Chapter 321: Wan Crane, Thousand Snows, and the Golden Crow's Sword

At the edge of the Wine-Seeking Platform, behind the dilapidated small pavilion, the ice stalactite hanging from the eaves, dripping water, shattered instantly. It fragmented into countless pieces, transforming into crystals that refracted sunlight and scattered into the air, sweeping into a cold and frenzied storm alongside the sword energy.

Within the dancing crane's sword intent, the sword energy, like a beast unleashed from its cage, carried resolute killing intent, lunging at Ning Changjiu's back with a force capable of overturning rivers and seas.

Ning Changjiu moved the moment he felt the killing intent.

He intended to rely on the Mirror Moon Water's illusion-reality exchange, but under the opponent's powerful Dao Realm suppression, both the ice and the lake water were obscured by the vast sword energy, unable to reflect even a trace of his shadow.

Ning Changjiu leaned forward, his back almost grazing the sword tip as he slid past. At the same time, he twisted around, raised his sleeve, and swiped with joined fingers.

Thus, as the White Crane's sword energy pressed closer, countless streaks of sword light suddenly erupted from Ning Changjiu's robes.

Just as when he fought Liu Xiwang in the Order Tower, Daoist seals, divine secret arts, and ultimate Sword Sect techniques—thousands of spiritual path sword methods—gathered like a sky-piercing tornado in his sea of consciousness. They activated together with his simple finger swipe, blooming in yellow and brilliant purple before him, like peaks burning in the setting sun of autumn.

Although Ning Changjiu's sword was launched later, its momentum was not inferior in the slightest.

The two instantly collided.

The light that exploded on impact raged in all directions, like a strong wind swirling countless white paper scraps.

This dilapidated pavilion, which had stood for countless years without falling, had all its intricate wooden structures instantly crushed and destroyed by spiritual energy, sweeping outwards with the storm like white waves.

The frozen lake surface simultaneously burst open. The thick ice layer, like a snow ox arching its back, was pushed high, breaking open countless cracks. Large amounts of lake water surged out from the fissures, surging in waves, erupting skyward like fountains.

This sudden encounter in the wilderness began without warning. The explosion triggered in an instant unexpectedly destroyed everything around it.

Ning Changjiu's illusionary sword was also shattered by the spiritual energy flow. He ultimately didn't possess a good sword worthy of his status that he could wield, while his opponent held the Xuanming Sect's 'Nether' sword, which far surpassed his own in both quality and spiritual power.

Therefore, in this grand sword confrontation, even though Ning Changjiu used all his might, he still felt like trying to smash a rock with an egg.

After the collision ended, White Crane True Monarch's powerful killing intent was not neutralized. He stood on the swirling cold lake surface, holding a sword seemingly condensed from heavy snow. With a finger pressing against the hilt, he pushed forward indifferently.

He gave Ning Changjiu no chance to breathe. The surging torrent of sword intent pressed forward again like an enraged dragon.

Ning Changjiu pursed his lips tightly. The immense spiritual energy burden made the veins on his forehead bulge, pulsating wildly.

White Crane True Monarch's sword was instantly thrust before him.

Ning Changjiu took a deep breath, suddenly took a step forward, advancing instead of retreating. He didn't have time to simulate sword moves, only striking out with a simple punch. On the tip of his fist, spiritual energy vibrated outwards in layers, slightly weakening the momentum of White Crane True Monarch's sword strike.

He used this brief moment to unhook the sword from his waist with his left hand. Holding the sword sheath, he swiped horizontally like a dagger.

White Crane True Monarch's sword tip struck the sword sheath.

Ning Changjiu retracted his fist, holding the sword sheath in one hand and pressing his other palm against the sword hilt, using this as a shield to block the opponent's attack.

The sword in his hand was from the Sword Pavilion. His second senior sister's sword, enduring the baptism of sword intent, hummed inside its sheath, like a cicada's long cry among withered willows in the autumn wind.

This sword seemed to have ignited its fighting spirit.

