Chapter 297: Dual Cultivator of Sword and Sigil
After the grand battle of the Immortal Sword Rankings, the seven Hell Demon Sword Rings had finally converged upon the Heaven Burial Sword Soul!
At the moment, Yun Xiao triggered the seven Sword Rings, the demon magic within them erupting outAzure Heaven Firestorm, Illusory Moon, Netherworld Ghostwater, Bone Thunder's Spark, Blood Inheritance's Ghostfire, Necropolis Lament, and Seven Worlds Fox Heart!
A storm of demon magic immediately swept through the entire Flying Crane Hall!
"Fall back!" Nangong Xi hurriedly led the newly arrived students to retreat, sparing them from the crossfire of these Immortal level combatants.
These students, having no concept of cultivation realms beyond the Awakened Emperor Realm, were unsure if Yun Xiao, in just a few days, could emerge victorious. Naturally, their hearts were tinged with worry.
As the Nangong Xi, You Yue, and Su Lianlian urged the students to withdraw, they turned back to gaze upon the battle.
"His Sword Aura... that's at least 10,000 layers, right?"
Only then did they truly see the extent of Yun Xiao's Sword Aura, and their hearts skipped a beat.
For the Heavenly Realm, accustomed to 500 layers being around the upper limit for a Sword Aura, 10,000 layers were an untouchable miracle!
"And the demon magic for those Sword Rings..."
Before their eyes, Yun Xiao's sword gave birth to an enormous azure phoenix, coiling around the murky depths of the netherworld. The blade crackled and sizzled with ghoulish lightning serpents and tongues of crimson flames.
Above Heaven Burial, a pitch black moon hung in the sky, like an abyss devouring everything. Additionally, seven illusory worlds encircled it, echoing with the eerie cries of lamenting spirits within a vast necropolis.
"How terrifying!"
Everyone keenly felt the frightening power of Yun Xiao's Sword Aura and Sword Rings. It was beyond their wildest imaginations.
Any one of these demon magics far eclipsed the Eternal Joy Demon Emperor's Night March of a Hundred Ghosts!
On Yun Xiao's sword, it was as if seven ferocious ancient demons were shackled, unleashing an aura of untamed savagery!
To the Sword Cultivators, Yun Xiao's sword setup shattered their boundaries of common sense. Even to Fu Longxiang, a seasoned Inscription Cultivator, this was nothing short of staggering.
"A Sword Aura of 10,001 layers, and seven Hell Demon Sword Rings... this setup surpasses even that of the Sword Warden himself! The Sword Ruins has really pulled out all the stops..." Fu Longxiang furrowed his brow deeply.
Yun Xiao belonged to the younger generation, but he was wielding the might of a peak expert of the Nine Hells. He truly possessed the qualifications to sweep aside all other young talents.
"Thankfully, I brought the Calamity Seal Sword today!" Fu Longxiang thought to himself. "There have been many Sword Wardens of the Sword Ruins, but there's only one Calamity Seal Sword! Since ancient times, our Calamity Seal Sword could easily suppress the Sword Soul of any Sword Warden of the Sword Cultivators!"
Fu Longxiang was more wary of that little black beast. Seeing it showing no signs of intervening, he felt slightly relieved and pinned all his hopes of escape on this duel, his eyes flickering with a deadly resolve.
"He's stronger than the other Exiled Sword Immortal. If I slay him, I'll be doing a great service to the Nine Hells..." This thought flashed through Fu Longxiang's mind, his fighting spirit unwavering and blazing. As the heir to the Calamity Seal Purgatory, Old Chu's death did not deter him.
"The movements of us Inscription Cultivators might have been revealed, but the silver lining is that this is his homeland. Everyone here is his Achilles' heel. I have plenty of opportunities."
Nangong Xi, You Yue, and Su Lianlian, along with the entire Grand Temple and Heavenly Realm, were all potential hostages to be leveraged in his eyes.
With these thoughts, Fu Longxiang's resolve grew even more fearless. All these were rapid mental calculations he made in the blink of an eye. With each realization, his desire for battle intensified threefold.
In the end, his killing intent surged like a tempest, his demeanor as grand as the mountains!
