The glimmers of blades and the auras of swords and spears danced above the river, clashing back and forth, stirring the raging waves of Nujiang into a violent roar, creating a scene reminiscent of the apocalypse.
Just as Wen Jing heard the news of Liu Yuntao’s death and had yet to maneuver around to assist Miao Cong, an announcement from the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation rang in his ears, shocking him so much that he nearly fell into the river.
Wen Jing fully understood Miao Cong’s strength. If Miao Cong became frenzied and pushed his heaven-defying martial arts to the limit, even Wen Jing himself would hesitate to face him directly. Moreover, this wasn’t a death mission. How could the reincarnators from the Rebel Camp have killed him so quickly?
Although they possessed mysterious and powerful martial arts capable of silently eliminating the Shadow King, such unrestricted strength shouldn’t have been possible. Under such circumstances, Wen Jing himself should have been the target of a death mission!
Caught between suspicion and countless thoughts, Wen Jing abandoned his idea of coordinating with other team members to assist in Xiqiu and returned to the main formation to continue the assault on the Rebel Camp.
This mission was truly cursed!
…
Inside the camp, Jiang Zhiwei drew her sword still in its sheath backward with a sudden jerk, blocking a fatal strike at the very last moment.
Yet even now, she had not sensed the enemy. It seemed as if everything was merely an illusion.
Clang! The sword roared like a dragon and leapt from its sheath. Jiang Zhiwei reacted purely on instinct, guided by the premonition that even before autumn winds stir, cicadas sense the change.
Dang!
The metallic clash rang out abruptly, and the White Rainbow Through the Sun Sword blocked yet another strike!
Zhao Heng, slightly behind her, only saw Jiang Zhiwei swinging wildly without apparent cause, while everything around seemed normal. Acting on instinct, he immediately activated the “Xuanhuang Emperor’s Robe”!
As the golden dragon soared, leaving wisps of profound yellow energy in its wake, an almost translucent, slender sword tip abruptly emerged from the void behind Zhao Heng. Without the slightest warning, it carried a concealed menace and struck his back with lightning speed.
Dū! The divine protection surged, and the Xuanhuang energy rippled outward, blocking this sudden, explosive, and penetrating strike!
As Jiang Zhiwei drew the White Rainbow Through the Sun Sword, Ruan Yushu had already reacted. The Seven Immortal Zither floated before him as his hands moved swiftly across its strings. Around them, the sounds of orioles and magpies filled the air, stirring the air currents. Each location resonated with a different sound, as if a hundred birds were singing together, paying homage to the phoenix.
The void echoed in response, creating subtle vibrations. However, the vibrations near the hidden enemy were abnormal. Jiang Zhiwei suddenly turned around, grasped the sword hilt with her right hand, and thrust straight forward. The pure sword light absorbed all nearby light, plunging everything into dimness and darkness. To the enemy, time and thought seemed to slow, their eyes seeing only that breathtaking, ethereal sword shadow!
However, as she launched her strike, the enemy had already retreated in advance, escaping the range of the zither’s sound. After a brief pause, they vanished into the camp.
Without hesitation, Jiang Zhiwei raised her sword and stood guard before Ruan Yushu, while Zhao Heng protected the flank. Ruan Yushu continued playing the zither, the notes flowing like a spring, clear and flowing in all directions.
Beside them, Xu Wei looked slightly dazed, somewhat confused. He had not detected the enemy and only witnessed a group of seemingly mad people flailing about.
Boom!
A non-critical corner of the camp collapsed. Many officers and soldiers were reduced to broken corpses and flesh paste, their blood seeping into the soil. Meanwhile, the imperial army lost one warship in the counterattack, with its Qi-opening experts instantly killed and sinking into the river. Two of the Outer Scenery experts were seriously injured and failed to surface in time, their lower halves falling below the seal.
Trails of blood rose and quickly dissolved into the river water. The two Outer Scenery experts never surfaced again, seemingly torn apart by monsters at the river bottom.
After this fierce battle, both sides suffered losses. Seeing that the central mechanism of the formation could not be breached and that other areas kept repairing themselves after being destroyed, the imperial army had no choice but to sound the retreat. The smoke of war gradually dissipated from the river surface, leaving only the roaring waves, with no trace of the earlier lights and carnage.
