578 Exchanging Questions

Wang Siyuan's gaze sharpened. Before he even managed to utter a word, Meng Qi's sleeves flapped vigorously! Meng Qi's palms were like a saber thrusting at Wang Siyuan with blinding speed, channeling powers that summoned bolts of purple lightning with tremendous force and destruction!

Is he serious?! Wang Siyuan could hardly believe that Su Meng had indeed struck his palm at him. Based on his divination and his grasp of Su Meng's temperament, Wang Siyuan had truly not expected this.

There were no signs that warned Wang Siyuan of Meng Qi's sudden assault, nor were there any variations in his emotions, not even in the aura that radiated when he channeled his powers. And he attacked with such hastiness?

Meng Qi had been channeling his powers with the Eight Nine Mysteries technique, using it to conceal the fluctuations of his Inner Spirit while his Vital Spirit operated the Heavenly Golden Script to suppress any variation from the energies focused at his apertures when he had first entered the chamber. With all signs and discernible fluctuations suppressed, Meng Qi was able to strike abruptly before his host had realized like sudden stroke of lightning from the sky!

With only a table between them, it reached Wang Siyuan in an instant.

Crack!

The bolts of purple lightning crackled so furiously, even the air around them quivered and shook violently. Still, as if Wang Siyuan was not actually seated before Meng Qi, the former was unperturbed by the angry cracks of thunderclaps. Meng Qi's stroke slashed through him as if he was a mere mirage!

His voice, his breath, the substance of his body can be felt. How is it possible that it is a mere mirage?

He is here, but why did I fail to hit him?

The strange phenomenon that had unfolded before Meng Qi's eyes would have rattled any common man. Any of the uninitiated would have sprung to their foot, their thoughts spinning wildly as they projected their spiritual powers to scan all around them with their senses. They would be convinced that the mirage was a mere deception - a simple parlor trick. But Meng Qi was hardly one of the uninitiated. Although his extensive experiences in dealing with the unknown and his widened perspective had not prevented his wonder at the unexpected turn of events, he did not slacken the pace of his attack. He swiftly slashed through the air, the bolts of lightning rolling with his motion as they crackled furiously as if in protest. The force of the lightning-imbued stroke imploded and the tongues of bolts extended like limbs into all corners of the chamber.

CRACK! Bolts of lightning snapped with ravenous hunger at Wang Siyuan's mirage. It flickered, vanished and then reappeared. Still, he was not hit by any of the bolts of purple lightning, neither had he been forced to take a defensive stance. He sat serenely, unfazed by Meng Qi's assaults.

A little bit more... Just a little bit more... Meng Qi thought with heaviness creeping into him.

Is this a Body Movement technique derived from the discipline of the 'Ebbing Flash' of the Wang Clan? Or had he already foreseen the strokes of my attack? In a flash, Meng Qi had already made calculations. Within him, the silhouettes of his Dharmic Forms: the Golden Crow and the cosmic stars all converged upon his Inner Celestial, forming a dark void - the precursor to the conjuration of the Big Bang technique.

With the aura emanating from the chaotic void, Meng Qi struck at Wang Siyuan once again! Another barrage of lightning bolts wrapped around his outstretched palm like the blade of a sword, hurling forward with the intensity of a torrential flood!

With an air of indifference, Wang Siyuan maintained his composure. He no longer waited for Meng Qi's attack but instead, he extended his index and middle fingers and pointed swiftly at Meng Qi's incoming strike as if he was attacking the eye of a storm.

Poof!

The blade of lightning dissipated into nothing. Once again, Meng Qi's palms, without the imbuement of the lightning shafts, passed harmlessly through Wang Siyuan's ethereal form.

Meng Qi was rather pleased by the developments. Wang Siyuan had been forced to counteract against the aura of the chaotic Void that he had channeled. That much was sufficient to tell Meng Qi that he had been right in deducing that the mysterious technique Wang Siyuan had employed was a combination of the Voidness Swordsmanship and the Ebbing Flash, discounting the possibility that Wang Siyuan had evaded his strikes through divination.

