Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 531 Beauties Clash: Fairy vs. Witch
“This is a pavilion that my master built himself. Every autumn night, my master would bring me here to enjoy the rain.”

Qin Mengyao led the two to a pavilion on the back mountain. The pavilion was quite simple, with a stone table and chairs in the middle, on which were placed several wild fruits, all of which had been freshly picked.

Cihang Jingzhai follows the path of asceticism and has very low demands for material possessions, mostly wearing simple clothes and hairpins.

Meals consisted of simple porridge and side dishes, with no meat. Daily life was mainly self-sufficient. Even Qin Mengyao, when she was a child, used to go up the mountain to chop firewood, do laundry, and cook.

In terms of living conditions, it is definitely much more comfortable than those mentally ill ascetics. Ascetics are not normal people at all, and even madmen are not this crazy.

It is said that Siddhartha Gautama practiced asceticism with ascetics, but later realized that these people were too extreme, obsessed with demons, deeply rooted in demonic forces, and unable to extricate themselves.

In comparison, the ascetic practices of Cihang Jingzhai are a normal approach and can effectively reduce material temptations.

Of course, it's also possible that they've been holding back for too long and, once they leave the mountain gate, immediately fall into endless indulgence.

Just like students who have just finished the college entrance examination.

Li Zhaoting neither approved nor opposed this approach. Qin Mengyao was already used to it, but Li Shengnan and Cheng Huaixiu could never stand the ascetic life of a monk.

Li Shengnan glanced at the elegant three characters "Appreciating Rain Pavilion" on the pavilion and chuckled, "You're so lucky. When I was a child, my master would make me practice martial arts on rainy days."

Practicing martial arts in the rain?

"Practice until you're completely impervious to water. The old man is extremely strict about the fundamentals. Others can slack off, but if I slack off even a little bit, I'll get a good beating!"

"In the art of martial arts, a solid foundation is paramount. Senior Yu's instruction for my sister to strengthen her foundation shows that he is a strict teacher."

“I used to think he was a strict teacher.”

"now what?"

"A cunning old fox! A treacherous and vicious leader of a demonic sect! A great demon who schemes against his disciples! I have fallen into his schemes and cannot escape them in this lifetime."

"His sister was planted with a demonic seed?"

"Which demonic seed are you talking about? I do have a demonic seed within me. It was planted by his descendants after being tricked by that old geezer. Do you want to experience the demonic seed?"

Li Shengnan subconsciously teased Qin Mengyao.

Cheng Huaixiu coughed lightly: "Junior sister! Don't pay attention to this little vixen! She's just resentful that she debuted a little late and can only be a concubine of the Li family."

Li Shengnan retorted angrily, "Cheng Huaixiu! What's wrong with me being a concubine? Do you think you can be the first wife?"

Cheng Huaixiu laughed and said, "I'm different from you! I don't have such a strong competitive spirit. I've already given up! I'll just focus on assisting my sister and would never dare to compete with her."

"There are only the three of us here, there's no need for such displays of loyalty. Do you think my sister can hear us?"

"I was afraid someone would report me and have my sister sell me off on Guangnan East Road to sell skewers from a cart."

Do you think I'm the kind of person who likes to tattle?

"What wouldn't a demonic witch from the cult do?"

"Cheng Huaixiu, do you want to fight?"

"Fine, let's fight. Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

The two glared at each other, their tension palpable.

Qin Mengyao was at a loss, completely bewildered, unsure whether to advise her senior sister or comfort Li Shengnan.

Qin Mengyao never dreamed that the source of their conflict wasn't vying for favor, but rather that last night, they were worried about being unable to get out of bed and were shifting the blame onto each other.

In the end, Cheng Huaixiu used the excuse of "going back to her parents' home" to defeat Li Shengnan. Li Shengnan could only endure the humiliation and temporarily avoid the confrontation, recording the grievances in a small notebook.

If it really was "going back to her parents' home," Li Shengnan could understand. The problem was that Cheng Huaixiu didn't know the way back to Cihang Jingzhai. How could she tolerate that?

Li Shengnan was seething with anger, but she was too embarrassed to say anything in front of Yan Jing'an. If she didn't vent her anger now, she would get at least three ulcers.

What kind of ulcer?
It's definitely a mouth ulcer.

It's extremely unpleasant; everything feels awkward.

In addition, according to certain evaluation criteria, oral ulcers are considered a "terminal illness" in some cases.

Li Shengnan and Cheng Huaixiu are locked in a stalemate.

Qin Mengyao sighed deeply, her idealized view of Li Zhaoting shattered. She had only seen the case file and heard Yan Jing'an's evaluation, and had previously held Li Zhaoting in high regard.

Li Zhaoting arrived with a fairy and a witch in tow, first uttering a series of sophisticated riddles, then declaring, "I am the legend of the martial arts world," captivating everyone's hearts.

It seems that no one in the Li family is normal now.

Qin Mengyao didn't know why Li Shengnan and Cheng Huaixiu were arguing, but she knew that the root of their argument was jealousy, and it was almost certainly related to Li Zhaoting.

"Senior Sister, Sister Li, I have long admired your reputations. Today, I am itching to test my skills against you. Please give me a few pointers so I can witness the fierce competition in the martial world."

My younger sister has lived deep in the mountains for a long time and has little experience in the ways of the world. Please forgive me if I have failed to provide adequate hospitality.

I wonder if any of you older sisters would be willing to offer some guidance?

Upon hearing this, Cheng Huaixiu sat back down.

The internal sparring within Cihang Jingzhai was extremely boring; the two sides were not comparing swordsmanship, but rather their mental fortitude and composure.

Both of them are at the Sword Heart Clarity Realm. Cheng Huaixiu's combat experience far surpasses Qin Mengyao's, but her actual combat strength may not be much greater, especially with the limited sword manual.

The power of the Cihang Sword Manual mainly relies on a flash of inspiration during a battle. Coincidentally, Qin Mengyao's comprehension is the highest in the history of Cihang Jingzhai.

The scene of Cheng Huaixiu and Qin Mengyao sparring was that they sat on opposite sides of the pavilion, staring at each other, competing to see who got hungry first, and who needed to burp, fart, or go to the toilet.

Whoever can't sit still will reveal a weakness, and the opponent will seize the opportunity to strike, defeating the opponent with a single, powerful sword strike.

This kind of competition is extremely valuable, but it's really quite boring. Cheng Huaixiu took two wild fruits, sat on the stone bench, and made a "spectator" gesture.

Li Shengnan waved her right hand, drew her sword Caiyun, and deftly swung it towards Qin Mengyao's shoulder.

Li Shengnan is not a swordsman. A sword in her hands is a weapon to defeat enemies. If she were to switch to an axe, halberd, hook, or fork, apart from a slight change in weight, there would be no difference in essence.

This Cloud-Cutting Sword was a divine weapon forged by Qiao Beiming to defeat Zhang Danfeng's successor. Its toughness surpasses even the Dragon-Wandering Sword, a divine weapon passed down through the Tianshan Sect.

Based on his experience fighting Zhang Danfeng, Qiao Beiming deduced the Tianshan Sword Technique, leaving behind several martial arts moves. Combined with the Demonic Sect's Nine Soul-Slaying Forms, its power should not be underestimated.

Qin Mengyao is the most talented successor in the history of Cihang Jingzhai. She achieved sword enlightenment at the age of eighteen and later inherited the skills of both Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Chan Temple.

Despite his young age, his foundation was unfathomable and his reactions were extremely sharp, allowing him to see the core of the sword energy at a glance.

The Flying Wing Sword was drawn silently and accurately aimed at Li Shengnan's wrist. Li Shengnan flipped her wrist, and the Cloud-Cutting Sword gently swept a semi-circle from the inside out.

At the same time, icy cold internal energy condensed on the sword's edge, and in the blink of an eye, the three-foot sword transformed into a five-foot icy sword, slashing heavily down from mid-air.

"Wow!"

The icy sword energy unleashed a barrage of arrows, and hundreds of scattered ice crystals enveloped an area of ​​five zhang in radius, forming an icy domain.

Li Shengnan's cultivation of the Heavenly Emperor and Earthly Empress Great Yin-Yang Mantra is also a mental technique that combines Yin and Yang, completely transforming the mental technique into Yin attribute, thereby activating the Asura Yin Sha Gong.

The Yin energy is inherently pervasive, and when combined with the cold mountain winds and fog of late autumn, its power is amplified.

Qin Mengyao was dressed in thin clothes, and even though her internal energy had reached the level of being impervious to heat and cold, she still felt cold.

