Sancheng Huang squared his stance. The momentum around him surged abruptly, rising like an incoming sea tide, but after only a moment, it receded like an ebb tide, contracting almost into complete nothingness.
It was as though his field and entire spirit had vanished.
Were he not visibly standing right there, one might doubt whether anyone existed across the way at all.
He said, "Chen-kun, this technique is called 'Submerged Vitality.' I have only just mastered it myself. It requires the changeless mind to drive it during attack and defense, so it cannot be sustained for long. Watch yourself, Chen-kun."
With that, he raised his blade. Almost as the wind swept across the mountain summit, he closed the distance as if shifting through thin air, and his blade descended in dead silence.
This time, he no longer feared blade clashes.
This was because he had already confirmed from the earlier spar that Chen Chuan would not kill him; without that apprehension weighing on his mind, he could cut loose completely.
Chen Chuan sensed his seriousness, which was precisely what he needed. Although the man's presence felt fleeting and elusive to his senses, it was impossible to shed one's existence entirely.
He raised his blade and blocked the incoming strike with a loud clang.
Sancheng Huang sounded more timid than anyone, yet the strength in his blade was genuinely formidable. The sensation at this moment was no weaker than that of the Iron Demon after his outburst. Moreover, the instant they made contact, a burst of spiritual power seeped through.
This was a sensation he had never experienced against Jian Chengsheng or any past opponent. Having sparred with Hongfu for so many days, he instinctively met it with the "Empty Heart Seal"—if that spiritual power swept in, he could counterattack immediately.
Sancheng Huang was clearly experienced; his spirit retreated the instant it touched, penetrating no further. With the first slash thwarted, a second slash came hacking down. His blade seemed to employ a unique technique that borrowed force from the previous strike. There appeared to be no pause between moves, growing faster and fiercer, surging forward like a wild tide.
After parrying several strikes, Chen Chuan realized this sword technique had the ability to build momentum. Not only the jin in the blade, but even the spirit was held back without releasing; once pushed to a certain threshold, both would erupt together. He could not let him keep building it up.
Upon contact with the next strike, driven by his mutated tissue, the strength behind his blade surged explosively. At the same time, the power of the Spirit-Shaking Hammer was naturally channeled into the blade. At this clash, Sancheng Huang instantly unleashed his concealed spiritual power.
Their spirits collided violently. Chen Chuan felt a burst of bright light flare within his heart jade, while Sancheng Huang's eyes brimmed with overflowing light.
He could tell that the opponent's spiritual power was undeniably stronger than his own—after all, he had not walked this path for very long. Yet the heart jade forged through Hongfu's sparring held firm, unswayed and unshaken by the impact.
Furthermore, this clash was not just a battle of spirits, but also an exchange of physical force. The power in Chen Chuan's blade was distinctly superior, locking down the man's blade momentum that had been rising like a surging tide.
Sancheng Huang's whole body inevitably shuddered, his internal mutated tissue forced to neutralize the incoming jin. Immediately, a flash of blade light filled his vision as Chen Chuan's offensive unfolded, entirely unaffected.
He should not have been able to parry in time, but a burst of jin suddenly erupted from within his body, driving him backward in retreat and cleanly, unerringly blocking every follow-up strike Chen Chuan unleashed.
What he had just used was the Langtao Arena's secret art, the "Tide View Form." In both offense and defense, it could build strength and accumulate momentum; every strike launched stored a fraction of force until, at its peak, it would surge forth like a furious wave. If an offensive proved difficult to execute, that stored energy could instead be redirected into defense.
Having now blocked seven strikes in succession, the previously accumulated force gradually depleted, and his momentum and strength began to wane. Even so, he used this breathing room to readjust himself.
At this moment, however, he realized that Chen Chuan's blade had accelerated once again atop its original offensive, arriving almost in a flash.
Startled, vital essence surged from within his body, boosting his own speed and power to counter the shifts in his opponent's blade work.
Were this a life-and-death struggle, doing so without swiftly finding an opening would put him at a severe disadvantage. But this was merely a spar where victory and defeat did not matter, so he cared nothing for that—as long as he could hold out for the moment and keep the fight going, that was enough.
Over several minutes, the two engaged in a continuous and fierce exchange of offense and defense. Both shared a tacit understanding, neither driving the bout toward a fatal impasse, instead keeping it within reasonable bounds.
Even as they neutralized and traded jin, they also had to conduct constant mental probing and collisions at every moment.
Observing the battle conditions while processing and analyzing information in this manner demanded intense, unwavering concentration—something no ordinary fighter could withstand.
Chen Chuan now felt with utter clarity that someone who had cultivated spiritual power truly held an immense advantage in such exchanges. Under normal circumstances, anyone who had not taken this step could never withstand a blow infused with refined spiritual power.
If applied properly, it was just like relying on overwhelming physical conditioning to crush an opponent, defeating them in practically a single strike.
