Chapter 599: If One Sword Doesn't Do the Job, Strike Again!

When Bai Ling'er saw her father urging her to fight, her sharp mind quickly grasped the situation.

"Judging from father’s demeanor, Lu Yao's new protector must have backed out!"

Indeed, this was grand news! Lu Yao, a mere lowborn in the Thunder Department, had stirred up storms only by virtue of his talents, attracting one powerful ally after another.

From Jiang Taiping to Cao Sheng, then to Gu Zhenxiao, and now the Moon Sword Goddess!

He had been leaping about, brash and ignorant. Who could tolerate it? Her brother's death still haunted her, unresolved. Had it not been for the advice of Feng Qi, Bai Ling'er would not have considered avoiding the fight.

But now, with her father's close protection, her hatred surged anew. Without another word, she stepped onto Thundercloud 1.

Amidst the swirling winds and thunder, the man and woman, both clad in white, appeared ethereal and otherworldly, like a divine couple. Yet, in reality, they were mortal enemies.

BUZZ!

As the two faced each other, the gazes of 1,000,000 Immortals locked onto them, their hearts pounding like thunder—such was the anticipation for this battle!

The stern stance of Bai Duo reassured the crowd.

"Lu Yao, who has been thrashing weaker opponents and lucking out until now, has finally met his match!"

"The daughter of a Rank 3 Heavenly Officer, born into a prestigious family of the Thunder Department and trained from youth, she's like a lotus in the midst of thunder..."

Bai Ling'er's beauty was famous throughout the sacred land of the Thunder Department.

She was the epitome of purity, detachment, elegance, and depth. She was the goddess in the hearts of many talented youths! A girl as exalted and pristine as her… who wouldn’t admire her?

In contrast, Lu Yao, always scheming, opportunistic, and wildly arrogant... was indeed among the most despised of all time!

It was clear who had the support of these Immortals of the Thunder Department!

For a moment, it seemed as if all the oppressive might of this corner of the world bore down on Yun Xiao alone, like 1,000,000 mountains, intent on crushing his spine and forcing him to bow his head.

In that awe-inspiring moment, Yun Xiao had shed his Arbiter armor. He was wearing only the simple white robe woven by Zhao Xuanran herself, which fluttered amid the storm. He calmly gazed at the girl before him, who bore a striking resemblance to Lian Xi...

She was so clean, so young, so purely white. And her hatred, her disgust for Yun Xiao, was just as pure!

Her eyes bloodshot with rage, she accused him, voice trembling with grief, "How can there be someone as shameless as you in the world? My brother had no quarrel with you, why did you insist on murdering him? Just for a moment of pride, you mercilessly took a living soul, you brutal and merciless killer. Even if I do not end you today, divine retribution will not let you die a good death!"

Yun Xiao, seeing her so distraught, asked curiously, "Haven't you, walking the path of immortality for nearly thirty years, ever killed anyone?"

Bai Ling'er bit her lip, her gaze clear and stern. "Who said that practicing immortality requires the slaughter of the innocent? I have walked the path of immortality without ever harming a soul, and my progress has not suffered in the least!"

"Admirable." Yun Xiao was somewhat speechless, truly facing a saintly woman!

Confronted by such a person, being questioned about his morals, Yun Xiao felt somewhat ashamed. He took a slight breath, then asked softly, "Isn't that wrong? Haven't you accepted incense offerings..."

Before he could finish, Bai Ling'er's expression tightened, and she sharply retorted, "That's different, there's no need to mix things up."

"What's different? Are those countless lives not lives?" Yun Xiao said this, shaking his head with a somewhat ironic smile.

So, this white lotus grew out of a sea of blood?

Hearing this, Bai Ling'er snorted coldly. "Each being has its destiny; the high ascend and contemplate the Dao, shining eternally like the sun, the moon, and the stars, while the low live and die in a day, fleeting as mayflies. This is the cycle of heaven and earth, conforming to the heavenly way, unrelated to life and death, a lofty act of the highest heavens. You question my spiritual integrity with this matter, merely a childish switch in concepts, quite presumptive."

