Volume 4, Chapter 159 – Splitting-Light Against the Immortal Zither (Two-in-One)

It was another match day, but if anyone compared the recent atmosphere to that at the start of the tournament, they would immediately notice that some of the excitement had already ebbed away.

That was not because the organizers had grown lax, nor because more and more sects had chosen to withdraw recently. On the contrary, the drop in enthusiasm came because the tournament had become too intense.

Far too intense. At first, many people had treated the Dao-Void Martial Tournament as no more than a “probing contact” between the Void People and Great Yu. To put it bluntly, they had thought it was basically the same sort of thing as a friendly match or an exchange event.

But what was the reality?

What lay before their eyes was bloody slaughter after bloody slaughter.

You had to be lucky just to end up crippled. Far worse was dying on the spot, or even having your limbs torn off and devoured… When scenes like that played out at the venue more than once, anyone would cool off from that earlier frenzy and begin asking what exactly this tournament was, and what purpose lay behind it.

Some said that this was no friendly match or exchange event at all. The old Nine Prefectures Sword Meet had only changed its name because the Void People sects had forced it to. They wanted to use this method to display their military strength and pressure the court into making concessions.

As for how those concessions were to be made, and in what areas, no one dared discuss the details online.

Others said the court was playing a larger game with the Void People. The people who had remained here and the people who lived in the Illusory Realms were no longer the same species at all. The two sides were bound to contest superiority, and the Dao-Void Martial Tournament was merely a miniature version of that war.

There were all sorts of guesses, but discussion online had already shrunk dramatically. People were not fools. They could see the situation growing increasingly tense. They would rather discuss such matters privately in person than utter a single word on the internet, where traces were easier to leave behind and identities easier to track.

All of this gave the viewing atmosphere around the Dao-Void Martial Tournament a strange feel. On one hand, commentary programs were still booming, and every livestream had viewership and attention through the roof. On the other hand, the public’s discussions seemed confined to the tournament itself; the moment anything remotely sensitive came up, everyone fell silent.

It was as though some tacit understanding bound everyone together and forced them to keep acting along with the script. It was in just such an atmosphere that Shenming Sword Dao’s match against Zhengtian Dao began.

“Venerable Bai.”

Zhengtian Dao’s team was led by their senior brother, Chang Hongyuan. He was the first to step onto the platform and exchange greetings with Bai Xiang, while at the same time trying to sound her out so he could decide how hard to press matters.

Yes, outwardly, Chang Hongyuan acted as though he did not take Bai Xiang seriously, but in truth, he had no wish to provoke this “short-tempered demoness.”

The new method the demoness had created could not be spread. Because of that alone, Zhengtian Dao’s primary rival was not her.

In fact, Shenming Sword Dao was not the chief rival of most Void People sects either.

Compared with that, within the sphere of the main world, Yao Yu’s faction was the one truly worth guarding against.

Take Qingping Dao, for example, which had also been sweeping all before it lately… That poker-faced old man was vicious too. According to rumor, no matter whose people he faced, he chopped them into minced meat, leaving the arena awash in blood every single time.

So since there was no fundamental conflict of interest between the two sides, Chang Hongyuan felt there was no need for them to fight to the death. He was sounding Bai Xiang out because he wanted to reach a sort of tacit agreement with her.

Ideally, Shenming Sword Dao would lose to them by only the narrowest of margins. If Bai Xiang agreed, then he would also make sure the people sent onto the stage did not fight with cruel or lethal intent.

There really was no need for that.

With that thought in mind, Chang Hongyuan sent Bai Xiang a voice transmission. “I’ve heard that Venerable Bai has turned down quite a few formal invitations lately, including invitations from Qianyuan Sect and from Yao Yu.”

“Yes.” Bai Xiang gave him only that one word, lowering her lashes as she looked at him.

For the sake of the fact that he had addressed her as “Venerable Bai,” she did not mind listening to a few more words.

Chang Hongyuan thought to himself that this demoness really was putting on a lofty act, and continued, “Does Venerable Bai know that she has already stepped into a killing trap?”

“Oh?” Bai Xiang’s tone remained as bland as ever. “And where does this killing trap come from?”

