This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 137 The First Appearance of the "Sacrifice"

“A promise is a promise, but my injuries are too severe. I have lost all my strength and can hardly move an inch. Could you find some medicinal herbs for me? Once I can move again, I will go with you. As long as I can get out of this predicament, I will gladly hand over the secret of the Sword Immortal.”

Xiao Xingchen's face was ashen, and he coldly replied. He could clearly feel that his face was now contorted like a demon, and the icy coldness of the dagger seemed to emanate from the deepest hell. However, this only made his thoughts clearer. These black-robed men were all ruthless and vicious; to outwit them would require a great deal of cunning.

"Heh, wouldn't it have been better if you had been this obedient from the start? You people spend your whole lives just trying to survive, what difference is there between you and a pig waiting to be slaughtered? Why make yourselves suffer?"

The black-robed man's sinister smile was like a biting cold wind, making Xiao Xingchen laugh involuntarily.

Very well, since transmigrating here, this is the first person who has enraged him so much that he must get rid of them as soon as possible.

"Then give me the medicine, take me out, and I'll take you to find the secret of the Xiaoxian Sword."

"Tsk tsk, you seem to have forgotten something crucial. You must prove to me that you truly know the secret of the Sword Immortal, otherwise wouldn't I have wasted my time?"

"Proof? How can I prove it?"

The man in black removed the dagger from his face, then stood up, looking down at him like a high god, seemingly weighing something in his mind.

He spoke again after a moment,

"Since you know the secret of Xiao Jianxian, you must also know something about the Xiao family of Nanling."

"Then let's talk about the Xiao family of Nanling. As long as what you say is true, I will believe you without a doubt."

"The Xiao family?" Xiao Xingchen was slightly taken aback.

"Yes, if you don't even know the Xiao family, then don't blame me for making you wish you were dead."

"Sure, whatever you want to know about the Xiao family, just bring it on."

Xiao Xingchen's lips curled into a mocking smile. He thought to himself that he was afraid of being caught red-handed if he talked about anything else, but when it came to the Xiao family, it was exactly what he wanted.

"I only have one question for you: the Xiao family is a family of sword immortals, so why has no one in the Xiao family awakened the power of a sword immortal?"

The man in black spoke, his gaze sharp and fixed on him, awaiting his answer.

This question was unexpected for Xiao Xingchen. If it were about everyday matters, he could answer them easily, but when it came to the power of the sword immortal, he couldn't very well say that Xiao Jianxian was lying to them and that Xiao Jianxian was a useless piece of trash, could he?

Wouldn't that be cutting off my own escape route?

"What is this so-called power of the sword immortal? Can it be passed down?"

"That's for sure. Xiao Jianxian's skill is profound; he was the first person in recorded history to step into the Heavenly Sword Realm. His descendants must possess the power of the Heavenly Sword, but no one in the Xiao family has awakened it yet. Don't you know Xiao Jianxian's secret? Then this question should be a piece of cake for you, right?"

"I see. In that case, I think I can answer your question."

The man in black robes shuddered violently, his eyes gleaming with an intense light, as if he had discovered a priceless treasure.

"Say it!"

Xiao Xingchen hesitated for a moment, then spoke up firmly.

"Because Xiao Jianxian has no descendants, the sword immortal family you see now is not his bloodline, so how could they awaken the power of the Heavenly Sword?"

Before Xiao Xingchen could finish speaking, he noticed that the black-robed man before him was struck dumb, his mind reeling, before quickly shaking his head in denial.

"Impossible. The Xiao family is a family of sword immortals, and there are traces of this for hundreds of years. Don't spout nonsense here. Are you tired of living?"

"Those are all lies. Do you know that there is a stone tablet in front of the Silent Temple outside Yong'an City?"

Seeing that the man in black robes seemed greatly shocked, he knew the matter was settled, so he struck while the iron was hot.

He continued, "That stone tablet was carved by Xiao Jianxian himself. It records many of his unknown secrets. That's where I saw it. Xiao Jianxian had no descendants. That Xiao family is just an imposter."

"Impossible, are you just making this up?"

"What's the point of talking nonsense? Xiao Jianxian was like a fleeting flower, his appearance and fall only briefly amazed the world. He had no time to leave behind any descendants. Why are you so agitated?"

"Absolutely impossible! That's utterly ridiculous! If, as you say, the Sword Immortal Xiao has no descendants, then what is the Xiao family today?"

The black-robed figure's reaction was unusual, which made Xiao Xingchen frown.

The fact that such a powerful figure as the black-robed man was so emotionally charged suggested that he was confirming something, something closely related to him.

"What is your connection with the Xiao family?" he probed. Otherwise, why would the man in black robes be so agitated?

"Heh, I almost fell for your lies. You're just spouting nonsense. The Xiao family's genealogy records everything about Xiao Jianxian back then very clearly," Xiao Xingchen said, spreading his hands as if he didn't care at all.

"Sigh, I spoke from the bottom of my heart, but you just won't believe me, as if you were a member of the Xiao family. Then I'll just pretend I didn't say anything and assume I don't know Xiao Jianxian's secret."

