Fury surged within Yun Xiao, a tempestuous inferno that threatened to engulf everything in its vicinity. They had the audacity to indulge in a sumptuous feast, while he, the unsuspecting prey, was supposed to be meeting his tragic end in some forsaken hut within the Sword Pavilion!0

The opulence that festooned every inch of the Red Molten Pavilion—a sickening contrast to his humble abode—only fueled the fire burning in him.1

"Yun Xiao!" The name reverberated within the pavilion's walls, leaving the members of the Wu Family almost unable to trust their own eyes. Wasn't he supposed to be their prey, suffering in agony at this very moment? How had the rabbit stumbled into the wolf's den?0

Even Wu Wu, the distinguished Third Sword Venerable, could not contain his disbelief, rubbing his eyes vigorously as if expecting the scene before him to change.0

"It really is him!" Wu Jianxiong exclaimed, his cup of wine crashing onto the floor in his shock, a broken testament to the unbelievable turn of events. His disbelief wasn't rooted in fear, but in the sheer audacity of Yun Xiao’s presence. How had Yun Xiao managed to evade assassination, let alone have the gall to stand before them at the heart of the Third Sword Peak?0

"Check outside, see if there are others with him." Wu Wu commanded, his face darkening, as he kicked the exquisite jade table before him aside, advancing towards Yun Xiao with a menacing stride.0

"Yes, sir!" A few of the Wu Family's Sword Cultivators bypassed Yun Xiao to carry out the order. Even if Yun Xiao was alone, they could still trap him within the pavilion.0

"No one's there!" Wu Jianxiong reported, his voice tinged with shock.0

"Only him? Alone?" Wu Wu paused, before his stern face broke into a laugh, a sound that was soon echoed by the laughter of his family.0

"Oh, Yun Xiao, did you come to our Third Sword Peak intending to engage in a verbal battle with us all by your lonesome?" Wu Wu managed to sputter between fits of laughter, shaking his head in sheer disbelief. He tried to find the words to describe this audacious young man, but found himself at a loss.0

"Father, this little rabbit practically delivered himself to our doorstep on this dark and windy night. I say we have ourselves some fun with him for half the night!" Wu Jianxiong remarked with a wicked grin.0

"First, let's chop off his hands and feet to prevent him from escaping using a Sovereign Sword," Wu Wu's wife suggested coldly.0

At this, Yun Xiao's anger soared to new heights, his voice echoing ominously through the pavilion, "You intend to mutilate me?" he glared at them, his eyes a raging storm.2

"What else did you expect? A reasoned discussion? Fool, this is a sect of the Immortal Path, where blood is a common sight, not some village brawl!" Wu Jianxiong retorted, taking over for his mother.1

"A place of bloodshed, you say? Then let's add some more to the mix!" Yun Xiao declared, his eyes flashing with a fierce storm of thunderous anger and electric wrath.0

The Wu Family continued their sinister laughter, unaware of the gathering storm before them.0

Suddenly, from within his robes, Yun Xiao drew a small, dark sword, a harbinger of the tempest that was about to unleash.0

"Sword Heart!!" A sudden proclamation echoed menacingly in the room, sending an involuntary twitch through Wu Wu's eyelids. The laughter that had been bubbling among his family ceased abruptly, leaving in its wake faces that were an eerie canvas of shock and disbelief. The revelation was staggering. Zhao Xuanran had entrusted her lifeline, the precious Sword Heart, to this young greenhorn, Yun Xiao. A chill trickled down their spines as they recalled that this seemingly naïve youth harbored a propensity for ruthless slaughter.0

"Yun Xiao! Control yourself!" Wu Wu bellowed, desperately trying to rein in the escalating tension. "That Sword Heart of yours can only harm one person. And mark my words, the rest of us will retaliate without mercy, tearing you to shreds!"0

"No need to take it to this extreme, Yun Xiao. Using the Sword Heart means breaking all bonds, putting everyone close to Zhao Xuanran in grave danger," Wu Jianxiong tried to reason, his voice tinged with a hint of fear.0

