Three days after the battle in Qingfeng Town, Xiao Wuchen announced that he was going into seclusion to prepare for his second martial arts fusion. He knew that the Haoran Sword Sect would not give up easily. While the Purple Qi Brushing Willow was powerful, it was ultimately a hidden weapon. To defeat a master in close combat, he needed an equally deadly technique.
In the secret chamber, Xiao Wuchen sat cross-legged, surrounded by purple qi. This fusion was more difficult than the last because he was attempting to master the martial arts concept of "reversal of hardness and softness".
[System Operation: Fuse Purple Qi Coming from the East (fierce) with Three Absolute Palms (explosive). Fusion goal: create a palm technique with a 'soft exterior and fierce interior'.
The fusion began. Xiao Wuchen guided the pure internal energy of 'Purple Qi Coming from the East' into the energy channels of 'Three Absolute Palms'.
Previously, Three Absolute Palms required internal energy to erupt like a volcano, striking instantly. But now, Xiao Wuchen forcibly commanded the internal energy to "slow down" and "soften". Each movement of his internal energy felt like stretching a hard piece of steel into a supple thread and weaving it into an invisible net.
Pain and struggle:
Conflict between hardness and softness: The instinct of Purple Qi Comes from the East is "rushing" and "exploding", but the new path of fusion with Three Absolute Palms requires it to "entangle" and "penetrate".
These two diametrically opposed methods of operation clashed violently within Xiao Wuchen's meridians, seemingly threatening to tear his dantian apart at any moment.
Power Manipulation Technique: He had to find a delicate balance. The instant his palm struck the enemy's body, it had to be soft and yielding to avoid the enemy's protective qi. However, once it entered the enemy's meridians, it had to revert instantly to the fierce and powerful nature of Purple Qi.
(Profound Rank, Superior Grade, Yin-Yang Intrusion, Powerful Explosion)
Effect description: When unleashed, the palm strike is as gentle as a reflection of the moon in water. It possesses an extremely strong sense of weakness and can easily penetrate the enemy's protective qi. Once the internal force has invaded the enemy's meridians, a powerful and pure shockwave of "Purple Qi Comes from the East" is instantly unleashed, causing devastating damage to the internal organs.
Note: This skill combines softness and strength. Upon mastery, one can challenge higher realms.
Xiao Wuchen opened his eyes. His palm was as white as jade, devoid of any trace of fire. He gently pressed against the wall of the secret chamber. A palm wind swept across silently. However, after the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the wall touched by the 'Water Moon Seal' emitted a crackling sound from within and silently turned to powder.
'With the Water Moon Seal, the Haoran Sword Sect's supreme protective technique will be rendered useless,' Xiao Wuchen smiled with satisfaction. He had officially emerged from seclusion, ready to face the next storm.
Li Mubai, the leader of the Haoran Sword Sect, was left utterly humiliated at the sect assembly following the crushing defeat at Qingfeng Town. Sitting on the main seat, he exuded murderous intent while Gu Qingfeng knelt below with his head bowed in shame.
"His subtle and evil techniques have reached such a level! We underestimated this fiend!' Li Mubai's voice was icy cold.
'Master, Xiao Wuchen's martial arts are extremely strange. His hidden weapon techniques appear subtle, but his internal energy is pure and refined, making them impossible to defend against!' Gu Qingfeng reported.
Li Mubai ignored him. He already knew that the sect's resources had to be utilised to 'eliminate' Xiao Wuchen, as ordinary inner disciples and the Haoran Sword Technique were insufficient.
'Pass on my order:'
Activate the 'Dragon-Slaying Formation'. Summon three elders from within the sect immediately. The three elders have all mastered the 'Righteous Sword Formation'. Together, their sword energy can lock down an entire area, leaving no chance of escape for Xiao Wuchen's hidden weapons!
Objective: The Ranking Challenge. Abandon street fighting and ambushes. Our Righteous Sword Sect will defeat Xiao Wuchen in an honourable fight! Tell the Martial Alliance that the three elders will challenge Xiao Wuchen in the Ranking Challenge in the name of 'upholding the righteous path of the martial world'.
Intelligence blockade: strictly conceal the martial arts characteristics of 'Purple Qi Willow', claiming only that Xiao Wuchen used 'despicable hidden weapons' to injure others. Simultaneously, investigate the source of Xiao Wuchen's Purple Qi internal energy, the foundation of all his strange martial arts.
A ruthless glint flashed in Li Mubai's eyes: 'This time, we don't want a simple victory; we want to utterly disgrace him in front of the world!'
