Chapter 37: In a Snap, the Mighty Enemy Is Vanquished by the Sword
Under normal circumstances, no matter how arrogant Tang Thirty-Six was, he would never have hurled such foul language at that old Daoist nun, because her status was simply too high. Even the old master of the Tang family might not hold her in great esteem, but he would at least be wary of her. Yet at this moment, he cursed her 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 had, against all expectations, raised his iron sword.
The bear-tribe youth, whose boundless energy required him to eat six meals a day and constantly smash trees, had his own way of fighting. His bravery was unmatched in the National Academy, and his combat style differed from Chen Changsheng’s and the others’. He didn’t think; after being humiliated, he sought to resolve 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 injuring her. The heavy iron sword, like a fragile willow branch, was locked in the cold wind by the lake, unable to fall at all.
The old Daoist nun looked at the iron sword, seeming to recognize its origin. She raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised. But she had no intention of showing mercy. That cold, desolate aura of annihilation instantly seized control of his body and sea of consciousness. In the next moment, it would tear him to shreds like a raging tide—if she so much as moved a 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 impossible to change the outcome. They could only watch helplessly as Xuan Yuan Po died before their eyes. Could anyone alter this?
Perhaps.
Chen Changsheng still had one last resort. Without hesitation, he prepared to throw out the life-saving item he carried.
Su Moyu was also preparing, as was Tang Thirty-Six.
They were all ready to pull out their trump cards, hoping to buy Xuan Yuan Po a sliver of a chance to live.
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 some air—even if only the gentlest breeze.
That gentle breeze couldn’t break the stillness by Winter Lake, couldn’t ruffle the whisk’s strands at the old Daoist nun’s waist, couldn’t even stir the snow, but it could stir the dust.
Xuan Yuan Po stood amidst the ruins, his feet where the stove once was, with ashes from the stove scattered everywhere.
Those ashes were the remnants of burned firewood, and some were the ashes of a burned piece of paper.
Earlier, Xuan Yuan Po had used his iron sword to poke at the ashes of that burned paper. Now, as his sword stirred the breeze, those ashes drifted up gently.
The lakeside was pitch black in the night, but faint red glimmers showed within the ashes—there were still embers hidden inside.
The wind swept the ashes up, the embers faintly glowing, dancing into the air to form a sword.
That sword of embers, following the angle of the iron sword’s slash, sliced forward with a whoosh.
Crack! The space by the National Academy’s lake seemed to be cleaved open by that single strike.
The old Daoist nun’s pupils contracted sharply as she sensed an intense danger.
Since stepping into the Divine Domain, she had rarely felt such a thing, because few people on this continent could threaten her.
What was this? Where did this phantom sword, condensed from embers, come from? Why did it make her feel endangered?
Countless thoughts raced through her sea of consciousness at unimaginable speed, like beams of light, calculating and deducing.
But that ember sword came so fast—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 hovering beside her rose without wind, landing in her hand, and she struck down at the ember sword!
That whisk, with its thousand strands and countless threads, each strand was a tidal wave!
That ocean was endlessly azure, yet utterly devoid of life, filled only with the aura of annihilation!
She didn’t know the origin of the suddenly appearing ember sword, but she sensed intense danger, so she struck with her divine Daoist technique!
The whisk, carrying countless tidal waves of annihilation, slammed toward the ember sword.
Compared to the raging tides spanning heaven and earth, that phantom sword of gentle embers seemed so tiny, so fragile—how could it withstand? The ember sword was before Xuan Yuan Po; if it were swallowed by the tides, his body and soul would surely be devoured too!
Yet that seemingly tiny, fragile ember sword, upon meeting the myriad tidal waves from the whisk, was not extinguished. Instead, it burst into a violent blaze! The National Academy was instantly lit up in an intense red, and the night forests near and far seemed to catch fire!
The sword, fueled by the flames, rose arrogantly, transforming into a fire sword about seven feet long, radiating an overwhelmingly powerful aura toward the night sky.
Tidal waves like mountains? Cut them! Annihilation like the sea? Cut it!
Cut everything!
Boom! The fire sword shattered the tens of thousands of tidal waves, sending countless severed whisk strands 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 academy wall that had silently collapsed earlier now completely crumbled with a roar as her figure blasted backward.
The night sky was filled with the sound of tearing space. The blazing giant sword chased after the old Daoist nun, slashing wildly.
The countless severed strands from the whisk drifted in the night air.
The taverns and houses outside the National Academy’s walls collapsed with a roar. The old Daoist nun’s figure retreated hundreds of feet, finally stopping by the Luo River Canal.
The ten-thousand-foot tidal waves from her whisk all collapsed. The calm Luo River churned with countless waves, whitecaps rising and falling endlessly!
The old Daoist nun stared at the pursuing fire sword, 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 phantom sword formed from the embers in the stove ashes, catching the wind, blazed up, unleashing unimaginable power.
Her whisk, her aura of annihilation—they were an endless blue sea, filling heaven and earth—yet they were no match for this sword. Why?
Because a single spark can start a prairie fire, and it can also scorch the heavens!
This sword was, of course, Su Li’s Three Styles of Scorching Heaven!
Amidst the screams, the Scorching Heaven Sword had already reached the Luo River’s shore.
The Luo River at night had lost its usual calm. The falling snowflakes were instantly vaporized by the sword’s intent, creating countless clouds of mist.
Within the thick mist, another earth-shattering roar echoed, along with the old Daoist nun’s shrill, shocked cry.
The water mist settled, the dust gradually fell, and three miles of the Luo River’s embankment had collapsed.
The old Daoist nun stood in the shallow water by the embankment, whisk in hand. The right sleeve of her robe was completely shredded, revealing skin as white and smooth as jade. Her black hair flew wildly, her body covered in gravel. The whisk in her hand was left with only the handle and a few strands, looking utterly disheveled—just like she herself at that 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. Friends who haven’t seen the new trailer yet can reply with “animation trailer” on WeChat to view it. Additionally, the monthly book review zone welfare event is ongoing today as scheduled, 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? Those interested, don’t wait any longer! For specific event rules, please check the pinned post in the book review zone! How about it? Isn’t our advertising style becoming more formal now? Also, the Ze Tian Ji animation launch event should be on the 9th. Because I’m returning to my hometown for ancestor worship, I really can’t make it, which I deeply regret. Friends in Shanghai, if you have time, please help show some support. Also, it’s the end of the month. Thanks to everyone’s support, the monthly votes have been at the front, even though I’ve never asked for votes... Thank you all. Here, I sincerely ask you to check if you have any monthly votes. If you do, please cast them for Ze Tian Ji. Thank you.)