Chapter 192: The Art of Seeking the Dao with a Remaining Heart (End)
His aura was extremely fierce, and there was no hesitation in his posture. His eyes beneath the mask contained dark murderous intent.
That was the look of a remnant, the aura of someone who embarked on a battle with awareness. It was like the look of a family elder when angry, like the look of a patriarch in martial arts practice.
That symbol of power now stood opposite him, holding a knife.
"Mr. Long Yu..." Qing Ye said blankly, "Why..."
Genuine murderous intent. This wouldn't happen if he was just pissing someone off. Something must have gone wrong. Let me think about it. Mr. Long Yu's previous words must have held a hidden meaning. He said all the Canxin were dead, but he could still mourn his former companions. Why was he the only one left alive? It was because he was...
“…The Bringer of Fear!”
Then, the first blow came.
The sword slashed with a flowing flow, tracing from the lower left to the shoulder, threatening to sever both of the enemy's arms. Qingye dodged with a series of backward leaps. Ye Xing swung the sword towards his neck, but Qingye dodged with a nimble backhand flip. Then, she exerted all her might, turning her back to Ye Xing and sprinting at full speed.
Start running away!
"..." Even Ye Xing was stunned. The speeding Qing Ye clasped his hands together and shouted desperately, "Mr. Long Yu, please spare my life for the sake of being a fellow Canxin. Please!"
What a joke! I absolutely can't win. There's no hope of victory at all. The difference in their sword skills is as vast as the difference between heaven and earth. Hoping to turn defeat into victory by relying on improvisation and a sudden breakthrough is simply a dream! If you want to use a small force to move a large object, you need at least a small force. Now, with only a particle 2, you can't even move a single particle. What's the point? Escape is the most important thing!
Ye Xing doubted his hearing: "What did you say?"
"Yes!" Qing Ye repeated loudly, "I'm so sorry for any offense I've caused you before. Please spare my life!"
Then, a rage more terrifying than murderous intent erupted behind Qingye.
A sharp weapon imbued with intense emotion was unsheathed, and anger swelled violently, spreading in all directions like a tsunami roaring in during a storm. Ye Xing stood at the crest of the wave, like a manic silver dragon.
Qing Ye went from desperately trying to running to running for his life, his scarf fluttering behind him like a mouse's tail. "Why are you so angry?!"
Ye Xing glared angrily: "How can we ask for mercy from the enemy when we are in the battlefield? How can we sacrifice our dignity for our lives!"
"But I think life is more important than dignity!" Qingye shouted, "If I'm still alive, I can always find a way later, but dying for dignity won't change anything! If I give myself up here, my family will be sad, and the settlement will lose its fighting power. But if I run back, at least I can help with hunting!"
"That's enough." Ye Xing said in a deep voice, "You really... disappoint me!"
As the words fell, the blade tore through the air. The distance created by his sprint was bridged with a single step. Ye Xing swung his blade with one hand, piercing Qing Ye's head and snapping his spine. The immense force crushed the flesh into mud, his blade like a spike, pinning the living human to the ground.
Then the blood mud disappeared without a trace, dispersing into mist. It was a clone created using the mist!
Ye Xing swung his sword behind him. The blade shattered two shadow shurikens and sliced through the invisible mist robes. That was the mist-hiding technique that Qing Ye relied on to hide. Instead of fleeing, she secretly approached Ye Xing, intending to surprise her.
Qingye raised her head and knelt on her knees, her flexible body almost bent in half, sliding forward on the momentum of her sprint. The short knife grazed her nose, and she successfully dodged the close attack of Ye Xing. At this moment, the long sword was unsheathed and slashed with a blade as bright as daylight.
Less than half a meter between them, the short sword had no time to defend itself, but Ye Xing pressed down with two fingers, using his fingers as a sword to block the sword light. The moment the gleaming blade made contact with his fingers, his will burst from his fingertips, shattering the entire long sword into glittering fragments.
But Ye Xing did not pursue the victory, instead he drew his sword to defend. The touch between his fingers said it all; the slash was essentially a "reverse blade" attack, a technique Qing Ye had mastered in just a few days using light elements to mimic.
She feinted, taking the opportunity to retreat back into the fog. Tramp. Tramp. Deep within the gray mist, faint footsteps echoed simultaneously. It was a trick to confuse the audience.
Ye Xing shook his head in disappointment. "The same little trick won't work a second time."
"Then I will try to think of new methods."
"Aren't you going to run away?"
"It would be great if I could run away!" Qing Ye was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"Now I finally understand the reality," Ye Xing said in a deep voice, "So what have you been doing until now? Leaving your base camp and wandering around with a powerful person you met by chance, hoping to gain strength from this encounter and prove yourself?"
Qing Ye was so deeply moved by what he was thinking that he could only remain silent. Ye Xing was merciless, his anger somewhat reminiscent of Chong Ming's.
"It's all wishful thinking, just like your self-righteous decision to leave home. Without understanding reality, without knowing the conditions outside your own world, you make decisions based on your own assumptions, and those decisions will ultimately become a poison that harms you and those around you.
You are now just like those skeletons who joined the army without knowing the dangers of the battlefield. How can a fool like you be qualified to call yourself a Zanshinzhe!
Ye Xing raised his dagger sideways over his head, unleashing his first true "moves" in this sudden encounter. He unlocked the "locks" within his arms, allowing the trapped power to flow through the blade, transforming into a transparent "wind." The moment the dagger thrust forward, the battlefield cleared. His sword intent ripped across the land like a true hurricane, blowing away the fog of history!
Wuxiang Nixinliu·Dufengsha. In his youth, Ye Xing used this magic sword to destroy an army with a single strike, establishing his reputation as an undefeated warrior.
The fog lifted, leaving Qingye with nowhere to hide. She emerged 300 meters away. She held a massive shuriken, the very weapon she had intended to launch a surprise attack. Seeing her concealment broken, Qingye flung it away without hesitation. She gripped her sword with both hands, taking the stance of a master and disciple sparring in a dojo.
It looked like a desperate struggle to maintain the last bit of dignity after accepting defeat, but the girl's eyes told of a different emotion.
Unwilling to admit defeat? Hate? Rebellion? Or—
"Please don't say that." Qing Ye said softly, "What do you know?"
"I've seen countless idiots like you before!"
"I say!" Qing Ye raised his voice, "You have no idea what Shura Island is like now!!"
Ye Xing couldn't possibly know. He was the bringer of fear, trapped on this land before the war ended, with no way of knowing what was happening outside except through the few words of outsiders. But she knew it. This was the land that nurtured her, and every moment of her childhood taught her what Shura Island was like.
Cultivate your own power. Children taught this from a young age become captivated by the foolish game of power. Those without power are eager to curry favor with the powerful, relying on their martial prowess to beg for rewards from those above them. On that small island, natural disparities exist, the differences between people even greater than those between people and outsiders.
Because the children of those in a higher position are born with superior powers.
There are many people who reach Sephiroth 3 at a young age, and there are also many who have already crossed the First Abyss at birth. Birth and family background literally determine a person's future. She was recognized as a "genius" in this environment because she endured the pain that befitted her title.
——Guang Shi Qingye is the only one in the famous family who has not inherited the power of his elders.
While everyone was born with the ability, she alone cultivated her Flash Finger. While everyone discussed crossing the First Abyss, she alone tempered her Sinful Bones. That's why she was a gifted Zanxin, that's why she was a one-of-a-kind genius.
Growing up in this environment, she witnessed the alienation that power brought to the same people. She watched the poisoning and murder happening around her, and watched different families and sects fight openly and secretly for profit, and innocent civilians were damaged like consumables.
She trained with the weakest children, listened to them talk about their ambitions, and their visions of the future. She had experienced Dongsha's betrayal and met dozens of similar "Dongshas." She knew the aspirations in their hearts and understood the perseverance in their eyes.
We will definitely reach higher positions in the future.
In the future, you must seize status and wealth.
One day, I will definitely trample the superior under my feet...
Replace it!
"Struggling for power, deceiving each other, and gaining benefits by stepping on the corpses of their own kind. Even the air is suffocating. What's so good about a Dust Island like that?" Qing Ye roared. "What's wrong with leaving a place like that!"