The elders of the Haoran Sword Sect have mobilised, determined to "slay the dragon" and carry the sect's pride. Their target is Xiao Wuchen of the Wugen Sect! A higher-level "good versus evil" duel is about to begin!
The 'Challenge to the Ranking of Heroes', issued by the Haoran Sword Sect, has caused an even greater stir in the martial arts world than the Battle of Qingfeng Town. This time, the challengers are not impetuous young disciples, but three renowned elders of the sect!
Elder Xuanxin is known for his steady swordsmanship and profound internal energy.
Elder Qingxu: Master of sword formations, seasoned and experienced.
Elder Mingguang is renowned for his superb lightness skill and ability to manoeuvre and control opponents.
Together, these three elders are capable of contending with the top ten masters on the Ranking of Heroes. Not only are they challenging Xiao Wuchen's martial arts, they are also using this opportunity to demonstrate to the entire martial arts world the unshakeable 'righteous path' of the Haoran Sword Sect.
Public opinion:
'The Haoran Sword Sect is truly enraged this time! With the three elders activating the 'Haoran Sword Formation', they can seal off an area with a radius of ten zhang. No matter how unpredictable Xiao Wuchen's hidden weapons are, there will be no opportunity to use them!"
'Although the Wugen Sect Master is highly skilled in martial arts, he is still young. Facing the combined might of three senior masters, his chances of winning are less than 30%.'
'This battle is no longer about personal grudges, but about a clash between a new force and the old order. If Xiao Wuchen wins, the landscape of the martial world will change forever!"
The challenge is scheduled to take place in half a month's time at the Tianfeng Platform, a gathering place for martial artists, and the entire martial world's attention is focused on Xiao Wuchen, the Wugen Sect Master.
Facing the impending siege by the three elders, Xiao Wuchen remained calm. He knew that the combined attack of the three elders was undoubtedly aimed at his unpredictable hidden weapon, the Purple Qi Brushing Willow, and that the Righteous Sword Formation was specifically designed to counter his ranged attacks.
"Since they want to block my 'Willow Leaf', I'll use my 'Water Moon' to counter it."
He focused all his energy on adapting to and refining his newly fused palm technique, the Water Moon Seal.
He practised the Switch Between Softness and Hardness: Xiao Wuchen repeatedly practised achieving both the 'softness' intrusion and 'hardness' explosion when channelling the powerful Purple Qi Coming from the East internal energy through his palm technique. Each of his palm strikes produced a palm wind so gentle that it could not extinguish a candle flame, yet the internal energy could penetrate the candlestick and instantly shatter its internal structure.
Considering the Sword Formation: The core of the 'Righteous Sword Formation' is the continuous suppression of sword energy. Xiao Wuchen's strategy was to use the soft power of the Water Moon Seal to avoid the sharpness of the formation, get close to the elders, break through their protective qi with the Soft Seal, and then use the Hard Explosion to injure the enemy.'No matter how strong the sword formation is, it ultimately relies on human power. If even one person is restrained, the formation will break.' Xiao Wuchen thought to himself. Mei Aoran was extremely anxious. As Grand Protector, he was responsible for deployment. He knew that the survival of the Rootless Sect was at stake in this battle. The three elders were no ordinary people. The 'Righteous Sword Formation' was said to be able to annihilate a Grandmaster. "Should we prepare some contingency plans?" Xiao Wuchen looked at him calmly: 'Contingency plans? In this battle, martial arts are the only contingency plan. If I cannot break through their 'righteous path' with my own strength, the Rootless Sect has no place in the martial world.' Nevertheless, he gave instructions: 1. Intelligence gathering: make sure you find out the weaknesses of the three elders and how the Righteous Sword Formation is activated. 2. Safe evacuation: if defeated, the core disciples of the Rootless Sect must immediately evacuate along the predetermined route. 3. Public opinion preparation: a message was sent to the martial arts forces supporting the Rootless Sect stating that in this battle, only life and death matter, regardless of means! The half-month deadline is fast approaching. The wind on Tianfeng Platform grew stronger, bringing with it a chilling atmosphere. — The war drums have sounded.
The half-month deadline has arrived.
Tianfeng Platform, located in the heart of the Central Plains' martial arts world, is a towering natural stone structure reaching into the clouds. Today, it is teeming with people, as martial artists from all sects and factions have gathered to witness the battle between 'good' and 'evil'.
A layer of fine sand covers the central stone platform and banners flutter around it.
The first to appear are the three elders of the Haoran Sword Sect: Xuanxin, Qingxu and Mingguang. They wear indigo sect robes and their auras are solemn and imposing; they have long swords hanging at their waists. The moment the three elders step onto the platform, a powerful aura of righteousness permeates the air, silencing the crowd's chatter.
