Chapter 331

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Chapter 331: The Sword That Shaped the Land

This battle was not yet over, Bai Wei had merely cleaned up the battlefield, the true enemy still lurked below.

He stepped on the golden water, pure golden ether suddenly collapsing and sinking downwards.

The next moment, the surface of the water cracked open, and a pitch-black python emerged, spraying golden water into the air that then fell down as a magnificent golden rain.

Bai Wei gazed at the black snake, its body slender and graceful, simultaneously beautiful and fierce. From a biological standpoint, it was indeed very handsome and well-structured. It was not just an enlarged snake, but the larger the creature, the more complex and intricate its body structure would be.

The pitch-black serpent roared to the sky, "Who are you, exactly?"

Bai Wei responded with a smirk, "Does that really matter?"

…Not only did I ruin your feast, but I also slaughtered your henchmen, and now I want your life.

…This hatred was irreconcilable; there was no need for further words.

The black snake roared, its enormous body twisting and writhing. It swiped its tail, sweeping across with great force. The golden rivers were stirred and churned by its power, causing the water’s surface to undulate. In the blink of an eye, a massive wave formed, crashing towards Bai Wei. Yet beneath this wave lurked the black snake’s tail, its strength far exceeding the impact of the wave itself.

With a loud clang, the snake’s tail came to a halt. The golden wave surged over Bai Wei’s shoulders, but not a drop touched him. Its force pushed backward, crashing into the mountainside. The mountain crumbled easily, with more than half of it breaking apart. The rocks, accumulated over thousands and thousands of years, were strong enough to withstand immense pressure, yet they couldn’t withstand the impact of the ethereal energy. It wasn’t real water but a relentless force that pulverized anything it touched.

The tail of the Thousand Stone Black Snake was brought to a halt, and the thing that stopped it was just a sword.

Its tail felt a sharp and intense pain, as the blade had sliced through its intricate scales, cutting deep into its flesh and severing it almost halfway through the bone.

What an incredibly sharp sword it was, held by such a steady hand.

Bai Wei, clad in golden gears from head to toe, gently swung the Crouching Tiger Sword. It had just quenched its thirst with snake blood, perhaps due to long periods without feeding, resulting in an insatiable hunger. Thus, it consumed a large amount of fresh blood, yet not a single drop splattered onto his clothes.

The black snake roared and continued its assault, not relying solely on its tail sweep. After spending so many years under the command of the Great Lord of the Underworld, it had already mastered a complete set of attack techniques. Using its agile and massive body, it twisted and killed its opponents with precision.

Bai Wei stood in the center, unmoving, waiting for it to attack from different directions so he could strike back. The blade cut through scales, slicing flesh, as the scent of blood grew stronger. Stepping on the undulating golden water surface, he felt a long-lost illusion, as if he had returned to the past. Not as an emperor, but as a young warrior, battling disasters, vanquishing sorcerers, and confronting the depths of the abyss.

Strength is never gained overnight, and for Bai Wei, everything except the innate golden bloodline was acquired through careful planning and perseverance.

Before the official struggle for the throne within the royal family, he embarked on adventures at the tender age of eleven. He met all sorts of people, laying the foundation for his future mentors.

Creating a new character from scratch was definitely not easy, and he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. Therefore, he only used his Golden Power sparingly, and only in critical moments.

One of the most memorable experiences was when he personally witnessed the destruction of the first village.

There are many reasons, such as the Bloody Red Moon, witch hunts, mercenaries, nobles, and disguised demons.

One village easily perishes under the intervention of multiple forces, and many innocent lives are lost.

Bai Wei arrived three hours late because he didn’t want to reveal his identity, so he was delayed along the way.

When they finally arrived, a colossal beast, freed from its captivity, and a deranged witch were locked in a fierce battle amidst the ruins and corpses.

Madness and beast danced together, as flames consumed everything.

He couldn’t save anyone by himself.

From that moment on, Bai Wei realized that the very foundation of this empire had already decayed. This event became one of his many motivations to determine to rewrite history.

If we were to ask why these past memories suddenly came to mind, perhaps it was because they felt so familiar.

Back then, he had a chance to rescue the village, but he missed it. Thinking of hiding his identity, he ended up losing even more.

