After Breaking Off the Engagement, I Started Pursuing My Master - Chapter 254

Chapter 254 Sword Duel

The rosy light spread across the sky, and the clouds were ablaze with fiery red.

But the vast spiritual energy and light shadows covered the entire sky above Tianxuan Sect in just a moment.

A full-force sword duel between two Mahayana cultivators was enough to trigger the celestial phenomena within this range. The vast spiritual energy surrounded both of them, standing off against each other. The spiritual energy representing Chu Xianning was emerald green; she had both wood and water spiritual roots, and the sword momentum from the Su Xue sword exerted a pressure that made many disciples who looked up feel their hearts tremble.

The color representing Luo Yueguan’s spiritual energy was light blue; she had an extremely rare ice spiritual root, and now her fully healed Ice Soul Profound Body no longer needed to worry about the Cold Qi hurting herself when activated.

The two of them drew their swords in the blink of an eye, the dazzling spiritual light illuminating the whole world, like lightning suddenly appearing in the summer sky, lighting up the world with incredible brightness. Jiang Huai, who heard the earth-shaking sound of the sword’s cry, almost ran out of the kitchen in an instant.

But Chu Xianning and Luo Yueguan were already dueling in mid-air, far away from him.

…

“You’re destined to lose… Chu Xianning… you’re destined to lose!” Luo Yueguan’s eyes had become somewhat frenzied at this moment, her sword trajectory was chaotic, unlike Chu Xianning’s seriously studied Way of the Sword. Her swordsmanship was mostly disordered and chaotic, learning mostly deadly swords that hurt the enemy a thousand and self eight hundred. The things Jiang Huai taught her during the day had been thrown out of her mind, and she struck with her sword again and again, the sword light causing ripples in the air, and the mid-air was already an absolute zero of bone-chilling cold.

The clouds were disturbed by her, and Chu Xianning’s cheeks were rendered snow-white by the lightning in the clouds. Su Xue was tightly held in her hand, and compared to Luo Yueguan’s frenzied sword momentum, she was always very calm, calmly dodging every sword that could be dodged, and when she couldn’t dodge the sword light, she would rise with her sword.

“Luo Yueguan.” She called Luo Yueguan’s name softly.

“I’m here!” Luo Yueguan came slashing with her sword.

“You’re not Luo Yueguan, you’re not her, the one I know is not like this… Luo Yueguan, wake up.” Chu Xianning’s voice was cold and distant, but obviously, Luo Yueguan in front of her didn’t listen to a single word.

“I am her! Why do you only dodge? Chu Xianning… this time you will definitely lose!”

Luo Yueguan was probably right.

If previously, when she was at the Mahayana fifth-level, Chu Xianning still had the power to fight her, but now she was at the Mahayana sixth-level perfection, the bone-chilling cold continued to erode Chu Xianning’s body, already penetrating her spiritual energy shield, frosting her eyebrows and turning her cheeks pale as paper.

“Strike at me, stop dodging! What are you afraid of?!”

Chu Xianning did not speak, only silently wielding her sword to block the sword light she swung, their bodies constantly shifting and dodging in the air, but such commotion had already alarmed Li Qiushan and Lingxue True Person in Tianxuan Sect. The two of them had already appeared not far away, Li Qiushan casting an inquiring look at Chu Xianning.

Chu Xianning spoke indifferently, “I’m having a sword duel with Luo Yueguan, there’s no need for you two to interfere. Just protect the disciples at the mountain gate from being affected by the aftermath.”

Li Qiushan was stunned, then nodded lightly, and together with Lingxue True Person, they released a spiritual energy shield to protect the disciples below the mountain gate, just silently standing by. But gradually, Li Qiushan’s frown deepened, with Luo Yueguan’s sword stance, how did it look like they were having a sword duel? It looked more like a fight to the death.

“Really no need…?”

“No need.” Chu Xianning spoke coldly, dodging the sword light stabbed by Luo Yueguan, but the trajectory of the sword light turned, and eventually, the sword tip landed on her left shoulder, breaking the spiritual energy shield at a point, leaving a bloodstain on her shoulder.

“Why won’t you strike? Chu Xianning!”

“Luo Yueguan is my friend.” Chu Xianning looked seriously into her eyes, “Luo Yueguan, wake up.”

But what responded to her was only Luo Yueguan’s fierce sword.

…

Luo Yueguan seemed to have fallen into a dark dream again.

She didn’t understand where she had suddenly arrived, but the scenes in front of her flashed by like a revolving lantern, showing her past, all in shades of gray. She remembered her mother’s ferocious face, the cruel smile of a fellow senior sister, her anger born from fear, but unable to move to draw her sword, she could only watch as scene after scene wrapped around her like flowing water, as if to render her gray as well.

Until she saw the woman named Chu Xianning.

The first time she saw Chu Xianning was at the Yuelan Continent competition.

At that time, she was already Qingxuan Sect’s most outstanding inner disciple, representing Qingxuan Sect against Tianxuan Sect. Chu Xianning, in a white Taoist robe, just standing there, attracted thousands of gazes.

