———
~ Please support this site by disabling your ad-blocker ❤️ ~
______
Early the next morning, she shouldered the Kunlun Sword. In a rare move, she bound her long hair up tightly before setting off toward the Eightfold Mountains with the group from the Xirang Sect.
She and the demon trailed behind the rest.
After a moment of thought, she spoke softly. "Yanyan, wait for me outside the Eightfold Mountains today. If you are there, the Heavenly Dao won't show its face easily."
The Heavenly Dao was wary of the Demon God's presence and acted with extreme caution. Moreover, Chao Jinsui deeply wished to encounter this "Heavenly Dao" alone.
Who was it? How great was its power?
She knew nothing of her opponent, yet they had held her life in a predatory grip almost since the moment of her birth. It was a loathsome sensation. Though her plan was risky, that entity was hidden so well that it would never emerge without cause, she needed at the very least, to test the depth of its strength.
The great demon paused in his tracks. His beautiful phoenix eyes fixed on her for a long moment. "It will try every means possible to kill you."
She merely smiled, her almond-shaped eyes meeting his gaze without flinching. "How can one catch the tiger’s cub without entering the tiger’s den?"
The Demon God loathed the thought of her taking risks or getting hurt. But as he looked at the spark of excitement and stubbornness in her eyes, he suddenly remembered she too was a Heavenly Dao.
Beyond being his beloved, she held that divine essence. She was a Heavenly Dao of the future, one who would not be inferior to a Demon God. Would she truly be content to hide forever behind his back?
No. Just like the other Heavenly Dao, she would naturally seek every way to strike the other down.
The great demon grew quiet for a breath. Suddenly, he leaned down and pinched her cheek. Reaching out, he left a golden mark upon her palm.
"Lure it out and test it, that is all," he commanded. "Do not throw your life away. If you trigger this mark, I will be able to sense your location instantly."
He added, "It is a Heavenly Dao, not a human. If you find yourself inferior to it for now, do not be disheartened."
She understood his meaning. Whether it was this rival Heavenly Dao or the current Yan Xueyi, even if they had not yet returned to their divine seats, they were, in a sense, no longer human.
She smiled. "Alright, Yanyan. Wait for me."
He stood in place, watching her retreating figure for a long time until Chao Zhaoyue patted him on the shoulder.
"Brother Yan, a man needs to be independent. Don't be so clingy."
He looked like a worried newlywed bride fretting over her husband.
The "bride" waited until her shadow vanished from sight before disappearing from the spot, reappearing atop a mountain peak facing the Eightfold Mountains. His eyes turned a brilliant red-gold as he stared toward the range with his hands behind his back.
The moment the Demon God had touched that memorial tablet earlier, he had recalled flashes of a frantic, glowing sun and incredibly loud snoring. It was more than that, if the Heavenly Dao of ancient times reminded him of a loathsome sun-bird, then this current Heavenly Dao felt like a creature crawling through the dark shadows of the earth.
The Demon God hated two things most: the Heavenly Dao, and a Heavenly Dao that was even more gloomily devious than himself.
Feeling a sudden sense of loss, he touched his eyes and thought: To be away from her for a full half-day... just the thought is miserable.
The Demon God: Is this the bitterness of lovesickness?
The Demon God: It is all that Heavenly Dao's fault.
***
"Did you hear? Inside the Eightfold Mountains, it's not just about fighting each other; there are numerous trials set up to test sword cultivators!"
"A hundred years ago, Alliance Leader Yuan became world-famous by slaying the tiger beast illusion in these very mountains! It’s a pity the illusions here change constantly. I wonder what’s in store this time."
"Why have they started making us sign life-and-death waivers?"
"Haha! If you lack the courage, do you really dare to compete for the title of the World’s Number One Sword Cultivator?"
At the foot of the Eightfold Mountains, the crowd was a sea of people. Once the waivers appeared, many casual observers and small sect members were intimidated into retreating. At the mountain gate, a massive notice reading "Life or Death, No Grievances" was posted. The handwriting was jagged and aggressive, bleeding with killing intent.
If the preliminary rounds felt like a festive New Year celebration for the cultivation world, the Eightfold Mountains stage finally exuded the cold, sharp tension of a true struggle for supremacy.
Chao Zhaoyue whispered:
"Once we enter, we could encounter other sects at any time. Ling Yun, Hong Niang, and I will focus on eliminating contestants and gathering points. Suisui, you’re different, you’re going for the ranking!"
He shared the intelligence he had gathered. Chao Jinsui had three main rivals, all favorites for the tournament:
Yuan Jingtian: The winner of the previous Jade Sword Assembly and current Leader of the Jade Sword Alliance.
Master Yuanming: From the Tiger Roar Sect.
