Chapter 155 Calming the Storm (Supplement) "If you had never appeared before my eyes..."
With a long beard and a red face, and eyes as big as bells, his face was covered in powder and paint. Apart from the cluster of fire between his eyebrows, it was almost impossible to see his original handsome appearance.
This face is like a naturally sculpted Nuo mask, each piece solidifying into the shape of another person.
Everyone watching this dramatic turn of events couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for Lin Feiran.
Unlike other tribes, the fox clan's ancestral magic leans more towards illusion, which requires practitioners to have strong spiritual senses. Therefore, the fox clan is more proficient in magic and rarely practices martial arts.
According to the legends of the fox clan's ancestors, when a cultivator's divine sense is strong enough, they can communicate with heaven and earth and merge with wandering spirits.
This spirit is the deity that ordinary people often worship.
In other words, those whose divine sense is powerful enough to transcend the mundane are no longer cultivators, but have become so-called gods.
The ancestors of the fox clan firmly believed that the Returning to Truth Realm was not the end for cultivators. Cultivators could still advance to higher ranks, and the ultimate path of cultivation should be like that of those saints who could transform into spirits and remain in the afterlife, becoming a part of heaven and earth.
Under such mysterious and profound ideas, the "Seven Gods Record" was created by the ancestors of the fox clan.
The seven gods are derived from the seven human emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, love, hate, and desire. All humans possess these emotions.
Ruthlessness is the way, and so is compassion.
Therefore, they combined illusion techniques and yin and yang, and painted the holy spirits skilled in this art on a Nuo mask, covered their faces, and took their place, which was called the descent of the saints. There were seven saints, which were called the "Record of the Seven Gods".
However, there is no perfect cultivation method in the world. The "Seven Gods Record" is just their deduction. In reality, there is no Holy Spirit. But when used to assist the art of illusion, its power is beyond everyone's expectations.
The fox clan has dominated the west with this technique, and its power continues to this day.
Qingping King's cultivation was already quite good, but he rarely had the opportunity to show it off. However, when facing Lin Feiran, he actually used all his best skills, which made people even more puzzled.
Lin Feiran was completely unfamiliar with this, but she could tell something unusual from the shocked looks in the eyes of the people around her.
He leaped into the air, his face contorted with rage, and gripped a bronze bell in his hand. With three crisp rings, blazing flames suddenly erupted around Lin Feiran, unquenchable by the wind of the blades or the shock of spiritual energy. No matter how she ran, the flames relentlessly pursued her, impossible to shake off!
Just as they were locked in combat, a fiery tiger leaped out of the flames, its body as large as the tall building beside it. It raised its thick paws, roared, and then pressed down on Lin Feiran, the resulting gust of wind causing her clothes to flutter wildly!
Lin Feiran immediately turned around, and a stream of light flashed on the Golden Wave Sword in her hand. The blade swirled with a gust of wind, and then she slashed horizontally with her longsword. At the same time, an even sharper and colder sword aura was also unleashed.
Wei Changzai didn't say much, only saying, "You said before that you would do as you please, and that's exactly what I'm doing now. I'll draw my sword whenever I feel like it."
"..."
With a formidable enemy before them, Lin Feiran had no time to pay attention to him. He only glanced at him briefly before heading straight forward. Wind blades and sword energy swept past together, carving a narrow path through the giant palm. The two of them immediately leaped back.
Amidst the raging flames, a huge and blurry figure appeared, resembling a human, yet also like a spirit tree with gnarled branches.
It stood behind King Qingping, like a silent, watching deity, gazing at the dust beneath its feet.
Just as the tiger was pushed back half a step, King Qingping's expression changed again. White lines appeared on his crimson Nuo mask, and his entire face turned from red to green. His copper bell-like eyes were stretched out like dough, turning into a pair of eagle eyes. The copper bell in his hand turned into an iron cone, which shot straight at the two of them!
If he can't kill Lin Feiran, can't he at least make sure she can never lift a sword again?
Along with the iron cone came a dense, almost inescapable barrage of purple and blue lightning!
Lin Feiran had just regained her footing when she saw this strange phenomenon and immediately formed a hand seal to defend herself. However, how could her magic array possibly withstand such a powerful and terrifying heavenly lightning!
In the midst of three flashes of lightning and thunder, two bamboo leaves silently swept past Lin Feiran's eyes, blocking dozens of bolts of lightning.
