The sound was like thunder echoing, directly rushing into the ears, rippling outward in layers, reverberating nearby.
The blade’s aura transformed into a dragon of lightning, in an instant rushing toward Wang Siyuan, silver and white entwined like a gaping maw of blood.
Ruan Yaoguang and Wang Buchi’s gazes both slightly froze because they hadn’t anticipated such a change either. Wang Siyuan’s flow of internal energy and muscle reactions could fool them, no problem, but since when could “Wild Blade” Su Meng do the same?
Facing this slash, Wang Siyuan still maintained the state of unity between heaven and man, neither startled nor angry. Sansi Sword suddenly shot forth a dim, shadowy sword qi, indistinguishable between black and white.
The sword qi was extremely fast, almost arriving simultaneously with the whistling sound, slicing midair leaves flying in half.
Wang Siyuan had actually chosen to attack as defense, risking life and limb!
This sword qi traced a beautiful trajectory, conforming to the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, almost appearing to arrive before being launched.
Without any surprise, it followed the shortest path, as if pre-calculated!
The blade qi struck the body, the sword light pierced the flesh; Meng Qi and Wang Siyuan seemed destined for mutual injury.
Yet Meng Qi faintly sensed that the sword qi was slightly faster, piercing his body just before his blade could strike Wang Siyuan. If so, the blade qi, without control, with Wang Siyuan’s steps secretly containing the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces, would enable him to dodge the vital points at the last moment.
Young master practices the Golden Bell Cover and the Eight-Nine Mystical Art!
Meng Qi gritted his teeth, his face tense, slightly sidestepping to avoid the vital areas, his skin turning dark gold, unyielding, his grip on the blade as solid as a rock!
Suddenly, Wang Siyuan’s body turned into a blur. Sansi Sword sharply flicked upward, the sword qi redirecting skyward, instantly connecting with Tianzhi Shang.
Dang! The sound echoed like bells and drums ringing together. The sword qi scraped past Meng Qi’s body, shooting into the clouds, while Tianzhi Shang was likewise deflected upward, the electric blade qi soaring from Wang Siyuan’s face, exploding midair, illuminating heaven and earth.
All of this, if off by a hair’s breadth, would result in a complete miss, yet ultimately ended dramatically, both blade and sword qi missing their marks, as if everything had been calculated by Wang Siyuan.
He was like a dancer weaving fate, having already arranged the beginning, the process, and the ending, allowing Ruan Yaoguang and Wang Buchi, who had intended to intervene and separate the two, to quietly relax.
Yet Wang Siyuan’s gaze slightly froze the moment Sansi Sword deflected Tianzhi Shang!
Because he sensed that Tianzhi Shang carried little internal energy manipulation, relying solely on its innate blade qi for threat, feeling hollow and light during impact, easily deflected upward.
His internal energy wasn’t in “Tianzhi Shang”—where was it then?
A trap!
Then he saw a dazzling sword light rushing straight toward his face. It had no variations, no hidden moves, straightforward, with the divine presence preceding the sword, like a celestial immortal descending from the heavens.
Meng Qi had concealed his intentions, again using the Eight-Nine Mystical Art to continually “avoid calculations,” finally seizing an opportunity, forcing himself to endure, and thrusting out Ziwu.
Without using the Sacrificial Art, he originally could use two and a half external techniques within a short time, but after three months of training with the Cycle Talisman, his strength improved, and his mastery of the Heaven-Shaking, Earth-Shattering Great Art deepened, now capable of three strikes.
This was the final time, the last move. If this strike failed, even if Meng Qi used the Sacrificial Art again, he couldn’t change the predetermined outcome!
Meng Qi’s heart was calm as still water, his eyes emotionless. At this point, he refused to believe Wang Siyuan could still respond calmly!
The sword light was graceful, swift as thunder, beautiful as a dream.
Before the dream awoke, the sword had already arrived.
Glorious, dazzling.
Ruan Yaoguang and Wang Buchi hadn’t expected such a twist either. They wanted to intervene but were a moment too late. The winds and clouds surged as they attempted to forcibly separate the two by sheer strength.