'The three elders of the Haoran Sword Sect joining forces — what a magnificent sight!' 'How will Xiao Wuchen deal with these three formidable figures?'
As the crowd buzzed with discussion, a figure in purple drifted gracefully across the distant horizon like a flowing cloud.
Xiao Wuchen, dressed in a purple robe, descended onto the Heavenly Peak Platform without raising a speck of dust. His face was calm and his eyes were deep and unfathomable. Two judge's pens strapped to his back exuded an understated arrogance.
'Three seniors of the Vast Sword Sect, I, Xiao Wuchen, have been waiting for you for a long time,' he said in a clear, resonant voice that carried a subtle magnetic quality.
Elder Xuanxin stepped forward, his hair and beard bristling, and said in a deep voice, 'Xiao Wuchen, you have poisoned the martial world with your wicked and sinister techniques. Today, my Haoran Sword Sect will act on behalf of Heaven to eradicate this evil path! If you surrender and hand over your evil techniques, I may spare your life!'
Xiao Wuchen sneered. 'Ridiculous! Martial arts are neither inherently good nor evil; they differ only in the hearts of men. Your so-called 'righteousness' is nothing more than an attempt to protect your own 'power'! Enough nonsense — let's fight! Let's see if your Haoran Sword Qi is sharper or if my Wugen Sect's Purple Qi is more sinister!'
'Arrogant brat! Prepare to die!'
Elder Qingxu roared, striking first!
The three elders drew their swords almost simultaneously, their longswords gleaming with a blinding, cold light in the sunlight. Rather than rushing to attack, they swiftly shifted their positions, instantly surrounding Xiao Wuchen in a triangular formation.
Sword Formation Activated! The three elders simultaneously channelled their inner force and a surge of powerful sword energy erupted from the tips of their swords. Rather than a straight attack, this sword energy was interconnected, forming an invisible net of sword energy in the air. Like an inverted bowl, the net of light completely enveloped Xiao Wuchen. The sword energy swirled, emitting a humming sound like thunder and wind, as if the air itself was being shredded! "This is the Powerful Sword Formation! The sword energy is continuous, sealing off all space!' someone exclaimed from below the stage. Xiao Wuchen stood in the centre of the sword formation, his figure as swift as a willow catkin in the wind. He could clearly feel that every inch of the surrounding space was filled with extremely powerful yang sword energy. His hidden weapon, the Purple Qi Willow, was completely unable to be used or changed direction within this density of sword energy. 'It really is aimed at my hidden weapon.' Xiao Wuchen's heart tightened. Purple Qi Willow vs. Water Moon Seal: Elder Xuanxin made the first move. With a flick of his sword, a bolt of sword energy shot straight towards Xiao Wuchen's throat. Xiao Wuchen narrowed his eyes. Instead of summoning his Judge's Pen, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and floated backwards. He knew it was time to use his new martial art. "Since hidden weapons are useless, I'll break the formation at close range!" He thrust out his right palm, meeting the sword energy head-on. The palm technique seemed light and soft, as if completely powerless.The palm technique seemed light and soft, as if completely powerless, but it was his newly fused Water Moon Seal technique! 'He actually dared to use his palm technique to block the elder's sword energy directly?!' The spectators erupted into an uproar. Palm met sword energy. Contrary to everyone's expectations, there was no deafening roar, only a soft 'plop' sound, like water droplets falling into a deep pool. Xiao Wuchen's palm force deflected, entangled and penetrated the fierce sword energy in an extremely subtle way! It seemed to encounter an invisible stream of water, disintegrating into fragments and ultimately dissipating. "What kind of palm technique is this? It can actually neutralise sword energy?" Elder Xuanxin was shocked. Seizing this momentary opening, Xiao Wuchen rushed forward like a phantom under the moon, heading straight for Elder Xuanxin. His intention was to use the Water Moon Seal to break through a corner of the sword formation. The decisive battle had begun! Xiao Wuchen had already used the Water Moon Seal to neutralise Elder Xuanxin's sword energy and was attempting to break through the formation.
Xiao Wuchen moved with unparalleled ease, weaving through the sword formation created by the three elders. Having abandoned the hidden weapon technique, Purple Qi Willow, he focused entirely on his newly fused palm technique, Water Moon Seal.
Seeing that Elder Xuanxin's attack had been thwarted, Elders Qingxu and Mingguang immediately launched an even fiercer offensive. Their sword energies, like two intertwining bolts of lightning, blocked all of Xiao Wuchen's escape routes.
