Wang Siyuan lightly coughed twice, still exuding confidence as if everything were under control. The “Three Thoughts Sword” naturally hung downward, pointing at the ground, and he calmly said, “Please.”
He didn’t need to accumulate momentum; every movement resonated with heaven and earth, vast and unfathomable, reaching emptiness yet embracing all things. No matter how powerful the opponent’s aura or strength, it couldn’t shake his composure even slightly.
Meng Qi didn’t wait long, for the longer he waited, the more terrifying the realm of unity with heaven became. To strike heaven with a blade, he must seize the moment when his momentum was strongest and his courage most fierce!
His path was completely different from Jiang Zhiwei’s. Even though he activated the Heaven’s Sorrow and used the Purple Thunder Force to unleash “Thunder Shocking the Nine Heavens,” producing an attack nearly as powerful as an external scene, it still couldn’t rival Jiang Zhiwei’s previous sword strike. At best, it could only force Wang Siyuan to use a dharma-body technique that clashed with heaven and earth, leaving him unable to break free from the restraints, sever illusions, or force his opponent into defense.
The Heaven’s Sorrow rose and slashed downward fiercely. Meng Qi moved with the momentum of his blade, seemingly shortening the several-zhang distance between them in an instant.
When the blade first lifted, there was still a considerable distance between him and Wang Siyuan. Yet by the time the Heaven’s Sorrow fell, he had already closed in!
Though Meng Qi’s waist and back appeared tense, they actually concealed a relaxed force, ready to change at any moment, complementing “Yin and Yang in Three Unions—What is the Origin, What is the Transformation!”
As the long blade descended, chaos reigned. It seemed both Yin and Yang, both hard and soft, indistinguishable, as if they could transform into each other at any moment.
Having long heard of the “Kan Xu Sword Method,” Meng Qi used this self-learned blade technique as his first move, using the interdependence of Yin and Yang to confuse Wang Siyuan’s judgment. Once his opponent made a mistake, Meng Qi would tell him a good story through his blade techniques!
“Not bad,” Ruan Yaoguang, watching Meng Qi’s first strike, gave a compliment, indicating that Meng Qi had already begun to approach the principles of heaven and earth.
Wang Siyuan’s iron sword suddenly lunged forward, neither early nor late, precisely striking Meng Qi’s blade tip. The force was strange, entwining Yin and Yang, combining hardness and softness, transforming mutually, generating reality and illusion layer upon layer, effortlessly neutralizing Meng Qi’s blade momentum.
Breaking Yin-Yang interdependence with Yin-Yang interdependence!
Wang Dazigong judged Meng Qi’s blade move precisely, perfectly interrupting Meng Qi’s subsequent variations and plans.
As the blade force dissipated, Wang Siyuan did not press the attack layer upon layer, weaving a deadly situation like a chess game. Instead, he withdrew his sword, calmly waiting for Meng Qi’s next move, as if upholding his dignity and realm, unwilling to take advantage of Meng Qi.
“The first move,” he said indifferently.
Knowing this was a psychological confrontation, a tactic to provoke anger, Meng Qi’s mind remained unaffected. His blade light shimmered emptily, already using “Severing Purity.” If Wang Dazigong were affected even slightly, Meng Qi would continue telling his story with blade techniques.
From his previous fight with Jiang Hengchuan, he knew he wouldn’t be overly affected by the unique influence of unity with heaven.
Though the Heaven’s Sorrow was heavy and massive, this strike displayed lightness and elegance. The blade tip trembled, constantly changing, each shift stirring restlessness, as if awakening unforgettable memories, making it hard to calm the inner turmoil.
The blade light was like smoke, rising from the depths of the heart!
As expected, Meng Qi’s mind presented mountains and rivers, the momentum of heaven and earth, scattered like stars, hiding patterns. He felt as if he had risen into the void, overlooking everything.
