The tension in the garden escalated rapidly as Yao Qingqian's presence turned the battlefield into a frozen wasteland of dread. The weight of her aura pressed down on Yun Xiao like a physical force, the air thick with the promise of violence.
"Why did you kill Ye Guao?" Yao Qingqian's voice was sharp with the tension of anger.
"My reasons for killing need no justification," Yun Xiao replied calmly.
"You—!" Yao Qingqian glared at him, speechless. "I thought you were simply foolish! Ye Guying is Blue Soul's future spiritual leader, and you dared to kill his younger brother?"
"Yao Elder, this fool has no idea whom he's provoked," Wang Feng sneered.
Ignoring Wang Feng, Yun Xiao smirked at Yao Qingqian and said, "Elder Yao, you spoke of 'the future,' but the future... is never certain."
His words, combined with a chilling laugh, left Yao Qingqian and Wang Feng momentarily speechless.
"I get it now." Yao Qingqian looked at Yun Xiao and shook her head in disbelief. "How unfortunate to be cursed with such foolishness. You've no idea of the depth of the trouble you're in."
The thought that Yun Xiao was the one who killed Ye Guao brought Yao Qingqian some relief—it was a small consolation she'd found the culprit. Otherwise, she'd have no way to explain to Ye Guying.
"Enough. We're done talking. You're coming with me to the Sword Prison. When Sword King Ye returns from the Sea of Ten Thousand Swords, he'll personally deal with you!" Yao Qingqian commanded coldly.
"Wait," Wang Feng stepped forward suddenly.
"What is it?" Yao Qingqian asked, her tone softening. Wang Feng was a revered sword disciple with Kaiyang potential, someone whose future held promise beyond even hers.
"Elder Yao, he murdered two of my clansmen. I'd like to exact some justice first," Wang Feng said earnestly.
"Are you trying to take Sword King Ye's claim?" Yao Qingqian raised an eyebrow.
Wang Feng clenched his teeth. "I only intend to cripple his arms and bring him to the family."
Yao Qingqian considered it and waved her hand. "Fine, make it quick."
She was exhausted. This reckless youth had defeated Jiang Yue, killed Ye Guao, and cost her Sword King Ye's favor—all leading to this chaotic scene.
"Thank you, Elder. Three breaths, and you'll have your peace," Wang Feng said with a grin.
But the moment he turned to face Yun Xiao, his expression darkened with fury.
Ding!
He brandished his low-grade Kaiyang Sword Soul, encircled by five layers of Sword Gang. As his yellow sand Sword Soul took form in his hand, the ground trembled, dust rising in a whirlwind around him, transforming into a fierce sword aura.
With Longquan fully complete, his power was undeniable.
In an instant, Wang Feng unleashed his supernatural power, the sand and dust swirling into a violent tornado as he charged towards Yun Xiao, his sword ready to strike.
The Sword Soul manifests in three forms: the flying sword, the palm sword, and the governing sword, each with its own technique: the flying sword technique, palm sword technique, and governing sword technique. Right now, Wang Feng was showcasing the "Palm Sword Technique," a close-combat swordsmanship style.
He unleashed his signature *Violent Sand Swordsmanship*, a technique perfectly paired with his Yellow Sand Sword Soul. A fierce humming filled the air as his Sword Soul stirred up a sandstorm, merging sand and sword energy into a deadly assault aimed directly at Yun Xiao.
Even with only two months of training, Wang Feng's skill as a revered disciple of the sword was evident. His mastery far exceeded that of King Tiger, Cai Maomao, and others.
"A lowly dog daring to meddle on the immortal path?" Wang Feng sneered. "You think Blue Soul is a haven for saints? This is where talent shines and the weak perish!"
With a ferocious swing, Wang Feng advanced, the sandstorm sweeping toward Yun Xiao in a violent rush. Yun Xiao's gaze narrowed as his whole body moved, transforming into a shadow that dove straight into the heart of the storm.
The sand whipped around him, shredding his white robes, but Yun Xiao's focus didn't waver. He wielded an ancient family sword technique, passed down through generations of the Yun family. Though it couldn't match Blue Soul's sophisticated *Palm Sword Technique*, it was refined by countless battles, perfected with every stroke. With a single, precise movement, he merged with his sword, becoming one with his blade.
Ignoring the storm, Yun Xiao closed in on Wang Feng, unleashing a fierce thrust. His Heaven-Burying Sword Soul trembled with lethal intent, brimming with all the murderous energy it had absorbed.
The clash was imminent—man and sword, storm and shadow.
A wave of lethal energy erupted, casting a dark, oppressive shadow over Wang Feng. He looked at Yun Xiao, but what he saw was not a mere young swordsman; it was the embodiment of death itself. His eyes widened in horror.
Wang Feng's Yellow Sand Sword Soul lashed out toward Yun Xiao, but his swordsmanship faltered, his movements clumsy and uncoordinated. Amid the chaos of yellow sand, a cold azure light sliced through, grazing past his Sword Soul and locking onto his shoulder.
A shrill, pained cry escaped Wang Feng as he gasped in agony.
"Wang Feng, weren't you going to break my arms?" Yun Xiao's voice was cold, taunting. With a flick of his sword, his azure Sword Soul whipped forward, slicing across Wang Feng's right arm with deadly precision.
*Slash!* One of Wang Feng's arms was severed instantly, blood spraying into the storm, splattering onto Yao Qingqian.
Without missing a beat, Yun Xiao's sword struck again.
*Slash!* Wang Feng's other arm hit the ground, lifeless.
"You…!" Wang Feng cried out pitifully, his face draining of color, eyes wide and almost bulging, tears of blood streaming down his cheeks.
"My hands… my Sword Soul… my immortal path…!" he stammered, his voice choked with grief and disbelief, his face contorted in agony.
"Sword Revere disciple? This?" Yun Xiao sneered, looking at Wang Feng with utter disdain. "Aside from all your talk, I see no trace of talent."
With cold precision, Yun Xiao continued, "You, who claimed to know Blue Soul's customs—how will you face your end?"
"I'm… I'm not dead…" Wang Feng stammered, voice trembling.
At that moment, Yun Xiao's sword descended once more.
*Slash!*
Wang Feng's head rolled forward, stopping at Yao Qingqian's feet.
Bang!
Wang Feng's headless body crumpled to the ground, leaving Yao Qingqian in a state of disbelief, her mouth agape like a stunned frog, unable to respond to Yun Xiao's profound question. Here was a disciple of the Sword Revering faction—someone with the Kaiyang-level talent—who had just lost his arms and then his life in an instant.
The remaining six disciples of Jianfeng cried out in despair, their voices sorrowful and shrill. They had followed Wang Feng, sharing in his fate.
"Yao Elder…!" They all turned to Yao Qingqian, who looked back with a face splattered with Wang Feng's blood.
To be honest, even she was at a loss. During the day, Yun Xiao's strength had seemed comparable to that of King Tiger and the others. Now, he had killed a Sword Revering disciple? Three strikes had been all it took!
As Yao Qingqian, an elder, she had not expected this turn of events. She could not fathom where Yun Xiao had found such guts.
"Yun Xiao! You've drawn a terrible disaster upon yourself! You've killed Brother Sword King Ye and now a disciple of the Sword Revering faction! You will pay for these blood debts with your life! The entire Sword Pavilion will come after you!" Yao Qingqian declared, her voice chilling and determined.
She realized the gravity of the situation. The death of Ye Guao had already been a significant loss, but the death of a Sword Revering disciple would create an avalanche of consequences. She had no intention of being a scapegoat.
"I'll call Zhao Xuanran and that old blind man right now! You lot, return and inform the Sword Revering faction!" Yao Qingqian ordered, her tone cold as ice.
"Yes!" The six sword cultivators prepared to leave swiftly.
"Hehe…" Yao Qingqian sneered, turning away to shout for Zhao Xuanran.
"Yao Elder, please wait!" Yun Xiao's voice suddenly broke through the tension, cold and ominous.
"What do you want, idiot?" Yao Qingqian shot back, her irritation flaring.
"You must die today!!" Yun Xiao asserted, charging at her unexpectedly!
His Sword Soul surged forward, and his left hand extended as shadows erupted forth, launching toward Yao Qingqian.
"You must be out of your mind…" Yao Qingqian laughed sinisterly, dismissing the shadow as a non-threat.
But in that instant, the shadow morphed into a colossal beast, a fierce tiger-lion that collided violently with her.
Puff!
Yao Qingqian coughed up blood as she was thrown back, her body breaking under the impact. The sharp claws of the black beast tore into her shoulder, and she felt something vicious grip her abdomen.
Her body was drenched in blood.
Bang!
She crashed to the ground, lying in a pool of her own blood, her complexion pale as she felt her ribs fracture.
"!!"
