Chapter 38: The True Target of the Sky-Scorching Sword
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“This is impossible!” The old Daoist nun shrieked.
When she felt as if a crack had been cut into her very Dao heart by the Sky-Scorching Sword, she was even more shocked, furious, and nearly driven mad.
Why was there a sword intent of Su Li’s inside the National Academy? Had Su Li guessed she would come? After confirming that powerful sword intent was indeed the Sky-Scorching Sword, she had been uneasily pondering this question. But what shocked, angered, and even bewildered her more was: why was this sword intent so strong? — The world acknowledged Su Li as the strongest in the sword path, but how could she not even withstand a single strike? And this was merely the sword intent Su Li had left in the National Academy, not his actual sword!
She was no ordinary expert; she was a Rain of the Eight Directions who had stepped into the Divine Domain many years ago! She had always believed that although Su Li had also entered the Divine Domain, he had done so many years later. Even with his immense talent, in terms of realm and cultivation, he might not necessarily be her match. Yet now… she couldn’t even overcome a single strand of Su Li’s sword intent!
After shock and rage came panic. The old Daoist nun stared at that terrifying flaming sword, and a desire to retreat naturally arose from the depths of her Dao heart.
In the past, she would have continued the fierce battle. But now, having 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 the Saintess of the Heavenly Sea. He was a cold-blooded, ruthless madman—he truly dared to harbor murderous intent toward a Rain of the Eight Directions!
Countless waves surged again in the Luo River. In the snowy night, it looked like piles of shredded paper. Just before that sword intent struck again, a resentful, sharp cry rang out from the old Daoist nun in the Luo River. Her 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 residential buildings and taverns knocked down by the old Daoist nun, arriving at the Luo River’s bank as quickly as they could. By then, the place was empty—only the swirling snowflakes and the severed strands from the fly whisk remained, along with the flaming sword suspended above the Luo River.
Those strands were not willow catkins, nor snowflakes. Even the thinnest one contained terrifying power, enough to kill them easily. If that fly 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 Divine Domain!
Sensing the power within those strands, Chen Changsheng and the others instinctively looked at Xuan Yuan Po, the first to dare strike at the old Daoist nun, filled with admiration. At the same time, they wondered just how powerful this flaming sword must be to have turned that fly whisk into a plucked chicken and forced the old Daoist nun to retreat.
“What’s going on?” Tang Thirty-Six asked, staring at the burning sword in the night sky.
Earlier in the night, Chen Changsheng had sensed the sword intent from the letter paper and roughly guessed what was happening. “This is Senior Su Li’s sword,” he said.
Tang Thirty-Six’s lingering fear hadn’t subsided. He thought that if not for this sword, the National Academy would surely have been bathed in blood today. Even if the old Daoist nun, out of consideration for the National Church and the Tang clan of Wenshui, wouldn’t have gone too hard on him, Chen Changsheng, and Su Moyu, Zhe Xiu would have been utterly humiliated, and Xuan Yuan Po would have had no chance of survival.
This battle between experts, which had raged from the National Academy to the Luo River’s bank, had alarmed many.
Not long after they arrived at the Luo River’s bank, a flame descended from the night sky. Xue Xingchuan, riding the Fire Cloud Qilin, rushed over at top speed.
At the same time, the three offerings sent by the Tang clan of Wenshui to the capital finally appeared in the night, encircling 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 it curiously.
The sound of hooves like a rainstorm echoed through the streets and alleys—likely the National Church cavalry and the Imperial Guard were rushing over.
Xue Xingchuan looked at the collapsed Luo River embankment and the vast area of ruined taverns and residences, his expression grim. “What happened?” he asked.
“Infinite Green came,” Tang Thirty-Six said.
A Rain of the Eight Directions had infiltrated the capital? Xue Xingchuan’s expression shifted slightly. Then he looked at the great burning sword above the Luo River, and his expression changed again. With his realm, 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 level, 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 Infinite Green would harm you?”
This was what the old Daoist nun couldn’t understand before her defeat, and what Chen Changsheng still hadn’t figured out.
He had originally thought that Senior Su Li had entrusted Xu Yourong with two letters for him. The one to be burned after reading was meant to help him comprehend sword intent, while the one now in his bosom was a life-saving talisman. But now it seemed that Su Li’s instruction to burn the first letter to ashes had a deeper meaning.
