The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

Just as the crowd was expressing their disdain, there came an unexpected turn of events.

After going all out with his 27 strikes, Jin Jinxian felt as though his sword art had reached a new height. A sudden feeling erupted within him, and he decided to use the “Sun-scorching Swordsmanship”‘s fatal move– “Golden Crow Shining Everywhere”!

The Long Sword created a scorching sun that blazed bright red. Countless rays of Sword Essence emitted from it, appearing just like rays of light. Not only did they have astonishing potency, but they were also able to conceal the ‘Golden Crow’ and the body of the sword.

One of the veteran Martial Arts teachers from the Sun-scorching Martial Club was completely stunned by it. All of a sudden, a thought flashed through his mind. ” If the Thunder Blade Furious Monk still doesn’t use his Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship, he’ll lose for sure… ”

In all his twenty years at the Sun-scorching Martial Club, this was by far the strongest “Golden Crow Shining Everywhere” he had seen. Its variation of movements was of the highest degree, its Sword Essence was used perfectly, and the masculine force from it had almost permeated the entire place. By the looks of it, only an Exterior move would be able to block it.

” Heh, he’s going to be forced to use the Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship by the old man… ” Luo Youfeng snickered inwardly.

Most of the Jianghu men had similar thoughts. Club Principal Jin’s move could be said to be tyrannical!

Wang Ce noticed his cousin furrowing his eyebrows through his peripheral vision. He felt that it was weird– Club Principal Jin may not have even been able to pull off a “Golden Crow Shining Everywhere” of this level when he was in his prime, much less at his current old age. Moreover, he had just made 27 consecutive strikes. How was it that he seemed to be getting stronger as the battle progressed?

Meng Qi swung his Whisper Sword out. Its Knife Energy sprinkled out as though it had emerged from the bottom of his heart. It seemed to change in accordance with Meng Qi’s thoughts, easily transitioning from one form to another, barely discernible and unpredictable.

“Clang!”

The handle, back of the blade, tip of the blade and other parts of the Long Knife seemed to jump to life. They changed with his will, separating the rays of Sword Essence from one another.

“Clang!”

When the Long Knife’s variations reached its pinnacle, it squarely cleaved the sword body hidden within the Upstanding Qi, creating a clear, crisp sound.

The clatters and clangs continued to ring out as knife and sword danced mid-air.

In the midst of the battle, Jin Jinxian suddenly faltered. For a moment, he was unable to catch up and his Long Sword slowed down.

He had been fighting in a state that had far exceeded his previous peak, resulting in his physical strength being unable to support him.

The swish of the Whisper Sword had barely reached his ears when Jin Jinxian saw Meng Qi’s Long Knife pushing away his sword and aiming straight at his chest.

Although he could use his Upstanding Qi to protect himself from taking this blow head-on and continue fighting after catching his breath, Jin Jinxian was aware that he had already gone beyond his peak. His physical and mental strength were both unable to support him for much longer. Hence he pulled his Long Sword back and gave a hearty chuckle. “I’ll admit my loss.”

He might have said that he had lost, but a happy smile adorned his face. That had been the most carefree and enjoyable sword fight he had ever had. It was truly rare to find such a good opponent!

So even if he had lost; he had no regrets about it!

Meng Qi’s Long Knife halted right before it could pierce Jin Jinxian’s chest. It came to a stop without any prior indications, as if that spot had always been its target right from the beginning. That sent a chill down Wang Zai’s spine.

“Thank you for your kind instruction, Senior.” Meng Qi sheathed his blade. He cupped one hand in the other before his chest and bowed, appearing neither haughty nor humble.

Wang Ce stood before the window. He mumbled in a low voice, “He was merely bullying Club Principal Jin because of his old age.”

However, anyone with decent eyesight would have been able to tell that Jin Jinxian had lost because of his frail body. After 28 intense strikes, he had failed to catch his breath, eventually resulting in his loss. It had nothing to do with the Thunder Blade Furious Monk or his bladesmanship.

As such, many of the Jianghu members were emotional with righteous indignation or jealousy. In small voices, they criticized the Thunder Blade Furious Monk for bullying the old and weak Yedu legend. They complained that when he reached such an age in the future, he too would be treated as a stepping stone by young challengers.

Wang Ce did not notice that his old servant, Wang Zai and Shan Xiumei did not have a shred of contempt on their faces. The old servant appeared to be deep in thought, while the other two had grave expressions.

In the Huang family’s VIP room, one of the old men shook his head in disapproval. “He made the Ranking List of Young Masters only by chance. Zishi, this is your chance.”

Huang Zishi fanned himself with his folding fan as he stared at Meng Qi standing atop the artificial mountain. He gently nodded and replied, “His bladesmanshipis indeed decent, but still not as good as I have thought.”

“He just bullies our Yedu people!”

“How despicable! He purposely targeted an old senior!”

