Chapter 91: Shortest Path (6)
91 – Shortest Path (6)
In such circumstances, those without skill would perish.
But Lin Xun would not.
The air froze for a second.
In the next moment, countless sword Qi erupted!
The sword radiance was as tangible as white blades under sunlight, crashing into the demon’s arms, skull, and the spines on its shoulders. After the swishing sounds of slicing wind came the clanging of hard objects colliding! And after the sword Qi struck the demons, it did not immediately dissipate. Instead, each strand redirected itself, attacking the next demon in a continuous cycle.
In an instant, the overwhelming horde of demons was torn open by him, creating a gap.
Under the heavy protection of demons, Lin Kexin, who was about to attack him, now faced a large, demon-free empty space in front of her, leaving all her vital points exposed!
At this moment, the countless strands of sword Qi that had been attacking the demons had completed their mission for this phase. They gathered and condensed at an incredible speed, merging into one.
A slender white line, thin and long, like a trembling spider’s thread.
Yet no one would mistake it for a spider’s thread, for it shimmered with a piercing cold light, akin to the frigid air of the north. Merely looking at it felt as if one’s retinas would burn and crack.
This was the sword Qi, compressed to its utmost limit by Lin Xun’s power.
A concept from physics: pressure. The ratio of force applied to the area over which it is distributed.
The formula for pressure: the smaller the area of force application, the greater the pressure exerted on the target with the same amount of force!
Qi Yun had confidently declared that the Sword Sect’s thousand-year legacy was unparalleled, the world’s most perfect and supreme technique. Yet, compared to the laws of physics, it ultimately fell one step short.
This line advanced slowly. It appeared slow, but in reality, it was extremely fast, for by this point, one’s mind was already captivated by it.
Like a white rainbow piercing the sun, it pierced through Lin Kexin’s heart.
At this very moment, the tips of Lin Kexin’s claws were less than a dozen centimeters from the crown of his head!
But then Lin Kexin’s movements abruptly halted, and she slowly lowered her head to look at her chest.
A bloody hole, though what flowed out was not blood but thick, black demonic Qi, like the darkest sewage from an underground drain.
She opened her mouth and let out a shrill, piercing scream!
At this moment, Lin Xun caught sight of Old Man Huo forcibly interrupting his own array operation and soaring through the air toward them.
His heart warmed, and then he turned his gaze back to Lin Kexin. The sword Qi attack to the heart had nearly depleted his cultivation, but even if Lin Kexin didn’t die, she would be severely wounded.
Suddenly, his heart tightened.
He saw Lin Kexin looking at him with a venomous, resentful smile before her limbs abruptly exploded!
A human form exploded into a black firework right before Lin Xun’s eyes. The heavy stench of decay and dust particles choked his lungs. He instinctively closed his eyes, and when he opened them again moments later, he saw the surrounding demons frantically absorbing the black powder. Then, their forms began to swell wildly!
Though he didn’t understand what kind of technique or other method this was, Lin Xun could still react: Lin Kexin had made a desperate move, using self-destruction to grant her side’s demons a terrifying boost in power!
The next second, he knew his guess was correct. A gust of wind, many times stronger than before, swept toward him. The demon closest to Lin Kexin had transformed into a colossal being three meters tall, its sharp, sickle-like arm thrusting toward his heart at a speed impossible for the naked eye to follow!
This strike was fatal for Lin Xun, who had just expended all his cultivation. He couldn’t even move an inch, as kicking open the subway glass door had injured his leg.
But he felt that killing Lin Kexin, according to the values of the cultivation world, wasn’t a loss.
It was just a pity that the algorithm in his mind couldn’t be written anymore. Wang Anquan and Zhao Jiagou were unreliable, so Lo would have to evolve on its own. Still, with Dong Jun around, he could rest somewhat assured.
The wind was strong. Lin Xun slightly closed his eyes.
The next moment, the wind suddenly stopped.
He opened his eyes and saw Old Man Huo standing before him, his left hand behind his back. The black Tang suit fluttered violently in the fierce wind, yet his short stature remained unshakable, shielding him.
