The Seal Of Time shook again, and Song Cheng exchanged a look with Bai Hua.
All of a sudden, the ceiling collapsed, falling towards them.
Without Lan Tian in hand, Song Cheng's only option was to crouch. Before anything could hit him, the noise broke abruptly.
When Song Cheng looked up, the ceiling, as well the falling statue of Ling Rui was held up by something soft and white.
When he stood up and looked carefully, it was a band of flowers.
Surprised, he looked back at Yuan Jin, who poured his spiritual powers into the flower band holding the ceiling up.
"Afterall, you're not useless!" Qin Su grinned, patting Yuan Jin's shoulder.
The flower band although looked fragile, the power it bore was heavenly.
"Xiao ge." Song Cheng heard Bai Hua call him, as he handed Lan Tian back to him.
Soon, a rattling sound echoed from above.
They all looked up, but the view was blocked by the flower band itself.
"Some.... someone is trying to push it down." Yuan Jin spoke, with a frown over his face.
Even though Yuan Jin was a god with great powers, nobody knew who the person on the other side was.
Analysing the situation, Yuan Jin pulled out a yellow talisman from his robes and plastered it over his chest.
A band of colorless light surrounded the bodies of the three around him. Song Cheng didn't know what kind of spell it was.
"It's a spiritual ring. It runs alongwith the Flower God's powers. As long as he uses his power, we'll be fine." Bai Hua spoke, explaining it to Song Cheng.
Soon after, the flower band that had been holding the ceiling up came crashing down with a noise as heavy to shake the earth.
The statue of Ling Rui fell over that of Qing Fuhua's, smashing both the godly figures into a disfigured mess. The head of the Qing Fuhua statue flew upwards and then came down, crashing overhead Song Cheng and Bai Hua.
Song Cheng held Lan Tian tightly but before he could inject his own powers, Lan Tian already glowed blue. It was probably Bai Hua's powers.
Hurriedly, Song Cheng threw Lan Tian up in the air, pushing away the detached head, as it landed on the ground with a heavy sound. THUD!
A mount of dust rose up in the air from the sudden crash, blurring Song Cheng's vision.
Far in the dust cloud, he could make out the sillehoute of a woman.
The woman stood on the edge of the somewhat sustaining ceiling and disappeared in a moment.
After the dust had settled away, the light rings around them disintegrated. Qin Su coughed, yet he was still bewildered at Yuan Jin's display of power.
"And I always thought the God of Flowers was such a liability." A woman's voice echoed in the room, followed by a light laughter.
Soon, heavy footsteps arose from the entrance of the temple grounds, and a reminiscent spiritual aura covered a sillehoute.
Although the tone of the voice was different, Song Cheng had heard this voice over and over and recognised it well.
Yuan Jin frowned in distance. After a moment, he called her name.
"Ling Rui?"
The woman rose to light. Looking at her, Song Cheng's face fell in shock. She was no longer the maiden Song Cheng had ever seen in the heaven but someone completely different.
Her hair was pulled up and decorated with a bulging golden flower, her skin exceptionally pale. On her left side, hung a sword Song Cheng recognised but couldn't remember. Dressed in a lavish bronze attire like a true goddess, Ling Rui seemed unrecognisable.
"Lord Yuan Jin, ah-General Song, it's so tiring being a maiden for you all." Ling Rui spoke, stroking the hilt of the familiar sword.
"Ling Rui! Stop this nonsense, I command you!" Yuan Jin spouted, his brows furrowed together.
"Who do you think you are....Yuan Jin?"
Ling Rui spoke, smiling politely although her words were sharp.
"Why would you do this?" Yuan Jin asked, almost loosing his temper for the second time.
"You still ask why. You piece of nothing gets to be a god but I? What do I get other than to serve you tea and listen to your bullshit? Even that whore Qing Fuhua, that ugly bitch really thought she could stop me!"
