abcnovels
Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Song Ze, now thirty-six years old, was taken in as a direct disciple by Qi Peak Leader He Daoguang thirty years ago. He began cultivating at the most suitable age for cultivation.
He had an elegant temperament and beautiful appearance. His personality was gentle, and people loved him very much. He was also extremely talented and diligent in his studies and cultivation, developing solid cultivation and mastery of countless mystical arts.
Whether in appearance or cultivation, he was worthy of being one of the Dao Sword Sect's Ten Great Heavenly Prides, and so had countless fans.
So when people heard someone wanted to challenge their beloved senior brother, it caused great excitement in the Dao Sword Sect, to say the least.
One female cultivator of Qi Peak said indignantly, "Among the Ten Great Heavenly Prides, no one challenged the others, yet they insist on challenging my senior brother. Are they bullying my gentle senior brother?"
"If you want to challenge my senior brother, you'll have to get through me first. I want to see how much ability she has!"
One well-informed person said, "I heard the challenger is a no-name cultivator of low cultivation. How dare she?"
"I heard the challenger is one of the Five Great Beauties..." someone analyzed. "I suspect she's an indecent woman looking to get close to my senior brother by causing trouble!"
"What kind of backwater is Dan Peak? They actually dare to show their face!" Some directly resorted to personal attacks.
Of course, aside from Song Ze's fans, there were also many casual observers who came to watch the match today.
Some came to watch the show: "I heard a Foundation Establishment cultivator is challenging a Golden Core cultivator. This challenger really isn't afraid of death. Senior Brother Song Ze is already a Heavenly Pride, and she wants to challenge above her level. I came to watch her cry."
"Cry?" Someone else shook their head. They say no matter life or death on the Debate Platform, "If you don't control your power well, someone could die today."
Some came to see the beauty: "I heard the challenger is one of the Five Great Beauties, the so-called White-Clothed Sword Immortal. With a sword in hand and dressed in white, shapely eyebrows and bright eyes, black hair and red lips, even women would fall for her. I want to see what she looks like."
"I've seen her once at Master Peak," someone replied. "No regrets in this life."
A very small number came for the battle: "They told me it's a cross-level challenge, even crossing realms. I'm really looking forward..."
"Actually, that challenger has peerless talent. The Peak Master of Sword Peak wanted to accept her as a disciple, but she refused." Someone said, "She might have a chance."
The news that someone wanted to challenge one of the Ten Great Heavenly Prides, Song Ze, had long been spread by Dong Zhongyuan. Those worried for their senior brother, those who wanted to watch the fun, and those who loved fighting, countless people, all gathered at the Debate Platform today.
So today's Debate Platform was extraordinarily lively, a sea of people as far as the eye could see. It seemed like over half the lower-level cultivators of the Dao Sword Sect had come to watch the match.
As the challenger, Li Shiyin arrived at the Debate Platform very early.
Today she wore snow white clothes, with a white jade belt around her waist and a sword-shaped pendant. On her feet were black boots with white tips. A light-colored ribbon held back her soft, dark hair. Her outfit gave an impression of cleanliness and tidiness.
Holding a sword, she stood to the side of the Debate Platform with eyes closed, quietly waiting for Song Ze's arrival.
Her face was white as jade, lips red as blood. Her temperament, whether described as heroic or chic, was eye-catching in any case.
Li Shiyin arrived at the Debate Platform at noon and stood waiting on the platform until the sun set, yet Song Ze never came.
She firmly kept her master's teachings in mind - remain calm no matter what. As the challenger, she stood on the platform, her mind still as water.
The disciples who kept waiting below, however, couldn't endure any longer.
Some were there to watch the joke: "As expected, Song Ze doesn't take her seriously at all. Look at her standing there seriously, foolishly fancying herself important, like a clown."
"With such a huge difference in cultivation, it's reasonable for Song Ze not to accept the challenge."
Some were indignant: "Song Ze is truly arrogant. If he wasn't going to accept, he could have said so earlier. To neither show up nor refuse is simply disgraceful!"
"He's been pampered by everyone for so long that he looks down on all people now. It's despicable but unsurprising that he would do this."
Some had a good attitude: "Whether Song Ze comes or not doesn't matter. This Junior Sister Li really is as beautiful as rumored. Coming today was worthwhile just to see her. However long she stands, I'll watch for that long!"
"All eyes on me! From today onward, I'm Junior Sister Li's dog!!"
The sun set and the moon rose. Not until the sky was full of stars did Song Ze finally arrive at the Debate Platform in a refined manner.
"Look, that's Song Ze! He does have some charm, not inferior to me in my youth!"
"Senior brother, go for it! You're the best!"
"Bear his children..."
As expected, Song Ze was quite popular. The crowd was already roaring before he even landed on the Debate Platform.
The corner of his mouth curled in a faint smile, graceful in bearing. Holding a paper fan, he cupped his fists apologetically to Li Shiyin. "Junior Sister, please forgive me. Your senior brother was comprehending new mysteries of the Dao and lost track of time. Please accept my sincere apologies."
Li Shiyin opened her eyes, looking Song Ze over. She noticed the emerald thumb ring on his thumb and said in a cold voice, "Wearing down my fighting spirit. A very good tactic."
Her master said that fighting spirit weakens from one burst, to the next, until exhausted.
She came today to challenge him. At the start, her fighting spirit was at its peak. If Song Ze avoided her at this time, evading her edge, her fighting spirit would surely diminish.
If her fighting spirit weakened from resentment at Song Ze's breach of etiquette, if her heart held two intentions, if her mindset was impure, her fighting spirit would reduce further. By the time Song Ze finally fought, his odds of winning would increase at least fifty percent.
Seeing Li Shiyin see through his tactic at a glance, Song Ze couldn't help but look at her more closely. She was not just a pretty face.
Even so, Song Ze firmly believed in going all out against a weaker opponent. He did not feel ashamed of this tactic.
"Junior Sister jests," he said with a smile.
"Too foolish!" Li Shiyin instead gave this evaluation. She looked up at the sky filled with stars. "You don't know my cultivation technique and just assumed delaying would work by rote..."
Hearing Li Shiyin's criticism, Song Ze's expression changed slightly. Indeed he didn't know her cultivation technique, only that she was from Dan Peak. Could her technique relate to the night?
"How arrogant!" Song Ze's fans were furious and heaped abuse. "What right do you, vile woman, have to say that about our senior brother?"
"So arrogant! I love it..." But some casual observers said this instead.
In any case, Li Shiyin's words caused an immediate uproar below.
The sky was full of stars, and stars filled Li Shiyin's eyes as well. She completely ignored the voices from below, only looking at Song Ze with the arrogance of a senior cultivator looking at a junior, saying, "I'll permit you to attack first!"
"Oh... Yeah!" Some in the crowd were about to be charmed unconscious by Li Shiyin.
Under the sheer force of Li Shiyin's aura, Song Ze almost forgot that he was actually a whole realm above her. He had the strange sense that he was the challenger instead.
Originally he hadn't taken Li Shiyin seriously, but now, cautious as he was, he truly feared losing. He smiled gently, "Just exchanging pointers, order doesn't matter. But since Junior Sister insists, this senior brother will respectfully oblige."
On one hand, he felt the subtle shame of a senior striking first against a junior. On the other hand, he hypocritically warned, "Junior Sister, be careful!"
Then the jade pendant on Song Ze's thumb lit up, and a beam of magic shot out at Li Shiyin.
Without even glancing at it, Li Shiyin's figure flashed to dodge the spell.
Seeing Li Shiyin's formidable movement skill, Song Ze unleashed all his power. All sorts of spells burst forth in succession - wind blades, flames, thunder - all striking at Li Shiyin.
Li Shiyin's figure flickered amongst the spells as she kept looking for an opportunity without drawing her sword. At a certain moment, staring fixedly at Song Ze, her eyes suddenly sharpened... Song Ze's spells were many and varied, but lacked precision. There were pauses between each casting.
These pauses were extremely brief and nearly invisible, but...
"Stellar Sword Immortal!" Li Shiyin recited internally.
The Star River Galaxy turned as the Starfall Sword left its sheath. Blinding stellar sword qi instantly coalesced and surged forward. The sword returned to its sheath.
The sword rose, the sword was sheathed, the sword light extinguished, all in an instant. The crowd below looked back at the stage, only to see the stage clean and bare, no magic, no sword energy, only Song Ze and Li Shiyin standing opposite one another.
Li Shiyin held her sword at her side, as if the long sword had never been unsheathed. Her cold starry eyes looked at Song Ze without emotion, then she turned and flew back into the night sky.
The crowd's gaze was inevitably drawn with her, following her departure. She glowed in the night sky, like a meteor grazing the mundane world.
At the stage, Song Ze had blood at the corner of his mouth. His thumb wearing the wrench had a sword wound. If he had not done his utmost to protect himself, his thumb, his treasured tool, would have been destroyed by that sword strike.
He suffered severe internal injuries, collapsing powerlessly to his knees on the stage...
Perhaps for the rest of his life, he would never forget this sword tonight.
With one sword flying immortal, one sword grazing the mundane! The immortal flying beyond the heavens!!
Surely none who came to watch this battle tonight will forget this stunning sword. A Foundation Establishment stage cultivator defeating a Golden Core stage cultivator with one sword!
What peerless elegance and grace!
With just one sword, Song Ze lost the reputation of an arrogant genius. With her Foundation Establishment cultivation, Li Shiyin became the Dao Sword Sect's new generation's arrogant genius.