Chapter 179: Leaning Against the Building Wall, Severing the Past
How would Chen Changsheng break the Golden Crow Secret Sword? Why was he so confident? Was it because the complete manual of the Li Mountain Sword Style was now in the National Academy, and he had a thorough understanding of it? No, the Golden Crow Secret Sword belonged to the inheritance of that legendary Little Master. Given that person's complicated relationship with the Li Mountain Sword Sect and even the entire Eternal Life Sect, this sword style had never been recorded in the complete manual. Chen Changsheng had definitely never seen it. Gou Hanshi was slightly angry, and he also realized this, which made him even more puzzled. The important figures watching from the second-floor window were equally puzzled, their expressions unreadable.
Chen Changsheng indeed could not break this powerful Golden Crow Secret Sword. He was very clear about this himself, but that didn't mean he had to admit defeat, because besides breaking the sword, there were many other ways to deal with it.
His wrist turned like a falling leaf, graceful and agile. The short sword pierced through the curtain of rain, turning into a fine thread of rain, slanting upward from the lower right toward Gou Hanshi's body.
He didn't think about breaking Gou Hanshi's sword, nor did he think about how to block or parry it, and he certainly didn't think about dodging. He completely ignored the sword, silently swinging his own sword as if nothing else mattered.
The blazing sun hung in the sky, and the lingering rain inside the Dust-Washing Pavilion turned into countless dense golden threads. Several golden threads fell on Chen Changsheng's face, but they didn't make him squint. He stared at Gou Hanshi's face, continued forward, and suddenly increased his speed, arriving before Gou Hanshi like a flash of lightning.
He was using the Bell Mountain Wind and Rain Sword, not the most powerful move, "Heaven and Earth Overturned," but the most resolute and most unhesitating seventh form—the "Generous Sword."
Generosity is the antonym of stinginess, and it can also be used in more magnificent occasions, such as "generous death." In certain moments, this word represents a certain bearing, a bearing that regards life and death as nothing.
Chen Changsheng, his person and his sword, embodied this bearing, completely ignoring the sun-like sword of Gou Hanshi, ignoring the most mysterious and powerful sword style of the Li Mountain Sword Sect, and came forward.
If Gou Hanshi didn't change his move, without a doubt, in the next moment, Chen Changsheng would be directly cut in two by the Golden Crow Secret Sword, and at the same time, his sword would also cut open Gou Hanshi's chest and abdomen. The seventh form of the Bell Mountain Wind and Rain Sword had a generous spirit, but its power was inferior to the Golden Crow Secret Sword. If Gou Hanshi was hit by this sword, he might die, or he might be severely injured. The problem was that no one knew what the outcome would be.
The important figures by the second-floor window saw Chen Changsheng's intention and exclaimed in surprise. Gou Hanshi felt it even more clearly, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant—Chen Changsheng wanted to live and die together with him, to gamble on luck between life and death. He naturally wouldn't accept this, because he was stronger and was already in a winning position.
The Li Mountain Sword swung horizontally, and the Golden Crow sword momentum instantly turned into a defensive stance.
The two swords still didn't meet. The sound of pine waves rose again, dense and thorough.
Chen Changsheng's "Generous Sword" simply couldn't get close to Gou Hanshi's vital points.
Only a buzzing sound was heard in the Dust-Washing Pavilion. Sword energy splattered everywhere. Chen Changsheng leaped backward, turned a somersault in the air, and landed back on the ground, his boot soles splashing several sprays of water.
The pavilion fell silent. The people on the second floor looked at Chen Changsheng with very complicated expressions. Such a powerful and terrifying Golden Crow Secret Sword had actually been broken by Chen Changsheng with such a simple method?
Of course, this was actually very far from simple. If Chen Changsheng hadn't casually used the sharpest and most reckless move of the Bell Mountain Wind and Rain Sword, creating a strong sense of pressure on Gou Hanshi without showing any sign of weakness, how could he have forced Gou Hanshi to give up such a favorable situation?
Chen Changsheng dashed forward again. The short sword let out a sharp hiss as it stabbed through the air toward Gou Hanshi.
His face was expressionless. The vibrant and lively feeling that had appeared earlier seemed like an illusion. He became silent and dull again, but still firm.
What sword was this? The onlookers kept guessing.
Gou Hanshi raised his sword and soared into the air, bringing with it terrifying true essence and sword energy, directly dispersing the countless layers of rain curtains slowly falling inside the pavilion. Sword intent came from all directions, attacking Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng's expression still didn't change. Just like before, he didn't look, didn't pay attention, focusing all his mind on his own sword. With a terrifying degree of concentration, he stabbed forward.
