Chapter 543: The True Target of the Sky-Scorching Sword
"This is impossible!" the old Daoist nun shrieked.
When she felt as if even her Dao heart had been slashed open by the Sky-Scorching Sword, she was so shocked and enraged she nearly went mad.
Why was there a sword intent of Su Li's within the National Academy? Had Su Li guessed she would come? After confirming that the powerful sword intent was indeed the Sky-Scorching Sword, she had been uneasily pondering this question. But what shocked, infuriated, and even bewildered her more was—why was this sword intent so overwhelmingly strong? It was universally acknowledged that Su Li was the strongest in the way of the sword, but how could she not even withstand a single strike? And this was merely the sword intent Su Li had left behind at the National Academy, not his true sword!
She was no ordinary expert; she was a Wind and Rain of the Eight Directions who had stepped into the sacred domain many years ago! In the past, she had always believed that although Su Li had also entered the sacred domain, he had done so many years later. No matter how gifted he was, in terms of realm and cultivation, he might not be her match. And now... she couldn't even overcome a single strand of Su Li's sword intent!
Shock and rage gave way to panic. The old Daoist nun stared at that terrifying flaming sword, and deep within her Dao heart, a desire to retreat naturally arose.
If it were the past, she would certainly continue the fierce battle. But now that she had confirmed she was no match for Su Li, why wouldn't she retreat? This time, she had slipped into the capital behind her husband's back, with no strong reinforcements. More importantly, Su Li was not His Holiness the Pope, nor was he the Saintess of the Heavenly Sea. He was a cold-blooded, ruthless madman—he truly dared to harbor the intent to kill a Wind and Rain of the Eight Directions!
Countless waves rose again in the Luo River, piling up like heaps of shredded paper in the snowy night. Just before that sword intent fell once more, a bitter, unwilling shriek rang out from the Luo River. The old Daoist nun's figure vanished abruptly, then reappeared on the opposite bank, disappearing into the capital's streets and alleys at the fastest possible speed.
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Chen Changsheng and the others rushed along the collapsed civilian houses and taverns, shaken down by the old Daoist nun, and arrived at the banks of the Luo River as quickly as they could. By then, the place was empty, with only swirling snowflakes and the severed strands of the horsetail whisk scattered about, along with that flaming sword suspended above the Luo River.
Those strands were not willow catkins, nor were they snowflakes. Even the finest thread contained terrifying power, enough to kill them with ease. If that horsetail whisk had struck with full force, it could probably have shaken the entire Luo River... Truly worthy of being a peerless expert who had stepped into the sacred domain!
Sensing the power within those strands, Chen Changsheng and the others instinctively looked at Xuan Yuan Po, the first to draw his sword against the old Daoist nun, filled with utmost admiration. At the same time, they wondered just how powerful this flaming sword must be—it had sliced that whisk into a plucked chicken and forced the old Daoist nun to retreat!
"What's going on?" Tang Thirty-Six asked, gazing at the burning sword in the night sky.
Earlier in the night, Chen Changsheng had sensed the sword intent on the letter paper and roughly guessed what had happened. "This is Senior Su Li's sword," he said.
Tang Thirty-Six's lingering fear had yet to fade. He thought that if not for this sword, the National Academy today would surely have run with blood. Even if the old Daoist nun, out of consideration for the National Church and the Tang clan of Wenshui, wouldn't have made things too difficult for him, Chen Changsheng, and Su Moyu, Zhe Xiu would have suffered utter humiliation, and Xuan Yuan Po would have had no chance of survival.
This battle of experts, which had raged from the National Academy to the banks of the Luo River, had alarmed many.
Not long after they arrived at the Luo River's edge, a flame descended from the night sky. Xue Xingchuan rode his Fire Cloud Qilin and rushed over at top speed.
At the same time, the three venerable elders sent by the Tang clan of Wenshui to the capital finally appeared in the darkness, surrounding Tang Thirty-Six.
This was the first time Chen Changsheng and the others had seen the true strength of the Tang clan of Wenshui, and they couldn't help but glance at them curiously.
The sound of hooves like a rainstorm echoed through the streets and alleys—likely the National Church cavalry and the Imperial Guard were arriving.
Xue Xingchuan looked at the collapsed banks of the Luo River and the vast expanse of ruined taverns and houses, his expression grim. "What happened?" he asked.
"Illimitable Green came," Tang Thirty-Six said.
A Wind and Rain of the Eight Directions had infiltrated the capital? Xue Xingchuan's expression shifted slightly. Then he looked at the great flaming sword suspended above the Luo River, and his expression changed again. With his level of cultivation, he could naturally tell that this was not a real sword—more accurately, it was a phantom sword. Yet what alarmed him was that even at his realm, he felt far from a match for this sword. So, without needing to ask, he knew whose sword intent this was.
"Su Li... why did he hide this sword intent in the National Academy?"
He looked into Chen Changsheng's eyes and asked, "Did he know in advance that Illimitable Green would move against you?"
This was the question that had troubled the old Daoist nun most before her defeat, and it was also something Chen Changsheng still hadn't figured out.
He had originally thought that Senior Su Li had entrusted Xu Yourong to give him two letters—the one to be burned after reading was meant to help him comprehend sword intent, while the letter now in his bosom was a life-saving treasure. But now it seemed that Su Li's instruction to burn the first letter to ashes clearly had a deeper meaning.
By igniting the sword soul with natural fire, the Sky-Scorching Sword's intent could unleash its greatest power. But how had Su Li determined when to manifest this sword intent? Was it because of Xuan Yuan Po's earlier reckless bravery, or had he truly calculated Illimitable Green's arrival in advance?