Drawing from past experience, Meng Qi quickly suppressed his emotional fluctuations and returned to reality, just in time to see Wang Siyuan’s half-smiling expression. The “Three Thoughts Sword” strangely lunged forward, directly aiming at Meng Qi’s left ribs. The timing was extremely precise—exactly where Meng Qi must defend, the critical point of his blade momentum.
If struck by the “Three Thoughts Sword,” Meng Qi’s Golden Bell Cover would likely be ineffective.
Was he unaffected, or had he recovered faster than Meng Qi?
Or perhaps Meng Qi’s “Severing Purity” was restricted by his realm and forcibly neutralized by Wang Siyuan’s unity with heaven?
The blade light vanished, and the follow-up variations abruptly halted. The planned “Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens” could no longer be executed.
Wang Siyuan withdrew his sword again and said, “Second move.”
Meng Qi took a deep breath, his momentum rising. He swung the long blade overhead, layer upon layer of blade force stacking up, shaking the air as if thunder rumbled.
All vitality and airflow were drawn in, making the world seem smaller, as if only the blade’s descent remained.
This was Meng Qi’s interpretation of “Thunder Shocking the Nine Heavens.” Without activating the Heaven’s Sorrow, against a well-versed opponent like Wang Dazigong, using the original version might reveal too much.
This strike displayed the blade’s ferocity and dominance, as if it could crush the void and split the earth!
Wang Siyuan raised his hand again, calmly launching an attack as defense. His sword pierced through layers of airflow like a leaf in the wind or a fish in a rapid stream, gliding effortlessly through gaps imperceptible to ordinary people, aiming at Meng Qi’s wrist.
Meng Qi had no choice but to retreat and withdraw, pulling back his blade light and stepping one step backward.
“Third move,” Wang Siyuan’s face, previously flushed with excitement beyond control, gradually calmed.
After three moves, Wang Siyuan had always attacked as defense, forcing Meng Qi to abandon variations and the subsequent “story.” He appeared relaxed, as if guiding a junior, seemingly seeing through all of Meng Qi’s intentions. Truly a terrifying opponent!
Meng Qi was not one to give up easily. Faced with this, he didn’t lose heart. Many thoughts surged in his mind:
“Use the Eight-Nine Mystical Art to conceal the true flow of qi? No, the Wolf King had cooperated with him before; such anomalies might not escape his vigilance. Using it recklessly outside a crucial moment would only waste the opportunity.”
“What should I do then? I can’t even tell my story…”
Suddenly, words from Jiang Hengchuan and Wang Siyuan echoed in Meng Qi’s mind:
“The success or failure of a conspiracy lies primarily in concealing one’s true purpose…”
“What you said earlier was right. The core of strategy lies in hiding one’s purpose. Therefore, as long as I grasp a few purposes, no matter how chaotic the situation becomes, I can remain unmoved, waiting for you to walk into my trap…”
Swordplay is like chess, like telling a story. Strategy is thus, and swordplay should be the same!
His purpose was to force Wang Siyuan into a defensive move or defeat him, which was very clear. Wang Siyuan, with his hidden calculations and mastery of Kan Xu swordplay, could remain calm and composed, waiting for Meng Qi to fall into his trap. No wonder Meng Qi’s stories always got interrupted at critical moments, and the flaws he detected couldn’t be exploited!
He must hide his true purpose…
To deceive Wang Siyuan, he must first deceive himself…
Meng Qi’s mind raced. His fourth move emerged naturally. The blade light was extremely fast, like lightning flashing. In the blink of an eye, it had already reached Wang Siyuan’s front, arriving almost simultaneously with the sound.
This was one of the quintessences of “Heavenly Thunder Striking Five Directions,” the “Speed of Lightning,” honed in the tomb of the True Martial Sect under the guidance of Huangfu Tao.
Wang Siyuan’s sword moved slowly, like an aged old man, sharply contrasting with Meng Qi’s swift blade. Yet it strangely struck the weak point on the side of the Heaven’s Sorrow, where the qi flow was weakest, causing Meng Qi’s blade momentum to tilt. Meng Qi had no choice but to use the Undying Seal Art to forcibly recover his breath and evade the follow-up with the Illusory Demon Body Technique.
