Before Burial Sword Slope, Chaos First Opened

The setting sun was like blood, spilling across Burial Sword Slope outside Qingfeng Town in the Qingyun Region.

Withered yellow grass was swept into the sky by the autumn wind. Dozens of low earthen graves lay scattered across the slope. Not a single proper tombstone stood before them; only half-broken, rust-speckled iron swords had been thrust into the mounds. This was where all three hundred and seventy-one members of the Ling Family had been buried three years ago.

A youth dressed in a gray cloth robe patched upon patches knelt before the central grave, carefully wiping the iron sword atop it with a scrap of cloth. His name was Ling Yun. Though sixteen years old, he was thinner than most boys his age. Only his eyes shone startlingly bright upon his dirt-stained face, like sword edges tempered with cold stars, concealing a forbearance and resolve far beyond his years.

"Father, Mother, Big Brother... today marks the third anniversary of the Ling Family's Annihilation. Yun'er came to see you." Ling Yun's voice was terribly hoarse. His fingertips brushed over the cold iron sword, rust staining his fingers like the blood that had splashed across his face three years ago.

On that rainy night three years ago, flames had soared into the heavens over Qingfeng Town as Zhao Family cultivators stormed into the Ling Family like fiends and demons. They wielded blood-red longswords and cultivated bizarre, wicked arts. The Ling Family's protective sword formation had crumbled at the first blow before that sinister power. His father, Ling Xiaotian, had brought out the incomplete scroll of the inherited Lingyun Sword Manual and fought desperately to hold back Zhao Kun, the Zhao Family head, only to have his heart meridians shattered by a single Blood Devouring Palm. His mother had hidden him in a dry well, then turned and charged at their pursuers, her silhouette forever frozen amid the firelight. His elder brother, Ling Yunxiao, had been pierced through the chest by a Zhao Family guard's sword while covering his escape.

That night, the Ling Family, which had been passed down in the Qingyun Region for three hundred years, was reduced to a sea of blood and Baleful Intent alongside the incomplete sword manual said to conceal the secrets of ancient sword cultivators. Ling Yun became the Ling Family's sole survivor.

Over the past three years, he had fallen from a young master born to silken robes and rich food into a drifter who survived by begging and gathering herbs. He dared not reveal his identity or form close ties with anyone. Other than filling his stomach each day, he guarded his relatives' graves here at Burial Sword Slope, reliving the horrors of that night over and over, carving Zhao Kun's face and the savage grins of the Zhao Family cultivators deep into his bones.

"Zhao Kun..." Ling Yun clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "And you Zhao Family dogs, just wait. Sooner or later, I will avenge the Ling Family!"

Before his words had faded, a fierce gale suddenly swept over Burial Sword Slope. The iron swords atop the graves gave off low hums, as though answering his oath. In Ling Yun's arms, a fragment wrapped in brocade suddenly turned scorching hot. He hurriedly pulled it out. It was the only remaining half-page of the Lingyun Sword Manual, the item his mother had shoved into his hands before her death.

The edges of the incomplete scroll were charred black. Several incomplete lines of sword formulas had been written on it in ancient seal script, along with a blurred sword-shaped diagram. For three years, he had examined it again and again, yet he could not understand a single word. He only knew that it was the root of his Lineage, something his parents had protected with their lives.

But today, the incomplete scroll seemed to have been activated by something. A faint azure spiritual glow seeped from the portions the brocade could not cover. Ling Yun stared at it in shock. The ancient seal-script characters began to glimmer, while the sword shadow in the diagram seemed to come alive and slowly drift across the scroll.

"This is..." Ling Yun's heart pounded wildly. He had never seen the incomplete scroll display such a phenomenon.

Just then, his fingertip, somehow cut by the iron sword, dripped a drop of blood onto the scroll. The instant the blood touched it, it was absorbed. The scroll's spiritual light abruptly surged, and azure radiance shot into the heavens, shrouding all of Burial Sword Slope.

Rumble!

The ground of Burial Sword Slope suddenly shook violently. The earth beneath Ling Yun's feet split open, and an ancient sword, completely black and covered in rust, slowly rose from the fissure. It was about three feet seven inches long. Its scabbard was mottled, without a single visible ornament, looking no different from discarded common iron. Yet the moment it appeared, the air around it seemed to freeze, and even the autumn wind halted in its tracks.

