Nightfall

The carriage stopped in front of the Verdant Canyon.

It could not have come, but it did.

It meant the man in the carriage might not come, or his sword might not come—because his sword could kill a person from thousands of kilometers away.

The man in the carriage was Liu Bai.

He was recognized as the strongest man in the cultivation world as well as the Sword Sage. He was so strong that even the Unworldly Sublime Beings from the Unknown Places could not beat him.

Especially when he drew out his sword, a 30 centimeter circle surrounding him was his zone. Even the Abbey Dean of the Zhishou Abbey and Eldest Brother could not enter.

Many people, including the Second Brother, believed that with his talent if he wanted, he could step over the Five States. However, he was never willing to.

Liu Bai’s voice floated out of the carriage.

“Do you need a break?”

Looking at the carriage, the Second Brother buttoned his collar with his slender fingers. “I don’t know if I will be as confident after the break as I am now.”

Liu Bai replied from inside the carriage, “Then let’s begin.”

The Second Brother answered, “If we had fought two days ago, I would have lost for sure. Thank you for waiting until now.”

Liu Bai responded, “I appreciate that you didn’t kill my disciples.”

The conversation between them seemed peaceful; it sounded warm and kind devoid of hostility or danger.

There was no vendetta between the Academy and the Sword Garret. Even though Ning Que had blinded Liu Yiqing, it had been a fair duel. It did not enrage Liu Bai.

Thus, the Academy disciples were confused.

Looking at the carriage, the Second Brother asked, “Why are you here?”

Liu Bai answered him after a long time, “Even the Headmaster could not beat Haotian. What can I do?”

Upon hearing this, the Second Brother fell silent for a while. “The teacher was right. There are no omniscient and omnipotent men. He probably wasn’t expecting that his leaving would weaken men’s confidence.”

“Moreover, I am still the Adviser of the Divine Hall.”

Liu Bai spoke from the carriage, “In the war between the world and the Tang, as a man from Jin, I should do something. And fighting against the Academy is also my wish.”

“If there is anyone in the world worth my sword, it has to be you and Li Manman.”

He said this with respect, but the Second Brother could not agree with him. He shook his head. “I think my Third Sister also needs your advice in cultivation.”

Hearing this, Liu Bai became silent again.

After a long time, he said in shock, “Lin Wu is in the Academy!”

The Second Brother continued, “She is no longer using that name.”

As the strongest man in the world, he was wise enough to figure out what Jun Mo was talking about. The mysterious Twenty-Three-year Cicada Cultivator was in the Academy.

It was the most shocking news in the cultivation world. Even he was shocked.

“It seems that the Haotian Taoism has underestimated the Academy after all.”

Liu Bai added, “If she is in the Academy, that idiot Xiong Chumo is going to fail even worse than I expected.”

In his mind, the Twenty-Three-year Cicada Cultivator was stronger than the Hierarch of the West-Hill Divine Palace.

As for himself, he was also stronger than him.

“The tide of the world surges forward like a great river. Follow it, and we boom; resist it, and thus comes our doom. Even if Lin Wu is in the Academy, he cannot change anything.”

He added, “Your Senior Brother can stall the Abbey Dean for three more days at most. The Buddhism Sect is waiting for him. It doesn’t matter if you can beat me or not, after the battle you will be unable to stop the coalition. Once the Verdant Canyon is opened and the coalition goes north, Tang must be subjugated in the end.”

“You are not a mediocre person, why are you giving me such a boring speech?” The Second Brother said with a straight face. “If everything is doomed, why have you come here? Why did I come here? Why are you and I standing in front of the Verdant Canyon?”

Liu Bai answered, “That’s what I thought, but after all, the battle is unavoidable.”

The Second Brother asked, “When shall we start?”

Liu Bai answered, “When your sword is repaired.”

A sudden boom sounded under the tent. A heavy hammer was beating the fiery iron sword. The hot sword sank in the water, sizzling and misting up.

Taking over the fixed iron sword, Second Brother said, “It’s fine.”

“Very well.”

A hand opened the blue curtain.

The hand was big with slender and powerful fingers that looked well suited for holding a sword.

