(I really don't know how to write a chapter title. It just so happens that it's a big climax, so let's start with exclamation marks! I won an award at a meeting a few days ago. Thank you, Yuewen. Thank you, everyone. I will continue to write novels seriously. The number of novels might be a little lacking, but the quality is pretty good. Just like this chapter and the following chapters, I have been preparing for two years. It feels pretty good.)
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Looking at the black stone in his hand, Wang Zhice sighed.
This black stone was originally his.
Chen Chang Sheng took it out from the stone wall of the Pavilion of Ascending Mist after the Grand Examination.
Back then, Wang Zhice had played this trick in the Lingyan Pavilion on a whim, but it was more out of mischief, a silent mockery of Emperor Taizong.
He did not expect that after so many years, there would still be someone who knew of this secret and that someone would obtain this black stone.
Then it was a night of starlight that enveloped the capital and Chen Chang Sheng's name spread far and wide.
Many people said that Chen Chang Sheng was very similar to him, whether it was talent, temperament or experience.
Chen Chang Sheng had obtained the item that he had hidden within the Pavilion of Ascending Mist, in a sense, he was his successor.
Perhaps it was because of these reasons that Wang Zhi Ce had always admired Chen Chang Sheng.
Thus, he had appeared in Mount Han and protected Chen Changsheng's life from the Demon Lord.
Today, he came to the Capital to persuade Xu You Rong because he had good intentions towards Chen Chang Sheng.
When he caught the black stone that Chen Chang Sheng threw over, he realized that what he did was completely unnecessary.
Chen Chang Sheng had already prepared himself, prepared to fight against his master.
He chose the most suitable battlefield.
It was the place the black stone led to.
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…
While Wang Zhice was looking at the black stone, the little Black Dragon was also looking at him, her eyes brimming with hatred.
After being imprisoned for hundreds of years, one could imagine how deep the hatred was.
When she saw Chen Changsheng throw the black stone to Wang Zhice, she became even angrier and gave a cold snort.
Wang Zhice ignored him and said to Shang Xingzhou and Chen Chang Sheng: "Please take care of yourselves."
Shang Xingzhou's expression was indifferent and he did not reply.
Chen Changsheng calmly returned the greeting and nodded at the Black Dragon.
A cold wind suddenly blew and snowflakes danced in the air. The little Black Dragon left the Orthodox Academy.
Shang Xingzhou looked towards Chen Chang Sheng.
Waves rose even though there was no wind. The thin ice on the surface of the lake shattered and turned into cold mist.
The lake water rose and fell. At first, it was gentle, but then it became violent, slapping against the shore and rolling up the snow.
The waves broke through the air, producing countless water droplets like a torrential rain.
Chen Chang Sheng looked towards Shang Xingzhou.
The master and disciple's eyes met.
There was a muffled boom.
Whether it was the dancing snowflakes, the cold mist formed by the thin ice, or the torrential rain formed by the splashing of the lake water, they all turned into green smoke.
Countless wisps of green smoke flowed everywhere on the surface of the lake, refracting the light from the sky and creating countless magnificent images, among which there was a faintly discernible rainbow.
The mist and dust gradually disappeared, Chen Chang Sheng and Shang Xingzhou's figures had already disappeared.
Wang Zhice walked to the great banyan tree and looked at the distant end of the rainbow, silent.
The Orthodox Academy was truly the most suitable battlefield for this master and disciple.
But the battle had begun in the Garden of Zhou.
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…
The Garden of Zhou was a miniature world with very special rules.
The upper limit of the cultivation that the Garden of Zhou could accommodate was determined by the cultivation of the Garden of Zhou's master.
When Zhou Dufu was still alive, his strength was incomparably tyrannical, so the level of cultivation that the Garden of Zhou could contain could naturally be considered limitless.
Whether it was the Demon Lord of the past, the mighty Black Frost Dragon, or the heroic and insufferably arrogant Chen Xuanba, or those supreme experts that came after him, they could all enter the Garden of Zhou and display their peak strength within it. From a certain perspective, this also indirectly or prematurely proved that the strength of these experts could not surpass Zhou Dufu's. At most, they were on the same level.
After Zhou Dufu's death, the Garden of Zhou lost its master and its rules changed on their own. Only Ethereal Opening cultivators could enter, or else they would trigger the seal and trigger the destruction of the rules, or perhaps even cause the collapse of the Garden of Zhou.
Now that the Garden of Zhou was in Chen Chang Sheng's hands, the upper limit of the level of cultivation that it could contain had been restored to the peak of Star Condensation.
In the last few years, whether it was when he faced the Demon Lord in Mount Han or the snowy mountains, or when he faced other experts of the Divine Domain, Chen Chang Sheng had never attempted to use the Garden of Zhou to trap them. Other than worrying about the grasp these Divine Domain experts had over the laws of space, he was even more worried that the Garden of Zhou would collapse.
Just like when the Golden-winged Great Peng appeared and ten thousand swords formed a dragon.
Today's situation was completely different.
This was an invitation to a battle.
By agreeing to enter the Garden of Zhou, Shang Xingzhou had agreed to this condition.
He would suppress his cultivation to below the Divine Domain.
In this way, he would not be attacked by the laws of the Garden of Zhou, and the Garden of Zhou would not be in danger of collapsing.
More importantly, the cultivation levels of master and disciple would be pulled to the same level.
The two sides would compete in Daoist techniques, battle prowess, and intelligence.
This would be a fair battle.
