Chapter 1213: The Key To Victory
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
The stream of Saintly Celestial Sword Qi separated from the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation clashed with Luo Qingwu’s Original Spirit Sword of Extremity and both entities gave no ground to the other as they continued their contest.
A frail old voice that sounded like rolling thunder suddenly boomed from within the sprawling green light from the sword formation. “Your swordplay… It’s insidious.”
This was the Cangming Swordmaster’s voice. His scrawny frame was positioned at the very core of the sword formation, and his legs were crossed as he sat in the void. There was a rectangular black stone in front of him – the Primordial Sword Stone.
There was a circle of white light encircling the Primordial Sword Stone. There was a also white jade longsword silently hovering above this rectangular black stone.
Ray after ray of light landed upon the white jade sword. The sword was sparkling and translucent like a gem as the top of its blade was completely enveloped within the radiances.
Streaks of light extended from the white jade sword and landed on the Primordial Sword Stone’s surface as well. Both entities clashed with each other and released sounds of a sword sharpening itself.
The strength of the white jade sword became clearer and clearer. It wasn’t created from mana and neither was it a product of a mantra or spell – it felt as if there was actually an independent world existing there.
The boundless spiritual energy of the world seemed to congregate towards this sword and its tip, and the voluminous amounts of spiritual energy were transformed into formless sharpness.
The Primordial Sword Stone was still completely black. However, it began to flicker with luster like a gem, as if it was transparent and a human figure could be surprisingly seen sitting in the center of the Primordial Sword Stone.
That shadow was phasing in and out of human form and sword form. It appeared like a human on first sight but became an ancient sword in the next moment. When one looked at the shadow once more, it was back in its human form.
It was a youth clad in black clothes with his eyes closed in its human form – it was Chu Yang.
In its sword form, it was the ancient treasure of the Heaven’s Gate Sect, and the destiny-level magic treasure that wasn’t officially completed – the Nine Heavens Sword!
The Nine Heavens Sword was a magic treasure of swordplay that was thought to be able to challenge the Saintly Celestial Sword and was even thought to be able to challenge it. However, the Heaven’s Gate Sect was annihilated, and the Nine Heavens Sword became a legend like a shooting star.
It finally had an opportunity to be reborn, but it was now sealed into the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation and inside the Primordial Sword Stone.
The Saintly Celestial Sword, which was still being re-forged, and every ray of light that extended from it and landed upon the Primordial Sword Stone’s surface were like a single tribulation and became stronger with every instance. The Primordial Sword Stone assimilated the Nine Heavens Sword, which had yet to take its form and used its strength its Dao essence and fed it back to the Saintly Celestial Sword, causing the latter to grow further in strength.
And the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formations powers were provided to the Saintly Celestial Sword in enormous amounts to aid its rebirth.
The Cangming Swordmaster sat in the center of the Saintly Celestial Sword Formation. Most of his attention was placed upon re-forging the Saintly Celestial Sword and withstanding the Tiangang Swordmaster. However, he turned away for just one second and quickly realized that the battle between Luo Qingwu, Zhuge Zhan against the Grand Moon Swordmaster and the others quickly took a turn for the worse.
Luo Qingwu’s strength after she reached the immortal soul stage made even the Cangming Swordmaster frown in response.
The Cangming Swordmaster understood Xiao Yan, Zhu Yi, Wang Lin and Shi Tianhao’s powers when they reached the immortal soul stage to a certain degree. Luo Qingwu was probably still inferior to them when they first formed the immortal soul avatar during the Anti-Celestial Sect War. However, she was a sword cultivator and her arsenal of terrifying swordplay still made the company from the Mount Shu Sword Sect stare in disbelief.
For the Cangming Swordmaster, who was a very powerful sword cultivator, Luo Qingwu was able to hold back the others from the Mount Shu Sword Sect but she was far from being his match. Still, Luo Qingwu’s Original Spirit Sword of Extremity fell into his eyes and gave this supreme elder from Mount Shu a grim and shuddering feeling.
