"No, this is impossible! My Star Hand Seal is a Top Tier Immortal Dao Profound Technique! How could a brat like you possibly defeat it!"
"This isn't real!"
Star Sword Venerable had a look of disbelief on his face.
His expression seemed a little crazed.
He had already found it incredible that Yang Xiao had managed to hold his own against him for so long.
But he never expected that even after using his ultimate trump card, this would be the result.
How could he believe it?
"If you hand over that Secret Technique you used earlier, perhaps I can spare your life."
Yang Xiao said coolly.
Star Sword Venerable, however, looked furious. "I am a dignified Immortal Cultivator! How could I be so humiliated by lowly Martial Cultivators like you?"
"I don't know what despicable tricks you used to achieve this, but I refuse to believe you can actually keep me here!"
With that, Star Sword Venerable struck out with his palm again.
It was another Star Hand Seal.
This time, the hand seal was even larger than before.
And faster.
It was so fast that Yang Xiao had no time to comprehend it. He could only raise his hand helplessly, once again unleashing the True Greater Yang Fire from his body, which also transformed into a giant flaming hand seal.
With a single grasp, it crushed the Star Hand Seal into nothing.
Star Sword Venerable was injured again.
He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
And at that moment.
He finally understood that the junior before him was far stronger than he had ever imagined.
He was completely outmatched.
In an instant.
A single thought flashed through his mind.
'Escape!'
With a flicker of his body, Star Sword Venerable tried to escape into the void and conceal himself.
But Yang Xiao had already made his move. How could he let him escape so easily?
"Stay put!"
With a soft shout, the Glazed Palm formed from the condensed True Greater Yang Fire plucked the fleeing Star Sword Venerable right out of the air, clenching him in its grasp.
It seemed that with the slightest bit of pressure, it could crush the man to a pulp.
Terrified, Star Sword Venerable didn't dare to move another inch.
He could feel the terrifying power contained within the hand holding him. If it were unleashed, he would be obliterated without a trace.
How could he possibly dare to move now?
Meanwhile, Yang Xiao was also getting a preliminary assessment of his current strength.
'My physical body's strength is comparable to a Tier Six Peak Martial Saint. If I use hit-and-run tactics, I can even contend with a Tier Seven Peak Martial Saint or an Immortal Cultivator.'
'As for my True Greater Yang Fire... it has reached the Peak of Eighth Grade, and its power is truly extraordinary. With all 1,296 of my Primordial Acupoints open, I have an abundant supply. I can overwhelm opponents with sheer quantity. I doubt even a Peak Martial Saint could gain any advantage against me.'
As for the power of his Sword Dao.
Yang Xiao hadn't tested it.
His Sword Dao had two sources of power.
'The first is what I've cultivated myself, based on the Void Sword Manual. From it, I've created my first Sword Technique, Meteor Fall.'
'Its power is quite formidable.'
'The second is the Sword Intent Seed in my mind, an inheritance of Emperor Xuanyuan's Sword Intent. Although its power has been diminished somewhat from my comprehension of it, if I were to use it to kill an enemy...'
'Its might would likely exceed my own imagination. It's my strongest and deadliest trump card at the moment.'
'Then there's my Lifebound Magical Artifact.'
'It's in the critical period of spirit awakening.'
So for now, Yang Xiao wouldn't use his Sword Dao Power lightly.
Besides, this old codger before him wasn't worthy of his blade.
"Who... Who on earth are you?"
Captured by Yang Xiao, Star Sword Venerable was first overcome with anxiety. But after calming down, he began to ask about Yang Xiao's identity.
He found it hard to believe.
That this young man with the surname Yang was just a greenhorn under twenty years of age.
And that he came from a place like the Purple Sun Sect, one of the Lower-tier Sects.
'Something must be wrong.'
'This guy must have an incredible background.'
'Otherwise, how could he be such a genius?'
Star Sword Venerable thought to himself.
"You came to kill me without even knowing who I am?"
Yang Xiao scoffed.
Star Sword Venerable's old face flushed red.
