Chapter Forty-Nine: Rotten Armor
In a sense, the Heart Thought Sword was the fastest flying sword method in the world. Other sects, even the ones with fast swords, would just spin around their enemy, and there would be a distance from where they were flying. If there was a distance, there were trajectories, tracks, a start and an end. they were easy to detect.
The Heart Thought Sword of Mind Chamber Sect was formed from a thought and went where the will wanted. From gathering primal energies of the universe to the formation, the sword energy was transparent and intangible with no trace to be tracked. This attack would come from the front, but the next could come from anywhere.
Unless Shen Xuan could spin rapidly, Zheng Bainiao could form invisible sword energy anytime around him. But if he kept on spinning, it would expend a lot of vital energy. His body was not a flying sword, and there was great momentum when he moved. Only those legendary footwork skills could achieve movement without any trace so Zheng Bainiao could not keep track of him.
Even more importantly, Zheng Bainiao had terrifying vital energy. Each of his flying swords were so condensed they were tangible, and were no different from a true flying sword. The sword energies formed from the younger generation of Mind Chamber Sect, such as Yi Xin, would quickly dissipate. Yet his flying swords, even though they missed, they would keep on flying like true flying swords. So as he constantly used his full power, the flying sword was still flying in the air while another formed at the rear.
These flying swords around Shen Xuan could form a sword net quickly if a cultivator like Zheng Bainiao wanted to. Unable to escape, unable to get close, trying to defend but his body’s reaction was not as fast as the other’s mental swords. Ever since the You Dynasty, many cultivation places appeared and disappeared around the Changling area. Yet while Mind Chamber Sect could not stand at the peak of an era like Min Mountain Sword Sect and Spirit Void Sword Sect, but because of such a powerful sword manual, they could always have a seat in Changling.
“You cannot escape, so there is no need to consider who is in the right, and if you will live to be Secretariat Director.” Zheng Bainiao licked his lips with bloodthirst and slight excitement. He said disdainfully, “You are much more famous than me, but pity, you are just a cultivator of my level.”
Shen Xuan had spent most of his life in interrogation when he was not cultivating. So from the other’s expression and words, he got a lot of information.
Just like this moment.
This Jiaodong cultivator called Zheng Bainiao was very proud. He seemed to have been suppressed for a long time. He greatly desired to be recognized by the world. For most cultivators, they wanted to leave great brush strokes on the history books. But the clearest message was that he was invincible in this realm.
Facing Zheng Bainiao’s gaze, Shen Xuan knew that the other was so confident right now that he could win against cultivators like Zheng Xiu who were just below Yuanwu.
Shen Xuan did not speak. He maintained his silence. When the last sounds of Zheng Bainiao’s words had not yet disappeared into the air, he took a deep breath. His face grew paler, and his cheeks were almost black. But at this moment, his body gave off a bloody scent.
A thick sticky layer of blood was forced out of his body with this breath, coming out of the pores all over his body. Even his face was not an exception. The dried leaves and dust in the courtyard seemed to be drawn by his inhale and leapt towards his body.
The dried leaves and dust stuck to his body, and formed a dark armor. He looked exceptionally dark and sorrowful. In this moment, he started to flee towards the rear of his own courtyard.
At the same time, Zheng Bainiao sent a second sword. A transparent sword light, proud and with great killing intent, fell towards the left of his abdomen.
A rock seemed to have fallen into a tank full of glue. The sword light and the bloody layer of his body touched. There was only a slight delay. Then the splash of blood and the grey debris slowed down.
In the next moment, with a soft ring, Shen Xuan flicked out a sword light that shattered this thought sword.
“Hm?”
The interaction had been so fast it surpassed the speed of thought. The energy released by the shattering of the sword bloomed with pretty white marks and whirlpools. Zheng Bainiao only showed shock when Shen Xuan was already stumbling into the back of his courtyard.
