Chapter 257: Yun Xi, Bastard Brother
Deep within the Sword Sect, dusk painted the sky. Among the rugged mountains, a chubby old man with frosty temples, carrying a young girl, flew his sword to the mountainside of a peak. He stopped before a cave entrance marked with a Stone Tablet with the Character “Tomb”.
Within the cave, countless spirit swords, stained with dust or rust, were visible, stuck in the muddy ground amidst white bones, creating a desolate scene. Bound tightly by Immortal Binding Chains, Yun Xi, carried on Zhuang Yan’s shoulder, turned her head and gulped. She blinked, feeling utterly cowardly, and quickly said, “Elder Zhuang, you see, me following along is no use, right? You can just let me go here. I don’t have a flying sword, so by the time I get back to Xi Ri Peak, you’ll already be done with your business. You won’t have to worry about me telling the other elders, you see…”
“Heh heh…” Zhuang Yan chuckled twice and asked, “We’re already here, don’t you want to see your Eldest Brother?”
Yun Xi deeply felt that if she met Yun Kunwu, she’d likely lose her life. Tremblingly, she replied, “I’ve heard that Brother Yun is impressive and talented, achieving Nascent Soul Formation at just thirty years old, truly a prodigy of the heavens. But look at me, we haven’t seen each other in hundreds of years… At least let me go back and get dressed? So I can make a good impression on Brother Yun, right?”
“Don’t worry, Kunwu will like you this way,” Zhuang Yan replied with a smile and stepped into the cave. Yun Xi, still on his shoulder, changed her expression and struggled, shouting, “Ah… Damn it!! Old Man Zhuang!! Let me down!! When I get back, I’ll tell my father and have him chop you up!!”
“But Third Miss would have to get back first, hehehe…”
As the sunlight outside the cave gradually receded, tears began to well up in Yun Xi’s eyes. “Wuwu… Sister Pei! Eldest Sister!… Help!”
Yun Xi and Zhuang Yan’s figures gradually disappeared into the dimness of the cave, her cries for help becoming obscured by the rock walls.
After walking for a while along the pitch-black mountain path, the once narrow passage suddenly opened up. Zhuang Yan slightly raised his right hand, and several white spiritual lights flew out from his sleeve, illuminating the space ahead. They stood on the edge of a cliff, below which lay a dense forest that seemed like a world apart. The area above was sealed by rock, obscuring the sun, moon, and sky. Strange, twisted trees grew densely in the forest, and a small river flowed from south to north through it. Most striking were the countless broken spirit swords deeply embedded in the ground.
These spirit swords were arranged in a circular pattern. The closer to the center, the higher the quality of the sword and the status and cultivation of its former owner. However, even the worst sword sent here was at least used by a renowned cultivator who had once dominated the Immortal Realm. It was Yun Xi’s first time in the Thousand Sword Pool, and she was momentarily stunned by the astonishing spirit swords. Even staring at one sword for too long felt as though she could hear it, in a unique language, telling her about its life and its master’s experiences. Every nick on the blade, every stain of rust and blood, held a story. She couldn’t understand, but she could imagine those scenes. These swords seemed alive, possessing consciousness, love, hate, and sorrows.
“These swords…”
“Oh?” Zhuang Yan looked at Yun Xi, who seemed slightly dazed, and said with some surprise, “Third Miss can understand these swords talking?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Your aptitude is ordinary, but your sword spirit is extraordinary,” Zhuang Yan said, carrying her down the cliff as they slowly walked towards the center of the forest. “It’s a pity you’re still far behind my disciple.”
“… …”
After walking a hundred paces along the surrounding dilapidated spirit swords, Zhuang Yan stopped before a spirit sword with a completely black blade, devoid of any decorative tassels. He placed Yun Xi on the ground nearby and then took out a bloody mud-like figure from his storage bag, placing it beside the sword.
“Kunwu, you’ve waited long enough. Over the past century, I’ve repeatedly begged Yun Tianchong to reshape your flesh and release you from the Sword Sect, but he believes you would still be a menace even if released. No matter what I said, he refused. But in the path of immortality, destiny and aptitude are paramount. The destiny and talent you possess are beyond even those two old fossils from the Taibai Sect and Xuan Xing Sect. The path of immortality is long, and every cultivator desires to see the peak. Sadly, I may not see it, but you can…”
Zhuang Yan seemed to attain a sense of peace and reached out to grasp the sword hilt. Yun Xi, who was lying on the ground eating dirt, quickly turned her head and shouted, “Wait!!”
“Does Third Miss have anything else to say?”
“Look, Elder Zhuang, your disciple is about to regain his freedom. Shouldn’t we make it festive? It’s so gloomy in here. Can you liven things up a bit? Hang some red lanterns nearby, set up a feast or something? So Brother Yun will be happy when he comes out, won’t he?”
“… …”
Zhuang Yan rolled his eyes at her, grasped the sword hilt, and infused spiritual power into the blade. Azure spiritual energy leaked from his aged body like flowing water, gathering at the sword hilt. The previously quiet forest was suddenly engulfed by a gale, and a black killing aura permeated the air. The ancient swords stuck in the ground trembled as if in fear, creaking noisily. Countless sword cries echoed within the mountain.
Clang, clang, clang—
Yun Xi’s mouth was blown open by the sudden gust of wind, her gums exposed and eyelids flipped outward. She yelled at the top of her lungs, but her voice was completely drowned out by the surrounding sword cries. Zhuang Yan’s once vibrant complexion instantly became wrinkled, as if he had aged decades. Due to a certain young man who had previously thrown water spirit pearls into the elixir furnace, the煞丹 (Sha Dan) had not been fully refined. He had no choice but to sacrifice his own lifespan and Nascent Soul to fill the gaps in the 煞丹.
“Disciple! Follow my Nascent Soul!” Amidst the raging wind, the soaring killing aura was guided by Zhuang Yan’s Nascent Soul towards the bloody mud figure he had placed beside him earlier. The mud figure’s skin began to grow, and soon transformed into a naked, golden-white long-haired youth. Yun Kunwu slowly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of emotionless crimson irises. He spat out a mist of blood and then turned his head to glance at Yun Xi behind him. Waves of killing intent in his eyes caused Yun Xi to hold her breath, not daring to swallow. But then, his eyes softened, and he gently called out, “Master, you’ve made a grave mistake. Father will never agree to let me out.”
Zhuang Yan was somewhat surprised, startled, and asked, “Kunwu, look at this girl… can you believe she’s your sister?”
Yun Kunwu slightly raised his eyes, showing a hint of surprise, but it was unclear why. He immediately stood up and walked to Yun Xi. With a slight wave of his finger, he untied her bound hands and feet. “Master, if she is my sister, then she is of the Yun family bloodline. Why would you treat her like this?”
Yun Xi was stunned. She hadn’t expected Yun Kunwu to speak up for her. Yun Yiyi had told her that Yun Kunwu was imprisoned in this Sword Tomb for committing a grave offense, but now he was giving her a good impression?
Zhuang Yan was also taken aback and asked, “Kunwu?”
“In my youth, I was reckless and committed a great mistake, which is why Father personally imprisoned me here for self-reflection,” Yun Kunwu sighed softly and murmured. “It is not my will to be released now. Master, you should go back and beg my father for forgiveness.”
“… …”
After speaking, Yun Kunwu turned to Yun Xi and extended his hand to help her up. “Sister, you’ve suffered so much because of me. As your Eldest Brother, I am truly sorry.”
Looking at his sincere apology, Yun Xi was stunned for a long time before slowly reaching out to his hand and standing up, weakly replying, “Thank you?”
“You’re welcome,” Yun Kunwu replied with a smile. He then walked back to the pitch-black spirit sword in front of Zhuang Yan and said, “Sister, could you drip two drops of your vital blood onto the sword hilt?”
“Why? What are you going to do?”
“This sword has a blood restriction set by Father. If your vital blood doesn’t activate the restriction, my spirit will not be able to return to the sword. As your Eldest Brother, I hope you will help me seal myself back into the sword, alright?”
Yun Xi weakly cowered, looking at her Eldest Brother’s smiling face. She inexplicably thought of Sister Pei’s Senior Brother. She felt that her Eldest Brother bore an eight-tenths resemblance to Ye Anping, especially in their build and demeanor. She paused and asked, “What if I don’t agree?”
Yun Kunwu was silent for a moment, then smiled. “Sister, you don’t need to be so nervous. How about this… I can prove that I am not what you think.” Saying this, he turned to Zhuang Yan and closed his eyes slightly.
Zhuang Yan looked slightly confused, but the next moment, without Yun Kunwu’s body or arms moving at all, a black sword light flashed and severed Zhuang Yan’s left arm.
Thud—
His entire left arm suddenly fell to the ground, hitting a pool of blood.
“Hiss—”
Zhuang Yan gritted his teeth, took a step back, and clutched his shoulder, looking at Yun Kunwu in disbelief. “Kunwu?”
However, there was no pity in Yun Kunwu’s eyes. “Master, since you have violated sect rules, you must be punished. I am a Yun family heir, so naturally, I must punish you for acting against the Sword Sect.” He then turned back to Yun Xi and said gently, “Sister, just two drops of vital blood, and I can return to the sword. Or… do you also wish to disobey Father’s will and release me now?”
Zhuang Yan knelt on the ground, clutching his bleeding shoulder, and said through gritted teeth, “Kunwu, Master Yun Tian is in seclusion for Void Breaking. Currently, Elder Tian Xing is in charge of the Sword Sect. You don’t need to be so cautious.”
“… …”
Upon hearing this, Yun Kunwu paused slightly. The smile on his face instantly vanished. “Master, why didn’t you say so earlier? You made me feel like I was being overly sentimental, wasting so much time on an incompetent girl?”
