The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

As a minister of the Qin Dynasty, if he really won the battle against Emperor Yuanwu, it would undoubtedly be a violation of taboos and a sign of disrespect. He would most likely be held accountable in the future, or even be killed.

But if you lose on purpose, it would go against the dignity and pride of the swordsman, and the sword intent in your heart would be damaged.

Moreover, with Yuanwu's huge advantage of cultivation having entered the eighth realm of Qitian, his eyesight, physical fitness, and the quality of his true energy are all obviously improved. He is also blessed by countless profound classics and scriptures. Although his swordsmanship realm cannot reach that of Wang Jingmeng in the past, it is definitely not inferior to any grandmaster in the world today.

Under the same circumstance of suppressing to the peak of the sixth realm, facing such an existence, just the fact that the body was naturally refined when breaking into the eighth realm, making it pure and flawless and turning it into the key of heaven and earth, gave him many advantages for no reason. The same sword moves consumed less energy but were more powerful.

Not to mention, because there haven't been any cultivators at the eighth level in the world for many years, no one is very clear about the specific ability scope of the Qi Tian Realm. When their realm and knowledge are at a disadvantage, they probably can't judge whether Yuan Wu has really suppressed their own cultivation.

This is like an examination room where an experienced invigilator is patrolling everywhere. Most of the candidates' tricks are exposed. Only Yuanwu has mastered a higher level of "cheating skills". It is up to him to use them or not. Even if he uses them, no one can point out that he is wrong.

In the final analysis, the so-called "suppression of cultivation" in sword fighting, this kind of voluntary shackles, emphasizes the word "integrity". If there is no off-field supervision, it can only rely on personal awareness and character.

But how could people easily believe that Emperor Yuanwu, a man who deceived his friends and betrayed his friends, would be fair?
Ye Celeng pondered secretly in his heart, but he also knew that it was difficult to find the correct answer to this question. If Yuan Wu really took to the field in person, stepping on the shoulders of the participating Qin swordsmen to show his invincibility and try to enhance his prestige and reputation, I am afraid no one could stop him.

"Forget it, it's useless to think about these things."

She couldn't help but shook her head and replied softly: "If you really meet Yuan Wu while I'm out on business, you just need to behave normally and be cautious. Winning or losing is insignificant. There is no need to get hurt just to show off."

"Is it normal?" Zhao Qing nodded and said with a smile: "Then it's settled. I will maintain my strength at a fixed level, with slight fluctuations, in order to hide my identity and not reveal it to the outside world... in exchange for a few days of opportunity to comprehend the famous swords in the vault."

"Let nature take its course, and overcome hardness with softness. The nature of water is that even if it encounters obstacles, it will eventually return to the sea even if it turns thousands of times."

Ye Celeng replied with two final words: "'Tian Yi Zhen Shui' is inherently unpredictable and has no fixed form. Using this method as a foundation, you can perform various sword techniques without the risk of being seen through."

After saying this, the female head of the Qin Dynasty's Sky Monitoring Department jumped out from the window of the quiet room sideways. Many energy waves like water ripples naturally emerged around her body and collided with each other.

In an instant, countless drops of water formed and diffused spiritual mist, taking away the light within, and the whole person merged into the dark shadow.

Only a faint and ethereal sword intent remained, lingering in the room, as if telling unfinished words, or like the night wind blowing gently, leaving no trace.

Zhao Qing stood there quietly for a moment, and only after Ye Celeng's breath had completely faded away did he turn around, waved his sleeves to open the door, and walked towards the sword-fighting arena outside. At this moment, there was still about a cup of tea's time before the Changling Sword Competition officially began.

"Like Yuan Wu, a cultivator who can reach the eighth level will never do so simply by luck or due to outstanding talent. Character, cunning, and opportunity are all indispensable...Ye Celeng guessed that he was doing this to suppress young talents and win over the hearts of the people, but he underestimated the emperor of the Great Qin."

