Moon Dance Intent and the Myriad-Leak Body

Lin Quan-meng had not danced for long before she opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a smiling old face, startling her into retreating several steps.

"My disciple, I am Hua Wujiang, the Third Grand Elder. Many years ago, I too came from the Mengzi Great Tribe. I am especially skilled at this Axi Moon Dance."

"If you find it agreeable, would you become my disciple? I will devote myself wholeheartedly to teaching you."

Dressed entirely in fiery red, Hua Wujiang spoke with a broad smile.

"A Grand Elder?" Lin Quan-meng was startled again, then exclaimed in delight, "Yes, yes! Why wouldn't I? I'm willing!"

"Good, good." Hua Wujiang nodded, then waved away the restraint that had sealed heaven and earth.

Only then did an uproar sweep across the square.

"A S-S-S-Supreme Elder is taking a disciple?!"

"If you could comprehend intent too, you could also become a Supreme Elder's disciple."

"Intent! Never mind intent, I'd be happy just becoming a Personal Disciple!"

"Brother, I think you should focus on getting into the inner sect first..."

The disciples buzzed with discussion.

Rain Spider True Person descended from the sky as well and offered a cupped-hand salute. "Grand Elder Hua."

"Mm. I'll take my disciple back first. She has just formed her Moon-Jumping Dance Intent and needs to consolidate it." Hua Wujiang smiled. "Rain Spider, carry on."

Rain Spider True Person naturally had no objection. "Of course."

Yet Lin Quan-meng spoke again. "Wait!"

Wait?

True Person Rain Spider and Hua Wujiang immediately turned their eyes toward her, unsure what she intended to do.

"Rain Spider True Person, am I first or second in this Sect Grand Tournament?" Lin Quan-meng's gaze burned bright, her fighting spirit blazing.

"Well..." Rain Spider True Person could not help looking toward Lin Ke in the distant stands, understanding what Lin Quan-meng meant.

By rights, Lin Ke, who had reached the Dao Foundation Stage, should have ranked first. But Lin Quan-meng had comprehended Moon-Jumping Dance Intent, an unprecedented feat. Which of them deserved first place?

Since its founding, the Golden Wing Sect had never had a disciple comprehend "intent" during the Qi Refining Stage, so there was no precedent.

As for Fang Du, whom Rain Spider True Person had already instructed through voice transmission to rest in the spectator seats, third place was the very best he could hope for.

"How about this?" Hua Wujiang smiled and stroked his beard. "Let the two of them fight. Whoever wins takes first place."

A fight?

It appeared Hua Wujiang had no intention of using his authority to pressure anyone. Nor did he blame his newly accepted disciple for creating unnecessary trouble; instead, he seemed to encourage this behavior.

"Thank you, Master!" Lin Quan-meng answered softly, then looked toward Lin Ke in the distance. "Senior Brother Lin Ke, would you be willing to exchange a few moves?"

Lin Ke was not afraid.

The core of his spirit had been inherited from the great civilization of his previous life, and he would not bow his head easily.

When facing Li Le earlier, he had never considered handing Zong Ya over without a fight. Now, even facing a Fusion Stage Grand Elder and his Personal Disciple who had just comprehended "intent," Lin Ke would not be afraid.

At worst, he would die.

Besides, from what he could see, this was not a fight to the death, but a friendly spar.

Thus, he rose and flew out, landing steadily opposite Lin Quan-meng. With a calm expression, he saluted Hua Wujiang and True Person Rain Spider. "Disciple Lin Ke greets Supreme Elder Hua and True Person Rain Spider."

"Excellent composure!" Hua Wujiang praised him. "Unless I'm mistaken, you are the Lin Ke who failed his assessment just a month ago, after which True Person Yuan Yong's son abused his authority to send you off to spend your remaining days at the sect's borderlands. Correct?"

"That is indeed this disciple." Lin Ke nodded.

"To think you have unraveled the true essence of the Myriad-Leak Body... the Myriad-Leak Body!" Hua Wujiang grew visibly excited and threw back his head in laughter.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! Our sect has gained two prodigies in a single day! Hahaha!"

"Moon-Jumping Dance Intent is already unrivaled under heaven, but what of the Myriad-Leak Body? In the age when the Hundred Schools strode unchecked across the world, the Myriad-Leak Body was immensely formidable!"

The Myriad-Leak Body?

Outwardly, Lin Ke remained impassive, but inwardly, he began weighing things up.

There was little need to guess. Hua Wujiang presumably believed that his recovery after losing all his Spirit Power was due to this so-called Myriad-Leak Body.

Come to think of it, after he lost all his Spirit Power, Rain Spider True Person and the others had examined him too, and they had all called it a Myriad-Leak Body.

Fortunately, none of them had discovered the bead's existence.

Now that he had advanced to the Dao Foundation Stage, it seemed to lend even more weight to their claim.

