Immortal of the Ages

The Sword Lord paused, his stoic face betraying a flicker of astonishment.

A nervous tension gripped the Sword Heaven crowd, a mix of disbelief and indignation painting their expressions.

“I’m asking for the Sword Tempering Pill not out of whim,” Yun Xiao began, pausing for emphasis with each word, his voice a resonant and unwavering beam in the tense silence, “My master, Zhao Jianxing, dispatched twenty thousand demons, his blade shattering only at the bitter end! He expended himself for the people of the thousand mortal nations, willingly greeting death’s cold embrace. I, as his pupil, desire his continued existence.”

Silence. A heavy, saturated silence engulfed the space, consuming every stray whisper.

They knew of Zhao Jianxing, of course. His tales meandered through countless conversations. Yet, none ever contemplated extending aid, for Zhao Jianxing was the outcast of Sword Heaven—an enigma of solitude and stubbornness, a commoner blissfully ignorant of societal norms.

Everyone deemed him dead already. And yet, here was his disciple, demanding, pleading.

“You march in here, demanding a Sword Tempering Pill—what exactly do you take us for, brat?” Lin Chen’s words sliced through the silence, his eyes, afire with an inherited wrath, locked unyieldingly onto Yun Xiao. A violent specter of his mother’s bleeding visage seemed to cascade onto Yun Xiao, crystallizing into an armor of vengeance.

“Lin Chen, do you also desire the Pill?” the Sword Lord asked.

“Yes,” Lin Chen nodded.

“Can you defeat the Nine Heaven Chosen of the Forbidden Tower?” the Sword Lord pressed.

Lin Chen hesitated, the seconds stretching between them. He hung his head, teeth clenched on a bitter truth. “No.”

“Very well,” the Sword Lord turned his gaze, surveying both young men, “Lin Chen, Yun Xiao—whichever of you defeats the Nine Heaven Chosen of the Forbidden Tower first shall earn the Sword Tempering Pill.”

“Thank you, Sword Lord,” Yun Xiao spoke first. He knew the journey wouldn’t be gentle, but at least a path lay before him. He sought no handouts. A path to strive upon was all he needed. Despite the pressing time, his resolve flickered not.

“The Forbidden Tower Death Decree, huh?” Yun Xiao’s heart held a frigid determination. Upon the issuance of this lethal decree, it was a war of annihilation between him and the Forbidden Tower, conditions or no conditions.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen’s cold gaze lingered on Yun Xiao, “You can't even best the weakest, Holy Son Chu. What’s fueling this absurd confidence that you can defeat the Forbidden Tower’s prodigies? Sword Soul talent and your advancement in cultivation are unrelated! How long can your master wait, decades?”

“Worry about yourself, not me,” Yun Xiao responded, voice even, emotion drained.

Lin Chen and Lin Lin—the son-daughter duo of the Sword Lord—watched. The Sword Lord had granted Yun Xiao a semblance of favor today. He knew of their discontent but entanglement was a fruitless endeavor. It wasn't worth it.

“Fine then!” Lin Chen’s voice rang out, cold as steel against stone.

“You are both hot-blooded young men, and a bit of competition is natural. But do remember, you are all disciples of Sword Heaven, potential pillars of our legacy. Your blades may cross for practice, but your lethal intents should converge against external threats!” The Sword Lord’s voice held an aged wisdom, an echoed caution from countless yesterdays.

Yun Xiao nodded, concurring silently.

Lin Chen offered no words, merely silence.

The Sword Lord’s hand met Yun Xiao’s shoulder with a gentle firmness, “Prepare yourself tonight. Tomorrow, you will participate in Sword Heaven’s Sword Homage Ceremony.”

“What is the Sword Homage Ceremony, Sword Lord?” Yun Xiao asked.

“The Sword Homage is a practice of paying respects to the ancestors of Sword Heaven at the Ancestral Sword Hall, introducing yourself to our forebears. As the Young Sword Lord, you must accept challenges from your Sword Heaven peers. Demonstrate your might to our ancestors. Anyone up to three years your senior is eligible to challenge you. How old are you now?” the Sword Lord inquired.

“Sixteen,” Yun Xiao responded.

A collective sneer from Lin Chen and several Sword Princelings sliced through the hushed air at the utterance of that number.

“Therefore, all Sword Heaven youths under nineteen may challenge the Young Sword Lord tomorrow!” the Sword Lord proclaimed.

“Father! With his combat skills, won’t he lose every single match? This has to be the weakest Young Sword Lord in history, right?” Lin Lin’s voice in a tone of faux concern.

With the help of Madame Xiao, word had swiftly permeated through Sword Heaven. The new Young Sword Lord had fallen beneath a single stroke from Holy Son Chu, considered the weakest among the Forbidden Tower's Nine Heaven Chosen.

Yun Xiao, positioned in a role that symbolized formidable power, was expected to be the strongest. And yet, his strength foundered against an adversary perceived to be the weakest. It tasted like a cruel, cosmic joke, flavorful and wild.