“I acknowledge Venerable Bai’s strength, and I also acknowledge that Venerable Bai has the confidence to shelter Shenming Sword Dao in one corner and preserve it in peace.” Chang Hongyuan narrowed his eyes. “But the Void Tribulation is nearing. If Venerable Bai does not intend to flee far from the main world, as many of those who withdrew have done, and stay away until the dust settles, then Venerable Bai, you must make a corresponding choice.”

“And what sort of choice would that be?” Bai Xiang asked.

She could tell that Chang Hongyuan was not threatening her. He was sincerely thinking for her sake.

This man seems a little foolish. He’s clearly somewhat wary of me, yet when he looks at me, there’s still something hidden in his eyes.

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That seems to be… a kind of admiration?

Then he really is a forthright sort.

“Either choose Yao Yu Sword Dao, or choose the Sacred Court’s sacred methods.” Chang Hongyuan shook his head. “Venerable Bai is clearly a woman who has read books. There is no need for me to remind Venerable Bai of sayings such as, ‘A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.’”

Bai Xiang’s impression had not been wrong. The more Chang Hongyuan studied Bai Xiang’s past deeds, the more he truly did admire her a little.

It had nothing to do with appearance. The woman ranked first on the Heavenly Fragrance List was also in Zhengtian Dao, and Chang Hongyuan was no more interested in her.

He simply felt that creating a new method was an incredible feat, and that since Bai Xiang could do something he could not, then in some respects Bai Xiang had surpassed him.

That her new method could not be spread was not Bai Xiang’s fault. It was the fault of the era.

She had been born in the wrong age…

A genius cultivator like her, if she had been born before the sacred methods had fully spread, or if she had risen to prominence right after that rebellious demon race “sealed off heaven and earth,” then who could say what kind of future she might have had, or what standing she might hold now?

And this same genius cultivator was not even twenty years old yet.

He sincerely felt that Bai Xiang should not be so ambitious, should not insist on staying in the main world and trying to involve herself in this chaotic situation.

“If Venerable Bai is willing, I am willing to stand guarantor for your sect,” Chang Hongyuan continued. “Zhengtian Dao is willing to act as Shenming’s sponsor.”

The implication was obvious.

If Bai Xiang agreed, then it would amount to casting her lot with the Sacred Court.

The two sides could then be considered one family, and naturally there would be no need to fight to the death. Chang Hongyuan would also have his disciples ease up and take victory by only a slim margin.

What would she choose?

As Chang Hongyuan waited for Bai Xiang’s answer, he felt a trace of curiosity as well.

For Bai Xiang to have been given the nickname “demoness” on the Venerable Net was enough to show just how strange her manner of acting was.

One had to know that the word demon came from the Void Tribulation, from Loss of Order. It symbolized things like inscrutability and uncanny unpredictability.

Whether it was the thunderous methods with which she had guarded Maozhou, or the way she had left sword marks behind at the Sword Dao Association with such an overbearing posture, Bai Xiang’s actions had greatly exceeded the expectations of many forces.

Quite a few people on the Venerable Net described her as “mad to the point of deviation” and “using the name of preserving order to commit acts of overcorrection.” The fit was exceptionally apt.

“Do you know why you are inferior to Yang Chen?”

What?

Chang Hongyuan blanked for a moment before realizing those words had been directed at him by Bai Xiang.

“Yang Chen may be domineering in his methods and contemptible in the way he conducts himself, but at the very least, he does not try to get what he wants through words alone.”

Bai Xiang looked at Chang Hongyuan and spoke in a flat tone.

“You’ve given me advice, so I’ll give you some in return.”

“When you go back, you might try stepping down from your current duty of leading the team for a while.”

“Think carefully about who it is you’re cultivating for.”

Demoness…!

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Insolent fool!!

Chang Hongyuan narrowed his eyes, faintly angered by Bai Xiang.

“Since Dao Lord Bai insists on going her own way, then there is nothing more for Zhengtian Dao and Dao Lord Bai to discuss.”

Chang Hongyuan gave Bai Xiang a casual salute.

“I’ll be waiting for Dao Lord Bai later. Let’s see exactly how much you’re worth!”

Once the formalities were over, the Lingyun Group match immediately began.

In some of the previous matches, the other disciples in the Lingyun Group had also gotten chances to go on stage and temper themselves. That was because the gap between both sides had not been too great; even if tempers flared, it would not necessarily lead to crippling injuries or death.

