Chapter 209: Let Me Tell You A Story
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s aura was far stronger than before, not deliberately displayed, but perceived by Ning Qi.
A faint golden light flowed in his eyes, and the Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint before him was like a domineering and unmatched giant saber, full of oppressive aura. Purple Moon Martial Saint could not compare at all.
“Even if not at the Divine Ability Realm, it’s probably not far off.” Ning Qi was secretly vigilant in his heart.
It was still unclear whether Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s visit was as friend or foe.
The elder’s hollow pupils looked over, and he calmly said:
” Heavenly Sword friend, spying on others face-to-face is not a good habit.”
Unbeknownst at what time, Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint had already ascended True Martial Mountain. One by one, the disciples’ hearts inexplicably pounded. Luo Wentian and the others rushed over upon hearing the news, all with pupils contracting sharply. A man’s fame is like the shadow of his tree; who in the world did not know the name of Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint? There were rumors in the world that he was the Orderer among the Martial Saints.
“The spiritual mountain’s atmosphere, fortune thick, it’s a good place.” He continued, marveling at True Martial Mountain’s extraordinariness.
Ning Qi slightly bowed:
“Heaven-Slaying Senior, forgive me.”
Directly using Illusion Breaking Golden Eye to spy on others was indeed not good. Previously, not knowing the other’s intent, he instinctively used it to gain more confidence. Now vaguely sensing that Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint harbored no great malice, he didn’t mind saying some polite words.
The other’s words had clearly indicated that he knew Ning Qi was not an Ancient Saint.
“Many years ago, I had a fleeting glimpse of you, friend. At that time, most of my consciousness was dormant, yet I did not know you were so astonishingly talented. What a pity.” He brought up the old matter.
The True Martial Sect congregation saw the two conversing calmly and all breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.
They had already guessed why Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint had come: Chiyang Martial Saint and Purple Moon Martial Saint’s deaths required an explanation.
Ning Qi smiled:
“In the past, I too failed to recognize a mountain giant. I thought Senior was just an ordinary Storyteller. Back then, searching obsessively for the Secret of Martial Saint, it was Senior who awakened me. Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s legends inspired me for a long time.”
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint also rarely smiled and nodded.
“Later, seeing you again in the Black Sand Sea, I knew your talent was unprecedented in eternity. What a pity; if born a thousand years earlier, or even a hundred, it would have been good.” Everyone could hear his regret.
Ning Qi asked:
“Why?”
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint did not answer but instead asked:
“You killed Chiyang Martial Saint and Purple Moon Martial Saint, right?”
The smile on his face gradually receded, and paired with those hollow pupils, it made people somewhat uneasy.
“Yes.” Ning Qi calmly said.
He did not say for what reason; what reason was no longer important. What mattered was that he had indeed killed two Martial Saints, which violated the other’s taboo.
“You know I do not advocate Martial Saints fighting to the death.”
A strange aura condensed on Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s body. The congregation all held their breaths in trepidation. Even just a trace of the aura’s aftermath made their souls tremble. This elder before them was terrifyingly strong, but Ning Qi remained unruffled:
“They sought their own death.”
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint shouted loudly:
“Good, seeking their own death! If so, if my strength surpasses yours, then you too seek their own death!”
Luo Wentian and the others felt indignant in their hearts.
Clearly, it was Chiyang Martial Saint and Purple Moon Martial Saint who came to kill and seize the sect’s treasures, yet this Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint before them seemed somewhat unreasonable. But they dared not interject; a powerhouse of Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s level deserved respect.
Ning Qi’s Daoist Robe slowly billowed:
“Senior may try.”
His eyes were calm.
He could sense that Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint seemed angry but was not truly that angry. White Mountain Old Daoist had said that Chiyang Martial Saint and the other dying was a white death; Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint could not continue further, but the premise was that Ning Qi showed sufficient value. He said that as long as Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint was not blind in heart, he could discern priorities.
Battle intent rose in Ning Qi’s heart.
Having stepped into Martial Saint and derived the Five Elements Divine Sword Qi, that previous battle had not been satisfying at all.
“Very good.” Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint regained his calm.
But discerning eyes could all see that his aura was growing ever more terrifying.
Strands of Spiritual Power Gathering came, and the ten-thousand-zhang True Martial Mountain was unknowingly shrouded in dense dark clouds. With a mere thought, the celestial phenomena stirred, far more terrifying than the Heavenly Human Realm. The thick sense of oppression made Blade Demon and the others protect the True Martial Disciples as they retreated far away.
Such a battle was not something they could intervene in.
Then.
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint made his move.
