Skyfire Avenue - Chapter 852

Chapter 852

Chapter 852: Hearts Beat as One

But while the arrow closed the door on their physical relationship, from that time on she’d felt him engraved deep into her heart . She burned with an internal fire, her heart thawed by the love she held for him . She forgot her pain as it was replaced by affection .

But it was bittersweet . She knew the love he had for her in their first meeting wasn’t hers, but Hera’s . Still she couldn’t help but be pulled in deeper . He seemed to have been imbued with some natural charm that just drew women to him .

This was proven when she saw so many beautiful women caught in his wake . But despite his wealth of choice Lan Jue was single-minded . It was part of what drew her to him .

Since then their tale had been written in the joy and pain they’d shared . However, looking back Qianlin’s fondest memories were of their time in the National Eastern University; her seated below as he lectured from a podium .

He was refined, courteous, suave, and witty… he shared a special sort of knowledge with her and her classmates . They couldn’t help but like him . Even Tang Mi was taken in by his charm .  

But he is my man .

 As the words crossed her mind Qianlin’s heart filled with pride . Her mind turned again to other memories, painful memories not of when Lan Jue refused her but of the day they shared that special bottle of white wine . The day he professed his love .

That day it was she who turned him away . It wasn’t him or anything he did that inspired her to turn him down . It was her, the fact she couldn’t forgive herself for the deceptions she maintained . She did love him, but she couldn’t abide a relationship built on a lie .

Her liberation came at the edge of the Astral Phantom’s knife . In her willingness to give up her life for him, she allowed herself to accept their circumstance as well . Their love was pure .

For a long time she was lost in a hazy world, on the edge of life and death . But when she came to everything was perfect – perfect but for one regret . She lamented over her stubborn determination, making such a big deal over something they could have put aside much earlier . If she had been forthcoming earlier perhaps they would have had more time . She felt like she missed out on any number of happy days with him – a beautiful if painful thought!

When the aliens appeared and began their aggressions Lan Jue became busy with the business of saving humanity, but they still ended up together . Now they faced a mission that may very well mean their death, but they faced it together . He didn’t explain everything to her either, but she was happy to be by his side .

She was happy because she knew she was part of his life, that he understood her . If he died she would refuse to live on . Now that they were together any alternative was unthinkable . They would live or die as one . Their spirits would remain inexorably tied, forever .

As she pondered the breadth of their past, present and future, Qianlin’s spirit entered an extraordinary state . Her soul and Lan Jue’s joined into one . She did not raise Demortus but the connection she felt to her man was deeper than ever . They were a single entity – now, and always .

Two hearts beating as one!

Those five words rang Qianlin’s mind like a mantra . She found she liked them, they reverberated deep within her .

Something changed in the avatar . Monarch realized there was something he couldn’t simply grasp in the emotions of these three humans . None of them could match him in strength – not even close . What’s more they were caught in his territory . Still, there was some mystifying sense that there was something he could not comprehend .

To call it uncomfortable did not speak to the depth of his disquiet . If there was one thing he could not abide, it was a lack of control .

A turquoise light sprang up as Ultus appeared in the avatar’s hand . This creature was still just a doppelganger of Monarch’s power, yet still was different from the others Lan Jue had encountered . This avatar was more than just a copy of Monarch . It was a piece of him – an important piece .

In order to prevent anything from interrupting their evolution, Monarch had left a portion of himself behind in the form of this doppelganger . It was the strongest of the avatars, unique, and in many ways it was much like the immortals from old human tales . However, in order to prevent universal protogenia from destroying it, the avatars powers were constrained to the Infinite . Here within the protective embrace of Monarch’s true form the powers of the universe were halted .

In fact this avatar was stronger than Lan Jue or the others could know . Still, he summoned the Banishing Blade to help defend himself from the humans’ attack .

 Ultus became a flash of lightning and lashed out toward Lan Jue and Captus . But as the points of the two swords met, the avatar sensed that a part of his own weapon was swallowed up in Captus’ charge .