"Why should a ruler of sigils fear a Sword Cultivator?" With a wave of his hand, Fu Longxiang summoned a dazzling array of colors. In his left hand, a blazing Life Sigil took shape, floating before him, resonating with his sacred power. Countless runic inscriptions flowed between him and the sigil.
These Runes, like Sword Aura, increased in power with their numberthe more, the mightier the Inscription Cultivator.
In spite of his young age, Fu Longxiang already possessed over 5,000 Runes! This was a testament to his extraordinary talent in the Nine Hells!
The Myriad Manifestations Sigil that Fu Longxiang wielded was like a balanced world unto itself, encompassing all elementswind, fire, water, earth, and thunder flowed within. He seemed like a fusion of man and sigil, his robe of symbols lending him an aura not outdone by Yun Xiao's sword!
Fu Longxiang's confidence soared anew. Stretching out his right hand, he grasped at the void, and with a cold voice declared, "The strongest are those who master both sword and sigil!"
A two-foot sword appeared in the palm of his right hand. This sword, merely two feet in length and as wide as a palm, resembled a peach wood sword. However, it was covered with tens of thousands of crimson inscriptions, each sealing a wild and ancient power.
This was the Calamity Seal Sword! One of the top three super treasures of the Nine Hells, forged from an Aurum grade Immortal ore, it inherently possessed the primal power of the desolate and vast wilderness. Though a sword by shape, it was the pride of Inscription Cultivators.
There was an ancient joke in the Nine Hells
Inscription Cultivators have Life Sigils. Sword Cultivators have Sword Souls. Yet, the strongest sword in the Nine Hells doesn't belong to the Eternal Sword Prison, but the Calamity Seal Purgatory!
According to legend, the Calamity Seal Sword could shatter any Sword Soul, casting an eternal shadow over the Sword Ruins. Its very existence was a constant reminder that the path of the sword was a futile one.
So, every Sword Cultivator of the Nine Hells couldn't help but loathe the Calamity Seal Sword. All except for Qingzan, who was betrothed to the Calamity Seal Purgatory
The moment Fu Longxiang unsheathed the Calamity Seal Sword, his already formidable aura magnified exponentially. With a divine sigil in one hand and a legendary sword in the other, he was the embodiment of the Nine Hells' top talent.
Nangong Xi, You Yue, and Su Lianlian started thinking that he might even surpass Old Chu in strength.
"Retreat further!" With her heart racing, Nangong Xi had no choice but to pin her hopes on the young man in white.
"A dual cultivator of both sword and sigil?" Yun Xiao paused, his serene gaze landing on the Calamity Seal Sword that Fu Longxiang took such pride in.
"For thousands of years, many have not bowed to the Calamity Seal Sword. Yet, they all met their doom, their swords shattered against the unyielding," Fu Longxiang said with a smirk, his eyes blazing with intensity. "So, you so-called Sword Cultivators, from beginning to end, have been cultivating nothing but loneliness! Trying to clash souls against weapons, it seems fierce but is foolish. Why not leave sword-making to the blacksmiths?"
"Is that so?" Yun Xiao replied. The Talisman Prince's words reminded him of the crown prince of Violet Sky. It hadn't been long, but by now, the grass on his grave had to be lush and green, right?
"Well then! Let a pretender show an Exiled Sword Immortal like you what true swordsmanship is." Fu Longxiang gripped the Calamity Seal Sword tightly. Its ten thousand inscriptions began to glow, unleashing a torrent of primal forces, even resonating with the roar of a dragon!
HUM! Fu Longxiang spoke of swordsmanship, but his hands moved in unison! His left hand traced runic symbols onto the Myriad Manifestations Sigil. In an instant, radiant light burst forth, turning the sigil into an amplifier for his daoist spells.
A total of 5,000 Runes hummed, transforming into tens of thousands of colorful figures rushing towards Yun Xiao, like a tidal wave of radiant light!
BOOM! The myriad figures surged forward, like a thousand armies charging in unison!
His one move showcased the superiority of Inscription Cultivators over ordinary cultivators. Whatever one could do, the other could do better and stronger!
The Myriad Manifestations Sigil became the foundation of the daoist spell, like a colorful vortex forming a prison of myriad images, swirling down upon Yun Xiao in a stunning spectacle.
