Chapter 323: Sword Mourning (Part II)

Pei Ye did not even catch this blade; in truth, even if he had seen it, the youth would have been unable to react at all.

Zhanxin Liuli swept over, dashing against the blade with a crisp sound, and the black-robed figure's posture tilted instantly. Upon the sword's body, those cloud-white true Qi grew even more dense.

The next moment, a second sword intent rose from the body of the Autumn Water sword.

The very moment the first sword ended, he initiated the second stance as if no one else were present. The woman had once said that within two hundred miles, as long as Zhanxin Liuli was by his side, a Grandmaster of the Mystic Gate's second rank could not harm him. Pei Ye absolutely believed this.

He was not gambling on whether the strength of the person before him was already below the Mystic Gate's second rank; it was simply that at this very moment, he was the only one who could suppress this person for even a second longer.

Once this person caught their breath, it would be a slaughter for everyone present.

The woman seemed to be already at the edge of the sky outside the city. After Zhanxin Liuli struck back the long blade with one sword, it made a sharp, drifting turn and, with astonishing speed, stabbed once more toward the black robe's throat.

This brought an unexpected surprise to the youth. He had already seen the impact that a single intent-sword could have on the person before him—though it lasted only an instant, he believed it was a gap that Zhanxin Liuli could attempt to seize!

Snow Night Falling Fate—

But the black robe recognized this extremely perilous situation faster than he did.

While feeling the force transmitted from the blade, facing the youth who was raising his sword, he opened his left hand, which had been kept in a loose grip.

A hazy, amber-like quality lit up—the Soul-Taking Bead.

Pei Ye stiffened abruptly. With his sword move only half-executed, his body fell down in a chaotic mess.

The black robe immediately gritted his teeth and held his blade horizontally, blocking the incoming Zhanxin Liuli with all his might. A surging Mystic Qi pressed against the blade's surface and struck straight into his chest. Bones cracked, blood burst forth, and the Mystic Qi around his body scattered in disorder, like shattered glass.

But that was only for this single move.

No matter how one looked at it, the person had already reached his limit, but now, the only thing left to fight him was a single Zhanxin Liuli.

It was not enough to fill the offensive.

With a "Yueque" body, as long as he wasn't beaten into a broken remnant like Xiang Minggao in one breath, as long as there was a chance to catch his breath, the great cycle of heaven and earth would flow, and the Mystic Qi would once again support his body.

They had already exhausted everything to hold this breath; now, who else could fill in this sword?

Pei Ye had already regained his senses in the air, but that black figure was already in a place that "Snow Night Falling Fate" could hardly touch.

Within the manor, the bright white Mystic Array had been operating in the mist for a long time; at this moment, it finally hung with a light that spanned the sky.

The black robe flicked his long blade. The moment his figure tilted toward that side, a heaven-startling wave suddenly crashed open in the void.

Pei Ye did not know how to describe the scene appearing before his eyes; for a moment, all the incredible things he had ever seen were strung together by a single sword in his heart.

The void, clear and limpid, with rain like silk in the night sky, seemed to be suddenly lifted away like a curtain.

Thoroughly and truly, it came into being from nothingness. The clear void first carved out a shape, and then all substance climbed and filled it out.

In the quiet, rainy night sky, a scene of astonishing impact and indescribable brilliance grew.

A bright sword, violent rage, flying hair, and fluttering lapels.

Behind the young swordsman, it was as if another world had exploded. Without prelude or accumulation, he appeared, carrying the peak of a mountain collapsing and a sea roaring; an invisible wave of Qi exploded for thirty zhang!

"Collapsing Snow," Third Chapter: 【Obscurity and Brightness】.

Meng Li's face was cast like iron and stone, his eyes burning like red embers. He did not know how long he had waited in the void, how long he had suppressed himself, until this moment, when he poured everything out toward the person before him!

The long sword pierced straight into the heart.

Time seemed to stand still.

Because this scene was frozen in the air.

At the moment the sword tip pierced the black robe's body, the young man was completely solidified in the air.

The Playmaster slowly gripped the blade before him. Behind the play-mask, a pair of cold, lonely eyes finally revealed a trace of relief for the first time.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist," he whispered with a light laugh, his voice hoarse with the scent of blood.

