STNS: Chapter 493 (Patreon)

[Azure Torrent]

Loong Chen summoned the elemental power of water, shaping it into a massive azure dragon that spiraled around him. A long mane and thick whiskers gave the dragon a fierce look. It was also big. Wu Jian had seen depictions of the Azure Dragon back in the Shang Kingdom, and this monstrous creation looked just like them.

“Go,” Loong Chen said, pointing at Zhou Shíwēi.

The azure dragon let loose a roar that echoed across the valley as it surged toward Zhou Shíwēi.

[Sovereign of Hours]

With a wave of his hand, Zhou Shíwēi send forth a series of rapid slashes. Each attack was only visible as a ripple that spread across the sky like a wave. They tore into the azure dragon with impunity, then froze everything. It was an attack that froze the area around it within a moment in time.

Zhou Shíwēi stepped around the attack. Loong Chen also appeared to have been frozen in time. The man raised his hand toward the sky, drawing his chi and molding it in a way that Wu Jian couldn’t fathom, then swung it down.

[Decree of Aeons]

The slash created a rift that tore the sky apart, as though the heavens themselves was being ripped asunder.

[Celestial Rainfall Shield]

Despite seemingly being frozen in time, Loong Chen called upon his chi and created a protective dome of cascading water that surrounded him. The attack that seemed to shatter the very heavens met the shield and broke like waves crashing upon a shore.

This entire sequence happened in less than a few seconds. Wu Jian couldn’t even begin to keep up with their attacks, so he didn’t bother trying. He continued performing hand seals. His breathing and chi had already synchronized with Wu Meiying, and now she was directing their chi flow into her technique, shaping it, molding it. Time and space were intermingling around them, creating small distortions in the air that caused them to phase in and out of the world.

Zhe Dāozhe stood to his feet and glanced back at them. “Wu Meiying, how much time do you need?”

“Fifteen minutes. If you can grant me fifteen more minutes, I can guarantee my escape,” she said.

He nodded. “Very well. Though I am loathe to team up with that infernal dragon, I will help him give you fifteen minutes. Ensure my disciples are safe.”

“Of course.”

The ground quaked beneath Zhe Dāozhe as he flew into the air, toward the clash happening above. Loong Chen was wielding water and ice now. Dragons composed of both elements soared through the sky, only to be torn apart by Zhou Shíwēi as he waved a hand and created attacks that warped the very fabrics of time.

[Breeze Through Willows]

Zhe Dāozhe closed the distance in less time than it took to blink and began gently swinging his sword, as though he was mimicking the gentle passing of wind through willow branches. His blade was little more than a brief glimmer. It was like a mirage. Zhou Shíwēi saw it coming and tried to block with his time techniques, but the attacks were persistent, bypassing his defenses and striking him. Each attack was small. Tiny nicks appeared on his skin and tore through his clothes. They were not deadly nor dangerous, but death by a thousand cuts was sometimes more painful than one big cut.

“Enough!”

Zhou Shíwēi released his chi in a wave that pushed Zhe Dāozhe and Loong Chen back. They floated along in the sky before stopping.

“Stay out of my fight!” Loong Chen snapped.

Zhe Dāozhe clicked his tongue. “This was originally my battle. You should stay out of it… or so I’d like to say, but I cannot defeat this man on my own. I’ll allow you to help me. You should be grateful.”

“Asshole! You’re the one who should be grateful that my apprentice is down there! If she wasn’t, I wouldn’t help you if you were the last man on earth!”

“That makes two of us.”

“Even after a thousand years, you two have not changed one bit,” Zhou Shíwēi said without expression.

“You’re one to talk,” Zhe Dāozhe said.

“Yeah, keep your trap shut, you emotionless cad,” Loong Chen added.

“It seems I will need to teach you two fools a lesson. Since you seek death so readily, allow me to deliver you into its hands,” Zhou Shíwēi muttered.

The battle in the sky intensified. Wu Jian had trouble keeping his breathing and chi synchronized as the intense chi and powerful elemental forces from above threatened to crush him. How Wu Meiying remained so calm was beyond him. It felt like he was witnessing a battle between gods.

“Look at that fight,” Hou Jingshu muttered with wide eyes. “Unbelievable.”

“They’re so strong,” Youmei added.

“It’s possible those two will win now. Look. They have the Zhou Clan Head on the ropes,” Zhe Fēnglì said.

“No,” Wu Meiying halted any further optimism with her harsh words. “Even if those two combine their strength, the most they can do is stall him. I hate to say it, but Zhou Shíwēi will win eventually.”

“But,” Mei Qi muttered, “that does not seem to be the case. Just look at how they are pushing him back.”

Wu Meiying did not stop molding chi as she shook her head. “What you see is only what you wish to see. Zhou Shíwēi is not being pushed back. He is gathering his chi for an attack they won’t be able to defend against. That man… he has already achieved godhood.”

“You’re… you’re kidding,” Húndàn Wang said in shock.

“I am not.” Wu Meiying bit her lip. “He is using a powerful artifact to suppress his cultivation, but there is no mistaking those fluctuations. He is about to use a technique that only someone who has reached the Seven Divine Realms can achieve.”

If he was using an artifact, that would explain how he could remain in this realm despite his power. Small worlds like this could not contain a god. He should have been expelled. But if his cultivation was being suppressed…

“We need to hurry,” Wu Jian muttered.

“Yes,” Wu Meiying agreed, then addressed the Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples. “All of you need to leave this place now. I won’t be able to take you all with me. Take this map. It shows the location of a hideout. The Zhou Clan will not be able to find you there, and it is equipped with enough techniques and alchemy pills that you can grow extremely strong.”

Nobody questioned how or why she had something like this. It was obvious even without asking. Zhe Fēnglì accepted the map.

“We will get going then. Be careful,” Zhe Fēnglì said.

“Of course. You as well. Be careful.”

The Heavenly Sword Sect disciples all quickly left. Mei Qi took one last look at them before rushing to catch up with the others, leaving the original group of Wu Jian, Wu Meiying, Hou Jingshu, Zhou Lihua, Youmei, and Shuchang.

“You should also leave,” Wu Meiying said to Shuchang.

“Nah, I think I’ll stick with you guys,” Shuchang said with a shrug.

Wu Meiying looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn’t bother and continued working. By now, small black eddies of swirling energy gathered in front of her and were beginning to take shape. Wu Jian could sense the dao of both time and space within this door. He had no idea where this would lead to, but he now understood this was their escape route. The idea of escaping bothered him. He hated it. His enemy was right there, but he also understood that he couldn’t win as he was now. Wu Jian would rather live in disgrace and achieve his revenge in the end than die without having avenged his clan.

However, what she was doing did not go unnoticed. Zhou Shíwēi looked down at them with wide eyes. Zhe Dāozhe and Loong Chen noticed he was distracted and launched simultaneous attacks at him.

[Heaven’s Divide]

[Dragon’s Breath Deluge]

Loong Chen inhaled a deep breath, then emitted a deep, resonating roar with his exhale, unleashing a torrential blast of water that resembled dragon flames. The amount of power within the technique could be felt even by those down below. This was a force of nature, a technique so powerful that it could reshape the continent if it struck.

 The attack washed over Zhou Shíwēi. The man’s form vanished as it was engulfed in the incredible waters.

That was when Zhe Dāozhe struck. He had channeled chi into his jian, causing the blade to glow with radiant light that split the sky. The moment froze. It was as if time itself stood still. Then he swung his sword down in a single, powerful overhand slash. A vertical beam of energy burst forth, splitting not only the torrent of water, but also the sky along with it. Fragments of shattered reality rained down as clouds parted and the heavens appeared. While reality quickly reasserted itself, that single attack showcased his incredible might.

Zhou Shíwēi was unharmed.

“I have no more time to deal with you two,” he muttered.

[Domain of the Everlasting]

Nothing seemed to happen--not to the unknowing eye, but the two powerful figures who had been fighting valiantly up to this point both froze. Their bodies became like blocks of ice. They did not move, not even to breathe.

