Crimson flames of flowing fire scorched across the sky. Meng Qi seemed to rise with a beam of light, riding the wind off the ground. In a breath, he covered dozens of zhang, soaring high and swooping down to strike the Wolf King.
But the Wolf King appeared to have anticipated this. He abruptly pivoted without hesitation, dodging nimbly and accelerating, ready to escape into the distance.
The power borrowed from the treasure weapon ultimately did not belong to him. Though it granted speed and a leap of dozens of zhang, it lacked agility and precise control. No matter how powerful, if it couldn’t hit the target, it was useless.
Yet at that moment, Meng Qi suddenly twisted, an impossible turn, like a swallow circling midair or an immortal descending from the heavens, gracefully swooping again at the Wolf King.
This time, the Wolf King had exhausted all evasions and was locked in Meng Qi’s killing intent!
With a blend of speed, weight, and intensity, his blade split into five layers, crashing downward in a slash.
Dark clouds gathered, lightning snakes danced, and a deep rumble descended upon the earth.
Boom! Boom!
Lightning as thick as water barrels struck one after another, all converging on the blade.
Heaven’s Wound, entwined with the azure lightning, summoned the vast heavenly punishment, cleaving toward the Wolf King.
The Wolf King bore no regret, only coldness and slaughter. The dark, glowing apertures around him linked together, his left arm of black jade bone as the tip. His entire being transformed into a blade of slaughter.
Heaven nurtures mankind with all things, yet man offers nothing in return to Heaven. Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!
The sword light surged, brimming with killing intent, directly piercing the strongest point of the lightning punishment, the very core of its momentum.
The sword intent was ancient and blunt, with little variation, yet soaked in bloodshed, as if the dark side of heaven and earth, the end of life and death, the termination of law and reason. Even the lightning punishment could not alter it.
The Wolf King’s flesh withered, his body thinner, but his eyes remained cold and merciless.
Meng Qi’s gaze was firm, his descending blade unwavering.
Last year, at this very scene, I had only opened eight apertures, yet still managed to wound you gravely.
Now, seizing the initiative, what is there to fear?
Boom!
The killing intent spread, the lightning exploded, nearby lush grass withered instantly, then charred by the strikes. Thunder patterns scarred the ground.
Rain poured down, nourishing the withered grass, splashing into mist.
Within Gegen Gao Le, Awula, who had not slept, seemed to hear distant thunder. The outer-scenario experts opened their eyes, puzzled, as Bayan Valley lay far beyond their perception.
The Wolf King retreated several steps, his left arm hanging low, his shoulder sunken, yet compared to last time, his entire arm remained intact.
Over the past year, he must have done something terrible to his left arm!
Meng Qi’s right meridians were invaded by killing intent, slightly numb, his soul aching, sustaining hidden injuries. Yet the moment he landed, he sprang back like a bowstring, activating the Self-Sacrifice Technique. His left hand erupted in flowing fire, like a fleeting beauty!
The sword intent led, the sword followed, using stillness to overcome myriad changes!
The Wolf King’s eyes turned completely red. He spat out essence blood, his right hand pressing his left arm. With a forceful pull, he tore it off directly, then wielded the severed limb like a sword.
Black jade gleamed, fingers forming a claw, exuding killing intent. This strange sword carved a path that made one’s scalp tingle, blocking the “Flying Immortal from the Heavens.”
Yet Meng Qi did not stop. As the sword echoed back, he stepped forward in the opposite direction, raising his long blade once more.
“Kill!”
His voice boomed like thunder, the blade like heavenly punishment. Amidst the rumbling, Five Thunderbolts struck from above!
Azure lightning illuminated the valley as the long blade was raised high and swung downward.
The Wolf King erupted with ferocity, matching force with force, transforming once more into a blade of slaughter.
Dark light emerged, his body reduced to skin and bones, yet guided by the momentum, his aura climbed higher, mingling with the fierce might of having slain four half-step experts, as he swung his blade upward to meet the attack.
Boom! Boom!
