Chapter 321 The Long Song Fades, the Crystal Dream Ends "If only I could do it all over again..."
It was that word "Tao" again. Bi Sheng had already argued with Ding Yi too many times and didn't want to say anything more to Lin Feiran.
"Then let's see who truly attains enlightenment!"
She turned and dodged Wei Changzai and Li Changfeng's encirclement, forming hand seals again. Ordinary spells became much more powerful in her hands, and the fierce spiritual energy struck again. The two who were already holding on were immediately sent flying several meters away, coughing incessantly!
Without pausing, the moment she repelled the two men, the beaded chain on her wrist spun and flew up, the pearl hanging high in the air like a star in broad daylight, with several star rays shooting out from it, like a net piercing towards the two men!
Wei Changzai's dark eyes narrowed slightly as he swung his twin swords at the star lines. The Kunwu sword gleamed, severing several lines, but the star lines were too fast and too dense. In the instant the blade missed a line, a star line pierced through his shoulder, pinning him firmly to the grass.
Li Changfeng was even more swift, with five or six jade beads spinning in the air. Even though he could transform into a mighty wind, he was still blocked by the dense, wall-like starlight. In the blink of an eye, his arms were already full of shackles.
All of this happened so fast that Lin Feiran turned around and heard Li Changfeng call out from afar, "It's alright for now, you focus on dealing with her!"
With their combined cultivation levels, they still have enough strength to protect their heart meridians from the star line, but escaping from it will likely take some effort.
Just as Li Changfeng was racking his brains to control his sword, a spirit appeared and floated over. It was some senior figure, who circled around him and said with interest, "Your swordsmanship is quite interesting. Did you figure it out yourself?"
"Yes." Even Li Changfeng was at a loss for words at this moment. "Senior, please don't look anymore. Please give me some pointers!"
"Good, good, good! I love guiding juniors like you!"
The two started whispering to each other on the spot, not at all like a life-or-death struggle. Their conversation was very relaxed, and Wei Chang became much quieter in their presence.
After being pinned to the grass by the star line, he did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately turned over and tore the star line off his shoulder. His left arm robe ripped apart, and the blood seeping out stained the robe red.
He watched the several jade beads that were chasing him, fighting and retreating. Although he was also entangled here, he was still able to cope.
Another senior colleague watched him silently, offering no words of advice or guidance. He simply floated beside him, his sleeves tucked in as he pondered something, before suddenly asking a question.
"Were the curtains and screens in your room made from Kobayashi's robes?"
"..."
Wei Changzai's breathing became slightly disordered, and for a moment he was distracted. A streak of light grazed his neck, and a drop of blood seeped out.
The senior quickly explained, "It's like this. Back in your Avici Hell, we saw the little house you set up. To be honest, it was very impressive. Even though we've lived for so many years, we've never seen anything like it."
But the more bizarre it is, the more curious people become.
We've been arguing about that issue for a long time, and we still haven't reached a conclusion. If you can give me an answer today, I'll teach you how to break this magic weapon.
Wei Chang was busy dealing with the beads and didn't say anything, seemingly indifferent. But at some point, the tips of his ears had turned a light red, and his lips were pressed into a straight line.
Seeing his reaction, the answer was self-evident. The senior pondered meaningfully, "Indeed, your hands are very skillful, the cut is flawless."
"Did you mend this huge curtain yourself, stitch by stitch?"
Wei Changzai's aura became completely disordered, not because of what the senior said. The two were not familiar with each other, and even if he was pointed out so bluntly, he would not feel the slightest bit ashamed.
He couldn't help but think that since they were always by Lin Feiran's side, if they knew, maybe... she knew too.
His breathing became disordered, and his movements became flawed. Just then, the spirit beside him spoke.
Seeing that both of them had someone pointing at them, Lin Feiran's worries subsided somewhat.
She withdrew her gaze and, following the instructions of the senior beside her, continued to draw her sword and form hand seals. Jin Lan also assisted her from the side. The two of them closed in together, and although they failed to subdue Bi Sheng, they did manage to entangle her so tightly that she could not draw her bow.
Bi Sheng's gaze swept over Lin Feiran's back, where many figures flew by leisurely.
They floated around, some lying flat with their eyes closed, some sitting cross-legged in meditation. Their faces were either young or old, but all were bold and unrestrained, possessing unique skills. Some of them even resembled people she had seen in the ancestral halls of many sects.
They spoke, and Lin Feiran did as they were told.