The man in black robes seemed to have some doubts. He stood still like a statue, his eyes fixed on Xiao Xingchen like a hungry wolf, making Xiao Xingchen feel uneasy.

He couldn't understand what the man in black was up to. They had been at peace just moments before, so why was he suddenly reacting so strongly? Could this man really be from the Xiao family?

He shook his head, thinking it was absolutely impossible. The Xiao family members were all on the family tree and had enjoyed wealth and honor for generations. How could they come here to become such evil spirits?

He pondered to himself how to gain the black-robed man's trust, but the black-robed man remained silent. Suddenly, like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, he grabbed him and said in a sinister tone,

"Come with me to the Silent Temple!"

"Are you crazy? I'm so badly injured... Waaah!"

Before he could finish speaking, the black-robed figure reached out like a ghost and covered his mouth, then several pills were shoved into it like shooting stars.

"These few pills are enough to ensure your safe return. I'll deal with you after I verify their authenticity. If I find out you've been lying all along, I'll make you taste what the hellish hell is like."

After saying that, the black-robed man didn't give Xiao Xingchen any chance to resist. He grabbed Xiao Xingchen's shoulder like an eagle snatching a chick and dragged him outside.

The cell was as flimsy as paper. Xiao Xingchen was stunned again. The ghostly figure shattered as the black robe disappeared. He felt a mysterious force tightly surrounding him like a tide, then tearing at him like a storm.

He could even clearly see his arms and body burst open with a "pop" like fragile water bubbles, disappearing without a trace.

All of this seemed like a bizarre and fantastical illusion. When he came to his senses, he was already outside the Heavenly Prison.

What amazing power! What is this?

Xiao Xingchen was deeply shaken, as if by a vast and magnificent ocean. This power that transcended everything was like the mysterious particle recombination in a science fiction movie from his previous life.

In the instant his body shattered, he felt as if his body dissipated like smoke, and apart from his consciousness, he lost all feeling in his body at that moment.

Once consciousness returned, my body seemed to have been reassembled.

Is this the power of royal offerings?

This was even more terrifying than Daji's methods; it was simply the work of a god!

"Hmph, you ignorant fool! This is the power of a god, a true god!"

The man in black robes seemed brimming with confidence in his power. Seeing Xiao Xingchen stunned, a smug expression appeared on his face.

"God? Does God really exist?"

Unfortunately, the man in black robes ignored his question and, grabbing him, disappeared into the darkness like a whirlwind, speeding straight towards the Silent Temple outside the city.

Xiao Xingchen spent a long time mentally rehearsing before gradually accepting it all.

When the black robe first disappeared, he thought it was some kind of special technique, after all, there are many strange movement methods in this world.

However, when he personally experienced the moment he was grabbed, he was absolutely certain that he had just entered another dimension.

The method of moving from inside the prison to another transit point and then reappearing outside was beyond his comprehension and difficult for him to accept.

If the scientists of his past life had witnessed this scene, they would probably have turned their coffins to smithereens. It was all too unbelievable, making it hard for him to believe that this was something human could do.

The man in black robes moved with lightning speed. In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xiao Xingchen landed in front of the stone tablet in front of the Silent Temple like a discarded rag doll.

"Explain to me the contents of this stone tablet in detail."

The voice from the black-robed man was icy and chilling, as if it could freeze a person.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to tell the truth from the lies. Isn't it pointless for you to bring me here?" Xiao Xingchen replied, trying to remain calm.

"Who says I can't tell the difference between truth and falsehood?"

The man in black robes appeared confident, and Xiao Xingchen, already incredibly shocked, was once again deeply impressed by him.

The man in black robes produced a skull from who-knows-where, as if by magic.

He gripped the skull tightly with one hand like an iron clamp, and with the other hand he made a sword-like gesture, placed it in front of his mouth, and muttered incantations.

Visible to the naked eye, a black current rose from his feet like a whirlwind, then coiled around his body like a venomous snake, finally gathering behind him.

A hideous demon with bared fangs appeared right before Xiao Xingchen's eyes.

"Are you crazy? Do ghosts really exist in this world?"

Xiao Xingchen was struck dumb. He felt the evil spirit's sinister gaze, as sinister as a venomous snake. Just one glance was enough to plunge him into an icy abyss.

Immediately afterwards, the evil spirits, like a whirlwind, burrowed into the skull of the other hand.

As the evil spirit burrowed into the skull, its eyes suddenly lit up, like blazing flames.

"Don't even try to lie. If you dare to utter a single lie, this skull will devour you like a glutton, leaving not a trace."

"What is this?" Xiao Xingchen's voice was filled with uncontrollable fear, as if he were facing not an ordinary skull, but a hideous demon crawling out of the abyss of hell.

"This is the power of sacrifice, a power that transcends mortals and even the understanding of the Nine Heavens. So do not harbor any illusions. Do not blame me for not warning you. If you dare to lie, you will be cast into the inescapable hell of eternal damnation."

The voice in the black robe seemed to come from the deepest hell. Xiao Xingchen clenched his fists. He heard it. It was Ji. Could this be the terrifying power that belonged to Ji?