“Liuyun Tao was killed by a Reincarnator from the Righteous Army, each member will lose one thousand virtuous points.”
On the great river, Wen Jing and others, riding on a multi-storied warship, heard the familiar yet indifferent voice of the Master of the Sixfold Samsara. Their frenzied assault on the Righteous Army’s camp came to an abrupt halt.
With Miao Cong, who possessed a heaven-defying cultivation technique, by her side, even Liuyun Tao had been killed?
Had their arrogance and carelessness led them into the enemy’s trap, with Miao Cong failing to come to the rescue in time?
They hoped this would drive him into a frenzy, sweeping away enemies and accumulating enough virtuous points to leave an escape route for their team’s future plans!
Wen Jing feigned an attack, forcing Feng Jingtang to focus on maintaining the camp formation, while he broke away to prepare to head to Xiqiu with other team members, ensuring absolute success.
…
On the western hill by the riverbank, Yin Lei (Yin Thunder) erupted in continuous bursts, clinging parasitically to Miao Cong, making it difficult for him to break free. Meng Qi continuously shifted his stance, calmly wielding his sword and saber. His strikes seemed to target random points, yet they always perfectly intercepted Miao Cong’s next move, demonstrating an exceptionally precise grasp of the battle’s pivotal moments and rhythm.
When Meng Qi taught the Dao De Jing at the Pure Yang Sect, he certainly didn’t miss the opportunity to consult Daoist Master Chong He, clarifying the subtle distinctions between cultivation realm and technique realm—the two major components of martial cultivation.
According to Daoist Master Chong He, as one’s cultivation realm improves, one gains a deeper understanding, even mastery, of the laws of heaven and earth, which can then be used to one’s advantage, granting an elevated perspective and insight. Therefore, even without specifically cultivating techniques, every movement naturally returns to simplicity and reveals the wondrous Daoist charm, as inevitable as the rising sun or the turning of the stars. This is part of the reason why higher realms can overwhelm lower ones.
With an advantage in cultivation realm, learning techniques becomes much easier. After all, many Exo-Scenery experts struggle from opening the meridians to reaching the peak without mastering any Divine Killing Techniques. But once they painstakingly ascend the second heavenly tier and become a Master, unless lacking proper techniques, they can usually master several moves. In other words, at the Master level, it becomes harder for Meng Qi to dominate merely by possessing Divine Techniques others lack.
However, reaching the required cultivation realm doesn’t automatically elevate one’s technique realm. It merely makes cultivation easier, still requiring substantial time to learn, refine, and truly master. Just like Meng Qi himself, possessing so many supreme techniques, after crossing the first heavenly tier, he even exchanged for time to compensate, barely bringing his technique realm up to Jiang Zhiwei’s level, reaching the early Master stage.
A true Master should excel in cultivation realm, technique realm, mind realm, insight, and perception. However, the mind realm is often most easily neglected. The red dust of the mundane world, emotional entanglements, and desires constantly pollute the mind. Without frequent self-reflection, one might unknowingly experience a regression in their mind realm.
As for Miao Cong before him, he had pushed his cultivation realm to the peak of Exo-Scenery using a technique similar to the Twenty-Seven Great Calamities. Yet, he clearly lacked insight, perception, and mind realm cultivation. If Meng Qi hadn’t had other plans moments ago and hesitated slightly, allowing Miao Cong to seize the initiative and press the assault, he would have already noticed the flaws in Miao Cong’s technique transitions!
Once Meng Qi shifted to an offensive defense, attacking relentlessly and seizing the initiative, the battle became his stage. He moved like a dragon returning to the sea, a tiger leaping through the mountains—graceful and fluid, appearing ahead one moment and behind the next. His blades moved like phoenix and dragon, sometimes flying separately, sometimes winging together, constantly interrupting Miao Cong’s technique transitions, forcing him to change moves repeatedly.
In an instant, the staff swept in all directions, transforming into a golden dragon soaring and coiling through the sky, shattering hills and carving deep ravines. Yet, the movements felt strained, losing the previous continuous onslaught. Miao Cong roared furiously—not only to attack with sound but also to vent his frustration. He felt like someone in the middle of a satisfying bowel movement, only to be interrupted repeatedly by someone opening the door. How could he not feel stifled?
Bang!
A hill collapsed. Five pulses passed, and Miao Cong’s aura surged again, nearing the Semi-Step threshold!
Unable to restrain himself any longer, he roared and suddenly swept his dark copper staff sideways.
Though called a sweep, it moved extremely slowly, giving an overwhelmingly heavy sensation!
Crack! Centered on Miao Cong, the entire void seemed to shatter like a broken mirror, fractures crisscrossing in all directions like a phantom spider web spreading through the six directions of space.
One force surpasses ten skills! Having nearly reached the Semi-Step realm, why bother with those superficial techniques?
At this level, Miao Cong seemed to merge with heaven and earth, his every move embodying laws and principles. He made the most correct response: avoiding his weaknesses and leveraging his strengths!
The cracks spread rapidly. Although Meng Qi spotted many weak points, each was hidden within dangerous chaos, completely unreachable.
Pure force! Pure realm!
With no choice, Meng Qi withdrew his Inner Scenery into primordial chaos. He paused and pulled back the Jade-Cutting Blade in his other two arms. Time seemed to shift from stagnation to rapid flow!
Primordial opened his eyes, creating heaven and earth anew!
Darkness was severed, decay was severed, fractures were severed. The blade light transformed, dividing yin and yang around Meng Qi, manifesting a phantom heaven and earth, blocking Miao Cong’s strike.
The sixth pulse passed!
Yet, because of this, Meng Qi lost mobility and was locked onto by Miao Cong. Following the fractures, Miao Cong advanced, raising his copper staff high, empowered by the Semi-Step realm, and smashed downward. The sky darkened as if an entire heaven descended with his strike!