Sancheng Huang's application of spiritual power possessed both a solid foundation and advanced technique. In particular, with the state of "as my spirit knows," he had no need to deliberate when advancing or retreating; he simply engaged his opponent following the guidance of the spirit within his heart.
Chen Chuan had emptied himself several times, attempting to draw him in with the "Empty Heart Seal," but the other man never fell for it once. This was likely not because he knew Chen Chuan possessed the technique, but purely because he sensed the danger in advance, consistently refusing to intrude deeper.
Against an opponent like this, unless one possessed superior physical conditioning like Chen Chuan, the man was practically invincible until his spiritual power ran dry.
After sparring for about half an hour, Sancheng Huang suddenly stepped back, lowered his blade, and called out loudly, "Chen-kun, please stop. My changeless mind and vital essence are nearly exhausted; if we keep fighting, I won't be able to hold out."
Chen Chuan smiled. Although Sancheng Huang claimed he could not hold out, the sheer fullness of his voice showed he still had plenty in reserve. Still, sparring up to this point without intent to kill meant that continuing would just be a battle of attrition over raw endurance, and there was indeed no need to prolong it.
He drew back his blade and nodded in courtesy. "Thank you for the guidance, Mr. Sancheng. I have benefited greatly."
Sancheng Huang bowed slightly. "You are too kind, Chen-kun. Your magnanimity is truly unlike anything I have witnessed in my life. It has been an honor to cross blades with you."
He then caught sight of the Xuejun Saber's scabbard lying near his feet. His expression turned solemn; he bent down to pick it up, then solemnly stepped forward and presented it back to Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan took it and nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Sancheng."
Sancheng Huang bowed once more.
Sheathing his blade, Chen Chuan looked around. Neither of them had been able to mind their surroundings during the fight, yet the area showed remarkably little damage.
Even though neither had used full strength, the durability of Moshen Temple was evident.
Demolishing a place like this would probably cost a fortune on its own, and being so far from the city center, out on the very periphery, it was no wonder no one had repurposed it until now.
Still, turning this place into a martial arts arena dedicated to internal exchanges and sparring would actually be quite nice.
By now, Sancheng Huang had tidied his clothes and weapon. Walking over, he looked down the mountain and said, "My maternal great-grandmother once lived here.
"According to them, people came here to worship every day. In truth, they didn't really believe in this deity, but for the sake of their families, they were willing to do it day after day. Even after going to the Outer Ocean, they never changed that habit. Though the deities they worshiped were different, the heart behind it remained the same."
Chen Chuan nodded, but hearing something different in Sancheng Huang's tone, he asked, "Mr. Sancheng, what is it? Have you seen a deity in the Outer Ocean?"
"I've seen things that seemed supernatural." A look of reminiscence crossed Sancheng Huang's face. "Only later did I learn that it was likely some kind of mutated creature, seemingly influenced by something from the other side. Every month, a pair of children had to be sacrificed to it.
"I remember when I was six or seven, following the villagers to attend the sacrificial ritual. I saw that thing crawl up from the beach. It looked like a pool of wet mud, spreading across the entire shore. Back then, I heard and saw many hallucinations..."
Then, he saw a flash of blade light that seemed to tear that illusory world apart. When he opened his eyes again, he saw an exceptionally tall, upright figure standing there with his back to them, holding an astonishingly long blade, while the thing before him had already melted into a pool of putrid water.
He closed his eyes slightly. Even though he was now a fighter himself, recalling the scene from that day—the brooding clouds, the churning waves, and the shrill, agonizing shrieks of the children—still sent a chill down his spine.
That scene was like a deep brand, seared into the depths of his soul.
Then he heard Chen Chuan ask beside him, "I wonder how Mr. Sancheng compares to Master Fenghe now?"
"My teacher? I am still far from his equal."
Sancheng Huang answered honestly, "My teacher has already transcended the realm of 'Spirit-Self Unity.' He is a Blade Master who has inherited the title of 'Arena Keeper.'"
"Spirit-Self Unity?"
Sancheng Huang explained, "It is a realm higher than 'as my spirit knows.' Spirit is self, and self is spirit; body and spirit unobstructed, acting entirely at will. Once reached, one has stepped onto the path of breaking past limits.
"And the secret arts that follow are the true essence of Langtao Arena. Regrettably, only successive arena masters are qualified to cultivate them. I fear I will never have the chance to see them."
Hearing his explanation, Chen Chuan felt that "Spirit-Self Unity" must be the true and perfect integration of spirit and physical body. And for Master Fenghe to have even transcended that stage, the title of "Blade Master" likely referred to a martial artist—after all, many places across the Outer Ocean still retained titles from the old era.
And only a figure of such stature could uphold a powerful fighting arena.
He said, "Today has been very fruitful. Mr. Sancheng, I'll consult with you again another day."
Sancheng Huang bowed slightly. "I will be staying in Jibei Circuit for some time yet. This spar with you has been immensely rewarding, Chen-kun. Should you have any guidance to offer, I am at your service at any time."
Chapter 509