Chapter 268: Understand the Heart, Pursue the Dao!
With a resigned sigh, Ku Xin glanced at Sikong Yan and offered a word of caution, "Admiring someone is fine, Yan, but don't get carried away with your infatuation. Think back on the 10,000-year history of the Eternal Sword Prison. Has there ever been a tale of a young disciple swallowing ten Rank 10 Azure Phoenixes in the blink of an eye? That's nothing short of a miracle. At the very least, it shows his Sword Soul surpasses that of Exile Ling."
"Alright then." Sikong Yan, though conceding to the truth, couldn't help feeling a bit miffed. "A person's talent has many facets. Sword Soul and Sword Aura are just parts of it. Excelling in these doesn't tell the whole story."
"You're right there," Ku Xin agreed, nodding.
Yun Xiao and the Sword Warden left without much ado, leaving Ling Chen in the spotlight, which was somewhat awkward. But he was no ordinary fellow; an old monster like him adapted easily to such situations. He sauntered towards the third level of the Azure Phoenix Tower as if nothing had happened.
The effectiveness of a Rank 6 Azure Phoenix, though not as great as a Rank 10, could still be stacked up to accumulate a high-level Sword Aura.
After all, for Sword Cultivators like an Exiled Sword Immortal, there were no limits to resources! The others could only watch in envy and awe as these two monsters swept through the upper levels of the tower, clearing out all the Azure Phoenixes.
They couldn't even be jealous, for these Azure Phoenixes, placed before these younger disciples, were beyond their reach. Even the top ten on the Immortal Sword Rankings would struggle to challenge a Rank 3 Azure Phoenix at their age.
After all, the Azure Phoenixes of the Sword Ruins were a whole different ball game compared to the Azure Kites of the Sea of Swords.
In the end, Ling Chen, through sheer numbers, managed to boost his Sword Aura to 8,000 layers! He stopped there, not because he wanted to, but because he had completely cleared out all the Rank 6 Azure Phoenixes...
As for the Rank 3 ones, they weren't as effective or efficient. So, Ling Chen didn't bother.
This brought a collective sigh of relief to the hundreds of thousands of junior disciples in the Sword Ruins.
After the two Exiled Sword Immortals had swept through the floors, it was fortunate that only the older generations of the Swords Ruins would mainly be impacted. And the older generation could simply replenish the Azure Phoenixes by slaying more demons!
"An 8,000 layer Sword Aura, almost as good as 10,000. Both are still astronomical figures unattainable by ordinary juniors."
"Indeed!"
"So, in this round, both Exiled Sword Immortals managed a tie, wouldn't you say?"
"Seems like it!"
After Ling Chen's departure, various whispers and murmurs buzzed around the Azure Phoenix Tower, like flies around one's ears.
"Did you hear their chatter?"
Atop the Azure Phoenix Tower stood two men, overlooking the scene below. Two bald heads were all you could see! An old man and a young boy. The youth was Ku Xin! Before the appearances of the two Exiled Sword Immortals, Ku Xin was a shining star among the young talents of the Eternal Sword Prison.
And the old man? He was an Overseer of the Sword Ruins, Ku Xuan, who was stationed at the Azure Phoenix Tower to suppress the demonic aura of the Azure Phoenixes.
"Grandpa, people elevate Exile Ling and put down Exile Yun, making up excuses for the former. It's all because of preconceived notions. Exile Yun might have made the Eternal Sword hum 100,000 times, but it seemed hollow, as if he was just artificially elevated by the Sword Warden. Plus, he didn't renounce his privileges, lost first in the Sword Puppet Forest, and even killed someone in a fit of rage. He ruined his reputation from the get-go. One wrong step and, in people's eyes, everything he does is wrong," Ku Xin analyzed thoughtfully.
"You're mistaken," Ku Xuan replied, his voice raspy like wood scraping, gazing into the smoky mountains and rivers of the Sword Ruins. "True, these events did happen. But the key is how we spun them, how we exaggerated his misdeeds to those ignorant of the details. If they never saw it for themselves, they'll inevitably be swayed by public opinion, trapped in the propaganda machine we created."
"I don't understand," the boy confessed, puzzled.
"Simply put, we exploit people's unchecked anger and goodwill, skillfully manipulating their desire to be moral exemplars. Take the case of Feng Ruolin. We didnt publicize how she mocked Yun Xiao, but how she just didn't smile at him and was brutally killed for it. That ignites a righteous fury that overwhelms their logic, preventing them from seeking the truth. Even if someone tells them the truth, no one will believe it. They'll even suspect the Sword Warden of doing a cover-up, fabricating lies to protect Yun Xiao," Ku Xuan said, his lips curling into a cold smile.
"But Grandpa, does public opinion about the two Exiled Sword Immortals really matter? Even if millions of people talk about Yun Xiao, it won't change anything. Honestly, I used to look down on him too. I thought he was a fake. But after today's events at the Azure Phoenix Tower, it feels like nobody can stop his rise," Ku Xin admitted, still confused.
"It matters. It matters a lot! Because all these small rumors add up to public sentiment. Now, we can't easily tarnish Yun Xiao's talent. So, we'll viciously attack his character, his morality. Make everyone in the Eternal Sword Prison despise him!" Ku Xuan opened his narrow eyes, filled with resentment. "If his character is deemed vile, and he accidentally dies on his path to growth, no one will object, no one will seek justice! Even the Sword Warden can't stop public sentiment," he continued coldly.
"You're right, Grandpa," Ku Xin nodded in understanding. "In the end, whether it's Exile Yun or Exile Ling, they're just geniuses, not yet powerful figures who control the winds and clouds. It's common for geniuses to meet untimely ends. The difference between infamy and glory is that if Exile Ling dies, the perpetrator will be universally condemned. But if Exile Yun dies, people might just cheer, right?"
"Exactly. That's the power of controlling public sentiment," Ku Xuan said, pleased with his grandson's insight. "A Sword Cultivator can't just cultivate the sword; they must also master the art of manipulation. In this, the Mu Family, as newcomers, lack the depth of our Ku Family, and can't outplay us."
Ku Xin furrowed his brow, "But I still have a question..." he said, looking down.
"Speak," Ku Xuan urged, turning to him.
"Why must we target Exile Yun? Isn't it better to have two great talents in the Eternal Sword Prison?" Ku Xin asked earnestly.
"No, it's terrible!" Ku Xuan declared.
"Why so?"
"The Mu Family also has an Exiled Sword Immortal. So, how can our Ku family rise to prominence? Didn't you see what those two did to the Azure Phoenix Tower today? If they both grow powerful, what stake will our Ku Family have in the Sword Relic? Your great-grandfather and I won't live much longer, and I don't want to die either..." Ku Xuan gritted his teeth, his face twisted with loathing.
"Life and death are decreed by fate..."
"I seek to defy fate! The first to receive the Sword Relic in ancient times was our ancestor. It rightfully belongs to our clan. Why shouldn't it benefit our descendants?" Ku Xuan said sternly.
"Yes!" Ku Xin nodded.
"Having one Exiled Sword Immortal is a joy; two is a disaster! One must die! Our Ku Family has already sided with Exile Ling. We must go all out! Even if Ling Chen cares about his reputation and wants to keep things above board, from our standpoint, we must lay the groundwork for Yun Xiao's demise," Ku Xuan said darkly.
"I understand! To kill a peak figure, you must first destroy his reputation," Ku Xin mused, then asked, "But his impressive performance today at the Azure Phoenix Tower will surely boost his fame. What do we do about that?" Ku Xin knew that Ling Chen wasn't entirely noble and righteous; it was their Ku Family that had spun the tale of Bai Qingxue's incident as youthful temperament.
