Unsheathed

A’Liang slashed down at the White Jade Capital.

An extremely thin golden thread appeared between him and the White Jade Capital atop the stone altar, and this thread rapidly surged toward the tower like a booming wave.

Song Changjing didn’t retreat, and he instead strode forward in advance, with his aura instantly soaring to the pinnacle level of martial arts. Unleashing a furious bellow, he crossed his arms before his

A giant web of cracks spread through the plaza as the second End Tier grandmaster in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent heavily stomped his feet.

To temper one’s martial arts cultivation while teetering on the brink between life and death — these weren’t empty words. As a prince of the Great Li Empire, Song Changjing had resolutely decided to join the army in his youth, galloping around on his warhorse for 20-odd years and experiencing innumerable battles and bitter fights to the death. In the end, he had risen above the other martial artists in the empire. Song Changjing’s decision to face this challenge head-on perhaps reflected one of the reasons why he had reached such a profound height.

The thin golden thread made contact with Song Changjing’s elbow, instantly slashing open the sleeve of his white robe like a hot knife through butter. One had to realize that Song Changjing’s robe was a top-notch immortal artifact in the Great Li Empire, the “Flowing Water Robe”. It was a precious treasure left by a deceased Daoist terrestrial god at the Upper Five Tiers, and it was said that this robe could block all attacks and immortal spells from cultivators below the Upper Five Tiers. However, it was surprisingly fragile and useless against the seemingly tangible golden thread.

Even without the protection of his white robe, Song Changjing still refused to take a backward step. He wanted to test something; he wanted to see whether his physique, which was rumored to be as powerful as the bodies of golden arhats, could block this godly saber attack.

He quickly received an answer — yes, but only for a split second.

Even so, Song Changjing still refused to retreat. He unleashed a furious roar, and a peculiar golden glow immediately appeared on his face. The Qi inside him circulated, yet it instantly transformed from a tumultuous stream into a seemingly frozen lake.

Song Changjing stumbled back several meters.

A thin gash had already appeared on his arms, yet no blood flowed from these wounds. At the same time, the unstoppable golden thread was imminently about to cut into his bones.

“Move aside!”

A Daoist talisman warrior that was dressed in green armor and measuring over a dozen meters tall knocked Song Changjing several steps to the side and took his spot.

Countless golden talismans and cloud patterns were engraved on the armored warrior, and it radiated with a brilliant glow as it tightly held onto the thin golden thread that was completely disproportionate to its burly body.

It stepped back in retreat, again and again.

In the end, the talisman warrior that had been carefully crafted by a powerful Daoist sect was sliced into two. However, the thin golden thread was only slightly dimmer than before as it continued to surge toward the White Jade Capital.

The puppet talisman warrior crashed to the ground with a boom. However, an old man in plain and coarse clothes appeared behind it, and he raised a single hand to block the thin golden thread.

There was an aura of age and decay emanating from the old man, yet his appearance was clearly one of youth and vigor. He gave off an extremely strange feeling. There was a bitter smile on his face, and he spoke the official dialect of another continent as he asked in a hoarse voice, “A’Liang, can you stop now?”

A’Liang frowned and asked, “Luan Changye? Weren’t you exiled to the north after failing to win the position of candidate Juzi?”

Blood was already seeping from the old man’s hand as he blocked the thin golden thread, and he replied in resignation, “It’s a long story.”

A look of realization spread across A’Liang’s face, and he remarked, “I was wondering who could construct such a clumsy small replica of the White Jade Capital in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. So it was you!”

Luan Changye hesitated for a brief moment before admitting in a low voice, “I once consulted Mr. Qi about how to build this tower.”

A’Liang shot a sideways glance at Song Changjing who was seemingly itching to leap into battle again. After a lengthy battle in his mind, Song Changjing ultimately decided to abandon his urge to battle again.

A’Liang looked at Luan Changye, the familiar old man from the Mohist Sect. He flicked his wrist slightly, causing Auspicious Talisman to lightly sway in his hands. His movements appeared especially lazy and belittling. In reality, however, he hadn’t unleashed his full power just then. Otherwise, not only would Song Changjing have died, but even Luan Changye would have been unable to block his attack. At the same time, the White Jade Capital would have also been demolished.

