"Cousin Ling Rui,are you prepared to die?"
Ling Xiao's voice was filled with boundless majesty.
Like a deity presiding over heaven and earth, pronouncing the demise of a mortal.
He gently raised his hand, two fingers together glowing with cyan light. An intangible sword edge instantly materialized between heaven and earth.
The sword's radiance dazzled the eyes, carrying threads of piercing coldness.
A killing intent swept forth, making one shiver involuntarily.
"This is!!! The power of Dao Principle!!! How is this possible?!!" Ling Shan's aged face instantly turned pale as he exclaimed in disbelief.
At that moment, Ling Xiao's hand chopped down violently. Space crumbled and shattered instantly.
A hundred-zhang long sword shadow descended from the void, pressing down on the world for ten thousand miles.
Holy shit! So brutal!
Thump!
Ling Rui's figure knelt directly under the immense sword pressure.
The spiritual light around him had long been shredded to pieces. Nothing remained on his face but terror.
"Grandfather, save me!!!!" A terrified scream, tinged with sobs, suddenly echoed through the great hall.
Ling Rui didn't doubt for a second that if this sword fell, his youth, his life, would be permanently (fixed, ended).
The power of Dao Principle!!
Ling Xiao had actually comprehended the power of Dao Principle!!
No wonder... he never truly showed his hand. He was actually saving face for me all along!!
At this moment, Ling Rui felt like crying. He realized he had truly misunderstood Ling Xiao before.
So the Young Master was actually this kind-hearted.
If he hadn't repeatedly provoked him, the Young Master probably still wouldn't have drawn his sword against him, right?
"If... I get another chance, I will definitely be the Young Master's most loyal little brother!"
Ling Rui closed his eyes, silently shedding tears of regret.
"Buzz!"
Space rippled, presenting a scene like doomsday.
But in the end, Ling Xiao's sword did not truly fall.
Ling Shan now stood in the center of the hall, shielding Ling Rui. He looked up with a complex expression at the Dao Principle long sword that had halted just ten feet above them, an indescribable shock swirling in his old eyes.
A seventeen-year-old Dao Principle genius!
This was what they called an immortal-like demeanor, right?
"How is this possible? How can this be?!" Among the crowd, Ling Tian clenched his fists, staring with a mix of fear and shock at the cyan sword shadow brimming with the truth of the Great Dao, roaring internally.
He had endured for seven years, ten thousand draws of the sword, before barely comprehending a wisp of Sword Dao Principle.
How could Ling Xiao manifest such terrifying Dao Principle power in the blink of an eye?
Compared to him, his own strand of Dao Principle was like... child's play!
This is impossible!
This is absolutely impossible!!
Ling Tian felt like crying but had no tears. He was enveloped by a deep sense of defeat.
"Young Master... please withdraw your sword?" Ling Shan smiled wryly, looking up at Ling Tianlin on the dais. "With such an heir, how can our clan not prosper?"
His words seemed to reveal the aging, weariness on the Grand Elder's face.
Clearly, under Ling Xiao's awe, intimidation, he had lost the will to compete.
Ling Rui was strong, ranking among the top even in the Eastern Frontier.
But compared to Ling Xiao...
Hehe, it wasn't that Ling Shan looked down on his own grandson... if that sword really fell, Ling Rui wouldn't even know how he died.
The power of Dao Principle was ethereal and intangible, yet it was the power of the Great Dao's very origin.
All cultivators aspired towards the Dao, but how many, in their entire lives, truly comprehended this power?
Even many Divine King experts, whose every move carried the momentum of heaven and earth, wielded a force that was merely a result of their cultivation communicating with the world's spiritual energy—a power close to Dao Principle, but not Dao Principle itself.
"Thank you, Young Master... for sparing my life..." Ling Rui trembled as he rose from the ground, his clothes soaked through with sweat.
"Cousin Ling Rui..." Many Ling Clan geniuses looked at the bowing, submitting Ling Rui with indescribable emotions in their eyes.
Something like pity, something like helplessness.
It was just very disheartening.
"What are you all standing around for?! Clap!!" But Ling Rui frowned and was the first to start clapping and shouting towards Ling Xiao, "Young Master Ling Xiao, peerless in might, truly worthy of being the glory of our Ling Clan!"
