Chapter 36 – Crossing Swords (2)

The art most practiced.

Thus, Duan Chongxuan chose ”‘Rising Fog of Cang Ya.’

Ten thousand flying feathers were obscured within the mist and the golden rays lost their colour. Duan Chongxuan’s blade moved again. The cries of the Cang Ya Sect’s disciples rose anew.

“Clouds Submerging Western Peaks!”

“Winds Sweeping the Central Plains!”

In the past, there was never a person who used these two moves linked together in succession, but now Duan Chongxuan did so. There was unexpectedly a divine natural fluidity between the two.

Cheng Tianyu was already pushed back more than ten paces by the pressure of his opponent’s sword and it seemed as if he was about to be pushed down from the arena.

Suddenly, his wrist flipped to horizontal and ten thousand golden beams scattered forth.The Flying Feathers Sword dragged past the edge of the pitch-black longsword, scattering countless sparks.  A clamour arose from Qing Lu Sword Sect’s direction.

“Qing Lu’s Twilight!”

“Evening Mist at Xun River!”

Elders watching the stage praised, “Incredible!”

Indeed, it was very incredible. Every single person all thought that this entire bout of combat, advanced all the way until now, was extremely incredible.

The sword wielded by Duan Chongxuan was very clever. The innate gift of Cheng Tianyu’s sword skills that he displayed because he was not content with being inferior, was also very incredible.

Even more clever was using ‘The Fog of Cang Ya’ to dismantle  ‘Golden Feathers’ Second Light ’, and using ‘Qing Lu’s Twilight’ against  ‘Wind Sweeping Central Plains.’ If not for both parties using them in today’s match, no one would think these sequences of  mundane, uninteresting sword moves in such a way to have that kind of might.

Song Tang’s expression sobered. In the battle advanced to now, they’ve predicted their opponents every step, and their opponent has also comprehended their responses in his mind.

From the beginning, this round’s opposing competitors were more than just Duan Chongxuan and Cheng Tianyu. It was Yin Biyue and Luo Mingchuan, and Song Tang and Zhong Shan’s first time crossing swords!

The one who became the most serious was Luo Mingchuan.

Because Duan Chongxuan linked those three moves, he indeed broke through ‘Golden Feathers’ Second Light ‘, checkmated Cheng Tianyu and pressed him in retreat again and again. But he did not completely beat his opponent.

Yet Cheng Tianyu after two more moves would have averted peril and reforged it into refuge.

All of the calculations and drilling have been pushed to the very limit.

Luo Mingchuan’s words from earlier came into Duan Chongxuan’s mind.

“If you have used this move and you haven’t grasped victory, then you can only rely on yourself for the rest.”

Right now, his sword moves have been dismantled each time by his opponent.

The crimson morning clouds in the east had not yet dissipated, and the pure, clear light spilled over the earth. Cheng Tianyu’s two hands clutched his sword and his right foot took a step forward, his expression serene.

The breeze brushed past his clothes and past the sword in his hand. He was undeniably an immature youth, but he bore the presence of a great scholar, like deep still waters and the highest peaks.

He raised his sword and gathered his power.  The cracks of the crimson dawn at the horizon surged with hidden sword intent; the clear rays like vast fluttering white feathers.

Sensing this change, many people couldn’t help but lament that seniority was an empty construct and their cultivation fell short.

“It actually is ‘ Flying Feathers of the Splendid Pavilion!”

“He really succeeded in learning that move!”

As the Flying Feathers fall, Duan Chongxuan will also fall.

But nobody mocked him—losing this match was not due to weakness, but because Cheng Tianyu’s strength defied all expectations.

Even if a youth was as famous as Song Tang, he could not possibly use the strongest technique of the Feathered Raiment Arts, ‘Flower Pavilion Flying Feathers,’ at the boundary of the Soul Condensing stage.

Only at this very moment, people could finally confirm that the passing down of Qinglu Sword Sect’s Sage ‘Fei Yu Sword’ to this child was because he was truly worthy. But the realizations that everyone had could not compare to the realizations of Duan Chongxuan, the one facing this blade.

Duan Chongxuan gazed at the foggy mountain range in the distance, watched the clouds in the red dawn in the sky, and looked to the clear light and flying feathers. He thought that eating a few more years of rice than this youngster really was in vain.

The light of the blade was already near, and stung him painfully on the cheek.

With a thousand pounds hanging from a single thread; what he thought about was not any practiced moves or speculated plans from his shixiongs, but rather what his father once said:

“Sometimes, when the knife has already cut bone, and you know that you are defeated, you still need to first try. Whether you lose, whether you die, you must first try before you know.”

This is the second time in his life that he thought what his father said had merit.

He wants to try.

Yin Biyue was the first to notice that Duan Chongxuan’s grip on his sword changed. His palm that was gripping the sword’s hilt shifted forward half an inch. Now, what he was grasping was not a sword, but rather a spear.

He closed his eyes.

The expressions of all of the people in the audience became surprised. They did not know what he was going to do. Could it be that the pressure of Flower Pavilion Flying Feathers drove him mad? Did he close his eyes so that he could not see the sword point near his eyelashes?

Yin Biyue frowned slightly.

Before what Duan Chongxuan said was: ‘I cannot use the strongest sword art.’ That did not mean he did not have the most powerful blow.

