Chapter 116: The High Heavens, the Clouded Sky
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“What do you want?”
The handsome young man glanced at the burly youth and sneered. “What qualifications do you have to question me? Go call your clan chief!”
“You...”
The burly youth glared at him furiously, provoking a loud laugh from the handsome young man.
“What, are you angry? People from little tribes like yours are quite something in their own villages, and that makes you think your strength is impressive. It is truly laughable. What kind of genius could possibly emerge from a tiny tribe like yours? If you refuse to accept that, then how about this? As long as you can take one of my strikes without dying, I’ll acknowledge that you have the right to question me.”
Whoosh!
The instant his words fell, a chill flashed through the handsome young man’s eyes. He drew his sword and struck. A fierce, pale-white streak of sword light shot directly toward the burly youth.
Faced with the sword light that reached him in an instant, the burly youth punched forward. The sword light shattered upon colliding with his fist, leaving behind a bloody gash. Blood flowed from the wound, but it soon healed on its own.
“Divine-Demon Body Refinement?” The handsome young man was slightly surprised. Narrowing his eyes as he studied the burly youth, he curled his lips into a smile. “Interesting! I never thought that even the tiny Xia Tribe would have someone who cultivated Divine-Demon Body Refinement to the pinnacle of the postnatal stage. You are barely qualified to test my sword. I wonder how many strikes you can withstand?”
A broad smile spread across his face, yet a trace of cold murderous intent flickered in his eyes. The moment he finished speaking, he leaped from his horse. His sword transformed into a fierce beam of light as he flashed toward the burly youth.
Clang!
Amid the deep metallic clash, a huge black spiked club suddenly appeared in the burly youth’s hand. He swung it and blocked the handsome young man’s fierce strike, but his entire body trembled as he staggered backward.
“Hmm? You are not merely at the peak of the postnatal stage in Divine-Demon Body Refinement. You have reached the innate stage?” The handsome young man’s expression changed slightly as he narrowed his eyes at him. His manner grew somewhat more solemn. “You should not even be thirty yet, should you? And you have already reached the early innate stage of Divine-Demon Body Refinement! It seems that the Xia Tribe, small as it is, has indeed produced a fairly decent talent. Very good. Now you are qualified to fight me.”
As he spoke, a cruel curve formed at the corner of his lips. He flashed forward once more, killing his way toward the burly youth. His sword transformed into countless dreamlike shadows. The burly youth’s vision blurred, and he hurriedly swung his spiked club to block. Though he barely stopped the strike, the handsome young man’s sword immediately moved like a nimble serpent, sliding along the club and slashing toward the burly youth’s thick arm.
The burly youth’s expression changed. He hurriedly retreated, only to feel a sharp pain in his wrist. One of his hands was severed cleanly by the handsome young man’s sword.
“You truly disappoint me!”
Seeing the burly youth cry out in pain as he stumbled backward, the handsome young man shook his head. His figure blurred, and he once again charged toward him.
Clang!
The burly youth swung his spiked club with one hand and barely blocked the handsome young man’s sword. The club was knocked from his grasp, and immediately afterward, a fierce streak of sword light shot straight toward his face.
With nowhere to dodge and no avenue of escape, the burly youth revealed a despairing, ferocious expression. Rather than retreat, he advanced, throwing a vicious punch at the handsome young man as he faced the sword light head-on. He clearly intended to take a bite out of his opponent even if it cost him his life.
“Hmph.”
The handsome young man merely sneered, utterly unconcerned by the burly youth’s punch.
Just as his sword was about to pierce the burly youth between the brows, an enraged shout suddenly rang out:
“Stop!”
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Clang!
Amid the somewhat grating clash of metal, the tip of a sword struck the side of the handsome young man’s blade as though piercing the void itself. At the same time, a blurred figure appeared beside the burly youth.
The handsome young man staggered backward more than a dozen steps before finally steadying himself. The hand gripping his sword trembled faintly. His face slightly pale, he looked up and saw that the blurred figure beside the burly youth had transformed into a gentle-looking woman in her thirties, dressed in blue-green robes.
She possessed a mild and graceful bearing, yet at that moment she held a long sword as clear as autumn water. Her beautiful eyes were cold as she stared at the handsome young man.
