“They seem unable to see it?” Jiang Zhimei whispered to Meng Qi, her left hand gesturing toward several experts who, like them, could see the inscriptions on the stone wall, yet completely ignored the mission clue.
Meng Qi nodded, while Zhang Yuanshan let out a bitter laugh and murmured, “So completing the mission reveals this…”
When they had rescued Tan Wenbo, they had thought they had completed one of the side missions. If they had known earlier there would be such a clue, Qingjing wouldn’t have died carelessly.
“If we don’t kill them, perhaps finding the antidote for the Duxin Pill will be necessary to complete the side mission,” Meng Qi speculated.
Qi Xia sighed, “I hope there won’t be any more accidents.”
She tore off a piece of her garment and, with Jiang Zhimei’s help, bandaged her left shoulder, which had previously been hastily treated with pressure point techniques to stop the bleeding.
After a brief period of mourning, Ge Chongshan and the others composed themselves emotionally and followed the previously scouted path toward the central hall.
This passageway was completely empty except for torches that seemed perpetually burning. Moreover, since Ge Chongshan, Qi Zhengyan, Qi Xia, and others all possessed lightness kung fu skills, their footsteps were very light. The only sound echoing through the corridor was Meng Qi’s heavy steps, placing him at the rear.
“Little monk, they’re looking at you with deep suspicion,” Jiang Zhimei suddenly whispered with a smile.
Meng Qi replied helplessly, “I’d be suspicious too if I were them.”
How could a young monk with low martial arts skills, perhaps not even as skilled as an ordinary guard in the Ge family mansion, be brought by his “master” to Yinhuang Fortress to kill its formidable master? This was no place for leisure!
There must be some hidden reason!
Jiang Zhimei continued, looking ahead, “Once we kill the master of Yinhuang Fortress, they might try to capture us. We must be cautious.”
“No worries. Once the mission ends, we should be immediately taken away by the ‘Lord of the Sixfold Reincarnation,'” Meng Qi said based on his “experience.”
“I hope so,” Jiang Zhimei’s tone turned somber before she asked very seriously, “Little monk, during the upcoming battle, will you trust me completely, without any reservation?”
Meng Qi was taken aback and said, “Haven’t I always trusted you? When you told me to take two steps left, I took two steps left.”
He assumed Jiang Zhimei was referring to insufficient coordination. Feeling slightly wronged, he thought he hadn’t doubted her even a bit and had always acted quickly.
“That’s not what I mean,” Jiang Zhimei continued solemnly. “I mean, even if ahead lies a cliff or a forest of swords and blades, if I tell you to charge forward, will you still trust me, overcome your fear of death, and throw all your strength into charging ahead?”
Meng Qi hesitated. If this were in the past while courting his girlfriend, he should have sworn immediately, saying, “If you charge, I’ll charge too.” But Jiang Zhimei clearly referred to the upcoming battle, which was no idle talk. He couldn’t make empty promises that might jeopardize the mission.
Jiang Zhimei didn’t rush Meng Qi for an answer, allowing him to think quietly.
Meng Qi’s expression changed repeatedly, his face contorting. Finally, he thought that if Jiang Zhimei failed, he probably wouldn’t survive either. After all, he’d be carrying her forward—he doubted she would deliberately commit suicide.
Gritting his teeth, Meng Qi said gravely, “Jiang girl, I trust you!”
After all, we’re on the same boat!
“Remember these words,” Jiang Zhimei said solemnly. “Since you haven’t learned any lightness kung fu, your steps can’t keep up with my sword techniques. Therefore, I can only focus on defense, which isn’t my strength. At a critical moment, I might have to take a risk.”
She smiled slightly and added, “But don’t worry too much. Perhaps the master of Yinhuang Fortress will just drop dead on his own.”
Meng Qi couldn’t bring himself to smile and replied weakly, “I hope so too.”
They encountered no enemies along the way and smoothly reached the central hall.
This was a grand hall built in the style of an imperial palace, with eight passageways leading from the surrounding plaza to various parts of Yinhuang Fortress.
At this moment, the grand doors stood open. In front of the hall were several bright yellow flowers. Inside, dozens of black-robed figures knelt, while on the throne sat a thin middle-aged man wearing bright yellow imperial robes and a beautiful beard. He sat there majestically and proclaimed loudly, “I have waited long for you all!”
As soon as his words fell, the kneeling black-robed figures rose and turned around. Their faces were twisted, their eyes blood-red, their muscles bulging, straining against their clothes.
“Senior apprentice brother!”
“Master’s younger brother!”
“Mingkang!”