“You know, Yuan Wu witnessed the rise of Wang Jingmeng in the past and experienced that period personally. He knows those people better than Ye Celeng. His current behavior plan is to gradually emulate and surpass Wang Jingmeng’s image on multiple levels.”

"Whether it was the original plan of the Lushan Alliance to defeat four peak grandmasters in a row, or the commotion caused by the main body in Yingdu, which made him realize that he would soon meet an opponent of the same level, Yuanwu needed to adjust his mentality, gather his courage, and hone his sword intent of fearlessness and victory."

"In fact, in a sense, Yuan Wu is equivalent to Wang Jingmeng's chief disciple who was taught by words and deeds. However, in order to seize Zheng Xiu and the only supreme authority in the world that cannot be surrendered, he chose to shamelessly betray her... Therefore, the real 'shadow' in his heart is only Wang Jingmeng."

"As for trying to weaken and eliminate those great masters who are extremely close to the eighth realm and are in a hostile state, constantly clearing out the remaining forces of the Bashan Sword Field, and secretly suppressing the promising rising talents in Qin, it is more based on political considerations and is a necessary quality for an outstanding ruler, not because he is afraid of them."

While Zhao Qing was calmly analyzing the various behaviors and hidden psychology of Emperor Yuanwu in her mind, she walked through the corridor, stepped over the threshold, and walked out of this rather quiet attic. The bright sky outside suddenly came into her sight, causing her to squint slightly.

This was because, on the edge of the hill at Nie Garden in the distance, six majestic horses were pulling a jade chariot, moving steadily on the wide stone road. The sunlight shone on the embroidered saddles, silver scale armor and tassel decorations on them, making them sparkle and look extraordinary.

The countless bright yellow flags and the golden dragon patterns on the canopy have become extremely subtle at such a long distance, but they still have amazing charm, and each one seems to be about to fly through the air.

There was an unusually majestic and gentle aura that spread out in all directions like a sky covering the earth, and seemed to open a door to a whole new world full of light.

Emperor Yuanwu finally showed up.

This was also the first time that he officially "announced" to the outside world that he had indeed reached the realm of the Eight Realms of Qitian as many rumors had said, and became the most accomplished emperor in the history of the Qin Dynasty.

The middle-aged man, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a crown with twelve tassels on his head, sat upright on the jade sedan chair with a calm face and deep eyes, as if everything was under control.

Because the light that naturally emanated from him was so strong and dazzling that everything around him was eclipsed and became extremely small, and everyone consciously or unconsciously became a foil.

It was as if he had transformed into the sun that shone upon Daqin, giving life to all things, yet making people dare not look directly at it.

Beside the luxurious carriage, several practitioners in green robes followed silently. Their aura was restrained and deep, but their eyes revealed their impressive strength. They were all full-time court servants who rarely showed up in public and whose specific identities might not even be known by the Heavenly Supervisor.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites, dressed in black robes, were in the last line. Some of them held jade slips, some embraced golden books, and some held talismans and swords that symbolized heaven's will. Their expressions were solemn and dignified, and their steps were in unison with the jade chariot, showing the rigor and order of the Qin Empire.

Officials and people along the way knelt down and shouted "Long live the emperor". But Emperor Yuanwu seemed to hear nothing, and just glanced calmly across the venue, as if he was looking for something.

When his eyes passed over where Zhao Qing was, he paused slightly, then slowly moved away.

……

Zhao Qing felt a little startled in her heart. Just a simple glance at each other actually slowed down the functioning of her thoughts. This would definitely be a fatal interference in a real battle, representing an almost insurmountable gap between the seventh and eighth realms.

The realm of Qi Tian is indeed extraordinary. Its ancient nickname of "Divine Confusion" is well-deserved.

Even though, her cultivation of "original body god" has not yet reached perfection, otherwise she would have officially broken through and could be called a practitioner of the quasi-eighth realm. But even so, when facing Yuan Wu, she still felt a sense of suppression from the life level.

