One Slash, Then Another-Only I Was in High Spirits

Yuan Shou stood on an ancient sword, his long staff spinning unpredictably in his hands. Dense Gang Wind formed a great circle around him and spread outward, shattering the seven-colored, glassy rain falling from the sky.

Clad in golden armor, the Throne Great Demon who called himself Niu Dao stood unmoving. He let the swift raindrops, brimming with Sharp Sword Qi, strike his armor, regretting only that the Sword Qi was too light and too sparse to break the cage around him. So when Bai Ye delivered his first full-strength strike, Niu Dao would take it.

Qie Yun patted the Sword Nurturing Gourd at his waist, meeting Sword Qi with Sword Qi. He pressed a finger to his cheek, narrowed his eyes at the beautiful sight, and murmured, "Wind and rain toss the world, scattering all its charm."

Seated on a Golden Cushion, the burly giant breathed out softly, blowing the rain and Sword Qi aside.

Yang Zhi, human-headed and Flood Dragon-bodied, stirred her Natal Divine Ability, gathering the rain around herself until it condensed into seven-colored glass beads. They soon burst beneath the Sword Qi's assault, only to gather again in an instant. After several rounds of scattering and reforming, several puppet maidservants holding pipas received her command and drew the rain beads threaded with Sword Qi into their instruments' string grooves. Most of the pipas could not withstand the fine Sword Qi; instrument and puppet alike crumbled to powder. But one pipa still shimmered. Slender threads of Sword Qi followed the minute grain of its paulownia board and fingerboard, until wisps of pure sword intent appeared on its strings. Yang Zhi reached out and caught the pipa between her fingertips. She studied it intently, then moved it with a thought. The strings sounded—only to snap one after another.