Immortal of the Ages

Yun Xiao's departure left Azure Kite Street simmering in unrest for a considerable time.

“Brother! Where's Yun Xiao?” Ning Yan rushed over, her eyes darting across the sprawl of lifeless bodies, her eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

“Let's talk back in Sword Heaven,” Ning Que spoke hurriedly, fearing the wrath of those from the Forbidden Tower might descend upon their Ning Family should they arrive. Retreat was the only option.

Along the way, Ning Jing, her voice quivering, recounted the earlier incident to Ning Yan.

“Damn...” Ning Yan wore an oddly twisted expression after listening, murmuring to herself, “That kid’s got the face of an Immortal, but the heart of a murderous demon, huh?”

“Ning Yan, did you know Yun Xiao was this powerful?” Ning Que stared at her, teeth gritted in suppressed rage.

“I knew it, yeah!” Ning Yan responded nonchalantly.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Ning Que's words simmered with contained anger.

“I told you at Jade Sun Tower, didn't I? The problem is you didn’t believe me! You only trusted Lin Lin’s lovesick brain! So, who's the fool here, you or me?” Ning Yan retorted, a cold smirk playing on her lips.

Ning Que paused, harshly slapping his own forehead in a mix of regret and realization.

“Who could have anticipated that Holy Son Chu, someone representing the Forbidden Tower, would, like a petty clown, twist truth and falsehood...” Ning Jing sighed, lowering her head in helpless resignation, “He brought disgrace upon himself. His family dead, only he survived... Such humiliation; he won’t be able to show his face in public for the rest of his life!”

“You two should count your blessings that you’re my family. Otherwise, Yun Xiao definitely would have slaughtered you both too!” Ning Yan puffed out her chest, her face brimming with a self-satisfied air, “It’s all thanks to my good name, understand?”

“You!” Ning Que’s face alternated between shades of green and white, ultimately bowing his head in defeat, “Fine, I concede!”

“Idiot!” Ning Yan chuckled.

Ning Que, having been insulted, could only swallow his words. He had always considered himself quite intelligent, yet this time, he too had been duped by Holy Son Chu. Fortunately, his only loss was a blow to his pride, unlike Xiao He who, thanks to Holy Son Chu, had lost his life!

"Brother, what's running through that head of yours now?" Ning Yan asked, her gaze icy as it fixed on him.

"You’re something, I'll give you that! This Yun Xiao, with his hundred-layer Sword Aura and peerless swordsmanship, doesn't only have a high cultivation but also remarkable combat power. I reckon he’s qualified to clash with Lin Chen, Ye Guying, and Chen Xi!" Ning Que spoke and pursed his lips, adding, "However, unlike Lin Chen, he’s now in deep trouble with the Forbidden Tower. To what extent the Forbidden Tower will go to kill him is momentarily unpredictable, and the present situation is somewhat chaotic!"

"Is the Ning family still not backing Yun Xiao?" Ning Yan raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

"Nope! But, we're not opposing him either!" Ning Que declared.

Before tonight, the Ning Family was decidedly opposed.

"You'd best extract yourself from this situation quickly. Yun Xiao is stronger than you and doesn't require your protection!" Ning Que looked at her earnestly, "My dear little sister, heed your brother's words. Don’t return to Sword Heaven. Swiftly retreat and avoid the brewing storm. Otherwise, should any shifts occur, being sandwiched between two forces, you will undoubtedly be the first to fall! After the incidents at Azure Kite Sea and Spirit Treasure Walk, the nature of things has fundamentally changed!"

"I should leave? Brother, what exactly are you implying?" Ning Yan stood dumbstruck, for seldom did this big brother of hers show such concern as he did today.

"I sense something amiss!" Ning Que said with a grave tone.

"What's amiss?" A puzzled Ning Yan asked.

Ning Que patted her shoulder, his eyes deep and serious. "Just a word of caution, don’t let Lin Qingfeng make a fool of you! Some people gave up on you thoroughly more than twenty years ago. Now that you're not as young as you once were, can you still expect a late bloom? I don’t buy it!"

Tears sprang into Ning Yan's eyes.

"You damn well know you’re the one past your prime!" Ning Que said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm in the prime of my life, give me a man, and I can still bear ten children!" Ning Yan argued.

"..." Ning Que was struck speechless.

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Sword Heaven!

Ancestral Sword Hall!

In the veil of the somber night, three youthful figures knelt solemnly.

Even as half a day had elapsed, the venomous hatred within their hearts refused to dissipate.

"Why?! Our Ning Family has sacrificed so much for Sword Heaven, and the Sword Lord is going to abolish my position as a Sword Princeling, just for this outsider?" Ning Bei hung his head low, his eyes bleeding an infernal red, harboring a hatred so profound within his chest.

"Don’t worry, Brother Bei, Brother Chen will help us vent our anger!" Murong Qian comforted softly.

"That kid, within three days, he will be executed by a myriad of swords. I hope his corpse remains intact, so I might thrust one last sword through him to soothe the hatred in my heart!" Lin Xiaolong's eyes manifested a horrific malice.

The astounding incidents at the Azure Kite Sea and Spirit Treasure Tower swept across the Sea of Swords. Yet, these three were forgotten in this tranquil Ancestral Sword Hall, engulfed by the profound silence of the night.

"Let’s cultivate here! If I can break through one more stage, I’ll kill him myself!" Murderous intent surged in Ning Bei’s eyes.

No sooner had his words fallen—

SLASH! A fierce azure sword ray suddenly surged forward!

THUD! With a flash of the sword, Ning Bei, eyes widened, watched as his own head tumbled to the ground.

"Brother Bei?!" Lin Xiaolong and Murong Qian, as though struck by lightning, felt their hearts fiercely tremble. Whipping around, they saw, at the entrance of the Ancestral Sword Hall, a young man in white standing silently.

"Damn the trip back here was exhausting! Finally rushed back to send the three of you to the netherworld!” Yun Xiao lifted his head, a chilling smile danced on his lips, “Didn’t wait overnight, did you?”

“You!” Murong Qian and Lin Xiaolong, souls seemingly ejected from their bodies, were petrified!

SLASH SLASH! Before they could rise, before any cries could escape their throats, the azure sword rays flashed across their necks! Another two heads toppled, lining up with Ning Bei’s, all of them frozen in a perpetual state of terror, gazing at the Ancestral Sword Hall. Their eyes, unable to find peace even in death!

Yun Xiao approached nonchalantly, casually plucking a tree branch and staining it with their blood, scribbled two characters on the ground—Yun Xiao!

“Why leave your name? Eager for everyone to know you killed these three, are you?” Blue Star stared, puzzled.

“This,” Yun Xiao uttered, “is called fishing.” With those words, he vaulted gracefully, vanishing into the depths of the night sky.

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Inside a humble thatched cottage...

Sword Lord Lin Qingfeng of Sword Heaven, his hair a cascade of white, tucked himself into a dim corner, his face ashen, and large beads of sweat traversed his cheeks, pattering as they struck the floor.

This location, isolated from the other palaces and towers of Sword Heaven, shielded his low, anguished cries from any eavesdroppers. Rarely did anyone visit this cottage on ordinary days! Nobody knew why, all these years, the Sword Lord chose to reside alone here, detaching himself from the affairs of Sword Heaven. Even the few who ventured this way were swiftly turned away...

"Brother Feng!" A beautifully robed woman approached, urgency etching her features. Quickly, she bent down, perching beside him and took the Sword Lord’s hand in hers. Her face revealed a tapestry of anguish, and tears fell like gentle raindrops, splashing softly upon the floor.

This was Xiao Yu, Madame Xiao.

"Is the bone poison acting up again?" Her voice was soft, laden with sorrow.

"It’s nothing! Nothing..." The Sword Lord's body convulsed as he gasped for air, extending his hand and pleading, "Wine! Bring me wine!"

Madame Xiao handed him a wine pot. He snatched it, gulping down the contents fervently, not stopping until his body flushed red, white steam emanating from his pores. Finally, he exhaled a long breath.

"It's okay now, my love." The Sword Lord sat up, extending a hand to draw Xiao Yu to him, enveloping her in his embrace.

"Brother Feng..." Xiao Yu’s arms wound around him. Tears, relentless, continued their path downward. She wept, "It's almost a decade, isn’t it? Every time I witness your agony, it feels as though my heart is being torn asunder. Why must the heavens punish you, a man of such virtue, in this way? It’s so unjust!"

"Xiao Yu!" He pinched her cheek gently, eyes brimming with adoration, whispering, "Why speak of this now, when time is so precariously precious? After tonight, only two days remain! I only need to endure one more outbreak of the bone poison."

"Mhm!" She nodded obediently. Her demeanor contrasted starkly with the authoritative, icy matriarch of Sword Heaven to outsiders, rendered almost unrecognizable. She embraced the Sword Lord, whispering softly, "Did you hear about tonight’s incident at the Spirit Treasure Walk?"

"I've just dealt with it," the Sword Lord responded, his gaze holding a peculiar light.

"How's it looking?" Xiao Yu asked, anxiety twisting her elegant features.

"Well…" the Sword Lord, Lin Qingfeng, began with an air of bemusement. "It's safe to say we've got ourselves quite the catch! He managed to shut those old fogies up all on his own, something I hadn’t anticipated."

"And the implications?" Her voice barely hovered above a whisper, tension evident.

