Chapter 2: A Twist of Fate (1)
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A sky full of black snowflakes fluttered down like deadly, dazzling petals. No matter how Lin Nan dodged, with each passing second, his body accumulated more and more wounds.
bl**d dripped steadily onto the ground.
At this moment, he was barely recognizable as a human—a bl**d-soaked mess.
The projection of the Cold Moon Witch seemed to sense his weakening presence and grew bored of the fight. She simply waited, coldly observing as he awaited his inevitable collapse.
The crowd didn’t hold out much hope for Lin Nan making a comeback.
The only thing they respected was that, despite not experiencing any dulling of pain, Lin Nan had somehow managed to keep himself upright without even letting out a cry of anguish.
This guy was tough—a true man, no wonder he had survived five rounds!
But what good was his stubbornness?
Everyone knew his ending was destined for failure. After all, this boss was way beyond the challenge any player could tackle at this level.
Her skill range was vast, and the damage output was colossal.
Even the NPC Inner Door Disciples from the Heavenly Sword Sect would struggle against this projection, as they were scratching their heads for a way to counter the Black Snow.
Lin Nan’s vision was already stained red with bl**d.
Gasping for breath, he forced himself to stay on his feet, paying no mind to the black snow slashing against his body from above.
He was well aware of the Cold Moon Witch’s skills.
But once he found himself as the enemy of the witch, he realized just how twisted those skills could be.
Moreover, this projection hadn’t even engaged him in a real fight yet; merely showering him in Black Snow was enough to put him on the brink of d*ath.
He had struggled to reach this point, not to taste the bitterness of failure.
Even if the projection possessed 100% of the true witch’s power, he would find a way to break through.
Thus, in moments of life and d*ath, one must keep their mind calm.
In just a few seconds, scenes flashed through his mind: a month spent in the Eight Immortals Restaurant’s back courtyard, chopping radishes and diligently honing his sword intent.
There had to be a deeper meaning behind this hidden quest’s design.
The rise in his sword intent wasn’t merely a numerical boost; it had deepened his understanding of what a sword truly is.
The recently grasped Dugu Sword Technique demonstrated that his comprehension of sword intent had reached a commendably high level.
Memories of training with the sword cascaded through his mind like a torrent of fragmented images.
Suddenly, he had an epiphany.
Ding! Your sword intent has broken through to level 10, and the Dugu Sword Technique has reached level 3!
In the next moment, as he swayed in the swirling storm, Lin Nan sprang into action.
The long sword in his hand felt as if it had developed a consciousness of its own, suddenly thrusting upwards toward his head.
However, much to everyone’s surprise, the ordinary-looking long sword did not shatter upon contact with the hard Black Snow! Instead, under the sword’s guidance, the snowflakes that should have fallen around him hung suspended in mid-air, refusing to descend.
“What… how is this possible?”
“Gongsun Ding’s Heart Sword, cultivated for many years, can’t even compete with the Black Snow. How is he holding on for so long?”
“No, wait! Look closely at his technique!”
The live stream camera zoomed in quickly. Not only the netizens but even Strong Brother and Cold Little Rain held their breath in disbelief.
They saw that the long sword wasn’t making direct contact with the Black Snow; it was instead swinging continuously, using air currents to keep the flakes afloat.
Even if a few stray snowflakes fell, Lin Nan only engaged them with the side of his sword, nudging them aside to avoid a direct collision that could damage the blade.
This way, a vacuum zone formed around Lin Nan.
However, as the density of the Black Snow increased and the air currents struggled to support the weight of the flakes, his technique began to shift.
Like a skilled surgeon at work, each precise strike of his sword impacted the sides of the snowflakes, altering their descent trajectory.
What was even more surprising was that those rebounding snowflakes cleverly collided with other flakes, altering their paths in turn.
For a moment, a truly unique spectacle unfolded above the arena.
One half of the arena was filled with snowflakes fluttering down as usual, while the other half hovered with the rebounding Black Snow, reminiscent of tiny ballet dancers twirling in the air, dazzling and stunning.
Everyone was left spellbound.
Never had they expected Lin Nan to counter the Black Snow with such awe-inspiring sword skills.
One misstep, and his long sword would be ruined by the hard Black Snow. Thus, every strike was perfectly timed, and each one was nothing short of flawless.
Swordsmanship was crucial in realms of immortality.
Especially in the Heavenly Sword Sect, which had “Sword” right in its name.
It was clear just how much the cultivators valued their sword techniques.
A significant number of NPC Inner Door Disciples were gathered at the scene, and as they witnessed Lin Nan’s robotic precision in swordplay, they couldn’t help but murmur amongst themselves.
“Who would’ve thought this guy, with a plain appearance, wields such stunning swordsmanship? He’s definitely a talent worth cultivating.”
“If the Master Sister doesn’t want him, I’ll take him and waive the entrance exam.”
“No way! I saw him first! He’s mine!”
“Tsk tsk, what a shame. If only he had a little more time to prepare, he might actually have a chance against the projection.”
“Yeah, the Master Sister is being a bit too harsh.”
“Let’s just hope this failure doesn’t bring him down too much. Young man, a few setbacks aren’t a bad thing.”
Naturally, the Cold Moon Witch had also taken note of Lin Nan’s remarkable sword skills.
However, her naturally aloof demeanor prevented her from expressing even a hint of surprise, as if nothing in the world could faze her.
Seeing that the Black Snow was losing its effectiveness against him, the Cold Moon Witch took a decisive leap, swinging her Black Wind Sword vigorously forward.
“Illusory Sea!”
Accompanied by her commanding shout, the Black Wind Sword unleashed an unprecedented wave of energy, sweeping up the swirling Black Snow as if conjured by a tornado, violently rushing toward Lin Nan.
Lin Nan, knowing full well how deadly this move was, didn’t flinch.
After all, his small account had once defeated Gongsun Ding using this very technique.
As the fierce tornado howled closer, Lin Nan didn’t dodge or retreat.
He knew that no matter how fast he ran, he could never outrun a tornado.
The moment he entertained the thought of escaping, he might as well consider himself defeated in this challenge.
But alongside the tornado came countless spinning Black Snowflakes. Those shuriken-like projectiles, powered by the tornado, tore through the air like chainsaws, ready to maim and bleed anyone they grazed.
Even in the brightly lit practice hall, people trembled as they looked on at the tornado, which seemed bent on annihilating everything, bursting forth from the dark clouds and reflecting a grotesque black light in the illumination.
Was it really all coming to an end?
