Seeking Truth with a Sword

Chapter 377 - 328: Detonation

"...Nothing."

Sui Yi rubbed her chin with her left hand, her face still betraying a hint of confusion.

She always felt... something was off.

Forget it, I’ll stop thinking about it.

She shook her head and saw Li Ang walk up to the Buddha Altar, pick up the Triangular Spear, and stab the remaining three Corpse Buddhas through.

"Uh?"

Several people were startled. Although they didn’t believe in Zen doctrine, they still held some reverence for the Jialan Sect’s three Buddha statues and didn’t understand why Li Ang would do such a thing.

"It’s nothing. I just felt these Buddha statues were a bit of an eyesore."

Li Ang casually retrieved the Triangular Spear, looked outside the Grand Hall, and said, "The fog has dispersed."

Everyone followed his gaze. Indeed, the dense fog that had always shrouded the Jialan Sect was gradually clearing. It revealed the Jialan Sect’s Mountain Gate and, standing outside it, Shangguan Yangyao and the others.

Their gazes met, and expressions of astonishment appeared on both sides. Shangguan Yangyao and his group were amazed at how the mountain-guarding fog had inexplicably dissipated, while Sui Yi and her group were shocked that these people had possessed the patience to wait until now.

"..."

As enemies faced each other, Ashina Que Teqin narrowed his eyes, his hand pressing down on the hilt of his scimitar. Jiu Fenghai straightened his turban, several talismans clenched in his hand. Sui Yi took a deep breath and flexed her uninjured left hand. Xia Jun’s gaze flickered; he was, after all, the Prince of Nanzhou, and his relationship with Taihao Mountain wasn’t particularly bad. He might be able to stay out of it.

STEP.

To everyone’s surprise, the first to act was not the deeply resentful Ashina Que Teqin, nor Sui Yi, but Li Ang. He strode out of the Grand Hall, his Triangular Spear twirling with a flourish as he walked indifferently towards the Mountain Gate.

"Hm?"

Bian Chenpei raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Shangguan Yangyao and, seeing the latter showed no reaction, twisted his wrist. He released his Telekinesis, causing his Telekinesis Control Devices to levitate.

BUZZ—

Daggers and Mind Needles sliced through the air, racing towards Li Ang. Li Ang, however, remained expressionless, his demeanor detached.

The journey to the Jialan Sect three hundred years ago had yielded more than just the Sumeru Hourglass. The deeper evolution of Mo Si had elevated Li Ang beyond the Middle Level of Rain Listening to the High-level Rain Listening. Furthermore, having just used the Sumeru Hourglass, he could temporarily perceive the flow of time. This allowed him, to some extent, to foresee the future.

CLANG!

The Triangular Spear thrust out casually, accurately striking an incoming Mind Needle. Then, using the force of the collision, Li Ang turned the spear to flick away an approaching Dagger.

The sound of clashing metal was incessant. Li Ang stepped forward, using only his long spear to block more than a dozen Telekinesis Control Devices, without summoning any Spiritual Power. He simply ignored the Mind Needles and Daggers that were never going to hit him anyway, calmly walking amidst the dense storm of Telekinesis Control Devices.

This eerie sight made Sui Yi’s mouth gape in astonishment. Jiu Fenghai’s eyes bulged in disbelief. Bian Chenpei himself was drenched in sweat, angrily channeling twice the amount of Telekinesis.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The Telekinesis Control Devices dove and were repelled, the cycle repeating.

Li Ang’s expression remained detached. Ignoring the dumbfounded expressions of everyone present, he stood beneath the Mountain Gate, lifted the Triangular Spear over his shoulder, and hurled it with immense force.

SWOOSH—

The Triangular Spear spun rapidly through the air. Its frightening velocity created white streaks behind its tail, formed by the disturbed air currents.

The faces of everyone from Taihao Mountain changed dramatically. Shangguan Yangyao swiftly executed his Divine Arts, causing the Haotian Divine Light to illuminate a section of the night sky. The vast, majestic, and solemn radiance intercepted the Triangular Spear.

