Chapter 654: Moonlight of the Past
From Xunyang City to the Ten Thousand Willows Garden, Zhu Luo had suffered two consecutive blows, no longer at his peak. Yet when he drew his sword, he remained a powerhouse of the Divine Domain, with wind and rain naturally following in his wake.
Tonight’s torrential rain had lasted a long time, and even now, much rainwater still flowed down from the hills. These waters converged into the white shallow channels, gradually turning murky.
Suddenly, the turbid channel water turned pure white, like snowflakes.
This was not due to purification, but to the refraction of light.
An exceptionally bright and pure radiance appeared above the Celestial Book Mound.
This radiance came from the sword in Zhu Luo’s hand.
Then, in the night sky where clouds had scattered and stars emerged, a patch of pure white light appeared. Everyone knew it was illusory, yet it looked utterly real.
Zhu Luo’s sword slashed toward the Celestial Book Mound.
A beam of moonlight followed suit.
Simultaneously, another beam of moonlight arose in the night sky.
The water in the shallow channels became dazzlingly bright, a white that stung the eyes.
The divine path paved with white jade was also illuminated, becoming snow-white.
A sword intent, two beams of moonlight, one rising and the other following, surged like a tide.
This was the strongest sword technique Zhu Luo had comprehended hundreds of years ago after seeing the demon moon on the extreme northern snow plains.
It was with this technique that he had directly slain the Second Demon General of that era, establishing his unparalleled reputation thereafter.
Tonight was his final night, and this sword was presumably his final strike, so naturally, it would be his strongest.
The entire Celestial Book Mound was bathed in moonlight. For this unparalleled powerhouse of Tianliang Commandery to push his sword intent to such a realm while still severely injured was truly awe-inspiring.
Yet... such a powerful and exquisite sword strike failed to even enter the divine path, let alone reach the peak of the Celestial Book Mound.
Just as the two beams of moonlight rose with the sword intent, another light suddenly burst forth above the Celestial Book Mound.
This light was brighter, purer, and more murderous than the moonlight Zhu Luo had brought.
It was also a sword light.
A sword light like wind and snow, within an extremely short time, enveloped the world above the divine path.
The two immensely powerful sword intents met.
The water in the shallow channels leaped as if boiling, spraying countless crystalline droplets into the night sky, only to be cleaved in two.
Countless straight sword scars appeared on the hard black stone pavement, cutting deep into the ground, several feet in depth.
Countless shrill sounds of cutting filled heaven and earth, appearing exceptionally terrifying.
Would the two beams of moonlight dispel the wind and snow, or would the wind and snow ultimately shroud the moonlight?
An extremely harsh sound of metal breaking rang out!
The wind and snow raged, the moonlight in the night sky was shattered into fragments, and the moonlight before the divine path also annihilated into nothingness!
Zhu Luo’s figure suddenly dissipated.
The next moment, he returned to before his wheelchair.
His face was very pale, and the sword in his hand had broken.
His graying hair fluttered lightly in the night wind, with a few strands occasionally breaking off.
He had struck this sword at the Celestial Book Mound with the determination to die, utterly resolute, so naturally, he would not choose to retreat.
He had been forced back directly by that sword intent like wind and snow.
The Saintess of Heavenly Sea had not yet acted. Whose sword intent was so powerful?
Zhu Luo’s body trembled slightly, as if the next moment, he would be blown down by the night wind.
The Stargazer glanced at him.
Zhu Luo slowly shook his head, slowly sheathed the broken sword, and slowly raised his head to look ahead.
He could have made these movements more graceful, but he did not. He only performed them very seriously and slowly, because he knew this was the last time he would sheathe his sword.
That sword intent like wind and snow gradually dissipated, vaguely revealing the scene above the divine path. A pavilion could be seen there.
Someone was sitting in the pavilion.
Zhu Luo looked over and said with emotion, "I never expected you to have become this strong."
With a soft sound, the front of his robe split open, revealing a clear and deep wound, from which blood slowly seeped.
"Two years ago, Xun Mei sought death in pursuit of the Dao, which moved me. That night, I decided to break through the realm. From then on, I have been this strong."
An ancient voice sounded from above the pavilion.
The voice came from within armor, as if the dust and rust on the armor’s surface had imbued it with the flavor of time.
As the voice fell, dust began to rise, followed by the sound of metal scraping.
Then, the pavilion collapsed, raising a great cloud of dust, within which a mountain-like figure loomed, faintly visible.
Having sat in this pavilion for over six hundred years, he finally stood up tonight.
He was the Guardian of the Celestial Book Mound.
The continent’s number one divine general, Han Qing.
...
...
Watching the collapsed pavilion and the figure in the dust, the people were shocked, their expressions becoming extremely solemn.
The powerhouses who had come to the Celestial Book Mound would never forget the existence of this legendary figure. However, people had grown accustomed to seeing him as a statue or a symbol.
Having guarded the mound for over six hundred years, the continent’s number one divine general, Han Qing, had earned the respect of the entire world. Even the Eight Winds and Rains dared not underestimate him.
Everyone knew that if not for his oath to guard the mound, he might have entered the Divine Domain many years ago.
Yet tonight, they learned that he had already broken through the realm long ago!
He stood before the divine path, holding the scabbard in his left hand and a military sword in his right. Though alone, he seemed like a thousand troops and ten thousand horses.
"Before Emperor Taizong returned to the Star Sea, you swore an oath never to enter the Divine in this life."
Zhu Luo ignored the deepening wound on his chest and abdomen, staring at Han Qing as he spoke. "Now that you have broken your oath, how will you face the Emperor in the future?"