Such was his momentum, such was his might!
Though Miao Cong’s emotions raged, a clear corner of his mind remained firm and confident in victory. As time passed, his strength would keep rising, while his opponent had already reached his limit. Within another one or two pulses, Meng Qi wouldn’t be able to maintain the Heaven-Imitating Transformation anymore. Even if he had secret techniques left, how could they withstand Miao Cong’s final two and a half pulses as a Semi-Step Divine Body?
He still had ample time to consume longevity-enhancing pills!
Seeing evasion impossible, Meng Qi suddenly dropped, feet striking the ground. His right hand transformed Tianzhi Shang into Wu Earth, while his left hand’s Liuhuo manifested Ji Earth. Sword and blade energy entwined yin and yang, manifesting lotus flowers connected to the earth, dispersing force infinitely!
Using sword and blade to create the Immovable Golden Lotus!
Boom!
The staff strike didn’t sound crisp but exploded. Meng Qi’s giant body trembled, starting to fade, blood trickling from his lips. The ground within a mile radius sank a zhang, and spiderweb-like cracks spread infinitely far!
The seventh pulse passed!
Roaring, Miao Cong’s copper staff carried a feeling of world-destroying darkness as it smashed down. Before Tianzhi Shang and Liuhuo could recover, Meng Qi gritted his teeth and activated the Xuan Gui Sword.
Thick turtle scales emerged, covering Meng Qi’s entire body. Yet his form grew increasingly ethereal, nearing the limit of the Heaven-Imitating Transformation!
Puh!
The copper staff struck the turtle armor with a dull sound. The tearing airflow transformed into wind dragons flying in all directions. Meng Qi barely blocked the strike, his body shrinking as the Heaven-Imitating Transformation began to fade.
At that moment, seizing the opportunity while the staff and armor clashed, Meng Qi unleashed the divine ability of Windborne Metamorphosis. His primordial spirit suddenly escaped, soaring high into the sky, sitting cross-legged, one finger pointing to heaven, the other to earth, while Buddhist chants echoed around: “Above heaven and below, I alone am the honored one!”
Miao Cong felt a giant golden palm approaching, obscuring the sky and clouds, omnipresent yet intangible, impossible to evade!
His mind fluctuated, his rage receding, but as the seventh pulse ended and the eighth began, he had already stepped into the Semi-Step Divine Body, forcibly suppressing his thoughts, experiencing only slight ripples.
However, this slight gap was precisely what Meng Qi needed. His primordial spirit’s left palm transformed into a blade, executing a light and graceful slash.
The blade light was hazy, and the Red Dust descended!
Targeting your mind realm!
In Miao Cong’s ears rang the announcement of Liuyun Tao’s death, his fury burning like fire. His eyes saw only the enemy. Swinging his staff wildly, Xiqiu was flattened into a wasteland. Meng Qi was beaten into a pool of blood.
The ninth pulse arrived!
He overwhelmed the influence with his realm, the scene returning to normal. Meng Qi was swept away, spitting blood, seriously injured but not dead—the previous scene had just been an illusion created by the Red Dust!
While Miao Cong was caught in the Red Dust, Meng Qi didn’t want to sneak attack him, but Miao Cong’s wild sweeping left no opportunity!
One pulse left—killing you is enough! Miao Cong felt his strength reaching an unprecedented height, confidently believing he had surpassed the Earth Tier First Class level. Killing the current insect required no effort, even if Meng Qi still had secret techniques!
Suddenly, he froze, eyes filled with shock, while Meng Qi patted his clothes and leisurely stood up, seemingly not in the middle of a battle at all, smiling lightly: “Too bad, you don’t have that final pulse. Your lifespan has ended.”
Spoken calmly, yet like a death sentence!
Miao Cong’s primordial spirit scattered, his aura dissipated, leaving behind only a lingering obsession as he muttered in disbelief: “Impossible! I had precise control over my lifespan. How could the final pulse suddenly skip?”
Meng Qi returned to his two-armed form, smiling at him: “To be honest, before you furiously burned your lifespan and entered Earth Tier Second Class, I could have fully exerted myself, creating an escape opportunity and even assisting Senior Brother Qi. But I didn’t. Instead, I held you in stalemate, making you even more frenzied, causing your lifespan to start counting in pulses.”
“Why?” Miao Cong looked puzzled.
At this point, Meng Qi’s expression turned solemn, grave and dignified: “The Peach Garden has completely collapsed. For a certain period, lifespans across heaven and earth are again decaying, until the next stabilization.”
“For normal people with months, years, or even decades left, this decay is imperceptible. But when your lifespan is down to ten pulses, five pulses, or even less, a single decay can instantly skip your remaining lifespan.”
“So, I had to push you to this point.”
Miao Cong wore an expression of dying with regret: “How did you know all this?”
“Because I caused it.” Meng Qi answered with a beaming smile, his injuries rapidly healing thanks to his powerful physique.
In Miao Cong’s eyes was unwillingness, was regret:
“Despicable!”
“I thought you were the kind of tough guy who fights head-on!”
“Ah, I’m sorry to disappoint you.” Meng Qi truly bowed in apology.
Plop! Miao Cong collapsed, his lingering attachment dissipating!
On the great river, Wen Jing crossed the river on a single piece of wood, attempting to bypass the front and assist Miao Cong, ensuring no one escaped.
As he moved, a cold voice suddenly echoed in his ear from the Master of the Sixfold Samsara: “Miao Cong was killed by a Reincarnator from the Righteous Army. Each member will lose three thousand virtuous points.”
Miao Cong is dead? Liu Yun Tao was just killed, and now he’s dead too? Wen Jing’s pupils constricted sharply, nearly falling into the river!
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