“Opportunity? You mean the chance to gain benefits together with Qiu Fei and others?” Meng Qi naturally knew it referred to the Dongyang Villa, but since Jiang Hengchuan didn’t mention it directly, he feigned ignorance.
Jiang Hengchuan’s expression turned serious as he transmitted his voice secretly: “Yes. There are three portions of the opportunity altogether. One is in my possession, one with Qiu Fei, and the third with the group led by the Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon and the Three Eagles of Yunling. At that time, we entered the outer regions and each obtained certain benefits. However, to enter the core area, all three portions of the opportunity must be present simultaneously, and only on specific days each month. Therefore, we remained wary of each other and dispersed separately. It seems Qiu Fei has colluded with the disciples of the Impermanence Sect, aiming to seize their portion of the opportunity from the Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon’s group.”
The group of the Three Eagles of Yunling were precisely the culprits behind the turbulent undercurrents in Maoling that the Six Gates had sensed months ago. They came in large numbers, driven by the desire to seize treasures, and during their quest, many killings occurred. Afterward, they vanished without a trace, so no one expected they were still hiding in Maoling.
Of course, the undercurrents in Maoling today are even stronger than they were months ago. If we were to use a river as a metaphor, back then it was like the Jin River, while now it has become a mighty river fed by countless tributaries, incomparable to the past.
“They aren’t weak either,” Meng Qi remarked with some feeling.
The Three Eagles of Yunling were renowned skilled martial artists from the Dizhou and Pengzhou regions. Their leader, the “Red-Clawed Eagle,” had even made it onto the Human Rankings, placing forty-fifth. As for the “Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon,” he was even more formidable—once ranked among the top twenty on the Human Rankings, he was now a Half-Step Beyond-World expert, surpassing “Wind-Chasing Staff” Qiu Fei without question.
Jiang Hengchuan chuckled: “If they weren’t strong, how could they have taken any benefits back then? And why would Qiu Fei dare to act unless he had allied with disciples of the Impermanence Sect?”
If they weren’t strong, Jiang Hengchuan himself wouldn’t have been an easy opponent either. He might not have killed them outright, but he certainly would have ensured they left their gains behind. Opportunities—those with “fate” would obtain them!
Beside them, Sun Ke, known as “Money Talks,” watched the two exchanging secret transmissions with his right hand, adorned with rings, twitching slightly. Smiling, he said, “Might I ask, why did you two react that way upon hearing ‘Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon’? And why is Qiu Fei also searching for them? Could it be they’re involved in some hidden treasure?”
As the leader of the Money Sect, he was highly sensitive to matters concerning opportunities, rare encounters, and treasures.
“Oh, nothing much. We were just surprised to encounter such formidable opponents,” Jiang Hengchuan laughed it off and rose to take his leave.
The two left the Money Sect headquarters together. Without a word, they instinctively headed toward the secluded courtyard in the northern part of the city where the Eight-Armed Celestial Dragon and his group were hiding. Their goal wasn’t necessarily to seize the opportunity, but at the very least, they had to issue a warning. Being targeted by the Impermanence Sect was no trivial matter. They couldn’t afford to be careless—otherwise, the opportunity might fall into the hands of the Nine Evil Sects, bringing endless calamity to the martial world.
…
Inside a concealed courtyard, a young man wearing a tall hat and ancient robes tapped the table and sneered, “What? Got something for me to do?”
“‘Crazy Blade’ Su Meng’s recent movements have been quite unusual. He seems to have some hidden techniques yet to be revealed. You should find another opportunity to test him, so he doesn’t slip out of control when the time comes,” the person opposite him said gravely.
The young man in the tall hat and ancient robes chuckled, “Him? His precious weapon has been exposed, as has his thunder-element Beyond-World killing move. Not to mention the widely known Ananda Breaking Precepts Blade Technique and the Golden Bell Shield, which are already well-known. What other hidden techniques could he possibly have? He’s already a pawn in our hands. Why bother deploying me, a mighty blade?”
Why use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken?
Back then, during the thunderstorm stirred up by the “Heaven’s Wound,” Meng Qi’s “Thunderous Roar Across the Nine Heavens” had been masked. Unless someone had truly fought against the medicinal dregs’ Beyond-World expert, it would be difficult to recognize it as one of the Purple Thunder Seven Strikes.
