IS Chapter 147

At that instant, a stern and fierce sword intent soared from Ye Zhuo’s body.

Today, his first sword was already a union of man and sword.

Li Yuan’s sword had also been drawn, its vast light splitting the wind and snow.

Between them, their unreserved first strikes collided.

The force of the sword bodies rebounding crashed against each other, the world cleaved into opposing halves. Perhaps the two standing on these ends differed in many ways—different people, different swords.

But at least one thing was identical: once the sword in their hand was drawn, they would spare no effort to do their best. No room for ease, only utter exhaustion.

As for life, death, victory, or defeat, they had no choice, no control; even Heaven didn’t know.

How long the fire burned, where it reached, how much pain was in their hearts, what was burned away and what remained, where their hearts truly lay—they couldn’t say. So they would let the sword speak.

Li Yuan met the bright sword light that severed everything, and beyond that, a figure seemingly forged from raging fire and emptiness—that person. Scaling treacherous peaks and treading sharp blades, Ye Zhuo’s sword was constantly being tempered, constantly reborn, constantly finding life in desperate straits. The world said his brilliance was too great, yet he could always be even more brilliant. The sword, like a startled dragon, went forth without return, and Li Yuan saw behind him the abyss of eternal silence illuminated by the sword light.

Such a resolute sword.

Such a decisive sword, placing everything else aside.

Li Yuan received it, blade against blade, sword energy against sword energy. His own sword intent soared, wind, thunder, clouds, and sea howling as they engulfed the wildly burning karmic fire lotus. If his sword sought to echo Heaven and sea, Ye Zhuo’s sword was like lightning suddenly tearing through the sky and sea, illuminating everything in stark white.

A startled dragon rolled in the clouds, torrential rain poured down, and flames soared to the sky.

Some of the exchanges they’d seen before, some they hadn’t; some they’d created together, some were forced out by the other’s sword only a moment ago.

A thousand moves weren’t enough, ten thousand moves weren’t enough. How many times in life could one cast aside all thoughts and cares, pouring everything learned and understood into the tip of their sword? And then, receive an answer.

Sometimes, the sword had already returned to simplicity. The most basic, most pure sword techniques, the ones learned at the very beginning, used by the person opposite, seemed to contain all the principles of the sword dao within that one strike—asking the dao with a sword on this high mountain peak. He was the same.

A straight thrust would become a slanting parry, a slanting chop would become a direct cut. The simplest sword moves were met with the simplest sword moves, like the simplest question answered with a single word. In any case, the strength on their swords was equally immense, the insights on their swords were neither more nor less than the other’s, only the paths were different.

It was good that the paths were different; only then could they question each other.

Sometimes the atmosphere on the swords suddenly became complex and vast, still Ye Zhuo’s sword, beautiful and cold. This was as it should be: a flower should bloom to its fullest, and a sword should be used to its utmost.

Li Yuan also had Li Yuan’s atmosphere.

Ye Zhuo’s sword went forth without return, capable of severing even the pillars of heaven. Then let him see if it could cleave even the boundless, endless sea, sever it. The abyssal sea was deep and bottomless; if he wanted to split the sea with one sword, he should be careful not to be drowned in its endless depths.

Ye Zhuo was not afraid.

This Northern Sea was indeed vast and deep. Even if Ye Zhuo couldn’t see its bottom, he would tear off a piece of its flesh. Dragon Li Yuan had cultivated the sword dao to be so chaotic and all-encompassing, but even if all was chaos before the beginning of time, eventually Heaven and Earth would be split open.

He would not be trapped. This dragon was sturdy, hard to kill; he would take the opportunity to ask out all the swords in his heart. He understood these swords clearly, but he didn’t mind asking about them again, listening to this dragon’s answers.

The boundless karmic fire burned him; Dragon Li Yuan might as well experience it as well. It would be best if it could burn to its fullest. Human affairs always had an end; burning to its fullest would let him see what it was like. If he could bear it, he would be reborn in the fire; if he couldn’t, he would be reduced to ashes. If Dragon Li Yuan wanted to go together, then they would disregard life and death together. The sword was the heart; he would let this dragon hear all the matters in his heart, so that no sword in his hand would be undeserving of this dragon’s suffering.

