Chapter 25: Display of the Seven Stars!

Wang Sheng gripped the scabbard with his left hand, his gaze calm and unwavering.

Shi Qianzhang sneered but remained cautious. The dazzling sword phantasms that Wang Sheng had unleashed and scattered like stardust across the sky still lingered vividly in his mind.

Planting his feet firmly on the ground, Shi Qianzhang formed sword fingers with his hands. The crescent-shaped jade on his forehead shimmered faintly as talismans floated out from the cloth pouches strapped to his arms and thighs, hovering around him.

Squinting, Shi Qianzhang smiled and made a "finger gun" gesture. He then casually flicked it at Wang Sheng. With a sharp whoosh, thirteen talismans—one green, two black, three yellow, and seven red—formed an array and flew toward Wang Sheng in succession.

Wang Sheng neither unsheathed his sword nor gathered any primal qi; he simply stood his ground with an indifferent expression, his tied-back hair barely swaying.

The first three yellow talismans transformed into fireballs that recklessly hurtled straight toward Wang Sheng's face, chest, and inner thigh.

Finally, Wang Sheng took three steps. Fluid and unhurried, his movements appeared to meld into one seamless motion. To those observing closely, it seemed as though the oncoming fireballs had inexplicably slowed down.

The eerie dissonance dumbfounded the spectators.

In truth, the fireballs weren't slow. Wang Sheng's footwork was simply so swift and effortless that it distorted their perception.

The three fireballs missed completely. Wang Sheng reappeared three meters to the left, continuing his approach toward Shi Qianzhang as though he was merely strolling through a garden.

Shi Qianzhang's eyes widened, unable to comprehend how Wang Sheng managed to evade his attack at such close range. Nevertheless, he made the remaining talismans press forward. Surrounded by seven red talismans, the green talisman transformed into a spirit crane as it dove at Wang Sheng.

The spirit crane spread its wings and reached for Wang Sheng's shoulders with its razor-sharp claws. However, Wang Sheng didn't even glance at it; his eyes remained locked on Shi Qianzhang. He took two steps backward, one diagonal, and one forward. With a gentle pivot, he easily evaded the spirit crane.

"Look at the pattern of the path he's taken!" someone exclaimed.

"It's the Seven Stars!"

The spectators turned their attention on the ground behind Wang Sheng, finding traces of primal qi lingering where he had stepped on. When connected, the faint glimmers of light formed a pattern resembling two tilted ladles.

Shi Qianzhang broke out in a cold sweat as Wang Sheng chuckled and accelerated. What had been a leisurely stroll turned into a rapid sprint!

With a sharp inhale, Shi Qianzhang desperately commanded the three black talismans, seven red talismans, and the spirit crane to return to him. Relying on the Godspeed and Ape's Leap Talismans on his legs, he leaped to the side, covering more than ten meters in an instant.

Before he could land, a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Wang Sheng. He had become even more elusive—practically ghostlike. No, it had become impossible to keep track of him. Wang Sheng seemed to be utilizing a formation to amplify his already incredible speed!

Seven-Star Footwork: Stellar Steps!

Behind Shi Qianzhang, dozens of bright stars seemed to emerge, each streaking toward him. They then flared brilliantly, engulfing Shi Qianzhang in midair before he could touch the ground.

Seven-Star Sword Formation!

Shiiiing!

The crisp unsheathing of a sword snapped the cultivators back to their senses, pulling their attention away from the overwhelming sword intent emanating from the Big Dipper pattern. When they looked again, the stars had vanished. All that remained in Wang Sheng’s trail were faint traces of dissipating primal qi.

At the edge of the battlefield, Shi Qianzhang had frozen up, not even daring to move a muscle.

Wang Sheng stood before him, his right hand resting behind his back and his left hand gripping the end of the scabbard. His longsword, unsheathed by three

cun

[1], glinted as its blade hovered by Shi Qianzhang's neck.

Shi Qianzhang’s face turned deathly pale. He could feel the piercing sword intent penetrate to his very bones.

