The Inverted Dragon's Scale

086 – Black fire burning

Clever all his life but stupid this once.

This was Cui Zhaoren’s analysis of his actions right now.

Cui Zhaoren decided to do something stupid this once, and become a crazy man.

It’s not the first time Cui Zhaoren killed someone. It could even be said that, because he was situated in a position like that, killing to him is nothing out of the ordinary.

He has killed for power, for his own benefit, for his superior and his family. He has killed because of some schemes and plots, to please someone, killed those not on good terms with him, and killed because he wants to kill——

This time, it was not for anything else but to test out his skills.

There is an ancient saying: those who cultivate to slay dragons, sells themselves to the royal family.

This phrase naturally has a self-interest element in it; it was as if everyone cultivates so they can sell themselves.

However, people cultivate because of various reasons.

Some seek longevity; some seek to be almighty. Some people ask to be remembered through all the years and some seek what their heart desires.

Looking at the history of the Starry Sky, only those who practice martial arts because they enjoy it could truly stand at the top of the Starry Sky and become the supreme ruler of the entire world.

For example, Li Qiubai and Du Ruofu.

Cui Zhaoren is an extremely proud man; he has confidence in his knowledge, has confidence in his intelligence and immense confidence in his family’s secret techniques.

This time, he’s also fighting for the ‘Sword of Tribulation’ and also for the ‘Secrets of the hundred and eight thousand heaven’s will’.

He’s fighting for his many years of painstaking training.

He gave it his all to fight with Li Muyang once again.

You die or I die.

This situation seems fair.

Li Muyang understands Cui Zhaoren’s intention. “I really don’t like you.”

“Me too.”

“But now—–I actually have some respect for you.” Li Muyang said in a deep voice. “As a son of a noble family, you did not run away, instead faced danger without any fear and did not hesitate to fight to the death. Contrary to what I expect, there’s an air of bravery around you.”

“Me too.” Cui Zhaoren looked across at Li Muyang floating in the sky. “You’re from an ordinary background, yet you’re able to summon the rain and wind and show your great powers—-Although I don’t know what the hell happened here. However, I still have considerable respect for those with amazing skills. The sharpness of a sword comes from practicing, although the word practice is simple enough but not everyone would be able to persist in continuing.”

Outstanding people are always only able to receive recognition from outstanding people, stupid people would only point at them from behind and utter: that they only relied on luck.

After exchanging few words with Cui Zhaoren, Li Muyang felt as if they are well acquainted with each other.

They finally found a trace of light on each other.

“So, let me see your second sword technique.” Li Muyang said aloud: “The name is called ‘Sever Karma’”

“Yes. ‘Sever Karma’, in order to reach Paramita.” Cui Zhaoren said with a smile: “ I have not mastered this sword technique well yet, this will be the first time the complete form is used. Therefore, I hope I won’t let you down.”

“Okay, I’ll remember the name.” Li Muyang said. “If someone was to use this sword against me in the future, I will remember this name, and will also remember you.”

Cui Zhaoren felt somewhat uncomfortable. What does these words mean?

The battle has not started, yet he said he would remember me—–like I would surely die this time.

“I’ll remember you too, in my mind.”

Cui Zhaoren no longer said anything else; strength is the best language.

His face was calm and peaceful, he raised his right arm and held the long sword up high.

The black-robed on his body began to surge, as if the underlying qi and force was too powerful to bear.

Hiss—-

A ripping noise could be heard, the hem of Cui Zhaoren’s black robe was torn apart.

But that torn piece of cloth did not leave, rather floated in the air along with Cui Zhaoren.

With Cui Zhaoren in the core, it formed a tornado, that same piece of cloth was also situated within the tornado.

Cui Zhaoren transformed into hundred thousand shadows. The sky was densely packed with images of Cui Zhaoren’s swords and bodies. 。

Then, the hundred thousand shadows instantly transformed back into one, hundred thousand of Cui Zhaoren return to one Cui Zhaoren.

Cui Zhaoren pinched all fingers on his left hand together, his five fingertips instantly transformed into a dozen of hand seals. It looked complicated but still amazing, making people dazzled and thrown into confusion.

The long sword held high up was flashing with light, black rays of light. It’s the underworld fire from hell, the colour of death.

Rumour is that after witnessing the suffering of hell-beings, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva felt sympathy for them as if it had happened to himself and vowed to go to hell to save them: ‘If I don’t go to hell, who will. If hell is not emptied, I vow to not attain enlightenment’. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has the heart of Bodhi. Retrieving the underworld fire from hell, along with his great wisdom and knowledge, he created the ‘Sword of Tribulation’. He taught it to the world to help them cut off karma, abandon their body and attain enlightenment.

Following the rise of the internal force, the intensity of the fire incessantly increased and spread rapidly, like a single spark starting a prairie fire.

Using the long sword as the torch, the sky around was set into flames.

Black flames were blazing fiercely, but no heat could be felt at all, instead they send a chill down the spine.

Biting-cold!

Coldness penetrating down into the bone!

Kacha Kacha—–

The air were frozen into layers of fog, and every living thing in the sky including the heavy rain incinerated by the underworld fire were frozen in a flash. The moment it dropped into the river it became black ice spheres.

Pa Pa Pa—–

Ice pellets hitting against the river; to those scholars and traveling merchants drifting along the river this was a devastating scene.

The surface of the river was wide and open, and the boundary could not be seen at all. It’s almost impossible to rely on their physical strength to swim to the shore.