If Dragon Li Yuan truly had the ability to receive his sword, Ye Zhuo wouldn’t mind accepting his swords in their entirety. If this dragon could truly pull him into that boundless chaotic deep sea, allowing the waters of the beginning and end of all things to completely engulf him, then so be it. As long as this dragon could do it, he had no objections. To hear the dao in the morning, one could die content in the evening. The victor could do as they pleased.

In truth, they couldn’t think about victory or defeat, nor could they care about life or death. All a sword cultivator could do was entrust everything to the sword; only then would they be worthy of the sword, worthy of the person they crossed swords with.

Ye Zhuo had known from a very young age that the things he had to do were too distant; he had to use every means to seize those opportunities that reached the heavens.

He had the best sword, he had climbed the most dangerous spirit mountains. Falling into danger, encountering powerful enemies, he would definitely make the most of them, using them to temper his sword. He had to cultivate every realm to its most solid, every sword move had to be the most perfect, and in the end, even the constitution and bones that everyone could not change in their entire lives had to be refined until they were completely clear.

But he had always known that for the sword, the best, the rarest, the most heaven-reaching opportunity, there was only one.

That was to have such a person to cross swords with.

It was too difficult for them to determine a victor; it seemed there would always be another sword, and another sword—perhaps, until they could no longer wield any sword at all.

At that moment, would it be a state of emptiness and forgetting of both self and object?

That wouldn’t be bad, either.

Sword energy stirred up white snow. Through the suddenly flying snowflakes, Ye Zhuo saw Li Yuan’s eyes.

They were as deep as the sea.

The snow was falling heavily.

The atmosphere in Green Mountains these days was also rather unsettling.

Who knew when the earth would shake and the mountains would tremble, the meridians of the spirit-gathering formation nearly severed. Who knew when the qi would clash, shaking those who were cultivating until they spat out a mouthful of blood.

Sometimes thunder roared, scaring the dogs in the mountains until they stumbled.

In the distant sky, there were phantom images of true dragons tumbling, with bloody light and fire light soaring to the sky. By the time all sounds were silent late at night, the northern sky was a shocking sea of blood.

Slaying immortals by dividing realms hadn’t caused such a great commotion.

News flew from Green Mountains to Supreme Purity Mountain, saying that the people of Micro-Snow Palace and the dragon were fighting amongst themselves in Green Mountains. This infighting was so grand and fierce, it looked like they wanted to burn everything together, perhaps even the Heavenly Dao would be worn away in the fight.

In fact, Micro-Snow Palace had gathered many former members of the Unorthodox Dao, with various tricks up their sleeves. Everyone knew which were the spies that had been inserted, raising them under their noses, releasing some false news for amusement when there was nothing to do.

This time it wasn’t false news. Everyone now felt that it was infighting; this was a make-or-break performance.

Wei Sheng Xian reluctantly supported his spirit-gathering formation with a death wish. Fortunately, when he saw that snowfield, he thought it was a good place to fight and hadn’t arranged for other sects to move in.

Fight on, if something really happened, they wouldn’t even need to dig graves; wouldn’t that be a beautiful thing.

As they fought, a group of people tearfully came to him, begging Palace Master Wei Sheng to divine a hexagram. Before Yin Ye asked Heaven with a hexagram, was this how the people of the Immortal Dao came to beg him?

Wei Sheng Xian wouldn’t make such a big fuss. He casually tossed his three copper coins a few times, divining two hexagrams.

One was extremely ominous, one was extremely auspicious.

They were all old foxes. There were quite a few knowledgeable people present. Divining such contradictory hexagrams, Wei Sheng Xian himself lost face, so he cast another hexagram.