Agonizing pain wracked her body, and she trembled, her eyes wide with terror as she realized what had attacked her. The creature, covered in dragon-like scales, had two sharp horns and eerie blue eyes that glimmered like the starry sea. Most terrifying of all were the massive mouths on its chest filled with sharp canine teeth.
"Gluttonous… gluttony…" Yao Qingqian uttered with a pitiful cry, fear flooding her veins as she struggled to crawl away.
But her body, broken and battered, wouldn't obey.
"Gluttony? Do you dare insult us at the point of death?" Lanxing's voice was filled with rage.
"Insults? Insults?" The legend of gluttony resonated in her mind.
"Yun Xiao…"
Yao Qingqian's soul felt as though it were being torn apart.
She finally understood—this young man was not naive, nor was he foolish. He did not fear!
Yao Qingqian, who had come to recognize him as the murderer of Ye Guao, was now terrified. The elder of Jianfeng stood before a new disciple, completely and utterly frightened.
"Please… I beg you…" Yao Qingqian trembled as she gazed at him.
Yun Xiao looked down at her, that beast looming behind him, coldly indifferent.
He had not yet turned his attention to Yao Qingqian but instead focused on the six Jianfeng disciples who were frozen in fear.
These remaining six were all mid-level Dragon Spring Realm cultivators, with only two holding Longquan levels.
Pū pū pū!
In the darkened night, azure light erupted, piercing through the backs of the fleeing disciples.
Bang bang bang!
Corpses fell one by one in a chilling scene of despair.
"Yun Xiao!"
The last disciple of Jianfeng, witnessing nine of his companions fall, lost all courage. He knelt before Yun Xiao, tears streaming down his face as he kowtowed. "I have parents to care for! You're a sword cultivator, not a demon! I've done nothing wrong; you can't kill me! If you do, you'll be the wicked one! You'll never escape the immortal path!"
"Good! You have parents to care for? Are you trying to emotionally blackmail me? I'm an orphan—what do I get from your mother's skinning?"
Yun Xiao's voice rose in anger.
With that, the last disciple's head flew off.
"If killing you is wicked, then what is the point of cultivating? If the immortal path cannot be dictated by love and hate, then I will kill on the immortal path! Understood?!"
His furious voice echoed through the dark forest, and except for Cai Maomao, who stood like a wooden statue, no one dared to respond.
"Yao Elder, this is for you."
Yun Xiao wielded his azure Sword Soul, a ghostly figure against the dark jungle, stained with blood like plum blossoms.
The night wind tousled his long hair as he approached Yao Qingqian, looking down at her.
"Senior Brother Cai, please step aside. I have something to say to her."
Yun Xiao raised his head, smiling at Cai Maomao.
"Y-yes!" Cai Maomao trembled, stepping back into the garden.
Yun Xiao knelt down, his nearly perfect face reflecting in Yao Qingqian's tear-filled eyes.
"Yun Xiao…"
Yao Qingqian's voice was a whisper as she extended her trembling white hands toward him.
Yun Xiao furrowed his brows, gently pulling away from her touch.
He looked into her panicked eyes and said, "Thank you."
"Thank me? For what…" Yao Qingqian stammered, tears streaming as she trembled in fear.
"Thank you for showing me what the immortal path truly is," Yun Xiao replied with a smile that, despite the blood on his face, still held a glimmer of warmth.
"I made a mistake! I didn't realize someone's true position or worth!" Yao Qingqian cried out in a panic.
Yun Xiao smiled, then lowered his Sword Soul, allowing Yao Qingqian a moment's respite.
"Did you think it was a low-grade Yaoguang or a Blue Lotus Sword Soul?" he inquired.
"It can't be…" Yao Qingqian faltered, her voice shaking.
"Today you insisted that it was Jiang Yue who broke the sword stone. She now flies high, and when the seven swords aspire to seize, if she falls, you must be responsible, Yao Elder," Yun Xiao warned, his smile unwavering.
If he had spoken these words just half an hour ago, Yao Qingqian would have dismissed them. But now…
As she looked at Yun Xiao, fear gnawed at her insides.
"Yun Xiao, you are the most frightening person I've ever encountered. You are true talent! You surpass Yuheng and Tianquan!" she finally understood, her fear growing deeper.
"Yao Elder, I'm quite happy today, so let me share another secret with you."
Yun Xiao breathed deeply, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Ye Guying and Jiang Yue, they're the world monarchs I've killed. I came back to life using a corpse and traded bodies to demand repayment from them."