"Who the hell said anything about exchanging lives with you idiots?" Yun Xiao shot back, a sinister smirk playing on his lips.0

HUM! With a resonant sound that reverberated ominously, another formidable force materialized beside Yun Xiao. His Heaven Burial Sword Soul, a complementary entity to the Sword Heart he already wielded. Now armed with both the Sword Heart and his Sword Soul, he had turned into an embodiment of impending doom, a sight that was unsettling enough to make Wu Wu take a step back, his face etched with lines of deep concern.0

"Think you can escape?" Yun Xiao's cold laughter pierced through the tense atmosphere. Without another word, he thrust the Heaven Burial Sword Soul onto the black Sword Heart nestled in his left hand. A symphony of crackling and buzzing ensued as the dormant power of the Sword Heart, a culmination of a Sect Master's lifelong swordsmanship, erupted fervently.0

A terrifying wave of murderous intent, metamorphosed into a black tidal wave, engulfed the entire Red Molten Pavilion.0

But contrary to everyone's expectations, the Sword Heart didn't go on a killing spree as anticipated. Instead, it began to hum, its dark sword intentions and rays transforming into a torrential river, flowing eagerly into the waiting Sword Soul. The normally serene azure Sword Soul now resembled a living entity that had just received a tremendous boost of power, vibrating intensely as it absorbed the newfound energy.2

Humming and resonating, the Sword Soul exhibited a surreal display of might. The merging streams of black energy spiraled around it, morphing it into a powerful twister that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. The innate deathly power of the Heaven Burial Sword Soul burst forth, dominating the opulent hall of the Red Molten Pavilion, turning it into a gruesome representation of the underworld where death pervaded every corner. Even the core of the Sword Soul, which bore a resemblance to a cerulean lotus bud, seemed to bloom, revealing intricate patterns of mountains, rivers, celestial bodies, and foliage, illuminating a world within itself.0

In the midst of the chaos, Yun Xiao, the young man dressed in pristine white, held the merged Sword Soul and Sword Heart, a fusion more potent than the sum of its parts. His heart swelled with unexpected joy as he realized the exponential increase in destructive power.0

"I never imagined that Heaven Burial could assimilate the Sword Heart, unleashing a force far surpassing the original capabilities of the Sword Heart!" he exclaimed, his face reflecting the ecstasy of a formidable discovery.0

He could feel it—an unparalleled surge in power coursing through him, turning him into a being far removed from an ordinary Cultivator, more akin to a demon devouring heavens and earths with unbridled power.0

Turning to Wu Wu's wife, his eyes now a ghastly swirling pool of black and azure, he sneered with demonic glee, "You wanted to sever my limbs, did you?"  His piercing gaze, now resembling that of a ferocious demon, fixed itself onto Wu Wu's trembling wife, promising retribution of the most horrific kind.0

"There might be some misunderstanding..." The woman's face had already turned several shades paler, a clear indication of the dread taking over her.0

BOOM! A vortex of azure and black, reminiscent of a tempestuous dragon, erupted directly from Yun Xiao's hand. In that moment, the air grew thick with the scent of impending death, sending a few of the Wu family's younger generation hurtling through the air to collide violently with the walls.0

It was the Sword Heart fueling the fury of the Heaven Burial Sword Soul! With just a casual flick of his wrist, the Sword Soul charged towards the woman, seemingly possessed by an ancient bloodlust.0

"Wu Wu, save me!!" The woman screamed in terror.0

HUM! The cyclonic maelstrom of azure and black swept over her in an instant.  SPLATTER! Flesh and blood were consumed by the frenzied Sword Soul, leaving nothing but a skeleton that crashed noisily onto the ground.0

"Aaaahh—!" Wu Wu and Wu Jianxiong, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, witnessed the horrifying scene unfold before them. An acute fear surged within them, akin to a volcanic eruption of molten lava piercing straight through their hearts.0

