Chapter 24 — The Divine Sword
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 8 of 8
When that moment of astonishment had passed, every eye returned to the platform. Liu Xueqi had at some point already landed on the stage, and the immortal sword, sheath and all, had flown back into her hand. The blue light and the white light gradually dispersed, but everyone noticed that Fang's face was the color of dead ash.
Fang slowly raised his head and pointed at Liu Xueqi, his voice hoarse for some unknowable reason: "You—"
The crowd was startled and uncertain, not knowing what had happened, when suddenly a strange change occurred. The silver-white immortal sword that had been hovering before Fang since moments ago abruptly gave several muffled sounds along its blade; then, under the gaze of countless eyes, a crack appeared in the blade and rapidly widened. A moment later, the immortal sword gave a single agonized sound, and with a "dong" it broke in two and fell to the platform.
On the stage and below it, all was silence. Everyone held their breath.
What an immortal sword, cultivated over long years, means to one who cultivates the Way—not a soul above the sea of clouds was ignorant of it.
"Wa"—on the platform, Fang spat out a mouthful of blood. His hand clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain, and he could hold on no longer; he collapsed to the ground and fainted.