Chapter 038 - Who Can Block My Ascent to the Heavens?
BANG! Yun Xiao loosened his grip, and Jiang Yue once again knelt before him, a pathetic image of her former self. Once a peerless beauty in the world of Immortals, now she was a pitiful sight. Her hair resembling a bird's nest, her sword robe covered in filth and blood, and her face marred by bloody scratches. Every part of her—eyelashes, fingers, lips—were twitching uncontrollably. Her eyes, filled with terror at the sight of Yun Xiao, quivered violently. Her entire being seemed to have lost its spirit, surrendering to the dread that enveloped her.
This was the third time. Each time she managed to rise, thinking she could crush this ordinary boy, she was cut down again, each fall worse than the last. This time, it was the worst. In a pile of corpses, she wailed pitifully. Before her lay her fellow disciples, over a hundred proud talents of the First Sword Peak, crying out in pain and dying at her feet.
Each slash of Yun Xiao's sword seemed like a strike on Jiang Yue herself. His gaze never left her as he killed, making the Sword Sealing Formation her own personal nightmare. Despite her master, Ye Tiance, being just yards away, she felt as if she was trapped in the path of the underworld.
"Yun... Yun..." Jiang Yue tried to utter his name, but it was as if a scalding stone stuck in her throat, making it impossible for her to say even his name.
THUD!! She crawled on the ground, her head battered and bloodied. Tears mixed with blood blurred her vision, and her trembling hands pressed against the cold ground. Her long hair, soaked with the blood of her peers, trailed across the ground.
"Spare me, please!" She cried out, her voice quaking, her face as pale as a sheet of paper.
"Afraid of death, are we?" An azure Sword Soul extended and gently lifted Jiang Yue's chin, forcing her to raise her head. The sword tip, emanating a fearsome energy, was pressed against her delicate throat.
"Yes, I'm afraid..." She nodded, trembling violently, tears flowing freely as she was forced to look up.
Above her, Yun Xiao looked down with a devilish grin, his divine face now resembling that of a devil to Jiang Yue.
A teasing glint was in his eyes, and he said in a mocking tone, "Look at you, once a peerless Immortal genius, now begging for your life on your knees in front of me. How do you plan to erase this stain on your reputation, especially with so many witnesses?"
"Yun Xiao, if you spare me, I swear, once I become an Immortal, I will give you thousands—no, tens of thousands of Divine Sea Pills! I won't ever oppose you again, please, I'm begging you, spare me!" Jiang Yue sobbed.
"Oh, offering me Divine Sea Pills when you become an Immortal?" Yun Xiao couldn't help but laugh. He retracted his Sword Soul and gripped Jiang Yue's neck, lifting her effortlessly to face him.
"Jiang Yue..." He stared at her coldly, his words squeezing through clenched teeth, "It seems your path to becoming an Immortal isn't going so smoothly, do you know why?"
"What?" Jiang Yue's soul seemed to have left her body, her pupils dilating in fear.
"Because you're as blind as a bat!" With that, Yun Xiao flicked his wrist twice, releasing two beams of sword light that pierced through Jiang Yue's eyes.
"Aaahhh!" Jiang Yue screamed in agony, clutching her bleeding eyes with both hands. "My eyes!" Her screams echoed through the Conclave Mountain, sending shivers down the spine of every person present, many feeling a phantom sting in their own eyes from her heart-wrenching cries.
"My heavens, this is brutal..." In the eyes of the onlookers, the woman hailed as the future goddess of the Immortal Path seemed no different than a small fox at this moment, caught in Yun Xiao's grip, struggling fiercely in mid-air.
At that precise moment, outside the Sword Sealing Formation, a sea of Sword Cultivators had gathered, a tapestry of emotions displaying across their faces—anger, shock, and a blend of murderous intent and admiration seared onto the man at the center of it all, Yun Xiao. And yet, he stood fearless.
WHOOSH! Suddenly, a gigantic streak of sword rays soared from the platform, its blinding light piercing the sky.
BANG! The Sword Sealing Formation shattered with an echoing clang.
"Elder Fan has made his move!" a disciple exclaimed, as the Sword Cultivators from the First Sword Peak who had waited for this moment for too long murmured in agreement.
"A guest was moved to intervene, I bet Yao Manxue has really worn out her lips persuading!" another disciple remarked.
"It's the Azure Spirit's Eight Swords Conclave, after all... how did it come to this, needing outsiders to interfere?" an elder lamented.
With the breaking of the Sword Sealing Formation, the atmosphere at the Conclave Mountain took a sudden turn from a deathly silence to a sobering readiness for battle. Outside the battlefield, a substantial number of Sword Cultivators from the First, Third, and Sixth Sword Peaks loomed like towering mountains, their magic power suppressing Yun Xiao and the others from the Sword Pavilion. They had waited far too long for the formation to break.
The boiling murderous intent had already engulfed Ye Tiance as he saw his son being killed and Jiang Yue blinded. "Annihilate him!" he ordered coldly, as the Sword Cultivators behind him unsheathed their swords unanimously, ready to drag the whole of the Conclave Mountain into a messy battle.
"Ye Tiance, what are you doing?" All of a sudden, a large group of Sword Cultivators descended. Leading them was a woman dressed in a blue sword robe, her long hair neatly tied back—it was the Second Sword Venerable, Shangguan Yu!
The group following her was not any less in number than Ye Tiance's, primarily comprising members from the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Sword Peaks. It was clear that a significant portion of Azure Spirit had been dragged into this conflict.
Shangguan Yu swept her gaze over the bloody battlefield before fixing her eyes on Ye Tiance. She bellowed, "Tell me, as the head of this year's Eight Swords Assembly, you are responsible for ensuring the fairness and openness of the Eight Swords Conclave. First, you unilaterally activated the Sword Sealing Formation, and now you bring people to interfere with the Grand Conclave. What are you planning? Where is the honor of Azure Spirit?" With this stern query, her righteous fury weighed heavily upon the Sword Cultivators opposite her.
"Yes, what is this nonsense?"
"With guests from the Sea of Swords, Spirit Treasure Pavilion, and East Arcane Island still present, this is unacceptable!"
"Can the First Sword Peak not afford to lose?"
Behind Shangguan Yu, many chimed in, further fueling the fiery glares from Ye Tiance and his group.
"Shangguan Yu, what are you scheming? We've lost a hundred and twenty top disciples. I even lost half my personal disciples, and Wu Wu and his entire family are still missing. Do you think this is your chance now that our First Sword Peak has been significantly weakened? Ye Tiance said with a chilling tone.
"I don't understand what you're saying. Azure Spirit is a coalition of the eight sword lineages, not anyone's personal possession! What I'm trying to defend here are the hundreds of years of traditions, rules, and spirit of our ancestors!!" Shangguan Yu responded coldly.
"Well said!"
"In past duels and Conclaves, it was the fairness and justice that made all eight sword lineages accept the results willingly! What is happening now? Only your disciples are allowed to win, only your side can kill, but as soon as your people get killed, the elders personally step in? How shameless!" Zhao Xuanran sneered, adding cold laughter to the tense atmosphere.
"Heh heh heh..." At these words, Ye Tiance let out a chilly laugh that carried the faintest trace of amusement.
"Not bad! Quite interesting indeed." He raised his head, sweeping his gaze over Shangguan Yu and Zhao Xuanran, before finally settling it on Yun Xiao.
"You all misunderstand. As the head of the Eight Sword Assembly, would I really lead the breach of the Azure Spirit Laws?" Ye Tiance said, his smile relaxed and a little mocking.
"And why, may I ask, are you all standing here with such aggressive postures?" Shangguan Yu responded, her voice icy and stern.
"I came down to announce that, in the first round of the Grand Conclave between the First Sword Peak and the Sword Pavilion, we of the First Sword Peak hereby surrender. The Sword Pavilion wins and advances to the next round!" Ye Tiance declared, gritting out each word through clenched teeth, a mocking smile adorning his face, though everyone could practically feel the storm of fury brewing within him.
"And what comes next?" Shangguan Yu asked, her pupils narrowing.
Ye Tiance's eyes suddenly hardened, a fierce killing intent swirling around him as he said, "The battle has concluded, the victor determined. If anyone dares to harm my disciples from the First Sword Peak now, to hurt those under my guidance, it would be a declaration of war. And we of the First Sword Peak will fight them to the bitter end!"
The gathered crowd nodded in understanding. Ye Tiance had chosen to swallow his pride, to admit defeat in order to protect Jiang Yue.
"He's well aware of his advantages, banking on Swordking Ye and Jiang Yue."
"As long as these two are around, the First Sword Peak will never lose, and the Sword Pavilion will never win!"
"Showing that he can bend without breaking, the First Sword Venerable still has some backbone."
"But remember, the Sixth Sword Venerable threatened Yun Xiao to protect his son once before, and was executed by Yun Xiao right then and there."
"This..."
Thinking of Yun Xiao's temperament, the crowd suddenly grew anxious. If he chose to kill now, it would create an immense problem.
"If Yun Xiao dares to kill, it would put the Second Sword Venerable, Shangguan Yu, in an extremely awkward position, leaving her without a justification to step in."
"Oh no, look at that kid's expression. He's going to act impulsively again!"
In an instant, all eyes converged on Yun Xiao, hearts pounding in their chests as the elders in the group felt a surge of anxiety.
"Yun Xiao..." Shangguan Yu turned around, her eyelids twitching violently.
"Junior Brother Yun..." Zhao Xuanran bit her lip and shook her head.
They were at a disadvantage now. If they gave Ye Tiance the moral high ground, he would undoubtedly show no mercy.
"Yun Xiao, please give me a chance! I meant what I said about the thousand Divine Sea Pills. I'll keep my word!" Jiang Yue sobbed, clinging to Yun Xiao's legs and pleading fervently. What about the image of an aloof Immortal genius? It had long been trampled under Yun Xiao's feet!
Considering Yao Zijin's previous case, even Ye Tiance didn't dare to threaten Yun Xiao now, fearing that a flick of his sword might send Jiang Yue's head flying towards him. A common youth, wielding a Meteor grade Sword Soul, now held the whole of Azure Spirit in a state of heart-pounding suspense.
"Haha." In this intensely strained atmosphere, Yun Xiao suddenly burst into laughter. "You guys really have a sense of humor. The peerless genius hasn't even tested her Sword Soul yet, how could I bear to kill her? It's all a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding."
As Yun Xiao spoke, he grabbed Jiang Yue by the collar as if holding a small chicken, and threw her towards Ye Tiance! The crowd held their breaths in unison, their hearts hammering in their chests.
Bang! At the very moment Ye Tiance caught Jiang Yue, a collective sigh of relief echoed throughout the Azure Spirit Sword Sect.
"I... I..." When Jiang Yue found herself embraced by her master, the tight knot in her heart finally loosened.
"Wahhhhh!" Tears of a narrow escape from death mixed with the blood in her eyes, streaming down her face freely. It hurt even more, but at least she was alive.
"It's alright now, it's alright!" Ye Tiance exhaled deeply, comfort enveloping his words. "Lil Yue, let your master see your eyes."
"Uh-huh!" Jiang Yue nodded vigorously, her movements hastened by anxiety. Several elders gathered around, forming a protective shield around her. It was apparent that they would not dare to let Yun Xiao, this dangerous character, lay eyes on Jiang Yue again.
"Master, will I... will I still be able to see?" Jiang Yue asked, anxiety threading her voice.
"Your eyeballs are intact, you should be able to! The Sea of Swords certainly possess the mystical elixirs that can heal you," Ye Tiance reassured.
A wave of relief washed over Jiang Yue as she heard this, her lingering fears dissipating at last. It was finally over! Her path to becoming an Immortal, her prodigious talents, remained intact.
But as her tension eased, her face contorted in anguish. Kneeling, begging, blinding... these scenes pierced through her proud heart like a sharp sword, leaving her already tormented spirit bleeding even more profusely.
"Master!" Jiang Yue gripped Ye Tiance's arm tightly.
"What is it?" Ye Tiance asked, a note of sympathy in his voice.
"I want to measure my Sword Soul! Now! Immediately! Right away!" Jiang Yue declared loudly, her hysterical voice drawing the attention of everyone present, including Yun Xiao.
"Alright, I will take you there," Ye Tiance said, inhaling deeply to compose himself.
