Volume 4, Chapter 150 – Sword Pellet Splits Its Light (Two-in-One)

Thanks to Bai Xiang, Shenming Sword Dao counted as a star dojo no matter which division it was placed in, so an enormous number of people online were following this round between them and Wentian Dao.

A single livestream was not enough to satisfy everyone. Many people kept the live match open on one side while also pulling up commentary programs in the background, hoping to get a fuller viewing experience from the hosts and guest analysts.

For example, even before the match began, the already wildly popular Arena Live Room had nearly a hundred thousand netizens flooding into its page. Everyone wanted to hear how the experts would judge this round.

“Good morning, viewers. This is Arena Live Room. I’m your host, Qiao Lu. Beside me is Zhan Guangyou, Deacon Zhan, from the Tongyun Division Sword Dao Association.”

“I’m Zhan Guangyou. Good morning, everyone.”

On the program screen, a man and a woman sat facing each other at an angle. The female host asked questions from the viewers’ perspective, while the male guest provided professional analysis.

This was not the first time the two had worked together on the show. Since the match had in fact already begun, their pace was quick, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries they moved straight to the main topic.

“We all know that Dao Master Bai of Shenming Sword Dao did something major a few days ago.” Qiao Lu looked toward Zhan Guangyou. “So in your view, Mr. Zhan, how should we judge the outcome of Shenming Sword Dao facing the mysterious Wentian Dao this time?”

“Wentian Dao should have the advantage in some areas, but Shenming Sword Dao will ultimately win,” Zhan Guangyou gave a concise and clear answer.

“Oh? And what is the basis for that judgment?”

“It’s obvious. According to the information I’ve obtained, Wentian Dao ranks in the lower middle among the Void People’s sects. The main reason is that they lack figures capable of holding the line on their own. Lian Changru alone is not enough to uphold the dignity of the sect, so Wentian Dao often has to compromise when fighting for benefits.”

Zhan Guangyou had clearly come prepared. To put it bluntly, the reason programs like this existed at all was because the Court wanted to speed up the primary world’s understanding of the Void People, so he had no reservations and said whatever he wanted.

“For a sect at that level, the shortcoming is a lack of top-end strength. In practical terms, that means they have no one who can check the opponent’s strongest fighter. Even if the ring matches and endurance matches go on, they should still lose in the end.”

Zhan Guangyou kept laying out his views, then suddenly shifted his tone.

“But their foundation is still very solid!”

“For example, within their sect they have core fighters like Daoist Kongwen and Daoist Puya. They should not be much weaker than Dao Master Lian Changru. Aside from that, their younger generation disciple ladder is also very well built.”

“So your view is that Shenming Sword Dao can win, but it will be a hard-fought win?”

“That’s right. Because at present, Shenming Sword Dao still relies too heavily on Dao Master Bai. If this kind of power structure does not change soon, then under a points-based system like this, they will actually be at a significant disadvantage.”

Through the network, the program’s audio spread into countless homes, either live or with a delay, and drew all sorts of reactions.

“So Wentian Dao is only considered a relatively weak sect?”

“What nonsense is Zhan Guangyou spouting? How could it be a narrow win? Against opponents like this, it has to be a crushing victory!”

“But his analysis makes sense. Shenming Sword Dao relies too much on Dao Master Bai right now. It feels like one brilliant branch standing alone. She can’t go represent the disciples in the Lingyun bracket too, so once the points are counted they’ll be at a huge disadvantage.”

“Mr. Zhan made it very clear. Most likely Dao Master Bai goes one against ten, then the disciples in the Lingyun bracket scrape out one or two wins. The final record will probably be something like 12 to 8. That counts as a bitter victory!”

“But if they can only barely beat a sect like Wentian Dao, then what are they supposed to do later against stronger Void People sects?”

“Ah, this is so frustrating to watch! Why did they make it this stupid points system!?”

On the broad question of allegiance, most people naturally supported Shenming Sword Dao winning. But Zhan Guangyou’s analysis had undeniably poured cold water over them. Many people immediately lost confidence, and the terror of being dominated by the Void People once again crept back into their minds.

They had thought that with Dao Master Bai displaying her brilliance, those Void People and monstrosities could finally be made to suffer a humiliating defeat. Yet after analysis, it turned out the best they could hope for was still only a bitter win.

Over the past few months, faced with the invasion of the Void People, the Court’s sluggishness and inaction had badly crushed morale. Quite a few extremists from the “rapid-victory faction,” after waking up to reality, had fallen into enormous panic. They swung to the opposite extreme, completely denied their old views, and began gathering online to talk about a bleak future. They were now convinced that the Void People were almost impossible to defeat.

