Chapter 30 — Strange Arts
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 4 of 8
Zhang Qingyue started as if waking from a dream—but his first reaction was not to return the courtesy. Instead, with a desperate hope, he looked down into the crowd below, where heads bobbed and every eye was upon the stage, and yet the one he wished to see was nowhere among them.
Lu Xueqi's expression changed, and a stir ran through the Qingyun disciples below. This was the first person ever to be so rude to Lu Xueqi. Tian Buhui and Su Wan exchanged a glance and both sensed at once that something was truly wrong with their young disciple today.
Zhang Qingyue turned his head slowly, his face ashen, and said quietly, "I am Zhang Qingyue of Dazhu Peak. Senior Sister, I beg you—do not go easy on me."
Lu Xueqi was taken aback. The words exchanged before a match were mere courtesies, but this Zhang Qingyue seemed very strange indeed. Who would ask an opponent not to hold back? It sounded like mockery, and yet by his look it did not seem so.
But Lu Xueqi was, after all, Master Shuijing's prized disciple, her mind firm. Her expression did not change in the slightest, and she said no more. With a motion of her right hand, Tianxuan behind her rose slowly into the air.
Zhang Qingyue watched the blue light grow deeper and broader, until even his own body was tinged blue by it, and yet he could no longer find the least trace of nervousness. Instead, deep in his heart, he was faintly anticipating something.
He brought out that black, ugly rod of dark iron.
A burst of laughter ran through the crowd below. Beside the splendid, noble, utterly celestial Tianxuan across from him, the dark iron rod looked like an ugly worm crawling on the ground.
And at this moment, a worm whose heart had died within it.
The cold sensation once more flooded through his whole body. For some reason, today the dark iron rod seemed to have come alive, unusually excited; the cold current moved far faster than before. Zhang Qingyue even felt that if not for the blood-and-flesh bond between himself and the rod, if not for his own hand upon it, it would long since have hurled itself at Lu Xueqi.
No—not at Lu Xueqi, but at Tianxuan. That inexplicable feeling was like two foes bound by a hatred deep as the sea.
At that moment, Lu Xueqi's expression too changed slightly. Tianxuan's radiance was too fierce—perhaps she herself found it strange.
But Zhang Qingyue had no mind to ponder it further. Gazing at the beautiful woman bathed in blue light, he suddenly realized that she resembled his senior sister—but this "senior sister" looked at him coldly, with frozen eyes.
Then something unexpected happened on the stage: Zhang Qingyue and Lu Xueqi did not move to fight at all, but only stared at each other, utterly still.
Below, the crowd erupted in an uproar of speculation.
Lu Xueqi came sharply to herself. Tianxuan, which had always been in spiritual communion with her, had suddenly shown an agitation it had never shown before, and this puzzled her. Yet when she examined it with her thought-force, she found nothing amiss—only that Tianxuan seemed faintly eager, straining to be tried.
Sensing the countless strange stares from below, Lu Xueqi knit her brows, steadied her mind, and gave a cold snort. Pushing all distracting thoughts from her mind, she uttered a soft cry, and Tianxuan blazed with blue light and shot skyward—yet still did not leave its sheath.
Since the Seven Branches Tournament began, Tianxuan had been the focus of all eyes, but until now Lu Xueqi had defeated every opponent in turn without ever drawing it. This set everyone guessing who could force her to unsheathe the divine sword. At this moment, all speculated that it would have to be in the final battle—that only one of Qi Hao of Dragon Peak's attainments could accomplish it.
The blue light fell upon Zhang Qingyue's face, yet it revealed no expression there. The dark iron rod gave off a faint blue-green glow, slowly left his palm, and hovered before him.