Chapter 710: Slaying the Dragon

In the eyes of the Central Plains people, Xu Xiao the Butcher's doggerel poem, which began with "snowflakes as big as fists," might have seemed like the baseless talk of a barbarian from the borderlands. However, the current snowfall between the cities of Qingcang and Linyao truly had the grandeur of snow falling as thickly as mats.

Tantai Pingjing gazed at the seventh heavenly lightning strike high in the sky. This was originally the final hurdle of Xu Xiao's youngest son's fated heavenly tribulation, the "Dragon-Elephant Tribulation." However, due to the interference of the Northern Mang True Dragon, an extremely rare "thunder upon thunder" phenomenon had occurred. Even without considering the completely unpredictable eighth strike, Tantai Pingjing doubted Xu Fengnian could withstand the current seventh strike. The Grandmaster struggled to hide her pallor as she murmured, "Energy cracks the earth, sound shakes the heavens. Master, you always used to mock yourself for worrying needlessly, but now the sky genuinely seems about to fall."

Heavenly tribulations, though sounding mysterious, were intricately understood by Tantai Pingjing. For the sages of the Three Teachings, achieving enlightenment and ascension was much easier. It was akin to how a capital official, once granted the esteemed status of the Hanlin Academy, would naturally rise to the central government later on. There was a saying that "both thunder and rain are heavenly grace." For instance, the father-and-son Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain ascended together on cranes, and later, Northern Mang's Imperial Preceptor Yuan Qingshan ascended by transforming into a rainbow – these were typical cases of more grace than thunder, abundant heavenly favor. Martial artists like Tuoba Pusa and Deng Tai'a, however, were more like "local officials"; their path was far more arduous, and at the final juncture, thunder inevitably far outweighed grace. Since Patriarch Lu, the one who endured the heaviest tribulation was Celestial Master Qi Xuanzhen, renowned for "sitting high among the clouds and mist" on the Demon-Slaying Platform. Yet, at the time, only a select few knew of Qi Xuanzhen's identity as the reincarnation of Patriarch Lu. Regardless of Qi Xuanzhen's considerations, the known outcome was that this earthly immortal, after being struck by "five bolts of thunder," still failed to withstand the sixth heavenly strike, unfortunately disbanding his body and reincarnating. Originally, everyone eagerly anticipated how many heavenly strikes Wang Xianzhi of Wudi City would draw down – six or seven? Sadly, this old monster, universally acknowledged as capable of fighting Lu Dongxuan, simply died. Now, Xu Fengnian had indeed drawn down the terrifying anomaly of eight strikes overhead, but this once-in-a-millennium spectacle had no other onlookers to witness it, apart from the willing-but-helpless Tantai Pingjing and the True Dragon, which was only there to worsen the situation.

A warm, slightly teasing voice suddenly came from behind Tantai Pingjing, "This isn't like you."

Without turning, she asked, "Why are you here?"

An unkempt middle-aged man walked up to Tantai Pingjing. Dressed in coarse linen, with worn-out boots and a face full of stubble, he clearly looked like a single man with no wife to help him with daily chores. He was plain-looking, without wine or a sword. If one were to call him a wandering swordsman, people in the martial world would surely mock him mercilessly. However, given that he could converse with the foremost Qi-cultivating Grandmaster under heaven, he was certainly no nobody. Some years ago, when he traveled the jianghu with his disciple, he was quite particular about his style, like riding a donkey and carrying a peach branch. This wasn't to project the air of a master, but simply out of personal interest. In fact, having reached his current status, he could walk around carrying a donkey or parade through the streets with a peach tree on his back, and no one in the martial world would dare show him any disrespect.

For eight hundred years, the Sword Dao uniquely flourished in the martial world, producing extraordinary talents one after another. Even masters who possessed or approached the realm of Land Immortals numbered more than thirty. Each generation of the jianghu saw one or two Sword Gods, most of whom became the foremost figures of their time. However, only the Peach Blossom Sword God, who reached the pinnacle of martial arts at a remarkably young age, was regarded as another paramount figure of the Sword Dao after Patriarch Lu and Li Chungang, earning the title "Close to the Dao." Therefore, the name Deng Tai'a would be inescapable in the jianghu for another three hundred years.

