Chapter 351 (1/2)
The golden sand rolled in waves, with dust flying upwards in chaos.
Amidst the wind-blown dust, a man forged his way out against the wind. He spat several times, ejecting several large mouthfuls of the yellow sand, ”This Buddhist power is rather too excessive, to unexpectedly seem actually able to create a Celestial.”
The man was attractive in appearance. Naturally, he was Su Xing. Gazing around at this boundless loess, he felt even more helpless. This place was the fourth level of the Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda. As tranquil as the third level, this fourth celestial could be considered berserk. The yellow sand rolled irritatingly to the point a person simply could not open their eyes, and Star Energy had seemingly lost its use. Those fine sand particles made their way in from the small chinks in clothes. Sticking to skin, they were very uncomfortable, with Su Xing completely losing all sense of direction.
The environment was vile to the extreme.
However, compared to this, what made Su Xing even more gloomy was that he was completely unclear what the fable of the Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda's Fourth Level was, nor did he know how long he had searched futilely for the exit before finding none. This made Su Xing have a very helpless feeling.
”Do you want to give up instead.” Shi Yuan felt very sorry. Compared to listening to Holy Monks propagate dharma to bloom the Meditative Flower, the Thief Star still felt there was a more convenient way, for example, going and stealing that Five Dragons Colored Glass Lamp.
”There must be sincerity for this sort of thing. To give up here certainly isn't my style.” How could Su Xing not know her thoughts. He breathed deeply, unwilling to concede defeat.
All of the girls tacitly understood.
Although he was not clear on the significance of this yellow sand, Su Xing still did not give up, still swiftly flying in the boundlessly rolling yellow dust.
”The ferried are hard to come by, like the excellent Queen of the Night. The ferried are like the dirt in my fist; the unferried like the great earth…”1
Unknown how long after, Su Xing suddenly heard a spirit song faintly discernible in the yellow sand. That voice was like the sound of nature, graceful. Once it entered his ear, it immediately made Su Xing feel that the yellow sand filling the sky seemingly disappear.
Su Xing stopped for a moment and stared in front of him.
This voice was somewhat familiar.
A moment later, a woman dressed in simple and elegant blue and white walked out, her steps delicate as flowers, her posture lithe. The yellow sand rolled up to and away from her body, scattering then gathering, yet simply unable to approach her.
”Qingci,” Su Xing was stunned.
Qingci was similarly surprised, stopping her song. Looking at Su Xing, those eyes that were more limpid than jade flashed with a strange light.
”Truly, we have a connection.” Su Xing descended before her.
Qingci subconsciously took a half step back. Although her movement did not leave a trace, this nevertheless did not escape Su Xing's attention. Su Xing did not change expression, but he concentrated on Qingci. Every time he saw her, he would have a feeling as if heaven and man were shocked, as if she could have appeared only in a portrait.
Beautifully graceful, not displeasing to the eye.
”Why has Young Lord Su Xing come to this Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda?” Qingci's face wore a delighted smile.
”Looking at this Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda isn't anything bad. Never expected you to also have a very meditative mind, Qingci. I truly couldn't tell.” Su Xing showed a bit of surprise.
Qingci smiled: ”The mind is namely that of the meditative mind. The logic is inherently the same. As Young Lord is a Star Master, are you not allowed to come to this pagoda?”
”Exactly.” Su Xing nodded: ”However, seeing you is actually too good, Qingci. Do you know how to go about this fourth level of the Stupa Pagoda?”
”Does Young Lord also not know?” Qingci's long eyelashes trembled.
Su Xing shook his head.
”The mysteries of Buddhism's trials are too numerous. For the time being, I haven't figured it out. One man walking alone just happens to feel monotonous, and since our goals are identical, would it not be better to journey forth together? Two people can comprehend the profundity even more quickly.
Qingci thought for a while, and then she slightly nodded her head: ”Then Your Servant shall trouble Young Lord Su Xing.”
The two slowly wandered the yellow sand, thinking of a way to deal with this. During that time, each of Su Xing's conjectures he proposed to Qingci were very promising, but she was like Su Xing. Qingci completely did not know where the mystery of this yellow sand was.
There was no sense of time in the void, and gradually, the pair no longer asked.
”Qingci, that song earlier, what did you mean when you said 'the ferried are hard to come by?'” Su Xing was very curious.