Liu Bai walked out of the carriage.

The highly respected Sword Sage was a normal looking middle-aged man with a deeply engraved face.

He had a normal appearance and normal temperament, completely different from his legend. His essence existed in his sword rather than his body.

His sword was in its sheath beside him.

“Once, people wrote down their imaginings of the cultivators in the stories, thinking that everything could be used as a sword and the cultivators could kill with flowers and branches. However, they were all armchair swordmen after all.”

Looking at the Second Brother’s sword, Liu Bai said, “Neither a flower nor a blade of grass can be a sword. Sword has to be a sword because it has to be hard, straight and sharp, something that can fly into the sky and kill people from thousands of kilometers away. If a sword can’t cut grass or it can be easily broken, how can it break armor and kill people? A good sword is very important to a swordsman.”

“Today, I saw two fine swords. Ye Su’s wooden sword is made from an exotic tree which is its best choice from the point of view of the material. However, comparing it with your iron sword, it is inferior since a sword must be made of iron. Only the blood on an iron sword can be called blood iron and only by using an iron sword can I fight to my heart’s content.”

Liu Bai turned to the stove and the Sixth Brother. He praised, “The Academy is indeed a great place; you can refine such a good sword.”

The Second Brother walked toward the wilderness. “But it is a weapon nonetheless.”

“You are a good swordsman.”

Liu Bai said, “I’ve always been wondering who is stronger, you or Ye Su. Now I know you are stronger. Your sword is stronger, and your sword skill is better.”

The Second Brother stopped him and said, “But not stronger than you.”

Liu Bai had heard this kind of praise so many times, no one in the world could comment on his sword. His expression didn’t change at all.

Since he had been inspired at the riverside and traveled all over the world, no one dared to question his fame as the best swordsman.

“The Sword Taoism lies in sword and Taoism, but I prefer the sword.”

Liu Bai said, “I sword trained in the cave of the Sword Garrett for ten years. I had a fine sword, and the Headmaster borrowed it. Although I felt regret, it was an honor that the Headmaster could use it to slaughter the Dragon. In addition to that sword, I have many more including the one on my waist, which is stronger than yours.”

“As for sword skill, I don’t think I have any talent. I didn’t create the sword style. It’s from Mr. Ke.”

The Second Brother said, “But you carried it forward and developed it into a famous and respectful sword style.”

Liu Bai was an unforgettable name in both the history of the cultivation world and Sword Taoism. He had been the first Great Sword Master and developed his close combat to an absolute high position.

In the past, swordsmen preferred operating their swords. In their minds, controlling the Qi of Heaven and Earth was the biggest difference between a cultivator and an ordinary man.

When Liu Bai and his sword style became invincible, the swordmen saw a new possibility in sword cultivation. It was revolutionary.

This was why the Second Brother respected him so much.

Liu Bai continued, “In my early years, I swung back and forth between the two styles until the fight in the East Sea. I realized this switching violated the true meaning of the sword.”

“In that fight, I hurt Yan Se from a thousand kilometers away. Then he wrote a talisman toward the wild sea, which fell on my face from a great distance.”

Touching his eyebrows, he smiled bitterly.

“After that fight I chose to hold the sword. The most fundamental difference between the two styles is you either operate a sword with the Qi of Heaven and Earth or you control the Qi with a sword. The advantages and disadvantages may not be obvious, but, if you think carefully, you will believe that holding the sword is the best way.”

“The Buddhism Sect’s copper bowl is not the best, neither are the prayer beads. Neither is the robe nor the talisman. Because all of these natal weapons are not in their proper form. But a sword is. The sword’s shape is suitable for controlling the Qi of Heaven and Earth to hurt people.”

“The sword is straight and sharp. Control the sword or hold the sword; you have to choose and you can’t choose both.”

Liu Bai said, “You said a lot to Ye Su earlier that I don’t understand. I only know sword: it is straight, so it should puncture. It is simple but strong.”

“Ye Su and I were talking about affairs of the human world, of which you no longer belong,” the Second Brother said. “If you want to stay, you have to follow rules.”