Chapter 95

No one had noticed Bai Shi's almost imperceptible movement. Only Bai Shi himself was clear that when he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his bare hand, a strange change occurred under his mental command.

This change came from the birth of that mysterious power. As the middle-aged man approached Bai Shi, a different light seemed to shine in Bai Shi's eyes, adding a touch of vitality. This made his body tremble suddenly, and he clenched his fist, responding to the strange power from his bare hand. He swung his fist at the sharp sword the middle-aged man was wielding!

The moment Bai Shi swung his fist, the middle-aged man immediately felt an overwhelming sense of danger. This feeling came from the fist shadow that appeared in the spatial rift the instant Bai Shi's fist swung, from the killing intent in Bai Shi's eyes at such close range, and even from the immense pressure emanating from the fist shadow, which almost made it hard for him to breathe.

However, it was too late!

This was the first and only time Bai Shi activated that mysterious power after reaching the Lingxuan realm. He had originally intended to use this power when dealing with Beichenzi, but it seemed he could no longer wait.

Almost the instant Bai Shi's fist swung, a powerful force erupted from his fist, colliding with the sharp sword in the middle-aged man's hand, producing a deafening explosion. In the aftermath of the explosion, the middle-aged man's sword instantly shattered into several pieces. With a look of terror, the force from the fist did not stop; it shattered the sword and then directly aimed for the man's chest!

With a muffled groan, before he could even scream, a large blood hole appeared in his chest, causing his body to be thrown back. At the same moment, the soul surrounding his body vanished!

This scene was witnessed by the group of middle-aged cultivators holding swords a few dozen feet in front of Bai Shi. They were all shaken to their core, and as they met Bai Shi's gaze, a chill ran through them, making them retreat timidly.

Before this, they were well aware that Bai Shi's cultivation had greatly weakened, but even so, no one among them dared to rashly challenge him. Now, seeing another middle-aged cultivator die, even though they felt resentful, they could not understand why Bai Shi still had such formidable power to kill his opponent. This realization made them extremely wary of the blood-covered Bai Shi.

"Is there anyone... who wants to step forward and die!"

The expenditure of energy this time had left Bai Shi on the verge of collapse, but the madness in his eyes did not diminish. Even though his body was almost exhausted, he still stood firm and took a step forward.

This step did not cause any tremor in the air; it was only a faint force that lifted Bai Shi's body, causing a slight tremble. In this tremble, Bai Shi felt he might fall from the air at any moment. As he shouted, seeing the middle-aged cultivators retreat, he gave a cold laugh, and his body suddenly seemed to be released, falling back to the ground. Finally, he stopped at the location of Xichenzi and Su Xuan.

Su Xuan helped Bai Shi up, his eyes full of concern. Even though he could no longer see Bai Shi's expression clearly, he could still see the effort Bai Shi was making to force a smile. That smile seemed to contain endless沧桑 (cang桑, meaning沧桑 can be translated as "vicissitudes" or "hardships"), as if it were a farewell.

"This is your tribulation... Ever since you obtained this sword, you were destined to face these tribulations..."

Xichenzi, clearly severely injured, coughed a few times and then looked at Bai Shi, who had fallen on the snowy ground, speaking calmly.

His face was even paler than before, as if his severe injuries did not allow him to move forward. When he looked at Bai Shi, the madness in Bai Shi's eyes seemed to dissipate, and even the few strands of purple hair on his head turned black. The red threads of soul energy surrounding his body were also gradually fading.

"I naturally believe that your soul will not be consumed by evil... However, given my current situation, I cannot lend a hand. Do not blame me for this," Xichenzi continued, his words filled with helplessness.

Bai Shi gave a bitter laugh and shook his head, as if telling Xichenzi not to blame himself. He spoke softly, "Since I came to Daochen True Realm, I have always been cared for by you, Master Xichen. In this life, I will never forget it. But today, I cannot avoid this tribulation. The great kindness and virtue I owe you can only be repaid in the next life."

