Chapter 1170: Wearing A Sword (I)

Blazing flames surged downward along the heavenly light. The grip tightened ever stronger around his neck, yet Situ Mo still could not understand.

Why?

When Li Zhouwei found him beneath the vast river waters, Situ Mo had first been startled, then quickly understood. If Li Zhouwei had located him this quickly, there must have been guidance from a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. But why would Li Zhouwei reveal himself? Would it not have been better to flee straight into the Eastern Sea?

The many Purple Mansion Realm cultivators might be unable to calculate Li Zhouwei’s movements, but could they not calculate Situ Mo? Even if they had released him, their divine abilities were profound, how could they not have planted their own eyes and ears? No matter how Li Zhouwei retreated, he could never be faster than Purple Mansion Realm cultivators.

Why insist on removing me, a mere blade?

Unless... the Purple Mansion Realm cultivator guiding Li Zhouwei wanted him to come here precisely to eliminate me. But the Purple Mansion Realm cultivator’s eyes must already be upon me. Even if he used that talisman again, could he really escape?

He had no time to speak. Bright Yang and heavenly light boiled his face as the Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light between Li Zhouwei’s brows detonated Situ Mo’s entire head into a mist of bone and blood. Scalding blood spurted out in an instant, evaporating into golden fiendish vapor that soared upward.

The master of the Golden Tang Gate, who had contended with the Li Family for four generations, melted away completely within the blazing Bright Yang. Only two storage pouches and a dim golden dharma robe patterned with diamond lines remained hanging upon the halberd. Its sleeves billowed high, fluttering in the wind.

A clear splash rang out.

Brilliant golden needles descended from the sky, scattering as they fell upon the river’s surface. The precious Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact was lifted by heavenly light and floated back into the air. Li Zhouwei drew his halberd, his figure turning into light as he ascended.

A thunderous boom resounded. The heavens brightened swiftly with Situ Mo’s fall. The forests around Lake Xian stirred restlessly, every leaf rustling and drooping downward.

The calm lake surface rippled violently as the vast golden fiendish energy struck Lake Xian, drawing the heavens upward. Clouds scattered, the chill of autumn spread, and night was driven away prematurely as daylight broke through.

Situ Mo, a peak Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who had mastered secret techniques and stood at the threshold of the Purple Mansion Realm, had fallen. His death had been sudden, violent, and grand. The heavenly signs were brilliant and brief.

The golden fiendish energy reached the heavens, then descended to touch both the surface and bed of Lake Xian. Gold, being the child of earth, made the sight a hundredfold more resplendent. The lake surface shimmered in hues of green, blue, and red, while the earth veins beneath quaked, revealing that mineral veins were forming underground.

Li Zhouwei made no attempt to suppress the celestial phenomenon of his opponent’s death. The changing sky and trembling earth drew countless gazes from every direction. Yet instead of fleeing toward the Eastern Sea, he let his dharma light blaze, radiant brilliance flashing as he appeared upon the horizon by the river. With two fingers pressed before his chest, he began channeling his mana.

Boom!

The river murmured as it flowed, and the sky grew hazy from the glow of dawn. A radiant pass took form in the air, its white bricks rising in layered tiers. Its watchtowers gleamed with a golden brilliance that burst into the clouds and lit the heavens in every direction.

Empowered by Li Zhouwei’s full strength, the radiant pass shone across Lake Xian, visible from miles away and drawing onlookers from all sides. Halberd in hand and clad in white-gold armor, Li Zhouwei stood beneath the radiant pass, his figure brilliant against the dawn.

He could see for miles from this shore of Lake Xian that once belonged to the Profound Peak Gate. He stood alone while gazes from the great void studied him one by one. A retreating light even swept in from the river with a howl, hovering doubtfully over the lake not far away.

Yet Li Zhouwei remained motionless. His white-gold armor gleamed even more under Radiant Light. He planted his halberd into the ground, raised his brow to the sky, and his voice rolled out like thunder.

"Li Zhouwei of the Moongaze Li Family is here. If you intend to kill me to eliminate future trouble, then act quickly."

The voice rolled across the lake, reverberating as it spread. For a brief moment, silence reigned as no one answered.

Li Zhouwei's hand gripping the Da Sheng halberd went slightly pale. He planted the halberd upright in a ringing motion and sat cross-legged beneath the radiant pass. He reached behind him and produced a jade box.

The box’s jade shone pure and bright. The lid slid open smoothly, revealing a blue-steel blade within. The sword measured one meter and thirty-five centimeters in length, its blue and white tones unified. The remarkably beautiful edge was clean and bright, and its sheen rippled like water. Two ancient characters were engraved along its center:

Qingche.

The sword seemed to pulse faintly as it lay enclosed in the deep chill of its light. The hilt was wrapped in plain black cloth, finely tailored by its original owner with rounded edges. Then, characters faintly appeared along the hanging tassel.

Zhupo.[1]

The Seven-Foot Qingming Copper was the metal of Supreme and Lesser Yin, and had been carefully maintained for years, allowing its blue-white hue to deepen. Even beneath such brilliant Radiant Light, the sword's brightness still shot up toward the heavens.

Li Zhouwei placed the jade box on his knee and waited in silence. A faint retreating light quickly appeared on the river, approaching from afar. After two breaths six cultivators in ash-white robes rode the wind toward them, drawing ever closer to the lake.

Their garments were grayish white with golden trims, the attire of Changxiao Gate. The leader was handsome and dignified, tall with eyebrows meeting his temples, the very image of an immortal sect disciple, though his expression was somewhat complicated.

Seeing the young man sitting unmoving beneath the radiant pass, he merely adjusted his sleeve and did not strike immediately. Instead he turned his head and asked, "Where is the Daoist Master? He fled to Lake Xian and left us empty handed. Now that we have come to this place, why do we not see the Daoist Master?"

A cultivator beside him cupped his hands in reply, "Uncle Yunan[2], Zhaojing is away. Within the mainland, Purple Mansion Realm cultivators would not privately harm Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. Daoist Master Chengyan should be in the great void providing support for us."

Master Yunan had long been stationed overseas and had a quick temper, but he was fairly knowledgeable about inland matters. His temper flared and he spoke rapidly, "Baibin, you are too timid. What is there to fear? This is a Purple Mansion Realm seed who is said to have a fate more terrible than Zhaojing. Letting him escape is not more dangerous? If our Daoist Master slaps him dead, the Moongaze Li Family still remains on the lake and we would hold their weaknesses. If Zhaojing dares harm one of our disciples, we will seize the Li Family's direct descendant and kill them. What can he do then?"

Master Baibin murmured, "Uncle has been used to killing overseas, but inland matters are different. The Li Family has kinship ties with several Purple Mansion Realm cultivators and is a Purple Mansion Immortal Family themselves. Several Purple Mansion Realm cultivators are related by marriage. Even the Daoist Master might die and would fear this method. Brazenly slaughtering the direct lineage of the Purple Mansion Realm is something the families cannot tolerate.

“Cowardice only leaves hidden troubles behind. Layers of ambushes on the lake, yet he slipped away. The Mountain-Dimming Peak-Moving Cord isn’t here, and now we’ve lost another Situ Mo.”

1. 诛 (zhū) means to punish or execute, and 破 (pò) means to break or shatter. Together, the phrase conveys the idea of destroying evil or breaking through all obstacles. ☜

2. The uncle here is not the uncle by blood, but just a title. ☜