However, as the mysteries of the Qi Tian realm gradually revealed themselves before Zhao Qing's eyes and more and more intelligence information was obtained, this temporary gap in cultivation would soon be caught up with by her talent and rapid progress, until she equalized or even surpassed him.

Similarly, seeing is believing. Zhao Qing just overturned many of her past conclusions because she obtained some new information from the sword aura that the other party revealed from afar.

While Zhao Qing was secretly trying to figure out Qi Tian's power, Emperor Yuanwu's carriage circled around Nie Garden and slowly stopped in front of the highest seat on the sword viewing platform.

The emperor, whose spirit and energy had reached the peak and who had almost finished refining the Youlong Pearl and was about to enter the middle level of the eighth realm, slowly stepped down from the carriage, walked to the edge of the sword viewing platform, and stood with his hands behind his back.

With deep eyes, he looked down at the many Qin swordsmen who had arrived and were quietly waiting for the sword competition to begin, as well as the guests of different identities who had come from all directions to watch the competition with various purposes. Suddenly, an indescribable sense of pride surged in his heart.

"I will eventually be the greatest Supreme Saint Emperor on this earth, without a doubt."

Yuan Wu said this to himself in his heart, then he took a deep breath, opened his arms, and said loudly:

"Today, all the wise men, young and old, have gathered here to participate in the grand sword meeting. It is a blessing! I am very pleased!"

"I hope you can learn from each other, show your strengths, and let the world witness the prosperity of our Great Qin swordsmanship and the glory of our martial arts!"

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand, and the energy in his palm gathered, transforming into an extremely huge bright yellow sword phantom, with the tip of the sword pointing straight to the sky, as if to pierce the sky: "Now, I declare - Changling Sword Meeting, officially begins!"

As the powerful voice of Emperor Yuanwu spread far and wide, the entire venue seemed to be silent for a moment, and then it began to boil like a lit oil pan.

Countless guests watching the match stood up, applauded and cheered, while the swordsmen who were about to take part in the competition had bright eyes and excited expressions, as if they could not wait to go on the field, compete with all kinds of heroes, and become famous.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhao Qing, whose appearance had changed to be exactly like "Ye Celeng", as the defending sword master, was the first to leap onto the sword platform that was a hundred feet square. He chose a Qian Gua copper pillar located in the north and stood on it. He casually summoned some water vapor nearby and condensed it into a three-foot-long water sword.

Some crystal water chains were wrapped around the sword and the five fingers of her right hand, moving nimbly as if they had life. They not only added a touch of ethereal beauty, but also demonstrated her superb swordsmanship and fine control over her true energy.

"Where is the first challenger?" Zhao Qing looked around and asked loudly. His clear voice spread far away under the influence of his true energy, resonating with the copper pillars and railings inside and outside the sword-fighting platform, causing echoes.

As soon as the words fell, there was a burst of whispers in the venue. Many people were flipping through the "Minutes of the Sword Meeting" compiled by Hongyang Academy, and their eyes wandered back and forth between those old masters and leaders of major sects who had been famous around Changling for a long time, wanting to see if they would be the first to come out and challenge.

However, to the surprise of most people, the first person to step forward to accept the challenge was an unfamiliar middle-aged man in a blue shirt, about fifty years old, with a typical "square" face. The sword on his back looked like a hoe, with no aesthetic appeal at all.

He spoke with an accent from the Guanzhong region, bowed to the direction of the Sword Viewing Platform where Emperor Yuanwu was, and bowed to "Ye Celeng" on the Sword Platform one after another, and said loudly:
"I am Zhou Dazhuo from the Qishan Sword School in Guanzhong. I have come to ask for advice from Ye Sishou!"

After he finished speaking, he moved his body and flew over a distance of nearly a hundred feet like a roc, and landed steadily on the Kun Gua pillar just south of the sword platform. The long sword on his back was immediately unsheathed. The sword body was three fingers wide, heavy and straight, with fine cloud patterns engraved on it, obviously not an ordinary item.

