Chapter 42: Breaking One’s Word

"Xia Jiuxuan, you will regret this."

The Chief Instructor hadn’t intended to kill Xia Jiuxuan with a single blow. There was no need for that. He merely meant to teach him a lesson, shatter an arm at most.

"That’s not certain. Make your move."

Xia Jiuxuan planted his feet firmly, standing as steady as a mountain.

"Wave-Crushing Triple Palm."

Though the Chief Instructor had declared he would only use the power of the Fifth Level Palace Entry Realm, he never said he wouldn’t use high-grade martial techniques.

The Triple Palm, as its name implied, could layer the force of three consecutive strikes into one. Coupled with the Chief Instructor’s body strength and bone density as a Spirit-Sealing Realm master—far beyond anything a mere Fifth Level Palace Entry practitioner could withstand—it was a devastating attack.

"Only three layers?"

A faint, cold smile curled at Xia Jiuxuan’s lips. He secretly channeled his profound energy and unleashed the Eight Desolations Ghost-Extinguishing Palm.

Their palms collided before them.

Boom!

A violent shockwave erupted, but neither man budged an inch.

"What just happened?"

"Why wasn’t Xia Jiuxuan blasted away?"

"He actually blocked it!"

"What palm technique did he use? It looked so ordinary, yet it was so powerful."

No one could believe their eyes.

Xia Jiuxuan had managed to withstand even the Chief Instructor’s palm!

Everyone knew Xia Jiuxuan possessed the power of demon blood, and when unleashed, his strength increased exponentially. Yet this time, he hadn’t relied on that ability, and still managed to block such a formidable blow.

This only made the situation seem all the more uncanny.

So Xia Jiuxuan had hidden cards!

It turned out that in his previous fight with Chu Kui, he hadn’t even used his full strength!

No one dared imagine just how monstrous a Fifth Level Palace Entry cultivator had to be to possess such terrifying power. Some even began to suspect that his challenge to Gu Yun was not impulsive foolishness, but rather the act of a man who had already glimpsed the possibility of victory.

…

Under countless watching eyes, Xia Jiuxuan and the Chief Instructor’s hands remained locked in front of them for several heartbeats.

It wasn’t over yet!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A total of eight thunderous explosions erupted, setting off a tidal wave of energy that sent everyone within a twenty-zhang radius staggering back.

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking.

A large swelling rose on the Chief Instructor’s arm, the broken bone nearly piercing through the flesh. Fortunately, he managed to counteract the terrifying force with his Spirit-Sealing power just in time, preventing his arm from breaking entirely.

As for Xia Jiuxuan, several ribs were fractured, a fissure appeared in his spine, and even his leg bones cracked in several places.

Yet he remained motionless, unmoved.

In truth, Xia Jiuxuan’s injuries weren’t caused by the Chief Instructor’s attack, but rather by the backlash from wielding a high-level martial art. Otherwise, a palm suppressed to the Fifth Level Palace Entry Realm would not have been able to harm a single hair on him.

The Eight Desolations Ghost-Extinguishing Palm required at least a Saintly Realm practitioner to barely control. Deployed against the Chief Instructor, it was more than enough!

"You…"

After the exchange, shock flashed through the Chief Instructor’s eyes.

Where on earth did that terrifying power come from?

He felt as though he’d just clashed with a Saintly Realm master, not a mere adolescent in the Palace Entry Realm!

"You’re gravely injured."

The Chief Instructor collected himself, scanning Xia Jiuxuan’s body with his mind and noting that his opponent’s bones were far more damaged than his own.

"True. But your arm is broken. You’ve lost."

Xia Jiuxuan’s tone was indifferent.

"I said earlier, if you could withstand my palm without becoming gravely injured, I’d grant you free passage to the Nirvana Court. So by that agreement, you’ve lost," the Chief Instructor replied flatly, withdrawing his hand.

Xia Jiuxuan sneered, "Trying to weasel out of it, are you?"

The Chief Instructor merely shot him a cold glance and said, "I’m only following the rules and keeping my word."

Xia Jiuxuan was practically fuming.

The man was shamelessly cunning!

