"Ah!!!"
Si Cong's miserable scream instantly drew the attention of the entire martial arena.
Everyone looked with horror at the young figure sheathing his sword, their eyes filled with nothing but shock beyond words.
A good-for-nothing without any cultivation, killing a Soul Sea Realm prodigy with one sword strike—was that even possible?
Ling Tian, however, just glanced calmly at the crowd and prepared to leave.
Ten thousand draws of the sword. He had completely achieved resonance with the very origin of the Sword Dao.
When others swung their swords, they carried sword energy; stronger ones, sword intent.
But when he struck, it was Dao Principle.
At this moment, Ling Tian was confident that even someone at the Paragon Breakthrough Realm absolutely could not withstand a single strike from him.
And Ling Xiao...
Seemed to still be at the Soul Sea Realm, right?
Hehe, my dear elder brother, I can't wait to see the despair on your face.
"Cong'er!!!"
Just as Ling Tian stepped down from the platform, an angry roar suddenly came from the void in the distance.
A tall figure shrouded in golden light stepped through the air, appearing beside Si Cong in an instant.
Several servants with powerful auras followed behind him.
"It's the head of the Si Family, Si Lin!"
"This aura... it seems Si Lin's cultivation has recently broken through again." Many powerful figures from prominent families, watching covertly from the shadows, narrowed their eyes, a trace of inexplicable amusement on their lips.
The Si Family was one of the four great families of Hanshan City, die-hard loyalists of the Ling Clan.
The family head, Si Lin, was already a third-grade Divine Marquis expert. Rumor had it the Si Family also had a Divine King Realm ancestor who had been in closed-door cultivation for years.
Si Cong was Si Lin's only son, notoriously arrogant in Hanshan City. Even members of the Ling Clan's collateral branches would show him deference.
His greatest pleasure was harassing young women from various families, changing companions more frequently than even Ling Xiao.
Who would have thought that today, he would have his arm severed by a single sword stroke from that good-for-nothing Ling Tian?
Wouldn't he have to use only one hand for certain activities from now on?
And with the arm gone, the fingers are useless too... how could he ever be invincibly fast...
Of course, no one believed Ling Tian had accomplished this by his own ability.
They assumed he must have relied on some supreme treasure he possessed!
After all, he is a young master of the Ling Clan; surely he must have a few life-saving trump cards?
But...
To use such a method in a mere sparring match... had Ling Tian gone mad?
"Beat the young one, and the old one shows up. Quite fitting for the style of a cannon-fodder villain." Ling Xiao watched the figures landing on the ground with equal interest.
"Cong'er!!!" Si Lin roared, seeing the cleanly severed arm. A dark gloom instantly flashed in his eyes.
He could clearly see the trace of terrifying sharpness lingering at the wound.
This sharpness had completely destroyed the vitality of the arm.
In other words, even if reattached, it would be useless.
"Ling Tian!!! You deserve to die!!!" Si Lin hastily shoved a spirit pill into Si Cong's mouth, then stood up abruptly, glaring furiously at the young man below the platform.
"Family Head Si, what is the meaning of this?" Ling Tian frowned slightly, a drop of residual blood quietly dripping from the ancient sword.
A Divine Marquis expert—he couldn't kill him.
And judging by Si Lin's demeanor, he didn't seem to regard him, a Ling Clan young master, highly at all.
Then again, not just the heads of the four great families.
Even some minor families in Hanshan City didn't take this Second Young Master of the Ling Clan seriously.
A good-for-nothing, and one who didn't get along with Young Master Ling Xiao at that—he was bound to die sooner or later.
It just depended on Young Master Ling Xiao's mood.
"What do I mean? You tell me, why did you sever my son's arm?!" Si Lin suppressed the rage in his heart. If not for his fear of the Ling Clan, he would have already struck and killed this.
"Family Head, your words are rather laughable. On the martial platform, life and death are irrelevant. What's wrong with me severing one of his arms?" Although Ling Tian couldn't kill Si Lin, he believed Si Lin wouldn't dare touch him.