Her agility and comprehension were so solid that she could execute any of the tips given to her, which were mostly tricky and unconventional fighting techniques that changed very quickly. Lin Feiran was able to use them all without pausing for a moment.
This fighting style, seemingly only Lin Feiran is fighting against her, is actually her fighting against all these cultivators in the sky, exchanging moves and countering attacks. The difference of one realm between the two is also largely made up in this way!
Moreover, there is Jin Lan. Although she is now a remnant of her spirit and her cultivation level is far lower than before she was alive, she knows herself too well. A surprise attack from the side can be very effective.
While dealing with the situation, Bi Sheng pondered in her heart. She had calculated too much, but she had overlooked the strange book in Lin Feiran's hands. Who would have thought that so many cultivators were stored in it? Now, with the two sides in a balance of power, it was difficult to determine a winner!
The best course of action now is either to keep dragging this out, since Lin Feiran can't keep up with the current tight combos until she makes a mistake, or to forcefully break through this place and escape back to the Cloud Top Heavenly Palace!
Bi Sheng weighed the three options in his mind and naturally knew that it would be better to escape, but... he was unwilling, unwilling!
He has finally made it this far. He only needs to wait a little longer before the Dao Lord can descend upon the world. He is still missing a spiritual vein, a spiritual vein of heaven and earth that Lin Feiran took away and which exists within his body!
Today is also a golden opportunity for her. They are the only ones here, without the likes of Xie Kanhua to help them. Their chances of winning are even greater. If they can't seize the spiritual vein now, what will they do in the future!
Even in death... even in death...
Then I will die a martyr!
What talk of good and evil? Humans are born evil!
Born sucking the blood and bones of his mother, growing up on rotten flesh and milk, he devours everyone around him like a giant beast. Even a child, if given a sharp knife and a hard-to-swallow candy, can stab someone's throat without batting an eye and chew the candy and flesh to pieces!
The Tao is the Tao, far less complicated than Ding Yi and his ilk claim. She has simply been practicing what she desires, and her ability to reach the state of selflessness is the best proof of that!
Even if she were to die, she would never want to return to that world where everyone can eat each other and oppress each other!
Bi Sheng's eyes flickered slightly, and she no longer turned to dodge. She took Lin Feiran's sword with her left shoulder, and blood immediately seeped out. Her right hand formed a claw, grabbed Lin Feiran's right shoulder, and gathered spiritual power in her palm, knocking Lin Feiran back several meters with one palm!
"Cough cough..."
Lin Feiran stopped herself with her sword, swallowed her blood, and realized that the palm strike was too powerful. Not only did her hairpin shatter, but her black clothes were also torn in various places, and her black hair was scattered in the wind. She coughed as she got up and looked up.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Bi Sheng quickly formed hand seals, and a bright light shone from his hands. A bronze disc spun out, and the sky changed drastically, with thunderclouds rolling in!
With a deafening roar, the tribulation lightning fell from the sky like a spear, striking every part of the Avici Hell!
The jade beads that were chasing Li Changfeng and his companion also increased in size several times, becoming the size of a fist. They shot out relentlessly, causing dust to billow across the fields and creating a strong earthy and burning smell.
Li Changfeng suddenly remembered something and dodged Lin Feiran, saying, "Don't worry about it! I'll take care of Ruxian. You focus on dealing with this!"
Lin Feiran then looked at Wei Changzai. He didn't need her help at this moment, so he looked away, took out a pill, and swallowed it with his blood energy.
"Can you still hold on? Don't force yourself!" the grandmaster asked.
"It's alright." Lin Feiran paused, then swallowed another pill. "This is a rare opportunity, we can't give up now."
A senior figure landed: "This is the magic treasure, the Golden Jade Plate. If you wish to break it, then..."
"No need."
She tore the rags apart, used the strips to tie her hair behind her head, gripped her long sword tighter, and said in a deep voice.
"She has many magical treasures, how long will it take to break them? We don't have that much time, and we can't let her lead us by the nose. Senior, is it possible to break that glass bow?"
The elder paused slightly: "Since it is a magic weapon, nothing is unbreakable, but if that's the case, I'm afraid we can only fight it head-on."
Lin Feiran stepped forward with his sword drawn: "A person like her would rather take my sword head-on, which means she is determined to fight to the death. Since she has such a mindset, I can't hold back either, so I have no choice but to fight her head-on."
Amidst the thunder, Bi Sheng had already taken out her glass longbow. She looked directly at Lin Feiran, a long arrow formed from lightning held between her fingers.
Lin Feiran did not stop. While dodging the thunderclouds, she used the power of lightning to create six long swords, which flew towards Bi Sheng. As the swords whistled, she flipped over and stepped onto one of the lightning swords, leaping away!
She couldn't let her fire any more arrows. Rather than trying to break through the lightning formation now, she should just move forward and shatter her longbow!
Just then, a terrifying thunderclap rang out, and the lightning arrow had already pierced through the hurricane. It seemed to be one, but in an instant it turned into several. They grew stronger in the lightning and stabbed straight towards Lin Feiran, making it almost impossible for her to avoid!
One of the seniors rose gracefully and landed behind Lin Feiran, his voice continuing.
"Riding the wind, manipulating the water with hand seals, heading west, breaking through the current!"
"Spinning around, unleashing the Golden Thunder Technique, turning eastward, breaking through the opponent's momentum!"
"Control the sword, the sharp blade severs the heart, head north, break through the momentum!"
The golden spirits stood out against the bewildering darkness. They landed behind Lin Feiran one by one, no longer displaying their previous leisurely demeanor. Instead, they acted as if they were still fighting enemies in the mortal world, pointing together and staring straight ahead!
"Break the momentum!" "Break the momentum!"
With each strike of his guidance, Lin Feiran stepped through the sword energy and dodged the thunderclouds. The long sword in his hand was as powerful as a rainbow, and the blade shimmered with a few fragments of light in the thunderstorm, shattering one lightning arrow after another!
She got closer and closer to Bi Sheng, until she pierced through a lightning arrow in front of her and it was about to fall in front of her. Bi Sheng smiled slightly and held the long arrow in her hand to her eyes.
It was that same gray, wind-like arrow that she had seen before; now, she saw that glimmer of starlight in Bi Sheng's right eye.
A flash of starlight, and an invisible arrow, as swift as the wind, streaked through the thunderclouds like a falling meteor, causing everything in sight to lose its luster.
Lin Feiran felt trapped in time again, his figure moving slowly, and everything around him seemed to have stopped. Only the wind arrow was still moving at the same speed, as fast as a flash of light, and it arrived in front of him in the blink of an eye.
"Lin Feiran!"
"Slow down!"
A shout suddenly arose beside him, but no one could stop the arrow. At that moment, a soft, hoarse voice came, seemingly small and low, but it spread throughout the entire grassland!
The tone was unlike any other language; it felt ancient and mysterious. No one understood its meaning, but everyone knew who was speaking it.
The moment the words were spoken, the gray arrow stopped, as if grasped by an invisible hand, and then trembled again, breaking apart little by little from the tip, scattering into the gale!
Bi Sheng looked into the distance and saw that the person who had been frozen in place by the Arrow of Time had somehow managed to make slight movements with Li Changfeng's help.
Time is running out.
Bi Sheng withdrew her gaze, and the moment the arrows dissipated, she stood up and retreated. Lin Feiran was still suspended in mid-air. One of the withered and flourishing arrows was destroyed, but there were still the remaining lightning arrows. One of them suddenly broke through the wind and came without stopping for a moment!
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. The moment the lightning arrow fell, Jin Lan arrived and blocked it with one hand, breaking the arrow in two. The arrow was immediately crackling with lightning and spiritual energy, knocking her and Lin Feiran down from mid-air!
The two crashed to the ground. Although their spirits were unharmed, Lin Feiran's physical body was thrown several meters away.
Just then, a bolt of lightning from the thunderclouds illuminated half of the grassland, falling straight down like a pillar from the sky, heading straight for Lin Feiran!
Jin Lan immediately rushed forward, her heart filled with anxiety. However, the thunderbolt was too fast, plunging down like a dragon, as if the Milky Way had reversed its course, determined to kill Lin Feiran instantly. Just as her pupils constricted...
A deafening sound exploded, and countless surging forces struck the person in front of her. Lightning flashed behind him, filling her eyes but obscuring his face.
"Cough cough..."
Wei Chang dodged Yu Zhu's pursuit and turned around to catch up while Lin Feiran was in mid-air. He thought he would be too late, but fortunately he made it in time at the last moment.
He shielded Lin Feiran beneath him, catching the pillar-like bolt of lightning.
This was an attack from a cultivator at the Selfless Realm. Even though he had an extraordinary physique, he could no longer pretend to be unharmed. The moment his blood rushed to his head, he immediately covered his lips, but he couldn't stop coughing. Blood seeped from between his fingers, and a few drops fell onto Lin Feiran's face.