Some of the Jianghu idlers hiding within the crowd daringly called out, since there were so many people surrounding them. Those who had come to watch the show maybe desired to stir up trouble.

With their instigation, many justice fighters were filled with indignation, while the rest of the crowd were brimming with disdain and contempt towards Meng Qi.

Luo Youfeng gave another scornful laugh. The Thunder Blade Furious Monk really did not live up to his name. Out of the blue, he had a brainwave. He took a look at Meng Qi, who was still standing on the artificial mountain, and then took in the surrounding jeers. He had an idea.

He himself was barely able to force Jin Jinxian into a tight spot normally just by using the strength of Nine Apertures in the genuine Qi he projected. Whereas the Thunder Blade Furious Monk was also bullying Jin Jinxian because of his age and had barely scraped a win. The two were unlikely to have dissimilar battle records. Furthermore, the Thunder Blade Furious Monk had just battled against Jin Jinxian and would surely have expended a lot of his energy. If he stepped forward now to challenge him, he was likely to win even if he had to face his Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship.

In any case, losing to a master from the Ranking List of Young Masters after a tough battle was hardly an embarrassing issue. In fact, it could make him look good, and it would be even better if he won. He would become famous in an instant, with most of the Jianghu members looking up to him in fear and awe. Countless young heroes would be drawn to their Martial Club by his amazing reputation, and Yedu’s Huang family would then take note of him and pass their supreme art on to him!

He could feel his palpitations increase.

Hearing the crowd’s angry noises, Jin Jinxian, who had been waiting to have a chat with Meng Qi, gave him an apologetic smile. He was about to raise his hand to silence them to show that he had enjoyed the battle, and that the Thunder Blade Furious Monk had not been bullying him at all.

Just then, a shadowy figure leaped down from the second floor. His body resembled that of a huge bird, gliding down from above.

Even before his feet had touched the ground, his voice chimed like large bells.

“How dare you bully our Yedu people!”

“I’m Luo Youfeng of Army-defeating Martial Club. I’d like to have a spar with you!”

With a rumble, the crowd’s emotions boiled over. Some gave a thumbs-up and cried,

“Good job, Club Principal Luo!”

“Teach this despicable fellow a lesson on behalf of the Yedu Martial Artists Community!”

“He doesn’t live up to his name, so don’t be afraid! Once you’ve taken a hit from his Ananda Oath-breaking blade, you’ll be able to beat him!”

There were also those who were thumping their chests and stomping their feet in frustration. Why had they not thought of challenging the Thunder Blade Furious Monk? They were nobodies anyway, they did not need to care about being criticized for using tactics to tire him out. As long as they won, they would attain both fame and fortune!

Wang Ce looked at Luo Youfeng in disgust. The man was a cunning rascal. Even if the Thunder Blade Furious Monk was not as strong as his reputation had made him seem, he should still have waited a while before challenging him. Taking advantage of his exhaustion was not heroic at all!

“Thunder Blade Furious Monk, uh, Wild Blade is out of luck again. He is more than enough to beat an ordinary Eight Apertures like him.” Wang Ce spoke of his judgment. Turning to look at Shan Xiumei, he asked, “Xiumei, what do you think of?”

Shan Xiumei wore a somewhat strange expression as she replied, “I agree with you, Brother Wang.”

“Within five moves,” Wang Zai suddenly piped up.

Wang Ce was shocked. “What?”

“If he doesn’t use the Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship, he’ll take down Luo Youfeng in five moves.” Wang Zai elaborated in a low voice.

“That’s, That’s impossible, isn’t it?” Wang Ce stuttered, surprised. Luo Youfeng’s strength was almost on par with that of Jin Jinxian. Wild Blade Su Meng had used 28 strokes to beat Jin Jinxian; it was simply impossible for him to beat Luo Youfeng in five strokes without evoking any Exterior moves.

“Three moves.” Wang Ce’s old servant said using his Secret Voice-sending.

Wang Ce was astounded, but he had faith in his old servant’s words when it came to matters concerning Kung Fu. He snapped out of his daze and rebutted, “Impossible. If I were to say, he’d take three moves at most.”

He could not expose his ignorance in front of Xiumei!

Huang Zishi fanned himself continuously, assuming an elegant posture. He did not believe that Luo Youfeng could possibly win, but did think that he could cause some trouble for Meng Qi.

Amidst the noisy shouts and cheers of support, Jin Jinxian was about to explain to Luo Youfeng that he was perfectly happy with his loss and prevent him from challenging a tired Meng Qi. However, he saw Meng Qi draw his Whisper Sword once more and calmly say,

“Please, Club Principal Luo.”

“Alright then. Since the man himself has no objections, who am I to say anything? “Jin Jinxian retreated to the side.

Luo Youfeng deeply inhaled to calm himself down. Then he brandished his blade in his hand, and with a holler, swung it aslant.

