Chapter 787: This Place Gives Rise to a Buddhist Kingdom, Elsewhere Heavy Rain Falls

In Taoshu Town, Mr. Qi, who was usually as still as a mountain, stared furiously at Chai Qingshan, to the astonishment of Yin Changgeng and others. "Why didn't you stop Xu Fengnian from leaving?! Don't you know that the later Xu Fengnian faces the sword, the more hope we have of succeeding?!"

Qi Jiajie stepped forward, extended a hand, and a long sword from the street rose into the air. He glanced at the young girl, who clutched a secret manual like a treasure by Chai Qingshan's side, and angrily declared, "You just casually threw out a shoddy manual, 'Green Water Pavilion's Sixty-Year Sword Practice Record'! Chai Qingshan, do you still want the East Yue Sword Pool to surpass the Wu Family Sword Tomb?! Have you forgotten why your junior martial brother Song Nianqing died?"

Chai Qingshan ruffled his disciple Shan Eryi's hair and chuckled, "Do you think I could have stopped Xu Fengnian if he wanted to leave?"

Chai Qingshan shook his head to himself, saying, "If I, together with you, the foremost sword master of the northern lands, were to risk our lives, we could indeed delay Xu Fengnian for a considerable time, eventually allowing that sword to reach Youzhou, or even the foot of Wudang Mountain. However, I don't believe this would influence the overall outcome. My East Yue Sword Pool and the Wu Family Sword Tomb have been contending for the title of 'the school whose sword arts define the world's sword arts' for centuries, from the Great Feng Dynasty to the current Liyang Dynasty. Our disciples' sword techniques vary in skill, and their understanding of the sword differs, but have you ever heard of anyone being unworthy of the swords they personally forged?"

Chai Qingshan then sneered, "First, my junior martial brother Song Nianqing died fighting for the court, and now the Sword Pool has forged a sword for you, Qi Jiajie. We have already shown enough benevolence and righteousness to the Zhao imperial family of Liyang. That's why I didn't even bring my sword on this trip. Some people need to earn a living at the Emperor's feet, but I, Chai Qingshan, do not! What, you're not convinced? Come on, hit me! Anyway, I haven't seen eye to eye with you and Liu Haoshi for quite some time now."

Not only did Qi Jiajie lose all composure in his anger, but even the long sword vibrated in the air. Even Song Tinglu and Shan Eryi, the two Sword Pool disciples, were wide-eyed. Their master was usually a very serious old man; had he changed his nature today?

Haha, but both the boy and the girl liked it very much. This was the good master they envisioned.

The white-clothed, sword-carrying girl felt even more delighted. Before Xu Fengnian vanished through the air, he had tossed her the 'Green Water Pavilion' manual. In her opinion, her master should have felt like he had met such a person too late, and then they should have drunk three hundred cups together. So, she made a face, shaking her head from side to side to fan the flames, saying, "What? Not convinced? Come on, hit me, hit me!"

Song Tinglu turned his head, grinning. *Look,* he thought, *as soon as that person isn't around, my junior sister shows her true colors.*

But he liked it from the bottom of his heart.

However, Song Tinglu quickly became irritated, because he saw that same-aged person staring intently at his junior sister, as if entranced. Song Tinglu suddenly gripped the hilt of his long sword, which he had named 'Guangling River'. Since their master had already openly defied that hypocrite surnamed Qi, it wouldn't make a difference if he joined in. The Sword Pool youth angrily shouted, "Kid, what the hell are you looking at?!"

As a result, the boy was slapped on the head by his junior sister, who angrily retorted, "Song Tinglu, *you* are his mother!"

Zhao Wenwei, whose composure had thinned since meeting the girl, could only murmur inwardly, *Miss, my name is Zhao Wenwei, a scholar who aspires to become the most renowned prime minister in history.*

Qi Jiajie's eyes turned fierce.

Chai Qingshan seemed to have truly let go, no longer bothering to maintain his elder's demeanor in front of his disciples. He cocked his head, picked his ear, and tutted, saying, "Qi Jiajie, if I'm not mistaken, you, the kite-controller, still have to divert your attention to control that flying sword thousands of miles away. Make sure you don't fall short at the last hurdle. If you truly want a life-or-death battle, then wait until this matter is over. By then, after this journey of sword manipulation, both your swordsmanship and your mental state will have greatly benefited, with the potential to reach the realm of Deng Tai'a when he traveled the seas to visit immortals. At that point, it will truly be a battle to the death between you and me."

Qi Jiajie suddenly closed his eyes, carefully sensing the wisps of sword intent and spiritual presence. Upon opening them, he had regained the transcendent demeanor of Master Qi of Tai'an City, and smiled, "Chai Qingshan, don't talk about the spirit of a swordsman or the codes of the martial world. It's simply that you don't believe that sword can succeed. Let me tell you something: someone has secretly added a surge of Haoran Qi to that sword, powerful enough to stir celestial phenomena."

Chai Qingshan narrowed his eyes. "Oh? Then we shall see," he said.

Qi Jiajie laughed casually, and with a wave of his hand, the long sword impaled itself into a pillar on the inn's veranda.

Han Shengxuan once waited for him in Shenwu City, Yang Taisui waited for him outside Tiemen Pass, and Jianqijin Huang Qing and the Copper Golem Ancestor jointly waited for him in Liuzhou.

Fifth Moe sought him out at Tibing Mountain, Wang Xianzhi came to Beiliang for him, and Tuoba Bodhisattva looked for him in the Western Regions.

This time, it was simply a single sword coming for Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian instantly vanished into the sky, summoning 2,400 swords of vital energy, and proactively moved to meet that sword.

Xu Fengnian stood upon a single sword of vital energy, formed purely from his thoughts, and drifted gracefully on the wind.

With the sword beneath his feet, he journeyed with the breeze.

Qi Jiajie was merely a 'primer' meticulously prepared by the Liyang imperial court; it would not have been difficult for Xu Fengnian to kill him, regardless of whether Chai Qingshan of the East Yue Sword Pool intervened. Why did Qi Jiajie arrive in Taoshu Town almost simultaneously with Wang Yuanran and his group? Otherwise, with Master Qi's immense reputation in the capital and Yin Changgeng's court background, Wudang Mountain would surely have had rooms available for them to stay. Qi Jiajie's true intention was to use the abundant sword energy leaking into Taoshu Town to force Xu Fengnian to descend the mountain and reveal himself. Then, he would feign a duel by drawing his long sword—a pretense whose true purpose was not the sword itself—to lock onto Xu Fengnian's unique aura and precisely guide the sword coming from thousands of miles to the east. Xu Fengnian was certainly no stranger to such grand yet subtly insidious maneuvers. In fact, to be precise, he was the progenitor of such tactics. Back when there was a vast disparity in strength, he still insisted on killing Han Shengxuan, the 'Man-Cat'. To that end, he meticulously planned: first, lending a sword to Sui Xiegu of Wudi City, then returning the sword outside Shenwu City. Only then did he manage to kill the 'Man-Cat', who was renowned as the foremost figure below the realm of terrestrial immortals.

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "A reckoning for a reckoning, it's not that retribution won't come, but that the time hasn't yet arrived, is it?"

He saw Xu Fengnian tap his toes lightly, the sword tip tilted slightly upward, and then the entire sword forest ascended together, soaring towards the higher, dense clouds.

As Xu Fengnian and his swarm of swords broke through the sea of clouds, it was as if a school of fish leaped from the water.

Above the cloud sea, rays of light shone brilliantly, and sunlight poured down uninhibitedly, as if dressing the clouds in a majestic and magnificent golden robe.

The heavens and earth were serene, the atmosphere peaceful; only the swarm of swords moved with spirited freedom, leisurely gliding.

Ducks sense the warmth of the spring river first; cicadas perceive the autumn wind before it rises.

Those in the Zhixuan realm possess a similar ability of premonition, thus always gaining the upper hand when facing an enemy. The third stage of the First Rank, the Heavenly Phenomenon realm, is named for achieving resonance between heaven and man. Those who reach this realm are no different from—or even surpass—qi cultivators skilled at observing worldly phenomena, possessing a keen intuition for major trends, especially those concerning themselves. Then there is the highest of the Four Realms of the First Rank, the Terrestrial Immortal, said to travel to the East Sea in the morning and reach the desert by evening. Their carefree and unrestrained existence is truly beyond words.

In the world today, who would dare say that the outwardly splendid but inwardly worthless princeling of yesteryear wasn't a true immortal?