"Master, after the Sword Soul assessment, you must request more resources for me from the Sea of Swords. I will ascend to greatness in one fell swoop! I will personally annihilate everyone in the Sword Pavilion. I will carve Yun Xiao up with a thousand slashes!" Jiang Yue declared ferociously, not caring about the stares she was attracting.
Everyone paused, startled by her sudden change in tone.
"Didn't she just say she would bow down to Yun Xiao for the rest of her life and even promised to send him tens of thousands of Divine Sea Pills?" Cai Maomao asked in disbelief.
"She changes her tune faster than flipping a page!" Qin Tong commented, speechless.
As more whispers and murmurs erupted around her, Jiang Yue's internal conflict intensified, tearing her apart. "Yun Xiao!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, not knowing in which direction the young man stood.
"What do you want to say?" A cold, youthful voice responded.
A sinister smile spread across Jiang Yue's face. "From the Sword Inheritance Platform to the Eight Swords Conclave, you failed to kill me three times, only daring to slaughter those by my side. I know you are actually afraid of me deep down! Afraid of my Sword Soul talent that surpasses the Comet grade, afraid of my master and Senior Brother Ye who will make you suffer endlessly. Listen well, today will be the last time. Soon, you will regret not having the courage to kill me today!"
Yun Xiao laughed, his voice carrying a mocking tone. "Not this nonsense again, you clucking hen. I've grown tired of hearing it."
"In this lifetime, I vow to torment you to death!" Suppressing the raging fury in her heart, Jiang Yue felt like she was on the verge of spewing blood. From the Sword Inheritance Stage to the Eight Swords Conclave, it had only been three or four days! Why was it so difficult to wait?
"Master, take me to measure my Sword Soul. This time, I must astonish everyone!" Jiang Yue roared, her voice reverberating like thunder in the open air.
"Alright!" Ye Tiance looked at his disciple, her pitiable state tugging at his heartstrings. "This lad possesses layers of Sword Aura that reach up to the heavens and a talent in swordsmanship that is unparalleled. That's the source of his current superior combat abilities. However, all of this is nothing! When it comes to cultivating, the final frontier is the grade of the Sword Soul. That is the greatest gift bestowed by the heavens upon a prodigy! Your strength is not for now, but for the future!"
With Ye Tiance's encouraging words, Jiang Yue's spirit ignited, a fierce fire blazing in her heart.
"Yun Xiao, what's the use of your current strength? My peerless Sword Soul is the capital to cleave a path to becoming an Immortal!"
"A person nurtured secretly by the Sword Pavilion for years, relying on everything the Pavilion has to offer, utilizing demon bones and pills as short-term investments, what do you have to compete with me in the long run, you scoundrel?"
BOOM BOOM BOOM!! As Jiang Yue advanced towards the Rank Four Sword Inheritance Stone like an empress of the Immortal path, every individual in Azure Spirit Sword Sect felt their hearts race uncontrollably!
Ye Tiance was no exception. His eyes turned a vivid red, deeply affected by the intense atmosphere.
He had never witnessed a Sword Soul measurement that transcended the Comet grade in his lifetime.
"The potential of this young lady... not even the heavens and earth can obstruct her!" On the high platform, Yao Manxue clenched her hands tightly, unable to sit still, her eyes fixated on the progressing figure.
Only Elder Fan remained different from the rest! He pondered deeply, his eyes carrying a profound depth to them. "The Rank Two Sword Inheritance Stone is for measuring two people's Sword Souls at the same time, right? Who was measuring alongside Jiang Yue at the time?" he asked Yao Manxue.
"I'm not sure. No one mentioned it, probably just a nameless rookie," Yao Manxue smiled cheekily. "Don't worry, Elder Fan. My little sister judged this on the spot. She's meticulous and would not make such a basic mistake."
"Where is your sister?" Elder Fan asked.
"Uh..." Yao Manxue froze.
"Let's start the measurement first!" Elder Fan uttered before sealing his lips, falling into silence.
Far away, Zhao Xuanran glanced at the young man in white beside her, a flash of unusual light in her beautiful eyes, her lips parting slightly. Not many people were aware of who had measured their Sword Soul alongside Jiang Yue. But everyone in the Sword Pavilion knew!
"Junior Brother Yun seems to be quite anticipating it, so... are we going to have a good show to watch?" Zhao Xuanran asked herself, her voice tinged with curiosity.
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