Lei Zhen'e: From the Thunder Sound Tower, whose "Zhen'e Sword" was famous throughout the land.
All three were sword cultivators at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. Aside from a few reclusive old monsters, they represented the top tier of living sword masters. Strictly speaking, Chao Taichu also belonged to this group, but he had not entered the competition.
Thus, only those three stood in her way.
Her gaze swept over them. Lei Zhen'e was a burly man with a thick beard and eyes like burning torches. Master Yuanming wore yellow robes, carried a peach-wood sword, and had hair as white as frost. Yuan Jingtian had a square face and an aura of righteous dignity.
If she wanted the title of "World's Number One Sword Cultivator," she would likely have to cross blades with each of them.
Ling Yun whispered, "For some reason, I feel like they’re all secretly watching us."
She had a bad premonition. But before she could decipher those looks, the sects began to move. Yuan Jingtian led the Jade Sword Alliance inside first, followed by Elder Bai and the Kunlun disciples. Then came the Thunder Sound Tower and the Tiger Roar Sect. Finally, the four members of the Xirang Sect stepped into the Eightfold Mountains.
Upon entering, they found themselves on a vast, silent plain.
Hong Niang’s ears twitched. "Watch out!"
As she spoke, the ground began to crack! All four used their swords to anchor themselves. Within seconds, the earth beneath them plummeted a thousand feet, creating a massive precipice. Immediately, the ground shook as magma began to spray upward.
A deafening roar of a beast echoed as a dragon wreathed in crimson flames slowly emerged from the molten rock. Its reptilian eyes locked onto the small figures before it, and its massive tail lashed out! Red-hot magma rained down like a storm.
Chao Zhaoyue couldn't help but curse. "Get up there, fast!"
Hong Niang’s eight-section bone fan streaked toward the cliffside. The "ribs" of the fan were actually bone swords; they embedded into the smooth rock, forming a makeshift staircase. They leaped, using the fan-ribs as stepping stones to race upward.
Chao Jinsui thrust the Kunlun Sword into the ground. A wave of frost erupted, freezing the surface into a massive ice barrier to block the encroaching flames. She didn't stay to fight, turning to leap up the bone staircase.
The dragon roared in fury, swinging its tail again. The cliff face shattered, and the sheer wind from the strike knocked Ling Yun off the fan. Chao Jinsui grabbed her by the collar and tossed her upward.
"What is with this dragon!" Chao Zhaoyue yelled.
"Run!" Hong Niang shouted. "This thing has the power of the Deity Transformation stage! Are you human cultivators insane?"
It wasn't the Jade Sword Alliance that was insane, it was Chao Taichu.
Chao Jinsui knew this was meant for her. She could feel the dragon’s gaze locked onto her. Her heart sank; a Deity Transformation dragon was indeed a nightmare to handle.
As the fire dragon roared in pursuit, Lei Zhen'e and several other sect groups suddenly appeared from the distance, rushing toward them.
It turned out that those looks they received outside were not a hallucination. Because they were a small group of four with decent strength, they had been targeted as "soft persimmons" to be squeezed. Lei Zhen'e and the others had come specifically to surround and eliminate the Xirang Sect!
Chao Zhaoyue cursed, "Dozens of you ganging up on four? Have you no shame?"
Lei Zhen'e laughed loudly. "Haha! To be shameless once in exchange for removing two powerful rivals, it's a bargain!"
The Zhen'e Sword rang out as Lei Zhen'e struck out with a gale of wind toward Chao Zhaoyue.
Wolves in front, a dragon behind.
Chao Jinsui paused, exchanged a look with Chao Zhaoyue, and they both dove straight toward the fire dragon!
Lei Zhen'e laughed as he gave chase, but his laughter soon died. Chao Jinsui pivoted mid-air and flew right back toward him, with a roaring dragon on her heels.
Lei Zhen'e: "what the..."
Next, Chao Jinsui moved like a nimble swallow, luring the fire dragon onto Lei Zhen'e's head every single time! Moreover, she flew wherever the crowd gathered. Lei Zhen'e and the others shouted angrily, “Despicable! Shameless!”
Chao Jinsui laughed, “You flatter me, we’re all in the same boat!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she tapped her toes, came to a sudden stop, and with a deft kick, sent Lei Zhen’e flying straight into the fire dragon’s lair.
Lei Zhen’e let out a deafening roar of rage!
"Let's go," Chao Jinsui said. "Who else is strong?"
She planned to package them all up and send them to fight the dragon.
Hong Niang: "..."
Chao Zhaoyue: "Ling Yun, did you see that? Take notes!"
They soon found the Tiger Roar Sect. Master Yuanming’s eyes narrowed. Seeing only four of them, he immediately ordered, "After them!"
