sonovelo Chapter 686: Emerged from Closed-Door Cultivation
Chapter 686: Emerged from Closed-Door Cultivation
Chapter 686: Emerged from Closed-Door Cultivation
Daoist Yan stood atop the ancient tree of Azure Falling Peak with her robes fluttering in the fierce wind.
The ancient tree faced the entrance to Mount Shu. As she lifted her gaze, she saw the Red Cotton Peak, where radiant lights cascaded like rain and spirit birds flitted about. Its prosperity seemed almost unreal.
She was momentarily stunned.
How many years had passed during her closed-door cultivation? How had Mount Shu transformed into this state? Could it truly be that the world had undergone such dramatic change?
Everything felt unfamiliar. Thankfully, the Azure Falling Peak's ancient tree remained unchanged, as did her own Azure Falling Peak. She didn't dwell too much on these thoughts.
The very instant she emerged from her closed-door cultivation was when her qi was the sharpest. Her sword qi soared straight into the heavens, and every sword cultivator across the nine provinces felt its presence.
Within three breaths, a sword qi formed from white clouds came rushing in from the west.
It was vast and overwhelming, its power dominating the nine provinces like the mighty force of celestial soldiers descending from the heavens.
It was a cloud from the West Sea that had been condensed into the shape of a sword and had travelled across seas and mountains to Mount Shu.
It carried the power of the supreme Sword Dao, and one could easily guess who the creator was.
The moment Daoist Yan emerged, the Daos of the Sword trembled.
A fierce collision reverberated within the Great Dao of the Cloud of Determination. Naturally, the Sword Emperor of the West Sea felt it, and this sword-shaped cloud was a test he had sent her.@@@@
The wind howled as the sword-shaped cloud descended, seemingly trying to suppress the sharpness radiating from Daoist Yan upon her emergence.
The Great Dao of the Cloud of Determination could be ruled by only one sword, and no sharper blade could be allowed to exist.
Daoist Yan merely responded with a faint smile.
She raised two fingers, drawing them through the air with a swift, graceful motion.
Szzzz——
A beam of clear light shot into the sky, crackling as it transformed into an ancient, profound swordlight. With a thunderous roar, it pierced through the air!
The clash between the swordlight and the sword cloud was like wind and lightning meeting in the skies, shaking the heavens and earth!
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
A series of deafening booms reverberated across the thirty-six peaks of Mount Shu. The surrounding mountains, rivers, and streams quaked, and the rumbling echoed for thousands of miles, as clear as thunder on a sunny day.
When Di Nufeng saw the two immense sword qi collide above, she furrowed her brows and was about to fly up and help.
"Stay calm," said Venerable Wen Yuan without looking away from the sky. He gently pressed his hand toward her. "The fight for control of a Great Dao is not something outsiders can intervene in."
Bang!
The sword light and sword-shaped cloud were locked in a stalemate for a brief moment before both began to unravel from their tips. Eventually, they vanished into the air. The turbulent skies calmed, and the vast blue heavens cleared with not a single cloud left in sight.
At that moment, in the Sword-Hanging Kingdom by the West Sea, a figure in white stood with his hands behind his back on the wide steps of the palace square.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he nodded and said, "Not bad."
In face of a challenge, a truly powerful cultivator of the Dao of Sword would be filled with anticipation.
Meanwhile, on Azure Falling Peak of Mount Shu, Daoist Yan called out across the distance, "I will come to the Sword-Hanging Kingdom to see you in three days."
"I'd better meet with the sect leader first." Daoist Yan said, ignoring whatever Di Nufeng said. She stood up, and with a flash of sword light, headed straight for Heaven-Reaching Peak.
"Yan Zi..." Di Nufeng called out weakly as she watched her figure fade into the distance.
Chu Liang whispered from the side, "Esteemed teacher, Senior Aunt Yan is already gone. Let's focus on the matter at hand."
"What matter?"
"The renovation plan for Red Cotton Peak is about to begin, right? But I worry that just convincing people with words might not be enough."
For the renovation of Red Cotton Peak, part of the housing costs would be subsidized. However, since the shopkeepers there were also benefiting, they needed to contribute a portion of the renovation costs. Given that the new houses weren't cheap, a little extra push might be needed to get them on board.
"What do you plan to do?" Di Nufeng asked.
"I want everyone to experience the defensive power of the new buildings, so you'll need to play the role of a bad guy," Chu Liang said.
"How do I play a bad guy?" Di Nufeng frowned. "I don't know how to do that."
Chu Liang responded seriously, "Just be yourself but tone it down just a bit."
...
The next day, Red Cotton Peak was as bustling as ever.
Suddenly, a scream echoed from a street corner. "Help!"
A young man with thick brows and big eyes came sprinting down the street, dashing into a pavilion at the end of the road, followed closely by a burst of flames.
Kaboom!
The pavilion exploded in a cloud of smoke and dust, and the young man, thrown by the blast, tumbled before crashing hard onto the ground.
From within the flames, Di Nufeng's figure emerged. She stood there laughing theatrically, "Trying to escape? If you surrender willingly, I'll give you a swift end! But if you run again, hee-hee-hee..."
Flames danced around her, making her look like a demon. The onlookers, struck with terror, stood frozen. They were trembling, and their hairs were standing on end. They were too afraid to move, lest they get caught in the chaos.
The young man, with nowhere else to go, rolled and dashed into the nearest brand-new building.
Kaboom!
The flames followed in an instant, crashing into the building.
This time, after a loud explosion, a flash of white light flickered over the house, protecting it from the full force of the blast. Aside from a few blackened scorch marks, the structure remained mostly unscathed.
Di Nufeng emerged from the fire, her eyes wide with surprise as she stared at the house. "Ehhhhh?"
"Esteemed teacher!" Chu Liang stepped out of the house and declared loudly, "The last fish ball in the hotpot wasn't eaten by Lin Bei. It was actually... me! Please spare him!"
When Di Nufeng heard his plea, she paused, then waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it was you? In that case, I'll let him go. Almost caused a misunderstanding there."
At this moment, Chu Liang turned toward the crowd and announced loudly, "Thanks to this Feng-grade house, constructed with the latest technology from Mount Shu Sect's Hall of Construction, it withstood your punch. Otherwise, all the valuables inside could have been destroyed, costing a cultivator their whole life's savings!"
"Oh my!" Di Nufeng exclaimed, slapping her forehead dramatically. "How thoughtless of me! Luckily, you had this Feng-grade house built with the latest technology from Mount Shu Sect's Hall of Construction. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"Exactly!" Lin Bei chimed in as he approached from behind. "If not for this Feng-grade house built by Mount Shu Sect's Hall of Construction, wouldn't my life have been lost unjustly? Let's all give it our thanks!"
"Now that it's all clear," Chu Liang said as he grabbed his teacher and Lin Bei, "Let's step into this perfectly designed house, warm in winter and cool in summer, safe and cozy for every occasion!"
Then, the three of them chanted in unison dramatically, "Now, let's eat! Hot! Pot!"