But inside, his wariness of Yang Xiao deepened.
"I'll say it again: hand over that Mystic Skill you used before, and I can let you live. How about it?"
Yang Xiao said coolly.
This time, however, Star Sword Venerable hesitated.
'Didn't I switch to cultivating the Immortal Dao for the sake of long life?'
'Trading a single Mystic Skill for a chance to live... that's a pretty good deal, isn't it?'
"How can I trust you?"
Yang Xiao smiled.
He said with a solemn expression, "I can swear an oath."
"An oath? A Soul oath?"
"That's right."
"Very well, I agree."
As he spoke, Star Sword Venerable glanced inadvertently at Lu Fangliang, feeling that something was amiss. But then he thought, 'This guy is weaker than me.'
'Even if he does try to attack, he'll only be humiliating himself.'
'As long as this kid surnamed Yang doesn't make a move, I'll definitely survive.'
So, after Yang Xiao truly swore his oath, Star Sword Venerable handed over a Jade Scroll.
Yang Xiao took it and looked.
Just as he expected, it contained the mysteries of the Star Dao.
Moreover, it was for the Second Layer of the Star Secret Pattern, which was perfectly suited for his current level.
"Speaking of which, you have some decent insight. This Star Hand Seal was derived from a Supreme Divine Technique from the Star God Academy. It is your good fortune to have obtained it."
The moment Yang Xiao released him, the old codger started getting cocky again.
However, his words made Yang Xiao's eyes light up.
'Star God Academy? To dare use the name "Star God"... it must be an institution under the jurisdiction of the Star Emperor's Dojo. I just wonder what rank of Divine Courtyard it is.'
Since Ancient Times, it has been a common practice for Great Emperors to establish Dojos and academies.
The Dojo is where a Great Emperor preaches the Dao. Those who can enter are all part of the Great Emperor's Direct Inheritance, with cultivation at the Demigod Level at the very least. Outside the Dojo, academies are usually established to select outstanding disciples, serving as the foundation of the Dojo.
Such places are generally called Divine Courtyards.
The "Divine" in Divine Courtyard stands for Divine Techniques, and also for the path to godhood.
In Yang Xiao's opinion, the Star God Academy must be one of them.
'If I venture out into the world in the future, I should join a Divine Courtyard to continue my cultivation. The best choice would be a Divine Courtyard under the Star Emperor's Dojo.'
An idea sparked in Yang Xiao's mind.
He now had a plan for his future.
Seeing Yang Xiao remain silent, Star Sword Venerable grew impatient and said, "Can I leave now?"
Inwardly, however, he was thinking, 'Once I get back to the Profound Celestial Sect's encampment, I'll definitely bring back more experts. I'd best call over a few of the True Tier Ninth Layer Supreme Elders.'
'We'll surround and kill Yang Xiao together. Let's see how arrogant this brat will be then.'
Of course, his thoughts ran deep. Even though he was plotting against Yang Xiao and hated him to the bone, he didn't let any of it show on his face.
"Of course you can, but..."
Yang Xiao smiled faintly.
He glanced at Lu Fangliang and said without any attempt to conceal his intentions, "Brother Lu, I've already sworn an oath not to kill this man. It looks like it's up to you."
"What?"
Star Sword Venerable was stunned.
He was both surprised and amused.
'Has this guy gone mad?'
'Even if he really wanted to kill me, he shouldn't be so blatant about it. Does he really think that young fellow surnamed Lu can kill me?'
'A moment ago, I almost killed that little guy...'
But what happened next quickly wiped the smile from his face.
"Alright, I was just waiting for you to say that."
The words had barely been spoken when a terrifying aura erupted from Lu Fangliang.
Immediately after, a white light flashed.
SWISH!
A Light Arrow tore through the void and struck Star Sword Venerable directly.
It was so fast that even Star Sword Venerable had no time to react. He was instantly obliterated by the arrow.
He died on the spot.
(PS: Chapter 3 is here. Thanks to reader 'superman.' for the donation! Thank you for the support. We're about to be taken off the recommendation list, so please add this to your collections!)