He could somewhat guess what Duan Chongxuan is about to do now. But what he was worried about the most wasn’t Duan Chongxuan being unable to use this sword art, but rather that he would spare no effort to push forth, the sword’s power turning on him, and injuring himself.

Duan Chongxuan closed his eyes, emulated the steps in his memory, and spun a spear flair. His position looked bizarre, but the audience quieted down. Because within the ten thousand trembling flying feathers was a concealed intent to retreat.

Duan Chongxuan opened his eyes and his entire body’s demeanor suddenly changed. As if he had armor draped over his body, about to head into the throes of a decisive deadly battle.

The spear pierced forward!

In the air where the countless feathers were cut apart, appeared a gap!

The whistling cry of the spear mournfully pierced through ears!

It was like the discordant clash of armored horses, the coming of thousands of soldiers and ten thousand horses crashing through mountains and rivers!

It was not due to wanting to hide his hand that Duan Chongxuan did not use this move earlier. It was because he himself did not know if he could manage this move.

But now, he executed it.

Feng Huo like a rocket, golden halberd and armoured horse; with the ferocity of a tiger to vanquish the foes of ten thousand miles! The presence of an emperor and charisma of dragons were compressed within a single spear!¹

Gasps of astonishment rang out!

Looking at the stage, that elder finally dared to confirm his own guess. “It really is Feng Huo!”

Song Tang’s heart sank at watching this match. He knew, the worst case scenario already happened—the opponent broke through before he could attack. In the end, shidi was still too young. He never feared that his young shidi would lose. He only feared that he would not know to retreat.

The long-cherished wish of the sect, the reputation of the Fei Yu Sword, even the great hopes of their teacher, all were involved, so much so that it overwhelmed those immature shoulders. For his small shidi, that grew up under this kind of pressure, all things were for sect glory first and foremost. He would rather grievously injure himself on his opponents sword, and still would not retreat.

Cheng Tianyu stood on the stage, as if he was facing and army of thousands of men and horses. He knew that his own sword skills were already inferior, and his opponent’s sword intent blazed brilliantly and righteously. The ending can already be predicted.

But his expression was coldly steeled, with his thoughts without a shred of trepidation.

As people watch, he would face the edge of his opponent’s sword straight on. Against all expectations, Cheng Tianyu sheathed his sword and withdrew! Fei Yu Sword’s sword intent made a sudden turn, and through those thousands of men and steeds he cleaved a path of retreat!

Because, at the last second, he inexplicably thought about Zhong Shan-shixiong’s words.

“It sometimes takes more wisdom and courage to retreat than to face forward.”

Cheng Tianyu retreated. Using his sword for support, he stood with difficulty. It turned out that staying unscathed in this kind sword intent already used up the last of his core energy and focus. One can imagine, if he didn’t pull back just now, just what kind of injury he would have received.

The whistle of the blade came to a stop abruptly. The sword might disappeared like troops beating a retreat. A long thin crack split the stone platform.

Duan Chongxuan wiped away the trail of blood at his mouth, “Thank you for the win.²”

Surprise rang out from the audience.

Many people just managed to break free from their shock, and began to exclaim their admiration.

“Do you know what kind of move that was?”

“No, I’ve never seen it before……”

“I think it looked like a kind of spear technique.

Everyone heard the polite phrase ‘Thank you for the win’, but Cheng Tianyu very earnestly replied, “I didn’t give you the win. It was I who was beaten.”

He returned his sword to its sheath and walked off the platform. Song Tang and Zhong Shan were already waiting at the bottom of the stage to support him.

He lowered his head and dejectedly said, “Shixiong, I lost.”

Zhong Shan nevertheless replied, “No, you did very well.”

Song Tang grinned and patted his head, adding, “You didn’t let yourself be angered by the opponent into losing your head and you also didn’t try to force yourself past an impossible force²; you’ve beyond surpassed yourself.”

Then Cheng Tianyu also smiled.

When the disciples of Qinglu Sword Sect heard this, one after another they came to congratulate their small shidi.

Luo Mingchuan and Yin Biyue helped Duan Chongxuan down.

Although he won, his last move was too keen, and had an inkling of a backlash .Duan Chongxuan waved to show that he didn’t have any substantial impediments, his smile frothed with a mouthful of blood.

The disciples of Cang Ya Mountain grinned with him; Lian Jian Zong’s female cultivators passed over their handkerchiefs, faces reddened.

A light breeze disturbed the silhouettes of the elm trees. The clear sun of summertime was just right.

Just like these upright youths.

In their approaching climactic life, with one thrill after another, the end of the Flower Picking Festival will become an event not worth recounting..

But they all will remember—that battle at the foot of Zhong Ming Mountain, there was no one who lost.

…

1) 烽火狼烟 (Feng Huo like a rocket): It originally came from the soldiers in olden China to quickly signal that enemies are coming.

    金戈铁马 (golden halberd and armored horse): It’s a metaphor of war, and it also describes the heroic posture of the soldiers who held spears and rode horses.

气吞万里如虎 ( ferocity of a tiger to vanquish the foes of ten thousand miles): This came from a Song Dynasty poet Xin Qiji’s lyrical poetry.

2) 承让了 (Thank you for the win) – usually, it’s a modest and polite way for the winner to say.