by <unknown>
The old man walked past him and stopped at the gates of the saint palace on the Golden Summit while Grand Elder Yu said, "History is dictated by the victor. Feng Shang, I've lost! Now take my life!"
His words, however, fell on deaf ears as the old man ignored him and shouted, "Disciples of Swords Gate, Grand Elder Yu and I plotted all of this. In order to protect the Swords Gate's peace and the entire Great Wilderness, Grand Elder Yu willingly bore all the shame and humiliation to lure the enemies into the Swords Gate so that we could kill them all! Today, Grand Elder Yu was pivotal to our victory! Unfortunately, after a prolonged and fierce battle with the invaders, Grand Elder Yu had given his life to his dearest Swords Gate not long ago!"
The entire Swords Gate, including Grand Elder Yu, were all in shock, and they were at a loss on what to do.
In almost just an instant, Grand Elder Yu understood the purpose of the actions of the dying headmaster, and he said with hoarsely, "Are you trying to say that if I take my own life, then you will not blame the You Yu Clan for all of this? Am I right?"
The old man then nodded and said, "You may be an evil person, but that doesn't change the fact that the ancestors of your You Yu Clan were once part of the vanguard that led humanity out of our former hell. The You Yu Clan's noble legacy won't come undone just because of you
r selfish actions.
The old man did not say all of that to help Grand Elder Yu clear his reputation, but to absolve the You Yu Clan of the blame that may befall them.
The You Yu Clan was the second greatest clan in the Great Wilderness, and Grand Elder Yu's betrayal would invariably damage their reputation. It wouldn't be long before innocent members of the You Yu Clan get hurled into an abyss from which they would never be able to escape.
With that, the second greatest clan of the Great Wilderness might completely collapse with no chance for recovery.
The old man's speech just then was all to minimize the backfire of Grand Elder Yu's betrayal. In a hundred years, there might be some that remember the true nature of events, but the impact of this blotch in the Swords Gate's history would vanish entirely, and the disciples of the You Yu Clan would not have to bear the shame that was brought on them by Grand Elder Yu.
Grand Elder Yu's eyes lit up, and when he looked at the disciples of You Yu Clan, he saw fear in their eyes.
"Feng Shang, I am not as wise as you, not as smart as you, and not as good as you."
He then raised his hand and slammed it onto his own face, completely smashing it in. His corpse quickly fell to the ground after that.
Grand Elder Yu destroyed his own face because after what he did, he felt that he had shamed the great ancestors of the You Yu Clan.
Upon seeing this, Zhong Yue felt tired, and he did not know what to say.
Feng Xiaozhong who broke free from his seal was still in front of Zhong Yue, and as time passed, more and more people recognized him.
His appearance was as shocking as the reappearance of the old headmaster, but unlike the latter which brought only joy and happiness, Feng Xiaozhong's appearance only brought fear and horror.
Feng Xiaozhong, however, ignored those around him, and he walked towards the old man.
"Father, you wanted to see me so here I am." Feng Xiaozhong bowed as he smiled.
The old man put up a happy laugh, a laugh that could only be seen on a father that had not seen his son for a very long time, "Look at me, I want to take a closer look at you."
Feng Xiaozhong then raised up his head as the old man looked at him carefully. At this moment, the old man did not seem like the untouchable Sword God that he was revered as, but a father that who wanted to make the most of his remaining time left with his son.
“Go!”
The old man closed his eyes and shouted strictly, "The new headmaster will not be able to suppress you! You have no place in the Swords Gate, and as long as I am alive, you will never return to the Swords Gate!"
Feng Xiaozhong was shocked and murmured, “As long as you are alive then I can never return to Swords Gate? Old man, are you exiling me?”
Tears rolled down on the cheeks of the old man, and he suddenly unleashed his power as he shouted, "Get lost immediately! Do you want me to kill you?"
Feng Xiaozhong immediately knelt down, kowtowed and when he got up, he stared carefully at the old man for a moment before he turned around and walked away.