Now they could only patiently wait for the sky to clear up and other ships to rescue them.

But they had no idea that before a ship comes to their rescue, there would be a sudden hailstorm.

Zhang Linpu had already begun to rage inside.

“Dear heavens, myriad deities, one second the sun is shining brightly while in the next there were rainstorm and thunder, then fish and prawns knocked against the ship, and now it’s hailstorm—– Do you want to kill us? I’m not going to Tiandu anymore, I want to go home—–“

——

Li Muyang also felt the coldness.

That coldness was not just cold but gloomy cold.

Someone had asked Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva which objects in the entire world are the coldest, hottest and most domineering?

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva answered: fire is the hottest, underworld’s fire is the coldest and heaven’s fire is the most domineering.

Underworld fire is the coldest object on earth, able to freeze the limbs and body, freeze the blood vessels and freeze all thoughts—–

It could also freeze karma.

With the sky as a fabric, the black underworld fire as the dye, it spread throughout the fabric, rapidly blazing across in the direction of Li Muyang.

Kacha Kacha—–

Underworld fire had yet to arrive, but a chill already begun to invade over.

Li Muyang did not hide nor evade, but met the enemy head-on.

He knew that Cui Zhaoren’s sword has formed fully; the moment he makes any slight movement it’s also the instant Cui Zhaoren would strike out with his sword.

Ready and waiting for action, it was just that he hasn’t found flaws yet.

If someone does not move, of course there’s no flaw. But with any minor actions, flaws would also automatically emerge.

Of course, that’s only because both sides are exceptional experts. If one side was weak, even if they did not move, they would be slaughtered in a split second.

Li Muyang’s hair was wrapped by the white mist, his wet clothes were instantly frozen solid.

Even the drop of rain on his lashes and the bloodstain on the corner of his mouth solidified.

Kacha Kacha—-

Li Muyang’s body became rigid and lifeless, just like an ice sculpture.

Before the underworld fire stopped burning, Cui Zhaoren’s left hand in the process of forming hand seals and invoking the sword spell abruptly came to a stop.

With his left clutching the hilt of the sword, the sword was held high up with both his hands.

Then, the black flames held high above blazed across in the direction of Li Muyang.

A simple sword stroke.

A casual sword stroke.

An ordinary sword stroke.

However, for Cui Zhaoren, this was the highest sword achievement in his entire life.

His pace was not fast nor slow, his strength also not too strong nor too light.

Everything was just right.

Looking at it, it warms the heart and delights the eye. Everything seemed to be in aesthetic harmony.

Harmony, harmony is the supreme law in the world.

Cui Zhaoren attacked with his sword, to behead Li Muyang frozen by the black underworld fire.

Kacha——-

Black flames emerged in the sky, the flames were like a fiery dragon piercing through the sky towards the other side.

Rumble—

The entire sky was shrouded in underworld fire, the black fire was burning strongly, the world became blind, as if a giant black cloth was covering the sun and moon overhead.

——–

The sky sank into darkness for some time, the rainstorm was still battering down but it did not seem like the black underworld fire would go out anytime soon.

Within the darkness, there was a melancholy voice.

“Why is it like this?” This was Cui Zhaoren’s voice. Cui Zhaoren was still alive, but his voice seemed exhausted and saturated with infinite regret.

From listening to his voice, it’s clear that there were many problems he could not understand.

“I told you, you killed me before.” Li Muyang’s voice echoed through from within the darkness. “Of course, it was not you, it was this sword technique. However, the person did not use this sword technique; not ‘Sever the bonds of the earth’ nor ‘Sever Karma’ but a different sword technique——-”

“Sever Heaven.” Cui Zhaoren laughed wryly.“There are three major techniques of the “Sword of Tribulation”, Sever Heaven is the highest level, for thousand of years no one in the family has been able to fully understand it——I had no idea you would know of ‘Sever Heaven’. And also ‘Sever Heaven’ did not kill you——Who the hell are you?”

“That sword didn’t kill me, but I discovered a secret.” Li Muyang said.

“What secret?”

“There are flaws in both your first two sword techniques that you used——Only ‘Sever Heaven’ is perfect. I’ve seen it’s perfect state before, so I discovered a flaw in the sword move you drew out just now.”

“This is really———” Cui Zhaoren coughed violently, a pain as if his chest is tearing and his lungs cracking.

This time, he could no longer maintain his aristocratic grace, his dignified image.

Black flames were dispelled, the sky once again returned back to usual.

Heavy rain stopped, black clouds scattered.

The sun once again illuminated the earth, the sky resumed its exciting blue colour.

The little companions swimming away in the river glanced up, before the smile on their face had the chance to bloom into full, they already fell into a state of panic.

It came and goes very quickly, all this was controlled by someone?

“Stop trying to be clever.” Cui Zhaoren coughed up a big gulp of blood, then said aloud.

“Far from it.” Li Muyang said. “Just that I remembered a period of the past.”

“You said you have seen ‘Sever Heaven’?”

“That’s right.”

“I have a request, although I’m in no position to ask this——but I will never have this chance if I don’t. Could you, please, let me see the third sword technique?”

“I only know the form and not the spirit. ”

“I am already very satisfied with only the form. Please show me.”

Li Muyang hesitated slightly. “Fine, I could show you the moves by imitating it.”

“Thank you.” Cui Zhaoren said with immense gratitude: “Use my good-for-nothing body to feed the sword.”