The National Church cavalry and the Imperial Guard arrived at the scene, along with priests from the Li Palace and officials from the Capital Administration. People began clearing the site, tending to the wounded, and moving sand and stone to stabilize the collapsed Luo River banks. The area grew lively, and the Sky-Scorching Sword in the night sky naturally dimmed its radiance, becoming hard to see.
Xue Xingchuan still stared at that spot in the sky.
Chen Changsheng and the others also stared at it.
It seemed this matter was about to end, and everything would return to calm. But would it really?
For some reason, none of them thought so. They all felt something else was about to happen.
Sure enough, in the next moment—for no apparent reason—the night sky above the Luo River burst into flames.
It was as if countless golden crows from the sun had descended upon the mortal world. Everywhere was blindingly bright, turning the capital's night into day.
The officials and soldiers working hard among the ruins and on the banks looked up in shock, wondering what was happening.
The Sky-Scorching Sword blazed and grew larger. In just a few breaths, it spanned a stretch of the night sky. From the ground, it looked at least half a street long!
The officials and soldiers by the Luo River, along with the awakened citizens, let out countless cries of alarm at the sight of that burning giant sword in the sky.
The Sky-Scorching Sword burned fiercely.
No more snowflakes could fall from the clouds, nor rain, nor even mist.
The clouds in the night sky were directly scorched clean away by the fire, gradually revealing the starry expanse behind them.
Xue Xingchuan's face turned deathly pale in an instant. He let out a sharp cry toward the Imperial Palace as a warning, then leaped onto the back of the Fire Cloud Qilin and flew into the night sky!
Chen Changsheng also guessed what was happening. His eyes were filled with shock. He thought, no way—Senior, you're about to leave, why are you still going mad?
The old Daoist nun couldn't understand why Su Li had left a sword intent in the National Academy. Xue Xingchuan couldn't understand either. Chen Changsheng couldn't understand. Because no matter how high Su Li's sword cultivation was—even if he could calculate the heavens with his sword—there was no way he could have predicted the trajectory of a sacred domain expert and set an ambush in advance.
This sword intent Su Li left in the National Academy was never meant for the old Daoist nun.
He had left seven letters for this world. The sword intent in the letter he told Chen Changsheng to burn after reading was the strongest.
The old Daoist nun came to the National Academy. Xuan Yuan Po's iron sword awakened the sword intent within the ashes, and that sword intent then drove the old Daoist nun back.
Yes, it was by the way, along the way, as a convenience—just a casual act.
Even the old Daoist nun, as a Wind and Rain of the Eight Directions, was not worthy of Su Li deploying this sword intent specifically for her.
He cared nothing for her, held her in contempt.
The one he wanted to fight, the true target of this strongest sword intent, had always been that person.
That person in the Imperial Palace, always in the Imperial Palace.
That person was no ordinary being—he was a sage.
A clear, sharp cry pierced the night sky. Xue Xingchuan rode the Fire Cloud Qilin straight into the heavens, turning into a streak of fire. He raised his spear and thrust it toward the Sky-Scorching Giant Sword!
But his spear couldn't even touch the Sky-Scorching Giant Sword. It was blocked at the periphery. A gale howled, the fire streak snapped abruptly, and he plummeted back to the ground.
Xue Xingchuan and the Fire Cloud Qilin crashed into the Luo River. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips.
The burning giant sword finally moved. Carrying countless flames and immense heat, it soared up from the Luo River's banks and headed straight for the Imperial Palace!
Watching this magnificent, awe-inspiring scene, everyone on the ground was too stunned to make a sound.
Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six's eyes were filled with reverence and admiration. If a cultivator could reach such a realm, wouldn't they die without regret?
Zhe Xiu's face was expressionless, but his eyes burned with fervor and determination. He thought, no matter how strong you are, one day, I will defeat you too!
After winter began, snow had been falling intermittently over the capital, and the clouds in the sky rarely parted. But tonight, the Sky-Scorching Giant Sword, born of sword intent, spewed infinite light and heat toward heaven and earth. The snow clouds were instantly scorched away, revealing scattered stars.
As the Sky-Scorching Sword headed toward the Imperial Palace, the snow clouds in its path dispersed, and stars kept appearing. This scene was beautiful—like a brushstroke painting the night sky, countless stars lighting up one after another along the sword's path.
The stars brightening in the night sky did not cast their light down to the mortal world. Instead, they fell onto the Sky-Scorching Sword's trajectory, turning into countless gleaming scales.
The Sky-Scorching Sword had finally become a dragon!
At this moment, the entire capital finally awoke.
Someone had never fallen asleep.
When that old Daoist nun passed through that alley, the Saintess of the Heavenly Sea had already awakened.
Then she climbed the steps and ascended the Sweet Dew Terrace.
This was the highest place in the capital, aside from the Mausoleum of Books. From here, one could see the nearest stars and the broadest expanse of the mortal world.
She watched the old Daoist nun appear outside the National Academy, her expression indifferent.
She watched a powerful sword intent emerge within the National Academy, her expression still indifferent. She merely raised an eyebrow, as if somewhat intrigued.
Now, that sword was coming from the Luo River's banks toward the Imperial Palace.
She stood on the Sweet Dew Terrace. The fierce wind brushed against her flawless face but could not sweep away the indifference on it; it could only make her black hair flutter slightly.
With her hands clasped behind her back, she gazed at the sword-dragon drawing ever closer in the night sky. Her expression was calm, but a hint of gravity finally appeared in her eyes.
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(That's all for today. Later, I'll post an interview on WeChat—a chat with Teacher Shao Yanjun, whom I've long admired. It's mainly about the awards ceremony at Tencent Academy I mentioned last time... Posting this does feel a bit shamelessly self-congratulatory, but I feel that interview contains many of my true thoughts. I want everyone to know how I view writing and other matters. I want to spend more years together with everyone, shamelessly. If you're interested, take a look.)