Zhong Yue, on the other hand, was confused. The old man was going to die soon, and by that time, Feng Xiaozhong would be able to return to the Swords Gate quite easily; what was the point of exiling Feng Xiaozhong?
“I’m afraid that Feng Xiaozhong will not be able to return to Swords Gate anymore.”
Realizing Zhong Yue's confusion, Elder Shui sighed and explained to Zhong Yue as he looked at Feng Xiaozhong's departing figure, "Feng Xiaozhong will never return to the Swords Gate from now on because if he does, then it will mean that the old man has died. In his heart, however, his father will never die. This is why he will not be returning. The old man has effectively exiled him for eternity…."
“I see….”
Zhong Yue was stunned as he finally understood why the reunion of the father and son was like the end of the world for them.
Feng Xiaozhong knew precisely of the old man's intentions. He knew that the old man was on his last legs. The old man also knew that he was going to die, so he allowed Feng Wuji to set Feng Xiaozhong free so that he could see his son one last time before exiling him.
There was no place for Feng Xiaozhong in Swords Gate; a madman can never be the headmaster of Swords Gate. This was not to mention the fact that he was crazy enough to kill his own kin.
And after the death of the old man, the madman would listen to no orders because none of them were his father. Aside from this father, he would no longer be beholden to anyone, not even the gods or demons!
Besides, with the number of enemies that Feng Xiaozhong had made in the outside world, no one from the Swords Gate will be able to stop them if they came seeking for revenge after the old man's death. There was no other choice for him but to exile his own son.
"If one day Feng Xiaozhong does return, it can
only mean that he has truly gone nuts and lost all semblances of his old self."
"At that time, he will be at his most fearsome!" whispered Shui Zian to Zhong Yue.
Zhong Yue agreed with what Shui Zian told him because, in that state, Feng Xiaozhong would become extremely reckless and unpredictable. It wasn't hyperbole to say that Zhong Yue would be more willing to face a god or a demon over Feng Xiaozhong.
After exiling Feng Xiaozhong, the goodly sword and the headmaster's robe flew towards the old man. He then summoned Fang Jiange and Jun Sixie and said gently, "Fang Jiange, you've spent your entire life cultivating the sword. Passing you the position of headmaster will only limit your achievements in the future. Therefore, I will be passing the headmaster position to Jun Sixie, are you willing to accept that?"
Fang Jiange bowed and said, “I accept.”
The old man then said to Jun Sixie, "The headmaster of Swords Gate must be prepared to sacrifice themselves, sacrifice to summon the godly spirit and sword spirit, and enter the Devil Soul Forbidden Land before their deaths to carry out their duty for the Great Wilderness. Jun Sixie, are you willing?"
Jun Sixie bowed and replied, "I am willing."
The old man then placed the robe onto Jun Sixie as the spirits of the clans and tribes of Great Wilderness, including the godly spirit and sword spirit of Swords Gate, resonated and emerged as witnesses.
"Headmaster Sixie, the seal was stolen away by Feng Wuji. Remember, you must retrieve it back from him. Right now, I still have use for the godly sword. After my death, the sword will return to Swords Gate with my body."
The old man looked around and said, “I need someone to collect and bring my corpse back to the Swords Gate. Zhong Yue, follow me.”
Zhong Yue then walked out while the old man said, "You will
follow me and bear witness to my final battle. After I die, you will carry my body and the sword back. The Swords Gate will need this final battle of mine to show the invaders with ill intentions our power!"
Zhong Yue silently nodded.
The old man then looked at Shui Zian and said, "After I die, there are bound to be some who will still seek trouble with Swords Gate. At that time, we will be relying on you and your tokens."
Shui Zian wiped away his tears and said, "No one will be able to destroy Swords Gate for as long as I live!"
With a nod and a stomp onto the ground, a cloud appeared under the old man's legs and himself and Zhong Yue out of the Swords Gate towards the west.
At the Swords Gate Mountain, the disciples watched the duo fly away with tears streaming down their cheeks. They all knew that this would be the last time they see their headmaster.
Throughout these years, the ancestors of humanity acted as burning candles. They lit the path out of the darkness for us, but at the expense of their own lives. It was because of them who slashed apart the vines in our paths that we have managed to survive in the Great Wilderness.
As Zhong Yue looked at the landscape beneath him, he thought, I am willing to be one of those candles for humanity. But I am still not strong enough….
In the west, the Xiao Mang Celestial Race's army was still trying their best to retreat to the Xiao Mang Celestial Race's territory while the elder priest hurried them and shouted, "Through the Divine Battlefield, it is much faster there!"
The army then marched straight into the Divine Battlefield, but many of the Xiao Mang Qi Practitioners were curious, Why did the elder priest ask us to take this path? We might have the map of the safe route out from the battlefield, but this Divine Battlefield is, after all, filled with all kinds of veiled threats which could have easily claimed our lives if we had not been careful enough….
The Divine Battlefield was incredibly dangerous, and at the pace that the army was progressing, there might be many of them that might accidentally have entered the danger zones. If that happened, not even the magnate Qi Practitioners would be able to save them!
The elder priest then drove the Xiao Mang Celestial Temple to the back of the army, and he thought, The Divine Battlefield which is filled with danger is the only place where I can stall Feng Shang by myself by restricting the available spaces. Only with that will we be able to protect my people from Feng Shang!
As the last person in the army entered the Divine Battlefield, the elder priest suddenly left and sent the temple up into the Divine Battlefield with the young Qi Practitioners in the temple who shouted, “Elder priest, where are you going?”
The elder priest, however, shook his head and laughed as he said, "Just go, I will not be able to return. Remember, pray for me next year on this day…."
He then looked at the Lian Yun Mountains, and he saw a cloud ascending from the snowy mountains.
Chapter 317: Swearing |
Zhong Yue stood above the cloud, looking at the Divine Battlefield from afar, and his heart was roiling with emotions.
The ancestors of humanity fought through their predicaments and led humanity out from the West Barren. A world-shocking war took place right there and created the Divine Battlefield. Today, the headmaster came back after countless years, and just like our ancestors, he fought for Swords Gate and battled for humanity. One way or another, he will kill the high priest and earn humanity a few more years of time.
Zhong Yue thought, Countless years apart, and humans died across all the lands, all for the same goal.
To protect the other humans!
The cloud slowly alighted, before them was the Divine Battlefield and the high priest was standing on the only safe passage, waiting for their arrival. The high priest of the Xiao Mang Celestial Race was here for the same goal, to protect his own people; and in order to do so, he would have to stay and stop the old man. He had made a huge mistake declaring war with Swords Gate and what was done was done, the only thing he could do now was to cover his mistake with his own life.
“The next time humanity comes back to this place, we will not be here to protect our people of the Great Wilderness, we will be here to save our men and women enslaved by the West Barren.”
The old man’s voice was hoarse and filled with a thick air of death, and yet, when perceived carefully, one could sense the boiling blood and the immense battle intent in it. He raised the divine sword in his hand, and pointed it toward the West Barren while his white hair fluttered in the winds. He said with a smile, “Zhong Shan Clan member, our ancestors came from the West Barren, and now I ask, do you have the confidence and the courage to fight a way back to West Barren, and save your lost siblings?”
Zhong Yue was standing beside him, feeling his blood boiling as he listened to the headmaster’s questions, it was like a thousand dragons were pounding in his heart! He laughed and answered, “No, I will not, I will not be there to save our people from the West Barren, but instead, I will be there to trample the whole place, I will make our people their masters, I will make them walk proudly down the streets as members of the human race. I will change our fate as cattle and make the others our slaves instead, we will stand above every other race!”
“Good!” The old man laughed out, striding towards the high priest and said mockingly, “Xiaochu Cangshan, sorry for making you wait!”
“It’s not too long.”
