Naked Sword Art

"Sihun Kuye… what is the meaning of this?"

The handsome young man stepped forward, separating himself from the crowd with an air of confidence that bordered on arrogance. His eyes locked onto Yin Fei as he spoke.

"FeiFei, we didn't come here to cause you or your clan any trouble. We only wanted to speak with the man you smuggled into the sect."

Yin Fei's eyes narrowed, her tone sharp and unyielding. "Quit the bullshit. Why would I sneak a man into the sect?"

A knowing smirk crept onto Sihun Kuye's face. He raised his hand, gesturing toward Luo Yue. "Oh… you really don't know? Look there," he said, his finger steady and accusatory. "There is a man hiding within her. Did you really not know that?"

Yin Fei opened her mouth to argue but stopped short, remembering Luo Yue's earlier words. Doubt flickered across her expression, her gaze shifting suspiciously to Luo Yue.

Sihun Kuye stepped forward again, his voice smooth and oddly polite. "Young man, I don't mean to be rude, but my clan has come purely to speak with you. There aren't many practitioners of the Death Reaper Method that we don't know about. I kindly ask that you come out and speak with us."

Luo Yue stiffened, feeling the weight of every Death Reaper Clan member's gaze settle on her. Their auras were suffocating, the pressure almost unbearable. Many of them were powerful cultivators—some strong enough to end her life with a mere flick of their wrist.

Xiao Fang considered his options. He knew revealing himself now would be unwise, but Luo Yue and Elder Luo had already risked so much for him. He couldn't afford to implicate them further. Just as he was about to step forward, Elder Luo took the initiative.

Elder Luo rotated his palm and unleashed a surge of Soul Qi that expanded in all directions, forming a translucent golden dome with a radius of thirty meters around them. The energy barrier shimmered with power, sealing them off from the Death Reaper Clan. Sihun Kuye's eyes widened slightly before he gracefully stepped back, retreating to the safety of his clan before the barrier could reach him.

With a calm yet resolute expression, Elder Luo spoke, his voice carrying both authority and defiance. "Pardon my rudeness. My name is Luo Tianxun of the Soul Devouring Clan. I don't know what business you have with this boy, but since he is in my care, you'll have to go through me first."

Luo Yue's eyes flashed with concern. "Grandfather…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Though Elder Luo's stance was firm, Xiao Fang could feel the tension emanating from him. He recognized many of the faces among the Death Reaper Clan—faces belonging to cultivators he knew he couldn't face one-on-one, much less all at once. His display of strength wasn't just a show of force; it was a desperate attempt to buy them time if they really came here with ill intentions.

Despite the barrier, Sihun Kuye's expression remained relaxed. He stepped forward, placing his hands behind his back with the poise of someone completely in control.

"Elder, there's no need for this hostility. We truly only came for a chat," he said, his tone gentle, though his eyes were as sharp and unreadable as ever.

The air grew tense, crackling with suppressed power as both sides weighed their options, but Xiao Fang knew better than to remain silent.

Stepping out from Luo Yue's Soul Sea, Xiao Fang materialized beside her, his presence commanding and unyielding as he strode confidently toward Sihun Kuye. The smugness that had been plastered across Sihun Kuye's face evaporated instantly, replaced by a flicker of surprise. It was clear he hadn't anticipated Xiao Fang's presence to be so overwhelming.

"I accept your request to speak with me. So speak—what matters would you like to discuss?" Xiao Fang's voice was steady, cutting through the tension with unshakable confidence.

Before Sihun Kuye could respond, an Elder from the crowd stepped forward, his eyes sharp and calculating. "So, it's true… you're practicing our Death Reaper Method, yet you are not of our clan. You have the eyes of a Dual Cultivator." His gaze bore into Xiao Fang, scrutinizing him with interest.

Xiao Fang turned his attention to the Elder, meeting his stare without flinching. He didn't understand how they could be so sure that he was practicing the Death Reaper method, but listening to their heartbeats, he knew they were confident in that assumption.

The Elder continued, his voice carrying both curiosity and authority.

"There are a few things we wish to discuss. First, how is it that you came to learn our Death Reaper Method?"

