Chapter 276: Yun Short is a Goner!
In those glances, a mishmash of loathing, resentment, and scorn bubbled forth in a hostile brew. Of course, not everyone was like this, but it was plain to see that the majority were.
These gazes were cold enough to freeze hell over!
Without a single word uttered, it seemed like the crowd were all silently chanting, "demon spawn" or "Fiendish Sword Soul."
"Don't take it to heart, Exile Yun," Mu Dalong said with a worried tone.
"I'm fine." Yun Xiao shook his head with a nonchalant smile. He cast his gaze over the crowd of people and said, "I think it's rather splendid, in a way. At least it shows they have a backbone, despising evil. It's just that I've been cast as the villain."
Yun Xiao believed as long as a person had a sense of justice, even if they weren't the sharpest tool in the shed, there was still hope for them.
On a positive note, many of the older Sword Judges and Peak Masters didn't view Yun Xiao with any hostility. In fact, they admired how unbothered and easygoing he was being.
"The older ginger is spicier, as they say. Young folks are easily misled, but they'll grow out of it. They'll learn how people can manipulate human nature," Yun Xiao mused. He wasn't exactly long in the tooth himself, so he was still getting the hang of this wisdom thing.
"Please, Exile Yun," Mu Dalong ushered him into a looming tower, to the top floor no less, where the best seats in the house for the spectacle were located, doubling as a place for cultivation.
Meanwhile, Mu Xiaolong went to fetch Yun Xiao's competitor number, which turned out to be #1. This meant that Ling Chen was #4096. One at the very start, the other at the very end.
"A number assignment hinting at me seizing the best spot? Really?" Yun Xiao shook his head. Petty people, devilish in their ways. Indeed, the moment word got out that he was assigned one as his number, the outside world buzzed with chatter again.
"Exile Ling became an Exiled Sword Immortal first. Why does Exile Yun get to be number one?"
"The Sword Warden must be out of his mind, trying to flatter him like that..."
"What a sorry state the Sword Ruins have come to!"
Another round of despairing sighs for the state of the world.
Then came Ling Chen's entrance. The whole area around the Immortal Sword Rankings erupted into a frenzy of pure, ecstatic cheering. The disciples of the Sword Ruins waved their arms high, shouting as if welcoming the dawn after a long night.
Yun Xiao arrived and went straight to the highest seat of honor, while Ling Chen played the man of the people, standing amongst the ordinary disciples, smiling and greeting everyone.
Such was the scene, sparking yet another wave of contemplation
Amidst the roaring crowd, the first round of the Immortal Sword Rankings began with a bang!
Even though it was just the opening round, a staggering million Sword Cultivators gathered in the sky. The high-ranking folks from the Sword Ruins were lurking in the nearby viewing towers. Unseen, but undoubtedly present, were the Sword Warden and the Withered Bone Keeper.
This was shaping up to be the grandest Immortal Sword Rankings in history.
Under the watchful eyes of thousands, Zhang Mu stood tall, his gaze fixed on Ling Chen. "As per Exile Ling's request, his first round will be a solo performance. Any objections?" he asked.
"No!" came the immediate, unanimous response. They all knew what Ling Chen was up to!
Sure enough, Zhang Mu's eyes swept over the crowd, his voice cold as he spoke, "Qin Luo, you're Exile Ling's first opponent. He's giving you a fair chance to redeem yourself. Aren't you coming up?"
In an instant, the crowd remembered this villain who'd stolen Ling Chen's sword bonethe sole survivor of the Qin family!
Qin Luo had been under watch these past days, with only one way out, and that defeating Ling Chen.
"Isn't Exile Ling in danger? After all, Qin Luo is a prodigy in the Dao Heart Realm," someone murmured.
"Trust in Exile Ling!" came a chorus of replies.
This was a tale of revenge!
Amidst a sea of disdainful glances and jeers, Qin Luo, head slightly bowed and eyes bloodshot, stepped onto the central battle platform.
Facing him, Ling Chen was like a gentle breeze, effortlessly landing on the platform. His gaze on Qin Luo was calm, devoid of anger or any discernible emotion.
