Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Chapter 316: Chapter 253: A Foolhardy Challenge

The people of the Ice Sea Secret Race were instantly enraged when they saw someone dare to test their "god." Their faces turned savage as they erupted with a powerful aura. However, the old Clan Leader, Quefeng, simply raised a hand, for he could already see that while the opponent was strong, he was no match for Ling Xiao!

Seeing their Clan Leader stop them, the members of the Ice Sea Secret Race immediately withdrew their auras. Still, the display had been enough to frighten the elites of the Qin Family behind Qin Zhan into a cold sweat.

That overwhelming aura just now hadn’t been aimed at them, but they felt it as if it were! For a moment, it felt like the shadow of death was looming right over their heads.

As for Qin Zhan, the true target, he had felt the immense hostility from the non-humans the instant they unleashed their auras. He immediately retracted his own, glaring at Ling Xiao with a mix of shock and fury before saying, "Ling Xiao, you dare to collude with non-humans?"

Ling Xiao had been the one to lead these people here, so his objective was self-evident. At this moment, Qin Zhan was no longer thinking about how to keep these people on his territory. First, he would pin the grand accusation of colluding with non-humans on Ling Xiao!

The more strained the relationship between the Ling Family and the Royal Family became, the better the Bauhinia Clan could exploit the situation.

But Ling Xiao just smiled faintly and said, "So what if I did? What can you do about it?"

Qin Zhan nearly choked. He roared, "Ling Xiao, you have some nerve! Aren’t you afraid of arousing the Royal Family’s suspicion?"

"Stop putting on an act. The Royal Family’s suspicion? Has your Qin Family ever been afraid of that?" Ling Xiao said with a sneer, scoffing, "For generations, you’ve guarded the Empire’s northern border. What a loyal Qin Family. But all I see is a bona fide Northern King! Speaking of which, you’re far more formidable than the Southern King. Li Wutong is just a clown, but you... you are genuine tyrants. So, when it comes to suspicion, I’m afraid His Majesty is far more suspicious of your Qin Family than my Ling Family!"

Qin Zhan sized up Ling Xiao in surprise. He never expected such a forceful counter-attack to come from the mouth of a mere boy. And by the looks of it, this was someone who had no fear or respect for the Royal Family. ’Dammit,’ he thought, ’how could that loyal bastard Ling Tianxiao raise a son who so flagrantly disregards imperial authority?’

With this in mind, Qin Zhan sneered, "A fine speech, Ling Xiao. Bringing such a large group of non-humans into human territory... could it be that you intend to make an enemy of all humankind?"

"Damn it, did these non-humans steal your wife or kill your kids? One second it’s ’imperial authority,’ the next it’s ’the will of the people’! Who the hell do you think you are?! What are you doing blocking the way? If you don’t have the balls to fight, then get lost!"

From the crowd, Leng Yu’s sharp and biting voice suddenly rang out. No one had expected Leng Yu, arguably the weakest among them, to dare speak up—and so rudely at that!

Everyone in their Adventurer’s Guild knew how deep Leng Yu’s hatred for the Bauhinia Clan ran. In fact, a large part of the reason he had been injured years ago and ended up in his current state was due to the Bauhinia Clan’s behind-the-scenes machinations. And so, protected by countless experts, Leng Yu had finally spoken up bravely!

Qin Zhan’s face instantly turned beet red. He pointed a distant finger at Leng Yu. "What do you think you are, daring to speak to me like that! Ling Xiao... is this how you raise your subordinates? Are they all this ill-mannered?"

Leng Yu’s face immediately paled. In his indignation, he had forgotten that he was now one of Ling Xiao’s subordinates. His master hadn’t spoken, yet he had blurted out a taunt... Moreover, compared to the people of the Ice Sea Secret Race, adventurers like them held no advantage whatsoever! Never mind why Ling Xiao had taken them in, but they, at the very least, had to prove their own worth!

’It’s over.’ Leng Yu, realizing he had caused trouble, lamented internally. ’I’ll probably be reprimanded, maybe even thrown out after this. After all, no one likes a subordinate who doesn’t know the rules and speaks out of turn.’

Ling Xiao’s eyes swept over Qin Zhan as he said coolly, "What he said is what I mean."

"Ah!"

Leng Yu let out a short, startled gasp and quickly covered his mouth, his eyes instantly filling with gratitude. A scholar dies for a patron who understands him. Though his own strength was weak, Leng Yu believed that in the days to come, if Ling Xiao needed it, he would charge forward without hesitation, even if it meant facing... death!

It wasn’t for any other reason than that single sentence. He wasn’t some brainless child who got carried away by a few nice words. On the contrary, Leng Yu was a full-grown adult with his own unique understanding of things.

’This is a man worth following!’

Zhang Danian patted Leng Yu’s shoulder in comfort, thinking this to himself.

Qin Zhan suddenly started laughing. He wasn’t sure why he was losing his composure today, repeatedly stooping to the level of a mere child. ’No matter how strong Ling Xiao is, he’s definitely not my opponent. For a dignified Tier Six Sword Sect like me to pick on a child... if word got out, wouldn’t I become a laughingstock?’ Thinking this, Qin Zhan waved his hand dismissively and said, "Ling Xiao, if you’re not afraid of becoming everyone’s enemy, then go ahead and parade this group of non-humans through the streets. Hmph. You think you can look down on everyone just because they’re powerful? Any single super-hidden family could easily wipe out this force. Even a first-rate family is more than a group like you can handle! So, I advise you to hand these people over to my Qin Family. Trust me, under the protection of the Qin Family, they will surely be able to live better! You cannot deprive these non-humans of their right to choose."

