Celestial Dragon Sword Venerable-Chapter 71: If You Want to Kill, Then Do It

"A fight to the death? I gave all of you a chance before, my ’righteous’ fellow disciples, but you didn’t take it! I asked, ’Can you just let me go?’ You refused. So... was I supposed to just wait for your endless bloodlust to kill me without fighting back? How ridiculous. How pathetic!"

"Ye Shuiyan, you’ve escaped death again. You stayed silent earlier, so I won’t humiliate you."

"Besides, you’re of the Ye Race, and one of the few who never showed any real killing intent toward me from beginning to end. So, I won’t make things difficult for you. I originally intended to give you a quick death with that one sword strike, but you True Disciples have so many tricks up your sleeves. Even that wasn’t enough to kill you. Unlike a lowly native like me... once I’m killed, I’m well and truly dead."

"Still, I have no regrets. I had my fun before dying... What an incredible rush!"

Ye Tianling chuckled darkly. The sight of him, drenched in blood, his bones looking as if they’d been crushed once more by the Sword Soul, was utterly shocking and terrifying to behold.

At this point, no Cultivator dared to utter another word of mockery.

Even the disciples who had been sneering just moments before now wore complex expressions, their hearts heavy.

A man at the Sword Essence Third Heaven Realm, someone so grievously injured, had just defeated the three peerless True Disciples of the Nine Swords Sect. Such power...

No matter what he had done, no matter what state he was in now, they had lost all right to mock him.

"Ye Tianling, your rampant arrogance has thrown the Nine Swords Sect into utter chaos, leading to the deaths of no less than fifty-three talented disciples! You even destroyed the Sword Enlightenment Platform! These crimes are more than enough to warrant your immediate execution!"

It was then that the old man who had previously used his Sword Soul to crush Ye Tianling finally spoke, his voice heavy.

Only then did his figure materialize.

Clearly, his earlier attack had been launched before he had physically arrived.

"Heh. Since I, Ye Tianling, dared to do all this, I never planned on leaving the Nine Swords Sect alive. It’s just a shame I can’t kill that bastard Ye Cangqian with my own hands. That will be the greatest regret of my life!"

Ye Tianling just smiled.

In that moment, this state of mind seemed to grant him insight into an unprecedented feeling of lonely desperation.

Proud, lonely, and yet filled with despair.

This was the Lonely Sword Intent.

This was the sliver of true opportunity hidden within the Sword Enlightenment Platform.

And yet, it was in this moment that Ye Tianling suddenly grasped a part of it.

It was a great opportunity, but Ye Tianling couldn’t care less for it.

This Sword Intent was truly powerful, but compared to his Dragon Soul Sword Spirit and the Tree Cutting Technique, it was nothing worth mentioning.

"I will carry out that last regret of yours for you, as repayment for not killing or humiliating me. I was wrong before. I apologize."

At this, Ye Shuiyan suddenly gave a deep bow, her voice solemn as she spoke.

"Oh?"

Ye Tianling’s eyes flashed as he looked at Ye Shuiyan.

Ye Shuiyan was beautiful, with a graceful air about her and a truly exceptional figure.

Though she seemed a bit innocent, the sight of her still stirred lustful thoughts in Ye Tianling.

Ye Shuiyan did not shrink from Ye Tianling’s predatory gaze. Her own eyes were perfectly clear and sincere.

"I’m suddenly starting to regret not humiliating you," Ye Tianling said abruptly. "Hah. If I had another chance, I wouldn’t let you off so easily."

Ye Shuiyan didn’t get angry. Instead, she sighed. "Many people wish they could have a ’what if,’ but alas, we can’t. I understand now. You aren’t evil, you’re not a Demon. You aren’t like those hypocrites who hide their wickedness in their hearts. You simply say exactly what you’re thinking."

Ye Tianling suddenly felt the urge to laugh.

’So in the end, there was actually someone who understood what kind of person he was.’

He felt a pang of melancholy but said nothing more.

Qin Shuzong’s figure appeared, and he walked over step by step.

His dignified aura weighed down on the entire scene.