"Young Master Ling Xiao, invincible under heaven!"
"May he reign for ten thousand generations!!"
"With such an heir, our Ling Clan is sure to reach the pinnacle of the Holy State!"
The hype squad was in place.
The previously silent hall instantly became lively.
Everyone looked at the handsome young man in black robes before them, their faces wearing expressions of fanaticism.
In chaotic times, only the strong leave their names.
Arrogance requires capital.
Now, bathed in radiant light, with Dao Principle blooming around him, Ling Xiao's demeanor as a generation's powerhouse was on full display.
What 'extremely arrogant', what 'shameless and unbridled'.
The Young Master was clearly chivalrous and righteous, exceptionally courageous, a dazzling hero among elites, brilliant as the morning sun, his aura immortal-like, his bearing transcendent... (The text playfully continues a chain of complimentary idioms.)
Applause, cheers, songs of praise—every sound reached the ears.
Ling Xiao looked calmly at the people in the hall, finally resting his gaze on Ling Tian.
"Little Brother Tian, you look rather pale. What's wrong? Are you unwell?"
"I!! No, I'm just... happy for you, brother..." Ling Tian gritted his teeth but ultimately didn't dare to challenge him openly.
After all, the Sword Dao Principle radiating from Ling Xiao couldn't be faked. He was far from being Ling Xiao's match now.
And given the latter's ruthlessness, if he showed even a hint of hostility, the consequence would likely be...
For now, the only plan was to endure a while longer, until his own Dao Principle was perfected...
Hmph, Ling Xiao, I'll let you linger for a few more days!
What had seven years of endurance taught Ling Tian?
How to endure, of course!
"Is that so? I thought Little Brother Tian also wanted to try drawing his sword." Ling Xiao's sinister smile sent an involuntary chill down Ling Tian's spine.
"Respected Elders, does anyone else oppose Xiao'er succeeding as the heir of our Ling Clan?" Ling Tianlin looked at Ling Xiao with gratification. Although he too was perplexed about how Ling Xiao had comprehended the Sword Dao Principle, compared to the other elders, he had some suspicions.
The Heavenly Demon True Body!
It was said this Forbidden Constitution possessed many mysteries beyond mortal imagination.
Ling Xiao's sudden comprehension of Dao Principle was probably related to this demonic body.
"Hehe, Young Master Ling Xiao is divine, brave, heroic, and immensely talented! Having him serve as our Ling Clan's heir is a great fortune for our clan!"
"I propose we hold a grand feast in our sacred territory for seven days, starting tomorrow to celebrate the Young Master's engagement to the Dao Palace Saintess, congratulating him on this double happiness!"
"Excellent! Young Master Ling Xiao is gentle and virtuous, and has won the affection of the Dao Palace Saintess. This calls for celebration!"
"Enough talk, I'm off now to select a congratulatory gift for the Young Master! My apologies, everyone, I must take my leave!"
The elders who had vehemently opposed Ling Xiao's appointment were now, without exception, as if injected with adrenaline, vigorously flattering and performing.
Barring any unforeseen events, Ling Xiao was the next Clan Master.
Moreover, the strength he displayed today truly lived up to the title of heir to an ancient clan.
No wonder the Young Master's reputation had grown so much in recent years. He truly was a heaven-sent talent.
As for those slanders and smears...
The world was prone to jealousy.
Especially when criticism required no responsibility, and words and deeds reflected only one's character.
"Since the esteemed Elders have no objections... Xiao'er..." Ling Tianlin smiled faintly. The words and actions of these old fools truly echoed Ling Xiao's initial arrogant statement.
When one stands at the peak, who cares if they are demon or immortal?
Strength is justice!
"Father!" Ling Xiao bowed respectfully towards Ling Tianlin.
"This token is the command token of our Ling Clan Master. Those who see it shall regard it as seeing the Clan Master himself. Today, I bestow it upon you. And this Starry Emperor Robe is a legacy Dao artifact of our Ling Clan, symbolizing our clan's majesty. I bestow it upon you as well." Ling Tianlin waved his hand. Two streams of light descended from the sky, landing in Ling Xiao's hands.
Marvelous.
This Starry Emperor Robe sounded like a divine artifact for showing off.
He didn't really care about the legacy aspect.
Time to make waves!