The disciples in yellow robes pursued closely. Lei Zhen'e, however, was no pushover. He wasn't dead, but he was currently locked in a desperate struggle with the dragon, his hair entirely burned off. The dragon, wounded by his sword, was in a frenzy. The moment it spotted Chao Jinsui, it lunged at her like a mad thing.
Chao Jinsui ducked in a beautiful arch, and the dragon soared right over her, straight into Master Yuanming.
"Little friend, it seems your luck has run out to meet me in the second round!" the Master shouted. Then he realized whose luck had truly run out.
Master Yuanming: "..."
Realizing he’d been played, he turned to flee. Hong Niang launched her bone fan to block his path.
"Insolent!" Master Yuanming sneered. His peach-wood sword glowed with yellow energy as he struck at Hong Niang. Just as Chao Jinsui lunged at his back, he retreated and raised his sword to counter, only for a hand to reach up from the cliff edge and drag him down into the dragon's nest.
"Shameless! Despicable! Villain!" his voice wailed from below.
"Shameless!" Lei Zhen'e joined in from the pit.
Chao Zhaoyue climbed back up, dusting off his hands. "Just Alliance Leader Yuan left."
Perhaps Yuan Jingtian was lucky; they wandered for a while without finding a trace of the Jade Sword Alliance. Instead, they lured several other sect disciples down for a "team-building exercise" with the dragon. The air was thick with the sound of cursing.
As they continued forward, a verdant mountain suddenly appeared. Chao Jinsui caught sight of a figure in the distance and stopped. She knew the fire dragon was just an appetizer. The main course had arrived.
"You three go ahead," she said. "I see an old friend. I’m going to catch up."
The Heavenly Dao who had wanted her dead a hundred years ago, how could that not count as an old friend?
At the foot of the mountain stood a man in his thirties, dressed in white, smiling at her. His features were ordinary, but he possessed a refined, scholarly air.
"Miss Chao, let us walk together for a while," he said.
This man gave off an aura similar to the Demon God, not in appearance or pressure, but in the sense of insignificance one felt when looking at him. Like gazing up at a great mountain, one naturally felt small and reverent. If the Demon God was a sharp, aggressive blade, this Heavenly Dao felt much softer.
She observed him quietly before asking casually, "Are you a sword cultivator here for the assembly too?"
He smiled. "Yes, and no."
He led her to a massive peach blossom tree in front of a temple at the mountain’s peak. The man and the young woman faced each other. Petals drifted through the air in a poetic scene, yet an invisible killing intent began to permeate the atmosphere.
A smiling gaze met cold almond eyes.
A young Heavenly Dao. An ancient Heavenly Dao.
"Then," she asked, "are you here to compete for the title of the World’s Number One Sword Cultivator?"
"Indeed," he replied.
She drew the Kunlun Sword. He casually snapped off a branch from the peach tree.
"How old are you now, girl?"
"A hundred."
The moment the words left her lips, they both moved. The Kunlun Sword carved a beautiful arc through the air as she lunged. He watched her with a smile, but a pressure like a falling mountain erupted from him.
With a mere peach branch, he blocked the legendary Kunlun Sword. With a flick of his wrist, a surge of power like a vast ocean crashed into her. The branch seemed to command the very essence of heaven and earth. His movements were slow, yet the air stagnated and the blossoms froze in mid-air. She realized instantly, this Heavenly Dao was terrifyingly strong.
Worse, he predicted her every move. He knew her techniques perfectly.
"A hundred years old and already at this level... truly startling talent."
With another strike, a sword intent as relentless as a river swept toward her. The seemingly frail branch sent her flying. He sighed as he approached her fallen form.
"When I was still human, I lacked such talent. Now that I am ten thousand years old, looking at children like you makes me realize how time flies."
He was telling her: You are a hundred. Your life is but a fraction of mine. Compared to me, you are a mere infant.
"You have a fine Dao companion. He is strong and reliable. With him, you need not worry about anything. It is truly enviable."
He was telling her: Without the Demon God, you are nothing.
Her body screamed in pain, and the world spun. She could hear only her own ragged breathing. He pressed the peach branch against her sword; it felt like the weight of a mountain. She couldn't even pull her weapon away.
She knew why he was doing this. She was a sword cultivator who lived by the blade. The sword was her dignity, her pride, and her spine, and he was flattening her into the dirt with a twig. He wanted to crush her spirit and break her confidence.
She gripped the Kunlun Sword, straining to pull it free. Just as she was about to succeed, he lightly lifted the branch, a mocking smile touching his lips.
She didn't care. She lunged again. He gave her a patronizing, indulgent smile, moving the branch with the casual ease of an adult dealing with a toddler. Does an adult care when a child who can barely walk swings their arms? No.