She had heard the name Chu Xianning early on, whose master was the famous Muyexianzi of the Eastern Region, and knew that she was born with dual spiritual roots, and at the age of nineteen, she had comprehended sword momentum, also the first in Tianxuan Sect, unmatched.

She had long been prepared to compete with her, but the outcome was… even though they were of equal cultivation, Chu Xianning only used the ninth sword, and she was already unable to parry.

That night she didn’t sleep at all, she had never been so jealous of someone in her life.

The victorious Chu Xianning’s expression was so calm, as if winning or losing didn’t matter to her, she was silent like a sculpture. Later, the two represented Yuelan Continent in the Eastern Region competition, stood out, and then participated in the Five Domains Grand Competition together. At that time, Luo Yueguan and Chu Xianning did not get along well. Unable to win against Chu Xianning in swordsmanship, she always liked to use words to deliberately disgust Chu Xianning, but Chu Xianning always just looked at her indifferently, neither angry nor annoyed.

At the Five Domains Grand Competition, she was defeated by the princess of the demon race, who was naturally cruel and cut off her sword-wielding arm, burning it to ashes with fire. She could only kneel on the ground and watch, tears not falling from her eyes, but it felt like the fire in her heart was burning all the blood in her body to exhaustion.

She resented, more than hating the demon princess before her, she hated her own weakness and powerlessness.

Later, she saw Chu Xianning, clad in a white Taoist robe, step onto the stage and stand before her, drawing her sword.

Her match was originally scheduled for tomorrow, but she stepped forward today. She didn’t understand why Chu Xianning came onto the stage; she thought Chu Xianning was seizing the opportunity to return all the mockery she had previously endured.

But Chu Xianning didn’t look at her, simply stating calmly, “In the sword competition, she has already been defeated, yet you deliberately injured her, breaking the rules.”

“So?”

“Fight me in a sword duel.”

“Handicapped and boring.”

“Life and death on our own heads.” Chu Xianning’s voice was cold and distant.

The demon princess became interested, drew her sword, and fought Chu Xianning for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Chu Xianning severed her arms and pressed the sword’s edge to her throat, not taking her life but instead returning to Luo Yueguan’s side and carrying the now powerless Luo Yueguan off the stage.

It wasn’t until she handed Luo Yueguan over to her master waiting below the stage that she spat out a mouthful of blood mist and fainted.

Later, Chu Xianning failed to win the title at that year’s Five Domains Grand Competition because she had tapped into her origin during the duel, and her injuries would take a long time to heal. Chu Xianning’s master was a renowned healer, and Chu Xianning obtained a medicinal pill for her, healing her arm. When she received the pill, she looked at Chu Xianning in confusion and asked, “Why?”

“I couldn’t stand it,” Chu Xianning replied.

Later, she tried hard to become friends with Chu Xianning, but Chu Xianning seemed cold to everyone, including her. She wouldn’t get angry over her mockery and scorn, nor would she be moved by her overtures of friendship. It was as if Chu Xianning was always there, neither too close nor too far.

Then came the competition held by the cultivator who loved music and dance. Chu Xianning, who usually shunned the spotlight, surprisingly appeared and won the approval of that true master, receiving the Nirvana Pill.

But the Nirvana Pill was almost useless to Chu Xianning, so she gave it to Luo Yueguan. Luo Yueguan, furious, asked, “If you don’t want it, why did you participate?”

“My master and she are old friends. She said I was too cold and should join in the fun,” Chu Xianning thought for a moment and continued, “I intended to give it to you anyway. You gave me a bracelet that day; this is my return gift.”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want that bracelet?”

“You forced it into my room, telling me to throw it away if I didn’t want it. It was too precious to discard, so I kept it. I accepted it, so this is for you.”

“You’re really annoying, Chu Xianning.”

But Luo Yueguan still tucked the Nirvana Pill into her bosom, her lips curling into a smile.

Both were holy maidens of sects on the Yuelan Continent, and later they entered many secret realms together, looking out for each other and cultivating together. Chu Xianning liked to slay evil cultivators with her sword; she didn’t, but she loved to follow Chu Xianning around. Whenever Chu Xianning drew her sword, she would cheerfully watch, and when an evil cultivator’s sect was eradicated, she would share in the good reputation.

She and Chu Xianning entered many secret realms together, and the advantage of exploring with Chu Xianning was that she never had to worry about Chu Xianning being unfair with the loot. Chu Xianning always seemed indifferent to everything, and many treasures they obtained together were hers for the asking. She took advantage of Chu Xianning’s foolishness; fools deserved to be bullied.

Later, when both had perfected the sixth realm, they entered the Wan Jie Forest to hunt demonic beasts for their pills to break through to the next realm, but they encountered a beast tide with nowhere to hide. Chu Xianning was seriously injured, and Luo Yueguan had a flying shuttle treasure that could possibly allow one to escape alone.

But this time, she stood in front of Chu Xianning. It was the first time she had done so in the decades they had known each other. In that moment, she suddenly felt unafraid, willing to die if necessary. If she died, Chu Xianning would surely remember her. Would she cry over her death? Would she finally stop being so indifferent all the time?