Song Cheng softly murmured a prayer in his head, asking something to purify his ears for him.
"Ling Rui. There's no way to be a goddess by robbing mortals." Song Cheng said, carefully choosing his words.
Ling Rui gave a little laugh.
"You all are guilty of something or the other, but still dare to lecture me. Typical heavens." Ling Rui murmured, finally unsheathing her sword.
As the sword shone in the air, Song Cheng's face turned blue.
The sword was a fine one, it's silver blade marked with a familiar name. It's white jade hilt was carved with white water lilies and swallows; the symbol of a lost clan. On top of it, a fishy yellow talisman was pasted.
"Guang Sheng!" Song Cheng exclaimed.
It was Lu Feng's sword.
Hearing it's name, Guang Sheng moved in Song Cheng's direction.
Ling Rui smacked it's hilt, and Guang Sheng's eagerness died down. "Guang Sheng? Shouldn't it be called Ben Jian; stupid sword?"
Bai Hua crinkled his nose up, looking at the sword and at Ling Rui.
"Does Xiao ge recognise this sword?" He asked softly, studying Song Cheng's reaction.
Song Cheng nodded his head.
"En." He spoke, recovering from thought.
Lu Feng was a highly skilled cultivator, the best swordsman in his own clan. And so, his sword Guang Sheng was a masterpiece in itself. But seeing that sword in somebody like Ling Rui's hand angered Song Cheng.
Frustrated, Song Cheng recovered Lan Tian from Qing Fuhua's head and held it tightly in his hands, almost strangling it's hilt.
Ling Rui only smiled at him and held Guang Sheng up high.
Jumping forward, Song Cheng charged towards Ling Rui.
He swung Lan Tian forward and charged at Ling Rui, who successfully blocked the attack. The way that Ling Rui swung her sword made Song Cheng believe that she sure did know something about swords.
Song Cheng pushed Lan Tian forward, it's blue glow brought out the color in Ling Rui's eyes even brighter. Ling Rui only gritted her teeth as Guang Sheng was held between her neck and Lan Tian's blade.
Guang Sheng, despite it's name didn't glow because the one holding it wasn't it's spiritual master. But somehow, Ling Rui had mastered enough control over it.
Ling Rui raised her other hand and caught Song Cheng's neck, trying to strangle him, as she managed to push Guang Sheng forward.
Song Cheng chopped her arm away from his neck and retreated Lan Tian. Ling Rui took her chance and aimed Guang Sheng towards Song Cheng's abdomen.
Ling Rui's powers overflowed into Guang Sheng's blade. In time, Song Cheng moved to the side as Ling Rui managed to swing Guang Sheng towards his right shoulder.
Blocking the attack with his sword, Song Cheng pushed a bout of his spiritual powers into Lan Tian's blade. The blue glow seemed enraged at this point as it lunged forward.
Ling Rui managed to move only so closely this time, almost injuring her arm.
"Qin Su, shouldn't you go help General Song?" Yuan Jin nudged Qin Su from behind.
"True swordsmen fight one on one. Moreover, Song Cheng won't hurt her. He knows it well." Qin Su spoke, a casual tone escaping his mouth.
Catching her off guard, Song Cheng jumped up and landed behind Ling Rui. Before she could turn, he pulled her hand holding Guang Sheng behind, as Guang Sheng fell from her hand.
Afraid it would fall, Song Cheng left Ling Rui and caught Lan Tian quickly in his hands. Ling Rui quickly turned and pushed Song Cheng away, using her spiritual power, sending Song Cheng away, staggering away on his feet.
Before she could attack him further, Hua Shou, that had been binding around Bai Hua's waist in a belt, slithered forward and wrapped around Ling Rui's ankle, making her fall on her face.
Song Cheng put his hand on the yellow talisman stuck on Guang Sheng but it seemed to stick to it core. Guang Sheng shook restlessly in his hands, trying to get away. No matter how hard Song Cheng tried, he couldn't pull it away.
