Chapter 119: Heavy as a Mountain
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
As the person nearest to Yan Xiu, Fang Zhengzhi naturally felt it the most. He even felt as if he was personally at the scene, and witnessed the incident that day.
A general with outstanding military achievements, arriving at the woman’s house filled with expectations and joy.
Yet, all he was able to see was a white paper fan and her last words…
"Black hair dyed white, I wait silently and wholeheartedly for you to paint!"
The woman’s love, and the woman’s silence, as well as at the moment she left, even though she knew she was about to depart from this world, she didn’t have the heart to tell her man, who fought valiantly on the battlefield.
"Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan!" Fang Zhengzhi’s vision finally focused.
Because, Yan Xiu had already moved. At this moment, Yan Xiu’s expression seemed as if he was influenced by the spirituality of the fan. Waving the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan on his hands, the extraordinary beauty of the mountain river illustration completely erupted.
Just like water flowing downwards.
A brilliant ray of light lit up from the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan. It spilled out of the fan and began to proliferate unstoppably.
Then, a strange scene occurred.
With Yan Xiu at the heart, the scenery within the circumference of the light suddenly changed, transforming into a huge mountain river illustration.
Towering mountain rocks and craggy cliffs filled the high mountain. On the mountain, the scene was beautiful. Countless trees swayed gently, and within the mountain rocks, a powerful waterfall flowed down from the mountain, adding on a silver-like band of light into the entire world.
The sound of flowing water, and the light gust of wind, and even the sound of the trees swaying, could all be heard clearly.
This was an illusion formed by countless points of light, however, this illusion seemed to integrate completely with reality. Reality and illusion simply couldn’t be distinguished from one another, and this illustration was the exact same scenery on Yan Xiu’s paper fan.
Fang Zhengzhi was filled with shock, and a powerful sense of grief filled his heart. He knew very clearly that this was due to the influence of the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan. If he could stay calm, the first thing he should do was to remove himself from these thoughts.
However, thinking was thinking. If he really wanted to achieve this…
It was too difficult!
"Heaven and Earth Reversal!" At this moment, a low bellow came from Yan Xiu’s mouth. His voice was filled with a sense of misery that felt as if his mood had fallen into a deep valley.
Fang Zhengzhi at this moment truly felt miserable…
When he saw the mountain river illustration, he didn’t feel any strong sensations other than some slight effects on his mood, causing him to feel a little miserable.
However, after Yan Xiu’s Heaven and Earth Reversal...
He really felt as if the entire world had reversed, just like falling from the top of the mountain into the deep valley.
His heart almost shattered.
Of course, this wasn’t the main point. The main point was that he had a very heavy feeling. This feeling didn’t come from his heart, and instead, came from his back.
Just as if a huge mountain was pressing onto his body.
…
"The Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan has its own spirituality, and this spirituality can form the land of mountain and river. In this land… Fang Zhengzhi might not even be able to move!"
At the judging table, an examiner looked at the illustration on the arena and exclaimed.
"Even if he could move, his actions would still be strongly hindered. Battling with Yan Xiu within this mountain and river land, winning is simply impossible."
"Once the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan is out, the results are confirmed!" Han Changfeng once again returned back to his seat. He seemed to be somewhat relieved. No matter how monstrous one’s talents were, he still wouldn’t be able to overcome the internal influence of the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.
"How powerful!"
"Yan Xiu has the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan, within the Star Conglomerate, I fear he is already unmatched!"
Gazing at the scene that suddenly appeared in front of them, the surrounding examinees were similarly shocked. Even though they were under the arena, they were still able to sense a heavy pressure.
Let alone Fang Zhengzhi who resided at the centre of the arena.
Right at this moment, Yan Xiu moved again, waving the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.
"Kill!"
Following his bellow, the fiery half-moon appeared once again, and a red sun flashed into existence in the sky. It was the Asura Sword that Yan Xiu had previously used.
Fang Zhengzhi felt that he should be dodging.
However, as he attempted to use the Wind Shadow Technique, he understood that he wouldn’t be able to dodge.
Because, that pressure was too powerful, so powerful that he was almost unable to move. He was only able to take one step before the heat from the Asura Sword reached him.
"I have to block it!" Fang Zhengzhi didn’t have a second choice.
Gritting his teeth, in the end, he still waved his white jade sword. A bright moon appeared in the sky, and a streak of white light zoomed towards the fiery half-moon.
"Boom!"
The two clashed into one another.
Unlike being evenly-matched previously, this time, the white light was like snow, instantly torn apart by the fiery half-moon and turning into little spots of moonlight…
A powerful and overbearing blast washed over. Fang Zhengzhi felt that his chest seemed to have suffered a heavy impact, and the Jade Sea Armour on his body gave off a glittering blue light.
"Crack!" Below his feet, a deep crack emerged. On the other hand, Fang Zhengzhi was lifted off the ground and backwards.
With a plop, he fell, face-up, onto the ground.
Under the influence of the land of mountain and river, Yan Xiu was still Yan Xiu, however, Fang Zhengzhi wasn’t Fang Zhengzhi anymore. His abilities had been hindered greatly, and was simply unable to fight against Yan Xiu.