If even the astonishingly gifted Dao Master Bai could not break through the restrictions of the format, then would it not be even more humiliating for the other nine dao to go up and fight?

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As for the Sword Lords, the hope people placed in Suzhen Dao and Qingping Dao was not particularly great either.

On the one hand, when various places had previously been harassed by the Void People, those two sects had both played dead, and their reputation had taken a heavy blow.

On the other hand, that very act of playing dead was easy to read as fear.

If you do not even dare come out and handle affairs, how can we dare believe you can win?

Of course, those were more extreme opinions. There were still a considerable number of people who believed that once the two Great Yu Sword Lords acted, the situation would improve.

After all, they had long been the pillar in people’s hearts.

Throughout history, through so many tribulations and disasters, whenever a Sword Lord acted, the problem was always solved. That confidence was buried deep in many people’s souls and hearts, to the point of almost becoming blind faith.

Unless they saw a Sword Lord defeated with their own eyes, that belief would not waver.

The trend of public opinion really isn’t looking good…

Qiao Lu could see the scrolling comments, and her scalp tingled slightly.

Quite a few people had already been given broad explanations on other programs about concepts like the Venerable ranks and the Three Flowers. Now, armed with half-baked knowledge, they were picking fights in the comment section, saying things like “Immortal Venerables are invincible,” “Dao-Void Methods are invincible,” “Great Yu Sword Dao is nothing but a trash minor path,” and “it is era-dust that deserves to be kicked into the garbage heap.”

Qiao Lu had no particular political mission, but she was one of the Yu people, so she naturally leaned toward her own side. This was obviously not the situation she wanted to see, and she was trying hard to steer the mood through her words.

There was some effect, but very soon, as certain pieces of news arrived, Qiao Lu’s efforts were almost completely destroyed.

The arena for Shenming Sword Dao and Wentian Dao was simply too far out in the suburbs, which caused their match to start a little later.

Quite a few matches in the same round had already produced results, and it was precisely those reports that delivered the blow.

“Jinhua Sword Dao suffered a disastrous defeat.”

“Musheng Sword Dao suffered a disastrous defeat.”

“Yuluo Sword Dao suffered a disastrous defeat… all twenty competitors, including the dao master, were gravely wounded and on the brink of death.”

“How could it be so fast, and so brutal!?”

These reports had been selectively chosen. They were all dojos under Great Yu facing dojos of the Void People, and the results were completely one-sided. Great Yu’s dojos had no power to resist at all.

According to viewers stationed at the scene, the whole process had been “horrific beyond words.”

“They really were completely beaten down.”

“Dao Master Wan Hua of Yuluo was an old Core Realm expert, someone who was said to have a chance of advancing to earthmaster in the coming years, and he still couldn’t block even one move from that Immortal Venerable Eroding Python?”

“Losing isn’t even the scariest part. Let me tell you, what’s terrifying is that some people had their arms and legs torn off on the spot, and could only watch as those severed limbs were swallowed right in front of them…”

“How could the violence be this extreme? Wasn’t that ruled a loss?”

“I didn’t see any such ruling… I really can’t understand this anymore. I probably won’t go watch matches in person again…”

As the news spread, both the live audience and online opinion exploded in shock.

The losses were too miserable, too devastating to confidence.

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And the way the sects from the Illusory Realms fought was truly far too bloody. Many times they had clearly already won, everyone could see they had won, yet the people on the stage still struck viciously, went for the kill, and even tore off Yu people’s limbs and ate them on the spot.

It was too savage, and many on-site spectators were left with severe psychological trauma. Those who had gone from the “rapid-victory faction” to the “rapid-defeat faction” seized the chance to fan the flames online, spreading views like “Sword Dao is outdated” and “Dao-Void Methods reign supreme.”

“Well done.”

At Yongming Hall, Daoist Luo Ying of Qianyuan Sect looked at the crazily piling barrage of comments on his phone and smiled smugly.

This effect, of course, was the result of arrangements he had linked up in advance.

The forces of the Void Realm competed with one another as well, but the broader direction of invading the primary world remained unchanged.

The common goal of all Void People was first to shake the ruling power of the Yu Emperor Sacred Dynasty. Starting with incense-and-faith power would also affect the Heavenly Dao divine pool.

