Consummate Mastery

Zhou Wuji had stayed awake and waited here precisely as a precaution against any contingency. Startled by the muffled sound, he circulated true qi through the Tianji and Tianquan acupoints in his ears, steadily expanding his hearing outward. The first thing to reach his ears was the sound of wind drifting back and forth between heaven and earth. As the gusts swept past, branches and leaves rustled, and fallen petals drifted through the air. Mingled within the scattering breeze were the faint clinking of armor plates, the rustle of footsteps, hushed human voices, and even hurried breathing... From these numerous subtle and complex sounds, Zhou Wuji constructed an image in his mind. *A squad of soldiers in full armor is hurrying through the osmanthus grove. The foremost man was caught by the transparent ice silkworm silk and tumbled to the ground, while the rest hastily halted as someone in the rear barked orders in a low whisper...* Through the Tianji and Tianquan acupoints, Zhou Wuji could not only discern sounds across various layers, but he could also sense shifts in qi. He detected a dense, pungent baleful blood aura wafting from the soldiers. Clearly, this was a band of rogue soldiers who had slaughtered countless lives. *Brought here by Zhang Xinhu? Or lured by Wu Di?* Zhou Wuji could not be certain. The good news was that, judging by his subtle sense of their aura, there appeared to be only one genuine Rank 7 expert among this squad. The baleful blood aura on that man burned as intensely as a raging fire. He was far more formidable than the Rank 7 rogue soldier in Laocang Village, stronger than the Yin-Yang Dao demonic cultivator, and even more powerful than Wu Di! Zhou Wuji made this judgment purely on his perception of qi. Though he lacked concrete proof, he was quite confident in his appraisal. He knew very well that this ability came from his powerful divine sense, which far exceeded that of a Rank 7 Daoist like Wuzheng. Zhou Wuji felt fortunate for his own vigilance. Had he been asleep when they launched a surprise raid, he might have been able to escape, but everyone else in the temple would surely have perished. Gripping his sword, he flitted out of his room and dashed straight into Wuming's room next door. The door was tightly shut. Zhou Wuji had no time to knock; pressing a palm against the door, his inner force snapped the wooden bolt through the wood, forcing the door wide open. Wuye was remarkably alert. Jolted awake by the commotion, she instinctively grabbed her sword and rose. Zhou Wuji paid her no heed. He crossed to the other side of the room, seized Wuming's hand by the bed, and pulled her to her feet. Wuming had not been asleep either. After Zhou Wuji kissed her on the cheek, she had returned to her room torn between joy and worry. Thoughts had sprouted wildly in her mind one after another, leaving her tossing and turning, unable to drift off. Being snatched by the hand and hauled upright initially frightened her, but once she saw it was Brother Wuji, her heart instantly leapt with delight. Then worry crept in again. Sister Wuye was right beside them—what was he trying to do? Couldn't whatever he wanted to say wait until tomorrow, whispered in secret where no one else was around? Afraid Zhou Wuji might say something inappropriate, Wuming cast him meaningful glances in quick succession. Zhou Wuji saw right through her little thoughts. He was caught between laughter and tears; this silly girl had nothing on her mind but romance... "Enemies have arrived! Follow me to Brother Wuzheng's room, hurry!" Zhou Wuji noted that Wuming was only in her inner robes. While not strictly proper, it was decent enough. Giving her no chance to speak, he held fast to her hand and led her outside. Wuming still wished to put on her shoes, but at this point she could only count herself lucky that she had not taken off her cloth socks. Having been warned by Zhou Wuji earlier, Wuye had kept her outer robe, shoes, and socks on the entire time. She scooped up Wuming's outer robe and hurried after them. The three quickly reached Wuzheng's room. Having also received Zhou Wuji's warning, Wuzheng had remained fully dressed in his outer robe, sitting quietly in meditation upon the bed. Seeing Zhou Wuji rush in with the two women in a frantic haste, he was startled. "They really came?!" "Yes, a squad of rogue soldiers." Zhou Wuji answered as he turned the mechanism to open the secret tunnel's entrance. Giving Wuming a gentle push, he said, "Go inside and lock the door tight. If anyone starts battering at the door, take the boat and leave at once." With his current martial arts, even if he wanted to retreat, he had no need for this secret passage. But Wuming could not do without it; she was simply too weak. Lacking combat experience, it would be almost impossible for her to survive a brutal melee. Neither Wuming nor Wuye could offer any help by staying, and Zhou Wuji would not have the spare energy to protect them. The only sensible option was for them to