Chapter 780: Vermilion Bird Sword
Shengshu Cainü had, of course, investigated Shao Lin and knew him quite well. She understood that this man's character was extremely despicable, and if he were allowed to become a Realm Son, it would be like raising a tiger to bring disaster.
In Shengshu Cainü's eyes, Lin Yue was the best candidate for Realm Son. He had a gentle temperament, upright conduct, exceptional intelligence, extraordinary talent, was full of emotion and righteousness, able to charge forward bravely when needed, and could remain aloof from the world when it was time to keep a low profile.
Could Shao Lin even compare to a single finger of Lin Yue?
"To show such disrespect toward me now, if he were to become a saint, wouldn't he be even more unrestrained?" Shengshu Cainü tried to suppress the anger in her heart, forcing herself to remain calm.
After all, Shao Lin was now a Realm Son and would soon become a disciple of the Empress. Even though Shengshu Cainü very much wanted to deal with him, she absolutely could not act openly, nor could she leave any evidence.
For now, Shengshu Cainü could only hope that Lin Yue would appear and take care of Shao Lin. That way, she could use this opportunity to push Lin Yue into the position of Realm Son, filling the vacancy left by Shao Lin.
Lin Yue did not want to be a Realm Son, but Shengshu Cainü was determined to be the force behind him.
Shao Lin tossed aside his bronze wine cup and leaped up from the soft couch, executing the Seven Star Shift movement technique. He appeared in the center of the white stone square, his red cape fluttering behind him, producing a "pop, pop" sound as it folded in the wind.
Shao Lin's gaze swept across the sword cultivators gathered from all directions. With an air of proud arrogance, he raised his voice and said, "This year's Sword Discussion Assembly doesn't need to be as troublesome as in previous years. I will be the ring master. Sword cultivators from the Liangyi Sect, Taiji Dao, and Bagua Sect, come and challenge me."
Then, he added, "However, let me be clear upfront. In martial duels and sword discussions, injuries and deaths are inevitable. If you can't even withstand a single strike from my sword and die here at the Sword Pavilion, don't blame me for being too ruthless."
Shao Lin's voice reached the ears of everyone present.
Hearing this, no one thought he was being arrogant. After all, he was one of the Nine Realm Sons, and his strength was undoubtedly formidable. He had the capital to be arrogant.
Just like the Sword Emperor of the past, who was also immensely arrogant, defeating all the prodigies of Taiji Dao and the three major sects, leaving them utterly humiliated. No one thought he was arrogant; instead, they admired him even more.
A saint-level sword cultivator from the Moon Worship Demon Sect smiled and said, "Shao Lin does have some of the style of the Sword Emperor of old. After the Sword Discussion Assembly, Shao Lin's reputation will rise to an even higher level."
A sword cultivator from the Ministry of War, however, sneered and said, "The reason the Sword Emperor's name has been passed down through the ages is that his own strength was immense. He never lost a single battle. Though he was proud and arrogant, he knew his limits. Many who lost to the Sword Emperor still held great admiration for him."
"Shao Lin is still far from the Sword Emperor in his youth. It's only because he swallowed the Divine Spring that he dares to be so arrogant. He's just a conceited junior trying to compare himself to the Sword Emperor?"
As the crowd buzzed with discussion, Pu Chen of the Bagua Sect stepped forward first, entering the formation circle for the sword duels.
"Bagua Sect, Pu Chen, here to learn from Junior Brother Shao's skills." Pu Chen carried an ancient sword on his back, a smile on his face, and clasped his hands in a slight bow toward Shao Lin.
Pu Chen and Shao Lin had once trained together on the Ruins Realm battlefield. Their relationship was quite good, and their strength was evenly matched. They had fought three times before.
Pu Chen had lost once and won twice.
Seeing Pu Chen bow to him, Shao Lin still kept his hands behind his back, looking extremely proud. He laughed and said, "Pu Chen, I am now a Realm Son, and you still call me Junior Brother. Don't you think that's inappropriate?"
Pu Chen frowned slightly, immediately withdrew his hands, and flicked his sleeves. "Why?"
"Soon, I will become a disciple of the Empress. Calling me Junior Brother—are you deliberately trying to claim a connection? To be honest, you and I aren't that close." Shao Lin said with a mocking smile.
On the white stone square, the younger sword cultivators all burst into laughter.
After Shao Lin's remark, everyone began to speculate that perhaps the two really weren't that close. They felt that Pu Chen was too presumptuous to call a Realm Son his Junior Brother.
Of course, some thought there was nothing wrong with Pu Chen calling Shao Lin Junior Brother, since the Four Symbols Sect and the Bagua Sect were both branches of Taiji Dao.
More than half of the sword cultivators in the entire Kunlun Realm were gathered at the Sword Pavilion. Any new event that happened today would become a topic of discussion among cultivators across the world in no time.
Shao Lin had humiliated him like this—how could he ever hold his head high again?
The veins on Pu Chen's face bulged prominently. He said coldly, "Now that you've become a Realm Son, you're already so arrogant. If I had known, I wouldn't have blocked that blade for you back on the Ruins Realm battlefield."
"Whoosh!"
The ancient sword on Pu Chen's back automatically flew out of its sheath, dragging a long streak of light as it shot straight toward Shao Lin.
A massive surge of sword energy erupted, forming a Bagua diagram nine zhang in diameter. It spun rapidly along with the sword, causing the air to tremble violently.
Shao Lin had long found Pu Chen irritating. He snorted coldly and muttered to himself, "Thinking you can call yourself Senior Brother just because you're a few years older? You should first weigh your own strength."
Shao Lin executed his movement technique. With a "whoosh," he vanished from his spot.
