"Boom!" The plaza erupted.
Surprise after surprise—this was even more exciting than the Kunlun Sword Sect's spring trials.
One after another, they were all coming for Wang Xian!
At the instant the challenge began, absolute silence fell.
As a dark figure swept toward the high platform, the entire plaza suddenly went deathly quiet.
Only when a man dressed in black, with a somewhat dusky complexion, standing five and a half feet tall and about the same age as Ximen Guxing, appeared atop the platform did—
The plaza erupt in a wave of shocked cries!
Hey, have you no shame? Wang Xian's already fought three matches!
Exactly! Aren't you taking advantage of him when he's worn out?
Holy crap, it's a gauntlet!
Today's been worth it. Get on with it!
Wang Xian, you've got this!
Just then, Tang Shisan sent Wang Xian a quiet transmission:
"This guy's called Meng Xiaolou. His birthplace is unknown. He's a killer, at the Nascent Soul Realm, and his weapon is a mo dao. Be careful!"
Holy crap!
Wang Xian was stunned.
He looked at the weapon in Meng Xiaolou's hand—a thing that was neither quite a sword nor quite a saber—and his expression turned grave.
That last sword strike had consumed all of Wang Xian's spiritual energy.
In his current state, he couldn't immediately fight another round at his best against someone in peak condition, body and soul.
Dongfang Nishang thought for a moment from her seat in the stands, then took out a flask of spirit wine and a pill and handed them to Dantai Xiaoxue, moving her lips slightly.
Dantai Xiaoxue nodded, left the stands, and headed for the high platform where Wang Xian was.
Meng Xiaolou gave Wang Xian a wicked smile.
"I'm Meng Xiaolou, a killer. My mo dao favors an unexpected path. If you don't have a spirit sword like the one you used before, I'm afraid you won't beat me!"
"I won't take advantage of you. Like Ximen Tinghua, I'll use only three moves. If you can withstand them, you win. How's that?"
"Hold on!"
Just then, Dantai Xiaoxue climbed onto the high platform, popped a pill into Wang Xian's mouth, then handed him the flask.
She smiled. "Junior Brother, Master said you should take a sip of spirit wine and recover a little!"
Wang Xian smiled faintly, took the flask, uncorked it, and sipped.
A tremendous surge of spiritual energy burst from his dantian and rushed into his meridians. He immediately sat down on the platform and fell silent.
Dantai Xiaoxue stuffed several Storage Rings into Wang Xian's hand.
Only then did she turn to Meng Xiaolou, extend her hand, and smile. "Same rules as before. Hand over a thousand Spirit Stones!"
Meng Xiaolou paused, then smiled. "You're sure he can beat me?"
Dantai Xiaoxue glared at him.
"Does my junior brother look like someone who needs your paltry Spirit Stones? If you can't pay, get off the platform. My junior brother and I are in a hurry to be on our way!"
The crowd in the plaza burst into laughter.
They remembered that Ximen Tinghua's last match had cost a full thousand Spirit Stones.
If you couldn't pay, who'd bother playing along? This wasn't a fight between equals. Wang Xian could simply refuse.
Tang Shisan glanced at Ximen Tinghua beside her and couldn't help giggling.
"Meng, if you don't have the money, get down here and quit embarrassing yourself!"
"Exactly! If you can't pay, I'll take my turn!"
"I've got money! I challenge you on behalf of East Sea Flying Immortal Island!"
"I've got money too! Wang Xian, I challenge you on behalf of Hundred Flowers Valley!"
For a moment, one challenge after another rang across the plaza. These troublemakers, who loved watching a commotion, all seemed to have money to burn!
Sitting on the platform, Wang Xian could only smile wryly to himself.
It seemed that even after winning two matches, with the five hundred Spirit Stones his martial uncle had given him, he was still a poor man compared to these prodigies!
Meng Xiaolou didn't get angry.
