Chapter 85: The Straight Sword
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Guan Bai had given his statement, and now it was up to Chen Changsheng to decide whether to accept it.
For him, this was indeed a rather troublesome issue. In many people’s eyes, at the very least, he should not make a move today.
Guan Bai was not an ordinary Star Gathering realm initial-stage cultivator who had once been defeated by his sword; he was a true master of the sword, with a realm and cultivation far above Chen Changsheng’s. More importantly, Guan Bai, for reasons unknown, had been severely wounded and had lost his right arm. Even if, as he claimed, he had trained his left hand in swordsmanship over the past year, it was impossible for him to have regained his full strength. Even if Chen Changsheng exhausted every effort to defeat him, there would be no glory in it.
He was the future Pope. If he won, it would only invite criticism; if he lost, it would be utterly disgraceful. The best course of action was simply not to accept the challenge.
The arena fell silent. Everyone stared at Chen Changsheng, waiting for his decision. No one dared to urge him, but the quiet and those gazes themselves were a form of invisible pressure.
It was at this moment that a cold, clear voice rang out from behind the layers of white gauze: “The road is long and winding, but since you’ve already taken a step, how can you stop? As long as you keep walking, you’ll reach your destination one day. There’s no need to worry about early or late, and even less need to care about victory or defeat. Why let the world’s praise or blame disturb your heart? Can you still not see this clearly now?”
In the world today, fewer than ten people could speak to Chen Changsheng in such a tone. Among those present, only the Heaven Mechanism Elder and… Xu Yourong had that qualification.
The speaker was Xu Yourong. Her voice could be described as cold and clear, or even indifferent, carrying no overt emotion.
Many people followed the sound of her voice, turning their gazes toward the layers of white gauze on the high platform, looking at the faint, elusive silhouette. Strange emotions stirred in their hearts, as the atmosphere in the arena grew somewhat peculiar.
Xu Yourong’s words seemed like encouragement, but if interpreted from another angle, they were more like provocation, even mockery.
Realizing this, many people sighed inwardly, thinking that even the Saintess, with her enlightened heart, still harbored some resentment after suffering the humiliation of a broken engagement in the capital.
The members of the Li Mountain Sword Sect, however, had other thoughts upon hearing this.
Guan Feibai looked at Gou Hanshi with some uncertainty and said, “Judging by the junior sister’s reaction… does the senior brother still have a chance?”
Gou Hanshi had thoroughly studied the Daoist scriptures, but he was truly at a loss when it came to matters like this.
At this moment, the only one present who truly understood the situation was Tang Thirty-Six. He looked at the expressions on people’s faces and the movements of the Li Mountain Sword Sect, curling his lips into a cold, mocking smile. He thought to himself, “You people have no idea about the pretentiousness and unique display of affection between this young couple.”
People thought Xu Yourong’s words were meant to mock Chen Changsheng.
Tang Thirty-Six knew they weren’t, and Chen Changsheng himself certainly knew even better. He understood her meaning.
Cultivation required constant tempering; progress demanded continuous challenges. Victory and defeat were unimportant, and praise or blame were even more irrelevant.
If he wanted to break through to a new realm, he needed to learn to ignore all of this and return to the essence of cultivation.
—Gaining insight through life, surpassing ordinary perception through battle, and obtaining powerful spiritual strength through the ultimate pressure of life and death.
He did not look toward her behind the white gauze. Instead, he looked at the hot mist deep in the lake’s center. Finally, he withdrew his gaze and fixed it on Guan Bai, who stood in the arena.
The lake breeze gently brushed by, stirring up dust between the stone slabs, carrying away the empty sleeve and the hem of his robe.
He walked into the arena and came before Guan Bai.
This was the first time many people had seen him up close.
People discovered that the legendary Chen Changsheng was not particularly handsome, but his features were very clean, carrying a hint of youthful greenness.
Standing there, he was like a fresh spring breeze, naturally exuding an air of detachment from the mundane world.
Murmurs of admiration and praise arose from the crowd.
Guan Bai was very calm. He said nothing more, took the long sword from his waist, held it in his hand, and raised it before him in the air.
He now had only one hand—how could he draw the sword?
His hand slowly moved upward to the hilt. His fingers tightened slightly with force, gripping it firmly.
Accompanied by a pleasant scraping sound, the scabbard slowly slid off, revealing the bright blade.
This scene was beautiful to behold.
It was like tens of acres of green moss on the lake surface being slowly rolled up and carried away by a great wind.
Even more so, it resembled a battle-hardened general on the yellow sands, slowly and firmly removing his armor, revealing his powerful, muscular body.
This was doffing armor.
Doffing armor did not always mean returning to the fields; it could also mark the beginning of a grand battle.
Or rather, it signaled a battle that would return to the essence, even carrying a touch of naivety.
This battle was free from any external influences—no factional interests, no stakes or wagers. It was a pure fight.
It was about comparing strength, contending for victory or defeat, and seeking exhilaration.
With the simple act of drawing the sword, Guan Bai laid bare his intent and fighting spirit.
Many people’s eyes lit up.
Especially cultivators like Guan Feibai.
Who wouldn’t love such a battle?
Even Tang Thirty-Six felt his body heat up. Subconsciously, he walked toward the arena, coming to stand near the Li Mountain Sword Sect members, wanting to be closer to the fight.
Only Zhe Xiu showed no reaction, still wearing an indifferent expression, showing no interest—contrary to what the world imagined, he actually didn’t like fighting. In his view, the purpose of battle was to kill the enemy. Matters like victory, defeat, and exhilaration were too much like the saying “Why don’t they eat meat?”
The next moment, the fighting spirit that had just been stirred in the watching crowd quickly vanished without a trace.
The light in Guan Feibai’s and others’ eyes disappeared instantly, replaced by shock or frustration.
Because a sword intent had appeared at the peak of the Cold Mountain.
This sword intent came from the sword in Guan Bai’s hand, from his brows and eyes, from his tightly bound black hair, from his empty sleeve, and from every part of his body.
This sword intent was utterly chilling, utterly sharp. The gravel and grass clippings that had been shattered by Liang Banhu and Guan Feibai’s swords were now crushed into even finer particles.
The lake water and lake breeze that had been severed and then restored were cut apart again, appearing with countless cracks, and for a moment, they couldn’t even recover. The scene looked somewhat mystical.
Such a powerful sword intent! Even the proud and confident Guan Feibai and Tang Thirty-Six had to admit that they were no match for this sword intent.
A gasp of surprise rose from the crowd, then quickly gave way to even deeper silence.
All eyes fell on Guan Bai, filled with shock and reverence.
No wonder he was a strong figure on the Carefree List and a great name from the Heavenly Academy. Though Guan Bai had lost an arm and his strength was severely impaired, his realm had not declined—in fact, his understanding of the sword path had advanced even further!
Just as Xu Yourong had said to Chen Changsheng earlier, opportunities often come from setbacks, and breakthroughs often arise from trials of life and death.
Last year in the capital, because of the miserable encounter with that wild dog in the alley, Guan Bai had refused to let that old Daoist nun leave. Then he had suffered the greatest humiliation and blow of his life.
He left the capital, secluded himself in a remote mountain village, spent half a year healing the wound on his severed arm, and then began quiet contemplation.
By the stream at the foot of the cliff, beside the pond behind the farmhouse, he thought calmly and seriously for a long time.
He confirmed that he had done nothing wrong that night. Even if he had been a mere child of five or six who couldn’t cultivate, rather than the Carefree List powerhouse he was then, he would still have stepped forward.
Because this matter was right, it was what should be done. So why bother, why care who that old Daoist nun was? Why regret it?
No, there was no regret.
Guan Bai didn’t know that the question he had figured out by the stream and the pond had been pondered many years ago by a man named Wang Po in the wilderness of Tianliang Commandery.
After Wang Po figured out this question, he finally attained his own blade path.
Although this blade path was still far from being as powerful and terrifying as Zhou Dufu’s blade path, in terms of realm and meaning, it was already qualified to be mentioned in the same breath.
This blade path was called Straight.
Guan Bai figured out this question, and from then on, he had his own sword path, also called Straight.
That day, the maple leaves covered the mountains by the stream, and the cicadas fell silent by the pond. His sword path was perfected.
…
…
Chen Changsheng felt Guan Bai’s sword intent and was filled with admiration.
He regarded Wang Po as his idol—how could he not love such a sword intent?
Moreover, he vaguely knew what had happened to Guan Bai in the capital last year.
He admired the other’s ability to recover from a severed arm and severe injury in just one year, and even surpass his former sword realm. He admired even more the reason for his injury.
For such a person, such a sword intent, how could he respond? Naturally, it could only be with Straightness.
With a roar, the snowfield within his body began to burn violently, transforming into countless true essence elements, which traveled through his narrow meridians to every part of his body.
His body left a trail of afterimages on the stone platform, turning into a straight line as he arrived before Guan Bai and thrust his sword.
This sword was incomparably straight.