Chapter 143: Transcendence, who isn’t?
The world was filled with a calm and peaceful noise, with traces of laziness and confidence.
Confidence that stemmed from deep within the heart of a top-cla.s.s cultivator.
Fang Lang was confident too but it was not as intense as this since he had yet to mature into a great cultivator.
Therefore, Fang Lang was not the one talking at this moment!
As he spoke, the five elders of the Main Path Guild were grinded into a mist of blood within the lotus flower blade energy. It was as if the world had fallen into a deadly silence.
The pungent scent of blood permeated the air as the night breeze spread them out.
The old man standing above Mount Tongtian narrowed his eyes.
The five seventh-cla.s.s elders were killed without any chance to fight back. He made it seem so effortless as if he had just crushed five ants. All of the disciples of the Main Path Guild were overwhelmed by the impact of the attack.
However, it was nothing to Zhao Taifeng, the man who had entered the transcendental realm. The only thing that bothered him was Fang Lang’s altering aura.
It reminded Zhao Taifeng of that girl from the past.
The girl who could rule the world with a sword in her hand.
There was no need for him to trap Chao Xiaojian with his divine sense from trying to render a.s.sistance to Fang Lang.
The old man stared at Fang Lang, who was holding the Reincarnating Lotus Sword as his white-robed billowed in the air and a reflection of a blooming lotus within his eyes.
He could vaguely recognize the gorgeous figure behind Fang Lang, who was staring at him in an aloof manner.
“Xuanyuan Taihua,” the old man muttered.
Even though he was dormant for a few hundred years, his spiritual sense felt it when Xuanyuan Taihua came to the Main Path Guild and defeated Zhao Longshi in a single move and stabbed the sword in the Main Path Mausoleum.
It was an insult for someone else to stab a sword in the sacred place of the sect. He was about to expose himself but his instincts as a transcendental being made him suppress his impulse and chose to stay dormant.
He knew that if he did emerge, he might die.
Not because of Xuanyuan Taihua but the Code in the Imperial City of the Tang Dynasty that hung above everybody’s heads.
The old man’s eyes flickered. Was this… another ploy by Xuanyuan Taihua and the Emperor?
The uncertainties of a cultivator from the transcendental realm made them a threat to the dynasty. The chaos among the eight dynasties was caused by transcendental beings.
In order for the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty to unite the world, he had to conquer the other dynasties. It was rumored that the Emperor had the Code in hand and murdered several transcendental cultivators!
Zhao Taifeng had chosen to stay hidden and lay dormant for hundreds of years but it turned out that the Emperor was still after them.
The old man’s expression darkened as his robe fluttered in the wind.
The young man traveled through s.p.a.ce with the sword in his hand as if he was a deity descending from heaven.
On the other hand, without the old man’s divine sense suppressing Chao Xiaojian, he broke free and stared at Fang Lang in a fanatic manner.
“He borrowed his senior’s energy through s.p.a.ce? She must’ve left an indelible imprint of her soul in the Reincarnating Lotus Sword!” Chao Xiaojian was exhilarated.
Also, the words ‘bullying a ninth-cla.s.s cultivator from the transcendental realm’ sounded exactly like his senior trying to avenge him!
That familiar feeling had returned.
Fang Lang was right. If they could retrieve all three swords—Withering Lotus, Reincarnating Lotus and Round Lotus, they might be able to summon the sect leader to return from the demon realm!
“Main Path Guild!” Chao Xiaojian held the green steel sword with a ball of fire burning in his eyes.
The transcendental realm was truly formidable. Chao Xiaojian, who had just dabbled into the s.p.a.ce sword intent, was no match to Zhao Taifeng.
Zhao Taifeng transcended by attaining immortality through reincarnation.
The sea of clouds was roaring at a distance.
Zhao Zhenshi and Huang Zhihe had stopped fighting.
Huang Zhihe was hovering in the sky on his sword. His wrinkled face sparked in excitement. He stared at Fang Lang with a complicated expression.
A gorgeous figure in a dress whiter than pure snow appeared in his mind.
He let out a dragged sigh.
Zhao Zhenshi was petrified. He had sent the five elders to capture Fang Lang, thinking that it would not be an issue without Huang Zhihe and Chao Xiaojian’s protecting Fang Lang.
He certainly did not expect things to turn out this way. Five seventh-cla.s.s elders were gone just like that!
Zhao Zhenshi was still haunted by it. If he was to go after Fang Lang himself… Would he end up with the same fate as the other five elders and vanish into thin air?
Fang Lang could not have possessed such power.
Fang Lang was just a young man with a third-cla.s.s realm. He should not be able to cast an attack at that caliber.
It was obvious that Xuanyuan Taihua was behind the killing of the five elders.
The female blade lord who defeated the sect leader of the Main Path Guild, Zhao Longshi.
