Chapter 279: With a Sharp Sword, Carry Out the Will of the Heavens!
The Sword Ruins were in an uproar! The three famed beauties, Feng Ruolin, Ku Xue, and Sikong Yan, had met their ends at the hands of Yun Xiao. The death of Sikong Yan, who had been nothing but amicable and courteous, was especially tragic.
Her brutal slaying set off a storm, akin to poking a hornet's nest, shattering the fragile hearts of countless on the Immortal Sword Ranking.
At that moment, Yun Xiao was thoroughly cast in the role of a tyrannical demon king by the eyes of the public, elevated to a throne of infamy!
All the young Sword Cultivators stared at him in disbelief! Had he not been an Exiled Sword Immortal, countless Flying Swords would have sought his life at that instant.
A tidal wave of fury erupted like volcanoes, burning red-hot in the chests of countless young Sword Cultivators!
Of course, a small minority chose silence, their eyes flickering with complicated emotions as they gazed upon Yun Xiao. They knew the demon spawn rumors had its puppeteers, and that some sought to push Yun Xiao to his demise. Yet, they never imagined he would retaliate so fiercely!
Yun Xiao had to know he was in a precarious situation. Yet, he still killed without explanation!
"This means he's either truly brainless or he's contemptuous of all these schemes."
"Whether he's mindless or arrogant depends on his strength."
Weakness begot folly; strength commanded respect!
So, with this killing, the angry grew angrier; and the thoughtful fell silent, some even retreating quietly.
"An Exiled Sword Immortal The revered reincarnation of a true Immortal above is now denounced as a demon spawn, a fiend, by tens of thousands. This whirlwind of propaganda has devoured all logic, plunging the Immortal Sword Ranking into a bloodbath!"
After the seventh round, the top 32 emerged!
The battles ahead were few.
"In the competition bracket, the upper half belongs to Exile Yun, and the lower half to Exile Ling. Now, with only 32 participants left, the upcoming matchups are becoming predictable."
"To reach the finals, Exile Yun must still first overcome two peak prodigies of the Sword Ruins!"
All eyes fell on the two young men, who would likely become Yun Xiao's next opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals. With his slaying of the three beauties, how would these young men react?
One of the two prodigies was dressed in a gray robe. With thin lips and narrow eyes, he was none other than the bald, strangely bewitching Ku Xin.
"Last year Ku Xin placed third in the Immortal Sword Rankings. He's the top talent of the Ku family."
"I heard he was also fairly close to Sikong Yan. Both his little sister, Ku Xue, and her fell to that demon spawn. If there's still any justice in the world, we'll see the two face off in the quarterfinals!"
"Hopefully, Ku Xin will avenge them..."
Countless hopeful and righteous gazes rested on Ku Xin.
Beside Ku Xin stood another youth in a green robe. He appeared as refreshing as a breeze and bright as the moon, with a clear and bright face, fair as jade, his long hair tied up, exuding a carefree aura.
The youth's eyes, which were closely scrutinizing Yun Xiao, were profoundly deep. He embodied a pure swordsmanship spirit, his person sharp as a blade, his voice equally cutting.
Compared to the reserved and sinister Ku Xin, he seemed pure and righteous, with an iron-willed demeanor, earning a measure of respect from onlookers.
"Ku Xin," the youth in green turned to his bald companion, asking, "I sense that with each strike, he grows stronger. Are you sure you can handle him?"
"Don't worry," Ku Xin replied coolly, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.
The youth in the green robe surveyed the seething crowd and said, "Well, the stage is already set. Everyone is wishing for nothing more than his death. Even if he's an Exiled Sword Immortal, no one would question it."
"A small consolation, I suppose. Lil Yan and Xue'er's deaths weren't in vain," Ku Xin muttered, veins on his neck bulging, as he glared at the high platform where Yun Xiao stood. "Just you wait, I won't let this demon spawn live to the semifinals..."
The young man in green pressed his lips together, his eyes too filled with murderous intent. "Ku Xin, are you sure our great-grandfather didn't instruct us to throw the fight, to just hand this demon over to Exile Ling?" he asked gravely.
"Yi Qingfan," Ku Xin gave him a deep look. "Today, it's clear that this demon has the talent of an Exiled Sword Immortal, and he has indeed saved Exile Ling's life. Exile Ling is a force beyond our control. If we let Yun Xiao into the finals, and Exile Ling shows mercy, we'd miss our last two chances to kill this demon spawn."
"Understood." The youth in green nodded icily.
"After this demon spawn dies, even if Exile Ling is displeased, he'll ultimately realize we're helping him remove a major threat," Ku Xin said coldly.
"Indeed... A genius is just that, a genius. No exceptions, not even for an Exiled Sword Immortal. If he's killed, he's gone," the youth in green remarked meaningfully.
"One Exiled Sword Immortal is enough for the Eternal Sword Prison!" Ku Xin declared, then looked behind him. "Yi Qingfan, why hasn't your master arrived yet?"
"Probably delayed by something, but he should be here soon," the young man in green replied.
"Will Die'er come too?" Ku Xin asked.
"Yes." The young man in green smiled tenderly.
"The two of you are a perfect couple, a match envied by mortals and gods alike." Ku Xin sighed softly.
The young man in green sighed lightly. "Sadly, I heard that the Sword Warden doesn't like Inscription Cultivators."
Ku Xin's expression suddenly turned fierce. "If the Sword Warden doesn't like Inscription Cultivators, Exile Yun won't either. So, better that they all die."
"Late Awakened Emperor Realm," Yun Xiao remarked, cultivating atop his viewing tower.
After several breaks in between rounds, Blue Star had deliveredor rather regurgitatedanother fresh batch of upgraded Heavenly Dao Sariras. So, he was able to advance another step.
"Just two more stages to go, and I'll be able to form my Dao Heart. Then, I'll have transcended the Eight Mortal Realms!" Yun Xiao said.
Once the Dao Heart was born, whether it's the Sword Intent left by that Cosmic Immortal of the Supreme Azure Star Emperor Immortal Court or the million Sword Intents of the Eternal Sword, he should be able to wield them!
"The Arcane River Eight Meridians of Sikong Yan didn't replace the Nine Heavens Star Meridians but instead enhanced it, blending together nicely."
Now, Yun Xiao's Hundred Scales Dantian, combined with the newly upgraded Nine Heavens Star Meridians, had drastically increased his ability to channel his Primordial Void Technique. His strength was no longer inferior.
Just in terms of sacred power, he was not lacking compared to someone in the Early Dao Heart Realm!
"Only four more rounds until the finals!" Yun Xiao stood up, stretching his limbs, his body crackling with pops and snaps.
Two more rounds quickly passed.
Yun Xiao easily defeated his two Mid Dao Heart Realm opponents. Both were descendants of Overseers belonging to the Sword Warden's camp and treated him with respect. So, even though they possessed Seeds of Creations, he didn't make things difficult for them.
Who lived and died all depended on the heart.
After choosing to kill, Yun Xiao gave no explanation.
"Fae." Mu Xiaolong, who'd already been eliminated from the competition, tugged at Yun Xiao's sleeve. Her gaze was focused outside of the viewing tower.
Below, the crowd was still riled up, unabashedly crying out curses like demon spawn and fiend, disregarding the dignity of the Sword Ruins.
"They look like they're about to riot..." Mu Xiaolong said, sticking out her tongue.
A few people could be handled, but what about 100,000 filled with righteous indignation? Punish all of them? Impossible! And so, the situation had escalated to a stage beyond control.
"Sword Cultivators have always been united, but now someone is manipulating people's hearts, stirring up such chaos, making us a joke to the other eight hells." Mu Dalong sighed, a hint of sadness in her tone.
"The quarterfinals are here!" Mu Xiaolong looked nervously at Yun Xiao. "Your opponent this time placed third in the Immortal Sword Rankings last year. He's incredibly formidable and ruthless in his attacks..."
"Could he be more ruthless than me, the tyrannical demon king?" Yun Xiao said, half joking.
"Still, he's full of tricks. Be careful," Mu Xiaolong warned, her heart always uneasy when she saw Ku Xin. He seemed too sly, always up to no good.
"It never hurts to be cautious," Mu Dalong also advised.
"Got it." Yun Xiao nodded. He knew to take precautions. Though he had a habit of mocking his enemies, he always remained fully focused in battle.
"The tenth round! Will our top 8 competitors please enter the arena!" Zhang Mu's announcement reignited the stage, which had been quiet for over half an hour.
One day, one round every two hours. By this tenth round, they were approaching the last two battles before dawn.
In the sky above, a million Sword Souls shone brightly, illuminating the venue of the Immortal Sword Rankings in the dark night.
The atmosphere was electric!
When Yun Xiao descended from the viewing tower again, a merciless and unrestrained chorus of boos engulfed him.
The raging young Sword Cultivators had completely let loose, crazily insulting and mocking Yun Xiao.
None of the crowd feared being silenced anymore! They thought this was the power of the masses, with justice finally overpowering evil. They believed that evil couldn't suppress the spark that would start a prairie fire, not realizing they were being used like dogs to bite others.
"Annihilate the demon spawn! Welcome a new dawn of the Sword Dao!"
In the dim night, the young Sword Cultivators even started making up slogans. Tens of thousands roared together, moved to tears by their own passion.
"Down with Yun Short! We ordinary Sword Cultivators stand tall over evil!"
Under the sway of their so-called justice, the crowd glared at Yun Xiao with bloodshot eyes, wishing they could kill him with their gaze alone.
In reality, Ku Xin was infamous in the Sword Ruins, known for harming many girls. His misdeeds were always covered up by the seniors of the Ku Family. This was known to those of higher status, but not to the average Sword Cultivator disciples.
The Ku Family had simply projected their usual silencing tactics onto Yun Xiao.
So when Ku Xin appeared before Yun Xiao like a beam of death, he became a saint in the eyes of those tens of thousands.
"Ku Xin! Ku Xin!"
Their thunderous calls shook the venue of the Immortal Sword Rankings.
"This world, the more foolish the person, the louder they tend to shout. The biggest mouths."
Yun Xiao wasn't disappointed, though, for behind these fools, at least a million Sword Cultivators stood with crossed arms, maintaining their silence.
While chaos erupted in the Sword Ruins, they remained undisturbed!
Yun Xiao, especially, was the eye of the storm, calm and collected. Gazing at the bald Ku Xin before him, he prepared to defeat him, aiming to move onto the semifinals in the Immortal Sword Rankings.
Their match, one of four simultaneous battles, attracted ninety percent of the attention. It was the absolute center of focus, overshadowing even Ling Chen's match against last year's fourth ranked competitor.
"Forgive me, Exile Yun," Ku Xin spoke politely, but the sinister coldness in his eyes couldn't mask his youthful thirst for blood.
HUM! He summoned his Burning Bone Sword Soul! A gray skeletal sword shrouded in ghoulish flames hovered ominously, its appearance chilling to the bone. This was the signature Sword Soul of the Ku Family, far purer than Ku Xue's bloodline!
Its emergence plunged everything into a cold gloom, transforming the area into a graveyard. Shadows stretched across the grounds like phantoms, and the skull-shaped Sword Intent at the center of the blade blazed ominously.
"That's Burning Bone! A true sword of death! It represents the orthodoxy of the Eternal Sword Prison!"
Excited murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Ku Xin, wield your sword of justice!"
Righteous and impassioned words flooded the platform.
"Kill!"
The crowd's hatred towards Yun Xiao was a testament to the oppression these ordinary Sword Cultivators endured. Sadly, they were blinded, manipulated both in body and mind.
"It seems the best way to control people is to make them believe they are exceptionally clever. Let them think they've seen through the plots of the powerful, exploiting their simple, frustrated hearts to keep jumping into the pit," Yun Xiao mused.
In pursuit of justice, these young Sword Cultivators became fools.
"So, he's strong, huh?" Yun Xiao looked up slightly. A few hundred meters across from him, Ku Xin, fueled by the righteous fury of thousands, had never fought a battle so sacred.
HUM! Unable to contain his murderous intent, Ku Xin gripped the Burning Bone Sword Soul, transforming into a torrent from the underworld, summoning a 2,500 layer Sword Aura, swirling towards Yun Xiao.
"In this world of turmoil, only the dao illuminates the path ahead." Yun Xiao suddenly closed his eyes, sensing something deep within. His face was calm and profound. Instead of drawing his Sword Soul, he casually flicked his hand, as if slapping the air.
WHOOSH! In an instant, five spatial vortexes appeared in the air, collapsing from the front, left, right, above, and behind, pressing down on Ku Xin like the sky was falling!
It was another display of the Wuji Dao Art!
"How can there be five?!" A wave of shocked exclamations drowned out the previous foolish anger and cursing.
Looking around, tens of thousands of elders in the Sword Ruins were stunned into silence. With their understanding of the Wuji Dao Art, instantaneously unleashing five was impossible!
"Its not just the number thats increased, look inside those vortexes..."
Upon closer inspection, they saw ripples like those on a lake's surface within each vortex, warping the fabric of space and time.
This was unmistakably Ling Chen's Flying Sword technique, Vast Skyseamlessly integrated into the Wuji Dao Art by Yun Xiao. The similarity in the natures of the two moves, the Wuji and spatial distortion, complemented each other perfectly!
However, one was a sword technique and the other a daoist spell!
How could the fusion of sword and spell be so heaven-defying?
Before the elders of the Sword Ruins could react, the five spatial vortexes of the enhanced Wuji Dao Art suddenly engulfed Ku Xin!
"What is this?" Ku Xin, brimming with murderous intent, was suddenly struck by this overwhelming force.
He felt as if five invisible titans had bitten him from all sides!
"Explosion Sword Style!" Ku Xin abruptly halted, his feet thundering to the ground, his sword spinning, unleashing his Late Dao Heart Realm sacred power.
BOOM! His Sword Aura formed a storm of gray sword energy, slashing violently in all directions!
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