437 The Heaven Breached Sword
A sharp screeching sound resounded across Heavenly Revelations City!
Lei Wujie, who was sprinting with all of his strength, suddenly felt a sword fly pass by him. He was stunned for a moment and exclaimed, "That was fast!"
The so-called one sword from the west!
All eyes turned in the direction of where that screeching sound came from.
"What is it?" Princess Qing's brows furrowed in a tight frown.
Luo Bu closed his eyes and murmured, "It's a sword piercing through the sky."
"What sort of sword would have such power?" Princess Qing asked, still frowning.
Luo Bu opened his eyes. "A sword that could cut open a breach between Heaven and Earth."
Even Luo Qingyang could sense the danger hidden within that screeching sound. He held his sword and looked ahead coldly, a tight frown between his brows.
He saw what looked like a blaze igniting in the horizon.
It was a speed that defied imagination. The friction as it flew through the air actually ignited a blaze as the object emerged from the horizon and approached their position. It was a burning sword of fire.
Where did the sword come from?
Nobody knew.
Where was the sword going?
Xiao Se stood up and scoffed coldly. "Alright. Since Heaven has chosen me, then I shall answer Heaven!" He reached up with one hand and hollered, "Heaven Breached!"
The long sword swept past the teahouse and plummeted straight down, falling right into Xiao Se's hand. Xiao Se swung it with all his might and the flames on the blade extinguished immediately. As it did so, the rust on the long sword scattered onto the ground. Xiao Se raised the long sword.
"We must be the most fortunate swordsmen in a hundred years, to be able to witness the number one sword under Heaven, the Heaven Breached sword," Xie Xuan murmured under his breath as he turned around and looked at the sword.
Yan Zhantian nodded. "Yes."
Wushuang walked forward excitedly. "So that's the Heaven Breached sword. Is it forged from gold?"
"The Heaven Breached sword. According to legends, the ancients forged the sword using bronze from the divine Shoushan mountain, giving it its golden colour. It was passed down for thousands of years and was known as the first famous sword in the world. It was also called the sword of the Son of Heaven. On the front side is carved the constellations of the sky and on the back, mountains and rivers. It's a long sword that only the monarch chosen by Heaven is qualified to hold." Li Fansong's eyes were full of admiration. "This sword really exists in the world, and I actually got to see this sword?"
Xiao Se raised his long sword and saw the constellations of the sky.
He flipped the sword and saw the mountains and rivers.
The former martial expert, Ji Ruofeng, who was hidden in the crowd, put the pill he had in his hand back into his clothes and released a sigh of relief. "This disciple of mine is really full of pleasant surprises."
"Father." A clear-sounding voice suddenly came from behind him.
Ji Ruofeng did not turn around and sighed softly. "I'm really useless now. I didn't even sense your approach behind me."
Tang Ze laughed. "I sensed it, but I didn't say anything."
"Little brother, you're a good boy." Ji Xue reached out and rubbed the back of Tang Ze's head. "Big sister likes you."
"I'm afraid that if I'm not good, you'll use your staff to hit me." Tang Ze grinned.
"Then, can you do big sister another favour?" Ji Xue smiled.
Tang Ze nodded. "I'm all ears."
"Help me hold down this old fellow!" Ji Xue whispered fiercely.
Ji Ruofeng was stunned for a moment, and was about to raise his hand, but Tang Ze grabbed his wrist. Ji Xue drew the Cloud-Rising staff from her waist and swung the long staff. With a gentle tap, she tossed out the pill that Ji Ruofeng had hidden in his clothes.
The Cloud-Rising staff fell again and smashed the pill into powder.
"Mister Xin told me everything. Father, this time, you can leave everything to us," Ji Xue said solemnly.
Ji Ruofeng sighed and said nothing.
Ji Xue put away her long staff, stepped forward, and looked at Xiao Se, his long sword raised high and looking exceptionally relaxed under the gaze of everyone present. Her eyes also filled with an earnestness. "Look at your disciple. He's all grown up. He doesn't need his shifu to stand up for him anymore. This time, leave everything to him. Leave everything to us!"
"Heaven Breached sword! What right does he have to get the Heaven Breached sword!" Xiao Yu yelled furiously.
Su Changhe also sighed. "Looks like we'll have to move forward with our plans."
"Yes, he can't be allowed to live past today. If he survives today, Xiao Se will be the emperor!" Xiao Yu said angrily.
"Xiao Se!" A deep voice came from a distance!