“Yunxiao, are you planning to kill someone in my Xia Tribe?”
“How could I, Auntie? I was merely sparring with him.”
Yunxiao glanced at the gloomy old man in black robes who had suddenly appeared nearby, and his heart settled somewhat. He then gave the woman in blue-green robes an apologetic smile.
“Sparring? You came all the way to my Xia Tribe just to spar with my adopted son, Xia Yunhu?”
The woman gave a faint, cold laugh.
Yunxiao hurriedly smiled. “Of course not, Auntie. I came here to take Little Brother Yuntian back to Cloud City. He has not returned in many years. Surely you do not intend to let him remain in this tiny tribe forever?”
“What do you want with Yuntian? Speak plainly.”
The woman’s brows drew together as her voice turned cold.
“Very well, I will be direct.” Yunxiao nodded with a smile. “The Yun Clan’s annual Sword Ceremony is about to begin. All members of the Yun Clan aged thirteen and above must participate. If I remember correctly, Little Brother Yuntian turned thirteen this year, did he not? As long as he attends the Sword Ceremony and performs well in the martial competition, he can return to the clan.”
“Return to the clan?”
The woman could not help laughing coldly. “Five years ago, my son and I were driven out of Cloud City by the Yun Clan. We have no intention of going back. Young Master Yunxiao, you may leave.”
“Auntie, I came here under orders from the clan. I advise you to let Little Brother Yuntian return with me. He is a member of the Yun Clan; that is a fact that can never be changed. Besides, on this land beneath Tianyun Mountain, no one can defy the Yun Clan.”
The smile faded from Yunxiao’s face as he spoke coldly and slowly.
“So, Auntie, it would be best if you did not make things difficult for me.”
“What? You intend to drag my son and me back by force?”
The woman glared at Yunxiao angrily, gritting her teeth.
Yunxiao shrugged, neither confirming nor denying it. “I came with nothing but good intentions. If you refuse to cooperate, then I have no choice but to offend you and use force.”
“Ling’er, do not stop me!”
An impatient, anxious yet clear voice rang out. A black-clad youth approached rapidly from the distance. With straight brows and bright eyes, he was strikingly handsome, though his brows were tightly furrowed.
Beside him walked an exquisitely beautiful girl in a white gauze dress. Pure and charming, she resembled a water lily.
“Hmm?”
Hearing the commotion, Yunxiao turned his head. The instant he saw the breathtaking girl, his eyes lit up.
“Who would have thought that a tiny Xia Tribe would possess such a beauty? This trip has truly been worthwhile.”
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“Yunxiao?”
The black-clad youth’s expression changed. Clearly recognizing him, he quickly went to the woman in blue-green robes and asked in a low voice, “Mother, what is he doing here?”
The breathtaking girl also came to the woman’s side. Puffing out her cheeks slightly, she said, “Mother, Brother insisted on coming. I could not stop him.”
“Auntie, when did you acquire such a beautiful daughter? Could she be another adopted daughter?”
Yunxiao asked with a smile.
The woman glanced at him indifferently and replied coldly, “So what if she is? What does it have to do with you?”
“Heh heh, Auntie, do not put it that way.” Yunxiao’s face remained wreathed in smiles. “It has nothing to do with me for now, but if you were willing to marry her to me, our families would become even closer. Would that not give us a connection? As long as you agree, I guarantee that you and Little Brother Yuntian will live very well in Cloud City from now on.”
The beautiful girl, Ling’er, turned pale. She looked at the woman with evident tension and concern.
Before the woman could speak, the black-clad youth, Yuntian, glared furiously at Yunxiao.
“Yunxiao, keep dreaming!”
“Yunxiao, although Ling’er is my adopted daughter, I respect her own choice regarding marriage,” the woman said.
Ling’er immediately let out a relieved breath and shook her head repeatedly.
“I will not marry him!”
“Very well, let us set that aside for now. Auntie, you should still take Little Brother Yuntian back to Cloud City with me. Do not make me repeat myself.”
Yunxiao’s brows furrowed. The smile had faded completely from his face as he inhaled softly.
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