“Want to get acquainted?” Upon hearing these words from Meng Qi, Shen Yue did not feel relieved at all; instead, his heart sank. Secretly opening his acupoints and quietly circulating his inner landscape, he remained fully alert, ready to act at any moment.
The man before him was a seasoned evil cultivator, even more notorious than himself. Even if nearly two decades had been wasted in the pursuit of secrets, he should still be stronger. After all, back then, his cultivation and strength had already surpassed Shen Yue’s current level.
Such a demonic figure pursuing him secretly and intercepting him midway surely wouldn’t just want to get acquainted.
Looking at the elegant figure in the blue robe and his opponent’s weathered, indifferent gaze, Shen Yue felt as if his mind was being crushed by a mountain. He sensed an enemy unfathomably deep, seemingly impossible to match in strength.
Unaware of his mood, Meng Qi smiled slightly and said, “May I ask which sect the young friend hails from? Could you introduce me to fellow cultivators in this area?”
The setting sun half-sank in the sky, crimson clouds like fire, casting a golden-red hue onto the blue robe. However, Meng Qi’s aura was obscure and dark; the light it shed did not bring brightness but rather seemed to be absorbed, making his figure appear even more dim and sinister.
Under such a perception, Shen Yue felt even more oppressed. He could almost smell danger from the corners of his mouth and nose, as if refusal would provoke an immediate attack.
Hmph, without a significant gap in cultivation, both being top experts, what was there to fear?
If he couldn’t win, couldn’t he still escape?
Shen Yue narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint smile curling his lips: “The Demon King probably hasn’t heard of the minor sect ‘Zhao Ying Sect.'”
Before the sentence ended, two short swords suddenly appeared in his hands—one pitch-black and the other ghastly white—both shimmering with faint light, exuding an aura of death.
At the same time, under the slanting rays of the setting sun, the shadow beside Meng Qi’s feet suddenly writhed, as if coming alive, and launched itself toward Meng Qi!
This shadow, dark and unfathomable like Meng Qi himself, carried an even more eerie and dangerous aura. It was the Zhao Ying Sect’s ultimate skill, “Floating Shadow,” which used one’s inner landscape to manipulate the opponent’s shadow. If one had crossed the first Heavenly Ladder, intertwining principles and laws, the shadow could almost replicate seventy to eighty percent of the opponent’s strength. In a sudden attack, it was extremely dangerous.
Even though Shen Yue’s current strength was limited, his “shadow” was no small threat. At the level of external scenery, it was difficult to guard against, impossible to eradicate, and would continuously attack in an unending wave!
Combined with Shen Yue’s direct assault, even an average top expert would suffer!
As a sinister cultivator of the Left Path, Shen Yue trusted only himself, always wary and cautious of others, preferring to strike first.
Connected to Shen Yue’s feet, the shadow attacked swiftly and was already close to Meng Qi—an attack truly terrifying.
Just as it was about to entangle Meng Qi and Shen Yue’s sword light was about to slash through the void, the sky suddenly turned pitch-black. The setting sun vanished, the fiery clouds disappeared, and not a trace of light remained!
Without light, there was no shadow. Shen Yue felt the surrounding darkness so deep he couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face, and the connection between himself and the shadow was instantly severed!
Replacing day with night!
Sensing this, Shen Yue perceived the Poisonous Hand Demon King in the blue robe stepping forward, his body suddenly growing enormous—ten thousand zhang tall—like a descending god or demon, filling the heavens and earth. With an indifferent expression, his palm descended in a vast, sky-covering gesture, fingers spread wide, forming a cage, evoking despair!
This… Shen Yue barely suppressed the fluctuation in his heart, preventing himself from being overwhelmed and losing his fighting spirit and strength.
He had already reached the convergence of internal and external; he was no ignorant recluse. He understood that certain special external scenes could manipulate the principles and laws of heaven and earth, creating illusions that deceived the senses and the mind, mysteriously and unpredictably killing without a trace. Facing such an enemy, losing calmness and composure meant certain defeat.
The blue-robed divine figure before him was undoubtedly an illusion, but he had to guard against the hidden killing moves of the Poisonous Hand Demon King!
His sclera turned black, his eyes like whirlpools as he strained to discern, yet still could not distinguish reality from illusion. It seemed the towering blue-robed god was real, and the massive palm enveloping the area was also real!
He couldn’t just wait to be slaughtered. Shen Yue chose the most foolish but effective method: spinning his body, he swung his twin swords, unleashing waves of sword light—some pale white, some pitch-black—flooding and slicing every direction.
