Chapter 086 - Brother Feng, Calm Down!

Chapter 086 - Brother Feng, Calm Down!

The roots of this story extend from novell bìn origin.

The young man in yellow staggered back, his eyes wide with disbelief. "He used the Ten-Step Scale technique and instantly carved these words onto my face?"

This little display painted a clear picture.

If Yun Xiao's intent had been lethal, that young man would've been on the other side of eternity eleven times over. Each word, an artist's stroke, was meticulously etched onto his face.

The youth's skin crawled. "This can't be right..." he whispered, voice quivering. Not being killed was one thing, but being branded? It was like wearing a badge of shame.

"You wanted to give me the first swing, didn't you? Seems you're not much of a challenge after all," Yun Xiao quipped, fingers casually dancing around his Sword Soul.

The youth's face turned a shade redder. "Off with you!" the Sword Lord boomed, sending the lad tumbling off the platform in a most undignified manner.

Ning Yan, eyes sparkling with admiration, chimed in, "Yun Xiao isn't just skilled with the Sword Soul, Brother Feng. His talent with the blade is unparalleled. Perhaps he's worthy of Sword Heaven's exclusive Star grade technique?" It was clear Yun Xiao had impressed her.

The Sword Lord, his face flushed from either wine or excitement, nodded in agreement. With a dismissive wave to another competitor, he announced, "Murong Qian, spare yourself the humiliation. Ning Bei, it's your turn. Show him the power of the Late Origin Core Realm."

Murong Qian, a delicate figure in orange, swiftly nodded, anxiety evident.

The humbled young man in yellow, his face still marked with the words Next One Up, approached Ning Bei and Murong Qian. "Didn’t Lin Lin claim this kid folded at a single strike from Holy Son Chu?"

Both Ning Bei and Murong Qian exchanged uneasy glances. The blood-red inscription seemed like it was mocking them too.

"We've been had by Lin Lin," Murong Qian murmured.

"Or maybe Holy Son Chu hoodwinked her?" Ning Bei mused.

The young man in the yellow robes scratched his head. "Rumors are already swirling around the Sea of Swords about the Young Sword Lord's... well, less than stellar fighting skills."

"No problem, I have a plan!" With a deep breath, Ning Bei ascended the platform, standing taller than Yun Xiao. He was at the Late Origin Core Realm, two stages higher than his opponent!

"If Brother Bei defeats him," the young man in yellow robes whispered to Murong Qian, "no one will ever know what the kid's truly made of."

Murong Qian nodded, her voice tinged with expectation, "Right, his fifteen minutes of fame will boil down to not being able to withstand a single blow from Holy Son Chu."

Their gaze locked, a silent pact formed.

Suddenly, Ning Bei lunged, blade in hand. He hailed from the esteemed Ning Family lineage, which technically made him Zhao Xuanran's distant cousin.

"That’s Ning Bei, my nephew. Go easy on him," Ning Yan advised Yun Xiao.

"Alright," Yun Xiao agreed.

Ning Bei, hearing this, snapped, "Mind your own business!"

That eccentric aunt, eyes wild with desperation, was actually trying to intercede for him? Did he even need her help?

With a fierce determination, he unsheathed a gray Sword Soul, shaping it into a Palm Sword. Thirty-six layers of Sword Aura swirled around him, making him look like a storm made flesh, as he bore down on Yun Xiao.

His Sword Soul, with its two dark Sword Rings, mirrored Yun Xiao's, both surrounded by an aura that felt as cold as death itself. As his sword sliced the air, a chilling wind roared in its wake.

He employed the Moon grade technique known as Dark Cloud Eclipse. Its power sprawled out like dark clouds covering the moon, casting a shadow upon Yun Xiao.

"Yes, Sword Lord!" Ning Bei responded, realizing the depth of his folly.

"Brother Feng, please reconsider! My brother will hate me forever," Ning Yan implored.

"Your brother is as soft as morning porridge. In the grand halls of Sword Heaven, only you, I, and," he nodded towards Yun Xiao, "this lad stand with spine. Three men in a world that sorely needs them!"

"Brother Feng, I'm quite certainly a woman," Ning Yan replied, somewhat exasperated.

"Don't sweat the small stuff!" The Sword Lord chuckled and belched, the effects of his drink apparent.

Ning Yan's anxiety resurfaced, "What's to become of Ning Bei?"

"He'll start at the bottom, like any common disciple. After some introspection, we might revisit the topic," the Sword Lord said, a touch of dry humor in his voice. "If your brother has qualms, remind him. Isn't a cowardly ambush after a loss the height of dishonor?"

Ning Yan sighed, her forehead creasing with worry. "Fine," she responded. She’d hoped to ask Yun Xiao to intercede and say something, but the currents of the situation pulled stronger.

Murong Qian and the young man in yellow robes, thinking to interject on Ning Bei's behalf, barely opened their mouths when the Sword Lord's sharp gaze silenced them.

"You two had a hand in this farce as well," he began. "All three of you will kneel in this Ancestral Sword Hall. Reflect on your actions. No visitors. No exceptions."

"And how long?" Ning Yan asked.

"Pinky swear, a hundred years, no take-backs!" The Sword Lord burped.

"No, no, I mean how long are they going to be reflecting?" Nin Yan asked, anxiety in her voice.

The Sword Lord stroked his beard, pondering. "Oh, I reckon a month ought to do it."

Murong Qian and the young man in yellow gulped audibly. A month on their knees? Their cultivation would be hindered, not to mention the agony their legs would endure.

"If I say you'll kneel, then you'll kneel," the Sword Lord said firmly.

"Yes!" Reluctantly, the three headed to the Ancestral Sword Hall to kneel, gazes a mixture of resentment and regret.

Turning to Yun Xiao, the Sword Lord handed him a pouch. "Here's your bounty! A cool 1,000,000 Spirit Stones and ten Heavenly Origin Pills. Also, you can challenge the Rank 10 Azure Kite now. Ning Yan will show you the way."

When Ning Bei and the other two heard the Sword Lord's words, they felt their entire worlds were crumbling apart as resentment and despair stewed in their hearts. They despised Yun Xiao, but there was nothing they could do to him. There was nothing more maddening than this!

Yun Xiao, his earlier ire forgotten, smirked at his windfall. The ambush had been a jolt, but this? This felt like winning the jackpot.

"Much appreciated, Sword Lord. I'll head out now," he announced, already plotting his next moves.

Ning Yan, always the peacekeeper, followed him out, leaving the trio in their forced meditation.

Outside, a restless Lin Lin waited. Catching sight of Yun Xiao, she smirked. "Back so soon?"

"Expected me to be gone longer?" Yun Xiao responded, raising an eyebrow.

She gave a fake gasp of surprise. "Just didn't think you'd be so... speedy."

With a casual nonchalance, Yun Xiao shot back, "Well, some of us don't dilly-dally."

Her smirk turned sneering. "For a fellow who chases fleeting pleasures, a swift loss seems par for the course."

Yun Xiao, without missing a beat, smacked her in the back of the head and retorted, "You really are a dumbass," and continued on, leaving Lin Lin in a cloud of her own indignation.