Chapter 92 Killing Intent: One Black, One White, Incompatible with Each Other.
On the stage, swords clashed.
Whether out of respect or a desire to win, Shen Lixia poured all her strength into the fight against Wu Zhuyue.
In the blink of an eye, they clashed more than ten times. The weapons in their hands and the clothes on their bodies were black and white, respectively. As they circled each other, they resembled yin and yang fish swimming in a pond.
On stage, someone exclaimed, "As expected of someone with the talent of a sword immortal, he has already shown some of the demeanor of True Monarch Lanqiu in less than a year since joining the sect."
Another person chimed in: "He must be the most likely person among this generation of direct disciples to attain enlightenment. I have heard that his resolve to follow the Dao is firm, and he desires to change the injustices of the world."
Her words drew chuckles from the group, who felt a sense of satisfaction. Taihui was a major sect in the Nine Domains, renowned for its many virtuous deeds, one of which was its cultivation of countless righteous individuals and the fact that no one within the sect had ever been involved in a scandal with the demon race.
The sect leaders of each generation shed their blood to protect the human race, and the current sect leader is no exception. Even with his busy schedule, he has never given up on hunting down demonic cultivators.
"I'm sure we'll move forward without hesitation from now on."
Amidst the flashing blades, several talismans in Shen Lixia's hand shattered, forming a tight array. Several sword energies swept in, and Wu Zhuyue struggled to cope, nearly dropping her longsword. The battle lasted only a short while, yet her forehead was already covered in fine sweat, her eyes fixed on the unpredictable patterns of the array and swordplay.
Just as Shen Lixia was about to finish, she saw the boy look up, his lower lip almost bleeding from being bitten, his gaze sharp, and a few tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. Like a defiant young animal, she stubbornly gripped the hilt of the knife and took a deep breath.
With most of her talismans used up, Shen Lixia had no more trump cards left, only her sword. She hesitated for a moment, a fleeting thought of breaking the formation crossed her mind, but then she thought that if she didn't win the championship, how could she be worthy of her senior sister's current reputation?
Moreover, this was not a victory for Wu Zhuyue, but rather pity, or even humiliation.
"Junior Sister Wu, come on." She said earnestly, then clasped her hands together, and a dazzling array of colors, ice, fire, and gale-force winds emerged, tightly binding the young beast.
And her prediction was correct. Her hesitation just now kept flashing through Wu Zhuyue's mind the image of her sharing food with the children when they first met. She had been supported by someone else's life, while Shen Lixia had been giving her the will to live from the very beginning. It wasn't anything enormous—a warm steamed bun, an interesting story, or a tale from a foreign land—that was enough to make the children happy for a while, to let them huddle together and have a good dream, to live another day.
It was then that she realized that some people could still think of others even when they were struggling to take care of themselves. This was certainly not wise, at least not in Shen Lixia's opinion... but Senior Sister Shen had always been like this, doing what she wanted to do.
Even now, noticing the change in the other person from hesitation to determination, Wu Zhuyue clearly felt a tightness in her heart, as if a thorn was piercing it, but her brows relaxed, and she smiled without even realizing it.
Therefore, we are destined to be irreconcilable, Senior Sister Shen.
She recalled the sword technique she had learned over the past four years. Cold, sharp golden spiritual energy surged from the blade, slicing through every attack. The sword was the most fearsome of all weapons, as ferocious as a beast. Coupled with her being a cultivator with a golden spiritual root, her current exertion of energy possessed a resolute determination as if she were tearing everything apart.
A tiger's roar faintly echoed amidst the gleaming golden blade. Wu Zhuyue swung his blade, bringing it down with overwhelming force. Several sword techniques, several streaks of light, converged with the resonant sound of the longsword as it descended, achieving their ultimate form and surging towards Chen Lixia!
Everyone present heard the tiger's roar, their expressions changed slightly, but no one discussed it. They only wanted to see how this previously unknown, now astonishing student would deal with this exquisite swordsmanship. Only Yi Xiaohan lost his composure, slamming his hand on the table and standing up abruptly, his face pale.
