Chapter 518 - 342: Exchanging Blows

'A Saint Domain Emperor, with a cultivation base not even at the Tribulation Cultivation level, could open a rift in space? Or comprehend the Celestial Dao?' Ling Xiao shook his head. He found it hard to believe—or rather, he simply didn't.

In contrast to Ling Xiao's skepticism, Shangguan Yutong and Song Qi were both utterly shocked. So, the Holy Sanctuary really existed, and this was how it accepted Martial Artists.

It was a real eye-opener!

Suddenly, Ling Xiao's eyes narrowed, and he whispered, "Careful, someone's coming!"

After all, the recent commotion had been too great; many people had likely noticed the unusual phenomenon here. Furthermore, with the Shushan Sword Sect being established today, many people from prominent families and sects had gathered in the southern part of the Lanyue Empire. It would be stranger if no one came to investigate such a peculiar sight.

At Ling Xiao's words, everyone composed themselves and suppressed their power fluctuations to a minimum. Just then, Ling Xiao saw three figures streaking toward them from the distant horizon, as fast as thunder and lightning!

Ling Xiao's heart sank. 'Why is it these three old geezers!' From a distance, Ling Xiao recognized them. They were the three powerhouses from the Lie Family, all at the Sword Venerable Realm. They had always harbored ill intentions toward him. If Gongsun Huang hadn't arrived in time today, Ling Xiao would have had to resort to another method to fight them. But if that had happened, the celebratory atmosphere of the Shushan Sword Sect's founding would have been utterly ruined.

Thus, Ling Xiao felt not a shred of goodwill toward these three old Sword Venerables from the Lie Family. He had already received a message from Lie Que, warning him that they were not coming in peace.

'Not coming in peace? What else could it be?' They were simply coveting his Arrays and Alchemy Skill, as well as the fact that he had improved so dramatically in just a few short years. All of this was bound to attract their attention.

The Lie Family had noticed, and so had the Qin Family! The purpose of the two Sword Venerables from the Qin Family who came today was self-evident and no different from the Lie Family's. They simply hadn't shown their hand after realizing they couldn't compete.

A bunch of bastards!

Ling Xiao seethed with hatred.

At that moment, the three Lie Family Sword Venerables stopped at the spot where Gongsun Huang had stood. Looking down at the scene below, they saw that all the trees, with the place where Gongsun Huang had hovered as the epicenter, had been knocked down outward in a perfect circle, row after row… The sight was unbelievable!

Even Lie Suitian couldn't help but suck in a cold breath at the sight. "Wh-what happened here?" he said. "This doesn't look like the sign of a great treasure emerging!"

Lie Suifeng frowned, then looked up at the clear night sky. There wasn't a single cloud. The bright moonlight cast an azure glow on the surroundings, making the scene beautiful and enchanting.

Just then, a Tier Four Sword Emperor behind Gongsun Sword shifted his body slightly.

Lie Suitian's eyes suddenly narrowed. Staring toward where Ling Xiao and the others were hiding, he sneered, "Who's over there? Stop skulking around and show yourselves!"

'Such powerful perception!'

Ling Xiao praised him inwardly, but no one moved. They clung to the slim hope that the Lie Family Sword Venerable would mistake the sound for a wild beast.

"Hmph, must I personally invite you out? Don't take me for a fool! After such a commotion, what Magical Beast would dare to linger here? If you don't come out now, don't blame me for getting rough!"

Lie Suitian's icy voice shattered their last shred of hope. Gongsun Sword tried to stand up, but the man who had made the noise held him down firmly. Then, that same man laughed loudly. "What? Has this ownerless mountain become the Lie Family's private territory?"

Everyone understood the Sword Emperor's intention—he was sacrificing himself to save the rest of them. By the time they reacted, the Sword Emperor from the Gongsun Family had already shot into the air, landing on a high branch to face the three Lie Family Sword Venerables from afar.

Lie Suixue recognized him at a glance as a Sword Emperor from the Gongsun Clan. He said to the two beside him, "That's a Sword Emperor from the Gongsun Family, one of Gongsun Sword's men. If he's here, Gongsun Sword must be nearby!"

At a distance of several thousand meters, never mind an ordinary Martial Artist, even a powerhouse like a Sword Sect or Sword Emperor wouldn't be able to hear what they were saying. But as luck would have it, their group had Ling Xiao.

With the powerful senses of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, Ling Xiao could perceive the slightest disturbance within a twenty-li radius if he focused, to say nothing of Lie Suixue's voice, which was not quiet at all.

Ling Xiao sighed softly and called out to the Gongsun Family's Sword Emperor in the air, "They've found us. Leave. The Lie Family is after me; this has nothing to do with any of you!"

"Big Brother, what kind of talk is that? Are there cowards who cling to life and fear death in the Gongsun Family?" Gongsun Sword, still not fully recovered from his grandfather's departure, was emotional. But Ling Xiao saw the sincerity in his eyes, sighed, and summoned the Urgently Cold Treasure Cauldron. "Get inside," he said. "If I haven't let you out after one day... Sister Yutong, you know how to get out."

"AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Lie Suitian roared with laughter. It was just as the saying goes: 'To wear out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to find it by chance without any effort!' They had been racking their brains for a way to threaten Ling Xiao, and now they had just stumbled upon him here! This unexpected windfall made them ecstatic!