The dagger stabbed at her brow, and Qingye swung her crown, the two blades clashing, sparking dazzling sparks. Qingye took a step back, her toes sinking deeply into the sand, then stepped forward and swung her blade, a reckless slash landing on the dagger's hilt. Ye Xing's defense was impeccable, yet the clash of blades continued unabated.
"Look at the dry bones beneath your feet!" Ye Xing shouted angrily, "Letting our compatriots die meaninglessly here, is that your dream?"
“That’s right!”
Regardless of victory or defeat, life or death, Guang Shiqingye's slash fell like a roar.
With the same anger, he responded with a desperate kill.
"Even if I die miserably on the battlefield! Even if I die in a disgraceful manner, filled with regret!
It is also ten thousand times better than indulging in the vanity created by fratricide!!”
The moment the words left her mouth, her sword energy disappeared.
It was as if the rust on the blade was wiped off, as if the barrier between man and sword was broken, and intense emotions rushed into Miansheng. For the first time since her transformation, there was no confusion in her sword.
Yes, this is not a kind gesture that is for the benefit of everyone.
This is a vicious act that is bent on killing compatriots and a warmongering delusion.
She was delighted when she left Shura Island. Every day spent traveling with her companions was worth savoring. Just as Chongming had said, she was intoxicated and addicted to this journey.
Because only at this time, Guang Shi Qingye was walking on the path he longed for.
Fighting evil. Battling heretics. Fighting for the survival of others, risking her life for her own pursuits. She loved this life and relished the feeling.
Fighting on the brink of death, surviving in agony. This is what a Zanshin should be like, and this is the reason why the Zanshin Path was created!
"Endure pain, endure torture, and spend a thousand times more time than other paths, only to gain that tiny bit of strength!
If the fruits of our hard work are used to kill each other on our own land...
Then what is the meaning of our lives? "
Roaring wildly, Qingye swung his long sword.
The sword, no longer confused, moved forward unstoppably, breaking through Ye Xing's defense for the first time.
Unconcerned with damage or death, this was a truly insane sword move. As a price, after striking this blow, Qing Ye was left with numerous flaws. Miraculously, even with this life-or-death struggle, Qing Ye remained unscathed.
He subconsciously let it go. No, that wasn't the case. The first strike alone was stronger than the blow he'd struck against Ji Huaisu. He should have killed this man long ago. Once he put on the mask, no emotion remained.
So, is he confused?
Is it him, a remnant who had long since died in battle, who is now wavering at these foolish words...!
"……madness!"
The short knife traced a zigzag trajectory. It stabbed at the forehead, then swung to strike the shoulder, then slashed at the heart. These three consecutive strikes, aimed at vital points, were delivered almost simultaneously. Qing Ye shook the blade, deflecting the strike with a large movement. Then she leaned forward, sideways, and charged with her shoulder.
Imitating the martial artist's iron mountain lean, he interrupted Ye Xing's next strike. Ye Xing took a step back, his short sword slashing at his throat like a guillotine. Qing Ye's long sword struck out before him, and the two swords, originally paired, met in mid-air, triggering a clear resonance.
Still unharmed.
Still no results.
There was indeed a huge difference in basic skills. But the drowsy and unfocused swordsmanship could not break the young man's crazy fighting spirit.
"Don't use the suffering around you as an excuse to escape!" Ye Xing shouted, "What can a girl with a mass of 2 like you do? You just don't want to admit your mistakes!"
"I will find the Master of the Remnant Heart." Qing Ye refused to give in. "Then I will bring him back to Shura Island and force those foolish adults to unite and change this turbid place!"
"Don't be ridiculous. Do you think the owner of this destiny is some kind of good man?" Ye Xing increased the strength in his hands, forcing Mian Sheng to retreat step by step. "Do you think that you can change that man's opinion with just your words?"
"If the Master of Canxin abandons us, I'll take over!" Qingye shouted, "I myself will be the one! To change Shura Island!!"
The intense emotion infused into the long sword made the crown glow like the sunrise.