His Knife Momentum was ferocious. It was very grand and imposing, while hiding swift transformations and murderous intentions within. This was a move Luo Youfeng was proud of. Thus he had displayed it right from the start in a bid to claim a definite advantage over Meng Qi and to stall his Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship that would come later on.

A cold gust of air seemed to sweep through the courtyard as Meng Qi wielded his Long Knife. His knife’s strokes varied with the wind and coldly swung down on Luo Youfeng’s blade.

“Just what I wanted! ” Luo Youfeng rejoiced inwardly. He yanked his heavy-looking sword upwards in a slanted manner and unexpectedly dodged Meng Qi’s “Whisper Sword”, then went straight for his throat.

However, right at that moment, Meng Qi’s Long Knife suddenly sped up mid-course. It was so fast that it exceeded Luo Youfeng’s expectation, appearing like the moonlight that night– by the time one had seen it, one would already have been bathed in the rays of light!

In a flash, Luo Youfeng’s flaws in his mid-course and on his right side became as apparent as the sun in daytime or the moon against the night sky. Anyone with functional vision would have been able to see it and feel it.

“Clang!”

The “Whisper Sword” struck the back of Luo Youfeng’s right hand, causing his blade to suddenly clatter to the ground.

Luo Youfeng stared at the fallen blade in a trance. He could not believe his eyes. Why had it fallen?

“Why had it fallen? ” That was what most of the Jianghu members were thinking as well. How had Luo Youfeng lost by a single move?

With a snap, Huang Zishi closed his folding fan. His eyes were trained on the back of Luo Youfeng’s hand. There were no signs of it being cut, but there was a red swell indicative of being hit. In other words, at some point in time, Meng Qi’s Long Knife had flipped from the sharp side of the blade to its blunt back to strike, which he had not noticed at all!

Most importantly, as a leader of a Martial Club and a famous Enlightened Master Pro from Yedu, how could he have lost in only one move?

Was this the same Thunder Blade Furious Monk who had been struggling to beat Club Principal Jin just moments ago?

Why did he seem like two completely different people all of a sudden?

“This is the true strength of someone on the Ranking List of Young Masters…” Similar thoughts echoed in the crowd’s minds.

Moreover, the Thunder Blade Furious Monk had yet to use his Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship!

Jin Jinxian, who had been watching from the sides, was dumbstruck as well. He was in slight disbelief that that was the same Wild Blade who had just battled him a while before. He stared as Meng Qi sheathed his Long Knife and jumped down from the artificial mountain.

“He actually only used one move…” The old servant from the Wang family muttered to himself. Wang Zai’s brows were knitted together, whereas Shan Xiumei’s eyes were narrowed.

Wang Ce gave a dry laugh. He exclaimed, “Haha, see, I was right in saying he would take at most three moves.” How is that possible?

Right then, Wang Zai took a light breath and made his way over to the window. He said in a clear voice, “This move by the ‘Wild Blade’ Young Master Su can be said to be ingenious. It baited Club Principal Jin into changing his stroke, thus making him fall into his trap. Also, it contains the Essence of Knife Dao, and is as fast as thunder.”

So that was why! Upon hearing Wang Zai’s explanation, the surrounding Jianghu members and Luo Youfeng came to a sudden realization. That had been a reflection of the Thunder Blade Furious Monk’s true strength!

Wang Zai continued, “But the way I see it, that stroke was not as good as the ones he used when battling Club Principal Jin.”

“Huh?” Most of the Jianghu members, including Jin Jinxian himself, were stunned.

“Each of the 28 strokes was matched precisely with the Sun-scorching Swordsmanship to bring Club Principal Jin’s sword art to its peak bit by bit. At the same time, his strength was diminished bit by bit as well, causing Club Principal Jin to lose not because of his moves, but because of his physical strength. Yet he was still able to experience such heartiness like never before.”

“To be able to win his opponent with 28 moves without hitting him even once, such bladesmanshipis truly amazing!”

“This is Young Master Su’s way of being respectful to our seniors!”

If he had beaten Jin Jinxian in two or three moves, how could the old man, who had been challenged out of the blue by a stranger, still show his face around anymore? The legendary reputation he had built up for himself would be swept away in an instant!

Hence Meng Qi had turned to defense instead of offense and created a legendary battle with him to avoid ruining his reputation.

“He could still do that…”

“It’s incredible…”

Gasps of awe filled the air briefly after their realization. They looked at Meng Qi differently now. In their eyes were fear and admiration for an expert in bladesmanshipand a true master from the Ranking List of Young Masters!

Today they had certainly widened their horizons!

Meng Qi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, immersing himself in the cheers and praise. He thought to himself,

” Although Wang Zai seemed like a real prick when we first met, he’s actually quite objective. I’d say that’s pretty admirable. Otherwise the intentions behind my actions would’ve gone unrecognized and been wasted !”