Behind Xu Fengnian, the Wudang peaks gradually receded into the distance. He clearly sensed that the distant sword had just flown from Jiangnan Dao into Huainan Dao. A life-and-death battle, destined to unfold in the heavens, was fast approaching, but since it was still one Huainan Dao away, Xu Fengnian remained unhurried. Aside from manipulating 2,400 swords, Xu Fengnian, like an immortal on stilts, stood with his hands behind his back on a flying sword, gazing at the vast sea of clouds. He felt a touch of emotion, thinking, "So, I too could have a day like this."

Becoming a great hero who leaves no tracks on snow and glides over eaves and walls had always been a dream Xu Fengnian cherished in his youth. Since his Xu family already possessed the Xu family blade, which made all heroes in the world bow their heads, he would take up his blade and roam the martial world, eliminating villains, helping the distressed, killing bandits to save women, children, and the elderly, and slaying lechers to rescue beautiful maidens. While performing heroic deeds and settling grievances, he would also meet renowned martial artists and carve out a famous nickname for himself, perhaps something like 'Divine Blade Xu'. At that time, it was quite popular in the Central Plains martial world to use 'Young Master' as a suffix for one's title. So, the young princeling discussed it for a long time with his eldest sister, meticulously listing a great number of 'Young Master' titles, such as 'Jade Tree Young Master' if he wore a white robe, or 'Green Dragon Young Master' if he wore a green gown... He had also long promised his younger brother, Huang Man'er, that he would find the world's most beautiful woman in the martial world and help him marry her. Unfortunately, his second sister, who only enjoyed reading history and military texts, always scoffed at these ideas. But when the young boy earnestly declared that he too would find a good wife, just as Xu Xiao found their mother in the martial world, his second sister finally smiled, and for once, she did not mock or ridicule him.

The princeling, who had been lawless on his own small domain in Beiliang, only later heard that there might truly be immortals in the world who could soar through the clouds like birds. One time, out of boredom, he went to tease a girl who even held a divine talisman dagger while sleeping. He spoke grandiosely and deliberately tried to scare her, telling her that his innate talent for martial arts was so extraordinary that even he was afraid of it, that he was a once-in-a-century prodigy. He claimed that if he were willing to practice martial arts and swordsmanship, he could control a sword and fly over Tai'an City to relieve himself in the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

With a thought, the swords moved. The densely packed flying swords around Xu Fengnian scattered slightly. However, in front of the flying sword beneath his feet, another flying sword appeared every ten zhang, with swords connecting one after another.

Xu Fengnian smiled and stepped out, landing on the sword ten zhang away. He repeated this, switching from one sword to another, and began to move at a furious pace.

A long, long time ago, when they had just settled in Qingliang Mountain, his eldest sister had not yet married far off to Jiangnan, his second sister was not yet confined to a wheelchair, and his younger brother had not yet developed his wisdom. Four innocent and happy children would find an empty plot of land, draw grids, and jump and hop for an entire afternoon without tiring. When it was time to eat, the man who, not wearing armor, looked merely like a wealthy gentleman, would always come at his wife's command to call the children. He had a slight limp. The man was also very concerned with his image in front of his children, so he would just smile happily, watching them play. If his wife hadn't personally come to get them, he seemed as though he could have watched them forever, murmuring, "Slow down, don't fall."

No one would ever know why a man who, since leaving Liaodong Jinzhou, had seen so many magnificent landscapes across the land, including Northern Han, Later Sui, Western Chu, and Western Shu, would ultimately watch his four children repeatedly hop the same grids without tiring, yet feel reluctance when his wife urged him to call them in. It was as if he wished his four children would remain carefree forever, never grow up, his daughters never marry away from home, and his sons never bear burdens.

Perhaps no one would ever know that a young man, not a terrestrial sword immortal, on the eve of a great battle, was hopping grids on flying swords above the sea of clouds, simply because he was recalling the joyful times of his childhood.

Xu Fengnian finally stopped, leaning back and lying down. Instantly, hundreds of flying swords beneath him connected and gathered.

Xu Fengnian lay on the grand bed made of flying swords, squinting at the sky, bathed in the brilliant sunlight pouring down from above.

His golden body shone brightly.

