"Lost?"
Ning Que and his colleagues exchanged surprised glances. Yun Xiao losing wasn't unexpected. What shocked them was that Yun Xiao had survived at all.
"Your younger brother let something slip," said Lin Chen, a young swordsman standing by the window in the corner of Jade Yang Pavilion. He spoke to a gentle-looking woman in green clothes next to him.
The woman, Ning Jing, was one of Sword Cloud's young sword lords. Her delicate features bore a striking resemblance to her senior sister, Zhao, exuding an air of graceful beauty.
"Lin Chen, temper your impulse," Ning Jing said softly. "There are plenty of others who want to deal with him. If you act now, it might worsen things with your father."
Lin Chen scoffed, frustration evident. "Every day I see this farce and grow weary," he muttered coldly.
Ning Jing sighed and touched her forehead. "Honestly, I don't think that young man looks as ruthless as everyone claims. Perhaps your father saw something in him. After all, our Sword Cloud Sect has had diminishing authority in recruiting disciples on its own. The influence of the Taboo Tower is growing stronger…"
"What did you say?" Lin Chen's cold glare cut her off.
Lowering her head, Ning Jing murmured, "Apologies. I misspoke. I didn't mean to cause discord between you and your father."
Lin Chen's tone was sharp as he replied, "Don't be deceived by appearances! He may look harmless, but he massacred the Ye Guying family, over a hundred people, burning their spirits until nothing remained."
Ning Jing drew a deep breath, choosing not to argue further.
Meanwhile, Ning Que turned his gaze to Ning Yan. "Who did he lose to? Lin Xiaolong?" he asked nonchalantly.
Lin Lin, brimming with satisfaction, chimed in, "Of course! He must have lost miserably!" Her disdainful glee was evident.
"Enough!" Ning Yan shot Lin Lin a sharp look. "Why don't you worry about your own intelligence first before mocking others?"
"Auntie Ning, you—" Lin Lin began but was cut off.
"Yun Xiao has a Sword Soul of superior grade, and his cultivation base is solid. Why would he lose to Lin Xiaolong?" Ning Yan's tone was firm.
Her words stunned the room into silence.
"You mean to say Yun Xiao defeated the Son of God?" Lin Chen asked skeptically, his voice laced with disbelief.
Ning Yan glanced around, noting the doubt on everyone's faces. "Yes. On that day, Yun Xiao overpowered the Son of God with a single sword strike."
Her statement drew audible gasps from the onlookers.
"Hah!" Ning Que chuckled dryly. "Auntie Ning, are you saying this just to prove your judgment is infallible?"
Ning Yan glared at him but refrained from responding further.
Lin Lin laughed mockingly. "The Son of God, losing face and falsifying a victory? Absurd! Do you think he'd stoop so low?"
"Alright, Yun Xiao, let's go," Ning Yan said dismissively, unwilling to further debate the sword ceremony results.
But Ning Que wasn't finished. Rising from his seat, he asked, "And what about the matter with Xiaobei?"
"He violated the rules. Three people, including him, were punished by the Sword Lord. They must kneel before the ancestral sword hall for a month," Ning Yan replied sharply.
"What?" Lin Lin paled as reality hit her—she had been so focused on mocking Yun Xiao that she forgot she was part of the punishment.
Ning Que's gaze darkened. "What did Xiaobei do?"
"His temper is too rigid. He refused to compromise and offended my father," Lin Lin interjected hastily.
Yun Xiao, observing the chaos, muttered under his breath, "I just want the Azure Kite…"
For Yun Xiao, enduring this drama was worth it if it meant acquiring the Azure Kite, the one reward he truly anticipated.
As tensions flared, Ning Yan added with biting sarcasm, "By the way, his position as young sword lord has also been revoked. Do you object to that as well?"
Ning Que slammed his hand on the table, his temper boiling over. "Is Xiaobei no longer the young sword lord of the Ning family?"
Hou!
