Chapter 134: 134. Chapter 134

134. Chapter 134

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Zhao Kuo's explanation for this was: "Elder Li cannot easily leave the sect because of the Sick Sword; it is truly hard on him."

Atian nodded in understanding: It just means he's idle.

When the day's lessons were over, aside from the two bystanders Bai Tian and Song Zhicheng, even Zhao Kuo did not escape Li Ke's poisonous clutches, ending up battered and disheveled.

When announcing that it was all for today, Li Ke smacked his lips as if still unsatisfied, even his pale complexion flushing with a hint of red. His gaze, filled with deep meaning, swept over Song Zhicheng, making the latter's hair stand on end.

Following the listless Senior Brothers who drifted like wandering souls to the cafeteria, and then drifting back to the Dizi Yuanshe together, it was clearly a day that could be called dull, yet in the eyes of Bai Tian, who had obediently been a wealthy young lady for fifteen years, it felt full of interest.

Taking off her outer garment and slipping into her quilt, Atian secretly made a wish; she also wanted a Sword of her own.

Then, she saw that Sword again.

In a trance, she remembered that she had just gone to sleep after listening to lessons all day, and then felt muddled, thinking she was still at the bottom of the sea.

Flames filled her entire field of vision, a black long Sword suspended in the center of the sea of fire. Flowing light surged over the inscriptions carved on the Sword body, and the black and red hilt tilted slightly toward her.

Atian had seen many Swords to date; whether it was the moon-white Broken Sword containing surging Sword Intent belonging to the Founder, the red-silk White Jade Sword worn at Bai Xinli's waist, or Su Ying's amber-colored short Sword "White Colt," or even the heavy Sword "Mountain Breaker" that gave Zhao Kuo a headache, all could be called masterpieces of the time, dazzling and mesmerizing.

However, in Atian's eyes, none of them compared to the one before her.

No matter when or where this pitch-black long Sword appeared, it could easily steal her heart and soul.

The surroundings were filled with crackling sounds of burning. She walked into the sea of fire as if she didn't feel it; tongues of flame licked her skin, scorching and stinging. Bai Tian stood before the black Sword, opened her arms, and hugged it, her face pressed against the icy cold blade, feeling the uneven carved inscriptions, and rubbed against it gently.

"Are you... 'me'?"

She gripped the Sword body tightly, not caring if her palms would be cut by the sharp blade.

"If you aren't... then I will snap you in two."

"Boom!"

The baring-fangs-and-brandishing-claws flames began to rage.

Zhao Kuo was woken up by the clamor. He rubbed his eyes roughly, kicked away the quilt tangled around his waist, and while putting on his clothes, he grumbled irritably, "Who isn't sleeping in the middle of the night? If I catch you, I'll beat you to death..."

After finally managing to squint and put on his wrinkled clothes, he stumbled to the door and pulled open the door that had been pounded with a "clanging" sound in one breath, only to feel a heatwave rush toward him, forcing him to retreat a few steps.

"Junior Brother Zhao!! You're finally awake!!" The Senior Brother next door, who hadn't yet put down the hand he was using to pound the door, let out a sigh of relief, "Run! It's on fire!"

On fire?

Zhao Kuo was completely awake now. He pushed past the Senior Brother next door and walked outside, only to see an unprecedented crimson color covering the sky and earth; those were the raging flames entrenched on the Dizi Yuanshe.

Is there anyone in this world who can set a fire at the Beihai Sword Sect?

Zhao Kuo, whose mind was filled with "What the hell," couldn't care about his initial morning grumpiness. He hurriedly turned back, grabbed the Senior Brother next door by the lapels, and shook him, "Senior Brother Mu! What is going on!"

Zhao Kuo was already in the middle stage of Qi Refining; the person who could be called "Senior Brother" by him naturally couldn't have weak cultivation. This Senior Brother Mu patted him on the shoulder, steadied his panicked Junior Brother, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and jumped directly from the tenth-story high platform, landing in the crowd gathered at the lowest level.

"Senior Brother Zhao!"

Song Zhicheng, with sharp eyes, immediately saw Zhao Kuo descending from the sky. Not caring to avoid his Senior Brother's current disheveled image, he immediately squeezed through the crowd and walked over.

"... Ah, Junior Brother Song," Zhao Kuo had just stood steady when he saw the newly promoted Junior Brother who had drilled in front of him, and couldn't help but think of the other Junior Sister who hadn't appeared yet, "Speaking of which, have you seen Junior Sister Bai?"

Hearing this, Song Zhicheng revealed a bitter smile, "Senior Brother, look at the people here, which one can be called Junior Sister? I still don't know what happened."

Zhao Kuo slapped his forehead, feeling he was muddled from sleep. Bai Tian lived on the twentieth floor, and Song Zhicheng lived on the first floor; it would be strange if they ran into each other.

"If the Junior Sister Bai you are talking about is the new Junior Sister, then you don't need to look for her," Senior Brother Mu on the side patted Zhao Kuo's shoulder and pointed to the Dizi Yuanshe that had already been swallowed by flames. At this moment, people were still jumping down from the high floors, "She is likely still in the room, because the fire started from the twentieth floor."

