Chapter 159 - 145 The Lotus Blooming in the Heart_1

PFFT! A mouthful of blood sprayed out of Luo Ritian's mouth instantly. The next moment, all the clothes on Luo Ritian's body were torn to shreds. He fell to the ground, his eyes wide open as he stared at Su Bei, muttering to himself, "Impossible... this can't be possible... How could this happen? How could I possibly be defeated??" Dead silence fell. Everyone watched the scene before them in disbelief, looking at Luo Ritian lying on the ground. The fighting platform had long since disappeared, and within a radius of nearly a mile, everything had turned into nothingness. The magma had dried into black rock, and amidst the snowstorm, Su Bei's figure stood proudly. "What... what kind of technique is this?" Luo Ritian spat out another mouthful of blood, staring blankly at Su Bei, the fear in his heart lingering. No one knew what they had seen in that instant, as the entire sky seemed to have been shattered by Sword Qi... How could I have been so foolish as to think that just because his cultivation wasn't high, he had no combat ability? How could someone worthy of wielding the Qingping Sword, such a heavenly treasure, be as weak as I had imagined? This Su Bei... has hidden his power too deeply! "Transitory Splendor of a Fleeting Flower," Su Bei said indifferently, turning away, no longer looking at Luo Ritian, who was sprawled out on the ground like a pile of mud. "Quick, someone come and take Elder Luo away for treatment..." Mo Xingjian watched this scene, the gloom in his heart instantly swept away. He hurriedly commanded the Mount Danxia disciples, who were also standing dumbfounded, to drag away Luo Ritian, who lay on the ground heavily injured, like a dead man. Looking again at his junior martial brother, he felt an indescribable sense of refreshment. The elders of various sects looked at one another, and then someone murmured, though no one knew who started it, "What was Luo Ritian thinking? Didn't he know that if Elder Su could hold the Qingping Sword, he must be no ordinary person?" "Yes, to receive that sword strike unharmed! Elder Su is truly unfathomable!" "Alas, Elder Su's sword strike reminds me vaguely of the Cataclysm of Ten Thousand Clans a thousand years ago, when the Sword Sect's Sword Immortal also cut down nearly half the sky with a single stroke..." "Uh, Elder Wang, aren't you only just over nine hundred years old?" "..." "Elder Su's sword strike must be from the legendary Sword Scripture! Today's events will surely become a celebrated tale!" "Xiao Ruoching gravely injured a Mid Stage Golden Elixir with her Half-Step Golden Core cultivation, and Elder Su also heavily injured a Mid Stage Refining Void with his Half-Step to Reverie cultivation..." "Like father, like son!" "It should be, like master, like disciple." Above the sky, the purple-green lotus left by Su Bei remained for a long time. In the distance, Dan Wulan watched the scene, her lips slightly pursed, not speaking. Her cool face remained expressionless, but her small hand tightly gripped her Longsword. The mountains seemed to rise and fall around her, and the cold wind blew against her Crane Cloak. After a long while, she finally sighed softly and said with a hint of bitterness, "Such a beautiful lotus... Senior Brother." 「...」 A new platform was swiftly constructed atop the obsidian formed by the magma. New disciples stepped onto the platform one after another, sparring with each other. However, after the battle between Su Bei and Luo Ritian, although the younger disciples were still eager to spar, their matches somehow lacked the same brilliance as before. Su Bei walked up to his prodigal disciple, looking at her misty eyes gazing at him. Xiao Ruoching pursed her red lips tightly; the elegance of her master's sword strike still seemed to echo before her eyes. Her master knew many sword techniques, but for her sake, to keep a promise to her, he had truly drawn a green lotus in the sky above the Sword Sect. "Was your master imposing just now?" Su Bei asked, forcefully suppressing the blood rising in his chest. His mouth curved into a handsome arc, his gentle and scholarly demeanor shining with sunlight as he looked at his prodigal disciple. After all, Luo Ritian was at the Mid Stage Refining Void, and the might of that technique was indeed terrifying, almost at the level of Dao Integration. To have pushed back that move was already a stroke of luck for me. Xiao Ruoching nodded vigorously. Forcing himself to stay upright, Su Bei then extended his hand, saying, "Let's go back to No-Sword Peak." Xiao Ruoching stood up. Although somewhat puzzled as to why her master did so, she still took Su Bei's large hand, and the two left under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Li Zijun watched Su Bei leading Xiao Ruoching toward the familiar mountain peak in the distance. Seeing Su Bei's slightly unsteady steps, a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in her heart for some reason. Holding the big white cat in her arms, she stood up and headed in the direction of No-Sword Peak. Wenren Pingxin watched the two fading into the distance. He turned his head only to see Yu Hongxiu maintaining her previous sitting posture, her crossed, silk-clad legs not even bothering to move. He said with a strange expression, "Why does it look like all of this is to be expected for you?" Yu Hongxiu smiled casually, her enchanting face full of allure. She lightly tapped her red lips with a finger and spoke softly, "He is far more extraordinary than you imagine... Otherwise, he wouldn't be qualified to receive my Star Moon Command." "..." Wenren Pingxin fell silent, his hands tightly gripping the armrests of his chair, leaving an imprint on them. Have I, who has watched Su Bei for so many years, understood him even less than this fish? An indescribable feeling suddenly arose in his heart. I had originally thought that Yu Hongxiu only gave Su Bei the Star Moon Command because of the newspaper, but now it seems there are many things about Su Bei that I'm unaware of... Like Xiao Ruoching's Sovereign Sword, and Su Bei's own Sword Two. I never truly understood him. He looked up, his expression complex as he watched the ongoing battles on the platforms, and let out a light sigh, murmuring to himself, "Seems like I need to have a good talk with him tonight." 「...」 Su Bei carried Xiao Ruoching and flew towards No-Sword Peak. When they landed at the grass cottage, Xiao Ruoching's Spiritual Energy had already recovered substantially. This revealed the terrifying aspect of the Innate Taoist Body—its remarkable ability to gather Spiritual Energy and cultivate at an astonishing speed! Looking at the familiar courtyard of the grass cottage, snow covering the area, a cold spring tinkling in the distance, and several geese squabbling, Xiao Ruoching was reminded of her argument with Mo Li just moments earlier. She voiced her dissatisfaction, "Master, that Mo Li..." She hadn't finished her sentence when she suddenly felt a warm wetness on her neck, carrying a faint metallic tang. This immediately panicked her, and she hastily looked at her master. Su Bei could no longer hold it back and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. It flowed incessantly from the corner of his mouth, staining his somewhat shabby white shirt with spots like scattered plum blossoms. Su Bei's face instantly turned deathly pale. He felt utterly weak, a sensation as if his internal organs were shifting overwhelmed his body, causing him to collapse into Xiao Ruoching's arms. "Master, what's wrong with you? Master?" Xiao Ruoching looked at Su Bei anxiously. Su Bei opened his eyes and gazed at his prodigal disciple. Each breath sent agonizing pain piercing through his bones, as if his organs were melting under the fiery breath of those Fire Dragons. He let out a bitter chuckle. There's always a price to pay for showing off. Collapsing on No-Sword Peak... it was merely a sliver of pride at work within me. I didn't wish to fall in public view; how uncool would that be? I've always despised those anime male leads who deliver a spectacular line after a big fight, only to collapse to the ground... If I've already won, why not endure a bit longer and collapse in an unnoticed corner instead? Su Bei's face was now pallid, his lips slightly tinged with blue, yet he still managed to squeeze out a gentle smile. "Your master has let his disciple see him in a sorry state..." Xiao Ruoching shook her head quickly, biting her thin lips and covering Su Bei's mouth to stop him from talking. Then she placed her small hand on Su Bei's pulse, feeling the condition of his meridians. It seemed even more severe than she had imagined. I could simply transmit my own Spiritual Energy to Master, only... that would surely expose my identity! How could a disciple who supposedly knew nothing achieve this without a teacher? But seeing her master's somewhat haggard face, Xiao Ruoching's heart was in turmoil. Her lips pressed tightly together, her eyes constantly shifting. The next moment, her eyes turned firm; she decided she couldn't care about the consequences anymore. Xiao Ruoching took a deep breath. Just as a thread of Energy of Great Dao in her body was about to transfer to Su Bei, she suddenly felt a darkness before her eyes, as if a shadow had obscured the sky. She hurriedly looked up and then saw a perpetually cool and stunningly beautiful face. Her long white hair cascaded down, those cool eyes gazing at her master. A breeze passed, causing her Crane Cloak to flutter like snow, her purple attire standing out. Su Bei looked at Dan Wulan before him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. She has seen me in such a sorry state for the second time now. Dan Wulan bent down, her smooth white hair lightly brushing against Su Bei's somewhat pale face, a faint, pleasant fragrance filling his nostrils. Her cool eyes glanced at Su Bei, then, to his utter disbelief, she grabbed his wrist. Feeling the cool touch, Su Bei managed a wry smile and said, "Junior Martial Sister... aren't you angry anymore?" Dan Wulan took out a Qi Blood Pill from her storage ring. Though not of First Grade quality, it was still exceedingly precious. She pried open Su Bei's mouth, pushed the pill inside, and said flatly, "Don't talk." She gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Su Bei's forehead, then poured all her Spiritual Energy into his body. Su Bei gave an embarrassed smile, feeling the abundant Spiritual Energy continuously pouring into him, spreading the potency of the Qi Blood Pill throughout his body. My aloof Junior Martial Sister... it seems her affection for me hasn't completely vanished. Xiao Ruoching stood up, a few strands of dark hair sticking to her smooth forehead, her eyes complex as she watched the scene unfold before her. The sun had completely dipped below the horizon, leaving a night without stars or moon. The Sword Sect, however, was brightly lit. Her Master and Ninth Uncle sat together, one in front and the other behind, surrounded by swirling Spiritual Energy. They look so intimate... Xiao Ruoching's hands clenched tightly, unsure what to say. Ninth Uncle is healing Master, she told herself, closing her eyes as she sat cross-legged under a large tree. The wind blew gently, and the Golden Age Lotus within her heart still bloomed for her. Silence descended, and the world seemed to stand still. Suddenly, BANG! The sound startled the three of them, and they looked up. A beautiful golden flower blossomed in the sky, flashing by in an instant. It was followed by a shower of dark golden rain. The sky became as bright as day; countless stars seemed to rush forward, only to quickly vanish in a grand, fleeting finale. It was a brief moment of glory, like a passing river of stars, an instant of brilliance! The Sword Sect had set off fireworks.