Chapter 14 — A Prodigy

With a dragon's roar of "clang," the sound rang through the Shoujing Hall. Lin Jinghong was shrouded in blue light as a radiant azure immortal sword was summoned, its blade clear as autumn water, auspicious qi steaming forth. In an instant it not only checked the onrushing rays of the Amber Crimson Silk but cast every face in the Shoujing Hall in a jade-green light.

Tian Buhui suddenly gave a cold snort and said, "Cangsong is truly generous, to pass down even the 'Dragon-Cleaving Sword' to him."

Seeing that Lin Jinghong was unharmed, Qi Hao was relieved. He smiled from the side and said, "Our master once said that my junior brother's gifts are surpassing and he is certain to achieve greatness, so to devote effort to cultivating him is only fitting."

Tian Buhui's expression grew uglier still.

In the hall, the Amber Crimson Silk and the Dragon-Cleaving Sword were locked in a dead standoff. Then Tian Lingsu's beautiful eyes flew wide, her arms flung out, her red robes fluttering, and her body slowly rose into the air. Crossing her hands before her breast in the orchid-finger seal, she cried, "Bind the Spirit!"

The words had scarce left her lips when the radiance surged. The Amber Crimson Silk, a mere three feet long before her, suddenly flew back and halted before her; with a crisp sound the glow blazed forth, and swelling in the wind it grew with incredible speed—in an instant grown countless times over, filling the whole upper space of the Shoujing Hall, and at once pressing down the blue light of the Dragon-Cleaving Sword. In a moment it transformed into thousands upon thousands of silken cords that rushed at Lin Jinghong and wrapped him tight, leaving not a breath of space.

Su Wan rose to her feet and called into the air, "Ling'er, enough of this insolence!"

But even as she spoke, the myriad lengths of red silk had wrapped Lin Jinghong tight. The others could see neither Lin Jinghong nor even Tian Lingsu's figure in midair, hidden behind layer upon layer of red silk.

Zhang Qingyue stared dumbstruck at the marvel, when suddenly he heard someone behind him exclaim in admiration, "The Amber Crimson Silk—truly worthy of its name!"

He turned and saw Qi Hao watching the hall without blinking, murmuring to himself, showing not a trace of worry.

Just as Tian Lingsu's victory seemed certain, everyone heard a harsh "rip"—and a gap suddenly appeared in the layers of red silk, through which a sliver of blue light shone.

Tian Buhui's and Su Wan's faces changed at once.

"Roar!" A tremendous sound, like an enraged dragon's furious hiss, shook the nine heavens. In an instant the gap widened a hundredfold, the blue light blazed anew, and Lin Jinghong burst through the silk. Man and sword as one, a faint dragon shape flickering about his whole body, he charged at Tian Lingsu like an arrow loosed from the string, irresistible.

Everyone paled. Tian Lingsu alone, though startled, was not flustered. She swept her hands before her breast to trace a Taiji diagram in the void, and in a moment the layers of red silk returned before her, becoming countless barriers. The sound of shattering came without cease as the Dragon-Cleaving Sword pierced layer after layer of red silk; its momentum slowed somewhat, yet its indomitable force did not diminish in the least. It seemed the two were about to decide life and death, victory and defeat.

"Zheng!"

A wave of chill passed, and the Dragon-Cleaving Sword rebounded as if striking rotten cotton. Lin Jinghong paled with shock and looked up: in that instant a wall of ice had formed between him and Tian Lingsu, the cold assailing them. For all the Dragon-Cleaving Sword's terrible power, it could not break through that ice wall. And Qi Hao, none knew when, had already leaped in front of him and pulled him back a full zhang.

On the other side, Tian Lingsu's face was pale, but Su Wan had in the blink of an eye darted forward to gather her in her arms and retreat to Tian Buhui's side.

In the hall the two immortal treasures, no longer controlled, gradually lost their radiance and flew back each to its master's hand.

In the Shoujing Hall, all was silent.