Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

"Lie Yang, are you speaking the truth?"

The Lie Family’s Grand Elder had already reached the Sword Venerable Realm. It had been over a century since the Lie Family had lost a powerhouse at the Sword Emperor Realm! Worse, that Sword Emperor had shown great promise of reaching the Sword Venerable Realm! And to have died in the Mortal World, of all places... it was a vicious slap across the Lie Family’s face!

It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford to lose a Sword Emperor; it was that they couldn’t afford the humiliation!

In their eyes, Lie Yang’s actions were even more disgraceful! To think he would fall for a woman from the Mortal World! For nearly all the hidden families and sects, women... had only one purpose: to... continue the bloodline!

This was true even for a great clan like the Gongsun Family!

This was because within the great families and sects, very few women ever cultivated to a high level of power. This, in turn, led to a very practical problem.

Men could live for several hundred, or even a thousand, years. But women... might only live for a little over a century!

Thus, Gongsun Huang’s wife from back then had passed away long ago. When Gongsun Huang married her, he was old enough to be her great-grandfather!

But even so, countless people were willing to send their daughters into the hidden families and sects. As long as they could forge such a connection, they would essentially gain a powerful backer. At the very least, future generations of that family would share the bloodline of the woman’s clan, which would surely earn them some favor!

But based on what Lie Yang had said, that Ling Xiao... was even more valuable than Ancient Ruins! As for Lie Yang and Xie Xiaoyan’s relationship, no one cared. After all, Lie Yang would have a long life ahead of him. So what if he truly liked this woman from the Mortal World? In a hundred years at most, she would be dead, while Lie Yang would still be young...

Immediately, someone brought Xie Xiaoyan over. Among these old fossils of the Lie Family, how many weren’t proficient in the medical arts? They instantly discovered that Lie Yang had indeed not been lying. At once, their interest in Ling Xiao skyrocketed!

But they also knew that Ling Xiao’s miraculous Array was truly powerful. To capture him, they would have to lure him out. And so... this mission fell to Lie Que.

Of course, Lie Que was merely the front man; he was only responsible for devising the strategy, as he was much better at handling such matters than Lie Yang. Moreover, Lie Que had volunteered for this mission himself!

His reason? To avenge his big brother Lie Yang, of course!

Xie Xiaoyan finally witnessed for herself just how powerful a great clan was. The moment she entered the grand meeting hall, she felt streams of gazes upon her, so intense they felt tangible! It was as if she were standing stark naked before them. The feeling drove Xie Xiaoyan from shame and anger into numbness. By the end, she didn’t even know how she got out. But she remembered the looks in their eyes with perfect clarity.

There was no mockery, no scorn... nothing at all!

It was as if... they were looking at an ant! ’So in their eyes, I’m just an ant.’ Heartbroken, Xie Xiaoyan sat on the edge of a cliff, her feet dangling in the air. Below her was a drop of over a hundred meters. In the distance, rolling mountains and an endless forest stretched out before her. Her mood improved slightly, and at the same time, she made a silent vow in her heart: ’You old men of the Lie Family, sooner or later, I will grind you under my heel! You look down on women? I will show you that women... are actually terrifying!’

... ...

After the matter with the Zhe Family was settled, Ling Xiao entered a state of secluded cultivation. He had broken through to the Late Golden Core Stage within the Four Symbols Grand Array, and with things quiet for the moment, he naturally needed to take some time to consolidate his gains.

His Sword Control Skill, the Star Sword Formulas, and many other things needed refinement. If he waited until the Zhe Family’s next wave of retaliation, he would likely be too busy.

For now, however, Ling Xiao was certain the Zhe Family wouldn’t have the guts to come and throw their lives away again.

’No matter how much they hate me or how furious they are, I’m sure that in the days to come, the Zhe Family won’t be sending people to kill me with such fanfare again!’

’The experts they lost... must have severely weakened the Zhe Family, right?’