White Crane True Monarch's long-unseen face silently stared at Ning Changjiu through the sword energy and water reflections. The True Monarch was much thinner than he had been months ago; his formerly ethereal, immortal appearance now had withered white hair, ashy brows and eyes, and his body was even skinnier, reduced to skin and bones, as if a withered skeleton tightly wrapped in a white Daoist robe.

And all of this was due to the three people who suddenly invaded the sect.

After he fortunately escaped that day, he dared not return to the mountain again. His Dao Realm was damaged, his path to Dao almost destroyed.

He knew his life was probably over like this. How could he be reconciled, suddenly plummeting from the peak to the bottom? He resolved to seek revenge. Although his cultivation was damaged, he had still entered the Five Dao Realm. Even if he couldn't kill that silver-haired demoness, killing the other pair of Dao companions should be more than enough.

He had noticed this young man when he entered the Heavenly Rankings. He waited outside for months, placed outposts on all essential routes, and then chose this place as the ambush site.

He had waited too long, so what he prepared was a fatal blow!

But the sword in the opponent's hand became a variable.

"Is this the Sword Pavilion's sword?" Although White Crane True Monarch's Dao heart was nearly turned to ash, witnessing this ancient longsword from the Sword Pavilion, he still couldn't help but feel a tremor.

If it were ordinary times, he would certainly not attack someone holding a Sword Pavilion sword, but at this moment, he no longer cared about death.

The main sword pressed against Ning Changjiu's sheath, entangling with it. White Crane True Monarch flicked his wrist, casually condensing several specks of sword energy with a star-picking technique. The sword energy floated and sank with his hand's movement, then popped out one by one from his fingertips, surging in the air like spherical celestial thunderbolts, following different trajectories, all smashing towards Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu reached out, firmly blocking with the sword sheath. His palm holding the sword was scorched crimson by the overflowing sword energy, and the veins on his wrist bulged like twisting dragons or snakes beneath the skin.

When the sword energy struck down like celestial thunder, Ning Changjiu roared. The Asura Divine Art, his trump card, had to be used prematurely. Ten thousand golden rays unfurled behind him, like a blazing sun breaking through clouds. A huge Asura Dharma Body rose menacingly, roaring like a lion, waving its fists and palms, smashing heavily towards the sky, scattering the celestial thunder.

White Crane True Monarch, who had not actively pressed forward with his physical form, looked at the huge golden Dharma Body, his aged eyes narrowing to a slit.

It was this evil art—the thing he feared.

White Crane True Monarch knew this was the white-robed youth's 'turtle shell.' It was difficult for ordinary people to draw out this old turtle's head; only by first shedding its armor and shell could it be killed.

White Crane True Monarch flicked his fingers, his Daoist spell changed, and his form pressed forward simultaneously.

Beneath the stone foundation of the ruined pavilion, his robes fluttered over the water. As his figure darted, immense power pulled the lake water up, pressing down overwhelmingly towards Ning Changjiu's position.

Ning Changjiu couldn't catch his breath.

In the Order Tower, he had been truly magnificent when facing challengers. No matter which sect they were from, no matter how great their reputation outside, what kind of immortal maiden or cultivator they were, there was not much difference before him.

But the Five Dao Realm was a chasm apart from the Purple Court Realm.

This was a realm forged over decades, even centuries.

A cultivator might only be a few years or a century old...

The surging lake water stirred up by White Crane True Monarch was his half-lifetime of blood and tears.

Ning Changjiu looked up, his brows deeply furrowed. White Crane True Monarch's spiritual energy hammered down like bone nails, enveloping his entire body, locking down all his escaping vital energy.

Ning Changjiu had no way to retreat. He discarded all thoughts of shrinking back, opened his sword eyes, and stared intently at the surging tide.

Within the flowing water wall, a crane shadow flew out.

The Asura clenched its fist and swung it towards the path of the circling crane.

The giant wave crashed into Ning Changjiu.

The wall of lake water struck Ning Changjiu's Asura Golden Body. Golden light seeped into the water; the lake water instantly condensed into millions of water droplets, colliding with each other, splashing and scattering in an instant.