Back then, Xuanyuan Taihua came personally to the Main Path Guild and defeated Zhao Longshi, leaving her sword in their sacred place as a mark of humiliation for decades.
Was she going to insult the Main Path Guild once again without being present at all?
The Main Path Guild today was not as vulnerable as before since their first leader had emerged, an incredible cultivator from the transcendental realm.
Zhao Zhenshi’s confidence grew with the Main Path Guild’s fortune.
He refused to believe that Xuanyuan Taihua could upheave the Main Path Guild without being present.
“Ancestor!” Zhao Zhenshi cried out loudly as he hovered above the Mountain Shield Forbidden Spell Rune.
“He killed five elders of our sect. You can’t let him leave. Do you wish to let the Main Path Guild relive the humiliation that Xuanyuan Taihua inflicted on us decades ago? Please stop him!” Zhao Zhenshi’s plea ripped through the silent night.
His voice was like a storm that swept across the entire Mount Tongtian.
Huang Zhihe and Chao Xiaojian’s expressions darkened when they realized Zhao Zhenshi refused to give up!
“You talk too much!” Chao Xiaojian scoffed. The green steel sword vibrated slightly around him and it shot out the next moment, leaving a black line across hundreds of meters through s.p.a.ce towards Zhao Zhenshi!
A chill ran down Zhao Zhenshi’s spine. He could sense death the moment he saw Chao Xiaojian launch the attack.
After all, Chao Xiaojian was a man mad enough to wield his sword against a transcendental being!
He was a powerful cultivator and could kill without hesitation, wiping out the entire Donglu Sword League alone. The folks named him White-Haired Sword Demon for a reason!
Zhao Zhenshi yelled loudly as he cast the rune. It roared loudly in the night sky. Clouds of mist gathered around Zhao Zhenshi and formed a giant lake of cloud energy!
Chao Xiaojian had a serious look on his face. His white hair fluttered in the air.
“Even though I can’t fight with the old man from the transcendental realm, I still can take you out, Zhao Zhenshi.”
In one flick, the green steel sword started to shake violently and countless blade energy erupted from the sword and formed a giant sword shadow.
The sword was so ma.s.sive as if it could pierce through the atmosphere!
Then, it slashed downwards and sliced the cloud energy lake that was shielding Zhao Zhenshi in half!
It created a tremendous windstorm, with frightening air currents booming out from both halves.
Chao Xiaojian was not able to inflict any damage on Zhao Taifeng from the transcendental realm but he definitely could defeat a ninth-cla.s.s Zhao Zhenshi who needed the forbidden spell rune as his crutch!
Slash!
His sword came down like a brilliant sun that shone brightly, like a meteor that lighted up the night sky. The moment he slashed through the Mountain Shield Rune, he also damaged Zhao Zhenshi’s spiritual sense. Zhao Zhenshi’s face turned pale and he vomited blood.
Chao Xiaojian hovered in the air and exhaled a murky breath. The utilization of the s.p.a.ce sword intent had significantly improved his cultivation.
Even Huang Zhihe, who was watching from afar, narrowed his eyes as he was utterly impressed by him.
No wonder Chao Xiaojian was able to take on the Sword Guild after Xuanyuan Taihua left.
In a different battle on the other side, Zhao Taifeng was standing on the mountain peak with his hands on his back. The expression on his face was very stern.
Zhao Zhenshi asked him to fight but Zhao Taifeng had his reservations. It was not easy to reach transcendence. It was even harder to be reborn and live through another thousand years.
The longer a person had lived, the more they treasured life.
The old man’s robe billowed in the wind. He ignored Zhao Zhenshi’s plea and turned around to stare at the sky with brooding eyes. There seemed to be a pair of eyes gradually opening behind him.
The Eye of Wisdom!
This was a supernatural skill that could only be acquired by a cultivator from the transcendental realm!
The eye enabled them to see as far as 10,000 miles.
The old man saw the floating Code above Changan City. The shimmering golden Code looked like it was covered in a layer of golden blood.
He could vaguely see a pair of eyes inside the Code.
The moment their eyes met, Zhao Taifeng shuddered and the Eye of Wisdom behind him exploded instantly!
Fang Lang, who had a lotus flower blooming within his eyes, stopped in his tracks with the Reincarnating Lotus Sword in hand.
Suddenly, Zhao Taifeng burst out laughing at the peak of the mountain until he was out of breath.
“I saw it! No wonder when I exhibit the strength of transcendence, the Code didn’t come to take my life. Neither did I sense any impending doom!” Zhao Taifeng snickered.
“I still remember 200 years ago, the Emperor tore through the sky with the Code in hand. He sat high up on the throne and oppressed the transcendence. If any one fought back, he would use the Code against them. No transcendental being could withstand the Code, they would always end up in a b.l.o.o.d.y mush and their divine sense withered. However, things have changed.” Zhao Taifeng’s gaze deepened.
