by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k
“Xin Li, I’ll make sure the lesson sticks this time. If I don’t knock all your teeth out, it can count as my loss.”
The third commander’s voice rang out from the sky. It sounded like multiple people were speaking.
“Sword Dance of the Heavens!”
Xin Li’s sword suddenly pierced toward the sky. Countless rays of sword-light spread like a lotus blooming.
“What? He’s using such a crazy attack right from the start?” Those familiar with Xin Li were startled. This was one of Xin Li’s trump cards, but he had directly used it without the slightest warning.
Sword Qi raged through the air, criss-crossing and not leaving any space open.
The third commander’s afterimages were torn apart, and his true body was revealed, covered in runes. With a single kick, those sword-images were blown apart. The power of his leg was astonishing.
“I’ve found you!” After forcing the third commander to reveal himself, Xin Li’s sword suddenly erupted with light. He slashed at a diagonal angle from the top right to bottom left.
“Falling Star Sword!” A dark-red streak of sword-light left a destructive wound in space.
“No matter how powerful the attack, if it can’t hit someone, it’s garbage.” The third commander was a bit surprised to be forced to reveal his true body by Xin Li’s attack. Xin Li was fighting differently than before, catching him a bit off guard. However, he still didn’t view him seriously.
Runes appeared on his legs, and he vanished just as the sword-light came.
However, as he vanished, Xin Li’s sword made a turn, slashing from left to right.
The third commander’s figure had just reappeared when Xin Li’s attack coincidentally slashed right at him. That attack didn’t seem at all intentional.
The two of them were so fast that the third commander had only just appeared when he was struck by the attack.
This result elicited startled cries from all the experts watching. The third commander’s strange movements were what made him so fearsome. Even people stronger than him couldn’t track him.
This was also why despite being very powerful, Xin Li was still suppressed by the third commander. He simply couldn’t hit him.
As for defense, that was a sword cultivator’s fatal weakness. If his attacks couldn’t strike his opponent, there was no way he could win. It wasn’t that Xin Li was weaker, it was just that the third commander’s special abilities were his bane.
Seeing Xin Li actually manage to strike the third commander shocked everyone. However, after that moment of shock, they saw that the third commander’s body had slowly vanished.
“It was an afterimage!”
At this moment, a figure appeared behind Xin Li like a phantom, and a thick leg kicked toward his waist.
However, the third commander had just appeared when Xin Li slashed his sword behind him without even looking. He just happened to strike the third commander’s leg.
Blood splashed. The third commander was sent flying. When he landed, everyone saw that the cut was all the way to the bone.
The third commander had divine runes flowing on top of his bone. It looked the same as a Magical Beast’s crystal bone. It had innate runes on it.
“Heavens, the third commander’s leg bones have innate runes on them! Could it be…?!” Startled cries rang out.
Although they didn’t say it in the end, everyone knew that they were thinking about the same thing.
A human cultivated the Heavenly Daos, and there was no way to leave runes on their bones. That was no magical art. Such a thing would signify a kind of divine ability.
In other words, this third commander was not a human. He actually had the blood of the ancient races inside him.
However, his bloodline was very impure, and his divine ability did not cover his entire body. Instead, it only affected his legs, giving them immense power.
Everyone was dumbfounded, including Xin Li. He couldn’t quite believe his eyes. He looked from his sword to the third commander.
Xin Li had attacked based on the method Long Chen had told him. He had used three attacks in a combo but still didn’t know how he had won.
He had only done it because he had absolute confidence in Long Chen. He hadn’t expected to actually succeed in injuring the third commander.
In all these years, he had never seen the third commander injured. The third commander was too fast, and even if he couldn’t beat his opponent, he could run.
However, seeing the runes on the third commander’s bones, Xin Li suddenly shouted, “Third commander, you’re actually a spy from the ancient races! No wonder you would target Long Chen like this! You’re deliberately destroying the Martial Heaven Alliance’s unity!”
Following Xin Li’s furious roar, everyone else’s gaze also became sharp as they stared coldly at the third commander.
The third commander was the one who was most dissatisfied with Long Chen in the Martial Heaven Alliance’s interior. He had expressed his distaste for Long Chen the most. Now that his bones were revealed, everyone understood.
Long Chen’s enmity with the ancient races was as deep as the sea. In the Eastern Xuan Region, he had essentially crippled the ancient races.
The ancient races had never had a chance to strike back after that. They had been forced to swallow their fury.
Now that the third commander’s identity was exposed, everyone was infuriated. Even the disciples that had come with him were infuriated. Anywhere you went, the most detested people were traitors and spies.
“Meng Fei, you better give me an explanation today, or don’t even think about leaving!” shouted one disciple furiously. They were all infuriated. The Martial Heaven Alliance would not tolerate spies from the ancient races.
“I’m not a spy! I don’t know what’s going on either! You have to believe me!” shouted the third commander, shocked and angry. He was so confused that he even forgot to heal his injuries.
“Bullshit, do you think anyone would believe that?!” shouted the disciples.