"Minimal impact," the Sword Lord reassured, pulling her tighter into his embrace. "After all, our little lab rat has to last three days. The day after tomorrow, once he takes the final dose, we can make our move. His current strength isn’t near potent enough to spiral out of my control." Pausing, he glanced out of the window at the brilliant moon, its glow casting shadows over the bustling Sea of Swords beyond. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought. "A decade of toiling with life and death, Xiao Yu, and in two days, finally, release."

The tiny thatched room bore silent witness to their sorrow.

"Your father’s Sword Heart Spring, it can build a bridge of compatibility between your body and the lab rat's sword bone. And the Heart Devouring Gu, it works subtly, like boiling a frog in warm water. It can, within three days, separate his sword bone from his flesh... He won’t notice the process, will he?" Xiao Yu asked.

"For the first two days, he won’t feel a thing, and if he does, it’ll only be on that final day. However, once the third day arrives, I can forcibly control him. No need to fear him shattering his sword in suicide," Lin Qingfeng mused.

"That’s a relief! To have such a rare lab rat shatter his own sword in suicide would be such a waste," she nodded, wiping away a stray tear.

"Exactly! Not a single mistake can be made! He must willingly submit to my charismatic personality! Trust me... This entire act as a true Sword Immortal is but for the two day of the Gu laying dormant!" As he spoke, a mischievous grin carved its way across Lin Qingfeng's face, his voice a low rumble of amusement.

"You’re quite the actor. That slap left me dumbfounded," Xiao Yu chuckled, yanking at his beard while casting him a playful scowl.

"I apologize, my dear! You've endured much these few days," Lin Qingfeng spoke gently, stroking her hair. "I know it hasn’t been easy."

"You better know! I’ve stood by you faithfully for twenty years, and lately, I’ve even had to put up with that insufferable Ning Yan! Once this is over, you’re slaughtering her, I insist!" Xiao Yu’s voice was a sweet venom.

"Alright, alright!" Lin Qingfeng chuckled warmly, "Once I disable her, you can do the honors, how about it?"

"Now that’s more like it!" With a single nod, Xiao Yu’s dark mood lifted slightly, her voice dripping with disdain, "A woman who bore a child for a rural peasant, and she dares hold her head so high? Who does she think would take a liking to her? Ridiculous!"

"Xiao Yu, you’ve sacrificed so much for me over the years, giving me children and standing by me. How could I ever shortchange you in this lifetime? To find a good partner in life is no easy feat!" His voice trembled with genuine emotion as he held her.

"We’re old husband and wife, no need for such talk," she replied, her gaze soft yet teasing, "Why not offer something a bit more tangible?"

"Tangible?" His brow arched in playful inquiry.

"Lin Qingfeng, slap me," Xiao Yu suddenly requested.

"Pardon?" he blinked in genuine surprise.

Suddenly blushing, she whispered, "I’ve suddenly discovered that a little suffering can be quite... exhilarating."

He coughed awkwardly.

In the following moments, the tiny hut seemed to shake with amorous cries, the details respectfully left unspilled. Afterwards…

Lin Qingfeng turned to his wife. He inhaled deeply, his gaze ablaze with an untamed fervor. "Once I switch to a youthful set of sword bones, that hundred layer Sword Aura will be mine."

JustLivingJL's Thoughts

Heya folks,

JL, your new-fetish-awakened translator, here! Now, the plot for the Sea of Swords has finally unraveled! All is laid to bare! Personally, I didn't like this development at all the first time around. You could even say I was dissapointed. Normally, in these cultivation novels... even if the hero is surrounded by a bunch of assholes, he'd at least have a few solid allies in his corner.

Enter Lin QIngfeng, the Sword Lord. The guy had bro written all over him. I was rooting for him, convinced he was Yun Xiao's ride-or-die. But surprise, surprise—he's an Oscar-worthy actor in disguise! The betrayal felt like a genuine punch to the gut. Not to Yun Xiao, but to me!

Here's what I thought was going to happen in this arc—

Yun Xiao teams up with Sword Lord. → He eventually wins over everyone else in Sword Heaven with his abilities. → Yun Xiao and Sword Heaven join forces for an epic showdown against the Forbidden Tower and Ye Guying.

But we just got?

Yun Xiao basically has zero allies in the Sea of Swords. → ??? (completely unknown waters). → Profit?

Reflecting on it now, I see the author's game plan. Sure, I'm a sucker for team-ups and comraderie, but this plot twist? I get it. As for what I get? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out!

-JL, over and out!

P.S. New tier is out. After that, there'll be one last tier coming out, and no more as far as contractual obligations are concerned. I'll have more to say when the last tier comes out. But as always, I love and appreciate you guys. Reading your comments genuinely lights up my day, and I am reminded every morning how lucky and priveleged I am. See you in the future chapters!