This is a long sword that is clearly black and white. The blade and edge are gray-black, like the color of half-burned charcoal, but the straight sword spine is bright white.

Whether it is the style and size of the hilt, blade, or even the scabbard, they are all in line with the etiquette and specifications of sword making in the Guanzhong area.

With a soft "swish" sound, Zhou Dazhuo placed his sword across his chest, bowed slightly, and said seriously, "Please."

Using this action as the beginning of a competition was a rule and model that Wang Jingmeng naturally established when he led many people from Bashan Sword Field to compete with others in Changling when he was young. Even today, when even his name has been erased, it is still used and inherited by countless Qin sword masters.

In many cases, a sword is not just a weapon, but also a symbol of etiquette, culture, and spirituality.

Then, Zhao Qing also held the water sword across his chest, bowed earnestly in return, and said, "Please."

The moment she raised her body again, the middle-aged man in blue drew his sword, and she also drew her sword.

The next moment, within the distance of more than sixty feet between the Qian Gua Pillar and the Kun Gua Pillar, many crystal clear and heavy tiny water droplets suddenly appeared, constantly rotating in the air.

They were lined up in a straight line, and their rapid acceleration exceeded the limit of what most people's eyes could capture, so that in the eyes of many people, they seemed to disappear suddenly, and then, they collided head-on with a dark blue square stone that seemed to be condensed from thunder.

……

"This is the 'Thunder Sky Inkstone Grinding Sword Technique'! In the past, two masters of the Qishan Sword Sect watched the thunder strike the rocks at night, scorching the rocks like an inkstone grinding ink. They were inspired and jointly created the sect's secret sword. Only those with extraordinary talent can practice it, and only those with profound skills can master it!"

Beside a flagpole in the distance, an old general wearing iron armor and with a tall back looked at the dazzling light that suddenly burst out from the sword platform with sharp eyes, and couldn't help but stroke his beard and praised:

"Zhou Dazhuo was able to perfect this sword technique, combining the power of thunder and the meaning of sharpening the inkstone into one, combining the fast sword and the heavy sword into one, and slashing out this seemingly ordinary but actually extremely violent Lei Gang sword stone, which is worthy of his reputation as one of the 'Five Swords of Guanzhong'."

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"The so-called 'Thunder Sword Stone' is a simulation of the texture of earth and stone using the Thunder Sword Talisman. Earth conquers water, and with the help of the Kun hexagram pillar, it is indeed the perfect choice to deal with the 'Water Separation Technique'..."

“Add to that the fact that Zhou Dazhuo has already entered the middle level of the seventh realm, which brings him some advantages. This time, Ye Celeng might have met his match.”

"General Sikong is wrong."

Next to him, a fat man with a body like an iron tower squinted his eyes, took a step forward, and slowly spoke:

"People like the 'Five Swordsmen of Guanzhong' are no match for me, Xu. But Ye Sishou has fought me to a draw. How can Zhou Dazhuo easily guess the changes in her sword techniques?"

"When two people of the same level fight, the outcome is of course a foregone conclusion. The only way to determine the winner is after a certain number of moves, or how much of Ye Celeng's true energy has been consumed, is to discuss it."

As the fat man spoke, he exuded an unquestionable domineering aura.

Although every part of his body, including his arms, legs, face, neck, and stomach, was covered with fat, others could sense that it contained terrifying power.

So even though he was covered in fat and his eyes were almost invisible due to the fat, the impression he gave people was that he was extremely majestic and terrifying, like a majestic mountain.

Almost everyone in Changling knew him.

He is Xu Bing, born as an ordinary soldier in the Great Qin Dynasty, and the strongest successor in the history of Hengshan Sword Academy. He was eventually granted the title of marquis and became the supreme commander of the Hengshan Shenzang Army. He was also one of the Thirteen Marquises of the Great Qin Dynasty, Hengshan Xu Hou!

