novelraw Chapter 215 - 213: There Is a Greatness Called Conquest
Chapter 215 - 213: There Is a Greatness Called Conquest
Liangyuan was genuinely stunned. ’Attacking so aggressively when his Elemental Power is failing? Is he an idiot?’
But after a few exchanges, Liangyuan sensed something was wrong. His opponent’s sword seemed to have a gravitational pull, sticking to his own sword techniques. Every time he slashed, he felt an awkward resistance that prevented him from fully executing his moves.
The two figures tumbled through the air, their bodies flashing high and low as Sword Qi shot out in all directions. This was the most explosive Sword Cultivator duel since the start of the tournament!
Sunx Changxing’s eyes burned with intensity. ’How terrifying! To force an opponent into a close-quarters sword fight with five fewer levels of Elemental Power, and even manage to hold his ground... What horrifying Sword Sense!’
Liangyuan’s Elemental Power was immense, but he was lucky if he could bring even eighty percent of it to bear. Wang Meng’s sword strikes were simple, yet they had seized the initiative.
’Is this the state of returning to true simplicity?’
The moment the phrase appeared in Sunx Changxing’s mind, his first reaction was to find it laughable.
’How could that be possible!’
CLANG...
For reasons unknown, Wang Meng’s sword came crashing down with world-splitting force. Liangyuan was about to counter when a sense of immense danger washed over him.
He brought his Long Sword horizontal to block... BOOM...
His body shuddered violently.
In that moment of daze, the second sword strike descended!
He hastily blocked again!
BOOM...
Wang Meng continued to hammer down, one strike after another. Strangely, Liangyuan could only defend, and it looked like each block took more and more effort.
Yang Ying’s beautiful eyes shone with a brilliant light. ’Could this be the legendary Breaking Sword Form?’
The gentle expression on Mingren’s face turned grave. ’If I’m not mistaken, this is the most fearsome technique in a Sword Cultivator’s duel: the Breaking Sword Form.’
It was a form of absolute suppression, used after seeing through an opponent’s every move. The simplest Sword Slash was all that was needed to gain complete control.
But such a thing was impossible unless the gap in skill was immense. Especially at their level, not even Ning Zhiquan could necessarily use the Breaking Sword Form against Liangyuan.
The disciples went wild. A Level 20 Sword Cultivator was using the Breaking Sword Form on a Level 25 Sword Cultivator! Just the thought of it was so damn domineering!
Wang Meng’s face was solemn as he brought Broken Heaven Edge down with unshakable stability. Every strike sent a massive tremor through Liangyuan, who gritted his teeth and endured. To be suppressed with the Breaking Sword Form by someone weaker than him was the ultimate humiliation for a Sword Cultivator. Yet, no matter what he did, he couldn’t turn the tables. Once you were suppressed in a sword duel, it was impossible to use any of your killing moves. It all came down to a test of Elemental Power and one’s understanding of the sword.
KILL! KILL! KILL!
BOOM...
After three consecutive strikes, Liangyuan was sent flying, man and sword both. At the same time, Wang Meng unleashed another Sword Slash. While still in mid-air, Liangyuan was forced to defend again, but he was completely unable to bleed off the force of the blow. He was blasted out of the air and slammed hard onto the ground.
Wang Meng looked as if his entire being was about to burst into flame. He showed no intention of pursuing, simply raising Broken Heaven Edge slowly and pointing it at Liangyuan.
In that instant, an explosion of cheers filled the Immortal Origin Hall.
Wang Meng had finally unleashed his fury!
This was the opportunity everyone had fought to give him. He could let himself down, but he absolutely could not fail them.
Liangyuan was also burning—with rage. ’What utter contempt!’ If Wang Meng had pursued, he would have made him pay dearly. But the kid didn’t even bother. Wang Meng’s only chance had been to keep him tied up in a close-quarters duel, and now he had given it up.
Liangyuan’s body levitated ten feet into the air as he explosively channeled all of his Elemental Power into the Long Sword in his hand.
VSH... VSH... VSH...
One stream of Sword Qi after another erupted from Liangyuan’s body. ’...This isn’t the Qianshui Sword Technique?’
Even Hann Li had learned the Qianshui Sword Technique. How could Liangyuan possibly...
"Signal fires light the heavens, the sword holds the universe—Great Qiankun Sword!"
