Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 399 Taking Out the Sword (II)

Chen Changsheng decided that he could not wait until Wang Po had been defeated before acting. Standing in the rainy street, they had become two walls, one in front and one behind, but in reality, this was a meaningless distinction. He had originally thought this way because he had no self-confidence, because he wanted to be done with the ways of the world and listen to the dictates of fate. His talent could be even more shocking, but in the end, he had only cultivated for a bit more than one year. Without even mentioning the severed meridians in his body, when just speaking in terms of time, to want to fight with one of the Storms of the Eight Directions was a truly an absurd and ridiculous notion.

He had originally thought that even if he were in a short while to use his sword, it would only be to succor his heart a little. But now he had changed his mind. Because for each cultivator that collapsed, his confidence increased by some measure. Ethereal Opening cultivators could no longer threaten him, and even a cultivator that should have been in the initial level of Star Condensation had also been cut down in the rain!

If the battle on the other end of the street had not been so high-level, so dazzling, then perhaps even more people would have noticed the inconceivable task he had just accomplished. The increase in power he had gained in the Mausoleum of Books, the harvest he had reaped in the Garden of Zhou, the lessons in the sword he had learned from Su Li, and Wang Po’s figure in the pouring rain—all were finally demonstrated in that sword of his.

Seeing Wang Po bitterly enduring in the storm, watching as blood incessantly flowed out of his body only to be swiftly washed away by the torrential rain, Chen Changsheng’s gradually growing confidence and gradually recovering true essence caused an extremely fierce desire to rush out of his heart—he wanted to see if his sword could pierce Zhu Luo. Even if his opponent was a legendary Storm of the Eight Directions, he still wanted to take a stab at it. To tell the truth, he didn’t know how he was going to attack or even where his sword was going to stab at. However, he believed that since he had already resolved himself to taking out his sword, then once he attacked, he would naturally understand how he would move the sword.

Chen Changsheng passed by those cultivators that had collapsed in the rain, leaving his position in front of Su Li and walking towards Wang Po. As he walked, his began to calm his heart and clear his mind, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

His opponent was Zhu Luo. The Saint Realm could easily suppress his Blazing Sword. Before the moonlight, how could the light of a firefly be bright? The sword intent like moonlight that covered the rainy street was elusive and difficult to pin down. It was simply impossible to calculate, so the Intellectual Sword was naturally useless. Then which technique should he use? Which sword was his strongest sword?

Chen Changsheng knew what his strongest sword was.

It was the sword that he had used at the Mausoleum of Zhou to strike at the shadow which had obscured half the sky.

He didn’t know if he still had the ability to use that sword, but he wanted to try.

His spiritual sense rested on the Dragoncry dagger. Right now, the Dragoncry dagger was one with the sheath, so the instant his spiritual sense descended, it awakened those souls within the dagger.

He awakened the ten thousand broken swords, preparing to borrow their sword intent.

The Black Dragon also awoke.

He took a very deep breath and his true essence violently exploded. His body became broiling hot, and the constantly falling rain that touched his clothes instantly turned into steam, shrouding the upper half of his body. His broken meridians let out an almost unbearable sound, and a fierce pain was transmitted from various places in his body to his sea of consciousness. The frenzied true essence finally succeeded at breaking through several obstructions and reached his wrist. He had already completed his preparations for attacking. The countless sword intents within the swords and the Black Dragon’s spiritual soul had also silently completed their preparations.

Yet it was just at this moment that Chen Changsheng noticed that the street around him had suddenly become gloomier. Was it because of the steam lingering around his eyes?

It wasn’t because of the steam, but because a person was blocking the light that was scattered through the rainy street.

Chen Changsheng suddenly felt very cold.

His body had long since been soaked by the frigid rain. By all reason, he should have been numb to it, yet he distinctly felt a strand of cold wind brush against his neck.

The coldness came from the bottom of his heart. His body went rigid and he couldn’t move.

It was only then that he remembered that he had forgotten something.

It was a most important thing.

To be more precise, he had forgotten a person.

A person that he absolutely should not have forgotten.

As he carried Su Li across tens of thousands of li of snowy plains, bringing him back from the land of demons to the human world, an assassin had accompanied them all the way.

That assassin was extremely famous, so Su Li somewhat looked down on him. Of course, only Su Li was worthy enough to look down upon that assassin. It must be known that this assassin was ranked third on the Ranking of Assassins drawn up by the Pavilion of Divination. There had never been anyone that dared to look down on that person. The vast majority of the people that looked down on him were probably already dead.

Chen Changsheng also knew that he was absolutely unqualified to look down on that assassin. Moreover, on their journey, Su Li would often silently stare at some distant mountain. From that scene, Chen Changsheng could tell that even Su Li, deep in the depths of his heart, felt some fear of that assassin.

He and Su Li had always been on guard, even when they were engaged in bitter struggle with Xue He and Liang Hongzhuang. Even when they had been forced into the most desperate straits, even when they might die soon after, they had still never forgotten about that assassin’s existence and had a back-up plan prepared. Until just now, when Chen Changsheng finally forgot about this matter.

It was precisely when he was the most confident, when he believed himself to be at his strongest, when his battle intent and will were at their most firm.

He walked toward Zhu Luo, but he had to leave Su Li.

He did not know at that time that the assassin was between him and Su Li, drenched in the rain and lying on the ground. He had been pretending to be one of those cultivators that Chen Changsheng had cut down, and now that assassin was standing up.

He had concealed himself for dozens and dozens of days. The assassin had been waiting for the perfect opportunity.

The assassin wore no mask. His appearance was an ordinary one that could be seen anywhere. When the rain fell upon his face, it left behind no marks. Similarly, it was very hard for his appearance to leave behind any lasting impression.

This was a very uninteresting and unremarkable person, like a rock on the side of the road, or a piece of broken pottery amongst the ruins.

Chen Changsheng sensed the movement behind him and his body became as stiff as a board. He wanted to turn around, but he knew that he would be too late.

It truly was too late. That assassin wouldn’t give him any chance, nor would he give Su Li any chance.

The assassin rushed through the rain and arrived in front of the horse.

His movement techniques seemed very ordinary, but they were very quick.

Then he took out his sword.

His sword, as well as his sword technique, also seemed very ordinary, but they were both very quick.

In brief, everything happened very quickly.

However, this assassin’s cultivation was far from ordinary. The tip of that ordinary sword silently shined with countless fragments of stars.

An extremely powerful and yet extremely lonely Qi went along with the sword.

Upper level Star Condensation!

An upper level Star Condensation assassin?

This had already surpassed many people’s comprehension.

He had already reached the upper level of Star Condensation, so why was he still killing people for a living?

Why did that assassin want to kill Su Li?

Just how frightening was this assassin!

The heavy rain poured down without end.

His two hands gripping the sword, Chen Changsheng stood on the deluged street.

Behind him, that assassin was like a ghost as he attacked Su Li.

Everything had happened too quickly.

Everything seemed too late to change.

The sound of rain was like a furious roar.

Abruptly, a series of soft sounds could be heard.

It was the sound of a sword touching blood.