Chapter 318 Zhongqiu!
In Fengyue Cangjian, between the first and second floors
"Are you... Mr. Saint... Zhongqiu?" Gu Jieshuang felt dazed.
Zhongqiu, there are few people in Yan Country who don’t know this name...Saint Master Zhongqiu!
There are only a few people who can reach here, so I guess... there shouldn't be anyone with the same name, right?
"Yes." Zhongqiu nodded with a smile.
Here, although Gu Jieshuang only asked a question, Zhongqiu already knew that the Zhongqiu she was talking about must be herself, not someone else with the same name.
This is the sensation of one's own name.
Gu Jieshuang finally understood why she felt that this middle-aged man looked familiar... Of course he looked familiar, she had seen his statue every day in the Holy City these past few days.
However, most of the people she had seen were very old men. Now that she saw the middle-aged version of the Holy Master, she really couldn't recognize him for a moment.
I think this should be the image of the Holy Master Zhongqiu when he came to Fengyue Cangjian.
"Hello." Gu Jieshuang hurriedly tried to salute Zhongqiu despite the overwhelming pressure.
But this is simply impossible.
The pressure here was too great. Although Zhong Qiu's closeness allowed her to utter a few words, she could not say more.
Zhongqiu probably saw Gu Jieshuang's difficulties and said:
"No need to bow. I am Zhongqiu, but not him. You should use your strength on Feng Yuecangjian."
"you……"
"I've come here because I'm curious about something," Zhongqiu said. "Just now, while I was in the clouds, I saw you wield a sword skill that was truly exquisite. Although I haven't fully grasped it, you were able to draw upon the sword intent of our ancestors... Could you please share this technique with me?"
Gu Jieshuang's deck was also shattered on the first level - as the power of the Soul Card Master, the deck was also considered a part of the Soul Card Master's body.
However, the rhythms in the deck were still there, just without the carrier. Once the game was complete, the deck would naturally be repaired.
It was at that time that Zhongqiu discovered the clue.
Although that sword move was only synchronized with Jie Emei and Gu Jieshuang's own movements, without adding any sword intent, Gu Jieshuang had already comprehended the Frost Sky Sword Intention for a long time, so naturally it also had some charm.
What's more, Zhongqiu also clearly sensed the Star-Shifting Sword Intent in Gu Jieshuang's deck. Seeing this picture again, it seems that the usage of the Star-Shifting Sword Intent Soul Card is not difficult to guess.
"Yes, yes..." Gu Jieshuang wanted to speak, but as she got closer to the second layer of clouds, her consciousness became increasingly blurred, and it became quite difficult to organize complete words.
"Huh? Star Rank...what an ingenious method." Zhongqiu exclaimed in surprise.
In this world, language is the least efficient way of communication.
Although Gu Jieshuang did not organize her words well, the thoughts that flashed through her mind were no longer bound by the flesh, and Zhongqiu was able to hear them.
A relieved smile appeared on his face.
"He truly has the demeanor of a Flame Emperor... It's a shame I can't meet this young man named Yu Cang in person."
"The boss will be here soon..." Gu Jieshuang hurriedly tried to explain.
But Zhongqiu just shook his head gently: "I won't be able to see you."
"How……"
Before Gu Jieshuang could ask, she saw Zhongqiu stretch out his hand.
"The limit of this second level is the limit of the spirit. Young man, think about it, if your spirit collapses, what will you rely on to survive?"
"Rely on what..." Gu Jieshuang thought hard.
She didn't have much time to think.
If you don't figure it out before your consciousness completely falls into darkness, you will never figure it out.
But, after the body and spirit are shattered, what else can exist?
Looking at Zhongqiu in front of him, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind in a trance.
How did I know Zhongqiu?
Isn't it because what he did was too great and his strength was unparalleled in the world, so it was recorded and praised?
She suddenly thought of a statement she had read before.
It is said that people experience three deaths in their lifetime. The first is the death of the body, the second is the social death at the funeral, and the third is the real death when the last person forgets you.