Not long ago, on a Youzhou official road near Taoshu Town, a weary girl, exhausted from travel, could no longer endure the scorching sun. She told her companion she needed to rest, then sat by a lush willow tree on the roadside, leaning against its trunk and dozing in the shade. The bald young monk, clad in a tattered kasaya, squatted beside the girl. After she fell asleep, he gently waved his sleeve, fanning a cool breeze. However, the young monk was worried. He noticed she seemed to be having another nightmare, her brows tightly furrowed. It wasn't just this afternoon nap; throughout their journey, ever since they entered Beiliang territory, she had often been like this, frequently waking up startled in the middle of the night, and no matter how tired she was, she would resolutely refuse to close her eyes and sleep again.

As the young monk fanned the girl, he saw tears streaming from her eyes in her sleep. His own eyes instantly reddened, his lips trembled, and he murmured chokingly, "Master, Mistress, I'm sorry, I haven't taken good care of Dongxi... Dongxi has suffered so much. She hasn't bought any rouge for over half a year, doesn't even look at shops, and even purposely said she doesn't like rouge anymore... Master, while Dongxi still secretly likes rouge, please teach me enlightenment. This time, I'll learn diligently and become a Buddha sooner..."

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in the young monk's ear, "You foolish disciple."

The young monk quickly looked up, his face filled with surprise and joy. Then he put a finger to his lips, shushing the newcomer to indicate not to disturb her, not even bothering to wipe away the tears on his own face.

The white-robed monk who had hurried from Wudang Mountain sighed inwardly, "My daughter was right; he truly is a foolish Nanbei."

Li Dangxin slowly sat down on the ground.

The Abbot's presence brought immediate coolness within a square zhang.

The white-robed monk closed his eyes, gently extended a hand, and touched his daughter's forehead between her brows.

Xiangfu Year 3. Late autumn.

The Northern Mang army reassembled, with 400,000 elite troops gradually pressing towards Huaiyang Pass.

A young monk broke through the clouds, descending like an immortal outside the city, and sat cross-legged.

The young monk suddenly looked up and said in a deep voice, "Vast as heaven and earth may be, they will only allow this humble monk to occupy a mere square inch of land before Beiliang City, to erect a Monument of Compassion for the Li family!"

He closed his eyes and pressed his palms together.

What he didn't say aloud was that no matter how vast the world, it was merely east, west, north, and south.

The cavalry did not charge, but slowly advanced in formation, then unleashed a volley of ten thousand arrows.

The arrows rained down densely, like a swarm of locusts.

The entire sky was like a fragile silk cloth, instantly torn apart by sharp weapons.

The young monk lowered his head and chanted scriptures, forming a golden body.

As wave after wave of arrows poured down, the monk's golden light began to waver and dim.

The arrow rain was endless.

Crimson blood gradually began to soak through his kasaya.

The young monk, covered in blood, his lips trembling, murmured, "Master, you said that when love is profound, one knows regret yet wishes not to regret. I never truly understood these principles you spoke of, but it doesn't matter. To the West I shall go, and become a Buddha I shall."

For some unknown reason, in an instant, his crimson body transformed into a golden yellow.

The monk, his vision blurred, laboriously turned his head, looking towards the city wall. His face was covered in tears, yet he grinned, raising a hand to tap his ear, as if trying to tell someone something.

After turning back, he slightly bent down, reaching out to clear the sand on the ground by his feet, as if making space to place an object.

He bent two fingers and gently tapped!

Between heaven and earth,

Suddenly, a clear and resonant sound of a wooden fish drum echoed...

Beneath the willow shade, the girl suddenly cried out. Opening her eyes, she looked around in confusion.

When she saw that foolish Nanbei was still there, and that white-robed figure was also present, she didn't know if she was still dreaming, and burst into even louder sobs.

The bewildered young monk tugged at his master's sleeve, his voice hoarse, "Master, what exactly happened to Dongxi?"

The white-robed monk embraced his daughter, gently comforting her, "There, there, silly girl, don't be afraid. Both Papa and foolish Nanbei are here."

The white-robed monk swept his palm across his daughter's forehead, and Li Dongxi fell into a deep sleep.

This time, she had no dreams and slept exceptionally soundly.

Li Dangxin let his daughter continue leaning against the willow tree. After wiping the tear stains from her cheeks, he stroked his own bald head, then turned to the smaller bald head beside him and said, "Nanbei, when Dongxi wakes up, take her to Ziyang Palace on Wudang Mountain. Your mistress is waiting for you there. She complains that the vegetarian meals at the mountain temple are bland and tasteless, and she really misses your cooking. Remember to buy plenty of chicken, duck, fish, and meat in the small town at the foot of the mountain. When I return, our family will have a good meal together tonight..."