'Don't even think about getting close to Senior Brother Xuanxin! Righteous Sword, Slay Evil!'
However, Xiao Wuchen's Water Moon Seal was strangely devastating. Every palm strike he made was extremely gentle and ethereal. When the sword energy attacked, he met it head-on with a technique called "using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds", guiding and deflecting the power of the sword energy and preventing it from solidifying.
He seemed to have become a phantom reflection of the moon in water. Although the sword energy struck his afterimage, it could not harm his true form.
'Damn it! His internal energy is too slippery! I can't grasp it at all!' Elder Mingguang was shocked and furious, feeling as though his righteous energy had vanished like a mud ox sinking into the sea, never to return. Severe Injury: A Flowing, Unyielding Force. Xiao Wuchen seized a fleeting opening and closed in on Elder Xuanxin. With no way to dodge, Elder Xuanxin could only concentrate his internal energy in front of his chest to form an incredibly strong layer of protective qi in an attempt to withstand the attack head-on. A wicked smile appeared on Xiao Wuchen's lips. 'An incredibly strong defence? Try my Water Moon!" His left palm lightly touched Elder Xuanxin's chest with no audible impact, as if a feather had brushed past. However, this palm strike was the quintessential application of the Water Moon Seal — gentle force intrusion! The pure internal energy of the [Purple Qi] was forcibly compressed and softened to penetrate Elder Xuanxin's protective qi, spreading everywhere like mercury seeping into the ground. Elder Xuanxin felt a chill in his chest, followed by boundless fear. His protective qi wasn't shattered, but bypassed! With a thought, Xiao Wuchen instantly restored the fierce and domineering nature of [Purple Qi Comes from the East], the gentle internal energy that had seeped into Elder Xuanxin's body. A muffled roar erupted from Elder Xuanxin's body! This shockwave directly impacted his internal organs.
"Ugh—"Elder Xuanxin's face turned deathly pale, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood, a sweet taste rising in his throat. The longsword in his hand trembled and the 'horn' of the Vast Sword Formation collapsed immediately!
'Senior Brother Xuanxin!'
Elders Qingxu and Mingguang were horrified, their minds reeling. The sword formation had immediately revealed a huge flaw. They had to pull away in order to support the severely injured Elder Xuanxin.
But Xiao Wuchen wouldn't give them a chance.
'The formation is broken. What are you now?'
He turned, and the Judge's Pen finally struck! This time, the Judge's Pen was not used for a sneak attack, but rather as a short, double-edged weapon infused with the internal energy of the Water Moon Seal.
Xiao Wuchen charged towards Elder Mingguang, who hastily prepared for battle. Xiao Wuchen's two pens clashed with Mingguang's longsword in mid-air. With each clash, the Judge's Pen dissipated most of the sword's power with "soft" force, then unleashed "hard" force instantly, numbing Mingguang's longsword.
In less than three breaths, Xiao Wuchen found an opening: his right pen swept horizontally not to attack the throat but to strike the sword-wielding wrist of Elder Mingguang.
Elder Mingguang suddenly felt numbness in his wrist and his longsword slipped from his grasp, crashing to the ground with a clang.
Elder Qingxu's eyes widened in fury. Realising the situation was hopeless, he roared and swung his sword at Xiao Wuchen's back in a desperate attempt to fight back.
Xiao Wuchen didn't turn his head, but thrust his left palm backwards. [Water Moon Seal]!
Elder Qingxu felt as if his sword tip had pierced nothingness. Then, an extremely subtle and sticky force came through, instantly neutralising his sword's momentum. Xiao Wuchen pushed back, sending Elder Qingxu flying several feet away and crashing to the edge of the platform. He was already suffering internal injuries.
Tianfeng Platform was deathly silent.
Of the three Haoran Sword Sect elders, one was severely injured and two were forced to retreat; their sword formation had been completely destroyed.
Xiao Wuchen stood proudly in the centre of the platform, retracting his two pens as his purple robe fluttered in the wind. He had a cold, domineering air about him.
Looking down at the speechless, shocked martial artists below, he pierced the stagnant air with his voice:
'The Haoran Sword Sect attempted to "eradicate the evil sects", but they didn't realise that the true evil sects are those that are closed off from the world. Remember! Xiao Wuchen broke your sword formation with the 'Water Moon Seal', and from this day forward, there will be no distinction between good and evil in the martial world!'
This battle not only defeated the Haoran Sword Sect, but also firmly established Xiao Wuchen's unshakable position in the Human Ranking. The Rootless Sect had officially become a new and awe-inspiring force in the martial world!