frightfiction #764 - The Ruthless Sword
#764 - The Ruthless Sword
It could be said that Daoist Xizhao inadvertently delivered everything Li Chengfeng needed for his Red Dust Tempering.
His plans, his ambitions, his Heavenly Mandate Pearl, all became stepping stones on Li Chengfeng's path of cultivation.
At this moment, he seemed to see the end of his own destiny, and also saw Li Chengfeng's unstoppable rise.
He roared angrily, trying to break free from the shackles of fate.
However, Li Chengfeng suddenly grabbed him, and said coldly: "This is your destiny."
A wave of the Dao of Destiny instantly enveloped Daoist Xizhao, and the Dao rhythm on his body was suddenly extracted.
The Dao of Destruction, wherever this Dao goes, there is destruction, destroying all that is beautiful, like the doomsday scene of the Five Signs of Decay of Heaven and Man.
However, at this moment, it transformed into a rune and merged into Li Chengfeng's body, deepening his understanding of destiny.
Having lost the Dao rhythm of the Dao of Destruction, Daoist Xizhao instantly felt a pain worse than death. His Red Dust Tempering failed, and his entire body collapsed, turning into a ball of raging fire.
From within the flames, his unwilling roar came out: "Li Chengfeng, this is impossible! How could you reverse the situation? Xuanwu's calculations were flawless, yet he didn't foresee this step!"
He was filled with remorse, his mistake was not killing his disciple first, but bringing him to see Li Chengfeng.
However, just as his voice fell, his disciple, Daoist Xizhao, suddenly made his move.
A black longsword appeared in his hand, covered with strange patterns like a venomous snake.
With a whoosh, it directly shattered the last bit of soul in the raging fire.
He said coldly: "Thank you, Master, for your accomplishment. You are truly a good person.
You saved me, raised me from childhood, and now you have helped me succeed in Red Dust Tempering, achieving Half-Step God Transformation."
As he spoke, the aura within his body flowed repeatedly, and a special Dao rhythm surged within him.
That was the Dao rhythm of Emotionlessness, yes, it was emotionlessness.
Zhao Baichuan laughed loudly, his voice revealing madness and determination: "Master, you are the Dao rhythm of Destruction, painstakingly nurturing me, and then personally destroying me.
I am the same. I cultivate the Dao of Emotionlessness, so I must kill my parents, all relatives, to achieve the Dao of Emotionlessness.
But to do this, I must take a risky move and enter reincarnation. So, while you were undergoing Red Dust Tempering, your disciple was also undergoing Red Dust Tempering!"
Only at this moment did Daoist Xizhao's unwilling gaze fill with emotion.
He finally understood the reason for all of this. It turned out that it was all the fault of that damned pearl, the Heavenly Mandate Pearl! It had more or less affected his destiny, making him always feel that keeping Li Chengfeng until the end would bring him the greatest sublimation.
"So that's how it is…" Daoist Xizhao laughed loudly, his voice filled with bitterness and helplessness, "It's all that dog thief Xuanwu plotting against me!
He had been planning all of this from the beginning, all to fulfill you! That Heavenly Mandate Pearl, and that book, he deliberately let me obtain.
What a calculation! To fulfill you, he plotted against me for a hundred years! Who exactly are you?"
Li Chengfeng looked at him coldly, a mocking smile appearing on the corner of his lips.
Zhao Baichuan slowly said: "Let me enlighten you before you die. I am the number one battle general under Xuanwu, the Yin Wind Emotionless Sword.
Back then, for the sake of my Lord Xuanwu, I voluntarily entered reincarnation, and like him, attracted attention and disasters from all sides for him, so that he could be preserved.
So he also promised me to achieve a career, advance to Half-Step God Transformation, and once again achieve perfect merit."
Speaking of this, he paused for a moment, his gaze turned to the old Daoist again, his eyes flashing with cold killing intent.
He continued: "My master's calculations are flawless, killing two birds with one stone.
He will both make me succeed in changing my heart, and will kill you at the moment of success.
This is just like Daoist Xizhao's idea, except that the person has become me, but you have not changed, and will still die.
Because it is impossible for you to succeed in tempering your heart now. Tempering your heart requires great opportunity and great perseverance, and you are far from it.
To kill you during Red Dust Tempering, you never dreamed of it, right!"
Li Chengfeng still maintained his white hair and vicissitudes of appearance, but his eyes seemed to contain endless wisdom, revealing the taste of fate, both as deep as distant mountains and seas, and like countless pasts and futures constantly transforming, making people somewhat lost in themselves.
His voice was like a knife, sharp and cold, saying: "Actually, I have always wanted to try to change your destiny. The feeling you give me is that you have been deceived. If I kill you, it will be like saving you, and I can break your master's Red Dust Tempering.
However, I didn't awaken you. In that situation, you still went your own way, which doesn't fit the persona of a cultivator.
All cultivators, which one doesn't abandon everything for longevity? Although you walked resolutely, I felt a different taste in you."
Speaking of this, Li Chengfeng paused slightly, and continued: "So, I made some small changes, intentionally or unintentionally, to the book I gave your master.
I made him eager to improve your strength, and then gamble everything to kill you, thinking that his Red Dust was complete.
Those medicines are not simple. I took out ten kinds of medicine. If you are not in Red Dust Tempering and don't explode your strength, you can be safe and sound;
But if you explode your strength, then these poisons will directly invade your soul."
He glanced coldly at the Yin Wind Emotionless Sword, and continued: "You also know that I cultivate the Unity of Ten Thousand Laws, and the Dao of Poison is also a method I use to control the Ten Thousand Laws.
I even have a Ten Thousand Poison Sword, do you think I would be unprepared?"
Li Chengfeng's words seemed slow, but in fact, they instantly rushed into the Dead Sea of the Yin Wind Emotionless Sword, and suddenly shook it.
The Yin Wind Emotionless Sword only felt a sudden pain all over his body, as if something was tearing at his soul.
When he exploded in Red Dust Tempering, felt that he had already completed it, and even killed his most beloved, most trusted, and best master, achieving emotionlessness and righteousness.
When he was complacent and thought that his love heart had been completed, Li Chengfeng's words were like thunder from the nine heavens, attacking his soul.
The entire body of the Yin Wind Emotionless Sword suddenly turned black, then slowly turned green, and then turned into a pool of pus, flowing outward along the ground, all the way to the yard.
A stench came over, making people want to vomit.
But Li Chengfeng remained motionless, only leaving a sentence: "Red Dust Tempering, hahaha, what a Red Dust Tempering.
Each of you, for the sake of your own cultivation, undergoes Red Dust Tempering, wanting to achieve God Transformation, and the union of soul and spirit.
Comprehending the Three Thousand Great Daos, confirming the Dao you have cultivated. I, Li Chengfeng, am the same, but why should I listen to the Dao of Heaven?
It's still the same sentence, my fate is up to me, not Heaven. Even the Dao of Heaven is futile to those who defy fate!"
Li Chengfeng resolutely left that courtyard, left all the disturbances and entanglements.
As he stepped out step by step, with each step he took, a strand of black hair returned, and the wrinkles on his face also disappeared a little.
This was because Li Chengfeng did not need the so-called "Heart Tempering".
All along, Red Dust Tempering was not a necessary process for him.
Red Dust Tempering is actually overturning all previous selves, carrying out self-denial, and then sealing all of oneself with the role of an observer, and re-enlightening the Dao Law.