Song of Adolescence

Chapter 138 The Ultimate Daoist Sword Immortal

Daoism has a god named East Pole Emperor of Blue Essence, who is called the Taiyi Heavenly Lord. The Heavenly Lord rode on a nine-headed lion named the Nine Spirit Prime Sage. It was said that the Taiyi Heavenly Lord could take the fruit of karma as well as the bad karma symbolised by the blood lake in hell and transform them into a lotus pond, and when the nine-headed lion roared, it would open the gates of the Ninth Hell, which was the lowest level of hell. This Taiyi Nine Lion myth then became a supreme Daoism secret arts by invoking the power of the Nine Spirit Prime Sage. Someone who had a shallow mastery of Daoism arts could produce a lion’s roar. If they had some level of achievement, they would be able to produce an illusion of a lion. As for Zhao Yuzhen’s invocation this time, a great lion emerged, representing a Daoism arts that had transcended Heavenly Law.

Xie Qidao frowned and muttered to himself, "The Mu House has been studying secret arts for decades, but when compared to Qingcheng Mountain’s orthodox Daoism arts, no matter how you look at it, they’re somewhat lacking in power."

Su Muyu shook his head. "Zhao Yuzhen\'s Daoist sword arts are unsurpassed in Qingcheng Mountain in a century. Now you’ve seen his Daoism arts, but even more, you need to guard against his sword arts."

While they were speaking, Zhao Yuzhen had already raised his sword and arrived in front of them. The phantom lion rushed towards Xie Qidao and pounced on him. Xie Qidao slammed his fist to block. Since he’d lost his long sabre, he could only use his fists as his blades. With a fist, he smashed into the phantom lion. He could only hear the lion’s roar, which shook the entire Mount Luolei. Xie Qidao was forced to retreat, and he yelled, "Beast!" However, the Patriarch appeared suddenly, a black shadow in his hand flashed past, and he placed his palm on the forehead of the phantom lion.

The illusion dispersed instantly.

On the other side, Zhao Yuzhen had already drawn his Peach Blossom sword and exchanged dozens of moves with Su Muyu. He saw the Hidden River Patriarch’s palm strike and his brows furrowed as he whispered, "Yama’s Devil Palm?" He hesitated for a moment, and Su Muyu’s seventeen sharp swords were flying at him again. Zhao Yuzhen raised his sword, and as he jumped upwards, he smiled and said, "Your sword is very good. You’re the Hidden River’s Umbrella Ghost? Even though I’ve never come down my mountain, I’ve heard your name."

"Mine is not a sword." Su Muyu jumped up after him. "It\'s a murder weapon."

"Not a sword but a murder weapon. That’s one way of putting it." Zhao Yuzhen nodded as he flicked the Peach Blossom sword in his hand. A rainbow light flashed across it, and forcibly pushed back Su Muyu, together with the Patriarch and Xie Qidao who were about to rush at him.

Zhao Yuzhen landed on the ground and blew a soft sigh. "They’re not easy to deal with, ah."

On the other side, Xie Qidao was already sweating profusely, and Su Muyu\'s sword-holding hand was quivering. The two of them had already expended too much energy in the fight with Li Hanyi earlier, and immediately afterwards, had to face the Daoist Sword Immortal Zhao Yuzhen. Even the Hidden River Patriarch looked a little tired. Only the Patriarch had yet to exert his full strength. His eyes glanced at the three Tang Clan elders. Tang Yin, Tang Lie, and Tang Yueluo didn’t make any moves just now. Although they had already used up their most powerful Buddha’s Fury Tang Lotus when they fought against Li Hanyi, considering the persistent nature of Tang Clan members, they would have held something back. However, the three of them would probably not help until the last resort.

"Everyone believed that of the five great sword immortals, the Solitary Sword Immortal’s swordsmanship was ranked first, just because the audacity he had to live alone in his city was unparalleled. But I have always believed that the Daoist Sword Immortal’s sword was ranked first under Heaven," the Patriarch said suddenly. "I have the good fortune to see it today. I must go all out."

"It doesn\'t matter whether my sword is ranked first under Heaven." Zhao Yuzhen smiled. "After all, it’s not easy to make me draw my sword."

But with one draw, Heaven falls and Earth rends!

Zhao Yuzhen suddenly pointed his sword towards the sky, and slapped his right hand against the peach wood sword. The peach wood sword suddenly turned into dozens of swords. He smiled at Su Muyu and said, "You have eighteen sharp swords, considered consummate under Heaven. I have thirty-six peach wood swords, what do you think?"

Su Muyu frowned and rebuked, "Illusions!"

Zhao Yuzhen didn’t bat an eyelid and said, "Buddhism has a saying, everything has a form, but all are illusory."

“Then, what does Daoism say?” Su Muyu asked

“Everything has a form, except for the little angel, all others are illusory.” Zhao Yuzhen wagged his eyebrow. “That’s what I say.”

"I am the Dao!" Zhao Yuzhen suddenly waved his hand, and the thirty-six swords rushed towards the other men, but didn’t strike them. The swords surrounded them tightly.

"What’s this?" The Patriarch’s brows tightened.

Zhao Yuzhen brought together his right index and middle fingers, placed them against his lips, and suddenly blasted, "Boundless Sword Array, rise!"

Suddenly, countless peach wood swords appeared in the sky, hiding the sky, blanketing the earth and blocking out the sun! Zhao Yuzhen leaped up and stepped onto one of the peach wood swords. He looked down at the others, appearing even more like an immortal descending.

"A mere Daoist trick on the eyes. Do you really think you can bluff us?" Xie Qidao said angrily.

"This is Daoism arts and sword arts," the Patriarch said. "It is indeed impossible for a single person to conjure up so many weapons in an instant, but they are not illusions, nor are they swords."

"They’re sword auras," Su Muyu continued.

"Sword, strike!" Zhao Yuzhen shouted fiercely.

The omnipresent peach wood swords came down aggressively at the people underneath.

The Hidden River Patriarch, the Hidden River Head of Su House, the Hidden River Head of Xie House, Tang Clan’s Tang Yin, Tang Lie, and Tang Yueluo. In the martial world, each of these six people were famous in their own right and were considered top martial experts. But at this moment, under Zhao Yuzhen’s Boundless Sword Array, they appeared insignificantly as weak as an ant!

Li Hanyi lay to one side, looking at Zhao Yuzhen who was riding on his sword in the air, somewhat dazed.

Back then, she used one sword move to protect Zhao Yuzhen, who had secluded himself to heal his injuries, and blocked Lei Hong with his rather capable Murderous Dread sword. And after learning Lei Hong’s love for her, she used another sword move against him. It was exactly the move she’d just used, the warmest sword in the world - Spring Breeze Comes. She told Lei Hong that when he could come up with such an ultimate sword, he would have the right to pursue her. She didn\'t expect that her one line would cause Lei Hong to imprison himself for so many years. This time, she left her mountain to meet Lei Hong again, to understand his illness, to apologise for what she said back then, and to persuade Lei Hong around. After all, what she saw back then was Zhao Yuzhen’s sword, but the person she fell in love with was Zhao Yuzhen. And Zhao Yuzhen was the other reason for leaving her mountain. She’d originally planned to go to Qingcheng Mountain right after visiting Lei Clan Fort. She’d been waiting for more than ten years, and she didn’t want to wait anymore. Whether or not he was going to leave the mountain, she had to have an answer. Unexpectedly, this answer finally came when she was on the verge of death.

They hadn’t really met each other often, only three times in all.

Yet every time, it was unmatched!

Three hundred miles away, there was still a white-robed Daoist priest who was sprinting at full speed. That Daoist priest had an all white beard and hair, but a face like a jade crown. He sprinted across the plains at the speed of an immortal riding his wind to fly. Looking to the south, he frowned slightly when he saw the bursts of light glowing in the distance and the surge of sword aura.

"The midday sun has passed its zenith, and the moon will start to wane. When all reaches an extreme, they can only turn back."

"Perhaps this time, am I really too late?"

*

Not-Poetry note:

凡所有相，皆是虚妄

everything has a form, but all are illusory

A Buddhist teaching from the Diamond Sutra, which mainly deals with one’s perceptions of reality. It emphasises that all phenomena are ultimately illusory, and that true enlightenment cannot be grasped until one has set aside attachment to them in any form. (Wikipedia)

In this context though, Zhao Yuzhen is just rebuffing Su Muyu for claiming that his swords are illusory, since Su Muyu’s 18 swords are actually real. Interestingly, Li Hanyi scolded him with the same word back in Ch 74 during the flashback, but Zhao Yuzhen’s response to Li Hanyi was completely different. Heheh.