Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 540 – With the Snap of a Finger, the Powerful Enemy is Wiped Out by a Flying Sword of Ash

In normal times, no matter how proud and arrogant Tang Thirty-Six was, he would not utter such obscene words towards this old Daoist nun, because this old Daoist nun’s status was truly too high. Even the Tang Old Master might not treat her with any respect, but he would at least feel some fear. However, Tang Thirty-Six had still chosen without hesitation to curse at her because he wished to deliberately enrage the old Daoist nun and divide her attention; because he was currently very angry and afraid, but so angry that he had forgotten his fear; and because Xuanyuan Po had exceeded everyone’s expectations and raised up the sword in his hand.

This bear youth who was so bursting with energy that he needed six meals a day, who hit trees nonstop every single day, had his own way of fighting. He was the bravest of the entire Orthodox Academy and his way of fighting was different from Chen Changsheng and the rest: he did not think. After being humiliated, he wished to fight to expunge this stain, even if he had to pay his life for it.

But how could his sword strike the old Daoist nun? How could he obtain victory over her? Based on the standards of human cultivation, Xuanyuan Po was already at Ethereal Opening, but it was simply impossible for him to wound the old Daoist nun. The heavy metal sword was like a weak and pliable willow branch, held aloft in the cold wind coming off the lake, incapable of descending.

The old Daoist nun gazed at the sword, seemingly recognizing its origins, causing her to arch her brows in surprise. However, she had no intentions of showing mercy. That cold aura of silent extinction instantly seized control of Xuanyuan Po’s body and sea of consciousness. In the next moment, like a frenzied wave, she would tear him into a fine dust. As long as she willed it, Xuanyuan Po would die.

Chen Changsheng, Zhexiu, Su Moyu, and Tang Thirty-Six were like four arrows, shooting over to that side of the winter lake, but even if they staked their lives on it, they seemed incapable of changing the situation. They seemed capable only of watching with eyes wide open as Xuanyuan Po died in front of them. Was there anyone that could change all of this?

Perhaps there was.

Chen Changsheng still had one final method. Without any hesitation, he prepared to throw out that life-saving item.

Su Moyu was also prepared, Tang Thirty-Six was also prepared.

They were all prepared to take out those precious treasures they had kept as final reserves in the hopes that they could seize a possibility of survival for Xuanyuan Po.

It was at this moment that something occurred beyond everyone’s imagination.

The sword in Xuanyuan Po’s hands had been bound up in the cold wind and was incapable of pressing forward even one inch. In the end, however, it still carried a little wind with it, even if it was the gentlest breeze in the world.

This gentle breeze was powerless to shatter the stillness of the cold lakeshore, powerless to stir a single strand of the horsetail whisk at the Daoist nun’s waist. It couldn’t even brush the snow, but it could brush dust.

Xuanyuan Po stood amongst ruins, his feet standing where the oven once was. Ash from the oven was spilled all around him.

Some of the ash was the leftover cinders from the burning of firewood while some of the ash was from the burning of a piece of paper.

Previously, Xuanyuan Po had used his sword to prod at some of this paper ash. Now, along with the breeze stirred up by the sword, this ash softly and gently floated up.

The lakeshore at night was pitch-black, but the ash faintly revealed a red color. As it turned out, sparks had been concealed within this ash.

The breeze wafted up the ash, and the sparks glimmered and danced, forming a sword in the air.

This sword formed of sparks slashed down at the same angle as Xuanyuan Po’s sword, whooshing as it cut forward.

Snap! By the lakeshore, the air of the Orthodox Academy seemed to be cut apart by this sword.

The old Daoist nun’s pupils suddenly constricted and she felt an acute sense of danger.

After stepping into the Divine Domain, she very rarely encountered this sort of feeling because there were very few people in the continent that could threaten her.

What was going on here? Where did that phantasmal sword formed from sparks come from? Why did she feel danger?

