Chapter 396: Heart Slaying

The clouds were still exactly the same.

The round-walled sword platform, the clear and bright light sprinkled over the sea of clouds, the god-like woman stood quietly beneath it with her sword held horizontally, flawless and perfect, still looking invincible.

How much despair and effort the Huan Si Tower had paid to calculate such a person, Pei Ye now felt the same.

Ming Yun walked onto the sword platform, and Guxie stood facing her. Ming Yun still performed a sword salute, and Guxie nodded in acknowledgment.

The white sun rose completely from the horizon, like a treasure jade supported by the sea of clouds.

Ming Yun turned the glaze, and the two white figures met, clothes fluttering, and the mirror-like long sword came and went in a state of ultimate beauty and wonder.

This was not just a discussion between two rare sword talents in the world, but a collision of two pure hearts with pure swords. Seeing such a scene was truly a rare encounter.

Pei Ye could not indulge himself in such spiritual realization. He had to remain clear-headed at all times, forcing himself to stare at Guxie with the sharpest scrutiny, trying hard to find a gap in her sword technique where his own could be inserted.

It was futile.

Just like last time, Pei Ye had never felt so strongly his own childishness and crudeness in the "sword." Sparrows could not understand the song of the phoenix; he also couldn't understand the music they were playing, nor could he find a chance to insert a sharp "chirp."

But this problem had been solved last time.

Pei Ye pursed his lips and pressed his sword, no longer forcing himself to glimpse that lofty realm, trusting the girl completely with the chance to strike. He stood still, staring, feeling the bright sword in its sheath, trying hard to grasp the state of mind that had descended in the cliff cave.

He actually didn't know if he could use such a sword. Even if he had truly seen countless crippled old men sitting in meditation on cold nights, and the dying, motionless, broken-winged goose on the ice of the lake at that moment... but turning "realization" into a sword to be used required forging it with his own level of sword path.

It wasn't that anyone who obtained this state of mind could strike—before using 【Cloud Heaven Obscures Eyes, Losing Feathers】, he had also practiced sword moves for two years without stopping in wind and rain.

Although he and the woman had not made this choice aiming for success, the boy's body still tightened at this moment.

After all, he was far from being 【Bright Mirror Ice Mirror】. He would still be nervous, afraid, hoping that all the beauty he had experienced in this life could continue, hoping that the girl could exist, hoping that the woman's cultivation would not be affected, hoping that every bit of hatred and anger... would pierce the hearts of those who caused harm and indifference.

He was already prepared to exert all his strength for this once again.

It was just that accidents still happened as scheduled.

The world once again showed its cruelty without being touched. On the sword platform, after dozens of rounds, the direction of the sword struggle showed a completely different route from the previous match.

Ming Yun wanted to control the situation again to lean toward the boy, but this time Guxie ruthlessly cut off this premeditation.

She didn't know if the boy could play a role this time, and she didn't go to guess. This was the Guxie Heavenly Heart, unaffected by any tricks or games, ruthless and desireless. She would always choose to face it head-on with clarity, because at the end of this road, no one could touch her sword edge.

So she would not give a second chance.

Ming Yun was struggling with this sword fight. Pei Ye had already seen that she was trying hard to fight for a gap for him to strike, therefore giving up too many exchanged advantages, but Guxie responded with the same determination.

So the situation quickly went in a tragic direction. Sword marks had begun to appear on both of them. No blood flowed out, but the places that were hurt remained there, not healing, like shattered glaze.

And as the one actively seeking change, Ming Yun was visibly falling into a disadvantage.

Pei Ye gripped the sword hilt tightly, watching this scene almost breathlessly. He couldn't persuade the girl to give up, because this was the only way to win, and also the last chance.

He was the only external force that could possibly take effect.

However, as time passed, Pei Ye's heart and lungs tightened even more. The girl's disadvantage was becoming more and more irreparable. This trend naturally had a limit—when Pei Ye couldn't determine the victory even if he could block one sword, everything would have no meaning.

Yet Pei Ye couldn't do anything. All his spirit was focused on the sword fight before him, gradually becoming somewhat unbearable.

He hadn't stood in such a situation for a long time. When things reached a critical point, he always tended to give his own response, no matter how strong the enemy was. Watching helplessly like this, and then only being able to accept the result of failure, was already...

The choice was placed before him again. Pei Ye didn't know if he should strike.

A strike swung in confusion would mostly bury everything. This was not the strike he and the girl were looking forward to... but staying in his hand, wasn't it just waiting for death?

It was just that at this moment of hesitation... he suddenly couldn't grasp that state of mind again.

That flow that trembled from the bottom of his heart to every hair on his sword-wielding arm now suddenly seemed to be playing hide-and-seek with him, putting on a veil and hiding behind the fog when he needed it most anxiously.

This feeling made the boy's body suddenly feel cold again.

He tried hard to tell himself to be calm, but when he started to persuade himself, he knew he was actually moving further and further away from it.

The girl on the platform gave up another injury again. Multiple concessions were not without results; she had indeed moved toward him, but the most fundamental thing was to open a gap for a strike—and Pei Ye, clutching the sword hilt, still hadn't grasped that move in his hand. He had never thought that a sword move he had already seen would refuse his approach.

In many previous experiences, after he realized the true meaning of the sword, those sword moves always flew into his hands impatiently, enthusiastically, almost fawningly.

Only this time... Pei Ye took a deep breath and closed his eyes in trembling.

You have already broken free from that heavy, gloomy, violent, and suffocating world, Pei Ye.

The woman pulled you out with her own hands, and you also saw that bright and thorough world from her eyes.

Isn't this the end of everything, isn't this where this sword strike was born... what else did you miss?

His heart trembled in nervousness and confusion. Pei Ye repeatedly grasped the sword hilt. Even though he had felt the coldness of his body, and even though the sword move was getting further and further away, he still tried hard to seek it... until the sound of the sword before him suddenly startled his eyes open.

Ming Yun and Guxie were so close to him, and the wounds on both of them were clearly visible—the girl's state made Pei Ye's throat tighten.

Pei Ye didn't understand at all why the girl wanted to conduct this sword struggle like this. She didn't even gain any space, at most... she just liberated her own sword-wielding arm.

Clearly, only the space outside the body could provide Pei Ye with a strike; the liberation of her own limbs had no meaning here.

In an instant, Pei Ye completely escaped from the realm of seeking, narrowed his eyes, and stared at the battle before him. In the sword shadows and cloud clothes... he could only attribute this to the girl's failure in Yi Sword.

—This was not her original purpose, it was just helplessly cut off here.

This sounded like a fantasy, but the one striking opposite her was originally another her who would never make a mistake.

Mingxin and Guxie were destined to decide the winner... perhaps it was in this match.

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xs007zhuikereadw23zw ===== CHAPTER 397 =====