Zhou Shíwēi wiped some sweat from his forehead and quickly descended to the ground. He took one step toward their group, but he was forced to stop when Wu Meiying spoke up.

“I would not move any closer, if I were you.” Her eyes were cold as she stared at him. “You know what this is, don’t you? You are currently radiating with the Dao of Time. Take one more step and it will cause this entire thing to destabilize. What do you think will happen? You might survive, but me and Wu Jian…”

Grimacing, Zhou Shíwēi remained where he was. Wu Jian didn’t understand the intricacies of this technique, so he couldn’t fully comprehend what Wu Meiying was saying, but he understood well enough. This technique would kill him and Wu Meiying if it became unstable. That was enough to stay Zhou Shíwēi’s hand.

Wu Meiying sighed. “They couldn’t even grant me fifteen minutes… but I already predicted that. We will be taking our leave. Zhou Shíwēi, you had better clean your neck thoroughly. Jian and I will kill you the next time we meet.”

“Are you sure you wish to speak to me like that?” Zhou Shíwēi asked.

“Why wouldn’t I speak to you like that?”

“If you decide to speak to me in such a disrespectful tone, then I may just have to kill that child’s mother.”

A jolt raced through Wu Jian’s body as Zhou Shíwēi pointed at him. His entire body felt like it had been dumped in a vat of ice. Did this man mean… surely, he couldn’t mean… there was no way, right?

“Are you saying… my mother is alive?” asked Wu Jian.

“Calm down, Jian! Don’t let your emotions fluctuate!” Wu Meiying snapped.

Wu Jian took several deep breaths to remain calm, but Zhou Shíwēi smiled as he found the chink in his armor. He waved his hand. Strange distortions appeared in the air like swirling eddies of power. They created… a mirror? No, a portal. It was like looking through a window. What Wu Jian saw on the other side of that window made his blood run cold. It was of a woman who had seen better days. She was chained to a wall, her body bruised and battered, dried blood caking to her skin. However, he would recognize her anywhere.

“M-Mother…?”

“Jian!”

Wu Jian gulped. He took several deep breaths to calm himself and continued pouring chi into Wu Meiying so she could mold it into her technique. Whether that was truly his mother and whether she was really alive hardly mattered right now. He could not save her. He did not have the power. Still, seeing her like that hurt. Illusion or not, it hurt.

Zhou Shíwēi sighed. “So even that cannot move you. You are quite resilient. It seems I have no choice but to let you go… for now. However, you should understand that you cannot run from me. You told me to wash my neck? I send those words back at you. I won’t allow you to escape me next time.”

Wu Meiying did not respond to Zhou Shíwēi’s words as she stood up and grabbed one of Wu Jian’s arms. Hou Jingshu grabbed his other arm and hauled him up. Because he had no legs, he was left dangling between them as they slung his arms over their shoulders. Blood dripped from his stumps. They had been cut open several more times because they had healed over. Youmei and Zhou Lihua each grabbed one of his legs on Wu Meiying’s orders. The only one left with nothing to grab was Shuchang.

Not even bothering to look at Zhou Shíwēi again, Wu Meiying and the others walked through portal, which soon closed behind them.

***

Zhou Shíwēi stared at the spot where the portal had been standing. It had been so very long since he had felt this frustrated. His master’s targets had been in his grasp, but he’d been forced to let them both escape.

“I will remember this humiliation,” he said. A fluctuation of chi made him look up suddenly, and he grimaced. “So they are escaping already… I have used too much chi today. I cannot battle them without deactivating the artifact, and I cannot do that if I wish to remain here. I suppose… I’ll let things go for now. Both of you should also wash your neck. I will kill you the next time we meet.”

The domain Zhou Shíwēi had activated soon shattered as the pair he’d been fighting released their chi. The tumultuous torrent of power swept over the land, destroying landmarks, decimating nearby mountains, and reshaping the terrain.

However, Zhou Shíwēi was no longer there.