”That is from the 'Nirvana Sutra.' When Mara asks Buddha that with the number of living things he has ferried,2 he should have entered Nirvana by now, Buddha grasps a handful of dirt and says, 'The ferried are like the dirt in my fist, and the unferried are like the great earth…'”
”The great earth? Would that have some connection with this level?” Su Xing wrinkled his brow, and he grasped a clump of yellow dirt from the ground.
Seeing Su Xing sink into contemplation. Qingci slightly smiled to the side, not disturbing him. ”Your Servant also feels making contact with such a scene produces this feeling. Your Servant wonders if Young Lord Su Xing can discern anything.”
Yellow earth, the ferried living, nirvana, the great earth?
Su Xing played with the yellow sand and dust in his palm, sprinkling then gathering, gathering then sprinkling, repeatedly and reversed. He concentrated completely and forgot the surrounding environment.
Qingci watched Su Xing, feeling that this man's earnest pondering appearance was rather fascinating.
”Now is a good time to kill him.”
In her sea of consciousness, a murderous and inflamed voice resounded.
Qingci's heart stirred. That white finger subconsciously gripped tightly.
”Su Xing is so powerful. Even Lu Junyi has conceded defeat. Normally, killing him indeed is as difficult as ascending to Heaven. Now is the perfect opportunity.” Wang Jingzhi also analyzed.
This moment truly was bestowed by Heaven. The Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda had sealed the Star Nest, and Su Xing could not call forth Star Generals for assistance. His advantage had completely disappeared, and even more important was that at this moment, he seemed completely unaware, the adorable appearance of something craning its neck as it awaited slaughter, but to plan this against a cute and fascinating person pondering earnestly made Wang Jingzhi feel it was a pity.
Qingci showed a hesitant expression.
By Qingci's Dragon Has Nine Sons magic weapon, the Yazi Saber appeared. To separate Su Xing's head from the rest of his body was not necessarily too probable.
”If it was not for being unable to emerge, Your Servant would have immediately taken his head.” Little Marquis of Wen Lü Fang was unreconciled.
”Sister Qingci, what misgivings do you still have?” The Living Goddess of Lightning Wang Jingzhi smiled. ”Even Buddha is helping Elder Sister.”
Qingci's hesitation still did not dispel. Killer Star Li Longkui gloomily growled, ”Elder Sister Qingci, there absolutely cannot be any mercy in Elder Sister's heart in the Star Duels. Could it be that Elder Sister has forgotten she shall lead us up Maiden Mountain?”
The Black Whirlwind's words were like thunder in her ears, shaking Qingci into staring blankly on the spot.
Qingci really was not unclear about this logic, ”But by doing so, the Sisters inside Su Xing's Star Nest will die…”3
”Oh, Elder Sister is concerned about this…”
Her words made Wang Jingzhi and the others surprised.
”This is the path they themselves chose. Big Sister, kill him. Spare the trouble later.” Li Longkui absolutely was not the least bit merciful. The Killer Star's eyes always had only two kinds of people – the Sisters that followed Elder Sister and the Sisters that died under her axe.
It seemed this apparently iron truth was one even a sluggish person would find profound.
Neither did Qingci know why she did not wish to deal a killing blow. Could it be because the several times they met before, she felt Su Xing was not a foe? However, looking now, Su Xing coming to this Seven Floor Stupa Pagoda very clearly illustrated he had come for the Heavenly Solitary Star, as Lu Xiao had said. For this man to be able to reach this stage, perhaps he honestly could possibly create a miracle.
Seize this chance to kill him?
An idea flashed by.
”Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the mind of thought is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.”
Suddenly, Su Xing's gentle laugh ended Qingci's struggle. Su Xing had already woken from his contemplation, and a slight feeling of relief, like that of unloading a burden, flashed through Qingci's heart.
”No wonder Lin Chong and Wu Song would be willing to follow Young Lord Su Xing. These words are very wise and knowledgeable.” Qingci returned to her senses. She carefully listened to the words Su Xing said and was startled to the extreme. These words were simply more philosophical than those of great monks that had attained the Dao. Even the Star Generals that itched to kill him as soon as possible were left tongue-tied, with a whole new level of respect for him.”
”These aren't my words.” Su Xing smiled. He did not want such a vain halo. ”They were words uttered by a philosopher named Kant.4 I am very fond of this saying.”
Su Xing's generous admission took Qingci by surprise. This was more shocking than hearing the previous phrase.
