Chapter 86: “The Six Meridians Divine Sword”

Of all Tianlong Temple, he had already probed Benyin and the others thoroughly. Only this hidden elder gave him pause.

That one, always sitting with his back turned, exuded a quiet menace. Jiumozhi dared not underestimate him.

It was said he had practiced some strange “Withered-Glory” skill for decades. Who knew what hidden depths it held?

As Jiumozhi pondered, his gaze flickered—and he noticed the young man sitting beside Ku Rong.

A youth with a composed air, calm expression, holding a scroll in hand.

Jiumozhi blinked.

He had noticed him earlier, but dismissed him as some talented scion of the Duan clan—his bearing and grace befitting noble blood, but irrelevant.

Yet now…

A faint glow from the scroll caught his eye. Traced upon it were human meridian diagrams.

His heart leapt.

Could that be… the Six Meridians Sword Manual!?

His pulse quickened. The more he thought, the more certain he became.

His eyes gleamed. At this distance—mere yards from Ku Rong, even closer to the youth—if…

Still smiling, he bowed slightly.

“This humble monk dares to request a Ku Rong Master’s demonstration…”

But as he spoke, his feet shifted.

His lightness skill was subtle, backed by deep inner strength. Not even Benyin and the others noticed what movement he had used.

By the time they sensed something amiss, he was already within a single yard of his target.

Then, like lightning, he sprang forward, right hand reaching out to seize the scroll.

At the same instant, his left hand blazed with the Huoyan Dao!

He reasoned thus: anyone seated here, entrusted with the Six Meridians Manual, must be of utmost importance to the Duan clan.

If he struck him down and took him hostage, the others would hesitate, and he could easily seize the manual and escape!

Perfect!

But just as his plan unfolded, the youth suddenly raised his hand—finger like a sword, pointing outward.

Ong!

Jiumozhi’s heart lurched violently. Out of nowhere, a razor edge of energy slashed at him!

His face changed. He stomped hard, twisting away with an eerie motion.

“The Six Meridian Divine Sword!?”

Invisible sword qi keened like a blade’s cry, slicing forward six yards before fading!

Jiumozhi’s scalp tingled with dread.

Just moments earlier, when the five monks had combined their sword qi, their reach had barely exceeded a single yard.

In all the world’s martial arts, to project force beyond a yard was already supreme mastery.

Even his own Huoyan Dao, relying on immense inner power, could stretch only two yards at most.

Six yards…

It was unthinkable! Terrifying beyond belief!

Fang Han had just finished the final diagram. He exhaled softly, raising his gaze toward the shaken Jiumozhi.

Since he had received such a precious gift, he could hardly refrain from lending his aid.

Gently setting down the scroll, he stepped forward.

Inner energy surged. At his fingertip, sword qi condensed once more. With a light gesture, he unleashed it.

Ong!

The invisible sword qi shot forth!

Jiumozhi flinched in terror, dodging back with haste.

Fang Han, having only just begun to comprehend the Six Meridians Sword, had mastered the essence of the invisible sword qi.

But the six matching sword forms were far too intricate and complex to fully grasp in such a short time.

They required extended study to master.

Thus, Fang Han abandoned the sword forms for now.

Instead, he wielded only the invisible sword qi’s peerless sharpness, to clash directly against Jiumozhi!

🍃

If the two were to fight at close quarters, then with Jiumozhi’s martial skills, his years of killing and combat, his experience in martial arts—he would certainly be superior to Fang Han.

But at this moment, Fang Han was using the Six Meridian Divine Sword (Liumai Shenjian) to unleash “Formless Sword Qi.” Within several zhang, sword qi crisscrossed everywhere!

Even the slightest touch meant injury or death—how could Jiumozhi dare to approach?

He was utterly shocked in his heart: “This young man, at such a young age, has actually mastered the Six Meridian Divine Sword!?”

And it was not like the monks of Benyin’s group, who each only cultivated a single meridian, but he had cultivated all six together!

While Jiumozhi was shaken to his core and unable to believe it, the high monks of Tianlong Temple, including Abbot Benyin, were equally stunned and horrified!

This layman Fang—how could he possibly wield Tianlong Temple’s supreme art, the Six Meridian Divine Sword!?

And moreover…

All six meridians!?

Only those who had actually trained in the Six Meridian Divine Sword knew how extraordinarily difficult it was!

Just cultivating one meridian required an immensely profound internal foundation. To cultivate all six… the required internal strength was beyond imagination!

Elder Kurong knew what doubts filled their hearts, but he did not explain. He only spoke faintly:

“Benyin, go and put away the Six Meridian Divine Sword scrolls.”

Benyin, upon hearing this, turned his gaze toward the scattered scrolls of the Six Meridian Divine Sword on the ground and hurriedly complied.

He vaguely understood, realizing this must be something tacitly approved by Elder Kurong. Since Kurong was the most senior of Tianlong Temple, whatever decision he made, they could only obey.

After carefully collecting the sword scrolls, they then heard Elder Kurong speak again: “Observe the might of the Six Meridian Divine Sword, and from it, observe and comprehend! Examine and reflect upon yourselves!”

All who heard this were overcome with shame.

Among all of Tianlong Temple, not a single person had fully mastered the Six Meridian Divine Sword, yet now an outsider had accomplished it.

The comparison brought upon them a crushing sense of shame!

Thus, they focused all attention on the battle before them.

Jiumozhi, after his initial shock, gradually regained his calm.

After all, he was a martial artist of immense power. Keenly, he noticed that while this youth’s inner strength was astonishing beyond reason, and his Formless Sword Qi was honed to a terrifying sharpness— Yet his combat experience was still somewhat lacking, with many flaws in his execution.

If I could get close to him, I might not be able to capture him.

But due to his Formless Sword Qi, he could not even step within three zhang of the opponent—there was no way to engage.

Moreover…

Jiumozhi suddenly realized something—the youth’s Formless Sword Qi seemed to grow more and more refined the longer he wielded it.

At first, when he cast it, there had been slight pauses in his qi circulation.

It was precisely in those tiny gaps that Jiumozhi had been able to catch his breath and slowly adapt.

But as time went on, the opponent’s use of Formless Sword Qi became increasingly fluid, the pauses shrinking, the flow becoming round and seamless.

🍃🍃🍃