Chapter 169 — The Beast Lord
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 6 of 7
The deepest chill rose coldly from the heart, flooding up into the mind, freezing the heart, chilling the flesh, from the fingertips down to the inmost soul, so that it seemed he could feel no trace of pain ever again—and then he suddenly understood: it was that time itself had turned to a blade, cutting him without cease, every hour of every day.
Yet drawing no blood.
"Bili..."
He murmured the name once, softly. His body, he knew not why, began to tremble faintly; in his eyes were mirrored the myriad brilliant sword-lights of the sky, a sight scarcely of this world. Those countless streaks of sword-light, speeding this way and that, each was so free and elegant, each so vivid before his eyes, reminding him of days gone by.
That green figure seemed to stand beside him even now, just as ten years ago—facing all comers, never retreating, never regretting!
"Huu-ah..."
Ming Li roared to the heavens, eyes glaring wide, both hands clenched into fists that gave out a low, grinding clench.
As though in answer to its master's fury, Soul-Devourer slowly rose into the air; across its pitch-black surface, faint dark-red veins, fine as blood vessels, lit one by one, mirrored in Ming Li's eyes and dyeing his pupils little by little the color of blood.
"Zheng!"
A clear sword-hum startled him; Ming Li slowly turned his head, and through blood-red eyes saw the cold, contemptuous expression on Lin Jinghong's face.
"You truly are beyond saving!" Lin Jinghong said with finality. "I should have known long ago that once you fell into the demonic path there could be no turning back—and yet I still clung to old ties and hoped you might return. So be it. Today, here on Mount Canglan, let us settle it once and for all!"
Ming Li gazed at him a long while, then of a sudden burst out laughing, and the laughter grew wilder by degrees, full of arrogance and scorn.
Lin Jinghong flew into a rage; with an angry shout he invoked the sword formula, and at once the emerald light surged up. The blade-light of the Dragon-Slaying Sword transformed as though into an azure dragon leaping into the sky. In an instant a fierce wind rose before Phantom Moon Grotto Heaven; Lin Jinghong sprang up with the divine sword in hand, white robes fluttering, handsome and elegant, truly like a dragon among men risen free of the world. Only the murderous intent blazing in his eyes now seemed to match Ming Li's own.
He was still in midair when the Dragon-Slaying Sword came down in a single stroke. Though the distance was great, the blade-light came charging on, irresistible as an azure dragon, tearing a deep furrow across the ground and driving straight at Ming Li.
The same wild, half-snarling look remained on Ming Li's face; watching the emerald radiance bear down on him, he suddenly vanished like a ghost.
The blade-light of the Dragon-Slaying Sword struck where Ming Li had stood, shattering the hard stone into flying fragments and blasting out a great crater. In the next instant Ming Li's uncanny figure appeared abruptly a zhang before Lin Jinghong; Soul-Devourer's demonic staff came crashing forth, red light blazing, shrieking as it flew, a fierce wind striking the face—he too held back nothing now.
Lin Jinghong was startled but not thrown into confusion; his form abruptly shot upward, evading that blow of overwhelming force, and turning he drove his sword and charged. Ming Li gave a long laugh and did not dodge at all but came straight on; Soul-Devourer flew back to his hand swift as lightning, and he rushed at Lin Jinghong.
And so these two companions of childhood glared at each other in fury and fought for life and death.
Like arrows loosed from the string, they clashed in midair!