"Hmph." Beneath the myriad image prison, Fu Longxiangs right hand flickered, and the Calamity Seal Sword astonishingly shrank, transforming into a sharp Flying Sword!
WHOOSH! Amidst the colorful light, Fu Longxiang sneered and thrust the Calamity Seal Sword forward with lethal intent.
BOOM! The sword's path was unpredictable, turning its trajectory into a chasm of hell, engulfing everything with a mist of gray, deathly souls.
Though just a Flying Sword, it moved like a gray reed, slicing through the colorful oppression of the myriad image prison, aiming straight for Yun Xiaos throat!
Withered Spirit Sword Canon, Rootless Grass? Yun Xiao recognized it at a glance. "Your mother must be proud, passing down the orthodox techniques of the Sword Ruins directly to an Inscription Cultivator."
The Withered Spirit Sword Canon was a top-tier sword technique of the Ku Family, ranked at Ignis grade, even more powerful than the Taiji Sword Art, and one of the fundamental pillars of Sword Ruins!
Fu Longxiang's execution of Rootless Grass with the Calamity Seal Sword captured its essence, showing Qingzan's dedication to teaching him swordsmanship.
Sadly, Yun Xiao had long grasped the full essence of the technique!
"This is what you call Rootless Grass!" With a casual flick, Yun Xiao unleashed a beam of azure light, a Flying Sword that seemed like illusory grass, yet trailed a deathly hell more than ten times its size.
It was a Flying Sword technique, but in Fu Longxiangs eyes, it birthed a massive vortex of death, like the gates of hell itself.
The sword carried spirits, shadows, and the wails of countless ghosts! It was a deeply sorrowful strike, like a rootless weed drifting, leaving no trace nor shadow. Yet, it embodied a profound resentment that triggered an explosion of deathly power!
Most importantly, the Heaven Burial Sword Soul and the demon magic of the seven Sword Rings perfectly complemented the attributes of the Withered Spirit Sword Canon.
In simple terms, Fu Longxiangs Flying Sword technique created a small grave, but Yun Xiao's effortless stroke was the true descent of the underworld! Even if Fu Longxiang was stronger, these two similar swords, in terms of momentum and sword intent, were not even in the same league!
The Calamity Seal Sword, with its myriad attributes of primal forces, didn't quite harmonize with the deathly Withered Spirit Sword Canon. On the other hand, the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, a true pillar of death, was the real harbinger of destruction!
In a fleeting moment, the two swords collided in mid-air!
KLANG! A piercing, ear-splitting explosion rang out!
Beneath the burst of deathly rays, the underworld of Yun Xiao's Rootless Grass opened up like a massive maw, swallowing the opponent's grave. The endless gray mist and deathly rays even tore through the myriad image prison!
BOOM! The Calamity Seal Sword trembled, letting out a mournful cry. Then, it was sent flying back, landing right in front of Fu Longxiang!
"What?!" Fu Longxiang, at the peak of his concentration, felt as if he'd been punched right on the nose by Yun Xiao, seeing stars!
The Heaven Burial Sword Soul, carrying the underworld on its blade, surged forward, instantly aiming for his eyes.
Fu Longxiang, snapping out of his daze, conjured up a shield of myriad colored light with the Myriad Manifestations Sigil, completely sealing off his body.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Under the continuous explosions, Fu Longxiang's blood churned, and he was sent reeling back, crashing out of the Flying Crane Hall and breaking through several walls!
SPUTTER! His organs in turmoil, Fu Longxiang turned deathly pale and suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood.
"He clashed head-on with the Calamity Seal Sword and suppressed me?"
Rage burned in Fu Longxiangs heart, his head throbbing with pain.
"Sword, come!" Reacting swiftly, he summoned the Calamity Seal Sword, which had absorbed his blood. It returned to his palm, reverting to its original two-foot width, unleashing the primal power of the vast and desolate wilderness once again!
"Who is this?!"
"So powerful..."
"But, he was thrown out of the Flying Crane Hall!"
Such a commotion naturally drew more attention, with many looking on in shock.
The Sword Cultivators inside the Flying Crane Hall, including Nangong Xi and her group, were exhilarated by this scene.
"Outside!" Their fear gone, they moved aside, standing at a distance, cheering Yun Xiao's name!
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m