Chapter 78 Chapter 78 The Fifth Wish
As Chen Mu began revising his swordsmanship, He Shile was almost ready. Before leaving, he destroyed the house he had constructed with magic, erasing all traces of his past life. The lake returned to its former tranquility. He took in everything before him. Though his time here was brief, it would leave an indelible mark in his memory.
After emerging, the outside world underwent some changes. After cautiously interacting with other cultivators, He Shile learned about the recent situation. He Shiqing and his group were extremely domineering within the secret realm, monopolizing nearly every material they encountered. When a cultivator they encountered was injured and forced to leave, the secret realm was temporarily depopulated.
Now that He Shiqing and his companions had entered the core of the secret realm, He Shile wanted to avoid them as much as possible. However, their large group made them easy to avoid. After some time and many twists and turns, He Shile finally received news of the sword.
Unfortunately, the sword was inside the ruined temple, the very heart of the secret realm. This meant He Shiqing and the others were there. He Shile concealed his presence and observed them from outside for three days. He discovered that He Shiqing would regularly leave the temple each day, seemingly searching for something. He Shile quickly discovered the pattern of their absences and, while they were away, went looking for the sword.
The ruined temple was somewhat different from the outside. It was conjured from the memories of the master of the secret realm. It was more intact than the real temple, even capable of sheltering from wind and rain. Upon entering, He Shile was immediately struck by a strange and eerie atmosphere. The light inside was dim, and he found his own shadow blurry. Suddenly, a blinding white light flashed outside, and in an instant, a torrential downpour descended. The wind and rain, carrying a biting chill, penetrated the temple. He Shile could smell the scent of rain-soaked soil and the subtle scent of blood.
The climate within the secret realm doesn't change, which means he's in an abnormal state, perhaps a hallucination. He Shile nervously monitored the changes in his surroundings. The bloody odor grew stronger, almost like being immersed in sticky blood, almost suffocating him. Another flash of lightning streaked across the sky, filling his vision with white light. He Shile squinted his eyes as a dark shadow appeared before him.
The shadow's face was blurred, and one could only vaguely see that it was tall, wearing a tattered cloak, looking shabby, and holding a long sword.
The shadow was shrouded in the shadows of lightning and heavy rain, his cloak torn by the wind. It was as dark as someone's nightmare, carrying a deadly sense of oppression, yet so ethereal. Only the sword was clear. The silver-white sword was sharp, straight, beautiful and light, and anyone's eyes would be unable to help but fall on it.
At just one glance, He Shile knew that this was the sword he was looking for.
He already knew the rules, defeated the shadow, and got the sword.
Another flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating He Shile's face with an extremely pale complexion. The shadow opposite him raised his head, and in an instant, He Shile felt a sharp pain in his chest. He widened his eyes, and saw a hint of red on the shadow's sword. His blood was dripping.
If he hadn't prepared the talisman in advance, he would be dead now.
Too fast! ...Not just fast, he was constantly on guard and prepared for battle. No matter when Shadow attacked, he wouldn't be surprised. Yet, he still couldn't catch Shadow's attack. He even realized his injury only after Shadow succeeded.
This sword technique is purely for killing!
However, there was no time to breathe, as Shadow's next attack was already coming.
Shadow used three swords in total, and all three hit the target. He Shile barely managed to hold himself up and not fall down. There was no sword energy in the illusion, and his injuries were slowly healing, but Shadow was too strong. He was almost in despair. This was not an opponent he could defeat at all. He didn't even have the confidence to dodge the opponent's next sword.
A pure killing move, absolute suppression.
"Calm down," System 05 said. "Pay attention to his realm. It's the same as yours."
This was a test, and Shadow would adjust his cultivation to the same level as his opponent. But Shadow's sword was too terrifying, and He Shile felt a chill in his heart, because he realized that even if they were at the same level, the opponent could still crush him with simple swordsmanship.
"Don't look at his sword."
Chen Mu said, "You should be able to tell that the sword technique he uses is very familiar to you."
What?
The shadow remained stationary. He Shile moved slightly, but the shadow didn't react. When his injuries healed a little, He Shile noticed a flash of lightning outside. Then, the shadow moved, and his body was severely damaged again.
The second sword.
The third sword.
After three sword strikes, the shadow returned to its original position.
He Shile was meditating and regulating his breathing. Chen Mu asked, "Did you see it?"
"……No."
Shadow's sword is too fast.
Chen Mu emphasized again: "Don't just stare at his sword, you have to pay attention to the whole situation. There will be signs before he makes a move."
He Shile pursed his lips. He couldn't even see Shadow's sword clearly when he wasn't injured, let alone afterward. Fortunately, Shadow wouldn't react during his rest period. He stared at Shadow, feeling a vague sense of familiarity, but he quickly put that thought behind him and focused on how to deal with Shadow's sword.
After another breath control, the shadow immediately moved. He Shile forced himself to focus on it, not dodging the first strike. He also used his body to block the next two strikes.
Chen Mu asked: "How is it?"
He Shile shook his head, a bitter taste rising in his mouth.
System 05 said, "Your body is almost at its limit. You can only withstand three more such attacks. If you still cannot defeat it, you must leave this illusion."
He Shile took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
He had always been quite confident, and whether it was his talent or other aspects, he had performed well. He boasted that he had no rivals in his realm, and that he could even defeat opponents one realm above him. This was the first time he faced an opponent of the same realm, and he couldn't even see the other person's sword.
He Shile broke out in a thin layer of cold sweat on his back. The wind and rain outside the dilapidated temple were bleak and desolate, just like his mood.
The shadow moved slightly, and He Shile immediately stared at him nervously, but the shadow simply picked up the sword and gently stroked the blade. He Shile found his movements very gentle, like stroking the long hair of a loved one, with a hint of lingering and nostalgia for no reason.
However, this action only made him feel deeper fear.
When He Shile stood up again, all his extra emotions disappeared. This time, all three swords hit him. He Shile tried to block the last sword, but failed.
"I see." He Shile's voice was tense: "It uses the Life and Death Sword Technique."
Even though he could see it, it didn't mean he could defeat the shadow. The shadow stood at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, and the rain slammed into He Shile's face through its body, like some kind of inescapable nightmare.
This was the first time Chen Mu observed himself from this perspective, and he found the sense of oppression quite strong. He had always thought of himself as… not quite pathetic, but generally surviving in a tight spot. He had never considered what the cultivators who faced him, the cultivators who died at his hands, and the many cultivators stronger than him were thinking.
Chen Mu said, "This sword technique isn't particularly powerful. It has many flaws."
The "Life and Death Sword Technique" existed solely for killing, so naturally, it had many loopholes. Chen Mu had practiced it for twenty years and knew its weaknesses better than anyone else. However, no one had ever been able to discover his weaknesses, and even if they had, his sword would always be faster.
This was the first time he taught someone how to defeat him. It was not impossible. He Shile and this shadow had the same cultivation level, and He Shile had good talent. He would definitely win under his guidance. It just required He Shile to get injured a few more times.
With the help of Chen Mu, after another two rounds, He Shile was finally able to dodge Shadow's sword. He was not injured, and Shadow did not stop. The next sword followed immediately. He Shile thought he could not dodge it, but his body's reaction was faster than his brain. The sword brushed past his ear. At that moment, He Shile had an idea and gently cast a binding spell with his backhand, hitting Shadow's weak point.
Binding spell has no lethality, but it is the spell he is best at and uses the most. At that moment, he was sure that this was the only spell he could use and hit the target.
Shadow's body paused slightly.
He Shile stared at him closely, not daring to let his guard down at all, and the shadow returned to its original position.
Want to try again? He Shile hurriedly took the time to regulate his breathing. With his previous success, although he was very weak, his spirit was extremely excited and full of confidence.
However, the shadow raised the sword again and touched it gently. The wind and rain wrapped around the shadow, and it disappeared into the darkness, like a drop of water merging into the turbulent sea.
The sword fell to the ground.
He Shile paused for a while before walking over and picking up the sword. From the outside, there was nothing special about the sword. At most, it was more beautiful and elegant than an ordinary sword, but it contained a strange power.
This trial is neither difficult nor easy. After all, what he has to defeat is just a phantom of the same level as himself. However, He Shile was able to see the flaws of the shadow with the help of Chen Mu. If it weren't for Chen Mu, He Shile was sure that he would not be able to pass this level.
The illusion slowly disappeared. He Shile placed the sword into the mustard seed space and said, "Senior, I think that shadow looks familiar."
Chen Mu touched his nose and looked up at the sky: "Really?"
"It must be the master of this secret realm, right? It uses the 'Sword of Life and Death' technique, which you are also modifying..." He Shile said slowly, "So, the master of this secret realm is Hongzhu and the others' father."
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