But Zhengtian Dao was one of the foremost sects of the Void Realm, on par with Qianyuan Sect and the old Taixu Monastery. It could be said to rank below only the Demon Court itself. Its foundations were not something ordinary small sects could compare to. Even the participating disciples in its Lingyun Group were individually powerful, and there were even some at the Dao-Origin Realm.

The Dao-Void path began with shedding nine bodies.

After enduring nine Body Tribulations and then being tempered by heavenly lightning, one would cast off the demon aspect and reach a state where “appearance arises from the heart, and change comes at will.” From there, one could step into the utmost realm of mortal spirits: the Dao-Origin Realm.

In that realm, they would complete the most important accumulation of their entire lives, the final accumulation that could decide their fate. Once that accumulation was complete, they could begin condensing a divine pool. If successful, they could ascend in a single leap, cast off mortal garb completely, enter the ranks of the Venerable, and enjoy immense benefits and exalted status beyond the imagining of ordinary mortal spirits.

Shenming Sword Dao naturally understood all of this as well.

So in dealing with the Lingyun Group match, they did not continue sending out Refining Qi disciples. Instead, they sent Bai Zhuqing directly onto the stage, planning to use the strange tricks of her sword pellets to defeat several opponents first and build up the momentum for Bai Xiang’s later burst of victories.

When it came to foundations, Shenming Sword Dao simply could not compare with Zhengtian Dao.

Only if Bai Zhuqing first beat several opponents in the Lingyun Group and took some small points, and then Bai Xiang continued to sweep all ten opponents in the Peak Group without losing a single bout, would they have any hope of claiming overall victory.

“The idea is good, but do you really think I’ll let you win that easily?”

By now, Chang Hongyuan had already returned to his seat. Turning around and seeing that it was indeed that “sword-pellet female cultivator” who had taken the stage first, he let a cold smile rise at the corner of his mouth.

Not just anyone could be Zhengtian Dao’s senior brother.

The fact that his master had felt at ease entrusting the entire team to him was enough to show his approval, and his conviction that even in his absence, Chang Hongyuan had enough skill and wit to resolve any difficulty that arose.

“Lianyou.”

He looked toward the group and spoke a name.

“Senior Brother!”

A petite girl immediately stood up from among them. She carried a long case on her back. Her hair was done in twin buns, with two curved locks bound behind her head. Her face was round and adorably youthful.

“I’ll leave this one to you.”

“Yes!” The petite girl suppressed her excitement, thumping her flat chest hard. “I definitely won’t disappoint Senior Brother… or Senior Sister!”

“That has nothing to do with me.”

Gu Xi muttered from the side, “Every time, it’s always like this. I only taught some music in Master’s place, so don’t go making me responsible for everything!”

Her voice was extremely soft, and she had muffled the sound as well, so almost no one heard her.

The other disciples were all cheering Lianyou on as they watched her jump onto the stage with the long case on her back. Only Xu Shaolian was covering her mouth and laughing at the side, and she sent Gu Xi a voice transmission as well. “But Little Lian’s skills really were all personally passed down by Sister Xi’er, so Sister Xi’er shouldn’t be so modest~”

It’s not modesty. I simply have a bad feeling about this.

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Gu Xi revealed nothing on her face, but inwardly she shook her head.

Her junior sister Xu Shaolian had an innocent nature. Who knew whether she had been spending too much time on the Venerable Net, reading nonsense stirred up by idle busybodies? Day in and day out, she treated that Bai Zhixing like a thorn in her side, insisting that Bai Zhixing must not be allowed to snatch away her top spot on the Heavenly Fragrance List.

But in truth, Gu Xi had never cared about that position to begin with.

After one passed the lightning tribulation, any living being could freely mold an outer appearance. Even if one had previously been a pig or an insect, so long as one could imagine it and shape it with one’s own hands, assuming a look no less beautiful than her own was no difficult matter.

That was why she had always felt the Heavenly Fragrance List rankings were meaningless. They claimed to take bearing and temperament into account, but if she had not come from a famous major sect like Zhengtian Dao and had instead come from some obscure minor dojo, there was no way her ranking would be this high. She might not even make the top hundred.

This Shenming Sword Dao even bore the name “Shenming” as its crown. The arts it specialized in should presumably have something to do with sound and rhythm as well.

Gu Xi turned her gaze toward the arena. Watching Lianyou and that sword-pellet girl exchange formal greetings, a gleam flashed through her eyes.