"Big Brother, d-don't get so worked up! I swear I have no improper thoughts about your senior sister!"

With a slight flick of his wrist, Wang Sheng withdrew the longsword from Shi Qianzhang's neck. The sword let out a clear hum as it returned to its scabbard.

Offering a cupped fist salute, Wang Sheng calmly said, "The talismanic arts are vast and profound. I've learned a lot from this exchange."

Shi Qianzhang forced a bitter smile. "Damn... Big Brother, you're really something, huh?"

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

As Wang Sheng turned to leave, a hint of frustration flashed in Shi Qianzhang’s eyes. Clenching his fists slightly, he hesitantly shouted, "Hey, Sword Guy! I don't accept my defeat! How about we have another match?"

Wang Sheng frowned slightly, while Shi Qianzhang scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

Quickly regaining his composure, Shi Qianzhang shrugged. "I just feel like I didn't get to showcase my full abilities before losing to you. Your footwork is too exquisite. I admit I'm no match for you, but I don't want to lose so miserably. Call me shameless or a scoundrel if you want, but if you don't agree to another match, I'll be like Liu Yunzhi, pestering you at the Wudang Mountains every day for a duel."

Wang Sheng couldn't help but laugh, both amused and exasperated by the audacity of the scruffy young man in front of him.

Why don't the masters at the Longhu Mountains keep this guy in check?

A Maoshan disciple couldn't resist chiming in, "The esteemed disciple of Longhu Mountains, resorting to such antics after losing? How absurd."

Like a stone dropped into still water, the remark caused a ripple of reactions. The young cultivators, who had long found Shi Qianzhang irritating, began voicing their disdain.

"You humiliate those you defeat, but you can’t accept defeat gracefully? The people at the Longhu Mountains sure are unreasonable."

"Is winning or losing so important? It's just a sparring match. We live in a society governed by law—you're not planning to use Daoist arts to kill someone, are you?"

"This kind of petty behavior is pointless. Daoist Master Fei Yu showed extraordinary swordsmanship. With that footwork, anyone would lose the same way no matter how many times they try!"

"Dude, just give the swordsman a break. If you try again, you’ll just embarrass yourself further!"

The relentless jeers turned the solemn atmosphere in front of the Chongxi Palace into one more fit for a bustling street performance—devoid of the tranquility and elegance associated with cultivators.

Remarkably, Shi Qianzhang remained unfazed, completely ignoring the insults hurled his way. Unlike him, the other disciples of the Longhu Mountains kept their heads down, their expressions seemingly saying, "We don't know that guy."

Shi Qianzhang chuckled, playfully covered the jade artifact on his forehead, and gave Wang Sheng a teasing expression. "Come on, Brother Sheng. You can be my big brother from now on, how about that? Just give me another match. If I lose just as quickly, I'll admit defeat wholeheartedly and never bother you about sparring again."

This guy...

Although Wang Sheng felt a slight twinge of discomfort, he didn't want Shi Qianzhang to keep pestering him. With a small nod, he agreed.

Shi Qianzhang smiled deviously, though he quickly masked it with a sincere one. He dashed about ten meters away and assumed the same stance he had used during their previous sparring session. This time, however, he swapped the Godspeed Talisman and Ape's Leap Talisman affixed to his legs for new ones.

Out of respect for his opponent, Wang Sheng unsheathed his longsword and held it in his right hand. He gazed calmly at Shi Qianzhang, giving him ample time to prepare.

The Dao follows the laws of heaven and earth, and the sword embodies the essence of nature.

Guided by Qing Yanzi's teachings and the millennia-old Daoist heritage of his sect, Wang Sheng followed the orthodox Daoist cultivation path. His true essence was dense, steady, and unceasing, while his spiritual consciousness was clear and interconnected with heaven and earth. He stood his ground like a steadfast pine or cypress tree atop Mount Mao, its roots firmly entrenched in the earth and its branches stretching toward the vast sky.

Across from him, Shi Qianzhang was unleashing every technique he had. Primal qi surged around him as his short, spiky hair stood on end. Dozens of talismans floated in the air around him, fluttering like leaves in the wind.