A slave clan killing their master was a great taboo.
Si Lin didn't have that courage.
"'What's wrong with severing his arm?' Second Young Master, you say that so lightly. If you had severed my son's arm by your own ability, I would naturally have no complaint. But the Second Young Master is born a... good-for-nothing! How did you accomplish this? Since it's a sparring match, it should be based on genuine skill! The Second Young Master's method is rather disgraceful!" Knowing he was in the wrong, Si Lin could only seize on a flimsy excuse to pick a fight. The imposing aura of a Divine Marquis spread from his body, instantly pressing down towards Ling Tian.
Ridiculous. In a fight, who cares what methods you use?
But Ling Tian ultimately had no cultivation base. Forget a Divine Marquis expert; even the pressure from a Soul Sea Realm cultivator would be too much for him.
Yet even so, he stubbornly stood his ground, not retreating a single step.
Ling Xiao watched coldly as the trembling, stubborn figure, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, flashed a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Not miserable enough. He needed to be a bit more miserable before he, the savior, could make a grand entrance.
"Ling Tian, you deliberately humiliate my Si Family! Despite my Si Family's unwavering loyalty to the Ling Clan! This time, if you don't give me an explanation, my Si Family will not let this matter rest!!" Si Lin took a step forward. A vast, imposing aura erupted from him, crashing directly onto Ling Tian's body. The sound of cracking bones could faintly be heard.
"Oh? What explanation does Family Head Si want?"
A cold laugh suddenly came from high above in the sky.
Then, a figure in black robes descended from the heavens, landing directly in front of Ling Tian.
The pressure on the latter instantly vanished.
Peerless elegance, unmatched in the world.
The face, as exquisite as fine jade, wore a smile that seemed to scorn all living beings.
"Young... Young Master Ling Xiao?!"
Everyone in the martial arena looked at the suddenly arrived figure, a flash of surprise in their eyes.
When did the Young Master return?
And why... was he standing in front of Ling Tian?
"Young... Young Master Ling Xiao?!" Si Lin's expression froze, his aura suddenly wilting.
In front of Ling Tian, he could act without restraint.
But the person before him was the direct-line eldest young master of the Ling Clan, the future ruler of the clan. He naturally didn't dare show the slightest disrespect.
"Young Master, you've come at the perfect time! You must uphold justice for Si Cong!!" When Ling Xiao was usually in the clan, this Si Cong was one of his most loyal lackeys.
The two were birds of a feather.
Either drinking and boasting together or on their way to harass beauties, they were known as the Two Scions of Hancheng.
Seeing Ling Xiao, Si Lin felt not a trace of fear; instead, a cold smile curled on his lips.
Now, Ling Tian is doomed!
Given the enmity between the two young masters, Ling Xiao would, at the very least, sever one of Ling Tian's arms as punishment.
"Family Head Si still hasn't told me, what explanation do you want?" Ling Xiao smiled playfully, completely ignoring the murderous glare from Ling Tian behind him.
He wasn't afraid of Ling Tian suddenly swinging his sword at him. After all, an enemy who had endured for seven years surely wouldn't let him die too comfortably.
"I... Ling Tian used cruel methods, grievously injuring my family's young master! I beg Young Master Ling Xiao to uphold justice for Si Cong and sever one of Ling Tian's arms!"
"Boom!"
The entire martial arena fell deathly silent.
Everyone looked at the calm-faced young master in black, guessing in their hearts whether he would agree to Si Lin's demand.
He probably would, right?
After all, this eldest young master of the Ling Clan was notorious for his ruthlessness throughout Hantian City.
Now that he finally had the chance, he definitely wouldn't let that good-for-nothing Ling Tian off.
Ling Tian's hand tightened imperceptibly around the ancient sword, a struggle flashing deep in his eyes.
If he truly dared to attack me, then the plan would have to be moved up.
But just as everyone's minds raced, waiting for Ling Xiao to act, a look of ridicule suddenly appeared on the latter's lips.
"Si Lin, has your brain been eaten by a dog?"