Chapter 264 - Inscription Cultivator!
In the Exile Palace, a young man in a dark violet robe sat with the dignity of a mountain on a throne of honor. Below him stood three Overseers from the Sword Ruins, their bodies bowed, eyes downcast and focused, wrapped in a prolonged silence.
"He replicated my technique? Who is he, really..." Ling Chen furrowed his brows deeply, his gaze flickering dozens of times in the darkness. Memories of powerful beings from all the celestial courts flashed through his mind.
"Could it be Zixuan? He did steal my sword techniques... No, that can't be. After harming me, Zixuan usurped my Immortal position. He couldn't possibly be reborn, could he?" With his experience, Ling Chen knew that the world's unimaginable geniuses were either nobodies who stumbled upon miraculous treasures or great beings reborn.
"It's not like someone can just watch me use a technique once and learn it, right?" Ling Chen shook his head. Even with his 100,000 years as the Divine Sky Sword Emperor, he had never heard of such a thing.
"What is going on here?" His gaze deepened. Reborn and cultivating anew, he felt frustrated for the first time, as if his unstoppable rise was being held back.
"He saved me once. I thought about making him my underling, but now..." Ling Chen's expression became oddly twisted, a strange discomfort stirring in his heart. But soon, he let it go. "After enduring a million years of desolation, forging the Divine Cosmic Sword into my bones, my ambition is to overturn the heavens and return to the Divine Sky Immortal Court. How can I let a few obstacles confuse and disturb my Dao Heart?"
Ling Chen chuckled softly. "Brother Yun, whoever you are, I'm in this game too." With a whoosh, he stood up, his eyes sweeping over Overseers Feng, Yun, and Shuang. He spoke calmly, "You three, stop troubling Yun Xiao."
"Exile Ling, why? He's just a pretender..." Feng Buhui had waited so long, hoping Ling Chen would bring them justice.
"He's no pretender," Ling Chen replied coolly.
"But based on today's events in the Sword Puppet Forest, he's clearly inferior to Exile Ling," Shuang Jiang remarked indifferently.
"You're not seeing the whole picture." Ling Chen waved his hand dismissively. "He's quite good, so a bit of arrogance is normal. Youthful brashness and defiance are the essence of youth."
"Yes...!" the trio responded, heads bowed, faces a mix of confusion and curiosity, unsure why Ling Chen praised him so.
Feng Buhui's eyes widened in surprise. "From your tone, could Yun Xiao's talent actually rival yours?"
Ling Chen offered a slight smile but didn't answer directly. Instead, he said, "Relax, I have my ways to subdue him, to make him willingly serve me. Once the Sword Warden loses Yun Xiao's support, the day I acquire the Sword Relic won't be far off."
Such was his nature. In his past life, he cultivated a majestic Dao Heart. He never knew fear, and carved a path through slaughter. He was known as the one whose will spanned the heavens, the Divine Sky Sword Emperor!
To him, obstacles were meant to be overcome. Reborn, poised to rise again, his fiery ambition ablaze, how could he falter at mere difficulties before reforging the crucial Dao Heart? Better to have perished a million years ago than to live with such a lingering obsession for revenge.
"Yes!" The three Overseers seemed somewhat relieved by Ling Chen's resolute statement. Even Feng Buhui, grieving for his granddaughter, set aside his hatred for the greater good, knowing that confronting Yun Xiao while he wore the mantle of Exiled Sword Immortal was a death wish.
"Instruct your disciples not to mock him openly; if they die, they deserve it," Ling Chen commanded sternly.
"Understood," The Overseers nodded. This command would surely frustrate their disciples, but it had to be endured.
"Also, I've heard you sent people to the Divine and Demon Continents to dig up dirt on Yun Xiao?" Ling Chen's gaze shifted to Yun Xinghe.
Biting his lip, Yun Xinghe nodded. "Yes!"
"Don't bother with such pointless endeavors. It's just a resource competition, no need to cast ourselves as the villains. He saved my life; even in competition, I prefer to be honorable," Ling Chen stated gravely.
Overseers Feng, Yun, and Shuang exchanged glances and nodded. Though this investigation was the Withered Bone Keeper's arrangement, they were just following orders.
"Speaking of resource competition..." Ling Chen's eyebrows lifted in a smirk. "I've visited the Ancestral Sword Tomb and signed up for the Immortal Sword Rankings. Now, it's time to fulfill your promise and present the treasures of the Sword Ruins to me."
"They've already been prepared, Exile Ling. Please, this way," Feng Buhui bowed, opening a path.
Ling Chen's eyes shone brightly as he gazed outside. "Sword techniques, Sword Intent, they're just icing on the cake. In this mortal world, the growth of one's cultivation is the foundation."
After speaking, he looked down at the nine-colored Sword Soul emerging from his hand, his eyes softening into a tender smile. "My precious, with a legendary sword like you, we should at least top this little Immortal Sword Rankings!”
Then, he added, "Otherwise, I'd be doing you a disservice!"
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In the secluded Mu-Mu Hut, nestled deep in the Valley of Ruins, lay a golden pool. This pool, swirling with golden nectar—a concoction of ground-up pills and elixirs—was thick and fragrant, akin to a golden soup.
Upon arriving, Red Moon was almost brought to tears by its allure.
Yun Xiao had initially fancied a dip himself, but the sight of the Sword Warden lounging inside quickly banished the thought. Sharing a bath with an old man? The very idea was a nightmare.
So, Yun Xiao settled in a nearby pavilion. The Sword Warden, meanwhile, opened his eyes and draped himself in a heavy platinum-colored sword robe. His burly frame, dripping with golden liquid, approached Yun Xiao.
