Because he had to pass through the misty gap at the exit of the corridor, Gao Qianyuan’s concealment wasn’t perfectly maintained. Realizing he had indeed been discovered and that it wasn’t “Crazy Blade” Su Meng trying to bluff, he revealed himself, right hand gripping the sword-shaped token, exuding an intense aura as he stared into Meng Qi’s eyes in the dark night.
Instantly, it seemed as if four bolts of lightning had collided in the void, sending sparks flying.
Gao Qianyuan stepped forward cautiously, maintaining a steady, mountain-like posture as he said, “You are indeed powerful, but not yet to the level of disregarding Grandmasters as nothing. With the Sword Centipede Talisman in my hand, the outcome remains uncertain. How can you hope to leave me behind?”
He had witnessed Meng Qi’s calm and graceful demeanor against the “Great Freewill Prince,” gaining knowledge of many secrets. His understanding of his opponent’s strength and mind had been completely renewed, erasing all hidden pride and carelessness. He now understood that the rumors were true and that “Crazy Blade” Su Meng had indeed grown into a formidable force feared even by Grandmasters. However, he was an experienced Grandmaster himself, with the Sword Centipede Talisman nearly on par with a divine weapon. Even if facing a half-step Dharma Body, he still believed he could survive and escape. Let alone Su Meng?
Meng Qi remained seated cross-legged atop the tent, his right hand reaching for the hilt in a motion that appeared swift yet deceptively slow, exuding immense pressure. Like the wind before a storm, he spoke calmly, “Relying not on oneself but placing hope in external objects—that is problem one.”
“Harboring hidden injuries, unsuited for prolonged battles—that is problem two.”
“Bravado masking inner weakness, already contemplating retreat—that is problem three.”
Meng Qi’s right hand settled on the hilt as he locked eyes with Gao Qianyuan:
“With these three issues, I can kill you as easily as slaughtering a chicken or a dog.”
Each word struck like a hammer on a bell. Gao Qianyuan first scoffed, then grew shocked, his body slightly trembling, his expression darkening. He felt as though all his weaknesses had been laid bare before his opponent, leaving him with no secrets left.
He indeed bore hidden injuries, needing the Sword Centipede Talisman to reach a higher level of the Formless Sword Centipede state, something deducible from their previous encounter. But how could Su Meng have so clearly seen his intent to attack first and then retreat immediately?
Was this the “oldest heart” spoken of by him and the “Great Freewill Prince”?
Gao Qianyuan refocused, refusing to back down. “What distinguishes humans from beasts is their ability to use tools. My use of the Sword Centipede Talisman is fair and justified, what’s wrong with that?”
“Its power is extraordinary, nearly evolving into a divine weapon, capable of intimidating Great Grandmasters. Why shouldn’t I use it?”
Each word was heavy, his aura gradually rising to meet Meng Qi’s head-on.
“Using tools isn’t wrong, but one must still possess the ability to control them. Otherwise, it’s the object controlling the person, not the person controlling the object. Can a three-year-old wield a thousand-pound hammer? I may find defeating the Sword Centipede Talisman difficult, but defeating you, who wields it, is as easy as swatting a fly.” Meng Qi gripped the hilt of his long blade, purple lightning and azure thunder flowing like water, tightly adhering to the blade’s surface.
After adjusting his mindset, he had clearly identified the two tasks before him: first, to secretly seek an escape while maintaining a facade, and second, to cultivate his heart and blade through battle, forging an invincible blade and belief through repeated victories against formidable opponents. Only in this way could he face opportunities with confidence, wielding his blade at its peak state, with the sharpest momentum and most refined spiritual essence, severing all entanglements and karmic chains to attain ultimate freedom and liberation!
And forging this invincible blade and belief would start with Gao Qianyuan!
Zheng!
The blade vibrated, like a dragon’s roar. Meng Qi leaned forward, drawing his long blade. Thunderlight burst forth like a lightning bolt, dazzling the eyes.
First strike!
Drawn by the energy, Gao Qianyuan gripped the Sword Centipede Talisman, his back revealing a colossal azure insect manifestation. His body disintegrated along with it, collapsing like a sand sculpture into grains of sand, each grain a pale-blue centipede, exhaling sword qi, rapidly turning transparent, and merging into the ocean of primal energy.
In an instant, the area within dozens of miles brimmed with deadly intent. Wherever primal energy existed, Sword Centipedes lurked—some spewing sword qi from all directions, others attempting to silently infiltrate Meng Qi’s body through his breath. A few centipedes slithered away, preparing to flee.
Suddenly, the Heaven’s Wound slashed upward, spanning hundreds of zhang, thundering and lightning-fast, its sharp edge slicing through the air without a sound.
This strike initially seemed fast, as if breaking free from all constraints toward liberation, but as it advanced, it slowed. The slower it became, the darker the heavens and earth grew, the void collapsing toward the blade. The ocean of primal energy, representing immense power, also churned and contracted, collapsing toward Meng Qi and the blade as a unified whole, as though condensing into a single point—no distinction of up or down, no past or future.
The world darkened, energy layers compressing rapidly into tangible form, like amber trapping a tiny insect. Gao Qianyuan felt the surrounding void sealed shut, escape impossible. His sword qi struggled to penetrate forward, its power quickly dissipating, merging with the primal energy ocean in a way he could no longer control. His opponent’s domain and blade technique had merged seamlessly!
This strike couldn’t be allowed to develop further! Gao Qianyuan’s soul throbbed with pain, danger surging. Understanding the situation, he disregarded the cost, reconstituted his body, and fully activated the Sword Centipede Talisman.
In an instant, the collapsing primal energy ocean fully manifested, a vast expanse of azure, each droplet a Sword Centipede. Driven by the contraction force, they surged toward Meng Qi in a manner surpassing the “Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Sect,” sharp enough to destroy all life.
With this change, Meng Qi’s initially fast but gradually slowing strike now seemed like suicide!
His feet dug into the ground, carving deep trenches, leaving him no room to evade. He had to withstand this near-divine weapon-level “Sword Centipede Ocean.”
Just then, “Crazy Blade” Su Meng vanished from Gao Qianyuan’s sight, disappearing from the azure “primal energy ocean.” His lock on Meng Qi and their connection were mysteriously severed!
Pounding sounds merged into one continuous roar as countless Sword Centipedes unleashed their sword qi, continuously crashing into the empty core, exploding into blinding whiteness, dimming the heavens and earth, cracking the ground into countless fissures dozens of zhang deep, as though a massive spiderweb had suddenly spread across the flatland.
Had someone been at the core, they would have been sliced into microscopic blood particles, all life extinguished.
“Where is the Crazy Blade? Where is the Crazy Blade?” This strike drained Gao Qianyuan greatly, yet the enemy had vanished mysteriously, rendering it ineffective, stirring waves in his heart.
Suddenly, a heavy restraint enveloped him. The earth seemed to sprout invisible hands, yanking Gao Qianyuan down to the ground.
From the cracked surface erupted a blade light as radiant as the midday sun, brilliant and resplendent, filling Gao Qianyuan’s vision.
The Wuji Seal, Earth Evasion Technique! Meng Qi had deliberately chosen not to take flight but to remain grounded precisely to harness the earth’s power and the foundational “Dao Yi Seal,” thereby evading the full-force strike of the Sword Centipede Talisman. Earth overcomes Water; Earth conceals Metal. No matter how formidable a weapon or treasure might be, it was rendered useless if it couldn’t land a hit!
Second strike!
Blade light struck, and Gao Qianyuan barely managed to grasp the “Sword Centipede Talisman,” dissolving into formless Sword Centipedes, merging into the surrounding void, attempting to evade the blade’s edge by sacrificing most of his centipedes to block the strike from harming his soul.
Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang! Metal-on-metal clangs rang at a frequency beyond human hearing. The blade light seemed composed of countless tiny sword qi, swirling upward like a hurricane, swallowing dozens of miles of void, slicing through one Sword Centipede after another.
Beyond the blade light, dozens of pale-blue Sword Centipedes emerged, rapidly reforming into Gao Qianyuan, wrapping his body in the Sword Centipede Talisman’s glow, preparing to flee.
Two strikes had shattered his confidence, built on reliance and faith in the “Sword Centipede Talisman.” Having previously experienced Su Meng’s blazing solar transformation, knowing his attacks were nearly useless, he now seized the chance to escape despite grievous injuries.
As the escape light appeared, Gao Qianyuan suddenly saw Su Meng’s left hand holding a long sword. The blade light still “illuminated upward,” yet the sword aura was extremely heavy, striking indifferently, colliding with the long blade.
Light!
Boundless light!
Blinding, scorching white light rolled outward faster than anything. Gao Qianyuan’s soul tensed, trying to accelerate his escape, but how could he rival light? And “Crazy Blade” Su Meng’s strike seemed premeditated, integrating with the previous blade’s afterwave, forming a coordinated attack. Though not overwhelmingly powerful, it required no preparation or time, leaving him no chance to react!
Third strike!
Boom!
The explosion erupted as the blinding light rolled into an ocean, engulfing Gao Qianyuan, vaporizing the ground and tent at the core, igniting the debris for dozens of miles into a sea of flames.
As the light faded, an azure glow enveloped Gao Qianyuan’s faint soul, striving to ascend into the heavens. Yet the weighty long blade had already fallen, cleaving it back into dust.
With a flick of his sword, Meng Qi made no attempt to interrogate, fearing to provoke certain existences, and directly shattered Gao Qianyuan’s soul.
Consciousness fading, Gao Qianyuan heard one final sentence:
“You are unworthy of being called a Grandmaster.”
Indeed, he was unworthy. Even with the “Sword Centipede Talisman,” he couldn’t withstand three strikes… His final thought was a bitter smile. His aura had been suppressed, his mind vulnerable, and his activation of the Sword Centipede Talisman too hasty, the timing regrettable!
Turning his gaze away, Meng Qi retrieved the Sword Centipede Talisman and the storage bag, silently thinking, “The first.”
At that moment, a bird flew over, landing on Meng Qi’s left shoulder, carrying a note tied to its leg.
Without opening it, his mind naturally sensed the message:
“Traces of Hasuwula and other Golden Tent Warriors have been discovered at the edge of the ice plains.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage