Immortal of the Ages

Chapter 027 - No One Escapes Death, Why Not Send Your Disciples on Their Way Early (3)

"Tear me to pieces?" Yun Xiao echoed, his voice tinged with a dark amusement, showing no sign of backing down from the ferocious Sword Venerable before him. In a moment that seized the attention of the gathered crowd, he suddenly broke into a hearty laugh. His amusement was fleeting, though, as his eyes turned to ice a moment later.

With a flick of his wrist, the sword swung. SWISH SWISH! Yun Xiao unleashed two rapid slashes, cleanly severing both of Yao Zijin's ears. “Well, I suppose I'll start by cutting your son to pieces!” he declared, his voice ringing with a dark sort of mirth that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it.

Yao Zijin, both hands clutching his bloody stumps where ears used to be, wailed even louder. The crowd watched, their breaths caught in their throats, all eyes riveted on Yun Xiao.

To the side, the Third Sword Venerable, Wu Wu, with a frosty expression and a savage tone, admonished, “Zhao Xuanran, Blind Qin, control your man! You know full well how Yao Zijin is to Yao Manxue!”

“And what of it?” Yun Xiao interrupted, his voice dripping with disdain. “No matter how important he is, does he get an extra life?” With these words, his fist connected solidly with Yao Zijin's chest. THUMP! A gout of dark blood sprayed from Yao Zijin's mouth.

“If you dare to touch him again, I swear, not even the Sword Pavilion backing you will spare you from annihilation!” Yao Manxue threatened, her lips nearly bitten through in her fury.

“Oh, touch him again, you say?” Yun Xiao chuckled at the threat, the sound echoing ominously across the arena. SLASH! He swung his sword fiercely. Yao Manxue trembled, her eyes nearly bursting from her skull as she witnessed a head falling and landing before her.

“There, I did it. What are you going to do about it?” Yun Xiao taunted, his voice echoing with a dangerous edge. With a careless flick of his foot, he sent Yao Zijin's lifeless body flying before cocking his head and offering Yao Manxue a mocking smile.

“Bastard!” Yao Manxue screamed, tears of blood streaming from her eyes.

“Oh, so now you know what it feels like to lose someone close to you?” Yun Xiao remarked with a chilling smile. If he hadn't acted today, Cai Maomao would have met a grim fate. Over the past few years, the Sword Pavilion had lost many young lives.

“I don't want to argue about right or wrong, nor am I interested in moralistic nonsense,” Yun Xiao said, his voice resonating with grim resolve. “Killing on this dueling platform is a rule you established. I'm simply playing by your rules. You kill one of mine, I kill one of yours. That's how the world works, understand?”

“You're as good as dead!” Yao Manxue screamed, her appearance nothing short of demonic, bloodshot eyes filled with rage. Her intent to kill Yun Xiao was clear, but she found her way barred by a woman in a black gown, holding a sword with a determined grip.

“Move aside!” Yao Manxue snarled.

“When your disciples killed those from my Sword Pavilion, why didn't you step aside?” Zhao Xuanran retorted with a cold laugh.

“Shut up! Zhao Xuanran, do you realize the magnitude of what you've done today? You're harboring a troublemaker, leading your entire lineage to destruction!” Yao Manxue yelled, her voice filled with unchecked fury.

“Oh, getting angry, are we?” Zhao Xuanran taunted with a smirk.

“You're courting death!” Yao Manxue's eyes were ablaze with blood and fire.

“Who in this world has ever escaped death? In the Sword Pavilion, none of us fear it. Today, my Junior Brother Yun only fought according to the rules of the Eight Swords Conclave. If you wish to throw a tantrum, we of the Sword Pavilion will accompany you till the end. Do you really think the mighty main branch of Azure Spirit fears your Sixth Sword Peak?” Zhao Xuanran declared, a chilling mist flickering in her eyes.

"That's exactly right!" Grandpa Qin's voice resonated across the venue. "Our Sword Pavilion disciple, Yun Xiao, has been abiding by the rules, fighting fair and square. Who do you think you are to intimidate us?"

"You people!" The furious roar was all that Yao Manxue could manage before she spat out blood in rage. As she lifted her head, the appalling scene of Yun Xiao holding Jiang Yue by her hair, dragging her forward unfurled before her eyes.

"How about this for a move?" Yun Xiao taunted with a sardonic grin, gesturing with his sword towards Jiang Yue's head, his gaze fixed intently on Yao Manxue.

Yao Manxue, the dignified Sword Venerable of the Sixth Sword Peak, felt herself nearly splitting apart with rage, blood threatening to spill from every facial orifice, as she was taunted by this young man.

Suddenly, a profound clang resounded across the Conclave Mountain, echoing from the Azure Spirit Cauldron. The unexpected sound startled everyone present, their hearts pounding with the dread that another Sword Soul had shattered. Yet they quickly realized that the sound was too resonant to be a Sword Soul explosion. The half-hour mark for the Conclave had arrived.

"The Sword Debate... is over?" A ripple of shock spread through the crowd, disbelief painting their faces. The intense half-hour had flown by in a flurry of breathtaking events. No one had expected time to pass so quickly!

From the moment Wu Jianyang met his end to Yao Zijin's mournful death, the participants from the First, Third, and Sixth Sword Peaks were utterly flabbergasted.

The booming sound from the giant cauldron caused Yun Xiao to pause momentarily. Then, with a nonchalant shrug and a grin that held a tinge of mockery, he addressed Yao Manxue, "Apologies, but the Sword Debate has concluded. Here I stand, triumphantly on the sword dueling platform, with your son's head under my foot, claiming the championship of this year's Sword Debate. According to the Azure Spirit Laws, what authority do you, the Sixth Sword Venerable, have to execute me?"