"This is... the Ling Family's guardian treasure, the Sky-Rending Sword?" Ling Yun's eyes widened.

He had read records in the family's ancient texts. The founding ancestor of the Ling Family had once obtained an ancient sword and named it Sky-Rending. Unfortunately, it had been lost during a sect war a thousand years ago, its whereabouts unknown ever since. He had never imagined that this legendary ancient sword had been buried beneath Burial Sword Slope all along.

The Sky-Rending Sword floated in midair. The rust on its scabbard peeled away at a visible speed, revealing the sword body within, where dark gleams flowed. Then, as though it possessed intelligence, it slowly flew toward Ling Yun, its pommel gently touching the incomplete sword manual in his hand.

Bzz—

The spiritual light of the incomplete scroll intertwined with the dark gleam of the sword, forming an azure pillar of light that instantly enveloped Ling Yun. A vast yet gentle force poured into his body, coursing through his meridians. Wherever it passed, all the hidden ailments left by three years of malnutrition and exposure to wind and cold vanished without a trace.

Even more astonishingly, ripples suddenly spread across the sea of qi in his dantian, which had previously been utterly empty. A strange vortex began to gather. Ling Yun had secretly observed other cultivators training before, and he knew this was the sign of sensing spiritual power and about to step onto the path of cultivation.

"I... I can cultivate?" Ling Yun was both shocked and overjoyed.

Over the past three years, he had thought more than once of seeking a master and learning cultivation. Yet no matter which sect tested him, the result was always the same: "No spiritual root. Unable to cultivate." This had nearly severed all hope of avenging his family. But now, the Sky-Rending Sword and the incomplete sword manual had opened the gate to cultivation for him.

Just as the vortex was about to stabilize, an even more tyrannical force suddenly surged from the Sky-Rending Sword and shot straight into his sea of consciousness. Ling Yun's head erupted in pain as countless pieces of information about the sword path flooded in like a raging tide—methods for Basic Sword Intent, insights into sword intent, and diagram after diagram of profound sword techniques.

"Chaos Sword Body... it truly exists..." An aged and feeble voice suddenly rang out within his sea of consciousness.

Ling Yun was startled. "Who? Who's speaking?"

"I am the sword spirit of the Sky-Rending Sword, a remnant soul that remains..." The voice came in fits and starts. "You bear the Chaos Sword Body, capable of accommodating all arts and absorbing every kind of sword intent... It is the supreme physique of the sword path, yet it also draws the jealousy of the Heavenly Dao..."

Chaos Sword Body? Ling Yun froze. He had never heard of such a physique.

"The incomplete sword manual... is the opening chapter of the Qiankun Sword Canon... It suits your physique..." The sword spirit's voice grew weaker and weaker. "I must sleep to recover... In your future cultivation, you may consult the remnant soul within the sword..."

As the words fell, the voice in his sea of consciousness vanished completely. The Sky-Rending Sword's radiance dimmed as well, turning into a stream of light that entered the sea of qi in his dantian and merged with the vortex. The incomplete sword manual in his hand also transformed into specks of azure light and sank into his brow. Those ancient seal-script characters and sword technique diagrams were clearly imprinted in his sea of consciousness.

Ling Yun slowly opened his eyes, feeling power fill every inch of his body. The vortex in his dantian circulated steadily. Though he had only reached the Early Sword Disciple Stage, his vortex was several times more condensed than that of ordinary cultivators. More importantly, he could clearly sense the faint energy permeating the air around him. So long as he wished it, he could absorb it into his body at any time and transform it into his own spiritual power.

"Father, Mother, Big Brother, did you see? I can cultivate! I have hope for revenge!" Ling Yun kowtowed heavily three times before the graves, oblivious even as his forehead struck hard enough to bleed.

He rose to his feet and dusted off his clothes. The confusion in his eyes had disappeared completely, replaced by a steadfast gleam. He knew that with his current strength, let alone revenge, he could not even enter the Zhao Family's gates. Zhao Kun was one of the rare Sword Emperor Realm experts in the Qingyun Region. The Zhao Family also had dozens of Sword Masters and Great Swordsman Realm cultivators. The disparity in their strength was as vast as a heavenly chasm.

"I must raise my strength as quickly as possible." Ling Yun clenched his fist. "The Flowing Cloud Sword Sect will recruit disciples in three months. That is my only chance."

The Flowing Cloud Sword Sect was one of the Seven Great Sword Sects of the Qingyun Region. Though ranked near the bottom, it was still a legitimate cultivation sect. Three years ago, the Ling Family had maintained close ties with the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect. If he could enter the sect, not only could he cultivate systematically, he might also uncover more secrets concerning the Zhao Family.

But before that, he needed to make a trip to the Zhao Family. He wanted to see with his own eyes just how gloriously the murderer who had slaughtered his entire family was living now.

Night fell, and Qingfeng Town was blanketed in silence. Ling Yun changed into even shabbier clothing, smeared mud across his face, disguised himself as a begging drifter, and quietly slipped into the Zhao Family estate at the town center.

The Zhao Family estate had expanded to twice its size from three years ago. A gilded plaque hung above its vermilion gates, while two guards carrying long spears stood watch outside. Their auras were condensed; they were actually Sword Master Realm cultivators. Ling Yun crouched in the shadows at a street corner, his heart pounding. This was the first time in three years that he had come so close to his enemies.

Using the cover of night, he darted between the Zhao Family's courtyard walls like a civet cat. The estate's defensive formations were even more stringent than three years ago, and the air carried a faint scent of blood. Clearly, Zhao Kun was still cultivating that sinister Sword Devouring Art.

After crossing several courtyards, Ling Yun arrived outside the Zhao Family training chamber. The window had not been shut tightly, leaving a narrow crack through which heavy breathing could be heard. Ling Yun quietly moved closer and peered inside.

At the center of the training chamber stood a brawny middle-aged man, bare from the waist up, circulating his cultivation art. His skin bore a bizarre dark-red hue, and faint blood mist swirled around him. With every breath, countless tiny threads of blood were drawn into his body. He was Zhao Kun, head of the Zhao Family and a Sword Emperor Realm expert.

Before Zhao Kun knelt a young cultivator, pale as paper and trembling all over. Zhao Kun suddenly opened his eyes. A bloodthirsty red gleam flashed within them as his right hand formed a claw and viciously seized the young cultivator's head.

Splurt!

With a soft sound, the cultivator's head burst like a smashed watermelon, blood and brain matter spraying everywhere. Zhao Kun opened his mouth and inhaled. A blood-colored ball of light flew from the cultivator's corpse and was swallowed into his abdomen. His aura instantly rose several degrees, and the dark red of his skin deepened.

"The Sword Devouring Art truly is tyrannical, but this body's Sword Soul is too weak. It is of little use." Zhao Kun licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, his tone so cold it held not a shred of humanity.

Ling Yun, hiding outside the window, turned ice-cold. A chill surged from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head. He had watched with his own eyes as Zhao Kun devoured that cultivator's soul, leaving not even the slightest remnant soul behind. This wicked art was simply utterly devoid of conscience!

"The Ling Family's Lingyun Sword Manual is indeed extraordinary. Though I only obtained half of it, it allowed my Sword Devouring Art to break through to the seventh level." Zhao Kun walked to one side and picked up half a sword manual from the table, greed flashing in his eyes. "What a pity the other half's whereabouts are unknown. If I can find the complete sword manual, perhaps I may break through to the Sword Venerable Realm!"

Ling Yun's heart abruptly tightened. So the Zhao Family had only obtained half the sword manual. The other half must have been buried in Burial Sword Slope with his parents' bodies. Had the Sky-Rending Sword not awakened today, he might never have learned just how important his family's sword manual truly was.

Just then, Zhao Kun seemed to sense something and abruptly turned toward the window. "Who's outside?"

A powerful spiritual pressure instantly locked onto Ling Yun, pressing down on him like Mount Tai and leaving him unable to breathe. Ling Yun's expression changed drastically as he turned and ran. He knew that if Zhao Kun caught him, he would undoubtedly die.

"Courting death!" Zhao Kun roared. With a flash, he had already appeared outside the training chamber. Watching Ling Yun's fleeing back, killing intent flashed in his eyes. With a wave of his right hand, a blood-colored Sword Qi shot straight at Ling Yun's heart from behind.

Ling Yun felt a chill down his back. At the moment between life and death, the incomplete sword manual in his sea of consciousness suddenly heated up, and the Sky-Rending Sword in his dantian trembled faintly. Following the sword technique diagrams in his sea of consciousness on instinct, he twisted aside to evade the Sword Qi. At the same time, his feet stepped into a profound movement technique, and his speed abruptly increased.

