Chapter 1103: The Ten-Year Pact
The sky within the Zhou Garden was lower than the sky of the real world, making distances easier to gauge with the naked eye.
As he fell from Mu Valley toward the ground, Chen Changsheng clearly saw the azure sky rapidly receding.
The biting wind cut at his cheeks like knives, reminding him of a few years ago in the Zhou Garden when Nanke had pursued him with her wings. He had burst out of the lake, only to face certain death, when suddenly a hand reached out from the night sky, grabbed his collar, and carried him away.
Unfortunately, Xu Yourong was not in the Zhou Garden today, so naturally, she couldn't grab him.
Fortunately, beneath Mu Valley, there were waterweeds and lakes everywhere, perhaps offering a slim chance of survival.
A thunderous roar sounded in his ears.
The soft surface of the lake turned incredibly hard, and countless waves of pain surged into his mind from every part of his body.
At that moment, he felt as if all his bones were about to break.
Endless green, icy lake water poured over his face, slapping against him relentlessly.
He once again recalled the scene of fleeing through the lake three years ago.
Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, spreading through the water, forming a pale pink mist.
Hundreds of fish swam out from the surrounding waterweeds, darting frantically into that blood mist, weaving back and forth.
After being reborn against fate by the Holy Empress Tianhai, his blood was no longer a delicious yet deadly honey, but it still held unimaginable benefits.
No matter the rank of life, instinct drove them to draw near to his blood.
What was called the instinct to draw near was sometimes just greed; there was no real difference between the two.
Those fish swimming madly in the blood mist, like certain humans, had no rationality at all in the face of such immense temptation.
Those who were truly out of their minds were actually less susceptible to this kind of temptation.
Before losing consciousness, Chen Changsheng was pondering these random thoughts, finally thinking of Nanke.
He closed his eyes and lay quietly at the bottom of the water.
Waterweeds drifted slowly around him, occasionally brushing against his feet.
Like demonic hands reaching out from the void, trying to drag him into a bottomless abyss.
He opened his eyes.
From unconsciousness to waking, only a very short time had passed.
The lake surface had not yet been completely filled with water.
Chen Changsheng looked up at the water's surface and began to move.
His feet churned with unimaginable speed, stirring up two water dragons with astonishing force.
With a splash, a white column of water erupted from the lake, looking like a waterfall flowing backward toward the sky.
Chen Changsheng landed on the lakeshore, preparing to dash toward another small lake to the northeast.
That small lake could lead to the world on the other side of the Zhou Garden.
Once there, using the lingering sword intent of the Sky Covering Sword, he should be able to hide for a while.
He needed this time to think about what had just happened, at least to stabilize his current injuries.
But he suddenly stopped, then turned around.
Shang Xingzhou stood on the opposite shore, expressionlessly watching him.
Chen Changsheng's face was somewhat pale.
Born pure, perfectly cleansed at the National Academy, bathed in dragon blood beneath North New Bridge—no one could match his physical resilience except the Demon Lord. Combined with the crucial change at the last moment, he had survived the fall from Mu Valley Peak to the ground over ten miles away.
But he was still seriously injured.
His ribs weren't broken, but they had cracks, and the pain was deep in his bones.
Most critically, his sea of consciousness had been greatly shaken, and his Dao heart could not find peace.
Most despairingly, he no longer had his sword, not even the scabbard by his side.
This meant he could not summon the thousands of swords within the scabbard.
These past days, he had practiced swordsmanship unceasingly in the stone chamber of the Li Palace, meditating on the profound mysteries, adjusting his state to its peak, all for this battle today.
He had prepared a great deal for this battle.
The three sword techniques passed down by Su Li, the sword intent he had realized at Li Mountain, the sword-splitting techniques and even the sword formation of Nanxi Zhai—he had integrated them all.
He believed that in his best state, within the Zhou Garden, he should be qualified to challenge his master.
Yet, just as this battle began, he lost his sword.
All his swords.
Over the years, he had been able to defeat so many powerful enemies thanks to his sword.
He was called a sword genius by the world, and now many even considered him a sword master.
But without a sword, what could he do? What was he?
The question now was, how could Shang Xingzhou simply reach out and take all his swords?
To Chen Changsheng, this wasn't a question, but in the past years, he had forgotten these things.
Many years ago, he had cut the whiskers of that golden dragon by the stream, forged them into a sword, and given it to his disciple.
That was the Stainless Sword that Chen Changsheng had carried with him for years.
That scabbard was originally a treasure of the Li Palace—the Hidden Peak.
It was also taken from the Li Palace by Shang Xingzhou and then given to him.
Shang Xingzhou was right.
Whether it was the Stainless Sword or the Hidden Peak Scabbard, they were all given to Chen Changsheng by him.
Even the marriage contract with Xu Yourong was given to Chen Changsheng by him.
After Yu Ren had refused.
Since everything was bestowed upon Chen Changsheng by him, then naturally, he could take it all back at any time.
This was a matter of qualification, and even more so, of ability.
Undoubtedly, this was the strongest move to decide victory or defeat.
But this method was hidden far too deep.
So deep it was chilling.
Back then, when he took that short sword in the old temple of Xining Town, it had already been ten years, hadn't it?
What Shang Xingzhou said next was even more chilling.
"How old are you this year?"
Chen Changsheng was his student, raised by him in Xining Town.
But he didn't know Chen Changsheng's age.
Whether deliberate or careless, it was ultimately cold.
Chen Changsheng said, "No matter how old, I'm past twenty."
Shang Xingzhou paid no attention to the hidden meaning in those words, saying, "My talent is inferior to yours, so I'll add ten years."
Chen Changsheng understood his meaning, was silent for a moment, then said, "Alright."
Who was stronger: the thirty-year-old Shang Xingzhou or the twenty-year-old Chen Changsheng?
No one knew.
Even after this battle, still no one would know.
Because Chen Changsheng had no sword.
Splash splash!
The sound of water rang out.
The fish chased the blood mist to the surface.
The lake churned restlessly, looking lively and festive, but after watching for a while, it became somewhat nauseating.
Several blood blossoms suddenly bloomed on the water's surface, and mutilated fish sank to the bottom.
Shang Xingzhou vanished from the opposite shore.
Chen Changsheng also vanished.
A footprint appeared in the surrounding waterweeds.
Then a second footprint appeared farther away.
The footprints appeared out of thin air, with no visible connection between them, making it seem especially eerie.
When Chen Changsheng reappeared, he was already beside a forest several hundred zhang away.
And when Shang Xingzhou reappeared, he was right in front of him.
He had used the Yashiki Step, yet still couldn't surpass Shang Xingzhou's movement technique.
Then, try fists?
An image appeared in his sea of consciousness.
Bie Yanghong silently watched him, his fingertip pressing against Chen Changsheng's brow.
Then countless images came flooding in.
Within those images were streams of light, each beam a punch.
The images vanished.
Countless beams of light became one beam.
Countless punches became one punch.
Chen Changsheng clenched his fist and threw it at that familiar yet unfamiliar face before him.