Influenced by his artifact-enhanced spiritual consciousness, his primal qi even created small vortices around him. It was obvious to any observer that Wang Sheng was deliberately being generous, giving his opponent time to prepare before attacking.

If this were a battle to the death, Shi Qianzhang would have been defeated long ago.

However, they were merely having a sparring match to explore Daoist arts. Moreover, Wang Sheng wanted to test the practical application of the Seven-Star Sword Formation and deter Shi Qianzhang from troubling him again in the future.

To clear those objectives, he allowed Shi Qianzhang to unleash his full power.

"Bring it on!" Shi Qianzhang shouted. Twenty-some talismans revolved around him—the maximum he could control at once.

Cultivators at the Spirit Convergence Realm couldn't manipulate physical objects with their spiritual consciousness. The paper talismans were an exception; they were light, making them easy to control. With the jade artifact on his forehead enhancing his spiritual consciousness, he managed to simultaneously direct over twenty talismans.

Wang Sheng exhaled softly. For a moment, he felt as though he had been transported back to the snow-covered peaks of the Wudang Mountains. Standing amid the serene white, he felt his true essence circulate through him.

His longsword emitted a faint hum. With light steps, he aligned his movements with the Seven-Star Sword Formation, making it seem as though he was leaping across the galaxy.

Shi Qianzhang unblinkingly watched Wang Sheng charge toward him. He bent his knees and leaped backward, quickly forming seals with his hands. His talismans flew through the air along with the sound of rushing wind.

Crane spirit, serpent spirit, tiger spirit... Fire, ice, water, wood...

The talismans formed arrays to block Wang Sheng head-on. However, the faint sword radiance streaking through the air sliced three green talismans before they could transform into beast spirits.

Wang Sheng left behind a trail of afterimages as he advanced. Each step subtly embodied the essence of the Seven-Star Sword Formation, which wasn't merely about following the path from Dubhe to Alkaid. He moved as unpredictably as the seven stars that formed the Big Dipper, mirroring the complex movements of the constellation.

Spectators with lower cultivation realms could only see the faint arcs that Wang Sheng's sword left in its trail; they couldn’t follow Wang Sheng himself.

Shi Qianzhang, whom Wang Sheng had consistently kept in the position of the 'Great Northern Star' within the Seven-Star Sword Formation, was even more bewildered. He pushed his talismans to their limits, but Wang Sheng's unfathomable movements frustrated him and prevented him from attacking effectively.

While helplessly dodging and leaping continuously in an attempt to maintain his distance from his opponent, Shi Qianzhang fired off talismans in hopes of slowing Wang Sheng down. Fireballs, icicles, scalding water—all his talismans missed their mark. Even the earthen wall that he had summoned proved utterly useless.

Without a Daoist art that could cover every angle, and without understanding the ever-shifting patterns of the Seven Stars, Shi Qianzhang had no chance of stopping Wang Sheng's advance.

The outcome was as inevitable as before.

Despite using every trick he had, Shi Qianzhang still couldn't break through the Seven-Star Sword Formation. Soon enough, he found himself caught in the sword formation. Wang Sheng sliced through the array of talismans surrounding Shi Qianzhang, leaving him disheartened.

While talismans were convenient to use, they offered no defense and were fundamentally different from controlling physical objects.

After cutting down the talismans, Wang Sheng gracefully retreated to his starting position within the Seven-Star Sword Formation, landing on his toes. Feeling unsatisfied, he twirled his longsword and channeled waves of true essence into it. Soon, it vibrated with an intense hum.

North-Star Clutcher!

Wang Sheng made a sword finger gesture and fired a sharp, concentrated aura from the tip of his blade. It took the shape of a longsword as it whistled through the air, streaking past Shi Qianzhang and exploding against an ancient stone slab over ten meters behind him.

1. 寸 A Chinese inch, traditionally one-tenth of a 尺 (chi), about 3.33 cm (~1.31 inches).. So this is around 4 inches. ☜