Chapter 045 - A Disciple's Lack of Virtue is the Fault of the Teacher!
With a slam, Yun Xiao closed the door and dropped the blood-drenched Ye Ziyan onto the floor. Dressed in violet armor, her figure was curvaceous and seductive, like a snake in its tantalizing allure. Even her blood-soaked state could not dampen her charm. “What are you going to do?” she cried in agony, scrabbling backwards on her hands and heels in fear.
HUM! Yun Xiao drew his Heaven Burial Sword Soul, transforming it into a three-foot-long azure blade in his hands. He stepped towards her with a predatory look, his eyes filled with amusement. “Didn't I already tell you? It's for the thrill,” his lips curled up in a smug smile.
“Fine, I give in...” Ye Ziyan said bitterly, as she started to shed her armor. Something bounced out distractingly as she did so. With her eyes shut tight, her voice trembled, “Come on then!”
“Ye Ziyan, you're rather optimistic,” Yun Xiao replied with a cold smirk.
“What?” Ye Ziyan's eyes flew open in confusion. Hadn't he said it was for the thrill?
“You're not a bad looking woman, but I'm a literal god among men. I'm way above your league. Don't think I'll take pity on you just because you're on death's door” he said with a mocking smile.
“You—!” Anger flashed in Ye Ziyan's eyes, but she was at a loss for a comeback. If Yun Xiao did decide to take advantage of her, it would be a win for her. “And what if... The thousand-year-old demon bone has already been absorbed by my Sword Soul!” she said, a trace of fear creeping into her voice.
“Didn't you say something just now? Something about some tortures being worse than death? It so happens I have something like that in mind,” Yun Xiao towered over her, his eyes flashing ominously.
“Yun Xiao, please spare me...” Ye Ziyan sobbed as she continued to fling off her armor, “I can serve you, be your slave...”
“Not interested,” he dismissed the idea. Swift as a falcon, his blade moved, severing the tendons in her arms and legs in succession, leaving her utterly paralyzed.
"Ah—" Ye Ziyan screamed in torment.
Every Sword Cultivator outside heard it clearly.
Stab! The Heaven Burial Sword Soul plunged into Ye Ziyan’s back, piercing straight into her spine.
"Ah! Ah! Ah—!" She let out shattering screams of agony as her eyes rolled back, her whole body convulsing violently.
"Do you get it yet? This... this is what I call thrill!” Yun Xiao said leisurely by her side.
“Sword Soul! Sword Soul...” Ye Ziyan’s voice tore through the air, her face contorted, her eyes threatened to split apart.
Yun Xiao was extracting her Sword Soul, prying it from her Sword Bone. She was still alive! This was like marrow being drawn from bone. The piercing screams from their chamber drifted out to the Sword Cultivators outside, leaving their faces stark white.
Just how agonizing, how painful it must be for her to wail like this?
“You refined my demon bone right in front of me and embarrassed me publicly. Didn't you know I’m petty?” Yun Xiao mocked. Even Blue Star had said it. Yun Xiao, a mere mortal, was consumed by greed, wrath, and foolishness. Greed represented desire, wrath symbolized anger, and foolishness denoted an obsession! He certainly was not the Creator Immortal!
“Your Sword Soul... it can devour another Sword Soul...” Ye Ziyan's face was etched with despair. How could she escape death when she had inadvertently stumbled upon such a terrifying secret?
“Yes, indeed. I’ve absorbed fifteen Sword Souls so far, all of them from killing Yao Qingqian and the Third Sword Venerable's entire family!” Yun Xiao’s grin was full of malicious glee.
“You!” The revelation hit Ye Ziyan like a sledgehammer, “Just you wait, when Swordking Ye returns, he will never let you reincarnate!”
“Him?” Yun Xiao's eyebrows shot up in amusement, sneering, “Isn't he supposed to be in the Forbidden Tower for ten days? By the time he returns, the First Sword Peak will be filled with graves!”
Shock painted itself across Ye Ziyan’s face.
Ten days! Yun Xiao had toppled the Azure Spirit Sword Sect in a matter of days. What could he accomplish in ten?
Ye Guying was still expecting to share a toast of Daughter's Red with Senior Sister Zhao? When he returned, Yun Xiao would make him vomit blood on the spot!
