Volume Two: Snow on the Qin River Chapter Thirty-Three: Sacrificing the Sword (Part Three)

Zhou Zihan was far from unfamiliar with the two characters, Ji Palace.
No practitioner on the Dao-Abyss Continent should feel unfamiliar with these two names.
In years past, Ji Palace, the Crimson Kirin Pavilion, and the Zen Sect were collectively known as the three great sacred grounds of the human race.
The Zen Sect was forced to seal its mountain gates during the Crimson Moon, and for the next several centuries of the mortal world, not a single monk was to be seen, not even a medical monk.
The Crimson Kirin Pavilion perished during the second invasion of the Demon race, leaving no survivors, from the Pavilion Master down to the lowest servants.
The fate of Ji Palace was somewhat better than the previous two, but as the central pillar of the human race, both the Crimson Moon and the demonic invasion dealt devastating blows to it, reducing it to a hollow shell bearing merely the name of a sacred ground.
Only after their decline did the Snow Cloud Sect and Mount Taixuan have the opportunity to develop to their current scale.
For many older-generation powerhouses, rather than saying these three names represented the three great sacred grounds, it was more accurate to say they represented an era.
"Why are we going to Ji Palace?" Zhou Zihan asked.
Feng Qi laughed and said, "You are so foolish, I am taking you there to broaden your horizons."
Zhou Zihan took a deep breath, feeling that talking with this fellow truly tested one's patience.
"Are you angry?" Feng Qi chuckled. "Just a joke, don't take it seriously."
Zhou Zihan said, "So, why on earth are we going to Ji Palace?"
Feng Qi said, "Originally, I was accompanying you out to test your sword, but now it seems it will likely turn into you accompanying me."
Zhou Zihan frowned and said coldly, "On what grounds?"
Feng Qi said, "No matter what, we are fellow disciples; can you not be so heartless?"
Zhou Zihan snorted, "Who cares if you live or die?"
Feng Qi sighed, "Didn't Li Jinxing divine that the two of us are destined to spend our lives together? Don't you want to go to Wuyang to call off this imperial betrothal?"
Zhou Zihan sneered, "As far as I know, you ought to harbor ill intentions toward the Tenth Princess of the Divine Dynasty."
Feng Qi said helplessly, "Harboring ill intentions is not used that way."
Zhou Zihan pressed on relentlessly, "Then it is plotting evil designs."
Feng Qi deliberated over his wording, "Actually, it is merely slight admiration and yearning."
As they were speaking, he suddenly felt a coolness moisten his face.
A pattering sound reached his ears.
It was raining, after all.
Feng Qi took out an umbrella, paused for a split second upon looking up, and then calmly opened the umbrella to shield his head.
Zhou Zihan noticed that his expression was somewhat amiss and asked, "What is it?"
Feng Qi said softly, "This rain is not right."
Zhou Zihan looked around and finally understood what Feng Qi meant.
Without clouds, why rain?
Without wind, why waves?
Zhou Zihan frowned as she looked at the peddlers on both sides of the street who appeared to be taking shelter from the rain, but were actually poised for action.
"Let me handle it," Feng Qi said.
Zhou Zihan had originally intended to make a move herself, but she was stunned upon hearing this question.
She looked at Feng Qi, thinking to herself that he usually hated trouble the most, so why would he say such a thing?
Feng Qi read Zhou Zihan's inner thoughts, yet said nothing more, his expression extremely grave.
Even when facing the two core disciples of the wicked cult, he had remained utterly relaxed.
After a moment of thought, Zhou Zihan understood the reason for this drastic change.
"Is the enemy very strong?" she asked softly.
"Very strong." A flash of white light revealed the Overlord Spear in his hand. "Ever since I was born, I have never felt death so vividly as I do right now."
Zhou Zihan frowned, thinking that if the enemy was truly this powerful, wouldn't it be better if the two of them attacked together?
The rain grew heavier.
"Before we begin, does anyone wish to leave?" Feng Qi stepped out from beneath the umbrella and asked with a smile.
No one answered him.
The shoemaker pulled a pair of double swords from beneath his stall and walked out.
The butcher washed his boning knife used for slaughtering pigs and walked out.
The candy maker stirred ginger candy with a spoon, holding a copper basin, and walked out.
There were also noodle vendors, fishmongers, fabric sellers, and wine merchants—people of all kinds stepped out, surrounding them in the center.
On the long street, it was filled with assassins.
On the long street, killing intent permeated the air.
Though he had anticipated this outcome, Feng Qi still fell silent.