Would Lian’er’s Six-Immortal Zither suppress those darting sword pellets, or had this girl hidden techniques of sound and rhythm as well?

Let me get a good look.

“Zhengtian Dao, Lianyou.”

The bun-haired girl looked across at her opponent with an arrogant expression, as though she did not take Bai Zhuqing seriously at all.

“Shenming, Bai Zhuqing.”

Bai Zhuqing, however, did not slight her.

It was said that what one heard and saw would influence one over time. In the past, Bai Zhuqing might not have cared about rules and ritual at all. For a time, she had even thought Bai Shengju’s fussing over such things was completely unnecessary.

But she had watched Bai Xiang so often that she had begun unconsciously imitating her elder sister’s conduct.

That included the parts having to do with propriety.

So she was always extremely serious at moments like this. Mimicking Bai Xiang, she raised her sword upright and saluted with meticulous correctness.

Once the two had completed their greetings, the match formally began.

Bai Zhuqing chose to attack first. Relying on the fact that her body cultivation had advanced beyond her peers, she took a short explosive step and flashed in front of her opponent like a ghost.

So fast?

Lianyou could not help but jump in fright.

She could not understand it. More than ten meters separated them. Plenty of body cultivators could rush that far, but not to the point that one could not even react… Was this girl some kind of ghost?

Clang—

Bai Zhuqing was not polite with her.

As had been said, her fighting style was learned from Bai Xiang. So once the fight began, she never wasted words with her opponent. She struck for the vital point, attacked first, and showed no mercy. The Qingwu Sword was already leaving its sheath on the momentum of her movement, turning into a blade of light that slashed at her foe.

Dodge?

Too late!

The change had come too quickly. Lianyou had only just thought of dodging when she realized she absolutely would not make it in time.

In that instant of danger, she could only twist her body slightly and use the long case on her back as a shield, taking Bai Zhuqing’s slash head-on!

Bang!

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The long case split apart, and only then did the sonic boom reach the arena.

Those in the crowd whose dynamic vision was poorer could only see a burst of air like a shock-cloud membrane appear between the two, and then in the next instant, one of them was sent flying backward, tumbling rapidly through midair.

After landing one blow, Bai Zhuqing pressed on with sword momentum. She exploded off the stone-brick floor with her feet, another blast sounding out as she shot into the air and forcibly caught up to the enemy who had already been knocked back and thrown out of position.

It’s over.

Coldly staring at the curled-up girl, Bai Zhuqing lifted her sword in an upward slash, aiming to cut off both of her forearms.

But halfway through the attack, she saw Lianyou smile. Her expression changed at once. The sword blade left her hand and turned into a sword pellet, whirling around to guard diagonally behind her.

Clang!

Crash!

A deafening explosion rang out, and shockwaves billowed outward.

In midair, a six-stringed black zither had appeared, as though possessed of a will of its own, slashing down sideways. Its razor-sharp strings were locked directly against the Qingwu sword pellet.

“What is that?”

Li Sheng frowned, unable to understand what new dao method or divine ability that was.

“A material better than the Qingwu Sword.”

Xiang Xian, however, saw through it at a glance and shook her head with a sigh.

“As expected of a major sect.”

“They actually used black profound-iron essence to make the strings.”

The tremendous vibration-waves continued spreading out, sweeping over the grass below the arena and stirring up ring after ring of ripples in the air. Taking advantage of Bai Zhuqing having her back turned to her, Lianyou clenched her fist and swung at her, only for her vision to blur and another sword pellet to appear before her eyes.

This is… the Splitting-Light Art Senior Brother mentioned!?

Lianyou gritted her teeth. Not daring to collide head-on with the sword pellet, she blurred sideways, rolled, and caught the black zither in her arms, landing nimbly on the ground again.

Bai Zhuqing landed a step after her.

At that point, the two sides had effectively switched positions.

“Heh…” Lianyou let out a little snicker.

What a nuisance.

Bai Zhuqing frowned.

I was planning to keep this hidden a little longer.

But since you insist on resisting…

With that thought, she drew her feet together and stood upright. The Qingwu Sword’s pellet returned to formation, and she once more assumed the posture of a sword salute.

Hm?

Lianyou froze.

Then she saw the Qingwu Sword separate and turn into a pellet once more. Suspended in midair, it split from one into two, from two into four, from four into eight… until there were eight tiny sword-pellet spheres in all.