Among the Thirteen Marquises of the Qin Dynasty, the generals of the Hengshan Army who followed him were considered to be enjoying a good life in the entire Qin Dynasty. Most of them became high-ranking officials of the Military Department, and some were stationed in nearby city gates, with their families in Changling.

He himself was one of the few marquises among the Thirteen Marquises of the Great Qin who could be stationed in Changling for a long time.

In this Changling Sword Meeting, when Emperor Yuanwu did not interfere and spoke himself, Hengshan Xu Hou and the deputy head of the Bingmasi, General Sikong, who was standing next to him, should be considered the people with the highest status in the venue.

To some extent, the conversation between them was equivalent to the official commentary on the sword competition, which attracted many people around to look at it and listen attentively.

"Having said that, as a first-time challenger, Zhou Dazhuo can still be regarded as courageous."

General Sikong did not refute Hengshan Xu Hou, who had more skills and experience than himself. He just changed the subject and said, "The biggest highlight now should be how much of Ye Si Shou's hidden tricks he can force out, and what kind of path he will pave for those who come after him."

Upon hearing this, Hengshan Xu Hou snorted without comment, and the wrinkles on his fat face trembled slightly. It was obvious that he disagreed with General Sikong's reservations.

His gaze once again turned to the sword stage, where the confrontation between Zhao Qing and Zhou Dazhuo had entered a white-hot stage.

……

Thousands of miles away, above the Yunmeng Lake, the wind and clouds were rolling back. General Guo Dong, with Song Chaosheng as the auxiliary, launched a joint attack. The crystal knife mark that crossed the sky and carried the meaning of shattering the void indeed forced Zhao Qingtian to use a new method of dragon incarnation.

Not long ago, she quickly cultivated such a huge dragon body. Even with the continuous replenishment of the rich vitality in the dragon tomb, the consumption of true essence and blood was naturally not reduced, and even reached an extremely depleted state. Her combat power was far from its peak.

Calculated purely by the amount of true energy reserves, Zhao Qing's upper limit should exceed the sum of the two great masters on the opposite side, but the dragon energy he can currently mobilize is not even half of that. He mainly relies on the innate magical powers of the dragon body and its incomparably powerful physical strength.

Therefore, she did not choose to use proper sword moves to counter such a full-strength slash comparable to the eighth level, but simply controlled the dragon body to lean back slightly, and the two extended front claws were in a virtual grasp, drawing two gorgeous and colorful arcs, just intercepting the front of the knife mark.

The ten dark yellow claws, which looked inconspicuous from a distance but were actually each as big as a chariot, continued to make harsh sounds due to friction and scratches, and the light of the yin and yang and five elements flickered.

The thin and crystal strings trembled slightly between the claws, playing a clear and melodious sound.

The dragon claws were seen retreating along the path of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Mark, and bits of glittering debris were like starlight and fireflies, floating up and down with the wind, drifting in the air. They were also the endless rotation of water, fire, Kan and Li, bringing out two vortexes of Qi with the power of deflection, the moon and the sun, which were constantly expanding and contracting.

It was as if within an area of ​​several feet in radius, vital energy was blocked, the dark yellow gushed out, the stars were in disorder, and yin and yang were out of order. Suddenly, they responded to the 'sea of ​​sky' that appeared in the sky, resonated with each other, and formed a fleeting illusory little world with the images of the sun, moon and heavens.

Thus, the originally unstoppable straight blade light, when the star field in the ethereal claws became silent and annihilated, it was as if the flower of the avenue bloomed and withered, and the two sides of withering and flourishing were combined into one, with no form but containing all forms. In this style of "Sun, Moon and Stars Sinking", the ultimate truth of the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation of all things in the world was naturally interpreted;
The dazzling blade light was finally guided to the side by Zhao Qing with soft force in the mysterious transformation of grabbing and releasing, yin and yang. After most of the force was removed, it hit the side of the dragon's body with a roar, scraping the dragon scales that undulated like waves, and stirring up thousands of layers of broken light and tens of thousands of starlight.