A shrill sword whistle sounded in the Dust-Washing Pavilion.
His sword technique was not as exquisite as Gou Hanshi's, but his sword was simpler, and his thoughts were simpler. It seemed to strike first, but in reality, it started later. Yet in the end, the two swords arrived at the same time, whistling and intersecting.
The two swords still didn't have a chance to meet.
It was still a situation of living and dying together, perishing together.
Gou Hanshi let out a clear whistle, filled with anger and a faint trace of helplessness.
The Li Mountain Sword in his hand seemed to scatter like blooming flowers.
"Blooming Flowers Like Brocade!" Exclamations came from the second floor.
At the last moment, Gou Hanshi changed his sword move on the fly, but he went with the flow, converting all the rain flowers into blooming flowers. With one move, he instantly left several sword wounds on Chen Changsheng's shoulder.
This improvised sword move was extremely exquisite, perfectly showcasing the depth and skill of the Li Mountain Sword Sect. However, since it was an improvised change, it inevitably lacked a bit of spirit and momentum.
Although his "Blooming Flowers Like Brocade" injured Chen Changsheng, it couldn't defeat him. At the same time, his left upper arm was also cut by Chen Changsheng's sword, leaving a bloody gash.
After Chen Changsheng entered the Penetrating Darkness realm, he had crossed swords with Gou Hanshi twice, and both times ended like this. He used the same sharp, mutual-destruction sword moves, as if he never thought about defeating his opponent.
The two stood at opposite ends of the Dust-Washing Pavilion, calm and silent, ignoring each other. Countless layers of rain curtains hung between them, as if obscuring many things and blurring each other's faces.
Gou Hanshi's expression was cold, because he had already determined what Chen Changsheng wanted to do.
Chen Changsheng held the short sword in his hand and nodded to him from afar, indicating an apology.
Yes, he was inferior to Gou Hanshi. No matter how hard he cultivated, no matter how high his talent, no matter how many Daoist scriptures he had read, he was still inferior to Gou Hanshi, because Gou Hanshi also cultivated very hard, had high talent, and had also thoroughly read the Daoist scriptures. Moreover, Gou Hanshi was older than him and had been cultivating longer.
Even if he struggled and sought, continuously improving through battles in the Grand Examination, until he successfully achieved Penetrating Darkness in a shocking manner earlier, he still couldn't be Gou Hanshi's opponent.
Marrow Cleansing, unsuccessful, then continuing Marrow Cleansing, risking his life for Initial Illumination, then continuing Initial Illumination, until finally inexplicably achieving Penetrating Darkness, yet still unable to surpass a powerful opponent in cultivation realm—this feeling seemed somewhat bitter, but Chen Changsheng didn't think so.
He wasn't disappointed, let alone despairing. On the contrary, he was absolutely confident in winning this battle, because he had now obtained the qualification to live and die together with Gou Hanshi.
Before these improvements, before Penetrating Darkness, the gap between him and Gou Hanshi was even greater. He couldn't even manage to die together with his opponent. Now, he at least had this qualification.
That was enough.
Because no one had more experience than him when it came to facing death.
In other words, no one was more afraid of death than him, and no one was less afraid of death than him.
Gou Hanshi couldn't understand Chen Changsheng's strength in this regard, but he could feel it. So if he wanted to defeat Chen Changsheng, he also had to bring out his own strongest aspect.
"Try this sword of mine."
He said to Chen Changsheng, then calmly walked forward. His steps were steady and slow, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if returning to the years when he was a child in a village school.
Gou Hanshi's sword was very simple. From top to bottom, it slashed down.
It even seemed somewhat shabby.
But this sword was far from simple. Above, it seemed to reach the azure sky; below, it seemed to reach the Yellow Springs. Between heaven and earth was this sword, a sword belonging to the real and fragmented mortal world.
However, this sword was truly shabby.
Those who saw this sword and sensed its sword intent felt a slight ache in their hearts.
Everyone saw their own difficult past.
Gou Hanshi saw even more, because this was originally his own self-created sword.
He saw his family's extreme poverty in his childhood, his mother washing clothes for relatives to make a living. He had no money to enter the village school and knelt for an entire night outside the door of that teacher with a triangular beard.
After entering the village school, he could study, but he had no money for a warm stove. The cold wind outside the window was biting—this was the "cold window." He didn't even have food, only able to cook a pot of cold porridge every morning, which would freeze solid. He would cut it into two pieces with a knife, eating one piece per meal—this was "cold food." Ten years of cold window, and how many years of cold food?
