Chapter 281: A Tense Standoff!
Yun Xiao's words cut through the air like a sword of ice, slicing past the ears of those around him.
"The top prodigy of the Ku Family, along with a Supreme Adjudicator, suddenly slain at the hands of Yun Xiao!"
And now, he was challenging Qingzan?
Yun Xiao's counterattack was raw and fierce, like a sledgehammer crashing into the hearts of the crowd. Even the tens of thousands of raucous justice-seekers felt a piercing pain in their minds.
If it weren't for the birth of two Exiled Sword Immortals, Qingzan was already seen by many as the next generation Sword Warden!
"This demon spawn, he's actually giving Qingzan a choice between going back to face death or kneeling to admit fault?"
After a brief silence, undercurrents roiled beneath the Immortal Sword Rankings.
"How dare he! This brash youngster, ignorant of the ways of the world, speaking nonsense in front of my mother?"
Standing next to Qingzan was a young girl in a green dress. Her eyes were the color of frost, radiant as the moon, lovely and delicate, with large, bright eyes like a dazzling green butterfly.
Although young, her presence in the Sword Ruins overshadowed many, including the now deceased Sikong Yan, with a more celestial aura.
Yun Xiao could see that she had a quality distinct from that of a Sword Cultivator. On her forehead, there fluttered a faint butterfly symbol, pulsating as if alive, radiating a power that seemed to communicate with the heavens and the earth.
This girl in green must be an Inscription Cultivator!
In the Nine Hells, this was the pinnacle of human cultivation.
Qingzan was the wife of the ruler of the Calamity Seal Purgatory, and this girl was her daughter; her status was obvious. She was the princess of the Calamity Seal Purgatory, equivalent to the War Princess of the Endless Netherworld.
With the girl's defiant words, countless Sword Cultivators turned their gaze towards Yun Xiao.
Among them, those tens of thousands of justice-seekers seemed almost gleeful at the prospect of trouble.
"That demon spawn is arrogant and unruly, always stirring trouble, and now he's finally met his match."
"His words were beyond audacious. The funny thing is, look around, does anyone even care to respond?"
"They're laughing! That tyrant needs a taste of his own medicine from a real tough character outside."
Shaking their heads and shrugging their shoulders, they laughed mockingly.
Yun Xiao glanced coldly at the girl in the green dress, ignoring her for the moment. He looked around, unmindful of the murmurs, and spoke in a deep voice, "Where are the Sword Warden and other Overseers?"
As he finished speaking, a streak of golden light flashed behind him! With the clang of a sword, the towering figure of the Sword Warden appeared, stepping forward to stand beside Yun Xiao.
"Salutations to the Sword Warden!" Instantly, a million Sword Cultivators felt a tremor in their hearts, sensing that something significant was unfolding. With knowing looks, the wise ones closed their mouths.
As the Sword Warden made his appearance, about twenty Overseers from the Sword Ruins heeded Yun Xiao's call, descending from their high towers to stand by Yun Xiao and the Sword Warden.
Zhang Mu's eyes subtly changed, and he too pressed his lips together, bowing his head as he moved behind the Sword Warden.
From this moment, this group of powerful figures from the Sword Ruins exerted an invisible pressure, overwhelming the guests from the Calamity Seal Purgatory, utterly silencing them.
Even the girl in the green dress turned pale, involuntarily stepping back to hide behind her mother.
And Ku Xuan, grieving the death of his son and grandson, had his gaze grow solemn and still.
This scene proved unequivocally that the Eternal Sword Prison was controlled by the powerful, not by ordinary Sword Cultivators or so-called public opinion!
These twenty Overseers remained silent, but the mere fact that they stood by the Sword Warden spoke volumes!
All of them had witnessed the terrifying talent of Yun Xiao today!
As for the malicious rumors surrounding Yun Xiao, how could they not know who was behind it all?
"The Sword Warden and Overseers have all shown up. What are they up to now"
"I have no idea! Such a grand show of force can't just be to support that demon spawn, can it?"
Those tens of thousands of indignant Sword Cultivators, who had just been mocking Yun Xiao for making mountains out of molehills, now found themselves silenced by this scene, as if a cold wind had slapped them across the face.
In this chilly and dead silent atmosphere, Yun Xiao turned to the Sword Warden and asked, slowly enunciating each word, "May I ask the Sword Warden the ancestral proclamation of the Sword Ruins, echoed through thousands of generations, does it still hold true today?"
"Exile Yun, your words carry great weight," the Sword Warden replied, bowing slightly. "We revere the proclamation of our ancestors the utmost. If we disregard their sacred words, our Sword Ruins would become a laughingstock in the Nine Hells. Any rules set by our ancestors would lose all credibility."
"Then tell me Today, under the broad light of day, someone openly attempted to assassinate an Exiled Sword Immortal. Not once, but twice. In the rules of the Sword Ruins, is this not a heinous and unforgivable act, deserving of death?" Yun Xiao's voice was fervent, his presence so commanding that, for a moment, it even overshadowed the Sword Warden.
The Sword Warden didn't even glance at Qingzan. Without hesitation, he nodded gravely: "What you say is true. Those who seek to kill an Exiled Sword Immortal of our Sword Ruins are declaring war on us! Such an act is an unforgivable provocation! Of course... if it's an internal affair, we handle it internally." When the Sword Warden spoke these serious words, many in the venue of the Immortal Sword Rankings gasped in shock.
The Exiled Sword Immortals were too young for some.
