Chapter 394: Tragedy, Despair, a Lifetime of Regret!

One after the other, the banquet's Sword Cultivators took their turns.

The bounty from their encounter with the Calamity Bone wasn't much to write home about, with their Sword Aura gains ranging from 20-100 layers at best. For these children from the elite families of the Primordial Ruins, such trifle gains were hardly worth their notice. Still, they were thankful to the Primordial Son for sharing the luck and broadening their horizons, or at least they made a show of it.

But with each one taking the stage, Song Bomei made a point to introduce them to Liu Yingying, laying it on thick. These young bloods, boasting top-tier Sword Souls, powerful Sword Auras, and superior Sword Rings, were born with silver spoons that could choke a dragon. Liu Yingying, listening in, seemed to be getting drawn into their world, her eyes sparkling with reverence and longing.

"Song Bomei, your turn! Show the brothers your Sword Soul," called out Huyan Luo from the head seat, smiling and beckoning after about 40 had had their go.

"With the Primordial Son's favor, how could I refuse?" Song Bomei grinned, glancing over at Liu Yingying.

She was tipsy, her cheeks flushed with drink, cupping her chin in her hands and squinting back at Song Bomei, all doe-eyed and smitten.

"One more showstopper, and she's surely mine," Song Bomei thought, striding confidently towards the Calamity Bone.

The crowd watched, full of anticipation, setting the stage for Song Bomei's moment.

HUM!

A Sword Soul materialized in Song Bomei's handan ice-blue beauty that flowed like liquid, elegant and mesmerizing. Its emergence sent a chill through the room, frosting everyone with a thin layer of ice.

"Ice River Sword Soul, Mid Yin grade, seven Sword Rings, 70,000 layers of Sword Aura... Song Bomei is something else," Liu Yingying murmured, utterly captivated.

"Yin grade? That's the thirteenth grade," Yun Xiao noted, his eyes blazing at the sight of the liquid-like, ice-blue Sword Soul.

Just then, Song Bomei plunged the Ice River Sword Soul into the Calamity Bone. The bone reacted, conjuring a phantom shark that snapped at him, but with 70,000 layers of Sword Aura at his command, Song Bomei handled it with ease, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.

And then, his Sword Aura began to surge!

The crowd watched and counted, their eyes widening with awe as the number of layers climbed higher and higher.

Eventually, many were left speechless.

"Over a thousand!"

That was far more than what the others had managed to draw.

"Congratulations!" Huyan Luo, having

lost

over 1,000 layers of Sword Aura, was far from stingy. Instead, he stood up and clapped three times for Song Bomei.

His lead prompted the other youths to join in with smiling praises.

"Brother Song's talent in the way of the sword is truly remarkable."

Song Bomei modestly responded with a smile, "I'm merely offering what little I have. The real marvel here is the Primordial Son."

"Indeed!"

"The Primordial Son is favored by the Human Zenith Immortal; he's destined for greatness in the Sword Dao."

Amidst the accolades, Song Bomei returned to his seat and modestly said to Liu Yingying, "That was just a small effort on my part."

"Master Song is too modest."

After her reply, Liu Yingying couldn't help but glance at Yun Xiao and make a mental comparison, shaking her head at the thought. Why did the capable remain humble, while the boastful lacked substance?

She didn't wish to elaborate further, hoping only that Lian Xi would see the truth for herselfthat all that glittered was not gold.

As the last few Sword Cultivators took their turn, Yun Xiao knew it was time for the show to begin.

He was eager to play his part.

From the crowd, the Primordial Son approached the Calamity Bone with a smile, scanning the room to ask, "Are there any more Sword Cultivators present? If not, I'll be taking the Calamity Bone back."

"I am," Yun Xiao stood up.

The crowd paused, their smiles fading into a mix of impatience and annoyance.

Interrupting the flow was one thing, but to step forward now?

"Brother Yun, aren't you an Inscription Cultivator?" Song Bomei asked in surprise.

"I'm a rare dual cultivator of both sword and sigil, possessing both a Sword Soul and a Life Sigil," Yun Xiao declared. Internally, he sneered.

Haven't your elders been watching me from the shadows long enough to figure that out?

If they hadn't pegged Yun Xiao as a Sword Cultivator with a

greedy

streak, they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of setting such a deadly trap.

"Sword and sigil dual cultivator?"

That little revelation caused quite a stir among the crowd, earning Yun Xiao a smidgen of newfound respect.

"Then, Brother Yun, please show us your Sword Soul," the Primordial Son said with a calm demeanor.

HUM!

Yun Xiao extended a finger, and from it sprang an azure Sword Soul, unadorned with Sword Rings and boasting just over 20,000 layers of Sword Aura.

Compared to the dazzling Sword Souls previously displayed, this azure blade seemed rather plain.

"This Sword Soul..." Huyan Luo gave Yun Xiao a measured look and said seriously, "Brother Yun, your Sword Aura layers are on the low side, which might not withstand the backlash from the Calamity Bone. It could be risky, so perhaps it's best to refrain."

"But I can't just step back," Yun Xiao insisted, his eyes fixed on the Calamity Bone. "Didn't the Primordial Son say everyone gets a chance? I'd like to give it a try!"

Lian Xi bit her lip to suppress a laugh upon hearing this. She knew he was putting on a show, playing up his cunning and greed... much like his incessant haggling for more tiger rod wine.

"Sigh!" Liu Yingying couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

How could someone be so shameless?

"Aren't you going to think it over?" Lian Xi couldn't resist playing along.

"Don't worry about me," Yun Xiao assured her.

Seeing this, Huyan Luo had no choice but to feign concern, "In that case, please proceed!"

"Thank you, Primordial Son." Yun Xiao's eyes sparkled with eagerness as he stepped forward, no longer hiding his desire for the Calamity Bone.

His face was a picture of insatiable greed, as if he was trying to swallow more than he could chew.

"How could Lian Xi fall for such a vulgar charmer?"

This question lingered in Liu Yingying's mind, as well as on the faces of the other noble offspring.

As Yun Xiao stood before the Calamity Bone, Huyan Luo and Song Bomei exchanged knowing smiles, a flash of cold intent passing between them. Hook, line, and sinker!

In that moment, all eyes were on Yun Xiao!

The atmosphere turned icy in an instant.

"May the Three True Immortals bless me, let this Calamity Bone teach this greedy fool a harsh lesson," Liu Yingying silently prayed.

No sooner had she finished her prayer than Yun Xiao extended his Sword Soul towards the Calamity Bone.

The Primordial Son and the others watched, their pupils shrinking in surprise.

They hadn't expected Yun Xiao to halt his sword yet again...

The crowd was momentarily stunned!

Yun Xiao turned to the Primordial Son with a serious look, "Given that this is a gift from the Human Zenith Immortal to you, it would be quite embarrassing if I accidentally absorbed too much."

The Primordial Son chuckled and gestured for him to proceed, "Please, don't worry about it."

"Then, I'm at ease."

After delivering his line with utter sincerity, Yun Xiao glanced back at the Calamity Bone, a sly smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

With a delicate move, he finally plunged the Heaven Burial Sword Soul into the Calamity Bone!

CRACK!

A tremor passed through, but for a moment, both the Calamity Bone and the Sword Soul remained still.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the half of the Sword Soul in his hand!

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"I've got a few hundred little critters burrowing into my Sword Soul, looks like they're trying to nibble at my soul," Yun Xiao murmured to Blue Star, barely audible.

"Soul-Eating Gu, quite rare, they feed on souls," Blue Star chuckled, "This kid really went all out to make your death look like an 'accident'."

"It seems these Three True Immortals and their descendants are all masterful at playing with Gu," Yun Xiao thought with a cold laugh.

Even at only 13 years old, the Primordial Son was ruthless! He dared to bait Yun Xiao with the most precious gift of his life, aiming to send him to his doom!

"Anyone else might have either avoided the trap or ended up soulless and dead, earning a notorious reputation for falling victim to such a scheme."

Unfortunately for them, they had lured Yun Xiao onto their hook.

He was like a vicious fish that could snap the fishing hook and drag the fisherman underwater!

With a gentle twist of his Heaven Burial Sword Soul, he turned those hundreds of Soul-Eating Gu, that specialized in devouring human souls, into black smoke.

For Yun Xiao, the backlash from the Calamity Bone was a non-issue.

So, when his eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief, he knew it was time.

Aside from Lian Xi, everyone was itching to see him make a fool of himself, to stumble into disaster!

So, he had to act fast.

"Absorb!" he commanded, having held back the Heaven Burial Sword Soul until this very moment, now unleashing its gaping maw.

BOOM!

The marrow of the Calamity Bone, like floodwaters breaching a dam, surged crazily towards the Heaven Burial Sword Soul.

The bone trembled, conjuring the visage of a shark, mouth agape!

"Backlash!" the Primordial Son's eyes flickered with a venomous light.

"Hehe," Song Bomei smirked, fanning himself coolly, his expression icy.

"This is going to be embarrassing..." Liu Yingying sighed, covering her head.

But instead of Yun Xiao's screams, they heard the Calamity Bone's shrieks!

Yes, that shark wasn't biting at Yun Xiao's Sword Soul; it was howling in agony, as if confronted with its worst nightmare.

"What in the world?" Song Bomei stood up so fast he knocked over the table.

"Ah...?" Liu Yingying, caught off balance, landed on the floor with a thud, her dignity bruised.

Their eyes bulged as they witnessed the Sword Aura on Yun Xiao's blade skyrocket!

"We must be seeing things."

They weren't the only ones rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

"This must be a joke, right...?"

They were here to watch Yun Xiao's downfall!

The moment was fleeting.

The once fierce Calamity Bone visibly dimmed, its ferocity fading before their eyes.

Even the Primordial Son, who would need five years to absorb the Calamity Bone, watched in shock as it turned into a white, lusterless skeleton in a mere breath. It lost all its splendor, yellowed, and crumbled into bone dust, scattering on the ground with a whisper.

Gone with the wind, without a trace left behind.

And on that Sword Soul, countless layers of Sword Aura converged into a vast azure sea, erupting in a piercing scream of sword cries that numbed everyone's ears!

Counting them was impossible in that moment. But if one were to give an estimate, it would be close to 300,000 layers!

Such a Sword Soul was no longer just a soul; it was a cataclysmic weapon...

Everyone witnessed this scene!

They watched the youth in white drain the Calamity Bone dry, then turn his focus to the sword in his hand, now brimming with 300,000 layers of Sword Aura.

"This can't be happening."

Their eyes rubbed raw in disbelief, their minds numbing.

Because they couldn't even begin to comprehend what this meant for the Primordial Son Despair? Tragedy? Words failed to capture it.

"Master Song, I think there's something wrong with my eyes!" Liu Yingying stood up, tugging at Song Bomei's sleeve with a nervous chuckle.

"My eyes must be failing me too... Did you see the Calamity Bone vanish?" Song Bomei started with a helpless laugh, then his body shook as he blurted out the rest.

"Yes..." Liu Yingying stood stiff as a board, as if struck by lightning.

Their exchange was overheard by many...

JustLivingJL's Thoughts