The young monk Nanbei looked troubled. "Dongxi and I don't have any money, Master. Do you?"

The white-robed monk glared and whispered, "Once you're in Beiliang, how could someone named Xu not provide food? At worst, go to that place called Taoshu Town, announce your names loudly, and say you are Li Dangxin's daughter and disciple!"

The young monk pressed, "What if that doesn't work?"

The white-robed monk exasperatedly said, "Then, after you go up the mountain, go to that Xu fellow's thatched cottage and vegetable garden, stealthily pick a few cucumbers, and make a cold salad."

The young monk stroked his bald head and sighed.

The white-robed monk slowly stood up and said, "Just handle it yourselves. Your master needs to go see that boy off on his journey. Both Liyang and Northern Mang dynasties suppress Buddhism, only Beiliang respects it. If this is truly intolerable by heaven's law, then this humble monk, Wuchan, truly needs to meditate properly this time."

The young monk said nervously, "Master, when you meet Xu Fengnian, please be friendly. He's a very good person. Oh, by the way, Master, you didn't bring that sharpened cleaver down the mountain this time, did you? If you did, I'll need it for cooking and chopping vegetables tonight, so please don't bring it."

The white-robed monk waved his sleeve, soared upward, and after reaching a height of several dozen zhang, began to walk step by step into the sky.

Each step, a lotus bloomed.

Li Dangxin murmured to himself, "Disciple, becoming a Buddha is not for you. Your master is adept at it."

That day, the sky above Beiliang became like a celestial lotus pond.

And later, Buddhas sat upon the lotuses.

In the sky nearly a hundred *li* from the Hezhou border, the white-robed monk caught up with the young feudal lord who was traveling east on his sword.

Xu Fengnian stopped his spectacular and rapidly moving sword formation and asked, "Does the Zen Master have something to say?"

Their location was already above the sea of clouds, yet the white-robed monk pointed higher still, saying, "You must know, right?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "Of course. Besides Qi Jiajie's sword and Xie Guanying's interference, there will be... some entities who can't stand the sight of me. But rest assured, Zen Master, it's all within my expectations. Many fleas, no fear of biting; many debts, no worries. It's just how things are."

Xu Fengnian looked up into the vast unknown and sneered, "If this were before my battle with Huang Qing, I might have felt a bit of fear. But now, it's just how it is."

The white-robed monk looked at the northwestern feudal lord who had opened Beiliang's gates to accept monks from all over the world, and said solemnly, "This humble monk is not helping you, Xu Fengnian, and of course, I cannot help you much. However, this pure land of Beiliang is what my master, my martial uncle, and even that Useless Monk from Luan Tuo Mountain all wished to see."

Xu Fengnian hesitated for a moment, then spoke bluntly, "Zen Master should be aware that my defense of the Northwest and my resistance against the Northern Mang's million-strong army are all born of selfish motives. If I were not Xu Xiao's son, and if my Beiliang Iron Cavalry had not been rooted here for twenty years, with their blood and sweat invested here, then I, Xu Fengnian, would perhaps at most go alone to kill a few dozen Northern Mang generals and attempt to slay Tuoba Bodhisattva. I certainly wouldn't die defending the border in Liangzhou. As for accepting monks from all over the world, isn't that also a way of spitefully challenging Liyang?"

The white-robed monk waved his hand impatiently. "This humble monk doesn't care what you think; I only care what you do, and what you've done."

Xu Fengnian merely smiled.

The white-robed monk snorted, "This sword is not simple; don't die. My daughter and disciple ran up some debts in Taoshu Town, and they're waiting for you, Xu Fengnian, to return and pay them off."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "No problem!"

Xu Fengnian turned and continued to fly on his sword directly towards the junction of Beiliang and Huainan Dao.

The white-robed monk turned to face west, but then glanced back at the somewhat solitary and slender figure, noting that he bore a striking resemblance to his own demeanor when he had descended from Liangchan Temple and journeyed west alone for thousands of miles.

The white-robed monk smiled. Not long ago, on Wudang Mountain, his wife had said it would be wonderful if they had two daughters. At the time, he thought it absurd, but now, it didn't seem so preposterous after all.

The white-robed monk pressed his palms together and softly chanted a Buddhist name.