"Cold" is not only a physical sensation, but also a stimulus from the mental senses and the brain's illusions.

Qin Mengyao's body did not feel cold, but at this moment, the autumn wind was chilly and the ice river was sweeping, and she was only wearing a piece of cloth. Her brain "felt" the cold.

Similar to "phantom pain"!
It's not real pain, and there's no external stimulus; it's just that the brain feels pain, which then leads to suffering.

Using normal human senses to analyze the situation, the brain determined that Qin Mengyao was extremely cold, which was rapidly affecting her body.

Qin Mengyao's body reacted; goosebumps rose on her fair skin, her hands and feet trembled involuntarily, and she exhaled a wisp of cold air.

There is a classic question: most martial arts masters can remain unaffected by heat or cold, so why do they become like round balls when they go to snow-capped mountains or the northern polar regions?
Because in intense battles, especially when masters of spiritual cultivation are dueling, the brain makes abnormal judgments based on the surrounding environment, which in turn affects the speed of attack.

In a duel between masters, the difference is as small as the millimeter.

We cannot let go of even the slightest advantage.

The disadvantage of having only one or two moves must be overcome.

If mental power completely transcends the senses and, in turn, influences the body, then this law can be ignored.

It's not difficult to do this.

Reaching the level of Eagle's Edge is enough!
Qin Mengyao lacked experience in the martial arts world and suffered a loss in this regard. Fortunately, it was just a friendly spar, and Li Shengnan held back her attacks, giving Qin Mengyao a chance to retaliate. Qin Mengyao lowered her body and crashed into Li Shengnan like a battering ram, with hundreds of sword beams dancing in the wind.

Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan!

The secret techniques of Cihang Jingzhai!

It is said to have come from Guang Chengzi, the ancient imperial tutor!
Qin Mengyao had a keen sense of perception and sensed that Li Shengnan's follow-up moves were endless. She seemed to be holding back, but in reality, she was planning step by step and had already set up a trap.

To turn defeat into victory, we must launch a strong and aggressive attack.

Li Shengnan was slightly surprised. She hadn't expected Qin Mengyao to have such high combat talent. Qin Mengyao, who had been a homebody since childhood and had no combat experience, was able to judge the battle situation from the slightest clues.

interesting!
Li Shengnan's true energy surged, shattered ice flew everywhere, and her sword aura suddenly changed from cold to murderous. From the flick of her wrist to the snap of her fingers as she drew her sword, the sword aura changed three times in a row.

What made Qin Mengyao feel even more dangerous was that, as the sword stance changed, Li Shengnan grabbed with her left hand, using the Heaven-Slaying Earth-Destroying Great Universe Hand to grab her vital ribs.

The demonic sect's internal techniques were inherently strange and difficult to defend against. Coupled with Qiao Beiming's secret methods that he had painstakingly developed over several years, Li Shengnan's tricky and unpredictable moves caused Qin Mengyao a great deal of trouble.

This claw strike was incredibly precise, hitting Qin Mengyao at the exact moment when her old strength was exhausted and her new strength had not yet been generated.

At the same time, the Cloud-Cutting Sword in his right hand transformed from icy cold to withering all things, with three interlocking rings forming an invisible and intangible net that sealed off space.

The air around the pavilion seemed to freeze, heavy as mercury, and even the falling autumn rain was momentarily halted by the sharp killing intent.

Cheng Huaixiu's fingers twitched slightly. Her sisters were indeed not to be trifled with. Li Shengnan had been in seclusion for some time and was making great strides in her martial arts.

In this situation, Cheng Huaixiu could not analyze the sword technique from an outsider's perspective. The Cihang Sword Manual was a sword technique full of spirituality, and only the person in charge could break the deadlock.

Just as she was about to be caught in a pincer movement and face utter ruin, a glimmer of indescribable inspiration flashed in Qin Mengyao's bright, star-like eyes.

Sword Heart Clarity is very similar to the Dugu Nine Swords.

Adaptability is key; one becomes stronger when facing stronger opponents. There are no fixed moves, only adaptability. The stronger the enemy's martial arts, the more one can unleash the body's potential.

Qin Mengyao's clear and bright mind was pushed to its limit by Li Shengnan, but it became even more transparent and flawless. Qin Mengyao keenly grasped the flaw in Li Shengnan's offensive.