So, what survives after the spirit collapses is writing books? Is it immortalizing a name? Is it...
Many thoughts raced through her mind, but her consciousness was hazy and she couldn't come up with an answer. She tried to speak, but no words came out. Soon, she was reaching her limit.
At this time, a voice came in, which seemed to carry some kind of power, allowing Gu Jie Shuang to clearly understand its meaning.
"That's your name."
"My name is... Gu... Jie Shuang..."
Buzz!
As Gu Jieshuang murmured, a golden light suddenly appeared in her dark perception!
As if breaking through the water, Gu Jieshuang's eyes suddenly regained color. When she woke up, she was already standing on the clouds.
Here is the second floor.
Compared with the first layer of sea of clouds, the clouds here are flowing and messy, like the ever-changing sea surface.
Gu Jieshuang stood there in a daze for a long time before she came back to her senses from the suffocating feeling of despair. She lowered her head and looked at her current "body".
His spirit, will, soul... and all the intangible things were compressed into their current form during the rising process just now - exactly the same as his body, except that it looked a little more illusory.
Outside the body, there was another set of clothes - the same seemingly illusory texture.
There is nothing strange about having clothes. After all, shame is also a part of human consciousness and it is naturally reflected here.
But at this moment, both the body and clothes were covered with dense cracks - just like the first layer, it had become a fragile porcelain doll.
However, this time, the light that burst out from the gap was golden. Through it, Gu Jieshuang seemed to be able to faintly see a golden name - his own name.
Suddenly, a strange sound came from the clouds. Gu Jieshuang looked over and saw that the clouds there were constantly surging, as if they were about to condense into something.
"Is it coming..." Gu Jieshuang looked solemn.
However, before the cloud completely emerged, a voice of "disperse" was suddenly heard.
The voice was not loud and was accompanied by a smile, but it seemed to carry great power, and the surging clouds seemed to be blown away by the wind and disappeared without a trace.
A figure stood behind the dispersing clouds, dressed in an ancient robe and with a sheathed sword at his waist. He looked at Gu Jieshuang with a smile on his face.
"Mr. Zhongqiu?" Gu Jieshuang was stunned and quickly bowed. "Thank you, Master, for clearing up my doubts!"
She knew in her heart that if it weren't for the Holy Master's teachings just now, she would never have come here.
Even if the Holy Master had taught her, she still wouldn't have been able to think of it without his power giving her more time to think.
The Saint Master accepted the greeting and said, "Young man, are you willing to learn sword skills?"
Gu Jieshuang was stunned: "I... of course I am willing."
"Then take up the sword," Zhongqiu said. "Once you have defeated me, you can leave."
"Ah? ...My opponent on this level is you..."
How to fight this...
Even if the opponent is not the Holy Master himself, it is impossible to defeat him, right?
Zhongqiu shook his head. "Not really. It's just that I suddenly wanted to take action myself, thus replacing the barrier set by this world—He won't refuse me."
Gu Jieshuang groaned, "But how can I possibly beat you..."
"Don't think too highly of me," Zhongqiu said. "I'm just a trace of his sword spirit and willpower. You don't need to defeat me. Use your star rank to master my sword, and then go on."
“…Okay.” Gu Jieshuang took a deep breath.
On the opposite side, Zhongqiu took off the sword at his waist, but did not draw it. He just looked at Gu Jieshuang.
She was stunned: "Aren't you going to draw your sword?"
"I have already drawn my sword." Zhong Qiu said with a smile.
"Hmm?" Gu Jieshuang's eyes narrowed, and then her face became serious.
She waved her hand and summoned the Sealed Holy Sword, releasing the sword's power: Frost Sky Snow Waterfall.
But when she held the Dust-Sealed Holy Sword in her hand, she felt something was wrong.
This sword...can't be swung!
