Chapter 100: The Guqin and the Broken Sword
Chapter 100: The Guqin and the Broken Sword
“Young Master, you flew into a rage again!”
Watching Mu Tie, who was brimming with murderous intent, Mu Feng not only showed no fear, but gave a faint smile. “You said you want to sever the seven emotions and six desires, and focus solely on the Heartless Sword Dao. But alas, your words sound mysterious, yet you simply cannot achieve it. Some people embark on the Way through literature, others through Embarking on the Way Through Slaughter, but you foolishly hope to enter the Way by cutting off emotions—how is that possible? From the very beginning, you started on a crooked path doomed to fail! The longer you cultivate and the higher your cultivation becomes, the more wrong you become!”
Mu Feng observed carefully and quickly seized upon the flaw in the training of Mu Tie, the Chief Transmission Disciple, striking hard again to shake his Dao Heart.
Sometimes, a single short sentence could be sharper than a long sword!
A sword only pierced the body, but words could pierce straight into the heart!
In the Great Thousand World, when people were about to break through a bottleneck, they often secluded themselves for quiet cultivation. Why?
They feared being disturbed, lest their Inner Demons run wild. If someone shook their Dao Heart at a critical moment and made them doubt their cultivation, it was undoubtedly the most perilous situation. At best, they would lose all their previous efforts and fail to break through for a long time; at worst, their Inner Demons would run rampant, leading to Qi Deviation, or even causing them to explode and die on the spot!
“Yes, I did get angry, and indeed I haven’t truly achieved complete emotionlessness yet!”
Unexpectedly, Mu Tie did not deny it. He admitted Mu Feng’s accusation outright and quickly calmed down from his rage. After sizing up Mu Feng, he continued, “The Jianning First Scholar of a generation, truly remarkable. But alas, if you think you can shake the foundation of my cultivation with just a few words, Mu Feng, you are gravely mistaken! The Inner Demon provoked by your accusations is, for me, a rare trial! Our paths differ; we cannot walk together. Since you value emotions and loyalty so deeply, then go die with the two of them!”
Mu Tie’s expression turned icy, and without another word, he abruptly made his move. The plain-looking Wooden Sword suddenly radiated a dark light as it thrust toward Mu Feng’s brow.
With that single thrust, the temperature around them plummeted. The morning mist rising from the bottom of the cliff quickly condensed in the cold, turning into flakes of icy snow. A layer of ice crystals formed on the ground. It was the third month of spring, a time of warm weather and blooming flowers, yet this place suddenly became an icy, snowy wasteland.
Heartless Sword Dao, Emotionless Sword!
By severing the seven emotions and six desires, when one reached the depths of heartlessness, only absolute rationality remained in the heart—a cold, emotionless rationality. At this stage, even the slightest movement could unleash a wave of extreme Yin and cold energy.
“Mother, your son is incapable and cannot fulfill his filial duties!”
At the brink of life and death, Mu Feng’s expression was calm as he placidly watched Mu Tie’s formidable full-power strike!
As long as he had even a shred of strength left, he would never just wait for death. Even if he died, he would take a fierce bite out of his enemy. Unfortunately, after gritting his teeth and leaping back across the cliff, he was utterly exhausted, his energy drained. He could not muster the strength to wield his sharp Flying Sword, nor could he summon the Eighteen Blood Witch Commands. He could not even manage to throw a punch. All he could do was watch helplessly as Mu Tie’s Emotionless Sword drew nearer. In his final moments, there was no fear, no tension—only an unusual sense of peace and composure.
The moment he turned to cover Jing Wushuang and the others, he had already prepared to die. Having taken down over twenty enemies despite his severe injuries, he had long since made it worthwhile. His only regret was that he could no longer care for his ailing mother or fulfill his filial duties at her sickbed!
“The Great Way is heartless—kill!”
Mu Tie’s murderous intent swelled. With a fierce shout, his Wooden Sword accelerated toward Mu Feng’s brow.
