Chapter 462: Saintly Celestial Sword Qi
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
They gave up the Hades’ Dark Mantra, the Nine Luminaries Heaven-Crushing Formation and the Cloud Forest Trees and focused on running Lin Feng down.
When he discovered the movement of the frightening sword Qi, Lin Feng laughed under his breath. "That’s really a sword cultivator."
The concept of power that the sword Qi embodied was extremely pure and simple – that is, to pierce through anything that was blocking it.
It was not the brutish and overbearing Shaoshang Sword, nor was it the clumsy and dignified Guanchong Sword. It was not the upright and calm Shaoyang Sword and neither was it the speedy and nimble Shaoze Sword. It was not the sinister and mutable Grand Moon Sword and neither was it the ruthless and sharp Lixiong Sword.
However, this sword Qi could easily transform into any one of the Mount Shu Six Passages of the Sword. It seemed like a seamless integration of the Six Passages of the Sword, while it seemed like the origin of them all at the same time.
It contained vast heaven-cleaving and earth-splitting power, and was also able to morph into thousands and thousands of other ways of the sword. It was the pinnacle of the unification of thousands of swordplay mantras, and was also the source of all swordplay under the sun – the beginning of them all.
When this sword aura first appeared back at the Cloud Forest Trees, Lin Feng already knew where it came from.
It was the Mount Shu Sword Sect’s supreme and ultimate magic treasure, and the pinnacle of all swordplay – the Saintly Celestial Sword Qi!
In the sky above the Cloud Forest Trees, a green-robed middle-aged man perched in midair in the void. He had a clean and pale face, but his entire physical appearance was normal. Not a single trace of sword aura could be felt from his body, and the vibes he exuded was completely dissimilar to the Guanchong Swordmaster and the others.
In his hand was a long steel sword. It seemed like the kind of sword that can be purchased from any common armory or weapons dealer in the world. The most typical and normal sword was so casually pinched in his hand that, no matter how one looked at him, he was as normal as it got.
Yet, there was one exception.
That is, upon the tip of the normal longsword that he was so casually gripping with his hand was a tiny radiant point so minute and obscure that it was almost invisible to human vision.
There was only that one single point.
However, the miniscule radiance at the tip of the sword had an aura that was far beyond world-shaking and seemed to reach the ends of the earth.
This was a representation of a concentration of unrivaled energy to the highest possible point. The radiant dot was so dense with devastating power that it could possibly leave the entire world in ruins.
Lin Feng stared at single point of radiance with solemn and wary eyes. He was sure that if the green-clothed man wanted to, he could even make that single point obscure and withdraw every inch of his mana and sword aura.
Yet, even when it was just this single point that was exposed, an unstoppable and unending force seemed to flow from within. There was a feeling of extreme casualness, and this proved that this individuals control of power was beyond this world.
He was the current Leader of the Mount Shu Sword Sect, and a great sword cultivator of the third-level immortal soul stage – Xin Longsheng!
He glanced at Lin Feng calmly. He waved his finger and a streak of petrifying Saintly Celestial Sword Qi surged across the sky and ripped the void wide open – and it came straight for Lin Feng.
Lin Feng could feel very acutely the commotion within the Heavenly Cosmic Ray World. The fearsome sword inside the gigantic sword casing was howling and was getting ready for action.
However, he forcefully suppressed the disturbance from the fearsome sword and did not unsheathe it.
This was because Lin Feng could faintly feel that Xin Longsheng’s assault was intended for the sword!
In Xin Longsheng’s eyes, this sword was far more valuable than the Nine Luminaries Heaven-Crushing Formation, the Cloud Forest Trees and Hades’ Dark Mantra.
Once he understood this point, ideas spun around in Lin Feng’s head and instantly thought of a possible outcome.
He did not unleash the sword. Even though he released the catch on the casing, he still held down the fearsome sword. It became a scenario where the sword casing became something like a great beast with a gaping mouth that would swallow Xin Longsheng’s frightening Saintly Celestial Sword Qi!
Shrill sounds came from within the sword casing. Even though it was simply the ringing of the sword, uncountable streaks of invisible sword Qi seemed to be released and was slashing around at the void in the immediate vicinity.
At this point, Lin Feng could vividly sense that the fearsome sword within the sword casing was going through unspeakable pain, yet was full of vigor and defiance.
It seemed as if it was going through torturous training of some sort, and because of this it had evolved and obtained a higher level of power.
If one were to say that the Saintly Celestial Sword Qi was the origin of all swordplay under the Sun, then there was no question that this fearsome sword was an exception!
The sword aura coming from this sword could be said to transcend the Saintly Celestial Sword Qi. There was an unspeakable terror within – one of world-destroying calamity, the collapse of eras and also one that ruined all destinies.
The Saintly Celestial Sword Qi provided much contribution to its process towards maturation. Just from the rigorous training provided by this streak of sword Qi was conspicuously greater than the help provided by the Golden Crow Grand Sage, who had spent so long under the casing.
Yet, the sword aura of this fearsome sword also provided the near-perfect and wholesome Saintly Celestial Sword Qi with another path to continue traversing on.
Lin Feng raised his head forcefully and peered towards Xin Longsheng. At the same time, Xin Longsheng’s eyes was no longer plain and peaceful and became sharp like a sword and met Lin Feng’s gaze.
The void in between the two of them became momentarily blur.
Just at that time, a ripple of tremendous energy crashed forward. In ten thousand feet of purple and golden light, a pavilion-like structure exploded forth from within the void and surged towards the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage, the Golden Roc Grand Sage and the Xuan Lin Holy Man.
That power belonged to the Great Zhou Empire. When they missed their initial strike on Lin Feng, then they began to hide like Lin Feng and lay in wait for the prime opportunity. They made a move at the right time and went straight for the Hades’ Dark Mantra!
In a cloud of overbearing and dominant purple-golden light, uncountable glyphs and talismans began flying around and spread all around. It looked like the Sun at midday, and was filled with royal dignity and pressure.
Under the dome of purple-golden light was an entire patch of pavilions big and small, skyscrapers, yards and balconies formed what seemed like a palace fit for a divine emperor.
Within the flickering light one could faintly observe the movement of innumerable shadows. Tens of thousands of citizens went on their knees in the palace and the consciousnesses of all the servants were concentrated together and were incanted upon the holy palace.
Above the throng of citizens were a myriad of powerful men of history and were on their knees in respect to the palace. Another bunch of countless energies gathered together to represent nature’s order and the rule of law.
Many fairy illusions were pacing around between the pavilions. They were holding holy nectar and the like, as if they were receiving the divine spirit.
The most eye-catching of them all was something else, however. Above the pavilions and halfway in the sky were multiple human statues also crafted by light illusions. They rode upon the clouds and the mist, and seemed to control the weather – it was as if all the Saints had gathered forth together.
Everything formed an extremely stirring and intimidating picture. It was as if the emperor of the divine realm descended from his holy throne unto the lowly human world.
At the central axis of the divine city was the most grandiose and majestic pavilion of them all and sat in the heart of the city.
Inside this pavilion was a man dressed in a dragon robe. He sat quietly upon a dragon throne and was Liang Pan, the emperor of the Great Zhou Empire.
Under the support of this ‘divine city’, Liang Pan’s aura was no longer like before. He resembled the king of all humans, as if he had the power to dictate the fates of all living things.
It was the Imperial Palace. When the Great Zhou Empire discovered the immemorial ruins of the former, they incorporated a great number of magic items and re-forged it into a super-item.
This was the reason why the Great Zhou Empire remained dominant in the Greater World, the Divine Lands. It was also the reason for the forceful and unstoppable expansion of the Great Zhou Empire. The Imperial Palace crushed the last Abbot of the Great Thunderclap Temple alive!
Besides being an all-powerful cultivator of the third-level Golden-Plated immortal soul stage, he was also an entity of myths and legends. An individual like him was also crushed to his death!
"Clack clack clack!"
Spirits began to erupt outwards in all directions. The space all around became something like the Spatial Turbulence as the Imperial Palace shattered a piece of the void as it forced its way out and into the battlefield that involved the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage and the others.
The Xuan Lin Holy Man’s eyes began to sparkle. It seemed as if he produced another magic treasure, although it appeared like a normal flight of stone stairs.