“As long as this continues for a few more days, the faith of the Yu people will collapse. At that point, once we take a knife to those Sword Lords and completely shatter the myths in their hearts, the spread of Dao-Void Methods should proceed very smoothly.”

“What do you think, Chen’er?”

Daoist Luo Ying looked toward the disciple beside him, only to discover that Yang Chen showed no joy at all. He was merely staring down at his phone screen, at what seemed to be a livestream of some match.

Qianyuan Sect had a match too, but it was already over. The two of them had not even needed to go onstage, so Daoist Luo Ying could not help being curious. What match could possibly be drawing this much attention?

Chang Hongyuan’s?

Among the top hundred on the Heaven’s Pride List, the only one Daoist Luo Ying really regarded as worth noticing was Chang Hongyuan.

The reason was simple. Chang Hongyuan’s divine pool had a restraining effect on Yang Chen’s divine pool.

The “Heaven-Matching Chessboard” disliked divine pool arts that tended toward extremes and constantly disrupted the Tianyuan field. Chang Hongyuan’s pool art was the extreme of extremes. Once activated, it was practically a Tianyuan black hole. The force it generated was so violent that even he himself could not control it. Once he activated it, he could only stop after exhausting himself and passing out.

That Yang Chen had been able to suppress a pool art that so perfectly countered his and hold the number one rank for so long was enough to prove his strength.

But Daoist Luo Ying was also wary of Chang Hongyuan. If that pool art continued to deepen, who knew whether there might come a day when he reversed the outcome?

So he had assumed his disciple was paying attention to that destined rival.

Yet when his gaze fell on the screen and he saw a young female sword cultivator stepping onto the stage in a white archaic ceremonial dress, gold-thread cloud-pattern boots, and neatly pinned hair that made her look as though she were trying a little too hard to appear mature, he stared in confusion.

That is… the little girl who was following Bai Zhixing yesterday?

Why was he paying attention to her?

If he was going to watch, shouldn’t he wait for Bai Zhixing to take the stage?

“She’s looking to die,” Daoist Luo Ying said coldly.

Getting Wentian Dao to lose to Shenming was part of his scheme. According to the plan, in the midst of their defeat, the disciples of that sect were supposed to display full grief and indignation, and ideally shout things like “Heaven does not bless the human path” and “May the human path flourish forever.”

In that way, together with the operations and momentum they had built outside the arena, those foolish commoners would come to understand that the new methods were tied to the future, the path, and the prospects of the human race in the Void Realm, and to an even greater concept than the Yu people alone: the human path.

It just so happened that the Yu people’s sects were meeting their first wave of crushing defeats. The common people were desperate to recover their confidence, so they would certainly latch onto the human path as a life-saving straw. Bai Xiang, who was unwilling to yield the dominant position of pool arts, would then become the target of public criticism, and that would easily break her sword momentum.

By then, even the disciples of Shenming Sword Dao themselves would likely begin to suspect her. And the new methods she had created, like Great Yu Sword Dao, belonged to the Heavenly Dao divine pool and were heavily constrained by incense-and-faith power. This move would surely weaken her greatly.

That was the strategy Daoist Luo Ying had carefully thought through.

First, establish authority. Second, damage the enemy. At the same time, pressure the imperial dynasty of the primary world. In his eyes, it was killing many birds with one stone.

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But in a contest between juniors, instead of sending out their strongest disciple first, they had actually sent that girl up ahead of everyone else.

Daoist Luo Ying shook his head.

He had not paid attention to Bai Zhuqing’s strength. That was not because he was underestimating her, but because he had read the reports sent up from below. Bai Zhuqing had only recently come of age and was even younger than Bai Xiang.

For a monstrous genius like Bai Xiang, for a place to produce even one was already the kind of blessing that came from ten generations of ancestors burning incense. He did not believe Bai Zhuqing had talent as well.

The report had explicitly stated as much. At most, Bai Zhuqing possessed “talent for maneuvering across the board,” and in cultivation she had “some talent, but was not comparable to her elder sister.”

At the arena, Bai Zhuqing did her utmost to steady her steps as she mounted the stage.

Everyone in the Bai family, including Bai Zhuqing herself, knew that Bai Xiang had a very strong killing intent toward foreign enemies, but most of the time Bai Xiang did not make it obvious. She normally would not express it openly to someone’s face.

A command like this, telling her to “open the edge,” meaning permission to kill, was, in Bai Zhuqing’s memory, the first time Bai Xiang had given such an order in a situation like this.