Only now did Jiang Zhiwei finally relax slightly. The top-tier experts could finally spare their hands, and the assassin would not dare to strike again.
“The assassin just now was either a Grandmaster or had a secret technique or killing move capable of temporarily boosting their attack to the level of a Grandmaster,” she transmitted her thoughts to Ruan Yushu and Zhao Heng.
When Jiang Zhiwei used her Dharmakaya technique, her own attack power nearly reached the Grandmaster level. Combined with her top-grade sword, her strength was almost comparable to an Outer Scenery peak expert using ordinary techniques, so she couldn’t be certain the assassin was truly a Grandmaster.
Even so, the assassin likely held a high status within the Rebel Camp!
Ruan Yushu, holding the zither in one hand while still mimicking the zither-playing posture with the other, said, “The ability to hide and assassinate within the void resembles the techniques of the Luo Sect.”
Only the Holy Maiden of the Luo Sect from this generation could fully cultivate the *Scripture of the Eternal Venerable Mother’s Descent into the World*. Others, including the Dharma Kings, could only practice fragmented techniques. Their primary cultivation methods involved the *Secret Manual of the Void Homeland*, which particularly excelled in harnessing the power of the void. Even without attaining the Dharmakāya stage, they could utilize the void to conceal themselves or escape, making them formidable adversaries—especially adept in assassination.
“Perhaps it was a bloodline with a similar effect, or a reincarnator who exchanged for Luo Sect techniques,” Zhao Heng said with lingering fear. If he hadn’t reacted quickly and decisively, relying solely on the unactivated Xuanhuang Emperor’s Robe, he would have been assassinated.
Judging from the notifications indicating Liu Yuntao and Miao Cong’s deaths, this attack wave was likely from reincarnators, and there was no excluding the possibility of a reincarnator with a Luo Sect identity using deception.
…
Meng Qi opened all his acupoints, frantically absorbing the primordial energy of heaven and earth to replenish his consumption and recover from injuries.
When Miao Cong launched his final strike, Meng Qi had already been unable to activate the Kunlun Dao Robe. He could only rely on its inherent properties and his strong physical body to endure the blow, sustaining serious injuries.
Glancing at Qi Zhengyan approaching, Meng Qi grimaced and said, “If things get worse, I’ll have to ask Senior Brother Qi for help.”
Qi Zhengyan had killed Liu Yuntao a few breaths earlier and replied calmly, “A single mistake is normal. Repeated mistakes in responses can only mean you have other intentions.”
So, I’ll just watch from the sidelines for now.
Meng Qi chuckled dryly, feeling aching all over, “This guy’s martial arts are truly heaven-defying. This is the first time I’ve been beaten up by someone whose actual cultivation level is lower than mine.”
“Indeed heaven-defying, but with major flaws,” Qi Zhengyan said casually.
With the Devil King being such an ancient and formidable figure, the greatest gain for Qi Zhengyan was inheriting his experience and insights!
At this moment, one imperial warship sank, and the imperial army retreated without any notification of Jiang Zhiwei and others’ deaths, allowing Meng Qi to finally relax slightly. Previously, he hadn’t wanted to return to assist immediately because the camp formation had been activated, and even if he returned, he couldn’t enter. Instead, he risked being surrounded by imperial experts.
Stretching his muscles, Meng Qi walked to Miao Cong’s side, retrieved his copper staff weapon, and took off his Jiezi Ring. He pierced it with his spiritual sense and secretly used the Yuanshi Golden Manual technique to erase the seal before the self-destruction mechanism activated.
Inside the Jiezi Ring was completely empty, containing no secret manuals or jade slips that Meng Qi had hoped for. Instead, there were only a few small jade bottles, each containing a different type of longevity pill.
“This guy must have spent all his good karma on exchanging for longevity pills…” Meng Qi sighed. These longevity pills were not the usual kind; each had additional effects, such as instantly restoring energy consumption. Therefore, they must have cost a significant amount of good karma. Clearly, Miao Cong had already consumed all the common longevity pills!
“With more longevity pills, he will never reach the Dharmakaya stage,” Qi Zhengyan commented, revealing the true hidden danger of that martial arts technique.
From his tone, even the Six Paths couldn’t compensate for it!
Meng Qi finished collecting the spoils, took Miao Cong’s corpse, and returned to the camp with Qi Zhengyan.
Letting him die of old age would obscure the identity of the killer and avoid provoking Miao Hu’s wrath.
“Senior Brother Qi, you can keep Liu Yuntao’s storage ring and his weapon. If you leave the team in the future, you’ll need considerable resources without any backing,” Meng Qi said.
From the moment the mission began, danger had followed danger, with every step fraught with peril. A single misstep could have led to complete failure and annihilation. Meng Qi had no choice but to resort to the severely karmic killing technique of “Touching Karma.” His mind had remained tense until now, when the situation finally seemed to return to a slightly unfavorable balance. Only then could he speak to Qi Zhengyan, using retreat as a strategic approach.
Qi Zhengyan silently nodded without declining. With lofty ideals, one must accumulate small gains.
Seeing that Senior Brother Qi didn’t respond to his remarks, Meng Qi had no choice but to continue awkwardly, “Actually, equal access to martial arts opportunities doesn’t necessarily conflict with aristocratic families and sects. Senior Brother Qi, you could first try establishing it in a remote area, observing the broader picture from a small scale. For example, all eligible individuals uniformly enter martial schools, where the Qi-opening martial arts are the best few provided by you. Basic resources are guaranteed, but to obtain more, one must strive harder and achieve goals. Afterward, strict assessments are conducted, focusing solely on martial prowess and mental fortitude, not superficial qualities, leaving no loopholes for aristocratic families. Those who pass the assessment can receive Outer Scenery martial arts.”
“Although this cannot eliminate the advantages accumulated from ancestors, it at least ensures that diligent individuals have the opportunity to catch up.”
“In this way, it’s actually a reformed sect, causing fewer conflicts with major powers in the world.”
“If you want to promote it, you need strong control over aristocratic families and sects, controlling the imperial court or major powers across the land, but not necessarily adopting a stance of mutual destruction.”
Qi Zhengyan listened quietly, occasionally nodding, clearly agreeing with Meng Qi’s described approach. After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly, “Brother Meng, you’ve always been exceptionally talented, surpassing me. Your ideas for reforming Mohist philosophy have greatly inspired me, and your current suggestions feel well-tested and highly suitable.”
He paused, then turned serious, “However, whether it’s because you’re too kind or intentionally avoiding it, you always maintain a nearly naive attitude, hoping all factions can coexist harmoniously, seeking dual benefits.”
“Your approach will indeed reduce many conflicts, but it also genuinely harms the interests of aristocratic families and sects. If martial arts are equally accessible, and self-improvement leads to advancement without reliance on them, their foundation for continuation and inheritance will be shaken. They will try every means to distort the original meaning of such ‘martial schools.’ If they fail, they will certainly attempt to destroy them.”
“This is a fundamental conflict of interests, a life-and-death struggle. Perhaps individual aristocrats or sect disciples may agree, but overall, there’s no possibility of resolution.”
Meng Qi fell into a daze—not because he hadn’t thought of this point, as the “textbook” had clearly stated it, but because he had subconsciously avoided the cruelty.
Where in this world can one find a dual-benefit method?
Qi Zhengyan glanced sideways at him and said no more. A silence stretched between them.
As they approached the camp, Meng Qi returned to his thoughts and asked, “How should we deceive Miao Hu?”
“No need to deceive,” Qi Zhengyan suddenly opened his left hand, revealing a blood-red, eerie talisman filled with Miao Hu’s aura.
“This?” Meng Qi frowned in confusion.
Qi Zhengyan said calmly, “A talisman made from Miao Hu’s lifeblood essence. Once activated, it causes unbearable suffering.”
“You asked him for his lifeblood essence not only to locate Miao Cong?” Meng Qi suddenly felt his scalp tingling.
Qi Zhengyan replied darkly, “There are other secret methods to locate Miao Cong. Requesting his lifeblood essence was primarily for control and to test how much he knows about Miao Cong. If he knew Miao Cong posed no danger, he definitely wouldn’t have given it.”
He looked at Meng Qi again:
“Remember in the future, never give your lifeblood essence to any evil cultivators.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage