Chapter 135: Potential

Scarlet blood seeped from her features—first as mere streaks, then as a steady flow. Soon, every pore on Yu Ruoshuang’s body was weeping blood. Yet, her legs remained rooted to the ground, standing firm.

*Even if I die, I will not let my sister look down on me!*

As her consciousness sank into darkness, a faint, ethereal smile graced her lips.

Sect Master Ying was consumed by unbearable agony. Had he not been tightly suppressed by Patriarch Ying, he would have charged forward to save his granddaughter. As for angering Patriarch Ling or the so-called "greater good," he could not care less!

*"When I was bullied, Mother and Grandfather hid away. Only my sister charged into the Sword Control Sect, ready to slaughter you to avenge me."*

*"My sister only lost her father; her grandfather is still alive and not yet senile. He would never let his granddaughter be bullied for nothing."*

The voices of the two sisters echoed in his ears, crashing like tumultuous waves against the inner sanctum of the immobilized Sect Master’s heart. His eyes, too, turned as scarlet as his granddaughter’s.

Within the space shrouded by Patriarch Ying’s spiritual power, a fluctuation grew from weak to strong. Those closely watching Yu Ruoshuang looked over to see a faint, slender sword light emerging from above the Sect Master’s head. It transformed from illusion into reality, gradually solidifying into a brilliant, crystalline longsword, radiating an unparalleled and piercing intent to kill.

"This kid has quite the fortune; he actually condensed a Sword Heart!" Patriarch Ling exclaimed in surprise. He then looked at Grand Elder Ling with pure disgust. "The Sect Master is much younger than you, yet he has already condensed a Sword Heart. How do you have the face to still be wandering about?"

A Sword Heart was an incredibly profound concept. How many talented predecessors in the sect had failed to condense one? Surely, it was a matter of destiny rather than age. Grand Elder Ling felt indignant but dared not argue, his aged face burning with shame.

Most of those present shared the same sentiment as Grand Elder Ling, especially those older than the Sect Master. But since it was Patriarch Ling who spoke, they dared to be angry but not speak.

Glancing at Ling Yanfeng, who remained unconscious, Patriarch Ling continued to fume. "If the Ling family is full of useless trash like you, it would be better for the bloodline to die out, just like the Ying family!"

Even Patriarch Ying could not stand this. "How is the Ying family line dying out! Now that this brat Ying Xiwu has condensed a Sword Heart, I will force him to abdicate, marry eight or ten concubines, and multiply. His sons will have sons—damn it, a hundred years from now, will the Ying family lack men? As long as he is willing to sire them, there will be no shortage of sons!"

The absurd arguments of the two patriarchs left those present wanting to laugh but not daring to. Only Grand Elder Ling was so embarrassed and anxious he wished he could crawl into a hole in the ground.

Oblivious to the world outside, Yu Ruoshuang’s smile faded as her consciousness slipped away, her body standing bolt upright solely by a sheer, unyielding will.

The old man in hempen robes from the neutral faction bowed and said, "Patriarch Ling, before Yu Ruoshuang presented the poem 'Song of the Old General' written by her sister, the Sect Elders' Council had already reached a resolution: Ling Yanfeng is to marry into the Yu family."

"Marry into the Yu family?" Patriarch Ying was even more agitated than Patriarch Ling. In his shock, the spiritual space suppressing the Sect Master became unstable. A fierce, peerless beam of sword light erupted from the crystalline sword above the Sect Master’s head, forcibly shattering the space that had imprisoned him.

The hall was suddenly flooded with brilliant light as the sword aura swept through every corner. The Sect Master opened his eyes and let out a roar like a dragon breaking free, a sound that shook the soul. The defensive array surrounding the hall shuddered under the impact, and the entire structure began to tremble.

Patriarch Ling and Patriarch Ying both flicked their sleeves, wiping away the sword aura like wind scattering clouds, but the echo of the roar lingered in the rafters.