This time it was good. He divined a “primordial renewal, all things reborn,” and was delighted to have a noble son. A group of old fogeys saw the hexagram and burst into laughter, crowding around to repeatedly cup their hands and offer congratulations and felicitations. Wei Sheng Xian felt that he wouldn’t be able to earn a single coin in divination fees for the rest of his life.

In the end, they just watched as the two of them fought for more than half a month.

And they were still fighting.

Later, even Feng Jiang, who had seen many great scenes, was a little uneasy. He came to ask Wei Sheng Xian what was really going on this time, how long they would fight, and whether they would only stop after Green Mountains was completely destroyed. His spirit herbs in the mountains hadn’t grown for more than half a month.

Wei Sheng Xian pondered for a moment and said, “Maybe they’ll fight for a full month.”

Feng Jiang asked what this was based on.

“A feeling,” Wei Sheng Xian said. “This Daoist suddenly remembered ten years ago—oh, it’s eleven years ago now. Eleven years ago, Ah Zhou once broke an appointment. That time, it was also a full month.”

Feng Jiang didn’t know the events of many years ago clearly, so Wei Sheng Xian glanced at the stormy sky that showed no signs of stopping and began to tell him a story with an experienced expression.

At that time, Micro-Snow Palace hadn’t settled down yet and was just wandering from place to place all day long.

He and Ye Zhuo had known each other even earlier, before Ye Zhuo climbed the spirit mountain. They had known each other since they were young, and then cultivated together on the same path. This was also well-known in the Immortal Dao.

“It’s said that we cultivated together on the same path, but I cultivated the dao, and he cultivated the sword, so it was impossible to always be together,” Wei Sheng Xian said. “Besides, with Ah Zhou’s personality, if he really stayed in one place all day, he would probably get bored, pick up his sword, and leave.”

So they would meet every few months to confirm that they were still alive. If there were opportunities for cultivation, they would exchange them. If there were secret realms worth visiting, they would go to plunder them.

“That time, Ah Zhou was a whole month late. When he reappeared in front of me, he had a dragon scale in his hand.”

Feng Jiang suddenly understood: “Settling accounts after the fact, huh?”

“Right, this is a real fight,” Wei Sheng Xian sighed. “Those who use swords really have good bodies.”

After thinking it over, Palace Master Wei Sheng weighed the three copper coins in his hand and cast another hexagram.

The copper coins fell, and he quietly gazed at the indications of the hexagram.

Qian hexagram, line nine, a flock of dragons without a head.

For people, the dao heart is singular. For the world, great fortune for all.

In theory, this hexagram should be subtle and profound, with deep meaning.

But Wei Sheng Xian remembered that he had also divined the hexagram of “flying dragon in the sky” and soon indeed saw the scene of a flying dragon in the sky.

The Second Palace Master must not really cut off the dragon’s head with one sword. How would they explain it to the dragon realm? A realm would be finished.

The snow fell and stopped, stopped and fell again. The wind blew from the ice fields of the far north, blocked by the continuous Green Mountains. Sudden gusts stirred up large patches of snow and sand on the mountain ridges.

Sword intent was also like snow, sword light piece after piece, like shattered jade flying in the sky, scattering between heaven and earth. Intertwined sword marks fell on the snowy ground, exceptionally cold and stern, like calligraphy handed down through the ages.

Only using swords, fighting hand-to-hand. Even if they pulled away a distance like startled geese, it was for another sword in close combat next.

Man and sword had already become one, sword and heart were already no different. Bright moon and Northern Sea, karmic fire and red lotus.

It was unclear whose clothing brushed past whose vision, as if their figures had just separated, then turned back for a sword, the blades colliding again, the sword energy spreading out like ripples, two dragon roars rising and falling in the void.

Every move had no room for retreat, every move understood themselves better, and also understood the other’s sword better. As if something was about to emerge, the sword would continue.

Neither could break the other’s sword.

Just like that month in the East Sea, Li Yuan had also completely seen Ye Zhuo’s sword. At the moment of pulling out the scale, he had really been angry, he had really hated Ye Zhuo and his sword. You have such a sword, why use it to do such a thing? Why be so determined and unchangeable? One day you will suffer for it!

