Chapter 71 — The Kui Ox
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 4 of 6
After a long pause, Du Biyan said to Song Dayi: "Eldest Senior Brother, what—what should we do?"
Zhang Qingyue looked to Song Dayi as well. That breathtaking contest had left him spellbound, and somehow he felt a little pity for the beast, a faint stirring deep in his heart that he would like to lend it a hand.
In truth, if it came to that, such thoughts were not absent from the hearts of any of these Canglan Sect disciples. They had been enemies of the demon cult for thousands of years, and to see the cult go to such lengths to capture this beast—it must surely matter greatly.
But Song Dayi, as the eldest senior brother, fell silent a moment and at last shook his head. "Let us not stir up more trouble. We must go, quickly!"
The others exchanged glances; no one spoke. After all, they all knew this was no time to branch off into new troubles, and so they followed Song Dayi, who had already started walking on ahead.
Zhang Qingyue, bringing up the rear, took a few steps and suddenly realized that Lu Xueling had not followed. Startled, he turned to look and saw her standing where she was, her feet unmoved. "Senior Sister Lu," he said in wonder, "what is it?"
Lu Xueling was gazing at the beast trapped within the red wall of light ahead. It stood there with its head bowed low, listless, as though it had already accepted its fate. By now the dark clouds filling the sky were gradually beginning to scatter, and that dread majesty which had turned the very heavens and earth pale when it first rose from the sea was nowhere to be seen.
It was like a sorrowful child at the end of his road, standing there with a heart already dead!
A measure of desolation, a touch of loneliness—
Clang!
A blue radiance, like a shooting star suddenly appearing in the night, lit up the surrounding darkness.
The Divine Sword of the Heavenly Dipper leaped from its sheath, its clear blue light flashing and reflected on the face of its peerlessly beautiful mistress—a faint coldness there, and a still, quiet gaze.
Lu Xueling slowly turned her head and looked at Zhang Qingyue, her face cool as clear water. "This beast seems to matter greatly," she said lightly. "Go, all of you, hurry! I will go and return in a moment!"
They all started; Zhang Qingyue's mouth fell slightly open. "You—"
Before the words were out, that beautiful figure had become a brilliant meteor in the night, piercing the darkness around them and hurtling straight toward the vast red wall of light.
The Canglan Sect disciples turned pale with fright; Zhang Qingyue, Tian Lingsu, and Du Biyan all but turned at once and cried out to Song Dayi: "Eldest Senior Brother—!"
Sweat poured down Song Dayi's forehead. If he chose to leave, he feared he could not get past the others, nor past his own conscience; yet to stay meant almost certain disaster. These junior brothers and sisters were young and knew no better, but he must think of their lives. In that moment his heart was in turmoil.
But Lu Xueling flew on her sword with such speed that in an instant she had rushed near the beach where the demon cult's ring of light lay; and by now the cult followers had noticed something amiss, and cries of alarm rose on every side.
The Nether King still floated in midair, his face gradually smoothing. Now he glanced down, frowned slightly, and murmured a phrase: "The Divine Sword of the Heavenly Dipper?"
The black-clad cult followers, caught unprepared by Lu Xueling's sudden charge, were thrown into confusion, and the Nether King in midair seemed unable to descend in time; even the beast trapped within the curtain of light suddenly opened the eyes it had kept shut all this while.
Then a streak of clear light cut across from the side and blocked Lu Xueling outright; the Divine Sword of the Heavenly Dipper rang out sharply and forced that clear light back a little, but Lu Xueling herself was halted as well, still several yards from the red curtain of light.