If that were to happen, the state of the Great Li Empire would have been reverted by 40 to 50 years. In other words, A’Liang would have taken back all of the benefits that Qi Jingchun had given the Great Li Empire by founding Mountain Cliff Academy. He could do all of this with a simple slash.

Among the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Mohist Sect was quite a powerful school of thought. It had three branches, and one of these branches was almost entirely made up of gallant individuals who traveled around the world. Most of these people were Qi refiners, or more specifically, swordsmen.

Meanwhile, A’Liang was an adventurer who had traveled around the world and was widely renowned in several large continents. He had encountered Luan Changye once, and this person who had only been two steps away from becoming a leading figure of Mohism at the time had felt genuine respect and reverence toward him. Thus, A’Liang knew who Luan Changye was, but he wasn’t especially familiar with this person.

However, Luan Changye’s mention of Qi Jingchun immediately caused A’Liang to feel ticked off again. He raised Auspicious Talisman once again, pointing the tip of the blade at the old man who had been exiled from the Mohist Sect. He laughed in anger and spat, “Qi Jingchun’s already dead, yet you still want to use him as a shield to protect your Great Li Empire’s White Jade Capital? Since when did you become even more shameless than me?”

There was a mischievous smile on the old man’s aged face, and he shook his head in earnest and replied, “I can’t compare to you, Senior A’Liang. When Mr. Qi spoke of you, he also had the same expression as what you have right now.”

A’Liang was slightly skeptical of Luan Changye’s first remark. However, he fully believed the old man’s latter remark.

A’Liang glanced at the sky before slowly returning Auspicious Talisman to its scabbard. He shot a glare at the old man and said, “Don’t think I can’t see through your plan to delay the situation.”

Only after A’Liang re-sheathed his saber did the emperor of the Great Li Empire appear beside Luan Changye under the protection of Mr. Lu.

The emperor wanted to step forward, yet Mr. Lu immediately grabbed his sleeve and warned in a soft voice, “Don’t be brusque.”

The emperor smiled and shook his head, breaking free from the old man’s grip and continuing to walk forward. After taking a dozen or so steps, he cupped his fists and greeted, “The Great Li Empire’s Song Zhengchun pays his respects to Senior A’Liang.”

A’Liang squinted his eyes and suddenly placed his hand on the hilt of his saber.

Despair instantly flooded everyone’s mind.

The emperor smiled and shut his eyes, appearing calm and composed as he waited for death to arrive.

Behind A’Liang, someone piteously begged, “A’Liang! You can’t kill him!”

A’Liang didn’t turn around, and his voice became even more furious as he berated, “You meek little bastard! You liked to compete with Qi Jingchun ever since you were young, and so be it if you weren’t able to beat him. What’s so shameful about that? Yet, you insist on indulging in these lowly schemes? Do you genuinely believe that I won’t dare to beat you to death simply because of our old friendship?”

Standing behind A’Liang was a tall and haggard old man with sunken cheeks. He was dressed in green and wearing jade pendants, and his aura and disposition were as good as could be. He looked much like a Confucian Sage who traveled around to enlighten the masses.

His expression was complicated as he said in a soft voice, “A’Liang, Qi Jingchun sacrificed the entire second half of his life for the Great Li Empire!”

A’Liang turned around with a dark expression and spat, “That’s utter bullshit, Cui Chan! Even Mountain Cliff Academy is gone, yet you still have the gall to say this?”

There was a firm look in the old man’s eyes, and he insisted, “What I’m saying is the truth. Qi Jingchun genuinely wished that the Great Li Empire could forge a different path. Even though he was ultimately disappointed, A’Liang, you can’t deny that his chosen candidates are children from the Great Li Empire’s Dragon Spring County!”

He lowered his head and continued, “A’Liang, you personally told me at that time; you said that I, Cui Chan, could walk my own path.”

“Rather than reasoning with smart people like you who like to split hairs, I’m better off arguing with a little bastard like Li Huai,” A’Liang sneered.

He loosened his grip on the saber hilt and continued, “The old geezer accomplished countless earth-shaking feats during his time. In the end, however, he had no option but to imprison himself in the Forest of Virtue. This is truly a lonely and pitiful fate. His life was filled with ups and downs, and he even spent quite a long time rolling around in puddles of sloppy mud. However, the feeling that he gave off was still one of cleanliness and gentleness — clean on the outside and gentle on the inside. Qi Jingchun was also the same. However, you, Cui Chan, can’t compare to them.

“Qi Jingchun was extremely stubborn at that time, yet you were quick to absorb everything you were taught. Who would have that in the end, it was Qi Jingchun who became powerful enough to engage in an earth-shattering fight with those old bastards? Meanwhile, you’ve wound up in a state that’s neither human, nor ghost, nor god, nor immortal. You only have yourself to blame.”

A’Liang smiled and reminisced, “The last time I saw that old geezer, he said that your intentions are correct, but your way of about things is incorrect. In the end, he also said that your copybooks are truly well written, especially the ‘Small Garden Chives Copybook’ and the ‘Chrysanthemums of the World Copybook’. He said that he should have asked you for a few extra sheets of the copybook beforehand if he had known that you would eventually betray him.”

The rims of Cui Can’s eyes became bright red, and he said in a quivering voice, “Master also feels like he made some mistakes? He admits that he wasn’t always correct?”

A’Liang rolled his eyes and replied, “Where did I learn my shamelessness from? The old geezer might not verbally admit to being wrong, but as his disciples who have lived off his food and drinks for so many years, could you people not try to play dumb even though you actually understood? In any case, others might not be aware of the old geezer’s supreme abilities and challenges, but are you not aware? Forget about it, I’m only wasting my breath talking with you. Now shut up and piss off. I don’t want to see your cowardly figure anymore.”

The old man swayed and staggered as he turned around to leave, with his strange sobs and bitter chuckles sounding especially forlorn in the large and spacious plaza.

A’Liang looked up at the sky again, and he was like a shrew woman in the streets as he cursed, “I know, I know! Stop telling me to hurry up! Hurry up your mom! Why don’t you people take the same surname as that brat Cui Chan[1]? If you’re so capable, then why don’t you come down to beat me up? Come on!” This truly broadened the horizons of the others.

However, cursing was one matter, and completing his tasks was another matter.

A’Liang untied Auspicious Talisman from his hip and thought for a moment before tossing it to Song Changjing. However, he turned to the emperor as he said, “I’m going to leave this saber with you. Help me return it to a little girl called Li Baoping. Remember to show her some respect; she’s my friend.”

The emperor nodded and said with a smile, “No problem.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… Drinking wine as she rides a galloping horse, with a saber and a gourd on her hips. What a beautiful and breathtaking sight. The world will be able to feast its eyes in the future!” A’Liang murmured to himself.

Song Changjing caught the slender saber.

Even though this was a saber, it was brimming with an astounding amount of surging sword qi that was as profound and vast as the ocean.

A’Liang hesitated briefly before deciding against removing his green bamboo scabbard as well. He stretched lazily and even jumped a few times before looking up and asking with a chuckle, “I’m coming, I’m coming! Oi, person in the sky, answer me this. Is Buddhism more percipient, or is Daoism more profound?! Whose power is greater, and whose fist is stronger?!”

There existed heavens beyond the heavens, and it was here that a person smiled faintly and a person recited a Buddhist chant.

A’Liang roared with laughter and announced, “Then allow me to decide after I’ve fought with you!”

The aura of the man who proclaimed that he never bragged rose explosively, soaring from the pinnacle of the 12th Tier to the pinnacle of the 13th Tier in an instant. Like a column of dazzling light, he rapidly soared into the air and directly pierced through the roof of this majestic world’s sky, eventually vanishing without a trace.

Song Jixin was unwilling to retract his gaze even after a long time. In the end, he discovered that the emperor’s back was drenched in sweat that had already soaked his brilliant yellow dragon robe.

He couldn’t help but gaze up again. At this moment, Song Jixin finally realized that such fierce people truly existed in the world.

1. The character for urge in Chinese (催) is the same character as Cui Chan’s surname. ☜