Dao tombstone birthed a chaotic blend of black and white.
"Taiji Sword Technique. Wuji Dao Art. They nourish and complete each other, such a beautiful bond," Yun Xiao mused, squinting slightly, "The brotherhood that shines like gall and liver, truly enviable."
"Pity you don't have a brother," Blue Star quipped out of the blue.
"I do," Yun Xiao asserted.
"Where is he then?" asked Blue Star, puzzled.
"Right here on my chest." Yun Xiao smiled.
"Gross." Blue Star feigned gagging.
"I'm moved, I want to cry too," Red Moon declared, his eyes turning bright redwhich, of course, they always were.
"Huh?" Mu Xiaolong cried out in surprise. "How did you know the names like Taiji Sword Technique and Wuji Dao Art? I haven't even told you yet."
"They told me in a dream," Yun Xiao said, taking the incense from Mu Xiaolong. He approached the graves, bowed, and offered incense to the departed ancestors.
As the smoke swirled around him, Yun Xiao rose and departed.
"Aren't you going to learn these two ultimate techniques?" Mu Xiaolong asked.
"I've already learned them," Yun Xiao replied.
"Oh, you're just teasing me," she pouted.
Mu Xiaolong knew the caliber of the sword and dao techniques. Even Overseers might spend a lifetime studying them without much to show. So, how could Yun Xiao have learned them in the time it took to burn three incense sticks? It was preposterous!
"Is he just like Exile Ling? Does he also look down on the techniques of our ancestors?" Mu Xiaolong pondered, finding her theory quite plausible. But, her thoughts were quickly cut short.
As the two prepared to venture further, they found their path blocked by an impenetrable mist.
"What's the meaning of this?" Mu Xiaolong, hands on hips and pouting, turned back towards the direction of the thatched hut.
"It means they only granted me access to two tombstones for me," Yun Xiao said nonchalantly.
"That damn old gravekeeper is playing tricks on us!" Mu Xiaolong fumed, teeth clenched. "That old dog Sikong said Exile Ling visited and dismissed everything with a sneer. That means the old coot opened the entire Ancestral Sword Tomb for him, right? So why only two tombstones for you? Think they can look down on us? What rubbish! You're an Exiled Sword Immortal too!"
Yun Xiao, initially miffed, found his annoyance easing in the face of her adorably indignant demeanor. "It seems this feud between the Sword Warden and Withered Bone Keeper is more intense than I thought. Otherwise, there's no need to rush in suppressing me."
Both were allowed into the Ancestral Sword Tomb. Yet, one Exiled Sword Immortal was granted full access, and the other, begrudgingly, only a small fraction. This favoritism was clearly a way to pressure Yun Xiao, signaling who really ruled the Sword Ruins.
If Yun Xiao were smart, he'd willingly step back and distance himself from the Sword Warden to avoid any confrontation. Then, their purpose would be served.
"First they send someone to the Heavenly Realm to dig up dirt on me. Now, they're harassing me here in the Sword Ruins." A sinister thought flickered in Yun Xiao's eyes, "They must think I'm an easy target."
Courtesy before force. They chose force; Yun Xiao had no choice but to abandon courtesy.
"I won't stand for this!" The young girl fumed, her anger rising, "I'm going to give that old geezer a piece of my mind! The audacity, half in the grave and still causing trouble!"
"There's no need," Yun Xiao said, gently holding her arm, then glancing at the tombstones of the Gongshu brothers. "This is enough."
"Are you sure?" Mu Xiaolong asked, still seething.
"Yup. No point in arguing when their minds are made," Yun Xiao replied coolly. To a new arrival like him, both the Withered Bone Keeper and Overseer Sikong were untouchable powerhouses, high above in the heavens. Stripped of his title as an Exiled Sword Immortal, he was but a mid-to-lower tier presence in the Sword Ruins!
Talent was talent. Strength was strength. Yun Xiao didn't care about throwing his weight around. He preferred to let his sword do the talking, sweeping through all corners of the world! So, faced with powerhouses beyond his current reach, getting entangled in these word games was pointless. Better to return and cultivate.
"Once you burn bridges, there's no going back. Even the title of Exiled Sword Immortal is just paper, easily pierced," Yun Xiao muttered. Why else would he have an Overseer assigned to him for personal protection? Over at Ling Chen's side, he had three Overseers for protection!
Any slightly older Heaven-level disciple of the Sword Ruins could easily wipe the floor with them.
"Let's go." With no more to say, Yun Xiao left the Ancestral Sword Tomb with Mu Xiaolong.
"Aren't you going to cultivate more?" the Withered Bone Keeper suddenly asked.
"Next time," Yun Xiao said, glancing at him, "Then, I might trouble you to grant access to a few more tombstones."
"Sure, just a word is all it takes." The skeletal figure slowly raised his head, his cloudy eyes meeting Yun Xiao's. Suddenly, he smiled, revealing a toothless gum.
"Don't worry about the Sword Ruins. I'll report everything to my father, and he'll sort it out with the Overseers," Mu Dalong said apologetically, her face full of regret. She hadn't expected these people to be so brazen.
