Chapter 42: Azure Clouds (20)

With a crack, the long sword snapped, shattered into fragments by the sheer force. He Tingtong leaped forward, pushing Fu Fengyan away. The Mo-dao slashed down, practically grazing his head. The two of them rolled several times, bracing themselves with one hand on the ground before flipping up.

“Catch the sword!”

He Tingtong raised his hand and tossed the long sword directly to Fu Fengyan. Then, he pulled a wind talisman from his bosom, rode the wind, and narrowly avoided the next strike.

The rain poured down like a waterfall, threads of rain forming curtains that covered the sky and earth. He Tingtong was soaked to the bone, with only the celestial talisman between his fingertips emitting light.

Seeing his whole body fly up, a zither note suddenly arrived in mid-air, striking straight at him. However, just as it reached halfway, another slightly lower-pitched zither note intercepted it from below, neutralizing the two spiritual powers. Xiangli Lingze retreated several steps, gritting his teeth, “Xiangli Xuan!”

On the broken wall eaves, Xiangli Xuan arrived holding his zither, standing at one end. Fu Baiyu followed closely behind, holding a white umbrella and landing on the other end, resembling two door gods.

Looking at the mess, Fu Baiyu gave a “Yo-ho” and laughed, “Third Young Master, come up quickly, don’t associate with little thieves!”

Behind the two of them were more black cavalry charging over, sensing the commotion here, as well as Xie Xuanxiao flying toward the White Tower in the rain curtain without looking back.

He Tingtong looked up, surveying the surroundings, observing the square box-like courtyard and the two people on the roof watching the show.

The rain poured down as if the sky had a hole in it. Water on the ground quickly rose to the ankles. Sword edges sliced through the water, Mo-dao cut through the rain curtain, one slash shattering the courtyard wall. Fu Fengyan wielded his sword, starting another dazzling move from the Nine Forms. His swordsmanship was simply too precise; every movement was neat and minimalist to the extreme. Seemingly strolling leisurely, every strike accurately hit the weak points of the black cavalry’s Mo-dao, engaging the black cavalry purely with swordsmanship.

Xiangli Lingze leaned against the wall, sitting cross-legged, assisting with zither sounds to hinder the black cavalry’s movements. However, there was always another zither sound ringing out unexpectedly, disrupting his tune, annoying him to no end.

He Tingtong narrowly avoided the Mo-dao edge, ducking and rolling out from under the black cavalry. His pitch-black bangs were soaked in water, completely plastered to his face, revealing a pair of deep, dark eyes.

Xie Xuanxiao went to catch Zhang Duixue. These two followers must have received some benefits and planned to use the black cavalry’s hands to eliminate them here.

“Little thieves down there, beg for mercy and I won’t kill you,” Fu Baiyu’s voice rang out lazily. “Call me ancestor twice, and I might act to save you.”

Beside him, Xiangli Xuan’s voice was calm. He only said, “Lingze, come here.”

Xiangli Lingze was exasperated and replied with “Get lost.”

He Tingtong raised his hand to wipe the rain off his face and let out a long breath.

Watching the fire from the other side of the river, they weren’t afraid of getting burned themselves.

In the courtyard, the black cavalry wielded the Mo-dao, swinging a heavily weighted arc. He Tingtong rushed to Xiangli Lingze’s side in a few steps and slapped a wind talisman on him.

Xiangli Lingze, holding his zither: “?”

He Tingtong smiled at him, then grabbed his wrist heavily, dragging him to charge at the black cavalry in the courtyard.

Xiangli Lingze’s expression changed drastically. “What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?”

Another heavy slash came down, carrying the momentum of wind and thunder, bringing wind and rain. Seeing the black cavalry’s blade about to cut them in half at the waist, Fu Fengyan raised his sword to block. The spiritual light on the sword dimmed, and with a crack, cracks appeared.

Xiangli Lingze stood at the very back, yet he still felt like he was hit in the chest by a giant beast. He couldn’t catch his breath, his eyes rolled back, and he nearly fainted, only to be pinched awake by He Tingtong grabbing his forearm.

Rainwater hit his face like countless slaps, stinging painfully. His eyes were soaked in water, raw and painful; he couldn’t see clearly. Beside his ear, he only heard the youth’s crisp voice say: “Up!”

