Chapter 58: Phoenix Perched on the Wutong Tree (V) The Most Powerful Backing is Already in Hand...
With a slight turn of the sword head, the long sword in Lian Qiang's hand showed an unstoppable momentum, and his solemn gaze was cast forward.
Lin Yuanfan, who was being stared at, thought for a moment and realized that her target was his throat. His vitals were locked, and he felt an unprecedented tension for no reason and swallowed his saliva.
However, the heavy rain had already arrived, and he knew that if the situation was reversed again, he would have no power to turn it around, so he simply let go and waited for the outcome!
Amidst the rain, Lian Qiang advanced, treading on the sound of thunder. The distance between them was instantly shortened. On the surface, Lian Qiang was relentless, leaving Lin Yuanfan helpless. It seemed the outcome was already decided.
But the thunderclouds dispersed, the rain stopped, and the sky cleared, leaving only the damp ground. It seemed as if victory was already leaning towards Lian Qiang. She stopped her sword - it was only an inch away from Lin Yuanfan's throat, and from a distance, it seemed as if they were touching.
Lian Qiang knew that it would be difficult for her to go any further, not because she didn't want to, but because she couldn't.
Lin Yuanfan is undoubtedly the weakest of the strong, but in order to break free from the restraints of thunder, isn't she also exhausted?
"In this battle," Lian Qiang slowly lowered her sword as Lin Yuanfan looked on in astonishment, "I lost."
The characters in the play were far more surprised than the audience outside. Lin Yuanfan was puzzled: "What does this mean..."
"I am a little inferior to you. To be honest, I have to thank you for helping me overcome my inner demons. I congratulate you on your advancement. See you later." Lian Qiang smiled sincerely, clasped her fists with her sword, and then she turned around and jumped off the platform in a graceful manner.
"Hey—wait!"
Lian Qiang paused at the sound, turning around in confusion. Lin Yuanfan had already put away his zither and, unexpectedly, bowed, as if following the usual etiquette after a discussion with a fellow Daoist. "I also wish you a smooth journey."
The righteous and the evil, the winners and the losers in the eyes of the public, the situation at this moment is quite mysterious.
Lian Qiang was stunned and nodded in acceptance.
She leaped lightly, but landed with a heavy weight. Her body felt light, then weighed down by the weight. Lian Qiang struggled to adjust her movements, only to fall to a half-kneeling position instead of falling directly to the ground.
Using her sword as support, Lian Qiang slowly exhaled. Her admission of defeat wasn't a sign of modesty. Overcoming one's inner obstacles was inherently difficult, and coupled with the previous exhaustion, this fight was bound to end in her defeat.
Footsteps approached from afar, landing in front of Yulian Qiang. She lowered her head and focused on regulating her breathing, not caring who the other person was.
Besides, she was very familiar with these footsteps and didn't need to look up to confirm.
"...Can you still stand up?" Chi Xingji hesitated for a moment before asking, and his outstretched hand came faster than the question.
Looking at that bony hand, Lian Qiang took a deep breath and placed most of her weight on the sword, making sure she could stand steadily before lifting her knees off the ground. After swaying a few times and finally stabilizing herself, she gently placed her hand on the hand that had been patiently waiting, letting out a long sigh, "It can still move."
Because Lian Qiang kept her head down the whole time, she missed that the expression on Chi Xingji's face was not as peaceful as she had seen. It was not until their hands were held that the tense corners of his lips relaxed slightly.
A powerful yet gentle spiritual energy trickled into her body, repairing the damage Lian Qiang had sustained in this battle. Lian Qiang was embarrassed and wanted to withdraw, but after some thought, she decided not to. She simply didn't have the energy to be polite anymore.
After finally catching her breath, Lian Qiang said with a hint of disappointment, "Unfortunately, I still lost."
"You've done very well," Chi Xingji replied naturally. Although he had previously thought this was a 50-50 battle, he had overlooked the opponent's trump card and hadn't taken into account Lian Qiang's fear of thunder.
He opened his mouth to ask, but the words circled around his lips and he swallowed them back. Chi Xingji instinctively knew he wouldn't get the answer he wanted, or perhaps the real answer wouldn't sound appealing, so he decided not to ask.
Perhaps, there were already signs of this happening, but he was distracted at the time and didn't notice it.
In order to put aside this unpleasant thought, Chi Xingji picked up another topic: "Although it has been done well, there are still some areas where it can be done better..."
Before he finished speaking, Lian Qiang smiled, a smile that was fleeting. Chi Xingji found it odd, but the smile didn't contain any mockery. He didn't pursue it any further.
In reality, Lian Qiang just felt that Chi Xingji was still as serious as ever. In the past, she had been desperate for a compliment from Chi Xingji, but every time she got it, it was always followed by some pertinent advice.
At that time, Lian Qiang was often annoyed by Chi Xingji. She was really forced into a corner and asked him directly if he could just praise her.
The young man, who didn't understand what she was angry about, said in all seriousness that the truth hurts.
Later, Lian Qiang gradually got used to it, and could often accurately guess where Chi Xingji would turn the conversation before he opened his mouth. She smiled secretly in her heart, feeling that the two of them had become more in sync with each other.
Chi Xingji was now much more tactful than before. Lian Qiang was no longer as reckless as before, and took careful note of everything.