"What happens if I win or lose?" Yun Xiao asked. Ye Guying was due to emerge from seclusion in four days. So, the upcoming Sword Homage ceremony shouldn't affect his plans.

“Let me explain further!” Ning Yan burst forth, propelling herself into the limelight. Her stance by Yun Xiao was close, conspicuously so, as if terrified the world might miss their camaraderie.

“Yun Xiao, in your position as Young Sword Lord, you’re presumed to be unbeaten at the Sword Homage Ceremony. Only such an outcome garners the recognition of our ancestors and officially delivers to you the cultivation resources befitting the Young Sword Lord title,” Ning Yan offered, her voice a gentle cascade of explanation.

“And if I'm defeated?” Yun Xiao probed.

Ning Yan's gentle smile flickered like candlelight, “Then you'll receive the same cultivation resources as all the other Sword Princelings in Sword Heaven. Until the same ceremony next year, that is.” A pause. “Nonetheless, in external dealings, your title, Young Sword Lord, remains intact.”

Yun Xiao desired resources, not empty titles. “So, in every year's Sword Homage Ceremony, I'll have to win every challenge to hold my position and convince all my doubters?”

“You dream sweetly. But fail three years in a row, and your Young Sword Lord title will be but a distant memory, perhaps you won't even be qualified to be a Sword Princeling,” Lin Lin chimed in with a pert note.

“Three years?” Yun Xiao’s understanding blossomed, yet it did so amidst a garden of formidable, icy stares from the assorted Sword Princelings.

Lin Lin, a burgeoning beauty of just fourteen, couldn’t veil her scathing scorn, whereas the others allowed frosty expressions to telegraph a unified message, his path would not be smoothed by their hands.

“Won’t you ask about the resource disparities between the Young Sword Lord and Sword Princelings, Yun Xiao?” Ning Yan remarked.

“Then, would Great Sword Venerable Ning care to enlighten me?” Yun Xiao asked.

“Call me Aunt Ning,” she insisted, her face assuming a veneer of mock sternness.

“... Aunt Ning it is, then.”

No title, however, would sweeten his evident distaste.

“As a Sword Princeling, you’ll be blessed with 300,000 Spirit Stones, and be qualified to challenge the Rank Three Azure Kites and onwards. But should you hold the title of Young Sword Lord,” Ning Yan's eyes glistened with untamed yearning, “you,'ll receive 1,000,000 Spirit Stones, ten Heavenly Origin Pills, and a direct qualification to challenge the Rank Ten Azure Kite.”

Yun Xiao paused, digesting the opulence of the potential reward, "1,000,000 Spirit Stones? Ten Heavenly Origin Pills? Rank Ten Azure Kite?” It was quite luxurious. A disciple, unexpectedly showered with a sect’s fortune!

Regarding the Azure Kites, wasn’t this Ye Guying’s avenue to ascension? Even fools would discern its sublime value!

“Am I allowed to immediately challenge the Azure Kite after the ceremony?” Yun Xiao asked, his tone subdued yet flecked with anticipation.

“Yes!” Ning Yan, her fingers teasing Yun Xiao’s face in a playful pinch, chuckled warmly. “That's why the ceremony is pivotal. A victory is imperative, understand?”

After she pinched Yun Xiao's cheeks, she couldn't help but sigh, “Such softness!” Had she been two decades younger, this youth would have become her pursuit, no doubt. Leaving all aside… just his divine visage, an everyday spectacle, would be an everlasting delight to behold.

Ning Yan, a woman of considered contemplation, found herself in a peculiar emotional quagmire. Her daughter, it appeared, had somewhat ensnared this young man, Yun Xiao. This connection bore future ramifications, entwining with the fortunes and misfortunes of the Zhao Jianxing father-daughter duo.

“Nope, can’t accept it,” she muttered through clenched teeth.

The mere whisper of Rank Ten Azure Kite sent ripples of longing through the Sword Princelings present. Steeped in nobility and nurtured under the watchful skies of Sword Heaven, none of them held the sway to manipulate their path, directly challenging the Rank Ten Azure Kite. It was Ye Guying, who, beginning from the Rank One Azure Kite, carved a bloody path straight through to the Rank Ten Azure Kite, that garnered genuine admiration.

Should Yun Xiao navigate the treacherous path of the Sword Homage Ceremony, he might circumvent the trials, allowing him to challenge the Rank Ten Azure Kite directly..

A position coveted by all, two scant spots were up for grabs across the various sword clans within the Sea of Swords. One was tethered to the Forbidden Tower, the other to Sword Heaven.

The Sword Princelings stewed with jealousy. The concept of an outsider, a mere stranger, standing upon their lofty perches evoked a seething resentment amongst them.

“Enough,” the Sword Lord laughed, addressing Yun Xiao and Lin Chen with a wave of his hand. “You young folks, all birds of a similar feather, should flock together! Lin Chen, consider yourself the elder brother amongst peers. Look after Yun Xiao, will you?”

“Yeah, sure, Father.” Lin Chen nodded without hesitation.

