A golden, exquisitely carved pagoda’s ethereal shadow enveloped Xi, surrounded by swirling black and white mists, accompanied by purple blessings, sacred virtue water waves, and invisible waves of yin virtue. He seemed like a divine being from imagination, shrinking the earth as he rushed forth to punish mortals. His right fist, infused with virtue, transformed into the Great Tai, seemingly capable of shattering the void, turning all matter into something formless and insubstantial—exuding terrifying power.
He chose neither to speak nor to listen to Meng Qi’s words, only intending to kill him to cover up the matter. Around them, misty energy collapsed, the Five Elements blurred, the Four Symbols became chaotic, reverting to the primordial state of the cosmos. The normal ability to harness the power of heaven and earth vanished. In such a condition, the majority of the external realm cultivators would be heavily suppressed, their strength barely reaching half of their full potential, perhaps even less than a tenth!
Faced with Xi, a Grandmaster whose greatest advantage lay in this primordial chaos, Meng Qi remained completely unafraid. Even without mentioning the “Yuan Shi Golden Treatise,” a supreme martial arts manual describing the beginning of heaven and earth, the “Eight-Nine Mystical Art” alone was sufficient to adapt to this suppression. The title of an all-weather, all-terrain combat machine was no exaggeration.
Through transformation and adjustment, the Eight-Nine Mystical Art could render null the suppressive laws of an opponent within a certain range. This was one of its greatest features in the external realm cultivation techniques. As Meng Qi himself once said, “The advantage of another’s ‘domain’ is ineffective against me!”
Yet, Meng Qi felt no confidence of victory, even sensing a threat to his life, for Xi was a Grandmaster, cultivating a supreme martial art related to the Five Virtues and the Five Stages of Cosmic Formation.
Sacred virtue adorns the body, all laws cannot adhere; merit protects the form, all evil cannot invade. Morality and virtue are the source of all laws. Blessings and fortune shield one from calamity; hidden virtue ensures vitality and survival. With all Five Virtues united, even the end of heaven and earth would not bring one’s destruction.
Even a single one of these virtues provided formidable protective power. Now, with Xi cultivating all Five Virtues, his defensive strength ranked among the best among Grandmasters. Based on Meng Qi’s analysis using the “Five Stages and Five Virtues Fist” from the Yuan Shi Golden Treatise, Xi’s defensive capability was roughly equivalent to Meng Qi’s own after ascending the second heavenly ladder and becoming a Grandmaster. In other words, the defense of the Five Virtues was comparable to that of the Eight-Nine Mystical Art, but Xi’s cultivation level was an entire major tier higher than Meng Qi’s. His defense was truly monstrous!
Even after employing the “Law of Heaven and Earth Imitation,” it would still be extremely difficult for Meng Qi to break through Xi’s defenses, not to mention that the “Law of Heaven and Earth Imitation” could not be sustained for long.
Most importantly, sacred virtue and merit also protected the primordial spirit—spiritual essence—against “external evils,” rendering alternative martial arts ineffective.
If the defense was already this terrifying, the offensive power of the Five Stages was no less fearsome. The Five Stages represented the five phases through which the universe evolved from nothingness to existence—from formless and substanceless to tangible and defined, with yin and yang differentiated. Each punch and kick from Xi could reduce all things to primordial chaos. For ordinary top-tier experts, even a graze would mean death, a direct hit would mean annihilation. Even with the enhanced Eight-Nine Mystical Art after employing the “Law of Heaven and Earth Imitation,” Meng Qi dared not block many such attacks directly. Previously, he had only intended to restrain, allowing Gu Xiaosang to use a divine weapon’s core material-like method to defeat the enemy.
Now, alone and in possession of a divine weapon’s core material, what use was it if he couldn’t land a hit?
In a flash, Meng Qi’s mind raced, instantly recalling all information related to the Five Stages and Five Virtues, seeking countermeasures. Should he fight desperately to create an opportunity to use the “Ancient Void-Piercing Talisman” one last time for escape, or entangle the karma?
