225: Chapter 225 The Funeral

The sound of the flute rose and fell, unpredictable—

At times it was like the cry of a crane in the Nine Heavens, clear and impassioned, soaring straight into the clouds; at other times, it was like the wailing of ghosts in the netherworld, low and sobbing, chilling the Soul.

The web of sound shifted and flowed along with it.

At times it was like spider silk, clinging and pervasive, tightly wrapping around Li Chengsi's form; at other times, it was like the clashing of metal, resonant and powerful, as dense blades of sound struck at his vital points like a rainstorm—

Each one carried the power to tear through metal and stone, and each one was enough to claim a life!

Li Chengsi's expression shifted slightly; he clearly hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary flute music to possess such power.

The chengtian sword in his hand twisted and turned, his sword techniques suddenly becoming treacherous and unpredictable; at times fast as lightning, with sword shadows flying, and at other times slow as a snail, with a heavy, concentrated sword Aura.

Where the sword edge passed, the air twisted into vortices of Spiritual Qi, deflecting and devouring all the incoming blades of sound!

Every parry carried immense, unparalleled Spiritual Qi; shattered rocks flew in the valley, dust filled the air, and the once-verdant vegetation had long since been ground into powder by the aftermath of their clash, turning into scorched earth!

"A bit interesting."

Liushui Qingshang's lips curled slightly, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes:

"Worthy of being the third-ranked golden generation on the Southern Region's Rising Dragon Ranking."

The flute sound changed again!

This time, the flute music shed all its sharpness, becoming instead lingering and poignant, like weeping and pleading—

It was as if lovers parted by life and death were whispering in one's ear, full of reluctance and sorrow; or as if lonely ghosts were wailing in the dark night, hiding endless resentment and desolation.

It seeped, thread by thread, deep into the marrow of one's bones, striking straight at the most fragile part of the Soul!

The sound waves transformed into visible, pale blue ripples, slowly spreading through the air; wherever they passed, even the light twisted, forming strange trails of light.

The green grass on the ground withered, turned yellow, and shattered at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Fine cracks appeared on the surface of the rocks, as if they had lost all vitality, eroded by this sorrowful flute music—

The entire valley was stained with a layer of dead silence and grief, like a Hell on earth!

Li Chengsi felt the chengtian sword in his hand suddenly become incredibly heavy, as if filled with thousands of catties of lead and mercury; his sword techniques became sluggish and slow, and every swing exhausted his full strength.

What was even more terrifying—

That flute sound acted like an invisible blade, piercing through the refined Protective Aura around his body—

Reaching straight into the depths of his mind!

Countless fragments of memory surged in his mind: the humiliation of being bullied by fellow disciples in his youth, the despair when encountering a Bottleneck in his Cultivate, the bloodlust and madness during the struggle for treasures...

The most secret fears and desires in his heart were stirred up one by one, making his mind waver, nearly causing him to lose his Dao Heart!

"Illusionary Sound to Seize the Heart?"

Li Chengsi bit his tongue hard; the sharp pain spread through his entire body like an electric current, forcing him to wake from the illusion.

A trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, and he sneered like ice:

"Unfortunately, it is useless against me!"

The chengtian sword suddenly erupted with blinding golden light, even more dazzling than the scorching sun!

On the blade, ancient and mysterious runes shone brightly, emitting a majesty that looked down upon the world, as if an ancient deity were awakening within it!

Li Chengsi gripped the sword with both hands and slowly raised it above his head.

This sword strike looked slow, but it contained the majestic power to split the heavens and open the earth!

The surrounding air was pulled by the sword Aura, forming a huge golden vortex; the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth poured madly into the blade, making the golden sword glow increasingly intense, almost bursting this world apart!

"Break!"

With an angry shout, the mountains and rivers trembled, and the clouds for ten thousand miles scattered!

Li Chengsi pressed his wrist down sharply, and the golden sword glow shot into the sky like a pillar of light connecting heaven and earth, carrying an Aura of destruction—

Slashing fiercely at the web of sound!

"Boom!"

The web of sound trembled violently under the impact of the golden sword glow; the pale blue sound threads snapped inch by inch, emitting a faint, sorrowful cry—

Finally, it shattered in response!

Wherever the aftermath reached, the entire valley trembled violently; giant rocks rolled down from the mountain peaks, making a "rumbling" sound; dust rose to the sky, blocking the sun and covering the sky, dyeing the entire firmament a gray hue, as if the end of the world had arrived!

Liushui Qingshang drifted back a few steps, his toes touching a boulder, his form swaying slightly; he had clearly been affected as well.

A fine crack had appeared on the jade flute in his hand, and pale blue Spiritual Qi slowly overflowed along the crack, like shattered glass, beautiful and sorrowful, dissipating into the air.

He stared at the chengtian sword in Li Chengsi's hand, a look of gravity appearing in his eyes for the first time, and his originally composed expression gained a bit of caution—

The power of that divine weapon had clearly exceeded his expectations.

"Tell me, how do you want to die?"

Li Chengsi held the long sword, his robes fluttering, as elegant as an immortal, yet carrying a domineering Aura that looked down upon the world.