”The starry heavens above me, the moral law within me.” QIngci pondered.
”Just now, you thought of killing me.” Su Xing seemingly smiled. Although he had been continuously contemplating just now, the Yan Yizhen and others inside the Star Nest nevertheless did not forget Qingci's existence. Qingci's hesitation and endlessly complex expression were entirely in Su Xing's eyes.
Qingci faintly smiled: ”Young Lord Su Xing, could it be you have not thought of killing Your Servant?” There had never been a need to hide the calculations Star Masters had for each other in the Star Duels, instead, they would have felt artificial.
”I actually do not have interest in ruining a flower of my own accord.” Su Xing said.
When Qingci heard Su Xing's phrase of ”of my own accord,” was the hidden meaning of his words ”I will not hesitate at all to act?”
”Should Your Servant rejoice?” Qingci's smile this time was full of mystique.
”I feel we actually are the same type of person.” Su Xing looked at her.
”In a certain aspect, Your Servant is indeed very surprised at the similarities between Young Lord Su Xing and Your Servant.” Qingci hinted.
Su Xing laughed: ”It seem we indeed have a connection. You're actually quite like my Big Sister. If we do not make a move here, it would be better for you to be my Little Sister.”
Qingci's lips parted, not understanding what the logical connection between ”quite like your Big Sister” and ”be your Little Sister” was. ”Young Lord Su Xing, are you making fun of Your Servant??”
”I truly am thinking of this.” Su Xing was resolute, absolutely not making fun of her in the slightest.
Qingci fell into deep thought.
”This man is deceiving Elder Sister, do not believe him.” Li Longkui's tone was fierce.
Qingci burst with a graceful and subdued smile: ”To make Your Servant be your Little Sister, Young Lord Su Xing honestly will take the dominant position.”
”Then are you willing to inform me your age?”
”Your Servant wishes to ask another question: Is Young Lord Su Xing truly resolved to become sworn siblings with Your Servant, a Star Master?”
Su Xing nodded. ”So long as it's someone I'm fond of, I don't want to be enemies.”
”How can Your Servant decline such an absolutely beneficial thing. However, to be Your Servant's Big Brother, perhaps is not so easy.” Qingci slightly smiled. It seemed he was not at all opposed to something like sworn siblings.
”Qingci, then what do you want to do?” Su Xing asked her.
”This sort of thing naturally will be known after comparison.”
”Huh? You wouldn't think of fighting me here, right?” Su Xing was speechless.
”Young Lord Su Xing, do not look down on Your Servant. Your Servant once had the fortune of learning a bit of sword technique from a Supervoid Sword Saint.” Qingci lightly spun, directly walking over.
Supervoid Sword Saint?
Was that not a Sword Cultivator that had reached Supervoid Stage Cultivation? Although Liangshan Continent's Sword Cultivators were many, those that cultivated to Supervoid Stage were exceedingly rare. Just what was the background of this Qingci, to unexpectedly receive instruction from a Supervoid Sword Saint.
Su Xing was very skeptical, and the Star Maidens in the Star Nest did not believe her.
Any way they looked, the Qingci in front of them appeared like that legendary ”willow too weak to stand in the wind.” Her delicate hands could write beautiful characters, Su Xing believed, but to speak of sword technique, he was very skeptical.
”Su Xing, you're so unfaithful. You must have seen that she was a beauty to want to become sworn siblings with her.” Shi Yuan sourly said.
”She couldn't compare to any of you, even if she was any prettier.” Su Xing shook his head. Although Qingci's dainty beauty was graceful as a portrait, eliciting amazement, it was unlikely to make Su Xing so willing to become sworn siblings.
The reason why was that besides indeed not wishing to voluntarily ruin a flower, there was also another reason, which was to trap her. Su Xing had a sort of premonition. The Qingci in front of him would someday be a pivotal point in the Star Duels, so right now, Su Xing wanted for both sides to not reach a state of mutual hostility for as long as possible, to maintain good relations before a state of you die, I live. This sort of thing was nothing, anyways…Let alone that what Su Xing said was slightly true. Qingci's quiet personality, like the unmarried daughter of a noble family, was indeed very much like one of his elder female cousins from before.
The feeling of having her call out Big Brother was not bad, either.
”She indeed gives Suwen a very familiar feeling.” An Suwen did not oppose Su Xing's thoughts.
”So long as she does not harm Master.” Yan Yizhen had always kept her private and public interests distinct.