Gu Jieshuang's hand tightly grasped the hilt of the Dust-Forgotten Holy Sword, and the most exquisite sword moves she had ever learned before flashed through her mind one by one. Facing Zhong Qiu, she naturally had to use 100% of her strength.
But at this moment, with the sword in his hand, there was an irresistible force restraining his body, making it impossible for him to swing the sword no matter what!
what happened?
Gu Jieshuang raised her head and looked at Zhongqiu. The man was still just standing there, holding an unsheathed sword with a friendly expression.
Was it done by the Holy Master?
But what did he do...
Gu Jieshuang was suddenly at a loss.
Saint Master Zhongqiu didn't even move, yet he lost the ability to swing the sword?
What on earth is this...
Gu Jieshuang forced herself to calm down.
She knew that Zhongqiu had been staying still during this period of time to give herself the opportunity to feel it. Otherwise, if he attacked with all his strength, she would have no chance of survival.
That……
Suddenly, bits of starlight appeared in Gu Jieshuang's hazy eyes. At this moment, the world slowed down in her eyes.
However, it was not much slower, and it was still far from the state in the Divine Capital where I could even see the light clearly.
She used her star rank to sense her surroundings, but everywhere she looked was chaos, and there was nothing that could respond to her star rank.
how so……
Gu Jieshuang was a little anxious.
This was her only chance to be mentored by Zhong Qiu, and she didn't want to waste time because she wasn't able to get the hang of it.
...By the way, is this ability that makes me unable to swing my sword also a negative state?
Then...untie the eyebrows!
Gu Jieshuang stretched out her hand, and a long sword made of ice crystals fell into her hand. Suddenly, her whole body felt lighter, as if she was less restrained, but... she still couldn't swing the sword!
She quickly looked at the sword in her hand.
No! Zhongqiu not only controlled himself, but also the sword in his hand!
As soon as she thought of this, the world in her eyes suddenly changed. She saw that the invisible "sword intent" spread out from the ordinary figure standing in front of her. The sword intent covered a fairly large area, and everything was affected.
Gu Jieshuang took a breath of cold air.
Is this range a bit too exaggerated?
At this moment, although she could clearly sense the presence of the other party's sword intent and could even see whether the other party made a move or not, what she saw still made her confused.
She still couldn't understand.
Zhongqiu's sword intent is too strong, and its power level is much higher than Ning Xingyi's!
My sword... was it suppressed by the sword will...
No, no matter what, no matter whether you can understand it or not, this sword must be chopped out!
Since I can't understand it, let's try to defeat the opponent with force.
Gu Jieshuang took a deep breath, and then with a thought, the sword intent behind him, the Cold Sky Snow Waterfall, turned into a green halo and fell on the Dust-sealed Holy Sword.
Synchronicity!
The Broken Seal·Frost Sky, which seemed to be made of snow, suddenly appeared in Gu Jieshuang's hands.
Across from him, Zhongqiu nodded, "Indeed... You have a very thorough understanding of this sword's meaning. You haven't just scratched the surface. You haven't wasted your talent."
Buzz...
The Broken Seal·Frost Sky in his hand kept trembling, but he still couldn't swing the sword.
Not enough!
So……
Bang!
Pofeng Hantian also instantly turned into a green halo and was all put into Jie Emei in his left hand.
Dark Synchrony: Demon Sword·Cold Silence!
Click!
The ice layer exploded in an instant. The Demon Sword Han Ji wanted to spread the ice layer to his arm like before, but at this time Gu Jie Shuang was in a mental state and had no entity, so the ice layers that spread up lost their support after being frozen, shattered and fell from the air, and the cycle continued.
Across from him, Zhongqiu raised his brows slightly, and his expression showed emotion for the first time.
"To indulge in evil thoughts is not what a gentleman does... No, not only weren't you controlled by them, but you turned them to your own advantage... You followed your heart's desire without breaking the rules. Brilliant!" His expression changed subtly. "Is this... also Yu Cang's idea?... Hahaha, we are so lucky to have such a genius in the future!"
collapse!