Amidst the thunderous roar, Ning Changjiu's muffled groan was swallowed.

He kept his sword eyes open, seeking White Crane True Monarch's attack point to launch his sword. But this half-lake of water was still an immense palm of ten million jun, carrying unimaginable power, instantly smashing his body to the bottom of the lake!

Ning Changjiu's form plummeted.

The lake water relieved much of the pressure on his chest.

Soon, his back touched the reefs. The slippery moss on the reefs was crushed, floating upwards in scattered pieces, rising to the iron-blue surface along with countless dead fish.

His sea of consciousness unfolded like a net, capturing the trajectory of the killing intent.

Before he could catch his breath, countless white crane shadows, like swimming fish, darted towards him in the water.

He still had no time to breathe. His body sinking, clinging to the snail-filled lakebed, he fled rapidly. At the same time, at the source of the countless crane shadows' power, he searched for White Crane True Monarch's true location.

White Crane True Monarch was unlike his battle with Siming months ago, where his realm was suppressed and he was constrained everywhere. Though his realm was now damaged, it was still enough to firmly suppress Ning Changjiu, allowing him to use everything he had learned in his life and fully exert himself.

The crane shadows' wing-flapping motion was as slow as a butterfly's, yet their speed was like an invisible flash, instantly reaching Ning Changjiu, clinging to his white robes like flowers, as if blooming from his garment.

The white flowers then turned into blood flowers.

Streaks of fresh blood blossomed in the murky water, then were instantly dispersed by the turbulent currents.

The Asura Golden Body was a dual power, both spiritual and substantial. It enveloped half of Ning Changjiu's body, ignoring the resistance of the water current, still punching continuously, carving out many huge holes in the lakebed. But the flying cranes were like countless mosquitoes and flies, scattering only to reform, in an endless stream.

Ning Changjiu didn't turn back. He moved along the lakebed; the Sword Pavilion sword in his hand hummed, as if mocking its master's weakness.

He remained unmoved. His figure shifted and darted across the lakebed. Wherever he passed, reefs burst open one after another, and broken snail shells surged with the current towards the luminous water surface.

Ning Changjiu's figure shot upwards, emerging from the lake currents. Layers of crane shadows still pursued relentlessly, chasing him tail-to-head.

And on the lake surface, the white-haired old man had arrived there unnoticed. He had anticipated everything, standing at the exact spot where Ning Changjiu broke through the water, with a cruel smile on his face.

The sword intent he had gathered in his embrace simultaneously unsheathed by several inches.

This was an unexpected sword strike. The sword energy, as it was exhaled and inhaled, instantly illuminated Ning Changjiu's brows and eyes, silently, fast as lightning, stabbing unimpeded towards the youth's throat.

Ning Changjiu, however, also seemed to have anticipated his arrival. As this sword thrust came, the Sword Pavilion sword in his hand had also been unsheathed. Surging sword intent poured out, its momentum not inferior in the slightest.

Surprisingly, Ning Changjiu's sword intent overwhelmed White Crane True Monarch's.

White Crane True Monarch's sword intent disintegrated, and his form was severed at the waist by Ning Changjiu.

A paper crane floated to the ground.

Not a flesh and blood body!

Ning Changjiu's heart suddenly leaped.

He looked up sharply. Above, an immortal crane descended. Its form seemed slow, yet it traversed layers of space, instantly pressing down overhead.

Ning Changjiu didn't defend, because intuition told him this was also fake.

He looked down at his feet.

Beneath his feet, the white cranes that had been chasing him tail-to-head previously coalesced into one, flying out of the water, like a white crane soaring through the void.

The crane shadow struck.

Ning Changjiu closed his eyes.

The mystic art of Mirror Moon Water activated. He swapped places with his reflection in the lake water. As illusion and reality transformed, White Crane True Monarch struck empty air. The shadows in the sky and water overlapped, turning into a real immortal crane.

Ning Changjiu took no time to rest. The moment the immortal crane coalesced, he had already delivered his first counter-attack sword strike.

