Huang Zishi’s move covered seven major acupoints, its transformations unpredictable, making it difficult to discern reality from illusion. It was indeed exquisite. Moreover, he executed it as if falling petals were scattering, visually stunning, and exuding an air of effortless mastery amidst complexity.
“Good,” Wang Zai, standing by the window, nodded slightly. Huang Zishi at least had not completely lost his composure; this move demonstrated his usual skill.
Meng Qi neither dodged nor evaded, instead directing “Whisper” straight at the flaw in Huang Zishi’s left rib.
This move had no other special feature but one word: “speed.” So fast that everyone seemed to see afterimages, as swift as lightning, striking before the thunder is heard.
The image of the Thunder Saber Crazy Monk’s mastery of speed in swordplay surfaced similarly in the minds of the onlookers, echoing Wang Zai’s explanation from the previous night.
Faced with this fast blade aimed directly at his flaw, clearly capable of arriving first despite being launched second, Huang Zi Shi had no choice but to sidestep and retreat. With a flick of his folding fan, he struck out like a streak of flying rosy clouds, aiming at Meng Qi’s blade.
Meng Qi suddenly raised his long saber, transforming it into an endless torrent of blade force that slashed toward Huang Zishi. The power erupted in successive waves, shattering rocks and splitting cliffs, stirring up surging waves that cracked the shore.
Combining the essence of overwhelming power with an unbroken momentum, the saber technique was truly remarkable… Wang Zai’s face bore the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.
This saber stroke’s imposing presence was apparent even to ordinary martial arts experts, who could recognize its subtlety, hence they all cheered in unison. Few among those present could deliver such a strike!
Suddenly, Huang Zi Shi’s folding fan opened like blooming flowers, like colorful clouds spanning the sky, carrying a sticky force attempting to deflect Meng Qi’s long saber.
Meng Qi’s saber technique changed again; the surging momentum completely withdrew, replaced by a worldly aura, whispering softly. Yet there was no tangible point to grasp, just like everyone’s mundane heart—felt and heard, yet untouchable.
This saber stroke was empty and hazy, ethereal and elusive, originating from Meng Qi’s hand and entering Huang Zi Shi’s heart.
“The Arhat-Breaking Precepts Saber Art…” Wang Zai, Wang Ce, Du Shaobai, and others with keen insight exclaimed the name in unison.
Meng Qi directly utilized the essence of saber techniques he had mastered to unleash the myriad transformations of “Falling into the Mundane World,” unlike before when he primarily relied on demonstrations.
As an external scenery peak saber art, “Falling into the Mundane World” indeed possessed transformations far superior to Meng Qi’s previous techniques!
“No saber intent infused, not truly external scenery…” Wang Zai nodded thoughtfully, understanding that Meng Qi had not yet unleashed his full strength.
Huang Zi Shi’s expression turned grave; he closed his folding fan, trembling as he advanced. He appeared aged and frail, like withering fallen flowers, yet within his tremors lay countless transformations, adapting in harmony with the hazy saber stroke.
“Excellent!” exclaimed most of the formidable figures present, including Wang Ce, in admiration. Huang Zishi’s counterattack demonstrated the pinnacle of transformation mastery within the “Flying Rosy Clouds and Falling Petals Art.” The long saber and folding fan appeared to dance effortlessly through the air, creating a breathtaking spectacle.
This was an extremely high level of technique transformation!
But at this moment, Meng Qi’s hazy saber stroke “exploded,” a saber light that seemed to defy reason, irritating to the eyes, suddenly appearing with sharp, piercing whispers, slashing toward Huang Zi Shi’s head.
Huang Zi Shi’s technique had to change again, or the flaw would become fatal.
Without moving his body or shifting his feet, he elegantly drifted back a zhang, riding the saber wind.
Meng Qi unfurled his long saber, using its momentum to shorten distances, suddenly appearing before Huang Zi Shi, forcing the latter, who had intended to regroup, back into a defensive stance.
