When Deng Tai’a arrived on his flying sword, he saw the young prince sitting alone atop the shattered stone steps, a blade resting across his knees.
Xu Fengnian, his robes stained with blood, looked utterly exhausted yet his spirit remained indomitable. His battered celestial physique, like a withered tree reviving in spring, was brimming with renewed vitality, gradually approaching its peak.
Deng Tai’a landed gracefully, the ordinary iron sword gifted by his disciple hanging at his waist, while he held Tai’a in reverse. Standing beside Xu Fengnian, he asked, “Eight hundred years of scholarly spirit, all scattered to the winds?”
Xu Fengnian nodded. “Before departing, the old master seemed reluctant to leave. He lingered for an hour, arranging his affairs, before finally ascending in a rainbow.”
Deng Tai’a frowned. “And this fight?”
Xu Fengnian chuckled wryly. “The great sage of the Central Plains’ literary lineage likely trusted Li Yufu’s pure Daoist heart more. When Li escorted the dragon carp along the Guangling River to the sea, the old master must have observed him in secret and found him trustworthy. As for me? Not so much. Not only am I Xu Xiao’s son, but I might also vie for the throne. If I were him, I wouldn’t entrust the legacy of the sages to someone like me either. That’s why he pushed me to the brink—he had to see my true nature before he could rest easy.”
The Peach Blossom Sword God, who had never cared for the rise and fall of empires, sneered. “Still just an old man throwing his weight around.”
Xu Fengnian neither agreed nor disagreed. Instead, he turned with a smile and asked, “Still bitter about your sword being barred from Wudang Mountain?”
Deng Tai’a admitted frankly, “Of course. A sword unleashed should never return empty-handed!”
Both Xu Fengnian and Deng Tai’a looked up at the distant horizon, where the first light of dawn was breaking. After the sage of the Zhang family ascended in a manner akin to a Daoist immortal’s self-liberation, the world seemed imbued with a new, indescribable energy, veiling the workings of heaven.
*The world is filled with righteous energy, manifesting in myriad forms, surging to fill the heavens and earth.*
Xu Fengnian murmured, “Virtue, deeds, and words—the three immortalities of a scholar. This old master truly achieved them all.”
Deng Tai’a crossed his arms. “Impressive, yes, but still not quite to my taste.”
Xu Fengnian sighed helplessly. “In this world, not everyone can be like you, Deng Tai’a. Don’t stand there talking without feeling the strain.”
Then Xu Fengnian remembered something and grinned. “Oh, before he left, the old master told me to pass on a message: in his view, in the thousand years since the birth of the sword, no one has surpassed your mastery.”
Deng Tai’a scoffed. “Swordplay is just the sesame seeds Lü Dongbin discarded after picking the watermelon.”
Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes. “Talking to you is so dull.”
Deng Tai’a shot him a sidelong glance.
Xu Fengnian asked, “What about the 200,000 swords scattered across the Wu Family Sword Mausoleum? Do you need to return them?”
Deng Tai’a countered, “Why? Want to keep them?”
Xu Fengnian waved his hands hastily. “I wouldn’t dare! The Wu family’s ancestors would wage war on Northern Liang. Poaching their treasures would be pushing it too far.”
Deng Tai’a said flatly, “Then I’ll return them all. The Wu family’s things have always been a nuisance anyway.”
Xu Fengnian lowered his voice. “Come on, at least pick a few hundred of the best blades and stash them away. Just say they were destroyed by the Zhang family sage. If the Wu family wants to make a fuss, let them take it up with the sage’s estate!”
Deng Tai’a looked disdainful. “I can’t be bothered with such petty schemes.”
Xu Fengnian beamed. “No need for the Peach Blossom Sword God to dirty his hands. I’ll handle it—I’m quite adept at intercepting treasures.”
Deng Tai’a ignored him, focusing instead on gathering his will. Controlling over 200,000 flying swords to Northern Liang was no small feat.
Xu Fengnian suddenly said, “Before he left, the old master told me that Tuoba Pusa’s martial prowess has advanced by leaps and bounds overnight.”
Deng Tai’a’s face darkened as he grasped the implication. “So they’re using Tuoba Pusa and Tantai Pingjing to corner you?”
Xu Fengnian nodded. “Pretty much.”
Deng Tai’a asked, “Did the old man say how strong Tuoba Pusa has become? Any comparisons?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head. “He was vague. Just five words: ‘Celestial Great Longevity.'”
Deng Tai’a frowned. “I’ve never been good with cryptic phrases. Just tell me—compared to when Wang Xianzhi left the East Sea, is Tuoba Pusa slightly weaker or about the same?”
Xu Fengnian, having already pondered this headache-inducing question, replied instantly, “Best case? Half a step behind.”
Deng Tai’a pressed, “And the worst?”
Xu Fengnian teased, half-joking, “I’m afraid saying it might scare you.”
Deng Tai’a smirked. “Has anyone ever told you talking to you is just as tedious?”
Xu Fengnian grinned. “Not at all, especially not the ladies! There’s even a saying circulating in the Central Plains now: ‘Ten years to cultivate Song Yu’s charm, a hundred for Lü Dongbin’s Dao, a thousand for Xu Fengnian.'”
Deng Tai’a said dryly, “Oh? Not ‘a hundred for Xu Fengnian, a thousand for Lü Dongbin’?”
Xu Fengnian stroked his chin, feigning confusion. “Did I misremember?”
Deng Tai’a snapped, “Spit it out!”
Xu Fengnian’s expression turned serious as he sheathed his Liang blade at his waist. “Worst case? At a certain moment, Tuoba Pusa’s combat power could surpass Wang Xianzhi by half a step.”
Deng Tai’a laughed it off, stretching as dawn approached. “Then that’s the worst. Want me to handle Tuoba Pusa instead?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head, gazing lazily at the tranquil, lightening sky. “You’ve already fought him in the Northern Desert. This time, it’s my turn.”
After a pause, Deng Tai’a realized belatedly and mocked, “Don’t forget, you’ve fought him twice—once in the Western Regions, once beyond Liangzhou’s borders. If I recall correctly, it was one draw, one loss?”
Xu Fengnian let the breeze wash over him, carrying away the last traces of blood. “When did I ever lose? If Li Mibi hadn’t interfered at the last moment during that thousand-mile chase in the Western Regions, Tuoba Pusa would’ve been dead long ago.”
Deng Tai’a chuckled. “Fine. If you’re set on playing the hero, I won’t stop you.”
Xu Fengnian said softly, “In terms of pure combat power, we’re all at the celestial realm, with little difference. But there’s one mindset Wang Xianzhi alone possessed—even if you wield Tai’a, even if Tuoba Pusa receives divine gifts, neither of you could ever match it.”
Deng Tai’a asked curiously, “Invincible in the mortal realm?”
Xu Fengnian suddenly drew his blade, pointing it at the rising sun. “Enemies in all the world!”
Deng Tai’a pressed, “Do you have it?”
Xu Fengnian answered obliquely, “Northern Liang always has.”
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