"Oh, I see, enlightening indeed," Yun Xiao said, nodding profoundly. "I really must thank you for clearing up my confusion, otherwise I'd forever be in the dark, never realizing that these offerings, for the transient beings, are acts of compassion."

"Your sarcasm is pointless," Bai Ling'er remarked. Then, with her sword drawn amidst the swirling storm, she coldly addressed Yun Xiao, "You hope to shake my spirit, to find a crack to break me—it's pure folly. Avoid your cunning tricks and face me in a fair fight, and maybe you’ll earn my respect."

"Understood, thank you for the wake-up call," Yun Xiao replied, and with that, amidst the roaring wind and thunder, he too drew his sword.

His Heaven Burial Sword Soul, with its four azure lotus Sword Prisons, was glaringly obvious!

Many knew Yun Xiao had caught the Moon Sword Goddess' attention by forming a single Sword Prison at the Sword Suppression Gate… just last night!

And Yun Xiao's encounter with the Moon Sword Goddess had been just this dawn.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

So, how did he come by these three additional Sword Prisons?

This question lingered in the minds of many Immortals, yet in the chilling moment, no one delved deeper.

"He's under 30 years old and possesses four Sword Prisons! It's indeed a dazzling sight, but Bai Ling'er also possesses four!"

Onlookers fixed their gaze and saw Bai Ling'er clutching a white Thunder Sword Soul, adorned with four white lotuses formed of thunder sword energy!

It was these four white lotus Sword Prisons that seemed to make her Sword Soul even sharper than Yun Xiao's!

After all, Bai Ling'er was supported by the celestial power of the Perfect Celestial Expanse Realm!

Moreover, Bai Ling'er had her little brother's Bai Ze Spirit, which though stronger, orbited her white Sword Soul with a sentient, indifferent gaze towards Yun Xiao.

BOOM!

Bai Ling'er demonstrated her prowess, indeed far mightier than her brother, attracting the electric serpents in the thundercloud below her. Around her delicate body, they formed into thunder sword orbs, bursting with deafening crackles and snaps!

The maiden raised her sword, her long hair and white dress fluttering, thunder rolling around her like the descent of a celestial being of lightning, imbued with the sanctity of the heavens and the authority of thunderous judgment.

"Wow!"

Such splendor naturally drew cheers from the many male Arbiters and envy from many women, who swallowed their jealousy in silent shame.

Bai Ling'er was truly exalted, like a sacred white lotus of the heavenly palace, pure and inviolable!

Yet, what truly intimidated Yun Xiao was not her, but the presence lurking behind her in the mist, whose eyes, sharp as swords, were fixed on him—Thunder Duke Bai Duo!

His strength surpassed that of Jiang Taiping and Cao Shuo, making him a true pinnacle force of the Celestial Court, many cultivation stages above the rest!

And Bai Duo's gaze told Yun Xiao that with him present, Yun Xiao was in dire straits, and could not touch his daughter by even a hair.

Indeed, his appearance here was a message to Yun Xiao, "I disregard the rules of the Thunder Department selection; I've got you cornered!"

With the Moon Sword Goddess around, why was he so arrogant?

Yun Xiao knew it well… Without a doubt, this was the most perilous moment since arriving at the Thunder Department!

He was truly in the hottest seat of the fire! Before him, the maiden and her supportive father, their gazes filled only with disgust and dominance towards Yun Xiao.

"This farce must end," Bai Ling'er declared as she danced with her sword, summoning a vast sea of thunder toward Yun Xiao!

She wasn't the frightening part. It was the intricate and massive network of celestial connections within the Thunder Department backing her—a net that devoured its prey!