Although the remaining blade marks still retained the terrifying sharpness to cut through the void, enough to kill an ordinary seventh-level master on the spot, it was unable to break through Tianlong's extremely tough skin, whose thickness was measured with a ruler.

After a series of clanging sounds like the collision of metal, only a few barely noticeable cracks appeared on the silver scales along the way, without causing any substantial damage at all.

Zhao Qing only felt a slight chill in his side abdomen, as if a breeze was blowing past him, but he did not even feel the slightest pain. He knew that he had successfully blocked this extremely powerful joint knife attack.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but did not dare to be careless at all. She immediately used the powerful recovery ability of the dragon body to quickly calm down the slight shock and discomfort caused by the previous attack.

At the same time, divine light flashed in Zhao Qingtianlong's eyes, mysterious rhythm lingered around his body, and his two hind claws suddenly grabbed and pulled in the void.

In an instant, the wind and clouds changed color, the heaven and earth lost their voices, and the rolling evil spirit gushed out from the dragon's claws, merging with the clouds and water vapor in the sky, and quickly condensed into a long-pole weapon called "claw".

It was a double-moon halberd about one hundred and eighty feet long, and the whole body was made of black jade. The halberd was winding like a dragon, with a gentle luster yet implicitly sharp. On each side was a crescent moon dotted with starlight, as if carrying endless divine power and dragon rage, exuding a breathtaking sharpness.

As soon as this halberd came out, the air within a hundred miles seemed to condense, and an overwhelming murderous aura spread out.

Zhao Qing controlled the giant dragon's body to circle, and with a flick of its long tail, he firmly grasped the pair of moon spears in his claws.

Suddenly, the sky above the entire Yunmeng Lake was filled with the clear dragon roars emitted by the gentle trembling of the halberd, as if the weapon itself was a part of the dragon, connected to its soul and sharing the same qi and blood.

Although the long dragon body appears to be extremely powerful and agile in the vast sky, Zhao Qing, after actual testing, knows very well that such a form is not as suitable for close combat as others imagine. In other words, it is definitely not the optimal solution for a giant practitioner in close combat.

Because the length of the dragon claw is not very long compared to the slender dragon body, and its thickness is also quite limited, which leads to its relatively narrow attack range and difficulty in exerting its full force in battle. It is almost as useless as the front claws of Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Once you encounter an opponent of the same level, much smaller than you, fast enough and agile, you will easily fall into the dilemma of having only brute force but unable to effectively hit the enemy.

As for the dragon's tail, although it can whip out extremely powerful range attacks, with the power to destroy mountains and break peaks; the dragon's wings, although they can swing out blade winds that cut through the sky and fan out vortices that devour vitality, both of them also have many shortcomings;

If the attack fails to succeed in one go, the large range of movement and the difficulty in changing it frequently in a short period of time will reveal a big flaw, giving the opponent an opportunity to take advantage, and it will be difficult to use as a conventional means of attack.

Therefore, after transforming into a celestial dragon, Zhao Qing fell into an awkward situation of "having magic in long-range combat, but few means in close combat". He had tremendous strength like the ocean, but found it difficult to fully utilize it in close combat.

Therefore, she used the previously absorbed evil spirit of the Heavenly Dragon mixed with the black ice black crystal, and used the method of "Gang Qi Condensing Soldiers" to find time to create this tailor-made double-moon halberd, which can be used for stabbing, picking, sweeping, chopping, hooking, and grabbing, giving full play to the power advantage of the dragon body, while taking into account the flexibility of the attack.

Zhao Qing was seen grasping the halberd and waving it a few times. He felt pretty good, so he looked up to the sky and let out a long roar. The giant dragon's body rolled in the air and turned into a silver light. With the double-moon halberd as the blade, it split the clouds and split the air, and quickly pounced on Song and Guo in the distance!

……

(End of this chapter)