“Attack!”
Meng Qi’s roar was like rolling thunder, shaking people’s ears with a buzzing sound and making their spirits tremble.
Clang and bang! Wine cups and teacups on the round table simultaneously exploded, splashing liquor everywhere, while cracks appeared on plates and porcelain bowls.
Yi San had barely begun speaking when his words abruptly ceased, his eyes revealing a dazed expression. Lady An felt dizzy and nauseous, her internal energy chaotic, while the two maids, Ruyi and Chenxiang, weakened in their legs and fainted outright.
Master Tang Ren’s eyebrows twitched, and the Canglan Saber in his hand produced a roaring wave sound, blocking Meng Qi’s Thunder Words from outside.
Evil Calamity slashed downward, electric sparks bursting from the blade, blue lightning flowing along, highlighting ancient and solemn thunder patterns, appearing both majestic and righteous.
This slash seemed like divine punishment from the heavens, both forceful and upright, both yang and fierce!
Yi San shuddered violently, his expression a mix of fear and disgust, but the blade, swift like thunder, had already reached before him.
Suddenly, his forehead split open by itself, growing a sinister green eye. Within this eye, Meng Qi’s reflection appeared twisted and grotesque.
From this demonic third eye, green light surged outward like waves, rushing toward Meng Qi.
As the green tide surged forth, Meng Qi felt his forehead swell and his spirit expand to protect his Yuan Shen. Even so, he still suffered splitting headaches, nausea, and the urge to faint instantly.
He endured the sensation, continuing to swing Evil Calamity downward, though inevitably slowed slightly by its effects.
The moment Yi San’s demonic eye appeared, he had already regained consciousness. Raising his right hand, he released a bolt of thunder from his palm, striking Meng Qi.
Meng Qi’s clothes turned charred black, his body numb, momentarily losing control of his right hand and connection to Evil Calamity. No longer did the saber extend his physical senses, allowing him to perceive his opponent’s energy flow and muscle changes.
His Golden Bell Cover and Immortal Seal Method had not yet reached the level to withstand lightning strikes or dissipate electric currents entirely, only protecting his meridians from severe damage.
Suddenly, thunder patterns emerged on the back of his left hand, turning a deep purple, drawing in the electric currents entering his body, rapidly alleviating the numbness.
Yet at that moment, “Yi San” had already thrown his left fist, clumsy in variation, ancient and sinister, wreathed in a layer of black flame that made one’s heart quail.
Tang Ren attacked with his saber, striking before “Yi San” could land his blow. The Canglan Saber swung forth, surrounding waves surging forth, crashing in waves toward “Yi San” with the saber’s momentum.
He had already grasped the true essence of the “River-Sundering Saber Technique,” skillfully wielding both water’s nature and the saber’s speed. Without the “Canglan Saber,” his qi would radiate outward, forming waves that pressed forward in layers, making each strike feel like multiple blows, heavy and unstoppable.
With the Canglan Saber, a slight activation sufficed to condense the waves, combining with his emitted qi to become even more unpredictable, surging like river tides, rolling forth to envelop the area with ten thousand jin of pressure!
Opposite the Shangshui River, the small pavilion’s surface suddenly erupted with waves, seemingly echoing Tang Ren’s saber strike.
The round table shattered—not sliced in two by saber qi, but directly crushed into powder, porcelain plates and chopsticks reduced to debris.
Yi San still held the posture of striking Meng Qi, his left fist’s black flame flickering uncertainly before finally being extinguished by the surging waves. His entire body caved inward, bones cracking simultaneously, bodily fluids and blood spraying outward.
After the saber’s light swept past, Yi San was reduced to a pile of mush.
Despite having all nine orifices open and profound internal cultivation, approaching the half-step beyond-scenery realm, his aged body ultimately proved frail. After such a saber strike, Tang Ren’s forehead showed sweat, his white hair appearing as if soaked through. Fortunately, having grasped the true essence of the River-Sundering Saber Technique, activating the Canglan Saber wasn’t as exhausting for him as for others, allowing him to unleash two more strikes.
Just as he was reining in his treasure weapon, intending to treat it as an ordinary sharp blade to seize Lady An, a sudden chill surged in his heart, and unexpected changes erupted.
Bang!
