Chapter 178: The Secret Sword
If it was not a gift from heaven, nor a sudden twist of fate, but a reward for himself, then naturally he would have confidence—but that confidence belonged only to Chen Changsheng alone.
Moyu would not think so. She still had no confidence in him at all.
Chen Changsheng had already given her too many surprises, created too many miracles in this year's Grand Examination, and even in the midst of such fierce combat, between opening and closing his eyes, he had broken through to the Penetrating Obscurity realm. Yet she still did not believe he could defeat Gou Hanshi, because she had seen too many miracles in her twenty-plus years—such as Zhou Tong's miraculous rise, or Prince Chenliu's stubborn attempt to break through to Penetrating Obscurity despite fierce opposition from the royal family and ministers. She understood clearly that miracles could solve some problems, but they could never solve all of them.
There were gaps in the length of cultivation time and differences in techniques. Even if Chen Changsheng had now caught up to Gou Hanshi's realm, he still had no way to close that gap.
The three representatives from the southern sect had remained relatively silent from the start of the Grand Examination until now. That silence might have been a form of politeness, but it also represented their confidence in the southern examinees, especially in Gou Hanshi. Chen Changsheng's sudden breakthrough to Penetrating Obscurity, which caught everyone off guard, made their expressions tense for a moment, but they quickly returned to calm. Like Moyu, they still did not believe Chen Changsheng had much of a chance. Their confidence in Gou Hanshi had not diminished in the slightest.
Chen Changsheng, who had suddenly broken through to Penetrating Obscurity, could be said to be the strongest among his peers on the continent, possibly even surpassing Xu Yourong, who ranked on the Azure Cloud List. But he could not be compared to Gou Hanshi and Qiu Shanjun. Even if their swordsmanship and cultivation knowledge were theoretically equal on paper, the disciples of Mount Li trained in swordsmanship with such hardship—how could Chen Changsheng surpass them in that regard?
The two Holy See Archbishops were also silent, stunned, and even more so because of the autumn rain that had fallen earlier. Since that autumn rain, these two giants of the State Church had spoken very little. Even when Bishop Melisandre of the Pontifical Office arrived in person, it did not bring much change to their expressions.
The autumn rain came from beyond the Green Leaf World, representing the will of His Holiness the Pope.
They were the Pope's trusted confidants, the representatives of the new faction of the State Church in the eyes of all believers and court ministers. That was why they had spared no effort to suppress Chen Changsheng. Who would have thought that the Pope would use those autumn rains to show his attitude toward Chen Changsheng? How could they not be shocked? As for the battle between Chen Changsheng and Gou Hanshi happening downstairs at this moment, they did not know what stance to take. They only felt that since Chen Changsheng had already created so many miracles, perhaps he really might have a chance to accomplish something.
The great figures by the second-floor window had mixed emotions and remained silent. Only Bishop Melisandre of the Pontifical Office, who had just arrived, still wore a calm expression. The old man was also stunned by Chen Changsheng's sudden breakthrough to Penetrating Obscurity, and his spirits lifted slightly, but he did not show it, because nothing was over yet.
Xue Xingchuan's eyebrows rose higher and higher, as if he had noticed something interesting. Xu Shiji's brows furrowed tighter and tighter, as if he had seen something particularly sudden and dull.
No matter what the people upstairs thought, the battle continued.
Chen Changsheng charged at Gou Hanshi for the third time. His steps were unpredictable, piercing through the rain curtain with subtlety, imprinting from the star domain onto solid ground, and silently arriving before Gou Hanshi.
He swung his sword down. The true essence attached to the short sword was extremely vigorous. The sound of cicadas outside the Dust-Washing Pavilion suddenly rose, and the hidden thunder among the rain clouds in the clear sky rumbled down with boundless power.
After breaking through to Penetrating Obscurity, his strength had indeed been greatly enhanced.
Facing this sword strike, Gou Hanshi remained calm. The shock Chen Changsheng's breakthrough had brought him earlier could no longer be found on his plain, ordinary face.
He held that sword forged from who knows how many taels of silver, turned his wrist lightly, and swept it through the air. In an instant, a sun seemed to rise from his sword, illuminating the walls of the pavilion.
Before the sword's edge, it truly seemed as if a sun had risen.
It was not the sunset tinged with the taste of blood, nor the fresh and clear dawn, but the fiercest, whitest, brightest noonday sun that could not be looked at directly—the Fierce Sun.
Was Gou Hanshi's strongest technique the Three Songs of the Fisherman? No. As a disciple of Mount Li Sword Sect, how could he have only one boat to dwell on in the vast sea of swordsmanship? This sword was his true strongest technique!
Seeing this sword-sun, Chen Changsheng's expression turned serious, but his footwork did not falter in the slightest. Instead, several gasps came from the second-floor window, filled with shock and confusion.
"Golden Crow... how is this possible?"
"Golden Crow Returns to Mount Li... Could that person have returned?"
Gou Hanshi's sword was the Golden Crow Secret Sword, a technique of Mount Li Sword Sect that had been lost for centuries. It was said that only the legendary Little Martial Uncle of Mount Li knew this swordsmanship. Who would have thought that this powerful technique, capable of burning the wilderness, would reappear in this year's Grand Examination?
As the sun appeared from Gou Hanshi's sword, heaven and earth changed color. The Dust-Washing Pavilion became as bright as day. The rain threads falling from the sky turned into jade strands. The evening glow under the clear sky outside the pavilion instantly scattered. The sun hanging slantingly in the sky seemed to return to its zenith, radiating countless blazing rays. The entire Dust-Washing Pavilion, including the trees outside and the rain inside, seemed to burn at the same time, as if coated with gold.
Without a doubt, this sword was the ultimate technique of Mount Li Sword Sect, its most powerful means.
At the same realm, where could one find a way to break it?
Even during the heyday of the National Academy, with its erudite deans and teachers of profound realms, they could not find any way to break this secret sword of Mount Li's Little Martial Uncle, let alone Chen Changsheng now.
No one believed Chen Changsheng could break Gou Hanshi's sword.
But he still advanced with his sword, silent and focused, as if he had not seen the bright sun in the sky, the sun from Gou Hanshi's sword, or the Dust-Washing Pavilion coated in gold.
On his slightly youthful face was an unshakable determination and certainty. The great figures who saw his expression inexplicably felt that he really might have a way to break this sword.
And it seemed he believed he could break it quite easily.
Gou Hanshi also saw his expression, the firmness between his brows and eyes. Watching that young man drifting forward with his sword, he even felt he saw the aura of one who commands the world.
If it were an ordinary time, he would have greatly admired Chen Changsheng's strong will and mental fortitude.
But at this moment, he was angry.
Because Chen Changsheng could not break this sword.
Chen Changsheng's attitude was more like an insult to Mount Li Sword Sect and its legendary Little Martial Uncle.
(Not in good form today, so just two thousand words.)