Placing his life on a fishhook to be toyed with, being forced into a true dead end by a group of people cultivating pulse-binding—all of it was just for the person before him.

This was his third goal.

Pei Ye and Wu Dong's hearts fell to the bottom of the valley simultaneously.

So he had never entered a true dead end; he had simply kept his final strength for the place he wanted to use it.

Now, the edge of the sky was pitch black, without a trace of snow-white cloud Qi. Before Ming Qitian arrived, he could at least easily kill everyone except Pei Ye.

That strange, cold play-mask swept past lightly. A heavy suffocation gripped Pei Ye's nose and mouth. He immediately gripped the sword hilt tightly and looked around.

But the next moment, leaving only a silent laugh, he stumbled slightly into the fluorescent light.

Pei Ye was stunned for a moment.

The next moment, his heart loosened abruptly—to lure out this swordsman, he had also truly paid the price of a very heavy injury.

The youth's previous words and the highly aggressive "Heart-Slicing Zhanxin Liuli" had indeed put pressure on him. This devil, having achieved his goal, decided to leave.

Of course, that was good. Pei Ye gasped for a breath. The battle with this person was an abrupt, unprovoked disaster; he still didn't know how this battle had started, or who everyone present actually was.

Especially since he had been worrying about the young girl's safety—she was already burdened by heart-sickness, unlike himself who had healed by drinking dragon blood. In this unknown environment and dangerous battle, the anxiety he felt for her was like the feeling of a young girl watching an old man fight desperately.

Now, seeing this person decide to leave—even if he had achieved his goal, Pei Ye let out a heavy sigh of relief in his heart.

However, of course, restraint did not mean reconciliation. They didn't have to risk their lives to get close to this person again. Pei Ye pointed his fingers, and Zhanxin Liuli swept away again.

Only this one sword was indeed unable to harm the person, but even as an escort before leaving, it was better than nothing. As the matter drew to a close, Pei Ye subconsciously turned his head to look for that figure he had been worrying about.

His whole body stiffened abruptly. The youth suddenly lunged forward like a madman, and a hoarse, distorted sound roared from his throat.

"—Li Piaoqing!!!"

Li Piaoqing trembled slightly as she crossed a broken wall. That falling bloody shadow entered her field of vision, and all the sounds in her ears seemed to have vanished.

The pale bones among the dust and bricks were so glaring that they made her unable to breathe.

Dark red blood spread out from beneath the body, floating with some tiny bits of viscera, like a strange, gorgeous little pool.

The body was deformed, the skin on the abdomen was torn open, and the shapes of some organs were exposed.

An old, yellowed book had fallen out from the old man's embrace, scattering away stained with blood, but the sword was still gripped tightly in his hand.

The old man's head faced the other way, motionless, leaving her only the back of his head, covered in white hair and blood stains.

Seeing a close relative in such a miserable state, the young girl found it hard to sort out what was going on in her mind.

A blurred, hoarse sound echoed in her mind. Li Piaoqing felt a life-threatening pain. It took her two breaths to react—it was the heart poison burning fiercely once again.

The old man had indeed been injured to the limit; he made no reaction to the young girl's footsteps a few zhang away. Li Piaoqing looked at this scene with a cold body.

Yes, as a Grandmaster, the old man was still alive, and indeed could survive, but his life... was already running out. Li Piaoqing did not know how much this injury would burn down this candle that was about to go out; she only saw that her last close relative was rapidly moving away from her.

Amidst all the indescribable emotional shocks, the most vivid was an anger that had nowhere to come from.

Why?!!!

In her tears, which were almost breaking her down, the young girl seemed to feel a betrayal.

They had clearly agreed to hide in the back, clearly agreed to accompany her well for these two years, clearly agreed to teach her how to be a good Sect Leader. These days in Xiangzhou had been full of dangers, but the young girl had truly been very happy.

Fighting back-to-back with the young man she loved, gradually understanding everything about him, and being slowly accepted by everything around him... and all the innocence and recklessness of these days actually came from this figure who always tolerated her infinitely.

She knew the old man was waiting for her in Bowang; she was looking forward to reporting her achievements after victory, hoping for the development this would bring to Cuiyu.

She had never thought that she would so suddenly face such a scene.

She walked forward slowly and stiffly, until she saw more details of this body, and her heart was struck hard again by a cold, heavy hammer.

An arm that was completely shattered.