A total of eleven people stood before them, making no effort to conceal their overwhelming might.
Eighth-realm Concentration stage, two early-realm Manifesting Radiance stage, and... one upper-realm Manifesting Radiance stage!
This was a flawless ambush for absolute annihilation!
What an absolute annihilation layout!
Feng Qi sighed, turned his head, and asked, "Did you bring your Sword Disciple Token?"
Zhou Zihan rolled her eyes. "Who brings a Sword Disciple Token when going out to test a sword?"
Tempering between life and death was essential; flowers in a greenhouse could never weather the wind and rain.
Out of such considerations, Feng Qi had also left his Sword Disciple Token inside his dwelling, only to encounter opponents spanning an entire major realm higher the moment he stepped outside.
Feng Qi shook his head, feeling somewhat helpless.
The eight wicked cult disciples at the upper Concentration stage attacked simultaneously.
Feng Qi suddenly let out a furious roar, and a formidable surge of vital energy erupted from within him, instantly shredding his outer garment and revealing an upper body suffused with a faint golden glow, casting a magnificent brilliance over his entire being.
A battle of desperate survival, and... the state of Invincible Self!
His figure suddenly blurred, becoming as ephemeral as a ghost.
The eight wicked cult disciples at the upper Concentration stage were defeated in the very split second of collision, either dead or wounded.
A kitchen cleaver chopped down fiercely from above.
Feng Qi's figure paused slightly, dodging the razor-sharp edge of the cleaver.
"I've long heard that the heir has pushed the Overlord Spear to perfection, but I never expected it to reach such a state; your imposing aura is even fiercer than that of the Prince of Northern Yan of your generation," the candy maker chuckled lightly. "However, our target is not you. Hand over the young woman behind you, and I can spare your life."
Feng Qi smiled. "Trying to use this tactic to weaken my imposing aura and diminish the effect of the Invincible Self?"
His expression abruptly turned stern and fierce, his voice sounding like a grievance-laden ghost from the netherworld as he shouted, "If you want her, see if you can step over my corpse first!"
The candy maker remained unmoved and said, "Someone said to spare your life, which is why I gave you two options. If you wish to die, it is not entirely impossible for me to grant your wish."
Feng Qi laughed heartily. "Enough talk! Do we fight or not?"
The candy maker frowned and nodded lightly.
The butcher moved his kitchen cleaver once more.
Neither the candy maker nor the shoemaker joined the fray.
In their view, a butcher at the early Manifesting Radiance stage was more than enough to easily send that arrogant Heir of Northern Yan straight to the netherworld.
The distance was short, and they stood facing Zhou Zihan across the street.
Zhou Zihan drew the Asking Moon Sword, and at the same time, hundreds of sword intents shot forth from within her body.
A flash of admiration crossed the candy maker's eyes, thinking that as expected of a congenital formless sword body, how many people in this world possessed such talent?
He waved his hand and said, "You don't need to make a move; I will play with this young lady."
The shoemaker frowned and said, "But..."
The candy maker uttered an "hmph" and asked, "Do you have an objection?"
The butcher wanted to say something.
The shoemaker tugged at his clothes.
The butcher glanced at the shoemaker, fell silent for a moment, took half a step back, and said, "I dare not."
The candy maker's gaze lingered on him for a long while before he snorted, "Better not."
Just as his voice fell, nine strands of artifact intent surged from within his body, and shrill, crying wails echoed through the arena.
Zhou Zihan's expression shifted drastically.
Those crying wails... belonged to newborn infants.
Her face turned as cold as frost, and staring straight at the candy maker, she said word by word, "Today, you will undoubtedly die!"
The candy maker smiled indifferently, flicked his sleeves, and the nine strands of artifact intent fiercely rushed forward, colliding with Zhou Zihan's hundreds of sword intents.
Countless deep sword scars instantly appeared on the street and walls.
Zhou Zihan muffled a groan, and blood trickled from the corner of her lips.
Such powerful artifact awareness!
Such powerful artifact intent!
Such a powerful candy maker!
A sense of helplessness welled up inside her, yet she stubbornly bit her lower lip, enduring the pain and refusing to make a sound.
The sword intents and artifact intents continued to intertwine in mid-air.
A hazy aura suddenly emerged over Zhou Zihan's skin, making her look like a burning torch.
The candy maker raised an eyebrow. "You dare to divide your focus and break through your realm while fighting me?"
A strand of artifact intent broke away from the battle and struck straight at Zhou Zihan's throat.
Zhou Zihan was well aware of the candy maker's attack, but she was at the critical juncture of breaking through her realm; let alone dodging, even moving a finger was immensely difficult.