He didn’t resemble a swordsman so much as a mighty overlord, whereas Yun Xiao was the very image of a Sword Immortal from a painting.
"I've heard Exile Yun shattered a Sword Puppet into exactly a hundred thousand fragments with a single stroke. Not only that, but each fragment was imbued with the essence of Taiji. My swordsmanship pales in comparison," the Sword Warden said with a slight smile, pouring Yun Xiao a cup of golden wine. "Please, have a sip. It's the Golden Springs Wine of the Sword Ruins."
"You understand the sword," Yun Xiao replied, feeling inwardly pleased that his show of skill was recognized. At least he had made headway with the Sword Warden.
It was clear enough that Ling Chen's alignment with the Withered Bone Keeper had put considerable pressure on the Sword Warden. If the Sword Warden was wise, he wouldn’t play games with Yun Xiao.
"The wine is rich and sweet, with a strong aftertaste, like a burning sword piercing through," Yun Xiao commented after a sip, impressed.
This wine was indeed remarkable. Yet for Yun Xiao, nothing could surpass the tender allure of Daughter's Red or the unforgettable potency of Tiger Rod Wine.
"You have a taste for fine wine, Exile Yun." The Sword Warden chuckled.
The perk of being an Exiled Sword Immortal was that Yun Xiao didn’t need to use formalities, even in the presence of the ruler of the Eternal Sword Prison. Yun Xiao was acutely aware of just how powerful this fellow was.
Blue Star had mentioned that this man was nearly five whole realms above Yun Xiao, a proximity that exerted immense pressure even on their ultimate defenses.
Yun Xiao's own cultivation was still in the Saint Realms, two realms away from the Dao Heart Realm.
This meant the Sword Warden had already taken four steps into the Second Dao Tribulation, standing at the forefront in the entire Eternal Sword Prison. He was one of the peak forces in the Nine Hells!
Had Yun Xiao not been extraordinarily talented, entering as a mere Yellow level disciple of the Sword Ruins, he would never have had the chance to sit face-to-face with such a being. Sometimes, a horrifying talent indeed saved one from a tedious climb up the ladder.
In the Sword Ruins alone, counting the Exiled Sword Immortal, there were nine ranks in the sect hierarchy. And the Sword Warden? He stood at the pinnacle of billions of swords.
"Good wine needs no flattery." Yun Xiao put down his cup and looked intently at the Sword Warden. "Let's talk about the core of your conflict with the Withered Bone Keeper."
"There are two main issues." The Sword Warden was straightforward. After toasting Yun Xiao, he spoke gravely, "First, my master has a granddaughter named Qingzan, about the same age as my daughter Dalong. She had decent potential in her youth but upon marrying into the Calamity Seal Purgatory, she seemed to have encountered some fortune. Her cultivation soared, and now she holds a high position there."
"Calamity Seal Purgatory?" Yun Xiao admitted he hadn't heard of it. He only knew of three hells in the Nine Hells! The Endless Netherworld, the Eternal Sword Prison, and the Primeval Demon Hell… Each belonged to the devils, humans, and demons respectively.
"Yes! They're the strongest among the Nine Hells, the heritage ground for human Inscription Cultivators. It's a powerful force, leading the human faction in the Nine Hells," the Sword Warden explained patiently, knowing Yun Xiao hailed from the Divine Continent.
"Inscription Cultivators?"
"Have you never seen an Inscription Cultivator, Exile Yun?" the Sword Warden asked, puzzled. He thought Yun Xiao was a reincarnated true Immortal. It was understandable not to know about the Calamity Seal Purgatory, just a place's name. But being unaware of Inscription Cultivators seemed a bit ignorant.
"No!" Yun Xiao replied bluntly.
"Hmm," the Sword Warden then briefly explained, "Inscription Cultivators, like us Sword Cultivators, practice a specialized cultivation system of the human race. We have Sword Souls naturally in our bones, which integrate into our swords, also called Life Sword Embryos. Inscription Cultivators have Life Dao Sigils naturally in their brains, simply called Life Sigils."
"A sigil born in the brain? That's quite peculiar," Yun Xiao said curiously. "What's the use of these Life Sigils? Are they like our Sword Souls?"
"Life Sigils have grades, runic seals, and can be enhanced. In principle, they're similar to Sword Souls. In practice, they tend to specialize more in enchantment. You can use them as a medium for channeling daoist spells. You can also stick them onto things. For example, you can stick them onto a magic treasure to enhance its power.
"Compared to Sword Souls, Life Sigils have a variety of unique functions, like immobilization, suppression, and more. I can't list them all at once. You'll likely encounter Inscription Cultivators in the upcoming Nine Hells Conquest Clash, and then you'll understand their power better." The Sword Warden spoke of Inscription Cultivators with a serious demeanor.
"Who do you think are stronger, Sword Cultivators or Inscription Cultivators?" Yun Xiao asked earnestly.
"Sword Cultivators are strong in attack but weak in defense, while Inscription Cultivators balance out ordinary cultivators, making them more versatile. Each has its specialties. So, it's hard to say which is stronger. However, in the history of the Nine Hells, the Calamity Seal Purgatory usually ranks above the Eternal Sword Prison," the Sword Warden explained.
Yun Xiao understood his meaning! The strength of a system wasn't absolute, but in the Nine Hells, Inscription Cultivators were generally stronger than Sword Cultivators.
"Life Sigil?" Yun Xiao gently touched the back of his head. The thought of a sigil sprouting in his brain was rather unnerving. But then he had a thought!
"The Divine Pillar of the Divine Continent resembles a giant sword, eventually becoming a Sword Soul, while the Demon Continent is a rectangular landmass, its mountains and rivers twisted like a sigil..."
Could it be that the Creator Immortal had already planned the next step?
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