Chapter 317: I'll Devote Myself to the Sword Ruins!
In the heart of the Sword Ruins, nestled in a valley, lay a circular lake. This serene body of water was alive with countless sword-shaped symbols, darting about like fish in an ocean of blades. It seemed as though the lake itself was a vast sea of swords.
Mist rose from the lake's surface, intertwining with the clouds above, forming a majestic column of mist that channeled the ethereal aura of Immortals into the heavens. This pillar of mist was the backbone of the mighty Ruination Sword Array, drawing its power from the lake.
Peering into the depths, one could see a treasure trove of Spirit Stones, Saint Stones, and even precious Immortal Jades! These stones, brimming with the essence of Immortals, were the lifeline of any magic array. While the array could sustain itself on the natural aura of the world, defeating formidable foes and maintaining the array was a costly affaira truly extravagant expenditure!
This was why the inhabitants of the Sword Ruins harbored doubts about activating the Ruination Sword Array. The mines of the Eternal Sword Prison were finite, and the excessive spending was draining the sect's resources, a true burden on the people.
"The more desperately the Sword Warden activates the Ruination Sword Array, the more panicked he must be!"
This was the rumor circulating around.
At that moment, a group of figures approached the lake, their faces shrouded in mystery, murmuring amongst themselves.
We've reached one of the nodes of the array.
They looked up at the magnificent scene before them, their emotions a mix of awe and unease.
Overseer Sikong, if we get too close to the node and are discovered, wont the Sword Warden make trouble for us? a Peak Master asked nervously.
Relax. With 99 nodes to manage, he cant possibly attend to all of them. And even if he does discover us, so what? We are all Peak Masters or above. Its our duty to maintain the nodes and replenish their energy during the operation of the Ruination Sword Array, Overseer Sikong reassured, while the other Supreme Adjudicators nodded in agreement.
The Sword Warden is focused on controlling the heart of the array, driving the 99 nodes. He wont appear here, Overseer Sikong stated calmly.
Yes, Overseer, the group responded, their tension easing.
Once the former Sword Warden returns with Exile Ling, well sever the energy supply to this node, allowing them to breach the smaller array and enter, Overseer Sikong declared coldly.
The so-called energy source of the array was its power supply, drawing from the natural aura of the world, Saint Stones, and Immortal Jades.
An array was difficult to attack from the outside but easily sabotaged from within. This underscored the importance of internal stability.
Even the mightiest of constructs could crumble from within, and the Eternal Sword Prison, besieged on all sides, was no exception.
Around a hundred people gathered, their presence at this location a bold declaration of their allegiance. They were betting on a brighter future, vying for a favorable position in the unfolding drama.
You have made the wisest choice of your lives by aligning with Exile Ling, especially since he'll eventually control the Nine Hells with the Heavenly Land, Overseer Sikong proclaimed solemnly.
Thank you for your guidance, Overseer Sikong, the crowd responded with a bow.
Well appreciated, Overseer Sikong replied.
Suddenly, the calm waters of the lake at the node of the array rippled. Astonishingly, figures began to emerge from the water, completely dry, a testament to their profound cultivation. Among them, the youngest, other than the white-clad youth at the center, was a voluptuous mermaid in a golden gownMu Dalong.
There were over twenty Overseers! The pinnacle Sword Cultivators of the Sword Ruins rallied around Yun Xiao, gazing icily at the crowd.
Exile Yun... Overseer Sikong and the others trembled visibly, their faces draining of color.
How did they appear here? This question, like a lethal blade, pierced the hearts of those with treacherous intentions.
Greetings, Exile Yun! Overseer Sikong was the first to react, kneeling in a sweat. I was just leading the core members of the Sword Ruins in maintaining the array's node, and I didnt expect
Theres no need for explanations, Yun Xiao interrupted.
Yes, sir!
After another glance at the crowd, Yun Xiao turned to Mu Dalong and said, Keep Sikong, eliminate the rest.
Eliminate them all? Mu Dalong gasped in shock.
These people were from major families of the Sword Ruins. To remove one was to stir the mud that anchored them. Even the Sword Warden, without justification, would face scrutiny for recklessly slaying these Sword Ruins elites, let alone massacring a group.
Quickly, Yun Xiao urged.
Yes, sir! Mu Dalong, trembling with fear, dared not utter another word.
The older Overseers, more decisive than Mu Dalong, sprang into action at Yun Xiao's command. Their swords, radiating with Sword Aura of over 5,000 layers, lit up the valley, accompanied by a chorus of screams and cries.
Twenty Overseers against a hundred Peak Masters and Supreme Adjudicators, escape was a luxury the other side couldn't afford. Yun Xiao watched the scene, his expression unchanging, as chaos unfolded before him.
Accusations and pleas for mercy filled the air.
"What right do you have to kill?"
"I have served the Sword Ruins!"
"Yun Xiao, you're a tyrant, a rebel against order, you will face divine retribution!"
But their cries were futile. On Yun Xiao's side, no one bothered to respond. The Overseers, each a pinnacle warrior of the Nine Hells, were swift and merciless.