All the disciples held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Qin Shuzong walked over to Wang Yufei’s side. He took out a vibrant, thumbnail-sized Elixir that seemed to glow with a faint mist and fed it directly to her.

Wang Yufei did not refuse and immediately swallowed it.

Then, Qin Shuzong gave one each to Qin Tianzhao and Ye Shuiyan.

After they took the Elixirs, their injuries began to heal at a rate visible to the naked eye.

However, after she had recovered, Wang Yufei shifted her leg slightly, and her face grew even paler.

Some injuries could be healed.

But some could not—for instance, a woman’s purity, once ruined, could never be restored.

The Yin Yang Path was one of the most powerful Supreme Daos in the world. Therefore, once a woman’s chastity was taken, it could never be restored.

Wang Yufei’s purity had been taken by Ye Tianling, and in front of so many Cultivators.

Even though it was just a single wisp of Sword Qi from the Profound Ice Cold Iron Rod that had struck her, the damage was done. There was no going back.

...

After doing all this, Qin Shuzong finally turned his icy gaze upon Ye Tianling.

A terrifying Sword Soul aura emanated from his ancient eyes.

If his opponent were at the Sword Spirit Realm, then even in his current state, Ye Tianling might have stood a fighting chance by forcibly unleashing his Sword Soul.

But against someone at the Sword Soul Realm, or even the Sword Void Realm...

Ye Tianling knew he was absolutely no match for this man.

Ye Tianling had three Earth Tier Lower Grade Black Feather Escape Talismans on his person. Now that the seal on the Sword Enlightenment Platform was broken, he could use them.

But he knew that in front of a terrifying Elder who was on the verge of stepping into the Sword Tribulation Realm, he had no chance of escape.

"You have some Talent, and more importantly, the heart of a true expert. To be at a dead end like this and still unleash such battle power... while it’s certainly thanks to the power of your weapon, the Fiery Sun Sword, it is also directly related to your own formidable will. On that point alone, it’s no wonder you were able to defeat those three Half-step Sword Soul geniuses."

"But, this is where it ends! Do you have any last words? Say them."

Qin Shuzong said gravely.

Ye Tianling snorted. "I am the Direct Disciple of the Myriad Swords Sect’s Sect Master. Within the Nine Swords Sect, my status is equivalent to an Elder’s! Furthermore, Die Xiyue is determined to pass her mantle to me because of my Soul Talent! I have already recorded everything that has happened to me here in the Nine Swords Sect and sent it to her via a Secret Technique."

"The truth of the matter will soon be revealed! So go on, old man. If you’re going to kill me, get on with it!"

Ye Tianling’s words were utterly blunt.

But at his words, the Slaughter Sword Soul aura Qin Shuzong had been gathering wavered slightly before subsiding a great deal.

"Even Wan Jianyun and Die Xiyue can’t help you."

Just then, another dignified voice carried over from the distance.

Following the voice, Chen Fengyan flew over, accompanied by a nearly fully recovered Xiao Zhengnan.

When Chen Fengyan landed a short distance from the Sword Enlightenment Platform, the many disciples and Elders present immediately bowed in greeting. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Soon after, more than a dozen other Elders flew in from the distance, each one’s face dark and ruthless.

The gazes they fixed on Ye Tianling were filled with savage, venomous hatred.

"I wasn’t counting on their help anyway," Ye Tianling said with a cold laugh, his tone sarcastic. "As for this whole affair, Sect Master, you must know the truth in your heart. You can judge for yourself who was right and who was wrong."

Even now, he felt no fear.

"That’s right, I do have my own judgment. The fault does not lie entirely with you. However, you acted viciously, and you must take some responsibility for that. But destroying the Sword Enlightenment Platform—that is a grave crime of treason against the Sect. The Holy Land will send people to investigate this thoroughly. So, even if I wanted to help you, I could not possibly shelter you!"

"And as for Wan Jianyun and Die Xiyue, don’t count on them. They’ve entered the Celestial Dragon Sword Tomb, and they won’t be coming out anytime soon."

"The Holy Land?"

Ye Tianling’s heart sank.