“I believe it.”
Just as everyone’s fury was soaring and they were about to attack the third commander, Long Chen walked out, silencing everyone.
Chapter 1761 Magnanimity
“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, you…”
Everyone, including the third commander, was startled. Long Chen actually said that he believed that the third commander was not a spy.
Considering the ancient races’ arrogance and viciousness, they usually did not get along with the Martial Heaven Alliance. There was constant friction between them. Although it hadn’t grown into a full-scale war, there was plenty of hostility between them.
The fact that the ancient races had failed despite trying so hard to prevent Long Chen’s first place ranking from counting was the most recent source of conflict. Hence, as soon as they saw the runes on the third commander’s legs, they thought that he had to be a spy from the ancient races.
For Long Chen to speak up for the third commander was something that they found inconceivable.
“Although I don’t like him and want to slap him, he truly isn’t a spy from the ancient races. Do you think the alliance head wouldn’t be able to tell if he was a spy? Aren’t you questioning the alliance head’s abilities? Do you think a spy from the ancient races would have the slightest chance of living?” said Long Chen indifferently.
“Yes, that’s true…”
“Furthermore, I’ve had to deal with the ancient races plenty of times. His aura is completely different from theirs. He might have the ancient races’ bone marks, but he doesn’t have their bloodline power. Based on that, his bone marks can no longer be classified as divine runes from the ancient races. Without the bloodline of the ancient races to nourish those bone marks, they would wither away. So he is still a human just a special variation. The ancient races are too stupid to do something like this. They don’t have the brains to send a spy here to sow dissension,” said Long Chen
.
This explanation made quite a few people laugh. It was quite accurate. Although the ancient races had the blood of the human race, their heads weren’t that good.
They had inherited part of the essence of the Xuan Beasts when it came to brains and weren’t too good at thinking about long-term consequences. So despite having the blood of the human race, they were unable to control high level magical arts and were forced to rely on their inherited divine abilities.
“Long Chen… sorry, I… might have misjudged you.” The third commander’s expression was complicated. However, he still apologized.
Even though he had mocked Long Chen before, challenging him arrogantly, Long Chen was actually coming to his defense. He was naturally ashamed.
“Although your words were ugly and your face is dislikable, I sensed that you were fearless. That’s why I didn’t fight you. Anger will only cloud a person’s judgment. To be able to remain calm within anger is a real skill. I often get angry, as it’s an instinct, but I always have to keep my calm so my anger doesn’t cloud my mind. Unlike you all, I did not have the Martial Heaven Alliance behind me, I did not have the alliance head supporting me. If I had let my judgment be clouded in the Eastern Wasteland, I would have already died. I had to use my brain to deduce what was true and what was false, because if I was wrong, I might not have had another chance to be right. Unlike you, I cannot blindly decide on something, nor can I let my anger bias my decision,” said Long Chen.
Long Chen’s words moved all the disciples. Cultivators often started a rain of blood when angered. How many people were truly able to be calm like him?
“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, please accept this kowtow as an apology.”
The third commander actually knelt on the ground and kowtowed toward Long Chen, causing a clamor amongst the disciples.
The third commander Meng Fei was extremely powerful and also extremely stubborn. For him to kowtow to Long Chen as an apology was something they had never imagined.
“To kowtow with just a few words from me, don’t you think you’re a bit too impulsive?” laughed Long Chen. He was also surprised. He hadn’t wanted to kill Meng Fei because he hadn’t sensed that kind of sinister air around him. He was a straightforward man, not necessarily a bad person. The reason he was challenging him was most likely due to a misunderstanding.
Furthermore, he was one of the four commanders of the Martial Heaven Alliance. Could Long Chen really kill one of the top four geniuses that Qu Jianying had worked so hard to raise as soon as he arrived? That would be awkward.
“Ignoring whether those rumors are true or false, just this magnanimity is enough to win me over,” said the third commander, ashamed.
“Magnanimous people are those who have been wronged the most by others. It’s just a sad fact of reality,” said Long Chen.
“Senior apprentice-brother’s words are pearls of wisdom. Let me apologize again.” Meng Fei lowered his head once more.
“Third commander, are you saying that those rumors… are they false?” The disciples that had been following Meng Fei were at a loss.
“Of course, they’re false! How could someone with senior apprentice-brother Long Chen’s character do something so shameless?!” raged Meng Fei.
This anger from the third commander caused the surrounding disciples to laugh, but the tense atmosphere relaxed a great deal.
“Whether they’re true or not isn’t important. What’s important is whether you have the ability to determine what’s true or not,” said Long Chen.
“Long Chen, if you were so wrongly accused, even by us, why didn’t you explain or argue?” asked one disciple.
“It’s beneath me.”
Hearing that, the disciples nodded. This was a true expert. He disdained having to explain himself.
