Chapter 261: Taiji Sword, Wuji Dao!

Chapter 261: Taiji Sword, Wuji Dao!

Yun Xiao had barely taken a few steps inside the Ancestral Sword Tomb when two sword-shaped tombstones materialized before his eyes. Apart from these, other tombstones lurked, shrouded in a mysterious veil.

Disregarding the rest, Yun Xiao's gaze settled on the two distinct tombstones.

"Gongshu Jian, Gongshu Dao."

These were the names of the tomb's occupants.

"Fae, these ancestors were the famed Twin Jailers of our Sword Ruins a thousand years ago. Born as siblings, they have a tale so touching it could melt stone!" exclaimed Mu Xiaolong, her eyes already brimming with tears, swept away by the story she had yet to tell.

"Well, let's hear it then," Yun Xiao encouraged.

"It's so moving, I need a moment to weep first! Waaah!" Mu Xiaolong wailed.

After indulging in her emotions, she continued, "They were born twins. Yet, only the older brother possessed a Sword Soul. One soared in the heavens, the other grounded on earth. Everyone thought the older brother would abandon the younger brother, who would succumb to despair. But the world was wrong!

"The older brother continued to look after his younger brother, even after becoming a Sword Cultivator. And the younger brother, refusing to let his brother down and lacking a Sword Soul, zealously pursued the dao. Eventually, one with the sword and one with the dao, the two reached the pinnacle and carved a legend in the Eternal Sword Prison!"

"What? That kind of story has you drowning in tears?" Yun Xiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"You don't know the half of it. They faced all sorts of rumors, hardships, and perils together," Mu Xiaolong sobbed.

"Tell me the rest when we have more time," Yun Xiao said.

"Sure thing!" Hearing she would have more time alone with Yun Xiao, Mu Xiaolong's tears turned to joy, and she bounced up, beaming with happiness.

"Sword and dao, huh?" Yun Xiao gazed at the two tombstones, and before his eyes, the epitaphs began to transform. The tombstone of Gongshu Jian on the left morphed into a Taiji diagram of Yin and Yang fish, while the Gongshu Dao tombstone birthed a chaotic blend of black and white.

"Taiji Sword Technique. Wuji Dao Art. They nourish and complete each other, such a beautiful bond," Yun Xiao mused, squinting slightly, "The brotherhood that shines like gall and liver, truly enviable."

"Pity you don't have a brother," Blue Star quipped out of the blue.

"I do," Yun Xiao asserted.

"Where is he then?" asked Blue Star, puzzled.

"Right here on my chest." Yun Xiao smiled.

"Gross." Blue Star feigned gagging.

"I'm moved, I want to cry too," Red Moon declared, his eyes turning bright redwhich, of course, they always were.

"Huh?" Mu Xiaolong cried out in surprise. "How did you know the names like Taiji Sword Technique and Wuji Dao Art? I haven't even told you yet."

"They told me in a dream," Yun Xiao said, taking the incense from Mu Xiaolong. He approached the graves, bowed, and offered incense to the departed ancestors.

As the smoke swirled around him, Yun Xiao rose and departed.

"Aren't you going to learn these two ultimate techniques?" Mu Xiaolong asked.

"I've already learned them," Yun Xiao replied.

"Oh, you're just teasing me," she pouted.

Mu Xiaolong knew the caliber of the sword and dao techniques. Even Overseers might spend a lifetime studying them without much to show. So, how could Yun Xiao have learned them in the time it took to burn three incense sticks? It was preposterous!

"Is he just like Exile Ling? Does he also look down on the techniques of our ancestors?" Mu Xiaolong pondered, finding her theory quite plausible. But, her thoughts were quickly cut short.

As the two prepared to venture further, they found their path blocked by an impenetrable mist.

"In this Sword Puppet Forest?" Yun Xiao asked.

"Yes! To qualify, you just need to defeat a Rock Sword Puppet equivalent to the Early Awakened Emperor Realm," Mu Xiaolong explained, then asked softly, "I heard you're only at the Saint Realm. Can you defeat a Sword Puppet?"

"Let's give it a try," Yun Xiao said.

"Okay!" At this, Mu Dalong changed course, leading them towards the Sword Puppet Forest.

Yun Xiao surveyed the landscape ahead, where a vast bamboo forest appeared, with some bamboo reaching up to thirty feet high and as thick as a man's thigh. Beyond the bamboo, amidst the mist, stood a towering golden pillar.

"That's the Immortal Sword Rankings. The upcoming battles for the competition will take place right there," Mu Xiaolong explained.

"Got it!" Yun Xiao nodded and proceeded towards the Sword Puppet Forest.

The place was bustling with activity. At a glance, there seemed to be tens of thousands of Sword Ruins disciples queuing up for the challenge.

"Exile Yun is here too!"

"Is he going to test himself against the Sword Puppets just like Exile Ling?"

Countless young eyes turned towards Yun Xiao, their gazes filled with a complex mix of emotions, far more complicated than when they looked at Ling Chen.

"Sister, Xiaolong!" Just as Yun Xiao arrived, a massive shadow loomed over him, and a gust of wind nearly sent him stumbling backwards. It was a bit too fierce!

BOING! Yun Xiao took two steps back and found himself in a soft embrace, cushioning his fall.

Turning around, Mu Dalong offered an apologetic smile, then furrowed her brows in disapproval, scolding the newcomer, "Mu Daxiong! Can't you be a bit more careful?"

"Big Sis!"

Yun Xiao suddenly found himself face to face with a dark-skinned giant of a man, almost as tall as a devil. Despite being a Sword Cultivator, the man was a mass of muscles, intimidating and formidable.

"This is my brother, currently a Supreme Adjudicator," Mu Dalong hurriedly introduced. "Daxiong can be a bit rough around the edges, so please forgive any rudeness."

"No worries," Yun Xiao reassured, eyeing Mu Daxiong curiously. In the Heavenly Realm, this guy would probably be the heir to an Immortal Empire. But here in the Sword Ruins, he was just a Supreme Adjudicator?

This meant the Sword Ruins weren't a hereditary systemostensibly more fair, but in reality, even more fiercely competitive.

"Mu Daxiong, at your service, Exile Yun!" The Supreme Adjudicator was about to kneel in respect.

"Please, stand up..." Yun Xiao, bemused, found this family's enthusiasm overwhelming.

Seeing Yun Xiao wasn't bothered by his blundering, Mu Daxiong stood up, grinning sheepishly, and then bellowed to the crowd. "Make way, let Exile Yun to the front!"

Clearly, he was in charge of the pre-registration for the Immortal Sword Rankings.

"Dad! Dad! We can't do that. Exile Ling is already at the front!" Another dark-skinned youngster rushed over, round-faced and pot-bellied, resembling a bear cub standing on two legs. He appeared and, scratching his head, gave Yun Xiao a goofy smile.

"The father is Daxiong. So, the son has to be Xiaoxiong, right?" Yun Xiao guessed. After all, he'd already seen the same pattern play out with the mother-daughter duo.

"Nope, I'm Mu Qinghuan." The youngster grinned.

"Ah?" Yun Xiao was struck speechless. A combo breaker! And such a shame, too. He felt a name like Lil Bear suited the burly youth more than something girly like Clear Joy.

"Exile Ling is here too?" Mu Dalong looked towards the front. No wonder it was so lively! All eyes were on the young man in the dark violet robe standing in the clearing.

"Exile Ling is only in the Late Saint Realm. Can he beat a Sword Puppet?"

The crowd buzzed with speculation.

In the midst of all this attention, Ling Chen's eyes turned cold, and he said to Mu Daxiong, "Bring me a hundred Sword Puppets."