“Don’t be careless,” the other person emphasized. “We’re still one step away from becoming official members. We must not fail this time.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll reluctantly give it a try,” the young man in the ancient robes said with feigned reluctance, as if he had no interest at all.
The other person reminded him, “Fire Virtue, remember, this is just a test. Don’t go all out. He still has great usefulness.”
“Don’t worry. He’s no pushover. If I don’t give it my all, how could I kill him?” The young man in the ancient robes appeared nonchalant. “Besides…”
…
The two activated their martial arts techniques and sped through the bustling city of Maoling. Despite the crowded streets, they either twisted and turned, almost impossibly weaving through the crowds, or leapt high and low, their figures like illusions, leaving the common folk below wondering if they were seeing things.
The headquarters of the Money Sect was itself located near the northern part of the city, so it didn’t take long for the two to reach the ordinary small courtyard described by Sun Ke.
White walls, black tiles, and creeping vines—this place was no different from most courtyards in the Jiangdong water towns, except it was somewhat older.
Meng Qi walked up to the door and openly grabbed the worn iron door knocker, knocking loudly. If someone inside asked, he would say it was a constable conducting an investigation—half-truth, half-deception.
The sound of knocking echoed far away, startling a few flying birds, flapping their wings as they soared into the sky.
Inside, everything was silent. No one responded or opened the door.
Meng Qi and Jiang Hengchuan exchanged glances, sensing something amiss. With a leap, they quickly scaled the courtyard wall.
Their spiritual senses spread outward, and the surrounding scenery was reflected in Meng Qi’s mind. Buckets had been overturned, leaving stains everywhere. The ground was muddy and trampled with footprints. In the large hall with an open door, tables and chairs were broken, scattered around, covered with fist marks, claw scratches, sword cuts, and bloodstains.
“There are no bodies. Could it be that they encountered a powerful enemy and hastily retreated?” Meng Qi judged gravely.
Jiang Hengchuan didn’t waste words. He directly said, “Let’s inspect separately and find their escape route. It would be best to determine who the attackers were based on the traces here.”
“Alright.” Meng Qi didn’t waste time either. Time was of the essence.
Passing through the central hall and the courtyard, Meng Qi entered the backyard alone. Here, there were still signs of a struggle.
“Hmm, why is there so little blood? Were both sides evenly matched, or was the ambush discovered?” Meng Qi noticed that most of the traces were from fighting, with few bloodstains.
As he was examining the traces, a sudden sense of danger arose in his heart. Without thinking, he drew his blade, turned around, and slashed behind him.
After cultivating the Undying Seal Method and the Heaven-Shaking, Earth-Shattering Great Art, his innate perception was already exceptional. The Eight-Nine Mystical Art further enhanced his ability to sense danger and evade calamities. Now, with his inner world adjusted and initially harmonized with the external world, his sense of danger was no less than that of someone who had achieved the unity of heaven and humanity!
From the rooftop of the backyard, a shadow slid down along the beams like a ghost descending, holding two crimson copper rings in each hand, aiming for Meng Qi’s back.
The attacker wore ancient robes, his hair wrapped in a headscarf, and a Fire Virtue Star Lord mask from a theatrical play, with a red face and wide-open eyes!
As the rings struck out, streams of true qi formed ring-like attacks directed at Meng Qi, enveloping all directions.
In Meng Qi’s mind, these highly concentrated rings of true qi were unique. They seemed like extremely dangerous explosives, deceptively harmless but unleashing a chain reaction of terrifying blasts and surging flames upon contact—an insidious and ruthless technique!
Moreover, the attacker seemed like a ball of fire divided into nine layers. Meng Qi could not sense the usual flow of true qi or muscle reactions. Instead, he felt waves of heat emanating from every direction, as if the attacker revolved around him.
Fire Virtue Star Lord?
Approaching the resonance between heaven and humanity?
Though he might not be as accomplished as Jiang Hengchuan and others who had achieved the unity of heaven and humanity, he was only slightly inferior to the Right Minister of the Demon Queen back then!
Meng Qi’s mind remained calm and undisturbed. The “Heaven’s Wound” hovered like a feint, lightly slicing toward the copper rings.
The blade’s momentum was perfectly rounded, avoiding direct force like the sky or chaos, embracing all changes due to its emptiness, completely enveloping the violent rings of true qi.
