Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

When those three painters from the Pavilion of Divination cried out in shock, many people on the great ship guessed at what sort of technique Xu Yourong was using. It was just that it was far too shocking, so none of them dared to believe it. Only now, after hearing the words of Mao Qiuyu and the other two did they finally confirm that it really was as they had imagined.

There was an eerie silence, with only the sound of the waters of the Luo River gently slapping against the hull of the ship.

They all looked at the distant stone bridge, covered in misty rain and foggy snow, that scene which seemed more appropriate in the land of fairies, and all thought in shock, is the Sword of Great Light really going to appear once more?

Countless years ago, at the very beginning of the schism between the Orthodoxy's north and south, the first Holy Maiden entered the Mausoleum of Books to view the monoliths and comprehend the Dao, entering in autumn and remaining all the way until the summer. At the end, under the pavilion at the very front of the Divine Path, she created two grand sword techniques. One was a technique said to be the most ingenious and incomprehensible ‘Departing Spring’. The other was the legendary Sword of Great Light.

The Sword of Great Light possessed a divine aura surpassing the mortal world, as well as unimaginably terrifying might. Together with the Orthodoxy's Scroll of the Harmonious Sun, the seventh move of the White Emperor's Burning Sea Style, the Halving Blade Style's ‘Skybreak’, and the ‘Autumn Slaying’ of the spear style of the Chen Imperial clan, they were called the continent's Five Grand Masterstrokes.

The Scroll of the Harmonious Sun comprehended the Heavenly Dao, forgetting the sea of stars. The Burning Sea Style was incomparably tyrannical. The Halving Blade slaughtered all things. With an indifferent look, the Frost God Spear could cause all living things of the world to wither away. Each had its own Dao, unsurpassed in bearing and spirit. But the Sword of Great Light was different from the rest, more similar to offering a sacrifice to the stars, a technique that transcended the path of the sword.

The Sword of Great Light was an almost unimaginable sword technique. It had no specific style, instead seeming like the essence of all sword techniques, the complex orbits of the myriad stars. Ultimately, it was demonstrated through the simplest of methods.

This sword technique was simultaneously simple and complex. Every ray of light was a sword, and the rays of light traveled between the heavens and earth, able to imitate all things and reach any place. As long as one's body was between heaven and earth, how could one avoid it?

Besides the legendary "Departing Spring" and the "Scroll of Time", no more profound and incomprehensible technique could be found in the Orthodoxy. To learn it would naturally be extraordinarily difficult. The learner had to clearly understand all the sword styles of the world. Then, with the assistance of the divine Qi of the temple sword, they could take their understandings of the path of the sword and perfectly meld them with the teachings of the Orthodoxy.

To learn the Sword of Great Light necessitated the assistance of the temple sword's divine Qi to comprehend. Many years ago, Zhou Dufu had invaded Holy Maiden Peak and taken the temple sword away, resulting in the loss of the Sword of Great Light.

"Hasn't the Sword of Great Light been lost for several centuries?"

The people on the ship all stared at the fantastical scene atop the Bridge of Helplessness, stared at the indistinct figure of Xu Yourong. They couldn't help but gasp in shock and awe.

Linghai Zhiwang replied, "The temple sword has already reappeared in the world."

It was at this point that many of them realized that the sword in Xu Yourong's had was actually the temple sword of South Stream Temple. Soon after, they recalled the rumors about Chen Changsheng discovering the Sword Pool in the Garden of Zhou and knew that this temple sword must have been returned to South Stream Temple by the Li Palace. They couldn't help but feel that this matter was a little disorderly.

Mo Yu stared at the Bridge of Helplessness, her elegant eyebrows arched.

Besides time, there was no other way to comprehend and understand the divine Qi of the temple sword. Back when the temple sword was still in Holy Maiden Peak, not every generation of Holy Maiden was able to grasp the Sword of Great Light. Those Holy Maidens able to grasp the Sword of Great Light often had to greatly advance in cultivation and then spend several decades before they were finally able to thoroughly comprehend it. Mo Yu was well aware that Xu Yourong had only turned sixteen last month and had only received the temple sword from the Li Palace not seven days ago. So just how had she managed to pull it off?

Just as the people on the ship were all struck speechless, a change occurred on the bridge. Countless bright, but not dazzling, rays of light pierced through the snowy fog to illuminate the Luo River and the cold-resistant willow branches on the two banks. The fairyland instantly transformed into the Divine Kingdom, the stone bridge seemingly the path that led to the Divine Kingdom.

It was now confirmed without question that Xu Yourong really was using the Sword of Great Light.

Rays of light pierced through the snow, causing the light and shadow in the fog of snow to shift, creating countless indistinct marks. Those marks were sword intents, frozen and unmoving, hidden and unreleased.

If those rays of light in the snow were to make contact with something, then these countless sword intents would come with the snow and appear in the rain. Although at this point, no one had seen those sword intents actually transform into sword techniques, people could already sense that countless sword techniques were concealed within them.

This was the most frightening aspect of the Sword of Great Light. If Chen Changsheng raised his sword to confront it, these sword intents would all transform, and who could eliminate all the light between the heavens and earth?

If it were someone like Mao Qiuyu or Linghai Zhiwang, these experts only a step from the Divine Domain, they would only need to use their vigorous true essence and profound cultivations to forcefully suppress and then shatter Xu Yourong's Sword of Great Light. They only needed to pay the corresponding rather minuscule price. But Chen Changsheng had a similar cultivation level to Xu Yourong, and his amount of true essence and strength of spiritual sense was far inferior to hers. How could he break this sword?

Of course, the Sword of Great Light was no earthly technique. To use this sword, one would inevitably have to pay an enormous price. Even with Xu Yourong's Heavenly Phoenix blood, she could most likely use it just once.

If Chen Changsheng could not break this Sword of Great Light, his defeat was certain. If he could break the Sword of Great Light, then Xu Yourong's loss was without question. This was also precisely the reason that painter from the Pavilion of Divination had uttered those words in shock.

Today's match on the Bridge of Helplessness had been the focus of everyone's attention. For this battle, the common folk of the capital had waited several months, or even close to two years.

Was it possible for this match to end so quickly?

Many people were very surprised. No matter if it were Mao Qiuyu, Linghai Zhiwang, or Daoist Siyuan in that battle, none of them would have allowed themselves to be forced into such desperate straits so soon.

Yes, these were desperate straits.

This was the case for both Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong.

Victory or defeat depended on a single attack—Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong were both people very confident in themselves, and people with such self-confidence would never allow themselves to be forced into such a situation.

But they still acted in this way, neither leaving a path of retreat for themselves.

Chen Changsheng had used Wang Po's path of the blade to draw a path on the snow bridge. Xu Yourong had used her own path to receive this path. All this was because they were both upright youths.

Youths did not need to keep any reserve.

They would not hide their weakness, much less hide their attacks.

What youths wanted to do was to intimidate.

As a result, this battle that had just barely begun had reached its end.

Senior experts like Linghai Zhiwang were no longer youths, and had even forgotten their own youths, so they could not understand. Tang Thirty-Six could understand, Su Moyu understood, Prince Chen Liu could faintly understand, and Zhexiu understood the most. Because they were all young people.

"Both Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong don't enjoy performing for others." Tang Thirty-Six turned his head to glance at the dense mass of people crowding the two banks of the Luo River and said, "It will end very quickly."

At this moment, a cry of shock suddenly rose up from the great ship.

On the Bridge of Helplessness, the fog of snow madly danced and the mist of rain suddenly scattered.

Countless rays of light concealing countless sword intents assaulted Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng raised his sword and stabbed at a certain place in the rain and snow.

There was nothing new about this attack, much less any deep meaning behind it.

Yet the rain and snow on the bridge abruptly ceased.