Chapter 052 - In This World, Only I Love You

At these words, a collective gasp cut through the crowd, as though the chill night air had been drawn into every chest.

The youth stood with a white robe flowing about him, an ethereal beauty marked on his countenance, as if a celestial being had graced the earth. But his temperament? It sure had character!

Ye Tiance knew it all too well. The Eight Swords Conclave, a forum for fierce dueling and intense debate. Just two days in, and he felt like this youth had already torn him to shreds from the inside out.

“Heh heh heh...” Ye Tiance clenched his fists, a wild and frenzied laugh echoing through the night.

"Yup, you senile old fart. Laugh your ass off!" Yun Xiao cursed. Expecting him to release someone? They must be dreaming a dream as grand as the ages!

"There's the Third Sword Peak still. Hurry up and pour, don’t delay my return to the Sword Pavilion for moon viewing." Yun Xiao finished with a raised eyebrow and a smile to Ye Tiance, "I'm even dragging your dad along for my moon viewing. Generous, right?"

Grinding his teeth, Ye Tiance chose silence. Elsewhere, Elder Liu Xuan of the Third Sword Peak had hoped they could evade this calamity. Alas, evasion was but a fleeting dream.

"Elder Liu, rest assured, this filth will not tarnish your ancestors. Even though Wu Wu and his family are wiped out, I still have to send them some gifts on the road to the underworld!" Yun Xiao said with a grin.

Upon hearing this, the crowd was stunned.

"Pour pour pour!!" Now, all Liu Xuan wished for was a swift end to this matter, a chance to seek a solution. And so, the large crowd turned towards the final, Third Sword Peak. But this time, the direct followers of Ye Tiance, Yao Manxue, and Zhang Jian stayed at the First Sword Peak and did not follow.

"Bearing this great humiliation, they won't wait for Ye Guying to return. They must be pondering some sick schemes," Zhao Xuanran said, riding a Sovereign Sword beside Yun Xiao against the night wind.

"I know." Yun Xiao turned back, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Senior Sister Zhao, it's not over yet!"

"It’s not over..." Zhao Xuanran’s eyes solidified on the youth, her chest filled with turbulent waves. It’s not over yet? Just after saying this, they reached the Third Sword Peak.

SPLASH!

The final dumping of waste was sent as a farewell gift for Wu Wu on the road to the underworld.

“His ancestors will surely reward him for receiving this generous gift!" Yun Xiao finally laughed, a pure and sunny laugh.

"Pfft!" Zhao Xuanran stifled a laugh in amusement. At times he seemed cool and distant, other times mischievous like a child. Appearing indifferent, yet harboring a hatred for evil. Was he a graceful Sword Immortal wandering between heaven and earth or a heroic figure in the mundane world?

In Zhao Xuanran’s eyes, these two images perfectly overlapped in Yun Xiao. Or perhaps, the Creator Immortal and the mortal Yun Xiao perfectly merged into one.

"Elder Liu!" After all the filth had been poured out, Yun Xiao's voice suddenly rang out, calling that Liu Xuan.

"What do you want?" Liu Xuan, taken aback, suddenly realized he was surrounded only by a little over a hundred Third Sword Peak elders, and none were standing by his side.

This was normal. He was a temporary replacement, unlike Wu Wu and Wu Yi, who had the backing of a large family. Now that the Third Sword Peak was in shambles, his authority was minimal, and he was merely seen as Ye Tiance's lackey.

"What realm are you in, Elder Liu?" Yun Xiao inquired.

"I have reached the Perfect Divine Sea Realm, possessing four Divine Seas!" Liu Xuan declared through gritted teeth. Indeed, he was somewhat lesser compared to the three Sword Venerables. They, at the very least, had reached the Establishment Divine Sea Realm with five Divine Seas!

"Perfect Divine Sea Realm?" Yun Xiao's eyebrows lifted. He abruptly handed the chains in his hands to Zhao Xuanran and transformed into a white shadow, abruptly lunging at Liu Xuan.

"Guards!" Liu Xuan roared. Just after his roar, he froze. No one came. All the Sword Cultivators from the Third Sword Peak, seeing Yun Xiao’s move, had deliberately stepped aside.

"Why?" Liu Xuan didn’t understand.

"Ye Tiance doesn't have the people's heart at the First Sword Peak. Do you think, as his dog, you could command here at the Third Sword Peak?"

Yun Xiao’s words sent shudders through Liu Xuan’s heart. He panicked. All the humiliations of tonight, in truth, had nothing to do with him, so he hadn’t felt the gut-wrenching agony like the three Sword Venerables. But, would Yun Xiao let go of someone involved in the desecration of graves?