Bricks and wood flew in all directions, a large hole appearing in the wall. A tall man with dark gray skin directly broke through the outer wall and rushed in.
His two smooth, jade-like hands, with clearly defined knuckles, struck Meng Qi in the “Riding the Waves by the River” posture. The palm wind was cold and fierce, peerlessly powerful. Before it even arrived, it had already lifted the debris scattered on the ground, swirling it into the air.
Lady An, blossoming like a flower, leaped forth gracefully, pointing a finger toward Meng Qi’s forehead.
At the same time, a wall silently collapsed, a purplish-red sword qi shooting inward.
Outside, the Shangshui River churned, its surface splitting, leaving a deep trail rapidly rushing toward the small pavilion.
Tang Ren had no time to deal with the tall man. Swinging Canglan, the saber light turned black and heavy, moving faster than imaginable, like the moon in the sky—you hadn’t even noticed it before its light already fell upon you.
The Shangshui surged, the river vertically splitting open, nearly revealing the riverbed’s sand and stones, rushing toward the fissure with fierce momentum.
Boom!
The two forces collided, waves soaring into the sky, water striking the heavens.
The black swallowed the purplish-red, yet the purplish-red stubbornly pierced through. With a bang, half the courtyard collapsed, saber qi and sword qi leaving distant walls riddled with countless holes.
Canglan versus Zi Shang (Purple Sorrow)!
In a distant alley, a shadow rapidly approached—it was indeed the swordsman who had once joined the ambush against Meng Qi. Yet now his expression was blank, holding Zi Shang without any trace of spirit.
Tang Ren was inwardly alarmed. He had followed Meng Qi here, prepared for assassinations or ambushes, expecting possible encounters with Zi Shang. Yet he never anticipated that Yi San would resemble an evil deity—terrifying and unpredictable. Had they not struck first but instead planned to regroup and gather forces afterward, they would have lost the initiative if ambushed on the way, leading to a disastrous outcome!
From Yi San’s arrangements, it was evident that he had intended to kill them all along, only refraining from acting at Shangshui Pavilion to avoid arousing suspicion and jeopardizing his plan.
Had they not acted first, upon exiting the courtyard and turning into the main street, they would certainly have faced a double assault from Zi Shang and psychic attacks!
Thankfully, their actions had disrupted their plans!
A stream of rapid black qi emerged from Ruyi’s body, her abdomen swelling rapidly, expanding like a full-term pregnancy.
Plop! A bloodied hand tore through her abdomen, black qi thickening, corroding flesh.
In the span of a breath, the dark energy thickened, and a skeletal figure rose, its forehead splitting apart to release an intense, eerie green glow.
As Canglan and Zi Shang were about to collide, Meng Qi, still recovering from the dizziness caused by Yuan Shen damage and the lingering numbness from lightning strikes, couldn’t dodge in time nor return his saber to defend, getting struck on the back by the tall man’s dual palms.
The tall man felt certain, envisioning in his mind the scene of Second Young Master Tang’s spine snapping, ribs cracking, internal organs bursting forth, blood spraying everywhere.
Puh!
The palms emitted a strange sound. The tall man felt his palms either empty and void or as hard as gold and stone, unmoving even slightly.
Under the palm force, Meng Qi’s clothes behind him instantly disintegrated, fluttering like butterflies, revealing dark golden skin, bulging muscles, sharply defined, like a mighty man forged of bronze and iron!
The tall man’s gaze sharpened. His palms sank into the dark gold, leaving deep imprints, yet failing to penetrate.
Using the force, Meng Qi leaped forward, raising his left palm and striking fiercely. His palm edge grazed Lady An’s index finger.
Lady An felt Meng Qi’s palm wind peerlessly fierce, her finger instantly numb, so she retreated unwillingly to avoid a direct clash.
His palm technique felt so familiar…
Meng Qi nearly spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling his meridians in agony, nearly torn apart.
This tall man might not have opened all nine orifices, but his palm technique surpassed Tang Shu’s, and his mastery of palm force had reached perfection—condensed and focused. Had Meng Qi not been forewarned, he wouldn’t have borrowed the force, relying solely on Golden Bell Cover and Immortal Seal Method to endure, possibly breaking through the barrier.