Time was not on his side. Xi’s fist grew larger, the misty energy collapsing, the void denting—it was already descending upon Meng Qi.
Meng Qi shifted his stance subtly, concealing a somersault technique, dodging the punch launched from several miles away. His body suddenly expanded, transforming into a towering giant, two heads and four arms, exuding a mighty aura, his form merging with his physical body.
He gazed down at Xi with four eyes. His right hand, “Heaven’s Wound,” paused momentarily, as if caught in stasis, then suddenly moved from stillness to motion. A blue dragon broke free from its bindings, transforming into an extraordinarily dazzling blade of light. The blade trembled gently, yin and yang differentiated, breaking through the Five Stages, piercing through darkness, and instantly slashing toward Xi.
Xi, his face masked, stared with emotionless eyes. He slightly sidestepped, seemingly ignoring the blade, charging straight into it!
Dang!
The golden ethereal shadow of the Linglong Pagoda intercepted the blade. Xi stepped forward, appearing to press against the blade as he moved ahead.
Crack! An instant later, the Linglong Pagoda shattered, the black and white mists severed. Yet Meng Qi’s blade seemed unwilling to harm Xi, veering off slightly, merely leaving a shallow wound on Xi’s left arm. Sacred virtue protected him—ten thousand laws could not adhere!
Xi, relying on the defense of the Five Virtues, endured the strike, seized the opportunity, and once again launched his right fist toward Meng Qi with a momentum capable of shattering the void, leaving Meng Qi no room for evasion.
Fortunately, Meng Qi still had techniques for multitasking, and his other two arms came into play. The Xuan Gui Sword rose, its blade light transforming into layers of tortoiseshell, stacking upon each other, intercepting Xi’s fist at the critical moment.
Papap! Layer after layer of tortoiseshell blade light exploded. If not for the Xuan Gui Sword being of supreme quality, it would have already shattered. As it was, it barely managed to neutralize the attack.
Taking advantage of the recoil to retreat, Meng Qi’s primordial spirit—his soul—sent a voice transmission through the void:
“I have no interest in the Sun God Sovereign’s body or inheritance. Why not cease this battle?”
He had actually chosen to show weakness.
Xi’s gaze remained cold. Without uttering a word, he strode forward, palm raised, transforming mid-motion into a fist, then extending a single finger. The void itself seemed to shatter under this strike, bearing a striking resemblance to the “Unity Finger.”
Meng Qi thrust out the Flowing Flame Sword, its blade light dividing and weaving into a soft net, layer upon layer, gradually dissipating the force of Xi’s finger strike.
At the same time, “Heaven’s Wound” slashed downward from above. The blade split into two, then four, then eight, each division producing an equally powerful strike, all aimed at Xi’s neck, accumulating force to break through his defenses!
Incorporating sword techniques into blade!
Xi did not waver. Purple light formed wings on his back as he advanced step by step, like an unstoppable war chariot, fiercely charging toward Meng Qi’s face. Behind him, the Five Virtues intertwined, transforming into a phoenix. The phoenix turned ethereal, as if attempting to reverse the Five Virtues.
Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!
Each blade strike landed on the same spot of Xi’s neck. The Linglong Pagoda was reborn and destroyed repeatedly, the sacred virtue water light dimming and reigniting. With the Five Virtues united, the phoenix could not die!
Puu!
Xi’s Void-Annihilating Finger pierced Meng Qi’s sword light, piercing into his shoulder, exploding violently, turning a patch of flesh into nothingness. Yet on his neck, only a slow-flowing wound remained.
Meng Qi swiftly retreated, dissipating the remaining force of the Void-Annihilating Finger. His primordial spirit resonated once again, urgently transmitting a voice message:
“If you fear my disclosure of this matter, we can sign a pact!”
Repeated pleas for mercy!
Xi seemed as unyielding as stone, taking another step forward. The phoenix spread its wings, and with both fists, he struck Meng Qi with a form capable of reducing all things to primordial chaos, fully displaying the advantages of his defense and offense!