Wei Changzai was also forming a formation nearby. His formation was shattered by the second thunderclap. With his cultivation level, he could not withstand such overwhelming spiritual power and was pierced through the chest by the attack. Blood immediately seeped from his tightly pursed lips.
He knelt on one knee, his raised hand unconsciously grabbing the hem of Lin Feiran's robe. A flash of inspiration crossed his fingertips, as if he wanted to fight again, but in the next moment she lifted him by the back of the neck and threw him back into the crowd with all her might.
In this almost violent thunderstorm, the umbrella was the only safe place to stay.
She held up the golden umbrella and planted her sword in the ground to support herself. Countless bolts of lightning struck down, too dense and too fast. Perhaps they had been gathering for a long time, but it seemed like only a moment. At some point, Lin Feiran suddenly felt a warm current flow through her hand.
It is spiritual power.
She looked up and saw that the pure white umbrella ribs were not as blue as before, but rather like the marrow in stone, exuding a jade-like whiteness. Spiritual energy was flowing down the umbrella ribs, nourishing her spiritual veins and bones.
The Golden Umbrella could actually transmit spiritual energy to her?
Just as I was wondering what was going on, the sword spirit reappeared under the umbrella.
She said, "Jinlan is indeed a spiritual treasure and can last for a long time, but this is not a solution. You must shatter that iron cone and then break his mask of descent to sainthood!"
Lin Feiran's heart stirred, and he immediately said, "Then I will use the sword technique you taught me before. It is as swift as the wind and will surely be able to break out of the thunderstorm!"
The sword spirit landed in front of Lin Feiran, its form suddenly becoming illusory, visible only to her at this moment. The sword spirit spoke, "Then come with me."
She stepped forward, and Lin Feiran immediately followed with his sword. His footwork was fantastical, and a golden light gradually flowed from the Golden Wave Sword in his hand.
Why?
"Because this technique was only half-written, just barely ending."
"Are you so obsessed with cutting through the wind? All weapons are about speed, but the essence of the art belongs to the human. I don't understand why you think the highest level of a fast blade is tearing through the wind, something any cultivator in the Forgetfulness Realm can do."
"Do it? Just scattering the wind, is that what you call tearing? The wind is still on both sides, which means it avoided it long ago."
The wind is formless, soulless, and unintentional. It is everywhere, but it lies dormant, waiting for its chance to strike. If you slightly loosen your grip, it can rise from the ground with ease. No one can stop the wind.
But the fastest blade and the sharpest sword can move unstoppably through the wind, instantly delivering a thousand strikes, leaving the wind nowhere to dissipate and nowhere to hide!
As lightning struck, Lin Feiran suddenly hurled the Golden Ripples Umbrella high into the air, creating a series of heart-pounding booms. The exploding lightning tore through the hem of her robe, focusing before her eyes and illuminating her unwavering gaze.
She asked, "What is swordsmanship?"
The sword spirit also leaped forward, her right hand swinging out. Her voice was as calm as ever, yet it carried a hint of barely suppressed excitement.
Calming the storm.
The sword spirit's voice was gentle, yet his movements were incredibly powerful as he wielded his sword.
"When the peach blossoms bloom in spring, the river flows mightily."
The Golden Umbrella shone brightly, its golden-red hue spreading out in an instant. This light was not sharp, but rather very gentle, like the early spring breeze stirring up waves. She walked under the umbrella, slashing with her sword, and the thunder in front of her vanished instantly!
"The fallen petals have all faded, leaving only a lone bird to cry out in sorrow."
Taking advantage of the opening, Lin Feiran immediately flipped over and leaped up, stepping onto the Golden Ripples Umbrella. Using the momentum, he soared into the sky like an eagle. In an instant, his long sword split into several sword shadows, all of which struck the iron cone in the air amidst the whistling wind!
With a resounding clang, the iron cone was easily pierced like a mud ball, shattering into pieces. A hundred or so bolts of lightning immediately traveled along the sword's blade, striking Lin Feiran.
The sword bone, which had been silent for a long time, seemed to be nourished by a spring thunder and light rain. From its previous slow condensation, it transformed into green bamboo, growing taller and taller!
The third move: Youthful years scatter, a lone figure stands alone in the wind.
Lin Feiran pursed her lips and endured it, then followed the sword spirit.
As the dozens of sword shadows dispersed, she took steps that also split into several, each of them wielding a sword, and each of them converging towards the same point.
The sword was aimed at the towering pseudo-spirit and the Qingping King, who sat firmly in its palm.
