Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“The Sword of Death is filled with a killing aura. When the sword stabs into the enemy’s body, the sword wielder will feel a supreme contentment. If you are unaware of it during ordinary times and only have a strong killing desire when an enemy appears, you are practicing the Sword of Death. Stand on this side”
Gu Shenwei pointed to the right side of Lotus. Everyone in the hall was lost in thought. After a while, some people moved from the right to the left while some others went from the left to the right.
The sword techniques of these people all originated from Lotus, who had taught only what she believed to be true, that was, the cultivation method of the Sword of Death that she personally practiced. So, most people had stayed within this scope. The people on both sides became extremely uneven with more than 120 people on the right side and less than 30 people on the opposite side.
There were people on both sides who were still unsure of their cultivation method, and were waiting for the Dragon King to continue.
“The Sword of Harmonization is also filled with killing aura. Its practitioners often fantasize that they are the sword in their hands. When they move, they usually bend their arms rather than straighten their arms like how regular practitioners do. They want their bodies to be closer to the sword so that they can exert more strength. If you think that you meet these characteristics, then please stand on this side.”
Old Man Mu stood by the Dragon King. Although he didn’t know this swordsmanship, he was listening more attentively than anyone else. “This training method is also ‘full of killing aura’?”
“Hmm. Every cultivation method I’m about to say is based on killing aura.”
This was just a conjecture of Gu Shenwei’s. Lotus had only taught the cultivation method of the Sword of Death so it was impossible for the practitioners to figure out a completely different type of sword technique no matter how hard they tried. He had browsed through all seven stone chambers in Golden Roc Castle and carefully observed three of them. The distinctions between the various cultivation methods had become clearer and clearer in his eyes, and there were exactly seven types of sword techniques.
Four swordsmen on the left and one on the right stepped forward and stood by the side of the wall at the entrance, looking at each other with sympathy yet also irreconcilable hatred.
“The practitioner of this sword technique is not only filled with killing aura but also with hatred. When they attack someone, they will always treat the target as their enemy even if the other side is a stranger. And their sword moves will be ferocious and they will always pierce through the target’s body. I call this sword technique the Sword of Hatred.”
Surprisingly, quite a few people had comprehended this technique. Eleven people on the left and six people on the right stood out with neither of them looking at each other. Although they had all bowed their heads, everyone could suddenly feel the hatred dwelling within their hearts.
These seventeen people, without exception, were all disciples of the Waning Moon Hall. The seeds of hatred that had planted in their mind when they were little had finally blossomed and yielded fruit.
“Similar to the Sword of Hatred, the practitioners of the Sword of Fury always hold a lot of pent-up anger with them to release even when no one is around. Every time the anger flares up, they feel like they are the most powerful person in the world and can perform the swordsmanship without a hitch. The strength of the Sword of Hatred depends on the enemy while the power of the Sword of Fury depends on oneself. Practitioners of the Sword of Fury, stand on this side.”
Seven men and a woman walked out, whose eyes swept through the crowd. They didn’t flinch even when they passed by the Dragon King.
“To kill for pleasure and to kill with full strength even when the other party doesn’t know kung fu. And the practitioner of this technique will feel distressed if he doesn’t kill at least once a day. I call it Sword of Mania.”
No one stood out. After a long while, someone said, “He’s dead.”
One of them had comprehended this technique, but had been attacked by several swordsmen as soon as the slaughter began. He was killed before he could progress much along his sword techniques.
Gu Shenwei nodded and continued. “The practitioner of the Sword of Survival has no intention to kill, but when they are in a life-and-death situation, their potential will be stimulated and they will be able to perform a sword technique that they can’t at normal times. Their killing aura will surge in an instant.”
Old Man Mu frowned. “This doesn’t sound like a good cultivation method, does it? Why wait for someone to kill you before you ‘struggle to survive?’ Isn’t it tantamount to giving up the first-move advantage? It may work for once or twice, but if one always fights like this, the practitioner will be doomed for sure. Who would be so stupid as to practice this type of swordsmanship?”
