# 333. Unexpected Move
*He’s back?!*
A few seconds of stunned silence were broken first by cheers from the common folk.
“‘Allow me a little stretch’? Does Silver Gong Xu mean he wasn’t even serious just now?”
“Look at him! The wound on his chest is gone… It’s true—he wasn’t serious! Haha, I told you, as long as Silver Gong Xu used half the strength he showed during the magical duel, there’s no way those two could match him.”
Thanks to that one line, “allow me a little stretch,” the commoners were thoroughly misled, convinced that Xu Qi’an hadn’t been serious from the start.
The fact that his wounds had completely healed became further “proof” that it was all just his warm-up.
But to the top-tier experts observing the scene, the shock was something beyond what ordinary people could comprehend.
*No matter what, that blade wound on his chest would’ve gone to the bone, how has it completely healed in half an incense stick’s time? Not even I could do that.* Nangong Qianrou narrowed his eyes, involuntarily stepping closer as if he needed a better look at Xu Qi’an’s chest to confirm what had just happened.
*Regenerating flesh and bone is the ability of a third rank, how did Xu Ningyan do this?* Jiang Lyuzhong was wide-eyed, a faint suspicion surfacing in his mind.
*It must be the mystical properties of the Vajra Divine Art. That’s the only explanation… To think it grants the ability to regenerate even at lower ranks…* Chu Xianglong gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing as unrestrained greed flickered in his gaze.
In that moment, a sudden urge rose within him—a desire to hurry back to the borderlands and present the Stone Buddha to the Zhenbei King. With the Zhenbei King’s strength at the peak of the Third rank, even without practicing Buddhist techniques, he might be able to extract insights from the Vajra Divine Art.
And if paired with the Bronze Talisman, there was even a chance the Zhenbei King could master the art fully.
When that time came, as the one who brought him this gift, Chu Xianglong might even earn the chance to learn the technique himself.
Hearing the sound of that vile man swallowing his saliva, the Zhenbei princess consort’s heart skipped a beat. Hidden behind her veil, her eyes darted toward Chu Xianglong.
*He—he’s salivating over another man?!*
After mentally ridiculing him for a moment, the Princess shifted her focus back to Xu Qi’an, muttering to herself, _He’s surprisingly strong. I knew it—how could a man who shone so brightly during the buddhist contest possibly lose so easily?_
“Father, what’s happened to him?” Butterfly Blade Lan Caiyi turned to her father, stunned.
Lan Huan shook his head in silence.
_Phew…_ Xu Xinnian breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze fixed on Xu Qi’an as he spoke. “My elder brother never does anything without confidence. If he dared to participate in the Conflict of Heaven and Man, he must have something to rely on.
“A gentleman plans before he acts—that’s the principle I’ve always taught him.”
Wang Simu smiled faintly. “Cijiu and Silver Gong Xu—one excels in the literary, the other in the martial. Many must envy your family.”
She could tell that Xu Xinnian’s words carried a hint of boastfulness, but so what? He was handsome, talented, and had a likable personality. The more Wang Simu looked at him, the more captivated she felt.
…
“How has your Vajra Divine Art improved so much? What happened?” Li Miaozhen widened her eyes, scrutinizing Xu Qi’an. “Were you holding back earlier?”
_No, no—that’s not the point. The real question isn’t whether he was hiding his strength. The question is—how could he have reached this level of mastery in the Vajra Divine Art?!_
_This doesn’t make sense. It’s impossible…_ Chu Yuanzhen’s inner voice was roaring.
Although his expression remained calm, his mind was in chaos, waves of shock crashing against his composure.
He had once encountered Monk Jingsi and had a basic understanding of the Vajra body. Compared to Xu Qi’an now, Jingsi back then had been like a novice who had barely stepped through the door.
And yet, Jingsi had practiced the technique since childhood, while Xu Qi’an had only acquired it during the magical duel.
_At most, it’s been a month…_ For the well-travelled and experienced *zhuangyuan*, this moment felt surreal, as though he had stepped into a dream.
“Miaozhen, it doesn’t matter whether or not he was holding back. What you must never forget is this.”
Chu Yuanzhen turned to the Heaven Sect Holy Maiden and spoke slowly, enunciating each word: “He has only practiced the Vajra Divine Art for at most one month.”
Li Miaozhen finally grasped the weight of the situation. Her pupils contracted slightly as her neck stiffened, and she turned mechanically to look at Xu Qi’an.
The Heaven Sect Holy Maiden had always been proud of her unmatched talent, but at this moment, she was genuinely awed.
“Thank you both for helping me clear my meridians and aiding me in achieving a minor accomplishment in the Vajra Divine Art.” Xu Qi’an cupped his hands in gratitude.