It had already left the shoulder, white bones glaring, flesh and blood blurred.

Tears could no longer be restrained. She opened her mouth wide, her mind blank, and strode toward the old man. At this moment, fear and all other emotions became fuel for her anger. In her collapse, she just wanted to rush over and ask him why he had to do this!

To her, he was her last close relative; to Cuiyu, he was their only Grandmaster!

Then, she saw in disbelief that the old man actually moved again.

He hadn't fainted yet, or perhaps he had just regained his senses from the heavy blow.

It wasn't that he felt her either; this mist seemed to weaken the perception of Mystic Gate cultivators. The old man struggled to support his body with a single arm, laboriously moving toward An Cang's corpse.

Li Piaoqing couldn't see his expression from behind, only that angle... he was still staring fixedly at that black robe in the sky.

He clearly... didn't even have the strength to strike a single sword!

If this body suffered any more trauma, he would definitely die completely!

Li Piaoqing almost couldn't believe her eyes. At this moment, fear overwhelmed her anger again. A hoarse sound filled her entire brain, her heart felt suffocated, and the young girl rushed forward almost regardless of everything.

Amidst such chaos and terror, she suddenly saw something on the other side of the old man.

As the old man got up, the outline in the dark mist appeared. The old man had been keeping his head turned that way, motionless; it turned out he was looking at him... it.

Qijiao Shang Huaitong.

Li Piaoqing looked blankly at his state. The face that had once been high-spirited and looked down on everything was now left with only foolishness.

He had been knocked off his wheelchair by the collapsing house, his lower body smashed into the ruins, and blood had already overflowed. His face and hair were covered in dirty blood, yet he still just stared blankly at his surroundings.

Li Piaoqing stood blankly before this scene, her heart feeling as if a piece had been gnawed away.

She suddenly lowered her head gently and saw the old book that the old man had been keeping in his arms by her feet.

"Jade Essence Interpretation."

The cover was flipped over. Naive handwriting filled the blood-stained title page, all of it sword theories recorded earnestly, stroke by stroke. In the slightly curled lower right corner were three equally naive characters.

Bai Yuliang.

Li Piaoqing suddenly knew what she had been missing all along.

For everyone, the direction of the same "hatred" is different. People cannot hate things they cannot see, nor can they hate things they do not care about.

For the young girl, she had stared fixedly at the Seven Serpents Cave with a ferocious and paranoid gaze, and from Mr. Lu's mouth, she had placed the soul-taking person under her blood-red eyes.

In countless late nights, she thought of them while wiping the lost Jade sword.

So, after that night by the lake, the heart buried under the deep poisonous pool was pierced by light, and from then on, it was suddenly enlightened.

But she forgot that after knowing the truth on this day, the old man's hatred was burning deeply.

He was the one who had pulled the boy up bit by bit since he was in open-crotch pants.

Innocent, cute, naughty, reckless, high-spirited, tenacious, diligent, responsible, bright, dashing... miserably humiliated.

The old man was in the ranks of the Mystic Gate; he was indeed at the bottom of this realm, without rare talent, without profound Mystic scriptures, and his realm had only been grinding at the first rank for many years.

But just like this, could he lightly treat a Seven-Life cultivator, who could be pressed to death with one finger, as the final murderer who killed the boy?

But just like this, could that high-and-mighty Joy-Huan Si Lou treat his beloved disciple as material without any scruples?!

Countless times of self-reproach and pain, the poisonous flames burning in the old man's heart had always been directed at this shadow.

Suddenly, everything went quiet. Li Piaoqing looked blankly at the old man's figure not far away, and those chaotic, fiery emotions all quietly dissipated.

The old man was still a bit slow to the movement behind him. He took off a small talisman from An Cang's waist with his only remaining hand, took a deep breath, slowly turned his head to look at the sky, and revealed most of his face.

Li Piaoqing had never seen this strange expression on the old man.

The old man seemed to have no temper forever, always smiling kindly. Even though he was old, he still loved to make all kinds of easygoing jokes, just like a gentle pigeon.

But now his face was like cast iron, staring blankly at the sky, and the way he raised his sword, with bloodstains not yet dry, was like an injured, angry phoenix.

