Wang Zai lowered his voice and said to Meng Qi, Yan Chong, and Chu Yunyu, “Lady Bai Qi is the younger sister of the current head of the Bai family in Yingcheng. Her original name was Bai Lianxiang, and she was known as the seventh young lady. In her early years, she indulged in pleasure and leisure, enjoying the frivolities of life, and had no notable reputation. However, after turning thirty, she suddenly awakened, resumed her long-abandoned martial cultivation, and abandoned her former name, styling herself ‘Qi Gu’ (Seventh Aunt). Perhaps due to her extraordinary talent, she managed to make up for lost time. Just past forty, she achieved the state of unity with heaven and earth, becoming a celebrated tale in Yingcheng.”
“The Bai family often intermarries with the Mi family. Zi Jing’s mother is the elder sister of Lady Qi, which is why Zi Jing feels so uneasy in her presence…”
It was rare for Wang Zai to indulge in teasing someone.
Although Yan Chong and Chu Yunyu often stayed in Jiangdong, they had never heard of Lady Bai Qi because she had always secluded herself for cultivation. At most, she occasionally found sparring partners near Yingcheng. Only now did they realize that apart from the masters who were half-step beyond the worldly realm or above, there was another hidden figure in Yingcheng.
Meng Qi had also never heard of Lady Bai Qi, but the Bai family name was not unfamiliar to him. In the brief report provided by the Six Gates about Yingcheng, the Bai family was ranked first among the noble families. The elder patriarch, Bai Baxian—who was Lady Bai Qi’s maternal uncle—was an unparalleled martial expert, deeply devoted to martial cultivation, never married, and passed the family leadership to his nephew.
Moreover, the Bai family was not originally from Yingcheng. Over a hundred years ago, they migrated from the southern wilderness. It was said that they had offended the Xueyi Sect, which dominated the southern wilderness, and were forced to leave their homeland and seek refuge in the Central Plains. After generations of effort, they finally established themselves in Yingcheng and became a recognized noble family—the Xueyi Sect was one of the nine evil sects.
There were rumors that the ancestor who had led the Bai family into exile was still alive, but that was only a rumor.
Mi Zijing was left speechless by Bai Qi Gu’s sharp retort. He couldn’t bring himself to act condescending toward a senior and, trying to appease her, smiled and said, “Aunt Qi, do you know what you’re going to do by stepping into the arena?”
“Of course, it’s to issue a challenge!” Bai Qi Gu replied naturally, her gaze shifting from Mi Zijing to Yan Chong and Meng Qi.
“But, but isn’t this bullying the younger generation? Isn’t it inappropriate for a senior to challenge juniors?” Mi Zijing felt a headache coming on. His seventh aunt had always been willful, and her temper hadn’t changed much since her youth. The only difference was that she had become much stronger. Otherwise, he could have stopped her with “force.”
Bai Qi Gu withdrew her gaze, glaring at Mi Zijing’s ear, making him instinctively recall the pain of having his ear pulled by his aunt when he was a child. He shivered involuntarily and took a step back.
“When have I ever grown old? In the martial world, a generation lasts thirty years. We are exactly at the beginning and end of a generation!” Bai Qi Gu argued stubbornly.
Fearing public embarrassment, Mi Zijing nodded meekly and turned to look at Wang Zai and Meng Qi for their opinions.
“If it’s just a sparring match, I have no objection,” Yan Chong said, stroking his sword hilt. Facing a worthy opponent, he felt a thrill of excitement.
Meng Qi suppressed his earlier relaxed and cheerful mood, letting his right hand naturally drop to rest on his sword. His tone was calm as he said, “Su Mo feels the same.”
Seeing Yan Chong and Meng Qi express their agreement, Wang Zai and Chu Yunyu exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.
After all, with Bai Qi Gu’s level of cultivation, she wouldn’t be idle enough to challenge them directly.
“Young Zijing, look, they all agree I’m a young prodigy,” Bai Qi Gu beamed, no longer frowning.
