Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 708 – Forward, Forward

Chunks of ice floated about the river. Tie Shu floated amongst them with his eyes open, already dead.

His eyes reflected the gloomy sky, just like the surface of the water and the chunks of ice around him.

An extremely straight wound was visible on his abdomen. It was extremely deep, cutting straight through his Ethereal Palace and all his Qi openings, severing any chance of survival.

From this wound, one could see the strike of Wang Po’s blade.

His blade was still as it used to be, but it had also undergone many subtle transformations, and also seemed to have reached a more profound level of cultivation.

When his blade broke through his sheath, he successfully broke through into the next realm.

As a prerequisite, he needed to expel the shadow that Zhou Dufu had cast upon his soul.

Before a lofty peak, some people would choose to walk around, others would choose to retreat, and others would choose to climb.

Wang Po had always walked forward towards this high mountain. The peak had always been close to his eyes, yet he had never been able to get any closer.

It was only at that moment, when he destroyed his internal demon, that he finally established his own path of the blade.

For Tie Shu to die in this battle in which Wang Po established his path was no disgrace.

However, Wang Po had just broken through and he had not accumulated enough energy. In order to slay an expert of the Divine Domain, he had to pay an enormous price.

He had severed one of his arms, and now, injuries that were even more terrifying than this severed arm were beginning to encroach upon his meridians and his will.

The cold winds of winter blew past the willows on the banks of the Luo River, lightly swaying the chunks of ice on the water and everything within them.

The wind, although cold, was not very fierce. However, the body of Tie Shu amongst the chunks of ice melted into smoke in the wind, vanishing from the world.

Immediately afterwards, the wind blew against Wang Po’s clothes, widening the tears upon it. Blood instantly exploded from his body in a cascade.

Countless indistinct strands of Qi accompanied this blood in departing from his body.

Wang Po’s face was bloodless, whiter even than the snow that covered the dikes of the river.

His body became extremely heavy and devoid of strength.

He walked towards the shore.

The icy waters of the river seemed to have become much stickier, and his walk very arduous.

A straight line of blood appeared in the river, then began to diffuse to the two banks. The edges of this line were frozen, becoming things akin to blood-colored pieces of coral.

He didn’t know where he should go, but seeing that the eastern bank of the Luo River was in front of him, he walked over there.

He was used to walking forward.

But he seemed to have chosen wrongly.

Many figures appeared amongst the wind-blown willows lining the river.

The first to arrive on the banks of the Luo River was the Tang Second Master. Behind him were several hundred cavalry from the Imperial Guard and two Divine Generals of the Great Zhou.

His face was littered with very fine wounds, making him look very battered.

These were wounds inflicted by Wang Po and Tie Shu’s first clash on the snowy street.

As he stared at Wang Po, the shock and fury in his eyes gradually vanished, supplanted by a cold indifference.

Then, he gave a noiseless laugh, his smile containing an indescribable ridicule, contempt, and pity.

Yes, you’ve successfully broken through, becoming an expert of the Divine Domain revered by all the people of the world.

But now, you will die.

Just how despairing of a fact was this, how worthy of celebrating a story?

The Tang Second Master withdrew his smile and raised his right hand. With an apathetic expression, he waved.

Several hundred sharp arrows carrying a dazzling light flew up from the shore of the Luo River and descended towards the center.

……

……

All was quiet in the Li Palace, the atmosphere abnormally tense. The snow on the eaves silently melted, but before it could fall, it froze into beads of ice.

Time slowly passed, but no one appeared.

Madam Mu gazed at the snowy clouds in the sky, her brows slightly raised in surprise.

Who had been able to make Shang Xingzhou remain in the Imperial Palace?

And who had created such turmoil on the streets of the capital?

Tie Shu? No, if it were just him alone, this thunder would not be so resounding.

This thunder finally fell upon the Luo River.

The laws of the world above the Luo River began to change.

An incorporeal flower descended upon the world.

The intent of a metal blade soared upwards to meet it.

Madam Mu was finally moved.

Wang Po had broken through!

Tie Shu had died!

This shocked her, made her fall silent, and then she regained her stern composure.

The words Zhu Luo had said right before his death at the Mausoleum of Books had not merely been for Shang Xingzhou’s ear. They had also been for her and her husband.

At any other time, she would have personally taken action and killed Wang Po.

But right now, she needed to remain in the Li Palace to herd the snow clouds in the sky, temporarily opposing the Orthodoxy’s will and making it impossible for them to leave.

Fortunately, she could clearly sense that Wang Po had no more strength to fight after defeating Tie Shu.

In the capital, if he was unable to fight, he could only die.

If he died, how could Chen Changsheng survive?

……

……

All around him were assassins, killers and experts of profound cultivation.

Xiao De stood before him.

Chen Changsheng was not surprised at his present circumstances.

He knew that his master wanted to kill him, had always wanted to kill him.

It was related to the position of Pope, but there was an even more important reason: he was too close to his senior brother.

That no one else had brought up this point did not mean that he himself was unaware of it.

He had always believed that his master would show his hand on the day when his martial uncle the Pope returned to the sea of stars.

Consequently, before that day came, he had to finish those tasks.

When the sky was filled with yellowed leaves, he had gone to New North Bridge and exhausted all his energies to prepare for the little Black Dragon’s escape in two years.

When the sky was filled with wind and snow, he had come to the alley of the Northern Military Department to kill Zhou Tong.

He had not expected that his master so urgently wanted him to die.

Perhaps it was today.

Yes, there was still no noise from the long street.

So it must be today.

One final leaf still remained on the bare branches of the crabapple tree. When that assassin struck the wall, that leaf also fell. It noiselessly descended to the snowy earth, falling in front of Chen Changsheng’s shoes.

Chen Changsheng’s gaze moved upward, eventually falling upon Xiao De’s face.

This leading expert of the younger generation of demi-humans had appeared today at the alley of the Northern Military Department naturally due to White Emperor City’s will. At the very least, he had obtained the silent permission of that pair of Saints.

In these past two years, many gifts, greetings, and honors had been conferred upon the Orthodox Academy by White Emperor City, but now it seemed as if none of it had had any meaning. He did not ask for any reasons or justifications, as the reason for everything in the world often boiled down to the words ‘benefit’ and ‘interest’. The White Emperor couple had to consider the interest of the demi-humans in their plans, and the good impressions they once had for Chen Changsheng would not affect their cold determinations. Xiao De had to think about his own interests, and he had no good impressions of Chen Changsheng. For the eight hundred li of the Red River and Luoluo, he was very willing to see Chen Changsheng die.

“I must request that you die.”

Xiao De said gravely to him, then sent a fist smashing forward.

It was a simple fist, but it was monstrously terrifying. The forceful true essence of the demi-humans stimulated the Qi of the world and immediately flew before his eyes.

At the same time, the swords of ten-some Star Condensation assassins stabbed through the snow, cutting off all paths of retreat.

If Chen Changsheng were to force a retreat, he would have to face these frightening swords and still have to deal with Xiao De’s even more terrifying fist.

If he chose to go forward, he would be stopped by Xiao De’s fist, and those ten-some swords behind would explode with a most terrifying power.

Right now, it seemed like he would die no matter what he chose.

Perhaps for this reason, he chose to go forward.

If death was both forward and behind, why not go forward? Of course he had to go forward.

He rammed through the wind and snow, his sword stabbing forward.

He moved even faster than Xiao De’s fist.

His sword intent was just like a wildfire.

No, it was more like Heavenly Fire.

Fire that fell from the heavens was lightning.

His sword stabbed like lightning towards Xiao De’s body.

Simultaneously, Xiao De’s fist also reached his body.