The Sword Lord’s eyes slid toward Lin Lin, who was dressed in a short, goose-yellow skirt, her pristine legs unabashedly on display. “Lin Lin, Yun Xiao will be your guest in the Wind Listening Pavilion for the time being. Guide him through the intricacies of Sword Heaven, see to his daily living, yes?”

Her expressive face crumbled like a cookie underfoot. “Huh??”

Internal blame found a target in Yun Xiao.

Live together? That was palatable, perhaps. But to cater to his every need?

Was this not simply throwing her to the wolves?

The elders among them, each a bastion of age and wisdom, visibly twitched at the words, understanding dawning in their eyes. The Sword Lord was severing ties with Holy Son Chu, aiming to intertwine the fates of Yun Xiao and Lin Lin, cultivating potential affection. The potential union between the Forbidden Tower and Sword Heaven had long been a topic set alight in recent times.

Was the Sword Lord truly looking to dismantle this from its roots, through his daughter no less? Risking a total fallout with the Forbidden Tower? For one prodigy, was it truly worth it? Heads bowed, silence consumed them, inner worlds capsized.

“Everyone, the Sword Heaven Meeting is convened,” the Sword Lord declared, his sleeves dancing with his motion towards the Jade Sun Tower.

A meeting to discuss matters most grave. Opposition against the Forbidden Tower lay on the table, and all knew an arrow loosed couldn't be reclaimed.

“Understood.” One after another, the elders and powerhouses of Sword Heaven ascended towards the Jade Sun Tower, casting contemplative, sigh-tinged glances at Yun Xiao as they passed.

In the rustling of robes, a murmured lament wove through the air. “His Sword Soul may ascend high, but to mature, won’t it require over a decade? Will Sword Heaven persevere till then?”

The air swirled with a palpable tension as eyes shifted among the assembly, whispers threading through the space, an ambient murmur amidst the majestic splendor of the Sword Heaven. Yun Xiao stood, an inscrutable expression painted across his visage, absorbing the muffled discontents uttered by those around him.

“I’ve always known the Sword Lord has been stifling his discontent these past years, but this move...” an elder of Sword Heaven whispered with a weary tremble, his eyes reflecting pools of encroaching despair. “It's far too perilous, drawing us all to the cusp of the abyss.”

“But what alternative is there? He is our Sword Lord!”

“If we talk of fast-tracked ascension, Ye Guying from the Forbidden Tower, though slightly lagging behind Yun Xiao in Sword Soul talent, holds the Nine Dragons Dantian—a Dao Seed Talent. It can hasten the elevation of realms, propelling him even further! Surely he’s a better fit for our Sword Heaven?”

Hopelessness permeated the room, a thick, foggy despair that clung to every word and lingered in every pause. The harsh reality of their situation rested heavily upon each shoulder present.

“To alter our fate, there’s but one way now,” the voice seemed to emanate from every shadow, every corner of the room, as the assembly’s eyes stealthily pivoted towards Yun Xiao, veiling their lethal intentions beneath layers of feigned indifference.

Above, more elders ascended the Jade Sun Tower, silently observing, contemplating.

The Sword Princelings, with eyes as sharp as the weapons they mastered, cast a frigid glance toward Yun Xiao before departing, their strides emanating an air of defiant pride.

Including Yun Xiao? The notion scarcely merited consideration.

Yet, Yun Xiao, indifferent, found a chill of amusement tickling his spine. He spoke to no one, musing with a mocking smile, “Aside from the 1,000,000 Spirit Stones, ten Heavenly Origin Pills, and the Rank Ten Azure Kite, Sword Heaven is worth nothing to me.”

Everywhere else, excluding the venerated Sword Lord of Sword Heaven, paled in comparison to the enchanting allure of the Sword Pavilion.

“Country yokel, brace yourself for tomorrow's Sword Homage Ceremony,” Lin Lin huffed, a smug curl to her lip as she sashayed past him, “My brothers will show no mercy, and mind you, they’re not the least bit inferior to Brother Chu!” Not a shred of hospitality emanated from her, no intention to guide Yun Xiao.

“Wait,” Yun Xiao’s voice cut through the chill. His hand clasped her nape as she attempted to pass, lifting her with an unsettling calm.

“What?!” Lin Lin’s eyes blazed, her voice a mix of defiance and surprise.

“Your father instructed you to guide me to your Wind Listening Pavilion. I intend to stay there,” he responded coolly.

Lin Lin snarled, “Dream on!” That boudoir was her sanctuary, untouched even by Holy Son Chu.

“Remember, I am a Young Sword Lord. Should you resist, I won't hesitate to exact punishment,” Yun Xiao said.

“Would you dare?” she spat, crimson anger flashing in her eyes.

A crisp slap echoed, Yun Xiao’s palm meeting her cheek.

“Waaah!” Stunned, Lin Lin crumpled, clutching her reddened face, tears cascading like a shattered dam, her sobs a tempest amidst the tension-wrought atmosphere.