HUM! In Ling Chen's hand appeared the nine-colored Sword Soul, with its seven Hell Demon Sword Rings overflowing with a thick, demonic miasma. A total of 8,000 layers of nine-colored Sword Aura swirled around the blade like a tempest, sealing off the platform and seemingly pressing countless swords against Qin Luo's throat.
Such a majestic sword, unveiled before a million Sword Cultivators, sent a shockwave through the audience. Both the Sword Aura and the Sword Rings were of mythical caliber, and the seven Sword Rings were a sight for the ages.
"Exile Ling!" The young Sword Cultivators, awestruck by this prodigy, shouted his name in fervent admiration. Their voices merged into a tidal wave of magma, sweeping across the battlefield.
Before such overwhelming might, the once-high-and-mighty Supreme Disciple, Qin Luo, no matter how great his cultivation, seemed as insignificant as an ant in front of Ling Chen.
"Ling... Ling Chen!" Qin Luo's voice cracked, his grip on his sword tight, yet unable to stop the trembling of his hands and legs. Driven by a fierce desire to survive, he bit through his lip, standing defiantly against the scorn of a million Sword Cultivators. With a wild roar, he lunged towards Ling Chen.
KLANG! The might of his sword intent erupted, forming a violet sun that bore down on Ling Chen.
"I still harbor hatred for this man deep in my heart. This means that the mortal soul of Ling Chen has also merged into this rebirth..." Ling Chen muttered to himself. "I am the Divine Sky Sword Emperor, and I am Ling Chen!"
Ling Chen was both Immortal and mortal. With this realization, his heart swelled with a sense of grandeur.
"The path to the heavens begins with revenge! Overcoming this heart demon, what can the heavens and earth do to stop me?" Ling Chen smiled proudly, gripping the nine-colored Sword Soul in one hand and slashing towards Qin Luo. What appeared to be a casual strike was in fact a blow of devastating might!
The nine-colored divine sword cleaved a rainbow-like brilliance through the air. Where the sword light passed, the void itself cracked open, creating a 30-meter-wide spatial rift that stretched all the way to Qin Luo's forehead!
"Huh?" Qin Luo was caught off guard.
SLASH! In the next instant, his body was bisected by the spatial rift; he was torn in two without even a chance to scream.
Qin Luo fell dead on the spot! And just like that, the spatial rift closed, leaving behind only two halves of a body as if nothing had happened.
In the ensuing silence, Ling Chen sheathed his sword, his demeanor as elegant as an orchid, and stepped off the battle platform.
"WOOOOAH!"
The thunderous sound of cheering erupted at that moment. The crowd watched Ling Chen with feverish eyes, as if welcoming their Sword Emperor.
"That strike was too cool!"
"He's only in the Awakened Emperor Realm. Yet, he ripped open the fabric of space with a single sword strike. What kind of godly technique was that?"
"A 30-meter rift! Even the Sword Warden might not be capable of that, right?"
The power of the sword was one thing, but tearing open a rift in space was quite another. This one strike had profoundly shaken the Sword Ruins.
Even many Peak Masters and Supreme Adjudicators were left with twitching eyelids.
Compared to Yun Xiao's imperfections, Ling Chen seemed too perfect!
"There's no need to contest the Immortal Sword Rankings anymore. Exile Ling has decided the fate of the heavens with one stroke! Yun Short is a goner!" a disciple cried out. Then he quickly coughed and added, "Don't get me wrong! I'm just talking about buddy Yun Short, not Exile Yun!"
Immediately, a wave of laughter swept the crowd.
People couldn't help but cast their eyes toward the viewing tower where Yun Xiao was, wondering what his expression might be at this moment. Nervous? Exposed? Scared?
"True and false, it's obvious which is which when the two are put to the test!"
As for Qin Luo, although he was Ling Chen's lifelong nemesis, now he was nothing more than an appetizer before the main event.
"Overseer Zhang Mu!" A young girl dressed in blue in the crowd suddenly asked with a teasing tone, "Since Exile Ling's first round was solo, and Exile Yun is also taking part in the Immortal Sword Rankings, will we also get to witness something just as spectacular from him?"
"Ku Xue?" Zhang Mu glanced at her, then at the schedule. "Exile Yun's first opponent happens to be you."