One Lin Feiran is already difficult to deal with, let alone ten or a hundred!
Each of them was wielding their swordsmanship alone, unstoppable. Qingping King immediately leaped up, attacking with both hands simultaneously. One magic array after another appeared around him, their light flashing. However, the two of them fought in a manner resembling a group battle!
Qingping King's face changed again, turning from blue to purple. His narrow phoenix eyes widened vertically, becoming like snake pupils, and bitter tears welled up in his eyes!
With a wave of his hand, he took out a silk handkerchief to wipe away his tears, and a light drizzle immediately seeped in, very gentle, and instantly enveloped Lin Feiran.
In that instant, Lin Feiran saw the snow covering the mountains again, saw himself walking alone in the snow, and saw his fellow disciples who had come to hunt all over the mountains.
She staggered half a step, still retaining a sliver of clarity in her mind. She told herself that these were all illusions. She immediately raised her long sword and slashed it. Suddenly, the snowy scene before her eyes reversed, leaving only a sea of crimson!
Lying in a pool of blood, the mother, pale-faced, stroked her daughter's face and trembled as she said, "Don't hate..."
Lin Feiran stared at her face, momentarily dazed. His grip on the long sword loosened slightly, and before he could react, tears of sorrow welled up in his eyes, making him feel extremely bitter.
Before she could even land, her mother suddenly pushed her away.
She roared, "Do you really believe me just because I say this? My blood feud, my resentment, my pain—who will avenge me?!"
The father embraced the mother, remaining silent, but his gaze towards her was reproachful.
Lin Feiran told herself that it was all an illusion. She gripped the sword in her hand, but felt that her palm was very sticky. Looking down, she saw that it was not the Golden Wave Sword in her hand, but a dagger stained with her mother's blood!
Her hand trembled suddenly, and she was about to throw it away, but she stopped herself in her half-awake state and firmly gripped the slippery dagger.
A bitter, salty taste seemed to hang in the air. She simply shook her head, stepped back, and murmured, "I will, I will get it all back!"
Just as she was about to swing the dagger in her hand, she suddenly lost her footing and plunged into a bitter, salty sea.
She struggled in a deep blue abyss, just as she was about to float upwards, when suddenly someone grabbed her right arm. She turned around and saw it was Qiu Tong.
Her expression was cold as she said, "He and I are a match made in heaven. If you hadn't interfered, we wouldn't have had so many ups and downs. Lin Feiran, you're really annoying."
Lin Feiran pursed her lips and remained silent. Then, another person grasped her left arm. Wei Changzai gazed at her quietly and said in a low voice, "Why did you go to ask for that marriage contract? Do you know how long I've been dealing with you?"
With her other hand on her left shoulder, Qingzhu's eyes held a coldness she had never seen before: "How much have I cleaned up for you? You only cause me trouble."
Lin Feiran's mind finally began to wander. The salty seawater rushed in, and a wave of sorrow that she could not shake off arose in her heart.
"Why did you come to the demon realm? If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened."
"Before you came, this place was always peaceful."
"A jinx!"
"If you had never appeared..."
Each of them pressed her deep inside, and she felt her body growing heavier and heavier, her grip on the dagger weakening.
As I sank, a tear finally slid down my cheek.
After an unknown amount of time, her back suddenly bumped into someone. He reached out and touched the back of her neck, bringing a familiar chill.
Everyone held her down, so she couldn't turn her head and therefore couldn't see his expression. She could only feel waves of coldness brushing against her body.
"Lin Feiran," Ru Xian began, "if you had never appeared before me..."
His voice suddenly stopped, and he could no longer speak.
What would he have done if she had never appeared?
Illusions are reflections of the mind. This pause is not because Lin Feiran has no answer in her heart; on the contrary, it is precisely because she is too certain that the illusion cannot speak.
If she had never appeared, Ru Xian wouldn't be alive today.
If only... there are no ifs in this world. She has already appeared, needing no meaning. Her existence itself is meaning, and she doesn't need to prove anything to anyone!
Sunlight spread across the sea, yet converged into a single beam the instant she gazed into the distance.
When she killed Xunfang with her sword, she saw the full moon transform into the rising sun, a realm of the sun hanging in the sky. Now she sees that rising sun again!
The sword spirit's indistinct voice reached her ears. The first rays of the sun shone brilliantly, extinguishing the sea of suffering. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself no longer in the illusion created for her by the King of Qingping, but in a damp field of reeds, where a blood-red sun was rising.