"The Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan, is indeed powerful!" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the evidently darkened rays of light on the Jade Sea Armour in front of his chest. Maybe, if he suffered another attack, he was going to get injured.
"Can… you still defend against this?" Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi and spoke.
"If the one standing in front of you is an enemy, I believe you won’t ask this?" Fang Zhengzhi didn’t directly reply Yan Xiu’s question, and instead asked back.
"Yes, I won’t!" Yan Xiu nodded, then, a streak of fiery half-moon once again slashed towards Fang Zhengzhi from his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.
Gazing at the fiery half-moon that sped towards him, Fang Zhengzhi felt a bit like he had just asked for trouble. However, he didn’t go as far as admitting defeat at this moment.
If he couldn’t win based on quality, he could only fight with quantity.
With a continuous wave of the white jade sword, in one breathe, Fang Zhengzhi waved three times. Three streaks of bright white light sped directly towards Yan Xiu’s fiery half-moon.
"Boom boom…"
The violent air raged in the arena.
On the other hand, Fang Zhengzhi had once again been pushed back. However, unlike the previous time, he didn’t fall. Instead, he was only pushed back three steps by the blast.
"Looks like… three against one isn’t enough!" A bitter smile appeared on Fang Zhengzhi’s mouth. Now, he was merely holding on.
As long as the land of mountain and river existed, his power decreased dramatically…
Hence, victory and defeat had already been decided.
"Am I going to lose?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the mountain and river land formed by countless spots of light around him. It wasn’t that he couldn’t accept defeat, however, he felt that losing like this was somewhat weird.
He had clearly asked Yan Xiu to give his all, however, when he really gave his all, Fang Zhengzhi himself instantly admitted defeat…
It was really too embarrassment.
"I have to at least hold on for five minutes?" Fang Zhengzhi thought for a while and felt that this was the bare minimum. At least it wasn’t too embarrassing.
Hence, Fang Zhengzhi began to initiate the attack.
If three streaks couldn’t defeat one, then four streaks, five streaks, six, seven, eight, nine streaks…
Feeling the white fog that was still dense within his pocket dimension, he moved.
The bright moon lit up the sky, and completely unleashed all the fear in his heart. Streaks of white light sped towards Yan Xiu.
A glimmer of shock once again on Yan Xiu’s face.
Based on his understanding of Fang Zhengzhi, there were many meaningless things he wouldn’t bother to do. However, at this moment, Fang Zhengzhi was mysteriously staunch.
Most importantly, this battle intent definitely couldn’t be faked.
…
The surrounding examinees were similarly stunned.
On the arena, a situation that had initially already been inverted seemed to gradually turn even under Fang Zhengzhi’s frenzied counterattack. Streaks of white light wildly slashed away from the white jade sword.
Just like the bright moon in the sky, giving off its last light.
Qin Yumei silently looked at Fang Zhengzhi, his expression somewhat respectfully. Maybe, only during certain special moments can one really see the true nature of a person’s heart.
For example: A battle which one was clearly about to lose, yet still gave his all.
This was a form of respect to one’s opponent, and at the same time, was a form of respect to oneself.
Han Changfeng’s expression turned rather complicated. It seemed to contain a trace of admiration, however, within the admiration, there was a mysterious trace of fear.
Maybe, he was more willing to see Fang Zhengzhi give up, as compared to his frenzied counterattack on the arena.
…
Yan Xiu didn’t hold back. Because, Fang Zhengzhi’s actions had already told him that true sincerity towards a friend was fighting without holding back at all.
As such, Yan Xiu also began to turn somewhat frenzied.
Streaks of fiery half-moons continuously cut down from the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan, and the red sun in the sky glowed brighter and brighter, as if it was completely burning with fire.
The burning heat and icy winter clashed on the arena.
But, the sweat on Yan Xiu, whose body resided in the burning heat, was far from that of Fang Zhengzhi, whose body resided in the icy winter.
At this moment, Fang Zhengzhi’s forehead and back was already completely soaked with sweat, and the hand that held on to the white jade sword also trembled slightly.
The white mist in his pocket dimension became thinner and thinner.
He knew that if this continued, he wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer…
"Looks like… I am really going to lose!" Mysteriously, Fang Zhengzhi felt somewhat sad. Was this the legendary "never say die"?
He recalled the words he left at the village entrance of the Northern Mountain Village before he left.
Can I pass the capital examination?
I’ll attain another double roll champion and show you!
Maybe, he had really set his expectations too high up? Now, he was definitely about to pass the capital examination, even though the advantage Yan Xiu had in the overall results was a little higher due to combat examination.
But it was still second place.
"Am I going to become the second child this time?" Fang Zhengzhi didn’t really like this position. He would rather be the third child… hmm, actually, the fourth and fifth wasn’t too bad either…
As he thought, Fang Zhengzhi’s legs suddenly slipped, and all of a sudden, took a step out.
Huh?
Fang Zhengzhi was filled with surprise. What happened?