Chapter 521: The Wisdom Sword Cuts
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Zhe Xiu gazed at the smoky snow on the bridge and the light within the snow, saying, "Indeed it is so."
No one refuted his words. If Chen Changsheng's displayed sword cultivation had moved people to deep emotion, Xu Yourong's exhibited level of attainment left people stunned into speechlessness. Just as Tang Thirty-Six had once said to Chen Changsheng at the Plum Garden Inn back then, she always left people with nothing to say.
Since the battle began, Xu Yourong had steadily controlled the situation on the Bridge of Helplessness. Chen Changsheng's sword stirred up wind and rain, appearing powerful, but ultimately he was passively breaking through. If Chen Changsheng was already unfathomably strong, then Xu Yourong, who remained as calm as ever at this moment—how strong was she?
Sword intent assailed the stone bridge; sword momentum crushed the formation. Smoke and snow flew together with rain and mist; light and flowing water stood in opposition.
The common folk on both banks of the Luo River could only see the beautiful scene of rain and snow and the faint, almost mythical exchange of blows, unable to grasp the deeper meaning. They continuously erupted in cheers and gasps, but the people on the great ship grew quieter and quieter, especially the important figures at the bow.
Because they witnessed perfection.
The stone bridge stood between heaven and earth; light traveled between heaven and earth. All the sword techniques between heaven and earth seemed to appear on that stone bridge.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong's cultivation levels were not considered top-tier experts in the current world. On the great ship alone, there were at least ten people who could easily defeat them. Yet the comprehension ability and sword cultivation they displayed in this battle could be described as nearly perfect. This meant they possessed unimaginable potential. As long as no major accidents occurred, these people at the ship's bow would inevitably be surpassed by them one by one. The youngest Southern Holy Maiden and the future Pope were indeed extraordinary.
Xue He had somehow already walked to the very front of the ship's bow. Watching the battle scene on the bridge, his emotions grew increasingly complex. The hand that had been stroking his severed arm had long since fallen, and in the lightly snowing air, he grasped at an absent saber hilt, as if wanting to join this battle. Suddenly, his expression shifted, because he vaguely sensed within the extremely complex sword marks in the smoke, snow, rain, and mist, some flavors he was very familiar with. It wasn't the flavor of a sword, but the flavor of a saber. What was going on?
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong were clearly using swords, so why did saber intent rise from the bridge? And such a grim, lofty saber intent! Xue He suddenly remembered that Chen Changsheng used Wang Po's saber path. Thinking he understood the reason, he stopped pondering and immersed himself in the battle again, trying to gain more insights.
Standing on the bridge, Chen Changsheng did not sense the saber intent. First, the battle was too intense to be distracted. Second, he was in the midst of it. More importantly, the saber intent Xue He sensed did not come from his or Xu Yourong's swords, but rather... from some residual flavor scattered when his and Xu Yourong's sword intents merged.
If he could have noticed this detail at that moment, or if he could have figured out some things.
Unfortunately, he didn't notice. His sight and spirit were entirely focused on the myriad rays of light within the smoky snow. His divine sense operated at high speed, constantly calculating and deducing. The Wisdom Sword kept cutting, blocking that terrifying Great Light Sword behind that line in advance.
He didn't know how many swords he had used. He only knew he hadn't managed to learn all the sword techniques of heaven and earth, and he was struggling hard. Back in Xunyang City, he could only use the Burning Sword a few times. Today, he had used it at least dozens of times. The true essence provided by the burning snowfield had long been exhausted, and now he was entirely sustained by that lake outside the Netherworld Abode.
But he wasn't worried, because it proved his seven days of preparation were useful. Xu Yourong had unexpectedly learned the Great Light Sword. That sacred, solemn sword move, vast as the ocean yet delicate as a dewdrop, had still not broken through the line in the middle of the Bridge of Helplessness. And he believed Xu Yourong couldn't hold out much longer either.
When Xu Yourong's true essence could no longer sustain the Great Light Sword, that would be his chance to counterattack.
Yet, for some reason, deep down he vaguely felt an unwillingness for it to end just like this.
Because he was very happy at this moment.
Although the Wisdom Sword constantly drained his divine sense, the Burning Sword continuously consumed his true essence, and the Clumsy Sword relentlessly wore down his spirit, he was still very happy.
It was like playing chess and suddenly encountering an opponent of similar skill and excellent character.
Or like drinking wine and suddenly meeting a companion with similar capacity who could compose poems with every cup.
Or discussing the Dao and encountering a tablemate with amiable words and a face that was by no means detestable.
Looking at the bright figure of the young girl in the smoky snow, Chen Changsheng felt this way.
He even felt as if he had returned to the Zhou Garden, talking with that young girl in the snow temple on the grassland.
Utterly satisfying.
Exhilarating.
Joyful.
And peaceful.
He even felt that Xu Yourong in the smoky snow must have felt the same way.
Yes, Xu Yourong thought so too, though she understood it more clearly than he did.
Xu Yourong didn't think of chess partners or drinking companions. She directly recalled that night in the snow temple.
For this battle on the Bridge of Helplessness, both he and she had prepared for a full seven days.
Over three hundred sheets of draft paper covered in calculations and deductions, seventeen star charts—all within the smoky snow, rain, mist, and the traces of sword intent.
With these, they played chess, conversed, and fought.
If it could continue like this forever, that would be wonderful, but in reality, it was impossible.
