In fact, from the very beginning, Mei Qing had been scheming and calculating how to deal with the bronze figure.
If it were someone else, they would certainly never think along these lines. After all, among those present, plotting against Zhang Liusun, or even Xu Fu, might be easier. This bronze figure was an ancient heirloom, possessing formidable magical powers of its own. Moreover, it had been refined within Xu Fu’s cauldron, making it extremely difficult to outwit or manipulate.
Mei Qing naturally understood this well, but he still chose the bronze figure, compelled by circumstances.
Xu Fu and Zhang Liusun were both seasoned schemers, old foxes who had lived for ages. Although Xu Fu seemed to have repeatedly lost ground to Zhang Liusun, Mei Qing knew he had no chance of gaining any advantage over him.
After all, Xu Fu was a true wandering immortal, whose age exceeded even the history Mei Qing had studied. Even if he were down to his last breath, he would still have enough strength to deal with Mei Qing.
As for Zhang Liusun, although he seemed to be the weakest link—his cultivation inferior to Xu Fu’s and his body merely a spiritual form—Mei Qing felt even less confident about confronting him.
Firstly, that fellow was too cunning, possibly hiding some unexpected tricks up his sleeve. Secondly, whether it was the talismans of the Celestial Master Sect or the Thunder Magic of the Divine Empyrean Sect, they were all superior to Mei Qing’s abilities. Relying solely on the newly learned Huayan Sect techniques, he might gain a small advantage through surprise, but there was no way he could defeat Zhang Liusun outright. Thirdly, Mei Qing still harbored some hope, unwilling to provoke Zhang Liusun into an all-out confrontation without leaving any room for retreat, at least for now maintaining a facade of civility.
Additionally, there was another reason Mei Qing avoided targeting either of them: although both were fully committed to their struggle, they would prioritize their own safety above all else, ensuring their defenses were impenetrable. Even if Mei Qing attempted a surprise attack, it would be difficult to succeed. And even in the unlikely event that he managed to subdue one, he would immediately face the full force of the other. Such a futile endeavor was absolutely out of the question.
The bronze figure, however, was a different matter. Firstly, his actions against the bronze figure would not immediately provoke an all-out retaliation from the two parties. Before the situation became clear, there might be a temporary balance, allowing Mei Qing to profit from the middle ground. Secondly, although the bronze figure was powerful, it was not Xu Fu’s life-linked treasure. Moreover, neither of the two would have expected Mei Qing to target the bronze figure. As long as Mei Qing did not aim to completely destroy or fully control it, but merely sought to temporarily immobilize it, using it as leverage to secure an escape route seemed quite feasible.
Originally, Mei Qing’s plan was to disrupt the bronze figure, causing it to temporarily break free from Xu Fu’s control, either attacking Zhang Liusun or acting wildly, creating chaos in which he could seize an opportunity. However, after unexpectedly receiving a surge of true energy and sensing a slight affinity from the bronze figure, he adjusted his strategy slightly, aiming to control the bronze figure and force negotiations between the two parties.
The outcome indeed matched his expectations. Neither Xu Fu nor Zhang Liusun had anticipated that Mei Qing would suddenly attack the bronze figure, giving him an exploitable opening. Mei Qing first trapped the bronze figure with a magical formation, then timely called a halt to both sides. Seizing this critical moment, he subdued the bronze figure, finally earning himself a small degree of leverage since the fight began.
“Zhang boy, what’s going on here?” Xu Fu spoke first, coldly addressing the situation while his eyes remained fixed on Mei Qing.
Zhang Liusun said nothing, but also cast a calm glance toward Mei Qing.
Mei Qing smiled slightly, bowed to Xu Fu, and spoke loudly, “This one is Mei Qing, paying respects to Senior Xu.”
“Mei Qing? You’re not a manifestation of Zhang boy, are you?… Hmph!” Upon hearing Mei Qing’s self-introduction, Xu Fu’s expression changed several times before he suddenly turned stern.
Mei Qing shook his head and said, “To be honest, even I’m not entirely sure about this matter. According to Master Zhang’s explanation, it seems I might have been his manifestation once. However, regardless of the past, I am definitely not now.”
Despite Xu Fu’s vast experience, he was momentarily taken aback by Mei Qing’s words and took a moment to respond, “Mei Qing, I don’t care about your relationship with Zhang boy. Just hand over the bronze figure, and I’ll spare your life.”
Upon hearing this, Mei Qing suddenly burst into loud laughter, saying, “Senior Xu, are you trying to take advantage of my youth?”
Seeing Mei Qing’s audacity, Xu Fu’s face darkened with anger, his eyes flaring as he was about to erupt.
However, Mei Qing remained unfazed, his laughter abruptly ceasing as he coldly snorted, “Senior, are you thinking my bold claims are mere arrogance? But Senior, have you considered why I managed to escape Master Zhang’s control and subdue your bronze figure?”
Xu Fu was momentarily stunned before replying, “What’s so difficult about that? Although I don’t know where you came from, I suspect it has something to do with my subsidiary cauldron. This place is the main cauldron where the bronze figure was refined. You arriving here might have given you some advantage, allowing you to escape that brat’s control and trap the bronze figure, which isn’t too surprising. But once you leave this cauldron, what support will you have left? Do you plan to stay here forever?”
