Chen Xin gripped the Seven Kill Sword, his knuckles tightening more and more, until his white knuckles almost embedded themselves into the grooves of the hilt.
The murderous sword intent that had just swept away everything had long since dissipated, but the string in his heart that had held him up all his life was now vibrating and teetering on the brink of collapse.
He stared blankly into the distance over the riverbank. Dusk pressed heavily on the river, the water still flowing slowly and steadily, and the wild grass on the bank swaying gently in the wind.
In the past, he only saw obstacles that could be cut through; to him, all things were merely targets for his sword.
But now that Su Zui's Heaven and Earth Sword was right in front of him, he suddenly couldn't understand it.
Unity of Man and Sword, feeding the sword with his own body, merging his Divine Soul, lifespan, and all his obsessions into the Seven Kills, breaking through any obstacle and slaying any enemy. He walked this path for decades.
From his youth when he wielded the sword, through battles with fellow disciples, through internal strife within the sect, to later following Ning Fengzhi to protect the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, countless times in life-or-death situations, it was this Seven Kill Sword that shielded him. He firmly believed that this was the ultimate goal of the sword path, that sharpness was the truth, and that forging ahead without hesitation was the righteous path.
But now, a completely different path has unfolded before him.
There is no need to cut or break; man merges with heaven and earth, and all things can be swords. No matter how sharp the blade is, it is like flowing water absorbing the edge, neither broken nor collapsed, neither snapped nor broken.
Could it be that my decades of arduous practice have fundamentally gone astray?
Was the Seven Killings technique I painstakingly crafted from the very beginning flawed?
Once this thought takes root, it spreads wildly through the mind.
Sword Heart shook violently, and the originally restrained and stable Level 96 Soul Power surged uncontrollably. The cyan sword intent rushed around haphazardly, sometimes condensing into sharp sword threads that cut through the air, and sometimes dissipating into a chaotic cyan light that crashed back and forth in the sky above the riverbank.
The sand and soil on the ground rose and collapsed in waves, and the river water was cleaved in discontinuous cracks by the chaotic sword intent. Water splashed out and then quickly fell back into the river.
The Titled Douluo's Soul Power went out of control, creating a terrifying aura.
This turmoil could not be concealed at all. Like a boulder crashing into a calm lake, the ripples spread across the land and through the air, instantly penetrating layers of mountains and forests, reaching the main hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School.
Inside the main hall, Bone Douluo Gu Rong, was leaning back on a jade chair, toying with a piece of withered bone between his fingers, as he accompanied Ning Fengzhi in handling the sect's trivial matters.
The moment that chaotic and Berserk fluctuation of Soul Power touched his senses, the hairs on Gu Rong's body stood on end, and the withered bone he was playing with fell to the jade table with a "clatter".
"Oh no! Old Swordsman!"
Gu Rong's voice suddenly tightened, and a flash of gray bone light appeared around him, his figure instantly transforming into a phantom.
Ning Fengzhi's expression also changed. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda silently appeared behind him, its seven layers of glazed light gently flowing. Without the slightest hesitation, he followed Gu Rong and sped towards the riverbank.
The two moved at incredible speed, passing through the woods at the valley entrance and landing on the riverbank in the blink of an eye.
The sight that came into view caused the Gu Rong's pupils to shrink sharply.
Chen Xin stood there, his white hair disheveled, clutching the Seven Kill Sword tightly in his hand, his eyes empty and blank, muttering to himself in a low voice. The surrounding azure sword intent flew chaotically. He was completely trapped in his own obsession and was oblivious to the movements of the outside world.
Su Zui knelt on one knee in the sand, not yet having had time to suppress his surging inner energy, the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth still unwiped, the Great Luo Sword Embryo stuck diagonally in the sand beside him.
"Old Swordsman!" Gu Rong strode forward, his gray bone Soul Power spreading around him, his voice rising, "What's going on?!"
Chen Xin seemed not to hear at all, his gaze still fixed on the distant river, his lips moving as he repeatedly asked himself the same question.
"Is my path... wrong? To abandon the Unity of Man and Sword, and instead merge with heaven and earth? What have I been cultivating all this time...?"
Kenshin was shrouded in confusion; he was trapped in his own questions and could not hear the calls of others.
Gu Rong turned his head, his two icy gazes fixed on Su Zui, his bone Soul Power subtly carrying an aggressive aura.
He had been with Chen Xin for many years and knew his old friend's character best. Chen Xin devoted his life to the sword, and his sword heart was as firm as a mountain, unshaken by countless storms over the years. But now, he had actually gone mad with evil.
Gu Rong's anger flared up instantly.
Back then, Su Zui left without saying goodbye, disappearing for two years and leaving Rongrong behind. During those two years, Gu Rong really wanted to teach Su Zui a lesson for seeing Rongrong's heartbroken state. Now that he has finally returned, he went to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and directly disrupted the old swordsman's sword heart, causing him to almost suffer a qi deviation.
This Su Zui is simply a scourge to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"It's you." Gu Rong's voice was low, filled with suppressed anger, and a gray-black bone blade was faintly taking shape at his fingertips. "It's you who caused the old swordsman to go mad with evil spirits?"
Su Zui, supporting himself on the hilt of his sword, slowly stood up from the sand. The burning pain in his meridians was still tearing at him, but he steadied himself and did not avoid Gu Rong's gaze.
He knew that making excuses now would only add fuel to the fire. But he couldn't hide the truth; Chen Xin's confusion stemmed from him, and he had to explain himself.
"Senior Gu Rong, I just exchanged blows with Senior Chen Xin," Su Zui said in a hoarse voice, each word spoken firmly. "I comprehended the Heaven and Earth Sword, which is different from Senior's Seven Kill Sword Dao. He saw this path and began to doubt the path he had adhered to his entire life; his sword heart was in turmoil. It wasn't that I deliberately misled him; it was his own Dao heart that gave rise to doubts."
"You didn't induce me?"
Gu Rong's eyes instantly turned red. He took a step forward, his overwhelming aura pressing down on Su Zui. "If you hadn't run here and revealed this sword technique, how could Chen Xin have become like this? First, you betrayed Rongrong, and today you've come to shake the foundation of the old swordsman! My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect cannot tolerate you! Leave immediately!"
The oppressive force struck him, causing Su Zui's shoulders to slump slightly, but he did not retreat.
Ning Fengzhi sighed softly. The gentle light of the seven-story Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda slowly spread out, and the gentle power separated the surging pressure of the Gu Rong, stopping his next move.
Ning Fengzhi's expression appeared calm, but a faint shadow lurked in his eyes.
He felt uncomfortable as well.
Su Zui and Rongrong were engaged, and Su Zui had been a benefactor of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect back then. Given this favor, he couldn't publicly retaliate and lose his dignity as the sect leader. But seeing Chen Xin in such a dangerous situation, how could he not feel resentment?
Chen Xin is the pillar of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Once his sword heart shatters and he goes into qi deviation, the entire school will suffer a severe blow.
"Gu Rong, calm down." Ning Fengzhi's voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable weight. He looked at Gu Rong, "The choice of one's Dao heart is always Chen Xin's own business. He saw the path himself, and he created the doubts himself. No wonder Xiao Zui is like this."
That's what he said, but when he turned his head to look at Su Zui, there was a hint of estrangement in his eyes.
Su Zui saw through this restraint perfectly.
Ning Fengzhi verbally defended him, but in his heart, he already blamed him.
Su Zui gently exhaled, tasting a hint of blood on her tongue.
He knew in his heart that no amount of reasoning would be of any use now.
Gu Rong was furious, convinced that he had harmed Chen Xin; Ning Fengzhi, bound by gratitude and marriage agreement, could only suppress his dissatisfaction, but the seeds of discord had already been sown.
Explanations are inadequate.
There is only one way to break this deadlock.
Pull Chen Xin back from the illusion of sword heart.