Chapter 77: Turning the Heavens and Earth
The faint moonlight in the western sky finally faded. From the east, the morning sun began to rise, its orange-golden rays bursting forth from behind distant mountains, casting the shadows of six stone pillars long across the ground.
Those watching the battle, upon learning Xiao Tingyun’s identity, could not help but whisper among themselves:
“This man was truly strange. So young, yet his explanations were more accurate than my own master’s. Did he start cultivating from inside his mother’s womb?”
“Maybe he was just good at talking theory? I’ve heard that some people had this special talent—not skilled in their own cultivation, but excellent at guiding others. Look at the Sword Sovereign and the Realm Master’s master, weren’t they the same?”
“That makes sense. Judging from his cultivation level, he was about the same as us…”
At that moment, Meng Xueli had already thrust out a sword strike, not yet reaching Cui Jing, when Ji Xiao suddenly said: “This fight is against the rules. I will take the field on behalf of my master.”
Meng Xueli’s sword halted effortlessly in midair. The entire arena fell silent in an instant. The crowd looked on, puzzled and uncertain of his meaning.
Ji Xiao stepped into the courtyard and said: “Each team fights only once. You already fought earlier and lost. Are you unwilling to accept that?”
As he spoke, his gaze slipped past Cui Jing and landed far to the north. Since arriving here, this was the second time he had looked in the direction of Han Shan.
The last time he had raised his head to the sky, the Endless Sky Sword had sensed its master’s intent and flown toward Jingsi Valley.
Divine weapons possessed their own spirit. The Endless Sky Sword was not merely a blade—it was the “medium” Ji Xiao had left behind in Han Shan. When he departed from Han Shan, he had casually awakened it.
Cui Jing frowned deeply. Back by the lakeside, when Meng Xueli had worn a black cloak and led a group of rogue cultivators and disciples from minor sects, their strange slogans echoing, Cui Jing had not even known who Meng Xueli really was.
Cui Jing said, “I am not convinced. I have made progress and still wish to try again.”
From outside the Tianjing, someone shouted: “Senior Brother Cui, everyone else only fights once, yet you want to fight twice? That’s unfair!”
The crowd, however, was truly curious about Xiao Tingyun’s strength. They wanted to see how he would draw his sword. Many joined in agreement: “I just listened to Daoist Friend Xiao answer my questions earlier, and I also made progress. I even feel like I’m on the verge of a breakthrough. If that’s the case, can I also go up for another match? Senior Brother Cui, you should first defeat Daoist Friend Xiao!”
Cui Jing was not skilled in speech. He only said in a deep voice: “If I defeat you, will I then be allowed to face Elder Meng?”
Ji Xiao nodded. “Yes.”
He walked over to Meng Xueli and fastened a cloak around his little Dao companion’s shoulders, lowering his voice: “Let your disciple take over. Rest for now.”
Meng Xueli, “Be careful.”
He handed the Hundred Generations of Time to Ji Xiao. Ji Xiao split it into twin swords, keeping one while returning the other to Meng Xueli.
Normally, disciples served their masters with small tasks—pouring tea, massaging shoulders—acts of filial devotion. But in this case, the two were of nearly the same age. Xiao Tingyun was tall and slender, taller than Meng Xueli, and from afar they looked like a well-matched pair of jade figures.
Thus, although everyone knew their behavior was proper and justified, a strange, indescribable feeling arose in their hearts. A few female cultivators, who had just admired Xiao Tingyun’s calm elegance and youthful handsomeness during his explanations, now felt a sour twinge in their hearts. But after a moment, they reminded themselves—these two were master and disciple. Meng Xueli was also the Sword Sovereign’s Dao companion. Between the two of them, there could be no such possibility.
Meng Xueli walked into the spectator’s circle and laughed easily: “This time, let me do the commentary. Let’s first take a look at the swords in play—Hundred Generations of Time versus Red Flame. Not bad, both of them. Now, let’s look at their positioning…”
When in a good mood, he spoke more, and his style of commentary was completely different from Xiao Tingyun’s explanations. Xiao Tingyun spoke slowly and clearly, making things profound yet simple. Meng Xueli was lively, quick-witted, and full of clever ideas. His words drew everyone’s attention, holding their hearts captive as they stared unblinking at the Tianjing.
…
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away at Han Shan, inside the grand hall of Jingsi Valley, the unguarded Endless Sky Sword was knocked aside by the Seabound Silence Sword. The blade of Daoist Revered Tai Heng’s sword pointed straight at Yu Qishu.
Yu Qishu instinctively shut his eyes. At that critical instant, someone’s arm wrapped around his shoulders and lifted him into the air.
The long night finally ended. With dawn light streaming into the hall, Qian Yuzhi flew inside. With one hand, he rescued Yu Qishu; with the other, he thrust forward with the Hair’s-Breadth Sword.
That strike seemed as if it had been calculated countless times beforehand—precise as the numbers in his ledger.
The crushing pressure of a Nascent Soul expert’s aura came crashing down, but within the span of Qian Yuzhi’s single grab and thrust, it was dissolved like spring rain washing away dust. Yet his expression remained grave, his face pale, far from the effortless ease his movements suggested. Ever since abandoning the sword for commerce, he had indeed stopped practicing. Though his cultivation had improved, his combat ability had declined.
Yu Qishu landed steadily, once again escaping death’s door. Seizing the chance, he picked up the Endless Sky Sword—but found himself completely at a loss.
Sect Leader Jianwei shouted: “The Endless Sky Sword can pierce his protective true essence! Strike quickly!”
Yu Qishu desperately wanted to help, but the more anxious he became, the more his mind collapsed.
“It won’t listen to me!” he cried. The sword had its own will.
Before his words even fell, the Endless Sky Sword suddenly lunged forward, dragging Yu Qishu’s body stumbling along with it. In one strike, it knocked aside the Seabound Silence Sword.
The crushing pressure on Qian Yuzhi’s shoulders instantly lightened. He exclaimed joyfully: “Good! Strike again!”
Yu Qishu thought in shock—This is the sword wielding me. It felt as though some invisible power was controlling the hilt, merely borrowing his hands to perform the motions.
The immense power of the jiao’s core within Yu Qishu’s body surged endlessly into the blade of the Endless Sky Sword. The sword shone brilliantly, as if newly forged.
The others did not understand what was happening. They only saw Yu Qishu gripping the sword with both hands, swaying left and right like a toddler learning to walk. His every move seemed clumsy and without technique, yet he forced Daoist Revered Tai Heng to retreat with a flick of his sleeve.
Tai Heng had never seen this person before. He only knew that Changchun Peak had a disciple with the innate sword spirit—Xiao Tingyun—whom he had once considered taking as a pupil. But this “Yu Qishu” before him, he had no idea where he had come from. At this moment, he felt both shock and fury.
When he had allied with Mingyue Lake, he had considered every possible outcome for tonight. He had even prepared for how to deal with Qian Yuzhi or Yuan Ziye should they suddenly return to Han Shan. Yet he had never imagined that an unknown nobody would fall from the sky, wield the Endless Sky Sword, and with one man and one blade turn the tide of fate.
It was too absurd, like a joke played by Heaven itself.
Author’s Note: A joke indeed.
Ji Xiao—strategizing in the tent, securing victory a thousand miles away!
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
