Chapter 14 — A Prodigy
劍問蒼天 · Page 5 of 6
Just then Lin Jinghong came running in from outside as well, his face anxious. "Xiaofan, are you all right? I lost control for a moment..."
At once Tian Lingsu knew that this was the man who had bullied her junior brother. Her anger flared, and added to that, Qi Hao had just praised Lin Jinghong to his face, with the implication that she was no match for him—which had left her thoroughly displeased. She thought no more of it now, but rose to her feet in a fury. "What right have you to bully people?" As she spoke she pointed a hand seal, and at once radiant light blazed forth: the Amber Crimson Silk was summoned, and with a "whoosh" it shot toward Lin Jinghong.
Su Wan and Qi Hao shouted at the same moment: "Stop!"
But the Amber Crimson Silk was swift as lightning and in an instant had reached Lin Jinghong's face. Lin Jinghong was startled but not panicked. Seeing only a blaze of five colors before his eyes, he knew it for an immortal's treasure. At once he retreated three steps, his left hand pointing to heaven and his right to earth, gripping the sword seal, and shouted, "Rise!"
With a dragon's roar of "clang," the sound rang through the Shoujing Hall. Lin Jinghong was shrouded in blue light as a radiant azure immortal sword was summoned, its blade clear as autumn water, auspicious qi steaming forth. In an instant it not only checked the onrushing rays of the Amber Crimson Silk but cast every face in the Shoujing Hall in a jade-green light.
Tian Buhui suddenly gave a cold snort and said, "Cangsong is truly generous, to pass down even the 'Dragon-Cleaving Sword' to him."
Seeing that Lin Jinghong was unharmed, Qi Hao was relieved. He smiled from the side and said, "Our master once said that my junior brother's gifts are surpassing and he is certain to achieve greatness, so to devote effort to cultivating him is only fitting."
Tian Buhui's expression grew uglier still.
In the hall, the Amber Crimson Silk and the Dragon-Cleaving Sword were locked in a dead standoff. Then Tian Lingsu's beautiful eyes flew wide, her arms flung out, her red robes fluttering, and her body slowly rose into the air. Crossing her hands before her breast in the orchid-finger seal, she cried, "Bind the Spirit!"
The words had scarce left her lips when the radiance surged. The Amber Crimson Silk, a mere three feet long before her, suddenly flew back and halted before her; with a crisp sound the glow blazed forth, and swelling in the wind it grew with incredible speed—in an instant grown countless times over, filling the whole upper space of the Shoujing Hall, and at once pressing down the blue light of the Dragon-Cleaving Sword. In a moment it transformed into thousands upon thousands of silken cords that rushed at Lin Jinghong and wrapped him tight, leaving not a breath of space.
Su Wan rose to her feet and called into the air, "Ling'er, enough of this insolence!"
But even as she spoke, the myriad lengths of red silk had wrapped Lin Jinghong tight. The others could see neither Lin Jinghong nor even Tian Lingsu's figure in midair, hidden behind layer upon layer of red silk.
Zhang Qingyue stared dumbstruck at the marvel, when suddenly he heard someone behind him exclaim in admiration, "The Amber Crimson Silk—truly worthy of its name!"
He turned and saw Qi Hao watching the hall without blinking, murmuring to himself, showing not a trace of worry.
Just as Tian Lingsu's victory seemed certain, everyone heard a harsh "rip"—and a gap suddenly appeared in the layers of red silk, through which a sliver of blue light shone.
Tian Buhui's and Su Wan's faces changed at once.
"Roar!" A tremendous sound, like an enraged dragon's furious hiss, shook the nine heavens. In an instant the gap widened a hundredfold, the blue light blazed anew, and Lin Jinghong burst through the silk. Man and sword as one, a faint dragon shape flickering about his whole body, he charged at Tian Lingsu like an arrow loosed from the string, irresistible.