The sword light extended far, steeped in deadly intent. The ten-thousand-zhang-tall blue-robed figure was cut into pieces, its form rippling like water.
It was indeed an illusion! A surge of joy rose in Shen Yue’s heart.
Just then, each of these fragmented figures transformed into blue-robed figures, each with frosty temples, one hand behind their backs, and the right palm striking forward. In an instant, Shen Yue was surrounded by heavy, mountainous palm strikes from all directions, the howling sounds unceasing.
From illusion to reality!
A chill ran through Shen Yue’s heart as a strong sense of danger arose. He felt the palm strikes tearing and compressing his body from every angle, threatening to shatter his physical form!
He inhaled deeply, his twin swords circling around him. The pitch-black and ghastly white lights intertwined into a yin-yang circle, the sword light forming a spherical barrier, completely sealing off his defenses.
Bang! Clang!
The continuous sounds of palm strikes and sword rings made Shen Yue feel as if his body were a small boat tossed by violent waves on a stormy sea. His blood boiled, his inner landscape struggled to circulate, and blood rose to his throat but did not spill.
Having barely endured this wave of attacks, he felt a surge of hatred, clenched his teeth, and thrust his twin swords forward. The pitch-black and ghastly white sword lights connected end to end, resembling two dragons, crushing everything and ravaging the surroundings—this was the Zhao Ying Sect’s ultimate technique, “Dragon-Like Flash.” Unfortunately, without the shadow’s coordination, its power was significantly diminished!
The sword beams twisted and intertwined, annihilating everything except Shen Yue. One by one, the blue-robed figures shattered, even the darkness itself fracturing into fragments.
Success! A flicker of hope rose in Shen Yue’s heart. Just as he was about to redouble his efforts to break the illusion, he suddenly noticed the darkness returning. A blue figure emerged from within, frosty temples, elegant demeanor, weathered eyes, and a right hand slowly curling into a finger strike—solemn and unhurried.
Still not done? As the thought arose, Shen Yue held his breath. Although the finger strike seemed unchanged, it was heavy beyond limits. Before it, there was a pinprick-sized dark point, different from the surrounding darkness, as even the darkness twisted and contracted!
Helplessly, Shen Yue flew toward that clean, slender finger resembling a divine limb, feeling his body and soul about to be torn apart.
What a terrifying finger strike! Taking a deep breath, Shen Yue suddenly clashed his twin swords, the black and white sword lights colliding into each other, creating a terrifying explosion. The shockwave rolled outward, light scattering like water toward the finger.
Boom!
The terrifying suction vanished, as did the light and shockwave.
Shen Yue flew backward several zhang, gazing into the distance with faint hope, but the lightly robed figure remained, as if eternal.
Yet Meng Qi did not pursue, smiling faintly and saying, “As long as your heart demon lives, so shall I.”
What? A sense of tension gripped Shen Yue’s heart, thoughts swirling but elusive.
Suddenly, he noticed there was no darkness around him at all. He was still standing in the shadow of the deep mountains. Facing him, the elegant middle-aged man in the blue robe still stood with his hands behind his back, half-turned toward him, gazing at the setting sun. His frosty temples were tinged with golden-red under the evening light, his eyes filled with both deep affection and indifference, showing no sign of having attacked at all!
Fiery clouds filled the sky, and a cool evening breeze blew gently, just as when he had first arrived. It seemed as if the fierce battle moments ago had been nothing but an illusion!
Whether it was replacing day with night, turning illusion into reality, that heavy finger strike, or his summoning of shadows, the sword lights crossing and colliding—all were illusions?
No, how could something so real be an illusion!
Yet the feeling at this moment told him it was!
Or was this moment itself the illusion?
For a moment, Shen Yue felt unable to distinguish truth from falsehood, unsure which was illusion and which was reality.
A gust of evening wind brushed past, sending a chill through him, causing him to shiver involuntarily. His back and forehead were drenched in sweat, though he didn’t know when it had appeared.
“The Zhao Ying Sect is also a renowned Left Path sect; how could I not have heard of it? Is Elder Sun of your sect doing well?” Meng Qi didn’t turn his head, still half-facing sideways, indifferently inquiring, fully displaying the demeanor of a senior expert.
He had recalled the Zhao Ying Sect’s records earlier, choosing an elder Left Path cultivator of similar age to the Poisonous Hand Demon King as a conversational topic.
After the previous “battle,” Shen Yue no longer held onto any illusions.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage