After entering the central hall, they saw Xia Wenhui and the Blade and Sword Twin Supremes standing on the left side of the main hall. When he saw everyone enter, Xia Wenhui stepped forward and said to Meng Yuqiong with a fawning smile, "Sister Yuqiong, let's wait here until midnight. The places farther in haven't been entered for a long time, and snakes, insects, rats, and the like are everywhere."
Although Meng Yuqiong and Xu Jinyi were both daughters of the Jianghu, their expressions still changed slightly upon hearing about snakes, insects, and rats. The two girls turned to Xu Tianqi, their eyes and expressions both saying that they did not want to go any farther inside. Xu Jinyi in particular was just short of crying it aloud. Still, no matter what, she had to give Fifth Brother face and let him make the decision.
At the sight of those pleading eyes from the beauties, Xu Tianqi's bones seemed to soften. He immediately said, "The people who encountered ghosts in the past basically all met them in the central hall. This is exactly where we should wait. Come, Sister Yuqiong, let's go sit over there."
Seeing this, Xia Wenhui stepped forward and said, "Sister Yuqiong, I've observed that spot for a long time. It's the cleanest place, and I've even wiped the chairs clean." He waved a strip of cloth as if showing off, seeming to have torn it from his own clothes.
Shi Xuan rather admired the fellow. In order to chase women, he truly knew how to bow low and humble himself; he had grasped the true essence of the word "Xiao" in the five-character secret of Pan Lu Deng Xiao Xian. The difference between an Internal Art Master sweeping away dust with palm wind and disregarding his own image to tear off his clothes and wipe chairs lay in the care one put into it.
Though Meng Yuqiong did not answer out of consideration for Xu Tianqi's pride, the tension on her face from hearing about snakes, insects, and rats eased somewhat.
Xu Tianqi, however, glared viciously at Xia Wenhui, yet took no further action. It seemed he had little experience in this regard. No wonder, despite being a renowned young expert ranked among the Jianghu's top twenty, he was left deflated before the clearly weaker Xia Wenhui.
Fortunately, Xu Tianqi had a good younger sister. Little Xu Jinyi pulled him toward the spot where Xia Wenhui and his two Elders were, though closer to the corridor. She then signaled Xu Tianqi to directly wipe down a chair with his sleeve before turning and waving at Meng Yuqiong. "Sister Yuqiong, come over here. It's very clean."
Meng Yuqiong smiled, cupped her hands toward Xia Wenhui, and said, "I appreciate your good intentions, Brother Xia." Then she walked toward Xu Jinyi, while Xia Wenhui's face behind her grew increasingly pale.
Since there were only four or five intact chairs left in the entire hall, Shi Xuan saw Xu Tianqi busy currying favor while everyone else treated him like thin air. He took a Dust Removal Charm Talisman from his hidden pouch and held it in his hand. Striding quickly to a spot not far from Meng Yuqiong's chair, he kept his hand tucked inside his sleeve and directly activated the talisman with soul power. Then he pretended to gather palm strength and sweep it across the ground. All kinds of debris and dust on the floor flew toward the corridor with a gust of palm wind, instantly revealing a large patch of clean ground.
Shi Xuan was not particular about such things and simply sat down cross-legged. Only when they saw the debris and dust fly up did the others shift their attention over. Aside from Xu Tianqi, who knew Shi Xuan's true abilities, everyone else was greatly astonished. At Shi Xuan's age, he should at most have only recently become an Internal Art Master, yet the effect he produced was comparable to that of an expert who had accumulated internal true qi for many years.
Xu Jinyi's eyes widened. After a long while, she came back to herself and stepped forward. "Senior Brother Shi, you tricked me just now! I was even showing off in front of you. You're too awful!"
Shi Xuan smiled. "I didn't trick you. My fist and foot combat truly isn't a match for Senior Brother Xu's."
Xu Jinyi suddenly understood. "Oh, so you're also close to breaking through the first of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. It's nothing, Senior Brother Shi. My Fifth Brother travels the Jianghu all year round, so he has more experience fighting than you. Ah, ah, I was so pleased with myself just now."
The matter of cultivation was still unknown to all but a very few people. Thus, not only did Xu Jinyi fail to consider that possibility, but judging from the expressions of Meng Yuqiong, Mu Jin, and Xia Wenhui and the two Elders on the other side, they too accepted Xu Jinyi's explanation. Still, everyone's attention toward Shi Xuan clearly increased.
Shi Xuan thought that a misunderstanding was fine, so he said, "Sister Jinyi, when I was your age, I wasn't as capable as you."
Upon hearing that, Xu Jinyi's anger turned to delight. "Hehe, at least you know how to tell the truth."
Because Shi Xuan had cleared out such a large space, Xu Tianqi and Mu Jin also came over and sat cross-legged. Xu Tianqi, however, still remained within half a step of Meng Yuqiong and Xu Jinyi's chairs. Then he lowered his voice and said to Shi Xuan, "Right, it was rumored years ago that Blade Sword Double Kill had opened five of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians on Ganlong Road. After all these years, their cultivation has likely gone up another level. Even if they aren't First-Rate Experts, they can't be far from it."
