Chapter 542: In a Snap, the Mighty Foe Turns to Ashes Beneath the Sword
Under normal circumstances, no matter how arrogant Tang Thirty-Six was, he would never have cursed at the old Daoist nun like that. Her status and position were simply too high; even the old master of the Tang family, while perhaps not showing her respect, would at least be wary of her. But at this moment, he hurled the insult without hesitation, deliberately trying to provoke her and divert her attention. He was furious and terrified, so much so that he forgot his fear—because Xuan Yuan Po, against all expectations, had raised his iron sword.
The bear-tribe youth, bursting with so much energy that he ate six meals a day and spent every day smashing trees, had his own way of fighting. His bravery was unmatched in the National Academy. His combat style was nothing like Chen Changsheng’s and the others’. He didn’t think; after being humiliated, he sought to erase it through battle, even if it cost him his life.
But how could his iron sword ever strike the old Daoist nun? How could he possibly defeat her? By the standards of the human cultivation world, Xuan Yuan Po had already reached the Penetrating Darkness realm, yet he had no chance of harming her. The heavy iron sword, like a fragile willow branch, was locked in the cold wind by the lake, unable to fall.
The old Daoist nun looked at the iron sword, seeming to recognize its origin. She raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise in her expression. But she had no intention of showing mercy. The cold, desolate intent instantly seized his body and sea of consciousness. In the next moment, it would tear him to pieces like a raging tide. With just a flicker of her thought, Xuan Yuan Po would die.
Chen Changsheng, Zhe Xiu, Su Moyu, and Tang Thirty-Six shot toward the winter lake like four arrows. Yet even if they risked their lives, it seemed they couldn’t change the outcome. They could only watch helplessly as Xuan Yuan Po died before their eyes. Was there anyone who could change this?
Perhaps.
Chen Changsheng had one last resort. Without hesitation, he prepared to throw out the life-saving item he carried.
Su Moyu was also preparing. Tang Thirty-Six was preparing too.
They were all ready to pull out their trump cards, hoping to buy Xuan Yuan Po a sliver of a chance.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred.
The iron sword in Xuan Yuan Po’s hand was trapped in the cold wind, unable to advance an inch, but it still stirred up some wind—even if it was just the gentlest breeze.
That gentle breeze couldn’t break the stillness by the winter lake, couldn’t ruffle the strands of the whisk hanging at the old Daoist nun’s waist, couldn’t even stir the snow. But it could stir the ashes.
Xuan Yuan Po stood in the ruins, where the stove once was, with ashes from the hearth scattered everywhere.
Those ashes were the remnants of burned firewood, and among them were the ashes of a burned piece of paper.
Earlier, Xuan Yuan Po had used his iron sword to poke at the pile of paper ashes. Now, as the breeze from his sword swept through, that pile of ashes drifted up gently.
The lakeside in the night was pitch black, but faint red glimmers could be seen within the ashes—there were still embers hidden inside.
The wind swept up the ashes, the embers glowed faintly, dancing in the air, forming a sword.
That sword of embers, following the angle of the iron sword’s slash, shot forward with a whoosh.
Crack! The space by the lake of the National Academy seemed to be split open by that single slash.
The old Daoist nun’s pupils contracted sharply. She sensed a powerful danger.
Since stepping into the Divine Domain, she had rarely felt this way, because there were few on the continent who could threaten her.
What was happening? Where did that ethereal sword, condensed from embers, come from? Why did it make her feel threatened?
Countless thoughts raced through the old Daoist nun’s sea of consciousness at an unimaginable speed, like beams of light, calculating and deducing.
But that ember sword came so fast that before she could finish her deduction, it was already before her!
Without time to think, the old Daoist nun let out a sharp cry. The whisk floating beside her rose without wind, landing in her hand, and she swung it down at the ember sword!
That whisk, with its thousands of strands, each strand was a tidal wave!
That ocean was endlessly azure, yet utterly devoid of life, filled only with the meaning of desolation!
She didn’t know the origin of the sudden ember sword, but she sensed the intense danger and struck with her divine Dao technique!
