Chapter Seventy Eight: Later Move
Speed was undefeatable.
Gu Huai had lost the battle on the plains with Tang Xin and his spirits slightly frustrated but he was the master of Spirit Void Sword Sect, one of the strongest swordsmen of the world. When he was fast, ordinary people could not react at all.
Just as the fifteen sword essences with lifebond presence took form, the sky above the ancestral lands was pierced through. Fifteen points of starlight appeared like fifteen stars. This kind of sword essence was so fast people had no time to think.
Shen Xuan only had time to start feeling sorrow. He knew that even at his peak, he could not endure such a blow. The disparity existed. His present cultivation was enough to look down upon most realm sevens in Changling but could not compare to legendary people of Ba Mountain Sword Field like Zheng Xiu and Gu Huai. While they were all realm sevens, the difference was so much that he may not be able to withstand one blow. To Changling, these people were like gods while he was a mortal man.
So was this going to be death?
But as the fifteen stars appeared in the sky and he had no time to respond, Ding Ning reacted.
Ding Ning’s response was extremely simple. He reached out with his hand, the vital energy in his body quickly surging out and hitting the purple jade tree ahead of him. Many of the purple tree’s tentacles strangely lit up, like lightning flowing along to the top of the tree and then charging into the sky.
Gu Huai frowned deeply. The primal energies of the universe flowing from the top of the tree quickly dissipated in the air, not turning into killing intent and doing just one thing – – blocking the connection between his sword mountain and the mistress of Changling. It was like a patch of cloud obscured the starry sky. Starlight could no longer land on his sword. He could no longer borrow Zheng Xiu’s power and she could no longer use his sword to “see here”.
But this did not stop his killing intent. Only one person here could pose a threat to him. That person was standing behind him, Zhan Moke.
Although Zhan Moke was just standing there quietly, there were dozens of black threads of light forming in the space between him and Gu Huai like metal wire falling towards Gu Huai’s back.
The fifteen stars above Gu Huai’s head fell down, not towards Ding Ning but to the crowded space between him and Zhan Moke. It was like a calm frozen lake was broken. Some crisp sound occurred in this crowded space.
It was like a calm frozen lake was broken. Some crisp sound occurred in this crowded space. A ruler straight white line formed between the two of them like a heavenly river splitting apart two worlds.
Gu Huai’s body flew back dozens of feet. Zhan Moke appeared beside the slope flowing with stone dust and grass sap. A wide gully had appeared between him and where he originally stood and the stone coffins on the surface were shattered.
Even though he faced almost all the power, Wu Lianzi, standing next to him, was still affected, and his body hit the stone wall hard. As a boom rang out, Wu Lianzi vomited blood.
Blood once again oozed from Gu Huai’s shoulder. He did not look at Ding Ning, Shen Xuan and the others, turning around coldly and laughed at Zhan MokeWho was standing by the stone slope. His smile was full of scorn, and even had a hint of pity. “You cannot help yourself so soon?”
Zhan Moke did not meet his gaze, he just looked up at the sky.
He said calmly, “He is right, you are the strongest person here so you must be the first to die. Also, you are wounded, and Zheng Xiu cannot see your sword right now. As long as she cannot see here through your sword, she cannot sense what really happened here.” Zhan Moke continued after a pause. “If I kill you, she will not know what I gained from here, she will not go mad and want to completely conquer the plains. Facing the danger of being surrounded when fighting Chu, Yan, and Qi, she will still work with me.”
“Such a good idea.” Gu Huai laughed loudly but then his laugh faded and he said expressionlessly, “But you are not Tang Xin.”
But you are not Tang Xin.
The words were not hard to understand. Zhan Moke knew he was not as strong as Tang Xin, even so, he was not angry at these words. He slowly looked down, his gaze falling to Ding Ning.
Gu Huai looked at him, still expressionless like he was looking at someone dead. Then he drew his sword. He had always known the principle of getting the drop on the enemy. The lessons three years before Yuanwu’s ascension caused him to understand this principle even better.
He needed to be fast so he would not attack after the surrounding people attacked first. The seriously injured Shen Xuan was not important in his eyes but this Tianliang person was still a terrifying enemy, so he did not hesitate. He used the fastest sword from the past Ba Mountain Sword Field, which was still the fastest sword now.
This sword was called Thought Void.
As Gu Huai’s thoughts moved, the space in front of Zhan Moke split apart and a sword shadow appeared. This sword shadow was only a foot long, but extremely heavy, with a presence like it could suppress the world. It seemed like the miniature of the Sword Mountain Sword.
Not just this in front of Zhan Moke, but the spaces in front of Ding Ning, Shen Xuan, Li Xixing and Hu Jingjing all tore apart and a similar shadow appeared.
All five were tangible sword shadows. Other than Wu Lianzi who had not yet stood up, Gu Huai was going to kill five people with one attack.
Zhan Moke’s palm flipped upwards and a powerful lifebond presence emerged. This was a blade essence that seemed to resonant with the moon like it would take the power of the moon out of the sky.
This thought occurred in so short a time but he was waiting. He also could only block Gu Huai’s sword towards him. If Ding Ning could not resolve the situation, then Ding Ning and the others would die.
Ding Ning did not seem to move at all. Yet an imperceptible sword essence was faster than his blade essence and even faster than Gu Huai’s “Thought Void” sword essence.
This imperceptible sword essence came from the body of the middle-aged man lying on the purple jade tree roots. When Zhan Moke’s sword essence formed, it turned to wind and rain.
Gu Huai, expressionless and eyes full of scorn, had no time to turn around. His perception surpassed his usual limit and reached the middle-aged man.
A weak pale white flying sword quickly retreated and fell towards the purple tree.
At the same time, that odd middle-aged man, who was constantly convulsing and appeared as though he could no longer fight, sat up with terrifying power rising between his palms.
Zhan Moke’s expression relaxed and his mind opened. He finally understood where Ding Ning’s move came from.
His blade essence flew out decisively without hesitation. The black moon formed and immediately cut off the metal-colored sword light that appeared out of the void. Then he continued to advance.
In the ancestral lands, wind and rain moved fiercely. A peerless sword essence, sweeping along the wind and rain, stabbed towards Gu Huai’s back.
Gu Huai’s confusion and shock left him at a loss. He still had the ability to kill Ding Ning and the others, but he did not want to die. The heavy sword shadows pressing in front of Ding Ning and the others suddenly disappeared. All of the power seemed to be sucked back into his hands.
With a boom, the Sword Mountain did not appear, but the spirit of the sword seemed to appear in his hand. His right hand held an invisible giant sword as he slashed towards the wind and rain. At the same time, his left fingers flickered. A faint purple light seemed to cut through the voice and create a round hole in front of Zhan Moke’s moon.
His left hand’s sword essence was empty and wondrous as though it came from another dimension as it collided with Zhan Moke’s blade essence. His right hand’s sword essence was as pure and heavy as a mountain. It was extremely fierce as it struggled against the middle-aged man’s sword essence. At this moment, the power and presence he showed made him look like a god. At the same time, he let out a furious and shrill scream!
