#1023 - No Turning Back
The instant Wei Changtian saw Qin Zhengqiu, he was stunned, his fingers trembling slightly.
Judging from Qin Zhengqiu's condition, he had clearly experienced a very difficult battle, and had definitely not reached any kind of deal with Chu Xianping to ascend to the summit through “peaceful means”.
Then that would mean that...
Chu Xianping should already be dead.
Wei Changtian felt a sudden sinking in his heart, unsure of what he was feeling at this moment.
Thinking rationally, Chu Xianping had already “established his own sect”, so his death seemed to have nothing to do with him anymore.
Moreover, Chu Xianping had made Qin Zhengqiu pay such a heavy price; at the very least, most of the experts who had come to Fangcun Mountain with Qin Zhengqiu had probably died in the mountains, which could even be said to have done him a great favor.
From this perspective, he should perhaps even thank...
Wait.
Was Chu Xianping really coming to Fangcun Mountain to become an immortal?
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and his heart seemed to skip a beat.
Wei Changtian was stunned, not knowing why he had such an unfounded guess.
Perhaps he just felt that this whole thing didn't seem like Chu Xianping's meticulous style.
Taking a deep breath and shaking his head, he suppressed these “unimportant” matters in his heart and looked once more at Qin Zhengqiu, who had already walked under the auspicious clouds.
Wei Changtian had already set up a simple small formation to conceal his and Xu Suisui's aura, so the former should not have noticed their presence at the moment.
Then the next thing to do was to wait.
Waiting for the appearance of that “opportunity for immortality” whose truth was unknown.
“.”
He gave Xu Suisui a look, signaling her not to make a sound.
Wei Changtian stared at Qin Zhengqiu, unmoving, through the cracks in the rocks.
The latter looked up at the auspicious clouds in the sky, seeming to hesitate whether to go into the clouds to take a look.
Wei Changtian had already been in the clouds, so he knew that Qin Zhengqiu would gain nothing even if he went in.
So unless there were any changes later, this “opportunity” was just a lie with unknown motives.
In fact, Wei Changtian rather hoped this was a lie.
After all, this way he wouldn't have to fight Qin Zhengqiu again, at least.
Unfortunately, the development of the story was completely contrary to his expectations…
“Huff!”
Perhaps it was waiting for Qin Zhengqiu's arrival, or perhaps it just happened to be the moment when the opportunity descended.
Before Qin Zhengqiu could go into the clouds, the auspicious clouds that had been churning all day suddenly parted to both sides, revealing a magnificent immortal pavilion.
Wei Changtian's eyes widened suddenly, and he almost jumped out of his hiding place.
Where did this immortal pavilion come from?
Why hadn't he seen anything in the clouds before?
Looking at the illusory jade terraces, feeling the rich true energy that seemed to be able to solidify, definitely surpassing First Grade, countless questions popped up in Wei Changtian's mind in an instant.
But he quickly put these questions behind him, and his left hand gently pressed on the hilt of the Longquan Sword.
Without a doubt, he had to make a choice now.
The opportunity for immortality was clearly in this immortal pavilion.
Although Qin Zhengqiu was still stunned in place, he would probably enter the immortal pavilion to explore soon.
After all, this was his purpose in coming to Fangcun Mountain.
Moreover, Chu Xianping had already helped him create the most favorable conditions, so he had no reason not to act.
But...
Wei Changtian couldn't understand where the struggle in his heart came from.
However, before he could make a decision, in that moment of hesitation, another change occurred.
“Observe the Way of Heaven, uphold the actions of Heaven.”
“The universe is in hand, and all transformations arise from the body.”
“Heavenly nature is humanity.”
“The human heart is opportunity.”
“Establish the Way of Heaven, to settle humanity.”
“…”
Clear and distant chanting fell from the immortal pavilion, rumbling on the summit of Fangcun Mountain.
But what was somewhat incongruous was that within the lines filled with mystery and profundity, the underlying tone of this voice was somewhat feminine, making it impossible to distinguish between male and female for a moment.
More importantly, who was the source of this “voice from beyond the heavens”?
The Heavenly Dao?
Frowning tightly, Wei Changtian stared fixedly at the immortal pavilion in the air, his heart beating faster and faster.
Without a doubt, this scene was definitely the most incredible one he had ever seen since his transmigration.
Qin Zhengqiu's expression was also about the same, except that his eyes contained a more undisguised fanaticism.
The two of them looked up at the immortal pavilion, listening to the rolling chanting pouring down from the horizon into their ears, their minds blank.
What “heavenly nature” and “human heart” were, to be honest, Wei Changtian didn't understand a single sentence.
However, the last two sentences spoken by that voice made his eyes widen suddenly.
“In this world, there is not much heavenly affinity, and only one person can attain the Dao and ascend to immortality.”
“Therefore, which of you three is willing to break away from the mundane and enter sainthood, then enter the pavilion.”
“…”
“Boom!!!”
Almost at the instant when this voice from beyond the heavens fell, an incomparably surging gale centered on Qin Zhengqiu and rolled wildly in all directions, smashing huge rocks to pieces and emptying the entire summit of Fangcun Mountain in an instant.
Knowing that there was nowhere to hide, Wei Changtian also jumped up from the pile of rocks, drew out the Longquan Sword with a “clang”, and stood in front of Xu Suisui.
Equally fierce internal force blasted forward, blocking countless flying rocks, and the rolling dust and smoke took more than ten breaths to dissipate a little.
Wei Changtian stood opposite Qin Zhengqiu on the empty summit, the hem of his clothes fluttering in the sudden wind.