Mi Zijing turned red-faced and whispered through secret transmission, “Aunt Qi, could you please stop calling me that?”
Without waiting for Bai Qi Gu’s reply, he quickly asked, “Aunt Qi, who do you want to challenge?”
Bai Qi Gu was indeed distracted. After a moment’s thought, she said, “The one with the sword qi flowing like a river. His cultivation level is sufficient, and this match isn’t to the death—it’s perfect.”
Yan Chong didn’t speak but answered with action. He slowly stood up, drawing his long sword and leaving his cloak behind on the chair. Revealing his black martial attire, he slowly walked to the edge of the high platform. Each step was measured with precision. Then, he stepped into the air.
He didn’t immediately fall but instead seemed to walk down invisible steps on waves, alternating his feet in a steady rhythm. Compared to Meng Qi’s gentle descent like drifting leaves, this was even more incredible, leaving the onlookers with their mouths agape in astonishment.
“Fascinating,” Bai Qi Gu narrowed her eyes.
Each word was drawn out, rising in pitch, with the final word “ren” (person) sounding like a deep, resonant bell echoing in everyone’s ears. Her aura changed accordingly, as if she were an ancient, monstrous humanoid beast exuding a primordial, savage force.
Her feet remained rooted to the ground, as if drawing strength from the earth itself.
Meng Qi straightened his back, watching the two intently. Indeed, both were rare masters at the Qi-opening stage.
Yan Chong continued without pause, his pace quickening. At ten zhang away, he suddenly drew his sword and slashed from afar toward Bai Qi Gu.
The sword force surged, the sword qi overwhelming, as if the blade had transformed into a giant wave. In an instant, the ten-zhang distance was crossed, and the sword was already before Bai Qi Gu.
Bai Qi Gu remained rooted in place. Suddenly, she threw a punch, heavy and terrifying, seemingly capable of splitting tigers and elephants. Even from a distance, the immense force seemed to press on the chest, making breathing difficult.
What immense, pure power… Meng Qi marveled slightly. Even with his cultivation of the Eight-Nine Mystical Art, to possess such strength would likely require the opening of all nine orifices. Of course, if they were both at the level of unity with heaven and earth, he could definitely overpower Bai Qi Gu purely through strength.
However, this didn’t seem particularly admirable. After all, he wasn’t someone who relied solely on brute strength!
On a nearby high platform, Ying Shaozhuo silently looked at the deep footprints he had previously left and compared them to Bai Qi Gu’s display, suddenly feeling the saying “one superior force can suppress ten techniques.”
Bang!
The sword and fist met. Bai Qi Gu didn’t budge an inch, while Yan Chong used the momentum to unleash his martial technique. His sword strikes surged like a storm, attacking Bai Qi Gu from all directions.
His sword techniques were masterful, sometimes surging endlessly, sometimes fierce and powerful, sometimes subtly forceful, sometimes mysteriously soft. Whether exploiting openings, setting traps, or employing straightforward or complex moves, he wielded them effortlessly and freely, unrestricted by convention, yet seamlessly connected, creating a tempestuous spectacle.
Meng Qi’s eyes gleamed with admiration. No wonder he was among the top ten swordsmen on the Human List. His sword cultivation was even slightly superior to Meng Qi’s previous level, comparable to Jiang Zhiwei before opening the nine orifices.
Bai Qi Gu, on the other hand, presented a different spectacle. Each punch and kick carried the strength of dragons and elephants, heavy and mighty. Whether sweeping sideways or advancing straight, her simple techniques seemed to form a perfect whole, expressing the beauty of power and blocking all of Yan Chong’s sword strikes. She forced him to change tactics because if he continued to clash swords and fists directly, Yan Chong would inevitably suffer setbacks, accumulating disadvantages that would lead to defeat.
Suddenly, the sky darkened, and dark clouds gathered. Silver lightning flickered briefly before disappearing.
The air became humid, swirling around Yan Chong as if forming water. If one closed their eyes and relied purely on spiritual perception, they would sense droplets of water condensing around him, transforming into a “vast ocean” that rose and fell with Yan Chong’s sword momentum.