"I have watched you grow up, in a sense," he said. "I hope you live a full and happy life this time."
Forced back several steps, Chao Jinsui looked up as he waved a hand, creating an image in the sky. She finally saw where Chao Taichu was.
In the vision, a girl in a pink dress, with her face, looked soft and adorable, her eyes like a startled deer's. She had forgotten everything and forgiven Chao Taichu. Her father nodded with relief, and Chao Zhaoyue laughed as he took her arm. They walked toward the Kunlun Sect as a happy family. She even held a grand wedding with Yan Xueyi.
"I will not make things difficult for you," he said. "After this, you will forget my existence and live a perfect life. With family and a loving husband, what could be happier?"
He didn't mention that Chao Taichu would be her warden, ensuring she never stepped out of line. She would live a life of surveillance. The Demon God would be satisfied, and the conflict between the two Heavenly Daos would be resolved. It was "perfect."
She charged again. She would never forgive Chao Taichu. Never. "Filial piety"? In his dreams!
Again, she was slammed into the ground. The Heavenly Dao’s mocking eyes seemed to say: Accept your fate. Why challenge an opponent you cannot defeat?
She coughed up blood, her chest aching. Thankfully, the Bodhi Qi within her began to glow green, slowly mending her wounds.
"Senior," she said.
The Heavenly Dao smiled, thinking she had finally softened. In the vision, Chao Taichu also smiled benevolently. Why be a rebel? Come back and be the beautiful, pampered daughter of the Chao family. Chao Xiaotu is dead. Everything you disliked is gone. You won't have to kill your father, and you can marry Yan Xueyi. If you want, I can even be kind to A-Pu.
The Heavenly Dao said, "Exactly. The Demon God will soon return to his divine seat in the heavens. How long can you hide behind him? Wouldn't it be better to be a happy young girl?"
She pushed herself up with her sword. The Heavenly Dao didn't know that she had held back half of her spiritual energy. Even while being beaten, she was observing. He hadn't noticed she was using different intensities of sword moves to test him, like throwing stones into a bottomless abyss.
He was powerful, fatally so. Almost as strong as the Demon God. But she remembered what Chao Zhaoyue said: Everything in the Eightfold Mountains is a trial and an illusion.
Is power that exists only in an illusion truly real?
"Do you know," she said, "what we usually call things that have lived for ten thousand years?"
"What?" the Heavenly Dao asked.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she stared him down. She wiped the blood from her lip and grinned. "Old turtles."
The Heavenly Dao’s smile finally cracked. His pressure skyrocketed. "You are courting death."
She mocked him. "The Eightfold Mountains have been a trap from the start, haven't they? If you’re so powerful, why didn't you crush me the moment I was born? Was it because you were weak then? Was that why you could only manipulate Chao Taichu through prophecies?"
In the illusion, she was facing the Heavenly Dao at his peak. But thousands of years had passed. The new Heavenly Dao smirked at the old one.
"Ah, I see. If you weren't so weak that you're about to die, why would I have been born?"
The Heavenly Dao’s expression froze, making his face look like a stiff mask.
"You're bluffing," she sneered. "As long as I’m afraid and submit, you can remain the sole Heavenly Dao without shedding a drop of blood."
The supreme strategy is to attack the heart. Anyone else, crushed repeatedly in their own specialty, would have lost the will to fight. They would feel too small to ever replace a god. Then, they would accept the "gift" of a mortal life.
But she was Chao Jinsui.
"In your dreams!" she roared.
She lunged, but not at the Heavenly Dao. She flew toward the barrier of the Eightfold Mountains! The Heavenly Dao reached out to grab her, but he was too slow. The Kunlun Sword shattered the barrier!
The fog of the illusion dissipated. The terrifying, mountain-like pressure receded like a tide. The entity before her was still strong, but that feeling of facing an insurmountable god was gone. She felt she had a chance.
Gathering her remaining strength, she drew the surrounding spiritual energy into a whirlwind around her blade. The Kunlun Sword hummed. A frost blade screamed toward the Heavenly Dao!
The strike pierced through the body, knocking a wisp of green smoke flying!
"Yanyan!" she called out.
Instantaneously, a terrifying pressure flooded the mountain. Chao Jinsui stood up.
"King against King, General against General."
"That’s only fair, isn't it?"
What she didn't say aloud was: Yes, ten-thousand-year-old turtle against ten-thousand-year-old turtle.
Read only on https://royaltywrites.com.ng/
.jpeg)
We hope you enjoyed this chapter! You can vote for this novel translation and drop a review on Novel Updates!
Show support by clicking on the support button below!❤️
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
0 Comments
What's on your mind...