Immortal of the Ages

"You're not listening to your old man anymore? Sounds about right to me!" Ning Bei's eyes grew cold as ice. "For the past century, the Forbidden Tower and Sword Heaven have stood side by side, jointly overseeing the Sea of Swords. We've been as thick as thieves. How could such a steadfast relationship crumble just because of the whims of the Sword Lord?"

"Very true!" Lin Chen chimed in. "My mother hails from the Xiao Family of the Forbidden Tower, my sister's been sweet on Holy Son Chu for ages, and I'm set to marry Xiao Xing'er. Do you think these bonds could be severed just because my dad says so? He must've had one too many drinks today!"

"Granted, the Forbidden Tower can be overbearing at times, often overshadowing us of the Sword Heaven," a young woman in orange robes whispered. "But they've earned their stripes."

"Well, Yun Xiao offended Ye Guying first and then came to our Sword Heaven to test his Sword Soul. We could've simply handed him over to the Forbidden Tower and washed our hands off the matter," a young man in yellow robes interjected.

It was just human nature!

They'd been living in harmony in the Sea of Swords. Then out of the blue, someone showed up, forcing them to cross swords with their friends and brothers from the Forbidden Tower and even compete for cultivation resources. Who'd want that?

"As it stands, within Sword Heaven, only my father and Ning Yan stand up for Yun Xiao. Beyond them, everyone wishes the kid would just drop dead," Lin Chen voiced the ugly truth.

"Had your father not shown up, the lad would probably be dead by now," Ning Bei remarked with a cold smirk.

"True," Lin Chen agreed.

"My aunt's been off her rocker, trying to get on your dad's good side by opposing all of Sword Heaven? What's she thinking?" Ning Bei shook his head in disbelief. He and Ning Yan, in truth, both hailed from the Ning Family. The Nings were the second most powerful family in Sword Heaven, only outdone by the Lins—both apex families of the Sea of Swords.

In reality, most of these Sword Princelings came from such prestigious lineages. The likes of Ye Guying, who clawed his way up from obscurity, were rare in the annals of the Sea of Swords.

"What does the Ning Family make of Ning Yan's actions?" Lin Chen inquired.

"They all think she's lost her marbles," Ning Bei replied with a cold chuckle.

"Heh, the moment Yun Xiao bites the dust, your Aunt Ning will turn tail faster than a summer storm," Lin Chen mused. "Wouldn't surprise me if she's kneeling before my mother by then."

"I'd bet on it," Ning Bei replied.

"You think someone might assassinate Yun Xiao?" the young man in the yellow robes mused.

"Not likely," Lin Chen retorted with a chilly undertone. "Our elders have already paid a visit to the Forbidden Tower to apologize and explain. They're holding back on their end. For now, they're probably eager to see if any of you have the guts to finish him off during tomorrow's Sword Homage Ceremony."

The eyes of the young man in yellow sparkled. "Could we?"

"Sparring among Sword Cultivators isn't a gentle affair. A slip of the blade, and one could find it through their throat. If the chance arises, why not take it?" Ning Bei's tone turned icy.

"Well then, Ning Bei, Sister Qian, rest easy. Let me handle tomorrow. One swipe and I'll send him to the afterlife, ending this Sea of Swords farce," the young man in yellow laughed.

Lin Chen grinned, "Xiaolong, you'd be the Sea of Swords' hero then."

"Our brothers and sisters are the true heroes. I'd just be basking in their glory," the youth replied modestly.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Ning Bei questioned the young man.

"During the last martial contest, I sparred with Holy Son Chu and bested him slightly. If Lin Lin says he's inferior to Holy Son Chu, how could he withstand my blade?" the youth replied coolly.

"That's the spirit!" Ning Bei nodded in approval. "However, given the caliber of your Sword Soul, try not to clash directly. Go for a swift kill with your Flying Sword."

"Understood," the young man in yellow robes responded, determination evident in his eyes.

Lin Chen sighed deeply, "Why doesn't my father get it? No matter how elite your Sword Soul is, it's just a tough blade. Without advancing in realm or power, what's the point? I can't help but envy Ye Guying's Dao Seed Talent."

"He truly is unparalleled. With Ye Guying on their side, the Forbidden Tower is set to stand unchallenged for millennia," the young woman in orange robes lamented, clearly feeling the pressure.

"Forget about Ye Guying for a moment. Holy Son Chu's dual-element Sword Soul, and his potential inheritance of the Azure Kite, promises him an immeasurable future," Ning Bei glanced at the youth in yellow. "You might be stronger than Holy Son Chu now, but who knows about the future? Had he not misstepped in his early cultivation, he might be..."

"On par with me, I'd wager," Lin Chen interjected.

Ning Bei shot a wary glance at the sword case strapped to Lin Chen’s back. "You don't think there's any chance?"

Lin Chen paused, his face shadowed with unease. "Oh, there's a chance."

Their shoulders tightened, and the room seemed to shrink, the air grown thick with unspoken concerns.

"This generation at the Forbidden Tower," Lin Chen began, tapping a finger on the table, "they're a formidable bunch. And beyond Ye Guying, there's another—just as monstrous, mind you—who's also earned the Tower Heart inheritance."

The mood felt like a storm cloud had settled overhead.

Lin Chen rose, stretching out the tension. "Enough gloom. We'll reconvene tomorrow. Take care of that Azure Spirit cultivator, and I'll treat you all to a day at the Spirit Treasure Walk."

Mention of the famous Spirit Treasure Walk perked them up, a silver lining.

Lin Xiaolong, the youth in yellow robes, swaggered forward, his confidence back. "Leave it to me. We don’t need the whole cavalry."

