At that moment, Yun Xiao stood unwaveringly, his expression fierce. Suddenly, he thrust out his hand, and his sword illuminated the night sky with a brilliant azure light, cutting through the darkness with a resounding hum.
"Forward!" he shouted, "And take Ye Tiance with you!"
In an instant, the Blue Soul sword cultivators, wielding their swords and dragging along the shackled Ye clansman and the three Great Sword Elders, took to the sky. Yun Xiao, now followed by nearly two thousand cultivators—and the number was growing by the minute—charged ahead.
Under the light of the Sword Pavilion's moon, Yun Xiao relentlessly clashed with the ancient serpent demon, ultimately casting aside the three Great Sword Elders. This victory shook the heavens, a soul-stirring triumph that sparked discussions across the entire Blue Soul Sect.
"Three years!" someone exclaimed. "That vile, sinister monster has finally reaped his own consequences. Justice!"
And yet, who truly understood the cost? For three long years, everyone held their silence. Now, with Ye Tiance crushed beneath Yun Xiao's feet, the myriad sword cultivators of Blue Soul could finally stand tall, no longer forced to endure silently.
"Ye Guying may be stirring up trouble in the Ten Thousand Swords Sea and seeking refuge in the Taboo Tower," murmured one of the cultivators, "but how does he stand against Yun Xiao?"
This act of purging evil was like excising a malignant tumor. While it might bring momentary weakness, true strength could only grow from this fresh start. This was the Blue Soul Sect as it was meant to be—restored to its former glory!
"Protect the Chief Disciple!" Thousands of sword cultivators cried out in unison, rallying behind Yun Xiao as they returned to the Sword Pavilion, their ranks strong and their spirits high.
Meanwhile, a tent-dwelling monster watched from the shadows, dismayed at Ye Tiance's swift defeat. Unable to seize the opportunity it had hoped for, the monster hid, trembling, as two blind elders wielded their swords and struck fiercely. From the distance, a single azure streak of light approached, moving like lightning.
The monster shrieked, "Run!" Fleeing, its once-hidden form became exposed, revealing a ghastly figure surrounded by a murky, grayish-white mist, blending with the shadows as it tried to escape into the forest.
"Come twice, and yet you think you can escape alive this time?" An icy voice echoed in the darkness.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The air was filled with the sound of swords ringing ten times in rapid succession, each flash of steel casting glints in the sky. Ten blades sliced through the night like silver fish leaping through water, each cut releasing bursts of ethereal light.
"Aaaagh!" the monster wailed, its scream grating and tortured. It had amassed countless souls, both men and women, all seething with resentment. But as it fled, a black smoke-covered flying sword surged forward, tearing into the creature's ethereal form and rending it apart in one swift stroke.
Rrrrrip!
"Curse you, brat!" the monster spat as it split into two halves, each half attempting to flee independently. This creature, part filth and part resentment, was a strange beast indeed, its methods more insidious than any ordinary demon.
But Yun Xiao was faster.
He grasped a single shred of plain white cloth torn from the creature, pinning it underfoot. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" The distant shred of white cloth was shredded by the Heaven-Burying Sword Soul, the remnants scattered. But the cloth beneath Yun Xiao's feet was firmly within his grasp.
"Still think you can escape?" Yun Xiao asked, his voice laced with menace as dark fog coiled around his Sword Ring. The monster's form, writhing in a blackened, putrid mass, began to decay rapidly.
A ghastly, pale face emerged from the monster, sneering at him. "So you're Yun Xiao? The ninth disciple of the Sword Pavilion? I killed your Senior Brother, Cai Lanshan! Bound him, ate his flesh, and he didn't utter a single scream!" The monster's laughter was sharp and mocking.
Yun Xiao's eyes narrowed, his gaze unflinching.
The monster continued taunting, "Think you can kill me? Your Senior Brothers and Sisters hang as souls upon the desolate northern azure mountain, wailing day and night! Do you have the courage to face them, or will you hide here, lording over this corner of Blue Soul?"
Unmoved, Yun Xiao retorted coldly, "You're just trying to lure me north to the desolate mountains, aren't you?"
"Do you have the guts?" the monster sneered. Its laughter was piercing, proud, as it whispered about Yun Xiao's fallen comrades in the north.
Yun Xiao turned to his allies, "Who here can contain this creature?"
"I can." Li Chenlong stepped forward, taking out a gourd imbued with immortal power. Without delay, Yun Xiao motioned for him to capture the monster's soul within.
"Yun Xiao! No!" the monster shrieked as Li Chenlong closed in, but Yun Xiao's face was resolute.
"Go to the north if you want your freedom," Yun Xiao said through gritted teeth.
The monster's laughter rang out, cruel and mocking, as it was sealed within the gourd, but its expression was one of loathing, knowing it could no longer flee. The last of its venomous words echoed: "A young pup like you, daring to reclaim Blue Soul's honor?"
With the monster contained, Yun Xiao directed his attention to his followers. "The millennium serpent demon and the wolf spirit—capture their remnant souls," he commanded.
Chen Dong, another of Yun Xiao's allies, pulled Ye Tiance and the defeated forces down before the Sword Pavilion, forcing them to kneel in submission. But as they did, a heartrending cry pierced the silence.
"Teacher!" It was Jiang Yue. She looked upon Ye Tiance with disbelief, grief, and devastation. Just six days ago, she had believed him to be invincible, her ultimate mentor, her deity. Now, he was broken, cast down from the pedestal she had placed him on.
"Sword Pavillion's ninth," Yun Xiao murmured, his gaze unwavering. "I once thought of sparing you, Jiang Yue. But now, seeing you aligned with Ye Tiance only fills me with disgust."
Her eyes widened in horror. "No, Yun Xiao, please—" she began to plead, but Yun Xiao's hand struck, breaking her dantian in one swift motion.
Jiang Yue crumpled to the ground, her limbs trembling. Her spirit shattered, and she understood in that moment that her fate was sealed. Yun Xiao looked down, his voice as cold as steel. "You, like Ye Tiance, deserve to answer for the lives you've taken. Your fate will be the same as his."
"Junior Brother Yun," said Chen Dong with a nod, tying her beside Ye Tiance.
Turning back to his allies, Yun Xiao's eyes blazed. "In three days, we'll open the treasured pavilion of Blue Soul, and then we'll march."
All three of his companions, Shangguan Yu, Chen Dong, and Li Chenlong, nodded in unison.
Three days later, Blue Soul's mightiest sword cultivators assembled—three thousand strong, all fueled by righteous fury and an unquenchable thirst for justice.
Cai Maomao, standing among them, clutched a bottle of wine, his heart pounding with determination. "If I can't bring my brothers home, what's the point of living?" he whispered to himself, staring at Yun Xiao's figure with admiration.
Yun Xiao raised his glass. "To the Seven of Sword Pavilion!"
"To them!" the crowd echoed, three thousand voices strong, as they poured their wine upon the ground, their blood boiling with purpose.
"To the seven I could never stand beside in life," Yun Xiao murmured, "if there's a next life, I'll protect you as my siblings."
He turned, his gaze fixed on the captured Ye Tiance and Jiang Yue. His cold, steely eyes sent tremors through their hearts. They could feel death's shadow upon them.
"Lanxing," Yun Xiao said in a low voice, "you once said Yuexian might possess the Seed of Creation?"
"Bound by pill magic across distances?" Lanxing replied. "Definitely the Seed of Creation, though only at the Yuheng level."
Yun Xiao clenched his sword and tugged sharply at the chains binding his enemies. He raised his blade high, pointing toward the northern desolate mountains.
"Those who aren't afraid to die—come with me to battle!!!"