Chapter 268 - Putting Oneself in an Impossible Situation
Xuande Sword was made out of merit, and it had the Fire of Nirvana. When Shen Lian combined the sword will of Grandmaster Yuanqing within it, it was as though the sword had gained spirituality. The sword flew through the air and charged at the three Chamber Masters.
The sword will of Grandmaster Yuanqing contained the most vicious killing vibes in the world. When they were pointed at by the long sword, the three Chamber Masters could not help but s.h.i.+ver from within their spirits. It was as if they were stared at by a venomous snake and felt immense danger.
Moreover, the ice field created by the Ice Light had dulled the three Chamber Masters" mana, making them slow to react.
Shen Lian was trying to take advantage of the change in Qi dynamic. He did not intend to injure his enemies, but he wanted to at least deter them from helping Fairy Tianmeng. Taisu Sect had plenty of experts, but those whom Shen Lian saw as a threat were no other than the Chamber Masters of Baisu, Zisu, and Huangsu. Each of them was more than capable of being his opponent. With Fairy Tianmeng at her peak, it was difficult for him to rival her.
Despite that, he seemed to have the upper hand during the few exchanges, but he knew that the moment he made a mistake and let the battle dragged on, the four of them would be able to put their full force into the battle. If that happened, he would be d.a.m.ned.
The long sword made contact with the three High Clouds; it was as though sparks had fallen into a pot of oil and the clouds exploded.
Shen Lian froze the three Chamber Masters with his sword will and he slowed them down with the Ice Light. His trump card was the Fire of Nirvana that set the High Clouds on fire, which led to the explosion.
The sounds were loud, and there was no time to waste in the exchange this time. Fairy Tianmeng was angered as she was charging up one of her supernatural powers. However, the explosion of the High Clouds was as good as an attack, and she had to protect herself with the Protective Light. She diverted the divine light that she was planning to attack Shen Lian with in order to cancel out the explosion and to protect the Taisu disciples.
Shen Lian made the perfect calculation. In spite of the fresh blood coming out of his mouth, he reversed at the speed of lightning.
However, there were unforeseen changes. The air seemed to be locked down by an intangible force. Shen Lian felt as though he was moving amidst mud, and his movements were sluggish.
An old woman appeared in the sky. She had a head full of white hair, and her hair danced along with the wind as though they were the falling snow. She held a crutch that was engraved with the head of a dragon. The dragon"s eyes were half closed, and it looked strikingly real.
Slowly, she walked down from the sky. All of the Taisu disciples bowed respectfully to her. Even the three Chamber Masters and Fairy Tianmeng showed respect to her too.
The old woman looked old, but her voice was clear and freed of impurities. She coughed and spoke, "Young man, you have created quite a commotion and disturbed me. As your punishment, you will stay in this mountain and face the wall to reflect on what you did for ten years. This is to ensure that everyone knows Taisu Sect is not a place for just anyone to throw their tantrums."
Shen Lian had acted out of line, and she could not help herself but interfere. Not even both of her Senior Apprentice-Sisters could stop her now.
"Taisu Sect had taken my niece as a hostage, why shouldn"t I come looking for her?" Shen Lian smiled coldly.
"She is fated to come to Taisu Sect, what is this talk about abducting her. Please respect yourself. Otherwise, I would have to show you some colors in spite of my respect for your elders," the old woman replied.
She spoke with seniority, as though she was in the right.
Shen Lian remained alerted. This old woman had attained immortality, and it would not benefit him to clash directly against her. It seemed that she was aware of his ident.i.ty as well. It was just that she did not want to expose him.
However, Shen Lian was not about to be captured by her and remained in Taisu Sect for ten years.
Having an immortal Zhenren to intervene would be the worst case scenario. If he did not know that Ruoxi was about to be turned into an incarnation, he would not have reacted so strongly. There was no turning back.
The only way to escape would be through that method.
"I have heard that all three elders of Taisu have endless mana. I wonder which one are you?" Shen Lian remained casual and calm even when faced with an immortal Zhenren. The three Chamber Masters were impressed by his composure. They thought, regardless of his origin, he was destined for greatness. That was if he could make his way out of here today.
Fairy Tianmeng was annoyed, and Shen Lian was not the reason why. It was the appearance of the Elder. The moment she appeared, she controlled the conversation and that made Fairy Tianmeng uncomfortable. When she had attained immortality and success in her cultivation, she swore to let her know who the Sect Master of Taisu was.
"Amongst the three of us, I ranked last. My mana could not be considered as endless, but it would be sufficient for me to give you some pointers." The old woman was not harsh with her words, but her tone was commanding.
Indeed, she was undoubtedly capable. As an immortal Zhenren, she could be considered as a powerful individual in the world. There were plenty of sects that could not even produce one or two immortal Zhenren since they were founded.
"Alright, I will be sure to remember this. However, I have my own methods and I do not need the guidance of others. Perhaps in the future, there will be an opportunity for me to host you as my guest. I can afford to provide you a comfortable life for eight or ten years, so there is no need for you to face the wall and suffer," Shen Lian replied casually. His tone was proud and egoistic, which took all of the Taisu disciples by surprise. They wondered if this person was crazy, to think that he had the guts to speak in this manner to Elder!
"What a strong willed person you are, but I"m angry now," the old woman laughed.
On her last word, she imposed immense pressure on Shen Lian. The pressure was worse than the combined power of the three Chamber Masters. Shen Lian found it hard to breathe.
He remained calm. Despite that he was tainted by the bloodstains from earlier, he behaved as though nothing had happened.
With a gentle wave of her crutch, a current with the shape of dragon flowed over.
It was not only the mana within it that was strong. The Meaning of Dharma within it was tenacious as well. The dragon-shaped current seemed to have come into life. It was as though a real dragon was birthed, and it could command rain and wind with its roars. The power it created could overcome all sorts of demonic G.o.ds.
Shen Lian knew that this was the most powerful part about immortal Zhenrens. They could merge the laws of nature with their Dao. Even when they used their supernatural powers casually, it would still be immensely powerful and could turn what was impossible into possible.
Just as how Mister Sea attacked Jinguang Temple back then, he had used the light of the water to create a flood, rendering thousands of cultivators helpless and powerless.
At their level, normal cultivators were nothing more than ants.
Their life had reached another level, and they were in control of the laws of nature. They could easily move mountains and seas to pa.s.s judgment on behalf of the Heavens.
The s.p.a.ce seemed to have turned into a layer of paper, and it was merely fluttering helplessly against the dragon-shaped Qi strength. The dragon was unstoppable, and it was right in front of Shen Lian. It was ready to shred him into pieces and would not stop until it has accomplished its purpose.
Shen Lian could feel a strand of sword gleam that was dormant in the depths of his spirit. He cleared his mind of worries and immersed himself in the highest state of concentration in The Mastery of Senses. The nameless deity held a jade Ruyi and appeared quietly in the spirit sea within Shen Lian"s heart.
Shen Lian had to anger the old woman in order for her to force him into a near-death state. That was the only way that he could try to make the nameless deity utilize the Trapping of Celestial Sword Aura buried in the depths of his spirit.
This was the biggest gamble Shen Lian had taken since he had started cultivating Dao. It was also a test.
If he lost, he would lose everything. Though, he was already at the end of his wits.
It was time for something different.