Yun Xiao exhaled softly, his eyes sparking with endless electric fire, growing hotter by the moment.

"So you have your father's protection, the Thunder Department's support. Are you the holy light, the vanquisher of evil, revered by all?"

This was the stark reality.

The dirtiest of them often shone the brightest.

Under this overwhelming pressure from father and daughter, Yun Xiao did not retreat a single step.

"Be wary of his desperation, risking his life for a life!" many of Bai Duo's friends cautioned.

Bai Duo himself could have handled Yun Xiao easily. But still, he wanted to give his daughter a chance to rise in fame and avenge her brother!

Stepping over Yun Xiao would secure a brighter future for Bai Ling'er.

"A mantis trying to stop a chariot, only adding to the ridicule," Bai Duo sneered, his eyes swirling with storms.

Yun Xiao met his gaze head-on! Without a word, the young man in white transformed into a bolt of lightning, rushing upward into the sky.

His sword pointed at the heavens, furiously summoning the storm!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Thousands of lightning serpents converged, forming a cloud of electricity around his Heaven Burial Sword Soul!

This scene was familiar to many.

"Ascend the Heavens, Awaken the Spring Thunder!"

Many spectators in the crowd were in an uproar. Others looked on with bemused expressions, turning their eyes toward Cao Sheng.

Cao Sheng's face was ashen!

In the flash of lightning, Yun Xiao suddenly wielded his sword like a tempestuous bolt of lightning, with frightening speed!

This strike was aimed directly at Bai Ling'er's head! Crackling and popping, the four azure lotus Sword Prisons unleashed a sweep of deathly force.

"Devilish trickery!" Bai Ling'er sneered, her body a dreamlike figure twirling with her white lotus Sword Soul. A giant white lotus, crafted from a mix of thunder and sword energy, blossomed on the thundercloud. Pure and untainted, the petals unfolded like a gaping maw, reaching skyward to snap at Yun Xiao's sword descending from the heavens.

"World-Calming Thunder Blossom!"

This was the famed sword technique of the Bai Family.

Its spectacular emergence drew cheers, affirming Bai Ling'er's bravery and strength in the eyes of the crowd.

KLANG! KLANG! KLANG!

Swords clashed in an instant.

Yun Xiao's face was impassive, while Bai Ling'er's expression shifted drastically!

At the moment the Spring Thunder collided with the World-Calming Thunder Blossom, Yun Xiao's azure sword seemed to tear through this sacred blossom. The strike, unstoppable, obliterated this beautiful flower amid a storm of lightning, its tip aimed directly at Bai Ling'er!

"I am not his match!" Bai Ling'er concluded, her pretty face covered in frost, her expression sour.

However hard it was for her to accept, Bai Ling'er didn't try to persist blindly. Decisively, she withdrew her sword and retreated, even calling out for her father in this supposedly fair Thunder Department selection.

No need for her to shout; Bai Duo had already seen that Bai Ling'er couldn't handle this stepping stone.

The formidable father hesitated not a moment, hurling a blinding electric flying sword straight at Yun Xiao's heart.

KLANG!

A small black beast popped out of Yun Xiao's chest, Red Moon baring its teeth to block the strike!

His companion had been ready!

A sudden explosive roar shook as Yun Xiao, in his attack on Bai Ling'er, was blasted out of the thundercloud by Bai Duo's sword!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

As Yun Xiao steadied himself, still surrounded by bursts of thunder, his chest ached severely, blood trickling from his mouth.

This sudden turn stunned everyone.

"He's not dead?" Bai Duo retracted his sword soul, his gaze filled with doubt. He looked coldly as Yun Xiao, floating in the air, began to recover.

The young man lifted his head, his eyes chillingly cold as he looked at Bai Duo, a slight cold smile curling his lips. "General Bai, did you falter?"

"Hmph!" Bai Duo snorted. Having struck, he had not intended to show mercy. If one sword didn't do the job, he'd strike again!