The flying sword was the venerated enforcerâs signature weapon. Heâd tempered it with his life and wielded it for countless years; its absence meant that his strength was reduced by at least thirty percent. Now that Lu Yun returned it, he meant for the venerated enforcer to bring out his full strength when fighting Qing Di.
Alternatively, he wanted the venerated enforcer to wholeheartedly accept the defeat to come. He could tell that his little martial grandson didnât think much of him.
After the venerated enforcer recovered his sword, he lifted his head and looked to the mountainâs peak.
âI will challenge you in full once more after I defeat Qing Di. I will personally defeat you, even if you are my martial grandfather,â murmured the venerated enforcer.
The zitherâs music abruptly changed from the full notes of a mild and gentle creek to sharp blades edged with wild killing intent. Qing Di was one with the melodyâhe was the music, and the music was he.
Lu Yun wasnât controlling the genius through the zither; he was using the instrument to guide Qing Di so that the latter could tap into his strongest potential and techniques.
This was also another kind of instruction.
Qing Di didnât feel the slightest bit uncomfortable or unwilling about the situationâhe was wholly absorbed in music that held almost the same meaning as his great dao. His sword and combat arts could be fully deployed through following the instrumentâs notes.
Strains of music unfurled through the air in graceful serenity. Qing Di moved with them, performing a stunning dance of the sword with unparalleled poise.
Sword light began to fill the voidâunavoidable and inescapable. The venerated enforcerâs eyebrows rose with surprise and he took a half step back.
However, this slight step proved the start of an irreversible momentum; he had to keep retreating! Qing Di was now systematically dismantling all of his merciless attacks.
âWhatâs going on? Qing Diâs the same as he was before. His combat arts, methods, and techniques are identicalâso how is he forcing the venerated enforcer back?!â gasped some of the half step kings in the crowd.
âIs the zither music ambushing the venerated enforcer at the same time?â Jade Dragon wasnât too certain of her conjecture. Though sheâd audibly ventured forth that idea, she could clearly sense that the venerated enforcer was more frightening of the two, especially now that he wielded a flying sword.
If the zither really was meant as an ambush, then it would ensure that the venerated enforcer wasnât able to do anything. Therefore, the music wasnât meant for that purpose.
Though no one else understood what was taking place, the Immortal Kingâs disciples closed their eyes to carefully listen to the marvelous tones. Apart from Qing Di, they were the other benefactors of Lu Yunâs continued tutelage.
To them, the melody seemed to have been born of nature and was a harmonious whole with the world, something that helped them assess their own great dao and cultivation methods with greater clarity. After this song, their strength would collectively leap forward.
Two flying swords continuously collided with each other in the void, the additional impact of various combat arts and methods detonating the innate qi of the air.
One of the venerated enforcerâs strikes shoved Qing Di back; the former took advantage of the respite to regroup and stab forward, summoning a purple dragon shadow from behind his back.
âHere it is!â Bloodcladâs eyes brightened and he called out hoarsely, âDragonrise!â
The venerated enforcer had taught it to Dusksnow Morningstar, whoâd then used the technique to defeat the Bloodclad Duke. Even now, he was unable to identify the best counter to this move. If he met it in battle again, he would be defeated, again!
He finally had a chance to observe the move executed at full force!
While the venerated enforcer had deployed it before, heâd only done so casually and not to his fullest capabilities. This time, he unleashed it to kill!
âDragonrise!â Qing Di shouted his identification. âThe Champion Duke invented your technique, but there were three hundred points of weakness when he made it. Heâs fixed them all, yet thereâs still three flaws in yours!â
âWHAT?!â General shock rippled through the crowd. The Champion Duke⊠the Immortal King⊠had invented this terrifying move??
Almost everyone thought that an unparalleled ninth step king was behind it, but the half step king Champion Duke was the creator instead??
The venerated enforcer remained unmoved and stabbed forward with indomitable momentum!
Zither music flowed like water into Qing Diâs ears, trickling into his heart and melding with his dao heart. It didnât affect his mind, just gave general guidance for his cultivation realm and raising his great dao and combat arts to optimal condition.
Qing Di answered in kind. His flying sword shot out as three rays of sword light that tunneled into the weaknesses within Dragonrise.
Three muffled points of impact sounded as the three rays of sword light recoiled off of the weaknesses. Changes began to occur in the venerated enforcerâs attack.
The magnificently rising dragon head suddenly lowered back to the ground and dove downward. An enormous dragon tail appeared to crash down on Qing Di.
Lu Yunâs move had turned into Dragonflail in the venerated enforcerâs hands!
Qing Diâs index and middle finger were placed together and pointing at a tiny intersection of the Dragonflail move. He pierced right through it!
Hazy azure sword light extended from Qing Diâs fingers and stabbed straight at the venerated enforcerâs forehead, stopping one inch away from the skin.
âI yield,â frowned the venerated enforcer.
âMmhmm,â Qing Di nodded. âYou didnât yield to me, but to the Champion Duke.â
The venerated enforcer heaved a long sigh and didnât respond to that. âIâd thought that deriving Dragonflail from Dragonrise would place me higher than him, that the student had exceeded the teacher. Who wouldâve thought that my most vaunted accomplishment would be so flimsy to him?â
Qing Di had triumphed because heâd been inspired by the Champion Dukeâs music. If it wasnât for the zither, he wouldâve been defeated long ago.
âThatâs because youâve chosen the wrong path.â Qing Di listened carefully to the lingering notes. âThe dragon has already lifted its head, why does it need to flail around? It lifts its head to rise into the sky and soar through the nine heavens, not to slam its tail around in the mud. The dragon is quite unwilling to struggle with its tail after itâs lifted its head.â
His words struck a chord with the many dragon race members present.
<blockquote><b>Translator's Thoughts</b>Now that's rather profound.