The Dao of Heaven diminishes excess and compensates for deficiencies. The rings of true qi, brimming with terrifying power, flowed like water into the rounded blade momentum, seemingly about to vanish silently.
Clang!
Suddenly, the attacker’s two copper rings struck each other, emitting a sharp, clear sound that momentarily stunned Meng Qi’s mind.
Boom!
All the rings of true qi exploded simultaneously, transforming into a surging “flame” wave rushing rapidly toward Meng Qi.
He has approached the resonance between heaven and humanity, sensing my flow of true qi and muscle reactions. Therefore, the previous attack was a trap!
Meng Qi realized this and secretly activated the Eight-Nine Mystical Art. Remaining calm, he swung his long blade, unleashing a perfectly rounded burst like the source of a river, sending waves rolling toward the scorching heat wave, using “water” to extinguish “fire.”
This was one of the refined blade principles he had long mastered, inspired from the “River-Sundering Blade Technique” of the Tang Clan in Yicheng.
The attacker’s copper rings, utilizing the force of collision, suddenly changed tactics, aiming to ensnare Meng Qi’s blade tip.
Once ensnared, the attacker could use the unique properties of the rings and his martial arts to seize Meng Qi’s blade!
The distance was short, the rings and the long blade were close. It was already too late to evade!
Indeed, he had once again deciphered the “flow of true qi”!
As the rings were about to ensnare the blade tip, the attacker couldn’t help but feel a flicker of delight. At that moment, however, his pupils constricted violently because the “Heaven’s Wound” that should have been at that position had vanished!
It was as if possessed by a ghost or deity, the blade had suddenly disappeared!
This might seem horrifying, but in reality, it was just Meng Qi’s clever deception. He had reserved most of his strength, and at the right moment, he swiftly lifted his blade, escaping the attacker’s line of sight.
The blade light was hazy, cutting toward the attacker’s neck from an unexpected angle.
The blade was like mist, like the mundane world. In that moment, desires arose naturally within the confined space. The broken trees in the surroundings appeared desolate, yearning for survival. The footprints on the ground were everywhere, dirty and messy, longing for purity. At this moment, everything within the range of the blade light seemed to take on a different meaning.
Ascending to the peak, transforming into a true deity, the Fire Virtue shining upon the world, rebuilding the heavenly court!
The thoughts that had long been yearned for in the attacker’s heart appeared before his eyes, making it hard for him to resist.
“We are an organization where mutual assistance leads to martial cultivation rewards—you can imagine any reward…”
“Your potential is strong, but like a pearl shrouded in darkness, no one recognizes it…”
“Once you cultivate the Nine-Fire Heavenly Dao Technique, you will become the Fire Virtue Star Lord…”
“When the heavenly court reappears, all sects and families will be subdued!”
His protective qi shattered, snapping him back to reality, as the blade’s qi had already pierced his skin, causing pain.
Violent streams of true qi collided within his body, creating a chain reaction of explosions, igniting a raging “inferno,” unleashing terrifying power.
Using this force, he forcibly shifted his position by a foot in midair, narrowly avoiding the Heaven’s Wound.
At that moment, his heart suddenly stopped beating, as a beam of sword light filled his vision.
The sword was like brilliant thunder, dazzling and indescribable.
It had no variation, just this single strike, yet sometimes, the absence of variation was the best variation of all!
The Fire Virtue Star Lord felt that this sword strike was the most magnificent he had ever seen, yet also the deadliest!
In his current position, it was as if he was willingly offering his forehead to the sword. Moreover, he had already forced a transformation moments before—how could he possibly evade now?
I’ve fallen into a trap!
His martial arts are very strange!
I still have a secret technique left to use…
I was only here to test him…
Plop! The Fire Virtue Star Lord fell to the ground, his eyes wide open, frozen with countless emotions, a trickle of blood flowing from his forehead.
Meng Qi sheathed his sword and was about to search the body when a burst of fiery flames erupted, swiftly engulfing the Fire Virtue Star Lord. In an instant, only ashes and two copper rings, now glowing even redder, remained.
“Fire Virtue Star Lord? You… you killed him…” Jiang Hengchuan, having heard the commotion, arrived just in time to witness this scene, somewhat stunned.
In this day and age, masters wearing the Fire Virtue Star Lord mask are exceedingly rare.
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