Many of the young Sword Cultivators always felt that the Exiled Sword Immortals weren't strong, utterly unaware of what it meant to be a reincarnation of a true Immortal, equal in status and power to the Sword Warden. They took their chances, treating the Exiled Sword Immortals as mere geniuses, similar to a Heavenly Sun Child.
Now, however, the Sword Warden re-emphasized the status of an Exiled Sword Immortal, sending shivers down the spines of many.
These words implied that what was to follow from Yun Xiao and the Sword Warden wouldn't be pleasant.
Even those tens of thousands of justice-seekers, hearing this, felt their hearts pounding, bewildered and frightened, only then realizing that their earlier shouting might have already committed a grave disrespect to their ancestors.
Yun Xiao didn't bother with them, for they were too insignificant in his eyes. His icy gaze swept again towards Qingzan.
"You're called Qingzan, right? You're merely the daughter of a Sword Ruins Overseer and married off to the Calamity Seal Purgatory. You attacked me earlier. I'll ask you once more, do you belong to the Calamity Seal Purgatory, or to the Sword Ruins?" Yun Xiao was not speaking to her as a mere young prodigy. He was using this incident to force her to declare her allegiance publicly!
"Exile Yun" Before Qingzan could speak, Ku Xuan, beside her, with a hoarse voice suppressing his fury over the tragic death of his descendants, said in extreme frustration, "Please allow me to explain. My daughter Qingzan acted rashly only in an attempt to save someone. She has returned from afar and did not know of your status as an Exiled Sword Immortal. There was no intention to provoke you."
Ku Xuan wasn't submitting to Yun Xiao, but to the Sword Warden and the twenty other Overseers of equal status. Their challenge signified that Yun Xiao's performance had won over the powerhouses of the Sword Ruins
This was a dangerous sign!
Yun Xiao frowned, his eyes growing cold. "Ku Xuan, did I give you permission to speak?"
"No." Ku Xuan clenched his teeth! He looked up, meeting the blazing gazes of the dozens before him.
"Slap yourself," Yun Xiao ordered indifferently.
Ku Xuan's eyes trembled, staring deathly at the young man in white. He was the son of a former Sword Warden, a loser in the struggle for power. But before the Sword Baptism Ceremony, he was the third most important person in the Sword Ruins, a highly respected Overseer!
And now, he was being ordered to slap himself in public?
"Ku Xuan, you've erred. You dare to defy the words of an Exiled Sword Immortal?" The Sword Warden's voice was deep and resonant, his gaze like golden beams pressing down on Ku Xuan.
"N-no I wouldn't dare!!" Ku Xuan felt as if his internal organs were about to explode. He had lost his descendants and now faced public humiliation! This was undoubtedly the most shameful moment of his life, more humiliating than losing the struggle for the position of Sword Warden.
It was a complete disgrace at his old age!
Even as the former third most important figure in the Sword Ruins, Ku Xuan was being censured by an Exiled Sword Immortal and the Sword Warden. Twenty of his peers were also watching. What could he do?
The Sword Warden had him cornered!
His daughter, thinking herself above others, had dared to throw her weight around in this setting. Now, she had to swallow the bitter fruit of her actions!
Was Yun Xiao someone to be trifled with?
Did the Overseers look like fools, unable to see Yun Xiao's true caliber?
Except for those Overseers who had long since taken a side, the others who hadn't now unanimously stepped forward! They were temporarily siding with Yun Xiao, not fawning over Ling Chen like Overseers Feng, Yun, and Shuang.
SLAP! When Ku Xuan actually slapped himself in front of everyone, those tens of thousands of justice-seekers were stunned. How could such an esteemed elder be humiliated like this? Was the status of an Exiled Sword Immortal really that serious?
"Qingzan, I ask you one last time, on what grounds did you attack me with that sword?"
After Ku Xuan had slapped himself, Yun Xiao had no intention of letting Qingzan off the hook!
Qingzan looked coldly at the young man, but refused to respond verbally.
"You want to be the Sword Warden of the Sword Ruins? Fine, if you still want that, come here and kneel, apologize, and I might believe your fathers words, considering it a mistake because you didnt recognize me. But if you'd rather return to the Calamity Seal Purgatory as an outsider's wife, then leave the Sword Ruins immediately. I will settle this score with you another day." Yun Xiao's tone softened, but his words were sharp as a knife, revealing his true nature.
"Brother Yun!" Just then, Ling Chen, who had been ignored, suddenly stepped forward. "This is essentially a misunderstanding. Perhaps it's best if Senior Qingzan simply apologizes to you? After all, the Immortal Sword Rankings is at its climax. Theres no need to disrupt the unity within the Sword Ruins."
Yun Xiao looked up at him and responded directly, "Didnt Exile Ling renounce his authority over sect affairs? Why intervene now? Since that sword wasnt aimed at you, you can afford to make light of it."
Ling Chen frowned deeply, staring at Yun Xiao. He didn't expect Yun Xiao to be so reckless and dismissive, not even sparing his dignity!
After being rebuked like that, even he felt like a mere background figure, unable to step down gracefully.
Seeing this scene, the million Sword Cultivators were astounded, never expecting Yun Xiao, with his ethereal appearance, to be such a tyrant at heart!
"Qingzan!" The Sword Warden stared intently at the woman, his voice stern, "Exile Yun is showing you leniency, overlooking your attack and not stripping you of your right to inherit the Sword Warden position Shouldn't you be grateful and remorseful?"
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