One slash after another, Meng Qi aimed each at Huang Zi Shi’s flaws, each embodying the essence of saber techniques, driving Huang Zi Shi to perspire profusely, yet never finding an opportunity to counterattack.
“Twenty consecutive attacks, not a single defensive move…” Wang Zai’s face burned with fighting spirit, his right hand resting on his sword hilt, longing to take the field himself.
Wang Ce slightly furrowed his brows, seemingly restraining something, but watching this battle more clearly than yesterday.
Yesterday, the Saber-crazed Monk Su Meng defended against twenty-eight consecutive slashes before courteously defeating Jin Jinxian. Today, however, he went on the offensive, unleashing twenty relentless slashes that drove Huang Zishi to the edge, fully showcasing the formidable power of the saber technique!
Huang Zi Shi felt a buildup of frustration within; each of his moves was interrupted before completion by Meng Qi’s relentless targeting of his flaws. Compared to Jin Jinxian’s smooth and satisfying performance yesterday, Huang Zi Shi felt as if his every comfortable moment was interrupted, twenty times over!
No good! If this continued, there would be no chance to turn the tide! Huang Zi Shi forcefully gathered his breath, blocked with his folding fan, and launched his left hand’s deadly strike.
His five fingers on the left hand blossomed like flowers, stretching and retracting in constant flux, ultimately drifting like falling petals, flowing like heartless water.
Huang Zi Shi seemed to merge with the surrounding environment, adorned with falling petals, flowing water, flaws appearing and transforming instantly, making it hard for Meng Qi to grasp!
Near the lotus pond, the cold wind suddenly intensified, with pieces of withered leaves shooting through the air like swift hidden weapons, striking Meng Qi!
This was precisely Huang Zi Shi’s external scenery move, “Falling Flowers and Flowing Water!”
Meng Qi inhaled deeply, suddenly withdrawing his long saber, then without warning, slashed out.
This slash contained internal transformations, appearing ancient and unremarkable, yet it absorbed all the surrounding vitality, making it seem as if there was only this single slash in heaven and earth!
It was an essence derived from the Purple Thunder Saber Art, though Meng Qi removed the thunderous violence, retaining only the overpowering might, transforming it entirely.
The air currents were drawn in, vitality absorbed, the withered leaves suddenly losing their power, unable to take lives, drifting down normally, feeble and floating, all drawn toward the saber, sticking to its blade.
The long saber, adorned with withered leaves and the murmurs of celestial beings, slashed down like a canopy, unflinching, meeting Huang Zi Shi’s left hand and folding fan head-on.
Puh!
A sound like striking decayed leather echoed; after twenty exchanges, their “weapons” finally collided!
The fierce wind spread outward, sweeping across the surroundings, stirring up dust that swirled and scattered.
Although Huang Zishi had opened two more acupoints than Meng Qi and employed an external scenery palm technique, Meng Qi had absorbed three-tenths of the Devil Monarch’s essence, granting him vigorous and unbroken qi. Coupled with the Golden Bell Shield and the Eight-Nine Arcane Art—both renowned for their profound internal strength—he stood toe-to-toe with Huang Zishi’s “Flying Rosy Clouds and Falling Petals Art,” famed for its myriad transformations. Neither yielded an inch in their fierce exchange.
No, Meng Qi’s “Whisper” did retreat, faster than Huang Zi Shi’s left palm and folding fan. Halfway through the retreat, the saber flipped, Meng Qi roared, and slashed again.
The turbid water of the lotus pond rippled with the sound, waves quickening.
Huang Zi Shi had intended to seize the initiative, but his ears suddenly encountered thunderous ringing, causing his body to tremble, slowing him half a beat.
Under normal circumstances, he had methods to counter such sound attacks, but now, having just used his external scenery palm technique, he was greatly depleted, caught between changing moves and launching an attack, inevitably lacking strength.
The long saber passed over the folding fan and his left palm, stopping before his chest.
Huang Zi Shi sighed, saying with composure, “Huang concedes defeat.”
