"One Sword Decides Life and Death"
2261 Words
Ye Xuan didn’t fully understand the mysterious woman’s explanation, but he didn’t dwell on it too much. As long as it wasn’t harmful to him, he was fine with it.
As if remembering something, Ye Xuan asked again, “Senior, you saw that woman earlier. What do you think of her?”
The woman he was referring to was, of course, An Lanxiu.
The mysterious woman replied indifferently, “She’s average. You and your sister are no worse than her, especially your sister. She’s even better.”
“My sister?”
Ye Xuan was stunned. “What do you mean, Senior?”
The mysterious woman said, “Don’t worry about that for now. Since you’ve mastered the basics of swordsmanship, you can start practicing some sword techniques.”
Hearing this, Ye Xuan quickly asked, “What sword techniques?”
Sword techniques!
Such things were extremely rare. After all, the Ye family’s entire collection of martial techniques only amounted to about a dozen, and all of them were low-level!
Martial techniques were graded into tiers: Heaven, Earth, Spirit, Mystic, Human, and Mundane.
The best martial technique the Ye family had was only a low-tier Human-grade technique, and even that was reserved for the family head. In the entire Qingcheng, the best martial technique was a low-tier Spirit-grade technique owned by the City Lord’s Mansion!
Martial techniques were even more precious than pills! As for sword techniques, they were even rarer. It was likely that Qingcheng didn’t have a single one!
At this moment, the mysterious woman said, “I have two sword techniques for you to choose from. The first is a fairly good sword technique with extremely strong offensive power, but it has a limit to how far it can be cultivated. The second is an evolving technique. It has no tier, no limit. The stronger you become, the stronger it becomes. It can accompany you for a lifetime. However, this technique has a major flaw: if your killing intent and sword conviction aren’t strong enough, it will grow weaker. Conversely, if your killing intent and sword conviction grow stronger, it will become stronger, with no upper limit!”
Ye Xuan said solemnly, “Senior, can I practice both?”
The mysterious woman replied, “No. Greed will only lead to mediocrity. It’s better to master one thing than to dabble in many. You can learn other sword techniques in the future, but for now, it’s best to focus on one. Your understanding of the sword path isn’t deep enough. Trying to learn too much will only hinder your progress. Each sword technique, especially the ones I pass on to you, is no ordinary technique. Each technique represents an attitude, a way of life, a philosophy of the sword. Do you understand?”
Ye Xuan glanced around and then asked, “Senior, are you also a sword cultivator?”
The mysterious woman said indifferently, “You’re asking too many questions.”
Ye Xuan: “...”
The mysterious woman said, “Choose. Which one do you want?”
Ye Xuan smiled wryly. “Naturally, the second one.”
The mysterious woman said, “Your ambitions are great, but remember, ambition must be matched by strength.”
Ye Xuan nodded slightly. “I understand.”
The mysterious woman said, “This sword technique is called: **One Sword Decides Life and Death**. The essence of this technique is that when I draw my sword, it will determine your life or death. The cultivation method for this technique is different from others. It’s a conviction of the sword path. Whether you can master it or not depends entirely on your own destiny!”
As the mysterious woman’s voice faded, Ye Xuan’s mind was filled with the method of executing the sword technique.
Ye Xuan quickly summoned the Lingxiao Sword and tried to execute the technique according to the method. However, he was horrified to find that following the method yielded no results. Not only did it not work, but it also made him feel a sense of discomfort, as if something was blocking his heart!
Ye Xuan looked around in confusion. “Senior, what’s going on?”
The mysterious woman explained, “The cultivation of this sword technique is divided into six stages. You haven’t unlocked the first stage yet, so of course you can’t execute it. As for when you’ll be able to use it, that depends on your own destiny.”
Ye Xuan’s expression turned strange. *What kind of sword technique is this? It needs to be unlocked?*
The mysterious woman suddenly said, “A sword cultivator doesn’t draw their sword lightly. But once the sword is drawn, it must decide life and death. The foundation of this technique lies in killing intent and sword conviction. Don’t force it. When the time is right, it will naturally come to you.”
Ye Xuan smiled wryly. For now, he could only accept this.
In the following days, Ye Xuan didn’t stop. He continued to train madly with the shadow. The sparring with the shadow greatly improved his speed, strength, and reaction time!
He had already been through countless battles. Now, not only had he cultivated a hidden realm, but he had also become a sword cultivator. His combat strength was far beyond what it had been before!
Although he was only at the sixth-grade Qi Transformation Realm, he could easily defeat ordinary Qi Mastery Realm experts!
Time flew by, and soon, the day of the life-and-death duel between Ye Xuan and Ye Lang arrived.
Thanks to Ye Lang’s influence, news of the duel had spread throughout Qingcheng, and almost everyone in the city knew about it.
Ye Xuan!
The people of Qingcheng were no strangers to Ye Xuan. It was Ye Xuan who had saved the Ye family from a dire situation in Qingcheng. One could say that Ye Xuan was the Ye family’s greatest contributor. Unfortunately, the Ye family now had Ye Lang. Royal families had no room for sentiment, and aristocratic families were the same, if not more ruthless. Whoever was stronger, the family would support. In the family, there could only be one tiger on the mountain. Simply put, the Ye family would choose between Ye Xuan and Ye Lang. And who they would choose was obvious even to a fool.
Today was the day of the life-and-death duel between Ye Lang and Ye Xuan. The Ye family had even invited the other major families of Qingcheng to watch. Not only that, but they had also moved the duel location outside the Ye family estate.
Outside the Ye family estate, the Ye family had built a dueling platform dozens of feet long and wide.