The shadow of the illusionary sword broke through the water surface, with a sword cry like a tiger's roar and a dragon's cry, pressing towards White Crane True Monarch's position.

White Crane True Monarch flapped his wings, shedding feathers.

The feathers transformed into a shield, dissolving the incoming sword energy one by one.

Meanwhile, Ning Changjiu, with his Asura body, also burst out of the water after his sword strike, like a giant whale opening its fanged maw, biting towards White Crane True Monarch.

"Still has strength left?" White Crane True Monarch's brows furrowed slightly. He realized he had still underestimated his opponent.

He knew the opponent was extraordinary. That extraordinariness was not from a noble background, but a truly unique, heaven-blessed distinction.

He had cultivated Dao on Xuanming Mountain for many years, seen countless talented and brilliant disciples, yet never seen such exceptional talent and calm gaze. Even though they were separated by a major realm, this feeling still instilled fear in White Crane True Monarch.

Although his realm was lower than his own, the way he looked at him was always with a condescending gaze.

This kind of gaze could only come from years...

Unless the opponent had reached a higher realm than himself, otherwise, how could this be? Could it be an immortal art of rejuvenation or reincarnation for cultivation?

A strange thought flashed through White Crane True Monarch's mind. But facing a life-or-death opponent allowed no distraction.

The Asura body was already pressing forward. He looked at this golden behemoth and pushed his sword out of its sheath again.

Since the assassination began, in their confrontation, White Crane True Monarch had used many swords, but except for the first sword, he had never fully drawn his sword from its sheath.

He had always been building momentum.

He wanted to wait until his essence, qi, and spirit reached their peak, then directly with a thunderous sword strike that split clouds and waves, completely cut off all of the opponent's vitality.

Ning Changjiu also understood his methods, and he also needed to suppress the opponent's methods.

The Asura's giant fist, concealed by his flying sword, met him head-on, directly smashing onto the opponent's sword hilt, forcing the sword that was about to be drawn back into its sheath.

The white feather cloud surrounding Ning Changjiu was scattered by a punch.

White Crane True Monarch's figure reappeared.

He looked at Ning Changjiu, sighed, and slowly said, "My life has been ruined by you."

Ning Changjiu's sword and the Asura's fist pressed on again. His face was cold, his voice hoarse, "The last time we failed to kill you directly was our oversight."

"Alas..." White Crane True Monarch sighed again. His swords fell like rain, covering the lake surface where Ning Changjiu was, saying, "We could have talked originally. Who knew you'd burst into the cave without a word, and even killed Horned Deer True Monarch... No matter if your ambition is to ask the heavens for Dao or to vie for power in the Central Plains, such conduct and style will only create countless enemies."

Ning Changjiu resisted the opponent's attacks, searching for flaws in his moves. He ignored White Crane True Monarch's words and said expressionlessly, "The higher the realm, the more you feel the whole world should pity your lives. Any major event should be done with your consent. Immortal Sects and the mortal world are all to be overturned in your palms... You cultivators of the Immortal Sects have just lived too smoothly!"

That day, the Dianhuan Sect used the Immortal Slaying Tower to seal the mountain and block their path, forcing them into the Sea Kingdom situation. They themselves nearly died, and in the aftermath, who knew how many ordinary people died or were injured...

Ning Changjiu's Dao heart raged. The Asura's giant fists relentlessly struck towards the sky, with unceasing momentum, sending out countless thunderous roars.

White Crane True Monarch, meanwhile, launched swords from the clouds, each sword intent cutting out a nearly perfect arc, approaching swiftly like lightning, forcing his figure to flee in disarray.

On the large lake behind him, water curtains endlessly sounded, like an inverse torrent of rain.

Golden and white figures intertwined within it, fighting until the sky darkened and the earth blurred.

Although Ning Changjiu's spiritual sea was profound, it couldn't withstand his constant punching and sword strikes.

Spiritual energy overflowed and evaporated around him, turning into large amounts of rising white mist.

Ning Changjiu's sword eyes fixed on White Crane True Monarch's position. He formed a sword seal in his sleeve. Thousands of sword shadows converged at his fingertips, forming an enraged dragon soaring into the sky.