“No! You lot, who colluded with demons, slaughtered the loyal and innocent, and despised common people, do not deserve a burial. When he returns, I’ll greet him with a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood on the First Sword Peak!” Having finished his speech, Yun Xiao yanked the Heaven Burial Sword Soul out of her Sword Bone with a sharp jingle.
Ye Ziyan's Sword Soul, along with the remaining marrow from the demon bone, was all absorbed into Heaven Burial!
“Uh...” The light faded from Ye Ziyan’s eyes as she slipped closer to death.
With a swift swing, Yun Xiao's sword ran her through. With a hollow thud, Ye Ziyan’s eyes widened, collapsing to the ground with a gaze that hadn’t managed to close in death.
"From this moment on, I’ll take my time playing with your First Sword Peak!” Yun Xiao stood up, his face a mask of ruthless determination. He retracted his Sword Soul. He burst through the doors. Every single one of the hundreds of Sword Cultivators outside stepped back in shock, their faces pale with fear.
“Sorry for the interruption,” Yun Xiao apologized with a bow, his lips curled into a chilling smile.
“No! It's no problem...” The crowd nodded in agreement, feigning smiles.
“In that case, please continue. I will take my leave.” With that said, he leaped onto his Sovereign Sword and shot up into the sky, bursting through the roof of the Sword Cloud Walk and disappearing into the black of night.
After he left, the crowd stood rooted in shock. Their eyes shifted to look at the room. There lay Ye Ziyan, sprawled on the floor dead! As their gaze drifted downwards, their faces paled in fright.
“Uh!” Everyone froze. Seeing the brutal aftermath and recalling Ye Ziyan’s heart-wrenching screams, they all glanced at each other. Finally, someone came to a conclusion! “Junior Brother Yun is quick and fierce."
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It didn’t take long for the news about what had happened at the Sword Cloud Walk to spread like wildfire among the Azure Spirit Mountains. Following the Eight Swords Conclave, the Sect Master's disciple, Yun Xiao, had publicly murdered several people—multiple victims!
And the ones who had fallen were not just any people. They included elders from the First, Third, Sixth, and Seventh Sword Peaks; the Chief Law Enforcers Wu Yi and Yao Lie—with Wu Yi having briefly served as the stand-in Sword Venerable at one point; and Ye Ziyan, the first disciple of the First Sword Peak! All of them were dead!
"He finally dragged Ye Ziyan into a private chamber... and sullied her!”
The Sword Cloud Walk was the liveliest place in the Azure Spirit. Word about the incident sparked a sensation and secret uproar among the people. Moments later, the three Sword Venerables—Ye Tiance, Yao Manxue, and Zhang Jian—gathered at the Sword Cloud Walk.
“Venerable, our condolences!” A group of elders and students from the First Sword Peak greeted their arrival with resentment and sorrow.
“Move aside!” Ye Tiance's face contorted with anguish. He pushed through the crowd and peered into the room. Inside, he saw a white cloth that concealed a body. With a trembling hand, He barely lifted a corner of the cloth to reveal the sight underneath. His daughter, dead, her eyes wide open with her clothes in disarray...
THUMP! An overwhelming rush of loss surged up within Ye Tiance. He dropped the cloth and stumbled back into Yao Manxue.
“So ruthless! Unbelievable!” Yao Manxue muttered, almost biting through her lip. She cast a nervous look at Ye Tiance. She was stunned too. Ye Tiance, had thirteen personal disciples—among them, one son and one daughter. Now, it seemed that Wang Feng was probably dead as well, killed by Yun Xiao.
“So, it seems all of his lifetime's work is left with Jiang Yue...” The worrisome fact was, Jiang Yue was not a peerlessly talented Immortal anymore. She was merely a Low Comet grade! Just an average genius. This was tantamount to annihilating Ye Tiance's legacy!
Ye Tiance’s heavy panting reverberated in the room, his blazing eyes flashing with wrath, his face turning an unsettling shade of purple.
“Old Yu!” The Seventh Sword Venerable, Zhang Jian, had made a round inside the room, and finally found the corpse of Yu Xuanzhou.
A chill ran up his spine and rushed to the crown of his head! The scene in front of them infuriated all three Sword Venerables so much that they saw red! There wasn't a moment to lose.
“Get someone! Inform Shangguan Yu, Chen Dong, and Li Chenlong to come to Sword Cloud Walk immediately. We'll hold a Council of Sword Venerables!” Ye Tiance’s roar shook the entirety of Sword Cloud Walk.