“Fourth move,” Wang Siyuan’s voice remained as cold as ice, with a slight cough.
Meng Qi was neither angry nor anxious. His long blade struck again—not fast nor slow—yet it compressed the surrounding airflow, making the blade momentum seem extremely heavy, almost rivaling mountains and hills, accompanied by continuous thunderous sounds.
This was “The Weight of Thunder,” one of the five quintessences. Since it was refined from Huangfu Tao’s techniques, compared to the speed of lightning and the emptiness of the void, it wasn’t as refined.
Before the blade edge, the airflow collapsed into a vortex, generating terrifying suction, as if no matter how the opponent reacted, they would be drawn into the path of the blade!
Wang Siyuan remained expressionless. The Three Thoughts Sword followed the suction and lunged forward. As it was about to collide with the Heaven’s Sorrow, the sword suddenly lifted, carrying an unchanging principle, leaping out of the blade momentum as if a bird returning to its old forest or a fish swimming back to its native stream—effortlessly and leisurely, aiming at Meng Qi’s throat.
Meng Qi horizontally swung his long blade, blocking the Three Thoughts Sword with a clang.
“Cough, fifth move,” Wang Siyuan slowly recovered his breath.
“Excellent swordplay,” Meng Qi sincerely praised, striving to absorb its essence.
At the same time, the Heaven’s Sorrow slowly slashed forward, moving unusually slowly, surprising everyone. Yet the opponent Qiu Fei felt a strange sensation—that no matter how he dodged, he couldn’t escape this move. It seemed to depict countless variations, encompassing all possible follow-ups. If one couldn’t grasp it accurately, one would fall into danger.
It was like facing thunder and lightning, where countless thoughts surged in the heart, contrasting the speed with the surrounding slowness, entangled in an instant!
Wang Siyuan didn’t choose to use his sword to encompass all variations. Narrowing his eyes, he lunged the Three Thoughts Sword forward swiftly.
With a clang, the sword struck the tip of the Heaven’s Sorrow, all variations dissipating, subsequent moves powerless to continue.
This sword strike shared the same brilliance as the One-Finger Zen!
“Sixth move,” Wang Siyuan withdrew his sword again, appearing graceful, though his figure was thin and his face pale.
Ruan Yaoguang and Qiu Fei nearby were quite astonished. After three moves, “Crazy Blade” Su Meng no longer seemed to be fighting but rather using the duel to practice his blade techniques, integrating all previously uncertain aspects.
Had he already lost confidence in forcing Wang Siyuan to defend and instead sought other gains?
“Try another move!” Meng Qi roared like thunder, his blade momentum complete, depicting the emptiness of the heavens, embracing all things.
This strike combined the concept of “Yin and Yang in Three Unions,” hiding objects in emptiness, encompassing both offense and defense, seeming to attack yet not truly attacking, seeming defensive yet not purely defensive—unfathomable.
Wang Siyuan raised his hand and pointed his sword at the center. No matter how much it changed, there was always something constant. Though the sky was empty, it concealed the great Dao!
Clang! The blade and sword collided, and the blade momentum was broken again.
At that moment, the Heaven’s Sorrow, defying the principle of rebounding upon collision, suddenly leapt upward, unleashing a long blade aura condensed from lightning!
The purpose Meng Qi had concealed for so long suddenly erupted!
Under the subtlety of the Eight-Nine Mystical Art and the emptiness of the heavens, he finally managed to deceive even the heavens!
As the blade aura erupted, the sky darkened. Countless silver-white lightning bolts intertwined into a blade aura, coiling like dragons and serpents as they lashed toward Wang Siyuan. The nearby river roared, surging with towering waves.
The distance between them was very close. As soon as the blade aura was released, it had already closed in!
“Try another move!”
The roar still echoed in layers.
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