"…"
Yao Qingqian's eyes widened in shock, her heart racing.
This young man knew Jiang Yue and Ye Guying!
He had murdered Ye Guao and threatened Jiang Yue!
Had he not been interrupted by the elder at the sword stage, he might have killed Jiang Yue!
In her despair, Yao Qingqian realized the gravity of the situation. The more people who knew this secret, the more would die.
"Yun Xiao…" she sobbed, tears flowing uncontrollably.
"What's wrong?" he asked innocently.
"Please don't kill me! I'm a woman!" Yao Qingqian pleaded, desperation in her voice.
"A woman?"
"I'm very beautiful!" she insisted, her eyes wide with fear
"Also?" Yun Xiao pressed, a hint of mockery in his tone.
"My tongue merit!" she declared, her voice soft yet fervent, as if that could somehow save her.
Titter!
Yun Xiao's sword pinned her to the ground, holding her in place.
"Tongue merit? You mean the art of using your tongue as a weapon?" Yun Xiao asked, a smirk forming on his lips. He thought to himself how narrowly he had avoided a potentially fatal situation; had she managed to use that skill, it could have been disastrous.
"I'm not impressed," he added nonchalantly. "What can you do with that? You can't even block a sword!"
Yao Qingqian stared at him, a mix of disbelief and indignation in her eyes. She tilted her head slightly, a look of injustice written all over her face, as if she were silently screaming for a chance to redeem herself.
Yun Xiao regarded her, amusement flickering in his gaze. The irony of the situation was not lost on him—here was a powerful elder brought low, reduced to pleading for her life.
"What's the matter, Yao Elder?" he taunted gently. "Isn't your beauty enough to save you?"
Her pride had taken a heavy blow, and as she looked at him, her expression shifted from desperation to resignation. She realized the precariousness of her position and the futility of her attempts to sway him with charm alone.
"Yun Xiao," she whispered, her voice quivering. "You don't have to do this. I can help you!"
"Help me? How so?" he challenged, tilting his head in feigned curiosity.
"Just let me go. I can provide you with valuable information about the Sword Pavilion and its secrets!"
Yun Xiao considered her words. There was a glimmer of potential in her offer, but the trust was not there. "And why would I believe you? You've already shown yourself to be a coward."
"I-I wasn't prepared for this situation! I can be useful!" Yao Qingqian exclaimed, her eyes pleading.
Yun Xiao's expression hardened. "Usefulness doesn't excuse your past actions. You're complicit in the system that seeks to oppress others. What makes you different from them?"
She fell silent, knowing he had a point. The world of cultivation was filled with power struggles, and she had often played her part in those games.
"Perhaps I should just end it here," Yun Xiao mused aloud, lowering his sword slightly but still keeping her pinned.
"No! Please!" Yao Qingqian cried, panic flooding her voice. "I can prove my loyalty! Just give me a chance!"
Yun Xiao paused, weighing her words. There was a flicker of intrigue in his mind. If she could truly provide insight into the Sword Pavilion's inner workings, it could be beneficial to him.
"Very well," he said slowly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
Yao Qingqian's heart raced. "You would spare me?"
"For now," he said, his voice steely. "But know this: I will be watching you closely. One wrong move, one hint of betrayal, and I won't hesitate to end you. Do you understand?"
"Yes! Yes, I understand!" she exclaimed, relief flooding through her as she nodded vigorously. "I won't betray you! I swear it!"
"Good," Yun Xiao replied, stepping back slightly to give her space. "Now get up. You're in no position to make demands, but I need you alive for the time being."
With great effort, Yao Qingqian pushed herself up, wincing as pain shot through her body. She had survived, but she knew her life hung by a thread, and she would have to tread carefully from now on.
"Yun Xiao," she began cautiously, "what do you plan to do next?"
"I'm going to hunt down the remaining members of the Jianfeng. They can't be allowed to escape and spread word of what's happened here. Once they're dealt with, we'll deal with the fallout from Ye Guao's death."
Yao Qingqian nodded, her mind racing. "I can help you with that. I know their strengths, their weaknesses. We can create a plan together."
He regarded her with a measured gaze, weighing her words. "Very well. But remember, if you try anything, you'll regret it."
"I won't, I promise!" Yao Qingqian assured him, desperation lacing her voice.
As they stood in the shadows of the forest, an uneasy alliance began to form. Both knew they were now bound together by circumstance, each keeping a wary eye on the other, fully aware that trust was a fragile thing in a world where betrayal lurked just around the corner.