Yun Xiao wouldn't spare anyone guilty! With a swift strike, he unleashed the Azure Lightning Crane! His Sword Soul was enveloped in the power of the Primordial Void Technique, and twenty-two layers of fierce Sword Aura emanated from it. Even though he was only in the Mid Divine Sea Realm with only two Divine Seas, he surpassed Liu Xuan in magic power, Sword Soul, Sword Aura, and swordsmanship!

Who could save Liu Xuan now?

BUZZ!

Blue electric snakes illuminated the night sky, instantly swooping onto Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan, furious, lifted his sword. "You will die under Ye Guying's sword!"

KLANG KLANG KLANG!

His sword skills were not bad. He exchanged three strikes with Yun Xiao, quite adeptly. However, after three strikes, his Sword Soul immediately shattered, and Yun Xiao's azure sword pierced through.

SPLATTER!

In a fluttering of white robes, a sword thrust through the throat.

"Ugh..." Liu Xuan’s eyes bulged as he slumped to the ground, lifeless. The elders of the Third Peak of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect shrunk back, their faces horrified as they stared wide-eyed at Yun Xiao.

"Good evening, everyone!" Yun Xiao bowed politely and sheathed his sword.

"Yes, yes," the elders stammered, a mix of emotions in their eyes.

"I hope the next one to stand from Third Sword Peak will not be another lapdog of Ye Tiance," Yun Xiao declared. He returned to the side of the woman in black and took the chains from her hands. From this moment on, all four peaks stank horribly. Yet, in the Sword Pavilion, under the sparse starlight, a pure and clear north wind blew.

In front of the ancestral temple, the three Sword Venerables were torn with grief. Inside the Grand Hall, a smile appeared on the lips of a man in azure robes. All of this was Yun Xiao's doing.

"Senior Sister Zhao, our revelry was cut short last night. Surely tonight, we can make up for it?" Yun Xiao whispered with a light laugh. Under the moonlight, Zhao Xuanran's long hair brushed her cheek, a sudden flush painting her face red.

"There’s something I haven’t asked you yet, Junior Brother Yun," she bit her lip lightly, a teasing look in her eyes.

"Go ahead..." Yun Xiao suddenly had a bad premonition.

"What’s the deal with Ye Ziyan?" When Zhao Xuanran said this name, her words were like calm water hiding a turbulent undercurrent.

"Senior Sister Zhao!" Yun Xiao looked at her, asking, “If a phoenix was in front of you under the moon, would you look at a chicken instead?”

Zhao Xuanran was slightly stunned, then a smile curled on her lips. With this phrase, he had hit the nail on the head. The atmosphere was set.

“No!” Cai Maomao suddenly cut in between them, his eyes wide. “Why do I feel like you two are hiding something from me?”

“Cai Maomao, you big fool! Can't you read the mood!? Your blockheadedness is truly higher than the Divine Pillar!” Qin Tong quickly dragged him away, her face red with embarrassment.

“Is there drama?” Chen Dong and Li Chenlong looked at each other, frozen.

“There is drama,” Shangguan Yu affirmed.

“And Ye Guying...”

The three suddenly felt that when that guy returned, it would surely be a bloodbath. As for Jiang Yue, she had long been forgotten.

"Junior Brother Yun," in the chilly night wind, Zhao Xuanran looked towards the direction of the First Peak, "After tonight’s defeat, Ye Tiance will not let things rest..."

“After tonight, do they have the luxury of waiting nine days for Ye Guying to return?” Yun Xiao asked.

“Hmm!” Aside from them, anyone who heard this name had deep worry in their eyes. Yun Xiao, however, was calmly self-assured.

“By the time he comes back, the yellow flowers will have wilted!”

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In a realm of darkness and confinement, a door stood as the lone sentinel against the oppressive black. Its surface writhed with black snake-like runes, numbering in the tens of thousands, emitting a bizarre, cold light as they twisted and squirmed. Before this foreboding entrance, a young man clad in black robes stood resolute. His eyes, as dark as the abyss, were alight with excitement and anticipation as he beheld the door.

"Enter this door, and in ten days, I'll ascend the heavens and earth! How many cultivators dream of such an opportunity?" he murmured, a wild glint growing in his eyes.

He could hardly believe his fortune. Lowering his gaze to the Dantian within himself, where it seemed nine golden divine dragons resided, their roars sent waves of powerful energy throughout his being. This awakened Nine Dragons Dantian had catapulted him to heights within the boundless Sea of Swords.

Thoughts of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect, Sword Pavilion, and Yun Xiao rushed to his mind, and an odd light swirled in his eyes. A hurried message from Fan Jing had spoken of a lad’s Sword Soul potentially being at the Planet grade. This same youth had left Jiang Yue in a miserable state.