A tiger's shadow flashed past.
The sound of clashing metal rang out.
Feng Qi appeared before Zhou Zihan, taking the brunt of the attack for her at the cost of a direct hit.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and muttered in a low voice, "Truly foolish. Do you think you're the female protagonist of some dime-a-dozen romance novel? Breaking through realms in the middle of a battle? Why don't you fly up to the heavens?"
Pausing for a moment, he said softly, "Be a good girl and retract your sword intent. You have only just broken through to the Concentration stage; even if you force a breakthrough, it will inevitably leave scars on your Dao path. The situation hasn't reached that desperate point yet."
Zhou Zihan ignored him.
Both were proud prodigies; how could they fail to see the current crisis? Breaking through meant nine chances of death and one of survival, while failing to break through meant certain death.
The candy maker smiled. "It's been so long, yet Snow Cloud Sect disciples are still this arrogant. Are you looking down on me?"
The butcher walked over to the candy maker's side with a look of shame and annoyance.
The candy maker glanced at him and said nothing.
Feng Qi also smiled, his expression looking somewhat heroic yet tragic against the backdrop of his blood-stained body.
"Naturally. Youth is wasted if one is not a bit arrogant. We are not like you, already old enough that you only dare to bully the young with your superior might."
The candy maker narrowed his eyes and said to the butcher and the shoemaker, "Make your move. No need to drag this out."
He glanced back at the assassins who had previously besieged Feng Qi and shook his head.
Those assassins felt somewhat aggrieved, yet dared not speak out. Regardless, it was a fact that they outnumbered their targets, and it was equally a fact that they had suffered a crushing defeat.
The needle and thread struck again.
The kitchen cleaver chopped again.
The stirring rod struck again.
Feng Qi coughed twice and spat out another mouthful of blood.
On the long street, there were densely packed with at least dozens of artifact intents, further enhanced by the dual radiance of stars and moon.
His sword intent was immensely powerful, but it was restricted to the Concentration stage.
An early Manifesting Radiance expert was not entirely unbeatable, but the pressure brought by an upper Manifesting Radiance expert was indeed immense.
Let alone him, even if Mu Linhan were here, he would be forced to his knees.
He flashed a bitter smile and said to Zhou Zihan, "Stupid woman, why on earth was my mind bewitched into agreeing to accompany you out into the mortal world to test your sword?"
Zhou Zihan's body trembled slightly.
Feng Qi's expression tightened, thinking she had successfully broken through her realm.
Yet his disappointment came swiftly, for Zhou Zihan was still quite a long way from a breakthrough. That slight tremble was likely just anger caused by his words...
The vision of a Manifesting Radiance powerhouse was naturally piercingly sharp, and he instantly detected Zhou Zihan's abnormality.
The kitchen cleaver arrived three feet above Zhou Zihan's head in a split second.
Feng Qi cursed under his breath, raised his spear, and blocked in front of Zhou Zihan, still chattering incessantly, "You still dare to be distracted? Calling you stupid is actually overestimating you!"
He raised his head, the momentum of the cleaver whipping up the long hair on his forehead.
With a slight twist of his wrist, the Qingshuang Sword was now in his hand.
An intensely brilliant sword light swept across the narrow alley.
The sword trod the rivers and mountains.
The sword light met the artifact intent, held it at bay for a fleeting moment, and then slowly began to suppress it.
The candy maker let out an "hmph."
Starlight emanated from within his body.
Moonlight descended from the edge of the sky.
The artifact intent surged overwhelmingly.
The sword light rippled faintly.
Feng Qi felt as though heavy hammers were pounding every bone in his body, and he violently spat out a mouthful of blood.
If not for his Dao-Spiritual Body, perhaps this single sword strike would have cost him his life.
Zhou Zihan perceived Feng Qi's critical danger, causing a ripple in her state of mind. Her sea of consciousness churned into towering waves, and she, too, vomited a mouthful of blood.
If not for her congenital formless sword body, this failed breakthrough attempt alone would have taken her life.
One could only say that the battle between the Concentration stage and the Manifesting Radiance stage was truly like facing divine retribution.
Right at that moment.
Feng Qi suddenly heard a sigh.
A figure appeared at the far end of the long street.
The very next instant, that person was standing right in front of Feng Qi.
Eldest Senior Brother?
Why is he here?
Feng Qi rubbed his eyes, somewhat doubting whether he was seeing things.
Mu Linhan stood before the all-pervading artifact intent and said softly, "Watch closely. This is what true traceless sword intent looks like!"