Ultus was the keenest of the Banishing Blades, and in the old texts was called the all-conquering . But this clash between swords wasn’t one force smashing into another . Captus wasn’t a wall, it was a void .

Lan Jue came to a sudden stop, but his Boundless Starlight Domain reacted by exploding out in all directions . Light from his All-Heaven lightning painted Captus in electric blue . The weapon spat a coiling blast of energy at Monarch like a pair of lightning dragons .

The Harbinger Faerie and her legendary sword reacted in the same instant . Blue light was complimented by a streak of gold, and though the murderous aura of Occisus was not present an inscrutable power made Monarch shake .

He was forced to lash out with his other hand, punching toward the Pharmacist .

An outpouring of solidified energy smashed into Occisus, but much to his dismay it was easily cleaved in twain . The flood of deadly power split apart and rushed passed the Pharmacist on either said, harmlessly passing her by . Where he thought he could finish this foe off with a single punch, now she was nearly right on top of him .

Squelch!  Suddenly the whole world around Lan Jue was an ocean of purple, assailed by a torrent of the alien’s Domain . The impossibly sharp intent of Ultus ripped through Captus and into his body . It was so intense it threw Lan Jue backward .

It was as Monarch said; at a certain point pure force could overcome anything . Lan Jue bore one of the strongest weapons in the universe and understood its secrets, but there was simply too large a gap between his strength and that of the avatar .

It was simply the Infinite he faced! Lan Jue was certain this monster’s power went beyond such a simple explanation . The Violet Prince also commanded the power of the Infinite, but if it was that creature he faced instead of Monarch overcoming Captus would not have been so easy – even if this was their home turf .

Qianlin, who had been right behind him, also felt the attack land . She and Lan Jue collided as they were forced back . Her left arm flung out and wrapped around Lan Jue’s neck, but both of them still held out their right hands in defiance, blades firm . A deluge of rainbow light was summoned that surrounded the two of them .

Qianlin and Lan Jue stared deeply at on another . They looked upon the swirling emotions hidden behind their eyes .

They smiled . Then, together, they thrust forward with their swords .

Two hearts beating as one!

Harmonious Swords gave way to a new name they settled on in this moment of pure connection . A spiritual connection, two hearts beating as one! The light became a rainbow heading straight for Monarch’s chest .

It was more than their intent that was channeled through the swords . Lan Jue and Qianlin were one mentally, spiritually, even their Disciplines were completely integrated . The golden runes upon their blades burned as their hearts beat together .

This was the first time they used the paired sword fighting style since breaking through to Nirvana . Now it went beyond a tacit understanding they shared, it was true fusion .

You within me . Me within you .

Just as Monarch was preparing to turn on the Pharmacist, he sensed a power unlike any he’d experienced before . The beast was forced to face it, and deflected the Pharmacist’s attack with an absent-minded flick of his fingers . It was enough to cast the Harbinger Faerie away in a flailing heap . Monarch struck again with Ultus, this time holding nothing back .

Golden purple light replaced the turquoise glow of the sword . It was aimed at Lan Jue and Qianlin . The corrupted weapon rang with a sweet sound but never once did golden runes appear upon its blade . It was nothing but pure force .

Ting! The crisp, ringing sound peeled through the area . Lan Jue and Qianlin shook, but only for a passing moment . They remained steadfast .  

The light of their combined swords swallowed up Ultus’ power . Monarch’s face betrayed shock as he was forced backward . The power he faced was at once solid and disperse and had within it a dynamism he’d never felt before . It wasn’t just attacking his body, but his very soul .

The pain was excruciating, eliciting a long scream of pain . A flood of power swept across the area, nearly blowing apart Lan Jue’s Domain .

But Skyfire Avenue’s leader did not retreat . He was not pushed back . Together with Zhou Qianlin the two of them draw out a circle in the air with their swords .

Although the Taiji sword style didn’t possess the same spectacular abilities of the Harmonious Swords, it easily neutralized the effusion of power released by Monarch .