Ku Xue herself was taken aback. What a coincidence! Her lips curled into a slight smile. Without waiting for a response, she soared up with her Sovereign Sword and gently landed on the battle platform, her face beaming with a smile towards a certain viewing tower.
Upon entering the platform, Ku Xue said nothing, but her challenging intent was crystal clear.
"Ku Xue, way to go!"
"Who says women are inferior to men!"
"She's got real guts!"
"It's time to show that demon spawn what our Sword Ruins talents are made of..."
A disciple accidentally blurted out the taboo word and scared himself pale, quickly looking around as if expecting to be censored. But no one came to silence him
So, the crowd gradually grew more bold.
"Exile Yun! Exile Yun!" Young Sword Cultivators called out for Yun Xiao, but their voices were laced not with fervor, but with blatant provocation!
WHOOSH! As expected, a figure in lofty white robes descended gracefully from the high-rise. Black hair, bright eyes, sword-like eyebrows, and starry gaze.
Yun Xiao's appearance was like an Immortal descending to the mortal realm. His mere presence and poise gradually silenced some of the jeers. As he landed near the battle platform, Ling Chen approached him, smiling warmly. "Brother Yun."
Yun Xiao glanced at him and asked, "Did you orchestrate this demon spawn business?"
Ling Chen was taken aback by his directness. "I was unaware of it," he replied, shaking his head.
"We are rivals, yes, but let's keep it dignified. This demon spawn charade is the Withered Bone Keeper's doing. They serve you, so you should control your people," Yun Xiao stated.
"Is that so? But are you commanding me?" Ling Chen's gaze hardened, his tone authoritative yet not angry.
This response immediately diminished Yun Xiao's interest in further conversation.
A command? In a fair competition, if Yun Xiao's people had spread rumors like this, harming hundreds of innocents, he would've surely stopped it and apologized. But Ling Chen didn't. Instead, he seemed irked by Yun Xiao's tone.
All this revealed that the Divine Sky Sword Emperor was inherently domineering, selfish, and impolite. He might acknowledge Yun Xiao's talent but wouldn't tolerate him overshadowing himself.
Ling Chen had ignored a previous warning in the Sword Puppet Forest and had even forgotten a life debt...
Yun Xiao glanced at him and suddenly said with a cold laugh, "No wonder you were betrayed."
Ling Chen was visibly shaken by these words. "Who are you, really?!" As he spoke, sword energy surged in his eyes, a hint of killing intent emerging.
"Guess?" Yun Xiao replied, then turned and stepped onto the battle platform.
Their close-range conversation was inaudible to the spectators, but it was clear that the two Exiled Sword Immortals were confronting each other publicly for the first time.
Excitement! That's what the crowd craved, and they got it in spades.
"Kill the demon spawn..."
"Eradicate that cursed fiend!"
Amid the noisy tumult, many muttered under their breath, seeking justice for the silenced disciples.
As Yun Xiao ascended the battle platform, countless eyes were fixed on his white robe.
"I am Ku Xue, Exile Yun," she began with feigned respect, but Yun Xiao didn't even spare her a glance. Raising his hand, he delivered a swift sword strike.
BOOM! A burst of azure light shot forth, tearing a spatial rift in the skyprecisely 31 meters long, a meter longer than the rift Ling Chen had created!
POOF! The rift instantly swallowed Ku Xue up, grinding her into a mist of blood, which exploded and settled neatly on the ground in a grisly layer of flesh and bone dust.
Bones scattered to one side, blood to the other. From above, these remnants formed a crimson and ghastly white Taiji symbol.
"Heh," Yun Xiao chuckled, glancing back at Ling Chen. In a flash, he ascended with his Sovereign Sword and returned to the viewing tower.
"What?" Ling Chen sucked in a cold breath. He clenched his fists tightly, blood vessels pulsing in his eyes as he stared at the Yin-Yang pattern of blood and bone on the platform.
On another viewing tower, the Withered Bone Keeper and Ku Xuan stood up, their faces ashen as they beheld the Taiji symbol and the slowly healing rift in space.
A million people were motionless, a deafening silence enveloping the scene.
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