"Sparrow in the Mist." Li Weiru was completely unable to control his Mystic Qi, but "Clouds Locking the Vermilion Tower" was still there. The old man slowly gripped the sword hilt backhanded, like a tiger about to pounce again.

Li Piaoqing walked over slowly.

It took Li Weiru a while to realize that the movement behind him no longer came from Qijiao Shang Huaitong.

He turned his head while pressing his sword and froze immediately.

He had never expected to see the young girl's figure at this moment.

As if suddenly waking up from some state, a trace of panic jumped out of this old, cold expression, and then the ice on his face melted rapidly, and a kind of panicked helplessness was revealed. Li Piaoqing had almost never seen the old man so uncomposed. Now he subconsciously shrank his hands and feet, seemingly wanting to hide this wounded body.

Seeing the young girl's tear-stained face, the old man's breathing almost stopped, and he said hoarsely, "No, it's nothing... I... my brain was muddled... I won't go, Piaoqing, I won't go..."

Li Piaoqing couldn't say a word. Only then did she see so clearly what kind of pampering she had been receiving all along.

Li Weiru had indeed not prepared to make a move.

He could see the young girl's ease these days, and he was also very gratified that she had walked out of the shadows and found a sustenance and a direction to strive for.

The old man had decided to compromise with the hatred in his heart. He kept telling himself that helping the young girl walk this path well was actually more important than the things he couldn't let go of.

This time, he just couldn't do it without paying any attention. Hearing that the Immortal Platform was going to ambush the Joy-Huan Si Lou, he just thought or could indeed help with what he could.

If it succeeded, he would have a little explanation to himself.

But when the battle broke out and the mist array rose, and he entered with sword in hand wanting to see if there was a chance to help... Qijiao Shang Huaitong's state struck him in an instant.

Outside the mist array, that low, cold light laugh ignited his entire soul in an instant.

The old man knew he was losing control, but every page of the "Yellow Jade" he had studied these days was the boy's annotations from childhood to adulthood.

Hatred drowned him in an instant.

Now, the pale young girl before him caused these flames to be cut off abruptly. The old man thought of the young girl's future in an instant, his heart felt cold, and only blank muttering remained: "... Piaoqing."

Li Piaoqing actually didn't hear anything clearly.

That silence was still surrounding her, and in this tranquility, she suddenly heard the hoarse voice in her mind clearly.

That pole of heart poison, the bond that echoed in her mind when she and the youth held hands, she had always regarded it as a poisonous obstruction and confusion.

Now it became clear; it turned out that it had always been the voice of the old man before her.

That was not an obstruction, but all gentle support.

"If you like each other, just be together. What's the matter with that?"

"You have a future in the Divine Capital; that makes me much happier than you staying by this old man's side."

"Go, I'm here."

"..."

Every one of these words had been said to her by the old man kindly and with a smile. The young girl had never realized it, but deep in her heart, her keen nature had already glimpsed those sharp points.

So this was what the Fifth Poison looked like.

Li Piaoqing looked blankly at the somewhat flustered old man before her and suddenly revealed a peaceful smile.

She gently drew out the Lost Jade sword and reached out to pull the old man who was ready to go.

She turned her head back with an expressionless face.

Not far away was the courtyard where Qijiao Shang Huaitong was located. Above it, the 【Other Shore Treasure Raft】 array, which had been drawn for days, was hanging with heaven-connecting fluorescent light.

Amidst Li Weiru's electric-like trembling, Li Piaoqing swept up with sword in hand toward the two figures standing on the branches.

Of course, even if it came ten thousand more times in the wind, the young girl thought blankly.

She would still choose Cuiyu.

The Chuan Xin Zhu exploded with a clang.

Above the sky, the black robe swept across a moon arc with his blade, completely unloading the Zhanxin Liuli that was piercing straight through. Just at this moment, he turned his head in sudden shock. In tonight's battle, this was perhaps his first true unexpected event.

Under the night rain, the young girl's clear eyes were like two deep pools.

The world fell into a slow, quiet gray-white in an instant.

Li Piaoqing lit a Chuan Xin Zhu, and the black flames were suddenly reversed. At the same time, 【Quail Head】 was opened, and the young girl's mind entered the realm.

But it only existed for an instant.

A frozen lake surface, a high, steep snow mountain, frost forests hanging with brilliance, snow eaves dropping ice.