Once these words were spoken, Zhao Kuo's first reaction was—what to do if the Senior Brother's child bride is about to be burned to death?!

"Then what are you standing there for?! Hurry and go save Junior Sister Bai..."

Halfway through his shouting, he couldn't continue. Only four people lived on the twentieth floor: Senior Sister Su Ying was on night duty tonight, Senior Sister Chen Zhi was not at the sect, and Senior Sister Liu Yan stayed at the Sword Scripture Pavilion year-round; thus, it was obvious who had caused the fire.

"... Her time has come, isn't this too fast?" he muttered.

"Sometimes fate is just so wondrous; our little Junior Sister really has caused a big stir." Senior Brother Mu nodded.

Even so, figuring out the cause of the fire didn't mean they could relax. For a Sword Cultivator, forging a Sword is of the utmost importance, because when the Sword Bone is about to break through the body, it is also the moment most impossible to control. If something goes wrong, it could end in the destruction of one's roots and bones. Therefore, there is usually an Elder nearby to monitor. Moreover, if things continued like this, the Beihai Sword Sect would probably really have to rebuild the Dizi Yuanshe.

Zhao Kuo was sweating from anxiety, "It just so happens that Master is not here! Hurry and call the Senior Brother! Oh no! Junior Sister Bai is a girl! Better call Senior Sister Su Ying..."

Senior Brother Mu nodded in agreement. Just as the two were preparing to head to the Martial Arts Arena to find Bai Xinli, they discovered that the disciples who had been chattering while looking at the fire fell into silence in an instant, and in the next second, they shouted excitedly:

"Everyone move aside! The Senior Brother is here!"

The Senior Brother is here!

A simple sentence injected a backbone into the Beihai Sword Sect disciples present. They immediately moved to the sides consciously, clearing a path wide enough for one person to pass.

No one could fly on a Sword under the Founder's Sword, so Bai Xinli walked over step by step. He walked every step very steadily, which in turn made the hearts of everyone present steady as well.

"Senior Brother!"

Zhao Kuo was overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward, but unexpectedly, he was pushed aside by Senior Brother Mu next to him. The latter not only occupied his position but also finished his sentence.

"Senior Brother! Junior Sister Bai is in trouble!" Senior Brother Mu leaned close to Bai Xinli, ignoring his own Junior Brother's angry glare.

"Mm."

Hearing this, Bai Xinli untied the moon-white hair ribbon on his head and tied it behind his head, covering his eyes.

Then, he stepped onto the stairs occupied by the flames. The flames, feeling provoked, instantly surged three feet high against the wind, but were blocked firmly by an invisible force just as they were about to touch him.

Every step he took, the flames retreated a step. Just like that, he walked step by step along the stairs to outside Bai Tian's room, and the flames were suppressed by him around this one room, leaving only scorch marks on the other rooms to prove its past rampage.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Bai Xinli raised his hand and knocked on the door. The wooden boards, which had been burned to their limit, turned into fly ash the moment they touched external force, revealing the scene inside the room.

Atian was kneeling in the center of the room wearing a single layer of clothing, while a pitch-black long Sword was suspended in front of her. The young girl's right hand was placed on the blade, and fresh blood flowed out along the wound, outlining the inscriptions on the Sword body.

As if hearing the sound, Bai Tian turned her head back. Seeing Bai Xinli with his eyes covered, her eyes lit up instantly. The corners of her lips curled into an arc similar to a smile. She climbed up somewhat unsteadily and gripped the black and red hilt with one hand.

"Senior Brother, are you willing... to take a Sword from me?"

Bai Xinli paused upon hearing this and replied: "... Junior Sister Bai, please."

Before his words fell, the heavy Sword under his feet began to tremble due to the improper technique. Hearing this, Atian decisively lay down, hugged the hilt tightly with her right hand, stretched out her left hand, and shouted to Zhao Kuo, who was still struggling with the technique: "Immortal Elder, grab my hand!"

However, Zhao Kuo was at this moment pouring his entire heart and soul into controlling his flying sword, yet the "Mountain Breaker" beneath his feet was truly worthy of being his life-bound Spirit Sword that shared a mental connection with him; the way it dropped the ball at a critical moment could be said to be exactly the same.

Seeing the young cultivator still sweating profusely as he changed his hand seals, Atian withdrew her hand and swiftly grabbed the hairpin that had been blown away; her meticulously styled bun had already come undone, and the fierce gale brought on by their rapid descent billowed her long hair and robes, carrying a familiar yet strange salty scent.

That was the scent of the sea.

Ignoring the weightlessness brought on by the fall, Atian hugged the Sword hilt and looked around, only to see the crimson sunset clouds of the sky painting the entire firmament, even spreading to the shimmering surface of the sea; and between the sky and the sea was a massive Floating Island wreathed in clouds and mist, through the thin veil of which one could vaguely see pavilions and towers, while the most eye-catching feature was a massive Broken Sword inserted diagonally upon it, its glints of cold light carrying a daunting Sword Intent that pierced through the dreamlike scene dyed in orange-red.