He stared at Fang Lang and continued, “Perhaps, the Emperor thought that a thread of your divine sense and the Reincarnating Lotus Sword that absorbed a thousand years worth of the Main Path Guild’s reserve would be sufficient to take me down?”
The old man’s voice was not loud but his words exploded in the sky like a thunderous roar, echoing through every corner of the world.
Then, his divine sense that he used to entrap Chao Xiaojian started to spread like a surging sea.
The aura of the old man on top of the mountain peak began to thicken, like dark storm clouds looming over the sky.
The aura of the old man was peaceful and calm, vast and profound like the bright sun hanging above the sky.
Suddenly, the sky started to alter between light and dark.
The old man climbed the cloud stairs.
Strong winds started blasting, stirring up sand and rocks from the ground, spinning them like secret weapons. However, the old man remained as calm as ever. His robe and hair did not move a single inch.
Chao Xiaojian, who had just defeated Zhao Zhenshi, looked worried.
The atmosphere was so thick that it was barely breathable. They were all astounded.
How could a single person release such a tremendous aura that could alter the weather?
Chao Xiaojian was fixated on Zhao Taifeng. His aura was different from when he fought him before. It was as though he had removed all the shackles and restraints and transcended form the world!
This was transcendence!
A single move of transcendence could trigger major changes in the world.
Fang Lang stood opposite of the old man quietly with the lotus flower blooming in his eyes.
In comparison with the old man’s earth-rattling aura, he seemed like floating duckweed that was facing a giant wave.
Inside his consciousness, Fang Lang sat cross-legged. He could see the battle going on outside clearly when he looked up.
The thousand years of Main Path Guild’s reserve that the Reincarnating Lotus Sword had absorbed was channeled into Fang Lang’s body at that moment like a galaxy of mist surrounding him. Fang Lang’s cultivation was instantly elevated.
At this moment, Fang Lang was under the control of the Reincarnating Lotus Sword, not the other way round.
However, Fang Lang could feel the tremendous power in front of him. A power that could challenge the heavens!
If it was someone else in Fang Lang’s place, their mind and soul would have been all over the place with the sudden impact of the power as forceful as this.
However, Fang Lang could easily adapt to the abrupt change since he had been using the Power Loan Card quite often.
Nevertheless, the old man who had floated off the Main Path Mausoleum and climbed the cloud stairs should not be underestimated.
“Disciple Lang, look carefully and learn about the time sword intent.” a soothing voice sounded in Fang Lang’s mind.
Then, in the night sky, Fang Lang, who had been trapped by Zhao Taifeng’s transcendental force, started moving.
He raised the Reincarnating Lotus Sword and a strong surge of energy was discharged from the blade.
Fang Lang, who was hovering in mid-air, tossed the sword towards the old man.
The Reincarnating Lotus Sword shot out at an instance after Fang Lang gently knocked on the handle of the sword with his fingers in a lotus flower-picking gesture.
Zhao Taifeng’s expression darkened as he hovered in the air.
“Young girl, you’re still as wild as before. If you were to come personally, I might be intimidated but how dare you flaunt your wings when you’re merely a wisp of divine sense hiding within the sword! You shall pay for disrespecting the transcendence!”
Zhao Taifeng’s divine sense started churning. Then, he clenched his fist in the air.
Hundreds of floating runes rose behind him and channeled their energy into his fists like countless rockets firing into it.
The collective energy was sufficient to shatter the sky.
Buzz…
Everyone’s vision was filled with a blinding light. A giant made up of several hundred runes stood upright like a celestial being.
It hurled an earth-shattering punch!
In the night sky, the Reincarnating Lotus Sword flew out at a moderate pace after Fang Lang tapped on it gently, aiming towards the fist from the giant made up of runes.
The distance between the two gradually diminished…
Suddenly, the sword and fist collided.
An overwhelming sword intent exuded from the Reincarnating Lotus Sword and swept across the sky.
Then, Zhao Taifeng’s fist started to retract as if time was moving in reverse…
Several hundred runes also went back to their initial stage before the attack the moment the sword clashes with the fist.
They had travelled back in time before Zhao Taifeng hurled the punch.
However, the Reincarnating Lotus Sword picked up speed and left a blazing white trail across the night sky.
Before Zhao Taifeng punched with the fist, the sword was shot in his direction, aiming to impale his heart.
Zhao Taifeng opened the giant fist and grabbed the razor-sharp blade of the Reincarnating Lotus Sword.
The blade energy cut through Zhao Taifeng’s palm. Blood flowed down the blade.
Fang Lang, with the lotus flower in his eyes, hovered in the air as his white robe fluttered, said calmly, “Transcendence, who isn’t?”
Then, he curled all five slender fingers and clenched them into a fist.
The Reincarnating Lotus Sword in Zhao Taifeng’s palm started spinning at an incredible speed. His palm instantly exploded, blood and flesh sprayed across the sky like a blood lotus blooming in the night.