“This sword is extremely sinister… that feeling… this feeling is as if her sword is intimately connected with her own body yet is entirely independent. Its sword mind is harmonious with heaven and earth, yet her being is isolated from the world. What exactly is this…”
The Tiangang Swordmaster’s attacks were becoming more ferocious from outside the sword formation. Luo Qingwu’s Original Spirit Sword of Extremity faced off against the Saintly Celestial Sword Qi inside the sword formation, and Zhuge Zhan transformed into a large rainbow once more as he swept up Luo Qingwu and took them both deeper into the inner regions of the sword formation.
Luo Qingwu directed her sword radiance like a saint showing the way and broke through layers of green light – and went directly towards the Cangming Swordmaster, the Saintly Celestial Sword and the Primordial Sword Stone’s location.
The Cangming Swordmaster grunted coldly, and it sounded like a crackling lightning bolt.
“I was afraid of damaging the sword formation and afraid of the Saintly Celestial Sword not receiving enough sword Qi for its re-forging. The re-forging ritual has begun its final stage, I don’t have to be so careful anymore.” The Cangming Swordmaster began to cast a spell with his left hand and directed his finger as the Ancient Cangming Sword flew up from his right hand and surged into the endless ptach of green light.
The Cangming Swordmaster waved his fingers in a circle around the Primordial Sword Stone, and the white radiances surrounding it began to expand outwards continuously as light pillars rocketed into the far ends of the horizon.
“The few of you shall aid me in my resistance against senior Tiangang.” The Cangming Swordmaster tapped on the Primordial Sword Stone and the stone immediately flew up and integrated itself into the green light.
The Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation exploded with light as the white sword Qi around the green light began to condense, and eventually transformed into a gargantuan light wave that swept across the entire world.
If one looked from outside the sword formation, a thick white sword Qi poked out from within the enormous green light sphere and hit against the Tiangang Sword Star River slashing down from above.
The Tiangang Swordmaster was expressionless as he pointed his fingers downwards, and the sword radiance that appeared like the milky way continued to chop down.
The white sword Qi that protruded from the green light sphere began to crumble and break apart immediately.
However, the Heavenly Master Sword Sect and their Mount Tongtian, along with the Sword of Radiance Sect and their Xingyun Peak, the Vast Sea Sword Sect and their Boundless Island… The various mountain formations of the great sword sects began to tremble violently, as if they would be destroyed at any time!
The Heavenly Master Swordmaster, the Supreme Radiance Swordmaster and the Azure Pulse Swordmaster along with the other people directing their mountain formations reacted with intense shock and hurriedly increased the strength of their formations to resist this sudden assault.
The powers of their sword formations were being absorbed in massive amounts, and now they were under attack from some unknown source. This confused the Heavenly Master Swordmaster and the others, and the suspicions in their minds grew even stronger.
The Great Barren Sword Sect and the Intense Flaming Sword Sect and the other comparatively weaker sword sects and their respective mountain formations were almost shattered with that single strike.
The Tiangang Swordmaster, who was still assaulting the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation, immediately detected that something was wrong.
Even though he didn’t have the same level of understanding as the Cangming Swordmaster regarding the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation, the Tiangang Swordmaster had sat upon this sword formation for many years and instantly realized what the Cangming Swordmaster did.
This was one of the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation’s functions from the beginning and this infuriated the Tiangang Swordmaster.
The Tiangang Swordmaster changed his stance he no longer concentrated his strength into a single point. He extended his sword mind in all directions, and sprawling sword radiances blanketed over the earth as it directly covered the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation and the green light sphere.
A colossal sword star completely separated the green light sphere and the Greater World, before uncountable streaks of sword radiance rained down like a meteor and crashed against the green light sphere.
The Cangming Swordmaster shook his head regrettably inside the sword formation and muttered under his breath, “I guess this can’t stop senior Tiangang after all.”