Shangguan Hong, who was standing in the crowd on the right, had just taken a few steps forward. Upon hearing Old Man Mu’s words, he couldn’t help but blush, but it was too late to retreat. To his slight relief, two other people also walked out from the other side, who also looked uneasy as if their cultivation method was inferior to others.
“There’s no relative superiority or inferiority between the various cultivation methods of the Death Sutra,” Gu Shenwei said. “Struggling for survival is just the mentality that one has when performing the swordsmanship. The practitioner doesn’t have to wait for the other side to make a move. As long as he senses danger, his desire for survival will be stimulated. And the stronger the desire, the fiercer the swordsmanship. He will do whatever it takes to survive even at the expense of being injured.”
“I see. It seems that the practitioners of this style are either a coward or too suspicious,” Old Man Mu concluded.
The faces of Shangguan Hong and the other two practitioners became less red. The Dragon King’s affirmation of their training method had a greater impact on them than Old Man Mu’s doubts.
“There’s one more swordsmanship based on killing aura. Wild Horse calls it the Ceasing and Arising Swordsmanship. The practitioner of this swordsmanship will regard all living beings as stray dogs and killing as a normal thing. He won’t be pleased, saddened, or angered when killing others, and neither will he treat his opponents differently according to their relationships.”
Wild Horse held his head up high. What the Dragon King said was right, but he thoroughly disdained it. He believed that he was unique and that the swordsmanship he had comprehended was also unprecedented. Even if it was one of the sword techniques delineated by the predecessor, it should be more extraordinary than the other styles.
Gu Shenwei looked at Wild Horse.
Most people’s eyes fell on the two of them so no one noticed the person on the left until she took several steps forward.
Old Man Mu’s eyes lit up. He laughed out loud and said, “Little Wild Horse, you’ve got a companion. And it’s a beauty too.”
The person who walked out was a disciple of the Waning Moon Hall. It was a bit exaggerated to call her a beauty, but she was not ugly by any stretch. In her thirties, she was cold and determined, and had a somewhat similar demeanor as Wild Horse’s.
“The Ceasing and Arising Swordsmanship is the most powerful training method.” The woman came to the Dragon King and coolly said this, her tone as firm as her expression, without any doubt at all.
“What’s your name?” Gu Shenwei asked.
The woman did not answer. Instead, she stared at the Dragon King and waited for him to make a point.
“Han Qin, her name is Han Qin,” Han Fen cried out from the side of Lotus.
“There’s no such thing as a weak or strong training method, just weak or strong practitioners,” Gu Shenwei said to the crowd. He was also speaking to himself. His many understandings and conjectures hadn’t become clear until then. “There are still some of you left, and your training method…”
There were still eight people on the left who were unsure about their swordsmanship style. Although there were twenty-nine different training methods in the Death Sutra, these seven different types were the only ones based on killing aura. Gu Shenwei didn’t think that people would be able to break through the scope set by Lotus.
Han Qin interrupted before Gu Shenwei could finish his words. “Wait. The Ceasing and Arising Swordsmanship has the least number of practitioners. Isn’t it the most profound?”
Old Man Mu rushed to answer. “No. Those who comprehended the Sword of Madness have the least number of practitioners. There was only one and he was killed. So you and little Wild Horse’s swordsmanship isn’t special at all. It’s just one of the many.”
Han Qin’s eyes slightly narrowed. She had heard enough and wanted to prove the power of the Ceasing and Arising Swordsmanship with her long sword.
Gu Shenwei was ready to make a move. Once one had the killing desire, it was hard to sever it. He didn’t want to kill more people, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t.
The hall fell silent again. Old Man Mu took several steps back and excitedly waited for the Dragon King to show his swordsmanship, only to find that the Dragon King had retreated just as he did.
Wild Horse walked out and gazed at Han Qin, his sword still unsheathed.
Han Qin turned around, slightly surprised. But she soon understood that Wild Horse would not allow someone who had comprehended the same style of swordsmanship as he had to live in this world.
And neither would she.
All mortal beings could be killed and Wild Horse was no exception. Han Fen drew her sword. Her expression was so firm that she looked a bit stubborn. But deep in her heart, she felt a bit nervous. Her opponent was Wild Horse, who had comprehended the swordsmanship earlier than she had and had killed more than she had . If the Dragon King was right, then Wild Horse was obviously the stronger one.
Fear was lighter than a sigh. Before the fear could brew, Han Qin acted.
For most people, Wild Horse and Han Qin’s sword moves seemed disappointing. The two behaved like thugs who bullied obedient people and they both stabbed straight at each other’s belly as if what they held were daggers instead of long swords, which were neither fast nor flexible as if the other side were too obedient to escape.
Neither of the two dodged, but Wild Horse’s sword was a bit faster.
One, two… Wild Horse stabbed Han Qin’s stomach twice, completely ignoring the sword coming at him.
As Han Qin fell, Wild Horse turned to glance around the crowd.
Everyone felt the pressure and involuntarily bowed and retreated. Wild Horse’s swordsmanship might not be impressive, but his momentum was indeed unparalleled.
Gu Shenwei, who was standing the nearest to him, however, remained calm and collected and didn’t seem to think Wild Horse’s victory was a big deal.
Old Man Mu also didn’t move. Although his kung fu was currently a bit weaker than most of the people here, his insight was still first-class. “I saw it and understand it. The seven different training methods are all based on killing aura. They might be different in their form, but their essence is the same. Why? It’s because the enemy will be frightened by the killing aura, and their speed and strength will be weakened correspondingly. So, making the enemy slower is another way to make oneself faster. Han Qin had already lost before she even made a move. It’s just that she didn’t realize it. Little Wild Horse’s killing aura is denser than anyone else’s so he’s the most formidable, right?”
“That’s pretty much what I meant.” Old Man Mu and Gu Shenwei asked and answered each other as if the killing that had just taken place had been a simple demonstration.
Unconvinced, Han Fen said, “Master Commander was the first to learn the swordsmanship and her killing aura is also the strongest. She’s more powerful than Wild Horse.”
“Heh heh, maybe you are right. Hey, have you guys figured out what kind of training methods you are using? Or have you guys found something different?” Old Man Mu didn’t want to argue with Han Fen. He was asking the last eight people.
The eight had already decided. Seven of them went to the right and joined the ranks of the Sword of Death while the remaining one stood with the practitioners of the Sword of Hatred.
Old Man Mu smiled at Wild Horse and said, “All right, Little Wild Horse. You’ve proven that you are the strongest practitioner of the Ceasing and Arising Swordsmanship. You may withdraw now.”
But Wild Horse didn’t move. Old Man Mu widened his eyes and scolded, “The Dragon King has new sword moves to explain. Do you want to see them or not? Back off!”
Wild Horse retreated to Lotus’ side. Everyone in the hall admired Old Man Mu’s courage but also felt that he would probably not walk out of the underground chamber alive.
“The strongest killing aura can even frighten and petrify the opponent, resulting in many new moves,” Gu Shenwei said as he drew his saber and held it high in the air. With the saber slanting down, he slowly stabbed at the ground as if he were piercing an enemy who had already been stupefied in front of him.
The move was too simple and full of flaws. Even Old Man Mu couldn’t find any mysteriousness in it. “Heh heh. Even the fiercest killing aura can’t be that formidable. Little Wild Horse can at most slow his opponent down a bit, but the Dragon King’s move is tantamount to asking the enemy to give up all resistance. I can’t believe it!”
Old Man Mu said what was on everyone’s mind.
“It’s not exaggerated,” Lotus suddenly said. She had been sitting in the chair, looking on coldly as if she didn’t care at all about what was going on in the hall.
“You can do that?” Old Man Mu didn’t believe it at all.
Lotus got up, walked slowly to Old Man Mu, and nodded. “I can.”