The long sword fell straight down. The relic that resonated with the remnant heart, slashing through the night walk.
Both sides retreated simultaneously. Ye Xing sheathed his sword and unleashed his reverse blade once more. An inky slash leaped up like a dragon. Qing Ye stopped swinging her sword and waved her hand toward the slash. Black shadows entwined her fingertips, and the massive shuriken, previously thrown, flew forward, guided by the shadows, blocking Ye Xing's first blow.
The shuriken split in two, its shadows woven into the air dispersing, a blazing sword flashing through them. The second strike, a vertical slash that sealed the space, sent Qing Ye carelessly leaping upwards. Her movements were nowhere near the speed of Ye Xing's sword. However, in mid-air, she transformed into a wisp of mist, the dagger merely passing through her without piercing her.
The moment before she was struck, she ensured she remained unharmed. This was a secret technique Qingye had developed during her training over the past few days.
Absorbing the mist of history with the Sinful Bone, he instantly transformed himself into mist. This literally achieved invincibility, the art of transforming the mind through the mist.
The cross-shaped slash that sealed off the space was broken, and thanks to the protection of the Zanshinjutsu, Qingye remained unscathed. The crown rose from its sheath in mid-air... and faced the cold and sharp sword light that was no less than unyielding!
Ye Xing drew his sword, slashing with a sinister force. His first two strikes were deceptive, reverse-edged strikes, but only now did he truly strike, a fatal blow aimed squarely at the vital point. His dagger changed color as it was unsheathed, transforming into a deep, night-like hue. The man's emotions infused the blade, its distorted hue spreading to the surrounding world as he struck.
In an instant, the battlefield transformed into a black and white world, like an ink painting. Dust, slashes, breathing, the movements of the two men—everything slowed down as the sword was unsheathed. When Ye Xing finally swung his blade, the entire world transformed into a still, black and white space!
The art of going against the flow of the mind without thinking and turning time around in vain.
He was the Zanxinzhe Guangshi Yexing, and he too possessed his own renowned technique. Even if weakened to the low-particle range, his Time Transformation Technique was enough to briefly control time!
In the pitch-black silence, only the night's short sword moved silently. Unable to evade or defend, fate was sealed the moment the blade was drawn, and the night's slash would sever the enemy's head.
With nowhere to hide, Qing Ye stared at the blade thrusting towards her. The dagger's edge magnified in her eyes, then suddenly shifted. Her long sword shone, a brilliant white light like a comet. The sword's light bathed her body, causing movement in the still world that shouldn't have existed.
The slash that should have stopped fell, and the sword light was like a dazzling meteor!
That was the secret of the Zanshin Path, the "Thousand Nights' Flashing Stars," created by the Zanshin Master himself. In the fiercest battle of life and death, one sharpens one's will, unleashing it all in a single strike, transforming one's life into a dazzling meteor streaking through the night. It was an obsession with victory, a madness determined to survive. Under the starlight that illuminated a thousand nights, even time retreated!
Starlight flickered and fell, illuminating the dark world. Stagnant time began to flow once again, and amidst the light, only the sound of the long sword remained.
Qingye's long sword pierced Ye Xing's side. Dark blood flowed down the blade, and Ye Xing's eyes became cloudy again.
The girl raised her head stubbornly and met the gaze of her ancestor.
"You win, Mr. Longyu," she said, "but I'm not wrong."
Then the mist lifted, and the dagger pierced her chest. Qing Ye missed her only chance. She cut through time but failed to kill her enemy.
But she wouldn't think so, because the outcome of life and death is obvious.
There's no use running, so fight. That's all.
Ye Xing drew his short sword and watched the girl collapse into the black earth. Their blows blew away the sand on the battlefield, revealing a mass of blackened bones, arms raised high in a silent embrace.
Their appearances when they were alive appeared in Ye Xing's eyes, human faces and dry bones overlapped, melted and turbid, unable to separate.
"Yes," the man murmured, "you are right."
He sheathed his dagger and walked into the mist. His back was so lonely, like a prisoner stumbling under the weight of guilt through the years.
(End of this chapter)
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