The oppressive force radiating from Xi Yuan gradually receded.
"Kid, you're slippery and treacherous."
"I don't like you at all. You're even more irritating than Chong Guangzi. You make me want to kill you."
Xi Yuan spoke flatly.
He swept his gaze over the battlefield wreckage and the lingering auras around him. From those traces, he instantly pieced together much of what had happened.
"But your strength is passable."
"And that's enough."
"I'm no match for you, Sword Lord. Not even close."
Jiang Ding spoke modestly.
"Haha!"
"Seeing you like this reminds me of when I slaughtered billions on the Eastern Extreme Demon Sect's homeworld."
Xi Yuan smiled. "Many of the Eastern Extreme Demon Sect's cultivators were weak, but their will to fight was strong. Even after they'd lost, they still dared to attack me."
"In the end, I mercifully granted them death."
"One person was like that, tens of millions were like that, billions... were like that too."
"Were your ancestors among them?"
"Oh?"
Jiang Ding's smile faded bit by bit, leaving his face expressionless.
"Good, good."
"Stay like that. That's the bearing a sect's Great Sun Sword Heir ought to have."
Xi Yuan looked pleased. "Hatred is good. It drives you forward."
"In truth, even if you'd been born in the Great Sun Sword Pavilion, I would have done the same."
"I would have waited until you advanced to Void Refining, then cut you down when I judged the time right. My Dao Path would have advanced another step, and the edge of my sword would have grown sharper still."
"A pity... I was defeated in the end."
He sighed.
Jiang Ding remained expressionless. He bowed slightly and kept his posture respectful.
"Stop pretending."
"I can tell you and I are the same kind of person."
Xi Yuan