A handsome young man stood in this realm, expressionlessly shaking his arm, and nailed the long sword in his hand to the ground with a clang.

Li Piaoqing only exchanged a glance with this face, and the entire realm shattered with a roar.

And beside her, the old man's remnant body had already swept like a phoenix toward the sky. Mist entangled his sword, and the splashing blood was the lingering fire.

From the corner that had already fallen into silence, when the battle situation had already been settled, just like every time before, this old figure swept up with sword in hand once again!

Who agreed... that you could just leave like this?

If the Jade Pulse sword that wrote the life of a cicada was "Vertical," then the Jade Pulse sword that recorded the seven most brilliant moments of the Yellow Jade's life was "Horizontal."

At the intersection of horizontal and vertical, it was 【Old Jade】 and 【Plucking the Sun and Shining the Feathers】.

Growing the most fiery brilliance from the most withered state, after getting the Cicada sword, the 【Plucking the Sun and Shining the Feathers】 in the old man's hand had already obtained the meaning of rebirth from death, fiery as if holding the sun and descending!

One sword pierced straight through the black robe's throat.

The black robe woke up from the heart poison at the last moment. The long blade was still unloading Zhanxin Liuli, and he only had time to tilt his body desperately. Mystic Qi frantically blocked and formed a wall forward, but the long sword shattered and pierced through everything, cutting into his shoulder.

The old man roared with all his might. Amidst the flying blood rain, he cut off this left arm with one sword.

The black robe twisted his neck ferociously, and for the first time, an expression of violent rage appeared in his eyes. The long blade in his other hand pulled out blade Qi like chaotic snow.

Li Weiru swept backward, his expression calm.

He knew he couldn't dodge this counterattack; this was already his move that burned his life away.

This body indeed could no longer bear any more damage, and now, there was only him before this Yueque.

When he decided to go up with sword in hand, he had actually already seen this result of trading life for injury.

He just truly felt it was a pity now—this was truly an excellent opportunity. Too many people and too many accidents created such a strike... but he still failed to pierce the sword into the throat of this cultivator below the Heavenly Tower.

His talent was indeed only this much. Even though he had been studying the sword moves of "Feng Yao" day and night, thinking about the sword theories of "Yellow Jade," even though it was in such a dead end, his body fell into a dead end and truly exploded with the most brilliant strike.

In such a fitting situation, he still failed to comprehend that 【Flying Feather Immortal】. It was just a hair's breadth away from that throat.

But for his own life, the old man felt it was enough. The young girl sending him to complete this sword truly moved him. His old heart seemed to be washed by a clear spring.

It was just a pity about the days ahead... Li Weiru watched the blade Qi coming toward his face, and his attachment to the young girl had never been so intense.

Then he felt his body being pulled hard.

The young girl's green clothes were like a bright sparrow shadow, covering him.

She didn't have the ability to step on the air. Originally, she absolutely couldn't participate in this round of confrontation, but the first moment the Chuan Xin Zhu ended, she abandoned her sword and stepped on it in the air, rushing toward the trajectory of the old man's fall a step ahead.

Li Weiru's heart tightened abruptly. He gripped the young girl back in horror, his voice sharp and hoarse: "Piaoqing!!"

A Five-Life cultivator, how could she save someone from the blade of a Yueque?!

Li Piaoqing didn't speak. She gripped the old man's arm, gritted her teeth, and twisted her body with all her might. Since the old man lacked a turn under the pursuit of this blade Qi, she would come to fill it in for him.

There were no words to describe how perilous this scene was. In a battle situation where one couldn't judge the movement at all, relying on intuition and luck to fill in a helping hand with her body... no matter how one looked at it, it was a result where both sides would perish.

But perhaps the young girl's gaze and intuition were just that precise, perhaps she truly received the favor of fate. The blade Qi brushed past her, wringing out blood flowers. Li Piaoqing hugged the old man and crashed onto the plane tree in a mess.

Li Weiru looked down, stiff, unable to say a word while trembling slightly.

Where his gaze fell, the young girl's left forearm, which she had used to pull him, had disappeared along with her sleeve, leaving only a mess of blood.

"... Piao... Piaoqing," the old man's voice was hoarse and distorted.

The young girl seemed to have felt nothing at all. She shook her sleeve and smiled softly: "Master, you are the only Grandmaster of our Cuiyu after all."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 324 =====