He lightly tossed the cane in his hand, and in an instant, wind and clouds changed. The cane infinitely expanded, transforming into a heaven-piercing giant pillar. Dragon Mountain Daoist’s pupils contracted sharply; he had seen this move from Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint on True Profound Mountain, where it had directly pressed down three top-tier powerhouses of the Savage Emperor until they could not lift their heads.
And now.
This heaven-piercing giant pillar was far, far stronger than before.
The void trembled and shattered, unable to bear such terrifying oppressive sense. Chunks of ‘space fragments’ peeled off; the scene was somewhat frightening. The True Martial Disciples all widened their eyes, while Blade Demon’s pitch-black pupils were the widest. He murmured to himself:
“That’s…”
Before his words finished.
A crisp long cry was heard, and snow-white light erupted from atop the giant pillar. A domineering sharpness tore through the sky, manifesting in the mortal world.
“What terrifying saber!” Blade Demon was utterly shocked, with boundless fanaticism in his eyes.
He called himself Blade Demon and, before the Ancient Saints revived, was the world’s number one saber user. But now, he felt somewhat insignificant; that terrifying Saber Intent made him tremble slightly.
That’s right.
What heaven-piercing giant pillar? What cane? Clearly, it was a saber—a saber still in its sheath!
At this moment.
As the giant saber slowly drew out, its true form was revealed.
This was Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s regard for Ning Qi.
Ning Qi’s breathing slightly quickened, with realization in his eyes:
“So… this is the Heaven-Slaying Intent?”
He had always been puzzled why Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s title was Heaven-Slaying; now he finally had the answer. Such peerless Saber Intent deserved the name Heaven-Slaying without question.
As the giant saber’s true form manifested, Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s aura grew even more domineering.
He pointed with one hand.
The giant saber came crashing down. Space was sliced open like crisp paper in an instant. A terrifying rift extended out, spanning the heavens, truly as if to sever the azure sky. The scene was extremely frightening, even giving the feeling that True Martial Mountain would be cleaved by a single saber.
Ning Qi exhaled lightly, with no panic in his eyes—only battle intent.
His four organs instantly linked up, and surging spiritual power erupted, drawing a side glance from Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint.
But what truly shocked Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint was the Sword Intent that rose sky-high as well. He saw many paths within it, even faintly glimpsing shadows of his own Heaven-Slaying Saber Intent. This made him find it somewhat inconceivable.
This was naturally what Ning Qi had comprehended from observing earlier. However, Heaven-Slaying Saber Intent was profoundly unfathomable after all; Ning Qi still needed a little time to fuse its essence.
Now was not the time to think of such things.
Facing this Heaven-Slaying saber strike, he too needed to go all out.
“Jia Wood Divine Sword Qi!”
With a thought.
His liver immediately burst forth with brilliant light.
Ning Qi gripped the True Martial Sword and lightly swung it. Dense Wood Qi fused with Sword Intent and Sword Qi. In the next instant, a green Sword Qi carrying unmatched sharpness and the intent of endless vitality transformed into an Azure Dragon and charged forth.
Rip!
The void was torn open like cloth.
Though the Sword Qi was merely several zhang long, extremely tiny compared to the giant saber, its power was not inferior at all.
Under the crowd’s tense gazes, the giant saber and Sword Qi collided with a boom.
No imagined world-shaking explosion occurred; instead, the two strangely ‘stuck’ together, becoming still. But only Blade Demon and the two other Martial Saints could clearly see that at the point of contact, strands of spiritual power continuously disintegrated and shattered. The Sword Qi’s endless vitality continuously ground down the giant saber’s might.
Ning Qi’s choice was very deliberate.
The Five Elements Divine Sword Qi each had their specialties. Facing this domineering Heaven-Slaying saber strike, clashing head-on was not a good choice; Jia Wood Divine Sword Qi was undoubtedly the optimal solution.
Faint ripples spread in circles to the surroundings, then dissipated.
Both were very restrained; otherwise, just the aftermath would suffice to shatter True Martial Mountain. At this realm, incinerating mountains and boiling seas was truly effortless. A Martial Saint’s destructive power was extremely terrifying.
But at present.
Sword Qi and giant saber were clearly evenly matched.
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s expression was calm, but endless waves surged in his heart.
His hollow gaze fixed on Ning Qi, and finally he sighed:
“The young are to be feared.”
He waved his hand, and the heaven-piercing giant saber returned to its sheath, then fell back into his hand, becoming an ordinary cane.
Wind calm, waves still; dark clouds dispersed.
As if everything before was an illusion.
Ning Qi merely said faintly:
“You overpraise.”
He knew.
The other had not used full power; that had just been one move to test his limit. And the result was as now seen. Of course, Ning Qi had not used full power either. Not being a fight to the death, there was no need to go all out.
The congregation all held their breaths, boundless pride surging in their hearts.
What sort of person was on the other side?
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint!
