Volume Two: Snow over the Qin River Chapter Twenty-Two: Straight into Luminance (Part Two)

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Apart from the peak masters, the elders of the various peaks were also somewhat puzzled by Zhang Chen’s choice. Murmurs of discussion rose faintly among them. In the end, they all glanced at the sword suspended above Wind-Thunder Peak, their expressions thoughtful.

Ten moves flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water, and soon only the final sword remained.

Qiu Yue was breathing slightly harder, her expression more serious than ever. At this point, whether Zhang Chen had intended to humiliate her or had simply devoted himself to mastering a single sword technique no longer mattered.

She held her sword upright before her. Seen from the front, the blade divided her figure into two halves: one sacred, the other dazzlingly beautiful.

A razor-sharp aura suddenly burst from Qiu Yue’s body, and the faint sound of a sword ringing echoed across the arena.

Sword qi, cold as frost.

The sword’s cry, like a cicada.

“This is Cicada Frost from the Chasing Moon Sword Art! Senior Sister Qiu Yue is about to decide the victor!”

“How will Senior Brother Zhang Chen respond? Will he use the Wind-Thunder Sword again?”

Before long, Zhang Chen gave them his answer.

The opening stance of the Wind-Thunder Sword.

Wind rose. Thunder stirred.

The cry of the cicada met the rumble of thunder.

Cold frost encountered the gentle breeze.

The thunder drowned out the cicada’s cry.

The breeze scattered the frost.

Qiu Yue was defeated without suspense.

She drew deep, ragged breaths, her gaze complicated. “I never imagined that you could refine a mere introductory stance to such a level.”

Zhang Chen replied calmly, “All paths of cultivation converge. If one can thoroughly master the Wind-Thunder Sword, one can master every sword beneath heaven.”

Qiu Yue asked, “Even the No-Life Sword Treasury and the Sword Sweeping Eight Desolations are, in your eyes, no more than the Wind-Thunder Sword?”

Zhang Chen pondered for several breaths before answering, “As the supreme arts of Wind-Thunder Peak, the No-Life Sword Treasury and the Sword Sweeping Eight Desolations naturally possess their own exceptional qualities. But that does not mean the Wind-Thunder Sword is inferior to them.”

After a pause, he continued, “Besides, ranking sword arts by strength is foolish to begin with. A sword is merely a weapon. The one who wields it is the person. When the person is strong, the sword is strong; when the person is weak, the sword perishes.”

A sword was only a weapon. Its power lay in the person who wielded it.

When the person was strong, the sword was strong. When the person was weak, the sword perished.

Qiu Yue took a deep breath and steadied her disordered inner energy. With a sigh, she said, “I truly am inferior to you.”

Zhang Chen merely nodded. “The road of cultivation is long. No one can say what may happen later.”

A momentary victory or defeat was insignificant in the centuries-long lives of cultivators. Before Li Jinxing had united with the Dao, how many humiliations had he endured?

Qiu Yue nodded and saluted with her sword. “We shall fight again when we draw radiance.”

Zhang Chen returned the salute and said calmly, “I will still be the final victor.”

Qiu Yue smiled brightly. “I’ll wait and see.”

…

…

The semifinals had come to an end.

Qiu Yue had advanced without a fight against Wu Fan, whose injuries were too severe to allow him to compete.

The final was postponed by half an hour, a span that passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Chen versus Mu Linhan.

The disciples of the various peaks were brimming with interest in the match and had already begun discussing it animatedly before the sword contest even started.

How would the senior disciple of Markless Peak respond to the Wind-Thunder Sword of Wind-Thunder Peak’s sword heir?

And how would Wind-Thunder Peak’s sword heir deal with the Markless Sword Intent of Markless Peak’s senior disciple?

It felt like a clash between the strongest spear and the strongest shield.

Had Snowyun banned gambling, betting odds would likely have appeared already.

Zhang Chen did not think so much of it. The Markless Sword Intent was indeed powerful, but it was not invulnerable to every art beneath heaven. If one sword could not break through it, then he would simply strike with several more.

Mu Linhan did not think so much either. He would do his best, and that was enough.