_Ah, so Sir Xu deliberately took those hits to temper his Vajra Divine Art._… Hearing this, the crowd had an epiphany.
It perfectly explained why he had taken such a beating—it wasn’t because the two Daoist prodigies were exceptionally strong, but because Silver Gong Xu had needed their attacks.
Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen exchanged glances, their previous disdain for Xu Qi’an gone.
The two felt pressure mounting.
“No matter the reason, we need to finish him off first. Let’s work together to break through his Vajra Divine Art. If we wait until we’re exhausted, it’ll be almost impossible to breach his defence. At that point, we really might lose to him.” Li Miaozhen sent a mental transmission.
“I agree.” Chu Yuanzhen nodded grimly.
In an instant, the pair shifted their positions, now standing side by side, facing Xu Qi’an directly.
“Wow, they’re teaming up against Silver Gong Xu again!”
“See that? If Silver Gong Xu weren’t so overwhelmingly strong, why would they do this?”
The crowd, growing more and more convinced of Xu Qi’an’s superiority, cheered louder.
Even the experienced martial artists who had been certain a mere Sixth- or Seventh-Rank like Xu Qi’an couldn’t compete with the prodigies of the Heaven and Human Sects now showed signs of doubt.
“Thanks to both of you, I’ve reached a minor accomplishment. Now, it’s time for me to fight back.” Xu Qi’an grinned.
“Fight back?”
Li Miaozhen rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Even if you’ve made progress, what threat can you possibly pose to us? We’re just going to beat up a stubborn rock.”
Chu Yuanzhen chuckled lightly. “Your One Blade from Heaven and Earth may have improved, but after one strike, you’ll be completely spent. A single attack won’t take down a Fourth Rank.”
As the two spoke, Xu Qi’an silently retrieved a book, placing it between his teeth. He grinned through it and said, “Time to show you the terrifying power of a Confucian’s silver tongue.”
_Bang!_
The ground collapsed, and Silver Gong Xu shot upward like a cannonball, soaring into the air and lunging directly at Li Miaozhen. During this charge, he clenched his right fist tightly and pulled it back forcefully.
Li Miaozhen, fully aware of the terrifying power of a Martial Artist in close combat, avoided a direct confrontation. She guided her flying sword upward, deftly evading Xu Qi’an’s fist.
As his lunge missed its mark, the flightless Xu Qi’an inevitably began to fall. Right on cue, Chu Yuanzhen acted, forming a sword with his fingers and unleashing the Qi Sword Technique of the Human Sect.
In an instant, countless sharp and unparalleled sword intents shot toward him.
_Riiiip!_ Xu Qi’an ripped a page from his book, igniting it with his Qi, and saying in a slow and casual manner: “I have an invisible pair of wings.”
As his words fell, a pair of invisible but very real wings appeared. Xu Qi’an flapped them, making a graceful turn midair to evade the oncoming sword energy with agility.
His target remained unchanged—Li Miaozhen.
Li Miaozhen watched in astonishment as Xu Qi’an, now like a swimming fish, weaved through Chu Yuanzhen’s sword energy and glided sideways, closing in on her.
She responded calmly, her pupils transforming into crystalline glass. Xu Qi’an’s clothing betrayed him at once. His belt, as if alive, tightened ferociously before snapping apart. His collar shrank, attempting to strangle him, while his mink hat dropped downward, covering his eyes.
The mink hat had done its job. Li Miaozhen seized the opportunity to ascend once more. But just then, she heard Xu Qi’an calmly issuing another proclamation: “My speed shall triple.”
His golden body caught up in an instant. Without needing to see, he rammed straight into Li Miaozhen.
_Bang!_
Li Miaozhen was sent flying, blood welling in her throat, her arm fractured from the impact.
_Confucianism’s “laws follow commandments” is ridiculously useful… If only this weren’t the wrong occasion, I’d love to try declaring “Where is Diao Chan?”_ Xu Qi’an mused internally.
Li Miaozhen’s lips curved into a faint smile as she formed a simple hand seal with one hand. A flash of light appeared at her brow, and a miniature version of herself shot forward, drilling into Xu Qi’an’s forehead before emerging from the back of his head.
Mid-flight, Xu Qi’an suddenly froze, as though unconscious, and plummeted straight down.
_Clang, clang, clang!_ Chu Yuanzhen seized the chance to unleash waves of sword energy. Sparks flew as the strikes hit Xu Qi’an, unable to pierce through his golden defence. However, the sword energy carried something else—Heart Sword Techniques that attacked the spirit.