Upon hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but admire the old man’s sharp insight, as he had figured out the situation in such a short time. What he didn’t know was that Xu Fu had initially underestimated Mei Qing. After observing Mei Qing’s recent actions, Xu Fu noticed that the true energy within Mei Qing’s body was of the same nature as the energy summoned by his own magic. Recalling how little true energy he had secretly drawn in just a moment ago, how could he not understand?
Mei Qing remained calm and said, “This place is quite comfortable indeed. If it comes down to a standoff, this junior isn’t too worried. I’m afraid, however, that the two seniors may not have the luxury of time.”
Upon hearing this, both Xu Fu and Zhang Liusun slightly changed expressions.
What Mei Qing said was exactly what they feared the most.
In this space, Xu Fu should have had the greatest advantage, as this cauldron was his own creation.
However, even as the master, once inside, he had lost his greatest advantage of commanding his法宝. Especially now, the space they were in had been subjected to successive禁术 from all three of them, layer upon layer, leaving no灵气 available for them to draw upon.
No matter what spells they used, they could only rely on their internal true energy to power them. In this situation, the three of them were essentially on a level playing field.
The problem was that Xu Fu was a wandering immortal, Zhang Liusun was a spiritual body, and Mei Qing was a true human form. In a scenario where all three had largely exhausted their internal true energy, the situation would be very different.
Xu Fu, as a wandering immortal body, although far superior to ordinary people in using true energy, was essentially formed from external means and thus could not generate true energy internally like a true immortal body. As for Zhang Liusun, it was even worse, being merely a spiritual form, making recovery even more difficult.
Mei Qing, however, was different. Not only did he have a natural connection with the main cauldron, but he also possessed a true human body. Although there was no external yuan qi to draw upon, he could still recover by transforming internal elixirs within his body.
In other words, among the three, Mei Qing was actually the only one capable of recovery.
Thinking of this, Xu Fu couldn’t help but feel intense regret. If only he had disregarded everything and fought to reclaim the bronze figure with all his might, relying on its might, he would undoubtedly have been the strongest. But at that time, he had sought stability and hesitated for a moment. Now that the bronze figure was in Mei Qing’s hands, although he couldn’t yet use it himself, without the bronze figure, he had lost the ability to stand against the two alone.
Zhang Liusun was even more furious. He had spent his life manipulating others, yet he had unexpectedly been outmaneuvered by Mei Qing in a moment of carelessness. Initially, he had always regarded Mei Qing as his own manifestation, treating him as himself. Later, when he discovered the spiritual body was mismatched, he immediately harbored murderous intent, but due to the unfavorable situation, he had temporarily feigned compliance. He never expected that a moment of inattention would lead to his current predicament.
Frankly speaking, if Zhang Liusun disregarded everything and attempted to forcibly take over Mei Qing’s body, although Mei Qing’s cultivation was now far superior, it was not entirely impossible. After all, Zhang Liusun was very familiar with this body, and there might always be opportunities in terms of experience and techniques. However, now that Mei Qing had control of the bronze figure, if Zhang Liusun made a move, Mei Qing would certainly unleash the bronze figure. At that point, he would inevitably face attacks from all three sides. Even if the possession succeeded, it would be meaningless.
Moreover, since he now knew that Mei Qing was not a vessel for his spiritual body, even if he succeeded in taking over, it would hold little significance for Zhang Liusun.
Now both Xu Fu and Zhang Liusun were at a loss. Although both were cunning and experienced, the current situation had created a three-way stalemate. None of the parties had the strength to eliminate the other two simultaneously, and there was no mutual benefit for any two parties to team up against the third. Thus, the situation had reached a delicate balance, with no side able to break it for the time being.
“Hehe, Mei Qing kid, what exactly do you want? If you think you can threaten me like this, you’re mistaken!” Xu Fu sneered with his triangular eyes, his tone sinister.
Mei Qing shook his head with a smile and said, “I have no grudge with Senior, so why would I threaten you? My intention is to act as a mediator between you two seniors.”
Upon hearing Mei Qing’s words, Zhang Liusun’s eyes flashed with a glimmer of light, but he remained silent.
Xu Fu sneered, “A mediator? How exactly do you propose to mediate this situation?”
Mei Qing’s expression turned serious and sincere as he addressed both of them, “Senior Xu, Master Zhang, may I ask boldly, have either of you truly considered whether this fight to the death is necessary? Is there really a conflict between what the two of you are contending for?”
Without waiting for the two to speak, Mei Qing turned to Xu Fu and said, “Senior Xu, the reason you’ve clashed with Master Zhang several times is simply because this place was once your cultivation site, and Master Zhang later occupied it, causing your resentment and desire to reclaim it, isn’t that right?”
Xu Fu “Hmphed” and said, “Hmph, since you know, why bother stating the obvious? Just now, you didn’t even listen to Zhang boy’s self-righteous claims, accusing me of being unreasonable!”
Mei Qing shook his head and said, “Senior Xu, you’re mistaken here. Perhaps you don’t even know who Master Zhang really is, do you?”
Xu Fu replied, “Him? Hmph, nothing but a scheming villain! What kind of respectable figure could he possibly be!?”
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