Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Duan Zhengchun forgot his worry for Duan Yu and stared blankly at Chen Zhan, unable to figure out his intentions.

Kumārajīva's expression changed drastically. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "So that's how it is. You are actually a member of the Song Dynasty. No wonder your martial arts are so high and your plans are so far-reaching."

He was already mostly convinced.

Only the imperial court would keep such close attention to the movements of Western Xia, and only matters of national importance would warrant such a heavy investment as the secret manuals of the Xiaoyao Sect.

All the doubts from before have now been resolved.

"hehe."

"From this perspective, I've actually come out on top. Regardless of winning or losing, I haven't lost anything."

Kumārajīva chuckled dryly, his fingertips rubbing the secret manual in his hand. The various tribes of Tibet were already fragmented, and even if he didn't instigate them, they often harassed the surrounding forces. Sending troops to Western Xia was not a big deal for him; on the contrary, he could take advantage of the Song Dynasty's power to gain some benefits.

Once he made up his mind, he no longer hesitated. He raised his hand and tossed the unconscious Duan Yu towards Duan Zhengchun like a feather.

At this point, Duan Yu had no value whatsoever; keeping him around would only tie his hands and feet, so it was better to do him a favor.

Duan Zhengchun leaped forward and caught Duan Yu steadily, carefully pulling him into his arms and quickly checking his pulse with his fingertips.

Only when he sensed that the pulse, though weak, was still steady, did his tense nerves relax slightly.

Chen Zhan looked at Kumārajīva, his smile fading slightly: "Grand Preceptor, you may seem to have the upper hand, but if you lose, you must keep your word. If you dare to disobey, I will personally go to Tibet to find you. Don't forget what I said on Taihu Lake; with your abilities, running away won't be easy."

The shadow of the Battle of Taihu Lake was still etched in Kumārajīva's mind. At that time, Chen Zhan had not exerted his full strength, yet he had already overwhelmed him and left him with no chance to fight back.

Upon hearing this, his expression darkened slightly, and he slowly nodded: "I understand. In that case, please make your move. If you cannot withstand three moves, then I will be at your mercy."

Kumārajīva carefully hid the two secret manuals on his person, and his true energy surged through his body, causing his brocade robe to move without wind and flutter loudly.

Chen Zhan chuckled and stepped out of the temple: "Let's fight outside, don't disturb the people's home."

Upon seeing this, Duan Zhengming immediately waved for everyone to disperse, while directing the guards to retreat outside the courtyard wall and instructing the monks of Tianlong Temple to protect the temple buildings.

Chen Zhan swayed and landed in the center of the courtyard. Kumārajīva followed closely behind. When his toes touched the ground, the bluestone slab was pressed with his true energy and shallow marks were made.

The courtyard wasn't spacious, but it was enough for the two of them to move around freely.

The onlookers all retreated to the corner, holding their breath and staring intently at the scene, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"This old monk has learned a great skill from you!"

Before Kumārajīva could finish speaking, he struck first.

Chen Zhan said there was a limit of three moves, but he didn't say that he should be passively attacked. Since it was a fight, he could naturally take the initiative.

He spun like a top, his monk's robes billowing with fallen leaves, and in an instant he covered several meters, striking Chen Zhan's chest with a palm.

It was the Shaolin Vajra Palm, its palm strikes powerful and fierce, accompanied by a sharp, piercing sound.

However, this palm strike was a feint. His left hand was hidden under his monk's robe, with three fingers joined together to form a sword. The sharp true energy of the Doro Leaf Finger was already gathering momentum.

With one move and two techniques, he strikes the chest with his palm to lure the enemy into blocking, and then points to the lower abdomen to target vital points. It is difficult to distinguish between the feint and the real attack, revealing his cunning.

Chen Zhan remained expressionless, and only slowly raised his hand just as Kumārajīva's palm wind and finger force were about to reach him.

He neither formed hand seals nor activated his powerful true energy. He simply put three fingers together, and with a flick of his thumb and little finger, two faint golden sword energies appeared at his fingertips.

"Six Meridian Divine Sword!"

Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun exclaimed in surprise at the same time, and the four senior monks of Tianlong Temple also stood up abruptly, their eyes filled with disbelief.

The way the sword energy circulated and its agile movement were clearly the lost Six Meridians Divine Sword of the Duan family.

Chen Zhan, an outsider, is able to use it so skillfully!
Two sword energies shot out with precision, striking Kumārajīva's Vajra Palm and Doroje Fingers respectively, with perfect accuracy, as if the two had planned it beforehand.

"Boom! Boom!"

Two soft sounds rang out, and the aftershocks of the collision of true energy spread out, stirring up dust on the ground.

After the first exchange, Kumārajīva staggered back three steps, his toes leaving three marks on the bluestone slab before he regained his balance, his breathing slightly disordered.

Chen Zhan stood motionless, his expression calm.

Kumārajīva did not stop. He had no intention of defeating Chen Zhan; he only hoped to survive three moves without being defeated.

In his plan, as long as he could force Chen Zhan to use all three moves and remain undefeated, he could obtain the sword manual and the martial arts of the Xiaoyao Sect.

Winning by using intelligence is far more shrewd.

Once he masters these top-tier techniques, he will surely break through his current level within a few years, and then he can compete with Chen Zhan again.

The second move was delivered instantly. Kumārajīva's hands moved rapidly, seemingly performing the "flower-picking finger" technique from the Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts.

His fingertips concealed his unique skills.

Flame Blade.

A pale red blade aura, concealed within the finger strength, silently slashed towards Chen Zhan's vital points. Wherever the blade aura passed, the air felt scorching.

He deliberately concealed the power of the Flaming Blade, hiding it under a Shaolin secret technique, hoping to catch Chen Zhan off guard.

Elder Kurong, who was standing to the side, finally turned his head slowly. His turbid gaze fell on the scene. He saw through Kumārajīva's trick.

But it's unclear how Chen Zhan intends to respond.

Chen Zhan raised an eyebrow, and before the fiery blade energy could get close, he moved his fingertips again, this time shooting out three sword energies at the same time.

These correspond to the three hidden forces of the Flame Blade. The moves are still the Six Meridian Divine Sword, but they are faster and more accurate than the first move.

"Chucky!"

Sword energy sliced ​​through the air, colliding violently with the fiery blade energy. Pale gold and crimson light intertwined and swirled, causing the temperature in the courtyard to rise and fall sharply.

The Flaming Blade was blocked, but Kumārajīva dared not linger.

"Invisible sword energy!"

The Six Meridian Divine Sword is an invisible sword energy, and it is also very fast. Originally, there were only three sword energies, but he keenly sensed a wisp of wind floating, which was the ripples caused by the sword energy.

So I decisively retreated and dodged.

Kumārajīva felt a sharp sword aura pierce through his true qi defense and head straight for his face. He quickly dodged to the side, but the sword aura cut off his sideburns, which fell to the ground.

"So fast!"

Kumārajīva felt a chill run down his spine. He thought he had retreated quickly enough, but he was still swept away.

"Two moves."

"The final move! Lord Chen!"

Kumārajīva smiled confidently, unleashing his true energy without reservation, creating a light red aura that pushed the power of the Flame Blade to its limit.

He waved his hands, and several fiery blades shot out simultaneously, overwhelming Chen Zhan. Wherever the blades passed, the grass and trees on the ground withered instantly.

Duan Zhengming's expression changed, and he quickly shielded Duan Yu behind him, directing everyone to retreat several steps to avoid the aftershocks of the sword energy. The monks of Tianlong Temple circulated their inner energy to protect the temple buildings, fearing that the fierce battle would destroy the ancient temple.

Chen Zhan looked at the approaching blade energy, his expression remained calm, and he slowly unfolded his folding fan, fanning it gently.

As the fan was waved, a gentle yet unparalleled wave of energy quietly rose up, enveloping all the fiery blade energy like an invisible net.

Within the shockwave, invisible sword energy continuously emerged and shot out, shattering each blade of energy like rain falling and stars sinking.

He could activate the Six Meridians Divine Sword with ease, without even needing to use his fingers as a guide.

Sword energy crisscrossed and intertwined, colliding and annihilating with the flames and blade energy. True energy surged and turbulently in the courtyard, stirring up dust everywhere.

"Bam—"

A loud bang shook the beams and pillars of the courtyard, and the flames and sword energy dissipated completely.

Kumārajīva groaned and staggered back five steps. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and forced back a mouthful of blood. His face instantly lost all color, leaving only paleness.

But a smug smile appeared on his lips: "Lord Chen, three moves have passed."

Chen Zhan slowly shook his head, his expression indifferent.

Kumārajīva's gaze turned cold, and his tone became more questioning, deliberately using his status to exert pressure: "Sir, you are an official of the imperial court, an envoy of the Celestial Empire. Are you going to go back on your word?"

Before he finished speaking, Gu Yu came out of the meditation room with several silk paintings and said softly, "Master, the sword manual is finished."

Chen Zhan reached out and snatched the silk painting, which floated lightly into his hand. He waved the painting and laughed, "If I can't defeat you after three moves, I'll naturally admit defeat."

He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, "But who said three moves were enough?"

"Go!"

"puff--"

A sharp sword aura silently pierced through his chest. Kumārajīva's pupils shrank, and he stared at Chen Zhan in disbelief. He slowly raised his hand and pressed it against his right chest, and warm blood instantly soaked through his robe.

He coughed up three mouthfuls of blood, swayed, and nearly collapsed.

Chen Zhan toyed with the silk painting in his hand, a faint smile on his face: "The master's heart can't be on the right side, can it?"

The sword pierced through the back and exited through the right chest, perfectly symmetrical to the left atrium.

Clearly, the other party had held back; if they had truly intended to kill him, he would already be dead.

Kumārajīva clutched his bleeding wound and took several steps back, spitting out a fourth mouthful of blood. Yet his tone remained firm: "Lord Chen's sword strike was indeed powerful and extremely concealed, but the victory was not honorable! We agreed on three moves, and this is already the fourth!"

"Sir, you may kill this humble monk, but such an act is truly despicable."

After he finished speaking, he simply sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing, appearing as if he had nothing to lose. In reality, he was secretly circulating his inner energy to stop the bleeding, and his heart was already filled with panic.

Seeing this, Gu Yu stepped forward and scolded, "You monk, you are so tactless! My master defeated you, why would he need a fourth move? You dodged the sword energy in the second move, but you didn't know that the sword energy hadn't dissipated. It was just that my master had drawn it back without releasing it. Now it's piercing your chest, it's clearly still the residual force of the second move, how can it be considered a fourth move?"

These words startled Kumārajīva, and everyone present was also bewildered.

Duan Zhengming, Benyin, and other experts frowned in thought, but none of them could see through the mystery of the sword energy just now.

Kumārajīva recovered his senses and sneered, "Heh heh, female benefactor, stop your sophistry. That sword energy had been separated from your body for four or five breaths, how could it suddenly turn back and slash at me? Such a statement is utterly undeniable."

Gu Yu wanted to argue, but Chen Zhan stopped her by raising his hand.

He smiled faintly, slightly raised his sword finger, and a golden, tangible sword aura suddenly condensed, heading straight for Kumārajīva's face.

Kumārajīva claimed he was not afraid of death, but in reality, he had no desire to die.

Upon seeing the sword energy approaching, the pale red aura around him instantly reactivated, and the fiery sword energy hastily condensed. He pushed forward with both hands, intending to directly confront the sword energy.

But the golden sword energy suddenly changed direction!

It deftly bypassed the fiery blade energy, circling rapidly around Kumārajīva, one circle, two circles, three circles. Only when its strength was exhausted did it slowly dissipate into the air, without even harming a single hair on his head.

The scene was so bizarre that the courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was stunned and speechless for a long time.

The Six Meridian Divine Sword is extremely powerful, and it is invisible and colorless. It has been elevated to the extreme in terms of concealment and power, and it can also be activated quickly.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have become one of the most renowned sword techniques in the world.

But Chen Zhan's actions clearly exceeded their expectations.

The ability to change direction and swirl the sword energy after it leaves the body is a skill even Duan Siping, the ancestor of the Duan family, couldn't master.

Kumārajīva's face drained of color, leaving only deep horror.

Now I understand completely that what Gu Yu said earlier was not sophistry, and Chen Zhan's victory was not unfair, but rather that he had reached a state of complete mastery over sword energy.

That sword energy that pierced through the chest was indeed the residual force of the second move. It's just that my vision was too shallow to see through its mystery.

Elder Kurong slowly rose, his withered body standing in the morning light of the Zen temple. His cloudy eyes fell on Chen Zhan, and he clasped his hands together and bowed: "Benefactor, your understanding of the Six Meridians Divine Sword far surpasses that of the descendants of the Duan family. The person who took the sword manual thirteen years ago must have been an old acquaintance of yours?"

Chen Zhan nodded in acknowledgment: "It was I who took the sword manual back then. Master Kurong, do you still remember those three martial arts? Among them, the 'White Rainbow Palm Force' is a skill that specifically trains the true qi to bend and straighten at will and turn at will."

A realization flashed in Ku Rong's eyes, and he slowly raised his hand to stroke the prayer beads.

The White Rainbow Palm Technique is the least famous of the three martial arts of the Free and Unfettered Sect. Only now, compared with Chen Zhan's control of sword energy, does its wonder become apparent.

If the Duan family's One-Finger Divine Skill could be trained to be so flexible and adaptable, its power would increase by more than three levels.

The eminent monks, including Benyin, nodded in agreement, their gazes towards Chen Zhan now filled with admiration.

Kumārajīva, clutching his chest wound, slowly rose. The bloodstains on his robe had dried. He clasped his hands together and bowed to Chen Zhanshen, saying, "I am convinced. Lord Chen's martial arts are unparalleled. I will immediately set out upon returning to Tibet and will surely persuade the various tribes to send troops to Western Xia within two months."

"Master is a trustworthy person, and I, Chen, can trust him." Chen Zhan's tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Duan Zhengming pondered for a moment, then turned to his guards and ordered, "Escort the Imperial Preceptor down the mountain."

The Duan family guards standing outside the courtyard immediately made way, and two of the four guards stepped forward, gesturing for Kumārajīva to go first.

Even after Kumārajīva's figure disappeared down the mountain path, Duan Zhengming's unease remained.

For many years, Dali was at peace, coexisting peacefully with the Song Dynasty, Tibet, and Western Xia. Trade along the Tea Horse Road further enriched Dali's treasury, and the people lived in peace and prosperity.

Chen Zhan's open and blatant planning to conquer Western Xia, without any attempt at concealment, revealed a smug confidence that inevitably worried him.

Will the other side also drag Dali into their war effort?
If Duan Yu's life were truly used as leverage, what choice would the emperor make?

"Emperor Zhengming, do you still remember Duan Yanqing?" Chen Zhan suddenly asked, his tone tinged with amusement.

"Ok?"

Duan Zhengming was lost in his worries when he suddenly heard this name, and his body stiffened abruptly.

Duan Zhengchun's expression also changed drastically.
Chen Zhan didn't give the two time to process this, and continued, "Duan Yanqing was originally the former crown prince of Dali, but now he's become the leader of the Four Evils. However, Emperor Zhengming, rest assured, I have no interest in your Duan family's private affairs. Whether you brothers fight for fame and fortune or who sits on the throne of Dali is none of my business." (End of Chapter)