Continuous thunder, flying debris. Around the Wolf King, only electric light remained, scorching and slicing the earth by an inch, turning the nearby area into ruins.
Meng Qi locked eyes with the Wolf King. One fierce and brave, the other cold and merciless, as if sparks flew between them.
The Wolf King’s right hand trembled, blood spewing from his mouth, his body marked only by lightning burns and strange, inexplicable lightning patterns.
Meng Qi too was weakened. His right golden glow dimmed, veins bulging with blackish lines, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.
The rain poured down, not dampening them in the least. The Wolf King’s body swayed slightly, seemingly very weak.
“Kill!” Meng Qi summoned his remaining courage, sword in his left hand, advancing forward.
The Wolf King’s eyes showed no trace of weakness, still cold and emotionless. Suddenly, his forehead bulged, and darkness descended around him, transforming slaughter into a sword!
At the most critical moment, atop the accumulated momentum of slaying four half-step experts, guided by the momentum and at the brink of life and death, he chose to break through, no longer waiting!
If successful, he would become a perfect half-step expert, though there was almost no chance of a sudden leap like He Jiu or Wang Siyuan.
This was his final move, his most effective one!
Escape… was the first thought that surfaced in Meng Qi’s mind.
But could he escape?
His hardened willpower banished fear, hesitation, and weakness. His gaze was clear and determined as he thrust forward with flowing fire.
Even if you break through, your cultivation hasn’t stabilized yet. Let alone the fact that you’re still in the process of breaking through!
Life and death hung by a thread—either you die, or I perish!
The sword light flared, pure and radiant, indescribably beautiful. Yet compared to the previous “Flying Immortal from the Heavens,” this strike carried an even fiercer momentum—an unstoppable advance, a fearless charge, an unshakable resolve, like a meteor streaking toward the Wolf King’s forehead.
Meanwhile, the Wolf King’s surroundings erupted with countless swords of slaughter, forming an insurmountable barrier!
As their momentum entangled and ignited, neither side retreating, the Wolf King’s rising aura pulled Meng Qi’s along with it.
Crack! A phantom sound echoed in his mind. Suddenly, Meng Qi’s spirit expanded, as if breaking through some barrier.
The fragrance of soil, the scorched marks, insects deep underground, the night breeze, and the sword qi of slaughter—all appeared clearly in Meng Qi’s mind.
At this moment, he felt no separation between himself and heaven and earth, no distinction between self and others. The sea of primal energy surged around him, his body immersed within, pores opening, inhaling and exhaling with utmost comfort.
Heaven and earth became his eyes, every minute detail around him vividly reflected in his mind, including every single hair on the Wolf King’s body!
Though he couldn’t sense the Wolf King’s energy flow, the swords of slaughter around him held no secrets anymore.
The crimson sword light trembled gently, like a darting fish, navigating the sea of slaughter, narrowly avoiding every obstacle.
The sword light flared, breaking through the darkness, while the surrounding mountains and ground simultaneously lost all vitality, turning into decayed earth. A black mist surged into the sky.
This scene bore a striking resemblance to Bai Qigu’s breakthrough—evidently, the Wolf King had succeeded!
The darkness vanished, and a faint glow filtered through the clouds into the valley. Meng Qi and the Wolf King stood facing each other, their weapons lowered, a long wound across their chests, slicing through the golden hue, filled with deathly intent.
The wound’s flesh withered, spreading inward to the organs, strangely eerie. Meng Qi’s spirit visibly waned, his body seemingly drained of strength.
The Wolf King’s gaunt face showed no emotion, his eyes still cold, yet a sword mark now crossed his forehead—not deep, but not shallow either. A trickle of blood flowed from it, down his brow, sliding along his nose bridge, and with a soft plop, landed on the scorched earth.
The flowing fire flared, consuming the droplet of blood at the sword’s tip.
Crash! The Wolf King fell backward, lifeless, yet until his final breath, no confusion, hesitation, nostalgia, or regret ever surfaced in his eyes—only coldness, only slaughter!
Crash! Meng Qi also collapsed, his body drained, unable to stand any longer.
