Chapter 463 - 316: Sword Intent

Chapter 463: Chapter 316: Sword Intent

Far in the distance, Qin Feng stood before a window. His vantage point gave him a perfect view of the Inner City gate. With the eyesight of a Sixth Rank Demon Sword Master, he could naturally see everything with perfect clarity!

When he saw Song Mingyue walk up to Ling Xiao and the two of them exchange a smile, Qin Feng’s heart felt as if it were being devoured by a thousand ants. He even felt that if he were to step outside, everyone would stare at him with contempt, mocking him!

’Qin Feng! You’re worse than a worthless piece of trash!’

The very thought that others might say such a thing about him made Qin Feng feel like he was about to go mad.

’I must cultivate! I must become stronger! Ling Xiao, one day, I will crush you underfoot!’

Qin Feng swore to himself, his gaze fixed on Ling Xiao with incomparable venom.

Just then, Ling Xiao, who was speaking with Song Mingyue, suddenly fixed his gaze in Qin Feng’s direction, a cold glint flashing in his eyes!

Qin Feng immediately staggered back several steps. A chill ran down his spine and his face turned pale. The two Sword Emperor powerhouses beside him also retreated a few steps, their faces just as pale as they exchanged horrified glances.

One of them said, "How... how can he possess such a powerful aura? Heavens... if we don’t eliminate this boy, he will become a grave threat to the Qin Family in the future!"

The other Sword Emperor shook his head. "Eliminate Ling Xiao? Are you dreaming? Didn’t you see? The Zhe Family just sent a Sword Venerable and nine Sword Emperors, and they couldn’t even harm a single hair on his head. And you’re talking about eliminating him?"

The first Sword Emperor ignored the rebuke, his expression calm as he said, "We can all see that this boy is simply relying on that miraculous Illusion Array! His own power has definitely not reached the Sword Venerable Realm! Even if we at the Sword Emperor Realm are no match for him inside it, what about a true Sword Venerable powerhouse? I refuse to believe he can hide in there forever! The moment he steps outside, we’ll have our chance!"

By now, Qin Feng had recovered slightly, but he no longer had the courage to look in that direction. His face was livid as he growled, "He must be eliminated!"

The two Qin Family Sword Emperors exchanged a glance. ’Of course he must be eliminated,’ they thought. ’If Ling Xiao isn’t removed, we’re afraid Qin Feng will never make another shred of progress in his entire life!’

Ling Xiao had practically become Qin Feng’s Heart Demon!

Qin Feng gritted his teeth. "A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years! Ling Xiao, just you wait. One day, I will be back for you!" Turning to the two Sword Emperors, he said, "Let’s go!"

...

In the wake of the battle, nearly all the members of the hidden families and sects within Penzes New City immediately sent reports about the fight back to their headquarters. As for the families who had feuds with Ling Xiao, not a single one of them remained.

A single Ice Blue Water Light Array had been enough to show everyone just how terrifying Ling Xiao’s power was.

One Sword Venerable and nine Sword Emperors from the Zhe Family had all perished here.

The news was simply earth-shattering!

As a result, even the messengers themselves needed to find a quiet place to properly process the course of events. Otherwise, they feared the reports they sent back to their families and sects would simply not be believed!

Song Mingyue was exceptionally sharp. After a brief chat with Ling Xiao, she took her leave to find Shangguan Yutong and the others. At a time like this, with countless eyes on them, she knew she couldn’t monopolize Ling Xiao for too long. If she liked him and wanted to stay by his side, she couldn’t cause him trouble—especially when it came to matters of the heart. It was better for the women to resolve such things among themselves.

Ling Xiao’s goal in this battle had been to establish his authority, but even he hadn’t anticipated it would attract so much attention!

More importantly, Ling Xiao could feel a pair of eyes that had been following him ever since he emerged, yet he sensed no malice from them at all!

It was a completely different gaze from Qin Feng’s!

Ling Xiao had indeed felt that malicious gaze earlier, but he hadn’t guessed it was Qin Feng. After all, Ling Xiao had no shortage of enemies, and more importantly, the force behind that resentment was simply too weak!

If a Sword Emperor Realm powerhouse had shot such a venomous look his way, Ling Xiao would have charged over immediately. He believed the best way to avoid trouble was to nip it in the bud.

Since his goal of establishing authority was met, Ling Xiao wasn’t afraid of having exposed his capabilities. If people now considered him invincible and someone not to be provoked, he would be overjoyed. But how could they be so idiotic? While they might not understand Arrays and didn’t know how he had killed the Zhe Family’s powerhouses, they should have been able to see he was relying on a geographical advantage and that his personal strength wasn’t that overwhelming.

But regardless, from this day forward, few would dare to proactively provoke Ling Xiao.

This was Ling Xiao’s true goal. He needed time to cultivate, and he wanted to spread the traditions of the Shushan Sword Cultivators throughout this world!

’Those eyes...’

The Inner City’s only main gate faced north, in the direction of the Penzes New City north gate, but it didn’t open onto the main street. Ling Xiao’s gaze fell upon a tall building beside the grand avenue. He had finally confirmed it—the person watching him was in there!

And sure enough, the moment Ling Xiao pinpointed the location, five or six figures suddenly flew out from a room in that building!

In an instant, they were before him. Ling Xiao tensed. The old man in the lead didn’t exude the slightest hint of an aura! He descended from the sky with complete nonchalance and landed right in front of Ling Xiao!

There are several stages to a Martial Artist’s mastery. The elementary stage is all about posturing; power is displayed through roars and destructive actions. The intermediate stage relies on one’s aura, using Spiritual Power to release immense pressure and make those of lower cultivation lose the courage to resist. But the advanced stage is a state of inner containment!

Upon reaching this stage, they no longer even need to project an aura; they prefer to merge themselves with nature itself. They are clearly standing right there, yet you get the feeling that they don’t exist at all!

Looking at the old man, Ling Xiao felt a glimmer of this sensation. Only a glimmer, though. ’This old man must have just entered the stage of inner containment not long ago.’

The old man smiled at Ling Xiao, his eyes holding the kind of look an elder gives a junior. Ling Xiao’s brow furrowed slightly. To be honest, while some might enjoy that, he was definitely not one of them. He hated being treated like a junior!

Shushan Sword Cultivators were, for the most part, a proud and untamable lot. By their standards, Ling Xiao was considered mild-mannered. Even so, he couldn’t stand others acting arrogantly toward him, and he was suddenly struck with the urge to play a trick on the old man.

Ling Xiao wasn’t sure why himself. Perhaps it was the thrill of a hunter spotting rare prey; he had never encountered a powerhouse of this caliber before. Compared to this old man, the Sword Venerable from the Zhe Family was like the earth to his sky—they couldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath. They were on completely different levels.

Ling Xiao didn’t erupt with any aura. Instead, he used a focused stream of his will to lock directly onto the old man across from him!

In Gongsun Sword’s eyes, the young man before him was riddled with openings! He couldn’t imagine how someone like this had managed to obliterate the Zhe Family’s powerhouses, nor why his grandfather held him in such high regard.

Furthermore, he saw that Ling Xiao was looking at his grandfather with a disrespectful gaze, and a flicker of anger rose in his heart. He was just about to make a sarcastic remark when he turned and was shocked to see his grandfather’s expression was incredibly grave. He was standing there, completely motionless!

A single drop of sweat... from the forehead of Gongsun Huang, who hadn’t sweat in perhaps several hundred years... DRIPPED... and fell to the ground!

Gongsun Sword’s face paled in shock. He looked at the Sword Emperor-level powerhouses with him and saw that their expressions were also grave as they stared at Ling Xiao. All of them were like leopards poised to strike, their eyes filled with wariness!

’What... what’s going on?’ Gongsun Sword hadn’t sensed anything amiss. He just felt that the way Ling Xiao was looking at his grandfather was extremely unpleasant, as if filled with provocation! But his grandfather... he was actually sweating?

"Damn, it’s hot in here!" Gongsun Sword said. No one paid him any mind.

A tempest raged in Gongsun Huang’s mind. ’An intent infused with Sword Qi! Aimed directly at my Sea of Consciousness! That’s it, it must be that legendary power said to exist only in the Holy Sanctuary!’

After all, Gongsun Huang was incredibly formidable and possessed a wealth of knowledge. He knew a thing or two about the powerhouses of the Holy Sanctuary.

’But to think this boy could actually reach such a stage!’

Right now, Gongsun Huang felt like a venomous snake that had been targeted by another. Perhaps their strengths were equal, or perhaps he, the target, was even stronger. But because he had lost the initiative, he dared not make a single move, terrified of provoking a misunderstanding.

And the Sword Emperor powerhouses behind him were like frogs transfixed by that same snake’s gaze—ready to be eaten whenever the snake pleased, without the slightest chance to resist!

Ling Xiao’s Sword Intent continued to rise. It was targeted at Gongsun Huang alone; the other Sword Emperor powerhouses were only caught in its wake because they were standing in the line of fire. Gongsun Sword, being farther away and not yet at the Sword Emperor Realm, was conversely the one least affected.

Suddenly, Gongsun Huang burst out laughing. "Young friend, you have a unique way of treating your guests!"

With Gongsun Huang’s words, Ling Xiao’s chilling Sword Intent vanished as if it had never existed. The Sword Emperors behind Gongsun Huang collectively sighed in relief. A moment longer, and they feared they would have disgraced themselves.

Ling Xiao smiled. "And doesn’t the old gentleman have a hobby of spying on people?"

"PFFT!"

Gongsun Sword almost choked in astonishment. ’This young man really has the gall to say anything!’ He was also smart enough, despite not understanding what had just transpired, to keep his mouth shut.

Gongsun Huang, however, didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. "Then let’s call it even. We’ve come a long way. Surely His Lordship the Marquis can spare a cup of tea for us?"

Ling Xiao chuckled. "It would be my pleasure." He gestured with his hand. "This way, please."

Gongsun Huang smiled in satisfaction and led the way. As he walked, he casually wiped his forehead with one hand. ’That was close,’ he thought. ’This little rascal has no respect for his elders at all!’