Immortal of the Ages

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In a dim courtyard, a few candles flickered weakly. Sword rays whistled, leaving deep scars on walls and rooftops.

THUD! Cai Maomao crashed to the ground, fresh bloody cuts on his legs. Two brilliant Sword Souls crossed at his throat.

“Get your ass over here!” Two burly Sword Cultivators shoved him in front of a young man in an orange robe. The boy was none other than the twelfth disciple of the Sword Venerable—Wang Feng!

Surrounded by the smirks of ten disciples from the First Sword Peak, the courtyard seemed more like a prison than a refuge. Their faces were carved with condescension, like cats toying with a particularly slow mouse.

Cai Maomao, fueled by a fire of indignation, snapped, "Let me clarify for the umpteenth time, there's no newbie called Yun Xiao in my Sword Pavilion!"

"Really now?" Thwap! Wang Feng slapped Cai Maomao hard enough to leave a bloody imprint on his face. "What about now? Is there a newbie called Yun Xiao here now?"

"Even if you kill me, the answer stays the same!" Cai Maomao glared fiercely at Wang Feng. "You've become quite audacious. Remember, the Sword Pavilion belongs to the main branch of Azure Spirit. You've no business acting so brash here."

The surrounding disciples erupted in laughter at his words.

"Azure Spirit's main branch?" One disciple sneered. "You mean the one that's almost extinct?"

"My dear friend, times have changed!" Wang Feng said, chuckling as he cruelly gripped Cai Maomao's hair. "Still intent on protecting him?"

Cai Maomao gritted his teeth, remaining silent. Wang Feng's cold gaze turned to a young man beside him. "Lin Yan! Chop off his hand. I'd love to see him practice swordsmanship after that."

Lin Yan was a fresh recruit, third in the Heavenly Path Trial today and was chosen by Yao Qingqian for the First Sword Peak.

"You wouldn't dare!" Cai Maomao paled. freeweb(n)ovel.com

"In your Sword Pavilion, dead men don't even get burials. Why would we be afraid of chopping off a hand?" Wang Feng laughed maliciously.

Injured and outnumbered, Cai Maomao couldn't break free in spite of his best efforts. The two holding him down, Wang Hu and Wang Qing, were Wang Feng's relatives from the mortal realm. Both were formidable Cultivators in the Late Dragon Spring Realm, with strength that rivaled his own.

"Wang Feng!" Cai Maomao's voice broke, desperate and raging.

Wang Feng smirked. "Lin Yan!"

"R-right!" Lin Yan's voice trembled slightly, his face tense. It was his first day, after all.

"Show them the ruthlessness of the First Sword Peak! Remember, we are the standard now." Wang Feng's voice was chillingly instructive.

"You guys are the disgrace of Azure Spirit, just demons in human form!" Cai Maomao spat back.

Ignoring him, Lin Yan steeled himself. As a new disciple of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect, he couldn't afford not to listen. Furthermore, entering Wang Feng’s circle was extremely important. This was his initiation.

HUM! Lin Yan's hands shimmered, and a Scarlet Sword Soul emerged, transforming into a Palm Sword in his grip. He eyed Cai Maomao's hand, pinned down and vulnerable. With gritted teeth, he raised his blade.

But in that tense moment, the half-open door of the courtyard burst open with a resounding crash. A young man in pristine white robes stepped in, his face the picture of serenity.

"I'm here. Release him." Yun Xiao's eyes briefly darted over to Cai Maomao, scanning his face and limbs. A glint of frosty determination flashed in his gaze.

"Halt!" Wang Feng, catching sight of the newcomer, swiftly signaled Lin Yan to hold his blade. He and his cohorts exchanged amused glances. Shrugging, Wang Feng commented, "Look, the frog's arrived."

"Frog? What are you on about?" Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow.

"I'm talking about my patented Sword Soul Skin Peeling Art'," Wang Feng replied with a mocking grin, sizing up Yun Xiao from head to toe. "You've got some nice skin, pretty boy. Pity about the soul inside. Perfect, I'll just peel you a new one."

"Skin Peeling?" Yun Xiao chuckled. "All I've got is skin."

"You get my drift?" Wang Feng ridiculed.

"Got it, loud and clear," Yun Xiao confirmed.

"You're not afraid?" Wang Feng seemed taken aback.

"Yun Xiao, get out of here! They're ruthless, they're after you!" Cai Maomao warned, his voice dripping with desperation.

Yun Xiao spared him another glance. He hadn't expected that their bond, formed over a simple meal, would be so profound.

"Senior Brother Cai, isn't anyone in charge here?" Yun Xiao asked.

"This is an isolated peak," Cai Maomao replied, his face ashen.

"Gotcha," Yun Xiao nodded, understanding dawning on him. But he didn't budge.

Wang Feng, hearing their conversation, was on the verge of laughter. His patience was wearing thin. "Lin Yan, didn't you say that during the Heavenly Path Trial, you were the strongest, just unlucky?" He motioned toward Yun Xiao. "Here, have some fun with this little frog."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Wang!" Lin Yan's eyes sparkled with anticipation. He possessed an Upper Meteor grade Sword Soul while Yun Xiao's Green Lotus Sword Soul was only Lower Meteor grade. During the distribution of rewards, Lin Yan had indeed coveted Yun Xiao's five-hundred-year-old demon bone.

