Chapter 163: Sword Soul

Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Sword Soul

The Sword Cultivators who had come to the Washing Sword Sect had all departed, and Yi Xiaoyao now stood alone before the sect’s main hall.

Inside the hall, several middle-aged men were in a tense discussion, their brows tightly furrowed.

"Cheng Mansion, is it true? Has that... thing really emerged?"

An old man with salt-and-pepper hair, seated in the place of honor, asked with a look of alarm and doubt.

Cheng Mansion nodded repeatedly. "Master, it’s absolutely true. At this very moment, that thing is controlling those who came for the sword cleansing and is making them attack a young man!"

"But why would it attack a young man? And who is he?" the other middle-aged men asked, their faces full of confusion.

The old man sighed. "The boy isn’t our primary concern right now. What we should be worried about is that this thing has revealed itself to so many people. How is the Washing Sword Sect supposed to explain this to the outside world?"

The men fell silent. They knew that if word of this got out, it could very well mean the complete annihilation of the Washing Sword Sect.

Just then, a young man in black robes suddenly burst into the hall.

"Who are you!" several of the middle-aged men demanded.

"I am Yi Xiaoyao of the Seven Kills Star Hall."

Yi Xiaoyao’s gaze was cold as he looked at the men in the hall. He had mentioned the Seven Kills Star Hall on purpose.

As expected, upon hearing the name Seven Kills Star Hall, the middle-aged men looked momentarily stunned.

Cheng Mansion, however, cried out in shock, "You’re still alive?"

Yi Xiaoyao looked at him—it was the same scholarly man who had led them into the sect.

"What? Is it so surprising that I’m not dead, Senior? Or were you hoping I would be?"

Yi Xiaoyao snorted coldly.

Cheng Mansion quickly waved his hands. "No, young friend, you’ve misunderstood. I simply thought you would be no match for so many attackers."

"I’m here to demand an explanation from the Washing Sword Sect! What is going on here!"

Since the man had brought up the attack, Yi Xiaoyao got straight to the point, his voice cold.

A glint flashed in the other men’s eyes as one of them barked, "We have no idea what you’re talking about. Since your sword cleansing is finished, leave the Washing Sword Sect at once!"

"Heh." Yi Xiaoyao chuckled. "Seniors, do you really think you can keep this under wraps? I wasn’t the only one who came to the Washing Sword Sect today. Many of those who died because of your sect were from various Major Sects. If you don’t provide an explanation, I’m afraid the Washing Sword Sect won’t be far from annihilation!"

The expressions of the men from the Washing Sword Sect hardened. They turned to the white-haired old man, their faces filled with hesitation.

The white-haired old man shook his head with a faint sigh and a wry smile. "Young friend, since you wish to know the truth, I will not hide it from you."

Yi Xiaoyao’s eyes flickered as he waited for the old man to explain.

A look of resignation crossed the old man’s face. "The people who attacked you today did so because they were being controlled by the Sword Soul. As for why the Sword Soul wanted to kill you, that I do not know."

"Sword Soul?"

Yi Xiaoyao was slightly startled. ’The old man called that Evil Soul a Sword Soul. In that case, isn’t the ancient Fierce Beast’s Soul within my Bloodthirsty Sword also a type of Sword Soul?’

"Correct. It is a Sword Soul."

A distant look entered the white-haired old man’s eyes as he continued, "Three hundred years ago, the eighteenth Sect Leader of the Washing Sword Sect died from cultivation deviation while researching Swordsmanship. The Sword Soul he left behind, however, began to wreak havoc, causing the sect to fall into decline..."

As he listened to the old man’s tale, Yi Xiaoyao began to understand the full story.

It turned out the Sword Cleansing Pool was opened by the usurper Sword Soul. Its goal was to embed strands of its own soul into the Spirit Swords of powerful swordsmen. By doing so, it could absorb the Cultivation and bloodline of the sword wielders day and night, using this method to strengthen itself.

At the same time, because the Spirit Swords now contained a piece of the Sword Soul, their power was indeed enhanced. This was the origin of the rumor that the Sword Cleansing Pool could improve a Spirit Sword’s quality.

As for the men of the Washing Sword Sect before him, their very lives were in the Sword Soul’s grasp, leaving them with no choice but to obey.

They never recruited disciples, hoping to prevent others from sharing their fate. This also served to ensure the Sword Soul wouldn’t easily kill its only remaining slaves.

As the white-haired old man explained, the other middle-aged men wore expressions of deep suffering. For so many years, they had been forced to live as puppets.

"We also do not know why the Sword Soul would make such a self-destructive move this time," the white-haired old man finished with a sigh, his face full of confusion. "Does it not know that if the Washing Sword Sect faces annihilation, it too will be caught in the fire?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow. He, of course, knew exactly why the Sword Soul was behaving this way.

The Sword Soul had set up the Sword Cleansing Pool scheme three hundred years ago to strengthen its soul. But just now, Yi Xiaoyao had devoured a third of it. How could it not be furious?

Moreover, Yi Xiaoyao possessed the Sword God Bloodline, which was likely an irresistible lure for the Sword Soul. It was only natural that it would be desperate to kill him and seize it.

Unfortunately for the Sword Soul, Yi Xiaoyao possessed the Soul-Devouring Forbidden Technique, a Secret Technique specifically designed to counter souls. Furthermore, his Bloodthirsty Sword contained a Fierce Beast’s Soul that was even more powerful. The Sword Soul had no way to control him directly, so its only option was to control others to kill him.

At this moment, the men of the Washing Sword Sect were still agonizing over how to handle the situation.

Yi Xiaoyao, however, just chuckled and said, "Seniors, could you take me to the Sword Soul’s lair? I can completely eradicate this evil creature!"

The white-haired old man and the others frowned, their eyes filled with skepticism.

’If Yi Xiaoyao could really eliminate the Sword Soul, that would solve everything. Not only would they have an explanation for the outside world, but the threat to their own lives would be lifted.’

’But how could a mere Golden Core Realm cultivator possibly eliminate such a powerful Sword Soul just by saying he could?’

"There’s no need for doubt, Seniors. You must have heard the Sword Soul’s pained screams earlier, didn’t you? That was because I heavily wounded it, which is why it’s so intent on killing me."

Yi Xiaoyao offered this brief explanation, then added with a cold smile, "And since I could wound it so badly, I can certainly finish it off!"

The white-haired old man and the others were all stunned. They had indeed heard the Sword Soul’s scream earlier, and it had filled them with terror.

But now, after hearing what Yi Xiaoyao said, they were beginning to believe him.

"Fine! I will trust you. I’ll take you to the forbidden grounds where the Sword Soul resides!"

The white-haired old man hesitated for a second before rising to his feet with determination.

The other middle-aged men’s expressions changed drastically as they tried to stop him. "Master! You mustn’t! Even if there’s some logic to what this boy is saying, how can we entrust our very lives to him!"

They knew perfectly well that if Yi Xiaoyao failed, the enraged Sword Soul would almost certainly kill them all.

"Do you want to continue eking out this miserable existence under the Sword Soul’s control, just as I have? Even if you do, I cannot stand by and let that Sword Soul cause the complete annihilation of the Washing Sword Sect!"

The white-haired old man scolded them, then turned to Yi Xiaoyao. "Young friend, please come with me!"

...