"Rise in fame? Dream on. I have a plan that will plunge his reputation into the abyss. Make everyone despise him," Ku Xuan sneered.
"Oh?" Ku Xin looked at his grandfather.
"Ever heard of a Fiendish Sword Soul?" Ku Xuan grinned, his smile sinister.
"I have..." Ku Xin shuddered at those words.
"Then, tell me what you know," Ku Xuan commanded.
"Yes." Ku Xin's eyes flickered darkly, "It's said that if a female Sword Cultivator is violated by a demon while pregnant, there's a chance the child's Sword Soul will be tainted with demonic miasma, becoming a Fiendish Sword Soul, which has a unique attribute..."
"And what is that unique attribute?!" Ku Xuan chuckled darkly.
"When a Fiendish Sword Soul absorbs an Azure Phoenix, its demonic aura makes the Azure Phoenix more receptive, allowing for rapid absorption, far surpassing that of ordinary people," Ku Xin said, stunned.
"Considering what you saw today, doesn't Yun Xiao... resemble a demon spawn?" Ku Xuan asked coldly.
Owners of a Fiendish Sword Soul, though fathered by men, were often born after their mothers were violated by demons. These individuals were hardly accepted by society, scorned as demon spawn. Though gifted in absorbing demon bones, their lives were usually filled with misery.
"Yes!" Ku Xin nodded deeply, "But... I don't think Yun Xiao looks like a demon spawn. Most of their Sword Souls don't even reach Planet grade."
"He certainly isn't!" Ku Xuan chuckled maliciously. "But as I said earlier, whether it's true or not doesn't matter. What's important is the rumor mills! We don't have to get our hands dirty, just a little nudge, and his shining moment at the Azure Phoenix Tower becomes everyone's nightmare."
Ku Xin couldn't help but admire the strategy. Brutal, indiscriminate killer, ominous demon spawn. Once these labels were attached, they would be nearly impossible to refute.
"And, you don't know yet another deadly flaw of the Fiendish Sword Soul," Ku Xuan chuckled again.
"Please enlighten me, Grandpa!"
"The Fiendish Sword Soul, being an entity of excessive absorption, is impure and extremely unstable. Usually, by the age of twenty, it explodes," Ku Xuan said with glee.
"Will his explode?" Ku Xin asked.
"Whether his Sword Soul explodes or not is irrelevant. As long as people believe it might, we can spread rumors that he's wasting the Rank 10 Azure Phoenixes. Pin the sin of squandering precious resources on him. Make every Sword Cultivator in the Eternal Sword Prison hate him even more!" Ku Xuan said coldly.
Ku Xin was speechless...
"Even better, if he accidentally dies one day, we'll just say he died from the self-explosion of his Fiendish Sword Soul. We've even figured out his cause of death."
Ku Xin could only think this scheme was incredibly ruthless. Listening to this, he realized one truth. No matter how talented a genius was, they would never soar unchallenged above the clouds.
Even an Exiled Sword Immortal couldn't escape the complexities of human hearts. Once core interests were threatened, who wouldn't go all out? A genius, after all, was not the same as a true powerhouse, unable to truly command respect and fear from all!
"Grandfather, have you already started spreading rumors about him possessing a Fiendish Sword Soul?" Ku Xin asked.
"Just walk around and listen to the public's discussions," Ku Xuan laughed heartily.
"Impressive!" Despite the Ku Family's recent decline, Ku Xin knew their years of maneuvering in the Sword Ruins and their network in the shadows still surpassed that of the Sword Warden.
"Right," Ku Xuan patted his shoulder, advising, "About the Fiendish Sword Soul, remember it's a spontaneous speculation by the public. Don't let Exile Ling know we're behind it."
"Understood!" Ku Xin nodded solemnly. "In the path of cultivation, first understand the heart, then pursue the dao! Exile Yun, you've lived a sheltered life high above the clouds. No matter how great your talent is, you're blind to the darkness of those living below."
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