It was a tiny gap that ordinary people could not detect at all, created by the simultaneous use of "Three Rings Encircling the Moon" and "Great Universe Hand".

"laugh!"

The Flying Wing Sword emitted a sword cry like that of a nightingale. Qin Mengyao's delicate body, like a willow branch or a lotus leaf, twisted from an incredibly tiny angle, each step like a lotus blooming, narrowly avoiding the strongest point of Li Shengnan's claw attack.

At the same moment, the Flying Wing Sword no longer met the tricky and strange Three Changes Sword Stance head-on. Instead, it followed the tail of the almost non-existent "stance" in Li Shengnan's sword stance, and with an arc like an antelope's horns, accurately struck the Shenmen acupoint on Li Shengnan's wrist, making Cheng Huaixiu shout with delight.

This sword strike was absolutely brilliant; not a single movement of the entire body was superfluous, not even the toes.

This sword strike came suddenly and spontaneously, without any deduction, prediction, or planning. It was purely the most direct and effective way to break the opponent's defense, as reflected in the sword's heart.

Even if Dugu Qiubai saw this sword, he would be shocked by Qin Mengyao's talent and discuss with Yan Jing'an whether they could "make a good disciple" and pass on all the essence of the Dugu Nine Swords to cultivate a last disciple.

Although Li Shengnan was shocked, she remained calm. It was not unacceptable in the Li family that her long-planned powerful move had been broken at the brink of life and death. With a super monster in the family, it was common for the weak to defeat the strong.

Before Qin Mengyao could finish her move, Li Shengnan grabbed Qin Mengyao's wrist with her left hand, then flicked it halfway, forcefully flicking it against the spine of the sword, performing "transferring power through objects".

Qin Mengyao used the momentum to retreat several steps and discovered that the sword blade was covered with frost, and the hilt emitted a bone-chilling cold.

"Okay! Come again!"

Li Shengnan let out a sharp cry, and her attack not only did not weaken in the slightest, but instead became even more violent than before, like a raging torrent, with her moves becoming increasingly bizarre and unpredictable.

She pushed the Asura Yin Sha Technique to its limit, and wisps of cold mist gathered into countless tiny ice needles, which, along with her sword energy, relentlessly pierced her mouth and nose.

The Cloud-Cutting Sword sometimes transforms into a sky full of ice crystals, and sometimes condenses into a world-destroying "water mist tornado". The Heaven-Slaying and Earth-Destroying Great Universe Hand appears and disappears like a ghostly claw tearing through the air, and sometimes transforms into a giant palm that covers the sky.

Her attack route was completely unconventional, sometimes in front, sometimes behind, her figure flashing and leaving a trail of afterimages. It was truly a case of striking black and white with a strange transformation!

The illusion is definitely a mix of real and fake. With Qin Mengyao's keen senses and sharp intuition, she can easily tell the difference. Any illusion will lose its effect in front of Qin Mengyao.

What Li Shengnan wanted was to "distinguish between the real and the fake".

No one bothers to guard against illusions when they can see through them. Unfortunately, this illusion, which is known for its "distinct black and white transformations," can still make its move.

The illusory body is fake, but the internal energy is real.

Qin Mengyao was battered and bruised by Li Shengnan's relentless and ever-changing attacks. Her clothes were grazed by the sharp energy several times, leaving shallow scratches, and her skin trembled uncontrollably under the onslaught of the cold, icy energy.

Every move Li Shengnan makes is like pushing Qin Mengyao to the edge of a cliff. If she can finish the job in time, she can kick Qin Mengyao into an abyss of no return.

Surprisingly, with her back against the cliff, Qin Mengyao comprehended the sword intent of fighting with her back to the river and burning her boats. Since there was no way to retreat, she decided to fight the enemy to the death, and her heart became even purer.

There was no conflict between immortals and demons, no sparring or martial arts competitions, only pure sword intent and the desire to seek the Dao.

Qin Mengyao's swordsmanship was agile, lively, graceful, and exquisite. However, as the two sparred, all of these qualities gradually disappeared, even the traces of which were concealed.

The sword's edge is everywhere, yet leaves no trace.

The winged sword seemed to come alive in her hands, always able to find the weakest and most unlikely gap in Li Shengnan's attack at the last second.

Whether by striking, stabbing, slicing, or drawing, one can resolve a life-or-death crisis with minimal cost.