He would now strike swiftly! He would allow Wang Siyuan no opportunity for countermeasure or evasion!

Meng Qi struck again, his palm enfolded by purple lightning shafts. Only this time, his palms attacked from overhead with forceful speed and intensity. Common warriors who have only unsealed their Apertures would not have been able to follow his rapid movements. The blinding flash of purple would only reach their eyes after the blow had fallen upon them.

Wang Siyuan's figure shimmered, evading Meng Qi's strike by a hair's breadth. His fingers thrust straight at Meng Qi's wrist, forcing his assailant to withdraw.

Wang Siyuan had since recovered from his surprise. With a manic glint in his eyes, he was enjoying their bout, eager to see if Meng Qi would surpass his predictions and amaze him!

Not fast enough? Meng Qi cursed to himself. His expression turned serious and stern as he rose to his feet and attacked Wang Siyuan again with another overhead strike! His palm bore down on its quarry with lightning speed!

The gloom of the void enveloped them. Suddenly, a flash of light tore through the shadows. The shaft of light seemed to cut the darkness in half! With unstoppable viciousness, the light smote at Wang Siyuan with the intensity and speed of a falling star!

The Ebbing Flash does not escape the laws of Nature and the laws of Enlightenment!

Meng Qi's palms had nearly struck Wang Siyuan's face when the latter's body flickered wildly. Only this time, it did not have the surrealistic and unearthly aura that it had exuded before, nor did it have the vanishing presence that it had previously demonstrated.

His aura changed drastically as if his entire self was in the most incongruent conflict with the workings of the Dharma and Logos of Nature and the order of Enlightenment! With a most illogical stroke, Wang Siyuan's finger pointed like a sword into empty space in the gloomy void.

Everything happened in an instant. Meng Qi felt a sudden sensation that told him that his attunement with Nature had been severed. The same had happened to Wang Siyuan. Without the ability to draw upon the forces of Nature and attune himself with its Dharma and Logos, Meng Qi's palm struck down with no less quickness. However, as the powers of the Big Bang technique had dissipated, his stroke was just a common stroke without any imbuement!

Wang Siyuan took a quick step backward and evaded Meng Qi's palm. His robes fluttered from the force of the attack. Once again he had nullified Meng Qi's attack by triggering an anomaly!

Having gained the upper hand, Meng Qi hurled himself forward, stretching himself. Once again, the Dharmic Forms he conjured within himself converged as one as his body and limbs grew and elongated. His palms struck forth again, his powers concentrated on a single point, throwing forward the force of a falling mountain. The air around them groaned like rumbling thunder.

The Back to Basics technique! A stroke from the discipline of the Virtual Purity Sabersmanship!

With all the essences of all disciplines of the blade that he had learned fused as one, the stroke hewed viciously with the exactness of the Judgment of Heaven and the terrifying force of utter destruction.

"Open!"

Meng Qi bellowed with a maniacal frenzy as if he were the true God of Thunder, dispensing judgment upon Wang Siyuan with a swift and heavy stroke.

With all powers and forces of Nature as one, Meng Qi's palm tore through the air with a shade of gloom enveloping his fingers, snapping ravenously at Wang Siyuan. Having evaded the Big Bang technique earlier, Wang Siyuan could only feel himself being drawn closer to the strike of his assailant which now commanded the force of a powerful vacuum, costing him his best chance at evasion!

With no more tricks up his sleeve, Wang Siyuan again pierced into the space between them with his fingers, severing their connection to the pool of Nature's energies. The shade of darkness that shrouded Meng Qi's palms vanished and the vacuum that he had employed to draw his adversary to him disappeared as well.

Nevertheless, this did not stop Meng Qi from continuing his attack. The muscles of his body swelled as his booming voice resounded.

"Open!"

Wang Siyuan pointed his left hand forward, trying to parry Meng Qi's stroke like he would a sword.

Thud!