The sticky layer of Shen Xuan’s body formed by blood, primal energies of the universe and debris formed an unique rotten armor. This was why his sword essence could not enter. Such a secret art seemed like a forbidden art, one that corroded across time, and required the energies from countless rotten bones to cultivate.
Wearing armor was undoubtedly a good way to stop the Heart Thought Sword. He was surprised at Shen Xuan’s performance. But he did not feel that this would change the final result. In his view, this was just quenching thirst by drinking poison.
With a soft sound, his feet tapped on the ground, and his body created a long hollow in the mist behind Shen Xuan’s escape. He was faster than Shen Xuan. But to make sure of the advantage of the Heart Thought Sword, he deliberately maintained a distance of several dozen meters away from his opponent.
Shen Xuan did not flee in the direction of the imperial palace, but towards the Wei River. It appeared Shen Xuan already knew that the people of Jiaodong Commandery came here to kill him. Then there was no meaning in fleeing towards the empress. Also, they would not let him charge into the imperial city.
Shen Xuan lived in the water prison before, and had once fought Bai Shanshui and the others on the Wei River. He was more skilled at fleeing in water than most cultivators.
But was this the correct choice?
Zheng Bainiao smiled disdainfully.
Two sword lights appeared in the dust, heading at the back of Shen Xuan who was fleeing towards the Wei River.
Two bursts of grey dust appeared on Shen Xuan’s back like two rotten wings.
**
Most establishments were not willing to be within the clear sight of the turrets. Shen Xuan’s compound was also in the blind spot between two turrets. But in this street district, there was a certain room of an inn on an upper floor that could see over half of Shen Xuan’s courtyard.
“Can he handle it?”
Xie Changsheng looked through the window lattice at the battle below and softly asked Wu Guang at his side.
“He should have no problems fleeing.” Wu Guang knew who were the two sides fighting were, but he did not ask any extra questions, and answered softly.
Xie Changsheng hesitated for a moment. Wu Guang had said that Shen Xuan would have no problems fleeing, but not that he could handle it. This meant that the former also did not have a certain chance of winning facing the Heart Thought Sword. The price of Shen Xuan fleeing was that Wu Guang may be left behind.
A life for a life, even if it was the life of a Jiaodong Commandery expert like this, was not the best choice for Xie Changsheng.
“The plan has changed.”
When he was hesitating, a steady voice sounded. The voice came from a long haired man sitting in a wheelchair behind Xie Changsheng. The man did not have feet.
“You do not have to go stop this person with the Heart Thought Sword, you just have to kill the pawns Jiaodong Commandery arranged along the Wei River, the cultivators who would stop Shen Xuan from escaping,”
The long hair man watched Wu Guang who turned around.
Xie Changsheng’s eyes lit up. He asked Wu Guang first, “Why?”
“Because we, and this Jiaodong Commandery cultivator, have all underestimated Shen Xuan.”
This long haired man looked at him and said, “Truly fleeing for your life and fleeing like he is now are completely different. If I am right, he wants to find a chance to get away from the fellows of this Jiaodong Commandery cultivator. He has the power to kill this person alone. So we only need to kill this Jiaodong Commandery cultivator’s helpers should they appear. We just have to create a chance for him to face this cultivator alone.”
Shen Xuan could win against this person alone?
This was clearly a frenzied escape. Who could see if this was truly fleeing for his life or not?
Xie Changsheng found it unbelievable, but he did not doubt the other’s words.
“If that’s the case, then we will do as Mister says.” He immediately looked at Wu Guang beside him in relief.
Wu Guang did not question anything. But before he walked out of the room, he bowed to the long haired man and said, “Please, Mister, your name.”
The long haired man grimaced slightly. “Some call me Sun Bing, and others Ghost Sun.”
Wu Guang shook. “Master of Ghost Valley, Honored Master of the Wei?”
The long haired man said disdainfully, “Exiled back when Wei still existed, do I still count as an honored master of the Wei?”
Translator Ramblings: Bainiao means white bird.