A supreme expert sufficient to make all the world’s Ancient Saints bow their heads.
And now.
He had merely ended up evenly matched with Ning Qi.
One by one, the True Martial Disciples’ eyes glowed. If not for regard for Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s face, the crowd would probably have already cheered. Even so, many were already beaming with joy.
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint paid no mind to these; he merely looked at Ning Qi and said:
“You killed Chiyang Martial Saint and Purple Moon Martial Saint, so you must take over their responsibility.”
His words were calm, as if stating a fact.
Ning Qi raised an eyebrow:
“Tell me the Pact of the Saints.”
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint nodded:
“You are qualified to know.”
The following words could not be heard by the others. In their view, Ning Qi merely locked eyes with Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint for a moment, then the two vanished.
Blade Demon and the other two exchanged glances, knowing where they had gone.
In the Seeker’s Courtyard.
Ning Qi and Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint sat facing each other. Yuan Tiansheng respectfully brewed Enlightenment Tea, then withdrew.
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint praised:
“What a Seeker’s Courtyard, what a spiritual ape, what an Enlightenment Tea Tree!”
Ning Qi merely gestured invitingly:
“Please taste.”
This was the treasure after the Enlightenment Tea Tree’s metamorphosis, possessing divine effects.
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint took a light sip, his body stiffening as if savoring. Only after dozens of breaths did he set down the teacup.
“Truly good tea.”
Ning Qi’s lips curved slightly; he heard the envy in Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s words. Such a treasure was somewhat helpful even to him, let alone others. Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint was powerful in strength, but his comprehension absolutely could not surpass Ning Qi’s—could not even catch up.
“You overpraise.” Ning Qi humbly said, then fell silent, merely quietly sipping tea and waiting for Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint to speak.
He wanted to know what this so-called taking over Chiyang Martial Saint and Purple Moon Martial Saint’s responsibility entailed.
Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint also quietly sipped tea, a hint of desolation in his hollow gaze.
A moment later.
A voice carrying some heaviness sounded:
“Let me tell you a story.”
Ning Qi said solemnly:
“I wish to hear the details.”
“Long ago, there was a magical world where the Martial Way flourished brilliantly, and all beings bloomed in diversity. At that time, the Martial Saint Realm could not reign supreme; there were legends from time to time of even stronger experts breaking through realms and ascending. The world was thriving, and even supreme experts believed this world was about to promote, sufficient to accommodate stronger than Martial Saints.”
“One by one, Martial Way powerhouses pressed forward, and the world’s civilization grew ever more brilliant.”
“But one day, everything changed. An invisible deadly poison descended upon the world, fusing inseparably with the Martial Way civilization’s foundation—spiritual energy. In an instant, countless powerhouses perished from exhausted lifespan, spiritual beasts wailed in death. People called it Life Poison, and this calamity the Life Poison Tribulation.”
“But among all beings were no lack of astonishingly talented ones. Pooling wisdom, after struggling on in meager survival for some years, they finally thought of a way to weaken it.”
“Life Poison seemed no longer so fearsome. Though Martial Way civilization withered greatly, there was still hope for renewed glory.”
“But slowly, people discovered that Life Poison’s existence greatly damaged martial artists’ upper limits. Martial Way civilization declined step by step, and later, fewer and fewer Martial Saints were born.”
Ning Qi slightly held his breath.
He already knew what story Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint referred to: this world’s ancient glorious era, of which now not even fragmentary records remained.
At this point.
It was obvious that Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s emotions fluctuated clearly.
His heavy voice carried added anger and killing intent.
“This was tolerable. As time passed, one by one new Martial Saints fused with Life Poison were born, and the true catastrophe truly began: the invaders came!”
“Life Poison was what they unleashed!”
“That day, one by one despair-inducing powerhouses appeared outside the world. Probably any one could annihilate everyone. Even separated by the world barrier, that oppressive sense suffocated people.”
“Only then did everyone realize that the new Martial Saints were the world’s Dao Beacons. When enough people refined spiritual energy and Life Poison together into their bodies, this beacon became exceptionally clear, able to guide them to connect to the world.”
“Fortunately, due to the world’s suppression, those despairing powerhouses could not descend. This world could accommodate the strongest as Martial Saint. Even so, they sent one by one Martial Saint powerhouses to descend.”
“That day, blood flowed into rivers, all beings suffered slaughter, endless wails.”
“One by one native powerhouses rose to resist, among them no lack of astonishingly talented ones. But, useless.”
“The gap was far, far too great; the invaders’ numbers were tenfold, even hundredfold, that of the native powerhouses.”
Unknowingly.
Ning Qi had already stopped breathing, his pupils full of grave solemnity.
Hundredfold the current number of Martial Saints?
Just thinking about it felt suffocating.
