Facing that fierce spear thrust, capable of piercing the very heavens, Meng Tian casually cleaved downwards with a single blade strike.
Whoosh!
The eerie, blood-red gleam of the blade flashed once more. With a clang, Meng Tian used the force to spring toward the Black Armored Army troops locked in combat at the center of the rear courtyard. With a loud, arrogant laugh, the blood-red blade light swept toward the centurion, Du Hong, who paled instantly, his long spear unable to intercept in time.
"Shing!"
In the deep night, a sliver of cold light shot across the expanse. Teng Qingshan stared at Meng Tian in the distance, having just loosed a flying dagger from his left hand.
The dagger’s speed caused Meng Tian’s expression to shift slightly.
"Clang!" Meng Tian’s Blood Moon Blade immediately turned, blocking the flying dagger.
"Du Hong, finish it quickly! Kill all of them!" Teng Qingshan roared. He himself lunged toward Meng Tian like a ferocious tiger, his spear trailing a chilling, icy glint as it thrust directly at him.
"Yes! Commander!" Du Hong shouted back in assent, then let out a ferocious bellow, "Brothers, kill them all!"
Of the twenty-two Black Armored Army soldiers, two had already fallen.
However...
The eight most troublesome Internal Strength masters on the opposing side had been wiped out by Teng Qingshan in one swift assault right as he entered the courtyard. Now, the remaining experts on the Sanshi Inn side found themselves completely helpless against the heavily armored Black Armored soldiers who fought in perfect coordination. Swords and blades struck their opponents to no effect.
But they themselves wore only soft armor—how could they fight back?
To kill the Black Armored soldiers, one would need to strike at the gaps in their heavy armor, or target areas like the face, all of which were too small.
"Thwack!" "Thwack!" "Thwack!"...
The Black Armored soldiers advanced in two tight ranks, driving down the experts of the Sanshi Inn one by one beneath the points of their spears. Meanwhile, the dozens of guards under Zhu Chongshi provided support, shooting arrows from the side. For a time, Teng Qingshan’s side gained the upper hand. As for Meng Tian's subordinates, their casualties were staggering.
Setting aside the skirmish below, Teng Qingshan and Meng Tian were fighting with mounting intensity.
"Boom!"
The Samsara Spear smashed down violently. The sheer force and speed generated a sonic boom.
Meng Tian stomped his feet, launching himself up onto the three or four zhang high roof of the Sanshi Inn. Teng Qingshan’s Samsara Spear slammed directly into the inn wall, shattering it and leaving a massive hole. Teng Qingshan looked up, leaping into the air as well, swooping toward his prey like an eagle.
"This Teng Qingshan is really under twenty years old?" Meng Tian began to doubt the intelligence provided by the Thirteenth Young Master of the Zhu family. "Every move seems simple and direct, yet they are incredibly hard to resist. A seemingly straight thrust can pivot and change direction at any moment. It's clearly a heavy smash, yet he can retract the spear instantly to change the attack!"
"Under twenty years old, yet his spear technique is like the surging, boundless river, so majestic that it’s difficult to counter. " Meng Tian grew anxious. "What ancient monster could teach such a disciple? In a few more years, I might not even be his match!"
He did not know.
The technique Teng Qingshan had spent the most effort creating was the 'Primal Unity Force' Spear Style—the strongest defensive style. With a mere rotation or draw of the spear, it could instantly transform into any offensive technique. Using the Primal Unity Force Spear Style as the 'center hub,' Teng Qingshan never feared having pauses in his offense that might give the enemy an opening.
The only move that carried a momentary weakness was the Poison Dragon Drill!
Once the Poison Dragon Drill was unleashed, the flow of the spear technique became momentarily uncontrolled. However, the ultimate move, the 'Poison Dragon Stand,' could injure a Flood Dragon. If even this move failed to kill the enemy, Teng Qingshan would only have the option to flee.