Long Chen continued, “Those who believe me don’t need me to explain, and those who don’t believe me won’t believe me no matter what I say. They slander me, accuse me, and frame me in order to pull me into their chaos. If I tried explaining myself, I would be falling into their trap. I only have one mouth, so how am I supposed to argue against the millions of mouths in this world? I don’t have the time to waste on such a thing, nor do I have time to gather proof that would convince them that I’m innocent. I can’t waste time, or my death will be very miserable. Since I don’t have the time, whether you’re an enemy or someone instigated by others to become my enemy, the only thing I can do is raise my butcher’s blade and kill you without hesitation.”
The third commander shook at Long Chen’s final sentence. He felt a chill on his back. If Long Chen had accepted his challenge, he probably wouldn’t exist in this world any longer.
Fortunately, this misunderstanding had been resolved. Although Long Chen still hadn’t explained anything, he had won their loyal respect. They no longer suspected him of such crimes.
“Xin Li, let me also apologize to you for my past conduct.” Meng Fei actually kowtowed to Xin Li.
“Third commander, you can’t!” Xin Li hastily stopped him.
However, Meng Fei was faster and stronger. Although Xin Li managed to grab him in time, he couldn’t stop him from kowtowing.
“To tell the truth, the reason I’ve always targeted you is because I’m jealous of you,” said Meng Fei after completing this rite.
“Jealous of me? Over what?” Xin Li was startled.
“Because… of your white face… it’s more handsome.” Meng Fei’s dark face twisted with embarrassment.
“...”
“Amongst the four commanders, you’re the most handsome, and you’re also a sword cultivator! As for me… I’m just a monster.” The third commander looked at his thick legs and sighed. “I always beat up whoever mocked me for my strange body. This gradually cultivated my temper. I only understand now with senior apprentice-brother Long Chen’s words that my brutality was to cover up my own flaws. I refused to be wronged by others, so I was never able to become someone magnanimous. But you, Xin Li, despite often being the target of my anger, are still willing to fight alongside me without harboring a grudge. So, that apology was necessary. You are more of a hero than I was.”
“Third commander, you were willing to accept your mistakes. You are also a hero!” shouted the disciples beside Meng Fei emotionally.
“That’s right, the third commander is a hero, and the fourth commander is also a hero. As for senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, he’s an even bigger hero, and we’re heroes too! Yes, he’s just a bit bigger, and… cough, yes, just a bit bigger.” One of the disciples began to ramble on, caught up in the flow. He actually began to spout nonsense, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
In the Martial Heaven Alliance, the fact that the third and fourth commanders didn’t get along was common knowledge. But today, these old enemies were laughing and talking together, becoming brothers. That excited the disciples, and the news spread.
More and more disciples were drawn over. There were hundreds of thousands of them, filling up the plaza.
Many disciples wanted to see Long Chen in person. After all, he was the strongest existence amongst the disciples of the Martial Heaven Alliance. He had dominated those in the same realm, taking first place on the Devil Slaughter Rankings. He had countless worshippers amongst the junior generation. It was unknown how many young maidens let out startled cries when they saw him.
The entire plaza became chaotic, and people were too excited. Long Chen had just arrived, but he had managed to make Xin Li and Meng Fei shake hands. In the eyes of these disciples, Long Chen was practically a god.
“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, fourth commander, I have a question I want to ask you,” said Meng Fei suddenly after a moment’s hesitation.
Chapter 1762 Long Chen Expounds on the Dao
“I know what you want to say. Just ask Xin Li.” Long Chen smiled. Looking at Meng Fei’s current expression, Long Chen knew exactly what he wanted.
“Fourth commander, how did you beat
me? Even now, I’m still puzzled. How could you know where I would go? You have to tell me, or this secret will forever bother me.” Meng Fei turned to Xin Li.
He was extremely depressed inside. He had fought against Xin Li many times and knew his techniques. However, today he had lost in just three moves.
When he thought back to it, he still felt like it was a dream. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t figure it out.
He had hesitated over asking this question because asking other people’s secrets was a taboo for cultivators, but he couldn’t help himself.
“This? To tell the truth, I’m also puzzled. Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen told me that once I located your true body, I just needed to force you to my left and I would win. I was just following his directions and had no idea you would appear there.” Xin Li shrugged with embarrassment because he was the same as the third commander. He didn’t know what had happened.
“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, you…?” Meng Fei turned to Long Chen.
“You don’t understand? I told Xin Li to force you to the left and then immediately attack behind him because thanks to his rotation, his center of gravity would be leaning toward the right. That just happened to leave his back to you, and I was sure that you would instinctively attack there without even thinking about it. In other words, that opening was something Xin Li intentionally revealed to you, and then you fell for it.” Long Chen shrugged.
“But... that’s not possible!”
This didn’t make sense. Long Chen had told Xin Li to do this without having seen them fight before. Just how could his prediction be so accurate?
“You still don’t understand?” asked Long Chen.
“I don’t.” Meng Fei shook his head. Nobody else understood either.
Long Chen’s hand suddenly reached out toward Meng Fei like lightning. Two fingers were stabbing at Meng Fei’s eyes.
This was an ordinary move in the secular world, but it was very evil. Long Chen was as quick as lightning, catching him off guard.