When swinging this sword, Gou Hanshi really thought a lot.
Poverty and coldness—truly the most terrifying things in the mortal world. Why had he persisted until entering the Li Mountain Sword Sect? Why had he persisted until now? Wasn't it for this battle?
Yes, this sword of his was the same knife he used to cut the cold porridge back then.
The moment Gou Hanshi raised his sword, Chen Changsheng's expression changed.
Before even seeing this sword, he felt its natural perfection. No, more accurately, this sword was an unavoidable matter of the mortal world.
Gou Hanshi had already used two very exquisite and powerful sword moves. Chen Changsheng had used two death charges to neutralize them. Now, facing this sword, he actually felt an inability to break through.
Because this sword couldn't be surpassed. To perish together, the two swords first had to meet.
Chen Changsheng didn't want the short sword in his hand to meet Gou Hanshi's Li Mountain Sword, because once they met, there would be changes. In this kind of sword technique contest, he couldn't be more accurate than Gou Hanshi.
At the beginning, it was Gou Hanshi who didn't want their swords to meet. Now, the situation had reversed.
What to do?
The people watching from the second-floor window were shocked by the brilliance of Gou Hanshi's solitary, bitter sword. Then, they were stunned by Chen Changsheng's sword move, exclaiming repeatedly.
Chen Changsheng sidestepped, breaking the accumulated water on the bluestone. He bent his elbow, bringing up a trail of rainwater, and still thrust forward. The tip of the short sword carried a faint golden light as it stabbed toward Gou Hanshi.
A faint smell of blood appeared in the Dust-Washing Pavilion.
This smell came from the wounds on him and Gou Hanshi, and also from the blood of the examinees who had fought earlier, but more so from this sword move of his.
"Is this the National Religion True Sword..." a Saint Hall Archbishop said with a stern expression, murmuring.
Xu Shiji could no longer remain silent and shouted harshly, "Wasn't this move banned?"
The Dean of the Star-Gathering Academy said, "It should still be in the National Academy's library."
The National Religion True Sword that Chen Changsheng was using had another, more famous name—the Sword of Slaughter. It was the secret sword of a former dean of the National Academy. It was said that many years ago, when that dean, who had fallen into the path of slaughter, was forcibly suppressed by His Holiness the Pope, he used this sword technique to seriously wound His Holiness.
If Gou Hanshi's sword was about solitude and coldness, about perseverance.
Then Chen Changsheng's sword was about slaughter and madness.
When these two swords met, who would gain the upper hand?
The lingering rain in the Dust-Washing Pavilion suddenly dissipated. The faint yellow sand remaining on the wet ground leaped up.
Two sword winds swirled endlessly. Sword energy scattered everywhere. The black eaves of the building rustled continuously in the wind.
Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng had already separated, bleeding more, wounded more.
No one had clearly seen what had happened earlier, but those two swords probably still hadn't met.
Mo Yu's gaze shifted downward, landing on the footprints before Gou Hanshi. She confirmed that it was he who had retreated first, and couldn't help but feel somewhat shocked. Her slender eyebrows slightly raised, a complex meaning appearing in her eyes, but the corners of her mouth lifted.
The pavilion was dead silent. Shock continued unabated.
Autumn Mountain Lord and Xu Yourong hadn't come to this year's Grand Examination. Many thought the Grand Examination would inevitably be somewhat lackluster. But who could have imagined that the final battle of this Grand Examination would reach such a level?
From the beginning to now, Chen Changsheng and Gou Hanshi had crossed swords nearly fifty times, yet their swords had never truly met. And yet, they had already suffered countless sword wounds, even coming close to death several times in an instant. Such willpower, such methods, such sword cultivation—truly admirable beyond words.
How did these two people cultivate? How could they master so many nearly lost secret swords? Gou Hanshi had even created such a perfect sword technique himself!
Of course, they could rely on their advantages in realm and cultivation to ignore these sword moves of Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng, directly crushing them with pure strength. But what if the realms were the same? Considering that Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng were both under twenty, and could know so many sword techniques, know when to choose which move, and make nearly perfect choices—this ability was truly astonishing.
Chen Changsheng, in particular, had mastered those fierce and tragic sword moves, born solely for mutual destruction, and used them continuously. What was even more terrifying was that everyone could clearly see from his choices and sword intent that this youth simply wanted to win the top spot in the Grand Examination, and for that, he wasn't even afraid of death!
"At this rate, someone will die." Prince Chenliu looked at the people in the arena and said.
