SWDnovel Chapter 95 Green Lotus Dance
Chapter 95 Green Lotus Dance
Passing through that moonlit barrier, what greets you is the desolate ruins of the outer palace of Tian Shu, steeped in the vicissitudes of time.
The crimson sand was kneaded into fine mist by the invisible wind, swirling among the broken pillars and ruins, brushing past the half-collapsed giant pillars.
Those pillars that were once engraved with mythical beasts soaring through the clouds and the celestial map have long been eroded by time, leaving only half of the blurred lines sticking out of the sand.
Like ancient, forgotten lines of poetry, supporting a dark, somber dome.
Broken tiles and rubble were scattered everywhere, with occasional glimmers of silvery patterns shining through the cracks in the stones, like shattered stars fallen into ruins, their light fading under the erosion of the power of nothingness, adding a faint trace of life to this desolate place.
The wind blows through the ruins, and the soft sound of sand and gravel brushing against the stone surface is an ancient melody whispered by time, telling the tragic story of that war.
As soon as the two stepped out of the barrier, that relatively stable space vanished instantly behind them, never to return.
The two had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue forward.
Ning Qingxue leaned against Lu Ming, her breath coming in short gasps, a sickly red flush on her pale cheeks.
With Lu Ming's guidance and the use of pills and top-grade spirit stones, she could barely muster a wisp of spiritual power, just enough to make the Heart-Shattering Bell on her wrist emit a faint silver light.
At this moment, all she could do was use her faint spiritual sound waves to interfere with her opponent, leaving her with no more strength.
Lu Ming shielded her within half a step to his side, holding Yun Jianxue horizontally in his palm. The sword reflected the faint light of the ruins and shattered stars, emitting a bluish glow.
Deep within his dantian, the Dao foundation of the immortal sword fragments remained dormant, only naturally creating a three-foot-wide dust-free space. However, when the power of nothingness attacked and touched his body, it automatically dissipated.
The sword intent of Qingping slowly emanated from the sword, like a clear sky after a rain, yet it had already completely protected the area several feet around him.
"This place... is even more eerie than the secret passage." Ning Qingxue lowered her voice, the Heart-Shattering Bell on her wrist trembling slightly, its delicate sound like birdsong in an empty mountain, rippling through the deathly silence.
Lu Ming nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the churning gray fog.
Before the words were finished, the swirling, ethereal mist suddenly surged, as if stirred by an invisible hand, and frantically gathered from among the sand and gravel, under the broken pillars, and behind the ruins.
First a wisp, then a patch, finally twisting and solidifying on the open ground, transforming into a more solidified Void Shadow Guard than those in the dark tunnel.
Its entire body was as black as ink, without a face or eyes, except for its hands which were formed into sharp claws, and its body was surrounded by an aura of death.
As soon as the shadow took shape, it pounced on the two with a ferocious killing intent.
"Hold on tight."
Lu Ming gave a low instruction, then moved slightly to protect Ning Qingxue behind him.
The sword energy spread out like a storm, and the sword intent completely covered the snow-covered sword in the clouds.
Lu Ming then swung his longsword again, unleashing the first move of the Xuanwu Sword Technique, "Surging Waves."
A sword light, interwoven with cyan and blue, instantly erupted, like the rising tide of the ocean, rippling across a vast expanse of blue waves.
The sharpness of Qingping Sword Intent is combined with the mystery of Xuanwu Sword Technique, its power hidden in stillness.
Wherever the sword light passed, the approaching illusory shadow soldiers crumbled inch by inch, turning into dust that drifted down onto the red sand.
But this temporary disappearance is nothing more than an illusion.
In just a few breaths, the scattered gray mist re-condensed not far away, and the shadow soldiers reappeared, their blades and claws even more ferocious, relentlessly killing and annihilating them.
Even more strangely, as the battle continued, these ethereal shadow soldiers seemed to have sensed the aura on Lu Ming that made them wary.
More and more Shadow Soldiers abandoned Ning Qingxue, turned their blades and claws, and pounced on Lu Ming like a dark tide.
The dense array of blades and claws sliced through the air, creating a series of whistling sounds, determined to completely tear apart the figure that they feared.
Lu Ming stood firm as a pine tree, not retreating an inch.
Qingping's sword intent surged again, like a pine tree standing tall and proud in the snow.
The second move of the Xuanwu Sword Technique, Zhenyue, followed immediately.
When the sword fell, it was like Mount Tai suppressing the abyss, heavy and imposing. The sharp power of the sword flowed around the blade, and where the sword light fell, the shadow soldier shattered instantly as if hitting an iron mountain.