It was as if the sound of a heavy glacier collapsing came from Gu Jieshuang's sword. She slowly raised Han Ji, and the shadows of soul cards kept appearing and disappearing around her. As this process progressed, the momentum of the sword became stronger and stronger!
Now Gu Jieshuang is no longer restricted by the physical body, and her soul energy is almost unlimited. She can use all the soul cards in a very short time, and Han Ji can just transform all these soul cards into cold air!
This sword will be the most powerful blow that Gu Jieshuang can strike!
After using so many soul cards, Gu Jieshuang felt that his body suddenly became heavier, with more and more cracks on his body, and even some weak parts had fallen off and turned into powder and dissipated.
At a certain moment, Gu Jieshuang's eyes fixed.
This sword can finally be swung out!
"——Han Ji!"
The long sword was swung down, and a huge chill rolled up above the surging sea of clouds. A sword light slashed out diagonally, as if rolling up a huge wave!
In response, Zhongqiu nodded slightly.
"good."
Then, stretch out your finger and tap lightly.
Buzz!
An arc-shaped ripple spread out in the direction of his finger, as if some invisible object at an extremely fast speed passed through the sea of clouds, causing countless ripples in the clouds!
When the ripples passed by "Han Ji", the cold air suddenly dissipated, and the huge wave that seemed to be surging was easily cut in half. The upper part dissipated into clouds and rose into the sky, while the lower part sank into the sea of clouds. When it passed by Zhong Qiu, it had become a low wave that posed no threat.
Seeing this, Gu Jieshuang was stunned.
What……?
My full-strength sword attack was so easily...broken?
After this strike, what other methods do I have left...
She was trying to think about how to fight next, but at this moment, she saw Zhongqiu in front of her gently place his hand on the hilt of the sword.
"Young man, look carefully, I am about to draw my sword."
When a light word came, Gu Jieshuang felt as if facing a great enemy, and quickly raised the magic sword Han Ji, wanting to defend first.
Zhong Qiu said, "No need to resist, just feel it."
clang!
The sound of swords whistling rang out, the clanging of metal was deafening, and an invisible sword energy came across the sea of clouds!
Gu Jieshuang's mind was highly concentrated, and the cracks on his body quietly became more numerous.
It seems...I can hide?
——No, there’s no way around it.
Gu Jieshuang was about to dodge, but her intuition told her that it was useless and she couldn't avoid it.
Isn’t this sword intent a bit too bad... I can’t hit you, and I can’t dodge if you hit me!
Well, if I can’t hide, then I won’t hide!
Gu Jieshuang gritted her teeth, and layers of starlight immediately appeared in her eyes.
The world slowed down again. This time, Gu Jieshuang concentrated all her energy, and the effect was more obvious. The sword energy passed through the sea of clouds at the speed of a stroll. She could even see the layers of ripples stirred up by the sword energy.
That is... Gu Jieshuang opened his eyes wide, and suddenly remembered some popular works of the Saint Master Zhongqiu that he had read before.
At this moment, she suddenly understood.
call……
Time suddenly sped up, and the sword energy passed by Gu Jieshuang, but turned into smoke and dissipated.
With this attack, Zhongqiu did not hurt Gu Jieshuang.
He looked at Gu Jieshuang, who was standing there with a dazed expression, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Good—young man, you have entered the door."
Gu Jieshuang seemed to have just come back to her senses. She blinked and quickly saluted Zhongqiu again: "Thank you, Saint Master, for the sword!"
Zhongqiu just chuckled and said nothing.
Looking up, Gu Jieshuang wanted to ask something, but suddenly discovered some clues.
Why are there cracks on Zhongqiu's body? Like it's about to break apart?
Zhong Qiu seemed to sense Gu Jieshuang's doubts and said, "I was originally just a trace of his sword intent. When he used his sword intent, it was naturally the time for me to dissipate."
"Ah?" Gu Jieshuang suddenly became anxious, "Is there any way to remedy this..."