The Ye family’s intentions were clear to those who paid attention. Ye Lang was currently at the peak of his fame, and the Ye family wanted to add fuel to the fire, further boosting his prestige and creating momentum for him. Of course, there was also an element of intimidation. Ye Lang rarely appeared in public, so this appearance was clearly meant to establish his authority.
The Ye family’s arrangements suited the desires of many in Qingcheng. These people also wanted to see just how monstrous a Chosen One could be. As a result, almost the entire city had gathered outside the Ye family estate.
At this moment, the area outside the Ye family estate was packed to the brim, with a sea of people creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
---
**Ye Family Estate.**
Inside the ancestral hall, all the Ye family elders were present, as was Ye Lang.
Ye Lang was dressed in a black robe, but this was no ordinary robe. It was woven with golden threads, making it resistant to ordinary swords and knives. In addition, Ye Lang wore a green jade pendant at his waist. This pendant was no ordinary item either. It was called the **Mind-Calming Jade**, which could help stabilize the mind and keep one’s thoughts clear. In critical moments, maintaining mental clarity was extremely important. Most importantly, this pendant contained pure spiritual energy. Since Ye Lang was now at the Qi Mastery Realm and could manipulate Qi, this pendant was like adding wings to a tiger.
It was clear that the Ye family had invested heavily in Ye Lang. However, everyone in the Ye family felt it was worth it.
The Grand Elder bowed respectfully to the ancestral tablets. “Heaven has blessed us. Our ancestors have blessed us. Our Ye family has produced a Chosen One. From this day forward, our Ye family will regain its former glory.”
With that, everyone in the room bowed deeply.
After the ceremony, the Grand Elder turned to Ye Lang. “Ye Lang, today is your debut. When facing Ye Xuan, show no mercy.”
Hearing this, the other elders nodded in agreement. Ye Xuan was too much of a troublemaker. It was better to eliminate him.
Ye Lang smiled faintly. “Of course, I won’t hold back.”
The Grand Elder nodded. “I’ve received news that people from Yan City and Luo City have come to Qingcheng. They’re likely representatives from the major powers in those cities. Today’s duel is meant to build your reputation. After you kill Ye Xuan, those powers will surely try to win over our Ye family. They’ll also help spread your fame. With their help, you’ll have a great chance of catching the attention of the powerful sects, or even the Cangmu Academy!”
Ye Lang nodded slightly. “I understand.”
The Grand Elder walked up to Ye Lang and gently patted his shoulder. “As a Chosen One, you possess memories of your past life. No matter who you were in your past life, you now have the blood of the Ye family. You don’t object to that, do you?”
Ye Lang smiled. “Of course not. My soul and blood belong to the Ye family.” However, a hint of mockery flickered at the corner of his mouth. Ye Xuan was his stepping stone, and the Ye family was nothing more than a stepping board for him!
The Grand Elder’s face broke into a smile. “Good. Let’s go!”
Soon, under the leadership of the Grand Elder and the other elders, Ye Lang left the Ye family estate and arrived at the newly built dueling platform.
When the crowd saw Ye Lang, they erupted into excitement.
A genius prodigy!
A super genius who had triggered the Heaven and Earth Phenomenon! Qingcheng had never seen such a figure before.
Ye Lang glanced at the crowd below, a smile playing on his lips. In his past life, he had also looked down on others like this. But in this life, heaven had treated him well, allowing him to trigger the Heaven and Earth Phenomenon.
In this life, he was destined to be one of the countless dazzling stars of the Qingcang Realm!
The legendary Prodigy Ranking would surely have a place for him, Ye Lang!
With this thought, the smile on Ye Lang’s face gradually widened. After a moment, he suddenly turned toward the Ye family estate and shouted, “Ye Xuan, come out and face your death!”
His voice was like thunder, echoing across the sky.
Ye Xuan!
The crowd immediately turned their attention to the Ye family estate.
Where was Ye Xuan?
The gates of the Ye family estate remained closed. Ye Xuan did not emerge.
“Is he afraid?”
“No way! Ye Xuan was once known as Ye the Ruthless. He doesn’t seem like the type to fear death.”
“Ye the Ruthless? Pah! Have you seen who his opponent is? This is a Chosen One, and one who triggered the Heaven and Earth Phenomenon at that!”
“Enough talk. Let’s wait and see. The Ye family will surely give everyone an explanation!”
Not far away, on the viewing platform, the Grand Elder glanced at the Ye family estate and frowned. “What’s he up to? Go and check.”
Hearing this, Ye Ku nodded and left.
---
**Ye Family Estate.**
Inside a room, Ye Xuan was holding a bowl of medicinal soup, feeding it to Ye Ling spoon by spoon.
An hour ago, he had already come out.
“Brother, today is your life-and-death duel with Ye Lang,” Ye Ling said softly.
Ye Xuan smiled. “Don’t worry! Here, drink this medicine. Open your mouth, there’s a good girl...”
A moment later, Ye Xuan stood up. “I need to go out for a bit.”
Ye Ling nodded obediently.
Ye Xuan leaned down and gently kissed Ye Ling’s forehead. Then he turned and left. As he reached the door, Ye Ling’s voice suddenly called out from behind him. “You’ll come back, right?”
Ye Xuan nodded. “I will.”
With that, he pushed the door open and walked out.
On the bed, Ye Ling slowly closed her eyes. Her right hand reached under the bedsheet, where a pair of scissors lay hidden. Long ago, she had tried to kill herself to avoid being a burden to Ye Xuan. But every time she saw him, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She wasn’t afraid of death. She was afraid that if she died, Ye Xuan would be left all alone.
Ye Ling gripped the scissors tightly.
But if Ye Xuan were gone, she would have no reason to live either!
In life, she would stay by her brother’s side. In death, she would follow him!
- Writer