The Jade Yang Pavilion fell silent as people rose to their feet, tensions surging.
Lin Chen's face darkened in fury. That was his sworn brother being insulted.
"Lin Qingfeng, you really have a serious problem!" he cursed internally, his anger seething.
Ning Que's voice cut through the charged atmosphere, his fury palpable. "Ning Yan, keep this up, and I'll take this to Father. Let's see how he deals with you!"
The mention of Ning Old Ancestor, one of the most senior figures in Sword Cloud, sent a ripple of unease through the crowd.
Ning Yan remained unshaken. "Do as you wish. But I'm taking Yun Xiao to inherit the ten levels of Azure Kite," she declared coldly.
"That position of young sword lord, handed to Yun Xiao so forcefully... It's unfair!"
The crowd's righteous indignation boiled over as they fixed their gazes on Yun Xiao. Murmurs of dissent echoed through the pavilion.
"You've made two grave mistakes in your life, Ning Yan," Ning Que declared, his tone dripping with derision. "First, falling for that nobody Zhao Jianxing. Second, sheltering this little beast! Is this Yun Xiao the disciple of that man? I thought Zhao Jianxing's name would be the shame that ruined you!"
"Shut up!" Ning Yan roared, her voice trembling with rage. Her eyes, already red, now blazed with fury.
The mere mention of Zhao Jianxing pierced her deeply, a scar that had yet to heal. She clenched Yun Xiao's arm tightly, her grip conveying her unyielding resolve.
"Yun Xiao, let's go!" she said, pulling him forward.
For Ning Yan, all the ridicule, insults, and regrets of her life now rested on this one boy. If Yun Xiao could crush these people's pride, she might finally reclaim her dignity.
As they left, the crowd erupted in protest.
"It's unjust! He can't claim the 1 million spirit crystals, the Source Pills, and the ten levels of Azure Kite all at once!"
"Sword Cloud has never been more unfair!"
Amid the uproar, Ning Que's cold voice cut through. "We're going to the Azure Kite Sea!"
Lin Chen looked at him in surprise. "What for?"
"Everyone here wants him dead. The Azure Kite Sea is no place for peace or purity. If Ning Yan thinks she can take him to Sword Cloud unscathed, she's mistaken. He'll die on the road to Azure Kite Sea." Ning Que glanced at Ning Jing, adding, "Besides, Jing, prepare to challenge the sixth level of Azure Kite."
"Let's see how miserably he fails," Lin Chen muttered, his resolve steeling further.
In his mind, Lin Chen replayed the memory of his father striking his mother. That moment had sparked a vow.
"Until Yun Xiao is dead, I'll never find peace."
*The Azure Kite Sea*
A white-robed figure walked forward. With each step, Yun Xiao drew the attention of all who gathered in the crowded streets of Sky Sword City.
"The youngster is Yun Xiao!"
"A Tianji-level Sword Soul!"
The street was abuzz with sword cultivators, many of whom turned their sharp gazes on Yun Xiao.
Every ten steps he took, a flying sword would aim for his head.
"Oppose the Taboo Tower and die!"
Unfazed, Yun Xiao unsheathed his Sword Soul, cutting each attack down with precision.
Bang!
Shards of shattered blades scattered as the corner attacker crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
Lan Xing chuckled softly. "You're quite hated, aren't you?"
"People flatter the strong. If I were stronger than Ye Guying or the Taboo Tower, I'd be hailed as a sage in the Azure Kite Sea," Yun Xiao said calmly, though his face was pale.
Lan Xing sighed. "True. Those who truly care for justice wouldn't be in such a rush to eliminate you. What we see here is just people currying favor with Ye Guying or the Taboo Tower." She paused thoughtfully. "The human world is complicated. Life feels so far from the Dao I once pursued. I didn't realize it would be like this."
"Adaptation is a virtue," Yun Xiao replied with a faint smile.
Each step forward was met with more hostility. Swords flew at him in waves, and Yun Xiao countered them all.
With a sudden strike, he sent one flying sword hurtling back toward its origin. From a distance, a scream of pain echoed as another would-be assassin fell.
Ning Yan watched from behind him, her expression conflicted. "Do you not fear this endless killing?"
"Life and death are fated. Why should I fear?" Yun Xiao's stride was unwavering, his gaze sharp and resolute.
A wry smile crossed Ning Yan's lips. "You're truly something else. Maybe I should marry you to my daughter."
"Pfft!"
Yun Xiao stumbled slightly, caught off guard by her sudden comment.
Yun Xiao almost burst out laughing. The composure and broad sense of spirit he had painstakingly cultivated nearly crumbled at Ning Yan's unexpected remarks.
"Alright, I get it!" Ning Yan, seasoned as she was, quickly picked up on his reaction. She shook her head knowingly. "So, my daughter's figure—what do you think? Is the timing right?"
"Let's change the topic," Yun Xiao said firmly, focusing his gaze forward. He cut down another flying sword aimed at him, effortlessly dispatching its hidden wielder. "By the way, what exactly is that Azure Kite you mentioned?"
"You don't even know, yet you're planning to challenge it?" Ning Yan looked at him, startled.
"Didn't you ask me to?" Yun Xiao retorted, casually shattering another flying sword and taking another life.
Ning Yan sighed, exasperated. She walked closer, beginning her explanation. "The Azure Kite is a 'divine object from Heaven.' It was gifted to the Ten Thousand Swords Sea by the Immortal Kingdom. Its true essence remains a mystery, but it has two known effects: first, it promotes the evolution of the Sword Soul, and second, it acts like a monster bone, adding layers to your Sword Gang."
"Heaven? What's that?" Yun Xiao asked, dispatching yet another attacker.
Ning Yan gestured skyward. "It's a space—a realm beyond ours."
"A realm of gods?" Yun Xiao paused, his blade mid-swing, startled by the thought.
"Maybe. In any case, it's said to be a place of unparalleled talent and terrifying power," Ning Yan replied.
Yun Xiao glanced at the little spirit nestled in his arms. He and Lanxing exchanged an excited look, both intrigued by the notion of such a place.
Ning Yan continued, "Azure Kites are divided into four ranks: first-level, third-level, sixth-level, and tenth-level."
"I thought there would be ten levels," Yun Xiao muttered, dispatching three flying swords in one fluid motion.
"The effects of Azure Kites vary by rank. Most people start at the first level, slowly absorbing the energy to qualify for higher levels. But as a young sword lord, you're eligible to challenge the tenth level directly!" Ning Yan explained. She hesitated for a moment before adding, "However, I recommend starting with the third level to let your Sword Soul adapt gradually."
"Are the tenth levels that difficult?" Yun Xiao asked, cutting down three more ambushers in one effortless sweep.
"Difficult? That's an understatement!" Ning Yan cleared her throat. "Since the Azure Kite descended from Heaven, there have only been five tenth-level kites in existence. Over the years, only Ye Guying has successfully absorbed one. The remaining four are still... waiting."
Yun Xiao's steps slowed for a moment. "So, aside from Ye Guying, no one else has succeeded?"
"Exactly!" Ning Yan nodded. "You, however, are the first Tianji-grade Sword Soul in the history of the Ten Thousand Swords Sea. If anyone has a chance to claim a tenth-level Azure Kite, it's you. But remember, failure carries a heavy price. If you fail to absorb it, the damage to your Sword Soul could be catastrophic. That's why I suggest starting with the third level."
Yun Xiao hummed in acknowledgment, saying little.
For him, the starting point was irrelevant. What mattered was how much power he could absorb. His Sword Soul needed to leap to the next grade, and his Sword Gang had to grow stronger.
Finally, Yun Xiao raised his head.
The Azure Kite Sea stretched out before him, vast and shimmering.
Behind him lay a street littered with corpses.