He loved the apple wine and apple pie in that town very much. In the following years, he searched for many years but never found the same taste again. What was lost was lost forever.

Nowadays, he is even more mature than before and should understand what is right and wrong. If he were in his past self’s shoes, he would certainly have a better solution. Or maybe, he would just skip overthinking and take direct action?

Bai Wei got lost in thought for a moment, then he smiled.

Seeing injustice, witnessing conspiracy, and encountering unforgivable crimes, he took out his sword. With a sigh of relief, he vowed to swiftly put an end to them.

The regrets from that year still lingered here, and there were too many regrets that couldn’t be made right. He knew that if he didn’t speak about them, he would forget.

But at this moment, he felt a sense of relief.

Because this time, he didn’t arrive late.

Bai Wei snapped back to reality. Well, that wasn’t quite accurate. He always maintained a state of utmost focus, for getting distracted in battle was a fatal mistake.

He simply recalled his initial feelings, and then let go of a heavy burden. His hands, freed from constraints, became unusually light and relaxed.

Perhaps it was just a psychological reaction, but he felt the sword become lighter, and at the same time, heavier. As soon as he lifted the sword, he was able to lift even more.

The black serpent struck once again.

This time, Bai Wei no longer stood foolishly in place. He sidestepped with a sliding step, gently placing the Crouching Tiger Sword by his left waist. Golden rain fell, forming a large curtain of rain, and the chaotic energy flow disrupted perception. The undulating water surface could not provide a stable foothold.

But as Bai Wei assumed the posture of sheathing his sword, in that moment, he remained completely still, entering an absolute state of tranquility, like a water lily floating effortlessly on the surface.

The black serpent whizzed by, missing its attack. It swiftly coiled around the mountain wall, resembling a rapidly spinning conveyor belt. Its speed didn’t diminish; instead, it rapidly accelerated, carrying a roaring momentum. Suddenly, it made a sharp 180-degree turn.

Its size rivaled that of a great white whale, causing the entire mountaintop to tremble and crack under its encircling presence. Such immense size moving at such incredible speed, where velocity meets mass, created tremendous kinetic energy. It resembled a pitch-black shooting star hurtling towards the ground.

Bai Wei, with his eyes closed and unmoving, held the Crouching Tiger Sword in his right hand, slightly drooping. The sword had drunk in a large amount of blood, causing its blade to turn slightly red. The reddened blade immersed itself in the golden ether, resembling a sizzling hot blade being tempered in flowing water. The faint crimson blood that diffused created a tantalizing allure for the Crouching Tiger Sword.

It couldn’t wait to tear apart the ferocious beast, to break through its scales, cleave its flesh, shatter its rib cage, and drink its heart’s blood in agony. It longed to consume every drop of its life and soul, leaving nothing behind.

The gears all over the young man’s body were interlocking in a golden harmony, but this was merely a force unintentionally set in motion. His true focus, his conscious mind, was concentrated on the sword.

The Crouching Tiger Sword, with the special effects of Tiger Soul and Ghost Fury, was activated. However, this was just icing on the cake. What truly moved the blade was his determination.

It was Bai Wei’s sudden understanding in that moment.

Facing the tide, he struck against the waves.

Bai Wei swung his Crouching Tiger Sword, submerging half of the blade in the water. This natural motion stirred up the golden water, causing the currents to swirl. With that single swing, it felt as if he had hooked the entire Taihu Lake on a fishing rod. The golden tidal wave erupted with a thunderous force, as the waves rolled back and the golden river water soared high into the sky.

The golden tidal wave crashed onto the black serpent’s scales. It felt as if it had collided with a mountain and an endless river. Bai Wei’s swing was not like a sword, but like a majestic Qiantang tidal wave that swept everything in its path, a force beyond human comprehension.

Ninety-nine percent of swordsmen in the world wield swords with delicate and intricate techniques, resembling falling leaves or flying snow. Their swordsmanship is mostly small and beautiful, which is the common perception. However, Bai Wei is different. In the heat of battle, he awakens to a different understanding. With a single swing of his sword, he embodies the magnificent momentum of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas.

The sword rises, mountains and rivers part.