He felt a lingering frustration; he had failed to force his opponent into using his external scenery saber move.
Watching from the sidelines, Wang Zai sighed, saying to Wang Ce, “Huang Zi Shi indeed lost his momentum, creating a flaw in his heart. If he had used ‘Falling Flowers and Flowing Water’ ten moves earlier, he might have forced out the true Arhat-Breaking Precepts Saber Art.”
Wang Ce, having received a hint from his old servant, nodded, “Ten moves earlier, his vigor was intact, his true qi at its peak. ‘Falling Flowers and Flowing Water’ would have been thirty percent stronger than now. Even if victory was unlikely, there was still a chance to force Su Meng to unleash his full strength. But now, his momentum lost, his heart for victory gone, he became overly cautious, falling to an inferior position.”
Now, the true Arhat-Breaking Precepts Saber Art remained unseen, as did Su Meng’s foundational skill, the Golden Bell Cover!
This time, there was no need for Wang Zai to explain—every spectator clearly witnessed “Saber Maniac” Su Meng unleash twenty-two consecutive slashes, all offensive, not a single defensive move. Even against an external scenery palm technique, he overwhelmed it head-on, neither dodging nor retreating!
Meanwhile, “Falling Flowers Gentleman” only fully executed the external scenery move “Falling Flowers and Flowing Water” from beginning to end.
The Thunder Saber Mad Monk of the past and today’s Saber Mad Su Meng have truly elevated the art of the saber to a divine realm!
After finishing his words, Wang Ce furrowed his brows again, slightly apologetically saying to Shan Xiumei and others, “I need to step out for a moment.”
Shan Xiumei instinctively followed a step, then stopped, realizing that it was not customary for a woman to accompany a man to the restroom. She glanced at Wang Zai, seeing that he had not moved, so she calmed herself and nodded in response.
Several other Wang clan members also went out with Wang Ce, with the old servant naturally guarding him closely.
As Meng Qi conversed with Huang Zi Shi, reviewing their duel and benefiting the spectators, Gu Xiaosang stood by the window, watching Wang Ce and the old servant descend the stairs directly toward the restroom.
She turned around, removed her pink jacket, revealing a plain white dress, and opened the door, her demeanor becoming ethereal once more.
Inside the Wang family’s private room, Wang Zai listened to Meng Qi’s graceful exchange with Huang Zi Shi, while several Wang clan members, after drinking the myriad flower wine, whispered discussions about where to indulge next.
Shan Xiumei stood not far from Wang Zai, yet a sudden unease surged in her heart.
As she was about to speak, the door floated open as if weightless, and an exquisite, ethereal girl stepped in, closing the distance with a single stride. Her delicate fingers, devoid of any worldly aura, pointed toward Shan Xiumei’s forehead.
The surroundings suddenly brightened, filled with celestial music and chanting-like sounds: “The mundane world is like a prison, all beings suffer, samsara never ceases, worries and troubles never end. Pity my people, a god descends from heaven, the Eternal Mother, the Pure Void Homeland!”
The air currents partially collapsed within the room, pulling Shan Xiumei helplessly toward Gu Xiaosang.
With collapse came vortexes, with expansion came waves, pushing several Wang clan members toward the walls. Drifting like invisible threads, akin to the hands of a celestial demon, they coiled toward Wang Zai.
Though the private room housed many, Shan Xiumei felt utterly alone, as if stranded on a desolate plain!
In another private room, Kong Yu had not been paying attention to the fight but instead monitoring Su Meng’s maid.
As Gu Xiaosang moved, his five fingers twitched, yet ultimately, he did not act immediately.
The presence of the Da Luo Demoness indicated a grand scheme rather than mere killing. If she targeted the Wang clan members, he would surely intervene. But now, he could wait and see what would unfold!
Kong Yu’s expression was cold and ruthless, with a hooded figure standing beside him, a silver thread hanging from his waist, attached to a bright silver official seal!
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