Faced with the mix of threats, enticements, and subtle provocations in Qin Zhan’s words, Ling Xiao simply laughed. "Qin Zhan, was it? I won’t kill you, but remember my words: if you are determined to make an enemy of my Ling Family and dare to spread rumors and cause trouble, I will annihilate your entire clan! If you don’t believe me... heh, feel free to try."

Qin Zhan’s gaze flickered as he stared at Ling Xiao. Although he had decided not to stoop to the boy’s level, his words still made his blood boil with rage. ’This brat is too arrogant! He has no respect for his elders and spouts such wild boasts. It seems that if I don’t teach him a lesson today, he’ll really think my Bauhinia Qin Family is like his Ling Family, where a mere Demon Swordsman is considered a top-tier Martial Artist!’

"Ling Xiao, do you dare to fight me?" Qin Zhan’s eyes held a trace of disdain. "In case you’re scared, I’ll let you know I have the strength of a High-tier Sword Sect! If you’re afraid of dying, you can have those non-humans behind you help!"

Ling Xiao smiled faintly. "Your attempt at goading me is rather clumsy, but I have to tell you, it worked. I won’t let them help. Come on, Qin Zhan, let me see if the strength of your Bauhinia Clan is truly worthy... of the title of Northern King!"

As Ling Xiao spoke, he pointed his Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword at Qin Zhan from a distance. The blade showed not a hint of Sword Qi, yet it emanated a vast and pure killing intent!

Qin Zhan swiped his hand through the air, and a strangely shaped greatsword appeared in it. The greatsword was two meters long and a palm’s width wide, looking extremely heavy. Its entire body was deep blue, seemingly forged from a strange type of Meteorite Iron. The blade and guard were a single, integrated piece.

Ling Xiao looked at the greatsword. It looked very disproportionate in Qin Zhan’s hand. ’I’ll be taking that sword,’ he thought. ’Tiger hasn’t had a particularly suitable weapon. This greatsword would be perfect for him. It’s still a bit small, but it’s much better than those refined steel swords!’

With that thought, boundless True Essence energy surged from the Golden Core within Ling Xiao’s body, erupting from him. His whole being instantly radiated a powerful aura as he suddenly shot into the sky, shouting to Qin Zhan, "You can have the first move!"

"Arrogant whelp! Today, I’ll show you that there’s always someone stronger!"

Qin Zhan roared, and his deep blue greatsword erupted with a long beam of blue Sword Qi. A bone-chilling cold instantly filled the surrounding air!

"Thousand Mile Freeze!"

Following Qin Zhan’s cold shout, a series of CRACKLING sounds, like firecrackers, filled the air. Immediately after, the air itself seemed to freeze as large snowflakes began to drift down from nowhere!

The True Essence in Ling Xiao’s body circulated wildly. In terms of quality, True Essence was a step above Spiritual Power. If the current Ling Xiao hadn’t yet refined the Deep Sea Demon Chapter, he would have likely been caught off guard and injured by this move from Qin Zhan.

Because one wouldn’t normally expect that for all his arrogant talk, Qin Zhan was actually as cautious as a lion hunting a rabbit!

A protective barrier like an eggshell instantly condensed around Ling Xiao’s body. At the same time, with a gentle swing of his Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword, a streak of Sword Qi shot upwards, carving a tens-of-meters-long white scar in the air as it slashed toward Qin Zhan’s body.

Qin Zhan, it seemed, had never expected to defeat Ling Xiao with a single move. His blue greatsword hissed out a beam of Sword Qi, viciously cleaving down toward the white streak of Sword Qi.

Instead of retreating, Ling Xiao’s body advanced through the sky. At the same time, his Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword instantly thrust out over five thousand times!

If there had been over five thousand flying insects here, every single one would have been stabbed to death by these five thousand-plus sword strikes—no more, no less! This was the kind of fundamental skill that Ling Xiao had to practice for several hours every day back when he was a novice at Shushan!

Compared to the Canglan Continent, which focused on High-tier Sword Skills, very few people would bother to seriously practice such basic sword techniques anymore!

Qin Zhan was no exception. Back when he was hailed as his family’s genius, he too had cultivated an Upper Tier of the Celestial Level sword skill. His technique was incredibly powerful, and he had rarely met a worthy opponent in all these years. Why would he ever bother to train laboriously in such a basic sword technique?

Consequently, he was thrown into a flurry by Ling Xiao’s move and was forced to retreat suddenly for over a thousand meters through the air.

Pointing his greatsword at Ling Xiao, he said, "I have underestimated you! Ling Xiao, you are now qualified to fight me! Come... let me see your true strength!" As Qin Zhan spoke, his blue greatsword swept through the air, stirring up a powerful wave of Spiritual Power. A massive, immense force surged along Qin Zhan’s greatsword and swept violently toward Ling Xiao!

Ling Xiao’s face was full of scorn. He said coldly, "You overestimate yourself!"

Saying this, he stared coldly at Qin Zhan and enunciated, one word at a time, "Ephemeral... Light... Skimming... Shadow!"

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