…
Cries rang out from the experts brought by Ge Chongshan, clearly recognizing some of the black-robed figures as old acquaintances.
“Hu hu,” the black-robed figures roared like beasts, their eyes devoid of any trace of reason.
“Evil fiend, what have you done to them?” someone cried out in grief.
The fortress master rebuked sternly, “Do you still have any respect for hierarchy? How dare you roar at your lord and father!”
He slowly rose, pointing at the black-robed figures and declared, “They have willingly transformed into beasts to lead my forces! After I eliminate these rebels, I will surely bestow honors upon their descendants, ensuring their eternal glory and wealth!”
“Beast!”
“Madman!”
Angry curses erupted. Ge Chongshan barely maintained his composure and said, “Hand over the Duxin Pill and the antidote for this beast-transforming poison, and we might spare your life!”
There are many punishments worse than death!
“Haha, haha,” the fortress master extended his fingers like a sword and laughed loudly, “These divine medicines are all gifts from heaven. How could there be any antidotes?”
“I have received my mandate from heaven; all within the seas have submitted. Yet you dare defy your sovereign! Face death!”
“Heavenly bestowed…” Meng Qi’s heart suddenly stirred.
The dozens of black-robed figures immediately leapt from the hall, rushing toward Ge Chongshan and his group. Judging from their speed and movements, their martial arts skills were formidable.
“They all seem close to the level of opening the vital points…” Jiang Zhimei sighed, “If we hadn’t waited for Master Ge and the others, I wonder how many of us would have died to kill this fortress master.”
She seemed still quite confident in her strength before being injured.
Unwilling to see their old friends trapped in suffering, Ge Chongshan and the others didn’t bother to “question” Jiang Zhimei’s master and, keeping a watchful eye, rushed forward. Zhang Yuanshan joined them, his figure graceful. Within a few steps, he magically bypassed the black-robed figures and charged into the hall!
“The ‘Bagua Jing Shen Bu’ of the Zhenwu Sect is indeed extraordinary,” Jiang Zhimei couldn’t help exclaiming. “There’s no toxic mist. Let’s circle around the edge of the plaza and enter the hall.”
She clearly knew Meng Qi’s martial arts skills were weak. If he tried to weave through the crowd, he probably wouldn’t make it. At this moment, the black-robed figures and nearly a hundred experts led by Ge Chongshan were locked in fierce combat near the entrance of the hall on the plaza, making it the perfect opportunity to circle around the edge.
Meng Qi also saw Qi Xia weaving through the battlefield like a flower among trees, rushing to assist Zhang Yuanshan. Without saying a word, he sprinted toward the edge of the plaza, while Qi Zhengyan was temporarily blocked by a black-robed figure and couldn’t break free.
Kuang dang!
As Meng Qi reached the edge of the plaza, he saw the stone gate drop, blocking the passage.
“You all can’t escape!” The fortress master, his hands glowing an iron-blue color, directly took a sword strike from Zhang Yuanshan.
“There must be other passages. He’s here himself!” Ge Chongshan shouted loudly to stabilize morale. Then, with his iron fan swirling, after enduring two attacks, he also broke into the hall.
Meng Qi didn’t dare delay. He rushed toward the entrance of the hall and, following Jiang Zhimei’s instructions, passed through the relatively sparse and less chaotic battlefield.
Inside the hall, Ge Chongshan, Zhang Yuanshan, and Qi Xia were teaming up to attack the master of Yinhuang Fortress. However, under his fierce and powerful iron-blue palms, they could only barely hold their ground. If it weren’t for Zhang Yuanshan’s sword forming a Taiji formation, defending as solidly as a rock, Qi Xia, already severely injured in the left shoulder, might have been knocked down.
Ge Chongshan’s martial arts skills were comparable to Zhang Yuanshan’s, but significantly inferior to the fortress master’s. Moreover, at the beginning of the fight, the fortress master’s relentless attacks had made him break out in a cold sweat, his courage shaken, temporarily unable to counterattack.
Although Zhang Yuanshan’s sword techniques were exquisite, with an endless stream of miraculous moves, the fortress master of Yinhuang Fortress relied on his pair of iron palms, fierce and powerful, and his cultivation level was more than a step above Zhang Yuanshan’s. Each time, he would directly counter Zhang Yuanshan’s various ultimate techniques with brute force, using strength to overcome skill, steadily gaining the upper hand.
“Zhang Senior Apprentice Brother excels in Taiji defensive techniques, but hasn’t fully mastered the Zhenwu Sword Technique. Otherwise, how dare the fortress master attack so aggressively?” Jiang Zhimei quietly commented as she approached, her long sword precisely intercepting the fortress master’s left palm.