"So annoying!" Mu Xiaolong was still fuming. "They opened just two of the most challenging ancestral tombstones, clearly trying to trouble you."
"The techniques of the two Gongshu ancestors are indeed among the most difficult in the Ancestral Sword Tomb. Not even many Sword Wardens through the ages have learned them..." Mu Dalong said helplessly.
Their trip to the Ancestral Sword Tomb had yielded nothing save for petty harassment, leaving her feeling uneasy. Throughout the journey, Yun Xiao hadn't spoken a word, seemingly lost in some profound thought, his fingers tracing patterns in the air.
"It seems I need the actual Sword Intent to make the most of it," Yun Xiao suddenly murmured to himself.
"Hey, Fae. What are you talking about?" Mu Xiaolong asked, confused.
Yun Xiao was about to reply when he heard a commotion nearby. Deep within the thick fog, there seemed to be a buzz of activity!
"What's this place?" Yun Xiao inquired.
"Sword Puppet Forest!" Mu Xiaolong replied.
"So lively?"
Mu Xiaolong smacked her forehead. "Oh, I remember now! Today is the pre-registration day for the Immortal Sword Rankings. If you want to participate, we need to register too."
"In this Sword Puppet Forest?" Yun Xiao asked.
"Yes! To qualify, you just need to defeat a Rock Sword Puppet equivalent to the Early Awakened Emperor Realm," Mu Xiaolong explained, then asked softly, "I heard you're only at the Saint Realm. Can you defeat a Sword Puppet?"
"Let's give it a try," Yun Xiao said.
"Okay!" At this, Mu Dalong changed course, leading them towards the Sword Puppet Forest.
Yun Xiao surveyed the landscape ahead, where a vast bamboo forest appeared, with some bamboo reaching up to thirty feet high and as thick as a man's thigh. Beyond the bamboo, amidst the mist, stood a towering golden pillar.
"That's the Immortal Sword Rankings. The upcoming battles for the competition will take place right there," Mu Xiaolong explained.
"Got it!" Yun Xiao nodded and proceeded towards the Sword Puppet Forest.
The place was bustling with activity. At a glance, there seemed to be tens of thousands of Sword Ruins disciples queuing up for the challenge.
"Exile Yun is here too!"
"Is he going to test himself against the Sword Puppets just like Exile Ling?"
Countless young eyes turned towards Yun Xiao, their gazes filled with a complex mix of emotions, far more complicated than when they looked at Ling Chen.
"Sister, Xiaolong!" Just as Yun Xiao arrived, a massive shadow loomed over him, and a gust of wind nearly sent him stumbling backwards. It was a bit too fierce!
BOING! Yun Xiao took two steps back and found himself in a soft embrace, cushioning his fall.
Turning around, Mu Dalong offered an apologetic smile, then furrowed her brows in disapproval, scolding the newcomer, "Mu Daxiong! Can't you be a bit more careful?"
"Big Sis!"
Yun Xiao suddenly found himself face to face with a dark-skinned giant of a man, almost as tall as a devil. Despite being a Sword Cultivator, the man was a mass of muscles, intimidating and formidable.
"This is my brother, currently a Supreme Adjudicator," Mu Dalong hurriedly introduced. "Daxiong can be a bit rough around the edges, so please forgive any rudeness."
"No worries," Yun Xiao reassured, eyeing Mu Daxiong curiously. In the Heavenly Realm, this guy would probably be the heir to an Immortal Empire. But here in the Sword Ruins, he was just a Supreme Adjudicator?
This meant the Sword Ruins weren't a hereditary systemostensibly more fair, but in reality, even more fiercely competitive.
"Mu Daxiong, at your service, Exile Yun!" The Supreme Adjudicator was about to kneel in respect.
"Please, stand up..." Yun Xiao, bemused, found this family's enthusiasm overwhelming.
Seeing Yun Xiao wasn't bothered by his blundering, Mu Daxiong stood up, grinning sheepishly, and then bellowed to the crowd. "Make way, let Exile Yun to the front!"
Clearly, he was in charge of the pre-registration for the Immortal Sword Rankings.
"Dad! Dad! We can't do that. Exile Ling is already at the front!" Another dark-skinned youngster rushed over, round-faced and pot-bellied, resembling a bear cub standing on two legs. He appeared and, scratching his head, gave Yun Xiao a goofy smile.
"The father is Daxiong. So, the son has to be Xiaoxiong, right?" Yun Xiao guessed. After all, he'd already seen the same pattern play out with the mother-daughter duo.
"Nope, I'm Mu Qinghuan." The youngster grinned.
"Ah?" Yun Xiao was struck speechless. A combo breaker! And such a shame, too. He felt a name like Lil Bear suited the burly youth more than something girly like Clear Joy.
"Exile Ling is here too?" Mu Dalong looked towards the front. No wonder it was so lively! All eyes were on the young man in the dark violet robe standing in the clearing.
"Exile Ling is only in the Late Saint Realm. Can he beat a Sword Puppet?"
The crowd buzzed with speculation.
In the midst of all this attention, Ling Chen's eyes turned cold, and he said to Mu Daxiong, "Bring me a hundred Sword Puppets."
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