Raindrops drifted outside the pavilion, while inside, the pavilion was filled with the violent roar of metal clashing and energy colliding.

Sword energy crisscrossed, claw winds howled, and a chilling aura permeated the air!

The flying sparks and ice crystals reflected on their two stunningly beautiful faces. The two were completely absorbed in the battle, and even Cheng Huaixiu, who was watching, was drawn into it.

Fifty moves, one hundred moves, two hundred moves...

Time flew by amidst the intense collisions.

The internal energy within them surged like a raging river, their moves becoming faster and more refined, making their clashes increasingly dangerous, with one of them potentially suffering a severe injury at any moment.

Li Shengnan is skilled in both claw and sword techniques, and her attacks are fierce, accounting for 70% of her offensive power. Her attacks are like raging waves, flash floods, heavy snow, freezing thousands of miles, and withering all things.

Qin Mengyao's swordsmanship was like raw iron being constantly hammered and tempered in a blacksmith's furnace, which was then refined into fine iron by Li Shengnan. It was also like a small boat bobbing up and down in a stormy sea, drifting lightly with the current.

Li Shengnan repeatedly pushed Qin Mengyao to the brink of death, but Qin Mengyao always managed to find a glimmer of hope in those desperate situations, retaliating with even sharper, more exquisite, and faster moves, proving herself more resilient than a spring.

The greater the pressure Li Shengnan exerted, the more exquisite Qin Mengyao's counterattacks became. Her Clear Sword Heart, honed by the Great Universe Hand and the Nine Great Soul-Slaying Techniques, made her already refined and elegant heart even purer, as clear as a mirror.

The concept of "Bodhi has no tree, and the bright mirror is not a stand" is too ethereal and unsuitable for normal humans.

Among all martial artists, only a handful can achieve the state of "body like a Bodhi tree, mind like a clear mirror." Who doesn't have all sorts of messy thoughts in their mind? Who can see through fame and fortune?

When the fierce battle exceeded three hundred moves, the two simultaneously entered a state of complete enlightenment, where Li Shengnan unleashed her demonic arts to the fullest, while Qin Mengyao used her sword to break through all laws. No matter how fiercely Li Shengnan attacked, she was always able to avoid the strong and strike the weak.

The two forgot they were sparring, forgot that Cheng Huaixiu was beside them; the whole world consisted only of their opponents and the constantly colliding, intertwining, and evolving sword light.

Every move is a test of the opponent, as well as a test and sublimation of one's own martial arts. The body has long since exceeded its limits, the muscles are sore, and the true energy is exhausted, but the spirit is more excited, clear and pure than ever before!
The two didn't seem to be sparring; rather, they were dancing in a forest of flowers. With their beauty, their dance was truly breathtaking.

"Ding!"

The sound, like a needle falling to the ground, rose quietly in the pavilion. This was the only sound made after the two had fought fiercely for three hundred to four or five hundred moves.

The tips of the Cloud-Cutting Sword and the Flying Wing Sword touched each other with perfect precision. Time stood still at that moment, and the two of them, like jade sculptures, silently gazed at each other.

"Tsk! Tsk!"

The two twisted their wrists simultaneously, their swords thrusting towards each other's chests. At this point in the battle, everything was a natural physical reaction; their mental consciousness had long since blurred. It wasn't until the killing blow was unleashed that the two finally came to their senses.

The moves change so quickly.

Neither of them had time to stop their attack.

Just as Cheng Huaixiu was about to make a move, a sword light rose between the two of them. Accompanied by a phoenix cry, both swords stopped simultaneously, unable to advance even an inch further.

A clear finger!
We are in perfect harmony!
Li Zhaoting feigned anger and said, "You two have no deep-seated hatred or sect feud, so why are you fighting like this? Your self-cultivation is still lacking!"

Li Shengnan retorted, "Husband! I am a demoness from the Demonic Sect, and demonesses are naturally competitive."

Li Zhaoting raised an eyebrow: "Competitive? Do I need to tell you who will be the first to beg for mercy?"

Li Shengnan let out a low growl, like a kitten guarding its food.

Qin Mengyao was covered in sweat: "Little sister thanks you for going easy on me, elder sister. This sparring match was my..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qin Mengyao fainted.

Her energy and spirit had reached their limit.

It will take at least five days to recover!
(End of this chapter)