Was this really the power of a Sword Soul? It was more like a relentless harbinger of death! This evolved form of the Sword Heart held much more than a mere capacity for a single kill.0

"You all plotted to assassinate me, didn't you?" Yun Xiao's eyes, now enshrouded in a mist of azure and black, scanned over them, a furious blaze of anger and killing intent billowing within. He remained steadfast in his conviction: whoever sought to kill him, would meet their demise first.0

"Run, now!" The courage of the Wu Family members shattered into pieces. The fusion of the Sword Heart and Sword Soul under Yun Xiao's control surpassed their comprehension, leaving them in a state of complete dismay.0

Over a dozen of them took to the air with their Sovereign Swords in a chaotic scramble, dispersing in a desperate attempt to escape.0

"There's no point in running. You're all going to die!" Yun Xiao let out a savage laugh, commanding the terrifyingly fast azure and black cyclone with an air of ruthless control.0

ROAR! One by one, the faces of the Wu Family members turned ashen, their screams of agony echoing as they were inexorably swallowed by the storm.0

With a swift motion, living beings were instantly reduced to skeletons. And not just any skeletons—blackened ones, with every ounce of marrow seemingly drained from their bones.1

"Jiantao! Jianliao! Jianxiao..." Wu Wu cried out in anguish, calling the names that would now only be echoes from a distant past.1

"Which is faster, the calling of names or my blade?" With a wave of his hand, Yun Xiao directed the cyclone towards Wu Jianxiong, leaving him trembling and teary-eyed, the last standing figure in the midst of a field of death, a testament to the massacre that had unfolded within the blink of an eye.0

"No!" Wu Jianxiong was fervently anticipating the day when he would dazzle the spectators in the Grand Conclave, leading a battalion of one hundred and twenty disciples from the Third Sword Peak.0

But fate had other plans. No amount of wailing could halt the storm that approached him, a force as relentless and unforgiving as the grim reaper. Wu Jianxiong's struggle was futile, his limbs flailing in a frantic dance of desperation. Hellfire seemed to consume him, reducing his flesh to ash under the brutal embrace of the twister. His cries of agony echoed eerily as the vortex engulfed him, leaving nothing but a skeletal remnant, kneeling in desolation. His skull bore hollowed eye sockets, portals to a soul consumed by the deepest horror. 1

The Wu Family was decimated, leaving only Wu Wu behind, whose cries of anguish couldn't outpace the speed of Yun Xiao's onslaught.0

HUM! Yun Xiao turned his attention towards him.0

Wu Wu, the revered Third Sword Venerable. A man who once held a position amongst the heavens within the Azure Spirit Sword Sect. A man who stood just below Ye Tiance, overseeing thousands. Now, he stood there, eyes aflame with rage, chest heaving violently, a flaming Sword Soul clenched tightly in his grip. His face was a twisted canvas of fury, an inferno blazing in his eyes.0

"If I knew the power of this Sword Heart was so immense, I would have slain Ye Tiance directly," Yun Xiao remarked with a frosty, sardonic grin. But of course, it was merely a cavalier remark. The assembly at Ye Tiance's gathering far surpassed the conditions for murder he found at the Third Sword Peak.0

"You will meet a death most gruesome!" Wu Wu roared, flames of anger bursting from his chest.0

"It is your entire Wu Family who will meet that fate!" Yun Xiao chuckled. Engulfed by the swirling tempest, he remained untouched by its deadly force, a testament to his control over it. Even Wu Wu's earlier attempt to eliminate him with his Flying Sword had been thwarted by this maelstrom of darkness.0

"Wu Wu, I saved you for last to grant you the privilege of experiencing the despair of watching your friends and family perish one by one," Yun Xiao proclaimed, holding the dark azure Sword Soul that seemed forged in the fires of hell, advancing on Wu Wu with determined strides.0

"Insolent child!" Wu Wu retorted, never imagining this greenhorn would bring such catastrophe upon him. "He must have a limit... Once the power of the Sword Heart is depleted..." he thought, his eyes hardening in resolve as he prepared to fight.0

The Sword Soul in his hand was Mid Comet grade, boasting nineteen layers of Sword Aura, a formidable power even amongst the Sword Venerables, ranking in the top three. 0

"Die!" With a roar that echoed like a primal beast, he lunged at Yun Xiao, an inferno personified, Palm Sword at the ready.0

"Ha!" Yun Xiao let out a derisive laugh, grasping the dark azure Sword Soul. "Go!" He unleashed the full force of the Sword Heart! Both bone and heart, the Sword Heart acted as a protective treasure containing the very essence of the original owner's cultivation.0

Yun Xiao could feel it vividly, the last ember of rage that a senior of the Sword Pavilion had imbued within this Sword Heart. A flame that refused to extinguish, a flame that did not need instructions to flare up.0

As Yun Xiao swung his Sword Soul, the Sword Heart ignited everything in its path, forging ahead unabashedly. Using the Heaven Burial Sword Soul as a vessel, it transformed into a ferocious maelstrom of azure and black whirlwinds.0

BOOM! In the fleeting moment when the dark cyclone swallowed Wu Wu, Yun Xiao seemed to witness the silhouette of an old man.0

"Ha ha ha…" He laughed heartily as he unleashed hell, tapping into the terrifying potential of the Heaven Burial Sword Soul to its fullest extent. He orchestrated a symphony of death and destruction that reverberated far beyond the realms of normalcy, engulfing Wu Wu's Sword Soul and very being in a tempest of obliteration.0

A Thousand Swords Piercing the Heart!0

Hum! With the roaring storm sweeping across, Wu Wu's fiery sea hadn't even had the chance to rise before being ruthlessly suppressed. The brawny Sword Cultivator screamed in agony, reduced to nothing but a skeleton in a blink of an eye. The passing of Heaven Burial left nothing but bones in its wake.0

THUD! Wu Wu's scream lasted but a mere moment before his skeletal remains toppled with a dull crash, bowing before Yun Xiao. The majestic Third Sword Venerable met his end in this dark night preceding the Grand Conclave. A death filled with fear, humiliation, and a refusal to close his eyes in peace. But of course, with his eyeballs incinerated, closing his eyes was not an option.0

Wu Wu's demise, coupled with the scattered bones littering the ground, seemed to have alleviated half of Yun Xiao's rage. Yes, only half of it. "If killing bears no fruit, it's as good as a pointless slaughter!" 0

HUM! The power of the Sword Heart completely dissipated. With a clear sound, Heaven Burial also returned to Yun Xiao's hand. Shedding its former terrifying demeanor, it now resembled a vibrant, harmless leaf radiating positive energy. The once luminescent azure lotus bud within now seemed to have lost its glow.0

"The Sword Heart's power has been exhausted; it has returned to its normal state," Yun Xiao murmured, contemplating the limited usage of this overpowering technique. Yet, he also glimpsed the infinite possibilities held within this Sword Soul.0

The Divine Pillar and a World Embryo, this was the monstrous power of Heaven Burial. How could a mere mortal fathom it?3

"It's a shame these Sword Hearts can't be mass-produced, they harbor ancestral love that is beyond comprehension..." Yun Xiao mused, a hint of regret lacing his words. Otherwise, with an ample supply of them, he would wreak havoc without restraint.1

"So, the fundamental way to enhance my Sword Soul has to still be through the Sword Aura!" His gaze drifted upwards, a distant expression coloring his features.0

"You send assassins to kill me, disturb my cultivation, and then refuse to compensate me, eh?" Yun Xiao stated more than asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He had decided to settle this debt personally. First order of business, absorbing the Sword Souls!0