In the blink of an eye, Old Man Huo pushed his right palm forward, clashing fiercely with the demon’s sickle-like claw!
Spiritual Power fluctuations surged like wind and clouds.
After five seconds of stalemate, the demon’s body gradually shrank, demonic Qi dispersing from it as it returned to normal size. Old Man Huo snorted coldly, then brought out his left hand, both palms striking horizontally through the air once more!
An invisible shockwave rapidly spread outward from the epicenter. The demon was violently flung away, clearing a large empty area. At that moment, several other cultivators who had been entangled with other demons arrived and began assisting in the battle. The pressure from the demons around Lin Xun instantly vanished.
Lin Xun saw Old Man Huo’s pale face and reached out to support him, asking, “Master, are you alright?”
“It’s nothing. I suffered some internal injuries from forcibly breaking the formation earlier. The rift’s closure is hanging by a thread, and the grand formation cannot do without me. You all keep fighting; I must return now.” Old Man Huo spoke quickly and immediately took action, leaping back into the formation lineup with the other seniors.
Lin Xun caught his breath, but then another sound instantly pulled his thoughts back into a state of tension.
Cultivators have keen senses, and a faint rumbling sound came from deep within the subway tracks—the train was about to arrive. The electronic indicator’s countdown had also jumped to 30 seconds.
He hadn’t fully understood Old Man Huo’s scholarly explanation, but judging by the tone, it likely meant the rift’s closure was imminent. Yet, it clearly hadn’t closed yet. What should they do?
Suppressing the intense pain in his leg, Lin Xun was about to head toward the subway when a white figure brushed past him.
Brother Chang Ji.
Before he could even turn his head, he saw Chang Ji handing something to him.
An access card—he remembered his senior brother had used this to swipe open the dormitory door.
“The mermaid is still in the bathtub. Remember to change the water.”
Initially puzzled, Lin Xun mechanically accepted it, then watched as Brother Chang Ji walked forward, passing through the large hole he had broken in the subway glass door.
Standing in the center of the subway tracks, a soft yet solemn golden light emanated from his body. Even from this distance, Lin Xun could feel an immense, unimaginable power gathering within his senior brother.
He froze.
Did his senior brother mean… to stop the subway single-handedly?
Over there, Butterfly Madam, who had been intently playing her flute, abruptly stopped, her voice sharp: “Little monk!”
The rumbling of the approaching subway grew gradually louder, and the entire hall trembled faintly. That subway train carried the bodies and lives of at least a thousand mortals.
Lin Xun stared blankly at Chang Ji.
Since entering the cultivation world, although he had gained some level of attainment and his materialist worldview had begun to crumble, Lin Xun still felt that cultivation was an elusive concept.
At that moment, his heart stirred and spirit swayed, and he suddenly understood what Buddhists called the aura of compassion.
He saw Chang Ji holding a Zen staff in one hand, the other hand forming a palm and raising it before his chest, head slightly bowed in a humble and serene posture.
Like a wrathful Vajra and a merciful Bodhisattva with lowered brows, within the golden light surrounding him, countless lotus flowers and swastika symbols floated.
At the same time, the countdown on the indicator had changed from 30 seconds to “Train arriving soon.” A deafening roar filled the air, and ahead on the subway tracks, a snow-white light shone like two eyes—the headlights of the approaching train. Lin Xun gripped the access card, his throat choked with emotion, too overwhelmed to speak.
He wanted to move toward them, but his legs felt as if they were broken, unable to take a single step.
Then, a flash of purple shadow—Butterfly Madam soared toward them, followed by several other seniors.
At this very moment—
The roaring sound gradually weakened, and the speed of the clearly visible subway train head noticeably slowed, as if it were about to stop.
Simultaneously, a solemn and dignified voice suddenly echoed from the subway station entrance through a loudspeaker.
“This is the Chaoyang District Armed Police Unit and the Xicheng District SWAT Unit. Attention, criminals inside, put down your weapons…”