Thunderclouds churned.
All daylight dimmed.
Xu Henian's expression changed abruptly, and he jerked his head up toward the sky.
"This is..."
Everyone followed his gaze upward.
The dark clouds roiled as though alive, purple-gold lightning weaving through their depths and lighting up every face.
Just then...
"Ha!"
A burst of laughter rang out.
Xu Henian snapped his head down toward the blood-soaked figure in the pit.
Song Chi was looking at him.
Those eyes did not belong to a dying man.
"Heh heh heh..."
Xu Henian's heart lurched.
His unease grew heavier and heavier. "You..."
But Song Chi spoke first. He threw his head back toward the heavens and roared:
"One, sword's, light, chills, nine, teen, provinces-!!"
Everyone froze.
What... what was this man doing?
Reciting poetry?
Reciting poetry now?
Song Chi raised his right hand, pointing the Startling Swan Sword at the sky.
Rumble!!
A peal of muffled thunder rolled across the horizon, as though accompanying him.
"The, moon, sets, stars, sink, I, alone, remain-!!"
With each line he roared, his body straightened a little more.
Blood ran down his forehead, smearing half his face, but he did not wipe it away.
Every onlooker stared blankly at the scene.
A naked, blood-soaked, white-haired man stood in a pit, reciting poetry to the heavens.
This scene.
It was too fucking bizarre.
"Today, I, tread, to, pieces, the, azure-cloud, path-!!"
As he finished roaring the third line, an enormous thunderclap boomed overhead.
Song Chi whipped his head around, fixed his eyes on Xu Henian, and smiled.
That smile was smeared with blood, yet radiant as a flower.
"Chasing, a, Golden, Immortal, all, over, the, ground-!!!"
As his words fell, the entire sky erupted.
Countless bolts of purple lightning danced wildly through the clouds, illuminating everyone's deathly pale faces.
Song Chi tipped