Chi Yueying and Ruan Luoying exchanged a glance, neither of them speaking. Yan Xueya put down his teacup and said calmly, "This is more than just 'a few points of elegance'. Her swordsmanship is exactly like yours when you were young."
She made a hand seal, ready to forcibly stop the battle at any moment. "Moreover, she is holding nothing back and her killing intent is heavy. If Li Xia is seriously injured, I will intervene and determine that she is the winner."
At this moment, Ruan Luoying spoke up: "Perhaps we should investigate her background properly."
Wu Zhuyue showed no sign of letting up, and then unleashed a few more slashes. The more Yi Xiaohan watched, the more familiar it seemed, and he gritted his teeth and said, "It's not just me, her swordsmanship also incorporates elements from many famous masters. Without someone to guide her, even a sword immortal's talent alone wouldn't be able to achieve this."
Faintly, she sensed a chilling fear emanating from the sudden, fierce martial aura emanating from below. The wound across her collarbone began to throb again.
It was this injury that hampered her strength and prevented her from making progress. To learn swordsmanship, one must first have strength, but her hands always trembled because of this old injury, so how could she hold the sword well?
Left with no other choice, he switched to the other hand and began wielding his sword with his left hand. It took him more than a hundred years to finally regain his original strength.
The two on the field were unaware of their discussion and were locked in a fierce battle. When Shen Lixia saw the flash of the blade approaching, a sense of crisis surged into her heart.
The spiritual power contained within was so immense that she had no doubt that if she didn't struggle, she would have been cleaved into pieces in an instant. Her hands moved swiftly, forming a spirit-gathering array, and spiritual energy surged forth. Earth and rocks rose heavily from the ground, instantly turning to dust in the dazzling, destructive light of the blade.
With her talismans exhausted, Shen Lixia swiftly swung her sword. The sword energy collided with the saber energy, creating a violent explosion that engulfed the entire arena in billowing dust.
Yan Xueya frowned. When she realized that the life force on the field was weak but still present, she didn't look at it. She just waved her hand to disperse the smoke and dust.
The two figures gradually came into view.
Wu Zhuyue clutched her chest and spat out a mouthful of blood. The knife had already flown several steps away. She knelt on one knee, extremely weak due to the exhaustion of her spiritual energy, her face as pale as paper, utterly terrified.
Just now, she clearly saw Shen Lixia in the flash of her sword...
For the first time, these hands truly felt the power to take a life. She couldn't be mistaken; the sword energy was no match, and Shen Lixia's figure was mangled amidst the flashing blades. The sound of blood splattering was faint, yet it couldn't escape the boy's keen hearing.
Then, a burst of fire suddenly erupted, so bright it stung her eyes, and a scorching heat rushed towards her, as if to burn away all evil in the world, causing her to take a few steps back and tremble.
When the smoke and firelight subsided, Shen Lixia, though covered in wounds and bleeding from the mouth, had recovered considerably. The young man struggled to his feet, the tip of his sword pointing at Wu Zhuyue.
"Junior Sister Wu, you've lost." Her voice was hoarse, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "But..."
The sound of metal hitting the ground echoed clearly throughout the venue.
“I didn’t win either. I concede.” Shen Lixia shook her head and walked off the stage.
Liu Wuzhu stood alone on the stage, staring blankly at her back, unable to shed a tear. The word "Senior Sister Chen" stuck in his throat, but he didn't say it out. He just silently picked up his long sword and staggered towards the teleportation array.
At this moment, Yi Xiaohan's voice rang out in his mind:
"Zhu Yue, come with me later."
Wu Zhuyue held the long sword, letting her disheveled hair cover her eyes, and said, "Yes, teacher."
After stepping off the stage, Shen Lixia found a secluded spot, far away from the noise, before leaning against a tree, hugging her knees and curling up.
