Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)
chapter-81

Hearing Mao Qiu Yu’s words, people now realized the ages of the four people on the field.

Gou Han Shi was the oldest but he was only twenty years old.

Guan Fei Bai was eighteen years old.

Chen Chang Sheng and Luo Luo were even younger.

They are all young. Some of them were at the Heartseeking stage, some were Meditation stage, some were just like Chen Chang Sheng who didn’t even reach Purification yet. Any elder xiuxingists in the spectating crowd could easily defeat them, speak less of Zhou Du Fu or the Emperor in the past.

But they were truly young, so young that no one could determine their future. They have already shown their outstanding qualities tonight, and who could say with confidence which stage they would end up in?

People looked calmly at the raging battle in the field and listened to the names of the different techniques. They were silent and had complicated feelings. In their eyes, the result of the competition tonight between Tradition Academy and Mountain Li’s Sword Sect wasn’t important anymore, or in other words – there were no losers tonight.

But Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi didn’t think so and Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai didn’t either. Tang Thirty Six, elder Xiao Song Gong, Tradition Academy and Mountain Li’s Sword Sect only wanted to defeat each other.

A long time has passed.

A very long time.

The spectators and the two battling forgot the existence of time.

Although their speed of speaking didn’t slow down, Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi’s voices became hoarse.

Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai’s attacking speed didn’t slow down and was as precise as before, but their breathing became more rapid.

Finally, Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi got silent at the same time.

They have finished all movement techniques and sword combos. The water has pierced the white stone.

The dozen feet or so of distance between Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai disappeared before anyone realized.

The two faced each other directly and Falling Rain Whip met that ordinary longsword in the night sky without a trace.

This battle had lasted a long time. Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi took a step forward.

Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai both had used several hundred sword techniques and countless movement techniques to finally cross the ten feet of distance between them.

At the final moment, the two weapons, the whip and the sword met each other.

This wasn’t predetermined but rather was out of chance. It was exquisite.

The battle had reached this point, but they weren’t exhausted. However, it seemed to be the end of this competition.

Since the Falling Rain Whip and that longsword met and their owners can’t use their qi, then obviously, the fight couldn’t continue.

Such an intense and fancy battle ended in a draw. This fit the likings of all xiuxingists.

Nothing but silence filled the palace and the crowd.

Even after a long time, it was still quiet.

Then suddenly, an applause was heard.

The person who was clapping was Mao Qiu Yu, the principal.

Then Prince Chen Liu, then the bishop, then everyone including head of Family of Qiu Shan and Xu Shi Ji. Although these two weren’t too happy, they couldn’t help but give praise to the battle.

The applause got louder and swept through the field like a storm. Praise and amazement filled the palace.

People were admiring Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai’s postures shown through this competition, but they praised more about the knowledge and ability Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi showed the world. Especially Chen Chang Sheng – many people were looking at the youngster and thought shockingly, this youngster is worth the respect of Princess Luo Luo. If he can xiuxing, wouldn’t he become the second Gou Han Shi?

The bishop spoke a few words to Officer Xin who was standing behind him. Officer Xin followed the command and led his subordinates to give some regenerating medicine of Palace Li to Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi. Many people may think that Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai were exhausted from this battle, but the bishop knew that Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi’s minds were actually dried out from overuse of their mental power. Especially since Chen Chang Sheng couldn’t xiuxing and couldn’t use his qi to nurture his soul, if he doesn’t consume the medicine in time, he may get harmed severely and wouldn’t be able to reach back to his prime.

But to everyone’s surprise, Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi didn’t consume the medicine. They didn’t even look at the medicine for a second.

They were still looking at the battlefield, they were still looking at Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai.

Only until now the people spectating noticed what was happening on the field.

Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai didn’t draw back their weapons. They didn’t want to leave the field.

The crowd got quiet once again as they looked at this scene with wonder. They didn’t know what would happen.

These two were not willing to accept the draw?

The competition has yet to finish?

——————————————-

Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai didn’t care about the countless eyes staring at them because their own eyes were closed.

Falling Rain Sword and the longsword encountered each other in the night sky and never separated.

Their eyes were closed and were focusing on the vibration felt by their palms. They were trying to detect each other’s thoughts and next move.

Luo Luo’s shirt was covered in sweat and smoke was coming out of the chilling temperature of the autumn night. She seemed to be a goddess.

Guan Fei Bai’s eyes were shut and his eyebrows were like swords. A drop of sweat was slowly trickling between his eyebrows. He was like a formidable general.

Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi looked at the field quietly. Their faces were pale but they didn’t speak. They have done all they can, but neither Luo Luo nor Guan Fei Bai lost in the previous battle. Now the people who can decide the result of this battle wasn’t them, but rather the battling two.

Without a warning, Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai opened their eyes at the same time.

The longsword slashed upward!

Countless white streams appeared in the night sky. They were waves induced by the blade of the sword!

Gou Han Shi’s eyes lit up.

He recognized that this sword technique didn’t belong to Mountain Li’s Sword Sect nor any sect for that matter. It belonged to Guan Fei Bai.

Guan Fei Bai created this sword technique himself, and he put his own name on it – Fei Bai!

Fei Bai is a technique of calligraphy. Its momentum is unstoppable and well connected, but in the middle, there would be a blank space!

This type of calligraphy technique must use a dry brush which means that this technique used the sense of dryness and isolation!

Although this sword technique may not be the most powerful move Guan Fei Bai had, it would be the move that he could use the best!

In and out of the palace, Guan Fei Bai had endured too much insult tonight. He had endured too long. Even during this long battle with Luo Luo, he had suppressed his rage and followed the command of his senior precisely. Until this moment………..

He had gone through too much.

Yes, he was yet to be exhausted because he never used his qi. but his rage and pride inside were dried up by the long wait time.

At the last second, he finally released his momentum that he had suppressed all night. This momentum was powerful, therefore it can fly, therefore it was dry and isolated!

He didn’t need to use qi. Just by his powerful will of sword, he can defeat any opponent!

——————————————

As Guan Fei Bai move his sword, Luo Luo moved as well.

What kind of sword technique would she use to counter Fei Bai?

Falling Rain Whip was tightened and straightened just like a well sharpened tree branch.

She stared into Guan Fei Bai’s eyes and didn’t look or care about his sword. She held the whip handle and stabbed in front of her without any hesitation.

Yes, there was no technique or changes. There was only charging up or using the sword’s will.

She held the whip as if it was a sword and simply stabbed in front of her.

The Falling Rain Whip was like a tree branch. It didn’t need to be lifted and was stabbed in front and dropped.

Just like Chen Chang Sheng poked Luo Luo with a tree branch back in the library of Tradition Academy.

Of course, she didn’t use any qi within this stab, but the air was torn apart around the whip.

You could imagine how fast her speed was.

You could imagine how many times she practiced this stab.

People could never understand how Luo Luo was able to do what she did. The students of Mountain Li’s Sword Sect were mostly from poor families, therefore they are not tired of practicing and try their best in xiuxing. But Princess Luo Luo was the only daughter of the White Emperor, how could she learn to endure such pain and struggle on the road of xiuxing?

No one dared to mentor her in the city of White Emperor and so, she wasn’t taught to study and xiuxing with her best effort.

Although Chen Chang Sheng dared to mentor her, she was so nice and gentle that she didn’t need any disciplining.

Although there was a stick of discipline in Traditional Academy, besides Chen Chang Sheng using it to teach her the path of qi, there was no other use of it.

Luo Luo practiced by herself.

Due to a reason she didn’t want others to know, she wanted to be strong when she was very young.

This is the reason why she xiuxinged with all her effort and endured the pain of practicing sword techniques.

—————————————————

Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi stared at the field silently.

Although Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai’s last move seemed to be unrelated to them, they were in fact, still attached to it.

Their past mentoring and teaching to Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai in Tradition Academy and Mountain Li’s Sword Sect will be shown within this last encounter.

In fact, it was their effort so Luo Luo and Guan Fei Bai had this chance to use their last move.

If they accept no draw, then there will be a victory and defeat.

Who will win and who will lose? Will the sword be stronger or will the whip be faster?

People concentrated on the field and their expressions were of nervousness.

Guan Fei Bai’s sword was like a dried up brush slashing through the sky, it was like the whip held in a god’s hand.

Luo Luo’s whip pierced through the night sky like a tree branch, it was like the sword held in a god’s hand.

—————————————–

The sword rose.

The whip lifted.

The sword fell.

The whip didn’t fall.

————————————

Pain appeared in Guan Fei Bai’s eyes and they were overtook by amazement.

He lowered his head and looked at his chest. His chest was torn apart and Falling Rain Whip was stabbing through it like a sword. Blood was slowly pouring out of the wounded spot.

He raised his head and glanced at Luo Luo. He was both surprised and furious. He wanted to ask something but he couldn’t open his mouth.

Blood was dripping out from the corner of his lips.

Falling Rain Whip didn’t advance. Luo Luo stopped.

His wound was mild. The blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth wasn’t due to Luo Luo’s whip, but rather his extreme emotions of anger and pride that harmed his veins.

“Thank you for the fight.”

Luo Luo drew back her whip and bowed. She turned around and walked toward Chen Chang Sheng with a calm expression.

Chen Chang Sheng looked at Gou Han Shi on the other side and bowed.

Gou Han Shi was silent for a moment, then he returned the bow.

Chen Chang Sheng glanced at Luo Luo. A smile climbed up his pale face.

This competition was finally over at this point.

The result was clear as the daylight.

Luo Luo has defeated the Fourth Rule of Heaven, Guan Fei Bai.

Tradition Academy claimed victory over Mountain Li’s Sword Sect.

People never expected such result.

The entire crowd was filled with silence.

Then, suddenly a voice was heard.

“If we can use qi, then your last move wouldn’t even be able to stab through my flesh.”

Guan Fei Bai looked at Luo Luo’s back. His face was pale and couldn’t accept the result.

Luo Luo stopped walking.