Chapter 216 - 212: Duel Against Destiny
With Gu Zhan’s order, a dense barrage of feathered arrows poured down like a torrential rain, whistling through the air in a graceful arc before crashing down like a meteor shower.
In an instant, agonized wails and the clashing of metal rang out from the manor.
As one volley finished, a second rain of arrows shot forth again,
This wave of arrows was all wreathed in flame, descending in a flood upon the manor. In that instant, amidst endless howls and the clamor of steel, blazing infernos roared into life.
"Stop!"
The main gates burst open. Liu Ziyuan led a squad of men charging out. At the threshold, their eyes fell upon the formation of Embroidered Uniform Guard crossbowmen assembled at the entrance, all clutching specially-forged Divine Arm Crossbows made precisely to counter martial artists.
"Gu Zhan, stand down!"
Liu Ziyuan was seething with rage, circulating his True Essence to let out a roar like a tiger shaking the mountains, a deep and resonant voice reverberating between Heaven and Earth.
Yet, in that instant,
Liu Ziyuan suddenly sensed a murderous intent,
Gu Zhan was already gripping a heavy black Profound Iron bow, drawn to a full crescent,
"Whoosh"
A feathered arrow tore through the sky, instantly transforming into a cascading rain of arrows, killing intent bearing down directly upon Liu Ziyuan.
"Gu Zhan, you impertinent wretch, how dare you act so!"
Liu Ziyuan thrust out a palm, his vast True Essence surging with boundless Primordial Qi, condensing into a Gang Qi barrier some four or five zhang in diameter to block the oncoming stream of brilliant arrows.
"Heh, I never thought the Five Great Sects had such a master as yourself!"
Gu Zhan let out a cold laugh, and in an instant, drew his saber from its sheath. The icy saber’s light lingered between Heaven and Earth.
"Gu Zhan, I am not with the Five Great Sects. I am Liu Ziyuan, Squad Leader of Beidou Bang’s Kaiyang Sub-Branch. Do you mean to rebel?"
The rules in Yunxi Land differ from those of Yundong,
Back then, when Beidou Bang received official recognition from the Court, not only was Dragon King Mo Jingzhou given the title of Count, but all the ranks within Beidou Bang were assigned corresponding official posts. Among them, the Kaiyang Sub-Branch held the authority of Garrison Advisor. Strictly speaking, all local Hundred Households Offices fell under the jurisdiction of the seven major sub-branches.
But Gu Zhan simply acted as if he had not heard Liu Ziyuan’s words, swiftly drawing his saber.
Seeing him draw his blade, Liu Ziyuan hurriedly shouted at once, then turned to Mo Beiyan, bellowing furiously, "Mo Beiyan, with the Dragon King still here, you can’t wait to seize power?"
In the very same moment,
The stone walls of the manor crumbled, as numerous masters of the Five Great Sects—disheveled and battle-worn—charged out, weapons in hand, bracing to confront the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Now that they were out,
The crossbows had lost their use,
In that instant, thousands of Embroidered Uniform Guards vaulted onto their warhorses, drew their sabers, and the unified ring of Brocade Spring Sabers being unsheathed drowned out all other sounds. Immediately following, a cacophony of warhorse screams erupted, and the thunder of hooves kicked up billows of dust.
Liu Ziyuan’s face flushed with anger. He called out in a resonant voice, "Gu Zhan, halt at once! Do you truly wish to rebel? I am Liu Ziyuan of the Kaiyang Sub-Branch..."
"Utter nonsense," Gu Zhan growled from atop his steed. "How could Squad Leader Liu be consorting with these demonic cultists? You’re clearly an impostor—brazen enough to impersonate Squad Leader Liu in Pingyang Prefecture as Beidou Bang! Embroidered Uniform Guard, hear my order..."
"That’s enough, Gu Zhan!" Liu Ziyuan tossed out a token, his voice cold: "Drop the act. Your Embroidered Uniform Guard spy on this place daily—there’s no way you don’t know I’m here with the Kaiyang Sub-Branch. And you, Sixth Young Master, even if Gu Zhan doesn’t know me, you surely do!"
Seeing things had reached a dead end, Mo Beiyan could only urge his horse forward helplessly and say, "Ai, Squad Leader Liu, what is this about? If you wished to help me arrest these Demon Dao bastards, you should’ve told me sooner—now look at the mess this misunderstanding has caused!"
As he spoke, Mo Beiyan dismounted with a laugh, walked toward Liu Ziyuan, then suddenly cried out as his entire body was flung backward, crashing harshly to the ground and coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Mo Beiyan, feigning ’terror,’ pointed at Liu Ziyuan and yelled, "You... you’ve colluded with the Demon Dao to kill me! Liu Ziyuan, how dare you! You struck at me, pu..."
Before his words finished, Mo Beiyan spat another mouthful of blood, roaring, "You claim Eldest Brother ordered you to kill me! How ruthless—Eldest Brother, you..."
With a heavy thud, Mo Beiyan collapsed unconscious to the ground.
Not far away, Liu Ziyuan remained frozen with his hand raised, completely baffled.
At that moment,
Gu Zhan suddenly whipped out his saber, yelling, "Liu Ziyuan has conspired with the Demon Dao to assassinate Sixth Young Master! Seize him—any who resist, kill without mercy!"
Inside the manor, flames devoured everything,
Members of the Five Great Sects kept streaming out, many gravely wounded, some dragging corpses with them—yet most bodies were already swallowed by the inferno.
On the open ground outside the manor,
Thousands of Embroidered Uniform Guard stood on full alert, warhorses pawing earth, smoke and dust surging, their neighs and howls filling the air—a murderous aura surging skyward.
The people of the Five Great Sects appeared battered,
But their numbers remained strong, each side locked in tense confrontation. Many had bloodshot eyes, faces twisted with hatred, staring at the mounted Gu Zhan as though wishing to tear him apart.
All the upper ranks of the Five Great Sects gathered around Liu Ziyuan, the atmosphere stifling and oppressive.
With a single command from Gu Zhan, thousands of Embroidered Uniform Guards charged forth with savage ferocity!
In that instant,
Gu Zhan abandoned his horse, soaring through the air, saber hacking down in a streak,
At once, a tidal wave of saber qi coiled around Gu Zhan’s Horizontal Saber, surging forth like an ocean unleashed. With a single strike, terrifying saber qi crushed toward Liu Ziyuan.
Yet, Liu Ziyuan was after all a Great Cultivator of the Fourth Realm Celestial Mandate. The very moment Gu Zhan attacked, he was already prepared,
The Celestial Destiny Realm, the fourth of the Five Realms of the Great Dao, a most singular boundary—within it one understands their own Great Dao, grasps fate itself, able to foresee the changes of Heaven and Earth, sensing in advance the ebb and surge of the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.
Thus, as Gu Zhan was about to strike,
Liu Ziyuan had already sensed the coming loss of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, as well as its origin and destination.
Therefore, despite the swiftness of Gu Zhan’s blade,
When it fell, it was nonetheless blocked by a single sword stroke from Liu Ziyuan.
A thunderous "clang!"
The clash of saber and sword erupted in a shower of sparks,
Liu Ziyuan was shaken back several steps by the tremendous force, his arm trembling slightly, a grave look flashing in his eyes—though there was little surprise,
For he had long gathered intelligence on Gu Zhan,
He knew well the other’s methods, particularly Gu Zhan’s formidable Horizontal Martial Arts Training: not only was his defense peerless, but his strength was monstrous.
So, in this brief exchange, suffering a slight setback was unsurprising. What did catch him off guard was the sheer power Gu Zhan displayed.
However, the Liu Family’s martial arts had always emphasized agility above brute strength. Being overpowered by Gu Zhan in a direct contest of force was only natural.
Just as he steadied himself,
Liu Ziyuan’s figure suddenly flickered and vanished from Gu Zhan’s sight. The next instant, a sword’s keen song sounded from behind,
Gu Zhan whirled around,
A flickering afterimage appeared at his back—Liu Ziyuan,
So fast his movements were untraceable,
With a single sword thrust, the very winds and clouds seemed to shift.