Amusement danced in his eyes. "Upon my return in ten days, I must see what lies beneath your skin," Ye Guying whispered with impatience coloring his words.

His journey lay in the boundless Sea of Swords, but his heart remained tethered to the Azure Spirit, where Zhao Xuanran resided.

"Zhao Xuanran, after seeing the arrogant daughters of noble families in the Sea of Swords, I’ve found you possess more flavor. Is this the mischief of a first love that went unacquired?" he mused with a chuckle.

Three years prior, a chance to marry her had slipped through his fingers due to a major plan. No regrets dwelt within Ye Guying, for without the destruction of the Sword Pavilion, his present self would not exist.

"Upon my return, I will no longer be the adopted son of the Ye family, but a genius of the Forbidden Tower within the Sea of Swords. Surely then, a proud and indifferent lady like you should lower your haughty head to me?"

His eyes burned with desire as they fixed upon the dark door before him, a lifelong dream almost within grasp. His lowly status as an adopted son and her lofty position as a Sect Master’s daughter fueled his ambition. The yearnings of childhood were not so easily forgotten.

The day had finally arrived!

"Time to break the door and celebrate," he said, his voice laced with mirth as he moved toward the door.

"My foster father has been kind to me. He’s growing old. Before I return, I will obtain an Origin Pill for him. It could at least prolong his life for ten more years!"

The future looked bright, and Ye Guying eagerly awaited his return.

With a determined glance and gritted teeth, he stepped into the black door...

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Amidst the mountains of Azure Spirit, there lay a rarely traversed area known as the Misty Valley. Though the Azure Spirit was abuzz that night, an exceptional silence blanketed the valley. Thick mists obscured vision, cries of ghosts and howls of wolves filled the air, and dark shadows loomed menacingly, making it a fearsome place that ordinary Sword Cultivators dared not approach at night.

And yet, at that moment, a girl, clothes tattered, eyes stained with blood, and body marred with wounds, stumbled into the valley, her steps clumsy and faltering.

"Senior Brother Ye, where are you? Please save me!" Her cries echoed, filled with boundless sorrow. No one had spoken to her since she came down from the Conclave Mountain today. Like a forsaken child, she was shunned, her previous glory forgotten. Just a day ago, she was the celebrated genius of the Immortal Path, the center of everyone’s admiration. How quickly the warmth of the world could turn cold!

No one offered her pills to heal her wounds. No comforting words or flattery graced her ears. People who once sought her company now avoided her gaze, whispering and jeering as she passed by.

"This woman, she really put on a show just two days ago!"

"Yun Xiao unmasked her with just one blow."

"Lower Comet grade? Ha, hilarious!"

Their words, like sharp swords, pierced her through and through, leaving her soul riddled with wounds.

In her despair, she saw nothing. The world around her was draped in darkness, filled with the whispers of unseen spirits. Though she walked through a forest, it felt as if countless soft, furry creatures brushed against her, their touch a brief respite from her agony.

"Senior Brother Ye, is that you?" Jiang Yue asked, her eyes opening wide. "They all are so cruel to me. You said you would take me soaring on the Immortal Path. You are a million times stronger than Yun Xiao, you will surely come to save me..."

Jiang Yue, teary and desolate, clambered through the woods, her delicate skin marred by rocks and branches, her face bruised and bloody. Yet in her agony, she felt no pain. Soft fur caressed her wounds and eyes, and amidst her black despair, a soft pink light appeared.

"Senior Brother Ye!" Like a madwoman, she stumbled and rolled towards the light, her tears mingling with her blood as they cascaded down her face.

"Come, come..." A voice, soft as silk and sweet as honey, echoed in her ears, a luring whisper promising love and adoration from the world's men as a balm to her shattered spirit.

"Moon Fairy..." Kneeling amidst the forest's embrace, Jiang Yue reached out, her eyes glazed with longing.

Under the enchanting moonlight, a beautiful pink fox emerged from the mist, its fur absorbing the lunar glow and emitting a lustrous pearl-like sheen. It turned, revealing a human-like beguiling smile, a spectral beauty bathed in moonlight, her laughter echoing like a haunting lullaby.

The world melted away as the fox transformed into a breathtaking woman, her allure a mix of youthful innocence and deep, dark desire. Her bare feet gently touched the ground before Jiang Yue, her laughter strange and ethereal.

"My dear Jiang Yue... In this world, only I love you." As she spoke, she tore open Jiang Yue's face, revealing flesh, bone, and marrow. She transformed into a pink mist, seeping into the opened wound. Amid the tumult of night, despair, and enchantment, a new entity was birthed in the embrace of the moon's tender glow.