Just as he had stood up before, he now sat down again, only this time facing the opposite direction. Xiao Yue’s back was lit by the firelight, her delicate face seemingly merging into the darkness, her eyes filled with confusion.
Not a bit off, not even the slightest difference!
I had always been indignant, thinking my defeat stemmed from underestimation. My attention was mostly focused on the corpse driver during the first move, allowing him to seize the opportunity, exploit my weakness, and gain the upper hand. One mistake led to a chain of errors. If I had fought with full strength, I wouldn’t have been so humiliated. But now I realize, even if I fought a hundred times, the outcome would remain the same. That constable named Xiao Su was simply toying with me, using a strength far beyond mine, never revealing his true capability!
Even if I still had secret techniques, I probably couldn’t escape a crushing defeat. From how easily he played with me, his real strength seemed like an endless ocean, boundless and unfathomable.
It was the first time she felt so disheartened by defeat, as if this wasn’t even a contest of equals!
An infant facing an adult, a gentle breeze against a mighty mountain!
Xiao Yue’s thoughts drifted, unable to muster even a shred of fighting spirit.
Li Chong looked at Xiao Su, the clean-cut, smiling constable, as if staring at a monster from another world. Just moments ago, he was ordinary, sitting beside him roasting food and keeping watch at night. Yet now, with just a few moves, he had forced Xiao Yue, one of Yangxia’s elite martial artists, back into her seat. Every move was unremarkable, yet more chilling than any flashy technique.
What terrifying strength he must possess!
Fifty years old and Li Chong had never encountered anything like this before. But he was seasoned in worldly affairs, having “eaten more salt than Meng Qi had walked bridges.” He quickly regained his composure and a thought naturally surfaced in his mind:
“He probably isn’t an ordinary constable. He must be a special envoy from the state or prefectural city, or even a secret investigator. His name is definitely fake… If I could befriend him, maybe I could secure a deputy constable position before retiring home…”
Yao Xingliu held his breath, silent. Defeating someone as weak as Xiao Yue in all aspects wasn’t difficult—he could easily do it without exerting himself. But to casually force Xiao Yue back into her seat with such precision, making every move seem preordained, like a chessboard where everything was under his control… Honestly, he couldn’t do that! Among his peers, only Yang He might manage it, or perhaps Yang Tai, whose abilities had likely improved greatly in the year and a half since they last met.
After losing their previous bout, he could still console himself, thinking he hadn’t used his ultimate techniques or his most powerful secret moves. If it had been a serious fight, the outcome might have been different. But after witnessing this battle, even if his pride refused to admit it, he couldn’t help feeling disheartened. One thought echoed in his mind: If I gave it my all, could I force him to use his full strength?
Hmph, that guy may seem humble and peaceful with his smile, but I can see through him. Deep down, he’s probably gloating!
The corpse driver hesitated, staring at the smiling young constable before him. His right hand tightened and loosened repeatedly on the staff controlling the corpses.
He maintained the same composed demeanor as any normal constable, as if nothing significant had happened moments ago. But anyone with eyes could see that it was far from normal—his strength was anything but ordinary!
“Well then, I’ve said my piece. Do any of you have objections? Lady Xiao has already agreed,” Meng Qi wiped his sword.
Too bad the “Flying Immortal from the Heavens” was still beyond my grasp. Otherwise, I could have leaped onto the roof like a descending immortal and given them a real surprise… Meng Qi couldn’t help but feel a little regret.
Although he had comprehended some immutable principles of swordsmanship through the “Solitary Sword of Nine Solitudes,” the “Flying Immortal from the Heavens” remained an advanced technique. Unlike the Purple Thunder Saber Art, which benefited from the guidance of thunder marks and the incomplete true intent of Divine Thunder Nine Annihilations, there had been no miraculous rapid breakthroughs. Of course, compared to most practitioners, Meng Qi’s progress in mastering the “Flying Immortal from the Heavens” was still remarkable—after all, his sword techniques had already taken form.
Upon hearing Meng Qi’s words, the corpse driver’s right hand, which had been tightly gripping the staff, suddenly relaxed slightly—not clenched, yet not completely loose, resting naturally on the staff without emitting any inner energy, exuding a peculiar aura.
He slowly rose, gripping the staff, and spoke in a hoarse voice: “I object.”
“Only the strong can make the rules.”
“First, prove that you’re strong.”
After those three sentences, he suddenly stepped forward. Instantly, he seemed to grow taller and larger—not a physical change, but an illusion created by the contraction of air currents and the pull of his qi.
Indeed, experts at this level were all supremely confident, their minds as solid as unbreakable stone. His newly learned “Heaven-Shaking Earth-Shattering Method” couldn’t possibly affect them yet. Meng Qi had anticipated this. He raised his sword in an unusual stance, one that defied every known sword principle. Yao Xingliu’s breath caught—had his sword skills truly reached this level?
The corpse driver took another step forward. A chilling wind seemed to sweep through the courtyard. He swung his staff downward from above, making no sound, emitting no inner energy, rendering Meng Qi’s usual methods of sensing enemies useless.
His body appeared like a decaying tree or a lifeless corpse, devoid of vitality or inner energy flow, as if everything was buried deep within.
Strange martial art… Meng Qi could only rely on the “Solitary Sword of Nine Solitudes” to interpret the movements and formulate his response, like playing a game of Go.
His sword thrust forward, arriving before the opponent’s strike, targeting the weakest point just behind the tip of the staff.
Puff!
The weapons met, but no metallic clang rang out—only the dull sound of piercing decayed wood.
The power of the “Corpse Driver’s Staff” was completely internalized, undetectable and unassailable.
