Chapter 163 – A Bout of Fresh Rain Washes Away Old Dust
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Clear water slowly flowed out from the ladle and fell into the gray pot. As it was struck by the stream of water, the Green Leaf incessantly swayed.
After watering the plant, the Pope returned the ladle back into the pool. He placed his hands behind and walked out of the hall as if he had just performed a very ordinary action.
The soil in the pot was moistened, and the once-withered Green Leaf regained its former appearance. Its edges were no longer curled as the veins on its leaf grew more distinct, a dew-like bead of water lightly rolling about the surface of the leaf.
Many days ago, the Pope and the archbishop held a conversation here. At the time, the archbishop had said that maturation required the moistening of rain, and that it also sometimes required pressure. This Green Leaf had already received far too much pressure, and perhaps it was precisely the time for the moistening of the rain.
The Hall of Washing Away Dust was in the Green Leaf World.
Chen Changsheng"s body was incomparably hot, his face completely red, the blood on his clothes long since cooked dry.
His Qi was continuing to strengthen, the heat in the room continuing to increase.
Mo Yu stood by the window, watching the youth currently enduring this painful suffering. Her expression was indifferent but within her sleeves, her hands were tightly clenched.
"Can we have him stop?" Prince Chen Liu gave Mo Yu a surrept.i.tious glance and then asked.
Mo Yu said nothing. Chen Changsheng was currently in the critical moment of initial Meditative Introspection. Even if one discounted the fact that his eyes were currently closed and he was unaware of external matters, even if he could communicate with the outside world, he was incapable of stopping the blazing of the star radiance in his body. If he could do that, what need would there be for him to risk such a dangerous situation?
Only outside strength could interrupt this process of events and rescue him from the brink of death, and it could only be an extremely powerful strength, a legendary strength.
In the capital, only two people possessed such power: the Pope and the Divine Empress.
But Chen Changsheng and the Orthodox Academy were currently the symbol of challenge for those Orthodoxy elders loyal to the Chen Imperial clan and the conservative factions, so why would the Divine Empress or the Pope act?
The temperature in the Hall of Washing Away Dust continued to increase. The chirping of cicadas also grew more resounding, the response made by the Green Leaf World.
In the end, Chen Changsheng had still underestimated the danger of igniting his star radiance. Ever since the Heavenly Tomes had descended to the earth, a situation like Chen Changsheng"s had never appeared on the continent, not even within the three thousand scriptures of the Daoist Canon. His body was just too different. He truly did have a high chance of dying here, or being rendered insensible by the high heat.
Who could change all this? Who could extinguish that invisible fire within his body and cause the temperature of the Green Leaf World to decrease?
It was at this moment that a drop of water suddenly fell from the azure sky.
And then a thousand drops, ten thousand drops, a torrential downpour.
Whoosh!
A boundless downpour descended from the heavens and onto the black eaves of the Hall of Washing Away Dust, onto the yellow sand, onto Chen Changsheng"s body.
Other than the sound of rain, there was no other sound.
The crowd looked up to the sky at this pillar of rain, shocked and filled with reverence.
A hint of fear, and also confusion, appeared in Mo Yu"s eyes.
There were no clouds, yet there was rain.
This rain naturally came from outside this world.
A Sacred Hall archbishop looked up at the rain falling from the heavens, his face shifting through countless expressions.
As one of the Six Prefects, he naturally understood where this rain came from.
As a trusted follower of the Pope, he was very confused as to why the rain had appeared now.
Why did the Saint wish to a.s.sist this youth of the Orthodox Academy?
Rain could wash away the dust of the world and also carry away heat.
Rain fell on Chen Changsheng"s body. The moment it touched his scalding skin, it instantly evaporated, simultaneously causing his body temperature to rapidly decrease.
The temperature of the Hall of Washing Away Dust was also rapidly dropping. It was as if one had been in the height of summer and all its unbearable heat and then experienced a bout of rain that brought the chill of late autumn.
Zhuang Huanyu suddenly felt a little cold.
Just a little earlier, he had heard a cough from the second floor.
He did not know who was coughing, but he knew that this person was reminding him that he needed to strike before this bout of rain ended.
Although it was not clear just what was happening to Chen Changsheng"s body, an opportunity for surprises could not be allowed.
Yet he did not strike.
This rain was far too boundless, inspiring such reverence that he did not dare to cross the channels the rain washed through the sand.
But that was irrelevant.
He was the pride of the Heavenly Dao Academy, and he was very proud.
He had always intended to prove to both the continent and Princess Luoluo that Chen Changsheng was inferior to him. Thus, nothing could be better than defeating Chen Changsheng at his strongest.
This bout of autumn rain was a bout of cold.
The hall gradually turned chilly.
The torrential downpour died down, transforming into a light drizzle.
Chen Changsheng opened his eyes.
His eyes were clear and bright, beads of rain through which one could clearly see the secrets of this world.
The sand floating around his body had already fallen back down, and the true essence that had been seeping out of his body had been completely drawn back into his body.
He had undergone initial Meditative Introspection once more and succeeded in breaking through, and was currently at his peak level of strength.
He raised the dagger in his hand.
A stream of sword intent enveloped the Hall of Washing Away Dust like an autumn rain and instantly reached Zhuang Huanyu.
First Stance of the Wind and Rain Sword of Mount Zhong: Rising Flurry!
Zhuang Huanyu instantly paled.
He had not expected that after such a short amount of time, as if all that had happened was a sudden downpour and Chen Changsheng closing and opening his eyes, Chen Changsheng would have become so strong!
This sword intent like the autumn rain was extremely condensed, and the true essence contained within it was also incredibly powerful.
In his hesitation, he did not respond, thus fell into a state of absolute disadvantage.
The condensed and still-restrained sword intent was just like an autumn rain about to fall. It was only a foot from the center of his eyebrows.
Raindrops slowly fell from the black eaves and beat against the ground.
The sand had already been washed away by the rain, revealing the flagstones.
The monotonous sound of rain against stone made the atmosphere abnormally tense.
Chen Changsheng did not continue to strike.
This strike of his was his first attack after breaking through. Both his mind and sword energy were at their peak conditions. In Zhuang Huanyu"s momentary daze, there was a high chance that he could be defeated by this single strike.
But he was not.
Chen Changsheng waited for Zhuang Huanyu to come back to his senses.
This was because when he had earlier closed his eyes and entered Meditative Introspection, Zhuang Huanyu had waited for him.
Regardless of whether it was the channels washed through the yellow sand by the autumn rain or Zhuang Huanyu"s pride that stopped him, he had still given Chen Changsheng this opportunity.
As a result, Chen Changsheng was giving this opportunity back.
All was quiet in the Hall of Washing Away Dust.
"The fights of youths are truly different."
A person on the second floor ruefully said.
For an important match like the Grand Examination, an adult would never give their opponent a single chance.
Only youths would act this way.
Perhaps it was because they had experienced less and their bodies were not stained by too much dust, or perhaps it was because this autumn rain had washed the dust on their bodies away. In short, compared to adults, they still believed in fairness. Perhaps it was very naive and childish, but it also represented a sort of vigor and self-confidence.
"Now, you can no longer defeat me."
Chen Changsheng looked at Zhuang Huanyu and said, "Just concede."