Chapter 1101: Before the Battle
The National Academy was extremely quiet, as silent as a tomb.
All the instructors, students, and servants had already left. Su Moyu and Tang Thirty-Six were the last to walk out of the academy gates.
Su Moyu turned to look at the ivy-covered walls and said worriedly, "How exactly does he plan to fight?"
Tang Thirty-Six's gaze fell on the depths of the National Academy, and he remained silent.
This was the question everyone wanted to know.
Before the Divine Path of the Heavenly Book Mound.
Countless gazes fell on Chen Changsheng.
Soft footsteps sounded as Xu Yourong walked up beside Chen Changsheng.
She did not stand in front of him, nor did she deliberately fall a step behind.
She stood exactly shoulder to shoulder with him.
Seeing this scene, no one felt surprised or astonished; instead, their expressions relaxed considerably.
From the moment Chen Changsheng proposed to fight Shang Xingzhou, many had already anticipated this scene.
Whether in terms of seniority or cultivation level, Chen Changsheng was far inferior to Shang Xingzhou, with no justification for a direct challenge.
That kind of rigid fairness was true unfairness—even his enemies would not make such a demand.
For him to join forces with Xu Yourong was only natural.
The entire continent knew that their dual swords combined possessed unimaginable power, even capable of breaking through the limits of the sacred domain.
But even so, no one believed they could defeat Shang Xingzhou.
Their combined swords had once repelled the Infinite Blue on the Holy Maiden Peak and clashed with the Holy Light Angels from another continent in White Emperor City.
But today, their opponent was Shang Xingzhou, the undisputed strongest on the continent.
Shang Xingzhou's cultivation far surpassed the Infinite Blue; he had once torn off the wings of a Holy Light Angel in the sky.
Even if, as Xu Yourong had calculated, Shang Xingzhou had hidden injuries, he still held an absolute advantage against Chen Changsheng and her.
Yet at that moment, Chen Changsheng said something very unexpected.
"This is a matter between my master and me. I hope we can settle it ourselves."
He said this while looking at Xu Yourong, and it was also directed at Wang Po, the Li Mountain Sword Sect, and the experts of the National Church.
Hearing this, the crowd erupted in uproar, thinking, how can he fight like this?
Xu Yourong was also surprised, looking at him with confusion and a hint of bewilderment.
In contrast, Shang Xingzhou quickly understood his meaning and said calmly, "Good."
Wang Zhice also vaguely guessed Chen Changsheng's arrangement and raised an eyebrow slightly. "I have no objection."
At that moment, the latest news from the capital arrived—the National Academy had been cleared.
Hearing this, people thought they understood something.
The National Academy was indeed the most suitable location for today's battle.
But the next moment, they realized they still didn't know how Chen Changsheng planned to fight.
……
……
Before heading to the National Academy, Shang Xingzhou went to the Imperial Palace.
The two places were not far apart, separated only by a mottled and aged palace wall.
The unusual celestial phenomena were gradually fading, and light snow was still falling in the sky.
Shang Xingzhou stood on the square, quietly gazing at the majestic hall.
Snowflakes landed on his temples and clothes, not melting but sticking there, as if they had become something unreal.
A dozen eunuchs and palace maids knelt by the corridor or beside the stone steps outside the side gate, heads bowed, not daring to speak, trembling with extreme fear.
The Emperor was inside the hall.
Shang Xingzhou stood there, looking at it for a long time. In the end, he did not enter the hall and turned to leave.
No one knew if his expression had changed at that moment.
After hearing Old Eunuch Lin's low report, Yu Ren's fingers gripping the book tightened slightly, his knuckles turning pale.
When Shang Xingzhou stood outside the hall, he had been reading.
He read with great focus, his head bowed low.
No one knew if he had absorbed the content of the book.
No one could see if his expression had changed.
The protective formation of the hall had long been deactivated. A faint, cold wind blew through the window cracks, rustling the pages.
The Imperial Palace was as silent as the solitary peak in the clouds before it awakened.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of water came from within the hall.
Then came Old Eunuch Lin's voice, trembling slightly with concern.
"Your Majesty, use a hot towel to warm your eyes."
……
……
Outside the National Academy, people were everywhere.
This scene had occurred many times before.
After the Ivy Banquet, when idlers from the capital besieged the National Academy.
When Si Yuan Daoist and Ling Hai Zhi Wang forced their way through the academy's martial trials, countless experts continuously challenged the National Academy.
After the Heavenly Book Mound incident, the National Academy was surrounded by imperial cavalry for three days.
But today was very different from those times, because outside the National Academy, it was extremely quiet.
Not only were there no shouts or curses, but even whispers were absent.
The entire capital was now equally silent.
From nobles and aristocrats to cultivation experts and ordinary people, everyone's attention was focused on the upcoming master-disciple battle.
This battle had not yet begun, but it was already being written into history.
In fact, it could be said that this would be the most important battle since the war between Zhou Du|Fu and the Demon Lord.
The Grand Examination, which usually captured the continent's attention, was now completely ignored.
Those examinees and the clergy of the Teaching Pivot Office were still in the Green Leaf World, unaware of the anomaly.
The pot of green leaves was placed in a room of a tavern outside the National Academy.
Tang Thirty-Six didn't even glance at it.
He was looking outside the tavern.
All streets around the Imperial Palace were cordoned off.
There were many people in Hundred Flowers Lane.
He saw Wang Po, saw the Prince of Xiang, saw the Prince of Zhongshan, saw the reappearing Matriarch of the Muzhe family, saw Ling Hai Zhi Wang who had come from the Heavenly Dao Academy, saw Si Yuan Daoist who had come from the Taiping Dao, but he did not see Xu Yourong.
……
……
Xu Yourong went to the Orange Garden.
Prince Louyang's face was pale as he paced back and forth in the room, muttering to himself, "What to do, what to do..."
Mo Yu was also worried, and seeing him like this only worsened her mood. She asked, "What is he thinking?"
Xu Yourong said softly, "I don't know."
Mo Yu said irritably, "Then you should be there watching! Why are you here with me!"
Xu Yourong looked at her and said, "I came to remind you that, according to my agreement with His Majesty, you should do something."
Mo Yu frowned slightly. "Even if you know he will most likely lose?"
Xu Yourong said calmly, "If he loses, act immediately."
Mo Yu was stunned, thinking that only you were truly worthy of being the Lady's successor.
……
……
In the small building, there was no spring, summer, or autumn.
The temperature in the room was very low, as if it were the dead of winter.
Chen Changsheng sat by the window, his eyes closed.
On the table lay a bamboo dragonfly and the Divine Staff.
The Little Black Dragon stood behind him, continuously releasing dragon breath.
There was no frost on the floor, because all the cold was precisely directed onto Chen Changsheng.
—Low temperatures could heal the smallest injuries, maintain the body's strength, and calm the sea of consciousness.
In the stone chamber of the Li Palace, he had purified his mind and meditated on the sword for many days, making extensive preparations.
But he knew that to defeat someone like his master, no amount of preparation was enough.
After an unknown time, he opened his eyes, picked up the Divine Staff, walked out the door, and went to a room on the first floor.
He put away his divine robe, opened the wardrobe, and took out a simple garment to change into.
That room belonged to Zhe Xiu, and this garment was also Zhe Xiu's.
The front of this garment was short, and the sleeves were even shorter, very suitable for battle, and even more suitable for fighting to the death.
After doing these things, he walked out of the small building.
Shang Xingzhou was already standing by the lake.
Wang Zhice was not far away.
Chen Changsheng reached out and threw something over.
Wang Zhice caught it, looked at it, and sighed.
It was indeed that black stone.