Volume One: The Emperor's Sword Chapter 157: The Number One Figure of the Sword Palace

The final item Yun Que poured out was the carcass of the Blood-Feathered Spider.

Despite having been dead for some time, the Blood-Feathered Spider still retained a lingering aura. Combined with its ferocious and terrifying appearance, anyone who looked upon it would feel a shiver in their heart.

Especially Qian Yuxiu.

Standing far too close, she was suddenly confronted with a spider larger than herself; how could she not be terrified?

Especially since she recognized the Blood-Feathered Spider.

It was a peak tier-four demon beast, an opponent she stood no chance against.

Fleeing a long distance away, Qian Yuxiu finally regained her composure.

If the Blood-Feathered Spider were still alive, how could the Sword Chief and the elders remain so indifferent?

Flustered and ashamed, Qian Yuxiu found herself not knowing whether to leave or stay, rooted to the spot and at a complete loss.

Upon seeing the corpse of the Blood-Feathered Spider, Qin Shangzhang arched her slender brows and said, "The culprit behind the slaughter of the disciples from the four courtyards turns out to be this demon."

The trace of doubt in Qin Shangzhang's mind dissolved accordingly. Earlier, when a large number of miniature flags on the divination sandbox had perished, it must have been related to this peak tier-four demon beast.

"How could there be a Blood-Feathered Spider inside the Transformation Realm?" Quan Yu asked, deeply astonished. "This demon is extremely rare; it is difficult to find one even in the outside world."

Chu Chen nodded in agreement.

Gu Shaoyang waved his hand and said, "The Transformation Realm is vast, and no one has fully explored it. It is not surprising for a tier-four demon beast to appear. Whoever encounters one can only consider themselves unlucky."

Qin Shangzhang nodded slightly, looked toward Yun Que, and said, "Up to now, the Sword Palace has no established exchange value for a Blood-Feathered Spider. I will make a personal decision and grant you eight hundred sword tassels. What do you think?"

A single Blood-Feathered Spider exchanged for eight hundred sword tassels—such a generous reward made all the disciples' hearts race with envy.

Yet it was merely envy; no one genuinely dared to enter the Transformation Realm to hunt a peak tier-four demon beast.

"I leave it entirely to the Sword Chief's arrangement."

Yun Que agreed immediately.

The Silkworm King had fetched five hundred sword tassels, and the Blood-Feathered Spider was worth eight hundred; it was hardly a loss. Besides, the most valuable parts—the fangs and the Thousand-Silk Web—had already been stowed away by himself.

That Yun Que monopolized the reward for the Blood-Feathered Spider was considered entirely justified by Zhou Yuanliang, Han Ning, and the others.

Without Yun Que, let alone escaping the Transformation Realm alive, they would have long since become snacks for the giant spider.

Qin Shangzhang personally tallied Yun Que's spoils, finally arriving at an astonishing figure.

"Including the Blood-Feathered Spider, you have earned a total of three thousand one hundred sword tassels this time."

Qin Shangzhang smiled as she looked at Yun Que, her voice gentle. "From this day forth, you shall become the number one person in the Sword Palace—unprecedented in the past, and I fear there shall never be another like you in the future."

The Sword Palace was not limited to just the Sword Palace of the Yan Nation.

The title of the number one person in the Sword Palace spoken by Qin Shangzhang encompassed all four Sword Palaces.

The absolute number one across the four nations' Sword Palaces, from ancient times to the present!

Hearing of three thousand one hundred sword tassels left the numerous disciples dizzy; it was truly unheard of.

With so many sword tassels, even if Core Formation elders were to enter the realm, they might not necessarily be able to acquire as many!

In an instant, the disciples of the various courtyards looked upon Yun Que as if he were a divine being.

Gu Shaoyang finally closed his mouth, and suddenly pointing directly at Yun Que, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "I know who you are! You are that flag-plundering bandit!"

Upon hearing mention of the flag-plundering bandit, Quan Yu and Chu Chen were once again astounded.

They had spent the entire day watching the divination sandbox; they had paid almost no attention to the other flags, keeping their eyes glued strictly to the flag-plundering bandit.

None of the elders had been able to guess the true identity of the flag-plundering bandit, and they had been consumed by curiosity.

Now that the mystery was unraveled, the elders were swept by a mixture of shock, exasperation, and lingering anger.

Aside from the Sword Chief, nearly all the disciples under the elders of the other three courtyards had been plundered by this very person.

The mountains of Sword-Leaf Azure Silkworms scattered everywhere turned out to be the hard-won harvests of their own disciples, only to end up making wedding dresses for others and benefiting an outsider!

Around the plaza, the chaotic uproar vanished in an instant.

Immediately afterward, cries of grief echoed out one after another.

"My sword leaves! So he was that old crone who robbed me!"

"He—he is that ugly fiend! It was him who snatched my storage bag!"

"Not only did he rob my storage bag, but he even swiped the banknotes right off my body!"

Xue Ziyi, Ma Yong, Niu Bucai, and the others were dumbfounded.

How was it that their Junior Martial Brother had done nothing else in the Transformation Realm except plunder everyone else?

The plaza was filled with surging emotions!

Condemnations rose one after another!

Ever since Gu Shaoyang exposed the identity of the flag-plundering bandit, Yun Que instantly became the target of public criticism.

This was something Yun Que had not anticipated.