When Song Qi saw the Urgently Cold Treasure Cauldron, his eyes flickered. He clearly recognized it as belonging to his family. This item had been in the Sea Domain Song Family for thousands of years, yet no one had ever been able to use it. In Ling Xiao's hands, however, its true purpose was finally being realized.

Shangguan Yutong hadn't expected their pursuers to be from the Lie Family. It was too late for any other plan, so she could only look at Ling Xiao and ask, "Are you sure you can get away?"

"Of course!"

Ling Xiao's reply was firm and decisive. In truth, even he didn't know if his Sword Control Skill was faster than the Lie Family's Tier Five Sword Venerable!

Shangguan Yutong clenched her jaw and said suddenly, "Fine, we'll go in! Ling Xiao, if you're dead after one day, I'll kill myself!" With her face flushed red, Shangguan Yutong was the first to leap into the now-enormous Urgently Cold Treasure Cauldron.

Her words were tantamount to a public confession in front of everyone. Ling Xiao froze for a moment before smiling wryly to himself. 'Was that really necessary? Still... trying to kill me? I doubt it'll be that easy.'

Gongsun Sword led the several Sword Emperor Powerhouses from the Gongsun Family as they all jumped into the Urgently Cold Treasure Cauldron. Song Qi was the last to enter. Everyone knew that staying outside would only make them a burden; a Sword Emperor stood no chance against a Sword Venerable!

"Ling Xiao, take care!"

After saying this, Song Qi jumped into the Urgently Cold Treasure Cauldron!

Meanwhile, the three Lie Family Sword Venerables had arrived overhead. When Lie Suixue saw Ling Xiao, endless hatred shot from his eyes. He laughed heartily. "Ling Xiao, oh, Ling Xiao! They say payback comes quickly. I never thought we'd meet again so soon!"

Just then, Lie Que finally caught up from behind. Seeing the scene before him, he grew extremely anxious, but in the presence of three powerful Sword Venerable Elders from his clan, he dared not make a single move. If there was even the slightest chance, he would have risked being branded a traitor to his clan to help Ling Xiao escape.

Thus, Lie Que could only hope that the Elders wouldn't kill Ling Xiao on the spot but would capture him to torture his secrets out of him. That way, there might eventually be an opportunity to rescue him.

As he stored the Urgently Cold Treasure Cauldron in his ring, Ling Xiao withdrew a treasured sword he had won in battle. He slowly drew it, pointed it at Lie Suixue, and sneered, "Enough nonsense. I know why you're here. Lie Suixue, it seems you still haven't woken up to reality. Fine. Do you dare to fight me, one-on-one? Today, I'll show you that for all your years, you've lived the life of a dog!"

"Ling Xiao, you're courting death!"

An earth-shattering rage suddenly erupted from Lie Suixue, and he shot directly toward Ling Xiao.

"Spare his life!"

"Don't kill him!"

Lie Suifeng and Lie Suitian shouted in unison from behind. They could both see that Ling Xiao had provoked Lie Suixue into a killing rage. How could Ling Xiao possibly withstand a fatal blow from a Tier Four Sword Venerable?

Lie Que sighed to himself and shook his head repeatedly. 'Big Brother really is too arrogant,' he thought. 'These are three Sword Venerables! Even if you defeat one, there are still two others. How can you possibly escape? It would be better to conserve your strength and wait for an opportunity to run.'

Just then, Lie Yang finally caught up from behind, stopping beside Lie Que and panting heavily. When he saw Lie Suixue lunging at Ling Xiao, he immediately broke into a wide grin, even though he didn't know why they had run into Ling Xiao here. He suddenly turned to look at Lie Que. "Worthy Brother, you don't seem very happy?"

A chill ran down Lie Que's spine. 'He's seen through me,' he thought. Shaking his head, he forced a smile. "What do you mean? I'm overjoyed!"

"Hmph."

Lie Yang snorted through his nose. He turned away and excitedly watched Lie Suixue's fierce assault on Ling Xiao, paying Lie Que no further mind. 'Kid, I wouldn't believe you were innocent even if you swore on your life,' he thought. 'Just you wait. After we return to the clan, you can go to the Mortal World—permanently! Daring to fight me...'

Lie Suixue, however, was truly furious. To be repeatedly toyed with by a mere twenty-something kid was a complete loss of face. For a powerhouse with aspirations of reaching the Holy Sanctuary, this was utterly intolerable.

Lie Suixue wielded an ordinary-looking longsword, but his Sword Techniques were exquisitely refined. At his realm, every factor—aura, Sword Techniques, Cultivation Technique, strength, timing, terrain, and more—was utilized to its absolute limit. Each seemingly casual gesture concealed lethal intent. Seeing Lie Suixue's masterful and ruthless sword skill, Ling Xiao also focused his mind, dedicating himself fully to the fight. Even a powerhouse like a Sword Venerable would eventually exhaust their Inner Strength. The problem was that their reserves of Inner Strength were incredibly vast, and they could replenish it by absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi as they fought. Thus, killing a Sword Venerable powerhouse was nearly impossible unless one possessed an overwhelming advantage!

Ling Xiao's movements were unpredictable, his footwork exquisite. When he executed the Star Sword Formulas, a flick of his wrist would conjure a myriad of starlike twinkles, a sight that left Lie Suitian and Lie Suifeng utterly entranced. If they weren't witnessing it with their own eyes, they never would have imagined that a twenty-year-old youth could display such miraculous Sword Techniques!

Furthermore, his footwork was so exquisite that his body left a trail of afterimages in the air!

Under the moonlight, he was like a phantom!