Meng Qi’s expression seemed to change slightly. The Flowing Flame Sword and “Heaven’s Wound,” the Xuan Gui Sword and the Purple Lightning Thunder Blade, all slashed out simultaneously. The sword lights divided, none weaker than the others, like the sun shining universally. The blade force was heavy, the inner realm and the power of heaven and earth converging into a single point, returning all things to emptiness.
Suddenly, mid-air, the four weapons collided with each other, unleashing an extremely terrifying light. The surroundings turned blindingly white, the scorching heat vaporizing all, the storm waves annihilating everything.
Two blades and two swords transformed into the “Burial Star River”!
It seemed as though he was exerting his utmost strength, using this brief moment to block Xi temporarily, preparing to activate the “Ancient Void-Piercing Talisman” to escape.
Boom!
Amidst the terrifying explosion, suddenly, a strange light pierced through the white brilliance—radiant purple, black and white morality, mysterious yellow sacredness, gentle water waves, pale yin virtue. The patterns of the Five Virtues rose from the phoenix’s form!
Deng! Deng! Deng! Xi’s body bore only minor wounds, yet he forcefully broke through two layers of the “Burial Star River,” slightly shifting his body to collide with Meng Qi’s feet.
Bang!
Meng Qi flew backward, unable to sustain the “Law of Heaven and Earth Imitation” and the two-headed, four-armed form, reverting to his original size. Blood sprayed from his mouth, the golden glow dimming—he had suffered a serious injury!
Xi slightly adjusted, then attacked again!
At that moment, Meng Qi’s expression suddenly became grave. His primordial spirit resonated through the void, his voice instantaneous:
“I have repeatedly pleaded for mercy, stepped back time and again, yet you continue the pursuit. Where is your sacred virtue?”
“Though I committed a minor mistake, I sought to atone. Yet your killing intent is deep. Where is your merit?”
His voice rumbled like thunder, drilling into Xi’s ears. Xi’s body trembled slightly; the Linglong Pagoda and sacred virtue water light violently shook.
Meng Qi appeared solemn and dignified, neither startled nor fearful. In his hand, “Heaven’s Wound” suddenly slashed out lightly, like a monk’s precept sword—neither on this shore, nor the other shore, nor in the middle stream, neither in heaven nor on earth, but transcending all, declaring:
“Heaven and earth above and below, only I am supreme!”
Facing this slash, Xi’s Linglong Pagoda and sacred virtue water light silently vanished!
Once the killing intent arose, merit dissipated; once benevolence was lost, sacred virtue vanished. From the beginning, Meng Qi had never intended to flee or plead. He had been using blade and sword techniques to tell Xi a story—how excessive killing intent could turn victory into defeat!
Xi was deeply entwined with the Sun God Sovereign—whether through inheritance or reincarnation, their destinies were inextricably linked. His vulnerability lay in his mind, in his primordial spirit, while sacred virtue and merit held the power to resist external evils. Without diminishing these defenses, Meng Qi could not employ the “Only I Am Supreme” technique to interrogate Xi’s heart. Thus, he had no choice but to resort to the karma entanglement technique. Moreover, the Five Virtues themselves possessed formidable power to suppress karma. The ultimate outcome remained uncertain.
Generally speaking, it was not wrong for a cultivator of virtue to harbor killing intent. Eliminating evil and demons was itself an act of merit; pursuing and slaying demonic cultivators also fell under sacred virtue, benefiting the world. In mere combat, Meng Qi could not influence either. Thus, he had repeatedly retreated and pleaded twice, causing Xi—who was solely focused on eliminating witnesses—to unknowingly fall into “contradiction,” shaking his foundation of merit and sacred virtue.
Although this wouldn’t cause his martial arts to collapse, it had weakened them. Meng Qi finally seized the opportunity, using the Buddha’s Palm Technique incorporated into a blade strike, directly questioning Xi’s heart!
“Who am I? Who is me?”
Xi fell into confusion, momentarily stunned.
Meng Qi had already sheathed the Flowing Flame Sword, now holding the Ice-Eye Crystal Soul in his hand—translucent, icy blue, exuding coldness. He smiled brightly at Xi and slowly uttered two words:
“Goodbye.”
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