The Path Toward Heaven

Chapter 158: The First Assassination Attempt on Zhao Layue

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was fairly hard to assassinate Cultivation practitioners because they were sensitive to the changes of their surroundings.

Zhao Layue was good at predicting and anticipating. She was even more specialized in this method since she was able to use the Awareness of the Sword Heart. However, she didn’t notice anything when she walked into the Daoist temple. It wasn’t because Zhao Layue was so eager to meet the personal disciple of Lian Sanyue that she got distracted, but because this formation was without lethal intent. It merged into mountains and rivers to become part of nature, so it was difficult to discover.

It was an amazing and rare way of merging the formation that could change the heaven and earth with the heaven and earth.

Only those profound and orthodox mysterious sects could achieve this.

Along with a whistling sound of a sword, the ruined Daoist temple was illuminated in a way that made it seem like it was set on fire. It was like a sunset that came early, illuminating all of the trees in the valley.

The Thoughtless Sword traveled at an unimaginable speed in the air, cutting out countless straight lines around Zhao Layue, as if the sword would pierce open the space.

Those extremely dense lines formed a barrier shielding Zhao Layue.

Zhao Layue was aware that anyone who dared attack her wasn’t a regular Cultivation practitioner, so it was impossible for her to fight the attacker.

Self-confidence and pride didn’t affect her judgement.

The idea of finding the enemy and counterattacking had never occurred to Zhao Layue, so she employed the strongest method to protect herself right away.

This wasn’t a sword movement in the Nine-Deaths Sword Style but rather a sword movement created by the Immortal Jing Yang according to a certain sword style of the Water-Moon Nunnery. It was said to be related to a certain strange insect called the “heavenly silkworm”.

It was what Jing Jiu said when he taught her this sword movement.

“Is this the Thoughtless Sword left by Immortal Jing Yang? It’s indeed perfect. Your sword style, response and determination are all perfect.”

A man in black cloth walked out from the sunset-like red light.

This man in black had a very strong energy with a black mask on his face, probably using a certain magic to change his appearance.

Zhao Layue looked at him through the net weaved by the fast traveling sword, speechless.

She guessed that this man might enjoy a higher status in a Cultivation sect since he displayed apparent self-confidence and pride, his hands behind his back.

The man in black clothing said, “You’re indeed the rumored Zhao Layue. Unfortunately, in your current Cultivation state you can merely hold up this sword movement for a short while. By doing so, you have no way of using the Sword Letter to seek help from your colleagues; in other words, you have placed yourself in a corner. Which makes living slightly longer a bit meaningless.”

Zhao Layue knew what the man in black said was true, and yet also alluring.

Nan Wang and the disciples of the Green Mountain were still in Zhaoge City, about seventy miles from here. It wouldn’t take long for them to come if they did so in a hurry.

The problem was that Zhao Layue didn’t know how long she would be able to hold up without the flying sword by her side if she used the Sword Letter for help. Perhaps she would be killed instantly.

Zhao Layue didn’t speak because there was no point, prolonging this pointless

Her Sword Source was depleting, and fast.

The sunset became brighter, and the ruined Daoist temple, wrapped by its light, generated a sense of historical beauty.

The beautiful scene wasn’t necessarily a good thing. It meant the speed of the Thoughtless Sword had gradually slowed, so the color grew brighter.

Because the Thoughtless Sword slowed down, it produced the whistling sound and the sword wind.

The dust on the ruined walls of the Daoist temple fell in tandem after being blown over by the wind.

The mud statue in the Daoist temple had only half of its head left after being eroded by wind and rain for years, which was visibly getting smaller and lower.

The mud and sand fell on the ground like a sand timer. Time was running out.

Zhao Layue had eventually made her move before the head of the mud statue was leveled to the ground.

She reached out her right hand in front of her body.

The sunlight in the temple suddenly shrank and fell in her hand, as if turning into a red sun.

Zhao Layue thrust the Thoughtless Sword toward the man in black, her body becoming a residual shadow.