"Hm? This movement technique... is Treading Snow Without Trace from the Lingyun Sword Manual?" Zhao Kun froze for a moment, then wild delight flashed in his eyes. "So you are a surviving remnant of the Ling Family! I wore out iron shoes searching everywhere, only to find it without any effort!"

He moved again, several times faster than Ling Yun, and caught up to him in the blink of an eye. Blood-colored Sword Qi fell like raindrops, sealing off every route of escape.

Ling Yun gritted his teeth. The spiritual power in his dantian circulated madly, and the Basic Sword Intent method in his sea of consciousness activated instantly. He casually picked up a dead branch from the ground and, following the Basic Sword Intent of the Qiankun Sword Canon, slashed it toward the foremost Sword Qi.

Crack!

The dead branch did not snap at once upon colliding with the blood-colored Sword Qi. Instead, it knocked the Sword Qi several inches aside. Borrowing the recoil, Ling Yun accelerated again and ran toward the Zhao Family estate's exit.

"Interesting!" Zhao Kun grew even more excited. "A mere Early Sword Disciple Stage cultivator can actually block my Sword Qi. The Chaos Sword Body truly is extraordinary! Catching you will not only get me the complete sword manual, but perhaps I can even squeeze the secret of the Chaos Sword Body out of you!"

He no longer held back. The blood mist around him surged, and his body transformed into a bloody shadow that pursued Ling Yun relentlessly. Hearing the disturbance, Zhao Family guards rushed over from every direction, only to be sent flying by Zhao Kun's aura.

Ling Yun used every ounce of his strength, employing Treading Snow Without Trace as he raced through Qingfeng Town's alleyways. He could feel the killing intent behind him drawing ever closer. The shadow of death clung to him like gangrene attached to the bone.

"Sky-Rending Sword, help me!" Ling Yun cried out in his heart.

The Sky-Rending Sword in his dantian suddenly erupted with dark radiance that fused into his legs. Ling Yun felt his body become weightless, and his speed surged again. Like an arrow loosed from the bowstring, he shot out of the Zhao Family estate and raced toward Burial Sword Slope beyond the town.

"Trying to run?" Zhao Kun coldly snorted and was about to give chase, but suddenly stopped. Gazing in the direction where Ling Yun had vanished, apprehension flashed in his eyes. "Burial Sword Slope still has remnants of the Ling Family's protective formation. Though damaged, it will still be troublesome. And if I pursue him out in the middle of the night, should people from other sword sects see me, it will inevitably invite criticism."

After pondering for a moment, he ordered the steward hurrying over from behind him, "Pass down the order. Seal every exit of Qingfeng Town and search for all suspicious persons. That brat bears the Chaos Sword Body; he cannot have fled far! Also, send people to watch Burial Sword Slope. He will definitely return there!"

"Yes, Patriarch!" The steward hurriedly accepted the order.

Zhao Kun stood where he was, staring toward Burial Sword Slope as a sinister gleam flashed in his eyes. "Ling Family remnant, this time, even if you sprout wings, you will not escape!"

On Burial Sword Slope, Ling Yun collapsed before his parents' graves, gasping for breath. The pursuit just now had been like a nightmare. Had the Sky-Rending Sword not unleashed its power at the last moment, he would likely have become a ghost beneath Zhao Kun's sword.

"That was close..." Ling Yun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his heart still hammering violently.

He knew he could no longer remain in Qingfeng Town. Zhao Kun would certainly launch a massive search. He had to leave immediately and head for the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect.

Ling Yun once more kowtowed three times before the graves, his eyes firm. "Father, Mother, Big Brother, I'm leaving for now. When I return after mastering my arts, I will make the Zhao Family repay blood with blood!"

He rose to his feet without looking back and walked toward the Qingyun Region. The night was deep and the cold wind piercing, yet neither could blow out the light in his eyes.

Within his dantian, the Sky-Rending Sword floated silently, emitting faint dark radiance. Within his sea of consciousness, the sword technique diagrams of the Qiankun Sword Canon slowly circulated. A youth burdened by a Deep Blood Feud, an ancient sword that had slumbered for a thousand years, and an incomplete ancient sword canon quietly drew open the curtain on a legendary tale during this late-autumn night.

The road ahead stretched long, fraught with dangers on every side. Yet a roaring blaze had ignited in Ling Yun's heart. He knew that his own path of the sword had only just begun.