Once Lin Feng perceived this flight of stairs, his eyes closed into a squint. He could feel that the stone flute that he obtained from Long Ye, the same one that the Great Void Sect had been looking for all this while, began to have a reaction and was eager for action.
Kang Nanhua once stepped on the stone staircase, which was connected to the stone flute, and ended up being severely injured.
That particular flight of stone stairs in question had no owner, that much was clear, but the magic item that the Xuan Lin Holy Man produced at this moment seemed like something similar. Perhaps, it was a different path to the same mysterious destination.
Once the flight of stone stairs appeared, it felt like a pathway to heaven. The Xuan Lin Holy Man stepped on it and began to channel energy of a world-shifting volume. He wanted to sweep away the disc that contained the Hades’ Dark Mantra.
Previously, the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage was using her demonic power in combat. AT this point, she finally revealed her true power!
Within the vast disorder and chaos, a pale and jade-like palm appeared. Even though it was the shadow of a human being, the demonic power that it contained was supernaturally violent and ruthless.
It was not the same kind of magic item as that produced by human race immortal soul stage cultivators. To the Grand Sages of the demonic race, the most powerful ‘magic item’ was their original and true form!
The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage grabbed the disc with the hand and fixed the disc in position within the void in an instant. No matter how mystical and powerful the Xuan Lin Holy Man’s stone stairs were, and no matter what mantras or abhijna that he used, it was no longer possible to steal away the disc.
The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage’s hand pulled back and the flight of stone stairs trembled as if it was going to topple. The Xuan Lin Holy Man stumbled and very nearly fell in a somersault.
On the other side, the Golden Roc Grand Sage’s feathers rippled and a gargantuan volume of golden light lashed out and had already clashed several times with the Great Zhou Empire’s Imperial Palace.
The purple-golden radiance of the Imperial Palace shimmered and transformed into a green portal-like hole. A green-colored gaseous sphere flew out from within this portal-cave.
The sphere erupted into howls of violent thunder and lightning and barreled across the void in the direction of the Golden Roc Grand Sage.
The Golden Roc Grand Sage’s black-gold eyes sparkled as he muttered under his breath, "The Chaos Cave Saint-Slaying Thunderbolt!"
Legend had it that in ancient times, there was a holy emperor that ruled over the Divine Lands. Even immortal soul stage grandmasters had to hurry forward to pay their respects. Any dissidents or people in defiance of his rule were eliminated by this green thunderbolt!
There was a chain-like item that was hanging from the Golden Roc Grand Sage’s body that was completely engraved with hieroglyphs and runes. The free end of the chain was linked to the disc of the Hades’ Dark Mantra. He could not give up the Hades’ Dark Mantra, and his movement was restricted because of it so he could not rely on his physical speed to dodge the oncoming attack.
In the end, he decided to not dodge the attack at all. He extended and began to flap his giant wings of the Golden Roc. With a long howl, his long feet talons lashed out continuously and transformed into giant claws that seemed to envelope the entire world and used the former to eliminate all the thunderbolts one by one.
Within the main pavilion of the Imperial Palace, Liang Pan and Zhu Hongwu took in the scene and subconsciously nodded their heads in approval. "This demon can vie for sovereignty with the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage – he is indeed fearsome. However, now is not the time to fight him. The main target is the Hades’ Dark Mantra."
The Imperial Palace did not stop for a second. The mass of purple-gold light condensed into a single ray – much like a divine beam of light that pillared the world – with an aura of intimidation that rivalled even that of the Hades’ Dark Mantra. It was truly terrifying as it roared straight for the disc of the Hades’ Dark Mantra!
Within the disc, the purple brilliance of the Hades’ Dark Mantra suddenly reappeared and a catastrophic energy was unleashed from within. It did not matter that its adversary was at their peak state, and the Dark Mantra was only in its germination stage as the purple energy blasted forward and clashed with the beam of purple-gold divine light.
The force of the clash between these two supreme beams of light instantly shattered the disc into pieces!
At the far end and away from everything, Lin Feng suddenly felt his Heavenly Oyster Golden Pearl tremble in his pocket.