This is not merely a difference in strength, but rather the depth of understanding is determined by the person’s inner disposition.

Bai Wei’s swordsmanship level had been stuck at level thirty for a very long time. It was a quite lengthy bottleneck period. Even as a Soul Reaper, Bai Wei had never regarded swordsmanship as a treasure. Swords were used for killing, and an emperor himself never resorted to warfare. For Bai Wei, swords were something he had never touched in his previous life, only encountering them as a fresh novelty in this lifetime. In that instant of swinging his sword, he clearly felt the sound of the swordsmanship bottleneck loosening.

For Bai Wei, it was like a antelope growing its horns, a buildup of hidden strength, a moment of sudden enlightenment on the battlefield. But in the eyes of his opponent, it was a terrifying catastrophe.

The Black Serpent finally realized that its overly colossal body was not an advantage but a burden. When it maintained such a gigantic size and couldn’t overpower its opponent through sheer strength and weight, it meant that its body was vulnerable to attacks from all sides. And when facing a formidable tide, there was nowhere to escape, as its entire body was engulfed by that force, and then it heard the sound of every inch of its bones and scales shattering and breaking.

It floated effortlessly, soaring into the sky.

It fell back down again.

Crashing down onto the empty ground without a golden river, it fell into the wide valley in front of Sengoku Shrine. The golden river soared upwards into the sky, transforming into a rain of golden light that stretched for hundreds of miles. Weightless and ethereal, when Bai Wei no longer needed them, they naturally returned to their ordinary state of energy and dissipated away.

Bai Wei stood in front of the pitch-black serpent, its blood seemingly drained halfway.

The Crouching Tiger Sword pressed against the forehead bone of Sengoku’s Black Serpent, its eyes gazing up at the blade and the person with great difficulty.

"You have killed me, but this is not the end…" the Black Serpent rumbled.

"I know."

"You don’t have any idea what you are facing…" the Black Serpent spat out blood.

"The Lord of Yellow Spring, an ancient deity, or perhaps some sort of undying creature," Bai Wei said calmly. "Anything works for me. Do you think I would care?"

"You’re very strong, but you’re still no match for the Great Emperor. I’m just one of his subordinates…"

"It was you who started it with me. Since you declared war on me, then it’s a fight to the death."

"I, when have I ever provoked you?" The big snake looked puzzled.

"You hurt a little girl."

"What? A little girl…" The big snake was bewildered. "Just because of that reason?"

"I, Bai Wei, vowed to protect the witches of the world, shielding them from natural disasters and human troubles, ensuring their peaceful lives. Five hundred years have passed, yet they remain my people." Bai Wei’s voice was calm but terrifying. "By harming my people, you have ignited a war against me, and there shall be no mercy in your punishment."

…for five hundred years.

The great serpent, Qianshi, suddenly realized that the young man in front of him was not as young as he appeared. It hastily said, "Perhaps this is a misunderstanding…"

Bai Wei placed his palm against the Crouching Tiger Sword, and with a sudden thrust, the blade glimmered, splitting the head of the Black Serpent Qianshi in two.

A vivid tiger silhouette bit into the soul of a snake and leaped out, as if a cat was proudly flaunting its catch.

The Black Serpent Qianshi knew that there was no hope of survival anymore. Once its soul was extinguished, there would be no chance of resurrection.

After hundreds of years of waiting, planning, and enduring in silence, all in vain, it ended up becoming a tragic joke.

Before facing death, it let out a desperate roar, saying, "Kamitsumi! Why have you betrayed me… We have cultivated together for a thousand years, why have you stripped me of my divinity? Why?"

It never understood, nor did it want to understand, and even now, at this moment, it still longed for an answer, yearning for liberation.

"Because, you are a monster."

Bai Wei said, "You are not a god, you are just a monster."

Sengoku God’s expression froze as it looked at its own reflection. Its voice gradually became filled with immense pain, "Because… I am a monster… So it turns out, I am already a monster…"

It stopped struggling. Crouching Tiger’s teeth clenched, shattering its soul. The thousand-year mountain god and the thousand-year monster vanished completely.

Bai Wei withdrew the Crouching Tiger Sword, and heard a loud burp followed by a cheerful sound effect.

[The event had come to an end.]