Although he knew that the person in front of him was not Zhong Qiu, even if it was only a part of him, she did not want him to disappear like this... Apart from anything else, if he stayed in Feng Yuecangjian, then with the boss's talent, sooner or later he might be able to create a way to resurrect the Saint Master!
How could it disappear just for her?
But Zhongqiu simply waved his hand lightly: "Young man, don't be impatient - there is still one more sword to come."
"besides……?"
"My power is limited. I can only teach you two swords. Be careful not to use them for evil."
Zhongqiu stretched out his hand, and a faint light appeared on the long sword. Gu Jieshuang looked over and saw that the faint light was actually glowing tiny words.
He just whispered:
"The knife and pen are used for engraving, and the nations are used for writing;"
Zhongqiu's body slowly floated up, and he raised his sword. Countless words flashed across the sword and disappeared into the air. Although the light was dim, it made people feel solemn and shocked in their hearts.
"The jade is carved - the spring and autumn are dark!"
clang!
The sound of metal!
In an instant, Gu Jieshuang felt countless vicissitudes of life rushing towards her. She seemed to be in the torrent of history. In just a moment, she was submerged in it and speechless.
I don’t know how long it took.
Gu Jieshuang woke up again on the cloud.
She looked at the sky, and at a certain moment, she felt that this was no longer Feng Yue Cangjian, and the pressure in her head was almost inaudible.
"You're awake, young man."
Gu Jieshuang turned around and saw Zhongqiu standing beside her.
At this moment, he suddenly looked much older, with many more wrinkles on his face. Even the sword at his waist was gone. His body was covered with golden cracks, and he looked like he was on the verge of collapse.
"Saint Master? What are you doing..."
"Let's go." Zhongqiu still had a friendly smile on his face.
"It's because of me... But you don't have to. A young man named Yu Cang will pass by here soon. He will definitely find a way to rescue you from here..."
Only then did Gu Jieshuang understand why he said "I can't see him" when she mentioned the boss.
Could it be that from the first time he saw me, he decided to teach me the sword intent... at the cost of disappearing?
Hearing this, Zhongqiu burst into laughter. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Who said I was trapped here?"
"Then you..."
"Zhongqiu, ah Zhongqiu, he taught everything he learned in his life." Countless fragments slowly fell off the figure's body, and the golden light grew increasingly intense. "But he could not teach others the sword intent. The only disciple who had a hope of understanding it died in the chaos of war."
The figure looked up at the sky with a very calm gaze: "Sword Intent... He searched all over the countries, but could not find anything that could carry the Sword Intent. He couldn't even leave the Sword Intent for future generations to decipher - the only place that can preserve the Sword Intent is this Fengyue Cangjian.
"What good is it if you are the most learned person in the world? Knowledge that cannot be passed down is ultimately just water without a source."
Gu Jieshuang looked at Zhongqiu who was disappearing, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Indeed... Sword Intent was difficult to find a suitable carrier. Even with the extremely mature Soul Card Science today, Ning Xingyi still needed Yu Cang's inspiration and consumed a large amount of precious materials to create the Sword Intent Soul Card.
In Zhongqiu's time, totems had just been transformed into writing scrolls, so it was normal that he couldn't find a suitable carrier.
Feng Yuecangjian has special rules. Between the first and second layers, countless wills have left traces here, and sword intent can also remain in it.
"So," the figure turned around and looked at Gu Jieshuang. "Now that I've found a young man who can learn, and he's also willing to learn, how can I not teach him everything I know? You don't have to feel sorry. If it were Yu Canglai, he might not be able to learn my two swords."
Gu Jieshuang was silent for a moment.
It was true that the boss didn't know how to use a sword...but she always felt that the boss would definitely have a way.
"Okay, enough of the small talk." The figure shook his head gently. "You're only just getting started with the two swords, and you don't have any soul cards... That's not a problem, I don't think He would mind helping me make two sword spirit soul cards."