White Crane True Monarch sneered. His figure shifted in the air, sometimes turning into a sword, sometimes a human, using layered moves to effortlessly deflect Ning Changjiu's long-planned attack.

"Alas, it seems this still won't kill you." White Crane True Monarch's figure leisurely circled, then flew down to the water surface. "It's time to let you, young punk, see what the Five Dao Realm is, and what the heavenly ladder between the Purple Court and Five Dao realms is."

As he spoke, he focused his gaze and spirit, cutting off all sparks of thought.

In Ning Changjiu's heart, a huge warning sign faintly emerged, instantly raising a layer of goosebumps on his body.

He firmly stabilized his wavering mind and looked towards White Crane True Monarch in the air.

Around White Crane True Monarch, light seemed to stop flowing.

With the crane as the center, a phantom world constructed itself around it, and it was like an idol or totem within this world.

Beneath the white crane, countless feather blade storms swept up.

The authority White Crane True Monarch cultivated had an ability similar to freezing.

At the same time, he also glimpsed some power of the sky.

That was the unowned power after Candle Dragon's death.

These two fragmented authorities converged in the air. The unleashed feather blades were all imbued with a faint glow. This light looked beautiful; a single glance at it could make one think of death and heaven.

Ning Changjiu looked around.

The opponent's domain was far larger than what he could manifest.

He still had no retreat.

Ning Changjiu raised his head. In his eyes, light condensed into points.

He lifted his expansive sleeves.

The two sections of his sleeves were like clouds rising on either side of him.

Each cloud contained a myriad of phenomena.

He once again brought forth his life's accumulated knowledge. All his learning and Daoist arts transformed into tangible manifestations, blocking above him one by one, like countless mirages suspended overhead.

White Crane True Monarch looked at the youth standing on the lake surface, shaking his head gently.

"A cornered beast's struggle."

He said so, then extended two fingers and pushed his sword out of its sheath.

The sword fully unsheathed, disappearing among the myriad white feathers.

This sword was like a mold, and the sky full of white feathers was like silver water.

The silver water poured into the mold also turned into swords.

White Crane True Monarch's figure hovered in the air, like the midday sun.

A terrifying sword intent, almost covering half the large lake, fell from the sky, smashing entirely towards Ning Changjiu's position.

At the same time, White Crane True Monarch in the clouds continued to flick his fingers lightly, like a judge seated high, controlling life and death.

Several streaks of pure sword intent struck down, exploding in clusters on his arms and shoulders, shredding his robes, blood flowing freely.

The central sword energy was already pressing on Ning Changjiu's head, tearing away those manifested concepts like withered weeds, then like a giant palm pressing his skull, slowly pushing him towards the bottom of the lake.

Boom, boom, boom. Successive explosions rocked the lake surface.

The entire surface of the water resembled the concave shape of a bowl.

Ning Changjiu stood in the center, water flowing out in all directions like dragons.

The final earth-shattering roar startled.

Everything completely exploded.

Ning Changjiu's figure was completely blasted into the depths of the lake.

The water surface reunited towards the center, rapidly engulfing his figure, as if closing a coffin lid on a dead man.

White Crane True Monarch's figure floated down.

He stood on the lake surface, dispersing the lingering sword energy from his fingertips.

The white crane transformed back into an old man. The old man's senility was even more pronounced, his hair completely white, countless wrinkles, so old he dared not look at his reflection in the water.

The energy he expended also far exceeded his own estimation.

But... even if he killed this young man, his own path to Dao was already ruined. Where would he go from here?

The old man sighed deeply, his heart like stagnant water, only wanting to find a secluded place and indifferently wait for death.

Just at this moment, a point of vitality emerged again in his consciousness.

Ripples appeared on the water surface.

White Crane True Monarch was not shocked; he just uttered a sound of surprise and sneered, "Not dead yet? What a tenacious life. No matter, I'll give you a few more swords!"

As he spoke, a cruel light of slaughter emerged in his eyes.