She was still in shock, her heart pounding, and she was having trouble breathing. The feeling of being sliced inch by inch by the blade was so vivid that now, as the shock subsided, what welled up was not fear, but sadness.
I've met so many people along the way; perhaps my life hasn't been very lucky. I've experienced separation and unwarranted malice, but I never imagined I'd fight to the death with someone I considered a friend. In past battles, whether it was a fight where I assumed the other deserved to die from the start or a simple sparring match, I've never felt this kind of shock.
She wanted to kill me. At that moment, Shen Lixia realized this. She wasn't stupid; she could sense the ferocity of the blade and the emotions contained in Wu Zhuyue's eyes.
Is this betrayal?
Why does this feeling of pain feel so familiar, as if I've experienced it before?
Could it be that she was also betrayed when she was Hua Ying?
The boy buried his face in his knees, quietly swallowed by the sound of the wind.
She suddenly missed Qiao Yanshen terribly. It was as if, in this world, only by her senior sister's side could she feel at ease.
Only the eldest sister... would never lie to her.
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Wu Zhuyue followed behind Yi Xiaohan.
She still has several rounds left before her turn, so there's no need to worry about her missing out. The woman in front of her walked slower than usual, as if knowing her complicated emotions and deliberately giving her time to calm down.
After walking in silence for a while, Yi Xiaohan stopped, set up a barrier, turned around and asked, "Where did you learn your swordsmanship?"
She didn't intend to play games with her trusted student too much, so she asked directly.
Taihui accepts disciples primarily based on the Immortal Venerable's own wishes, adhering to the principle of equality, not asking about their origins, but only focusing on their present and future.
Wu Zhuyue lowered his head, seemingly somewhat afraid, and replied, "I... by chance, I obtained a scroll of sword techniques. The author knew that stealing a master's techniques was despicable, and told me to burn it after reading it."
She paused, her voice calming down slightly.
"Fearing that the master was still concerned about the whereabouts of the sword technique, I followed his advice and burned the technique."
Yi Xiaohan frowned, unable to reach a conclusion. The idea of fortuitous encounters, though seemingly bizarre, had its own logic, given that he had cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage and lived for countless years. Which of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs present hadn't received their own fortuitous encounters? Furthermore, there was a saying that the Heavenly Dao periodically selected certain chosen ones, granting them exceptional opportunities to quickly attain immortality and become reliable combat forces in the Heavenly Spirit Realm.
Although the concept of the "Child of Destiny" dates back to a very long time ago, since a certain period in history, fewer and fewer children with spiritual roots have been born in the Nine Domains. Today, the cultivation world is gradually declining, the number of cultivators is decreasing, and even the major sects are no longer what they used to be.
The Dao Heart is guarded by the Heavenly Ranks, yet Yi Xiaohan still refuses to doubt the will of Heaven. Wu Zhuyue arrived covered in blood; later, she explained that she had encountered a childhood nightmare during her self-examination, and in her agitation, she broke free by injuring herself. Someone with such courage should be a righteous person.
Therefore, she believed Wu Zhuyue, and after hesitating for a long time, she nodded and asked, "Did the author of that cultivation method sign his name?"
Wu Zhuyue said, "She said at the beginning that her name was Sibudu."
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The author's note: The name is derived from Zhang Ruoxu's poem "Spring River Flower Moon Night"—"At this moment, we gaze at each other but cannot hear each other's voices; I wish to follow the moonlight to shine upon you. Wild geese fly far but cannot cross the light; fish and dragons leap and dive, creating patterns on the water."
Xiao Wu's story also includes parts that correspond to this poem.
I hope I haven't messed up the writing! I get quite nervous every time I write about conflicts, and this is my first time writing, so there are many parts I'm not familiar with, to the point that I don't even dare to go back and read it all over again. I hope I can improve with each writing session! I want to portray the complexities and relationships of everyone as well as possible.
Next, it's time for the senior sister to find the sad little bird dumpling (?).
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