HSSB1113: Sword Dao Ever Through Straight Centre True, Vile Wretches Often End Impure Impaled Cold
Yan Zhaoge had faced Wen Daihong’s Immortal Slaughtering Sword with an Immortal Slaughtering Sword of his own.
His attainments in the sword arts of the Prime Clear lineage ultimately surpassed the predictions of many of these Prime Clear sword cultivators.
After all, Yan Zhaoge was viewed as a descendant of the Jade Clear lineage as many of his dazzling exploits back in the World beyond Worlds had been unrelated to the legacies of the Prime Clear lineage.
Under such circumstances, that he could still possess such great attainments in the sword arts of the Prime Clear lineage was shocking indeed.
It was common knowledge that for someone to have higher accomplishments in a martial art, talent aside, painstaking effort was also necessary.
With Yan Zhaoge’s current age, he had accomplished what others would take decades or even centuries to accomplish. How could these spectators not feel astonished??
Despite this, the descendants of the Prime Clear lineage were actually rejoicing inwardly at how Yan Zhaoge had mirrored Wen Daihong’s use of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword.
This was due to their pride at the sword dao legacies of their Prime Clear lineage.
The sword duel between the two had demonstrated the wonders and terrors of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword so wonderfully that everyone had been thoroughly enraptured by it.
Yet, Wen Daihong had actually given up and admitted defeat partway through the fight. This shocked all the spectators once again.
Everyone’s gazes congregated on Wen Daihong.
While those with relatively lower cultivation bases could not understand Wen Daihong’s decision, those with relatively higher cultivation bases, such as Wang Shun, were even more puzzled.
“No injuries are visible?” From what they had seen, the battle had been evenly matched, with neither side gaining an advantage.
Although the nature of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword made it such that their duel had been perilous, Wen Daihong did not have a single injury on him. This being the case, the match should simply have ended in a draw at most.
Speaking of which, even if it had ultimately concluded in a draw, the news would still have been sufficient to shake the entire Roving Jade Heavens.
Yan Zhaoge was not a pure sword cultivator after all, let alone one of the Prime Clear lineage.
As for Wen Daihong, not only was he a sword cultivator of the Prime Clear direct lineage, he was also an elite of his generation.
Even the son of Long Xueji, Long Hanhua, might not possess a certainty of being able to defeat him cleanly.
One had to note that this was Long Hanhua, and not Lin Hanhua.
In order to keep up his identity as the head disciple of Golden Court Mountain, Lin Hanhua, Long Hanhua had been unable to exert his fullest abilities.
In being able to compete with him, Wen Daihong’s great martial prowess was self-evident.
He was also stubborn and single-minded with a strong desire to win. As a result, wanting him to take the initiative to admit defeat was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Yet, facing Yan Zhaoge at this moment, Wen Daihong had actually readily admitted defeat and accepted his inferiority!
This truly was out of the predictions of Wang Shun and the others.
While others might purposefully surrender to get in the good books of the more influential figures of the Roving Jade heavens that Yan Zhaoge was familiar with, it was absolutely unthinkable that Wen Daihong might do so.
Let alone Wang Shun and the other Ashen Spirit Valley martial practitioners, even the disciples of Minor White Peak present felt greatly disbelieving of this.
“Look at your backs,” Wen Daihong had already gotten over his despondence from the loss, though his expression also turned even more complex as he looked at the faces of Wang Shun and the rest.
On receiving such a reminder by Wen Daihong, the hearts of Wang Shun and the other Ashen Spirit Valley disciples instead tensed.
Shooting glances to their companions on either side, only one of them decided to look over Wang Shun’s shoulder to glance at his back, immediately letting out a startle exclamation.
“What is it?” Wang Shun frowned, next impatiently turning to look at another person’s back as he received no reply.
After looking at it, a strange expression overtook his face as he felt a compulsion to take a few steps back and look at everyone’s backs.
“What exactly is the matter?” Wang Shun pressed.
An expression that was sadder than crying appeared on the other party’s face, “Senior apprentice-uncle, your clothes are broken. A ‘vile’ character has been carved onto it. As for senior apprentice-brother Hou to my right, on his back is the ‘often’ character…”
“Stand still and don’t move, all of you!” Wang Shun urgently commanded, taking a few steps back.