The battle was about to begin.

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Sword qi swept in every direction, surging across the arena.

As everyone had anticipated, the contest centered primarily on whether the Wind-Thunder Sword, acting as the spear, could cleave apart the Markless Sword Intent, acting as the shield.

The answer was…

No.

At least for the moment, the Markless Sword Intent showed no sign of being breached.

No matter from what angle Zhang Chen struck or with what force, the Markless Sword Intent always managed to block the wind and thunder with perfect precision.

The sight on the sword platform caused an uproar below.

If Zhang Chen also lost to Mu Linhan, Mu Linhan’s record in this sword contest would be nothing short of terrifying.

The second disciple of Wind-Thunder Peak.

The senior disciple of Thousand-Edge Peak.

The sword heir of Wind-Thunder Peak.

Such a record naturally had to match his status.

And so, an old matter was brought up once more.

Why did the sword heir of Markless Peak not bear the surname Mu?

The argument in the stands grew increasingly heated. Only then did the disciples realize that Feng Qi, the sword heir of Markless Peak, was not present to watch the match.

Discontented voices rose from every side.

Wan Jiang listened to the complaints without expression. The oppressive unease he had felt beneath the strength Mu Linhan displayed began to ease.

Sun Duocheng frowned, thinking that Feng Qi had ultimately ignored his advice.

Although his motives had not been entirely pure, he truly did not want Feng Qi to die so easily.

A shrill sword cry suddenly brought the quarrel in the stands to a halt.

The wind rose violently. Thunder rolled across the heavens.

Thunderbolts descended from above like the wrath of Heaven. Carrying his sword, Zhang Chen surged upward against them and merged with the falling lightning.

The cocoon of the Markless Sword reappeared.

The lightning crashed onto the sword cocoon.

Zhang Chen’s face instantly paled.

Mu Linhan suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The sword cocoon gave a creaking groan, as though unable to bear the strain. In the next instant, countless fine cracks appeared across its surface.

The sword cocoon shattered.

Mu Linhan faced the lightning head-on and swung his sword thirteen times in succession. In an instant, a dense sword net formed before him.

Thirteen Departures to the West, Thirteen Returns.

The lightning pierced through Mu Linhan’s sword light and struck his body.

Mu Linhan coughed up another mouthful of blood.

A bloody hole appeared in his left shoulder, and fresh blood poured out.

But he did not concede.

Zhang Chen waited two breaths. Seeing that Mu Linhan had no intention of surrendering, he raised his sword and advanced again.

A hazy aura suddenly rose from Mu Linhan’s body.

Zhang Chen halted abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Starlight came from beyond the heavens, illuminating the sword platform and Mu Linhan’s sea of consciousness.

Within that inner sea, the Markless Sword Intent standing at its center trembled faintly.

The starlight filling the heavens merged into it.

The hazy aura gradually transformed into primal energy, then gradually transformed into a domain.

Mu Linhan’s aura grew ever stronger, until it resonated with the radiance of the stars.

It seemed that the sound of shattered glass had rung out.

The senior disciple of Markless Peak had entered the Radiance-Drawing realm.

…

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…

“You mean that once Senior Brother broke through, he lost his qualification to participate in the sword contest?” Feng Qi was reading in his cave dwelling. Hearing Li Jun and Wu Jun discuss the matter, he could not help frowning.

Li Jun and Wu Jun were both from Yanbei. A few days earlier, they had gone to the outer mountains to lecture the outer disciples on sword scriptures. They had not returned to the peak until today, and had immediately come to pay their respects to the Heir of Yanbei. As a result, even Feng Qi had been unable to attend the match.

That did not matter to Feng Qi. To him, observing another person’s sword was less important than first seeing his own sword clearly.

Too many things had happened recently. He had not had time to settle what he had gained, and today offered a perfect opportunity to sort out the path he had chosen.

“The sword contest was originally a stage prepared for disciples of the Primordial Unity and Heart-Communion realms. Strictly speaking, anyone who reaches the Radiance-Drawing realm already possesses the qualifications to become an elder of a peak. How could he possibly continue participating?” Li Jun clicked his tongue and continued, “That is the Radiance-Drawing realm we are talking about. Even in Snowyun Sect, not everyone has the opportunity to attain such a great Dao. I never imagined that Senior Brother would reach such heights before turning twenty.”

Wu Jun nodded in agreement. “Indeed. If not for that incident all those years ago, how could Senior Brother have remained unable to become a sword heir for so long?”

That incident?

Feng Qi asked casually, “What incident?”

Wu Jun’s expression stiffened, and his heart sank.

Li Jun lowered his eyes and kept silent.

Seeing that Li Jun had no intention of coming to his aid, Wu Jun braced himself and said, “It is a closely guarded secret of Markless Peak. Even we disciples of the seventh generation do not know much about it. We only know that if the matter were confirmed, Senior Brother would be sentenced to the Sword Prison.”

The Sword Prison lay beneath the Sword Pavilion. Those usually confined there were either great demons from the Southern Seas or cultivators guilty of the most heinous crimes.

What had Senior Brother done to warrant such a fate?

Feng Qi was puzzled, but did not ask further. Such matters were indeed beyond the disciples’ ability to understand in detail.

Seeing that the Heir had no intention of pressing the matter, Wu Jun cautiously changed the subject. “Still, it is a pity that Senior Brother was injured so severely by Wind-Thunder Peak’s sword heir, yet cannot strike back because of the rules.”

Feng Qi gave a soft laugh. He thought that, given Senior Brother’s generous nature, even if he had been allowed to retaliate, he probably would not have done so. He might even feel grateful to Zhang Chen’s sword for helping him break through.

“That’s enough. You two have caused enough trouble here. Leave me to be quiet.”

Wu Jun and Li Jun exchanged a glance, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Feng Qi said, “If this concerns the position of Yanbei Heir, then there is no need to say anything.”

Wu Jun gave a bitter smile. “But if Your Highness refuses to step forward, what will become of Yanbei?”

Li Jun was more direct. “In the past, most of the letters my family sent concerned the Heir’s benevolence and valor. They said that if you ascended the throne one day, you would surely bring a different kind of glory to Yanbei… If you do not return to claim your position, what will become of the endless yellow sands?”

“First, Yanbei belongs to all the people of Yanbei. It does not belong to the Yanbei Palace or the King of Yanbei. Its rise and fall cannot be determined by one person. I cannot bear such a burden.”

“Second, the Divine Emperor and the former King of Yanbei conspired to use Yanbei as bait to lure the King of Bohai into rebellion. They must have made their own arrangements for the aftermath. A single Heir of Yanbei is insignificant and might even disrupt their plans. If that happened, the consequences could be even worse.”

“Third, my heart belongs only to the Heavenly Dao. Returning to Yanbei would be irresponsible not only to its people, but also to my own aspirations.”

In the past, Feng Qi would never have said so much. At most, he would have scoffed, cursed them as fools, and ignored them.

But the suffering of Yanbei had affected him, to one degree or another.

Feng Qi fell silent for a while. Then a carefree smile appeared on his face.

“Most importantly, I do not wish to become anyone’s pawn, nor do I wish to be held hostage by anyone. If I can split open the heavens with a single sword, then whether I act or not, Yanbei will possess a position beyond the ordinary. Since that is so, why should I be confined by my birth and identity and choose the worst possible path?”

Seeing how decisively Feng Qi spoke, the two men knew they could persuade him no further. They clasped their fists and departed.

Watching their backs disappear, Feng Qi remained silent for a long time. Then he lowered his head and continued writing and sketching on the paper.

Had anyone been able to see his notes, they would surely have been shocked.

He was actually deconstructing the general principles of the Snowyun Sword Art.

Everyone in the world knew how completely Feng Qi commanded the Overlord Spear. When dealing with techniques, he never followed conventional patterns. He could often use, one after another, spear forms driven by entirely different methods of circulating primal energy.

What they did not know was what he had paid for that mastery.

Dozens of days and nights spent calculating without pause.

Hundreds of books on related subjects.

Thousands of sheets of scrap paper.

The road ahead was long and arduous; he would search high and low until he found the answer.

That was all there was to it.

…

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