Xiao Fang raised an eyebrow. "Am I prohibited from learning your method?"

The Elder shook his head. "No, that's not the issue. In fact, we've long been curious to see if our method would be compatible with members of the Dual Cultivation Clan. However, all of our method books are accounted for. So I ask again: how did you learn it? Did you perhaps… seduce one of our disciples to lend you their book?"

Xiao Fang didn't hesitate. His voice was firm and unapologetic. "I found it while traveling through another province, I looted it off a corpse."

The Elder frowned, and the crowd exchanged glances, murmurs rising among them as they processed Xiao Fang's words. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, clearly weighing the truth of the young cultivator's statement. "Another province, you say? And this… corpse… did you have anything to do with its passing?"

Xiao Fang shook his head. "I did not. They were long dead before I found them."

Sensing the truth in Xiao Fang's words, the Elder's expression softened, though suspicion still lingered. "How fortunate for you… and unfortunate for whoever lost it. Regardless, you've piqued my interest. Could you show us how much of our method you were able to learn?"

Xiao Fang's eyes flickered with irritation. He didn't appreciate being ordered around, especially not by strangers, but considering the situation—and the fact that Elder Luo and Luo Yue were still nearby—he decided to comply for now.

Taking a single breath, he released his Death Reaper Aura. A wave of darkness poured out from his body, swirling around him like black smoke laced with wisps of ethereal energy. The crowd immediately stiffened, whispers breaking out among the disciples. The aura he emitted wasn't just for show—it was dense, suffocating, and carried the unmistakable sensation of lingering souls.

"Fifth stage… Refinement Realm…" one of the Elders muttered in surprise.

The cultivation realm itself wasn't particularly impressive, but considering Xiao Fang's age—and the fact that he wasn't even a member of their clan—it was nothing short of astonishing.

The Elder raised his brows, clearly impressed. "Not bad. To reach the fifth stage with our method is not an easy thing… it seems you've cultivated diligently." His tone, though respectful, held a note of challenge. "But raw cultivation means little without mastery of the techniques. Tell me… have you learned any of them?"

"I don't possess a Death Reaper technique book," Xiao Fang began calmly. "But I've managed to learn two techniques from your clan. [ Grip ] and [ Fear ]."

Murmurs rippled through the gathered Elders, doubt flickering in their eyes as they exchanged skeptical glances. Some whispered among themselves, questioning the validity of his claim.

Although the [ Fear ] technique could be learned at the Foundation realm, its mastery required deep bloodlust and an unyielding fearlessness—qualities not easily attained, even among seasoned Death Reaper cultivators.

One of the Elders stepped forward, folding his arms across his chest. "If you truly learned the [ Fear ] technique, would you mind demonstrating it for us?" he challenged, his tone laced with skepticism.

The other Elders watched intently, their expressions ranging from curiosity to open doubt. For an outsider to master such a technique without proper guidance was unheard of. They waited, expecting Xiao Fang to fumble or make excuses.

But Xiao Fang simply raised his gaze, his eyes flickering with a haunting violet light.

"Very well," he replied.

Without another word, Xiao Fang's violet eyes became a hauntingly dark purple, then an eerie silence fell over the area as something unsettling began to take form.

His body started to emit a creeping darkness, shadows seemingly peeling away from his very skin and swirling around him. It wasn't just an aura—it was tangible, almost alive, coiling and rippling as it enveloped him like a living cloak. The darkness clung to him, draping over his figure like an extra layer of robes, pulsating with a foreign energy that sent chills through those watching.

The expressions of the Elders shifted immediately. Even Sihun Kuye's face paled. This wasn't ordinary Death Reaper Qi—it was a curse, and since there were no black markings appearing on Xiao Fang's skin, it meant it was entirely under his control.

Then suddenly, an oppressive wave of Qi—an impossible blackness—spread from Xiao Fang's body, engulfing everyone in an instant. Although the darkness wasn't real, it invaded their minds and tormented their souls.

The Death Reaper clan members felt the pressure immediately, some even broke out into sweat. They all recognized the technique he was using, but it wasn't supposed to be this strong.

[ Fear ]