The reason the remains of the Wu Family hadn't been annihilated was the existence of the Sword Souls within their bones. Yun Xiao employed Heaven Burial to breach their skeletal remains one by one, ingesting the soon-to-disintegrate Sword Souls en masse.0

Heaven Burial resembled a greedy behemoth, feasting eagerly, assimilating the Sword Souls one after another, starting from Wu Jianxiong's eleven-layer Sword Soul, to Wu Wu's nineteen-layer Sword Soul. The entire Wu Family had been consumed completely, their deaths laid bare for all to witness.0

Once finished, Yun Xiao counted carefully, "Fifteen-layer Sword Aura, not bad." This method of absorbing Sword Souls would definitely filter out impurities. So, reaching fifteen layers of Sword Aura was more than satisfactory.0

In the whole Azure Spirit Sword Sect, only Ye Guying and Zhao Xuanran surpassed fifteen layers of Sword Aura among the disciples. Yet, in a mere few days, Yun Xiao had managed to catch up.0

"At least there's some gain." Still, Yun Xiao was far from appeased, his countenance clouded with dissatisfaction. Because of the Wu Family, his little black beast was now at death's door, a sight that pained him immensely. His anger flared anew, intolerable and uncontainable.1

"In this lifetime, how can I tolerate any form of humiliation?" Yun Xiao exclaimed, his voice echoing fiercely in the chamber. So he began to loot the Red Molten Pavilion unabashedly. The Pouches of Holding carried by Wu Wu and his ilk alone contained tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.0

"Eat up!" Yun Xiao commanded the little creature. "They drained your strength, don't hold back." Half-asleep, the little being gobbled thousands of Spirit Stones, finally regaining its vitality and transforming back into the little black beast.0

"I'm back in full force!" Blue Star stretched languidly. Before it could gather its wits, Red Moon had already taken control, scouring the ground for more nourishment. The delicacies tributed by various mortal nations were still partially available, offering a feast of rare flavors and aromas.0

"Gurgle, gurgle!" The little black beast's stomach seemed like a bottomless pit, devouring everything from the delicious dishes to the jade table, and even the precious gems and spirit crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling, all imbued with spiritual energy, were ingested without reservation.0

"Right! We traveled a great distance to kill them, exhausting our minds and increasing our kill count for nothing. Indulging in a little feast isn't too much, is it?" Yun Xiao chimed in, not remaining idle, assisting in the thorough pillaging of the entire Red Molten Pavilion.0

In the dim light of night, a scene of audacious plunder unfolded, twinkled with an audacious sense of whimsy and grandeur. The once resplendent mansion now stood stripped of its golden splendor, reduced to mere rocks and timber, a shadow of its former grandeur.3

"Let's skedaddle!" Yun Xiao declared with flamboyance, accompanied by his equally notorious beastly companion. The two swaggered towards the exit, ready to shake the dust from their feet and be done with the place.2

As they approached the entrance, Yun Xiao's gaze fell upon the pair of golden lions that adorned the gate. Even under the moonlit sky, they shone with an impressive and intimidating gleam. "If only these were perched atop the royal palace of Cloud Nation, imagine the grandeur they would add!" Yun Xiao couldn't help but muse aloud, his eyes twinkling with mischief.0

His mood soured as he recalled the indignity he had faced earlier. "Blue Star, Red Moon! I was in the middle of my cultivation, earnestly preparing for tomorrow's Grand Conclave, and yet I've been rudely dragged here, tainting my luck. Gobbling up these golden lions isn't too much, is it?" The humor in his tone could not fully mask the underlying bitterness. The attempt on his life had left a deep imprint, provoking his anger and resentment.0

Blue Star chuckled mischievously, aligning perfectly with Yun Xiao's rebellious spirit. "Not at all. In fact, I'd say bringing down the entire mountain wouldn't be crossing the line!" It admired Yun Xiao immensely for his audacity and pluck.0

"Go dimwit, eat up!" Blue Star ordered, finding joy in the unfolding chaos. Before Yun Xiao could even make a move to lift the golden lions, Red Moon swooped in, gnawing on one with gusto.0

