C9 Conflict

Xiao Ling had an epiphany; the sword soul of the Edgeless Sword was akin to a child, not yet matured.

"The Edgeless Sword, a divine weapon of legend, requires a blood pact to acknowledge its master."

Eyes flashing with a brilliant light, Xiao Ling rose to his feet and approached the Edgeless Sword.

He bit into his finger, drawing blood, and with a flick, a droplet fell upon the sword.

Buzz!

The Edgeless Sword vibrated, its glow intensifying until it vanished, leaving behind an ancient, black sheen.

Grasping the Edgeless Sword, Xiao Ling felt an ethereal connection, as if the sword bore no weight at all, effortless in his grip.

"Kid, hand over the Edgeless Sword, and your life will be spared!"

Qingjin's eyes bore a deadly intent as he stared at Xiao Ling. With the sword's seal now broken by Xiao Ling, Qingjin bared his fangs in anticipation.

The Edgeless Sword was his to claim!

Following Qingjin's declaration, the other Martial Cultivators from the Wild Sword Martial Club rose, eyes alight with avarice, fixated on the Edgeless Sword in Xiao Ling's possession.

"You want the Edgeless Sword? Come and take it if you dare!"

Xiao Ling taunted Qingjin and his cohorts, having endured the Edgeless Sword's trial, he knew well the harrowing challenge it posed.

Moreover, he recognized that Qingjin and his group had been misled, ensnared by the sword's illusions, now bearing grave injuries, their vitality sapped, their combat prowess a shadow of its former self.

"This brash youth! We shall strike him down," Qingjin declared, his expression darkening. "Then the Edgeless Sword will be ours to master as we please."

The Wild Sword Martial Club's Martial Cultivators nodded in agreement, unsheathing their swords and encircling Xiao Ling and his companions.

"Oh no, this is bad," Wu Cheng quivered in fear, nearly losing control of his bladder.

"Xi'er, how many can you handle?"

Xiao Ling's voice was steady, "They've been weakened by the Edgeless Sword's trial, their strength significantly diminished. We should be able to handle them with ease."

"I can handle four of them," Yun Xi declared, her beautiful eyes gleaming with determination. "Just keep Qingjin occupied. Once I've taken care of the other four, I'll come to assist you."

Xiao Ling was taken aback, realizing Yun Xi had been concealing her true strength, ready to take on four opponents by herself. Qingjin, the most wounded among them, was no match for Xiao Ling, especially now that he wielded the divine Edgeless Sword. A delay was certainly manageable.

"Agreed, that's the plan."

Xiao Ling nodded and turned to Wu Cheng, advising, "When the fight breaks out, make a run for it. Don't worry about us."

Wu Cheng, shivering, nodded in agreement. Despite Qingjin's weakened state, Wu Cheng had no appetite for battle.

Qingjin and his group overheard Xiao Ling's words, their pride stung by the dismissive tone, their faces turning a steely shade of gray.

"Qingjin, shall we cross swords?" Xiao Ling stepped forward, smiling confidently at his adversary.

"As you wish!" Qingjin's expression darkened. "You four, take on the girl. This boy is mine."

The other members of the Wild Sword Martial Club glared at Yun Xi, infuriated by her bold claim of defeating them single-handedly. Their anger boiling over, they encircled her.

Wu Cheng, ignored by the others, seized the opportunity to slip away.

The air crackled with the tension of an imminent battle.

Whoosh!

Yun Xi sprang into action, her silver sword darting like a viper, its cold gleam targeting the four Martial Cultivators from the Wild Sword Martial Club. Her swift, graceful strike caught them off guard, and they countered with grave concentration.

"This girl's got some moves," they acknowledged.

As Yun Xi engaged fiercely with the four, Qingjin shifted his attention to Xiao Ling, the young teen before him.

"Give me the Edgeless Sword, and I'll let you both walk away," he bargained, his severe injuries making him reluctant to fight. "Otherwise, your young lives will end here."

"Enough talk, let's fight!"

Xiao Ling barked, leaping into the air and delivering a vicious strike towards Qingjin with his Edgeless Sword.

Boom!

The Edgeless Sword swooped down, its keen wind slicing the air and grazing Qingjin's face painfully, enraging him.

"You're asking for death, kid!"

Qingjin, faced with Xiao Ling's onslaught, gripped his sword and lunged in retaliation.

Clang!

Their weapons collided, sending sparks scattering and echoing with a resounding clash.

Thud, thud, thud!

In their first exchange, the overwhelming might of the Edgeless Sword put Qingjin at a severe disadvantage. He stumbled back several steps, staring in horror at his own sword now webbed with extensive cracks.

"What a remarkable Edgeless Sword!"

Qingjin eyed the Edgeless Sword in Xiao Ling's grasp with covetous intensity. His own weapon was a Rank One Profound Weapon, acquired at a steep price.

Now, it was on the brink of ruin after just one bout with the Edgeless Sword. Painful as it was, he deemed it a worthy sacrifice.

Once he killed Xiao Ling, the Edgeless Sword would be his for the taking!

"Kid, you're squandering the Edgeless Sword's potential. Hand it over to me, and I assure you a life of unending riches and honor!"

Qingjin enticed, "With the Edgeless Sword in my hand and the Flame Yellow Empire at my command, your status will soar. Doesn't that tempt you?"