Before going onstage, she had also learned from Bai Maoxu about the many disastrous defeats suffered by the Yu clans’ Sword Dao forces. So she understood Bai Xiang very well. In her view, this was Bai Xiang wanting to vent anger on behalf of their defeated compatriots.

Then I really don’t have… anything to worry about!

Holding the Clear Mist Sword, the girl stepped onto the stage and exchanged formal greetings with her opponent.

Her opponent was a tall, handsome young man. By coincidence, he too carried a longsword. His face looked stern, so stern it even seemed tinged with sorrow.

“Wentian Dao, Ren Taiping.”

“Shenming Sword Dao, Bai Zhuqing.”

After the greetings, the young man moved first.

He seemed to carry a certain resolve. The moment he drew his sword, he threw away the scabbard, formed a hand seal with his left hand, gripped the sword in his right, and lunged forward with his body pitched almost parallel to the ground, bringing down an incomparably swift slash.

Clang…!

The Clear Mist Sword left its sheath.

Imitating Bai Xiang’s style, Bai Zhuqing flung the scabbard away with her left hand, then raised the longsword with both hands and steadily blocked the slash.

Hm?

Watching through the livestream, Daoist Luo Ying could not help slightly frowning.

Ren Taiping’s cultivation could actually be inferred from his appearance.

In the cultivation of Dao-Void Methods, the closer one came to the upper levels, the more human one looked.

Ren Taiping showed almost no bestial traits in his appearance, which meant he had undergone at least nine Body Tribulations, perhaps was even on the verge of crossing a lightning tribulation.

And that little girl had actually managed to block a full-force slash from him?

Clang, clang…!

Bang!

Bai Zhuqing was not merely capable of blocking.

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It was her first time fighting an enemy on a large stage, so out of caution she did not use her full strength right away. Instead, she concealed the Vibration Art inside the Clear Mist Sword without releasing it, intending to first test the enemy’s level by using the Vibration Art’s buffering effect against immense force.

After vibrating swords with him several times, she concluded that her opponent was nothing special. She blocked another sword move with a vibrating blade, then flicked her wrist, and the force inside the blade instantly rippled outward.

Zheng!

A crisp sword cry rang out across the arena.

In Ren Taiping’s eyes, the girl’s blade twisted like a water snake. A ring of warped ripples spread through the air and transmitted to the sword in his hand, vibrating it so hard that it flew straight out of his grasp.

As if I’d let you get your way!

Resolve flashed through Ren Taiping’s eyes. He suddenly abandoned all defense, made no attempt to dodge, and allowed Bai Zhuqing’s next sword move to stab into his chest, while the ends of both hands mutated into claws and spread open as he lunged to embrace her.

At the same time, he tried to shout, “For the human path, even if I die I shall… pff!?”

Before he could finish, half his head vanished.

Not only did the livestream viewers fail to understand what had happened, even many of the disciples from both sides watching on-site could not make sense of it.

They had only vaguely caught a remnant of green light… something round, perhaps, sweeping in from behind out of nowhere, and in a single stroke slicing off the upper half of Ren Taiping’s head.

What was that?

Only when the arena cameras replayed it in slow motion did many people finally see what had happened.

At the instant when Bai Zhuqing’s sword had just pierced her opponent, at the very moment when that sword should have been locked in place by his body, the tip of the blade suddenly shot out like a streak of light. The blade itself curled in and folded up, transforming into a small metal sphere made of coiled blades. Spinning at high speed, it traced a deadly arc through the air… and it was this thing that killed the Wentian Dao disciple!

What exactly was it?

As Ren Taiping’s corpse thudded to the ground, the little metal sphere still had not “returned to the hilt.” Instead, as if it possessed a mind of its own, it circled back and forth around Bai Zhuqing. Everyone stared in stunned silence.

What kind of technique was this?

How had no one ever heard of it before?

“A Daoist sword pellet?”

In the program livestream room, Zhan Guangyou suddenly grew excited. “This is… the path of the sword pellet mentioned in the Five Dragons Heart-Sword Art?”

“But the Five Dragons Method clearly… how is that possible?”

It was too shocking.

So shocking that most eyes were not even on the corpse that had already fallen dead. They were still fixed blankly on the girl and on the little sphere circling around her.

“My thanks.”

Bai Zhuqing bowed toward the corpse, then formed an unknown sword seal with one hand as well. The green-glowing sword pellet suddenly trembled, and then split its light, turning into two.

“Who’s next?”

She turned to look toward Wentian Dao’s side.

“Or you can all come at once. I wouldn’t mind.”