She lay on the ground, still in the wake of that arrow, her eyes looking upwards, as if looking at his face, or perhaps at the dissipating lightning behind him.
Wei Changzai's hand rested beside her ear. Because of the heavy blow, his knuckles were almost embedded in the grass and mud. After a moment, he straightened up, still covering his mouth with one hand, coughing up blood. He raised his other hand and slowly wiped away the blood dripping onto her face with the back of his hand.
Lin Feiran's hand finally loosened for a moment.
Such a move could not hold someone in place for long. Bi Sheng launched several more attacks, but they were all blocked by others, and he had already lost his chance. By this time, Lin Feiran had already emerged from that scene of defeat.
The muscles in her arm twitched slightly, and the next moment, she was fully awake, immediately gripping the sword in her hand and getting up.
"Thank you..."
Lin Feiran's voice was also hoarse. She glanced at Wei Changzai, her lips moved for a moment, and then she didn't say anything more. She knew that she didn't have much time. After placing the medicine bottle in his hand, she left like a gust of wind, carrying her sword.
From the beginning until now, Bi Sheng has fired three arrows like this, all shot under the starlight gathered in her right eye, but none of them were fired in quick succession, which shows that she cannot fire a crossbow in a continuous burst.
There is a pause between arrows; to destroy her magical artifact, one must seize the interval after each arrow!
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Feiran did not stop for a moment. While dodging the increasingly violent thunder, she also received Bi Sheng's attacks under the guidance of her predecessors and moved closer to her step by step!
"Riding the wind, riding the wind!"
In his ears were the equally spirited voices of his predecessors, like a tight drumbeat, resounding and carrying Lin Feiran on every upward step of the wind and thunder!
"Breaking through the gaps, attacking the city gates, I ask the east wind, is there a thousand-gold sword to help me sweep away the injustices before the city and slay the puppet demons of the world!"
"Sword, come! Sword!"
With the final step, Lin Feiran leaped into the air, his tattered robes billowing in the wind. He gathered his energy and formed hundreds of thick white sword shadows that appeared from all directions, their blades pointing directly at the archer in the center!
Bi Sheng was also prepared to fight to the death. He drew his glass bow wide, and a golden arrow was nocked on the string, gathering spiritual energy and preparing its power!
Just then, the Grandmaster appeared behind Lin Feiran. He looked at Bi Sheng and said in a gentle voice, "With the first move, this is the beginning of the sword, and also the location of the sword soul. All sword moves in the world originate from this."
Lin Feiran sensed something, so he held the sword in his right hand in front of him, turned his body slightly to the side, and also prepared for battle.
This is the opening stance. Every derivative sword technique begins and ends with this move. This is a stance she has practiced hundreds of times.
Once the sword is drawn, hundreds of sword shadows follow; everything hinges on this one move!
A tremendous roar reverberated, almost leveling the entire grassland with the explosive spiritual energy. The roar in the sky grew even louder, but after a moment, it gradually began to fade, the thunderclouds receded, and the thunder ceased.
Everyone looked up and saw countless shards of glass falling like snowflakes, tinkling as they landed on the grass, their reflected light like stars in the night sky.
Lin Feiran, panting, sheathed his sword, blood dripping from the blade. The purple figure that had been suspended in mid-air fell down along with the fragments.
"Cough cough..."
Now it was her turn to cough up blood.
Blood was flowing from his chest, but Bi Sheng seemed unconcerned, only looking ahead. Lin Feiran slowly walked to his side, using his sword as a support to prop up his equally exhausted body.
She looked at Lin Feiran: "If Ru Xian hadn't escaped from the Arrow of Time and helped you regroup, restraining me, this sword wouldn't have injured me so badly."
Lin Feiran was still trying to regulate her breathing when she finally spoke: "You all seem to like saying 'what if,' is it because you can keep doing it over and over again?"
Bi Sheng lay on the ground, half-propping himself up. At this moment, the feeling of being restrained by the magic array was even stronger, as if the spiritual power in his body was dissipating.
She spat out blood from between her teeth, but her gaze shifted to the figure approaching from behind Lin Feiran.
Her gaze swept over Wei Changzai, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Whether it's grudges or affection, if we could do it all over again, the regrets could certainly be resolved. Would anyone not want that?"
The newcomer paused slightly, his dark eyes meeting hers for a moment before looking away. He stood behind Lin Fei and did not approach her again.
Lin Feiran noticed her gaze but did not turn around. After her numb and weak hand recovered, she picked up the sword again, coughed a few times, and said, "It's not a good thing that everything can be started over."