Xichenzi's expression remained unchanged, and he said, "Everything has its destiny. Our meeting is a kind of fate. If you want to fully control a sword, especially one that comes from another person, you must go through that person's tribulation. This is not only a tribulation of cultivation but also a tribulation of the sword." As he spoke, his eyes became even more profound, adding a touch of沧桑 (cang桑) to his already aged face. He sighed deeply, as if thinking of something, and his gaze turned to the distance, looking at the location of Xichen Manor.

"Perhaps... this is truly destined!" As his gaze turned to Xichen Manor, Xichenzi continued, but his words now carried a hint of worry, and a slight frown appeared on his forehead, as if he saw something.

Bai Shi did not understand Xichenzi's words, but he smiled faintly, a smile that was bitter and seemed to carry endless hatred. He shifted his gaze from Xichenzi to the sky, where Dongchenzi was quickly dodging the white light pillars.

"Uncle Dongchen has suffered so much for me, and I, Bai Shi, am powerless to help. If I, Bai Shi, can survive this tribulation, I will one day avenge this by wiping out Nanchen Manor and Beichen Manor!"

After speaking, Bai Shi took a few steps forward. As he moved, the fire in his heart reignited, leaving footprints in the snow, each one stained with blood from his injured arm. After a few steps, he slowly climbed onto the shattered stone platform, his robe fluttering in the cold wind, and a few strands of his black hair brushed against his face.

But his eyes did not blink; instead, they were fixed on the group of middle-aged cultivators in the sky, looking down at him. His gaze was resolute, like a warrior waiting to die in battle!

Su Xuan did not stop him. He had made a decision, a choice that was hard to describe. This choice made him stand still, watching Bai Shi, feeling a strange excitement, a kind of support that faced death with fearlessness. In the past, in the Daochen Mountains, Su Xuan had seen those strong men die for him, their backs as resolute as Bai Shi's now. This was a determination that could not be expressed in words!

Now, what Su Xuan saw was not someone dying for others, but someone dying for himself!

In the depths of Su Xuan's heart, this determination turned into a confirmation of his cultivation, a confirmation that made his face flush with excitement.

"Bai Shi, if you cannot escape this tribulation today, I, Su Xuan, will avenge you when I become strong enough!"

Su Xuan stood still, letting the cold wind batter him, like a statue in the snow, watching Bai Shi without moving. But his eyes were no longer filled with worry; they were like Bai Shi's, filled with madness and endless hatred!

Before this, Su Xuan thought that Emperor Qi had taken away his friendship, his friends, and even the family-like bond that had formed from that friendship. But at this moment, he saw others who had taken these things away—Beichenzi and Nanchenzi.

In Su Xuan's heart, anyone who took away what belonged to him would be taken back, no matter the cost, no matter how long it took. He could wait, he could endure, and he had... time!

So, he stood there silently, watching Bai Shi, without a word, without sorrow or joy!

Bai Shi looked up at the sky, scanning the area, as if sizing up the situation. Finally, his gaze focused on the middle-aged cultivators, the madness in his eyes growing even more intense. It seemed he was calmly accepting something, perhaps the impending death, but if one looked closely, it was clear that what Bai Shi was about to do was the most fearless struggle in the eyes of others.

In silence, he quickly gathered the remaining strength in his body. Even though his body was extremely exhausted and he could only support himself on the shattered stone platform, Bai Shi endured the pain from his arm. As he focused his mind, a Bone Tempering Pill appeared in his hand. After swallowing it, he reached out into the air again.

This time, his hand reached out into the air with a light and calm gesture, but in reality, it was a great effort for Bai Shi, a difficult reach. This reach had little effect, and the power from the spiritual energy in the air was extremely weak, almost imperceptible.

But even so, the moment the weak power appeared, Bai Shi's eyes showed extreme madness, and he spoke in a deep voice, "Come on... all of you, come at me together. If you can't kill me today, I, Bai Shi, will come back and take your lives!"