Daoist Master of Qing Xuan - Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Unhindered Sword Aura

Sonic boom exploded through the thick white fog from time to time. The cloud then gathered together.

Shen Lian and Chao Xiaoyu had come to grip with this occurrence.

A crisp humming of blade appeared mid-air, and it then echoed through the entire surface of the lake. The groaning of the sword sounded almost unending.

Silence resumed as Chao Xiaoyu and Shen Lian remained in mid-air. The thick fog and dark sky did not block their line of gaze. The pair’s gaze turned brighter. It then condensed into a tangible substance that extended into the physical world. It hit them both with shock within the thick fog.

They were the rare strong ones. The two’s ‘shen’ surpassed the usual Huandan cultivators. They managed to reproduce the result of Chen Jianmei and monk Baoguang’s confronting gaze, that aroused a lightning-like spark at the same time. The white fog continued to spread, as though it weaved a big electric network with Shen Lian and Chao Xiaoyu in it.

“Shen Lian, there is no need for this duel to the death. The fight we had was enough. You know that if this continues, neither of us will win.”

Chao Xiaoyu spoke softly. She still treasured her life. Furthermore, there was no benefit to her to win. If it meant that Shen Lian would change his mind as she admitted her mistake and defeat, she was more than happy to do so.

She was a simple person. However, the simpler a person was, the scarier they were.

It was the same with ever-changing movements that were refined into just a few simple moves. When it was used, there was almost no stopping it. It was also hard to find flaws with it.

Shen Lian’s Dao robes fluttered. The cloud-like fog under his feet gathered and dispersed, and dispersed and gathered again. It was as though there was a spray of a tornado of airflow that made his form appeared to be at ease. However, if one noticed his facial expression, there was an unexplainable excitement on it. It filled his temperament with a sense of contradiction and complication. He borrowed the dissatisfaction from when Chao Xiaoyu trounced him in Shendu. Combined with the sword will of the grandmaster, the discontent transformed into a desire to do battle.

Finally, he was able to control the sword will and understood the prospect of taking a life.

The path of a demon did not include killing. Nevertheless, it included the tasks of freeing the world from evil spawns and the grievances of its living creatures. So why was his heart troubled? If he could kill Xiao Shiyi again, he would not give the young man in bloodied clothes the precious chance to strike.

The desire to do battle started with Chao Xiaoyi and so it should have ended with her too. Only then would Shen Lian regain his inner peace.

He had already forgotten about the worries of life and death. He only wanted to have a direct and straightforward fight for once.

Even though it involved a female opponent, this was one of the rarest moments that he vigorously desired to do battle.

Filled with confidence, Shen Lian said, “Do not think of other things. If you hold back, even slightly, all the hard work that you have put in this lifetime would be for naught.”

Chao Xiaoyu sighed softly. In an instant, her facial expression changed, visibly devoid of any emotion. She was as cold as a god as she watched from above.

She was no longer Chao Xiaoyu but a god that was worshiped by many. Like the beginning of time, she was everlasting and ascertained, maybe even indestructible.

Chao Xiaoyu waved the lotus blade in her hand and a bright light erupted from her body, as though the gods wanted to punish Shen Lian. The sword sliced through the air and the sounds of vibrating strings followed through. It sounded heavenly, just like a Buddhist chant. It was hard to determine its origin or its end.

If there was an end, it would be the blade taking Shen Lian’s life.

The Qi and spirit were so strong in this blade that it was absolutely terrifying. Even though it came in a straight line, the pressure that it produced churred through the air and squeezed down on Shen Lian. This caused his mind and spirit to vibrate as his body experienced immense pressure.

Shen Lian remained empty-handed, he did not use the Xuande sword. He chanted out loud and crossed the horizon. “Strolling the mountains of Hubei in the morning, traveling to Cangwu in the evening, the subdued green snake in my sleeves has given me courage.[1]”

His sleeves moved. Even if it was a green snake, his facial expression remained calm with a vigor that could cross the four seas.

Countless of colorful sword auras flew out from the sleeves of his robes. Colors like red, orange, yellow, white, blue, blue, purple, and black soared out like flying snakes and lingered mid-air.

Chao Xiaoyu was about to slice her blade through the air to end Shen Lian’s life when she was suddenly surrounded by sword auras that represented the sky, earth, mountain, lake, wind, thunder, water, and fire. These different types of sword auras have only one purpose, and that was to break her into pieces.

These sword auras came and went without any traces. Each of the trajectories was different too. The forms existed between shapes and shapelessness. As it changed its form, again and again, there was no real way to grasp its rules fully.

The eight Qi moved together and naturally, that caused a disruption in the flow of the surrounding. The earth and sky were like two swords that held on to the yin and yang. The vastness of the sky and the heaviness of the earth were followed by the wind, thunder, water, fire, mountain, and lake. These sword auras emerged from nothingness and managed to form a perfect Qi dynamic. Even if there was some destruction, it was still okay.

Chao Xiaoyu could not help but admired him. How talented was Shen Lian, that he was able to merge two powerful Dao techniques into a single movement? He was also able to perfectly interpret the complex theory of the evolution of the universe.

She did not let her guard down even though she admired Shen Lian. ‘If the sky stops me, then I shall break the sky. If the ground blocks me, then I shall hack it open.’ Any obstacle she faced would disappear with just a swing of her blade.

The churr in mid-air never stopped. The gleam of the blade not only lit up half of the sky, but it also highlighted Shen Lian’s features as it appeared on his face.

No matter how serene he looked, his expression showed some changes.

The gleam of the blade radiated from the sky and it suddenly blanketed the ten directions [2].

With Chao Xiaoyu at the center, the gleam of the light exploded violently, as though a round ball had burst open. Countless uniformed, fine and closely woven Qi of the blade greeted Shen Lian’s ‘Being and Non-Being of Sword Aura.’

No matter whether the sword auras were real or unreal, or whether they were shaped or shapeless, the blade’s Qi collided with the sword auras as it passed through.

Chao Xiaoyu came to her absolute consciousness at that very moment. She was able to control the sharp, decisive blow and produced countless Qi from her blade as it burst out to her surroundings.

Shen Lian’s brows furrowed. His Dao robes swayed as he reached out one hand into the mid-air and grabbed onto something. It was as if he was tightening a fist.

The sword auras that were not destroyed assembled together. With a haughty dragon roar, it spiraled in front of Shen Lian like a giant dragon.

The blade that was transformed from the lotus lost its bright light after the explosion of the blade’s Qi. It revealed the blade’s smooth body that looked like a masterpiece artwork from the divinity that many would be willing to die for.

The blade remained in front of Chao Xiaoyu and it was pointed directly at Shen Lian who remained in mid-air.

Both of their gazes met again, but it was not as intense as before. However, the level of excitement on Shen Lian’s face did not change.

His eyes were clear. His pupil spun and gradually became elliptical, like a sharp little sword. The blade gleamed with a biting cold sword will. Following his spiritual consciousness, it exploded toward Chao Xiaoyu.

That was the Deity Vanquishing Sword that Shen Lian had not used for a long time. Furthermore, this Dao technique had also undergone a massive change since then.

As for Shen Lian, he wanted to change his method to settle the score with Chao Xiaoyu finally.

[1] 朝游北海暮苍梧,袖里青蛇胆气粗 is a verse taken from The Three Drunk Times in Yueyang (岳阳三醉), a music composition for the qin. It sounds way cooler in the original text.

[2] 十方上下 The ten directions (north, south, east, west, northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest, above and below)