But he did not know what a Myriad-Leak Body was, so he showed a suitably measured hint of confusion.

"I'll take you to consult the records afterward, and then you'll understand," Hua Wujiang said heartily. "It may be a forbidden area, but this is our own sect, and we're all family here. I'll take you in!"

Lin Ke immediately cupped his hands in thanks.

"All right, enough talk." Hua Wujiang smiled. "My new disciple is brimming with fighting spirit. Have yourselves a good spar. Haha."

As he spoke, he gestured to Rain Spider True Person. "Rain Spider True Person?"

It seemed consolidating Lin Quan-meng's Moon-Jumping Dance Intent was not particularly urgent after all—or perhaps fighting could consolidate it too.

"Please." Rain Spider True Person nodded respectfully, then flew high into the sky with him and gestured toward Lin Ke. "Lin Ke, are you willing?"

"Of course I am." Lin Ke smiled.

"Mm." Rain Spider True Person gave a slight nod.

Thus, only Lin Ke and Lin Quan-meng remained on the field, facing each other.

Every eye was upon them!

Lin Quan-meng's eyes brimmed with fighting spirit, while Lin Ke's expression remained calm.

He was not actually very interested in fighting and lacked the fanatical thirst for battle found in the novels of his previous life.

But he also knew that in a world like this, avoiding combat was essentially impossible.

No matter the world, one law remained the same-

The bigger fist was always right!

Although Lin Quan-meng had not yet established her Dao Foundation, she had comprehended this so-called "intent," and her combat instincts had already been good to begin with. Lin Ke would not take her lightly.

This was also a good opportunity to practice his Mountain-Moving and Sea-Overturning Spell Arts and other techniques.

Knowledge gleaned from paper was shallow in the end; to truly understand, one had to put it into practice.

True knowledge came from practice!

"Please." Lin Ke raised a hand invitingly.

Lin Quan-meng gave a sharp cry. "Watch out!" Then she leaped into the air.

The next instant, her Stick Insect, which had remained on the ground all this time, shot forward alongside her like an arrow loosed from its bow, aiming straight for Lin Ke's head.

Earlier, Stick Insect's lightning-fast attacks had worked beautifully with Lin Quan-meng's Moon Dance, each complementing the other.

One fast, one slow; one hard, one soft. They had left Fang Du scrambling to keep up.

Being struck by Stick Insect would probably have much the same effect as being pierced by an arrow.

Now, facing Stick Insect himself, Lin Ke instantly felt the pressure Fang Du had faced.

What was the best way to handle such an attack?

Either move faster than his opponent, or...

Defend!

"Rise!"

Lin Ke instantly turned his hand over and brought out the Amethyst Longhorn Beetle, then immediately employed the Moisture-and-Egg Transformation Method.

In a mere instant, the Amethyst Carapace condensed over Lin Ke's body, forming a pale-purple shield.

Thud!!!

Stick Insect's hard head struck the shield with a dull impact.

The Amethyst Carapace did not budge, and Lin Ke did not even shift his feet.

Stick Insect, however, was left dizzy and disoriented by the powerful recoil. For a moment, he swayed unsteadily on the ground, unable to stand firm, as though drunk.

At that moment, the flying sword in Lin Quan-meng's hand had also reached the Amethyst Carapace, Spirit Power bursting from its blade.

"Slash!"

Lin Quan-meng's voice flowed like a clear spring, yet it carried a chilling killing intent.

Nevertheless, the answer she received was still a dull impact.

Thud!!!

Lin Quan-meng's hand involuntarily opened, and her flying sword was knocked straight out of her grip.

Her brows knitted. Her body swayed like a flame in the wind as she retreated explosively, fearful that Lin Ke would seize the opportunity to attack.

Yet Lin Ke did not move a fraction. Not even the hem of his clothes fluttered.

After several dozen more attacks, Lin Ke remained impregnable as a fortress, standing firm and unmoving.

At last, Lin Quan-meng stopped.

Seeing this, Lin Ke cupped his hands and said with a smile:

"My purse is rather thin, so I haven't learned many offensive techniques."

"I only have one or two Spirit Insects, too, so my options are limited. I can only defend like this."

Some distance away, Lin Quan-meng shook her head at his words. "There's no need to be modest."

"You can block every attack from Green Bamboo and me with a single technique, which shows how precious your Spirit Insect is. I also witnessed your demotion to the outer sect after you failed the assessment. Now, this Spirit Insect counts as part of your strength."

"And you immediately recognized that, with your speed and agility inferior to mine, defending was your best option. Like Fang Du, you have a piercing eye."

"But if you keep defending like this, I wonder whether your Spirit Power can hold out?"

As she spoke, she began another round of attacks.

Could his Spirit Power hold out?

Lin Ke smiled.

"Try it, and you'll know."