Chapter 275: The Villain Enters the Stage! (2)
VROOM! Yun Xiao also set off on a Sovereign Sword from the Valley of Ruins for the Immortal Sword Rankings, escorted closely by Mu Dalong. Alongside them, Mu Xiaolong, a participant herself, insisted on tagging along.
Despite being perfectly capable, Mu Xiaolong claimed her sword riding skills were too lacking and insisted on riding with Yun Xiao. Not just that, but she also seized the spot at the front, her little crush all too evident on her face.
Her cute charm and coquettishness, coupled with a dash of innocence, made her impossible to refuse. Yun Xiao indulged her whims, thinking that if she weren't so endearing, she would have been swiftly dismissed.
"Too fast! It's so fast!
"I can't keep my balance!
"Fae, hold me tight"
Yun Xiao, with the playful young girl in his arms, flew skillfully on his sword, balancing her with one hand. His eyes, however, were fixed on the horizon as he asked her, "Do you really like me, Xiaolong?"
"Which girl wouldn't fall for a true Immortal? I dream of you, Fae," she confessed, her affection clear as day.
Yun Xiao found her frankness intriguing. "Would you want to walk the path of immortality with me?" he asked.
"Of course, but it seems impossible," she replied, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.
"True, I prefer to wander alone, free from worldly ties," Yun Xiao admitted.
"Have you ever loved someone?" she asked nervously.
"Two!" Yun Xiao laughed. "There was a girl I wanted to take with me, but she loved her peace more than adventure. Another, I thought of walking with forever, but fate had other plans; she turned into a stone"
"Ah, you sound so heartless," Mu Xiaolong exclaimed, then quickly added, "But still, I really like you."
"So, let's leave matters of fate to destiny," Yun Xiao concluded.
"Regardless of how the world changes, I'll always be a loyal admirer!" Mu Xiaolong's spirits had lifted when she realized Yun Xiao was more interested in the Golden Springs Wine than her mother.
"You're still young. When you grow up, you'll understand that looks aren't everything for a person," Yun Xiao advised her.
"But would you marry someone unattractive?" Mu Xiaolong asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"No" Yun Xiao admitted, a bit sheepishly, averting his eyes
"There, you see? You're only two years older than me, and yet you act so world-weary," Mu Xiaolong scoffed. Then, she snuggled closer to him and whispered, "Didn't you see clearly in the Golden Springs Wine? I've inherited good genes; I'm not that young!"
Yun Xiao fell silent as they approached the towering Immortal Sword Rankings, a sword peak reaching into the clouds.
"What are the rules for the competition?" Yun Xiao inquired.
"It's simple, just fight," Mu Xiaolong said, her enthusiasm evident in discussing anything with him.
"How do we fight?"
"It's a straightforward elimination battle from start to finish," she explained.
"Any specific details?"
"Remember the preliminary registrations? The elders select 4,096 participants from all registrants. Then there are twelve rounds of one-on-one battles to determine the champion of the Immortal Sword Rankings. Based on performance, the elders vote to determine the top 100," she detailed.
"So, it's pretty straightforward. Random opponents, twelve rounds, and it's over," Yun Xiao commented, preferring this format for its simplicity compared to the more elaborate War of Immortals in the Heavenly Realm.
"It's not entirely random. To prevent top seeds from clashing early, the tournament is divided into sixteen brackets, with Sword Cultivators of various levels in each. I'm in the seventh bracket because of my age," Mu Xiaolong clarified.
Yun Xiao, who only cared about being first in any competition, found the distinction between random and bracketed matchups irrelevant. He just needed to remember to win twelve consecutive matches.
"Which bracket am I in?" Yun Xiao asked casually.
"This time, the first bracket has only two people," Mu Xiaolong said with a grin.
Yun Xiao understood. Despite their lower cultivation, he and Ling Chen had been placed in the first bracket due to their extraordinary status.
"So, the only way we'd clash is in the final battle?" Yun Xiao asked.
"Exactly. If either of you falters before then, there'll be no showdown between the Exiled Sword Immortals. That would be quite embarrassing," she said with a pout.
"Right!" Yun Xiao thought, pleased. The audience loved seeing strong contenders face off, and this arrangement promised an exciting climax.
For a destined encounter, both would have to conquer their respective halves of the bracket, standing victorious until the end.
"The Eternal Sword assessment is just about talent! The Immortal Sword Rankings is where true combat prowess is measured," Mu Xiaolong declared.
Losing today meant more than just defeat; it was a fall from grace. The title of Exiled Sword Immortal brought not only treasures and resources but also a crushing weight of expectation. Amidst the rampant slander, only Mu Dalong and her daughter knew the immense pressure Yun Xiao faced. Yet, he remained detached and unbothered, an outsider to his own plight.
"How long will the twelve rounds of elimination take?" Yun Xiao inquired casually.
"One day, one round every two hours. The quicker you finish, the longer you rest," Mu Dalong answered.
"Find me a quiet place to rest then. After each round, I need to cultivate," Yun Xiao said, practical as ever.
"Why rush, Fae? Why not relax and let me massage your shoulders during the breaks?" Mu Xiaolong pouted.
"A brief moment?" Yun Xiao just smiled.
He had a secret up his sleevethe Red Moon's consumption of the 10,000 Immortal Jades was about to pay off. What seemed like mere moments to Mu Xiaolong was an eternity for Yun Xiao.
As Yun Xiao and company approached the bustling atmosphere of the Immortal Sword Rankings, they saw a sea of people floating in the sky, watching the spectacle unfold.
Below a golden pillar that shimmered in the sunlight, last year's Immortal Sword Rankings had been cleared, making way for new glories. Around this pillar were over two thousand golden platforms, each guarded by a Sword Judge and protected by a magic formation. Some of the more intense battles would be overseen by Peak Masters or Supreme Adjudicators themselves.
"This place is ten times larger than the War of Immortals in the Heavenly Realm," Yun Xiao observed, stepping into an atmosphere charged with a wild, sharp, and solemn spirit of swordsmanship.
Tens of thousands of Sword Cultivators, their eyes deep and swords shimmering in their gaze, waited with bated breath. Many competitors had already gathered around Zhang Mu to collect their number tags and determine their brackets.
A cold, tense atmosphere hung in the air.
"Exile Yun has arrived" With that one sentence, the heated atmosphere under the Immortal Sword Rankings turned eerily cold and tense, as if a dark, oppressive hand hovered over everyone, casting a shadow of anger and gloom.
"Looks like I'm the villain making an entrance," Yun Xiao mused, scanning the crowd's mixed expressions of awe, resentment, and curiosity with a wry smile on his face.
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