He smiled at Dantai Xiaoxue and took out a Storage Ring, placing it in her hand.
Then he quietly said, "Hold on to it for me. I'll need it back in a bit!"
So far, he'd never seemed to lose a fight.
There was only one exception: he'd never fought Ximen Tinghua. He had no reason to, and no confidence he'd win.
Dantai Xiaoxue looked at Wang Xian, a trace of concern on her face.
"Junior Brother, are you up to it?"
Wang Xian shook his head without a word, silently sensing the sword strike that had soared into the sky earlier!
One Sword Startles Gods!
The Divine Sword had flashed into view!
It was completely unlike any sword technique his master had taught him. This strike was so pure that it could disregard everything before it.
It was even utterly different in style from the Sword Beyond the Heavens his master had unleashed before the Daoist temple.
After that strike, something unknown had changed within his body.
He didn't quite understand it yet, but there was no doubt he was stronger than before.
Gradually, the sword strike that had soared into the sky grew clearer in his Divine Sea.
Seeing how calm her junior brother was, Dantai Xiaoxue clapped her hands and headed down from the platform.
As she went, she called out to the prodigies in the plaza:
"Three challengers at most. Any more and you'll have to come back another day. Have your Spirit Stones ready. I'll collect them later."
Meng Xiaolou, standing atop the platform, was speechless.
So you're acting invincible and planning to challenge every prodigy here!
Who would've thought this little girl liked Spirit Stones just as much as Wang Xian did?
Looking at Wang Xian sitting on the ground, Meng Xiaolou smiled.
He grinned. "Looks like you don't have a sword. Want me to borrow one from Ximen Tinghua? I just like your invincible air..."
Wang Xian sensed a chill about Meng Xiaolou, an aura he couldn't quite put into words.
To him, that coldness wasn't directed at him. It was simply an aura Meng Xiaolou had been born with.
After thinking it over, he asked, "That aura around you—is it... something unique to you?"
Meng Xiaolou paused, then smiled. "If someone asked me for your head right now, I'd charge a hundred thousand Spirit Stones!"
He hadn't answered directly, but Wang Xian had all the answers he needed.
Wang Xian chuckled. "Why?"
Then he stood up, stretched, and turned toward the stands. "Thank you, Martial Uncle!"
"Because you dared to risk your life against Ximen Tinghua!"
Meng Xiaolou smiled faintly. "To be honest, I still don't dare challenge him to a decisive fight!"
Wang Xian looked at Tang Shisan and Ximen Tinghua in the plaza and shook his head.
"Even if we really fought, I couldn't beat Miss Tang. They were going easy on me."
Tang Shisan burst into giggles. "Just for saying that, Meng Xiaolou deserves to lose to you!"
Meng Xiaolou laughed too. "Can his two fists withstand my mo dao?"
Tang Shisan bristled. She waved at Wang Xian. "Wang Xian, do you want to use my sword or borrow one from Ximen Tinghua?"
Dongfang Nishang froze in the stands, then asked without thinking, "Wang Xian, you can use my sword!"
Wang Xian shook his head, thinking that he still had a sword of his own!
Since that mysterious senior hadn't objected, bringing out another sword should be fine.
"Zheng..."
A sword rang out. A flash of golden light appeared, then vanished without a trace.
It didn't even stir the spiritual energy on the platform.
Without the slightest warning, a golden spirit sword appeared before everyone's eyes.
"Whoosh!"
Before Dongfang Nishang could cry out, First Elder Dongfang Feihong abruptly sprang to his feet.
He cried out in shock, "Heaven-Questioning Sword!"
"Note: It's said that Tang swords included the yi dao, zhang dao, and mo dao. Since there isn't enough evidence to verify this, I've named this one the mo dao.
Brothers, tomorrow's update will be even more exciting. Please show your support—thank you!
A reader pointed out some typos. Please leave a comment next time you spot one; I'll fix it. Thanks!"
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