The palm and the finger struck each other like true weapons of steel and Wang Siyuan staggered backward. The floor beneath his feet cracked at the force of their clash and red patches of throbbing soreness swelled on his fingers.

You can sever the forces of Nature from me, but I have brute force at my disposal! The very true crux of my strength! Meng Qi broke into roaring laughter. He withdrew and returned to his seat.

Meng Qi and Wang Siyuan both knew that they would not be able to restrain themselves if their brief but intense bout had escalated. The mere shockwaves that rippled from the clashes of their little spar would have decimated the magical barriers around them and put the lives of many innocent people at risk. At this point, not even the black and white pieces on the chessboard in front of Wang Siyuan were scattered despite their short but vivid skirmish.

Meng Qi therefore elected to stop their duel. At least I have finally been able to give Trickster Wang a good thumping!

Wang Siyuan coughed hard and flicked his slightly bruised wrist. Slowly, he lowered himself onto his seat. The manic glint of pumping adrenaline was still in his eyes as he recalled how Meng Qi had surpassed his anticipation and the performance of the Ebbing Flash.

He subsided and gave Meng Qi a look of indifference. "I would not take this any further if I were you."

"What do you mean?"  Meng Qi frowned.

I know you still have other tricks up your sleeves, but I am hardly at the bottom of my deck. This victory in our little spar is enough for me to gloat over!

And I have greater potential than you!

Meng Qi changed the subject and said, "I am still unaware of your reason for wanting to meet me, Young Master Wang."

Wang Siyuan took a chess piece from the board and twirled it in his fingers as he answered. "I have something to ask you."

"Ah. So there are indeed things that the Young Master Wang is unable to divine. Things that you have to request my counsel for." Meng Qi sneered.

With a calm demeanor, Wang Siyuan replied. "Abbot Kong Wen was previously confined by Han Guang in one of the many Shards of Cosmic Glow, was he not?"

Ah? Meng Qi was taken aback by Wang Siyuan's sudden remark. The Trickster is aware of this?

Meng Qi had not publicized all the details of Abbot Kong Wen's confinement. The people that he had told the story to only knew of Han Guang and Tai Li's involvement. No one had been told the site of his confinement nor the period within which the Abbot had been held.

Wang Siyuan placed the piece back on the board and prepared to rise from his seat, saying, "There's no need to answer. I know."

A bizarre expression appeared fleetingly on his face.

This babbling trickster seems to need another good beating from me... Meng Qi gritted his teeth, confused by Wang Siyuan's mysteriousness.

Then again, in addition to coming at Wang Siyuan's behest for a discussion and trying to see if he could land a punch on Wang Siyuan, Meng Qi had another motive for coming. Seeing no further point in continued theatrics, Meng Qi cleared his throat and spoke. "One moment please, Young Master Wang. You have asked me one question. Let me ask you one too in order to balance the causality between us."

"How can I be of service?" Wang Siyuan asked, sinking back into his seat.

A shade of melancholy swept across Meng Qi's expression. "Having received the impartation of the Thunder God, I am now being hunted by minions of the order of the Method of Mistress Su. This is a very troubling concern for me. A throbbing sore which might one day escalate and spell my downfall. I would like to seek your counsel, Young Master Wang. Is there anything I can do to remedy this?"

While there were still close to three years for him to resolve the matter of the Karma of the Thunder God, Meng Qi was still constantly troubled by this matter as he sought to train and meditate to strengthen himself.

It would hardly be difficult for Meng Qi to delve for information on the members of the order of the Method of Mistress Su seeing as they abounded at all levels and ranks of the Jianghu, especially in the sects and orders of the more malignant half of the world of martial arts. Prominent sects and respected orders would have at least breadcrumbs that he could begin with. Yet, most of these members were minions of the lowest echelons of the order who might not even know the site of the actual entrance to the Mistress Su's Fairyland, let alone being permitted entry to step into it. They lacked the status and standing in order for Meng Qi to assume their appearance and slip in!

