Chapter 245 — Earthshaking
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 2 of 6
His voice was steady and unruffled, seemingly entirely unaffected. Ming Li's own heart was truly unsettled by doubt—he had never encountered such a thing before. If it were the Blood-devouring Pearl's demonic power backlashing, it was plainly very different from past episodes; and ever since he had mastered the four volumes of the Heavenly Writ, the Blood-devouring Pearl's demonic power had been wholly fused, never to erupt again. What was more, at this moment the Soul-Stealing Blade in which the Blood-devouring Pearl resided lay quietly in his bosom, utterly still.
These thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, but the pain in his body only increased. After a moment, the trembling of his blood and veins grew fiercer still, almost spasmodic, while his limbs gradually went numb. The trembling that had spread through his whole body—palms, elixir field, and the rest—abruptly and swiftly shifted, converging from every quarter of his body toward the very center of his brow.
The uncanny change came with a speed beyond human imagining. Ming Li's whole body shook violently; fortunately the dazzling radiance obscured him, so that Mr. Gui could not tell what had become of him. But with Mr. Gui's cultivation, he had already sensed that some tremendous upheaval seemed to be occurring in Ming Li. In that blur, amid the wavering light and shadow, Mr. Gui's dark figure seemed suddenly to rise.
Ming Li felt as though his whole body were being cut by knives, yet he could not tell whence it came. And in that moment of agony, the tremors gathering from every part of his body had all converged at the very center of his brow. In an instant, Ming Li seemed to hear the bone of his skull give a faint bursting sound, as though an explosion had blasted his brow open.
And a piercing beam of light, like a keen dagger, had been driven into his brow, run through his skull!
In that instant Ming Li felt the world spin, and nearly lost his senses. But he had always been of a staunch and resolute nature, and over these many years had cultivated an indomitable tenacity; he held on by sheer force. Then, in a lull between the waves of pain, he realized that the top of his head was intact—there was no bursting open as he had imagined. Yet that illusion had been so vivid it was fearsome, dreadful!
Just then Mr. Gui's voice came suddenly: "What is wrong with you?"
And as Mr. Gui's words reached him, Ming Li suddenly felt his whole body relax; that strange pressure receded like the tide, and the brilliant light in the ice-cold stone chamber swiftly dimmed. He drew a deep breath, steadied himself, and looked forward. Mr. Gui had risen at some point and was looking his way, and his finger had naturally left the jade plate.
Without Mr. Gui's finger pressing upon it, the jade pieces at the center of the plate resumed gliding along their original tracks, and the plate returned to its former state. Under Mr. Gui's gaze, Ming Li was silent a moment, then his face slowly smoothed over and he said mildly, "Nothing. The light was too dazzling just now—I raised my hand to shield my eyes, that is all."
Mr. Gui started, then frowned. Ming Li's cultivation was in no way inferior to his own; naturally he did not believe such nonsense as Ming Li being afraid of a blinding white light. But from Ming Li's expression it was plain he had no intention of telling him. Mr. Gui pondered a moment, then sat back down.
Ming Li glanced at him and said, "Well? How much do you understand of this Qiankun—this Star Plate now? Can you work the spell?"
Mr. Gui nodded, but his expression seemed somewhat strange. He was just about to speak when, all at once, both Ming Li and Mr. Gui changed countenance, sensing something.