The old man pushed out his palm, swords emerging with his palm. Streaks of swords with different intents condensed in the air, falling towards where the ripples appeared.

"Sister..."

The clouds and seas of the Three Thousand Worlds surged endlessly. In the wondrous pavilion suspended in the center, Shiyu stood beside Zhao Xiang'er, softly calling out "sister." Then she stared at the phantom water screen before her, unable to help but furrow her brow.

Zhao Xiang'er sat before a table formed of clouds and mist. Before her exquisite face, a water screen slowly unfolded, within it, Ning Changjiu and a white crane were battling.

Zhao Xiang'er watched quietly, expressionless, only her finely curved eyelashes trembled slightly.

Shiyu looked at her sister's graceful silhouette, her gaze resting on her porcelain-white cheek.

In the image, Ning Changjiu's momentum was exhausted. He had been smashed into a deep pit at the bottom of the lake by White Crane True Monarch's sword, his breath nearly gone. Yet White Crane True Monarch was still uneasy, condensing several swords and striking down one by one at Ning Changjiu's location.

She looked at the unstoppable sword tips, her heart tightening. Putting herself in his shoes, she felt that if she were the one fighting this White Crane, she would have already died.

Although the Consort was stronger than her past self, the ceiling of the Purple Court Realm was only so high. If this continued, he would surely die.

"Sister Xiang'er," Shiyu said, "Mother asked you to guard this place, and you must never leave without permission, no matter how great the matter. I know even if you don't usually say it, sister, you like him. Seeing this scene, my heart also aches greatly. But sister, please don't break the rules. Otherwise, then, not only will he surely die, but you, sister, will also..." Shiyu gritted her teeth, sighed softly, and whispered, "I am willing to stay by your side, sister, but I don't want to work with Xue Yuan for a thousand years."

Zhao Xiang'er calmly watched the figure on the water screen, without answering. Nine Feathers stopped beside the water screen, turning their heads to watch together.

Shiyu said anxiously, "Sister, are you even listening to me?!"

She always felt that with Sister Xiang'er's personality, she would pull out her sword at any moment, relying on the innate divine power of the Three Thousand Worlds, using the world as a ladder to heaven, and with a single sword strike travel ten thousand miles to rescue her husband.

How could she stop her then?

In the scene on the water screen, White Crane True Monarch's sword had already fallen.

Sword after sword, with hardly any interval.

The water surface erupted with countless huge waves.

Zhao Xiang'er finally spoke softly, muttering to herself, her voice indifferent: "This sword strike is for Jiajia, this one for Xiaoling, this one is from me, this one is for... Siming, and this one, hmm... let's count it for Liu Xiwang. As for this sword, it's for all the female disciples he defeated!"

"???" Shiyu listened to Sister Xiang'er's words, shocked speechless, thinking, "I thought you were worried about your husband. I never imagined you were meticulously keeping accounts. Is this the renowned model immortal couple of Nanzhou?"

After the swords on the water screen had fallen completely, Zhao Xiang'er's expression eased considerably. Her jade hand lightly stroked her chest, as if letting out a long sigh of relief.

Shiyu cautiously asked, "Sister, are you really not worried about him at all?"

Zhao Xiang'er said coldly, "Worried about what? He won't die anyway. Hmph, this wild crane came at just the right time. If it didn't come to eliminate this menace, I would have been unable to resist going down to the mortal realm to beat him up myself! Then it wouldn't just be this minor flesh wound."

"Minor flesh wound?" Shiyu was slightly startled, thinking, "The Consort is clearly on the verge of death!"

As she was thinking, in the water screen, the snowy lake once again tore open a rift.

The gray sky had no sun, yet a golden sun rose in the lake, dyeing the entire lake water a scorching color.

Below the water surface, a golden crow flew out.

Within the crow, the figure in damaged white robes appeared out of thin air. The blood on his body was washed clean by the lake water, appearing ghastly pale.

He was like a divine son stepping out from the sun, or like an unquiet water ghost. He slowly straightened his back, looking up at White Crane True Monarch, his pupils like a blazing sun encased in pure crystal.