This is her sword realm, her domain!
As the sword spirit's voice faded, hundreds of Lin Feiran's shadowy figures converged into one, sword bones sprouting rapidly. She took up her sword and struck the rising sun.
With a soft clang, a fine crack appeared on the Nuo mask on King Qingping's face.
...
There was a moment of complete silence.
The sword realm lasted only a few breaths before it became illusory again. The giant spirit behind King Qingping swelled up and actually cracked the sword realm!
As the sun sets, only a cold, damp wind remains.
King Qingping raised his hand, and the Nuo mask changed again, turning from blue to yellow. He swung his palm out, and a huge palm print descended like a canopy from the sky.
When Lin Feiran thought of the Sword Realm again, she felt that something was not right. After fighting so hard, she was actually close to her limit.
To prevent anyone from intervening, King Qingping formed a hand seal with his other hand, causing the incantation to shine even brighter in the city. The surrounding demons became even weaker, and even Ping An and the others felt dizzy and sat down, barely able to support themselves against the wall.
Lin Feiran propped himself up with his sword and stood up again, capturing a subtle feeling in his heart, as if another round was about to begin tomorrow, but it was always stuck halfway.
The giant palm had already fallen, and she gathered her energy and leaped away. A sword light suddenly fell before her eyes, and the sword energy it emitted was vast and fierce, shattering the giant palm almost instantly!
Prince Qingping's gaze narrowed slightly as he glanced to the side. He saw a disheveled man emerge from the collapsed crowd, showing no intention of standing out from the crowd, but rather displaying a rather unruly demeanor.
Lin Feiran looked over, panting, and suddenly her gaze froze.
He staggered over, holding a wine jug in his hand, half-empty, and muttering something under his breath.
King Qingping was covered with a Nuo mask and could not speak. He glanced behind him, and King Kuofeng understood his meaning and immediately rushed forward.
"When the actual battle begins, who would dare to step forward and offer assistance!"
Li Changfeng had already walked up to Lin Feiran. He did not draw his sword, but simply tilted his head back to drink. His right hand deftly made a hand seal and casually flicked out ten sword shadows that were almost solidified. In the blink of an eye, they repelled Kuofeng King one after another!
King Kuofeng was terrified: "Who are you?!"
"Who am I? You're asking me? I don't even know who I am."
He muttered a string of words.
"I have a pot of wine, which I can pour across the entire land. One drop will nourish ten thousand mountains and marshes, and another will nourish the sun and moon... That's utter nonsense."
"Li Changfeng!"
King Kuofeng immediately recognized him, knowing he was no match for him, and dared not rush forward. He turned his gaze to Lin Feiran.
"The rule we set out in the beginning was that one person fights one person. If you want his help, we will no longer stand idly by!"
"Who said I was going to help?"
Li Changfeng swayed around to Lin Feiran's back and said, "It was just a slip of the hand that caused the sword to fly out accidentally. Besides, the outcome is still undecided. Why don't you two have another match?"
Qingping King was unwilling to give Lin Feiran any time to catch his breath. He quickly withdrew his gaze, his face turned completely black, and black mist immediately rose around him, with vengeful nails flying out without hesitation!
Fearing that Li Changfeng would intervene, Lin Feiran spoke up as he dodged, "Senior, there's no need for you to help!"
"Who said I was going to make a move?"
Li Changfeng extended a finger and touched Lin Feiran's Tanzhong acupoint.
He casually tossed the wine jug aside, tapped six spots on Lin Feiran's back with two fingers, then spun around and flew away, his figure leaving a faint glow in the thick fog.
"Watch closely!"
He leaped onto the city wall, wildly brandishing his sword: "When hand, eye, and mind are in harmony, man and sword become one. The vastness of the mind determines the breadth of the sword realm. Forget that you are fighting, forget your fear. Between heaven and earth, there is only you and this sword!"
Beneath the thick fog, nails of hatred flew all around. While dodging, Lin Feiran was struck in the left arm by one. A chilling pain, accompanied by intense hatred, swept over her, making it almost impossible for her to concentrate.
But she still learned to fight, forgetting the cold, the pain, and the Prince of Qingping.
There was no winning or losing, no right or wrong; at this moment, she was simply using her sword, nothing more.
Just now, when I fought with her in the sea of suffering, I vaguely sensed that her realm was loosening and that she seemed to be about to break through. How could I give her the opportunity to break through now!
