At the moment of collision, there was no thunderous crash, no explosion of light, no spreading shockwave.
The peachwood sword sank into the shield like a dead branch falling into water.
As the sword tip passed through the shield's Laws of Shadow, the swirling fragments of shadow all retreated to either side.
As though commanded by some higher-order existence to make way.
As those fragments of shadow withdrew, they made a fine, dense rustling sound like rain striking banana leaves.
The sword tip passed through the thickest part of the shield, through Phantom Shadow's crossed claws guarding her chest.
Like passing through the gaps in two bamboo fences, it finally touched the scales over her chest.
And stopped.
The peachwood sword stopped the instant its tip touched the scales on Phantom Shadow's chest, as though an invisible wind had seized it from behind and arrested its advance.
The ancient characters on the blade all lit up in the final instant, then almost simultaneously went dark.
A complete peach blossom slowly bloomed from the sword tip.
It took three breaths to blossom from bud to full bloom, and each petal opened with an almost inaudible soft sound.
The instant the peach blossom fully bloomed, it drifted down from the sword tip and lingered briefly on the scales before Phantom Shadow's chest.
A wisp of golden light flowed through the flower's stamens, then the entire peach blossom turned into fine pale pink motes of light and slowly scattered away.
Mu Yunyao held his sword and looked at Phantom Shadow.
Phantom Shadow lowered her head to look at the peach blossom motes slowly fading from her chest. The light in her vertical pupils was incredibly complicated.
Wariness, confusion, and a faint softness that could not be named.
As well as something she herself