This revelation came from Li Miaozhen’s earlier actions. Both had realized Xu Qi’an’s weakness: his spirit wasn’t strong enough.
A typical Martial Artist wouldn’t have such a glaring shortcoming, as their spiritual strength was honed through relentless training. However, Xu Qi’an was like a severely lopsided student—his spiritual strength was comparable to someone who thought “nineteen” was pronounced as “*nai ting*[^1].”
Though far superior to others in his rank, he was still miles behind a Fourth-Rank Martial Artist. This was his fatal flaw.
“End him in one blow,” Li Miaozhen, now visibly upset by her injuries, said coldly. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured nine command flags and hurled them forward.
_Thud, thud!_
The nine command flags formed a Nine-Palace formation, enveloping Xu Qi’an entirely. Li Miaozhen then tapped a pitch-black sachet at her waist, releasing wisps of black smoke that flowed into the array.
In an instant, wailing ghosts and howling spirits filled the space, black smoke swirling chaotically, at times forming human faces that screamed or wept in despair.
The sight terrified the onlooking citizens of the capital.
“H- how many ghosts?!”
“Dear heavens, will these ghosts hurt us? That woman is so cruel to use such vile methods against Silver Gong Xu.”
The princess consort retreated in fear, trembling. She hated ghosts the most, often imagining spectres standing by her bed at night, bloody and dishevelled. Even with her maids present, her fear remained.
Biaobiao was so scared she ducked behind Huaiqing. Huaiqing, ever composed, raised an eyebrow and chided, “You’re a royal daughter of the Great Feng, shrouded in auspicious purple Qi. Ordinary ghosts wouldn’t dare approach you. They fear you, not the other way around.”
Still, Lin’an yelped. “But I’m scared! Will the ghosts eat the Running Dog?”
Lan Caiyi, observing the crowd’s fear and concern for Silver Gong Xu, found the situation amusing. People who were unafraid of Fourth-Rank experts trembled before mere ghosts.
Yet, even the most confident citizens began doubting Xu Qi’an’s chances.
Lan Huan, noting his daughter’s interest, explained, “They fear not the ghosts, but the terror within themselves. For a Martial Artist to transcend limits, they must first overcome such fears.”
Lan Caiyi nodded, then looked at the ghost array. “So, does this mean Silver Gong Xu can’t overcome his fears?”
“No, he’s trapped by the Heaven Sect’s formation. As expected of their Holy Maiden, she’s struck his weak point,” Lan Huan replied.
Usually silent and stoic, Yang Yan unexpectedly offered his thoughts. “I faced a similar array while dealing with Earth Sect heretics last year. It’s highly troublesome, targeting a Martial Artist’s spirit. If he can’t break free, even the most resolute soul will eventually be worn down.”
“Everyone says Daoists are good at raising and nurturing ghosts. And they’ve proven the sayings.” commented a noble loudly.
“Indeed. Even with his indestructible golden body, Silver Gong Xu cannot withstand the corrosive effects on his spirit,” another aristocrat remarked gleefully, still holding a grudge over Xu Qi’an’s past humiliations of the court.
Suddenly, a cacophony of ghostly screams filled the air, shrill and panicked, as if they had encountered a natural predator.
All eyes turned to the ghost array, where beams of golden light pierced the oppressive black smoke, dissolving it with a sizzling sound.
The dense black smoke thinned in an instant, the myriad wailing souls vanishing as the radiant figure of Xu Qi’an came into view. He stood tall and proud, a resplendent golden core hovering above his head.
The Daoist golden core—reputed to be impervious to all impurities, untouchable by the filth of the world.
“Snap!”
Silver Gong Xu snapped his fingers. The golden core detonated, unleashing a surge of energy that dispersed the lingering black mist. The eight command flags were either uprooted or snapped in half.
The formation was broken.
At that moment, Chu Yuanzhen appeared like a phantom in front of Xu Qi’an, wielding a sword formed from fine gravel. Without hesitation, he struck Xu's forehead.
_Bang!_ The stone sword shattered, but a faint smile appeared on Chu Yuanzhen’s lips.
This strike was no ordinary attack—it was a _Heart Sword_, a technique that slashes not just the flesh but the very soul.
However, Chu Yuanzhen suddenly heard the sound of burning paper. Bewildered, he looked down to find a piece of nearly burned paper in Xu’s hand.
“What was recorded on this paper…?” Just as the thought crossed his mind, Chu Yuanzhen understood the answer, for an excruciating pain tore through his soul.
_Rebound!_
No, it wasn’t just a rebound. For Xu Qi’an had murmured under his breath, “I can reflect attacks. My soul is now ten times stronger.”