–As long as the sword was still with her, Zhao Layue didn’t have to worry that she would be affected by his powerful energy.

Back in the Sea-God Temple outside Haizhou City, she used this move to kill that caretaker of the Old Ones.

The man in black was quite composed. He must have been ready for this move of hers beforehand, as he dodged her sword easily and wielded his palm downward.

His palm fell down, but his sleeves flew up.

The man in black didn’t use his magic treasure. Perhaps he was afraid of the power of the Thoughtless Sword, or more likely he didn’t want to leave any clue behind.

Even if so, it was still very hard for Zhao Layue to fight him.

The sleeves of the man in black flew up like the inky waves of the night.

The whistling, chaotic that wind blew out along with the sleeves were very powerful. The method of such powerful energy should belong to the orthodox mysterious sects, which were usually extremely straightforward.

With a booming sound, Zhao Layue flew backwards and slammed with heavy impact against the wall of the Daoist temple.

Her body fell down with the broken bricks that dropped like rainfall, blood trickling down the corners of her mouth.

The man in black casually turned his sleeves, and Zhao Layue’s integration of sword and body had been disarmed.

The difference in their Cultivation states was so great that it couldn’t be easily compensated by Dao Heart, fighting will and courage.

Yet, her expression was still so calm, not showing fear at all, since she had already thought everything through.

As Zhao Layue hit the wall, the Thoughtless Sword that had been knocked down like a stone acted suddenly as if it gained a new life force, breaking through the roof!

Whoosh!!!

The Thoughtless Sword flew toward the horizon and soon disappeared without a trace, leaving a bloody residual behind.

This was the Sword Letter for the purpose of communicating with others.

The man in black didn’t pay much attention, since he had already anticipated this event, or had at least hoped for it.

Even if Zhao Layue had a higher Cultivation state than what was reported in intelligence and broke through the upper state of the Undefeated, she could only drive her sword over one mile.

If she wanted to use the Sword Letter to inform her Green Mountain colleagues in Zhaoge City, she had to use that specific method, that is, to forcefully cut off connection with the Thoughtless Sword and let it fly away on its own.

This method would injure the sword owner badly, and it would take a long time to re-establish connection with the flying sword. So it wasn’t an ideal choice.

It was only when the disciples of the Green Mountain faced extreme danger or certain death to make such a choice.

Of course, this price was worthwhile if Zhao Layue could survive that day.

The problem was, how would she defend herself without the Thoughtless Sword? Or was she certain that she would die for sure?

The man in black thought Zhao Layue had actually given up.

He wielded his palm at Zhao Layue from a distance.

The air suddenly changed shape, and the sunlight shining through the roof was reflected in many directions.

A powerful and constant energy echoed in the Daoist temple, like mountains standing on each other as it rolled forward.

This powerful force didn’t affect the Daoist temple itself. The ruined walls didn’t show any cracks, and not even a speck of dust fell off.

Such precise control of the energy had proven that this man in black had a fearsome Cultivation state, and more.

At this point, it was not a wise choice to control the energy so intentionally.

Therefore, the fact was that the man in black didn’t intentionally control the energy, and everything was naturally done.

His movements and style contained the natural way. Zhao Layue was more certain about which sect he was from, her eyes growing even brighter.

The palm wielded by the man in black had turned into a fist as it got close to Zhao Layue.

One could imagine how heavy a rock compressed from thousands of mountains would be.

This fist could easily knock through the city walls of Zhaoge.

The last thing a disciple of the Green Mountain wanted was to let enemy get close to his body. In that case, the flying sword was forced to defend, so it couldn’t be used to attack the enemy. The sword was actually binding his hands.

The man in black looked at Zhao Layue with the eye expression of seeing a dead person.

What could you do without a sword?

Zhao Layue raised both of her hands, receiving the incoming fist.

Pah!!!

Countless sword wills came out from her hands.

Those sword wills were absolutely pure and sharp.

They cut the ruined walls of the Daoist temple and roof into tiny pieces, collapsing it to the ground.