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
Meng Tian sprinted swiftly across the rooftops, with Teng Qingshan chasing him like lightning.
"Haha, Teng Qingshan, seeing as you are under twenty, if you can withstand this single move of mine, I will spare your life today!" Meng Tian felt a surge of appreciation for the young talent.
"Audacious words!" Teng Qingshan snapped coldly.
Meng Tian's expression changed; he considered himself a top expert on the Earth Ranking, a senior of status, and at over eighty years old, he felt justified in saying so.
"Then take my 'Blood Moon Dance'!" With a wild laugh, Meng Tian, who had been fleeing, suddenly spun around and unleashed a lightning-fast blade technique.
Teng Qingshan’s gaze sharpened. His spear followed his will, delivering a 'Shadow Follower' spear thrust straight out.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Meng Tian’s form blurred completely. Teng Qingshan could only see streaks of blade light enveloping him from every direction—above, to the sides, in front, behind, below—in an instant, Teng Qingshan seemed trapped within a prison of blade light.
The Blood Moon Dance—Meng Tian’s world-renowned ultimate skill.
In a single moment, he could unleash forty-nine strikes, each one possessing terrifying power capable of shattering stone tablets.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A rapid succession of impacts rang out. Each collision generated intense shockwaves that cracked the surrounding tiles and bricks, sending them flying.
Meng Tian retreated, then settled firmly atop a major roof beam.
Teng Qingshan also stood on a wooden beam, secretly alarmed. "What astonishing speed. Meng Tian's speed is far greater than Xiao Yun's. Fortunately, my 'Shadow Follower' spear technique has already grasped the essence of 'Endless Flow, Incessant Continuation,' allowing each spear thrust to be faster than the last, with every strike connected! Otherwise, with this five-thousand jin of force alone, I likely wouldn't have been able to block it."
While Teng Qingshan was surprised, he had no idea how shocked Meng Tian was.
"He... he blocked it? My Blood Moon Dance, he actually blocked all of it!" Meng Tian felt a surge of blood rising in his chest, threatening to make him vomit.
Forty-nine strikes, each one faster than the last, required extremely demanding standards for body movement and blade swings.
"Haha... Teng Qingshan, this old man yields in admiration. It seems in a short time, you too will be listed on the Earth Ranking. But Meng Tian keeps his word; today, I spare your life." With that, Meng Tian smiled and bolted toward the darkness in the distance, only for a sharp whistle to sound!
A flying dagger!
Meng Tian was forced to stop, putting all his effort into defending against this dagger strike.
"Meng Tian, you want to leave? See if I allow it!" Teng Qingshan launched himself forward almost simultaneously with the flying dagger. By the time Meng Tian blocked the dagger, he saw Teng Qingshan descending from high above.
From a superior position, the Samsara Spear delivered a heavy, powerful downward chop!
Whoosh!
Though it was technically a chopping move transitioned into a spear technique, Teng Qingshan’s comprehension of chopping movements allowed this downward strike to descend like a crushing mountain.
"Rumble~~~" The spear technique carried a terrifying air explosion.
Having just blocked a flying dagger, Meng Tian had no time to dodge. He could only hold the Blood Moon Blade horizontally above his head.
"Clang!"
The bricks, tiles, and wood beneath his feet shattered. Meng Tian was smashed straight down by the spear thrust.
...
The more than twenty men at the Sanshi Inn had rushed out of the inn the moment the fighting began. Standing outside, they watched the commotion, now witnessing Teng Qingshan and Meng Tian battling on the rooftop before falling inside.
"Big Brother, did you hear that? One is named Meng Tian, and the other, Teng Qingshan."
The long-haired man nodded. "Meng Tian is a super expert listed on the Earth Ranking. I never expected our brothers to witness such a fierce battle out here in the wilderness inn. But that Teng Qingshan is truly formidable; he doesn't seem at a disadvantage at all."