Only Chu Yuanzhen felt the agony of his soul being torn apart. For Xu, whose soul had indeed been amplified tenfold, there wasn’t the slightest problem.
Seizing the opportunity, Xu slammed his forehead into Chu Yuanzhen’s, sending blood streaming down and nearly forcing Chu Yuanzhen’s very soul out of his body.
Clinging to the last shred of clarity, Chu Yuanzhen reached out and finally grasped the long sword behind him.
_Damn it, number four’s completely lost himself in the fight…_ Xu Qi’an’s expression shifted. Leaning in close to Chu Yuanzhen’s ear, he whispered something softly.
Chu Yuanzhen’s body froze abruptly. Then, slowly, he loosened his grip on the sword.
“You’ve lost.”
Leaving those words behind, Xu flapped his invisible wings and shot toward Li Miaozhen.
Time was running out. The stronger the effects of the Confucian laws follow commandments, the more devastating the backlash when the rules of reality reassert themselves. The backlash of asserting that his soul was ten times stronger than it should be, would be so painful that he would rather die.
The consequences of altering laws was based on their outcome. For example, if Xu Qi’an just wanted a invisible pair of wings, then the consequence suffered from the magic would be aching shoulders for a few days.
But if he had asserted that his physical strength was ten times stronger, then afterwards he may have become a cripple, bedridden for months.
Xu Qi’an knew he had to subdue Li Miaozhen before the backlash set in, or all his efforts would be in vain.
The power of Laws follow Commandments was immense, but so too was its cost.
Without hesitation, Li Miaozhen rode her flying sword away. As the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect, she didn’t need an in-depth understanding of Confucian techniques to grasp the consequences of such a spell.
Skimming low across the river’s surface, her glass-like pupils glimmered, and the entire river answered her call, moving at her command.
Pillars of water erupted, attacking Xu and obstructing his path. Though the strikes couldn’t harm him through his indestructible golden body, they succeeded in buying her precious time.
_Rip!_
Xu tore another sheet of paper, preparing to ignite it. But the paper betrayed him, splitting into countless fragments that scattered into the river like fallen leaves.
“Whoosh…”
Flames flared from his palm. Another sheet of paper, hidden within his clenched fist, remained intact. The first was merely a decoy. He had anticipated Li Miaozhen’s interference.
As the paper burned to ash, Xu’s voice echoed resolutely: “Lay down your butcher’s blade; turn and see the shore.”
Mid-flight, Li Miaozhen abruptly lost control and veered toward Xu Qi’an, hurling herself into his embrace.
_Bang!_
The two collided, tumbling into the river together.
The entire Wei River roared to life, boiling and frothing. Waves as tall as ten stories crashed against the riverbanks, washing over the shores. No one could see what was happening beneath the water’s surface, but everyone knew it must be an intense battle.
The turmoil lasted for a quarter of an hour. By then, the once-crystal-clear waters of the Wei had turned as murky as a “Yellow River”.
Gradually, the river’s surface began to calm. The crowd’s tension soared, their gazes fixed on the water without so much as blinking.
_It has to be Silver Gong Xu who won. He’s so strong…_ The commoners held their breath, scanning the river for any sign of movement.
The Nightwatcher Gold Gongs kept their gazes locked on the river, their eyes unflinching.
The leaders of various martial sects—whether it was the Master of Shuangdao Hall, the Leader of the Luya Sword Pavilion, or the elegant lady of Wanhua Tower—watched the river in silent, solemn anticipation.
They understood that they were likely witnessing the birth of a legend.
A low-ranked martial artist triumphing over a high-ranked Daoist.
From commoners and jianghu heroes to nobles and their entourages, nearly a thousand spectators had gathered.
And yet, in this moment, they shared an unspoken agreement of silence. Even the sound of breathing seemed loud in the stillness.
It had been a battle of unparalleled brilliance, filled with twists and turns, yet thoroughly exhilarating.
Biaobiao clutched her chest, hearing her own heart pound like a war drum, one beat after another.
Huaiqing’s hands, concealed within her sleeves, slowly tightened into fists.
The Princess Consort, nervously balancing on her toes, scanned the riverbank with wide, restless eyes beneath her veil.
_If Big Brother wins this fight, his waning influence in the capital will ignite once more, elevating him to new heights as the focus of every circle in the city…_ Xu Xinnian took a deep breath, trying to calm his rising excitement.
In the midst of countless held breaths and eager eyes, the river surface finally broke.
First, a hand emerged, followed by a head—a head still wearing a mink sable hat, carefully held in place by the hand to prevent it from falling.
The figure gradually waded ashore, cradling an unconscious woman in Daoist robes in his arms.
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[^1]: ~ perky breasts