"First, you'll have to get past my Edgeless Sword," Xiao Ling retorted, launching another attack, turning Qingjin's complexion to a steely hue.

"I've warned you over and over. Since you refuse to listen, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Realizing the Edgeless Sword's formidable power, Qingjin had no intention of clashing directly. He channeled his vital energy throughout his body, funneling it into his own sword.

Infused with this energy, Qingjin's sword began to glow with a soft green hue.

A Profound Weapon, once filled with a Martial Cultivator's Essence Qi, could unleash devastating power.

"Green Spirit Sword Technique!"

Qingjin formed several sword seals with a swift motion of his hands and, with a low cry, traced a semicircle in the air before him. Instantly, a series of small green Qi swords materialized, their sharp presence palpable.

"Perish!"

He swung his sword, and the green Qi swords surged toward Xiao Ling with the speed of lightning.

As Qingjin executed this martial skill, his sword could no longer bear the strain and shattered.

With a malevolent glare, Qingjin watched Xiao Ling. His technique had claimed the lives of countless martial masters, and now, using it against a mere five-star martial disciple like Xiao Ling was overkill—he could easily finish him in a heartbeat.

Xiao Ling's expression turned grave as the green swords bore down on him. A martial skill wielded by a master was not something he felt confident to withstand.

"Edgeless Sword, I'm counting on you!"

Biting down on his resolve, Xiao Ling called out and positioned the Edgeless Sword in front of him.

The hefty blade of the Edgeless Sword shielded Xiao Ling, and then its Sword Soul vibrated, casting a protective red light shield around him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The green Qi swords struck the Edgeless Sword, unleashing a wild surge of energy that blasted outwards in all directions.

Qingjin boasted, "That boy must be splattered with blood by now!"

But as the dust settled, and he saw Xiao Ling unscathed, Qingjin's eyes bulged, and his face twisted grotesquely.

Despite his mightiest blow, Xiao Ling remained unharmed!

"The Edgeless Sword is truly formidable; it shielded me from that strike."

Shaken, Xiao Ling realized the critical importance of martial skills and resolved to dedicate himself to their mastery in the days ahead.

Then, a series of agonized screams pierced the air as the four martial cultivators from the Wild Sword Martial Club fell to Yun Xi's blade, lifeless.

Witnessing the unfolding scene, Qingjin's expression twisted with increasing fury. He hadn't anticipated that these four incompetents would fail to handle a mere girl, let alone be defeated by her.

"I'll remember this!"

Drawing in a deep breath, Qingjin glared at Xiao Ling and Yun Xi with venomous eyes and declared, "The Edgeless Sword will remain in your possession for now. But mark my words, I will return to reclaim it one day!"

With his body grievously wounded, any further confrontation would spell doom, much like the fate that befell his four subordinates. He would not meet his end here. Heeding the old wisdom that one can always start over as long as they're alive, he made the prudent decision to flee.

"Wow, Xi'er, you're incredible."

Once Qingjin had made his escape, Xiao Ling gazed at Yun Xi, his eyes wide with amazement. "Who would've thought you were hiding such formidable skills? With your abilities, you could easily claim the title of the strongest at the Holy Martial Institute!"

"You're too kind," replied Yun Xi with a modest smile. "And congratulations to you, Ling, on acquiring the divine Edgeless Sword. When you make your ascent in the Divine Martial Continent, just remember me."

"Xi'er, you're thinking too far ahead," Xiao Ling chuckled, stowing the Edgeless Sword in the Red Blood Card. "For now, I'm just a humble martial artist. The realm of the mighty is still a distant reality for me."

His gaze shifted to the lifeless bodies of the Wild Sword Martial Club members. "They must have held some status within their ranks. Let's see if they possessed any Martial Skills worth learning."

He rummaged through the fallen, finding several hundred Essence Stones and a pair of Martial Skills.

"The Heavy Strike Sword Technique and the Fiery Flame Fist."

A smile spread across Xiao Ling's face. The Heavy Strike Sword Technique, an intermediate-level Yellow Rank Martial Skill, was perfect for wielding a heavy sword like the Edgeless Sword. The Fiery Flame Fist, a lower Yellow Rank Martial Skill, was ideal for those with a fire-based martial soul. These skills seemed as if they were custom-made for him.

"Blood Flame, refine them for me."

Xiao Ling didn't waste the opportunity presented by the demise of the four Martial Masters from the Wild Sword Martial Club. He summoned his Blood Flame Martial Soul to transmute their remains into a dense blood qi, which he then transformed into Yuan Qi to bolster his own power.

Boom!

After assimilating the blood qi, Xiao Ling soared from a Five-star Martial Cultivator to a Seven-star, experiencing a significant surge in strength.

As Xiao Ling employed his Blood Flame Martial Soul to dissolve the corpses, Yun Xi's eyes shimmered with unspoken thoughts.

"Congratulations, Xiao Ling, on your breakthrough to the Seven-star level."

Finally, Yun Xi offered her words with a warm smile.

"I plan to master the Heavy Strike Sword Technique and the Ardent Flame Fist next, before heading to the duel of life and death."

Xiao Ling reflected briefly before sharing the recent events from the academy with her.

"Xiao Ling, in that case, let me be your sparring partner during this time," Yun Xi proposed.

"Thank you, Xi'er."

With a resolute gaze, Xiao Ling vowed silently, "Lin Wu, your day of reckoning is coming. I'll make sure you understand the price of dishonoring me!"