Ling Xiao had cultivated <Nine Dragons Divine Art> to the fifth layer, albeit just entering it.
Yet its terrifying defence was beyond the imagination of secular world martial artists.
His figure reached Ling Xiaotian before Feiyu and Feiliu’s attacks, casually swatting them away. The grandiose assaults crumbled, leaving him unscathed.
“Want to destroy my Divine Sword Sect? You’ll have to get through me first!”
Ling Xiao’s furious roar echoed like a dragon’s bellow, its sonic shockwave shattering the arrows aimed at the Divine Sword Sect mid-air, sending them crashing to the ground.
“Ling Xiao!”
Wan Ben recognised him instantly.
How could he not? When Ling Xiao was still at the Martial Vein Realm, he’d humiliated Wan Ben multiple times, making him a laughingstock.
He’d recognise him even if reduced to ashes.
“That’s right, it’s me—Ling Xiao, Supreme Elder of the Divine Sword Sect!”
Standing there, Ling Xiao released only the aura of a half-step master, but it was enough to boost the morale of countless Divine Sword Sect disciples.
“That’s the legendary Supreme Elder Ling Xiao?”
“Incredible! Worthy of a Yuehua Sect disciple!”
“Exactly, he effortlessly deflected attacks from two ninth-level Martial Masters!”
“The Divine Sword Sect is saved!”
“You little beast, perfect timing! Couldn’t make it in the Yuehua Sect, so you crawled back? I’ll kill you too and grind the Divine Sword Sect to dust!” Wan Ben roared, rage clouding his judgment, forgetting he couldn’t afford to offend the Yuehua Sect.
“Wan Ben, oh Wan Ben! Had you stayed quietly as Baiyun Province’s governor, no one would’ve bothered you. But you shouldn’t have teamed up with the Sword King Sect to trouble the Divine Sword Sect.”
Ling Xiao turned to the Sword King Sect disciples. “I’m Ling Xiao, an outer sect disciple of the Yuehua Sect. You’re inner sect disciples of the Sword King Sect, correct? Our sects have no quarrel. Leave now, and we can avoid conflict.”
“Hahaha, a mere Yuehua Sect outer disciple dares lecture Sword King Sect inner disciples?” one Sword King Sect disciple laughed mockingly. “Ling Xiao, if you change your sect’s name today, kneel, and apologise to the Sword King Sect, and have everyone in the Divine Sword Sect become our slaves, we might consider sparing you.”
Every sect had slaves.
In sect wars, the defeated, if captured, often became slaves, performing the lowest, most miserable tasks.
“No room for negotiation?”
Ling Xiao genuinely didn’t want conflict with the Sword King Sect.
Not out of fear, but because it was troublesome.
But the Sword King Sect disciples, oblivious to his thoughts, responded with scornful sneers.
“If you don’t comply, the Divine Sword Sect will be erased from the Tianlong Continent today!”
“Exactly! What is the Divine Sword Sect? A pathetic, insignificant faction daring to call itself ‘Divine Sword’? Do as we say, or we’ll reduce it to ashes in an instant!”
The Sword King Sect disciples were arrogant.
And smug.
Birds of a feather flock together, it seemed.
“Fine, if there’s no room for talk, none of you will leave alive today.”
Ling Xiao sighed helplessly.
He didn’t want to kill, but some people deserved it!
His tone was calm, devoid of killing intent, but his eyes burned with resolve.
Suddenly, a surge of true essence erupted from him, like a ferocious beast roaring and coiling around him.
Against these foes, he didn’t need powerful techniques. He used <Sword Control Technique>.
But instead of the thirty-six Tiangang Flying Swords, he manipulated the scattered feathered arrows on the ground.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With a point of his hands, countless arrows screamed toward Wan Ben’s army.
The sound of tearing air echoed like ghostly wails.
Most terrifyingly, the arrows carried the powers of wind, thunder, and rain from <Celestial Phenomenon>.
Wind’s cutting effect.
Thunder’s shattering effect.
Rain’s corrosive effect.
“Sword Control Technique: Funeral!”
Ling Xiao roared, and the sky-filling arrows surged toward Wan Ben’s army.
He was no longer the novice he once was.
His strength alone could annihilate all the attacking martial artists!
Ling Xiao disliked wanton slaughter.
But once he decided to kill, he acted without hesitation.
Wan Ben and his followers, or the Sword King Sect experts—none would escape today!
This was good for the Divine Sword Sect and for him.
So what if it meant fully antagonising the Sword King Sect?
They’d come to his doorstep. Should he really agree to become their wretched slaves?
Though the arrows controlled by <Sword Control Technique> weren’t as powerful as the Tiangang Flying Swords, don’t forget—he was now a peak Mortal Realm first-level master.
His body held immense true essence.
Against foes below ninth-level Martial Masters, few could withstand his arrows.
Thud! Thud!
Amid constant piercing sounds, shields were penetrated, and armour shattered. In an instant, thousands of Wan Ben’s soldiers fell, lifeless.
“Ah~~”
A scream rang out. Feiliu, an early ninth-level Martial Master in Wan Ben’s army, tried to block an arrow with his longsword.
But in that moment, the arrow’s chilling aura took effect.
Feiliu’s body froze instantly, then shattered by another arrow.
“How is he so strong…?”
Wan Ben was horrified.
He could still fend off the terrifying arrows, but his soldiers were dropping like flies.
These were his foundation.
Without them, he’d be a governor in name only. If Lin Ze returned, he’d be powerless.
Wan Ben’s heart bled.
His soul trembled.
Feiyu roared in fury.
Feimu, Feiyun, and now Feiliu—all dead.
All by Ling Xiao’s hand!
“Kill!”
“Kill him!”
“Focus all attacks on Ling Xiao!”
“Sword King Sect experts, please act! Use divine techniques to slay this vicious brat!”
“Storm the Divine Sword Sect! Leave no one alive!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
Amid the furious shouts, a dozen ninth-level Martial Masters surrounded Ling Xiao, charging together.
Feiyu, the most enraged, led with his spear, vowing to tear Ling Xiao apart!
The whale phantom behind him grew more solid, a sign of his Ninja Spirit’s growing strength.
