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Chapter 22: Sword Slash
Facing this enormous snow sword cutting down at a stunning speed, Liang Lian remained still. Waves of cold and stunning murderousness slowly emanated from his body. All the snow surrounding him moved outwards as though in fear.
At the same time, an unusual humming buzzed at a high alt.i.tude.
This was the movement of large amounts of primal energies of the universe. They did not fly like an invisible mountain, but a giant crossbeam flying through the air. It was very condensed and fast.
Ding Ning was not an ordinary cultivator so he knew that this speed of moving the primal energies of the universe surpa.s.sed the limits of an ordinary realm seven third cla.s.s cultivator. If it surpa.s.sed ordinary limits, then the cultivator"s body had to endure a heavier burden.
Pop pop pop pop …
There came cracking sounds from the stone path under Liang Lian"s feet as fragments of stone and snow sprayed out. But his body remained motionless and his skin even emitted a strange metallic light.
Ultimate Sword Body!
Liang Lian"s method of cultivation was evident. Ding Ning took a deep breath and slowly breathed out.
At this time, the spattering snowflakes around Liang Lian began to fly around him in circles. The soft and feathery snowflakes became extremely heavy as his vital energy and primal energies of the universe entered them. These heavy snowflakes formed numerous white curtains around his body. Each curtain of a snow was like an enormous millstone.
The snow sword slashing through the air met the snow curtains. They were both not made from metal but an enormous metal ringing sounded. It was as loud as a giant bell that could only be rang by dozens of people together.
The Tiger-Wolf Army North Camp in its entirety was disturbed.
The snow mantle over the barracks, military equipment and even the seal chariots fell off.
Liang Lian"s eyes narrowed slightly.
The snowflakes cut numerous tears in his clothes. But the skin underneath shone with an odd light. Not a mark had been left behind.
The enormous snow sword and the numerous snow curtains around his body had been completely destroyed. Countless snowflakes became miniscule particles.
This brightened and opened his surrounding area. Yet, Xue w.a.n.gxu"s figure was nowhere in sight.
There were millions of little transparent swords forming around him. The number of transparent items was so terrifying that when they laid on top of each other the world in front of him became unrealistic.
Many of the military cultivators who were standing by the camp gates held their breaths. For them, this was a scene that was hard to imagine.
Countless little transparent swords floated together to form a sword tower over thirty meters tall. The center of the sword tower was Liang Lian.
In the next moment, these countless transparent swords suddenly accelerated, fell, and dragged out many lines that were visible to the naked eye.
Facing these falling swords, Liang Lian did not move. His cold face showed a hint of slight disdain. He could see the sword essence here.
These swords did not hope to defeat him but just trap him. Tens of thousands of swords formed a prison just because the other did not want him to exert the advantage of his body and launch a fierce attack.
Perhaps, Xue w.a.n.gxu"s understanding of swordsmanship was higher than him, but he was too old. He could not do as he wished with his power and fight for a longer period.
"You want a chance to breathe, you want to fight me with this soft method … but you think that I must always respond fiercely?"
Looking at the falling swords around him and sensing the sword formations made out of those swords, and the coldness in Liang Lian"s face deepened.
He calmly stretched with his right hand.
Boom!
A pure presence that only powerful beings could possess appeared in the world. The entire camp shook.
This made everyone feel that the monster that was chained and locked up underneath the river had finally broken free of its cage.
In the next moment, this presence did not explode but layered up in front of Liang Lian.
A black light flashed.
A straight and dim black broadsword appeared in Liang Lian"s hand. Half of the blade was dully colored like black stones by the river sh.o.r.e while the other half flowed with lights like black waves.
He held this sword horizontally across his chest. As the primal energies of the universe flooded in from above him, a curved river dam formed around him. The power that his body and his sword gave off increased, but this power only surged within the dam.
Just like the day when Bureau Chief Ye fought Zhao Zhan, there was an old man dressed in light colors sitting on a wisteria chair in the tower closest to the Tiger-Wolf Army North Camp. His spa.r.s.e hair was not tied, and fell like the roots of a plant on his shoulders.
Behind him stood that unusually humble and tall young man.
Unlike during the battle with Ye Celeng and Zhao Zhan, he was not wearing leisure clothing but a clean grey official robe. The official robes had patterns of various ceremonial items. This meant that this youth was an official of the Clan Law Bureau.
However, other than these patterns, this official robe was different in many other aspects from ordinary Clan Law Bureau official robes. The most obvious was the pattern of a deer"s head near the collar on the back. This was the insignia of the bureau chief of the Clan Law Bureau.
So, this unusually humble youth was the bureau chief of the Clan Law Bureau, Huang Zhenwei!
"This is the strongest sword form in the Cofferdam Sword Manual, the Breaching Sword." The old man dressed in simple cotton robes praised as he looked on through the heavy snow and wind at Liang Lian"s sword form.
Huang Zhenwei, who had unusually humble features that could stir positive feelings in any observer, could not help but respond softly. "This Breaching Sword will grow stronger the longer it acc.u.mulates. The moment the sword essence breaches the dam … General Liang Lian is truly an experienced fighter to use such a sword move against Cave Master Xue. I fear Cave Master Xue will be forced to attack."
The old man nodded in agreeement.
At this time, a dot of bright light appeared in the wind and snow.
Xue w.a.n.gxu"s figure appeared.
He held a glittering line of light in his right hand. The light was pure and bright, even giving off a holy presence. He released his lifebond sword.
This sword, the sword in the stone that had been polished in the battle with Feng Qianzhuo, shone brightly at this moment. The endless bright light spurted out of his short sword. It illuminated the sky in front of him, the entire Tiger-Wolf Army North Camp, as if it was day.
Xue w.a.n.gxu held this sword and calmly stabbed forward. An enormous white goat horn appeared in front of him. Just like the strike he had displayed when he handed the sect sword to Li Daoji, this white goat horn was slightly curved.
The white goat horn"s sharpest point did not immediately stab towards the dam, and just brushed past from above while the thickest part of the white goat horn leaned in and pressed. In essence, the true meaning of the White Goat Sword was not to charge, but endure, and to counterbalance.
The curved white goat horn pressed hard against the dam, and expended the dam"s power. It appeared as though it would press this dam inwards so the flood of water inside it would spray out through countless cracks.
At the sight of this sword strike, the man on the wicker chair in the tower was slightly shocked. He could not contain his admiration."Marvelous!"
Huang Zhenwei"s eyes were also filled with a bright light, he praised as well. "Extremely marvelous!"
Liang Lian"s pupils fiercely contracted.
Seeing this white goat horn sword light press down, he did not hesitate and punched with his left fist.
A m.u.f.fled explosion sounded again.
His metal-like left fist hit his own sword. The lifebond sword in his right hand viciously clashed with Xue w.a.n.gxu"s lifebond sword.
The sword move that had been brewing for so long scattered immediately His sword seemed to become a city wall.
Boom!
His left fist once again hit his own sword hard, intending to shake away Xue w.a.n.gxu"s sword. This forbearance grew in power. He felt he could not withstand it.
As he punched, the stone path underneath his feet exploded and blood sprayed out of his soles.
Alongside his sword, a powerful momentum entered Xue w.a.n.gxu"s body. His body emitted several diminutive sounds as though dust was being shaken out of his skin.
Even so, he wore a warm and proud smile, and his sword did not move an inch.
Liang Lian gave a m.u.f.fled grunt and took a step back.
More blood came oozed from under his feet and left behind a deep red footprint on the ground. His gaze had turned extremely cold.
Without a pause, he gave a furious shout and with his fist hit his sword hard.
As his fist came in contact with the sword, boiling hot blood oozed out, the acc.u.mulated power within his sword burst forth.
Not far in front of him, Ding Ning looked calmly at this battle as he held his umbrella.
In this moment, Ding Ning"s brows shook slightly, his lips trembled as did his hands.
Feeling the terrifying power teeming within the other"s living body, Xue w.a.n.gxu smiled slightly with pride, and maintained his sword move.
Crack!
His lifebond sword snapped, the enormous white goat horn broke in the middle.
The thick white horn seemed to suddenly break free and continued to push forward.
Crack!
Liang Lian"s chest caved in slightly. His body immediately flew a dozen steps back. He sprayed out a b.l.o.o.d.y mist.
Xue w.a.n.gxu"s hand dropped and he smiled in satisfaction.
Threads of blood leaked out from the corners of his mouth and making their way down his white beard.
In this moment, more dust seemed to fly out of his body and hissed.
—
"It"s done!"
The man in the tower took a deep breath and stood up.
He reached out a hand in front of him. A vast presence flowed out of his fingers.
At the same time, Ding Ning, who had been waiting silently, came next to Xue w.a.n.gxu. He glanced at Xue w.a.n.gxu. He did not speak and only held the sword to shield Xue w.a.n.gxu from the snow and wind.
Translator Ramblings: This is really a battle between age (experience) vs youth (power).