He had, indeed, said as much before, but anyone would have taken it as a contest of victory and defeat.

The Chief Instructor was simply quibbling and twisting words.

If judged by outcome, both were injured, but the Chief Instructor was a Spirit-Sealing master, his body far stronger than Xia Jiuxuan’s by many times. By that measure, Xia Jiuxuan was clearly the victor.

Lifting his head, Xia Jiuxuan’s eyes gleamed with menace. "Ha! Very well, I’ll remember this. Our time will come—I swear I’ll kill you."

The Chief Instructor’s face darkened abruptly, and he bellowed, "Guards! This wretch dares threaten the Chief Instructor—a grave offense. Seize him and throw him into the Taixuan Cavern!"

Immediately, four Fifth Level Profound Understanding experts and a Spirit-Sealing Realm master swooped in, joining the Chief Instructor’s own terrifying Spirit-Sealing Eighth Level power to suppress Xia Jiuxuan.

They moved swiftly. Coupled with Xia Jiuxuan’s severe internal injuries from the backlash, he had no chance to resist and was swiftly restrained.

He did not struggle, but a dark gleam flickered in his eyes. "So long as I live, I’ll slaughter everyone in this Nirvana Court—mark my words!"

This was the fiercest rage Xia Jiuxuan had felt since regaining his memories, a killing intent that had seeped into his very bones.

Watching his receding figure as he was led away, a few of the youths on the square finally felt a twinge of regret. Some thought the Chief Instructor was shameless, refusing to admit defeat.

Most, however, watched with schadenfreude. They hoped Xia Jiuxuan would die soon—their own chances of survival would be that much higher.

Xia Jiuxuan buried every ounce of hatred deep in his heart, letting them escort him without resistance.

He entered the inner compound, descended into the underground palace, then emerged in a place surrounded by arcane formations.

After delivering Xia Jiuxuan, the escorts left.

He scanned the area with his spiritual sense. The space wasn’t large, about twenty zhang across. In front of him grew some scattered flowers and trees, and among them a low cliff. Upon the cliff were carved ancient, obscure inscriptions.

"Taixuan Thirteen Swords."

Others might have struggled to decipher those runes, but Xia Jiuxuan recognized them at a glance and thought the sword technique they described was rubbish.

Not to mention these ancient runes—he could read any script in this world, be it of the demons, witches, or fiends, no matter how old.

"Guiyuan Break—pathetic!"

"Ten Thousand Swords Soaring—worse!"

"Sword Descending on the Mysterious Heavens—laughable."

…

"Nirvana Sword—what a farce."

Xia Jiuxuan glanced over the thirteen sword moves etched into the cliff face. Every single one, in his eyes, was riddled with flaws—let alone attuned to the true laws of swordsmanship, capable of unleashing ultimate power.

"Young man, why do you look down on the Taixuan Thirteen Swords so?"

With the clanking of iron chains, a filthy, stooped old man with a head of white hair slowly shuffled out from beside the cliff.

"Hmm?"

Xia Jiuxuan’s brow lifted. He’d scanned the place with his spirit sense moments before and hadn’t noticed anyone at all.

"It’s a useless technique. Does it require flattery?"

As he spoke, the slight surprise in Xia Jiuxuan’s eyes faded away.

The old man let out a hoarse chuckle. "Did you really understand the Taixuan Thirteen Swords?"

"How could I not?" Xia Jiuxuan replied coolly. "Such childish tricks—only someone like you would fail to grasp them."

The old man shook his head, unconcerned. "You’re too young, little one. You simply can’t comprehend the true essence of this sword art. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have languished here for twenty years, unable to extricate myself."

"Sure, whatever you say. You’re right," Xia Jiuxuan replied lazily, not interested in further conversation. Why should he teach this old man anything?

"Hey, old man, what’s behind that stone door in the cliff? I want to take a look. You’re not going to stop me, are you?"

After a moment’s silence, Xia Jiuxuan spoke up of his own accord.

The old man, who had been sitting with eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide. He looked at Xia Jiuxuan in disbelief. "How do you know there’s a stone door in the cliff?!"