Suddenly, the hidden inner energy erupted like a tidal wave or a flood breaching a dam. Meng Qi could only deflect a small portion. As if his sword had sensed the danger in advance, it flicked upward, knocking the staff aside.
At that moment, Meng Qi noticed a black mist covering his meridians, flowing steadily toward the hilt of his sword.
The corpse driver’s inner energy carried a strange, deadly poison!
Chilling winds howled around him, making Meng Qi feel as if the cold had pierced his bones, numbing his blood.
Golden Bell Shield and Eight-Nine Mystical Art energy surged within him. On the surface, he remained composed, but inside, his meridians and blood seemed to take on a golden hue, as if resonating with a Buddhist chant or a celestial aura, purging all darkness and evil. Even the black mist halted its advance and gradually dissipated.
The corpse driver held Meng Qi in high regard, never expecting to win with a single strike. Swinging his staff in a wide arc, he struck downward again, like successive waves crashing down.
His inner energy remained concealed until the moment of release, undetectable. Still as stagnant water, swift as a thunderclap—a truly extraordinary martial art!
Yao Xingliu suddenly furrowed his brows, feeling as if he had seen a similar description somewhere before…
Li Chong, watching the fight unfold, felt no real concern as the two exchanged blows evenly. Xiao Yue, however, covered her mouth in shock. The corpse driver’s strength exceeded her expectations. Even if she unleashed her secret techniques, the outcome remained uncertain.
Affected by the chilling winds and deadly poison, Meng Qi hesitated for a moment, unable to strike first. He could only swing his sword, blocking the attack head-on!
Taking advantage, the corpse driver pressed forward, his staff strikes seemingly enveloping the heavens and earth. No external force was visible, yet the internal pressure surged.
Meng Qi appeared to be at a disadvantage. The miraculous sword techniques that had defeated Xiao Yue earlier struggled to manifest. He could only parry blow after blow, each strike producing a dull “puff” sound as the black aura on the sword blade slowly but steadily advanced toward the hilt.
The cold winds intensified, turning the flames an eerie green—a sinister sight.
Even though Li Chong’s martial arts skills were poor, he could still sense that Constable Xiao was at a disadvantage. His heart raced as he silently prayed.
Yao Xingliu showed no concern. Previously, he had launched several consecutive attacks, and “Constable Xiao” hadn’t blocked a single one, retreating step by step just like now. Yet in the end, he had broken Yao’s sword formation with a single strike.
Despite the corpse driver’s unique martial art, difficult to decipher, Yao Xingliu, being one of the Seven Disciples of True Martial, possessed an extremely sharp eye. He could see that “Constable Xiao” was retreating in perfect order. Though seemingly forced into a desperate defense, there was something unsettling about his movements, as if all the seemingly random strikes were connected.
As each strike forced Meng Qi backward, the corpse driver sensed an opportunity and pressed his attack relentlessly.
The staff struck without a sound, yet upon impact, it released a terrifying force, sending both sword and staff flying sideways.
Success! Riding the momentum of the staff, the corpse driver leaned forward and launched a palm strike, only to suddenly freeze—when had that “Constable Xiao” drawn a blade in his left hand? The blade was nearly black, its shape strange, crackling with bolts of lightning that dispelled the sinister aura as it slashed downward.
When leaving the Wheel of Reincarnation World, Meng Qi had asked the Master of the Six Realms of Reincarnation to disguise the “Heaven’s Wound.” As long as its blade energy wasn’t activated, no one could tell it was a treasure weapon.
The corpse driver was now wide open, practically throwing himself into the path of the blade—his life hanging in the balance!
“He was pretending all along, luring me forward step by step, making me expose such a huge opening!” The corpse driver suddenly realized this, a flicker of fear rising in his heart, further elevating his estimation of “Constable Xiao’s” strength.
This slash was neither clearly hard nor soft, neither distinctly yin nor yang. It contained all possible transformations within itself. Only upon contact could its yin and yang separate, its hardness or softness becoming clear!
The corpse driver couldn’t retrieve his staff in time. He flipped his left palm upward to meet the strike, keeping his palm energy hidden, wary of falling into Meng Qi’s trap.
The blade struck the edge of his palm, initially feeling insubstantial, drawing out the corpse driver’s force. Then, like the birth of chaos, yang surged forth, as if countless bolts of lightning erupted forth.
When yin and yang merge in three unions, what is the origin, what is the transformation?
“Die!”
Meng Qi roared, stunning the corpse driver momentarily. The blade’s momentum surged, overwhelming and fierce, suppressing all counterforces, shattering the dark aura!
“Bad!” The corpse driver had made a critical mistake, placing him in extreme danger. He gritted his teeth and unleashed his ultimate secret technique.
His eyes suddenly darkened, his left hand and right staff assuming an embracing posture, the chilling wind turning pitch-black.
Meng Qi’s inner energy mysteriously dissipated, vanishing in an instant, more than half gone!
So this is your ultimate technique?
Do you really think you can kill Old Zhong with this?
It’s barely stronger than “Scarface”!
Meng Qi’s expression remained calm. Rather than resisting, he allowed his inner energy to dissipate completely and rapidly.
At the very edge of death comes life. Suddenly, new inner energy surged from within Meng Qi, instantly reaching its peak. His blade strike didn’t slow, cleaving toward the corpse driver’s head!
This was the wonder of the Deathless Seal Art!
The corpse driver realized Meng Qi was completely unaffected, his heart shaken. He steeled his resolve, preparing to unleash another secret technique.
Suddenly, he felt a tight grip on his collar, lifting him out of the blade’s path.
Turning his head, he saw the middle-aged man’s grayish face, expressionless and emotionless.
The corpse driver’s mind raced. Abandoning his own attack, he issued a direct command:
“Kill him.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage