Song of Adolescence

The next day, early morning.

Directorate of Astronomy.

Qi Tianchen, together with Zitong and Fei Xuan were playing in the courtyard. The game they played was always that lifelike paper butterfly. An onlooker would think it was a child's game, but a discerning person would be able to tell that they were training their Great Dragon and Elephant Strength.

"By the sparse hedge was a path leading into the distance, where the flowers on the trees were falling while the newly grown leaves had yet to form a shade. The children ran to chase the butterflies, but they flew into the bushes and could not be found again." Xie Xuan sat upstairs and recited with a smile as he watched them.

"Shifu, are you really not going? Yesterday, I saw your last sword move and it was not inferior to Luo Qingyang's." Li Fansong was still chattering to one side. Since last night, he had been instigating Xie Xuan to go and challenge Luo Qingyang's sword.

Xie Xuan raised the book in his hand and knocked Li Fansong on his head. "I said I'm not going and I mean it. A scholar shouldn't be so competitive. Besides, isn't your good brother Lei Wujie already going? If he wins, I won't have my turn anyway."

"How can he possibly win!" Li Fansong said with a laugh. "Lei Wujie and I have fought together so many times. I know his level better than most."

"Oh? So what's my level then?" A familiar voice sounded. Li Fansong whipped his head around and saw that person all dressed in red swaggering in with a hearty laugh. Since Lei Wujie had come, then naturally, His Highness Yong'an Prince, who was always yawning and looking lazy, had also come along.

Li Fansong got up hurriedly. "Lei-xiong, why are you here?"

"I heard you bad mouthing me, sneezed three times, and then I rushed over." Lei Wujie grinned.

Li Fansong scratched his head. "I wasn't bad mouthing you. I wasn't."

"Then what was it?" Lei Wujie asked.

Xiao Se replied coldly, "It's the truth."

Lei Wujie sighed and sat down right next to Xie Xuan. "Don't I know it."

"Actually, Lei-xiong, you're already very powerful. Looking at the past few decades, there aren't many people your age who have managed such an achievement in their swordsmanship," Li Fansong consoled.

Lei Wujie shook his head. "But there's only one person who could reach Wushuang's level of achievement, right?"

"Yes. Wushuang's talent is indeed the most unique I've ever seen," Xie Xuan said. "But you're not weak either. You were taught by Lei Hong since childhood, and later became Li Hanyi's disciple. You were taught by two sword immortals, then imparted the Sword Heart Formula, inherited the Heart sword, and on top of that, your nature is pure of heart which complements the Heart sword well. A talent such as you is also very rare."

"Then why am I inferior to Wushuang?" Lei Wujie asked back.

Xie Xuan closed the book he was reading. "In swordsmanship, you're not inferior just because he's strong and you're weak. You practise the Sword Heart Formula while Wushuang cultivates the Sword Cultivating Arts. Your guide is your heart while his guide is blood. It's not surprising that he's a few steps faster than you, but who will be stronger in the future is impossible to predict. I read my books for twenty years, and never used a sword. But, when I picked up a sword, people of the martial world called me a sword immortal. Who would have thought that was possible?"

Lei Wujie nodded and said, "Mister, I will remember what you've said. But…"

"But you're going to fight him in two days. You don't have time to hone your sword heart and you want to cut Luo Qingyang down with one sword? Chase him out of Heavenly Revelations City?" Xie Xuan read his mind at a glance.

Lei Wujie laughed and nodded. "That's exactly what I want."

"Am I so clever?" Xie Xuan asked.

"But you're a sword immortal!" Lei Wujie slapped his thigh.

"Yan Zhantian is also a sword immortal but did he win?" Xie Xuan said with a smile, "We're all sword immortals, and Luo Qingyang is even the top tier sword immortal. If I could figure out a way to knock him down with a single sword, do you really think I wouldn't go?"

"So there's really no way at all?" Lei Wujie said helplessly. f𝔯ee𝘸𝘦𝚋𝒏oѵ𝐞l.c𝒐𝓂

"There is a way." Xie Xuan poured a cup of tea and gestured for Xiao Se to join them. "Your Highness Yong'an Prince, please sit as well. Luo Qingyang is obviously here for all of you. When Lei Wujie loses, you'll be next. As for Lei Wujie, you have to think about this carefully. Judging from the two duels today, Luo Qingyang is here with murderous intentions. Wushuang was almost killed by him, but you and Wushuang are different."

"What's the difference?" Lei Wujie was puzzled.

"Wushuang caught everybody's attention because he became the citymaster of Unrivaled City and he used the Unrivaled Sword Casket. But, in reality, very few people had ever seen his true skill with a sword. Luo Qingyang didn't know either. Hence, he went easy on him at first and only raised his killing intent at the end." Xie Xuan suddenly turned serious and continued, "But you're different. You announced your name and he knows exactly who you are. You're the disciple of Lei Hong and Li Hanyi, the successor of the Sword Heart Formula, and His Highness Yong'an Prince's closest friend. Who else is he going to kill?"

Lei Wujie cried out, his face aggrieved, "Mister, save me!"

"If you did what Wushuang managed and lost, your defeat certain, then I could jump in and save you and I'd probably save your life. But, if he has every intention to kill you from the start, I will have to step in right away to save you, then you might as well not go." Xie Xuan sighed.

Red Prince Residence.

Xiao Yu asked Long Ye, "How's Godfather?"

"He reserved a nearby inn for the last few days and he would rest there at night. In the day, he would still set out his tea shack and sit there waiting for anyone to come. But, a whole morning has passed today. There's quite a crowd but nobody dares to answer his challenge. Everyone is waiting for his duel with Lei Wujie in two days' time," Long Ye replied.

"Send a message to Godfather," Xiao Yu spoke in a low voice. "In the duel with Lei Wujie two days later, not only must he win, but Lei Wujie must die."

Long Ye nodded. "Yes, sir."

He was about to withdraw when he saw the house steward hurry in from outside. He handed a note to Long Ye. "A message from Longhe Inn."

"Longhe Inn?" Xiao Yu asked in confusion.

"That's the inn that Mister Luo reserved," Long Ye replied.

Xiao Yu said anxiously, "Quickly, what does it say."

Long Ye opened the note and frowned slightly. "Only three words, say no more."

Directorate of Astronomy.

Lei Wujie slapped the table abruptly. "How can I be such a coward and fear for my life! Mister, you said there's a way. Please teach me!"

Xie Xuan said with a smile, "What they call the sword power of a sword immortal is something you must have already asked Wushuang about. When you fight against a sword immortal, he will use his own sword power to make you feel as if you've gone into a different world. Once you're enveloped by this sword power, then the first thing you must do is to break this wave of sword power."

"Break the sword power?" Lei Wujie was taken aback.

"Yes, break the sword power. Only by breaking his sword power can you retake the advantage and clinch victory with one strike. Otherwise, you'll merely be a stringed puppet in the circus of his domain and the outcome is inevitable," Xie Xuan said. "And the Solitary Sword Immortal's sword power is that aura of desolation. Although he wasn't aiming his sword at us at the time, once his sword of Hymn to the Fallen began, I think we all felt that intent of desolation."

Lei Wujie pondered for a while after hearing Xie Xuan's explanation, then he slapped his thigh hard. "I've got it!

"I know how to break Luo Qingyang's sword power of desolation!"

Xie Xuan was overjoyed when he heard that. "The child can be taught, he's actually so brilliant. What method will you use?"

Lei Wujie said with a straight face, "I will cuss him to death."