Taking this opportunity, Zhang Yuanshan’s sword moved like a long snake emerging from its cave, directly aiming at the Yinhuang Fortress master’s chest, forcing him to retract his palm for self-defense.
Since the beginning of the battle, this was the first time the fortress master had been forced into such a passive situation. Jiang Zhimei’s sword strokes grew faster and faster, like surging waves. With the cooperation of Zhang Yuanshan, Ge Chongshan, Qi Xia, and others, they gradually suppressed the fortress master.
Suddenly, the fortress master of Yinhuang Fortress let out a cold snort, started moving, continuously maneuvering and attacking.
In the brief battle just now, he had already identified Jiang Zhimei’s weakness—that Meng Qi’s steps were slow.
Sure enough, Meng Qi and Jiang Zhimei immediately found themselves in a perilous situation. Although Jiang Zhimei knew the way to go and Meng Qi followed her instructions without hesitation, speaking always took time, and more complex tactics couldn’t be executed.
Reluctantly, Jiang Zhimei switched from offense to defense, joining Zhang Yuanshan in blocking most of the fortress master’s attacks, while Ge Chongshan and Qi Xia counterattacked. The battle became a back-and-forth stalemate.
Dang, dang, dang! The sound of the long sword striking the fortress master’s iron-blue palm was like hitting an iron block, producing a crisp sound. As Meng Qi listened, a sudden wave of irritability surged within him, and his legs felt weak.
“Poisoned!” Zhang Yuanshan, who had fought the Yinhuang Fortress master first, was already looking pale. Ge Chongshan and Qi Xia’s movements had also become slightly slower.
The fortress master of Yinhuang Fortress immediately gained the upper hand, laughing loudly, “They have transformed into poisonous beasts! And there are also miraculous flowers in front of the hall. Together, they form a perfect combination!”
“Once I kill you all, there will be no more opposition in the martial world!”
The distant experts, similarly feeling weak and powerless, looked at the black-robed figures whose skin was beginning to rot and emit vapor but who were becoming even more ferocious. A sense of despair arose—how could there be such a stealthy method of poisoning that no one could detect!
“Beast! I’ll fight you to the death!” Ge Chongshan roared in grief and fury.
At this moment, Meng Qi, filled with anger and fear, heard Jiang Zhimei’s calm and peaceful voice whisper, “Charge forward.”
Charge forward? Directly toward those iron-blue palms. If struck, it would mean certain death!
However, Meng Qi remembered his earlier conversation with Jiang Zhimei. Countless thoughts raced through his mind. In a flash of lightning, he thought of the deceased Yan Wujian and Qingjing, of himself being at the mercy of the toxic mist, of his past peaceful life, of these strange encounters…
Thus, all his thoughts quickly converged into a fierce, desperate determination.
“Damn it, death is just the end, but survival brings endless possibilities! Let’s go all out!”
Meng Qi’s facial muscles twisted. He used all his strength to charge toward the master of Yinhuang Fortress.
During this process, he kept his eyes wide open, determined to see exactly how he would die!
Suddenly, a dazzling sword light appeared, quickly filling Meng Qi’s vision, making it impossible for him to see anything else.
What a beautiful sword light… This thought arose instinctively in Meng Qi’s mind.
The experts fighting the black-robed figures suddenly felt something stir in their hearts. It was as if a subtle change had occurred in the world. They all raised their heads and saw a sword light like a celestial swan descending from the sky—a sword light that made them forget everything else!
As the sword light faded, Meng Qi saw the long sword embedded in the Yinhuang Fortress master’s forehead, its tip deeply lodged, the wound slightly red. The iron-blue palms that had pressed against his chest no longer had any strength.
Plop! Unable to stop himself, Meng Qi knocked the fortress master of Yinhuang Fortress to the ground, rolling over several times with Jiang Zhimei on his back before stabilizing.
Only now did Meng Qi see that the fortress master still had a smile on his lips, but his pupils had contracted, filled with intense fear and disbelief.
Looking down, Meng Qi saw Jiang Zhimei’s right hand, her long, slender fingers trembling violently, completely unlike the hand of a swordsman. Then, he heard Jiang Zhimei’s heavy breathing.
“One of the nine ultimate sword techniques of the ‘Taishang Sword Sutra’?”
“‘Sword Without Self,’ ‘Sword Without Self,’ she actually mastered ‘Sword Without Self’!”
Qi Xia and Zhang Yuanshan murmured in shock.
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