He is constantly learning. Since Gu Jieshuang brought the sword soul card to Feng Yucang and used it so many times, he must have learned it and it is not difficult to make a soul card.
Although each soul card master who enters Feng Yuecangjian can only obtain one soul card, there are always exceptions, and Zhongqiu still has this face.
"Okay." Gu Jieshuang took a deep breath, then performed the disciple's etiquette and bowed gently, "Disciple Gu Jieshuang, thank you, Saint Master, for the sword!"
"...I'm not him." The figure looked up at the sky, half of his body having completely dissipated. "Alright, continue your journey to heaven."
"Master... Saint, can I ask you another question?" Gu Jieshuang asked quickly, "What should I pay attention to when going to the third floor?"
"The third floor... I don't know."
"Ah?" Gu Jieshuang was stunned.
"Because, he only reached the second floor."
"How could it be..." Gu Jieshuang took a breath.
Could it be that even someone as powerful as Saint Master Zhongqiu couldn't reach the third level... But, isn't it said that even myths can reach the third level...
"It's not that he can't, he just doesn't want to." The figure said slowly, "The last of the three limits is the limit of existence. Those who pass this level will return with the chanting of all living things! But he... ah, he doesn't want to hear the chanting of all living things. He only wants to see everyone as a dragon."
call……
The figure completely dissipated, turned into fragments, and disappeared among the sea of clouds.
…
"Everyone chants his name?" Yu Cang blinked.
"That's right." Jiang Shan nodded, his expression solemn. "When you reach the third level, your body and spirit will completely disintegrate, leaving only a name. Even Feng Yue Cangjian himself cannot directly recover from this, so all living beings must recite his name."
Zhong Sheng continued, "As soon as you pass the third level, a golden light will burst forth from the summit, radiating in all directions. Anyone caught in the golden light will instantly know your name and call it out consciously or unconsciously."
"Then, you will return to the human world amidst the chanting of your true name. And those people will also know—the human world will have another future legend."
Yu Cang tutted his words: "It sounds... indeed very exaggerated."
"Yes, that's why Ye Yan gave up when he was about to break through to the third level. He said that he would be embarrassed to be called by so many people."
"...I would feel embarrassed too if it were me." That was all Yu Cang could say.
Jiang Shan was still looking at the sky, a look of surprise in his eyes: "Jie Shuang... is she still going up? Isn't the second level her limit? Oh my goodness, am I going to witness the birth of a future legend today..."
Jiangshan's eyes showed expectation, but before he could say anything else, he heard a sound like the evening drum and morning bell coming from the sky!
In an instant, a hole appeared in the clouds that filled the sky, and the sky was filled with rosy clouds. The sound of heavenly music was endless, and it was shocking and at the same time carried a certain melody, as if the heavens were playing music!
Jiangshan swallowed the second half of his sentence back into his mouth.
"Heaven has sealed my fate... It seems Jie Shuang has stopped at the second level. What a pity..."
"What are you feeling sorry for?" Zhong Sheng glared. "You only made it past the first level, and you're feeling sorry for others... They're better than you anyway!"
"Okay, okay." Jiang Shan nodded quickly.
At this time, a ray of light fell from the sky and landed on the towering top. Suddenly, the light dissipated like stardust, and Gu Jieshuang's figure appeared in it.
She closed her eyes, and her clothes were no different from when she entered Feng Yuecang's room - her clothes had also been repaired.
The contours of his facial features were still the same as before, but Yu Cang didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that it was much more harmonious than before. Moreover, the few dead skin and calluses on his hands had all disappeared, and his skin was as soft as a baby's.
Just standing there with her eyes closed, an otherworldly aura emerged out of nowhere, as if she were a banished fairy from heaven.
Suddenly, Gu Jieshuang opened her eyes, and the starlight gradually disappeared in her pupils. Her sight immediately found Yu Cang.
Then, a smile appeared on his face.
"Boss, I'm back!"
(End of this chapter)
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