However, Li Ang, standing his ground, merely lifted his palm as if grasping invisible threads in the air and yanked hard. Having reached the High-level Rain Listening Realm, the previous cultivation gap between him and Bian Chenpei had vanished. Seizing an opening during the counterattack, Li Ang had surreptitiously deposited a trace of his Telekinesis onto those Telekinesis Control Devices.

Now, as Bian Chenpei’s concentration wavered, this trace of Telekinesis became the foothold Li Ang needed to usurp control of the Telekinesis Control Devices.

SWOOSH!

With a remote tug from Li Ang, several Telekinesis Control Devices hanging in mid-air abruptly broke free from Bian Chenpei’s control. They plummeted downwards, positioning themselves perfectly in the Triangular Spear’s flight path.

CLANG!

The spear struck a Telekinesis Control Device, its trajectory veering off slightly. This deviation increased further with each successive collision against the other devices.

Just like light refracting through a series of glass mirrors, the Triangular Spear, after numerous collisions, followed an intricate trajectory. It deftly avoided Shangguan Yangyao’s Haotian Divine Light and shot straight towards Bian Chenpei in the crowd.

Bian Chenpei’s face turned ashen. He instinctively tried to use his Telekinesis to retreat. But how could he possibly be faster than the Triangular Spear, thrown with all of Li Ang’s might?

ZING!

With unwavering accuracy, the Triangular Spear pierced Bian Chenpei’s neck. This instantly triggered the Alarm Talisman and Protective Talismans on the back of his hand, sending him flying heavily into the trunk of a towering tree. The spear blade, slightly deflected, tore through the clothes on his shoulder, pinning him firmly. A deep gash appeared on his neck, blood continuously oozing out.

FWOOSH-POP.

The activation of the Alarm Talismans signified Bian Chenpei’s immediate loss in the competition and also marked the beginning of the chaotic melee.

Ashina Que Teqin stomped on the ground, leaped over the Lotus Pond, and swung his scimitar towards Shangguan Yangyao. Jiu Fenghai rose with Wind Control, flinging talismans ahead to create a continuous barrage of explosive fireworks. And Sui Yi, seizing the moment her opponents’ attention was diverted by the flames, drew the Yinghuo Sword with her left hand and closed in.

Dust and sand swept the air, leaves scattered, holy light flowed, and sword shadows danced mournfully. The chaos of the battle destroyed the dense forest outside the Mountain Gate. From the hillside all the way to the foot of the mountain, countless trees were shattered.

Both Jiu Fenghai and Ashina Que Teqin were true fighters of the Cloud Patrol Realm. The former engaged in long-range combat with the Magic Masters of Taihao Mountain. The latter’s continuous scimitar strikes kept Shangguan Yangyao occupied, preventing him from assisting his allies. Sui Yi, her right hand dislocated, faced a Taihao Mountain Sword Master whose Lifebound Sword was broken. And Li Ang was set to battle the Innate Martial Artist.

"Die!"

The Martial Artist roared, wielding a huge axe with tremendous force. His Judgement Court uniform still bore the marks of damage from a punch previously delivered by Sui Yi, but with the aid of Taihao Mountain’s secret techniques, his combat power had been restored to around seventy percent. Against Li Ang, who was in the Rain Listening Realm, there was no chance the axe would miss.

Indeed, the gigantic axe slashed downwards, its blade already grazing the skin of Li Ang’s arm. But in the next instant, under the influence of his Telekinesis, Li Ang tilted his body and floated upwards, grazing past the axe’s edge and rising into the air.

The lingering effects of the Sumeru Hourglass allowed him to see countless possible futures. The trajectory of his opponent’s axe was completely within his grasp.

A flash of astonishment flickered in the Martial Artist’s eyes but was quickly replaced by composure. Li Ang isn’t Sui Yi, he thought. Without the Triangular Spear, neither talismans nor Crossbow Arrows can penetrate my body, enhanced as it is by the Judgement Court’s secret techniques. The victory in this battle will still belong to Taihao Mountain...

The Martial Artist’s thoughts abruptly seized. He watched, eyes wide, as Li Ang pulled a Sea Shell Bell Bead from his clothes, gave him an eerie smile, and then violently detonated it.