Upon hearing this command, everyone knew what was to come. There was no need to wait for Ye Guying to return after ten days! The grudge between the Sword Pavilion and the First Sword Peak, a grudge three years in the making, might possibly be avenged tonight!
Council of Sword Venerables! With the Sect Master unconscious, the Council of Sword Venerables now held all authority in deciding matters within the Azure Spirit Sword Sect.
It wasn't long before representatives from the seven Sword Peaks gathered at the Sword Cloud Walk. The atmosphere was intense and grim. Apart from the Third Sword Peak, Sword Venerables were present from the other six Peaks. Given that all of the top-notch individuals from the Third Sword Peak had been killed, the Achievements Elder Liu Xuan was temporarily holding power.
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At a round table within the Sword Cloud Walk, Liu Xuan and the six Sword Venerables were seated at the seven positions around the table, each one backed by more than fifty elders. The First Sword Venerable, Ye Tiance, naturally took the leader’s seat! The grand hall in which they gathered was adjacent to the bloody site of Yun Xiao’s recent rampage. All attending the meeting had passed through the crime scene and seen for themselves the grisly deaths of Wu Yi, Yao Lie, Ye Ziyan, and others.
“Since the formation of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect, never has such a heinous atrocity occurred!” Ye Tiance slammed his hand on the table, his thunderous voice making the entire Sword Cloud Walk tremble. His words were intense, and his face held a deep frown.
After his declaration, his eyes raked over the room. Yao Manxue, who had lost her younger brother Yao Lie, was pale with outrage, her eyebrows knitted together and her beautiful eyes flashed with a killing intent. Zhang Jian and Liu Xuan were grinding their teeth! The Fourth Sword Venerable Chen Dong and the Fifth Sword Venerable Li Chenlong sitting stoically with crossed arms. The Second Sword Venerable, Shangguan Yu, maintained an expressionless face!
“Yesterday! Zhao Xuanran murdered the Chief Law Enforcement Elder of the First Sword Peak for no logical reason. Tonight, Yun Xiao was even crueler, ruthlessly massacring people and even stooping to animalistic behavior, desecrating my daughter in public! These two disciples of the Sect Master have become lawless, openly challenging the rules of the Azure Spirit Sect!” Every word Ye Tiance spat out was laced with hatred.
He originally thought there was no need to risk his safety. Ten days later, Ye Guying would return to settle matters with the Sword Pavilion. But on this very night, Yun Xiao had already massacred those that had angered him the day earlier. This was truly seeking revenge without delay! When it came to this, if Ye Tiance still didn't make a move, he might as well quit the Azure Spirit Sword Sect.
“While duels and trials by combat have always been fixtures of our tradition, and deaths are usually excused. Still, these two disciples of the Sect Master, using their elevated status, have murdered openly at the Sword Cloud Walk twice. If this behavior is not severely punished, it will undoubtedly dishearten all Sword Cultivators of the Azure Spirit Sect!
"If the laws of the Azure Spirit Sect are merely an empty gesture, then how can the Sword Cultivators alliance preserve its trust among the people? If these two do not die, the Azure Spirit Sect will be no more!" Yao Manxue declared, her eyes filled with bloodlust.
"They must be killed to quell the anger of the Azure Spirit Sect!” Zhang Jian slammed the table, affirming.
"If the treacherous are not exterminated, how can there be justice?” Liu Xuan shook his head in disappointment.
The many outside Sword Cultivators who heard this exchanged glances, murmuring quietly, “This is your business, we common folks are not angrier...”
"Shangguan Yu!" Ye Tiance suddenly snapped, furrowing his brow at the woman across from him and gritting out each word. "This severe incident is shaking at the hundreds of years of foundation of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect. What do you think?"
Shangguan Yu remained silent. What could she say? Should she openly say that it was Ye Tiance who, three years ago, conspired with the demons, caused the death of the seven prodigies of the Sword Pavilion, and forced the Sect Master to break his Sword Soul, ruining the Azure Spirit Sect? Claim that he was now playing the victim and biting back? Without solid evidence, if these words were spoken, it would only provide Ye Tiance with a reason to kill her first.
"Chen Dong! Li Chenlong, what about you two?" Ye Tiance glanced coldly at the other two middle-aged swordsmen.
“As former disciples of the Sword Pavilion and younger brothers of Zhao Jianxing, it’s natural for you two to speak for the murderous demon, isn't it? Haha. However, don’t you forget, you now represent the Fourth and Fifth Sword Peaks, respectively. Would the elders and disciples under you like to see you sheltering criminals?” Yao Manxue laughed sarcastically.
"Ye Tiance!" Shangguan Yu suddenly spoke, "Go ahead and state your proposal." According to the rules of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect, the statuses of the seven Sword Venerables were equal, so Shangguan Yu said proposal instead of decision.
"Yun Xiao must be executed!" Ye Tiance declared coldly.
“Swordking Ye wants to deal with him personally,” Shangguan Yu retorted.
“Then we’ll just capture him first, chop off his hands and feet, and toss him into the Sword Prison to prevent him from killing again!" Frankly speaking, Ye Tiance was really a bit afraid. His disciples had all been wiped out!
"What about Zhao Xuanran? I heard that Ye Guying is still fond of her." Shangguan Yu spoke casually.
“...Then we’ll just detain her first, to prevent her from running away,” Ye Tiance grudgingly spat out.
"So, you can't kill either of these two right now. So what's your aim in convening this Council of Sword Venerables and causing this major commotion?" Shangguan Yu glared coldly at him.
On hearing this, Ye Tiance's face hardened. The entire Sword Cloud Walk fell into immediate silence and deathly stillness. Everyone was looking at him!
"Hehe..." Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh. "Our Sect Master of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect, Zhao Jianxing, is universally recognized as the embodiment of Azure Spirit's ethos, a saintly swordsman of his generation, right?" Ye Tiance swept his eyes over the crowd.
"He is known as the model of swordsmanship," Yao Manxue sarcastically threw in.
”What a joke!" Zhang Jian scoffed. "A saint who raised a daughter who murders people on the street for no reason, who trained a beast that’s capable of all sorts of evil deeds?"
"If the disciple lacks virtue, it's the tutor's fault!" Liu Xuan stated indignantly.
Shangguan Yu understood. With Ye Guying around, the fates of Zhao Xuanran and Yun Xiao have already been sealed.
Ye Tiance was just trying to make use of this opportunity! His target was directed at Sect Master Zhao Jianxing! Of course, Zhao Jianxing had his Sword Soul smashed and was at the end of his road, and would eventually die. But even after his death, his reputation would still stand! Ye Tiance was trying to tarnish the Sect Master's name.
"With the Sect Master himself at the helm of the Azure Spirit, his own disciples cause public disgrace. Is this what is called a prestigious sect that slaughter demons? Is this what is called everlasting righteousness?" Ye Tiance shook his head in remorse.
"Everyone!" Zhang Jian rose to his feet, his voice grave. "Zhao Jianxing has bred such rebellious disciples. He lacks virtue and righteousness and tarnishes the reputation of the Azure Spirit Sect. His behavior is unbecoming of the role of the Sect Master. I propose that from today onwards, his position as the Sect Master be abolished!"
The room burst into noisy chatter at his words. Someone had mentioned this during the daytime, but the comment was taken as a joke. However, mentioning it during the Council of Sword Venerables implied a seriousness to the proposal.
Depose the Sect Master? Throughout Azure Spirit history, there had never been a Sect Master who was deposed! Every Sect Master in each generation had accomplished great feats in battle. Zhao Jianxing was one of the standout figures among them!
"Since he took up the position of Sect Master, he repelled the Demon Waves of the Northern Wastelands seven times as a single person, slaying hundreds of thousands of demons and protecting the safety of a thousand countries in the mortal world! And you say we can simply depose him?" Shangguan Yu stood up suddenly, her eyes red. She placed her hands on the round table, her veins popping with anger.
Seven times! Every single time was a fierce battle! During those seven times, she was always right beside him. She could still remember every drop of blood he shed. Three years ago, his Sword Soul was shattered. Despite his condition, he was still conscious and had never requested to be relieved from his position!
Why? Naturally, because he was striving tenaciously for survival under desperate circumstances. He was wrestling his way back to the boulevard of righteousness, for the sake of leading Azure Spirit Sect once again.
Now the so-called deposition by these people was to dethrone the Sect Master, which was the biggest insult to a demon-slaying swordsman!
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