"Hmm? Ling Xiao!! You are too arrogant!!"
The Yuan Yue Holy Land quieted for an instant, then someone among the three thousand disciples shouted in anger.
But moments later, another person whispered, "Arrogant he may be, but this Ling Xiao can be considered a true gentleman."
"Hmm? What do you mean, Junior Brother?"
"He could clearly wait for the Ling Clan experts to crush our sect's Divine Emperors and then slaughter us all in one fell swoop, yet he insists on fighting us fairly. Such an act can be called… the conduct of a gentleman."
"Now that you mention it, there is some truth to that! It seems even as an enemy, there are aspects of Ling Xiao we can learn from!"
"A righteous person like him… Could it be that the Holy Son really struck first?"
All the disciples looked at the figure standing at the foot of the mountain, holding a black blade, their eyes narrowing slightly.
Judging by the tone of this Ling Clan heir, he intended to… fight three thousand Yuan Yue Holy Land disciples alone?!
What… an act of overwhelming dominance!
Although the strongest disciple in the Yuan Yue Holy Land was only a first-grade Divine General—the sect master's personal senior disciple, now sixty years old—Ling Xiao was merely at the Breakthrough Realm!
Where did he get the courage to boast so boldly?
Could it be… he had also stepped into the Divine General realm?
Impossible!
For a mere seventeen-year-old, even with extraordinary talent, no one in the entire Eastern Territories had been heard of taking that step at such an age.
Moreover!!
Even if he used a secret art to forcibly raise his cultivation, how could he possibly fight three thousand disciples simultaneously?
"Yuan Yue Holy Master, shall we?"
Though worry flickered in Ling Tianlin's eyes, he never interfered with Ling Xiao's decisions.
However, the void behind him trembled slightly, as if a figure had departed.
"Hmph! Ling Emperor, even if I die today, I will make your Ling Clan pay the price! All Yuan Yue elders, hear my command! Fight!!"
An overwhelming pressure surged towards the heavens.
Figures radiating spiritual light shot out from the mountain peak, charging recklessly towards the figures in the void.
Like moths to a flame, tragic and resolute.
Boom!
The great battle erupted instantly. With the Yuan Yue Holy Land's strength, how could they possibly resist four supreme orthodoxies simultaneously?
Immediately, the soaring spiritual lights were extinguished in large numbers. Blood fell like rain, the thick scent of blood stretching for thousands of li without end.
At the foot of the holy mountain, Ling Xiao stood alone.
Not far behind him, Ye Qingchan and Lin Meng waited quietly.
The faces of the two young women showed no trace of a smile, nor did they look at each other.
Their eyes were fixed nervously on the seemingly lonely, yet determined figure not far away.
They knew the Young Master's actions today were to avenge Nian Qingyun.
For some reason, they suddenly felt envious of that fallen Divine Maiden of the Dao Palace.
One man, one blade, personally seeking revenge.
The Young Master… was truly devoted and righteous!
No emotion showed on Ling Xiao's face. The Emperor's Robe shimmered with light around him.
Ever since Nian Qingyun blocked the curse of resentment and died in his arms that day, he had felt a sense of loss deep inside.
But people, when they have a loss, have a weakness!
Today, I shall use three thousand blood souls to mend my demonic heart, feed my demonic blade, and honor your… true feelings!!
"Qingyun, tonight is for you."
Ling Xiao looked up, his eyes filled with sorrow. All men are mortal, but sometimes, most of them need… a little help!
And this scene, falling into the eyes of the Yuan Yue disciples, evoked many emotions.
It seemed the rumors were indeed untrue; this Ling Clan heir was a man of deep loyalty and righteousness!
Such a person, even as an enemy, deserved respect!!
"Brothers! Today, our Yuan Yue Holy Land is likely doomed. But if we can kill this Ling Clan heir, it will not be a wasted life. Charge!!"
From the mountain peak, a disciple roared angrily. His figure flashed, instantly pouncing towards Ling Xiao.
But!!
Just as he landed before Ling Xiao, he suddenly felt it was eerily quiet behind him. His heart skipped a beat.
Turning to look, he indeed saw a straight mountain path leading to the peak, dark and silent, without a single other figure.
Gulp!
Suddenly, he felt a chill in his heart.
Dammit!