"We actually considered fighting them just now—that was courting death," the other men muttered, feeling a lingering fear.
Judging by their skills, Teng Qingshan alone could likely wipe them all out.
"Big Brother, who do you think will win?" The group stared toward the Sanshi Inn, where continuous loud noises echoed—Teng Qingshan and Meng Tian were clearly fighting inside.
"It should be Meng Tian! From what he said on the roof, he clearly appreciates talent and hasn't used his strongest ultimate move," the long-haired man mused. "Moreover, since Meng Tian is on the Earth Ranking, he must possess some terrifying trump cards. Once he uses those, Teng Qingshan will likely be defeated!"
The moment he finished speaking—
"Whoosh!"
A figure burst through the inn's window, landing outside, looking rather disheveled—it was Meng Tian.
Swish!
A terrifying cold light pierced through the inn's wall, like a burrowing machine, immediately followed by a crash—Teng Qingshan burst through the wall, sending shattered stones flying. But Teng Qingshan's fierce eyes were still locked onto Meng Tian.
"Pfft!" The cold glint reflecting off the spear tip was already before Meng Tian.
"Clang!" Meng Tian’s body was thrown aside.
"Meng Tian, are you truly seeking death!" Meng Tian roared in annoyance.
Teng Qingshan stared at him coldly: "If you can kill me, then bring out your true methods. Otherwise... this day next year will be the anniversary of your death, an expert of the Earth Ranking!"
Meng Tian’s gaze turned icy. It wasn't that he didn't want to kill Teng Qingshan; it was that unleashing his ultimate trump card would cause significant harm to his own body. Thus, he was reluctant to use it unless facing mortal danger. However, Teng Qingshan’s magnificent and fierce spear technique left Meng Tian with genuinely few other options.
"You asked for this!" Meng Tian gritted his teeth.
"Hiss, hiss~~"
Strangely, Meng Tian’s skin suddenly flushed a deep red, and beads of blood began to seep out from his pores across his body. In an instant, this fresh blood soaked through his thin undershirt. Meng Tian became a blood-person, completely crimson, utterly horrifying to behold.
Teng Qingshan, rather than being alarmed, was delighted: "Finally, I get to see the true strength of a master who stands upon the Earth Ranking!"
A blood-person, a blood-red blade!
"Die!" Meng Tian roared savagely.
A streak of blood-red shadow instantly crossed ten zhang in distance, moving so fast that Teng Qingshan was greatly startled.
"Shing!"
The Blood Moon Blade struck with extreme speed, causing the very air to vibrate. The blade shadow blurred, making it completely indistinct within Teng Qingshan's field of vision—he could not see the true form of the blade!
Teng Qingshan’s ears twitched.
Combining sight and hearing, Teng Qingshan instantly judged the blade's position. The internal energy surging within him caused the speed of his spear thrust to ascend another level!
When creating his 'Five Flames Style,' Teng Qingshan had also incorporated the 'Blazing Fire Spear Art' to further perfect his Five Elements Spear Technique. Each thrust could stimulate vital points through internal energy, causing a massive spike in spear speed! Normally, Teng Qingshan didn't need to do this, but today, he finally did!
Still delivering five-thousand jin of force, but now augmented by internal energy, the spear's velocity instantly increased by sixty to seventy percent!
"Whoosh!"
The Samsara Spear became a bolt of lightning, stabbing toward the blurry red blade shadow!
Ripping through the sky!
Clang!
The Samsara Spear and the Blood Moon Blade separated almost instantly upon contact. Both weapons were affected and had their trajectories altered. Meng Tian and Teng Qingshan both dodged their opponent's weapon, but... the Samsara Spear was nine feet and six inches long, while the Blood Moon Blade was only a little over four feet.
At this moment, the long weapon held the advantage. The Blood Moon Blade had not yet touched Teng Qingshan, but the Samsara Spear, with a thwack, spun and pierced deep into Meng Tian's left arm.