Chapter 423: Malicious Compliance!
Chapter 423: Malicious Compliance!
This was a scene many masters at the Primordial Academy could only dream of, a sight turned into sheer longing after the loss of the Primordial Triforce Sword Art.
"Yun Xiao!!" Tens of thousands of academy disciples and elders fixated their eyes on the young man in white, wielding an azure sword, and the ashen remains before him.
A sword strike that obliterated a person into dust, turning bone into script! Was this a method of killing? No, this was the art of swordsmanship at its peak!
The ferocity of Yun Xiao\'s strike was such that even the elders in the guest area were taken aback, a testament to its power.
In the aftermath, everyone remained in a state of shock.
KLANG! A sharp, cold, gold-black sword light screamed through the air, covering a hundred meters in an instant to strike at Yun Xiao\'s back.
"Wasn\'t this supposed to be a contest among the younger generation?"
Yun Xiao sensed the murderous intent, unflustered, with a cold smile on his face.
It turned out the Three Immortals Lineage couldn\'t accept defeat after all!
Just as the enraged Flying Sword was about to pierce through Yun Xiao\'s heart, a blue and white Flying Sword, like river torrents, came from the side, entwining around the murderous sword intent, covering it like a blue cloth and nullifying its lethal force on the spot!
Yun Dahe appeared beside Yun Xiao. He retrieved the transformed fabric-like blue and white Sword Soul and retracted it into his body.
"You\'re a guest, and after losing your son, you resort to murder in the Mystic Zenith Temple." Yun Dahe shook his head and sighed.
With his intervention, the assassination attempt with the Flying Sword failed and had already flown back.
BOOM! A man in a black robe with disheveled hair now stood beside the remains turned to dust.
It was indeed the Drunken Mad Sword. His eyes were bloodshot, his beard quivering, and his aura brimming with murderous intent. The sword that had attempted to kill Yun Xiao in an instant was his Sword Soul!
"All talk about leaving it to the younger generation, yet the moment your own loses, you immediately seek revenge. Quite the double standard you play," Yun Xiao recovered and promptly gave the Drunken Mad Sword a thumbs-up.
"Yun Xiao, shut up!" The disciples of the Pathseeker Society finally came to their senses, their eyes red with rage, glaring at him. Huyan Qing was but a minor character; his death was at most a loss of face. But the loss of Can Nian was entirely different!
Within the Mystic Zenith Temple, all from the Three Immortals Lineage were enraged, with murderous intent from all directions converging into a bloody river, all wrapping around Yun Xiao.
"If you want to kill me, please do it in private. To make a move publicly now is just sore losing, falling short of a Celestial Official\'s stature. Get lost quickly, don\'t interfere with my ascension to the position of Crown." Yun Xiao\'s words once again sent shivers down many spines.
"Is he really courting death by offending the descendants of the Three Immortals?"
"After all, even after killing Can Nian, begging for mercy would be useless; might as well go all out, right?"
"To be honest, when he spared Tian Yuxue earlier, I really thought he chickened out, only daring to bully the weak."
"Forget everything else, just for this courage, I\'m impressed."
"He\'s worthy of Lian Xi."
Before the Drunken Mad Sword could respond, the surrounding disciples of the Primordial Academy were already buzzing with discussion.
The Drunken Mad Sword, at this moment, was also the center of attention!
Having failed to kill Yun Xiao with his strike and no longer having the chance to act, he silently knelt down, sweeping his son\'s ashes into an empty wine jar and also conveniently taking the seven fallen Yin Immortal Sword Rings.
After packing up, when he looked up, Yun Xiao saw that his eyes were full of blood vessels.
He suddenly chuckled, announcing publicly, "You, and everyone who protects you, won\'t die easily. I have tens of thousands of little darlings here that will make you regret coming to this world, and you\'ll have plenty of time to enjoy them."
Such words made many from the Academy Faction shudder.
The ruthlessness of the descendants of the Three Immortals were well known to everyone.
Yet, Yun Xiao merely smiled and said, "Save it. Apart from impotent rage, there\'s nothing you can do."
The Drunken Mad Sword\'s bloodshot eyes shifted from Yun Xiao to Yun Dahe. He raised an eyebrow, a cold smile playing on his lips as he asked, "Brother Yun, what\'s the verdict today?"
Yun Dahe rubbed his head, glanced at Yun Xiao, and said with resignation, "This child has indeed been a bit too mischievous, offending the Celestial Official. I hope you can overlook this. The Mystic Zenith Temple is a place that values reason. Following the process, I believe the Temple Head will deliver a verdict that satisfies everyone."
"How many days does the process take?" the Drunken Mad Sword asked coldly.
"No more than three days," Yun Dahe replied with a sheepish smile. "Please understand, our Primordial Academy is just and strict. This is the purpose of the Mystic Zenith Temple\'s existence, to never wrong anyone. The five-day trial process is a unique feature established by the Mystic Zenith Temple!"
His implication was clear—the Three Immortals Lineage had essentially shot themselves in the foot.
The five-day trial was initially designed to give disciples of the Three Immortals Lineage time to find exculpatory evidence or bribe someone to take their place.
"Enjoy the last three days of sunlight, and hope nobody is foolish enough to assassinate you," the Drunken Mad Sword said, completely shedding his anger from his son\'s death, his expression chillingly sly.
"You also know losing me with a single sword would be too great a loss, right?" Yun Xiao laughed.
This was the effect he wanted. Provoking them aggressively would actually make these three days more peaceful; otherwise, he\'d be harassed by Flying Swords everywhere, annoyed to death.
The Drunken Mad Sword gave him one last look before turning to leave. He had initially planned to return directly to the Human Zenith Ruins, but thinking of Tian Zhixiu, he decided to return to his seat instead.
"Condolences." Tian Yulan, who had also been infuriated by Yun Xiao, could empathize with the Drunken Mad Sword the most.
"We underestimated him," the Drunken Mad Sword said, lying back in his chair, his eyes cold. "This kid, he\'s got something."
"How much exactly, we\'ll know in three days," the oldest, Celestial Official Qin, said, his face still calm. "Yun Dahe also mentioned the three-day matter. By then, they have no reason to forcibly protect him, nor can they use the rules of the Mystic Zenith Temple as an excuse. There\'s no need for us to rush."
"The day after Three Immortals Day?" Tian Yulan asked.
"Mm," Qin Tian Official nodded.
"Then, it should be resolved on Three Immortals Day," the Drunken Mad Sword said.
They hadn\'t expected that such dignitaries across the entire Primordial Ruins would be publicly humiliated by a child leveraging the laws of the Mystic Zenith Temple.
"The question is, what next?" The Drunken Mad Sword and Celestial Official Qin\'s gaze fell on Tian Yulan.
At that moment, Tian Zhixiu and Qin Ziyue had both entered the top four. According to the sequence, the next battle would be Yun Xiao versus Tian Zhixiu.
To fight or not to fight?
Tian Yulan frowned. "There\'s something odd about this kid. He\'s clearly not in the Five Decays, yet his sacred power is very strong."
"I\'ve studied the Primordial Triforce Sword Art; it\'s definitely lost. No one in the Primordial Academy knows it," the Drunken Mad Sword said.
"Yun Xiao is clearly set on continuing his killing spree to seize the position of Crown. Judging from his confidence, both Tian Zhixiu and Qin Ziyue are in grave danger. We\'ve already lost Can Nian. Until we unravel the mystery behind this boy, we can\'t afford to fight anymore," Celestial Official Qin said gravely.
"To surrender without a fight, allowing a disciple from the Academy Faction to become the youngest Crown, would completely ruin our strategy of having Tian Zhixiu lead the youth. It would be a disgrace, especially before Three Immortals Day, and would only boost the confidence of those foolish dogs from the Academy Faction..."
After the Drunken Mad Sword finished, he looked again at Tian Yulan and asked, "Tian Zhixiu is in the Mid Five Decays Realm, having survived two of the Five Decays tribulations, with the power of two declines. Are you sure you won\'t let him try? A child who has been unbeaten in the Primordial Academy, with such strong belief, making him surrender would shatter his Dao Heart."
"In life, there are battles we know are risky, but we must fight them. Overcoming obstacles and climbing the heavenly ladder is the essence of cultivation..." Celestial Official Qin pursed his lips. "Ziyue might be okay; Can Nian was defeated, she knows she wouldn\'t stand a chance. The main concern is Tian Zhixiu; he is a child with spirit."
Tian Yulan\'s beautiful brows were knitted in struggle.
"Mother, don\'t let brother fight. This man is a devil, our nemesis..." Tian Yuxue said, trembling.
"Silence!" Tian Yulan glared at her.
"Yuxue, don\'t speak such disheartening words. We, the descendants of the Three Immortals, are the sovereigns of the Primordial Ruins. With us here, we have no rivals," the Drunken Mad Sword said sternly.
"..." Tian Yuxue bowed her head, no longer daring to speak.
After struggling, Tian Yulan, seeing Tian Zhixiu and Qin Ziyue approaching, said, "Let\'s respect the child\'s wishes."
In a moment, Tian Zhixiu and Qin Ziyue stood before them.
"Mother, uncles," Tian Zhixiu\'s gaze was calm, "Do you wish for me to admit defeat?"
Tian Yulan remained silent, looking at her son.
"If so, I will take my own life right here," Tian Zhixiu said calmly and seriously.
"Why go to such lengths?" Tian Yulan sighed softly.
"To be born a descendant of the Three Immortals, to wield control over the myriad worlds of the Primordial Ruins, we are meant to tread upon thousands of enemies, unmatched in the world. To surrender without fighting would be a shame to the Three Immortals, unworthy of the celestial blood flowing through our veins, I\'d be better off dead!" Tian Zhixiu declared with a fiery gaze.