Around the white-robed monk, colossal lotus seats, as grand as mountains, bloomed into existence.

Bathed in radiant sunlight, the lotus seats continuously rose above the sea of clouds.

Throughout Beiliang, thousands upon thousands of lotuses rose.

The white-robed monk, with palms pressed together, lowered his head and softly said, "When my heart is pure, when do I not see the Tathagata? Where my heart is pure, where is it not the Western Heaven?"

The white-robed monk slowly raised his head and proclaimed loudly, "Lotus Falls on Buddha Land!"

Upon each lotus, a grand Buddha sat.

Millions of zhang of Buddha light spilled down onto the earth, enveloping the entire land of Beiliang.

The Wudang peaks stood uniquely tall in Beiliang. In the northwest region of Liyang, only the six adjacent peaks of Hezhou, including Dan Sha Peak, Jiazi Peak, and Goddess Peak, could rival Wudang's splendor.

When Xu Fengnian steered his sword swarm to the Youzhou border, the scene before him was vastly different from the tranquil cloud sea at the Liang-You border. Here, tempestuous waves surged like a wind-battered ocean tide. The mountains of Hezhou had sunk beneath the cloud sea, vanishing from sight. Only the six most perilous peaks rose together above the sea of clouds, appearing like mere lotus buds peeking out, their summits resembling small stones piled in a river, unyielding despite the crashing waves.

Xu Fengnian looked at the six 'islands' in the distance. This was the place.

Had it not been for Xie Guanying adding insult to injury, Xu Fengnian would have had a decent chance of victory even if he allowed the flying sword to enter Youzhou and remained in Taoshu Town. But now, things were different. Xie Guanying's intentions were profound: not only to use that sword to shatter the Chicken Soup Monk's Buddhist destiny, but also to seize the opportunity to simultaneously crush Xu Fengnian's and Beiliang's destinies. If the battle were fought at the foot of Wudang Mountain, even if Xu Fengnian successfully received that sword, the scattered remnants of its broken sword qi would still harm Beiliang. In that scenario, he would still lose, and it would be a loss he could not afford.

To face the challenge, he could only fight outside the borders of Beiliang.

Xu Fengnian softly exhaled, pointed two fingers upward, and chuckled, "First sword, the sword rises at the frontier pass."

Excluding the flying sword beneath his feet, over 2,400 swords instantly dispersed, each pointing upward, hovering at intervals of ten to a hundred zhang above the Youzhou border.

Then Xu Fengnian retracted his fingers, bent his arms, and swung them outward with force. "Second sword, Iron Cavalry in formation."

The over 2,400 swords, which had appeared somewhat sparse after dispersing, instantly spawned a hundred more swords from each, every sword doing the same.

The high sky above Youzhou's eastern border was like a vast net of swords being pulled taut, or a massive dam being constructed.

Even more, it was like nearly 300,000 Beiliang Iron Cavalry, arrayed in formation here!

After deploying this magnificent sword array, which had almost exhausted all the spiritual force within his being, Xu Fengnian did not remain within it to quietly await the 'uninvited guest'.

Xu Fengnian pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes resolute.

If an outsider were to first see Xu Fengnian, their eyes would undoubtedly be drawn to his phoenix-like eyes. Upon closer inspection, besides his striking appearance, one would also notice his somewhat thin lips, inevitably leading to the suspicion that such a person must possess a cold and callous nature.

Three hundred thousand Beiliang border soldiers, and millions of struggling households in Beiliang!

Today, let me, the King of Beiliang, who carries guilt towards you, make myself feel a little less guilty!

Xu Fengnian raised a hand and vigorously rubbed his face, murmuring, "Old Huang, Wen Hua, old man in sheepskin, I'm so glad I met you in this life. I don't need to say sorry to you three, because I know you wouldn't want to hear it anyway."

Xu Fengnian lowered his head and smiled, "Shall we go for it?"

Let's do it!

Xu Fengnian took a deep breath but held it, then leaped out, plunging towards the Dan Sha Peak, which shimmered faintly amidst the rolling sea of clouds.

Xu Fengnian's body plummeted, landing a foot on the summit of Dan Sha Peak, then he sprang up, landed on the next peak, and again leaped, continuously borrowing momentum from the magnificent mountains!

Accompanied by the astonishing rumbling sound of rolling rocks, Xu Fengnian, now with no more mountains to land on, spread his five fingers and crashed his entire body into a dazzling white arc that ripped through the sky.

