Only the cult leader accepted my confession.-Chapter 23 - : My Sword Is Not Bad Either!

Hearing Ye Shu's words, Qing Yunzi couldn't help but laugh. "You? Compete with me in swordsmanship?"

His amusement was laced with incredulity. Did this fool truly not understand who he was up against?

He was Qing Yunzi—the Demon Sword Mountain's chosen heir, a prodigy among demon cultivators, and the finest swordsman of his generation! His sect stood on equal footing with the righteous Wanjian Sect. Yet, this Tiansha Palace disciple dared to challenge him in swordplay?

What a joke.

With a smirk, he unsheathed the black sword from his back. The moment it left its scabbard, a murderous aura surged skyward, thick with malevolence and death. The sheer pressure of its presence sent shivers through the watching disciples.

This sword had tasted the blood of countless lives.

"The Black Killing Sword..." someone whispered in horror.

"It's said that the more blood it drinks, the more powerful it becomes. How many lives has his blade reaped?"

"I can't believe the Demon Sword Mountain Lord actually entrusted him with that sword. He truly is his father's son."

Despair settled over the disciples.

With the Black Killing Sword in hand and his cultivation at the Golden Core Stage, Qing Yunzi was a walking calamity. To face him in battle was suicide.

Bai Rourou's grip tightened on Ye Shu's sleeve. "Junior Brother, don't be reckless!" she pleaded.

"This is my fault. If I explain things properly, perhaps he will listen. You don't have to fight him."

Ye Shu turned to her with a gentle smile. "Senior Sister Bai, you've done nothing wrong."

His gaze then hardened as he looked at Qing Yunzi. "The one in the wrong is this arrogant fool."

He had sensed the presence of Luo Jiuyan long ago, watching from above.

If he backed down now, he wouldn't just be humiliating himself—he would be disgracing Tiansha Palace.

Their sect's pride, their standing among the demon sects, would become the target of ridicule. If word spread that a Demon Sword Mountain disciple had come to Tiansha Palace and forced their demon son to retreat, their reputation would crumble.

More importantly... how could he let Luo Jiuyan down?

No.

Now was not the time to shrink away.

Qing Yunzi chuckled darkly. "You ignored my goddess's warning? You really must be blind."

He raised his sword, its eerie black mist writhing like living shadows. "Aren't you afraid?"

The air grew thick with deathly stillness. Even looking at the Black Killing Sword sent chills down one's spine.

Ye Shu simply raised the Taiyin Sword.

A draconic roar echoed from its blade, shattering the silence.

"My sword is not bad either," he said calmly.

"Good!" Qing Yunzi's smirk widened.

There was no more need for words.

With a burst of black light, Qing Yunzi lunged like a meteor, moving with such speed that he reached Ye Shu in an instant.

Gasps filled the air.

"No!" Luo Jiuyan's voice rang out from above.

Wu Meiyue chuckled at her side, covering her lips. "Oh my, Big Sister, you actually care about that disciple of yours?"

Clang!

The clash of metal rang out.

The disciples froze.

Ye Shu blocked the attack.

His silver sword met Qing Yunzi's black blade in a dazzling explosion of sparks.

Qing Yunzi gritted his teeth, pressing forward, only to find his assault intercepted again.

And again.

And again.

Clang!

A powerful strike sent the Black Killing Sword flying. It spun through the air before embedding itself in the ground.

A deathly silence followed.

Qing Yunzi's eyes widened. He instinctively reached out, pulling the sword back into his grasp.

"I was careless," he muttered, seething.

To lose his weapon—as a sword cultivator—was an unforgivable disgrace.

He clenched his teeth, dark energy surging around him. "But let's see how long you last now."

Boom!

A wave of black mist exploded from his body, engulfing the battlefield in a suffocating darkness.

His aura transformed, becoming demonic and bloodthirsty. His very presence was like that of a vengeful god of slaughter.

The disciples staggered back in fear.

"What is this...?"

Luo Jiuyan's expression shifted.

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"He's awakened his demonic battle state at just twenty years old..." she murmured.

Wu Meiyue beamed. "See, Senior Sister? This is the fruit of my love. Isn't he remarkable?"

Luo Jiuyan's eye twitched.

Not this again.

This insufferable woman kept bringing it up! Did she think no one else had noticed her so-called "genius son"?

A fool like her managed to give birth to such a prodigy...

Then if it were me...

Luo Jiuyan's cheeks flushed.

She coughed lightly, regaining her composure. "Nothing special," she muttered.

Wu Meiyue burst into laughter. "Oh? Is that so, Big Sister?"

She knew Luo Jiuyan all too well. That cold facade couldn't fool her.

But no matter how much Luo Jiuyan denied it, the truth remained—her son was about to crush her beloved disciple.

Below, Qing Yunzi sneered. "Are you afraid now? If you surrender, I'll consider letting you live. For Rourou's sake."

His tone was smug. Condescending.

But Ye Shu didn't even acknowledge his words.

Instead, the Taiyin Sword in his grip trembled, releasing a radiant light.

Boom!

A golden aura erupted around him, dispersing Qing Yunzi's black mist like smoke before the wind.

His entire presence changed.

Regal. Unshakable. Divine.

His already flawless features became even more mesmerizing, his form bathed in holy radiance.

A low, resonant dragon roar echoed from his blade.

For the first time, Qing Yunzi felt... pressure.

Ye Shu exhaled softly.

Then, in a voice clear and resolute, he spoke.

"Master, please protect me—so that I may kill without hindrance."

Up in the sky, Luo Jiuyan's lips twitched.

Then, to everyone's shock—

She let out a quiet, helpless chuckle.