Batian Martial Soul

Chapter 14642 Sword Star

A crisp sound rang out from behind him. Ling Xiao looked up and saw that Ling Bi had returned at some point and was leaning against the door frame, looking at him with a half-smile.

"Perhaps it's because I killed too many people, or perhaps the treasures I stole were too conspicuous." Ling Xiao chuckled self-deprecatingly, putting all three rings into his pocket, his tone as casual as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Ling Bi stepped into the room, and with a casual wave of her hand, three layers of light gold soundproofing barriers enveloped the entire room, preventing even a trace of her presence from leaking out.

Her expression grew more serious: "I just took a walk outside, and the situation is ten times worse than we expected."

"Oh? Tell me about it." Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow.

"There are at least twenty-seven different force marks in this area."

Ling Bi raised her slender fingers and said, word by word, "Nine of them are from the Holy Hall. They really came, and more than one group of them. It seems they have brought the elites from the Silent Realm branch."

She paused slightly, her tone becoming increasingly somber:

"The remaining forces... I don't recognize a single one of them. Their markings are ridiculously ancient, so ancient that even ancient texts only mention them in fragments. But I can sense that each of them is more dangerous than the people of the Holy Temple!"

Ling Xiao tapped his fingertips lightly on the table and fell silent.

Breaking Boundary Mountain is indeed a place where hidden talents reside. However, those who would truly turn their swords against them are probably the nine Holy Hall forces. As long as they keep a close eye on these people, they can handle most of the risks.

Ling Bi pursed her lips, clearly disagreeing with his optimism: "So what do we do now? Are we just going to wait for the auction in three days?"

“Of course.” Ling Xiao nodded.

"And then?" Ling Bi pressed, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion. "The auction is over, and the Demon Lord's Black Heaven Sword has gone to someone else. What are we going to do? Are we going to be killed and silenced by those mad dogs?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao suddenly chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in his voice: "Who says that once the auction is over, this sword has to be handed over to someone else?"

Ling Bi was taken aback, not understanding what he meant.

“Abi,” Ling Xiao stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark red sky outside, “Tell me, what exactly are those people risking their lives for the Demon Lord’s Black Heaven Sword?”

"Isn't it obvious?" Ling Bi blurted out, "Naturally, it's to use this sword to break through the boundary, leave this damned Desolate Realm, seek better cultivation resources in the outside world, and break through to a higher realm!"

“That’s right.” Ling Xiao continued, a sharp glint in his eyes. “But there’s only one Demon Lord Black Sky Sword, while dozens, even hundreds, of people want it. What do you think will happen when the hammer falls?”

Ling Bi's pupils suddenly contracted, as if she had imagined some terrifying scene.

"A struggle." Her voice was somewhat heavy. "A completely insane struggle! Every time the Demon Lord's Black Sky Sword changes hands, it unleashes a bloodbath. In the end, either the strongest one will have the last laugh, or... everyone will perish together!"

“Exactly.” Ling Xiao turned abruptly, a cold glint in his eyes. “Therefore, the auction is merely a trigger. What I need to do is light this fuse, and then…”

"Then sit back and watch the tigers fight?" Ling Bi shook her head, mercilessly exposing his idea. "That's too naive. Those people aren't fools. They'll definitely join forces first to get rid of you, the original owner of the Demon Lord Black Sky Sword. After all, the dead are the safest wielders."

"So, I want them to feel that I'm more useful alive than dead." Ling Xiao's lips curled into a mysterious smile.

"How do we do it?" Ling Bi pressed.

Ling Xiao did not answer, but simply looked out the window.

Beneath the dark red sky, a tall, slender figure was walking unhurriedly toward the True Word Pavilion.

He was a middle-aged man, dressed in the sanctuary's signature pure white robe, except for a gleaming golden sword pattern next to the angel pattern on his chest.

He walked extremely slowly, each step landing precisely on a node in the void, causing the surrounding space and time to tremble slightly, as if even heaven and earth were to submit to his feet.

"What was bound to happen has finally happened," Ling Xiao said calmly.

Ling Bi followed his gaze, her face instantly darkening, her voice filled with disbelief:

"It's the Holy Sword Master of the Holy Temple! A peak Realm Breaker, whose main skill, the Star-Slaying Sword Technique, is extremely domineering. It's rumored that he once single-handedly slaughtered thirty-seven major sects of a certain country in the Silent Extinction Realm with just his sword... How could he be here? Logically speaking, the Holy Sword Master should be guarding the Holy Temple's Sword Tomb year-round!"

“This shows that the Holy Temple’s attention to the Demon Lord Black Sky Sword has exceeded our expectations.” Ling Xiao pushed open the window, and the biting cold wind instantly rushed into the room, making his robes flutter loudly. “Let’s go and meet this ‘guest’ who has come from afar.”

When the two came downstairs, Zhang Lingyu was already waiting in the lobby.

She didn't look at the commotion outside the door, but instead lowered her eyes and turned the pages of the ancient book in her hand, her voice calm and even: "The visitor is Luo Changfeng, the seventh Holy Sword Master of the Sword Star Temple."

“He was already at the peak of the Realm Breaking stage three hundred years ago, and now he has even touched the threshold of the Realm Lord realm, possessing the strength of a half-step Realm Lord. The sword he wears at his waist is called ‘Severing the Void,’ a treasure of the Holy Hall that has drunk the blood of three Realm Lords.”

"The intelligence from the True Word Pavilion is indeed as good as its reputation suggests," Ling Xiao praised.

“It’s just a necessity for survival.” Zhang Lingyu closed the ancient book, looked up at him, and asked, “Young Master Ling, would you like to see him?”

"I'll see you." Ling Xiao strode towards the door, his steps steady. "Why won't you see me?"

Squeak.

The heavy wooden door slowly opened.

Luo Changfeng stood with his hands behind his back, three zhang outside the door, followed by four sword attendants dressed in black robes. The four men all wore ferocious bronze masks, and their auras were so restrained that they were like bottomless abysses, making it impossible for ordinary people to discern their true strength.

However, Ling Xiao could clearly sense that each of these four sword servants was no less powerful than the Holy Hall experts he had fought before!

“Ling Xiao.” Luo Changfeng spoke first, his voice hoarse and rough, like two pieces of metal rubbing against each other, exuding an undeniable pressure.

"Sword Master Luo." Ling Xiao smiled warmly, as if welcoming an old friend. "You've come from afar, you must be tired."

Luo Changfeng had no interest in pleasantries and went straight to the point, his tone cold and hard: "Hand over the Demon Lord Black Heaven Sword, and the Holy Hall will guarantee your life and grant you the position of 'Holy Hall Guest Elder,' allowing you to enjoy endless cultivation resources."

"The terms are tempting," Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow. "But I'd like to know, what's the price?"

"The Demon Lord's Black Heaven Sword belongs to the Sword Star Sanctuary," Luo Changfeng said calmly. "You may accompany me to the Sword Tomb to study the 'Nine Star Sword Stele' for three years. This is a promise personally made by the Sword Star Saint Lord, and it is no joke." (End of Chapter)