The high priest was high-spirited, the two white-haired old men gazed at one another, their eyes met and their eyes were as sharp as swords, Zhong Yue could even see their wills clashing together in the thin air. A crisp, shrill note rang in the sky and the air trembled, he could faintly perceive a snow-white Sword Qi cutting a deep rift between the two magnates.
Auras of appalling strength erupted away from the duo. Even though the two of them were both aged old men, their blood essence was so immense that it pierced through the firmament, even stronger and more vivid than the younger generations.
The shadow of a majestic figure emerged behind the high priest; it was the silhouette of a three-headed Pan Ao, standing tall and high while its six eyes were like moons in the sky, its eyes bright like torches and sharp like swords. It glanced around and one of the heads saw Zhong Yue. It was startled for a split second and said, “You even brought a disciple along? Don’t you worry that your concentration will be distracted while in battle?”
“This is the Zhong Shan Clan member, you’ve met him before.”
The old man then said to Zhong Yue with a smile, “What are you waiting for? Quickly greet the high priest!”
Zhong Yue bowed and said politely, “Zhong Yue of the Zhong Shan Clan, greets the high priest of the Xiao Mang Celestial Race!”
“The Zhong Shan Clan member that reversed opened the five realms and entered the Godlike Board?” The high priest laughed, his voice was staunch and sonorous, he continued with a laugh, “Feng Shang, you’ve aged, your blood essence is no match for mine and thus, you will not be able to last long in a battle, or at least, not as long as me! Once ’ve slain you, this Zhong Shan Clan member of you humans will also die for sure! It was a mistake for you to bring him here!”
In turn, the old man laughed back and said, “I’ve brought him here so that he can have a look at the perfect presentation of the【Great Boundless Sword Qi】, and to let him experience the intensity of a battle at the level of Imminent Deity. His potential is greater than you and I, and other than slaying you, I’m also intending to nurture the next human god for Swords Gate. For you to come alone without any disciples, it clearly says that you have deemed yourself to be no match against me and that you will die for sure, which explains why you didn’t dare to bring along a talented disciple with you.”
Behind the high priest, the three-headed Pan Ao shuddered for a second. Clearly, the words had struck him hard, shaking the confidence he had built up before.
The three-headed Pan Ao then bellowed in anger, the roaring so loud it shook the air an
d vaporized the clouds; he was emboldening himself with ferocious roars to get rid of the terror that was lurking deep in his heart!
The old man strode forward while his voice lingered in Zhong Yue’s ears, “Zhong Shan Clan member, watch this battle carefully. Look into the knowledge I’ve imparted to you along the way while using this battle as a reference in your studies of the【Great Boundless Sword Qi】.”
Zhong Yue stopped where he was and readied himself for the battle to come.
The battle broke out in the blink of an eye. The old man and high priest were both standing at the summit of this cultivated world, there was only a fine line between them and the gods; the outbreak of the battle turned heated instantly as the two Imminent Deity magnates ignored normal skills and went all out right from the start.
They had aged, their prime days were long gone and common attacks would only waste their faltering blood essence! Thus, they had to go all out, utilizing every strength and power they had to try to settle the fate of their opponent right from the start of the battle!
Right now, what was displayed before Zhong Yue’s eyes was the flawless, perfect state of the【Great Boundless Sword Qi】, the true quintessence of the【Great Boundless Sword Qi】.
The high priest cast out the divine weapon of the Xiao Mang Celestial Race. This divine weapon was in the form of a moon circle; it hovered in the sky and rays of moonlight were shining down from it like laser beams.
In contrast, the Great Boundless Sword in the old man’s hand had freed itself from the form of a sword; it was now ever-changing, it could take any form, any shape, any size.
What did ‘Great Boundless’ actually mean? What was the meaning behind it, and what did it represent?
The ‘Great Boundless’ meant that it was not bound by the sword, patterns, moves, or the art. The true【Great Boundless Sword Qi】could be turned into swords regardless of the time and form, no fixed pattern, and no restrictions. The user who truly mastered this art would be able to unleash the power of this art by showing the world his dreams, ambition, will, and whatever thoughts he had freely.