The next moment, his body actually pierced through the Bagua diagram and appeared right in front of Pu Chen.
Pu Chen's expression changed drastically. He never expected Shao Lin's cultivation to have reached such a terrifying height. His speed was so fast that Pu Chen could barely see it.
"Bang!"
Shao Lin threw a punch, striking Pu Chen in the chest.
A "crack" of breaking bones rang out. Pu Chen's body arched backward, flew through the air, and crashed down dozens of zhang away, continuously spitting blood from his mouth.
The ribs on Pu Chen's chest were shattered in a large area, and his internal organs had suffered extremely severe damage. It was very likely that he would be left with incurable hidden injuries.
Shao Lin rubbed his fist, glanced disdainfully at Pu Chen, and said, "With strength like yours, I don't even need to draw my sword to kill you. But since you once blocked a blade for me, I'll spare your life today. Next time you dare to offend me, it won't be so simple."
"You—"
With a "pfft," Pu Chen spat out another mouthful of blood, his eyes went dark, and he fainted.
Seeing this, everyone exchanged glances, especially the younger cultivators, who drew in sharp breaths of cold air.
Pu Chen was already a top-tier young king, yet he couldn't withstand a single punch from Shao Lin. Such a huge gap was terrifying just to think about.
"After swallowing the Divine Spring, the Nine Realm Sons are now invincible at the same cultivation level. No one can contend with them. From now on, only a Realm Son can defeat another Realm Son."
"The movement technique Shao Lin used is the Four Symbols Sect's ultimate skill, 'Seven Star Shift.' His speed surpasses that of some Half-Saints. Even among the Nine Realm Sons, probably only a few can match his speed."
The young sword cultivators of Taiji Dao, Liangyi Sect, and Bagua Sect were all stunned.
Among them, a young sword cultivator from the Bagua Sect found Shao Lin's behavior unbearable and wanted to step forward, but was stopped by an elder beside him. The older generation of sword cultivators could clearly see that after becoming a Realm Son, Shao Lin's ego had become extremely inflated.
Challenging him at this moment would be nothing short of seeking death.
Shangguanni Hong of Taiji Dao stared at the arrogant Shao Lin, bit her lip, and said, "Sister, should we join forces and use the Taiji Starlight Sword Formation to fight him?"
Shangguanni Long shook her head. "Shao Lin's strength is no longer what it used to be. Even if we use the Taiji Starlight Sword Formation, we probably won't last more than a few moves. Let's hold back for now and let Gai Tianjiao of the Liangyi Sect fight him. If they both end up severely wounded, then we'll have a chance."
Everyone knew about the enmity between Gai Tianjiao and Shao Lin. At today's Sword Discussion Assembly, the two were bound to have a battle.
Sure enough, as expected, a rough and explosive roar rang out like a thunderclap.
"Traitor, I'll fight you!"
Gai Tianjiao strode forward, turning into a series of afterimages as she appeared opposite Shao Lin.
"Sizzle!"
From within her body, rolling flames surged out like red water waves, rapidly piling up to form a flame giant dozens of zhang tall.
Facing the flame giant before him, Shao Lin felt immense pressure. His entire skin was scorched red, and his expression was extremely grim. He snorted coldly, "Senior Sister, today is the Sword Discussion Assembly, where we compete in swordsmanship. Yet you use the Extreme Yang Sacred Body—don't you think that breaks the rules?"
"Why should I follow rules with a traitor like you?"
Gai Tianjiao extended her right arm, clenched her five fingers, and threads of flame emerged from her pores. She quickly threw a punch at Shao Lin.
At the same time, the flame giant also formed a fist and struck down from above toward Shao Lin's head.
Before the flame fist even landed, Shao Lin's skin emitted a "crackling" sound, splitting into bloody lines as if it were about to shatter.
"Gai Tianjiao, do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
Shao Lin's eyes were dark and sinister. He crossed his arms over his chest, and the sacred qi within his body circulated rapidly. The bloody lines on his skin healed at a visible speed.
"Vermilion Bird Sword!"
In an instant, a Divine Martial Mark appeared on his brow. A crimson sword flew out from his forehead, shooting straight toward Gai Tianjiao and the flame giant.
A sharp cry rang out from within the sword.
On the sword's body, layers of inscriptions emerged, causing the sword energy to rapidly converge and form a Vermilion Bird several dozen zhang long, exuding an immensely powerful aura.
"The legendary third-ranked sword among the Four Symbols Sacred Swords—the Vermilion Bird Sword."
"The Four Symbols Sect actually handed the Vermilion Bird Sword to Shao Lin. With this, Gai Tianjiao is doomed to lose."
"Gai Tianjiao's strength might surpass Shao Lin's, but her sword dao realm is far inferior. Even if she wielded the Heavenly Sword or Earth Sword of the Liangyi Sect, it would be difficult to turn the tide."
Seeing the Vermilion Bird phantom manifest on the sword's surface, countless sword cultivators outside the Sword Pavilion let out expressions of awe.
The Four Symbols Sacred Swords were the treasured heirlooms of the Four Symbols Sect, each possessing boundless power.
With Shao Lin wielding the Vermilion Bird Sword among them, it was like adding wings to a tiger. Even a Half-Saint would have to avoid its edge and dare not confront him head-on.
"Bang!"
In an instant, the Extreme Yang Sacred Body that Gai Tianjiao had manifested was shattered by the Vermilion Bird Sword, dissolving into wisps of flame that scattered in all directions.
A sharp killing intent flashed in Shao Lin's eyes. He charged forward and struck the hilt of the Vermilion Bird Sword with his palm, sending the sword flying at an even greater speed toward Gai Tianjiao's chest.