In the Jianghu, opening the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and achieving the Postnatal Minor Heavenly Cycle qualified one as a First-Rate Expert. Opening the remaining eighteen minor meridians constituted the Major Heavenly Cycle and earned one the title of peak expert. Once either of those barriers was crossed, one's strength would differ from the previous realm as greatly as heaven and earth. As for Grandmaster Experts of the Subtle Realm, that was a breakthrough into a major realm, with an even greater gap from those before it. (Only eighteen minor meridians were passed down in the Jianghu, and even then, only the true teachings of famous sects possessed them. Ordinary manuals contained merely a few, making it fundamentally impossible to cultivate into a peak expert. The Returning to Truth Scripture, however, recorded thirty-six, which showed just how precious the Treasure Record was.)
"Mm, don't worry. As long as they haven't achieved the Major Heavenly Cycle, there won't be a problem. Right, how are Xia Wenhui's martial arts?" To Shi Xuan, so long as they were not Grandmaster Experts of the Subtle Realm, whose senses reached into the minute, he could secretly set traps against even Peak Experts and leave them with nothing but losses. Besides, there were so many talismans left behind by Old Daoist Xu, a Soul Departure Realm expert. Even if a Grandmaster truly came, there was nothing to fear.
Xu Tianqi chuckled twice. "Other than having thick skin, that fellow has no talent for martial arts. His father is the Xia Family's current patriarch, a First-Rate Expert. From childhood to adulthood, who knew how many precious medicinal herbs he used? Yet he only broke through into the Qi Nourishing Stage this year, at twenty-five."
Xia Wenhui truly did have thick skin. Seeing that everyone here had settled down, he said something to the two Elders, moved the chairs over, and all three came across.
"Sister Yuqiong, I think the scenery here is quite nice. You don't mind if I come sit here too, do you?" Xia Wenhui said to Meng Yuqiong with narrowed, smiling eyes.
Xu Tianqi sprang to his feet. "I say, Xia Wenhui, don't stick to us like dogskin plaster. You chose that side, so go wait over there."
"Tsk, Brother Tianqi, this place isn't something you bought. Why can't I come over?" As Xia Wenhui spoke, Jian Cong, with half his hair white and a vicious-looking face, stepped forward from behind him, then silently stepped back again. That single step had crushed a bluestone floor tile into powder.
Xu Tianqi drew a slight breath, but he still wanted to speak. At that moment, Meng Yuqiong stood up and beat him to it. "Everyone, we still have matters to attend to later. Rather than this, why don't we quiet down and adjust ourselves, conserving our energy and building up our strength?"
Since the great beauty had stepped in to smooth things over, everyone could only agree repeatedly. They then each sat down and closed their eyes to regulate their breathing. When Xia Wenhui's group sat down, Dao Feng, who had a scar across his face, struck out with one palm. His palm wind was slightly stronger than what Shi Xuan had produced earlier, blowing away quite a bit of dust.
Shi Xuan secretly grumbled, No matter how strong your wind is, it still can't clear dust as cleanly as mine.
At this time, Shi Xuan did not dare visualize. He first closed his eyes, regulated his breath, and circulated qi to restore his energy. Then he used the method from the Clear Wind Bright Moon Illuminates Spirit Observation Method for controlling thoughts to gather in his scattered thoughts, keeping himself in a clear state.
In this state, Shi Xuan discovered that his senses had become sharper. For instance, he could sense Xia Wenhui looking in this direction with malicious intent one moment, then shifting his gaze about indecisively the next. Xia Wenhui likely relied on the strength of his own side and wanted to do something unfavorable to them, yet hesitated out of concern for other factors.
This sharp sensation was very fresh. Xia Wenhui's state let Shi Xuan see the influence of all kinds of factors upon a person's decision-making.
In the end, even if one truly made a decision, it might not be the genuine wish of one's own heart. In truth, Shi Xuan was the same. Though he had learned a method of using his innate nature to control his thoughts, he merely followed it mechanically. He still could not truly see his innate nature, and remained influenced by the patterns of thought and experience formed through every encounter since birth. That influence ran through everything he did. That was why people said, "Seeing one's nature is cultivation." If he could truly cast off external influences and see his own innate nature, he feared he would have already achieved Primordial Spirit. Thus, the road of cultivation remained long and arduous.
Blade Sword Double Kill behind Xia Wenhui were both sitting with their eyes closed, regulating their breaths. Seeing this opportunity, Shi Xuan activated a Disaster Aversion and Blessing Invocation Charm Talisman within his sleeve. This was merely an ordinary support talisman, mainly used to clear the mind and dispel Killing Intent, making it perfect for Blade Sword Double Kill. Their Killing Intent had already fused with their souls, so unless they cooperated by visualizing and held a grand ritual at the same time, using the power of a ritual altar, it could not be eliminated. For now, it could only be temporarily suppressed. Of course, temporary suppression was all Shi Xuan needed. Moreover, the Disaster Aversion and Blessing Incantation was a beneficial talisman. Blade Sword Double Kill could only feel their minds growing clearer and their energy recovering faster as they regulated their breaths. At most, they would think their breathing exercise had worked particularly well and that their martial arts had improved.
The time gradually approached midnight. The central hall's doors had long since been destroyed, and the draft blowing through the hall howled loudly. Even with everyone's level of martial cultivation, they could feel a trace of chill.
All was silent, with only the Wind's Sound whistling fiercely. Suddenly, the draft changed. It became gloomy and sinister, filled with frigid air. Xu Jinyi and Mu Jin's bodies both began to tremble, their teeth chattering.
All at once, a white shadow pounced straight at the two women in the middle. Xu Jinyi screamed. Xu Tianqi on one side and Blade Sword Double Kill on the other each launched attacks at the white shadow, while Xia Wenhui turned deathly pale with fright and kept backing away.
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