Chapter 35 (2/2)
On the other side, the people from the Merak Temple used the cat and mouse tactic to tie the nine Elders from the Heavenly Sword Sect down. They were far from being evenly matched.
She urgently needed an opportunity to win with a single blow.
At this time, Xue Qilin noticed the nine short spears next to Hua Tianji.
Do I try it? Xue Qilin's eyes constricted. When she was a wizard, her magical accomplishments have exceeded her capability. Due to the limitations of her apt.i.tude, she couldn't use many spells.
But now that she had half of Qi Guiyuan's cultivation base, things were different.
The only thing that worried her was whether she could successfully cast spells that she has never tried before. However…
Qi Qiqi had said that her cultivation method was weird and unheard of. She could use the element of surprise to win!
Xue Qilin unconsciously revealed a sly smile. Driven by its master, true qi accelerated explosively, and true qi patterns sprang up on the skin.
Is it coming? Without thinking, Hua Tianji knew that Xue Qilin wanted to make a big move.
I can't sit still and await my end! Taking a breath, Hua Tianji guided his true qi along the qi pa.s.sageways and poured it into his greatsword.
The greatsword released an incredible light, which was still growing in intensity. In the blink of an eye, the light swallowed the greatsword and turned into a giant light sword.
Then, Hua Tianji sprinted out and dragged the light sword, which left a deep scar on the ground.
Remaining unmoved, Xue Qilin chanted emotionlessly, “Count one to nine, bestow a name…”
The nine short spears rose into the air, turned around, and shot out. They closed in on Hua Tianji from different directions.
“Parlor tricks!” Hua Tianji barked, but then was forced to stop. He waved his sword and flung the first short spear away.
“One, Qian Palace is in the northwest…”
The short spear that was flung away strangely stopped in the air, and then turned and shot towards the northwest, and its tip pierced deep into the earth.
“Two, Dui Palace is in the west…”
The second flung away short spear stabbed a place to the west.
“Three, Li Palace is in the south…”
The third short spear landed in a place to the east.
“Four, Zhen Palace is in the east; five, Xun Palace is in the southeast; six, Kan Palace is in the north; seven, Ken Palace is in the northeast; eight, Kun Palace is in the southwest!”
After the other five short spears were blown away by Hua Tianji, they listened to Xue Qilin's command, landed in different places, and formed a circle around Hua Tianji with the previous three short spears.
“… eight gates, close!”
In an instant, more than half of her true qi was pulled away from her and injected into the eight short spears. Filled with true qi, the eight short spears emitted dazzling white light, and white lines extended out, connected, and intertwined. In a split second, a huge totem emerged.
Done! Xue Qilin curved the corners of her mouth.
Looking at the complex, octagonal totem underneath his feet, Hua Tianji was very surprised. In the blink of an eye, a word emerged in his mind – bagua [2].
How does she know Taoist [3] moves? Although Hua Tianji had questions, but the instinctive alarms set off in his mind have driven him to stop thinking about them.
I must break through! Hua Tianji waved his sword in order to break out from the northwest direction. But he has just moved, when the short spear in the northwest direction gave off a dazzling light, and a thunderbolt shot towards him from above.
“…!” Hua Tianji turned around in midair and shot in the south direction.
The short spear in the south gave off a radiant glow and erupted with a river of fire.
“Tsk!” Hua Tianji slashed out two sword rays before being able to make the river of fire disintegrate.
Flame tongues scattered, and Hua Tianji returned to his original position.
How queer! Hua Tianji broke out in a cold sweat, and his thoughts revolved lightning fast.
What Xue Qilin used should be a kind of formation. Hua Tianji didn't know what its role was, but he knew that if he didn't stay in the center, the short spears all around him will launch various attacks and force him back.
In other words, the other party wanted to trap him inside.
Then, the only thing he could do was to… break out.
Hua Tianji took a deep breath and shouted, and then moved. He constantly changed directions and attempted to break out, but every time, he was forced back.
Even though he failed again and again, yet Hua Tianji who didn't give up looked very dazzling at this time. Xue Qilin, however, still remained unmoved.
It's about time!
