In the quiet, isolated corner, Ning Yan sat by the window, her chin resting on her hands, staring out into the endless expanse of the azure kite sea. The stillness was suffocating, broken only by the soft, rhythmic flow of air as the wind swept across the land. She had been watching intently, yet a sudden chill ran down her spine. A feeling of unease settled within her as her eyes darted back to the scene unfolding before her.
Third-level azure kite...
Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to make sense of what she had just witnessed. Had she truly seen what she thought she saw? The flash of energy from the sword-wielding youth, the overwhelming power of the Sword Soul, the way the bird-like messenger kite had been devoured in an instant. It was beyond anything she had expected, something far more terrifying than she had imagined.
Was I seeing things? She pondered, but quickly dismissed the thought, chalking it up to the immense pressure of the past few days clouding her judgment. With a bitter smile, she pushed the worry aside, but her eyes remained fixed on the white-clad figure in the distance, her gaze sharpening as the silence continued to weigh heavily on her.
Yet, as she glanced around, the eerie stillness in the air seemed to grip everyone else in the room. Ning Que, the Buddhist family lord, Lin Chen—each of them sat frozen, their gazes locked on the young man in the sea of clouds. The tension in the air was thick, palpable, as if time itself had come to a halt. A wine glass hung in midair, untouched, as the group stared at the scene unfolding in front of them.
Lin Lin, her face pale and vacant, whispered in disbelief, "Elder Brother, did he cheat?"
Lin Chen's voice came out hoarse, like someone who had swallowed too much dust. "The azure kite sea... doesn't forgive mistakes," he muttered, his thoughts troubled by the implications of what they had just witnessed. The very ground seemed to tremble beneath them, but all eyes were fixed on the white-robed youth.
"Truly worthy of the Tianji-level Sword Soul," Ning Que said through clenched teeth, admiration and frustration mingling in his tone. He could not deny the raw power on display, even as it gnawed at his pride.
Lin Chen sighed deeply. "Could he really take on the ten-level azure kite today? Maybe my father will have to intervene and handle him personally."
Lin Lin, pursing her lips, prayed softly. "Let's hope the heavens will show mercy."
As the conversations swirled around her, Ning Yan took a moment to herself. She could feel the weight of what was happening. Yun Xiao, this mysterious young man, was clearly a force to be reckoned with, a wild card that could shift the course of everything. Even if his sword technique didn't match the seasoned warriors of the Sword Cloud or the Taboo Tower, his Sword Soul alone was a terrifying weapon.
The debates and murmurs among the onlookers were deafening, but Yun Xiao remained unshaken. He had already advanced, his mind fixed on the prize—the powerful ten-level azure kite that lay ahead, waiting to be claimed. With the first three levels already conquered, he knew that the time to challenge the highest of them all had come.
"Ten levels of azure kites," he muttered to himself, determination in his eyes. The path to the center of the azure kite sea was fraught with danger, but it held the promise of unimaginable power. The fog enveloped him, but it was no obstacle to him now. His sword surged with energy, the Sword Soul working its magic.
"Let's see if I can match this power," he thought.
The giant azure swordbird ahead of him loomed like a titan, its wings spreading wide as it let out a piercing cry, filled with a fury that shook the very air around it. Its wingspan stretched ten feet, a terrifying vision of strength, the sword qi in its feathers swirling like a storm waiting to be unleashed.
But Yun Xiao remained unmoved. He had already faced the third-level kite and consumed its power—this ten-level kite was nothing in comparison. The azure bird's aggressive stance was nothing but a distraction. Without hesitation, he raised his sword, the energy in his hand coalescing into a single, destructive point. With a snap of his wrist, he struck.
The sound of the strike was deafening, a hum that vibrated through the very fabric of reality. The ten-level azure kite screeched, its sharp cry splitting the air as its wings flapped, sending waves of sword qi rushing outwards. The very ground beneath Yun Xiao trembled, the fog around them swirling in response.
But Yun Xiao's focus never wavered. The sword's edge sliced through the creature's essence, and with a surge of energy, he pushed forward, channeling the full force of his Sword Soul into the strike. The sky seemed to bend as the sword penetrated the very heart of the kite, the essence of its power consumed in an instant.
Buzz!
The kite's essence trembled, and with a final, despairing cry, it collapsed into nothingness, absorbed completely by the Heaven-Burying Sword Soul. The air hung still for a moment, as if holding its breath in the wake of the devastation.
The people watching from the distance could hardly believe their eyes. The young man had done it—he had consumed the might of the ten-level azure kite without breaking a sweat, his sword soul swallowing the power whole.
As the fog slowly settled, a strange silence fell over the scene. Yun Xiao, his expression unchanged, stood at the center of it all, the ten-level azure kite now a part of him. The surrounding cultivators, who had been watching with bated breath, were now left in awe, their voices lost in the stillness.
There was no doubt about it—Yun Xiao was no ordinary sword cultivator. He had stepped beyond the realm of the ordinary, a force of nature in his own right. And as he looked ahead, toward whatever challenge came next, one thing was clear—his journey had only just begun.
The tension in the air was unbearable. The giant, ten-level azure kite, its once imposing form now trembling with fear, seemed to realize its fate. Its aggressive cry transformed into a pitiful wail, its wings flapping desperately in an attempt to escape. But it was too late. There was nowhere to run.
Yun Xiao's Sword Soul, the terrifying Heaven-Burying Sword Soul, had already locked onto its essence. It was a predator, and the azure kite was nothing more than prey. In an instant, the kite's desperate struggles were futile; the force of the Sword Soul pulled it toward Yun Xiao with an irresistible might, swallowing the creature's essence whole. The bright sword energy, the marrow, and the runic symbols all disappeared into the blade with a flash.
In that split second, the world seemed to pause. The surrounding crowd of over ten thousand onlookers was left in stunned silence, unable to process what they had just witnessed. The air was thick with disbelief, and then—
Bang!
A collective gasp reverberated through the crowd as the shockwave of the event hit them. The shock was so intense that a thousand wine glasses and tea cups fell from tables, crashing to the ground in a symphony of shattered glass and ceramic. The silence was broken only by the horrified murmurs and exclamations of those who had been present.
"Ten… Ten levels of azure kites…" The words stumbled out of people's mouths, but no one could truly comprehend the full weight of what had just happened.
Yun Xiao had done the impossible. He hadn't just defeated the ten-level azure kite; he had consumed it in the blink of an eye. He had shattered the very fabric of their understanding of power.
"This… this cannot be real…" someone muttered in disbelief.
The onlookers struggled to grasp the magnitude of the event, their minds reeling. Yun Xiao had not simply defeated the kite; he had erased it from existence as if it had never been there. The skill, the speed, the sheer dominance he displayed were incomprehensible.
"It's not that he took down the ten-level azure kite," someone whispered, their voice filled with awe and fear. "It's that he did it… in an instant!"
The older generations, those who had once walked the path of sword cultivation, knew the significance of what Yun Xiao had just accomplished. The ten-level azure kite was a challenge that even the greatest sword cultivators of the past had struggled with, often failing to defeat it after long, grueling battles. Yet this young man had swallowed its power in a heartbeat.
"Yun Xiao!" Ning Yan, who had been watching from the corner, could no longer remain seated. Her hands gripped the windowsill tightly, her heart racing. Excitement, disbelief, and admiration flooded her all at once. "Isn't this… too mysterious?" she murmured to herself.
She turned, her eyes wide with exhilaration, and looked at the group around the table. Every one of them was standing now, wiping their eyes, acknowledging the impossible feat Yun Xiao had just achieved. Their expressions were a mixture of awe and regret, but they all understood the significance.
Lin Lin, still dazed, stammered, "Did he cheat? How could anyone possibly...?"
But no one responded to her. The meaning of Yun Xiao's act was far too clear. He had done what no one else could.
"It's the Sword Soul. The Tianji-level Sword Soul… it's terrifying," Ning Que said, his voice soft but filled with awe. "This boy… he's beyond us."
The Buddhist family lord, his face grim, spoke with a weighty tone. "This person… if left unchecked, will be a force to reckon with. His potential is beyond our comprehension. We cannot let him grow unchecked."
Ning Que's eyes narrowed as he looked toward his younger sister. The weight of the situation was not lost on him. "You see what I see now?" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of respect and concern.
Ning Yan's lips curled into a faint smile. She nodded, her gaze locked on the figure of Yun Xiao, who stood at the heart of the storm, a silent force of nature.
"He's more difficult than we thought," Ning Que muttered, his frustration growing.
But Lin Chen, who had been watching intently, turned to his sister with an expression of quiet envy. "He reached the 55th level of his Sword Gang. That's not something you see every day."
The chatter around them intensified as the crowd tried to make sense of the situation. The energy in the air was thick, as if the entire world was holding its breath. Yun Xiao had surpassed them all, and they could do nothing but watch in awe as he walked the path of a sword cultivator unlike any other.
"Fifty-five Sword Gang levels at only sixteen?" Lin Lin murmured, her voice filled with envy and disbelief. "How is that even possible?"
Yun Xiao, with a quiet confidence, glanced down at his Sword Gang, feeling the surge of power within him. The Ten Thousand Swords Sea had been a testing ground for many, but now, with the absorption of the ten-level azure kite, he had entered the elite ranks. His Sword Soul had absorbed its essence, and he had risen to new heights. But he knew the journey was far from over.
As he turned to continue his path, Lanxing's voice interrupted his thoughts. "You should finish what you started. Eat the remaining azure kites, and your Sword Gang will rise even higher."
Yun Xiao paused, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "This is a public resource," he said. "I can't take all of it. There's no benefit in wiping it all out for myself."
Lanxing laughed. "You're too humble for someone who just conquered the ten-level azure kite so easily."
Yun Xiao shrugged and started to walk again, his steps unhurried. He was fully aware of the eyes that followed him, the weight of the expectations and the jealousy from the people around him. But nothing could shake his resolve.
He wasn't walking toward the exit.
Instead, he moved to the left side, where another ten-level azure kite awaited. It was already aware of him, and as Yun Xiao approached, it let out a terrified wail, desperately attempting to flee.
But Yun Xiao had no intention of letting it escape. In a flash, he crossed over the kite's path, his sword slicing through the air, and pierced the creature with brutal efficiency. Another ten-level azure kite, swallowed by the Sword Soul, vanished into nothingness.
The crowd gasped in horror and disbelief. They had just witnessed the unimaginable: Yun Xiao had not only defeated a ten-level azure kite, he had consumed two in a matter of moments.
The silence that followed was deafening. Yun Xiao's dominance was unquestioned.
The Ten Thousand Swords Sea had a new prodigy.