“Kunwu, if you don’t ask, how would I know what you’re thinking?”
“Having been my master for so many years, you can’t fathom my thoughts? You’re hardly a qualified master, hahaha…” He laughed distortedly, then turned to Yun Xi, whose face had turned pale, and narrowed his eyes. “Please forget what I just said. Since Father is in seclusion, the situation is…”
“Hiss…”
Hearing this, Yun Xi took a deep breath and glanced at the black spirit sword between Zhuang Yan and Yun Kunwu. She realized that Yun Kunwu had likely acted so gently just now out of fear of her father’s arrival, so the matter of two drops of vital blood sealing him back into the sword was definitely true. With this thought, Yun Xi rushed forward, bit her wrist, and sprinkled her blood towards the pitch-black spirit sword.
Seeing this, Yun Kunwu quickly reached out to block. “Wait!!”
Unfortunately, blood could not be blocked by hands. A few drops of blood landed on the sword hilt, and instantly, the entire killing aura seeped out from the sword body and surged towards Yun Kunwu. Yun Kunwu instinctively dodged, but was still caught by the killing aura, and let out a tragic cry.
“Aaaaahhhh—”
Zhuang Yan tried to help, but his hand was blocked by the waves of killing aura. Seeing him in such pain, Yun Xi wiped her nose and quickly sucked on her wrist wound, laughing. “Hahaha—You idiot, go back and get sealed for another few hundred years.”
However, just as Yun Xi finished speaking, Yun Kunwu’s wails turned into laughter. “Aaaaahhhhh—Hahahaha…”
?
Yun Xi was dumbfounded. “Huh?!”
Zhuang Yan’s expression changed from confusion to understanding. “Disciple, I brought her here precisely to use her Yun family bloodline to remove the restriction on your sword. Why would you do this extra step?”
“It’s just a hobby. Master, since your left hand is useless anyway, cutting it off is better, isn’t it? Heh heh…” Yun Kunwu, now enveloped by black demonic spiritual energy, turned to Yun Xi again. Seeing the despair gradually appearing on her face, he gradually began to smile.
Yun Xi slowly backed away. After a few steps, she felt something poke her backside. Turning around, she saw a silver-white spirit sword. She immediately reached out and gripped the hilt, pulling it with force. She thought it would take a lot of effort, but to her surprise, it came out of the ground with just a gentle tug, falling into her hand. Because she had used too much force, she fell backward onto the ground.
Zhuang Yan, clutching his left arm, saw this and showed a trace of astonishment. He immediately prepared to finish off Yun Xi, but Yun Kunwu raised his hand and stopped him. “Oh? This is quite curious.”
Looking at their expressions, Yun Xi knew she had probably pulled out a treasure. Her confidence grew, and she quickly stood up with the sword, looking at them warily. Then…
“Damn it!! What kind of monster did my old man give birth to?!” She turned and sprinted madly behind her, leaving Yun Kunwu stunned for a moment.
Yun Kunwu shook his head, picked up his pitch-black spirit sword, and with a flash, appeared before Yun Xi.
Clang—
With a flash of sword light, Yun Xi immediately raised the spirit sword in her hand. However, the force of the blow was so great that she had no time to react and was sent flying backward, her back hitting another spirit sword, causing her to cough up blood.
“Cough… damn it…”
Rumble—
At that moment, debris fell from the cave ceiling, and the ground shook violently, the commotion echoing throughout the entire cave. Yun Kunwu, who was slowly walking towards Yun Xi with his sword, suddenly stopped and looked around in confusion. “Master, what is this now?”
“It seems… your other sister, in collusion with the Sword Sect elders, has forcibly broken through the forbidden area’s restriction, intending to destroy your spirit.”
“What are the current cultivation levels of the Sword Sect elders?”
“The highest is Elder Tian Xing, at the late Nascent Soul stage.”
“Elder Tian Xing is still at the late Nascent Soul stage after all this time?” Yun Kunwu raised an eyebrow, a look of disdain on his face. “I remember when I was confined here, wasn’t he already a late Nascent Soul cultivator?”
“My disciple, who in this world can compare to your aptitude? You are the only one among the Four Domains to have reached Nascent Soul at thirty years old.”
Yun Kunwu smiled. “That’s true, heh heh heh… Then I’ll just wait here. Sister, there have been many interesting things over the past hundred years. Tell your brother about them? Hmm… why have you fainted already? You only took one of my blows. I wasn’t even using my full strength. Such a waste…”
Yun Xi closed her eyes, cursing silently:
—Damn it! What’s your cultivation level, and what’s mine?! It hurts so much…
At the same time, she prayed:
—Please don’t discover I’m pretending to be dead!! Sister Pei!! Elder Tian Xing!! Hurry and save me!! What kind of bastard did that stinky old man give birth to!!
