Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Upon seeing the several thousand swords in the night sky, Nanke narrowed her eyes.

Using one's spiritual sense to control several thousand swords was already an absurd enough feat, but to also simultaneously unleash several thousand different sword techniques…

Just how had Chen Changsheng done it?

It was at this point that she was finally sure that even if Chen Changsheng did not have these swords or any other tricks, just through his sword insight, true essence, and cultivation in the path of the sword, he could defeat her. If she were to engage in a direct confrontation with Chen Changsheng and did not possess the fastest speed in the world, she would not have a single chance.

……

……

The Demon Lord was the strongest opponent Chen Changsheng had ever encountered. When confronting such a foe, he naturally used his strongest moves.

These swords in the night sky were the highest level and most complete display of his attainments on the path of the sword.

Of the old swords that had followed him out of the Sword Pool in the Garden of Zhou and regained their freedom, some had been seen back to their sects and some had been gifted to friends. Xuanyuan Po had received the Mountain Sea Sword, Zhexiu had received the Demon Commander's Banner Sword, and Su Moyu and Mo Yu had also been given their own swords. Many swords had also been taken by Tang Thirty-Six and hidden around the Orthodox Academy, and Chen Changsheng had not taken them with him when he left the capital. If one removed those old swords that were too old, required their sword intents to soak in more nourishment, and were thus powerless to battle, the swords that could fight together with him at present numbered around three thousand.

These swords had rested in the Vault Sheath for quite a few years now and were his constant companions. Their minds were one, their edges as sharp as if they were forged yesterday, their energies surpassing their past selves.

Tonight, these thousands of swords reflected all scenes and light in the darkness, silently forming a dragon. They seemed to come in succession, yet they also seemed to come together. Their sword intents were all awe-inspiring but each of their sword techniques had its own subtlety. They were extremely difficult to deal with, and if Zhu Ye, Ning Shiwei, and those several hundred experts and soldiers had still been on the lake shore, they would have been routed with a single blow.

The three thousand swords flew through the air as if they had brought the thousands of golden scales glistening in the river up into the darkness.

The Demon Lord once more revealed an expression of praise, ruefully sighing, "The sword is like the person. If you break through into the Divine in the future, just how spectacular and magnificent would this sword dragon be?"

A rueful sigh was an expression of regret, regret that this spectacular and magnificent sight would never come to be, because Chen Changsheng would become his food tonight.

Praise was looking down upon someone from up high, the assessment and expectation of a predecessor to their descendant. Praise came to be because the one giving praise was at ease.

Three thousand swords, each carrying a different attack, were easily broken by a zither tune from the Demon Lord.

His firm and slender fingers lightly plucked the strings, unleashing chilling notes.

Tonight, the zither had already sounded several times, and one of those times was when it had broken through Chen Changsheng's first sword array.

But those had all been messy and fragmentary notes, unable to transform into a song, more like a prelude or interlude.

Now, the zither notes finally came together into a song.

The song the Demon Lord played was a melody on the delights of the autumn wind.

What was delightful about the autumn wind were falling leaves, so the zither notes were even more chilling than before, blowing in all directions like an autumn mountain, a natural dispersal, like the falling leaves themselves.

Zither notes carelessly flew into the air, carrying an indescribable bleakness and harshness as they went to meet the sword dragon tearing through the night sky.

Just like before, bright fragments of fiery flowers exploded in the air, illuminating the world and making that sword dragon that spanned across the world even more vivid.

The three thousand swords fiercely trembled. Some found it difficult to bear the wounds from the zither notes and suddenly descended, while others found it hard to bear the strength of the autumn wind and skewed to the side.

A gale rose, the zither notes suddenly fell into disorder, and the sword dragon began to slowly disperse. Like scales being shorn off by some invisible force, a sword would occasionally leave the pack.

Those swords that still persisted began to shudder. Some of these swords with weaker bodies were already showing cracks.

Based on the situation, before Chen Changsheng's three thousand swords were be able to reach their destination, they would be broken and scattered by this zither song.

But for some reason, the Demon Lord suddenly became somewhat grave.

This was the first time tonight he had revealed a wary expression.

At this moment, the sword dragon formed from three thousand swords was spitting sparks into the night sky.

He gazed at a certain point amongst these sparks.

This was a very unremarkable position, and the collision of zither note against sword did not produce many sparks here, but in his eyes, it was somewhat scorching.

The trajectory at which that flower of sparks sputtered apart was deviating ever so slightly from the trajectory it should have had.

This was an incredibly small deviation, practically insignificant. A normal person, and even Chen Changsheng himself, would be unable to see, but it could not escape the Demon Lord's gaze.

The Demon Lord's indifferent gaze could pierce through the principles of this world.

The deviation in the trajectory of the sparks signified that the space in that position was very slightly deformed.

A deformation of space meant that some extremely heavy object was hidden behind those sparks.

Both sides knew that the sparks were the result of the swords clashing with the zither notes.

An item that could cause space to deform logically had to be utterly gigantic, something like the entirety of Mount Han.

But for such an item to be hidden behind the sparks meant that it had to be extremely small.

Just what item in the world could be so small and yet so heavy?

Perhaps that was truly Chen Changsheng's last hidden move?

The Demon Lord suddenly waved his hand.

The zither strings all snapped.

Chaotic notes shot forward.

The ancient zither was instantly annihilated, transforming into countless splinters of wood and snapped threads.

Those splinters, snapped threads, and chaotic zither notes shot together into the night sky.

Countless chilling, grating, and heavy collisions resounded in the air.

The sword dragon in the air shot out even more sparks and then gradually dispersed.

Before the sword techniques contained within the three thousand swords had the time to exhibit their power, they had been shattered by the Demon Lord!

The sky of sparks seemed to collide against an autumn wind, withering away in the space of a few breaths. The view of the night sky became clearer, and some objects could no longer keep themselves hidden.

A very small stone pearl was flying through the darkness at the Demon Lord. This stone pearl flew very slowly, giving off a feeling of great weight. It seemed to be pulled along by an invisible force, at the same time pulling the surrounding world with it, causing the nearby space to slightly warp.

The Demon Lord had a rather unfathomable expression on his face as he said, "The Garden of Zhou truly did fall into your hands."

He was naturally speaking to Chen Changsheng.

Then, he raised his right hand and pointed at the stone pearl.

Tonight, the first time he had raised his hand, he had grasped the Heavenly Tome Monolith and then smashed Hai Di into a distant peak.

The second time, he had snatched the Black Dragon high in the sky and cast her towards the distant horizon.

Now, as he raised his hand for the third time, his expression was much more solemn than the last two times.

His movement was very subtle, like he was picking up clouds. At the same time, it was very grandiose, like he was plucking stars.

With his movements, the stone pearl slowly came to a stop.

Simultaneously, the stone seal floated from his waist and into the sky.

The seal and the stone pearl quietly stood across from each other, in a stalemate, vibrating as they buzzed.

The violent and turbulent Qis contained between the two were gradually pacified.

It was like old friends reuniting, but also like a meeting of foes, each with their own emotions as they silently regarded each other.