Today, he faced this person’s most extreme sword again, the sword was forged even better, but the essence inside was still the same.

Ye Zhuo wielded a sword, the sound of the blade colliding was distant and ethereal, and Li Yuan caught his sword again. Li Yuan could always catch it, like raising his head and there would always be a bright moon in the sky.

So Ye Zhuo’s next sword would be faster, would be sharper, whatever he learned he would use it in the next moment. What he was learning wasn’t Li Yuan’s sword, but tempering his own sword within Li Yuan’s sword.

Neither of them could learn the other’s sword.

That year in the East Sea, he felt that the ink dragon was indeed a powerful being, and the dragon’s sword was also a good sword.

It turned out that it wasn’t only the Path of Ruthlessness that could be cultivated into an unparalleled sword. Ye Zhuo couldn’t cultivate this dragon’s sword, but he only needed to see it. He saw it, and knowing that there was such a sword in the world was good enough.

Then, he would still practice his own sword.

He would sever everything he wanted to sever, and he would achieve everything he wanted to achieve. He no longer wanted the flames that burned in his heart to be isolated on the opposite side, nor did he want it to burn him again. The sword was his heart, and the fire was also his heart, so he would let this obsession come into his sword.

He didn’t know where he would end up, but he had already made his decision.

Until that day.

Until that one sword.

So Li Yuan saw an endless sea of fire rising behind Ye Zhuo.

Li Yuan knew then that this person had made a certain decision. No one could make him change it.

And Li Yuan himself had also already made his choice—he met that sword.

The snow was still falling, getting heavier and heavier, more and more chaotic. When would it stop?

—Until the moment they determined a victor.

Until the moment when the heavy clouds cleared, and a line of clear light shone through the world, illuminating the snowfield.

The last sound of swords stopped.

In the same place, where they had started. The wind and snow had completely dissipated.

The pitch-black, slender Reverse Scale Sword pointed directly at Li Yuan’s heart.

Li Yuan quietly looked at the murderous sword tip. If the sword tip advanced another inch, it could pierce his heart.

He could receive this sword—if his reverse scale was still in front of his heart.

But that scale was not in front of his heart.

—If it wasn’t in front of his heart, where was it?

It was pointing at him.

Li Yuan suddenly thought, on that day eleven years ago, did he lose his reverse scale in order to be defeated by one move in today’s moment, because of this scale?

It seemed that all previous karma had been destined. Had all victory and defeat been decided the moment he saw Ye Zhuo for the first time?

No wonder he had been in pain since the first time he met Ye Zhuo. Was this the way of fate? He liked Ye Zhuo, liked Ye Zhuo’s sword, from the first glance, from the first sword.

The sword could have pierced straight in, but it stopped moving. So it was over, right? Li Yuan didn’t use his sword to block; he reached out, intending to push the sword tip away.

But before his fingers touched the blade, the sword tip resting against his heart moved; it fell downwards as Ye Zhuo suddenly released his grip. The Reverse Scale Sword lost its strength and fell to the ground, and Ye Zhuo spat out a mouthful of blood.

How could a sword that had already been wielded be taken back? It was difficult to withdraw a move; it would hurt oneself.

“You’ve won, Ye Zhuo,” Li Yuan heard himself say to Ye Zhuo. “Go take your medicine.”

In the end, the heart would be clear, the sword would be clear, victory and defeat would also be clear.

But the one who won didn’t seem to have won very decisively.

The one who lost also didn’t seem to have lost very thoroughly.

There were some scattered bloodstains on the snow, like dots of red plum blossoms. Li Yuan stared blankly at those bloodstains. Ye Zhuo had spat blood, but he hadn’t gone to hold him, to feed him the appropriate pills, to watch him take them.

Ye Zhuo had won; he would listen to Ye Zhuo.

But this was very painful.