The falling snow shattered completely; the falling rain dissolved entirely. The stone bridge's surface cracked like a spiderweb, and the Luo River beneath was covered with ten thousand scales.
Both Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong had reached the end of their respective paths.
The young girl's figure had emerged from the snow, extremely close to the line in the middle of the bridge, but her steps had become much heavier.
Chen Changsheng's sword technique changes also began to grow sluggish, no longer as agile as at the start, losing even that sense of ghostly unpredictability.
The smoky snow fell abruptly; the rain and mist scattered suddenly. On the Bridge of Helplessness, an inexplicable clarity prevailed.
Two figures met on the bridge.
Like a chess game nearing its end, with only two moves left, a victor must finally be decided.
Like a banquet winding down, with scattered dishes and a few small yellow flowers fallen among them—competitive and grim.
In the wind and snow, the temple stood empty, only the ashes before the deity's statue retaining some warmth.
The white gauze drifted lightly. Xu Yourong's gaze was sacred and bright, like the stars on an astrolabe.
Chen Changsheng held his sword and lifted it lightly. The blade's edge pierced through the newly falling snowflakes, like three hundred sheets of paper dancing in the small building of the National Academy.
Xu Yourong rose gracefully, like a deity descending to the mortal world. Her sword, bearing light, thrust straight at Chen Changsheng.
The Wisdom Sword, cut.
The Abstinence Sword, sever.
Just at that moment, something happened that no one had expected.
Chen Changsheng had been holding the sword hilt with both hands, but now he suddenly released his left hand, reaching through the air toward the Abstinence Sword that broke through the snow and emptiness.
What was he trying to do? Even if his body had bathed in dragon blood, comparable to the most perfect marrow cleansing, it was still flesh and blood. How could it withstand the sharpness of the Abstinence Sword? Moreover, at this moment, the Abstinence Sword was imbued with Xu Yourong's Phoenix true essence, carrying infinite light. Even a powerhouse of Mao Qiuyu's level probably wouldn't dare to catch it with a single hand!
Chen Changsheng's movement was casual and natural, like reaching for a book on a shelf.
He certainly wasn't trying to block the Abstinence Sword with his left hand.
He was merely trying to establish a connection with this sword.
His pointing finger aimed not only at the snowy air and the light on the Abstinence Sword but also at a faint, barely visible connection.
The Abstinence Sword had originally been brought out by him from the Zhou Garden!
He was very familiar with the Abstinence Sword's intent. How could the Abstinence Sword fail to recognize his aura?
When the sword pool appeared in the Zhou Garden, ten thousand old swords fought alongside him. Including the Abstinence Sword, all these swords were his companions, his comrades-in-arms. On the battlefield, how could a comrade-in-arms strike at you? At the critical moment of life and death, how could a companion fail to hear your call for help?
An unimaginable fluctuation of aura arose on the Bridge of Helplessness!
The Abstinence Sword trembled violently in the snowy air, then flew swiftly toward Chen Changsheng.
It flew, not thrust, because there was no longer any hostility, let alone killing intent!
The Great Light Sword suddenly dissolved!
Yet something even more shocking happened—Xu Yourong seemed to have already calculated this scene!
Her right hand still gripped the Abstinence Sword, using the momentum to advance. Her white dress danced in the snowy air, her figure transformed into flowing blood, converging the myriad rays of light, and she arrived directly in front of Chen Changsheng. If Chen Changsheng hadn't used his divine sense at the very last moment to shake the Abstinence Sword, no matter how swift Xu Yourong's movement technique was, she couldn't have been so fast as to break through his Stainless Sword!
Chen Changsheng had calculated for seven days.
She had also calculated him for seven days.
A soft sound of *puchi*.
Perhaps because his control over the Abstinence Sword came too late, or perhaps because Xu Yourong, after all, was the Holy Maiden. Though she had only been reunited with the Abstinence Sword for seven days, her control over it was stronger than Chen Changsheng had imagined. Or perhaps something happened that neither of them fully understood.
The Abstinence Sword pierced into Chen Changsheng's left shoulder, sending a spray of blood.
Then, the Abstinence Sword fell into his hand.
The wind and snow began to dance lightly again, whistling as if heaven and earth themselves found it somewhat strange.
For some reason, Chen Changsheng's movements were slightly sluggish. The trace of the Stainless Sword in his right hand, which had been exquisitely perfect, deviated slightly.
A gentle breeze arose. Xu Yourong extended her slender index finger, seemingly slow but in reality incredibly fast, pointing at Chen Changsheng's brow.
If it were an ordinary finger, it could not threaten Chen Changsheng's life. His dragon-blood-bathed body, though unable to withstand the famous swords on the Hundred Weapons List, would not have its defense broken by a slender finger. Yet, for some reason, a great sense of danger surged in his heart, and he even felt his life might be lost.
A glimmer of light bloomed on the tip of Xu Yourong's finger, like a firefly, yet within it seemed to contain infinite energy.
No one could be faster than this finger of hers.
At least in the several battles that had occurred, aside from Nanke, no one could match the speed of this finger.
Since the battle began, she had never unfolded the Phoenix's wings, because she didn't need to.
Without the colorful phoenix's paired wings, the heart has a spark that connects.
This was the Lingxi Finger!
...
...
(The next chapter decides the victor. The next chapter will be in the evening, probably around 8:20.)