If there are always 'what ifs,' then no one will cherish the present moment anymore.
Bi Sheng propped himself up and sneered, but did not reply: "You surrounded me here today because you thought you could cut off the Dao Lord's support. Let me tell you, it's impossible. Even if you kill me, you can't stop the thunderclouds outside."
Lin Feiran remained silent. She continued, "Killing me will not shake the Dao Lord's emotions in the slightest. He only lacks one thing now. When the thunder and rain fall and all things fall silent, this one thing can be taken back."
At this point, her gaze fell on Lin Feiran.
Clearly, what she was missing was the spiritual vein of heaven and earth within her body.
Lin Feiran remained silent. She simply turned her head to look into the distance, where Li Changfeng was walking towards them, supported by snowflakes, through the dust. She slowed her pace and walked towards the two of them.
Wei Changzai watched her leave from behind, his gaze gradually dimming.
After this battle, Jin Lan's spiritual body was also weakened. She stepped forward, looked at Bi Sheng, and finally couldn't help but ask.
"I've never understood why you seem to hate me so much. Is it because I've always tried to oppose Tantric Buddhism?"
Bi Sheng couldn't help but laugh out loud, but his voice was extremely cold: "There are many who oppose the Secret Sect, and you're not even on the list."
She didn't reveal the reason, but looked at Jin Lan and asked in return, "The Dao Lord has led us to be reborn so many times, do you think this is the first time you've met him?"
Jin Lan frowned slightly: "Of course I've guessed that, but what does that have to do with you hating me?"
"Hate you? That word is too strong. I don't hate you, I hate your existence. You're always so oblivious. Don't you pride yourself on being smart? Well then, guess what I'm talking about."
Bi Sheng stared at her for a long time, her eyes devoid of interest. After a moment, she looked away and gazed at Ru Xian and Lin Feiran not far away, not wanting to say anything more to her.
In the desert, Lin Feiran had already walked up to the two of them. Neither of them looked well. Even Li Changfeng looked extremely disheveled. Compared to Ru Xian, it was hard to say who was more seriously injured.
Lin Feiran planted his sword in the ground and stretched out a hand: "Senior, let me help him up. You should rest well."
Li Changfeng rubbed his temples, brushed the dust off his face, and handed Ru Xian to her: "Take it quickly, it feels like he has thorns on him, it's prickly to hold him."
This is just an exaggerated metaphor. Of course, there are no thorns on Ru Xian's body, but he really doesn't like being touched by others. He is somewhat helpless at the moment, and his movements are also a little uncomfortable. Li Changfeng also feels a little strange. It is not right to support him, nor is it right not to support him. Therefore, neither of them is very comfortable.
Lin Feiran chuckled slightly: "Senior is exaggerating."
She draped her long, delicate arms over his shoulders and placed her hands on his waist, pulling him closer. Only then did he truly release his weight, placing all his weight on Lin Feiran, allowing her to support him as they moved forward.
"Are you alright?" Lin Feiran asked.
Ru Xian looked at her disheveled appearance and chuckled, "You're just exhausted. Compared to you all looking so disheveled, you're in much better shape."
Bi Sheng withdrew his gaze, but then looked at Wei Changzai, his eyes sweeping over him like a dragonfly skimming the water, then looking at his blood-stained robes, and said with an ambiguous meaning, "If I could do it all over again, I would definitely not have failed here today."
These words, however, were interpreted differently by everyone present.
Lin Feiran led his men to Bi Sheng, his words exceptionally clear and almost impossible to ignore: "There will be no second chance."
Wei Changzai's eyelashes twitched slightly, and his heavily injured body became increasingly sluggish, but no matter how heavy it was, it couldn't compare to this one sentence.
Bi Sheng looked at Lin Feiran, not afraid at all: "The victor is king, the loser is villain. Do you want to kill me, or what? It's best to make your move now, or things will change."
Lin Feiran was not angered by her words. Everyone around her gathered around, and Ru Xian also stood in front of her.
He looked down at Bi Sheng, slowly raising his right hand, a gentle breeze swirling beneath his palm.
Lin Feiran said, "I captured you today not entirely to kill you, but to sever the Dao Master's left and right arms."
"What we really want to know is how to find the path to the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds."
Author's Note: My hot-blooded, chuunibyou spirit exploded! I got so excited I stood up and did a set of punches, hohoho, tai (not really).
P.S.: Feiran, rise to the top! I apologize for frequently missing updates; I hope to make it onto the homepage rankings once before and after finishing the main story! I'm going for it!
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