sonovelo Chapter 586: Ling Ao of the Mount Shu Sect
Chapter 586: Ling Ao of the Mount Shu Sect
Chapter 586: Ling Ao of the Mount Shu Sect
"That is the Endless Sword Sect's Great Dao of Severing the Void. I can't believe he has comprehended this much? He didn't show any signs of knowing this during the Competition of a Hundred Sects. Was he saving it for the Battle at the Imperial City to catch opponents off guard?" High above the Imperial City, Old Li Ba, the Supreme Elder of the Endless Sword Sect, seated with the other onlookers, gave a genuine evaluation of Chu Liang's strike. "This boy is truly terrifying."
"Oh?" Immortal Jiuyi, seated nearby, smiled. "Old Sword Saint, your evaluation of Chu Liang is quite high. Has his mastery of the Dao of Sword reached a level that even you find remarkable?"
"If he were a swordmaster with sixty years of cultivation, it wouldn't be surprising to have attained such insight. But to grasp the Great Dao of Severing the Void to this level at such a young age is truly remarkable. Even in my youth, I was far from achieving this level of understanding," said Old Li Ba. "It is truly something to marvel at."
"But based on what I know, Chu Liang had never once performed any techniques related to the Great Dao of Severing the Void. He only came to understand this Dao a few days ago," Immortal Jiuyi added.
"That's impossible," Old Li Ba said as he shook his head firmly.
Immortal Jiuyi was an eighth-realm cultivator who had attained the Heavenly Origin and stood at the pinnacle of the world, but in terms of swordsmanship, Sword Saint Old Li Ba was the undisputed authority. And so, he spoke with complete confidence.
"Impossible?" Immortal Jiuyi questioned again.
"Our forefather, Hallowed Li, left sword marks on the walls of the mountain behind our sect. Even our most talented disciples had to meditate on these sword marks for three years to fully comprehend the Great Dao of Severing the Void," Old Li Ba said gravely. "And such genius is seen only once in centuries. For ordinary sword talents, it could take a decade.
"Even if you claim Chu Liang's talent surpasses every disciple in our sect's history, could he have found a source of insight more powerful than Hallowed Li's Dao essence?"
Upon hearing Old Li Ba's words, Immortal Jiuyi suddenly became silent for a moment.
He hadn't understood how Chu Liang attained enlightenment in the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams, but after hearing Old Li Ba's words, everything started making sense.
According to legends, the origin of the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams was linked to Hallowed Li.
It was said that Hallowed Li once battled celestial beings and struck down numerous legendary artifacts from the sky. Among those was the Eight Trigram Compass, which eventually became the current Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams.
Could it be that Chu Liang saw an echo of Hallowed Li within the Divine Mirror and achieved enlightenment as a result?
The Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams was said to connect the real world and the illusory realm, reflecting both ancient and present eras, perhaps even preserving the silhouette of Hallowed Li. However, these ancient projections could not be triggered at will; something specific was required to activate them.
Could it be that Chu Liang possesses some kind of ancient artifact? Immortal Jiuyi wondered.
As he pondered, Old Li Ba sighed again, "It's a pity that Chu Liang isn't a disciple of our Sword Sect. Such unparalleled talent is going to waste."
"Mount Shu Sect's swordsmanship has also been renowned throughout the world; it would hardly be wasted, don't you think?" Immortal Jiuyi replied with a light laugh.
"The swordmasters of Mount Shu Sect have traditionally cultivated the Cloud of Determination Great Dao. Both the Cloud of Determination and the Great Dao of Tai'a are enriched with countless exceptional swordmasters. It has always been said that talented figures are shaped by great teachers, and this is not dependent on the sect," Old Li Ba explained.
He then continued, "However, with the Great Dao of Severing the Void, only those who are part of our sect can attain the Heavenly Origin. Do you know why?"
"Why?" Immortal Jiuyi asked, intrigued and playing along.
Old Li Ba explained, "Because a cultivator of the Great Dao of Severing the Void had ascended to the ninth realm. The most powerful essence of the Severing the Void Great Dao is on the Chunyang Ancient Sword that used to belong to Hallowed Li.
"No matter how much one gains from observing sword marks, it cannot compare to the experience of observing the Chunyang Ancient Sword and meditating in the presence of the Chunyang Ancient Sword. That's why the Dao Master of the Severing the Void Great Dao will always be a member of the Endless Sword Sect."
"I see!" Immortal Jiuyi remarked with a hint of emotion in his tone.
"So, even though Chu Liang has fully comprehended the Great Dao of Severing the Void, if he chooses to continue pursuing this Dao when he reaches the seventh realm, he'll be at the end of his path," Old Li Ba explained. "Unless he chooses another Dao or..." He smirked, "switches allegiances."
Thud—
The difference was that Qi Lin'er staggered back a few steps upon landing, while Ling Ao was hurled back a dozen meters, crashing to the ground. Yet, they both rebounded simultaneously and clashed fists once more!
Boom—
In terms of speed and power, Ling Ao, whose power was enhanced by the burning blood, was on par with Qi Lin'er. The only difference was that Qi Lin'er had a weaker physique.
This wasn't something that could be improved through cultivation of arts alone; it required actual replenishment and physical training to strengthen his body. While his current physique was strong enough to compete with others, it fell short against cultivators with particularly powerful bodies.
Once again, Qi Lin'er was pushed back a few steps.
Meanwhile, Ling Ao was sent flying, crashing into the ground with such force that it left a large crater.
"Hah..." Ling Ao sprang up again, exhaling deeply. "I really can't fight you head-on."
Qi Lin'er was born with bronze skin and iron bones, while Chu Liang and Yang Shenlong benefitted from the power of their draconic bloodlines. Achieving such monstrous physical strength required extraordinary fortuitous circumstances.
But Ling Ao was an ordinary cultivator. The greatest fortuitous encounter he had was a drop of dragon blood he had begged for from the dragon in the Dragon-Fishing Pool. Apart from that, everything he had achieved was the result of his relentless hard work.
But who said hard work couldn't lead to success?
Whoosh—
When Qi Lin'er's fist came crashing down again, Ling Ao decided to dodge.
With a swift pivot of his foot, he sidestepped the punch, clamping down on Qi Lin'er's wrist with his left hand. At the same time, he formed a saber-like strike with his right index finger and his middle finger, aiming straight for his opponent.
Bang!
Due to Qi Lin'er's small stature, Ling Ao's strike landed squarely on the back of his neck, sending him hurtling face-first toward the ground. But before he could hit the floor, he was met with Ling Ao's rising knee, which stopped his momentum abruptly.
Smack—
The knee strike, delivered with precise power, bent Qi Lin'er's neck at an almost right angle, leaving him momentarily stunned and dazed.
Reeling from the heavy blow, Qi Lin'er instinctively shoved Ling Ao away, sending him flying several zhang. He then leapt backward, and when he landed, his vision spun for a moment.
If Qi Lin'er hadn't possessed such a resilient physique, he wouldn't have survived. Any ordinary cultivator struck with such force would have had their skull shattered multiple times over.
Even so, Qi Lin'er was left dazed for a while before he could barely make out Ling Ao's figure.
These moves were martial arts techniques. The grip and strike seemed simple, but they were clearly the result of immense hard work. However, a disciple of the Mount Shu Sect shouldn't be good at these techniques.
Qi Lin'er wanted to say something but paused for a moment. After a brief struggle to remember, he finally gritted his teeth and asked, "I don't think I know your name?"
The young man with a buzz cut across from him gave a faint smile, extending one arm and taking a fighting stance as he answered, "Ling Ao of the Mount Shu Sect!"
1. This means that one side will always end up having the upper hand. It's a way of saying that in any rivalry or fight, one will eventually win. ☜