Liangyuan intended to utterly destroy his opponent. He hated this type of person the most—Li Tianyi was one, and Wang Meng was another.
The Great Qiankun Sword. It was a Sword Technique in no way inferior to the Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Green Fall Yellow Springs Sword or Li Tianyi’s Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword.
It wasn’t just his Elemental Power; Liangyuan had truly put painstaking effort into his Sword Technique. To defeat Li Tianyi, he knew he had to surpass him in Elemental Power while also ensuring his sword skills didn’t fall short.
This Great Qiankun Sword was an entire tier above the Qianshui Sword Technique.
A vast Sword Power erupted with thunderous momentum. Of all the paths of cultivation, there was no doubt that Sword Cultivators could push the offensive power of their Life Mark Combinations to the most astonishing limits.
In decades, this was the first time a Third Generation Disciple had mastered the Great Qiankun Sword.
Luu Yun glanced at Sunx Changxing. ’It seems Senior Brother Sunx has been hiding his true depths, to have trained Liangyuan to such a level. It looks like my Wangg Qing really is quite a bit behind.’
’Then again,’ she thought, ’not everyone is as high-profile as I am.’
Sunx Changxing stroked his beard in satisfaction. He had Li Tianyi to thank for this. If it weren’t for the humiliating defeat at Li Tianyi’s hands, Liangyuan probably wouldn’t have been able to achieve such a breakthrough.
He didn’t doubt that Wang Meng could one day master a Sword Technique of the same caliber, but unfortunately, on the path of cultivation, timing was everything.
Once it came down to a duel of ultimate sword techniques, it was all about whose move was more ruthless.
Wang Meng’s Broken Heaven Edge also moved. The moment he began his Sword Technique, everyone recognized it.
It was Yang Ying’s Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Green Fall Yellow Springs Sword!
This was probably the only Advanced Sword Skill Wang Meng had mastered.
Everyone’s eyes couldn’t help but turn to Yang Ying. After the last battle, everyone had thought there was something romantic between the two. The "truth" had since spread: apparently, Yang Ying had only asked Wang Meng to act as a cover to help her avoid her many suitors. With that, everything that had seemed unreasonable suddenly made sense. As repayment, Yang Ying had probably taught Wang Meng the Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Green Fall Yellow Springs Sword Technique.
They just never expected that Wang Meng could have actually mastered it.
A cold sneer formed on Liangyuan’s lips. ’How can a Twenty-Layer Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Green Fall Yellow Springs compare to my Great Qiankun Sword Technique!’
It was true that the Qianshui Sword Technique was a notch below the Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens, but the Great Qiankun Sword was a notch *above* it. Combined with his Twenty-Fifth Layer Elemental Power advantage, a head-on clash like this was simply suicide!
A normal sword-fighting duel wouldn’t necessarily result in major casualties, but a clash of ultimate techniques was different. It involved a Sword Cultivator unleashing an all-out, maximum-power attack with no regard for defense. One either overwhelmed the opponent with attacks or died. In a confrontation at their level, it was impossible to hold back, let alone stop at the first touch.
That was why Sword Cultivators were so impressive, but also why they so often died young.
Wang Meng wanting to fight head-on was exactly what Liangyuan had hoped for. ’And you can’t really blame him,’ he thought. ’After all, he’s just inexperienced. He probably thinks the Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Sword Technique is the best there is.’
The Sword Qi from both combatants grew more and more potent. In this situation, Liangyuan clearly held the absolute advantage.
The supporters on both sides were so nervous they fell silent. At this stage, the average disciple couldn’t tell who had the upper hand. They could only judge based on the raw power of the Sword Qi, and in that regard, Liangyuan was the clear winner. However, Wang Meng’s specialty was technique; he couldn’t be judged by Elemental Power alone.
"Wang Meng is being too confident. Against the Great Qiankun Sword, he can only use half of his Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens. He’s at a huge disadvantage."
"What choice does he have? It’s the only advanced move he knows."
Because the Sword Forms were different, Wang Meng’s follow-up move, the Green Fall Yellow Springs, was completely useless. This meant he couldn’t unleash the true power of the Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens.
Both sides finished gathering their Sword Qi. Liangyuan swept his Long Sword aside, and ten thousand streams of Sword Qi spread out in a magnificent torrent, truly giving him the air of a Sword God. It was like a rain of swords.
"Qiankun Reversal—Kill!"
On the other side, Wang Meng’s Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens also shot forward. A White Phoenix let out a long cry as it charged toward Liangyuan.
"Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens—Kill!"
A proud smile appeared on Liangyuan’s face as he silently mouthed a single word: Die.
The rain of swords suddenly coalesced, forming a magnificent celestial sword that slashed straight toward the White Phoenix.
Under this immense power, the White Phoenix was like a bird trapped in a cage.
This was the Great Qiankun Sword of the Holy Hall. Its countless streams of Sword Qi formed a net, locking onto a target before condensing at any moment into the strongest possible force for a single, fatal blow.
But just then, the phoenix from Wang Meng’s Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens suddenly unfolded its brilliant wings of Elemental Power.
—Phoenix Wing Heaven Soaring!
As its wings spread, the White Phoenix dissolved into a torrential flood of Sword Qi, sweeping in a great arc to envelop Liangyuan.
Liangyuan’s Great Qiankun Sword slashed majestically through empty air. He had been baited...
A chill ran down Liangyuan’s spine as the sky-filling torrent of Sword Qi washed over him.
RUMBLE...
In that instant, the world in Liangyuan’s eyes turned to black and white. ’Why is this happening?’
’Why did the Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens spread its wings...’
’Why is someone able to alter a Sword Technique?!’
BANG... THUD... THUD...
Liangyuan fell from the sky, landing flat on his back. His pupils were dilated and his eyes were vacant. ’Why can someone alter a Sword Technique?!’
The Life Mark Combination for every Sword Technique was the result of countless refinements. Any rash alteration could lead to cultivation deviation and falling into demonhood...
This was even more true for Advanced Sword Skills.
’But why?’
If Yang Ying had known his thoughts, she would have told him that she had never taught Wang Meng the Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Sword Technique at all. He had comprehended it just by watching her fight. This was a "reverse-sword" ability: the power to deduce the underlying Life Mark Combination simply by observing a Sword Technique. After all, even the most complex Sword Technique was built from basic Life Mark Combinations.
All roads led to the same destination.
But that was easier said than done. It was something only a person truly born for the sword could ever hope to accomplish.
The Immortal Origin Hall was deathly silent. All the disciples stared at Liangyuan, whose fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. He wanted to get up.
After a long moment, Liangyuan’s tightly clenched fists finally relaxed. His eyes were squeezed shut, and a single, crystalline tear slid down his cheek.
He truly had given it his all.
Sunx Changxing heaved a deep sigh. ’Oh, Yu, why was Liang born?’ he mused, referencing a classic tale of two brilliant, fated rivals. Perhaps Liangyuan was neither of them. The true rivals of this generation were Li Tianyi and Wang Meng.
It wasn’t that Liangyuan wasn’t good enough. Rather, for everyone else, being born in the same era as Li Tianyi and Wang Meng was a tragedy.
Wang Meng slowly raised Broken Heaven Edge, thrusting it toward the sky. In an instant, the world was filled with nothing but cheers.
"WANG MENG!~~~~~~~~~~ MIGHTY!~~~~~~~~~"
Zhang Liang’s intelligence network immediately sent out the breaking news: Thunderlight Hall was advancing triumphantly! Wang Meng’s divine might was on full display! Who could possibly stop his march?
An unprecedented six-match winning streak. In the end, even the Immortal Origin Hall of the Upper Three Halls couldn’t halt the Thunderlight Hall’s advance.
Tears streamed down the faces of the Immortal Origin Hall disciples. They had endured untold hardships and prepared desperately for this, all for a chance to redeem themselves in a match against the Lingyin Hall. But now... they wouldn’t even get the chance to fight them.
Hundred Herbs Hall, Beast Hall, Fire Cloud Hall, Hengshan Hall, Flying Phoenix Hall, and Immortal Origin Hall. Qiao Qian, Jia Shidao, Song Zhong, Tang Wei, Yang Ying, and Liangyuan. All of them had fallen.
As he was carried away, Liangyuan kept his eyes shut. His body trembled, though he tried to suppress it. He was too ashamed to face his fellow disciples.
At that moment, Qiao Qian and the others understood completely. Perhaps this blow had hit Liangyuan even harder than it had hit them. At that same moment, the perpetually boisterous Hengshan Hall also fell silent. They suddenly realized that all their clamoring and posturing had been nothing more than the antics of a buffoon. The Thunderlight Hall’s gaze was no longer even on them.
Wang Meng was just too high-profile!