A hundred *li* from the Youzhou border.

High in the sky.

The moment Xu Fengnian's palm collided with the sword tip, the previously magnificent clouds and mist instantly exploded and completely dissipated.

The sky became cloudless for thousands of miles.

The sword blocked by Xu Fengnian's palm flowed with purple-gold light throughout its body. It was an astonishing one zhang long, yet as slender as a willow leaf, so this sheatheless sword was entirely a sword tip!

It was forged in the Great Feng Sword Forge, the largest in the East Yue Sword Pool, yet sealed for nearly two hundred years. Legend had it that the last emperor of the Great Feng Dynasty once threw a national imperial seal into the forge, thus preserving the Great Feng's fortune within it to this day.

The forge was quietly unsealed at the end of Liyang's Xiangfu Yuan year, burning day and night without ceasing. The furnace fire was so intense that it was faintly visible from ten *li* away. The East Yue Sword Pool had to build four towering 'fortune-suppressing' high-rise buildings on all four sides of the forge, with qi cultivators of the 'Dragon-Assisting' sect standing guard outside to conceal the sword qi and firelight.

With a single impact from this sword, Xu Fengnian was instantly sent flying over a thousand zhang towards Youzhou—a retreat of more than two *li*!

Even Tuoba Bodhisattva's full power strike, or Deng Tai'a's full-force sword, or even Wang Xianzhi at his peak, would never possess such might.

Xu Fengnian's mind was clear of distractions; his entire vital energy surged madly towards the point where his palm met the sword tip.

Although the incomparably sharp and slender sword tip had not yet pierced Xu Fengnian's palm qi shield, Xu Fengnian knew clearly that even the slightest opening, no matter how insignificant, could lead to a catastrophic defeat.

The nameless long sword, having traveled in one go from the East Yue Sword Pool to the sky above Hezhou, after a negligible moment of stagnation in its momentum, seemed to gain humanlike sentience. After a surge of anger, its aura did not diminish but instead increased, its chaotic sword qi swirling around it. This reflected purple-gold energy all over Xu Fengnian, and the chilling sword light had solidified, lashing against his body, causing ripples in his flowing qi shield and robe.

This sword had swept across Dongyue Dao, Guangling Dao, Jiangnan Dao, and Huainan Dao.

One sword, its light chilling nineteen prefectures.

At this time and place, it had almost reached its peak, its momentum unstoppable.

Xu Fengnian's palm pressed desperately against the sword tip. To lessen the terrifying momentum of the sword, he had to slightly bend his knees and lean forward.

One man and one sword dragged a thick trail of smoke, clouds, and mist across the sky.

Passing Boze Peak, passing Zixiu Peak, passing Laoweng Peak.

Xu Fengnian's retreating figure passed three peaks in succession.

He was now only fifty *li* from the sword array at the Youzhou border.

Xu Fengnian's robe was covered in stiff frost. The vital energy naturally emanating from his body was clearly no longer sufficient to disperse the frantic sword intent.

When Xu Fengnian's peripheral vision caught sight of Goddess Peak, he finally exhaled.

The sword tip instantly pierced his palm!

Blood bloomed.

Xu Fengnian simply used the sword tip as a fulcrum, leaning his body completely forward, in a posture that resembled pushing a mountain with one hand, shaking Kunlun.

Passing Goddess Peak, Jiazi Peak, Dan Sha Peak.

Three more mountains passed.

The sword tip had completely pierced Xu Fengnian's palm, slightly protruding from the back of his hand!

Xu Fengnian was expressionless. He extended his left hand and placed it over the back of his right hand.

The vital energy within Xu Fengnian circulated at a speed of eight hundred *li* in an instant, surging like the mighty tidal bore of the Guangling River.

Two palms, one horizontal, one vertical.

Layered Thunder!

But over a mere three *li*, the sword tip still emerged little by little from the back of Xu Fengnian's left hand. A mere inch of the sword tip, yet it held a formidable aura.

Xu Fengnian stomped his foot.

On the Hezhou land beneath his feet, thunder could be heard.

Allowing the sword tip to pierce another inch through his hand.

The sword's momentum finally paused.

Crimson blood flowed from the back of Xu Fengnian's hand into his sleeve, then quickly congealed into a layer of blood-frost.