Everyone knew he was telling the truth, and they were also somewhat worried. Of course, they could stop this crazy battle from continuing, but the winner of the Grand Examination hadn't been decided yet. How could Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng agree? If they were to judge a winner, Chen Changsheng had been seeking a chance to win through death—how could they rule against him?
Such a powerful sword.
Chen Changsheng thought about Gou Hanshi's shabby sword that spanned from heaven to earth, silently thinking that if Gou Hanshi hadn't withdrawn his move at the last moment, he might have truly lost by now.
"Why did you retreat in the end?" He looked at Gou Hanshi and asked seriously.
Gou Hanshi thought for a moment and said, "This sword of mine was used to cut cold porridge."
Chen Changsheng was silent for a while, then asked, "And then?"
"The cold porridge back then was always made by my mother."
"And then?"
Gou Hanshi said, "She's still alive, so I have to stay alive."
Chen Changsheng was silent for a long time, then said, "I'm sorry."
"And you? Why is that?" Gou Hanshi looked at him and asked, "Is the top spot in the Grand Examination really that important to you? More important than life and death?"
Chen Changsheng countered, "And you? Is it important to you?"
Gou Hanshi said, "For every cultivator, this kind of glory is important. Besides, my Li Mountain Sword Sect has won the top spot for two consecutive sessions. I can't let it end with me, the second senior brother."
"I see."
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and then said, "I'm sorry, but the top spot in the Grand Examination is more important to me. So I can't back down. I have no retreat. You have a retreat, so this is inherently unfair to you."
Gou Hanshi said, "I don't quite understand what you mean, but for some reason, I can vaguely sense it."
Chen Changsheng raised the short sword in his hand, pointing it diagonally at the ground, and said, "In the previous battle, Zhuang Huanyu once said to me, 'Barefoot people aren't afraid of those wearing shoes.' Now that I think about it, he was right."
Yellow sand drifted lightly. The cicadas outside the building chirped more restlessly. The flowing clouds in the sky were uneasy. Looking at his posture and sensing his sword intent, Gou Hanshi vaguely guessed something, and his expression changed slightly.
Chen Changsheng looked at him very seriously and said, "I really have no retreat, and I have nothing left to lose. So even if I'm wearing shoes, I'm still a barefoot kid at heart."
Gou Hanshi said, "Shoes are already a luxury for people like us."
"So I have to apologize to you." Chen Changsheng said.
Outside the Dust-Washing Pavilion, Tang Thirty-Six had given him a very clear strategy: first move with emotion, then reason with logic, then win with strength. Focus on psychological warfare, then test the sword. Chen Changsheng hadn't done that. Only now did he begin to communicate seriously with Gou Hanshi, because this represented respect. The reason he started talking now was because he could feel that victory or defeat would be decided in the next sword.
Gou Hanshi asked, "For the next sword, I plan to use the Master's Sword. What about you?"
Chen Changsheng said, "The final form of the Li Mountain Dharma Sword."
Gou Hanshi knew that he hadn't guessed wrong.
He was silent for a long time, then looked at the azure sky outside the building. He felt a bit hungry and wanted to eat some porridge.
After a long time, he shook his head, sheathed his sword, and turned to leave the Dust-Washing Pavilion.
Only Chen Changsheng remained in the pavilion. He looked at the empty arena, at the gray-white stone wall opposite, and tilted his head slightly, seeming somewhat dazed.
It was very quiet. No sound at all.
He looked for a long time before snapping out of it. He felt a bit tired and wanted to rest for a while.
He took a few steps back, leaned against the wall, and slowly sheathed the short sword. Then he sat down, wiped his forehead, but couldn't tell if the stain on his sleeve was blood or sweat.
(On the twentieth, I mentioned in advance that updates would be sparse afterward. Some readers asked what I was doing? I was traveling with my wife, preparing to go to the Guangzhou Comic Convention to meet everyone. At the same time, unfortunately, I was sick. Someone asked if I was saving up drafts for the double monthly votes at the end of the month? I politely answer: No. There's no impolite answer here.
Regarding the Guangzhou Comic Convention, the event is the CICP Animation and Game Expo from October 1st to 6th. I should be at the Tencent booth in Hall 6, signing the "Ze Tian Ji" gift pack on October 2nd from 11:00 to 11:45. On October 3rd, from 13:00 to 14:00, I'll be on the main stage for a live performance and interaction. On October 4th, from 11:00 to 12:00, I'll be at the signing stage in Hall 6, signing the "Ze Tian Ji" gift pack. If you're interested, come and have fun! For a more detailed schedule, you can follow my WeChat public account: maot1118.)