The ancestral aperture grew hot, and his spirit spread out like a net, dense and expansive. While fighting, Cui Xu remained equally focused, his eyes fixed and ears unmoved by outside noise, immersed in his own world. To him, there was nothing beyond the clashing of blades, the sound of swords piercing flesh, and the swaying yet ever-standing enemies.
No, he was not truly focused as one. Deep in his heart, something else always lingered.
Thus, when Duan Xiangfei lunged toward the green jade coffin, fury surged from the depths of his heart, evil rising alongside his courage. He couldn’t help but twist his face in rage and roar, “How dare you!”
At the same time, his spiderweb-like spiritual perception, extended like threads, attempted to divert Meng Qi’s attention. Then, he darted toward Duan Xiangfei, determined to cut down this despicable villain beneath his sword!
Suddenly, a dazzling blade of light flashed, quickly filling his vision.
The east wind blew through the night, flowers blooming like trees, and stars falling like rain. This blade of light was not ethereal, not transcendent, not sharp, nor bloody. Instead, it was filled with worldly aura, like the glowing lanterns symbolizing festivity and warmth during the Yuan night festival.
Living together in Changgan, two children without suspicion… That Yuan night, flower markets lit as day… The bridal chamber candle burned through the night, awaiting dawn to greet the in-laws… After dressing, she softly asked her husband, whether her eyebrows were drawn to fashion… A decade of life and death, vast and desolate, unthought of yet unforgettable… One by one, beautiful yet sorrowful memories shattered Cui Xu’s tranquility, leaving him powerless to control his spreading spiritual threads or to stimulate the ancestral aperture between his eyebrows.
To Cui Xu, all of this was the epitome of beauty and pain. If given another chance, he would trade a lifetime of serenity for eternal companionship.
The next moment, the blade light, carrying past events, cut down upon body and heart, its trajectory profound and unstoppable.
Cui Xu’s pupils constricted, realization dawning, yet he couldn’t extricate himself. Was this noisy, worldly commotion that shattered his peace illusion or reality?
He turned his head toward the green jade coffin, as if seeing that gentle, smiling figure, and thus smiled back at her. Without dodging, he thrust his sword like a dragon straight at Meng Qi.
At this moment, only by embracing death could he hope to force his opponent to retreat and seize a glimmer of survival!
It was precisely the same choice Jiang Zhiwei had made when ambushed by Cheng Yong. Truly, Cui Xu was a grandmaster of his generation, the foremost among the Twelve Divine Forms!
Facing this sword light, facing the backlash of worldly emotions breaking his tranquility, Meng Qi gritted his teeth, his expression fierce, and astonishingly neither dodged nor withdrew his blade.
Who fears a fight to the death?
I have the Golden Bell Shield, I have the Lord of the Six Realms. As long as I don’t die on the spot, what do I have to fear?
Light faded, and the men separated.
Meng Qi and Cui Xu both took several steps back. One had a sword piercing through his right chest, coughing up bloody foam, his lungs severely injured, while the other bore a deep slash across his chest and abdomen, revealing the spine and a beating heart.
“Good… sword technique…” Cui Xu rasped, but before he could finish, his entire body slumped to the ground.
His eyes lost their luster, yet still gazed toward the green jade coffin.
Witnessing that final strike, Duan Xiangfei halted before the green jade coffin, staring at Meng Qi like a monster. After several breaths, he sighed deeply, “Thankfully, I didn’t attack you. That slash was a divine blade, surpassing all the supreme techniques of my Snow God Palace.”
Though his insight was limited, just now he had felt that subtle change in the heavens and earth, that sensation of worldly burdens. He realized that within that blade of light lay the “Dharma” and “principles” his martial arts lacked.
Meng Qi did not dare to pull the sword from his chest. Instead, he applied pressure to stop the bleeding, his gaze fixed on the cold mist forming behind Duan Xiangfei:
“Defeated the Zi Rat, rewarded with sixty virtuous merits.”
“Defeated the Chen Dragon, rewarded with one hundred and twenty virtuous merits.”
“Sub-mission two completed. The battle has ended. You may choose to return at any time within the next half hour, or be forcibly returned after that.”
Smiling as he looked at Duan Xiangfei, he coughed, “Hey, Old Duan, cough, cough, earlier with the ‘Shape-Shifting Great Art,’ cough, cough, you didn’t finish reciting it. Hurry up and continue.”
After surviving a life-and-death battle and defeating an opponent far stronger than himself, Meng Qi’s cheerful nature resurfaced, addressing Duan Xiangfei informally as “Old Duan.”
The reason he didn’t choose to return immediately was because of the “Shape-Shifting Great Art”—he wanted to see if he could trick Duan Xiangfei into revealing it.
Duan Xiangfei looked at Meng Qi with a half-smile, similarly holding his wound: “If I refuse, you’ll certainly threaten me with Mingcheng, but I don’t know whether you’re my match now.”
Meng Qi chuckled dryly, “Where, cough, cough, I was just suggesting, but my mood has worsened, cough, cough, and I might go on a killing spree.”
That was exactly what he had intended—to intimidate Duan Xiangfei. Using the momentum of defeating Cui Xu, he wanted to warn him: if he didn’t recite the “Shape-Shifting Great Art,” he would kill Duan Mingcheng.
“No problem, I was planning to tell you about the Shape-Shifting Great Art anyway.” Duan Xiangfei chuckled.
Meng Qi was quite surprised: “Old Duan, cough, cough, when did you become so generous?”
“You and I are both seriously injured. We probably can’t leave before Luo Qing arrives with others, so we need to coordinate our story.” Duan Xiangfei smiled sweetly, “Only if you also know the ‘Shape-Shifting Great Art’ will you not accuse me of being the Snow God Palace’s leader. After all, you, too, would be coveted if severely injured, and everyone would want that sword technique that killed Old Ghost Cui.”
“So we’ll say Old Ghost Cui was the Snow God Palace’s leader who secretly formed the Twelve Divine Forms organization to rebuild the Snow God Palace. Alas, my poor son was kidnapped because he obtained a treasure map.”
Meng Qi winced: “Old Duan, you’re not afraid that Fei Zhengqing and others will expose you?”
“What’s there to fear? Aren’t they Divine Forms themselves? Who would believe them? As long as we stall for a while, even if someone suspects later, I’ll have fully recovered my martial arts. With the vastness of heaven and earth, where can’t I go?” Duan Xiangfei smiled slyly.
Meng Qi paused, then sighed: “Old Duan, cough, cough, you really are an old fox!”
Duan Xiangfei said no more and began reciting the following two or three hundred words.
Meng Qi didn’t ask about their authenticity; after all, back in the space, the Lord of the Six Realms could verify everything. As long as most of it was correct, completing the rest wouldn’t cost much virtue.
Thinking about it, the Lord of the Six Realms was truly a necessity for travel and daily life!
After Duan Xiangfei finished reciting, Meng Qi asked about many parts he hadn’t remembered clearly, then chuckled: “Old Duan, cough, cough, I won’t stay with you to wait for Luo Qing. You, cough, cough, just prepare your story well.”
“You really still have the strength to act…” Duan Xiangfei looked relieved.
“Oh, right, cough, cough, the mysterious gift you mentioned when assigning the task?” Suddenly remembering, Meng Qi couldn’t help but ask curiously.
Duan Xiangfei took off a pendant from around his neck with difficulty and tossed it to Meng Qi: “This.”
Meng Qi caught it, and the moment he saw it, he froze, his heart surging with shock.
Because the pendant was a small jade Buddha, exuding compassion, lifelike, cool and smooth to the touch, delicate and gentle—exactly the same as the one he had shattered!
Previously, the jade Buddha pendant seemed to be a token guiding him into the cycle space. Now seeing another identical one, how could he not be surprised, shocked, puzzled, or even shudder?
“Where, cough, cough, did you get this from?” Because of his intense emotions, Meng Qi coughed even more violently.
Duan Xiangfei looked at Meng Qi in confusion: “Could this jade Buddha pendant be connected to a Buddhist secret?”
Seeing Meng Qi didn’t answer, he continued: “When I was young, I visited Changhua Temple to worship the Buddha, and was granted this amulet by the abbot, Master Yuanmeng. He said it would protect me from disasters before I turned sixty, but after that, I had to give it to a destined person. For the following decades, I indeed experienced smooth sailing, succeeding in both overt and covert matters. But last year, after turning sixty, I encountered all these misfortunes, so I thought of giving this jade Buddha pendant to you.”
“Didn’t Master Yuanmeng say anything else? Cough, cough, didn’t he mention what would happen to the destined person who received it? Cough, is it also an amulet?” Meng Qi’s expression darkened and lightened alternately.
Duan Xiangfei pondered for a moment before slowly replying: “He only said that once given away, it would no longer provide protection. As for any other effects, he didn’t mention.”
“Where is Master Yuanmeng now?” Meng Qi asked weakly but heavily.
“He passed away over a decade ago.” Duan Xiangfei answered definitively.
Meng Qi put away the “small jade Buddha,” intending to probe further when suddenly he heard chaotic footsteps coming from the corridor. He immediately whispered “return.”
With severe injuries and no combat capability, he had no intention of facing others. If another battle broke out, he might not be able to return!
Luo Qing led the way, followed by Cui Jinxiu, the leader of the Longyou Sect, Ning Daogu, and others, all passing through the corridor and witnessing the scene inside the ice cellar.
There lay Cui Xu on the ice, his eyes fixed on the green jade coffin, a fatal sword wound across his chest and abdomen. You Tongguang’s body was pierced with silver needles, blackened and lifeless. Duan Mingcheng’s eyes were closed, his breathing faint, his face tinged with blue.
Meanwhile, Duan Xiangfei leaned against the green jade coffin, staring blankly ahead, his body covered in wounds, clearly severely injured.
Two Grandmasters, one dead, one wounded—how terrifying and dreadful was this sight?
The leaders of the Longyou Sect and others instantly felt as though they had stepped into hell. Even more shocking was the sight of a handsome, slightly delicate white-robed monk where Duan Xiangfei gazed. His body was semi-transparent, with a sword piercing his right chest. Though his robe was tattered and stained with blood, he still exuded a faintly transcendent aura with his eyes gently closed.
One by one, illusory golden lotuses emerged, surrounding him completely. When the lotuses vanished, the monk was entirely gone, leaving only a faint sense of serenity in the air.
“This…” Even Luo Qing, a Grandmaster known for his cold demeanor, stared in shock at this scene. It was as if a myth or legend had come to life!
Duan Xiangfei was the first to recover, loudly proclaiming: “Cui Xu was the leader of the Snow God Palace, the Chen Dragon among the Twelve Divine Forms. He secretly plotted to kill me, but fortunately, Master Zhending came to my aid, foiling his conspiracy. Unfortunately, with a divine slash, he shattered the boundary between mortals and gods, ascending to immortality and flying into the heavens. What a pity I couldn’t spar with him!”
“A divine slash?”
Luo Qing’s pupils constricted as he stared at the wound on Cui Xu’s chest.
“Ascended to immortality?”
The leader of the Longyou Sect, Yue Shishi, and others couldn’t help but open their mouths in astonishment.
Such an event was simply too incredible to believe, yet the scene before them left them no choice but to accept it!
Recalling Master Zhending’s divine slash that shattered the void, how breathtaking and awe-inspiring it must have been!
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