Thinking of Ye Zhuo’s last sword, it was also very painful. Such a sword put everything aside; Ye Zhuo must have thought carefully about what he wanted to do. But Li Yuan didn’t ask what it was.

He had said it before; he wouldn’t ask again.

He was still afraid that if he asked, he would be completely abandoned by this person.

He would listen to Ye Zhuo.

“Li Yuan,” Ye Zhuo said, “return to the East Sea.”

Li Yuan said, “Okay.”

Heaven and earth suddenly became quiet, even the sound of the wind couldn’t be heard, nor could the sound of heartbeats.

No one spoke. Li Yuan looked at Ye Zhuo, and Ye Zhuo quietly looked at the Reverse Scale Sword on the snow.

No one knew how long this silence lasted.

Li Yuan looked at Ye Zhuo and spoke first.

“I used to be arrogant. I thought that everything I wanted in this world should be mine.”

“But it’s not,” he said. “Thank you for teaching me, Ye Zhuo.”

Ye Zhuo looked away.

A vast expanse of snow met his eyes. Coming here from the East Sea, to a place that didn’t belong to dragons, Ye Zhuo thought he had been constantly making Li Yuan lose something. But in the end, this dragon said, “Thank you for teaching me.”

“Li Yuan, return to the East Sea,” he said. “If the dragon realm can connect to the Sumeru Buddhist realm, take a message to my master. You’ve met before.”

“Just say that I was obsessed, it was my fault. Now I know my fault but haven’t corrected it; it’s still my fault. I will be wrong to the end,” Ye Zhuo said. “That’s all.”

Li Yuan said, “Okay, I will deliver it.”

Ye Zhuo said, “I’m leaving.”

Having said that, he picked up his sword to leave, but he heard Li Yuan mutter, “You’ve left a message for your master, but you have no words for me?”

“Aren’t the words for you all in the sword?”

“At least, leave a ‘take care’ for me.”

Ye Zhuo took a deep breath and looked into the dragon’s eyes.

“The Ascension Ceremony is after the Mid-Autumn Festival,” Ye Zhuo said. “If you want to come then, come to see me off.”

Li Yuan smiled lightly, as if this had already exceeded his expectations, making him satisfied.

“Okay,” Li Yuan said. “I will definitely see you off.”

“Then I’m leaving.” Ye Zhuo turned around, but there was no movement behind him. He turned back to meet Li Yuan’s eyes; this dragon was standing in place.

Ye Zhuo: “Aren’t you leaving?”

“No,” Li Yuan said. “I’m watching you leave. After you leave, I’ll leave.”

Ye Zhuo was silent.

“Take care,” he said.

Then he walked forward, never looking back.

When he did look back, he had already gone far. Turning back, it was a scene of distant mountains and white snow, snow pines and winter plum blossoms reflecting each other. In the vast mist, he could no longer see where he had come from.

It was snowing again.

The first snowflake brushed past Li Yuan’s vision. He suddenly remembered that the figure in red had long since disappeared into the distance, to the ends of the earth, like a light touch of cinnabar. Finally, the snow fell, and even that bit of cinnabar was hidden.

Would he, in fact, have turned back to look at him too? It was just too far, so he couldn’t see clearly.

Li Yuan suddenly took a few steps forward, wanting to chase after the direction that person had disappeared in, to take up that ethereal red sleeve again. But after walking for a long time, there was nothing but snow, a vast emptiness above and below. He never saw that person’s figure again.

He subconsciously wanted to sense the location of the reverse scale, wanting to know where Ye Zhuo was going, whether he was still well, but he couldn’t; he had cut off that connection himself, because Ye Zhuo wanted him to leave, to return to the East Sea.

Strangely, Li Yuan looked again at the vast, distant mountains, a expanse of white. Where was this?

Where was Ye Zhuo?

—Why couldn’t he see him anymore?

What he had just held in his palm, how could it be gone?

Sharp, intense pain finally belatedly appeared in Li Yuan’s heart, like a winding sword blade.

So this was what it meant to be a gentleman.

So he didn’t like being a gentleman at all.