CHAPTER 496: CHAPTER 395 AM I SHARP WITH MY SWORD?_3

"Swords and sabers have no eyes—how can you blame me? Are you saying I should just obediently accept death!" Lang Daohou directly rebuked.

Seeing that another round of verbal sparring was about to erupt, all the Saints present turned their heads away. They looked at their noses, their noses at their hearts, feigning ignorance.

One could spend a lifetime honing skills, for there was no end to improvement, but life itself was one’s own to protect.

Matters of life and death were best left to the Saints of the Daxuan Royal Family.

Fittingly, both Marquess Flame Sun and Lang Daohou were Saints of the royal clan, shouldering the responsibility of commanding various battlefronts.

The task of conquering Heaven Sea Pass, guarded by Baixiang Xuanjiang, should be left to them!

「Two days later.」

Hong Yuan’s Sword Body and several other Martial Saints had arrived at the military encampment. The assembly of Saints resumed their discussions.

Inside the main tent of the military encampment, Hong Yuan was seated in the lower left corner, silently observing as the Saints discussed strategies and assigned duties.

"Misty Moon Marquis, you are to conquer Sand River Pass, guarded by the Fire Dragon Sect."

"Wooden Phoenix Marquis, you are to conquer Rainwater Pass, guarded by the Yellow Sand Sect."

"..."

One by one, Lang Daohou assigned the tasks, and the Saints nodded in acknowledgment.

When it was Hong Yuan’s turn, Lang Daohou paused for a moment, then spoke in a gentler voice, "Marquis of Dragon Sword, it is well known that you possess exceptional, heaven-gifted talent. You not only entered the Eastern Wilderness Academy but also distinguished yourself in the great war between the two tribes. Your combat power is rare in this world and unmatched among your peers. Truly, you possess the qualities of a Great Emperor..."

Listening to Lang Daohou’s continuous praise, Hong Yuan’s right hand slowly moved to rest on the hilt of the Heavenly River Sword.

Such flattery surely meant Lang Daohou had a dangerous request.

Were they planning to use him, Hong Yuan, as a pawn?

In that moment, murderous intent welled within Hong Yuan, and his eyes grew somber.

"His Majesty the Emperor has sent you here with great expectations, undoubtedly intending for you to be the one to deliver the decisive blow. Therefore, Marquis of Dragon Sword, you will take on the task of breaking through Heaven Sea Pass, guarded by the Phoenix Creek Sect!" Lang Daohou said, smiling amiably at Hong Yuan.

However, all the Saints present felt a distinct chill.

This was a blatant scheme, clearly intended to push Hong Yuan’s Sword Body into a perilous situation.

As far as the others were concerned, Hong Yuan’s Sword Body could hardly refuse.

After all, his Sword Body owed a life-saving debt to the Daxuan Dynasty. Furthermore, he was a Heavenly Talent from the Eastern Wilderness Academy, the mentor of the Great Dream Seed, and very likely to enter the Heavenly Palace in the future.

If Hong Yuan’s Sword Body harbored any ambition, he wouldn’t refuse this mission. Doing so would brand him as "ungrateful" and "disloyal," thereby obstructing his future path.

If it had been just a few days prior, Hong Yuan might have felt somewhat troubled by Lang Daohou’s suggestion.

He didn’t want to disappoint the Phoenix Creek Sect, especially since Baixiang Xuanjiang was his grandmaster. Yet, at that time, he genuinely coveted the position of Human Tribe Leader.

However, on the night the Qinghuo Martial Saint died, Hong Yuan had an epiphany:

The world of martial artists has no need for excessive cunning or scheming.

So he decided that his Sword Body would still follow the path of Demon Tao, abandoning the notion of becoming the Human Tribe Leader.

But just because his Sword Body couldn’t become the Human Tribe Leader didn’t mean the Butterfly Sword Martial Saint had no chance!

Thus, hearing Lang Daohou’s malicious arrangement, Hong Yuan smiled—a gentle smile, like a spring breeze.

CLANG!

The Heavenly River Sword flashed out of its sheath, its tip aimed directly at Lang Daohou.

"You want me, Bo Qing, to walk into death’s trap? Keep dreaming your pipe dreams!"

"Bo Qing..."

"Let’s talk this through..."

"You..."

The Saints were aghast and hastily retreated from the main military tent.

Lang Daohou was enraged by Hong Yuan’s attitude. But before he could react, a terrifying Sword Light, powerful enough to shatter stars, blasted towards him. The accompanying divine sound was deafening, its momentum overwhelming.

How is this possible!? Lang Daohou’s pupils shrank dramatically. His limbs turned cold, a chill creeping up his spine and into his brain.

Facing Hong Yuan’s attack, Lang Daohou felt the chilling breath of death. He roared inwardly in fury, but his body was frozen, unable to mount any effective defense.

Hong Yuan’s strike was fast—unbelievably fast!

CRACK—

A shattering sound resonated.

The Mad Wave Sword, the Holy Artifact at Lang Daohou’s waist, shattered instantly, turning to dust that was covertly absorbed by the Heavenly River Sword.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

The Saints stared at Hong Yuan in a stupor; even Marquess Flame Sun was taken aback by his audacity.

"Hmph, is my sword sharp enough?" Hong Yuan’s mouth curled into an unruly smirk.

He twirled the Heavenly River Sword in a flourish and said coldly, "Let this be a warning: there won’t be a next time. Remember, the one I, Bo Qing, intend to deal with is the Ocean-viewing Taoist of Qinglu Taoist Temple!"

Hong Yuan scanned the assembled Saints. The Martial Saints of the Daxuan Dynasty all averted their eyes, none daring to meet his gaze.

It had to be said that while the eighth-tier Saints, who were the hidden strengths of their respective factions, refrained from easily revealing their full power, Hong Yuan’s Sword Tao cultivation gave him an overwhelming advantage, enabling him to defeat opponents of a higher cultivation tier.

With a cold snort, Hong Yuan turned and strode out of the tent.

Not long after his departure, the military tent erupted with curses directed at Hong Yuan’s Sword Body.

"Demon Cultivator scum! Demon Cultivator scum!"

"Simply lawless and outrageous! Lawless and outrageous!!"

"I told you these Demon Cultivators couldn’t be trusted! Look at this! Just look!"

"..."

Lang Daohou stood there, stupefied, not joining in the Saints’ berating of Hong Yuan’s Sword Body.

He stared in disbelief at his waist. The Mad Wave Sword, the Holy Artifact he had treasured as his own life, had just been reduced to dust!

That was a Holy Artifact!!!

"Bo Qing—!" Lang Daohou roared, snapping back to his senses. His face was contorted in a snarl, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.

At that moment, a maelstrom of emotions—hatred and fear—churned within him, all directed at Hong Yuan’s Sword Body. He loathed the Sword Body’s audacious, lawless conduct, so typical of the Demon Tao. Yet, he was also terrified of the Sword Body’s formidable power and dreaded potential retaliation.

The assembled Saints had to admit that Hong Yuan’s Sword Body had given them a stark demonstration of Demon Tao audacity; his actions were outrageously defiant!