Next, he saw that a character was carved onto the backs of each of his fellow disciples before him, adorning their clothes.
From left to right, they were: ‘sword’, ‘dao’, ‘ever’, ‘through’, ‘straight’, ‘centre’, ‘true’, ‘wretches’, ‘often’, ‘end’, ‘impure’, ‘impaled’, ‘cold’.
Adding on that ‘vile’ character on his own back, that made for a total of exactly fourteen words.
Sword Dao Ever Through Straight Centre True, Vile Wretches Often End Impure Impaled Cold.
As he dazedly gazed at this scene, Wang Shun felt that it was just completely inconceivable.
Amongst those whose clothes had become calligraphy mediums, himself included, there had been two eighth level Martial Saints, six seventh level Martial Saints and six sixth level Martial Saints. Of the fourteen of them, none had noticed anything abnormal at all during the process!
Fourteen words, with at least four strokes required to draw even the simplest one.
Four swords!
If Yan Zhaoge had wished to claim their lives, of the fourteen of them, even the one who had died the least would have been slaughtered four times already!
Let alone those words that needed many, many more strokes…
Cutting one’s clothes in doing calligraphy yet leaving them untouched and wholly unaware.
As descendants of the lineage of the Cloud Emperor, Wang Shun’s group bore many treasures as well.
Even these treasures that guarded them had not been alerted as words had been left behind. How skilled must the wielder be?
Most noteworthy was that Yan Zhaoge had not utilised some light, intricate sword art in this process.
He had used the Immortal Slaughtering Sword which was fierce and dangerous to the extreme, killing being its main goal.
In Yan Zhaoge’s hands, the brutal killing intent inherent to such a sword art could be retracted and unleashed freely. The difficulty of this was far greater than for other martial arts.
“It was not just the Immortal Slaughtering Sword!” Wang Shun’s mind spun, “There was the Immortal Trapping Sword too! Both swords combined, inseparable from the other-and yet, he was able to wield it so competently and freely?”
It was no wonder that even a hardcore sword cultivator like Wen Daihong would willingly admit his inferiority.
While it seemed that his loss should be attributed to the Immortal Slaughtering Sword being unable to rival the combined power of two swords, how many in this world could merge and integrate two great sword arts to such an extent?
Being greatly knowledgeable and possessing a discerning eye, everyone was clear on the profundities within.
While Wen Daihong would not easily admit defeat, he could not lie to himself.
While both sides had seemed evenly matched, his opponent had already long since been humoring him. Since that was so, he might as well frankly admit his defeat.
Wang Shun’s face was deathly ashen whereas his fellow disciples of Ashen Spirit Valley had still yet to witness the scene literally behind their backs.
The Minor White Peak martial practitioners across from them were naturally curious as well.
While they did not know what characters those were, those of Ashen Spirit Valley could tell that it was best not to let others see them.
“Sword Dao Ever Through Straight Centre True, Vile Wretches Often End Impure Impaled Cold,” Yan Zhaoge now recited sagely, “Let this Yan share this wisdom with you.”
If anyone familiar with him had been present, they would probably be rolling their eyes in unison as they heard this.
Yan Zhaoge had never been one to mind using one or two relatively more indirect and devious methods.
Still, facing Wang Shun and the others at this moment, Yan Zhaoge was solemn, proper and justified in his righteousness.
Reciting Yan Zhaoge’s words in their minds and looking again at the fourteen from Ashen Spirit Valley, those of Minor White Peak gradually understood what had happened as their expressions became rather strange. They looked like they were smiling whilst also not as they collectively gazed over towards Wang Shun’s lot.
Wang Shun felt as if his face was throbbing and on fire.
“I take my leave,” He bowed towards Wen Daihong with some difficulty, planning to turn and leave.
Yet suddenly, he thought of something as he halted again, not knowing whether to advance or retreat.
The other disciples of Ashen Spirit Valley were all acting in a similar manner to him as well.
In the end, the lot of them actually walked backwards and beat a hasty retreat as fast as they could.