The crowd fell into an eerie silence, the weight of Yun Xiao's words hanging heavy in the air.

"The thousand-year demon bone and the twenty Dragon Spring Pills were supposed to be for Jiang Yue..."

"I heard on the Heavenly Path, the five-hundred-year-old demon bone that Ye Guying had meant to give Jiang Yue was also snatched by this guy..."

"This Yun Xiao is really fierce!"

Yun Xiao didn't just luck out. He earned his victory with genuine skill, stepping over the corpses of the First and Sixth Sword Peaks' disciples, securing more than sixty Sword Points, a good forty points ahead of the runner-up.

He led by a wide margin, seizing first place in the Sword Debate!

"Damn! In terms of prestige, combat, or even in the war of words, Yun Xiao and Senior Sister Zhao completely dominated those three Sword Peaks!"

"It's a complete loss of face..."

"If I were Yao Manxue, I would die of embarrassment right on the spot!"

"I wonder what expression the First Sword Venerable is wearing right now... must be quite a sight..."

The crowd buzzed with animated discussions. The competition between the seven major Sword Peaks of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect was not completely dominated by the First Sword Peak. Conflicting interests and disputes were common among them.

With the rise of the First Sword Peak over these past three years, many harbored their resentment, reluctant to voice their anger. Yet now, as the peak's prestige faltered, those who had suppressed their fury seized the opportunity to ridicule with gusto. A complete turnaround had unfolded. In just half an hour, Yun Xiao had etched an indelible impression across the entire Azure Spirit Sword Sect.

A naive youngster? Sorry, but what they were dealing with was a deadly figure draped in white—a ruthless yet charismatic force to be reckoned with. This form of charisma naturally drew people in, especially during his violent killings. Numerous female disciples of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect were spellbound, their hearts pounding wildly at his divine visage.

It was simple, really! While the world was teeming with beauties, there was only one Creator Immortal in millions of years. Even if only a shred of his skin remained, it was the epitome of perfection in the human world.

Before him, the likes of Wu Wu and Yao Manxue—despite being stronger elders—found themselves utterly dwarfed in presence.

"After all, Yun Xiao hasn't really broken any rules!" someone remarked.

"Stepping on Jiang Yue and killing her senior brothers and sisters might seem disrespectful, but the Sword Pavilion has endured too much humiliation over the years..."

It was precisely because of this, coupled with the fact that Yun Xiao held Jiang Yue's life in his hands, that despite Yao Manxue's raging fury that brought her to the brink of a breakdown, she found herself powerless amidst the gathered crowd and the watchful eyes of the guests.

"Esteemed Sword Venerables, you both are members of the Eight Swords Assembly, aren't you?" Yun Xiao looked down, a playful smile playing on his lips. The Eight Swords Assembly, a temporary organization constituted to oversee the Conclave, had essentially become his playground.

Ye Tiance headed the assembly, supported by three Vice Chairmen—Wu Wu, Yao Manxue, and Ye Guying. In Ye Guying's absence, the responsibilities fell squarely on Wu Wu and Yao Manxue's shoulders.

Holding onto Jiang Yue's hair, Yun Xiao grinned. "My Junior Sister Jiang just mentioned to me that she's quite eager to know today's champion of the Sword Debate. Could you both announce it loudly for her?

"Make sure to raise your voice a bit. She's having trouble hearing lately, might not catch it otherwise," he added with a smirk, giving Jiang Yue's hair a slight tug, causing her to whimper in pain.

Jiang Yue feared death immensely. Up till now, she remained a peerless talent, and her death would mean a significant loss. "Spit it out already!" she snapped at Wu Wu and Yao Manxue, her temper flaring.

Wu Wu and Yao Manxue exchanged a look.

"With Zhao Xuanran possessing a Sword Heart and the Sword Pavilion's Zhao Jianxing still having a killing power left, sooner or later, both will be annihilated. There's no need to..." Wu Wu voiced his apprehensions, wary of escalating the matter before the gathered guests.

"Enough, make the announcement!" Yao Manxue couldn't bring herself to lower her gaze, for doing so would force her to witness her son's despondent, unwilling death stare. Tears streamed unbridled from her eyes, a silent river of sorrow etched across a face that had seen too much tragedy.

Meanwhile, Wu Wu gritted his teeth so hard they could've turned to dust. The sense of humiliation choked him, stealing away his ability to breathe freely, let alone voice his discontent.

The two of them bore witness to the merciless slaughter of their offspring—one at the dawn of this nefarious saga, and the other at its dreadful climax. Standing helpless amidst the glaring irony of their predicament was a cruelty that surpassed all others.

Mustering every ounce of dignity left in him, Wu Wu projected his voice as loud as he could, announcing the declaration that singed his very soul. "This year's champion of the Sword Debate is... the Sword Pavilion's Yun Xiao!" After the words fled from his mouth, a surge of anger threatened to rupture his chest, a ballooning storm of fury desperate to find release.

Wu Wu and Yao Manxue's increasing rage, however, only served to intensify Yun Xiao's exhilaration. It was the essence of a delightful vendetta, a straightforward, primal law governing their world. You kill mine, and I kill yours! It was as straightforward as that!

The proceedings were far from over though. Yun Xiao held Jiang Yue firmly with one hand while extending the other towards Wu Wu, his voice booming across the grounds with a cocky bravado. "I've heard that this year's Sword Debate prize is the skull of a thousand-year-old Demon Emperor, isn't that so? Hand it over, if you please!"