Countless thoughts cycled through the old Daoist nun’s sea of consciousness at unimaginable speeds like streaks of light as she constantly calculated.

But this sword of sparks moved so quickly that before she obtained the result of her calculations, it had already arrived!

The old Daoist nun had no time to think. With a whistle, the horsetail whisk that had been suspended at her side rose up without any wind and fell in her hands, and then was sent swatting towards that sword of sparks!

This horsetail whisk was like one thousand willow branches and ten thousand catkins, each one soft and pliant, surging forth like a tide!

This was an ocean of boundless blue-green, yet utterly lacking in vitality, only containing an aura of silent extinction!

She had no idea of who had caused the sudden appearance of this sword of sparks, but she felt an acute sense of danger, so she used her own Divine Dao Technique!

The horsetail whisk carried along countless tides imbued with the aura of silent extinction and swatted towards the sword of sparks.

Compared to that frenzied tide that spanned across the world, the phantasmal sword formed from gentle sparks seemed all the more tiny, all the more fragile. How could it block this tide? The sword of sparks was in front of Xuanyuan Po, so if it was annihilated, Xuanyuan Po’s body and soul would inevitably be engulfed as well.

Yet when this tiny and fragile sword of sparks clashed with the ten thousand surging tides stirred up by the horsetail whisk, not only was it not extinguished, it instantly began to violently blaze! The Orthodox Academy was instantly bathed in absolute red. The trees, near and far, all seemed to be set ablaze!

The sword, borrowing the strength of the fire, began to flaunt itself, transforming into a sword of fire around seven feet long that exuded an incredibly powerful Qi towards the night sky.

Violent tides like mountains? Cut it down! Silent extinction like the ocean? Cut it down!

Cut apart all things!

With a boom, the sword of fire cut through the ten thousand surging tides. Bringing with it innumerable strands of horsetail whisk, it slashed at the old Daoist nun!

A shocked expression suddenly appeared on the old Daoist nun’s face. With a shriek of terror, she fiercely retreated.

The section of academy wall that had noiselessly collapsed now completely exploded in the face of her violent retreat.

The night sky resounded with the sounds of tearing space. The enormous blazing sword continued to cut towards the Daoist nun as she fell back.

Those innumerable strands of the horsetail whisk that had been severed all danced in the darkness.

The restaurants and houses beyond the Orthodox Academy’s wall collapsed with a boom. The old Daoist nun retreated several hundred zhang and only when she reached the banks of the Luo River was she finally able to stand firm.

The towering tides brought about by her horsetail whisk had all been beaten down. Countless great waves broke out over the Luo River, white waves heaving up and down!

The old Daoist nun stared at that sword of fire which had pursued and cut down at her, her face filled with incredulity. She shrilly yelled, “Burning Heaven Third Move!”

Only now did she finally recognize the origins of this sword!

The fragile and tiny phantasmal sword of sparks formed from the ashes in the kitchen had ignited when confronting the wind and exploded with an unimaginable might.

Her horsetail whisk, her aura of silent extinction, her endless blue-green sea, had filled up the world, yet it was no match for this sword. But why?

Because a single spark of fire could burn a plain to ash and it could also burn the heavens!

Naturally, this sword was precisely Su Li’s Third Move of Burning Heaven!

As she uttered this cry, the Burning Heaven Sword reached the banks of the Luo River.

The dark Luo River no longer possessed its usual calm. The snowflakes falling from the sky were instantly vaporized into countless puffs of steam by this sword intent.

In the heavy mist came once more a world-shaking boom as well as the mournful and astonished cry of the old Daoist nun.

The mist suddenly dispersed, the dust fell, and three li of the dikes lining the Luo River had already collapsed.

Holding the horsetail whisk, the old Daoist nun stood in the shallow water under the dike. Her right sleeve had been completely shredded away, revealed her skin that was as white as jade. Her black hair was in complete disorder and her body was covered in gravel. The horsetail whisk consisted only of the handle and a few strands, leaving it in an exceptionally sorry state, just like her.