Boom!
A flash of silver lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a thunderous roar. Rain began to fall over the entire training ground and beyond, gradually intensifying into a downpour.
Near the combatants, the water darkened almost to black, and under the stormy lightning, it seemed as if an agitated sea roared in that area.
Neither of them intentionally invoked supernatural phenomena—after all, they weren’t yet capable of leveraging such forces to their advantage—but their clashing energies naturally altered the weather!
In Meng Qi’s eyes, Bai Qi Gu’s primordial aura grew stronger, as if returning to the era when humanity first rose, wielding stone clubs to slay fierce beasts and monstrous creatures. Her every movement, though lacking in intricate technique, exuded overwhelming might, as if “external realm killing moves” were effortless for her.
Gradually, Bai Qi Gu grew fiercer in battle. Although Yan Chong hadn’t shown signs of defeat, he was clearly at a disadvantage, unable to find an opening to unleash his ultimate techniques.
In the heat of battle, Bai Qi Gu forced Yan Chong back with a punch, then turned her gaze to the high platform, looking at Meng Qi:
“You, come too!”
Meng Qi was about to refuse. He would rather lose a one-on-one fight than gain a reputation for ganging up. But suddenly, he sensed a deep yearning in Bai Qi Gu’s eyes. His heart stirred, and he gained sudden insight. Sighing inwardly, he decided to do a good deed for the day.
Clang! He drew his sword, leaping into the air, descending from above as if cleaving a mountain.
During the descent of the “Heaven’s Wound,” the sword vibrated continuously, each tremor like a buildup of power, a rolling thunder. The silver lightning in the sky seemed to converge toward that area.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A chorus of thunder roared as the sword, carrying the crushing might of mountains and seas, slashed down upon Bai Qi Gu.
Even Bai Qi Gu couldn’t afford to underestimate this strike. Her right fist shot upward, as if swinging a stone to strike a flying bird.
Meng Qi’s timing was perfect, seamlessly taking over the battle and giving Yan Chong an opportunity to counterattack.
His sword, previously rising, now slashed downward. The sword force surged, the sword intent raging like a tsunami tearing through the heavens and earth.
The surrounding water instinctively responded, transforming into a dark sea that surged behind Yan Chong, amplifying his imposing aura.
The tsunami surged forward, swallowing everything, accompanied by rolling thunder, delivering heavenly punishment. Bai Qi Gu, now facing two opponents, was in grave danger.
Yet she did not concede. Instead, her momentum surged even more fiercely, rising relentlessly. Her feet seemed fused with the earth itself, while her fists—one raised high, the other thrust forward—radiated a primal, overwhelming force.
Boom!
The two fists clashed directly with the twin swords. Lightning crackled, water splashed, and Bai Qigu’s imposing aura was crushed as blood sprayed from her fists.
Suddenly, she let out a long roar. Her surging aura shattered an invisible barrier. At the center of her brow, wind and clouds converged, drawing all eyes like a black hole.
The sky abruptly brightened, dispersing the dark clouds and clearing the mist. The earth trembled slightly, and the surrounding platforms sank an inch for no apparent reason.
The wind rose, the clouds churned, and the air grew heavier. Meng Qi used the momentum to land on the ground, just in time to see Bai Qi Gu laughing heartily as she turned and left, leaving only one sentence behind:
“I’ll remember this favor!”
“Thank you both,” Mi Zijing approached, smiling alongside Bai Qi Gu. “My aunt is like this—still acting recklessly despite her age.”
Meng Qi and Yan Chong exchanged glances, their eyes filled with astonishment. They both understood each other’s thoughts:
Could He Jiu’s Feast of Clouds and Rain be like this too?
Was he planning to challenge nearly ten top-ranked martial artists on the Human List at once?
Surely it couldn’t be that exaggerated…
But if one excluded Wang Siyuan and Jiang Zhiwei, it might just be possible…
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