Although the one-zhang long sword's forward momentum had been forcefully halted, this did not mean that its power had begun to wane.

Almost every *li* Xu Fengnian retreated, the sword tip would protrude half an inch more from the back of his second hand.

Only twenty *li* from the Youzhou border.

The long sword began to trace an arc here, its tip pointing slightly downwards, falling towards the Youzhou land.

Xu Fengnian's leaning figure gradually straightened.

Near home, a traveler feels shy; he straightens his clothes.

And the tip of that one-zhang sword consequently touched Xu Fengnian's right chest.

It was just a hair's breadth from piercing him.

The sword array of tens of thousands of flying swords behind Xu Fengnian hummed simultaneously, and when gathered, sounded like war drums pounding on a battlefield, reverberating through the clouds.

Bleeding from all seven orifices?

Xu Fengnian at this point was already drenched in blood.

Especially his face, which wasn't covered by his robe, continuously seeped trickles of blood. Before the ubiquitous, fine sword qi could clear it away, fresh blood would flow out.

Ten *li*.

The long sword had already pierced through his chest.

From start to finish, Xu Fengnian maintained the posture of both palms pressing against the sword.

He lowered his head to look at the sword, his vision blurred by the blood obstructing his sight.

Xu Fengnian twitched the corner of his mouth, and lightly spat a mouthful of blood onto the sword.

"If I'm suffering, aren't you also going from a surge of strength to decline?!"

The long sword hummed and vibrated, tearing at the flesh and blood of Xu Fengnian's wound.

Five *li*.

The one-zhang long sword.

Half a zhang of it was in front of Xu Fengnian.

The other half a zhang was already behind Xu Fengnian.

No one could imagine this horrific scene.

Three *li*.

The sword array was silent.

Just as when the Beiliang Iron Cavalry truly launched a desperate charge, there were never any loud shouts from other armies.

The sword had passed seven *chi* through his body.

Xu Fengnian's lips moved slightly, his words indistinct.

When he was little, his mother had said with a smile, "Xiaonian, you must remember, where our Xu family stands, there stands the nation's gate for the Central Plains. This has nothing to do with who the Liyang Emperor is, nor with whether the people of the Central Plains curse the Xu family."

Yet the man who had always been too timid to talk back to his wife uncharacteristically spoke boldly: "Xiaonian, don't take it seriously, absolutely don't! War is no game. If you can avoid being a hero, then don't be one. What's wrong with being Xu Xiao's son? Why must you sacrifice your life for the country? There's no such logic!"

Xu Fengnian had just said to himself: "Mother, I'll listen to you, not to my father."

Two *li*.

Behind him lay the barren mountains and rivers of Youzhou.

The long sword had already passed eight *chi* through his body!

It aimed to make its most forceful struggle between the decline and exhaustion of its momentum.

Xu Fengnian's palms transformed into fists. His palms were a bloody mess, revealing bone. He tightly gripped the long sword, which now only had three *chi* of its blade remaining in front of him, and began to pull it out!

One *li*.

Xu Fengnian's retreating steps faltered, but his hands pressed tightly against his chest, clutching the tail end of the one-zhang sword with a death grip.

He refused to let go!

Half a *li*.

Xu Fengnian continued to hold the sword's tail with one hand, while his other hand reached behind him, gripping the sword's blade that had pierced his chest.

The Northern Mang's million-strong army pressed down, but my Hutou City in Liangzhou still stood, as did Xiaguang City in Youzhou. As long as there was one person left alive within the city, the city would remain.

Xu Fengnian closed his eyes.

Beiliang would fight to the death and refuse to retreat.

Because we cannot retreat!

Xu Fengnian did not break the long sword with both hands.

Instead, he forcibly pulled the one-zhang sword apart!

After that sound of the long sword shattering.

It felt as though a long period of time had passed.

Finally, Xu Fengnian stood bowed and lowered his head to the east of the sword array, just a few *chi* from the solemn formation.

And in each of his hands, he held a broken piece of the sword.

This sword, having traveled thousands of miles, could pass through Liyang's four regions and nineteen prefectures, but it did not advance a single step into Beiliang.

After the long sword was snapped, millions of wisps of sword qi indeed dispersed in all directions, but each was blocked by the sword array, kept outside the gates of Youzhou.

This summer, Tai'an City, under a scorching sun, experienced a great rain.

A rain of swords.