This wasn’t merely from exhaustion, but also from the Wolf King’s final counterattack—a perfect half-step strike! Had Meng Qi not fully opened his Eight-Nine Aperture, he might have perished alongside him.
Though aware that the commotion might have alerted distant experts, Meng Qi made no move, not even a finger.
In the silence, Meng Qi felt himself enveloped by the sea of primal energy, his nose filled with the fragrance of soil, the dampness of nearby lake water, and the darting of fish startled by the thunder.
Brilliant stars shone like the sun, circling in orbit, multiple universes overlapping, all originating from a single point… Meng Qi breathed deeply, his entire body relaxed, gazing at the clouds and the faint starlight filtering through, his heart calm and peaceful. He sensed the distant resonance of the sun, stars, and the primordial void, yet beyond that, nothing more was revealed.
This was the unity of heaven and man, an eternal oneness.
And his path aligned so perfectly with his body and nature!
The corresponding apertures pulsed with primal energy, faintly glowing with the rising sun, shining stars, and the dark void. Meng Qi’s spirit and strength gradually recovered, as if soaking in a warm bath.
He forced himself upright, swallowed the Great Healing Pill, then rummaged through the Wolf King’s corpse, searching for spoils, hoping to leave before others arrived.
The Wolf King carried nothing else—only his left arm, transformed into a strange black jade sword.
…
The continuous thunder startled Awula like a frightened bird, a sudden thought flashing in his mind:
“Could it be… could it be that the Wolf King is breaking through nearby? Otherwise, why would Gegen Gao Le only hear thunder without feeling the rain?” He was utterly terrified, pacing anxiously.
“I’ll head south at dawn, hiding in the Central Plains!” After much deliberation, Awula resolved to leave. Without connections, how could he possibly seek refuge in the Golden Tent?
The night dragged on, feeling like endless torment. When Awula finally saw daylight, he nearly collapsed in exhaustion.
Just as he was about to order his guards to pack, suddenly the tent flap lifted, and someone entered.
“Who?” He was startled, ready to scold the intruder for disrespect.
Are the guards outside shitting around? Relying on them to guard against the Wolf King, I’d have died a hundred times over!
But his words caught in his throat, replaced by shock and joy: “Brother Zhebie, you finally left that place? Quick, protect me as I head south!”
Awula recognized the figure as Meng Qi. His face was clean-shaven, appearing even more handsome, though his long hair was loose, his body stained with blood, and he carried a severed head.
“You?” Awula was confused, instantly wary.
Meng Qi tossed the head at his feet, calmly saying, “The Wolf King won’t come.”
Awula’s pupils shrank as he looked at the head, meeting the cold, merciless eyes—the very eyes that haunted his nightmares!
Then he saw Meng Qi turn and leave without a word, his back straight, his aura seemingly empty yet boundless.
“He… he really killed the Wolf King… one-on-one, he killed the Wolf King!” Awula’s mouth hung open, his gaze dazed.
The tent flap lifted, and morning sunlight spilled onto Meng Qi’s blood-streaked body, leaving an unforgettable image in Awula’s mind.
…
At the Six Gates headquarters in the Divine Capital, the head constables were staring at the urgent news from the north, stunned and speechless.
“The Wolf King killed another half-step outer-scenario expert?”
“He’s gone mad!”
“This… this is just too insane!”
“This is definitely the craziest number one on the recent century’s rankings!”
“Though not a perfect half-step, to kill ordinary half-step experts like chickens and dogs with opened apertures is simply… simply…”
They murmured in awe, preparing to add this to the Wolf King’s record.
Just then, a constable burst in, shouting, “Urgent report from the north!”
“What is it? Did the Wolf King kill another half-step?” Someone braced himself mentally.
“No idea.” He began opening the letter, suddenly his hand trembled, and the paper fluttered to the ground.
“This… this…” He stood frozen.
All eyes turned to the paper, reading only eight characters:
“Mad Blade Slays Wolf King at Bayan.”
These eight characters struck like eight thunderclaps, silencing the entire room.
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