His form became like a phantom demon, leaping upward, twisting eerily midair, facing the tall man directly, slashing downward with a single saber strike.
The saber light was pure, as if leaping from one’s heart, filled with worldly atmosphere, yet hazy and elusive. This was Meng Qi’s first full-force strike after mastering the essence of “Cutting Away Purity” through the Tian Dao Outline saber technique.
At this moment, no thoughts of identity revelation filled Meng Qi’s mind, no Tang Ren, no Yi San, no hesitation or worry—only the enemy before him and the saber technique he should execute.
His heart was like a clear mirror, his intent unified, forgetting victory or defeat, forgetting worldly affairs.
Under the saber intent’s stimulation, this time it wasn’t merely the flow of energy and muscle reactions reflecting into Meng Qi’s heart lake. Even emotional fluctuations unfolded like a scroll, gradually revealing themselves.
Heart imprinting heart, cutting away others’ purity, cutting away one’s own purity!
Thus, most monks regarded Abbot Anan’s Broken Precept Saber Technique as a martial art that violated Buddhist Zen principles, which is why only a handful of eminent monks throughout the generations had mastered it.
The tall man’s mind swirled with countless thoughts, like mixed dyes of various colors. Suddenly, one color rapidly deepened, enveloping everything.
It was black, profound and deep!
Raised by his master since childhood, subjected to constant beatings and scoldings, regularly witnessing torture and death, every day filled with teachings about the injustice of heaven and the corruption of sentient beings, urging him to pursue purity.
Love is fleeting—kill!
Family bonds fade—kill!
Indulgence in sensual pleasures—kill!
Living beings fall into corruption—slay them!
(Note: The translation maintains the original tone and structure while ensuring clarity and impact in English.)
Immortals and Buddhas indifferent—kill!
Sages interfering with the world—kill!
Heavenly Dao unjust—kill!
Kill to forge a new world!
The tall man’s eyes turned crimson, murderous intent piercing the heavens. His palm force was mixed and ferocious, breaking a crossbeam beneath his feet.
The saber light flickered, gliding lightly along his palm force’s edge, gently drifting down like a feather landing.
The blade sliced diagonally into his neck, blood spurting out. The tall man roared in fury, raising his left palm to strike at the blade.
Lightning burst from Evil Calamity, numbing him momentarily. Though his palm force erupted, it was delayed by a breath. By the time his palm withdrew and the saber moved, his head had already rolled away.
Although this tall man was formidable, surpassing Tang Shu and the swordsman, he still fell short of the previous An Guo邪. Moreover, he had not fully opened all nine orifices and lacked protective qi around his body.
Compared to that time, Meng Qi had now opened six orifices, perfected the sixth stage of the Golden Bell Cover, begun cultivating the opening techniques of the Eight-Nine Mystical Art, greatly improved his saber skills, and replaced his blade with the high-quality邪劫, which was several times superior. As the saying goes—you get what you pay for!
Meng Qi neutralized the palm force on the blade, using the rebound to turn, precisely slashing diagonally at Lady An, who had lunged again.
Halfway through her charge, Lady An witnessed the tall man’s demise, her pupils constricting violently, increasingly sensing Meng Qi’s unfathomable strength. Flipping her palms, she concealed several azure, transparent needles between her fingers—her ultimate secret technique. Combined with her demonic-like movements, she had repeatedly assassinated targets before powerful enemies and escaped.
Just now, Second Young Master Tang’s saber strike looked familiar, as if he had heard of it somewhere!
After Canglan and Zi Shang collided, both Tang Ren and the swordsman appeared extremely strained, refraining from further activating their treasure weapons, clashing noisily in a melee.
Feeling Meng Qi was unharmed, though puzzled, Tang Ren’s heart steadied. Unleashing his saber technique, it surged like rolling waves, pressing the swordsman dangerously.
The swordsman’s gaze was vacant, his moves devoid of variation. Were it not for Zi Shang’s formidable strength, he would have long been slain by Tang Ren’s signature “River-Sundering Saber Technique.”
From the dark aura emerged a naked figure, unmistakably Yi San. His forehead emitted an eerie green glow. With a strike from his left palm, Tang Ren suddenly felt his body grow heavy, his movements slowing down—nearly getting impaled by the swordsman’s blade.
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