Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 376 – Seven Strikes of the Sword, Six Taps of the Umbrella

Translated by: Pipipingu

Edited by: Nora

Liang Hongzhuang had rushed here over thousands of li to find Su Li for revenge. He had said very clearly that it was revenge for killing his father. Since it was like that, the battle was not determined by victory or defeat, but inevitably by life and death.

Requesting the opponent to have mercy before the beginning of a life or death battle, and the fact that it was not said out of politeness, but rather a genuine sincere request from the heart—what Chen Changsheng said really caused people to be surprised, and Liang Hongzhuang did not know how to reply to it at all. He shook his head, but what happened next was not a surprise at all, because it was impossible for mercy to be shown.

The red dancing dress floated in the green barren mountain. The dust and dirt within several hundreds of li were jolted into the sky. Liang Hongzhuang arrived floating in the air, like a real ball of fire, immediately setting the area ablaze.

He surged forth like fire. It would be difficult to find an object that spread faster and more violently than fire. This teenager could see through my domain? Then if I become so fast that I can’t be seen clearly, how would you see through it?

Logically, with Liang Hongzhuang’s level of cultivation and his fame in the northern lands, he would not have needed to use such methods against a Ethereal Opening cultivator. However, Chen Changsheng was not an ordinary Ethereal Opening cultivator, and in order to kill Su Li, Liang Hongzhuang was even willing to accept the shame. Of course, he did not mind being slightly more cautious, even though he did not need to be cautious at all.

For a Star Condensation expert to actually be so cautious against a clearly weaker opponent was a very terrifying matter. Looking at the red dancing dress that seemed like flames burning the mountain, Su Li raised his sword-like eyebrows again, but his expression became simpler. This was the simpleness of coldness and the simpleness of indifference, coldness to life and indifference to the outcome—he had already seen the outcome of the battle. Chen Changsheng’s first strike was able to injure Liang Hongzhuang’s earlobe, but he was unable to handle the current situation.

Hundreds of years ago, when he left the Garden of Zhou for the last time, he was already at the peak of Ethereal Opening. Even if it was him from that time facing the current Liang Hongzhuang, other than dying together, he would not have been able to come up with a better idea. So what could Chen Changsheng do?

Chen Changsheng did not know what to do. Even if his power of comprehension was higher, and he was even more hardworking in cultivation, the difference in level still existed. Not to mention, in the aspect of battle, Liang Hongzhuang’s experience just exceeded him by too much, and… he arrived too quickly.

There were very few things more violent and faster than surging fire. He who was in the Ethereal Opening realm could not follow Liang Hongzhuang’s speed at all, but he had two things that were even faster than Liang Hongzhuang—the Yeshi Step and the speed at which he thought.

With the use of spiritual sense, he could traverse numerous hills and streams.

He looked at the dancing dress that covered the wilderness and surged like fire, and thought hard as if his life depended on it.

Countless numbers and descriptions appeared in his sea of consciousness: the matters of the old imperial family that were recorded in the Daoist Canon, the features of Liang Wangsun’s technique as he rampaged in the north, Liang Hongzhuang’s cold gaze, his terrifying red sleeves, the Qi that rose suddenly and sharply, the boundless true essence, the angle that a blade of grass bent after it was stepped on. Afterwards, they constantly integrated with each other, matching up, forming an extremely complex star chart.

He had still not mastered the Intellectual Sword, and even with an additional three days and nights, it was impossible for him to find the weakness of Liang Hongzhuang’s Star Domain through these, nor was he able to clearly see the connections on the star chart. Meanwhile, in the next moment, he was about to be burnt to ashes by Liang Hongzhuang’s dancing dress.

He still could only make a wild guess, no, a guess.

Su Li had said that guessing and wild guessing were different. Guessing wildly was done with closed eyes, while guessing was done with the eyes open. He could see the world, see the starry sky, and using it to some extent, he would follow his intuition, or in other words, the feelings of his heart.

He made his own guess, and then took advantage and moved first.

There was wind in the mountains originating from Liang Hongzhuang’s dancing dress. However, it was eerily quiet around Chen Changsheng. Suddenly, he disappeared from where he was, and arrived before Liang Hongzhuang in the next moment.

He used the simplified version of the Yeshi Step.

An extremely vibrant sword ray glowed in the wilderness, and with a low hum, it brought the solemn and terrifying pressure that seemed to originate from the distant past, piercing through the flames that covered the mountain.

What he used was the new generation of the Dragoncry Sword.

Compared to the powerful domain in Liang Hongzhuang’s floating dance dress, the sword intent was not strong, but it was especially dense.

The sword ray suddenly illuminated the wilderness, like a flash of lightning.

The dagger directly entered and then suddenly turned with an unimaginable angle. It traveled around the flames and arrived in front of Liang Hongzhuang.

A clear cry full of anger and shock resounded in the wilderness.

Liang Hongzhuang retreated hurriedly. Even though he was midair, the clear sword slash could be seen on his left shoulder. Fresh blood spilled out of the sword slash. Chen Changsheng’s sword had actually hit him once again.

The power of the fire did not decrease, and instead rose sharply. Liang Hongzhuang was extremely mad, and the red dancing dress fell from the sky. It enveloped Chen Changsheng, and just at this moment, another extremely vibrant sword ray began to glow.

The sword resonated constantly in the wilderness. It was not rushed, coming in wave after wave, and even was rather slow. Also, the sword intent was not strong at all. However, the fiery dancing dress was unable to fall, unable to completely envelop Chen Changsheng.

Time flowed between the sword ray and dancing fire.

After an unknown amount of time, a terrifying ripping sound suddenly sounded in the wilderness.

The great flames that covered the entire area suddenly disappeared, and the sword ray no longer glowed.

The two people separated, gazing at each other over a distance of several dozen zhang. There was a light mountain breeze between them.

Chen Changsheng’s complexion was very pale, and his hand gripping the dagger constantly trembled.

Liang Hongzhuang’s complexion was even paler, and he was covered in blood. His dancing dress had already been ripped to shreds.

Chen Changsheng had struck out seven times, and not even one strike failed to land.

At present, the outcome of the battle had already been decided.

The messy make-up and dripping blood on Liang Hongzhuang’s pale face seemed extremely clear. Fresh blood constantly dripped from his destroyed dancing dress. He looked at Chen Changsheng, staring into his eyes. He did not seem to understand just exactly what had happened.

Chen Changsheng was rather at a loss. Even at this moment, he was also unclear on what had happened.

Su Li looked at Chen Changsheng and his emotions were rather complicated. In a battle between an Ethereal Opening teenager and a Star Condensation personage, the former won—the victory of surpassing cultivation realms that rarely happened in history just occurred before his eyes like this.

In the past, he had succeeded several times in surpassing cultivation realms and killing his opponent. He believed that Qiushan, who had studied the sword with him for a month, would also have been able to do it when he was in the upper level of Ethereal Opening. However, the fact that Chen Changsheng succeeded in this, and the method he had used, still made him feel great shock.

The battle was so ordinary.

Su Li knew well that exactly because of how ordinary it was, it was even more hair-raising.

Chen Changsheng succeeded in surpassing cultivation realms this time not because of innate talent, not because of a seemingly heavenly level in the path of the sword, not because of the gifts from the world and the stars, but all because of his own hard work and ability of comprehension. This was not talent, and in fact even far surpassed talent.

In the long river of time, in the vast continent, had there been someone like this before?

Su Li looked at Chen Changsheng and thought about this question silently. His finger tapped against the Yellow Paper Umbrella.

In the very end, he had only tapped six times.