"Ben Jian!" Ling Rui yelled, extending her hand forward. Obeying it's new master, Guang Sheng freed itself from Song Cheng's hand and rushed into Ling Rui's.
Catching Guang Sheng, Ling Rui raised it to strike at Hua Shou. Hua Shou seemed to sense the attack coming towards it and unwrapped itself around and stood up like a snake, with it's other end in Bai Hua's hand.
As Guang Sheng striked towards Hua Shou, an electrical white light ran through it and wrapped around Guang Sheng, electrifying it with it's dazzling white light.
Shocked, Ling Rui dropped Guang Sheng and struggled up on her feet.
With a bright shock, Guang Sheng clattered to the ground, the yellow talisman over it's hilt now disappeared.
Hua Shou retreated and wrapped around Bai Hua's waist again, as if hugging it's master.
"BEN JIAN! COME HERE YOU FUCKING STUPID SWORD!" Ling Rui yelled but Guang Sheng didn't move an inch.
Bai Hua walked over and picked the lifeless Guang Sheng. Then, he walked over to Ling Rui, who stood still shocked.
"You don't deserve this sword." He spoke coldly, eyeing her.
"Who...who..are you?" Ling Rui stuttered.
"You don't need to know." Bai Hua spoke and walked past her towards Song Cheng.
He extended Guang Sheng towards Song Cheng wordlessly.
"Master Hua, thank you." Song Cheng spoke in a tiny voice before holding Guang Sheng in his hands.
Unexpectedly, he reached his hand forward towards Bai Hua's waist but Bai Hua took a step away.
Song Cheng looked at Bai Hua's face.
"I...only wanted to know what kind of cultivation is Hua Shou born of." Song Cheng explained himself, now feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"Born of light." Bai Hua spoke.
Guang Sheng was also born of light.
Whenever a spiritual weapon was born out of light, it was forced solely of one's spiritual energy. To forge a weapon of light, it was as painful as a hundred deaths.
Lan Tian was born of sacrifice. Just like the name, a sacrifice from a cultivated person aroused it's true powers. As for who sacrificed, it was Song Cheng himself.
A fragment of it's memory was still fresh.
SPLASH!
As Song Cheng stabbed his abdomen with Lan Tian, he coughed a mouthful of blood. His abdomen oozed out another river, completely drenching his blue robes.
Kneeling down, he put both his hands on the ground, trying to breathe.
He felt like he'd cry but he couldn't. Another wound opened on his shoulder bled mercilessly,making him choke on his own blood.
"This is how you repay with blood. Don't show me your dirty face again!" A woman's commanding voice rang in his ears.
He looked up to her face but his vision was already blurred. He caught hold of himself as he pulled Lan Tian out, pain overtaking him.
He then managed to stand on his feet, failing twice before he managed to walk a few steps, clutching his abdomen.
While suddenly, a fierce heat rushed into his body, originating from his right hand.
When he looked down at his hand, Lan Tian glowed a bright blue.
"Xiao ge? Xiao ge?" Bai Hua's voice pulled him from the trance.
"Mn."
Suddenly, Ling Rui raised her arms up, forming a formation overhead.
Both Song Cheng and Bai Hua rushed over.
It was a Ghost Summoning Seal. In a flash, the seal hung up in the air.
"Master Hua" Song Cheng turned to Bai Hua. "Can you lock us in with the Soul Locking Spell?"
"Xiao ge must know, this spell needs a mortal's soul as a lock." Bai Hua warned.
Song Cheng eagerly nodded his head.
"Use mine. There are mortals outside. We can't let the ghosts out. Even if my soul disperses, I'll take the responsibility."
"Xiao ge, do you even know what you're saying?" Bai Hua eyed him in refusal.
"If I can save those who can be saved," Song Cheng spoke.
It was an oath a hundred years old. A while later, he added.
"That's my biggest honour."
***