Chapter Fifty-Two: Smile

He had considered before if the Heart Thought Sword could be defeated by such a move. But the reason the power was so destructive was that it was concentrated to one point.

When an ocean of primal energies of the universe flowed through the world, when they did not gather together, they were like a breeze. There were people who caught fish in the water and moved in the wind all the time. They would not be sliced apart by the water, or blown to pieces by the wind.

The larger the area the sword essence covered, the more scattered the power. This could usually only be used against ordinary armies and swordsmen.

Changling did not have any sword manual like the one Shen Xuan was using right now. The wind and rain were peerlessly sharp, and they covered an area that was enough to cut off the primal energies of the universe and star energy coming from the sky.

This was not a Changling sword manual. Where did Shen Xuan’s sword manual come from?

At this moment, the pale Zheng Bainiao completely understood. Shen Xuan always had the confidence he would kill him. The reason he spent so much effort to flee to the Wei River was not to escape through water, but to use the mist on the river along with the wind and rain to conceal himself!

A hint of great error appeared in Zheng Bainiao’s eyes. With a shout, his vital energy surged out madly. The thought swords formed much faster in the peerless wind and rain. At the same time, his body flew up to the sky like a falling star going backwards. If he could get out of the area concealed by the wind and rain, his Heart Thought Sword would recover its original power. In the air, other cultivators would see Shen Xuan’s attacks.

In his sight, the sky grew brighter. In one more breath, he would charge out of the range of this wind and rain.

But at this time, two dots of light appeared under him. The two lights were full of decisiveness and violence. They were not sword lights, but Shen Xuan’s eyes!

With a pop, like coming out of nothing, there was a thin sword made from water that pierced the bottom of Zheng Bainiao’s feet when Shen Xuan’s gaze fell on his feet. Two red lines appeared on Zheng Bainiao’s feet. His soles were cut by the sword!

“One Sky Water!”

A sharp scream came with great shock and disbelief from his lips.

This was Ye Celeng’s secret skill from her sect. Yet due to the past, Ye Celeng was undoubtedly the power most close to the Ba Mountain Sword Field of the Changling powers, but even if she was loyal to Yuanwu, she could not be close to the master of the Great Floating Water Prison, Shen Xuan. And yet, the pain reminded him this was the truth!

As he screamed, he swung his hands down. In this cramped space, two bursts of power came out of his palms, giving up the principles of the Heart Thought Sword. The two bursts merged with the primal energies of the universe to form two ice-like swords that stabbed towards Shen Xuan’s eyes.

The sharp sword essence pierced Shen Xuan’s eyes, but in this moment, Zheng Bainai, who knew Shen Xuan’s secret, did not think at all about killing the man on his own. He just wanted to flee out of the Wei River.

Because of the large blood loss, Shen Xuan’s expression was extremely pale. At the same time, his cold eyes showed determination. He advanced rather than retreating, his body twisting and going upwards slightly, the sleeve of his right hand slamming with water and wind against Zheng Bainiao’s sword attack. Then, with the tearing sound of cloth, he used his body to hit Zheng Bainiao’s other sword.

Zheng Bainiao’s eyes contracted sharply.

Bang!

His sword was unable to pierce Shen Xuan’s body. In the violent collision, it shattered into pieces!

A cold energy with a metallic sheen appeared in his perception, carrying the sense of true death.

Shen Xuan’s right arm had been cut off in the battle of the Great Floating Water Prison. Yet no one thought that he hid a rod of iron in his empty sleeve. This iron was his right arm at this moment. He used his right arm to block Zheng Bainiao’s attack!

The great ripples caused Shen Xuan’s eyes to become bloodshot and bulge out. But his movements were extremely steady. His fingers pinched water, drawing it into thread, then a sword that stabbed into Zheng Bainiao’s energy sea.

Snap!

Zheng Bainiao’s body exploded inside. This was an explosion like a sheepskin raft being filled with too much air and bursting. It was the first time Zheng Bainiao heard something like this. So the sound of an energy sea being pierced and bursting open was like this.

This thought flashed through his terrified mind.

Yet in the next moment, his body exploded outwards like a sheepskin raft. The flesh and blood was crushed into mist by the exploding vital energy. In this moment, there was no bloodiness, just energy flowing outwards.

Shen Xuan coughed violently. His body bowed. Like a convulsing shrimp, he fell down and into the Wei River below with a splash.

High up in the sky where people could not see, the stars just lit up quickly faded. In Changling, three people sensed the results of the battle first.

Empress Zheng Xiu slowly looked up. Her gaze passed through the light on the spirit spring in front of her. She seemed to see the stars go out, and then a small smile appeared.

There were many people in Changling who did not smile. Their smiles were rare; hers was rarer.

Not many in the world had seen her smile. The smile on that cruel and perfect face was like a flower blooming beautifully in blood, thrilling but eerie.

Two yellow-robed cultivators who had come from Jiaodong commandery along with Zheng Bainiao looked up at the same time. One of them had had an unpleasant talk with Zheng Xiu previously. He had just gotten into a carriage. Sensing Zheng Bainiao’s passing, he was in a great shock.

The other cultivator was not in Changling. He had a bamboo hat, and was standing at the bow of a small ship that was flowing down the river. There was another small ship ahead of his.

Targeted by his presence was the other arm of the empress, one of Zheng Xiu’s most trusted confidants, the master of Endless Palace, Pan Ruoye. He had followed her for many days. The reason he was not in a hurry to act was he wanted to wear down her spirits like taming an eagle, so it was easier to kill her.

In his view, Zheng Bainiao, and the other yellow-robed cultivator in Changling, Shen Xuan and Pan Ruoye were just prey, and they were the hunters with weapons.

But now, Zheng Bainiao, the hunter, had died. Zheng Bainiao’s death caused his confidence to shake slightly, and he had a bad feeling.

Translator Ramblings: I don’t know how old Zheng Xiu actually is, but I would guess at least her thirties. Considering how high-handed her uncle seems, no wonder she dislikes them