"I only wanted to test the girl’s potential; I didn't expect the Sect Master to reap the benefits!" Patriarch Ling complained with a sour expression. He looked at the disheveled Grand Elder Ling and cursed, "Why are you still standing there? Go and forge your Sword Heart! Isn't losing face enough for you? The Yu family’s son-in-law stays. Even if the Yu girl chops him into pieces to feed the fish, the Ling family is not allowed to interfere!"

Grand Elder Ling dumped the unconscious Ling Yanfeng on the floor and slunk away.

Patriarch Ling turned to the smiling Patriarch Ying and grumbled, "No matter how good the girl is, she belongs to the Yu family. She has nothing to do with you Ying people. What are you so happy about?"

"The Ying family has a descendant who has condensed a Sword Heart; we have a successor. Does my happiness offend you?" Patriarch Ying slanted a look at his old brother and mocked, "The Ling family tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice. Your Ling family boy is now a son-in-law. It would be stingy of you, the Ling family ancestor, not to bleed a little to congratulate the juniors, wouldn't it?"

*Damn it!* The Ling boy was now a son-in-law, and he had to offer a gift to celebrate? It was enough to make him vomit blood! Patriarch Ling forced himself not to look at the body on the floor, lest he palm the brat to death. He cleared his throat and said with feigned majesty, "Ahem, since that girl Yu Ruoshuang brought forth the 'Song of the Old General,' she shall be rewarded. A heavy reward!"

"Shuang'er!"

With a startled cry, the Sect Master rushed over to embrace his granddaughter, who remained standing despite having lost consciousness. As his hand was about to touch her, an invisible force pulled him back and pressed him back into the Sect Master’s seat. "Do not disturb the girl," Patriarch Ying said in time, calming the man who was on the verge of losing control.

"The girl will be able to wake up on her own. Her future achievements will surely not be inferior to yours or mine!" Patriarch Ling sighed.

Patriarch Ying said with some dissatisfaction, "You were a bit too ruthless. The chances of her waking up naturally in her current state are not high."

Though he was also worried and felt a hint of regret, Patriarch Ling remained stubborn. "If I weren't ruthless, how could the Sword Control Sect produce a disciple capable of suppressing the geniuses of the Eastern Continent!"

So, the two patriarchs held such high expectations for Ruoshuang! The Sect Master was both delighted and startled, and those around them were equally stunned.

A moment later, someone muttered, "It’s impossible to suppress the geniuses of the Eastern Continent, right? Ning Baixia of the Immortal Chen Sect is already in the Golden Core stage, while this girl is still in the Qi Refining stage—she's not even as good as her sister."

Upon hearing the mention of Yu Ruoshuang’s sister, Patriarch Ling became highly interested. "Where is this girl’s sister? The fragment of the 'Song of the Old General' was written by her, right? Sect Master, you must get this younger granddaughter of yours to be a bride for the Ling family."

"You are still obsessed with finding wives for the Ling boys?" Patriarch Ying laughed.

"I have no choice. In less than a hundred years, the Ling boys will be so numerous they won't be able to find wives. As their ancestor, I have to worry about these things." Ignoring his brother's eye-roll, Patriarch Ling urged, "Sect Master, say something!"

"Ruoshuang’s sister is neither my granddaughter nor a disciple of this sect. I have no say in her marriage," the Sect Master replied truthfully. Seeing Patriarch Ling’s displeasure, he quickly added, "Xi Wu is her legal mother. If the Patriarch has a candidate in mind, I will have Xi Wu speak to her."

Although Ning Mofei was a disciple of the Immortal Chen Sect, he did not receive as much attention as his twin brother. Since this was the cultivation world, not the secular world, no one in the hall knew that Yu Youwei had already married into the Ning family.

Patriarch Ling glanced at Ling Yanfeng on the floor, feeling as if he had swallowed a dead fly. Driven by a sudden obsession, he sent someone to summon the Fourth Mistress of the Yu family to the main hall, determined to finalize the marriage of Yu Youwei into the Ling family immediately.