This Ling Xiao was the one who had slain the Holy Son, and he was merely at the early stage of the Breakthrough Realm. He had just been carried away by the heat of the moment…
"Junior Brother Li is too dishonorable! Although Ling Xiao is arrogant, he is loyal and righteous. How can we, as members of a righteous sect, engage in such shameless gang-beating?"
"Exactly, if all three thousand of us attack together, even if we kill him, wouldn't it be an unfair victory?"
On the mountain peak, several Yuan Yue disciples snorted coldly, speaking with righteous indignation.
Pfft!
But at that moment, Ling Xiao didn't hesitate in the slightest. The black blade in his hand fell, not even using a trace of Dao Principle, and directly severed the Li-named disciple's head.
Blood soaked the demonic blade, emitting a strange, eerie crimson glow.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
One after another, a few more Yuan Yue disciples descended from the sky, but in the end, none could withstand a single strike from Ling Xiao's blade.
Corpses littered the ground, the scent of blood spreading.
Ling Xiao took a step forward, beginning his ascent towards the mountain peak.
Gulp.
Even from a hundred li away, the Yuan Yue Holy Land disciples felt an oppressive pressure from the depths of their hearts.
Finally, some began to feel fear, hesitation, and became less honorable!
"Brothers, this Ling Xiao is cruel and ruthless! Joining forces to slay this demon is ridding the world of a scourge! With someone like this, why talk about righteousness? Kill!"
"Yes! Senior Brother Qu is right! Righteousness depends on who it's for. A fiend like Ling Xiao deserves to be killed by all! Let's attack together!"
Boom!
Countless spiritual lights converged into a river, rushing down from the mountain peak.
Ling Xiao looked up at the human torrent pouring down like the Milky Way from the Nine Heavens, a smile finally curling on his lips.
Well done!
My blade has been starving for a long time!
Boom!
Dazzling lightning radiance illuminated the entire holy mountain as bright as day. The pressure of a third-grade Divine General fell like a heavy hammer, striking hard at everyone's hearts.
"Divine General!!! Third Grade!!!"
The crowd was thrown into disarray for a moment.
But no matter how much terror they felt, at this point, they had no other choice.
What a load of nonsense.
The junior brothers behind are charging forward; I'd love to retreat, but can I?
Finally, the several figures at the forefront descended from the sky. Spiritual attacks fell like raging waves, instantly submerging Ling Xiao's figure.
Ye Qingchan and Lin Meng clenched their jade hands, their pretty faces icy cold, but they still didn't move.
Or rather, didn't dare to move!
The Young Master said this was a battle he must fight alone… a Dao he must uphold.
Suddenly, they felt both heartache and a sense of loss.
Heartache that he… ultimately bore everything alone, and loss because his love for Nian Qingyun must be… very, very heavy, right?
Buzz!
Suddenly, a sword's cry that shook the heavens echoed between heaven and earth.
Within the endless crowd, severed limbs and broken corpses instantly littered the ground.
The blood-soaked young man swung his blade, instantly carving out a bloody path.
Where the blade's radiance passed, the crowd seemed to be sliced apart. Blood flowed down the mountain path, dyeing the ancient bluestone road crimson.
But now, under three thousand attacks, wounds instantly appeared on Ling Xiao's body.
Yet he seemed oblivious, step by step, marching towards the peak.
"De… demon!! A great demon!!"
Until there wasn't a single figure within three zhang of the young man, the Emperor's Robe on his body was already dyed crimson with blood.
Even his eyes and the black blade in his hand revealed a sinister, bloody glow.
"Brothers, join me!"
By now, nearly half of the Holy Land's three thousand disciples had already fallen.
At the front of the crowd, a figure in white robes stood proudly, his aura also reaching the Divine General level.
It was the Yuan Yue Holy Master's personal senior disciple, Zheng Yang!
His face also bore a trace of terror, especially the indifference in Ling Xiao's eyes, which sent an indescribable chill down his spine.
"Set up… the Divine Sword Demon-Slaying Array!!"
But now, he couldn't retreat!
In the vast void above, the auras were gradually stabilizing.
Clearly, their master and the others had most likely fallen.
The Yuan Yue Holy Land had no one to rely on!
"Fight to the death!"
Buzz!
Hundreds of spiritual lights converged into one, faintly forming a hundred-zhang divine sword.
Dao patterns flickered on its surface, exuding an ancient, desolate aura!
A sky-rending force surged out, crushing countless cracks in the void.
But at this moment, not a trace of panic showed on Ling Xiao's face. In his blood-red eyes, a moon began to rise.