“Grandpa.”
With a complex look in his eyes, Wei Changtian clenched his fist, seemingly wanting to say something.
However, before he could even utter two words, Qin Zhengqiu suddenly interrupted him:
“Take her down the mountain.”
Seemingly in immense inner turmoil, Qin Zhengqiu’s voice was exceptionally hoarse.
Wei Changtian neither nodded nor shook his head, but simply gazed at him silently, taking a slow step forward after a long while.
“Grandpa, come down the mountain with me.”
“…”
A trace of hesitation flashed in Qin Zhengqiu’s cloudy eyes, and his body trembled slightly.
He opened his mouth with difficulty, and the long sword in his hand gradually drooped.
“Chang… Changtian, I…”
Clutching his disheveled white hair tightly, Qin Zhengqiu seemed to be plunged into boundless pain, his entire body trembling incessantly because of it.
Affection and inner demons repeatedly fought for the last shred of clarity in his mind, pushing him to the brink of collapse.
“Grandpa!”
Seeing this, Wei Changtian suddenly raised his voice and took another step forward.
“My mother has been waiting for you!”
“And the Tianluo Sect! My uncles! They are all waiting for you to return!”
“You haven’t even met Xiao Hongsu yet!”
“Let’s go, Grandpa!”
“Come down the mountain with me!”
“I… I…”
The strong wind gradually weakened, Qin Zhengqiu raised his head blankly, hesitating and struggling on his feet, finally walking step by step towards Wei Changtian.
Twenty zhang, fifteen zhang, ten zhang, eight zhang…
Each step Qin Zhengqiu took was extremely difficult, as if he were treading in a quagmire, swaying unsteadily.
And Wei Changtian’s breathing became more and more rapid, his right hand, which was not holding a sword, clenched tightly.
To be honest, he didn’t expect Qin Zhengqiu to actually be moved by his words.
After all, this was somewhat different from the latter’s previous actions.
But in any case, if this matter could be resolved “peacefully”, that would certainly be the best possible outcome.
Exchanging a bottle of “Jade Dew Powder” from the system, Wei Changtian prepared to give it to Qin Zhengqiu when he got closer, at least to ensure that he would not be controlled by his inner demons in the short term.
However…
“Changtian…”
Suddenly, just as the two were less than three zhang apart, and Wei Changtian had even raised his left hand to offer the porcelain bottle, Qin Zhengqiu suddenly stopped.
“Grandpa was wrong…”
“But Grandpa can’t turn back anymore…”
“Boom!!!!”
The long sword seemed to sever all past images. In Wei Changtian’s astonished gaze, the dazzling golden sword light suddenly surged, instantly engulfing him with the aged Sword Intent of Picking the Moon.
The small porcelain bottle containing the Jade Dew Powder was tossed high into the air, and then turned into fine powder, scattered and disappeared by the raging hurricane.
Silence.
Deathly silence.
Rolling black smoke billowed from the giant pit as if created by a meteorite impact, and countless broken swords were scattered across the entire summit of Fangcun Mountain.
All the auspicious clouds in the sky had been swept away, and the golden afterglow of the setting sun shone through the dreamlike fairy pavilion, falling on the motionless bodies of Wei Changtian and Qin Zhengqiu, reflecting a gentle glow in the blood.
Facing Qin Zhengqiu’s sword at close range, Wei Changtian couldn’t dodge.
However, at the last moment, he detonated the Starry Sky Sword Sheath, and with the help of the First Grade inner force contained in the Golden Relic, he unleashed a true “Myriad Blades Attraction” once.
The pseudo-Immortal level “Falling Sky” formed by ten thousand long swords, against the true Immortal level “Picking the Moon” with the same all-out effort.
Such a confrontation might not be unprecedented, but it was definitely unheard of.
As for the result…
It could be seen as a tie, or it could be seen as…
“Wei… Wei Changtian…”
In the distance, Xu Suisui, also covered in blood, struggled to crawl towards Wei Changtian, her face full of tears.
Although she was relatively far from the center of the two’s confrontation, and although the aura-shielding formation set up by Wei Changtian had played a role in blocking it, she had still been blown away a long distance by the intense impact just now.
Both legs should be broken, and her chest hurt badly.
But Xu Suisui couldn’t care about her injuries at all, and crawled towards Wei Changtian, gripping the dirt with both hands, leaving a long trail of blood behind her.
“Please, don’t die…”
“Don’t die…”
“I can save you…”
“You are not allowed to die…”
Seemingly without much strength left, Xu Suisui’s crying sounded particularly weak.
And whether it was because her mind was too distracted and she was hallucinating, at a certain moment, she suddenly saw a person walking out of the fairy pavilion.
This person was dressed in white, looking like a young man whose gender could not be distinguished, slowly descending onto the summit of Fangcun Mountain like a true immortal, glancing at her from afar.
“…”
Her eyes suddenly widened, and Xu Suisui was stunned.
However, the “immortal” didn’t seem to be interested in her, and after taking a look, he walked to Qin Zhengqiu, bent down and placed his hand on the latter’s chest.
A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and the white-clothed youth quickly stood up again, his calm smile suddenly making Xu Suisui feel very scared.
“No… don’t…”
Opening her mouth, Xu Suisui seemed to be begging for something.
But the white-clothed youth still didn’t look at her, but floated over the deep pit and came to Wei Changtian’s side.
He bent down, lowered his head, his fair neck was flawless, just like the most perfect white jade in the world.
Only in the next moment, a black long sword suddenly lay across this “white jade”.
