Chapter 126 - One Billion Sword Scars

The Sky Shining Stone illuminated the sky as a shadow loomed over the entirety of the celestial ship.

Genius disciples from the various territories and realms below the Immortal Empire were understandably fearful of the impending wrath of the Grand Temple. Consequently, they kept a respectful distance from Yun Xiao and Chen Xi.

With Chen Xi at the helm, the celestial ship soared skywards!

Yun Xiao, on the other hand, stood by the ship's edge, gazing out over the boundless sea of clouds.

At that moment, a burly youth with striking violet eyes approached Yun Xiao. His wild, curly hair seemed to dance with a vitality of its own, and his imposing presence felt like a mountain. The magic power he radiated was thick, nearly tangible, and carried a strong oppressive sensation.

"Sword Cultivator?" the youth asked in a deep, raspy voice.

"Yes," Yun Xiao nodded.

"Stray Dog," the youth said, extending a massive hand towards Yun Xiao.

"Stray Dog?" Yun Xiao paused, slightly puzzled.

"It's my name!" The burly youth, used to such confusion, chuckled, "It's a reference to an old saying—'The universe is indifferent, treating everything as stray dogs.' You can just call me Dog Bro if you'd like."

"Dog Bro?" Yun Xiao quirked an eyebrow, "You know, I've just angered some powerful entities in the Heavenly Realm. Associating with me might bring you bad luck."

"No worries!" The youth grinned confidently, "I've got powerful backers. I'm golden!"

"Must be nice," Yun Xiao commented. He then pulled out a flask of wine, offering, "Name's Yun Xiao. How about we toast to a new friendship?"

"Oh no," the youth hurriedly declined, shaking his head, "I can't hold my liquor. Not even a sip."

Yun Xiao blinked. "...Seriously?"

"Would you prefer some goji berry tea instead? It's good for health and soothes the soul," Stray Dog offered with a sheepish smile.

"You drink your tea, I'll stick with my wine," Yun Xiao said, chuckling. A figure as formidable as a dragon, yet concerned about his health?

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

And so, the two leaned against the ship's rail, enjoying their respective beverages while taking in the sea of clouds.

"Hey, buddy, let's see that Sword Soul of yours," Stray Dog blurted out, ever the straightforward one.

"Why?" Yun Xiao asked.

"Just curious. I've seen a lot in my time, but never a Sword Cultivator," Stray Dog admitted.

"Sure thing." Without hesitation, Yun Xiao took a swig from his flask with one hand, while with the other, he summoned his Sword Soul—radiant with four Sword Rings and a hundred layers of Sword Aura.

"Damn!" With just that one word, Stray Dog precisely conveyed his feelings of having his world turned upside down.

"Not too shabby, huh?" Yun Xiao sheathed his Sword Soul, a faint smile on his lips.

"A monarch among men, an emperor among swords! No wonder you're so cocky!" Stray Dog raised his tea cup. "In place of wine, I toast with tea—to you!"

KLANK!

Their cups met in a brief toast.

"Who would've thought that in this era, such a prodigious Sword Cultivator could emerge. It's impressive," Stray Dog remarked with a hint of nostalgia.

"Is it that rare?" Yun Xiao asked, curious. From their conversations, it sounded like the lineage of Sword Cultivators wasn't particularly dominant.

Yet, he knew that the entire potential of Sword Cultivators was channeled into lethality. They were the fiercest desperados—strong in offense but weaker in defense. Still, they were formidable, right? Surely, stronger than other Cultivators of the same realm?

"Exceptionally rare! Among the ninety-nine territories of the Heavenly Realm's Immortal Empire, even those with the talent for Sword Soul often dare not pursue the way of the sword. Your courage to become a Sword Cultivator is itself admirable!" Stray Dog said, his gaze intense. "My old man used to say, always be wary of everyone, but if you come across a Sword Cultivator, there's a good chance they're worth getting close to."

"Why wouldn't someone with a Sword Soul cultivate it?" Yun Xiao inquired.

"You're a Sword Cultivator and you don't even know the basics?" Stray Dog looked puzzled.

"In my realm, all are Sword Cultivators. Having a Sword Soul means you're a cut above the rest," Yun Xiao explained.

Upon hearing that, Stray Dog was dumbfounded for a moment.

"I thought you were extraordinarily brave, but turns out you just didn't know the risks," he said, shaking his head with amusement.

"Care to elaborate?" Yun Xiao pressed.

"It's simple, because of the demons," Stray Dog began.

"What do you mean?" Yun Xiao was lost.

"What fuels the growth of your Sword Aura?" Stray Dog asked.

"Demon bones!"

"What's embedded on your sword?"

"Sword Rings!"

"And where do the Sword Rings come from?"

"I refine the flesh and blood of demons to condense Blood Crystal Sword Rings," Yun Xiao stated.

"Using bones for aura, and flesh for rings, skinning and flaying... don't you think the demons despise you?" Stray Dog chuckled.

"They do!" Yun Xiao nodded.

"But demons don't despise other cultivators quite as much," Stray Dog added.

"So, they have it out for Sword Cultivators?" Yun Xiao quirked an eyebrow.

"You think? Just imagine," the scruffy fellow, whom folks just called Stray Dog, began, "your kin's flesh refined, hung upon a blade, whipped daily. How'd you feel? Every demon in this land bears a vendetta against Sword Cultivators so deep, it tears at their very souls. An enmity that spans generations."

"If they didn't harm or eat humans, they wouldn't face retribution," Yun Xiao replied coolly. "Regardless of their grudges, they deserve their fate."

"Stubbornness!" Stray Dog sighed faintly. "It's that very stubbornness that led to the decline of Sword Cultivators. Now, none stand tall among them."

"Decline?" Yun Xiao mused. He had always believed that the world teemed with Sword Cultivators, thinking of them as just another type of cultivator. It seemed he was mistaken.

"Once, they were a force to be reckoned with, shining brightly under the sun. Their realm echoed throughout the Immortal Empire, considered the mightiest of territories. But, alas, that's ancient history," Stray Dog remarked, gazing at the sky.

"I've never heard of it. Nor does the Sea of Swords mention anything. Seems like it truly was ages ago," Yun Xiao said, shaking his head with a chuckle. The mightiest territory of the Immortal Empire? Not a soul in the entire Sword Realm knew this piece of history.

"And then?" Yun Xiao asked, a calmness in his eyes.

"Then, the Demon Continent descended," Stray Dog said.

"The Demon Continent?" Yun Xiao turned to him.

"You've not heard of the Demon Continent?" Stray Dog felt, this lad had been quite sheltered.

"I haven't."

"The Demon Continent, a vast expanse of land, its origins unknown, appeared above the Divine Continent, hidden amidst the heavenly clouds. Unlike the Divine Continent, this realm teems with demons. From that day, their influence surged. The once dwindling demons of the Divine Continent grew in power, expanding like never before... And to this day, the Demon Continent looms overhead like a haunting nightmare," Stray Dog explained, looking towards the endless horizon.

"So then..." Yun Xiao murmured, already anticipating the next chapter of the tale.

Those demonic rulers of the Demon Continent once declared, “Humans and demons can coexist, but Sword Cultivators must die,” Straw Dog recounted.

Yun Xiao's voice rasped slightly, “So, they meant that the Demon Continent would permit non-aggression between humans and demons, under the condition that all Sword Cultivators are eradicated?”

To make such a brazen proclamation showed that Demon Continent was more formidable than the Divine Continent.

“More or less,” Straw Dog began, “though it's more intricate than that. After the Demon Continent descended, it waged wars against the great Immortal Empires of the Divine Continent for thousands of years. That era was the Divine Continent's darkest, marked by devastation. The eventual outcome? Humans were defeated, suffering severe casualties. It was against this backdrop that the Heavenly Demon Emperor announced that while humans and demons can live, Sword Cultivators must perish. So...” He cast a somewhat regretful glance at Yun Xiao.

“The Sword Cultivators were forsaken,” Yun Xiao murmured, his lips quivering with suppressed emotion. This might be ancient history, but the injustice of it still stung. How many lives were lost in that devastating defeat?

“Forsaken? That's a rather mild way of putting it,” Straw Dog remarked, placing a heavy hand on Yun Xiao's shoulder. “From what I've gathered, the Sword Cultivators were betrayed. Does that rile you up, my friend?”

“A bit,” Yun Xiao admitted.

“Just a bit?” Straw Dog huffed. “From my findings, the once-illustrious Sword Realm, where almost everyone was a Sword Cultivator, and was the Divine Continent's pride, was almost completely annihilated after that war. The scant population of Sword Cultivators now is mostly because the survivors and their descendants migrated there after the war. I've done my research. In that battle, nearly a billion people from the Sword Realm perished.”

“A billion?” Yun Xiao clenched his fists tightly on the ship's railing.

“Yes. By conservative estimates, about a billion descendants of the Sword Realm were sold to the demons... These heroes ensured peace between the Divine Continent and Demon Continent for countless generations. When you reach the Heavenly Realm, you’ll see a monument dedicated to the Sword Dao. It's marked with a billion sword scars. Each represents a life lost during that conflict.”

“Heroes?” Yun Xiao scoffed bitterly. “More like they were coerced into heroism.” He had always believed that the sinister affairs between the Forbidden Tower and the Grand Wasteland were exceptions, anomalies in history. He never imagined that such events had age-old origins and were, in fact, historically recurrent occurrences. Sacrificing a few for the sake of lasting peace.

"Who am I supposed to ask if you ask me?" Seeing the bloodshot in Yun Xiao's eyes, Stray Dog patted him lightly on the shoulder, sighing. "Don't dwell on it. It's ancient history now. Who knows how many years have passed? Those who died back then have probably been reincarnated countless times. In the Heavenly Realm, even the Sword Dao Monument is considered an old relic. Most of the younger generations aren't moved by it anymore."

"Indeed, time has been kind," Yun Xiao murmured, looking down.

"At the end of the day, the root of all troubles is weakness! If the humans of the Divine Continent prevailed and wiped out the demons, would we have a situation like this today where demons run amok?" Stray Dog gave another hearty pat on Yun Xiao's shoulder. "I despise those demons as much as you do, wishing the whole Demon Continent would just vanish. But we need to face reality. They're stronger than us. Even in the War of Immortals in the Heavenly Realm, if they decide to send their talented demons, we can't utter a word."

"Right! When the enemy is strong, the best strategy is to sacrifice a few and beg for mercy," Yun Xiao said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You sound just like a Sword Cultivator!" Stray Dog chuckled. "Just like what my old man used to say about you folks. You're a bunch who never gives up, who fights to the end. No bigger picture in sight, just relentless combat."

"True, people like that are easily manipulated by the cunning. Sent to die as cannon fodder, and then commemorated with a grand monument. Not to honor the dead, but to cover up one's own guilt," Yun Xiao remarked.

Stray Dog was silent for a while. "You don't need to immerse yourself in that ancient story. And after so many years, countless leaders have come and gone. Those who made decisions back then have likely undergone numerous reincarnations. Why should the descendants bear the grudges and mistakes of their ancestors?" He gave a wry smile, adding, "As descendants, all we can do is cherish the hard-won peace we have now."