Originally, he had looked down upon Mu Feng, a scholar who had just begun cultivating, and disdained using his full strength. But now, after having his Dao Heart shaken again and again, he had no choice but to kill him! The calmer he became, the more intense his killing intent grew!
“Sto…p…”
Just as Mu Feng was about to meet a tragic end under Mu Tie’s sword, a sharp shout suddenly came from afar. Following it, a streak of black light whistled through the air and, with a ‘ding,’ knocked Mu Tie’s Wooden Sword off course. When it fell to the ground, everyone saw it was a light, dry twig!
Who could throw a mere twig from afar with such power?
Everyone was shocked. Even the formidable Chief Transmission Disciple Mu Tie suddenly wore a grave expression as he looked toward the direction of the voice.
Looking up, they saw a figure sweeping over the treetops as if riding clouds, shrouded in a black mist. Soon, it reached the edge of the cliff. When the black mist dispersed, it revealed a hideous old witch, holding one person under each arm. When Mu Feng looked closely, he saw it was Jing Wushuang and his elder brother Sky Splitting Tiger, whom he had thought had met with misfortune.
At the critical moment, the unfathomably powerful Ghost Mother had suddenly arrived in person.
After glancing at the Wooden Sword in Mu Tie’s hand, she cackled, “Cackle, cackle, a successor of the Emotionless True Person Li Henshui? Not bad, not bad, truly ruthless and merciless in your strikes. But alas, your strength is too weak. How dare you swagger about before even breaking through to the Elite Realm? Doesn’t that old undying Li Henshui fear his lineage might abruptly end? Cackle, cackle!”
“You… who are you?”
Hearing Ghost Mother suddenly speak his master’s name, the usually arrogant Mu Tie was taken aback. Then, seeing the dense pus on Ghost Mother’s face, he couldn’t help but feel a chill and a creeping horror.
“Cackle, cackle, little child, you want to know my name? Are you worthy? Go back and ask your master!”
Ghost Mother cackled and suddenly stepped forward, thrusting a claw toward Mu Tie’s skull. In the midst of her laughter, she attacked without any warning, “Cackle, cackle, disciples of the Heartless Sword Dao are always cold and heartless, devoid of emotion or loyalty! Boy, let me dig open your skull and see what’s different inside!”
Whoosh…
As Ghost Mother’s claw shot out, it instantly stirred up a sharp Yin Wind. In an instant, it was as if ghosts were wailing and wolves were howling, with gusts of Yin Wind surging. Mu Tie, who bore the brunt of it, tried to raise his sword to block, but found his limbs stiff and numb under the Yin Wind’s envelopment. For a moment, moving even a finger was exceptionally difficult. He could only watch as Ghost Mother’s five fingers viciously stabbed down toward his head. With just one press, they would drill five terrifying holes!
What kind of technique was this, specifically designed to leave five holes in an enemy’s skull with bare hands?
Mu Tie’s heart shook, his face turned pale, and his eyes filled with fear in that instant.
“Protect the Young Master, quickly!”
“Where did this Devil Leader come from? Kill!”
…
Perhaps they had been overly confident in his strength, or perhaps they hadn’t dared act without his orders, but the surrounding guards hadn’t stepped forward to assist until then. Only when they saw him standing motionless, his eyes showing fear, did they realize something was wrong and rushed forward together. Unfortunately, it was too late—Ghost Mother’s five fingers had already touched Mu Tie’s scalp.
Clang…
Just as everyone was horrified, thinking Mu Tie was about to be killed by Ghost Mother’s claw, the Blind Master, who had been standing silently behind Mu Tie with his head bowed, finally moved. Drawing a broken sword from a hidden compartment in his Guqin, he thrust it straight at Ghost Mother’s chest with a ‘whoosh.’ The ferocity of his attack was a hundred times greater than Mu Tie’s Emotionless Sword! In that instant, even the unfathomably powerful Ghost Mother couldn’t help but change her expression and quickly retreat!