Everyone turned back, only to see a figure in red swaying in the distance. He was coming towards them at a fast pace, looking like a burning flame. This swordsman in red, who was supposed to be the protagonist of today's duel, was finally here.
"Don't just hold your sword posturing away. Be careful!" Lei Wujie yelled furiously.
Xiao Se frowned and looked at Luo Qingyang.
Luo Qingyang's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
"Heaven Breached sword. Very well.
"I'm willing to be Heaven and Earth."
Luo Qingyang smiled. In the middle of the clouds, there was a vague image of ten thousand warriors singing in sorrow. A desolate wind blew in from all sides and thunder rumbled in the sky, looking as if a fierce thunderstorm was about to pour down any moment!
"Hymn to the Fallen." Luo Qingyang closed his eyes.
In the next instant, he opened his eyes again, and the Nine Songs sword fell.
"One sword to ascend to Heaven, join the immortals, free and unfettered." Xiao Se also closed his eyes.
Immediately, he swung his sword and saw life and death.
The elegy stopped abruptly, and the desolate winds stilled.
There was a sudden calm between Heaven and Earth, as if the earth-shattering events that just occurred never happened.
Princess Qing rubbed her eyes. "I couldn't see it clearly."
Luo Bu sighed. "I couldn't see it clearly either. This is probably the greatest regret of my life."
Xiao Chong turned his head to look at Wushuang, hoping to get an answer, but Wushuang was only looking at the sword; he was blind to everything else.
Ji Xue smiled smugly at Ji Ruofeng and Ji Ruofeng also smiled. Tang Ze touched the Xuanwu token on his waist thoughtfully.
Xie Xuan smiled and looked at Yan Zhantian. "Congratulations, Zhantian-xiong."
Yan Zhantian snorted coldly. "You saw it too. Why are you only congratulating me?"
"I'm a scholar, you know." Xie Xuan laughed. "Although I was able to view this sword duel clearly, and will gain great benefit in my way of the sword down the road, the advancement in realm is only between a fine line. But at this moment, I only want to write a poem."
"The Berserk Dragon in Heaven blocked out the sky, the elegy of a country under a crescent moon.
The dragon sees the abandoned stage and the moon over the western river, the teacher is a handsome young man."
Lei Wujie had come to a stop not far away and when he saw the last sword move, he was so terrified he didn't dare to take another step. He stood where he was and sighed. "That was a really good sword, ah. Xiao Se, you're always hiding something. You know such a great swordplay but wouldn't teach it to me!"
Xiao Se propped his sword on the ground. That last sword had consumed the last of his qi. He raised his head and looked at Luo Qingyang.
Not just him, but everyone looked at Luo Qingyang.
Among the people in the audience, if they managed to make out this sword move, then they should know that with this sword, the Hymn to the Fallen was broken by Heaven Breached.
Luo Qingyang was willing to be this Heaven and Earth.
Xiao Se also really cut through this Heaven and Earth.
Xie Xuan looked at Luo Qingyang, but he muttered under his breath, "Not good!"
Luo Qingyang was standing on the roof of the opposite teahouse. The clouds in the overcast sky were broken up by Xiao Se's sword move. Light pierced through the clouds, shining on everyone's faces. But, at the same time, the clouds had condensed into rain, instantly turning into a heavy downpour. Luo Qingyang was drenched in the wind and rain, and his grey robes fluttered in the wind.
He didn't look like a person who was just defeated.
Instead, he looked like an immortal that had fallen from Heaven.
Luo Qingyang closed his eyes and raised his head, whispering softly.
"I've entered the Spirit Wandering Profound Realm."
*
Non-poetry note:
一剑西来
One sword from the west
This odd phrase has appeared many times in this novel and I never bothered to look up what it meant until now. It's actually a phrase from 《陆小凤传奇》 (The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng), a popular wuxia novel by Gu Long. In the story, the two most powerful swordsmen in the martial world were Ximen Cuixue and Ye Gucheng. Some say that the phrase refers to Ximen Cuixue (since the word 'west' is in his name) but others say it represents Ye Gucheng only. Regardless, it means a very powerful sword.
*
天斩剑 [tiān zhǎn jiàn]
Heaven Breached Sword
This sword is likely modelled after the mythical Xuanyuan Sword (轩辕剑), which was wielded by the Yellow Emperor (黄帝). It was forged from the bronze of the immortal Shoushan mountain. On one side of the blade were carved the sun, the moon, and the stars; on the other side mountains, rivers, and trees. On one side of the handle, know-how of farming and husbandry was recorded; on the other side, policies of unification were described. Xuanyuan was a sword of divinity.