Apart from Divine Domain powerhouses like Zhu Luo, the Stargazer, and Bie Yanghong, no one knew of this matter, nor did they understand why Emperor Taizong, on his deathbed, had made Han Qing swear such an oath.
Even the head of the Qiushan family seemed unaware of the details, wearing a contemplative expression.
Han Qing remained silent, not answering Zhu Luo’s words. The shadow of his helmet obscured his face, making it impossible to tell what expression lay beneath.
"The old people, the old oaths—none of it matters anymore."
Zhu Luo said with emotion, "That’s right. Even I broke my Starry Sky Oath in Xunyang City and struck at Wang Po, so how can I hold you to a higher standard?"
After saying this, he slowly sat back into his wheelchair and then slowly closed his eyes.
The blood seeping from the wound on his chest and abdomen suddenly began to change color, becoming crystalline, as if mixed with many fragments of gemstones.
The crystalline blood dissolved upon meeting the night wind, turning into countless rays of light.
His body also turned into countless rays of light, like the brightness on the demon snow plains hundreds of years ago.
The light was gradually scattered by the night wind, drifting in all directions until it vanished without a trace.
Only an empty wheelchair remained.
...
...
Zhu Luo was dead.
Regardless of how the world judged him, especially after that rainy night in Xunyang City, he was ultimately a great figure of the continent.
Though he had suffered two crushing defeats at the hands of the Southern Holy Maiden and Su Li, he was still a supreme powerhouse of the Divine Domain, a Grandmaster of humanity.
In his youth, he had ventured north to the snow plains several times, achieving great merits. He was skilled in poetry and fond of wine, extremely dashing, and an idol to many.
After all, he was the Sect Master of the Heartless Sect, the Lord of Tianliang Commandery, and one of the Eight Winds and Rains.
Under normal circumstances, the death of such a great figure would surely shake the entire continent.
Tonight, however, his death seemed rather ordinary.
This was not only because his death appeared too plain, but also because, when people witnessed his death, their emotional reactions were not particularly exaggerated.
This meant that everyone had a vague psychological preparation—such things would continue to happen, such scenes would continue to appear.
There would inevitably be more Divine Domain powerhouses falling.
It was just unknown whether it would be the Eight Winds and Rains or the sage atop the Celestial Book Mound.
Tonight was indeed a very terrifying night.
...
...
With a clatter.
The scabbard in Han Qing’s hand fell to his feet, splashing a bit of rainwater.
The murky water in the channel leaped up in response, then fell back, returning to stillness, daring not to move.
Two deep gazes, from the darkness within the armor, swept across the surroundings of the Celestial Book Mound.
A voice also came from the darkness within the armor, spreading to the surroundings of the Celestial Book Mound.
"Those who ascend the divine path shall die."
This was the instruction the Saintess of Heavenly Sea had given Chen Changsheng before leading him to the peak of the Celestial Book Mound.
Silence fell. No one spoke.
The Stargazer silently stared at the empty wheelchair. His bamboo hat had been removed at some point, revealing his plain, unremarkable face.
Bie Yanghong’s expression was very solemn. Wu Qiongbi stood beside him, the horsetail whisk resting in the crook of her arm now hanging down to her waist. Her hand gripped it tightly, faintly showing white.
Although Zhu Luo was severely injured and not yet healed, he was still one of the Eight Winds and Rains.
And if what Han Qing said was true, he had only entered the Divine Domain two years ago. In theory, his understanding and mastery of the principles of heaven and earth should be far inferior to Zhu Luo’s.
Yet, with just one sword, he had slain Zhu Luo.
This fact was hard for them to accept, weighing heavily on their hearts.
But no matter how hard to accept, it had already happened. What needed to be done would ultimately have to continue.
The three Winds and Rains had faintly sensed that the Saintess of Heavenly Sea’s divine soul had gone elsewhere. What stood atop the Celestial Book Mound now was only her physical body. Moreover, she had just fallen in realm due to reversing fate for Chen Changsheng and had suffered a spiritual shock from the fact that Chen Changsheng was not Crown Prince Zhaoming. This was arguably her weakest moment in over two hundred years.
This meant that now was the most likely time to defeat Her Holiness.
They could not miss this opportunity.
To ascend the divine path and engage the Saintess of Heavenly Sea in battle, they first had to defeat Divine General Han Qing before the divine path.
Moreover, though others did not know, they were well aware of Han Qing’s greatest secret. They even wanted Han Qing dead more than anything.
From Wu Qiongbi’s expression, she appeared very tense. Occasionally, a flicker of fear passed through her eyes, but it was ultimately replaced by madness.
In the Saintess of Heavenly Sea’s eyes, she was foolish, incompetent, and nearly idiotic. But she was, after all, a powerhouse of the Divine Domain. A temporary setback to her Dao heart could not fully affect her state of mind.
"Han Qing must be injured. This is our chance," she said sharply to Bie Yanghong. "Go now!"
The small flower on her pinky finger swayed gently, carrying its own rhythm, shaping the night wind into a pleasing form.
Bie Yanghong remained silent, not heeding his wife’s words.
The rain had long stopped. The clouds parted, revealing the stars. Suddenly, the countless stars in the sky seemed to brighten slightly.
It gave one the feeling that the stars were closer to the ground.
Beside the wheelchair, the Stargazer’s figure was no longer there. Only a bamboo hat lay in the rainwater.
The countless stars, both real and illusory, descended upon the Celestial Book Mound, swirling with that figure toward where Han Qing stood.
Han Qing slightly raised his head. His face, hidden by his helmet for over six hundred years, was finally illuminated by starlight.
It was an incredibly aged face.