Yun Xiao was left stunned and somewhat at a loss, witnessing the beast devouring what could have been a magnificent treasure. "I... I didn't mean literally!" he exclaimed, the situation quickly spiraling into absurdity. In the blink of an eye, the formidable golden lions were now sporting gaping holes in their chests, their once mighty appearance severely compromised.0

"Go ahead, finish your meal. But afterwards, craft some Heavenly Dao Sariras with a golden lion flavor for me," Yun Xiao instructed with a resigned sigh, anticipating a sizable addition to his collection of Heavenly Dao Sariras that night.0

Feeling a twinge of satisfaction, Yun Xiao stretched leisurely, his mood slightly improved. "It's a fair trade for the assassination attempt on my life, I suppose," he mumbled to himself, feeling a little less aggrieved.0

"Let's move," Yun Xiao declared, resuming his bold stride away from the place. But, not more than a few steps later, he halted abruptly.0

"What now?" inquired Blue Star, a hint of exasperation in its voice.0

"That bastard babbled nonsense about me all day, tarnishing my reputation. I haven't settled this score yet!" Yun Xiao said, recalling all the grievances he had with the Third Sword Venerable.3

Blue Star rolled its eyes dramatically, "My brother in the Heavenly Dao, you've already robbed him blind, slaughtered his entire family, and devoured his treasures too. What more do you want?"2

"It's not enough! My Dao Heart won't be at peace unless I settle this!" Yun Xiao proclaimed, his face showing stern determination. Without further ado, he turned back, setting several points of the Red Molten Pavilion ablaze with fierce flames. Under the crisp autumn sky, the flames slowly rose, engulfing the entire pavilion, a fierce blaze that lit up the night sky conspicuously.1

A symphony of collapsing structures rang through the night, as pillars, screens, courtyards, and tassels were consumed by the fire, a spectacle of destruction and untamed fury under the moonlit sky.0

Watching as the fire engulfed everything before him, Yun Xiao finally felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him. The cataclysm that unfolded here would undeniably send shockwaves through the Azure Spirit Sword Sect, adding fuel to the anticipatory blaze that was the upcoming Grand Conclave.0

But who could possibly suspect that Yun Xiao was the mastermind behind this act of chaos and arson? It seemed no one had a vivid enough imagination to fathom such a scenario. Normally, even a person with the strongest Sword Heart could at best kill a single adversary, not annihilate an entire family.0

Blue Star piped up, its voice tinged with a mischievous lilt. "Well, you've plundered and burned your way through. You're just missing one thing to complete the tyrant's handbook. Feeling better now?"0

"What thing?" Yun Xiao asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.0

"You know, playing the tyrant, murder, pillage, ra—" Blue Star replied, tiptoeing around the euphemism with a sarcastic grin on his face.5

"Nope, no way! There's some lines you don't cross, especially as a cultivator." Yun Xiao's face scrunched up in pure refusal.1

But annihilating whole families and robbing people blind is fine…? Blue Star and Red Moon exchanged a glance, an awkward silence settling between them.3

As the inferno continued its dance of destruction, nearing them with each passing second, Yun Xiao spun on his heels, disappearing into the cover of darkness.0

"They are coming." No sooner had he reached the foot of the mountain than he looked up to see numerous sword rays soaring towards the burning pavilion. The Third Sword Peak was plunged into utter chaos, a cacophony of noise erupting from the panic-stricken crowd.0

The reflection of the raging flames flickered in Yun Xiao's eyes, steeling his resolve with every heartbeat., "Whoever seeks to kill me, I shall obliterate. This is my vengeance, my satisfaction. This is my path as an Immortal!0

"Anyone who disagrees can hold their tongues!" With a resolute nod to himself, Yun Xiao declared, "Let's go! Time to head back home and find Senior Sister Zhao for a well-deserved drink to toast to the second half of the competition."3