The cavalryman swung his arm round for a full-force strike. The blade edge failed to hit them, but the force flung all three of them away. He Tingtong borrowed the force to rise, activating the celestial talisman. The long wind blustered, and Xiangli Lingze, like a light feather, flew directly up!

The floor tiles, courtyard walls, and pavilions became smaller and smaller. The low, rolling clouds overhead grew closer. Wind howled in his ears; rain covered the sky and earth but was swept away by the gale, circling around him. In mid-air, he could see Xiangli Xuan’s slightly frowned brows below and Fu Baiyu’s suddenly changed expression.

Xiangli Lingze was stunned, murmuring, “Aren’t you a sword cultivator?”

He Tingtong didn’t explain. Blood red at the corner of his mouth, his voice faintly tinged with excitement rang out beside him, ordering, “You enter the tower and help Zhang Duixue break the array. I’ll block them outside.”

Xiangli Lingze turned his head in shock: “Do you have a death wish?”

He Tingtong shoved the jade tablet into his collar backhanded, then kicked him directly in, “You zero-scorer, stop worrying about my hundred-point business.”

“You have enough points?” Xiangli Lingze’s breath hitched. Hugging his zither, he crashed into the White Tower on the side like a cannonball, only having time to shout exasperatedly, “Don’t get kicked out for being so arrogant!”

He Tingtong pulled a stack of celestial talismans from his bosom, not looking back. “Worry about me when you have enough points!”

Fu Baiyu and Xiangli Xuan attacked simultaneously to break the spiritual power. He Tingtong lost his footing and fell downward. Rainwater bound his limbs like arrows. Zither sounds rang out sharply, sound waves like blades slashing toward mid-air. He Tingtong used another wind talisman to counteract them.

Fu Fengyan came treading on the wind. He Tingtong grabbed his burning hot hand. “Hold me!”

Fu Fengyan gave a calm “Mn” and hugged him by the waist.

A thunderclap exploded in the sky, white light flashing. He Tingtong took out a celestial talisman from his bosom. “Seal!”

In mid-air, Fu Baiyu flew over, turning his umbrella into a blade, stabbing at the two pulling and tugging each other. But before he could get close, the air in front of him suddenly turned cold. Then, in mid-air, with the celestial talisman in He Tingtong’s palm as the radius, rainwater froze within twenty meters, instantly forming an ice sphere. Fu Baiyu was trapped inside; the frozen rain pelted his face like stones.

Fu Baiyu cursed in a low voice and swept his sleeves to clear it away. A layer of ice crust formed on his body; he looked like a freshly made candied hawthorn, dropping ice chips with every movement.

“Xiangli Xuan!” Fu Baiyu was fired up. He looked down, only to find that the refined Second Young Master of the Xiangli clan, who should have supported him, had run away with his zither on his back.

Fu Baiyu: “…”

He turned and ran, looking at the two little thieves sprinting diagonally ahead. He folded his hands, drew his bow, and fired three arrows in succession. The arrows carried arrays, pinning He Tingtong’s hem and locking him to the ground. Fu Baiyu leaped up, not forgetting to greet, “See you later.”

But before he could flip over that wall, his ankle tightened. Looking down, he saw rainwater transformed into chains, entangling his leg. He Tingtong held a celestial talisman between his fingers, smiling sinisterly at him. “Young Master Fu, if you have something to say, why not discuss it face to face?”

Several long blades slashed down. Fu Baiyu’s face turned livid. Turning his bow into a shield, spiritual light surged, blocking a strike.

He Tingtong took off his outer robe, wearing only his inner garment, waving from Fu Fengyan’s back. “Young Master Fu, see you later.”

Fu Baiyu: “…”

The black cavalry split into two teams. Based on cultivation level, one cavalryman chased He Tingtong, and three chased Fu Baiyu.

Fu Baiyu’s cursing could be heard from far away.

The sword was broken, so they couldn’t fly on it. Fu Fengyan ran on the tiles, but his speed was ultimately inferior to the black cavalry. The scorching white steam sprayed from the giant beast’s nostrils almost blew onto their faces.

Running further ahead was the main road. On the main road, the slaughter was even more intense. Overflowing spiritual energy acted like a meat grinder; if they got even slightly close, they would be directly ejected from the mystic realm.

He Tingtong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He had prepared ten celestial talismans, which were used up just now. Only one thing remained, but… He looked at the jade tablet at his waist, which served as a recording device.

His waist tightened; Fu Fengyan suddenly threw him up. The Mo-dao stabbed over. He Tingtong turned to dodge, landing awkwardly. The giant beast stomped down. Fu Fengyan struck back with a backhanded sword slash, shattering the sword body again.

He threw the hilt, and the sword fragments were hurled into the giant beast’s eyes. With a painful neigh, the cavalryman rolled off the giant beast. Amidst the heavy sound of iron armor, he pulled out the Mo-dao stuck by the roadside.

Fu Fengyan stood in front of He Tingtong. His body was burning hot. Cold rain fell on him, seeming to raise a layer of misty white steam.

They weren’t touching, yet He Tingtong felt as if a fire was burning in front of him.

Ink-black long hair hung to the back of his knees. Fu Fengyan looked at the soldier charging with the blade, raised his hand, and formed a sword finger.

Xiangli Lingze descended from the sky holding his zither, broke through the window into the White Tower, and rolled once, coming face to face with Zhang Duixue, whose wrists were bound by talismans, and Xie Xuanxiao, who was strolling leisurely.

Xie Xuanxiao was too lazy to even spare a look, only saying, “You, a music cultivator, cannot beat me.”

Xiangli Lingze was exhausted all over. Seeing the situation inside the tower clearly, without a word, he swung the guqin in his arms in a full circle and smashed it onto the head of Xie Xuanxiao, who had his back turned to him.

Music cultivators had always been elegant; their zithers were always treated as treasures, usually kept in boxes for careful maintenance, and wiped carefully with handkerchiefs after each use. Xie Xuanxiao had never seen anyone use a guqin as a brick in his life.

With a huge muffled sound, even the strings vibrated. Xie Xuanxiao only had time to add a protective array to his head before being knocked flying, crashing through the wooden window, falling directly down, and landing heavily on the first floor.

Zhang Duixue’s eyes widened in horror. Xiangli Lingze rushed up and pushed him. “What are you dazing for? Break the array!”

The two flew to the top floor. Zhang Duixue raised his hand and struck the array core with his sword—one slash, another slash, cracks appeared on the array core.

Below the tower, Xie Xuanxiao lay in a pile of rubble, his vision going black. He coughed, feeling something warm and sticky on his face. Wiping it with a finger—crimson red.

He laughed in anger.

Pitch-black fire ignited from Xie Xuanxiao’s fingertips, a thin line, then shot directly toward the roof. Xiangli Lingze watched Zhang Duixue breaking the array impatiently. He raised the guqin with snapped strings, pushed the person aside, and raged, “Why are you sword cultivators so useless? Let me do it!”

He stepped on the stairs, raising the zither body and smashing it fiercely. Zhang Duixue glanced from the corner of his eye. “Fine, you do it. The Young Palace Master is coming up; I’ll go block him.”

Xiangli Lingze cursed without looking back, “Is he a ghost? Still coming?”

Another thunderclap exploded, tinged with blood red. Zhang Duixue charged at Xie Xuanxiao with his sword. Doors and windows shattered, rain pouring into the room. The sword light in Zhang Duixue’s palm shone brightly, reflecting Xie Xuanxiao’s eyes, exceptionally sinister after being stained with blood.

Miles away, Fu Baiyu smashed through three walls and spat out a mouthful of blood. Looking at Xiangli Xuan not far away, he gritted his teeth, “Still not acting!”

Zither sounds shook greatly. Xiangli Xuan’s wide sleeves fluttered, his tone ethereal, “Coming now.”

Separated by several walls, the cavalryman raised the Mo-dao high and slashed down heavily. The blade edge cut through the rain curtain, forming a vacuum zone. Fu Fengyan turned his head slightly, looking at He Tingtong. His half-closed eyes were a rich dark purple. “Don’t be afraid.”

With a boom, Xiangli Lingze’s palm was bloody. A heavy strike shattered the guqin. The spiritual tool hit the array core, smashing that snow-white jade bead into powder.

Spirit resolution complete.

In the next instant, everyone was forcibly ejected from the Wandering Spirit Realm. A crisp chime sounded.

The final trial ended.