In the days that followed, although Lian Qiang was eliminated, she was able to relax and no longer worry about how her lot had turned out or how strong her opponent was. Instead, she could focus solely on Chi Xingji. However, considering the Immortal Lord's strength, there was no need to worry too much.
It was only natural that Chi Xingji won the first place.
Maybe others didn't try their best, but in front of Chi Xingji, it was just a difference of one or two more moves.
Looking at the young man in the middle of the stage who looked almost the same as he did a hundred years ago, Lian Qiang, sitting below the stage, felt really dazed.
What also remained unchanged were the related discussions: "... He's only been in the Ascension for a hundred years, and yet he's already so powerful... Let alone us, I'm afraid there won't be many rivals in the heavens!"
"Of course not. Do you think this sword bone is a joke? Who can pass the person who is personally protected by the Heavenly Dao?"
But occasionally there would be one or two sour boos.
"What natural sword bone! Be careful what you exchanged it for!" The man spat, his words full of injustice.
Before she could think, Lian Qiang's eyes had already swept over. Unfortunately, the person who spoke was closest to her, only two or three seats away. Even more unfortunately, she still had some recollection of him being a defeated opponent of Chi Xingji who had suffered a rather tragic defeat.
As he was cursing, the man seemed to sense something and raised his eyes to look at Lian Qiang who was glaring at him for no reason.
Anyone who loses and is glared at for no reason like this would not be in a good mood. The man cursed without thinking: "What are you looking at! Be careful or I'll dig out your eyes——"
"Fellow Daoist, be careful with your words."
The swordsman who was on the stage a moment ago appeared before his eyes like a gust of wind.
The man hadn't finished his words when the intangible sword energy forced them back. With his own tragic defeat still fresh in his mind, he quickly stopped talking and hurriedly retreated back into the crowd, continuing to pretend to be a nobody.
Lian Qiang looked at Chi Xingji. He showed up at the right time. She should be relieved, but she felt an inexplicable feeling in her heart.
Before Lian Qiang could digest it, the messenger arrived and bowed, "Please follow me, Immortal Lord."
The two looked at each other, and without further ado, let him go.
After circling for a long time and passing many strange restrictions, Lian Qiang secretly clicked his tongue in his heart. He quietly glanced at Chi Xingji's expression, and saw that he was used to it, so he withdrew his gaze and pretended not to see it.
After a few incense sticks of time, they finally arrived in front of a magnificent palace. The messenger stopped and turned around, only to see Lian Qiang behind him. A look of surprise crossed his face. "Logically speaking, only the victor can meet the clan leader..."
The messenger's words were not even harsh, but Lian Qiang didn't know what expression to use to deal with this sudden embarrassment.
"She is my companion. I hope the envoy will be flexible." Chi Xingji answered quickly. Upon hearing this, the envoy's face became troubled again, and his eyes flickered between the two of them.
Lian Qiang knew that this was against etiquette, and not wanting them to feel embarrassed because of her, she simply said, "Then you should go in alone. I'll wait outside. It's okay."
Chi Xingji looked at her, his eyes clearly showing disapproval. He turned to the messenger, ready to make another request.
"It's okay. Since we are companions, let's come in together." A majestic female voice sounded, and the palace door opened wide.
The messenger understood, bent down and raised his hand: "Please come in, both of you."
Entering the palace, Lian Qiang was met with such a powerful and venerable figure. She held her breath in anticipation. She had expected the furnishings inside the palace to be as opulent as those outside, but she saw otherwise. Nothing was extravagant or lavish.
A woman sat at the head of the table, presumably the Phoenix clan leader. The two men bowed respectfully, and as they stood up, Lian Qiang finally got a clear look at her face, feeling a slight shock.
To be fair, the clan leader's appearance is not as beautiful as the Phoenix clan is known for. Having seen beautiful women all the time, the clan leader's appearance is just ordinary.
But what shocked Lian Qiang was that the clan leader was not as youthful as she had imagined. On the contrary, she did not look young at all, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were obvious enough to show that she was quite old.
Not to mention a strong person like her, even a disciple who has just entered the sect, when he reaches a certain level, the first thing he has to do is to make his appearance freeze at a certain time period.
Death is something that many people fear, as is aging, because they both signify, in some way, the loss of strength, weakness, and non-existence.
With the strength of the Phoenix Clan leader, it is easy for him to maintain his youthful appearance or even make some changes to it.
Seeing Lian Qiang staring at him in a trance, the clan leader didn't mind her impoliteness and just smiled and said, "What's wrong? Did an old man like me scare you?"
"...No," Lian Qiang quickly came back to her senses and answered sincerely, "It was just a little unexpected."
"Most people have this expression when they first meet me," the clan leader waved his hand, feeling rather helpless. "I've finally gotten used to it."
This joke helped to dissipate the tense atmosphere in the hall. Lian Qiang also smiled happily.
After a brief moment of confusion, Lian Qiang finally understood the key point.
Isn’t it another kind of strong state of mind to not care about appearance at all?
You already have the most powerful trump card in your hand, no need for beautiful embellishments or youth to rely on.
...It's truly admirable. Lian Qiang marveled inwardly.
The clan leader naturally didn't know that Lian Qiang's thoughts had turned so many corners during this encounter. She looked at Chi Xingji, who had just ignored her, and said with a smile as if reminiscing about the past, "My friend, long time no see."
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The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2023-09-27 00:07:44 and 2023-11-12 01:59:23~
Thanks to the little angel who cast the mine: 1 for Yiloutingfengyu;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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