The middle-aged man, of humble origins but extraordinary achievements, smiled faintly. "With such a huge commotion, how could I not come?"

Then Deng Tai'a mumbled to himself, "I can't figure out exactly how Old Monster Wang lost, but I can guess why. At that time, though that kid surnamed Xu had separated his spirit to wander and cultivate his divine will, and he also possessed Gao Shulu's Heavenly Human physique, he appeared to be on par with me, Tuoba Pusa, and Cao Changqing. However, to challenge Wang Xianzhi to a deathmatch – he had the qualifications, yes, but as for the life-and-death outcome, Old Monster Wang should not have died in battle. So I suspect Old Monster Wang, at the last moment, made the same mistake as Gao Shulu: he abandoned skill to seek the Dao, hoping to overcome Xu Fengnian in terms of the Dao itself."

Deng Tai'a nodded to himself. "Most likely so. It's like me; if, by chance, I were to enter the Heavenly Human realm in the future, and then kill someone with sword techniques, even if I succeeded, I would ultimately feel it was an unfair victory."

Tantai Pingjing scoffed, "Should every 'foremost person under heaven' be so arrogant?"

Deng Tai'a shook his head and smiled. "Arrogant? Completely wrong. It should be said that without that spirit of being an enemy to the world and invincible, one absolutely cannot become a Heavenly Human."

Tantai Pingjing fell silent.

Deng Tai'a said softly, "After Li Chungang lent me his sword, I had a sudden realization and understood my own limitations. It's not that I, Deng, look down on others; my sword has indeed refined its qi to extreme subtlety and its speed to extreme swiftness. My sword practice has brought the aspect of 'skill' to a bottleneck, where it's 'close to the Dao but not yet reached the Dao.' However, my Sword Dao is 'small' but not 'grand' enough. That's why I rode my sword out to sea for countless miles. Senior Tantai, having lived on an isolated island overseas for so long, you must often observe the sea, and thus you'll understand that grand and majestic imagery of 'baking the sun and exhaling clouds, swallowing rivers and rinsing the moon.' As I journeyed afar, whenever inspiration struck, I would level and cut through hundreds of islands with one sword stroke after another. I also drifted with the ocean currents, and ultimately, in my sword comprehension, there was..."

At this point, Deng Tai'a stopped speaking and looked towards the distant sky.

Tantai Pingjing sighed. "No matter how many heavenly lightning strikes fall, there's one rule: the power of the final strike is always the sum of all the previous ones."

Deng Tai'a clicked his tongue. "Is it a case of 'one who walks ninety miles has only completed half of a hundred-mile journey'?"

Tantai Pingjing asked, "Aren't you going to help?"

Deng Tai'a glanced at the hovering True Dragon with golden eyes, then shook his head, saying in a deep voice, "What is there to help with? Would I ask Cao Changqing to join me against Wang Xianzhi? Would Cao Changqing ask Xu Fengnian to assassinate the Liyang Emperor together? Would Xu Fengnian call for help to kill Empress Murong?"

Deng Tai'a suddenly laughed aloud, a touch of helplessness in his voice. "If he could, that kid probably would. How did Wu Su end up with such a rascal for a son?"

Tantai Pingjing said calmly, "He is also Xu Xiao's son."

Deng Tai'a remarked with emotion, "Indeed. But all three of them are stubborn, single-minded. It's true that 'birds of a feather flock together'."

Tantai Pingjing chuckled, "If they weren't like that, would you, Deng Tai'a, have taught Xu Fengnian your flying sword technique?"

Tantai Pingjing was actually very reluctant to speak with others, but the impending seventh heavenly lightning strike, hanging in the air, brought such immense pressure that it made her extremely agitated. She had no choice but to distract herself with words to calm her mind. "After you comprehended the sword, who is your ultimate opponent?"

Deng Tai'a thought for a moment. "Probably Chen Zhibao after he transcends the mundane and enters sainthood. That young man is incredibly patient."

Tantai Pingjing found this unsurprising. Xie Guanying, who went to Shu to assist Chen Zhibao, possessed frightening cunning and was more deeply hidden than even Liyang's Imperial Tutor Yuan Benxi. He had spared no effort in his machinations for nearly twenty years before finally choosing Chen Zhibao. His goal was to enable the tottering aristocratic and powerful families to rise again. This was because if Chen Zhibao ever decided to contend for supremacy, he would inevitably need the strong support of those high-ranking noble families, who, like centipedes, would not stiffen even after death. Later, when the nation was unified, the forces behind Xie Guanying would all surely become loyal ministers. In essence, Xie Guanying's enemies were three individuals in succession: Xu Xiao, who destroyed the foundation of the noble lineages; Huang Longshi, who further fanned those flames; and Zhang Julu, who opened doors for commoners. Now, one was dead, and the other two were also nearing their end. Xie Guanying's chances of success were very high.

"It's here!" Deng Tai'a exclaimed.

He and Tantai Pingjing simultaneously shot backward.

The Northern Mang True Dragon also wagged its tail and beard, turning to leave.

In the deep purple sky, it was as if a deity had pried up a mountain and hurled it into the sea.

A circle of violent, visible ripples emanated from the high heavens, then rapidly expanded outwards.

The earth trembled in resonance, and heavy snow and yellow sand churned together.

A pillar of purple lightning "slowly" permeated the rippling surface of the sky, like a stone pillar crashing into water.

Xu Fengnian used his qi to recall the Beiliang Blade. It wasn't the powerful left-handed blade that had once pierced the Bronze Figure Patriarch; instead, for the first time ever, he gripped the blade with both hands!

He raised his head, looking up at the seventh heavenly lightning strike.

A faint smile actually appeared at the corner of Xu Fengnian's mouth, his sleeves seeming to billow with wind and thunder.

Withstanding heavenly lightning – now that was a technical skill.

It was a pity Old Huang and the old man in sheepskin were no longer here. Otherwise, one of them would surely be grinning wide enough to show his missing front teeth, while the other would probably deliberately pick his ear, squint, and purse his lips.

As a youth, he had yearned for the jianghu, always believing that masters traveling the martial world needed some flair to earn cheers and applause. He never imagined that his two most respected masters would ultimately possess not an ounce of masterly demeanor.

Tantai Pingjing, who had retreated several miles, kept her gaze fixed on the magnificent battlefield. That was truly a literal battle between heaven and man.

In her line of sight, she saw a streak of white light beneath a bolt of purple lightning.

Then, the massive purple lightning was cleaved in two by the slender white light, transforming into two torrents of purple lightning that streamed down onto the earth.

The white light climbed higher and higher.

The purple lightning continuously surged downward, its momentum seemingly endless.

Before Tantai Pingjing's eyes, it was as if a giant character "rén" (人, meaning "person") had appeared.

If you added that layer of "lake surface," it would form a somewhat incomplete larger character.

The dazzling white light, like a comet, ascended more and more slowly, beginning to show signs of stagnant fatigue. Although it was only a dozen *zhang* from the "lake surface," it was truly difficult to advance any further, like trying to go a hundred feet higher on top of a hundred-foot pole.

Tantai Pingjing's expression was desolate. "Human strength has its limits; one can only do one's best and await heavenly fate."

Sailing against the current, to not advance is to retreat.

After the white light completely stopped, the purple lightning continued.

The white light was pressed back down to the ground, *zhang* by *zhang*.

Deng Tai'a laughed aloud. "Who was it who said, 'An ant trying to shake a great tree – respectable but overestimating oneself'?"

When the white light fell to the ground, a muffled, low roar was heard from beneath the earth.

Xu Fengnian, gripping the blade with both hands, kept his right hand firm, while his left hand slid outwards along the spine of the Beiliang Blade. Then, disregarding the sharp edge, his five fingers clamped tightly onto the blade tip!

Beneath his feet, purple lightning surged like a flood.

Xu Fengnian's arms were a bloody mess, ripped open.

He held on for dear life.

He did not let go, did not abandon the blade.

The purple lightning poured down for a full incense stick's time!

Tantai Pingjing could barely bear to watch, murmuring, "After the seventh heavenly lightning strike, there's still the eighth one."

Xu Fengnian was bleeding from all seven orifices, his vision long since blurred.

Yet, in a daze, he seemed to see something on the very tip of the Beiliang Blade.

A purple-gold lotus flower had bloomed there.

It was very small, yet it swayed gracefully.

On the earth, where purple floodwaters flowed, one lotus bloomed, then two, then three...

Lotus flowers bloomed riotously, one after another.

It was like a lotus pond.

And the incessant purple lightning from the sky finally came to a complete end.

The more this happened, the more desolate Tantai Pingjing felt, repeating her earlier words, "After the seventh heavenly lightning strike, there's still the eighth one."

Deng Tai'a fixed his gaze on the ferocious True Dragon, which was not merely watching from the sidelines.

Taking advantage of the interval when the seventh purple lightning had ceased but the eighth had not yet fallen, it was secretly and frantically absorbing the purple lightning.

Its body had already grown to a length of a hundred *zhang*.

Xu Fengnian stood amidst the torrent, his arms lowered, using the Beiliang Blade to brace against the ground and support his swaying body.

From afar in the high sky, the Northern Mang True Dragon actually twitched its mouth, letting out a sound like a sneer.

But it quickly widened its golden eyes, revealing a look of confusion and dread.

That tiny ant had risen into the sky, confronting it from afar at the same height!

At this moment, not only was Tantai Pingjing utterly incredulous, but even Deng Tai'a widened his eyes.

In that lotus pond, something stirred and rolled, and a two-hundred-*zhang* giant python, completely snow-white, emerged!

Xu Fengnian stood right on the giant python's head.

Dragon and python stared at each other!

Above the heads of the two colossal beasts, purple lightning rumbled.

Tantai Pingjing closed her eyes.

Deng Tai'a sighed deeply. "The final choice, surprisingly, isn't to withstand the eighth heavenly lightning strike, but to..."

Slay the dragon!

The giant python rapidly charged towards the True Dragon.

The Northern Mang True Dragon continued to absorb the purple lightning, but by the time the python and dragon were less than ten *zhang* apart, the lightning-absorbing True Dragon had only grown to one hundred and fifty *zhang*.

The True Dragon raised its head, its whiskers bristling like a Heavenly King's, and hissed and roared at the python, which was a head taller.

The white giant python completely ignored its challenge, lunged down with open jaws, and bit the True Dragon's neck.

Xu Fengnian gripped the hilt with both hands, leaped high, and stabbed downwards with his blade!

Xu Fengnian plunged the blade into the True Dragon's skull.

The giant python, biting the True Dragon's neck firmly, simultaneously yanked it fiercely downward.

The person, the dragon, and the python fell together.

They crashed heavily onto the ground.

Xu Fengnian pressed down with both hands, driving the entire blade of the Beiliang Blade into the True Dragon's skull, with only the hilt remaining visible.

The dragon and python tore and wrestled with each other.

Heaven and earth were turned upside down.

When all the dust had settled.

The Northern Mang True Dragon's head was severed and rolled to the side.

The white python was on its last breath.

Xu Fengnian, his blade tucked under his armpit, his face covered in blood, and an expression that was neither laughter nor tears, tremblingly reached out and placed his hand on the head of the fallen white python.

At the same time, the eighth heavenly lightning strike slanted down between heaven and earth, blasting towards the person and the python.

The sword-biting youth, who had been madly rushing back, fearlessly and resolutely charged into the heavenly lightning.