“When cultivators fight, we seize every opportunity,” Shangguan Tianyou said coolly. “Even if you hadn’t avoided that sword, it wouldn’t have killed you. You are naughty and mischievous, and severely lacking in good family values. Since your father and mother didn’t discipline you, I guess I’ll step in to provide you with a bit of education. However, you’d better not use any vile or treacherous methods, and lose face for the south bank.” As he spoke, his flying sword circled back around and came to rest floating in front of him.
The north bank went quiet for a moment, then broke out into cheering. The south bank maintained their silence. None of them seemed very happy with Shangguan Tianyou, and even some of the people who considered themselves his fans were frowning.
After all, the south bank disciples generally didn’t hate Bai Xiaochun. Although he was somewhat naughty and mischievous, it wasn’t excessive. He left them feeling a bit helpless sometimes, but they actually liked him. The north bank hated him, but to the south bank, he represented their hope for glory.
Furthermore, it was obvious to everyone that Bai Xiaochun had been on the verge of conceding. Clearly, he’d hoped to keep from getting into a fierce fight with Shangguan Tianyou, thus sparing Shangguan Tianyou some spiritual power to use in his final battle with Ghostfang.
Shangguan Tianyou had been aware of that too, and yet had attacked anyway, and in an underhanded way at that. Then he talked about educating Bai Xiaochun, and even dishonored his family. Behavior like that left many south bank disciples quite uncomfortable!
Bai Xiaochun knelt there, watching his hair float down in front of him. Slowly, his smile faded, and he looked up at Shangguan Tianyou, the word “education” ringing in his ears.
“You’re a Chosen, so if you want to look down on me, fine. I don’t really care what other people think about me anyway.” For some reason, something seemed different about Bai Xiaochun all of a sudden.
“You want to use underhanded attacks? That’s your business. I practice cultivation so that I can live forever. I don’t like fighting and killing.” He waved his right hand off to the side, tossing the defensive amulets away. All of a sudden, it seemed as if his veins were filled with, not blood, but steel.
In the south bank audience, Hou Yunfei’s eyes glittered, and he couldn’t stop himself from shaking. All of a sudden, he was looking at the same Bai Xiaochun who had saved him from the Luochen Clan.
“But what gives you the right… to step in for my dad and mom and educate me!?!?” Bai Xiaochun eyes were completely bloodshot. His parents had both passed away when he was young, an event which had influenced him in profound ways. It was one of the biggest reasons why he began to wish to live forever.
He was a generally optimistic person, an attitude he had intentionally fostered since a young age. There had been no other option. He had personally watched his parents die of illness. He remembered sitting with their corpses for days, weeping, refusing to believe that they were gone, even calling their names. Eventually, the corpses began to stink, and relatives came to bury them. Bai Xiaochun had been left in a daze, and at one point even took to talking to himself…. If a child grew up in such a manner, his entire life would be one of darkness.
So Bai Xiaochun replaced the crying with laughter. He began to think about the idea of living forever. He would never forget how his parents had died, and although he missed them, it only made him want to keep living.
He was stubborn and mischievous, but not to an excessive degree. Many of the things he did were even accidents. Deep down, he was a good person.
He feared death, and seemed weak on the outside, but when his friends were in danger, he would fight to the death to protect them. If he needed to, he could bellow in rage and risk his life on the field of battle.
He liked to joke, but was also deeply emotional. Big Fatty Zhang, Li Qinghou, Hou Yunfei, Du Lingfei, Hou Xiaomei, the sect leader, and all the other people who treated him well, were people he would never, ever forget.
“What gives you the right?!” He suddenly burst into action, moving so quickly that he was instantly in front of Shangguan Tianyou. Shangguan Tianyou’s eyes widened, and his hair stood on end, but before he could do a single thing in response, Bai Xiaochun’s fist struck out, glittering with silver light.
Rumbling sounds could be heard as Shangguan Tianyou’s personal shield sprang up, but it was absolutely incapable of providing any defense. Bai Xiaochun’s fist pierced through it like a hammer crushing ice. Just as it was about to land on Shangguan Tianyou, a tiny buckler appeared, which subsequently trembled and was sent flying off to the side. Bai Xiaochun’s fist landed on Shangguan Tianyou’s chest, causing blood to spray out of his mouth. Shangguan Tianyou felt as if a huge force had slammed into him, and he staggered backward ten paces, coughing up more blood, an expression of utter incredulity on his face.
“Are you really Chosen?” Bai Xiaochun asked coolly. He didn’t stick his jaw out. He didn’t put on the air of a lonely hero. But everyone looking at him in that moment felt like they were looking at a blazing sun. Gasps could be heard among the south bank disciples, and the north bank audience was completely stunned.
Ghostfang’s eyes began to shine, and up on the balcony, the sect leader and the others had very serious expression on their faces.
“Bai Xiaochun!!” Shangguan Tianyou growled. Feeling completely humiliated, he roared and performed a double-handed incantation gesture. Five flying swords appeared, all of which emanated terrifying sword qi. Taking control of them with his spirit sword body, Shangguan Tianyou sent them flying toward Bai Xiaochun.
Rumbling could be heard as the swords blurred into motion, becoming five sword dragons, each one of them about two meters wide and thirty meters long. As they arced through the air, everything shook, and even the surface of the arena floor began to crumble. Based on the shocking level of energy they displayed, any one of the swords would be able to kill an ordinary disciple. Two would definitely take out other elite disciples. As for Chosen like Gongsun Yun, three would be enough to force him to concede. But now five appeared, filling the entire arena floor with a shocking sword aura.
“I don’t know anything about sword techniques,” Bai Xiaochun said coolly. “Nor do I have a sword spirit body. But from what I know… that’s not how you use swords!” With that, he waved his finger, and the Golden Crow Sword appeared, a golden beam of light that slashed toward the first of Shangguan Tianyou’s swords!
I don’t care if you use three swords or five, I only need one!
That one sword caused the sky to shake, and became an explosive stream of sword qi!
That one sword used Heaviness-in-Lightness and Lightness-in-Heaviness!
That one sword was backed by the perfect amount of spiritual power, without the slightest bit of wastage!
It was true that Bai Xiaochun didn’t really know anything about sword techniques. But he knew the Violet Qi Cauldron Control Art, Heaviness-in-Lightness, and Lightness-in-Heaviness. He knew that, although a leaf could not be used to lift a log, if you rolled it up, it could lift a small rock. Furthermore, if you tore the leaf into strips and wove them together, it could lift an even heavier rock!
He knew the proper way to manipulate spiritual power!
Sometimes, mastering one technique was superior to knowing tens of thousands of them. In the Qi Condensation stage… his skill combined with his Undying Silver Skin made him invincible!
BOOOOOOOOOMMM!
An ear-splitting explosion rocked the entire area, and countless chunks of rubble were thrown into the air. Bai Xiaochun’s single sword strike became a tempest that slammed into Shangguan Tianyou’s five sword dragons. The sword dragons twisted and distorted, and then exploded into countless fragments. Then the blast of wind continued on, slamming directly into Shangguan Tianyou’s face.
Bai Xiaochun stood there, his hair whipping in the wind, his expression placid. He didn’t clasp his hands behind his back, and didn’t flick his sleeve. He simply stood there, as calm as ice. It was a scene that would forever be etched into the minds of all disciples of the north and south banks.
“Is that really… Bai Xiaochun?” Everyone felt as if their minds were about to explode.