Even though he could use the power of the sword formation to redirect the Tiangang Swordmaster’s attacks to the other eight powerful sword secfts, the Tiangang Swordmaster’s assault was no longer concentrated on a singular point and this meant the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation’s redirecting abilities took a hit.
This meant that the Tiangang Swordmaster’s attack was no longer focused, he was a Vipralopa Stage sword cultivator after all. The Cangming Swordmaster relied on the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation and was barely able to resist in terms of strength alone. However, based on pure swordplay and mastery of it, he was ultimately inferior.
If this continued, the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation would be the first to show its weakness.
The Cangming Swordmaster took a deep breath and stood up inside the void. “I still managed to buy some time. This is all the time that is required to determine the eventual victor.”
The Saintly Celestial Sword had now transformed into a white light sphere and was silently hovering over the green light world formed by the sword formation.
Even though it wasn’t continuously whetted by the Primordial Sword Stone and the power of the sword formation, the concept of power embodied by the Saintly Celestial Sword was becoming denser and denser. It felt as if it was going through its last peaceful sleep and it was about to be awakened from its deep slumber. And when it did, when it overcame its last hurdle like a tribulation of fire, that was the key moment when all would be revealed.
“Our success is almost here. Before that…” The Cangming Swordmaster’s eyes sparkled with chilly light as thoughts spun in his head, and his figure disappeared beside the Saintly Celestial Sword.
Zhuge Zhan’s eyes were fixed on the green light world from inside the sword formation. The pressure applied upon him by the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation vanished in the blink of an eye.
The sword formation had yet to be concluded, and the Tiangang Swordmaster hadn’t broken through the sword formation either. However, Zhuge Zhan was experienced and he didn’t relax at all – instead, he raised his guard even more.
Luo Qingwu felt a chill run up her spine as well. The sound that she heard just now came from the Cangming Swordmaster.
At this very moment, a single streak of intimidating energy, a streak of Saintly Celestial Sword Qi that was far stronger than the one before surged out from the layers of green light and stabbed towards Luo Qingwu and Zhuge Zhan!
Zhuge Zhan and Luo Qingwu’s faces grew serious as Zhuge Zhan unleashed his Skybreak Rainbow once more and phased in and out of reality to dodge that Saintly Celestial Sword Qi.
However, the sprawling patch of white slashed open the space between the virtual world and reality and continued on its path towards the two of them.
Zhuge Zhan appeared as solemn as ever as he shook his Scorching Sun Spear, and channeled the power of the Divine Light of the Sun Mantra to its highest possible level to meet Saintly Celestial Sword Qi.
Luo Qingwu didn’t dare to underestimate it either. A brilliant ray of sword radiance shot out from the center of her Taiji Diagram, and combined with Zhuge Zhan’s Scorching Sun Spear as they clashed against the Saintly Celestial Sword Qi.
Both forces collided vigorously in the void and the green lights flickered as they were stirred up and boundless sword Qi spread around and dissipated in between heaven and earth.
Luo Qingwu’s Taiji Diagram contorted a little and quivered inside the void, and its surface was like the undulating ocean waves and couldn’t calm itself down.
Zhuge Zhan grunted as well. He gritted his teeth and surveyed his surroundings. Ever since they entered the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation, the layered sword formation had severely impeded his ability to draw power from the Sun.
A scrawny figure appeared in the layers of green light before them. It was a cold-faced old man, and he stepped out slowly – the Cangming Swordmaster.
The Cangming Swordmaster’s hands were empty as he raised his left hand. There was a green sphere of light drifting above the tip of his fingers, except the light sphere’s surface were full of dots and blemishes as if it was being assault from all directions. The light sphere itself had many thin cracks all over its surface.
However, the Cangming Swordmaster wasn’t too concerned as he stared coldly at Luo Qingwu and Zhuge Zhan. His index and middle fingers were erected like a sword as he swiped across the sky lightly.
Another streak of Saintly Celestial Sword Qi surged instantly and poured towards Luo Qingwu and Zhuge Zhan once more.