Although the power of Qimen Dunjia [4] was great, but at the same time, it also consumed a lot of true qi. Xue Qilin has already expended a greater part of her true qi. The remaining true qi was probably only enough for her to launch a full strength attack once again.
“…Hua Tianji, I don't know if you should die or not, but since she wants you to die, then that's reason enough.” Xue Qilin lowered her eyes and muttered to herself.
… please avenge me.
Yes, that's reason enough.
She raised her eyes resolutely. Electric arcs danced and made noise around her, and a short spear floated in front of her eyes.
“… this spear is nine.” Xue Qilin extended her right hand and grasped the short spear. As if drawn to it, electric arcs around her poured into the short spear. Sparks flew about, and Xue Qilin drew one circle in midair after another with the index and middle fingers of her left hand.
As if echoing her movements, one electric ring after another, for a total of 10 rings, appeared in front of her.
She took a step forward with her left foot, turned her hips to the right, drew the hand gripping the short spear backwards, and pointed the spear tip into the air.
… Xue Qilin a.s.sumed a throwing stance.
“Nine is the end!” Along with a fierce shout, the short spear was thrown violently.
The short spear pa.s.sed through the 10 electric rings and erupted with an explosive speed in an instant. Just the shock wave set off by the spear blew down several big trees.
“… hit the target!”
The short spear drew a blue-white stream of light trailing behind it, and electric arcs winding around it smashed everything in its wake. This scene shocked everyone present.
In the blink of an eye, the spear tip has arrived before Hua Tianji's eyes. Then…
As if a beam of light, the short spear's bright trajectory was engraved in everyone's eyes.
It felt like the time has gone still.
Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and focused their attention on Hua Tianji.
Hua Tianji took a step and stooped forward, and then vomited mouthfuls of blood.
As if he was p.r.i.c.ked by 1,000 needles, acute pain was transmitted from the left side of his waist. Hua Tianji took a look. As if he was pierced by a scalding-red iron pillar, the left side of his waist was gone, and the resulting wound was charred by the high temperature.
Even though he has noticed that Xue Qilin's attack was unusual and tried to avoid it in the nick of time by turning his body, but it still ended like this.
Hua Tianji shook his head and smiled bitterly. With this as the cue, the time that seemed to stop started to flow once more.
“Gate Master!” Hua Tianjin who was falling backwards was held by someone in time. Liang Bozhong's old face was reflected in his eyes.
“I, I leave you the Gate, Gate Master position.”
Just after he spoke, Hua Tianji had a coughing fit. Liang Bozhong spoke with grief: “Little Ji, don't talk anymore!”
“Liang Bo… You haven't called me Little Ji for a long time…” Hua Tianji coughed twice, “Did… you all heard… what I just said?”
The eight Elders of the Heavenly Sword Gate were silent, and just nodded heavily. Their faces expressed an array of emotions – unease, sorrow, but even more so desolation.
“I want to fight them!” Suddenly, a younger Elder who looked like he couldn't bear it, turned around.
“Stop!” Liang Bozhong snapped, “Have you forgotten the agreement between the Gate Master and the Merak Temple's Young Ancestor? Do you want to dishonor Gate Master Hua?”
“But…” The Elder still wanted to say something, but in the end, he just threw his greatsword aside and clenched his teeth.
Liang Bozhong handed Hua Tianji to a female Elder, and then stood up and said to Xue Qilin: “Our Gate Master is no longer able to fight. Senior Xue, I presume that you won't pursue this any further.”
Xue Qilin looked at Hua Tianji who was at his last gasp, and then uttered after a long time: “I will keep my word.”
“Thank you, Senior Xue.” Liang Bozhong thanked her.
Xue Qilin nodded, then turned and looked towards Qi Qiqi and them standing aside and released a long sigh: “Let's go.”
At this moment, a snow flake fluttered past her eyes.
It was snowing large snowflakes.
Is this joss paper that the heavens are sending Hua Tianji? She looked up at the sky.
… Little Qing, have I avenged your hatred?
At this moment, she felt like a gentle smile appeared in the sky.
[1] – Merak Palace was changed to Merak Temple
[2] – Bagua
[3] – Taoism
[4] – Qimen Dunjia
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