abnabooks Chapter 57 Standoff
Chapter 57 Standoff
Guided by the unseen intent of the sword, Lu Ming traversed among the broken walls and ruins.
The deeper one goes, the clearer the remaining sword intent becomes, unlike the chaotic state outside.
The sharp edges left behind by countless battles throughout the ages all seem to converge towards the same source.
After breaking through the ruins filled with broken mountains and crumbling walls, a huge abyss suddenly appeared before us.
Countless broken peaks and palace walls hang from the bottom of the abyss, floating and sinking as if in a dreamlike realm.
Lu Ming focused his mind and stepped deeper into the abyss. All he saw were empty ruins. There were no unusual phenomena above the floating rocks and dilapidated palaces. He couldn't help but feel a little depressed.
Following the faint guidance of the sword intent, he continued to explore downwards, and after several hours, he finally reached the bottom of the abyss.
There is a relatively intact open space here, and although the stone surface is cracked like a spider web, it is as hard as refined steel.
In the center of the open space, a hundred-foot-tall stone pillar rose from the ground, its gray body matching the surrounding ruins.
The entire boulder exudes an ancient and weathered aura. Even after countless years, waves of sword intent still emanate from it, making it imperishable through countless eons.
Approaching the boulder, Lu Ming reached out and touched it. The moment he touched it, he felt the stagnant spiritual energy around him flow smoothly.
Lu Ming was shocked and instantly understood that this stone was probably of the same origin as the Boundary-Stabilizing Disc, and was a rare and precious material that could be refined into a supreme treasure!
Behind him, the spirit sword Yun Jianxue emitted a faint sword sound, its blade trembling slightly in its sheath, as if it were about to submit.
The magical artifact seemed to be responding to that original sword intent.
Lu Ming reached out and tried to shake the boulder, but it didn't budge.
Lu Ming tried to take it away with a storage bag, but there was still no response.
He was frowning in deep thought when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
On the other side of the boulder, a cool and aloof figure stood quietly, her white robes fluttering in the wind—it was Xia Yufei.
The Moon-Inviting Sword in her hand was also humming softly. Her cool gaze was fixed on the prism stone, and the sword intent around her was faintly flowing. She was obviously following the guidance of the sword intent.
"Senior Sister Xia, you've also come for the sword intent?" Lu Ming spoke first, breaking the silence at the bottom of the abyss.
Xia Yufei nodded slightly, her gaze never leaving the boulder, and remained silent.
Lu Ming recalled Zhao Ling's advice and wanted to speak again, but he didn't know how to phrase it. In the end, he wisely kept quiet and stood quietly with her by the stone.
"This stone is beyond our ability to move." After a long silence, Xia Yufei's voice rang out, "I have already sent a message to Elder Lieyang; perhaps he has a solution."
Before the words were finished, a figure slowly stepped out from the shadows of the ruins on the other side of the field.
The newcomer was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, with the character "离" (meaning "separation") embroidered in ink on the hem of his clothes.
His eyes were sharp, his face was as cold as an abyss, his figure was upright, and he carried an ancient, sheathed longsword on his back, his whole body exuding sharpness.
Three gazes met on the open ground, the atmosphere instantly froze, and the invisible sword intent collided in the air, emitting bursts of hissing, and the surrounding dust was all dispersed by the sharp energy.
"Three breaths, get out of here," the man in black said indifferently. "Otherwise, you die."
Xia Yufei frowned, drew her sword directly, and with a flash of light, swung it forward. The two sword intents clashed from a distance, stirring up layers of air waves.
Lu Ming was also filled with anger, thinking to himself that this person was so domineering. Yun Jianxue responded and stepped forward, her sword aura sharp and fierce, glaring angrily: "Outrageous!"
"You ungrateful wretch." The man sneered. "Since you're not leaving, stay here. Remember, it was Ning Hanchuan who killed you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the long sword on his back was suddenly drawn, its dark light like a black dragon emerging from the abyss, rushing straight at the two of them.
Lu Ming and Xia Yufei came to greet them one after the other.
At the bottom of the abyss, amidst ruins, swords flashed.
Ning Hanchuan fought two opponents alone and held his own without being at a disadvantage.
His swordplay was ruthless and cunning, each strike aimed at vital points, his sword intent imbued with a chilling aura.
Lu Mingqing's sword intent was incomparably sharp, and Yun Jianxue's sword moves were both powerful and gentle. As the sword wind swept by, shattered stones flew everywhere.
Xia Yufei's Invitation to the Moon Sword is ethereal and graceful, its sword intent flowing like clouds across the sky, avoiding the strong and striking the weak. As the sword shadows shuttle back and forth, they seal off many of Ning Hanchuan's killing moves.
Ning Hanchuan was secretly shocked. These two young people had condensed their sword intent to such a degree that it made it difficult for him to break through.
The three swords clashed, the sound of metal striking metal echoing through the abyss. The powerful energy spread, shattering the surrounding rocks with their sword strikes, and the three were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.
After several dozen rounds, Ning Hanchuan suddenly let out a low shout, and his sword aura suddenly surged. A powerful sword energy slashed out, forcing Lu Ming and Xia Yufei back.
The three of them each took a few steps back, standing facing each other from a distance.
Just then, a powerful aura rushed in from the mouth of the abyss.
Elder Lieyang's figure broke through layers of ruins and arrived in an instant.
Ning Hanchuan looked up and saw that the situation was hopeless, so he did not linger in the fight.
He withdrew his sword and, like a ghost, darted towards the shadows of the ruins, disappearing without a trace in an instant.
Seeing this, Lu Ming drew his sword and was about to give chase, but Xia Yufei stopped him with her hand: "The disciples of the Demonic Sect's Lihentian Palace are vicious and adept at setting ambushes. Do not pursue them."
Lu Ming stopped in his tracks, sheathed his sword, and glanced sideways: "Senior Sister Xia, is this person a member of the demonic path? No wonder he acts so arrogantly."
"Judging from their attire and martial arts style, they are disciples of the Litian Palace of the Lihentian Palace." Xia Yufei sheathed her sword, her voice still cold and clear.
At this moment, Elder Lieyang had landed in the open space. His gaze swept over the two of them and finally settled on the boulder, his eyes filled with eagerness.
He slowly stepped forward, his fingertips lightly touching the stone surface. The instant he touched the boulder, he was able to unleash almost all of his cultivation power, and immediately burst into loud laughter, his heart pounding with excitement: "Excellent! Truly a treasure!"
"Greetings, Elder Lieyang." Lu Ming and Xia Yufei bowed in unison.
Elder Lieyang waved his hand, his gaze fixed on the boulder, and asked with a smile:
"How did you two find this place? This stone has withstood countless ages and can still resist the power of nothingness; it is a peerless treasure of heaven and earth. You two deserve great credit!"
"Following the guidance of the mysterious sword intent, this disciple searched all the way to the bottom of the abyss," Lu Ming replied respectfully.
"The same goes for me," Xia Yufei nodded in agreement.
"Good, good, good!" Elder Lieyang said "good" three times in a row, his eyes full of approval as he looked at the two of them.
"In the past, lower-ranking disciples struggled to condense their sword intent to this extent, which is why no one could detect the aura of this stone. You two truly deserve to be called sword geniuses, having rendered such a great service to the academy; you will surely be richly rewarded!"
However, this joy did not last long, and Elder Lieyang's smile froze on his face.
He tried to move the boulder with his spiritual power, but the boulder did not budge.
He tried to collect it using a storage magic item, but there was still no reaction.
It should be noted that the suppression of cultivation here is greatly reduced, and with the blessing of the Boundary-Stabilizing Disc, he can already exert 70-80% of his cultivation. He could shake even a small mountain outside, but now he can't do anything to this hundred-zhang boulder.
Elder Lieyang had no choice but to take out the jade slip and use his spiritual power to inscribe the Dao patterns on the stone surface, fearing that he might miss even the slightest detail.
He then paced around the boulder repeatedly, his brow furrowed. He tried all sorts of methods, such as manipulating objects and controlling the earth, but none of them worked on the boulder.
He also considered cutting off a corner of the stone to take back for research, but fearing it would damage the stone's surface texture, he dared not attempt it lightly.
Elder Lieyang paced anxiously, feeling utterly helpless, as if he had entered a treasure mountain but could not obtain even a fraction of it.
The wind blows, rustling the pebbles, while the boulder stands silently, as if telling ancient secrets.