Qiu Fei was stunned, unable to believe what he was seeing. He thought the twists had ended, never imagining another layer of deception!
Jiang Zhiwei’s lips curved into a smile, clearly pleased with Meng Qi’s performance, while Ruan Yushu puffed her cheeks slightly before deflating them.
Wang Siyuan moved, stepping on the Nine Palaces like ripples on water, sliding away abruptly, yet Meng Qi’s sword light was already upon him, locking him in an inescapable grip!
Suddenly, “Sansi Sword” vanished.
Not vanished, but reversed direction, the hilt leading, the blade trailing, tightly hugging the tiger’s mouth, like a serpent slithering through a cave, generating thick mist that enveloped the surroundings, clouds and fog obscuring the view.
Within the thick mist, the sword light, beautiful beyond description, was like a rainbow piercing through darkness, illuminating the gloom, gliding atop the fog, a scene surreal and magical.
Pu!
The mist suddenly dissipated, the sky instantly clearing. In Wang Siyuan’s hand, the blade’s tip was gripped, the hilt pressed against his throat, with the ancient, black-and-white swirling Ziwu embedded in it.
No matter what, he had blocked it. Wang Buchi and Ruan Yaoguang both exhaled in relief.
No matter what, he had finally been forced into defense!
“Nine moves, my humble victory,” Meng Qi’s eyes slightly bloodshot, his expression joyful, tinged with quiet excitement.
Although it was merely forcing Wang Siyuan into defensive, for himself, it was a tremendous improvement. In facing similar experts in the future, he wouldn’t be inexperienced and helpless.
Wang Siyuan’s pale cheeks flushed crimson again, coughing blood at the corners of his mouth.
After a while, he calmed down, slightly excitedly looking at Meng Qi: “Your cultivation method, interesting, quite intriguing…”
When faced with something unpredictable, something he couldn’t grasp, he always seemed slightly frenzied.
“The Mathematical Canon,” calculating all heavenly principles, all worldly matters, all lives, while the “Eight-Nine Mystical Art” was versatile, deceiving fate, skilled at avoiding calamities!
He took a couple of deep breaths: “You two choose.”
“Choose what?” Meng Qi didn’t volunteer this time but turned his gaze to Jiang Zhiwei and Ruan Yushu.
“Anything is fine.” Without sword techniques, treasures, or similar items, Jiang Zhiwei smiled indifferently.
Ruan Yushu thought for a moment: “Whatever you like.”
Didn’t these words sound familiar? Wasn’t it like I name an item, and you two find reasons to reject it… Meng Qi inwardly grumbled but outwardly asked calmly: “How about choosing the Jiezi Ring?”
Firstly, the Jiezi Ring was a practical item, secondly, even if exchanged for virtue points, it wouldn’t differ much from the Purple Ruler, making it worth gambling what items were inside. If it were full, he’d strike gold!
“You won, so you decide.” Jiang Zhiwei smiled sweetly.
Ruan Yushu pursed her lips slightly: “Perhaps there are ancient, ancient spirit treasures’ seeds inside.”
You meant ancient ingredients, right… Meng Qi chuckled inwardly.
Wang Siyuan wore a faint smile, watching Meng Qi enter the inner quarters and retrieve the ancient, unremarkable ring.
The ring was square, iron-black in color, utterly unassuming.
Following Ruan Yushu and Jiang Zhiwei’s hints, Meng Qi identified the inscriptions on it, using spiritual projection instead of complex procedures, reciting the inscriptions, dripping blood onto it, and opening the Jiezi Ring.
Sensing inside, Meng Qi suddenly furrowed his brows, for it was a small space, about eight feet square and three inches high, containing only one item—a scroll floating quietly.
“What is this…” Meng Qi didn’t take it out immediately. Only after Wang Siyuan and others retrieved the Purple Ruler, bowed, and departed gracefully did he finally bring it out, asking the remaining three.
The scroll unfurled, revealing writing—elegant handwriting, dignified yet subtly flowing.
“Who am I, who am I…” Ruan Yaoguang’s clear pupils showed confusion. What did these ancient seal script characters mean?
If it were a reflection during cultivation, why was it so carefully stored in the Jiezi Ring?
Examining its material and the six inked characters, it was merely an ordinary piece, containing no ultimate principles of heaven and earth or Dongyang’s true meaning.
“Perhaps it has another significance…” Meng Qi shook his head, placing the scroll back into the Jiezi Ring.
Ruan Yaoguang produced a crimson treasure pearl, warm and gentle to the touch, along with an oddly shaped weapon that resembled a bronze broom: “Here, these were obtained from the demonic beings.”
“Please, Senior, accept them. Without you, we couldn’t have defeated the Demon King,” Meng Qi said earnestly.
Ruan Yaoguang smiled: “No need to be too formal. Would this old woman bully children? Since I’ve already seen the “Donghua Qing Shu” and the “Dongji Changsheng Dan” formula, I’ll take just one item. The rest you can divide amongst yourselves.”
As she spoke, she retrieved the treasure weapon.
Meng Qi and the other three had the exchange of virtue points in mind, so no need for much deliberation. Jiang Zhiwei took the Qianyuan Stabilizing Spirit Pearl, while Ruan Yushu placed the “Dongyang Qing Shu” into her own Jiezi Ring.
Of course, before exchanging them with the Six Paths Cycle Master, Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei would definitely browse through the “Dongyang Qing Shu.” After all, stones from other mountains can polish jade, and it might contain some secret techniques.
“Oh, right.” Ruan Yaoguang suddenly turned serious, “That demon isn’t dead.”
“What?” Meng Qi was slightly surprised. Could it be Old Zhong was still alive?
Jiang Zhiwei nodded slightly, confirming Ruan Yaoguang’s words.
Ruan Yaoguang sighed: “His demonic technique is truly unique, feigning death so realistically it’s almost indistinguishable. I thought he had truly perished and his soul had dispersed, so I used his corpse to channel demonic energy. Yet he endured, pretending to be dead, and suddenly fled when I was occupied with the disciples of the Life-and-Death Unpredictable Sect, escaping from the side chamber. It was precisely this delay that caused me to arrive late.”
Without Old Zhong’s “corpse,” how could Ruan Yaoguang have deceived Jiang Hengchuan’s perception? After all, the characteristics of the Tianmo Cultivation were extremely evident.
“No wonder…” Meng Qi recalled earlier; indeed, he had delayed quite a while before the Senior finally arrived.
In the future, facing Old Zhong, he must leave no opportunity, ensuring his bones are crushed and ashes scattered!
Beifu was struck down with a single sword thrust. By the time numerous martial artists arrived, Meng Qi and the others had already departed.
After a long time, those who had searched Beppu in vain gradually left, bringing back peace and tranquility.
Jiang Hengchuan quietly appeared, his figure translucent, his aura completely undetectable—neither visible, audible, nor perceptible.
He had finally acquired this concealment artifact after selling everything he had, and even an external expert, without the corresponding method, wouldn’t detect him.
As he just appeared, he suddenly lunged forward, fearing traps in place. His finger lightly touched the muddy ground, flipping up without leaving a trace.
The surroundings were silent, with mist and rain pervading the air, devoid of any human presence.
Jiang Hengchuan slightly relaxed, cautiously crossing the wooden bridge, passing through pavilions, reaching the exit.
Since there was no ambush waiting, it appeared that no one was aware of the secret of the Cycle Talisman.
He exhaled in relief, stepping into the exit. The concealment artifact attracted light, without any fluctuations.
The sky was blue, clouds stretched endlessly, tinged with gold, a beautiful scene.
Jiang Hengchuan first saw this scene, then suddenly felt his footing vanish beneath him!
The soil near the original bluestone had been excavated, connecting with the river!
Bad! Jiang Hengchuan’s heart tensed. Twisting midair was difficult, planning to go along with it and dive into the water for escape.
But the water barely covered his ankles!
Plop, a small splash of water.
Jiang Hengchuan realized something was wrong, suddenly spotting a young man in black martial attire at the forest’s edge. Handsome and masculine, he held a long blade shimmering with silver-white electric light, smiling: “Brother Jiang, Su has been waiting for you for quite some time.”
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