Dusk fell upon the Gu Na River, casting a crimson glow that seemed to flow endlessly like flowing blood.
Tents that once dominated the landscape for miles around were now either dismantled, destroyed, or taken away, leaving nothing but desolation and decay.
Cow, sheep, and horse dung lay hidden among the weeds, while ominous bird calls echoed everywhere. Frequently, one could spot corpses lying lifeless and scattered debris, all adding to the bleakness under the evening sky.
Meng Qi stood silently in the ruins of the “Golden Tent,” his left hand gripping a scabbard. Beneath his feet were fertile soil and rampant wild grass. His consciousness extended outward, scanning the area for any clue. Perhaps the disappearance and deaths of several martial artists were indeed the work of Haswula and his men.
Suddenly, Meng Qi moved. He strode forward, covering vast distances in an instant, and in a flash, he reached a tattered tent near the Gu Na River. His right hand lifted the curtain.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Hidden weapons like flying needles, iron nails, and plum-blossom darts flew toward him.
Meng Qi extended his right hand, and the entire air filled with weapon shadows vanished into thin air, all landing in his palm.
Inside the tent were two men and a woman, all martial artists dressed in the style of the Central Plains, in their early twenties. Their faces bore expressions of grief and terror. Each held a long sword, but they dared not attack after witnessing Meng Qi’s display.
Behind them lay a corpse, its white hair like silver frost. Its flesh radiated powerful energy, but its internal organs and acupoints were completely destroyed. It appeared magnificent on the outside but was rotten within.
“You were attacked?” Meng Qi asked after briefly examining the corpse.
Seeing that the young man dressed in black, with an extraordinary appearance and bearing, did not attack, the three exchanged glances and saw relief and a sigh of breath in each other’s eyes.
Not an enemy!
“Esteemed young hero… senior…” the relatively calm one among them, a man in a blue robe, clasped his hands in greeting. “We indeed were attacked, just moments ago. My master, my master, used his last strength to scare off the enemy, but he… he unfortunately perished.”
His face filled with grief, he had intended to address Meng Qi as “young hero” based on his appearance, but then thought it might be an old monster obsessed with appearances, so he changed it to “senior.”
Before his words fully faded, he heard his female apprentice’s voice, filled with surprise and joy, from behind: “Crazy, crazy, could it really be ‘Crazy Blade’ Master Su?”
“Crazy Blade” Su Meng? The man in blue immediately focused his gaze: the long blade like a gaping wound, the heroic, unadorned features—exactly the traits described repeatedly in stories and legends. It really could be “Crazy Blade”!
Meng Qi nodded slightly. “I happened to be on the grasslands and heard that many martial artists near the Golden Tent had suffered injuries or death, so I came to investigate.”
It really is “Crazy Blade”! The two men and one woman, though still grieving, could not hide their delight, and their fear was completely dispelled. With “Crazy Blade” Su Meng here, their safety was assured!
Everyone in the world knew that Master Su, the “Crazy Blade,” often took action when witnessing injustice, always ready to help those in need. He was the most righteous and chivalrous, never standing idly by while fellow martial artists were slaughtered by enemies.
Moreover, he currently ranked twenty-fourth on the Earth List. Without revealing a Dharma Body, he was already among the most elite martial artists. Even when facing great left-hand sect leaders or other prominent figures, he could hold his own. In the vast martial world, few problems were beyond his ability to resolve, and at the very least, he could ensure survival and escape.
Truly, when heaven seems to have no way out, fate opens a path. At their most desperate moment, they had encountered a pillar of strength and salvation. The three martial heroes were filled with gratitude and relief.
Composing himself, the clear-eyed woman in the green dress clasped her hands and said, “Master Su, there are many strange occurrences in the Golden Tent. Just now, the enemy my master encountered was invisible and formless, like a ghost. He could only defend, unable to strike back. We must be cautious.”
Invisible and formless? Meng Qi had encountered and heard of many such enemies, so he remained vigilant and composed. “Tell me the details of what happened.”
The calm man in the blue robe quickly replied, “Master Su, we are martial artists from the Chang Le area. My master, ‘Iron-backed Azure Dragon’ Mo Shaotian, has some renown. Upon hearing that sects and aristocratic families had sent experts to hunt down grassland martial artists, he was stirred by past grievances and led us deep into the grasslands—to avenge the previous southern invasion and to give us apprentices more experience and training.”
Judging from the corpse, it was at the level of an expert—Meng Qi nodded slightly, indicating that the man should continue.
“All along the way, my master taught us to act within our limits and not provoke experts at the peak or above. We encountered several battles but managed them well, gradually reaching the Golden Tent.” The man in blue hesitated, then gritted his teeth and continued honestly, “The reason we came to the Golden Tent was because we heard that the Golden Tent warriors and the shamans of the Eternal Cult had left in haste that day, taking only what was easy to carry. Many treasures were buried here, waiting for the fortunate to discover. We couldn’t help but feel a little greedy.”
“There is nothing wrong with seeking treasures, as long as you act within your means,” Meng Qi said without disdain.
From what he knew, Qu Jiuniang, driven by grief, had followed “Frost Fairy” Ye Yuqi and was among the first to arrive at the Golden Tent, looting countless treasures.
As for himself, preoccupied with matters of the world and personal concerns, he had been running east and west until now before finally arriving at the Golden Tent. He had long abandoned any hope of obtaining anything, and whatever remained would likely not be of much value.
After the fall of the Great Fullness and the disappearance of Gourdo, the remaining Golden Tent warriors and Eternal Cult shamans assessed the formation here and found it could only briefly resist a terrestrial immortal like Master Lu, not to mention formidable Dharma Bodies like Gao Lan, He Qi, or Su Wuming. Therefore, they decisively dispersed, each taking treasures and the divine weapon “Sun-Shooting Bow,” which had previously suppressed the Golden Tent, and hiding deep into the grasslands.
Due to the urgency, many small and less valuable treasures were left behind.
To truly gain great rewards, one must find one of the dispersed groups of Golden Tent warriors and Eternal Cult shamans!
Grateful, the man in blue nodded and continued, “When we arrived at the Golden Tent, several days had already passed with martial artists disappearing or dying violently. My master made a few inquiries and decided to immediately pass through the Golden Tent and leave. But, but we encountered that invisible and formless enemy in this tent…”
Suddenly, he saw Meng Qi raise his right hand slightly, and he immediately shut his mouth. The entire Golden Tent ruins became deathly silent, even the ominous bird calls ceased. There was not a trace of life left. At the same time, a chilling wind seemed to blow, sending a cold shiver from the soles of their feet.
“A ‘friend’ proficient in earth escape techniques is approaching,” Meng Qi remarked calmly, his hand resting on the sword now positioned behind his back, speaking as casually as if discussing mundane affairs.
The silence was absolute, and within Meng Qi’s perception, everything was empty. In fact, he had not detected the enemy’s movements. The enemy’s technique seemed extremely concealed and mysterious. However, after cultivating the “Wuji Seal,” Meng Qi had an almost microscopic grasp of earth-based energies. Although the subtle fluctuations felt like illusions, they were real.
Meng Qi strolled toward the edge of the tent and called out, “Which friend has come to visit? Please come out for a moment.”
His voice echoed, but the surroundings remained silent, unchanged.
Do you really think I can’t detect you? Meng Qi lifted his right foot and took a step forward.
The man in blue and the others felt the earth tremble. From where Meng Qi’s right foot landed as the center, waves of earth spread outward like undulating yellow dragons. Thirty zhang ahead, the grassland split open, and a figure was “spewed” out.
The figure’s form flickered, rushing sideways, attempting to escape again through the earth, trying to create a safe distance.
At that moment, he saw “Crazy Blade” Su Meng take another step, as if stepping on celestial formations. The previously “soft” ground suddenly became as hard as steel!
Clang!
He crashed headlong into the “steel ground,” dazed and stunned, hastily rolling aside.
Then, in his vision, he saw that famous long blade.
“I am not a man of bloodshed. Why hide and evade?” Meng Qi said calmly, his blade slightly lowered.
Before them stood an old beggar with nine sacks on his back, his entire body covered in dirt. His face bore a fierce expression—it was Lao Die Tian, the “Earth-Covering Azure Dragon” of the Beggar Sect.
The old beggar took a few calm steps back. “An old man like me is used to hiding in the shadows.”
Before his words fully faded, he suddenly turned sideways, sensing a mysterious killing intent in the air.
Then, he saw “Crazy Blade” Su Meng’s body erupt in golden flames, radiant and brilliant, as if transforming into a blazing sun. From afar, invisible entities coalesced into a form—an ordinary old man, but with only nine fingers.
“So it’s you,” Meng Qi turned to face the old man.
Gao Qianyuan, the blue-blooded man from the East Sea Sword Estate!
Gao Qianyuan glared coldly at Meng Qi. “I never expected you to have reached equal footing with me!”
As he spoke, he instinctively glanced toward the depths of the Golden Tent, where something seemed hidden.
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