Chapter 591: The Straight Sword
Guan Bai had stated his position. Now it was up to Chen Changsheng to decide whether to accept it.
For him, this was indeed a troublesome issue. In the eyes of many, at the very least, he should not make a move today.
Guan Bai was not one of those ordinary Star Condensation Initial Realm cultivators who had fallen to his sword. He was a true master of the sword, his cultivation realm far above Chen Changsheng's. More importantly, Guan Bai had been severely wounded for some unknown reason, losing 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 recovered 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 watched Chen Changsheng, waiting for his decision. No one dared to urge him, but the silence and those gazes themselves were a form of invisible pressure.
It was at this moment that a clear, cold voice rang out from behind the layers of white gauze: "The road ahead is long and winding, but since you have already taken a step, how can you stop? As long as you keep walking, you will reach your destination one day. There is no need to worry about early or late, even less need to care about victory or defeat. Why let the world's praise or blame disturb your heart? Can you not see this clearly even now?"
There were fewer than ten people in the world who could speak to Chen Changsheng in such a tone. Among those present, only the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets and... Xu Yourong had that qualification.
The speaker was Xu Yourong. Her voice could be described as clear and cold, or even indifferent, carrying no overt emotion.
Many people turned their gazes toward the layers of white gauze on the high platform, toward the faint, elusive silhouette behind them. A strange feeling stirred in their hearts, because the atmosphere in the arena had become somewhat peculiar.
Xu Yourong's words seemed like encouragement, but from another angle, they could be interpreted as provocation, even mockery.
Realizing this, many people sighed inwardly. Even the Saintess, with her enlightened heart, still harbored some resentment after suffering the humiliation of being rejected in marriage in the capital.
The disciples of Li Mountain Sword Sect, however, had other thoughts.
Guan Feibai looked at Gou Hanshi uncertainly and said, "Judging by Junior Sister's reaction... does Senior Brother still have a chance?"
Gou Hanshi had read through the Daoist canon, but he was truly at a loss when it came to matters of the heart.
At this moment, the only person present who truly understood the situation was Tang Thirty-Six. Watching the expressions on people's faces and the reactions from the Li Mountain Sword Sect, he curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile. You people have no idea how these two lovebirds show their affection in their own twisted way.
People thought Xu Yourong's words were a mockery of Chen Changsheng.
Tang Thirty-Six knew they were not. Chen Changsheng himself certainly knew it even better. He understood her meaning.
Cultivation required constant tempering. Progress demanded constant challenges. Victory and defeat were unimportant; praise and 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.
— To gain insight through life, to obtain perception beyond the ordinary through battle, to acquire powerful spiritual strength through the ultimate pressure of life and death.
He did not look toward her behind the white gauze. Instead, he looked toward the hot mist deep in the lake. Finally, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Guan Bai standing in the arena.
The lake breeze brushed gently, stirring up dust between the stone slabs, fluttering his empty sleeve and the hem of his robe.
He walked into the arena and stood before Guan Bai.
This was the first time many people had seen him up close.
They noticed that the legendary Chen Changsheng was not particularly handsome, but his features were very clean, still 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 rose from the crowd.
Guan Bai was very calm. He said nothing more. He took the long sword from his waist, gripped 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 knuckles tightened slightly as he gripped it firmly.
Accompanied by a pleasant scraping sound, the scabbard slowly slid down, revealing the bright blade.
It was a beautiful sight.
It was like acres of moss on the lake surface being slowly rolled up by a strong wind and then carried away.
Even more, it was like a general who had fought bloody battles in the desert, slowly and resolutely removing his armor, revealing his powerful body.
This was doffing armor.
Doffing armor did not always mean returning to the fields. It could also be the beginning of a grand battle.
Or rather, this would be a battle that returned to the essence, even carrying a touch of naivety.
This battle was free from any external influence. There were no entanglements of factional interests, no stakes or wagers. It was simply a pure battle.
It was about comparing strength, contending for victory or defeat, and seeking exhilaration.
With the simple act of drawing his sword, Guan Bai laid bare his intent and his 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. He subconsciously walked toward the arena, coming to stand beside the Li Mountain Sword Sect disciples, wanting to be closer to the battle.
Only Zhe Xiu showed no reaction. His expression remained indifferent, utterly uninterested. Unlike what the world imagined, he did not actually enjoy fighting. In his view, the purpose of battle was to kill the enemy. Victory, defeat, exhilaration—these were luxuries for those who had never known true hardship.
The next moment, the fighting spirit that had just been stirred in the spectators quickly vanished.
The light in Guan Feibai's eyes and others' instantly disappeared, replaced by shock or frustration.
Because a sword intent had appeared at the summit of 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, from every part of his body.
This sword intent was immensely grim, immensely 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 to their original state were severed again, appearing with countless cracks. And for a moment, they could not recover, creating a wondrous sight.
Such 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.
Gasps rose from the crowd, followed by an even deeper silence.
All eyes fell on Guan Bai, filled with shock and reverence.
No wonder he was a powerhouse on the Carefree List, a famous name from the Heavenly Academy. Even with one arm severed and his strength severely impaired, his realm had not declined. On the contrary, his understanding of the sword 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 tragic 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 to meditate in stillness.
By the stream at the foot of the cliff, by the pond behind the farmhouse, he calmly and seriously thought for a long time.
He confirmed that he had done nothing wrong that night. Even if he were not already a powerhouse on the Carefree List, but still a child of five or six who could not cultivate, he would still have stepped forward.
Because this matter was right, it was something that should be done. So why bother, why care who that old Daoist nun was? Why regret it?
No, no regrets.
Guan Bai did not 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 Dao of the Blade.
Although this Dao of the Blade was still far from being as powerful and terrifying as Zhou Dufu's, in terms of realm and meaning, it was already qualified to be mentioned in the same breath.
This Dao of the Blade was called Straight.
Guan Bai figured out this question, and from then on, he also had his own Dao of the Sword, also called Straight.
That day, the maple leaves covered the mountains by the stream, and the cicadas fell silent by the pond. His sword Dao was complete.
...
...
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 this kind of sword intent?
Moreover, he vaguely knew what had happened to Guan Bai in the capital back then.
He admired the fact that Guan Bai could recover from a severed arm and severe injury in just one year, and even surpass his previous sword realm. He admired even more the reason for Guan Bai's injury.
Such a man, such a sword intent—how could he repay it? Naturally, only with Straight.
With a roar, the snowfield within his body began to burn violently, transforming into countless true essence, which was transported through his narrow meridians to every part of his body.
His body dragged an afterimage across the stone platform, turning into a straight line as he arrived before Guan Bai and thrust his sword.
This sword was incomparably straight.