As My Spirit Knows

Inside the Disposal Bureau, a light screen displayed the current scene between Chen Chuan and Sancheng Huang. The bureau was paying close attention to this fight. The Langtao Arena was renowned overseas, and Sancheng Huang was likewise an established fighter across the Outer Ocean; they believed he would prove a formidable rival for Chen Chuan. To ensure the two remained undisturbed and prevent outside factions from meddling behind the scenes, they had locked down all information beforehand and positioned numerous hidden sentries in the surrounding area. As of now, aside from the Disposal Bureau, no one knew that the two had arranged a duel here. The plaza outside the Moshen Temple was spacious, the flagstones solid underfoot. Because the temple itself had produced third limit fighters in the past, these stones were specially treated. Looking at Chen Chuan before him, Sancheng Huang slowly raised a hand to grip the hilt at his waist. His fingers tightened, looking as if he were about to draw at any moment. But after a moment, he suddenly exhaled, released his grip, and bowed deeply to Chen Chuan. "Forgive me, please!" Chen Chuan said in surprise, "What do you mean by this, Mr. Sancheng?" Sancheng Huang bowed slightly again and said, "My apologies, Mr. Chen. I concede defeat!" Chen Chuan was somewhat taken aback. Looking at his opponent, he said slowly, "We haven't even clashed yet. Why does Mr. Sancheng think he has already lost?" Sancheng Huang answered with utter seriousness, "There is no need to clash. The very first glance I laid upon Mr. Chen today told me I am no match for you. This match is my loss." Chen Chuan said, "If you say so, Mr. Sancheng, then it seems there is no need for this fight at all." Sancheng Huang said, "Ah, please forgive me for making a decision that disappoints Mr. Chen out of regard for my own life. However..." His voice gradually grew louder, and with a swift motion, he drew the blade at his waist. "If this is merely a spar rather than a fight to the death, I believe Mr. Chen will not take my life—in which case, I consider myself an excellent sparring partner!" In front of the light screen, the personnel at the Disposal Bureau exchanged bewildered glances. They had anticipated a brutal and bloody clash, never imagining they would witness such a scene. Someone frowned. "What is with this Sancheng Huang? Could he be intentionally deceiving Captain Chen so Captain Chen lets his guard down, only to strike when he isn't paying attention?" "It isn't out of the question." Most fighters possessed an indomitable, headstrong temperament; hardly anyone would surrender before even trading blows. Not to mention Sancheng Huang had traveled thousands of miles across the sea to seek out this opponent—would he truly resign himself to admitting defeat before fighting? Anyone would suspect some ulterior scheme at work, and some could not help worrying for Chen Chuan. "Captain Chen must not fall for it." "Right, hurry and warn Captain Chen." Yet others scoffed at the notion. How many formidable adversaries had Captain Chen handled since joining the Disposal Bureau? How could he possibly be fooled by petty tricks? There was no need to fuss over him blindly. Meanwhile, out on the plaza, Chen Chuan said, "I have rarely met a fighter like you, Mr. Sancheng." Sancheng Huang said, "It is nothing. Those who recognize the times are wise." He paused, then continued, "My philosophy of combat has always been thus: when a fighter encounters a powerful adversary, one must know how to yield. One cannot, for the sake of momentary pride, face an opponent one cannot overcome. "For this, my teacher has always looked down on me, believing I could never master the true secret transmission of our arena. Junior Brother Jian may have been the one with the greatest potential, but he has already fallen in defeat. If all the disciples capable of mastering the secret transmission are gone and only I remain, then whom else can Master teach the secret transmission to except me? "As you can see, no matter how powerful the secret transmission, conviction, or fame may be, none can compare to simply surviving for the moment." Chen Chuan could sense that Sancheng Huang had openly laid bare his mind and field. While speaking, his words resonated with his spirit to an extraordinary degree—this was undeniably the principle he lived by, spoken straight from the heart. Chen Chuan pondered for a moment, then looked at him and said slowly, "It is not that Mr. Sancheng lacks conviction. Rather, compared to those lofty, nebulous aspirations, you have chosen a path grounded firmly in reality." Sancheng Huang said with visible excitement, "Mr. Chen understands me!" Chen Chuan regarded Sancheng Huang. What he said was true; though this would not be a hearty, unrestrained battle, the man was indeed an excellent sparring partner. Such an opponent was immensely useful for tempering one's spirit. While Hongfu was superior in some ways, no matter how strong she became, she would never cause him real harm; that was dictated by the academy's parameters. Yet if Sancheng Huang had the chance to injure him, would he hold back? Chen Chuan raised the Xuejun Saber across his chest. With a light nudge, he slid the scabbard aside. "Then let us begin." Sancheng Huang gripped his blade with both hands, holding it before him as he slowly raised it. The sleeves fell back along his arms, exposing limbs as solid as cast iron. After a brief pause, he let out a thundering shout. His figure suddenly bridged the space between them, and his blade slashed forward! Chen Chuan raised the Xuejun Saber to parry. Yet before the two blades could make contact, Sancheng Huang's strike nimbly shifted, sweeping toward his flank instead. Chen Chuan adjusted the Xuejun Saber in tandem. His other hand supported the spine of the blade with a twist, pressing down to block the oncoming line. Sancheng Huang flicked his blade in a feint and leaped backward to evade. Chen Chuan immediately discerned that Sancheng