The whisk, carrying countless tidal waves of desolation, slammed toward the ember sword.
Compared to the raging tides spanning heaven and earth, that ethereal sword of gentle embers seemed so small, so fragile. How could it withstand? The ember sword was in front of Xuan Yuan Po. If it was engulfed by the raging tide, his flesh and soul would surely be devoured!
Yet that seemingly small and fragile ember sword, upon meeting the thousands of raging tides raised by the whisk, was not extinguished. Instead, it burst into a violent blaze! The National Academy was instantly illuminated in a blazing red, as if the night forests near and far had begun to burn!
The sword borrowed the fire’s momentum, rising arrogantly, transforming into a fire sword about seven feet long, radiating an immensely powerful aura toward the night sky.
Raging tides like mountains? Cut them! Desolation like the sea? Cut them!
Cut everything!
With a boom, the fire sword cleaved through the tens of thousands of raging tides, sending countless strands of the whisk flying wildly, and slashed toward the old Daoist nun!
A look of shock appeared on the old Daoist nun’s face. With a panicked shriek, she retreated violently.
The section of the courtyard wall that had silently collapsed earlier now completely crumbled as her figure blasted backward.
The night air was filled with the sound of tearing space. The blazing giant sword chased after the old Daoist nun, slashing wildly.
Countless severed strands from the whisk drifted in the night.
The taverns and houses outside the National Academy’s walls collapsed with a roar. The old Daoist nun’s figure retreated hundreds of zhang, only stopping when she reached the banks of the Luo River.
The thousands of raging tides raised by her whisk all collapsed. The calm Luo River churned with countless waves, whitecaps rising and falling endlessly!
The old Daoist nun stared at the fire sword pursuing her, an expression of disbelief on her face. She screamed, “The Three Styles of Scorching Heaven!”
At last, she recognized the origin of this sword!
The tiny ethereal sword formed from the embers in the hearth ashes, catching the wind, blazed up, unleashing unimaginable power.
Her whisk, her intent of desolation, was an endless azure sea filling heaven and earth, yet it was no match for this sword. Why?
Because a single spark can start a prairie fire—and can also scorch the heavens!
This sword was, of course, Su Li’s Three Styles of Scorching Heaven!
Amid the cries of alarm, the Scorching Heaven Sword had already reached the Luo River’s edge.
The Luo River at night had lost its usual calm. The snowflakes falling from the sky were instantly vaporized by this sword intent, creating countless clouds of mist.
From within the thick mist came another earth-shattering roar, along with the old Daoist nun’s shrill and shocked cries.
The water mist suddenly cleared, the dust gradually settled. The embankment of the Luo River had collapsed for three li.
The old Daoist nun stood in the shallow water below the embankment, clutching her whisk. Her right sleeve was completely shredded, revealing skin as white and smooth as jade. Her black hair flew wildly, her body covered in rubble. The whisk in her hand was left with only the handle and a few strands, making her look exceptionally disheveled—just like she herself at this moment.
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(According to official news, the animated version of Ze Tian Ji will meet everyone on Tencent Video on July 15th. For those who haven’t seen the new trailer yet, you can reply with “animation trailer” on WeChat to view it. Additionally, the monthly welfare event in the book review section is ongoing as scheduled today, with a high winning rate. Prizes include 10,000 book coins and a set of Ze Tian Ji merchandise. A new version of the merchandise is being planned; will the old version become a collector’s item? For those interested, don’t wait any longer! For specific event rules, please check the pinned post in the book review section! What do you think? Isn’t our advertising style getting more formal now? Also, the press conference for the Ze Tian Ji animation should be on the 9th. Since I’m returning to my hometown to pay respects to my ancestors, I really can’t make it, which I deeply regret. If any friends in Shanghai have time, please go and show your support. Also, it’s the end of the month. Thanks to everyone’s support, the monthly ticket rankings have been high all month, even though I never asked for votes… Thank you all. Here, I sincerely ask you to check if you have any monthly tickets left. If you do, please vote for Ze Tian Ji. Thank you.)