In an instant, the nails of resentment flew out in droves, but Lin Feiran did not dodge. She just kept wielding her sword and did not stop even though she was hit by several nails.
At some point, the mist passing by turned into a gentle breeze, and a vast open field expanded behind Lin Feiran, where it fought against the ever-encroaching black mist.
On one side, resentment invades; on the other, a gentle breeze dispels it.
Lin Feiran's dark robes revealed a hint of crimson, but she was oblivious, continuing to move forward without paying attention.
Suddenly, the sword realm opened wide, and several extremely strong gusts of wind swept across the plains, dispersing the mist. This was the realm of the north wind!
Li Changfeng's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Great!"
But Lin Feiran did not stop. Her feet moved swiftly, and her long sword thrust out. The gleaming silver blade reflected her eyebrows and eyes. She knocked down all the attacking nails. The sparks from the clash of the sword fell into the field and ignited a dry blade of grass.
As she turned and drew her sword, the spark suddenly spread, instantly setting the field ablaze. In this raging inferno, the flames surged forward along with her sword light, hurtling towards King Qingping!
He could no longer remain seated and immediately rose to confront the situation. The sword realm grew larger and larger, eventually encompassing him and the giant spirit, and even seemed to be devouring them.
Surrounded by raging flames, at the edge of the wilderness, a sun suddenly rose. Compared to it, he and the giant spirit seemed as insignificant as grass and ants.
At first glance, the blazing sun was still on the horizon, but in the blink of an eye, it had moved right in front of him, as if it were going to crush him into dust!
The three sword realms appeared in succession, leaving Li Changfeng speechless. Even the King of Qingping was momentarily stunned and bewildered.
"She has broken through her cultivation level!" King Kuofeng couldn't help but exclaim.
The two who were still fighting did not pay attention. Her state of mind had already reached that point when she escaped from the sea of suffering. However, the black mist had prevented her from obtaining enough spiritual energy to help her break through the realm. Now that the sword realm was open and the spiritual energy was abundant, she naturally broke through the realm after being nourished.
The giant blocked the attack.
Qingping King turned around, a small crack still visible on his Nuo face. He looked at Lin Feiran and finally spoke his first words.
Why is your spiritual energy still flowing backwards?
Using this technique, one must not utter a single word. After he opened his mouth, the gaps on the Nuo mask gradually widened and soon cracked open, revealing his original right eye.
"Mindset and spiritual energy are both indispensable. You didn't absorb spiritual energy in time back then, so why can you still do it now? What makes you think you can still do it now!"
He stared at Lin Feiran, and before the Nuo mask completely collapsed, he tightly gripped her sword, raised his right palm, and the giant spirit also raised one hand.
"Heaven is so unjust, so unjust!"
The hands of the King of Qingping and the giant spirit overlapped, both gripping Lin Feiran's wrist. He suddenly smiled: "If you need spiritual energy to break through, I will pour it into you twice as much! A cultivator's body explodes, but he won't die immediately. I'm not breaking the rules. Let's see what other ways you can stop me!"
Lin Feiran absorbed spiritual energy extremely quickly. In just a few breaths, the giant spirit behind Qingping King visibly shrank, and her spiritual veins began to emerge, even coiling on her arm in a slightly ferocious manner.
Just when everyone thought she was about to reach her limit, she always came out unharmed. A few moments later, Prince Qingping also noticed something was wrong.
"To explode and die? If the Prince of Qingping knew how much I eat to replenish my spiritual energy, perhaps he wouldn't have this idea."
Lin Feiran looked up and said in a hoarse voice.
"Many thanks to Prince Qingping for helping me break through two realms in one day and reach new heights!"
...
Extremely pure spiritual energy flowed through Lin Feiran's body, and before it dissipated, it was all sent into that small world along the spiritual threads.
In an instant, the pill in his abdomen was as if it had encountered a raging fire, and most of it was refined in a flash.
Ru Xian opened his eyes and looked at the spiritual thread at his fingertips in surprise. However, he did not know the situation outside, so he did not speak to disturb Lin Feiran. He simply accelerated the circulation of spiritual energy to refine the pill.
A short while later, he exhaled a breath of stale air, looked at the wandering incantations around him, slowly stood up, and reached out his hand to them.
A few breaths later, the gate to the small world opened wide, and snowflakes emerged from it.
Author's Note: [Heart emoji] This volume will end after the next chapter. I've finally written this far, tears welling up in my eyes.
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