Stranger Danger

Chapter 1029: Wind Riding Void Cuts The Moon

Ye Qing lifted a curious eyebrow. “Is that the Wind Riding Void Sword Intent?”

“That is correct. It is Wei Nanhua’s Wind Riding Void Sword Intent!” Feng Qingyou answered.

“The void lurks within the clouds and rides the wind to the firmament. Its reputation is well deserved,” Ye Qing praised.

Wei Nanhua was, of course, the Sage overseeing the Nanjiang Pacification Army and the one Feng Qingyou had mentioned earlier.

A legendary figure in his own right, Wei Nanhua’s original name was Wei Fenghua. The scion of a famous clan in Chu, he entered the Jixia Academy at a young age but achieved nothing due to his naughty and mischievous nature. He was eventually expelled by the Jixia Academy and became the laughingstock of the entire nation. The scholars in particular ridiculed him saying that a rich kid who learned nothing is no different from a mediocre fool. The Wei Clan was so angry that they kicked him out of the family and removed his name from the clan’s genealogical record.

It was quite the fall from grace. Wei Fenghua had turned from a wealthy scion to a pauper with not a coin to call to his name. He was forced to beg for a living and was constantly beaten and harassed as a result. It was a difficult life to say the least.

In order to survive, Wei Fenghua joined an old temple and became a scripture guardian. He also changed his name to Wei Nanhua.

A scripture guardian sounded like a glamorous job, but all he really did was keep an eye on the scriptures. Bored and having nothing better to do, Wei Nanhua entertained himself by reading and reciting the scriptures and guarded.

Wei Nanhua had suffered tremendously during the few years he worked as a beggar, but if there was one good thing about the experience, it was that it had ground his youthful arrogance and mischievous personality into nothing. He was perfectly okay with his job—at the very least, he did not need to fight someone for scraps of food, nor did he have to worry about someone coveting his position—and would continue working as a scripture guardian for sixty years straight.

Sixty years came and went in the blink of an eye. What was once a young boy had turned into an old man. That said, Wei Nanhua hadn’t wasted his time. He had finished reading all sixteen thousand Taoist scriptures in the scripture library and memorized them well enough he could recite them from beginning until the end backward.

One day, a disciple of the old temple slew a Dark Way heretic during his adventure, but he did not realize that his victim was the only son of the Bone Painting Sky Sect’s chief, one of the thirty three unorthodox sects. Naturally, it was a disaster. The chief decided to dispatch his men and take revenge for his son.

The Bone Painting Sky Sect was among the more powerful sects of the thirty six unorthodox sects. Not only that, their chief was a Half-Sage. In comparison, the old temple was a perfectly ordinary Taoist temple with less than a hundred members. The temple head himself was just an old late-stage Spirit Master.

Compared to the Bone Painting Sky Sect, the old temple might as well be an ant, no, less than that.

The Bone Painting Sky Sect thought nothing of them as a matter of course. They got ready to wipe out the entire temple and take revenge for the chief’s son.

At a critical moment, one man stood up to save the old temple that had accommodated him for sixty years. He was none other than Wei Nanhua.

When Wei Nanhua stepped out of the scripture library, he became a Grandmaster and slew every Bone Painting Sky Sect disciple in the temple in one slash, saving the temple from annihilation.

Then, he left the mountain and walked for a total of 1,500 kilometers. It was at this moment he became a Sage and triggered a tribulation. Then, he soared into the sky and slew the chief of the Bone Painting Sky Sect, a Half Sage, from 5,000 kilometers away. He would continue his grisly work until every single disciple was dead, and the Bone Painting Sky Sect was no more.

After he transcended mortality and became a Sage, Wei Nanhua left behind a Taoist scripture and a sword scripture for the old temple. Then, he would leave the temple once and for all. He journeyed south to gather his sword intent and channel his qi. When he finally arrived at the capital, he intended to demand justice for all the pain and suffering he had endured back then.

Wei Nanhua wasn’t able to enter the capital, however. It was because one man had blocked his way at the gate.

He was none other than the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy.

With just one question, the Chief Libationist had shattered Wei Nanhua’s frame of mind. With just one ruler, he had shattered Wei Nanhua’s sword intent as well.

After defeating Wei Nanhua, the Chief Libationist said this, “Your sword comes from beyond the world. It is free from the mortal coil, but not sharp enough. If you wish to improve further, then enrich yourself with the faces of dead men.”