… …
… …
The first to sense the spatial distortion in the Orthodox Academy were Wang Po and the Prince of Xiang.
And then there were the three elders of Mount Li's Sword Hall that had once guarded that rainbow.
Soon after, more and more people knew what had happened in the Orthodox Academy.
The silence caused by shock and surprise did not last for too long. The silence in Hundred Flowers Lane was finally broken.
The Prince of Zhongshan sneered, and several Divine Generals revealed expressions of derision.
The sound of cups smashing came from a tea house, clearly rather flustered and exasperated.
It was no secret that Chen Chang Sheng was the master of the Garden of Zhou.
Logically speaking, he could use the laws of the Garden of Zhou to fight, possessing an enormous advantage.
But still, no one believed that he could defeat Shang Xingzhou.
They were separated by an entire cultivation level.
Even if Shang Xingzhou had suppressed his cultivation to below the Divine Domain.
This gap still existed.
Existence was existence, and it would not disappear for any reason.
Whether it was experience, intelligence, insight, or any other domain, Shang Xingzhou far surpassed Chen Chang Sheng.
How could someone who had once traversed the vast ocean be unable to cross a small stream?
How could someone who had climbed the highest snowy peak not know how to walk when they returned to the ground?
It was just like the little Black Dragon. Although she had not yet matured and formally entered the Divine Domain, a few of her attributes were innately in the Divine Domain, so she could be called invincible beneath the Divine Domain.
Shang Xingzhou, who had suppressed his cultivation to below the Divine Domain, was a similar existence, and even more terrifying.
How could Chen Chang Sheng defeat him? More importantly, even if Chen Chang Sheng had some mystical trick hidden in the Garden of Zhou, at the most crucial moment, Shang Xingzhou was completely capable of forcefully withdrawing from the Garden of Zhou. At that time, what could Chen Chang Sheng do?
… …
… …
As the people involved, Chen Chang Sheng and Shang Xingzhou naturally thought through the problem even more thoroughly.
They were currently standing at the very front of Sunset Valley.
The red sun in the distance slowly circled the plains, painting the cliffs red.
In the past, many extraordinary people had come here.
Zhou Dufu, Chen Xuanba, the master of the Mountain Sea Sword, and many more.
Many miracles had occurred here.
For example, when Xu Yourong was on the verge of death, her Phoenix soul had awakened once more.
"You want to create a miracle, but this place has long since proven that there are no miracles."
Shang Xingzhou said, "Xike lost, the founder of Mount Li lost, and Chen Xuanba also lost. It will always be Zhou Dufu who wins."
If there was such a thing as fate, then the explanation for fate was that the strong would always be strong. In front of true strength, hot-bloodedness, desire, dreams, ideals, persistence, courage, sacrifice — these seemingly beautiful words were meaningless.
Chen Chang Sheng said, "Master, you said that I wouldn't live past twenty, but I did it."
Shang Xingzhou said, "That was also because I relied on her strength."
"But that was not fate, at least not the fate you arranged for me."
Chen Chang Sheng gazed at the plains below Sunset Valley, at the water grass that was countless times more fertile than it was three years ago, and at the faintly discernible herds of beasts. After a moment of silence, he turned to Shang Xingzhou and said, "I call this a miracle."
Shang Xingzhou calmly looked at him and said, "Is that so?"
His Daoist sleeve fluttered as he raised his left hand.
Five steady and slender fingers were aimed at Chen Chang Sheng.
A cool breeze blew, causing the old trees of Sunset Valley to sway.
It was a very beautiful sight, but Chen Chang Sheng felt an intense danger.
Without hesitation, his hand landed on the hilt of his sword.
He prepared to pull out the Stainless Sword and hold it horizontally across his chest, using the Stupid Sword that he had not used in a very long time.
He wore Zhexiu's clothes, and the cuffs were very short.
His shoulders had always been very relaxed.
In the entire continent, no one besides Liu Qing could draw a sword faster than him.
If this was not enough, he still had even faster swords.
He only needed a thought for the several thousand swords in the sheath to flow out in a single line, forming a sea of swords.
Let alone Shang Xingzhou, who had suppressed his cultivation to below the Divine Domain, even the usual Shang Xingzhou would find it impossible to instantly break the South Stream Temple sword array.
He only needed a few moments to find an opportunity.
And yet.
His hand could not land on the hilt of his sword.
The several thousand swords also could not rise into the air and form the South Stream Temple sword array.
Because his sword had disappeared.
Both the Stainless Sword and the sheath had disappeared.
The cool breeze of Sunset Valley ruffled his belt, but there was nothing on it.
In the next moment.
A sword appeared in Shang Xingzhou's hand.
His fingers were slender and steady, as if this sword had always been his.
"Everything you have was given to you by me, including this sword and this sheath."
Shang Xingzhou calmly said to him, "And how can you defeat me?"
A cool breeze lingered, but a chill seeped into the bones.
Clouds rose from beneath his feet.
Shang Xingzhou floated in front of Chen Chang Sheng, his right hand descending.
This palm seemed ordinary and unremarkable, but it seemed to conform to the principles of the world, giving off an unavoidable feeling.
Chen Chang Sheng could not avoid it.
Shang Xingzhou's palm landed on his chest.
There was a light slap.
Chen Chang Sheng was jolted off the cliff.
He drew an arc in the sky outside Sunset Valley.
Like a falling leaf, like a stone, he noiselessly plummeted to the plains several li away. (To be continued …)
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