In a blink, nearly a hundred paid the ultimate price for their smart choice. As the last Supreme Adjudicator fell, only Overseer Sikong remained, kneeling, trembling, his face pale and tears and snot streaming down his face. The swords of his fallen comrades seemed to pierce his very soul.
"All gone..." With these, and those lost in the Demon Continent, the middle generation of the Ku Family was nearly wiped out. Not one had escaped, and few young ones were left of note.
"Now, only you old troublemakers are left," Yun Xiao's voice, chilling and hellish, approached Overseer Sikong.
"Please, Exile Yun, show mercy!" Overseer Sikong pleaded, his voice trembling.
"You beg for mercy so soon? I thought you might question me for killing without reason," Yun Xiao said, now standing just a few feet away from Overseer Sikong, close enough for an instant kill.
But at the same moment, over twenty surging Sword Souls transformed into Flying Swords, aiming at Overseer Sikong's head, heart, and throatall his vital points. He knew a single move would mean his end.
"Exile Yun, I was wrong! Please, give me another chance..." Overseer Sikong begged, his voice filled with despair.
"Last time, during the incident with the Heavenly Mirror, I gave you a chance. Sadly, you squandered it," Yun Xiao said with a light chuckle.
"No, no! This time I'll turn over a new leaf, I swear it! I can even help you eliminate Exile Ling and the Ku Family," Overseer Sikong insisted vehemently.
"A vow? Sure," Yun Xiao gestured towards his forehead. "But, youll have to swear to my eye here."
"What is that?" Overseer Sikong looked up, his face trembling as he saw the dragon-patterned totem, feeling an instinctive fear. He hadn't yet seen the eye Yun Xiao mentioned, but he already had an ominous premonition.
"Du Zhongyuan, bring the Bitter Cicada Pill," Yun Xiao called, without turning, to a middle-aged scholar approaching with a small jog.
The man named Du Zhongyuan handed over a black jade bottle, from which a sinister, snakelike black mist coiled. "Exile Yun, this is a Mid Silva grade medicinal pill. Please be cautious," he advised, looking up at Yun Xiao with deep reverence, as if beholding an Immortal from the heavens.
"What are you planning to do with the Bitter Cicada Pill?" Overseer Sikong asked in panic, obviously terrified by the pill.
"Open his mouth," Yun Xiao ordered, ignoring Overseer Sikongs pleas. Several other Overseers immediately stepped forward, some holding him down while others pried open his clenched jaw.
Overseer Sikong, eyes fixed on Yun Xiao, used all his strength to plead, "Please, I can serve you, don't use the Bitter Cicada Pill!"
But before he could finish, Yun Xiao stuffed the dark, venomous-looking pill into his mouth.
"No! Don't! Ahh!" Overseer Sikong's screams echoed as the pill went down, his face contorting in agony as if plunging into hell.
"Yun Xiao!" he snarled, glaring malevolently. "Your indiscriminate killing only shows your fear of Exile Ling. You've lost your conflict with him utterly! When Exile Ling returns with the Heavenly Land Sigil, it will be your doom!"
"The Heavenly Land Sigil?" Yun Xiao touched his forehead, and it seemed as if a nine-headed divine dragon emerged, transforming into a terrifying violet sigil. This sigil, adorned with a nine-headed Prison Warden Dao Dragon and countless Runes forming miniature formations, made it appear like a vast violet expanse.
"Overseer Sikong, is this the Heavenly Land Sigil you were talking about?" Yun Xiao asked with a slight smile.
Overseer Sikong felt as if struck by lightning, his soul seemingly blasted apart. He trembled, staring dumbfounded at the dragon-shaped Life Sigil, his world crumbling.
"Ling... Exile Ling?" he stammered, each word heavy with heartbreak.
"He met his end at my hands. Died a rather miserable death, too bad you didnt see it yourself," Yun Xiao said calmly.
Overseer Sikong's face contorted in shock and disbelief, his eyes bulging as he stared at Yun Xiao.
"Overseer Sikong, the rumor about Ling Chen obtaining the Heavenly Land was spread by me. Even in death, he served to protect me. Consider it his repayment," Du Zhongyuan chimed in from the sidelines.
"I, I..." Overseer Sikong's world had collapsed.
Amidst the mocking glances of his twenty-plus former comrades, he was reduced to a mere clown. Their silence and lack of agitation, their early commitment to their chosen side, showed that the wise were indeed in the majority.
"What do you plan to use me for now?" Overseer Sikong asked Yun Xiao in despair, unable to comprehend. How could Ling Chen in his past life have incurred such a fate, to encounter such a perfect and terrifying adversary?
"I'll use you as bait to reel in the disobedient fish and cleanse my pond," Yun Xiao declared.
"Impossible!" Knowing death was imminent, Overseer Sikong certainly didnt want to be further exploited by Yun Xiao.
Tragically, the effects of the Bitter Cicada Pill had begun to take hold. He plunged into a sea of agony, his memories fading, his will crumbling, overwhelmed by pain as if ensnared in a nightmare.
Even Yun Xiao before him morphed into a devil with a frightening face and ferocious fangs.
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