No matter how shocked she was, Luo Cuilian remained the Martial King who had reigned supreme for over two hundred years.
After a fleeting moment of distraction, she regained her composure.
The dissipating golden particles recollected around her body, surging toward her fist as she unleashed a three-hundred-meter-long torrent of radiant light.
The sheer destructive force and recoil of the blast sent Luo Cuilian's own body hurtling backward.
Gazing at the silver-haired dragon maiden who had evaded the strike completely unscathed, Luo Cuilian's expression turned icy, though she wasn't entirely surprised.
Melusine didn't particularly care for this "Martial King."
In her memory, while this woman was an ancient ancestor of China, she seemed steeped in archaic dross and toxic habits.
Melusine couldn't see a trace of traditional virtue in her; she had seemingly inherited only the flaws.
Even if this wasn't her actual hometown, it was enough to spark a sense of distaste.
Besides, what even was a "Martial King"?
Martial arts was one thing, and being a king was another. How did those two even fit together as a title?
"Such divine speed. No wonder you've managed to slay those foreign barbarian kings one after another," Luo Cuilian suddenly remarked.
Melusine, having no fondness for her, spoke bluntly: "You are no different from them."
"You certainly possess the capital to be arrogant. As the saying goes, absolute strength crushes all laws; before raw power, any scheme or technique becomes trivial," Luo Cuilian said, settling into a stance in mid-air.
Her posture was textbook-perfect and rigid; though she stood in the void, it felt as if her feet were planted firmly on solid ground.
"You believe your speed is unrivaled, but as the pinnacle of martial arts, I have more than enough ways to bring you to heel."
"The pinnacle of martial arts?"
Already annoyed, Melusine felt like she might actually laugh out of pure irritation at those words.
It was common knowledge that Amber had studied under Fu Hua, mastering the Taixu Sword Qi.
The Taixu Sword Qi had undergone thousands of years of refinement and optimization by Fu Hua, and after Amber learned it, it evolved through another several millennia of adaptation.
It was a discipline that continuously advanced the mind, body, power, and technique in a holistic manner.
Yet, even after so many eons of evolution, neither Amber nor Fu Hua would ever dare claim they had reached the "pinnacle."
Fu Hua had often said that the path of martial arts is bottomless and infinite.
And here was someone who had lived a mere two hundred years claiming to be the peak?
Amber didn't consider herself a true martial artist because she knew she lacked the "heart of the strong" that defined them. Nevertheless, Melusine felt a flicker of genuine heat at Luo Cuilian's arrogance.
"Indeed. I am the summit of martial prowess." Luo Cuilian didn't see the slightest issue with her claim.
On the contrary, she viewed Melusine's scoff as the reaction of a frog in a well who couldn't comprehend the moon in the sky.
After all, after two exchanges, she felt she had read her opponent: the girl simply relied on speed for simple, direct attacks.
Besides, this was a Western dragon girl. What could she possibly know of martial arts?
Amber generally felt that using a character card meant walking the world with that character's identity and appearance.
Since she was borrowing their power, she felt a responsibility to uphold their persona and background—or at least stay within the ballpark without breaking character too drastically.
She certainly didn't like using abilities that contradicted the character.
But now, she decided to break that rule just once.
Under Luo Cuilian's astonished gaze, Melusine retracted the fist-blades on her wrists and settled into a perfectly poised opening stance.
Realizing that doing such a move in full armor felt a bit clunky, she simply commanded her dragon scales to transform into a form-fitting, pitch-black cheongsam that allowed for easy movement.
Luo Cuilian had intended to mock the sudden change in attire and the unfamiliar stance, but upon closer inspection, she realized it wasn't just "well-practiced."
This stance possessed a genuine, formidable aura of the martial path.
"What school of martial arts is this?" Luo Cuilian asked, her curiosity piqued.
She had mastered the world's styles; calling her an encyclopedia of martial arts was no exaggeration.
This was exactly why she had intended to mock the girl—if she hadn't seen it, it had to be some miscellaneous, low-level scrap.
Melusine had no intention of explaining.
Using the Taixu Sword Qi was already a massive decision; it was best to avoid any further out-of-character behavior if possible.
This time, she didn't rely on sheer speed to overwhelm her opponent. Instead, she closed the distance at a pace equal to—or perhaps even a fraction slower than—Luo Cuilian's own.
'She wants to compete with me in technique?' Luo Cuilian realized Melusine's intent instantly and couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
Pivoting to dodge Melusine's straight punch, she reached out to seize the incoming wrist. But when her hand closed, she realized she had caught nothing but an afterimage.
So fast... no! Was it a feint?
She immediately adjusted her posture, but when physical attributes are equal, a lapse in judgment leads to an irreversible disadvantage.
Facing a wide-open Luo Cuilian, Melusine didn't rush to follow up.
Instead, she shifted her fist into a palm strike, hitting Luo Cuilian in the flank. After knocking her back several meters, she didn't pursue. She simply stood there, looking at her with a cold, indifferent gaze.
Even a fool would understand what Melusine meant by that.
Luo Cuilian hadn't felt this toyed with or humiliated in over a century.
Even when Voban or Aisha were causing trouble in front of her, she merely viewed them as annoying flies or insects. She might get angry, but it was just a passing flash of temper.
This was different. Not only was her dignity as the pinnacle of martial arts being challenged, she had actually been slapped in the face.
She had felt that move clearly. It didn't involve any magical energy or Authority, nor was it achieved through speed.
That feint had been so indistinguishable from reality that her own martial instincts had been baited into believing the strike was coming.
She understood and could perform such deceptive techniques herself—she had used them to toy with her own disciples many times—but... she was never the one supposed to be toyed with.
'Initiate: Waning Moon.'
The original form was a sword technique called "Blade of the Waning Moon."
However, since Melusine had long since mastered the spirit and rhythm of the Taixu Sword Qi, she could wield any weapon as if it were a sword.
Her strikes didn't need to be bound by the shape of a blade; every punch and palm strike carried the soul of a sword.
Despite the fury simmering in her heart, Luo Cuilian calmed herself instantly.
She had indeed treated her opponent as someone who merely had a "decent stance."
With her pride as the ultimate martial artist, she hadn't taken the fight seriously enough, intending to easily dismantle the girl and then demand the secrets of this unknown style.
But now, she only wanted to give this Western dragon girl a proper lesson. She would show her what a true Grandmaster looked like.
Seeing Luo Cuilian reset her state, Melusine didn't immediately attack. Instead, she made a "please" gesture toward her.
Luo Cuilian nearly laughed from the sheer spite of it, finding the dragon maiden's arrogance beyond belief.
Fine then. Since you're so conceited, you can take that arrogance with you to the underworld.
Without further hesitation, Luo Cuilian closed the gap with exquisite footwork.
It created a strange sense of displacement, as if she "hadn't arrived yet" even though she was right there. Luo Cuilian was equally a master of techniques that deceived the eye.
Then, mirroring Melusine's earlier move, she threw a straight punch directly at the girl's face.
However, in Melusine's eyes, the move was riddled with openings.
She caught the whistling fist with a single palm.
Mimicking the way Fu Hua used to critique her during their grueling training sessions, she remarked: "The force is acceptable, but the execution is far too muddy."
Before Luo Cuilian could kick out or retract her arm, Melusine's fingers struck out like a sword, tapping the pressure point at her solar plexus.
Even with a lower body as steady as Mount Tai, Luo Cuilian felt her knees go weak for a split second. A wave of shock crashed through her mind.
Had this dragon girl seen through every single one of her moves?!
No... that's impossible!
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.