With a metallic clang, Lin Yan gripped his Scarlet Sword Soul and advanced toward Yun Xiao. "Yun Xiao," he sneered, "Your first place in the Heavenly Path Trial means noth—"

Suddenly, Yun Xiao disappeared into a white blur, and a streak of azure light shot forward.

"What the—?" Lin Yan exclaimed. And then, a soft thud rang out. He hadn't even lifted his head when a streak of azure light pierced through his brow. A sword through the head!

The azure blade flew out the other end and lodged itself into a stone pillar. The sound of it vibrated ominously. Lin Yan's eyes rolled back, a look of shock cemented in his last moments, before he collapsed lifelessly.

With a sudden whirl, Heaven Burial flew back into Yun Xiao's grip. "That's the best the Heavenly Path has to offer?" he remarked, glancing at Wang Feng and shaking his head.

The courtyard fell eerily silent. Everyone seemed rooted to the spot, their faces reflecting a myriad of emotions.

"You dare to kill a disciple of the First Sword Peak?" Wang Hu, who had Cai Maomao in custody, stated in disbelief.

"In front of us, no less?" Wang Qing, standing nearby, added, his voice filled with shock.

"Yep, just like slaughtering a chicken," Yun Xiao responded nonchalantly.

"You!" Wang Feng's initial shock quickly transformed into seething rage. The reason? He noticed that Yun Xiao's Sword Soul radiated with five layers of Sword Aura, indicating that he had fully assimilated the demon bone—a demon bone that was five hundred years old. It usually took a Dragon Spring Realm cultivator at least five days to refine such a treasure. Yet, Yun Xiao had managed to do it in just a few hours?

"No way... D-did you really just...?" Cai Maomao was also dumbfounded. The situation was already looking pretty bad for the two of them. So, why did Yun Xiao have to escalate it even more and kill someone? Now, they were screwed for sure. The sight of Lin Yan, his lifeblood seeping into the earthen floor, only raised tensions even more.

"You dare to kill one of my people?" Wang Feng's eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Yun Xiao. "Choose now! Kneel and accept your fate, or shall I personally send you to your doom?" Before the words fully left his mouth, a white silhouette darted past him.

"What the—?" Wang Feng turned to see Yun Xiao, already lunging at Wang Hu and Wang Qing.

"Enough talk. Bro Cai!" Yun Xiao commanded, his eyes sharp as blades.

"I understand! Let's do this!" Cai Maomao roared, summoning his own Sword Soul and seizing the moment to spring into action.

"You two are dead meat!" Both Wang Hu and Wang Qing were at the Late Dragon Spring Realm, one realm higher than Yun Xiao. Their Sword Souls emanated three layers of Sword Aura. Wang Hu's Sword Soul in particular was quite thick, resembling a greatsword.

Clang! Wang Hu's Sword Soul had originally been pressing down on Cai Maomao's neck. But with Yun Xiao's swift and lethal attack, he had no choice but to defend himself.

Yun Xiao loosed another strike of his blade. He had honed his skills on the battlefield, mastering the art of killing. He was fast, precise, and ruthless.

"A Lower Meteor-grade Sword Soul?" Wang Hu sneered. His own Sword Soul was Upper Meteor-grade, augmented with three layers of Sword Aura. It was as sturdy as black iron! With confidence, he met the attack head-on. Klang! A flash of azure clashed with his Sword Soul. Then, the piercing screech of blade against blade reverberated in the air, sending sparks flying.

"Think you can match my Sword Soul? You're noth—?" Wang Hu's taunt halted abruptly, his expression freezing in shock. Crack... Boom! His Sword Soul shattered in an instant, its splintering fragments illuminating the courtyard like a brilliant fireworks display. The explosion sent his big figure crashing into the wall.

With his Sword Soul broken, his soul was obliterated. Wang Hu's eyes rolled back, his body convulsed, and froth escaped his lips. For a Sword Cultivator, this fate was worse than death. Not only would he be rendered useless, but also mindless. The way of the sword is a perilous path indeed.

"Wang Hu!" Wang Feng's entourage let out a collective gasp. He had been Wang Feng's top warrior. Whose Sword Soul could be so powerful that it could instantly shatter an opponent's during combat?

"This guy is no joke!" Wang Feng was finally starting to grasp the gravity of the situation. But it was too late. Yun Xiao moved with the ferocity of a storm. Once he decided to kill, he did so without hesitation.

Standing tall and solitary like a lone peak, after obliterating Wang Hu's Sword Soul, Yun Xiao swiftly turned his attention to Wang Qing, who was already engaged in battle with Cai Maomao.

"Huh?" Wang Qing was caught off-guard. After catching a glimpse of Wang Hu being sent flying from the corner of his eye, he saw Yun Xiao spin around and transform his Palm Sword into a Flying Sword. With a swift motion, the young man in white released the blade, sending it hurtling through the air. A flash of azure followed.

"Bro Feng! Save me!" Wang Qing's desperate cry barely left his lips when Cai Maomao pinned down his Sword Soul with sheer ferocity. He was trapped, unable to escape the onslaught.

"No!" Wang Qing's eyes widened in terror. But before he could react further, a brilliant azure light flashed before him. Thud! The blue light pierced straight through his chest, leaving a bloody hole the width of three inches right where his heart should be.

Staggering backward, Wang Qing managed only three steps. His eyes were fixed on Yun Xiao, wide in disbelief and brimming with sheer terror. He fell backward, blood pooling around him, painting the ground a gruesome shade of crimson.

"Wang Qing!" Wang Feng's eyes turned bloodshot. Another person had died, just like that. He never imagined that Yun Xiao would take out three people so quickly. By the time he returned to his senses and moved to intercept Yun Xiao, the lethal Flying Sword had already struck its target.

Wang Qing was no more. Yet, Wang Feng's attack only left a scratch on Yun Xiao's arm.

"Hah!" Yun Xiao barely spared the fresh wound a glance. He transformed his Sword Soul back into a Palm Sword and coolly turned to face Wang Feng. His gaze was cold and indifferent, piercing right through his opponent like he was looking at a bug.

The six other members of Wang Feng's entourage quickly hid behind him. Their eyes trembled as they looked at Yun Xiao, hardly daring to breathe. Wang Hu and Wang Qing were stronger than any of them. Yet both had been killed in a single strike! They could hardly be blamed for being scared!

Many people who liked to act tough were actually cowards in reality. When faced with a real opponent, their legs trembled, betraying their fear.

"Junior Brother Yun..." Cai Maomao murmured, walking over to Yun Xiao's side. As he stared at this seemingly harmless young man before him, his mind buzzed with all sorts of thoughts, words escaping him. The three bodies on the ground sent shivers down his spine. The conflict had long escalated past the point of reconciliation.

"Wang Feng is the twelfth disciple of the Sword Venerable. He joined the Azure Spirit Sword Sect just two months ago. Since then, he's already advanced two stages and reached the Perfect Dragon Spring Realm, meaning his dragon has four claws," Cai Maomao explained, gnashing his teeth. That was two levels above Yun Xiao!

Yun Xiao observed that Wang Feng also had a five-layer Sword Aura. On top of that, Wang Feng's Sword Soul was also Lower Comet grade! It was precisely because of this that he was accepted as a disciple of the Sword Venerable!

Within the Azure Spirit Sword Sect, the status of the Sword Venerable's disciple was comparable to that of an elder.

"Maybe we should..." Cai Maomao's heart raced, contemplating the idea of escaping with Yun Xiao. But with their hands stained in blood, where could they possibly run to? Before he could finish his thought, Wang Feng spoke in a chilling tone, "Yun Xiao, you've taken the lives of three top disciples from the First Sword Peak... Your worthless life can't even begin to repay the debt!"

"Huh, is that right? I only killed three. Round it down, and it's like I killed none," Yun Xiao quipped.

"Making jokes even now. You really are something else! No matter what you say, three people still died at your hands tonight!" Wang Feng shouted in anger.

Yun Xiao chuckled, "Fine then. I'll kill a few more to make it a round number." How many did he mean by round? Ten, of course! He planned to wipe every single last one of them out, including Wang Feng.

"Wait, let's n—." Cai Maomao cried out. He reached out but only managed to grab onto the young man's sleeve for a brief moment before it slipped away. He couldn't stop Yun Xiao.

"You frog... Do you truly not understand what it means to be the Sword Venerable's disciple?" Wang Feng asked, his face contorted in rage. As he brandished his Comet grade Desert Sand Sword Soul, the courtyard was instantly filled with a swirling sandstorm. The power of his Sword Soul could actually control and utilize sand in battle!

The two seemed poised for a deadly confrontation when suddenly... A bone-chilling voice sounded from behind Yun Xiao. "It seems I've found the killer of Swordking Ye's little brother."

"Who?" Cai Maomao felt his spine tingle. Whipping around, he spotted a stunning woman in a red dress, inspecting the corpse of Lin Yan. The gaping wound on his forehead was disintegrating, turning into a sinister black smoke.

"The same type of Sword Soul inflicted decay was found on Ye Guao's wound as well!" With a thud, the woman in red dropped Lin Yan's body. Boom! Her overwhelming power, a testament to her Divine Sea Realm strength, bore down on Yun Xiao. Her intent to kill was palpable. Her icy eyes, reminiscent of a frozen wasteland, were locked onto him..

"Earlier today at the Sword Inheritance Platform, when you said you hadn't even killed a dog... It was that very specifically phrased statement that made me suspicious of you." She was Yao Qingqian, Elder Yao!

Wang Feng had learned of Yun Xiao's whereabouts from her. And she had followed him. Though, she never expected to witness such a scene. Now, she narrowed her eyes and tilted her chin up slightly, studying the young man in white with an unyielding coldness. "Did you know Yun Xiao? Those who keep secrets and try to act clever on the Immortal Path, thinking they can deceive people... they all meet with very gruesome ends...!"