Yet he remained entirely unfazed. Facing the finger-pointing of a thousand people, he unhurriedly said, "The ones who robbed you were either an old crone or an ugly fiend. May I ask my senior brothers and sisters, am I an old crone, or am I an ugly fiend? I certainly never laid eyes on any of you in the Transformation Realm."

At this, everyone was left speechless, stammering and unable to utter a retort.

Indeed, no one had ever seen Yun Que.

The one who robbed them was fundamentally not the face before them now.

"I saw you! You're the one who robbed me!"

A figure rushed out from the crowd; it was none other than Ning Ji, who had been completely cleaned out by Yun Que the moment he entered the Transformation Realm.

Yun Que smiled faintly and said, "In the contest for the Sword Seed, your skills were inferior, so you deserved to be robbed."

"You—you—you!" Ning Ji stammered for a long while, unable to produce any other words.

He had spent a long time cursing Yun Que outside, and everyone had heard it. Once they encountered each other in the Transformation Realm, conflict was inevitable, and whoever won naturally had the right to plunder the loser.

The Sword Palace permitted plundering; for Ning Ji alone to demand the return of his storage bag was utterly impossible.

Where was the logic in allowing you to curse others while forbidding others from robbing you?

Aside from Ning Ji, no one else had any evidence of Yun Que's robbery. Even if they knew clearly that it was his doing, as long as Yun Que refused to admit it, there was nothing anyone could do.

Qin Shangzhang cast a meaningful glance at Yun Que. After inquiring about the process of encountering the Blood-Feathered Spider, she declared the conclusion of this Sword Seed contest.

Judging by this year's harvest, the Yan Sword Palace had securely claimed first place!

Thanks to Yun Que, Qin Shangzhang let out a silent breath of relief.

If not for him producing such a massive quantity of materials, the Yan Sword Palace would undoubtedly have landed at the very bottom this year, and the title of last place was not a pleasant one to bear.

Quan Yu remained suspicious, staring fixedly at Yun Que as she interrogated him, "Weren't you a sword servant? How is it that you suddenly possess cultivation?"

How could a sword servant devoid of cultivation rob so many people and slay a Blood-Feathered Spider?

"In the Transformation Realm, this disciple ate an unknown fruit. After losing consciousness for half a day, I suddenly attained cultivation. As for the specific reasons, I have no way of knowing either," Yun Que replied.

Xue Ziyi found the wording familiar.

It seemed Luo Xiaoyu had said practically the same thing just a moment ago.

"A fruit?" Quan Yu grew even more suspicious.

"Can there be fruit in the Transformation Realm that grants cultivation out of thin air? Do you take us for three-year-old children?" Chu Chen shouted coldly.

He clearly did not believe it.

"In the Transformation Realm, there shouldn't have been a Blood-Feathered Spider either," Yun Que retorted.

At this, Chu Chen was left utterly speechless, his old face turning a livid shade of purple.

The Sword Burial Ground truly should not have harbored a Blood-Feathered Spider.

Since even a demon beast that ought not to exist was present, the appearance of a miraculous fruit could naturally be accepted as well.

"The wonders of the Sword Burial Ground are certainly not something you or I can fathom." Qin Shangzhang brought the topic to a close.

The Myriad-Fathom Tower closed completely.

The several elders departed together.

Mu Qingyao was taken back to the Southern Courtyard by Quan Yu, while Wu Dachuan was escorted back to the Northern Courtyard.

The numerous disciples felt an itch of hatred deep in their bones, yet they were utterly helpless, able only to watch as Yun Que reaped the greatest rewards and overnight achieved widespread renown.

With a pale and dejected expression, Qian Yuxiu produced two Foundation Establishment Pills. With extreme reluctance, she watched as Xue Ziyi snatched them away in one motion.

"Eldest Senior Sister, can you leave me just one?" Qian Yuxiu pleaded.

"Not a chance!" Xue Ziyi declared, radiating high spirits.

The stifled fury of seven years had finally been released, and words could hardly describe how gratifying it felt.

"You win! We shall cross paths again, let's wait and see!"

Furious, Qian Yuxiu turned to leave, only to be called back by Yun Que.

"The wager isn't finished yet. There is still my additional storage bag," Yun Que said with his usual composure.

Only then did Qian Yuxiu remember that, aside from the Foundation Establishment Pills, Yun Que had added a storage bag to the stakes.

The storage bag had remained all along in Xue Ziyi's possession, bearing the spiritual imprint she had placed upon it a day prior, so there was no room for falsehood.

"A bet's a bet! Whatever is inside the bag, bring it out! This senior sister will compensate you for it!" Qian Yuxiu said with burning resentment.

Xue Ziyi handed the storage bag over, her expression rather peculiar as she said, "See for yourself."

"I'll look! What good things could a penniless brat possibly have?"

Snatching the storage bag, Qian Yuxiu erased the imprint and probed it with her spiritual energy.

Her indignant expression shifted abruptly.

First came astonishment, followed by bafflement, and finally terror, her eyelids twitching wildly and her entire body trembling.

After remaining dazed for a long while, Qian Yuxiu performed a shocking act in front of hundreds of disciples.

She abruptly dropped to the ground, both knees and elbows touching simultaneously, and like a large cat, emitted a strange sound from beneath Yun Que's feet.

"Meow! Meow-meow!"

The onlookers were stunned, their eyes glued unblinkingly toward Yun Que's side.

Only a single thought echoed in everyone's minds.

The Second Senior Sister of the Eastern Courtyard had lost her mind; she was actually crouching at Yun Que's feet and imitating a cat!