Thus, Meng Qi had decided to see if there was information that he could pry from Trickster Wang. Given the long and illustrious history of the Wang Clan of River East that superseded the order of the Method of Mistress Su, there might be valuable information that he could divulge to Meng Qi about the fabled Mistress Su's Fairyland.

Meng Qi constantly reminded himself that he could not reveal his true purpose, lest his position could be exploited by Wang Siyuan like a sacrificial pawn on his chessboard!

With a chess piece twirling between his fingers, Wang Siyuan choked and coughed. "With your current strength, you could have easily slipped into hiding and trained until you possessed the level of a grandmaster. By that time, you would be able to negotiate with them. Who knows? You might even be able to possess the use of a Divine Weapon of the highest order, claim the disciplines of the Six Cutting of the Overlord and the Divine Nine-Annihilation, and have one of the many Nirmanakaya incarnations of the Mystic Fairy as a lover."

Hide? I will face certain doom in obscurity too... Meng Qi thought quietly. He shook his head and said,

"No, that will not do. The reputation that I have built up would be ruined by then."

Your reputation... Wang Siyuan looked at Meng Qi silently. On his face was a hint of a sneer that said "cheeky".

He tore his thoughtful gaze off Meng Qi and placed the chess piece back on to the board. "There is no other way then," he said. "You will need to locate the site of the Mistress Su's Fairyland to be able to thwart their schemes against you. Your connections to the many esteemed elders of the Dharmakaya level like Master Kong Wen would amount to nothing in this matter."

"Is it true then, that the Mistress Su's Fairyland is indeed hard to find?" Meng Qi finally asked the question that he had been waiting to table for so long.

Wang Siyuan coughed and coughed and coughed until he finally stopped with great difficulty. "The Mistress Su's Fairyland was shaped by the Mystic Fairy of the Nine Heavens with a portion of the Ninth Heaven a long time ago. Great mysteries veil the true nature and secrets of this mythical domain and not many know where it lies." Wang Siyuan answered weakly.

"The Ninth Heaven?" Meng Qi asked quizzically, his brows twitching.

The Mistress Su's Fairyland was part of the ancient Celestial Court?

Wang Siyuan gave no answer. Instead, his wry gaze bore deep into Meng Qi with a hint of a knowing smile as if he had finally seen through his intentions. He rose to his feet and drifted out of the chamber.

Unsatisfied with the lack of headway, Meng Qi stepped out of the chamber and left promptly with his hands held behind his back while the thoughts of the Mistress Su's Fairyland swirled in his mind.

I did not expect that the Fairyland was involved with the ancient Celestial Court! Would I be able to glean any more information if continue to delve in this direction?

But not even the Xuan Tian Sect has much information about the ancient Celestial Court... and the two individuals who might have deeper insights into this are considered enemies to me...

It would be impossible to speak with Han Guang, the "Heaven Sovereign" of The Myths. Do I really have no other option but the evil Gu Xiaosang?

Suddenly, a child ran up to him, interrupting his thoughts. "Young Master, there is a letter for you." The little child whispered to him.

A letter? With his spiritual senses, Meng Qi was certain that it held no dangers. He opened it and read the contents swiftly.

"Wang Siyuan had ventured into the rear mountains of the Shaolin Temple and had passed through the stone door."

Wang Siyuan had come across the true stone door?

That was why he had asked about Abbot Kong Wen! He knew!

Did he have the same purpose as Han Guang for venturing into the rear mountain? What did he gain from his visit there?

How did he enter the stone door? And who had sent me this letter?

A flurry of questions circled round and round in Meng Qi's mind.

…

Yuanyang and Weng Lingyu had not expected to encounter the infamous Killing Blade during their first meeting. With mounting excitement, their discussion remained lively, hemmed with fervent admiration and frenzied passion about the feats and accomplishments of the Killing Blade.

At length, Weng Linyu paused and sighed. "Would our Senior be here too?"

"Our Senior?" The sudden mention of their senior took Yuanyang aback. The figure of their Senior who had led them through their very first mission flashed through her mind.