His body, having reached the pinnacle of physical refinement, was already immune to most attacks.
Even if the Shadow Soldier's blade and claws swept across the shoulder, causing occasional injury, only a shallow mark would remain. In an instant, the flesh and blood would regenerate, leaving not even the slightest trace of injury.
Inside the storage bag, the pills and top-grade spirit stones given by the Zhenwu Sect continuously supplied spiritual power, and the Xuan Yuan True Qi circulated endlessly like rivers and seas, becoming more stable and courageous with each battle.
Ning Qingxue stood behind him, gazing at his tall, solitary figure, and felt a sudden pang in her heart.
She grew up in the Li Tian Palace and was used to the ruthlessness and selfishness of cultivators, as well as their hypocrisy.
Ning Qingxue had never seen Lu Ming in such a state before. His Qingping Sword Intent was as solitary as the moon over an empty mountain, and his Xuanwu Sword Technique was as vast as the sea. His sword moves danced out a poetic scene in the ruins.
Amidst the swirling gray fog, the azure sword shadow appeared detached from the world, elegant and otherworldly.
She subconsciously activated that wisp of spiritual power, making the sound waves of the Heart-Shattering Bell even stronger. The delicate sound of the bell, like the gentle tinkling of jade pendants, added a touch of softness to the sword's cry, interfering with the shadow soldier's movements.
The wind swept up the remaining sand, and the star patterns flickered.
The broken pillar stands silent, the sword's shadow lingers serenely.
In the desolate ruins, only the sound of the Snow Sword in the Clouds and the shattering bell remain, intertwined with the soft rustling of sand, composing a desolate ancient melody.
Just then, the void mist on the ground suddenly surged violently, and a void power even denser than that of the Shadow Soldiers swept over.
In the center of the sandstorm, a tall figure slowly materialized, clad in dark mist armor, with a strange beast formed from the power of nothingness beneath him.
The armor and claws gleamed with a cold, eerie light, several times more powerful than ordinary shadow soldiers. As soon as they appeared, they rushed straight at Lu Ming's face with overwhelming force.
Lu Mingqing poured all his sword intent into the sword, and the sword moved at will, unleashing the third move of the Xuanwu Sword Technique, Cangming.
A gentle breeze stirs the water, the sword vanishes into the dust; the vast ocean ripples, the Milky Way swirls. Sword light falls, silver snakes dance; clear moonlight spreads, the sword's intent runs wild.
With a unique and vast momentum, Cangming slashed horizontally with his sword, instantly shattering the Shadow Rider's mist armor and turning the beast beneath him into gray mist.
Before the gray fog dissipated, new shadow riders gathered in the mist, and shadow soldiers surrounded them like a tide, trapping the two on the broken platform in the center of the ruins.
This broken platform was once the core of the outer hall of the Heavenly Pivot. Half of an ancient star map was engraved on the center of the platform, with flowing silver patterns. It barely carved out a dust-free place to resist the erosion of the power of nothingness, becoming the only place for the two to catch their breath.
Lu Ming stood guard at the edge of the broken platform, while Yun Jianxue continued to wield her sword, blending the Qingping Sword Intent with the Xuanwu Sword Technique, rotating endlessly between the three styles: Jinglan, Zhenyue, and Cangming.
The gray mist scattered and gathered again under the sword light, and the shadow soldiers and riders fell and regenerated, but he always protected Ning Qingxue behind him, never retreating an inch.
Despite the blades and claws flying around, not a single danger came near her.
Ning Qingxue leaned against the broken stone pillar, gazing at the figure bathed in sword light.
In the desolation of this ancient ruin, she felt a sense of peace she had never experienced before.
Ning Qingxue spoke softly, her voice weak but clear enough to reach Lu Ming's ears: "These things are born from the power of nothingness, and they can't be killed at all."
Lu Ming's sword momentum did not stop, and Qingping's sword intent swept away several shadow soldiers who rushed towards him.
Lu Ming's voice was calm and resolute: "It's alright, with me here, they can't hurt you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he leaped into the air, his sword intent sweeping out like a silver river.
The Xuanwu Sword Technique suddenly appeared, its sword light like a blue rainbow splitting the sky, tearing a dazzling slit in the dark dome, instantly shattering swathes of shadow soldiers.
But the next moment, the void and mist surged, and the shadow soldiers condensed again, as if there was no end in sight.
Red sand swirled, broken pillars stood silent, and star-like array patterns flickered on the ruins.
The sword shadows dance wildly, and the sound of the Heart-Shattering Bell rings softly. In this ancient ruin that buried the entire Tian Shu sect, two figures lean on each other, guarding a sliver of hope amidst the endless killing trap.