And so Wei Nanhua came to Nanjiang and served as the Sage of the Nanjiang Pacification Army for twenty years.

Wei Nanhua rarely fought during these twenty years, but his sword intent was undoubtedly sharper and more intense over time. With the Void of Taoism as the core, he merged his knowledge with the intent of Wind Riding and created the powerful Wind Riding Void Sword Art.

Over a decade ago, when Guo Ximian and his army rode into Nanjiang, Wei Nanhua had fought the chief priest and the royal guard commander of the Nanjiang Royal Court, both of them Sages, alone. Despite this, he emerged victorious by slaying one and grievously injuring another. His achievement was undoubtedly one of the major reasons Guo Ximian was ultimately able to trample Nanjiang and pave the way for their decade-old plan today. Clearly, Wei Nanhua was immensely powerful.

Before today, Ye Qing’s knowledge of Wei Nanhua’s strength strictly existed in the realm of rumors. It wasn’t until now that he confirmed that Wei Nanhua absolutely deserved his fame.

Was the Moon God powerful?

Of course she was. Three Half Sages and tens of thousands of Nanjiang Pacification Army elites were as frail as ants before her.

However, Wei Nanhua alone was able to fight the Moon God to a standstill. Wei Nanhua was worthy.

While perceiving the air of Dao and the laws resulting from Wei Nanhua and the Moon God’s battle, Ye Qing asked somewhat distractedly, “Who do you think is going to win?”

Wei Nanhua was a Sage, and the Moon God was a natural deity. Their every move imbued the Dao of the world and the laws of nature. Spectating their battle would not directly increase his power, but it could certainly brush up his knowledge, improve his martial understanding, broaden his horizon and so on.

“Wei Nanhua will.” Feng Qingyou answered after a few seconds of thought. “Wei Nanhua is no ordinary warrior.”

“Really?” Ye Qing looked puzzled. “Then why aren’t you worried?”

“Why should I?” Feng Qingyou asked.

“If Wei Nanhua wins, we’ll be in trouble, won’t we?” Ye Qing asked.

“It will be a pyrrhic victory even if he wins, so it doesn’t matter,” Feng Qingyou replied smilingly. “Even if he emerges unscathed, there are other preparations in place.”

“Very well.” Feng Qingyou’s response assured Ye Qing, and he returned his attention back to the battlefield.

The Moon God’s Moon Annihilation was absolutely yin, cold, and capable of extinguishing all life. Anything that was touched by the moonlight would be affected by its power. It was grandiose and terrifying to say the least.

Wei Nanhua’s Wind Riding Void Sword Intent was ephemeral and out of the world. However, it was also sharp and vigorous, capable of shooting into the sky and cutting open the firmament.

Moon and wind danced, and the Moon merged with sword intent. What was a ravaged and dim land slowly became filled with colorful, fantastical illusions.

Of course, only terrible horrors existed behind these gorgeous, rich, fantastical illusions. Thousands and thousands of kilometers of space were ripped into pieces, hundreds and hundreds of land were flattened into plains. It was absolutely terrifying.

Thankfully, the Nanjiang Royal Court was protected by the Moon god’s power. Otherwise, the shockwaves of the battle alone would have destroyed over half of the city, and Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou definitely wouldn’t have the leisure to enjoy the show.

The stalemate lasted for a moment when suddenly, the Moon God who had been standing still this entire time, began walking toward the flickering, bobbing moon in the air.

Every time she took a step, the moon would brighten, and the wind and the sword intent would be dispelled.

Three steps later, the Moon God stepped inside the moon. Immediately, the world became as bright as daytime, and silver light filled the entire sky.

“From the center of the Void emerges one sword, a celestial rides the wind to the nine firmaments...”

On the opposite end, Wei Nanhua chanted as gusts of wind began blowing in from every direction. They brushed against the moon before transforming into three hundred and sixty celestials wearing Taoist robes.

The three hundred and sixty celestials joined together to form the cosmic orbits of the universe. Stepping on the sky and wielding long swords, they danced across the nine firmaments and swung their swords one after another.

Not a single sword swing was identical to another in terms of technique or intent. However, there was the all-encompassing intent to end heaven and earth.

When the trajectories of the three hundred and sixty swords joined with each other, they formed cosmic orbits that cut the moon.