With the Zhe Family’s strength greatly diminished, the happiest person was none other than High Priest Su Xue. She had never imagined the Zhe Family would dispatch a powerhouse at the Sword Venerable Realm, much less that so many of them would come, only to all die at Ling Xiao’s hands!

Her revenge was, for the most part, more than halfway complete!

Therefore, Su Xue was incredibly grateful to Ling Xiao.

At the same time, Ling Xiao left behind the compendium of sword techniques, giving it to Su Xue and Shangguan Yutong. Among his companions, they were the most suited to teaching disciples.

「In the winter of Imperial Calendar year 1455」

For some reason, the winter was exceptionally cold. Even the sweltering south was seeing heavy snow!

Of course, the snow in the south didn’t stick, melting almost as soon as it fell. But for the many people who had never seen snow before, it was a brand-new experience!

However, a rumor was also quietly spreading: that the current ruler of the Lanyue Empire, His Majesty the Emperor Li Wu Zhi, was disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and unjust; that he had ascended the throne only after committing patricide, matricide, and fratricide against his own kin. The snow falling even in the south was said to be the wronged soul of the Southern King, Li Wutong, crying out!

Having not left his seclusion for several months, Ling Xiao was stunned when he first heard this news. He immediately summoned Meng Li and asked, "Was this Li Tianluo’s doing?"

Since pulling back from the Imperial Capital, Meng Li hadn’t gone out either. To Ling Xiao, the affairs of the Mortal World were becoming less and less important. A fervent atmosphere of cultivation had now taken over the entire Ling Family; even Ling Xiao’s parents and siblings spent all day cultivating.

With an expert like Ling Xiao who could refine Top-Grade Elixirs, what was there to fear about not being able to advance in their cultivation?

After all, being able to live for a few more years was a good thing!

Meng Li had also been cultivating continuously. If Ling Xiao hadn’t emerged from his seclusion, he would not have appeared.

Hearing the question, Meng Li nodded and said with a smile, "He’s the one who spread it. I couldn’t be bothered to manage the intelligence department, so I handed it over to him. He didn’t hide this from me. For him, being able to disgust his uncle is probably a good thing."

At this, both Ling Xiao and Meng Li laughed. However, they both understood how powerful the force of hatred was. When a person’s heart is filled with hatred, their motivation to do anything will be far greater than someone without it.

Meng Li suddenly spoke again, "Oh, right, Young Master, there’s one more thing. Although I’ve pulled back from the Imperial Capital, we still have people there. They just sent back a piece of news. Apparently, something sensational is happening in the Imperial Capital recently. Miss Huangpu is going to marry that Wulan Tuo from the Wulan Family. The wedding is rumored to be officiated by His Majesty the Emperor himself."

Ling Xiao froze for a moment, the image of a peerless face he hadn’t seen in a long time flashing through his mind. He then shook his head and said, "They were already engaged. If Huangpu Yue is willing, then this is quite normal."

Meng Li said, "The problem is, Miss Huangpu... is not willing!"

Many of Ling Xiao’s subordinates had an excellent impression of Huangpu Yue. Although she wasn’t their master’s woman, that didn’t stop them from respecting her. Huangpu Yue could be said to have been a key contributor to the construction of the entire Penzes New City!

Besides, all the old-timers knew about the history between the Wulan Family and the Young Master. Therefore, absolutely no one wanted to see Miss Huangpu marry that good-for-nothing!

Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow. "But she never told me."

Meng Li replied, "I heard that two supreme experts suddenly appeared in the Wulan Family. It’s unclear how strong they are, as our people haven’t seen them, but they are said to be incredibly powerful. So much so that the Huangpu Clan was threatened, and Miss Huangpu had no choice but to compromise."

As the two were speaking, they suddenly saw Yisha walking over. The young girl was holding a letter. She came to Ling Xiao’s side and said with a worried expression, "Brother Ling Xiao, Sister Huangpu is in trouble. Can... can you help her?" (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please log in to www.qidian.com, where there are more Chapters. Support the author, and support genuine reading!)