Ning Bei smirked, trying to cut through the weight of the earlier talk. "Lin Chen, by Azure Spirit cultivator, which kind did you mean?"

"Of course, not a Sword Cultivator. The only thing a weakling like Yun Xiao deserves to cultivate is dogshit!" Xiaolong quipped with a wink.

Their shared laughter was a brief balm for their worries.

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Dawn found Yun Xiao outside the imposing facade of the Ancestral Sword Hall, a structure as black as midnight.

"Is this Sword Homage Ceremony a secret affair?" Yun Xiao quizzed, turning to the girl in the soft yellow dress, Lin Lin, who trailed behind.

"Yes," she said, curtly, crossing her arms defensively.

Yun Xiao eyed the entrance, then smirked, "Well, I'm going in. You can leave."

"No," Lin Lin retorted coldly, "I'll stay right here, waiting to see if you stride out as confidently as you stride in."

Yun Xiao’s lips curled into a dismissive sneer. Along the way, countless eyes from Sword Heaven had assessed him, few, if any, friendly.

Shaking off the negativity, he mused, "To me, this isn’t just the Ancestral Sword Hall. It’s 1,000,000 Spirit Stones, Ten Heavenly Origin Pills, and the Rank 10 Azure Kite..."

The drunken drawl of the Sword Lord drifted out. "Enter!"

Taking a deep breath, Yun Xiao stepped through. The courtyard was spacious, bisected by a prominent dueling platform, flanked by elevated platforms. On the left sat Sword Lord Lin Qingfeng, his white mane flowing, while beside him, the captivating Ning Yan poured wine. She looked less confident than the previous day, probably weighed down by politics and expectations.

"Let's get this show on the road!" The Sword Lord bellowed, motioning Yun Xiao forward for the ceremonial rites.

After the initial rites, Yun Xiao's gaze drifted to the elevated platform on the right. Several chairs, clearly reserved for the elders of Sword Heaven, sat there. Yet, to his surprise, none of these esteemed figures were in attendance for today's ceremony.

"Those challenging the Young Sword Lord, step forward!" Ning Yan, poised beside the Sword Lord, announced in a delicate voice.

No sooner had her words settled than three young, stern-faced Sword Cultivators, emanating powerful auras, entered from the side. Yun Xiao recognized them from the previous day at the Jade Sun Tower. By the looks of it, each seemed more formidable than Holy Son Chu of the Forbidden Tower.

"There are five young Sword Princelings in total. Two are on the stronger side, but both are more than four years my senior," Yun Xiao mused.

They couldn't participate in today's ceremony. To vie for the title of Young Sword Lord, you had to best those no more than three years your senior. Any more, and it wouldn't be fair play.

"Who's first?" Yun Xiao stepped decisively onto the duel platform at the courtyard's center.

"Me!" A young man in yellow robes, his eyes burning with intensity, stepped forward. Hidden within his fervent gaze was a subtle glint of malice.

With a flourish, he summoned a yellow Sword Soul, morphing it into a Flying Sword. Two distinct Sword Rings encircled it. The magic within the rings was clearly related to flames, making his Sword Soul blaze like a torch. Moreover, thirty-three layers of Sword Aura, even higher than Yun Xiao's, were visible.

"No wonder he's one of Sword Heaven's Sword Princelings. Even the youngest and weakest among them seems stronger than Ye Tiance and Elder Fan," Yun Xiao thought.

With the Sword Lord watching, Yun Xiao decided to be polite. "May I know your name, senior brother?"

"No more talk. Draw your sword!" The young man in yellow robes snapped.

"You want me to go first?" Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow.

"Obviously! If I attacked first, would you even get a chance?" The youth retorted coldly, his grip firm on his Flying Sword, ready to counter the moment Yun Xiao made his move.

The yellow-robed youth stood tall, swelling with pride. He believed, perhaps naively, that since he held an edge over the famed Holy Son Chu, a single strike would suffice to deal with Yun Xiao.

"All right then!" Yun Xiao muttered, his eyes narrowing. With a swift, flowing motion, he sent his azure Sword Soul spiraling forward. The sword danced, its shimmer resembling the glistening scales of a fish, and aimed unerringly at the youth.

"Ah, the old Ten-Step Scale? I can do it too!" the youth quipped inwardly.

There was a unique satisfaction in besting someone with their own trick. He readied his blade, poised to unleash a counter. But mid-move, Yun Xiao’s sword took a turn for the unpredictable. The signature ten sounds of the Ten-Step Scale became twelve.

Before he could react, the azure blade flashed past his face, and everything darkened momentarily.

The very next instant, that same blade hovered innocently back in Yun Xiao's grasp, spinning with a playful energy.

"What the devil...?" the youth stammered.

The Ten-Step Scale was a move he thought he'd mastered, yet something had gone amiss. Had his eyes deceived him?

"You call that a tickle?" He jested, readying another assault.

"Enough!" A booming voice intervened. It was the reprimand of the Sword Lord.

"But sir—" The young man's protests faltered as he felt a peculiar sting on his face. "Brother Bei, Sister Qian?" He glanced at his companions, finding their faces twitching with shock.

"What? What's on my face?" In a fit of anxiety, he whipped out a bronze mirror.

The sight left him flabbergasted. There, carved by the precise tip of a sword, were three characters that danced across his face.

Each stinging mark spelled out the message—'Next One Up!' The markings spanned from his left cheek to his forehead and then onto his right cheek. The strokes were masterful, the message clear. The room was thick with a mix of tension and utter astonishment.