Chapter 16: The Wisdom Sword Cuts
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Zhe Xiu gazed at the snowy mist on the bridge and the light within the snow, and said, "Indeed it is so."
No one refuted his words. If Chen Changsheng's displayed sword cultivation had moved people to deep sighs, Xu Yourong's level of attainment had left people speechless with shock. Just as Tang Thirty-Six had said to Chen Changsheng back in the Plum Garden Inn, 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 wind and rain, appearing powerful, but in the end, he was passively breaking through. If Chen Changsheng was already unbelievably strong, then Xu Yourong, who remained as calm as ever until now, how strong was she?
Sword intent assailed the stone bridge, sword momentum crushed the formation. Snowy mist and rainy fog flew together, light and flowing water stood in opposition.
The people on both banks of the Luo River could only see the beautiful scene of rain and snow and the faint, almost mythical clash of figures, unable to grasp the deeper meaning. They kept cheering and gasping, but the people on the great ship grew increasingly quiet, especially the important figures at the bow.
Because they saw perfection.
The stone bridge stood between heaven and earth, light traveled between heaven and earth, and all the sword techniques between heaven and earth seemed to appear on the stone bridge.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong's cultivation levels were not considered top-tier in the current world. At least ten people on the great ship could easily surpass them. But the comprehension and sword cultivation they displayed in this battle could be called nearly perfect. This meant they possessed unimaginable potential. As long as no major accidents occurred, these people at the bow would inevitably be surpassed by them one by one. The youngest Southern Saintess and the future Pope were indeed extraordinary.
Xue He had somehow already walked to the very front of the bow. Watching the battle 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 the fight. Suddenly, his expression changed, because he vaguely caught a familiar flavor within the extremely complex sword marks in the snowy mist and rain fog. It wasn't the flavor of a sword, but 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 cold, lofty, and dangerous saber intent! Xue He suddenly remembered that Chen Changsheng was using Wang Po's saber path. He thought he understood the reason and stopped pondering, continuing to immerse himself in the battle, trying to gain more insights.
Standing on the bridge, Chen Changsheng did not sense the saber intent. First, because the battle was too intense to be distracted. Second, because 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... from some residual flavor scattered when his and Xu Yourong's sword intents merged.
If he could have noticed this detail at that moment, he might have understood some things.
Unfortunately, he didn't notice. His sight and spirit were entirely focused on the myriad rays of light in the snowy mist. His divine sense operated at high speed, constantly calculating and deducing. The Wisdom Sword kept cutting, blocking that terrifying Great Radiant Sword behind that line in advance.
He didn't know how many swords he had used. He only knew he hadn't learned all the sword techniques of heaven and earth, and he was struggling to hold on. The Burning Sword, which he could only use a few times back in Xunyang City, had been used at least dozens of times today. The true essence provided by the burning snowfield had long been exhausted, and now he was relying entirely on the lake outside the Netherworld.
But he wasn't worried, because the facts proved that his seven days of preparation were useful. Xu Yourong had unexpectedly learned the Great Radiant 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 on much longer either.
When Xu Yourong's true essence could no longer support the Great Radiant Sword, that would be his chance to counterattack.
But, for some reason, deep in his heart, he vaguely felt he didn't want it to end just yet.
Because he was very happy right now.
Although the Wisdom Sword constantly drained his divine sense, the Burning Sword constantly consumed his true essence, and the Clumsy Sword constantly 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 a similar capacity for drink who could compose poetry with every cup.
Or like discussing the Dao and finding a tablemate with pleasant speech and a not-at-all detestable face.
Looking at the girl's bright figure in the snowy mist, Chen Changsheng felt this way.
He even felt as if he had returned to the Qiushou Garden, talking with that girl in the snowfield temple.
Thoroughly.
Invigorating.
Pleasant.
And calm.
He even felt that Xu Yourong in the snowy mist must have the same thoughts.
Yes, Xu Yourong thought so too, though of course, she thought about it more clearly than he did.
Xu Yourong didn't think about chess partners or drinking companions. She directly recalled that night in the snowfield 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 snowy mist and rain fog, within 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, the falling rain dissolved. The surface of the stone bridge cracked like a spiderweb, and the Luo River beneath was covered with thousands of scales.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong had both reached the end of their respective paths.
The girl's figure had already emerged from the snow, very 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, and even losing that elusive, ghostly quality.
The snowy mist suddenly fell, the rain fog suddenly dispersed. The Bridge of Helplessness became inexplicably clear.
Two figures met on the bridge.
Like a chess game nearing its end, with only the last two moves left, a winner must be decided.
Like a feast winding down, with scattered dishes and a few small yellow flowers fallen among them, a killing intent arose.
In the wind and snow, the temple was empty, only the ashes before the divine statue retained some warmth.
White gauze fluttered lightly. Xu Yourong's gaze was sacred and bright, like the stars on an astrolabe.
Chen Changsheng held his sword and gently lifted it. The sword tip 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 world. Her sword, bearing light, thrust straight at Chen Changsheng.
Wisdom Sword, cut.
Zhai Sword, sever.
Just then, 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 and reached through the air toward the Zhai Sword that was breaking through the snow.
What was he trying to do? Even though 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 Zhai Sword? Moreover, the Zhai Sword was now imbued with Xu Yourong's Phoenix true essence, arriving with infinite light. Even a powerhouse of Mao Qiuyu's level wouldn't dare to catch it with one 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 Zhai Sword with his left hand.
He just wanted to establish a connection with the Zhai Sword.
His finger pointed not only at the snowy air and the light on the Zhai Sword, but also at a faint, elusive connection.
The Zhai Sword had, after all, been brought out of the Zhou Garden by him!
He was very familiar with the Zhai Sword's intent. How could the Zhai Sword fail to recognize his aura?
When the sword pool appeared in the Zhou Garden, ten thousand old swords fought alongside him. Including the Zhai Sword, all these swords were his companions, his comrades. On the battlefield, how could a comrade strike at you? At the moment of life and death, how could a companion fail to hear your call for help?
An unimaginable wave of energy surged on the Bridge of Helplessness!
The Zhai 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 Radiant Sword suddenly dispersed!
But an even more shocking thing happened—Xu Yourong seemed to have already calculated this scene!
Her right hand still held the Zhai Sword. She used the momentum to move forward, her white dress dancing in the snowy air. Her figure turned into flowing light, converging thousands of light rays, and arrived directly in front of Chen Changsheng. If Chen Changsheng hadn't used his divine sense to shake the Zhai Sword at the last moment, no matter how fast Xu Yourong's movement technique was, she couldn't have broken through his Stainless Sword so quickly!
Chen Changsheng had calculated for seven days.
She had also calculated him for seven days.
A soft sound, "puchi."
Perhaps because his control over the Zhai Sword came too late, or because Xu Yourong, after all, was the Saintess. Though she had only been reunited with the Zhai Sword for seven days, her control over it was stronger than Chen Changsheng had imagined. Or perhaps something happened that neither of them understood.
The Zhai Sword pierced into Chen Changsheng's left shoulder, sending a spray of blood.
Then, the Zhai Sword fell into his hand.
The wind and snow began to drift gently again, whistling, as if heaven and earth 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 wisp of wind rose leisurely. 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 couldn't threaten Chen Changsheng's life. His dragon-blood-bathed body, though unable to withstand the famous swords on the Hundred Weapons List, wouldn't have its defense broken by a slender finger. But for some reason, a great sense of danger suddenly arose in his heart, and he even felt his life slipping away.
On the tip of Xu Yourong's finger bloomed a tiny light, like a firefly, yet it seemed to contain infinite energy.
No one could be faster than this finger of hers.
At least in the battles that had occurred so far, except for Nanke, no one could match the speed of this finger.
Since the battle began, she had never unfolded her Phoenix wings, because she didn't need to.
"Body without colorful Phoenix wings to fly, heart with a spark of understanding connects."
This was the Lingxi Finger!
...
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(The next chapter decides the winner. The next chapter will be posted in the evening, around eight twenty.)