By using natural fire to ignite the sword’s spirit, the Sky-Scorching Sword’s intent would unleash its greatest power. But how had Su Li determined when to manifest this sword intent? Was it triggered by Xuan Yuan Po’s earlier reckless courage, or had he truly calculated Infinite 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 Prefecture. People began clearing the site, aiding the wounded, and moving sand and stone to stabilize the collapsed Luo River embankment. The area grew lively, and the Sky-Scorching Sword in the night sky dimmed its light, becoming hard to see.
Xue Xingchuan still stared at that spot in the night sky.
Chen Changsheng and the others also stared at it.
It seemed this matter would end here, 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.
And indeed, 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, and the night-time capital seemed to turn to day.
The officials and soldiers working hard on the ruins and the embankment looked up in shock, wondering what was happening.
The Sky-Scorching Sword burned and grew. 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, soldiers, and awakened citizens by the Luo River let out countless cries of astonishment at the burning giant sword in the sky.
The Sky-Scorching Sword blazed fiercely.
No more snowflakes could fall from the clouds, nor rain, nor even mist.
The clouds in the night sky were burned clean away by the fire, gradually revealing the stars behind them.
Xue Xingchuan’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. He let out a sharp cry toward the palace as a warning, then leaped onto the Fire Cloud Qilin’s back 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. Chen Changsheng couldn’t understand either. Because no matter how high Su Li’s sword cultivation was—even if he could calculate the Heavenly Mind with his sword—it was impossible for him to predict the movements of a Divine 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 Chen Changsheng burned after reading was the strongest.
The old Daoist nun came to the National Academy. Xuan Yuan Po’s iron sword awakened the sword intent in the ashes, and that sword intent then drove the old Daoist nun back.
Yes, it was incidental—by the way, in passing, just a convenient act.
Even as a Rain of the Eight Directions, the old Daoist nun wasn’t 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 palace, always in the palace.
That person was no ordinary being—he was a sage.
A clear cry pierced the night sky. Xue Xingchuan rode the Fire Cloud Qilin straight into the heavens, turning into a line of fire. He gripped 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 fierce wind howled, the fire line snapped, 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 heat, it soared up from the Luo River’s bank and headed toward the palace!
Watching this magnificent and spectacular scene, everyone on the ground was too stunned to make a sound.
Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six’s eyes were filled with awe and admiration. If a cultivator could reach such a realm, that would be true fulfillment, wouldn’t it?
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!
Since winter began, snow in the capital had fallen intermittently, and the clouds in the sky rarely parted. But tonight, the Sky-Scorching Sword, born from sword intent, spewed infinite light and heat toward heaven and earth. The snow clouds were instantly burned away, revealing scattered stars.
As the Sky-Scorching Sword headed toward the palace, the snow clouds scattered along its path, and stars kept appearing. The scene was beautiful—like a brushstroke painting the night sky, with countless stars lighting up one after another as the sword passed.
The stars brightening in the night sky didn’t cast their light down to the mortal world. Instead, they fell onto the Sky-Scorching Sword’s trajectory, turning into countless shining scales.
The Sky-Scorching Sword had finally become a dragon!
At this moment, the entire capital finally woke up.
Some people had never been asleep.
When the old Daoist nun walked through that alley, the Saintess of the Heavenly Sea had already awakened.
Then she ascended the steps and climbed onto 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 view 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 from 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 toward the palace.
She stood on the Sweet Dew Terrace. The fierce wind brushed her flawless face but couldn’t dispel the indifference on it; it only made her black hair flutter slightly.
With her hands behind her back, she gazed at the sword-dragon growing closer in the night sky. Her expression was calm, but a hint of gravity finally appeared in her eyes.
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(No more updates for today. Later, I’ll post an interview on WeChat—a chat with Teacher Shao Yanjun, whom I’ve long admired. It was mainly triggered by the awards ceremony at Tencent Academy I mentioned last time… Posting this does feel a bit shamelessly self-promotional, but I think that interview contains many of my true thoughts. I want everyone to know how I view writing and other matters. I want to live shamelessly with you all for many more years. If you’re interested, go take a look.)