He walked toward Liushui Qingshang step by step; with every step, the ground beneath his feet cracked with a ferocious, fine line, and his Aura surged by three points!

The golden Spiritual Qi burned like a raging fire, forming a huge field of energy that locked Liushui Qingshang firmly in place!

This majestic pressure made the surrounding air seem to solidify, making even breathing difficult!

Liushui Qingshang watched Li Chengsi as he approached step by step, his Aura constantly rising—

The look of gravity in his eyes gradually turned into a strange calmness.

As if it were an ancient well without waves, not rising the slightest ripple.

He did not retreat.

Instead, he placed the cracked jade flute back to his lips.

His fingertips gently caressed the crack on the flute, his movements gentle yet resolute, as if caressing a rare treasure, or bidding farewell to an old friend.

"Li Chengsi, I have to admit, you are truly strong."

His voice was very light, yet like sunlight piercing through dark clouds, it clearly penetrated the sword pressure that Li Chengsi was continuously escalating, reaching the other's ears with an unquestionable certainty:

"Worthy of me using my full strength."

The flute sound had not yet begun.

But an indescribable sense of sorrow and resolution had quietly spread.

The surrounding space seemed to have completely solidified, and even the wind had stopped flowing.

The entire Eternal Graveyard fell into a dead silence—

Only the increasingly dense Killing Intent between the two intersected and collided in the air, sparks flying everywhere, like two invisible torrents clashing against each other!

Li Chengsi did not stop his steps; the golden light on the chengtian sword grew increasingly intense, as if he were holding a scorching sun, the light so blinding that one dared not look directly at it.

He sneered:

"A deathbed struggle, merely inviting laughter!"

"It is not a struggle."

Liushui Qingshang shook his head slightly, his eyes vacant, as if gazing at the end of some destiny, or recalling a distant past.

Deep in his eyes hid a vicissitude and resolution that no one could understand, like a martyr who had seen through life and death:

"This is—The Funeral."

He gently stroked the flute body with his fingertips, his voice like an ice spring striking stone:

"Let it end you!"

Before his words had faded—

His fingertip pressed lightly on the flute hole.

"Zheng!"

This was not ordinary flute music!

It was more like the sound of a heavenly string, stretched to the limit, suddenly snapping!

Crisp, yet carrying a tragic intensity that tore through everything, as if containing the most extreme sorrow and anger between heaven and earth—

Piercing the Soul, making one's eardrums buzz, and shattering one's mind!

The cracks on the jade flute spread suddenly under this sound, covering the flute body like a spider web!

The pale blue Spiritual Qi leaked out madly, forming a hazy halo around his body, like the setting sun weeping blood, beautiful and desperate!

An invisible sound wave—

No longer a web, nor a ripple—

But transformed into a single line!

This line of sound wave was condensed to the extreme, as thin as a hair, yet emitting a suffocating Aura of annihilation!

Fast to the extreme!

As if ignoring the distance of space, at that subtle moment when Li Chengsi's sword Aura was about to rise but had not yet, it seemed to cross the boundary of time and space—

Striking directly on the tip of the chengtian sword!

"Ding!"

A light sound, infinitesimal, yet like the sound of heaven, or a funeral bell from Hell, echoing in the valley for a long time, the lingering sound winding around the beams, endless to the ear.

Li Chengsi's forward steps—

Stopped abruptly.

As if under a immobilization spell, he froze in place.

His entire Aura instantly solidified.

He felt an immensely condensed force, carrying an Aura of annihilation, pass through the tip of the chengtian sword and instantly spread through his right arm—

His Meridians felt as if they were being pierced by countless fine needles simultaneously, sending waves of heart-wrenching, bone-piercing pain!

His Aura, which had climbed to its peak, was choked, and the golden Spiritual Qi, as if doused by a basin of cold water, instantly dimmed by a few degrees—

The burning Spiritual Qi flame had a tendency to extinguish!

What shocked him even more—

The brilliant sword glow emitted by the chengtian sword, the moment it came into contact with that "Final Note" sound, was like a punctured balloon; the light flickered violently, showing signs of collapsing!

The runes on the blade flickered, now bright, now dim, as if they would be completely extinguished at any moment, losing all power!

"What kind of sound technique is this?!"

Li Chengsi finally changed color, a trace of unbelievable shock flashing in his eyes—

That calm face showed cracks for the first time!

He tried to urge more Spiritual Qi to stabilize the blade, but found needle-like stabs of pain coming from his arm's Meridians—

This strange, forceful sound wave was rampaging in his Meridians like an untamed wild horse, obstructing the circulation of his Spiritual Qi, making his blood and Qi surge, almost causing him to vomit blood on the spot!

Liushui Qingshang's face was pale as paper, devoid of any color.

A trickle of bright red blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his jaw and landing on his white robes, like red plum blossoms in the snow, shocking to the eye.

Clearly, unleashing this "Final Note" move had placed a tremendous burden on his own Spiritual Qi and Meridians, potentially even damaging his Origin—

But the light in the depths of his eyes remained as sharp as a blade.

Like a sword.

Like a knife.

Like an undying flame.