Huang was trying his utmost to avoid clashing directly with the Xuejun Saber. Taking advantage of this, he stepped forward and delivered a flurry of slashes. Sancheng Huang did nothing but evade. Because he could hardly bring his own weapon to bear, he was pushed entirely onto the defensive. After just a few strikes, the Xuejun Saber was already resting against his neck. Holding the saber steady, Chen Chuan asked, "Why did Mr. Sancheng do nothing but evade the fight?" Sancheng Huang said helplessly, "Because just now, the spirit in my heart warned me beforehand: under no circumstances must my blade meet yours, for that would only lead to a swifter defeat. Thus, I had no choice but to give ground." "The spirit in your heart?" Sancheng Huang explained, "Junior Brother Jian had only attained the realm where 'the spirit knows, I know not,' whereas I have already reached the realm of 'as my spirit knows.' Before ever engaging the enemy, I can instantly discern victory from defeat between us, and even more so judge what cannot be done. I abide by this heart, which is why I was put on the defensive at every turn. "The reason I conceded defeat earlier was likewise because I obeyed this heart." Chen Chuan reflected on this. Sancheng Huang's mental perception indeed possessed real merit; clashing head-on with the Xuejun Saber truly carried the risk of damaging the man's weapon. Since this was a spar rather than a life-or-death struggle, it was only natural that he would want to preserve his blade. Chen Chuan withdrew his saber, reached up to switch off his boundary credential, and then looked up to ask, "Mr. Sancheng, discerning beforehand what can and cannot be done—is this your Langtao Arena's secret transmission?" Sancheng Huang nodded. "This is indeed our Langtao Arena's heritage. However, the method varies from person to person, and what one perceives and understands is not necessarily identical. "As far as I know, some people in this world are born with mental gifts. As soon as they enter the cultivation of the spirit and receive a bit of guidance, they manifest a special mental ability. "For instance, my senior brother, Bianyue Yizhen, could sense an opponent's location across vast distances the moment he entered the sect. No matter where the target went, they could not escape. "Others can sense danger in advance and adopt evasive strategies. If I possessed such ability, I might never have challenged Mr. Chen in the first place." Chen Chuan gave a slight nod. It seemed Iron Demon was precisely such a person. Iron Demon was capable of anticipating danger in advance and making timely evasions. His immense fame, and his uncanny ability to always break free from encirclement, was at least half-owed to this mental ability. "Yet my teacher has always emphasized that there is no need to chase after such things," Sancheng Huang continued, sounding somewhat abashed. "For as one's cultivation grows over time, one's own unique talents will gradually be brought forth. Unfortunately, I have yet to master mine." Chen Chuan smiled faintly and said, "I, for one, believe Mr. Sancheng will master it sooner or later." With Sancheng Huang's philosophy of muddling through and surviving at all costs, he was destined to outlive many others. And so long as one stayed alive, hope always endured. At that moment, a thought struck Chen Chuan, prompting a question that intrigued him. "According to what you say, Mr. Sancheng, if one feels they can win, are they certain to defeat their opponent?" Sancheng Huang answered seriously, "At the very least, such an unshakeable conviction in one's heart is not baseless fancy. One must remember that spirit can become tangible power." Chen Chuan pondered this and could not help nodding. By now, he could already faintly sense that, mental techniques aside, once the spirit reached a certain realm, it could feed back into the physical realm, making one's strikes more precise, swifter, and more powerful. Perhaps when one's spirit reached an even higher level, one could accomplish feats previously thought impossible. He said, "I recall the final strike Jian Chengsheng slashed at me had the power to wound across empty air." Sancheng Huang looked momentarily surprised. "Slashing across empty air? Then he unleashed the 'spirit in the blade.'" He said with a sigh, "I had thought Junior Brother Jian would need several more years of tempering before he could apply that technique in actual combat. It seems he progressed very quickly." Back then, he had only heard that Jian Chengsheng fell to Chen Chuan, without knowing the specific details of their battle. Looking back now, he had underestimated both of them. What Chen Chuan recalled, however, was that what Jian Chengsheng had displayed that day might not have been entirely his own strength; the Gaotian jade core had likely played a part. He asked again, "Can Mr. Sancheng execute that strike?" Sancheng Huang replied with complete candor, "I can use it, but I will not. For concealed within the blade is our teacher's vital essence and mutated tissue. "I am filled with fear toward my teacher, unlike some fellow disciples who feel only reverence and admiration. Because of this, my spirit might actively reject it. If I forced it, heaven knows what complications would arise, and even if I unleashed it, it likely would not be pure." He thought for a moment. "Perhaps at a moment of mortal peril, I might resort to it. But until that moment arrives, I cannot say how I would choose; perhaps I would simply accept death with composure." Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Sancheng's mental cultivation is deeper than your junior brother's, yet if you do nothing but evade the fight, today's spar will be rather pointless." Sancheng Huang's expression turned solemn. "I still possess a few shallow techniques. If Mr. Chen wishes to see them, I can display them—if only to express my gratitude for your mercy just now." Chen Chuan raised his saber once more and said slowly, "That is precisely what I hope to see."