wait inside the tunnel. Knowing time was of the essence, Wuye immediately ushered Wuming into the passage. This contingency plan had been thoroughly discussed beforehand, and they had even practiced it a few times, so Wuye handled it with great composure. Wuming wished to speak, but found no opportunity, and could only descend into the tunnel feeling both aggrieved and helpless. Watching the wooden cabinet slide back into place, Zhou Wuji turned to Wuzheng and said, "Senior Brother, they have numbers, but we have the strength to fight them!" Wuzheng said in a deep voice, "As the temple master, how could I flee without a fight? Let us head to the main hall and open the altar. I'd like to see just how much these rogue soldiers are capable of!" At Laocang Village, caught off guard, he had been forced to rely on Yin Thunder Beads to deal with the enemies. Here at Canglong Temple, it was entirely different. The divine hall had stood for over a decade, and the statue of the Heavenly Emperor had received incense offerings day and night, gathering a vast reservoir of incense-fueled vows. Opening an altar and casting spells here would amplify the power of his techniques by at least three times. Wuzheng possessed a stubborn, unyielding temperament. Last time at Laocang Village, it was only thanks to Zhou Wuji slaying the bandits single-handedly with his sword that they had turned peril into safety, which had always left a knot of discomfort in his chest. For these rogue soldiers to dare cause trouble at Canglong Temple showed they had zero regard for him! This time, even if he died in battle on the spot, he would not take a single step back! Wuzheng strode toward the main hall at the front. As he walked, he shook the Seven Stars Demon-Subduing Bell in his hand. The clear, rhythmic chiming, propelled by true qi, resonated throughout the entire temple. According to temple rules, everyone had to assemble at the main hall upon hearing the bell. Wuzheng had no time to summon people one by one. Those willing to obey the rules could fight by his side; those who refused and ended up dead had only themselves to blame. A Daoist was on night watch in the main hall, tending the incense and the ever-burning lamps. Seeing Wuzheng arrive in his ritual vestments while ringing the Seven Stars Bell, he rushed forward to meet him. Wuzheng commanded bluntly, "Prepare to open the altar." The Daoist was Wuzheng's disciple. Though young, he was quite sharp, and upon hearing the order, he immediately fetched the incense sticks and presented them with both hands. Wuzheng took the incense, lit it from an ever-burning lamp, bowed three times, and planted the sticks into the incense burner while silently chanting a prayer. Opening an altar in the divine hall required only offering incense and praying for the Heavenly Emperor's blessing to begin directly, sparing him boundless trouble. Zhou Wuji could already hear the sounds of intruders vaulting over the wall. He did not charge out to meet them; the enemy possessed superior numbers and was led by a formidable Rank 7 martial artist. A direct clash in the open was far too perilous. Even with his confidence, he had only one life to lose. A single misstep meant death. So long as the enemy was not foolish, their very first move would be storming the main hall to destroy the divine statue. Without the protection of the Heavenly Emperor's statue, Canglong Temple's gathered incense vows would lose their anchor, which was tantamount to destroying the ritual altar. Therefore, guarding the divine hall was all that was needed. Besides, the rogue soldiers had come to Canglong Temple with the express intent of killing him. The moment they saw him here, they would certainly move against him first. Taking advantage of the remaining moments, Zhou Wuji opened the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment within his sea of consciousness. Looking at the Rank 7 demonic cultivator's destiny pattern of three liang and six qian recorded upon the page, he resolved to make use of it now. The rogue soldiers had the advantage of numbers and were led by a true expert; this battle would be exceedingly perilous. Even he could not say for certain whether he could hold them off. Enhancing his strength by even a fraction now would add that much more to his odds of victory. Upgrading various spells offered little meaning, and advancing his qi-refining art had some utility, but when all was said and done, swordsmanship was the most direct and effective tool. Having reached the stage of great mastery with his sword arts, Zhou Wuji knew that the Night Rain Sword served as the overarching core of the Xiaoxiang Sword. If he could elevate the Night Rain Sword to the pinnacle of perfection, his sword art would undoubtedly reach a higher plane. Yet he was not confident; if the upgrade failed to take, his combat strength would not increase, which would be a colossal waste at this critical juncture. Hearing the hurried footsteps drawing closer and closer, Zhou Wuji decided to take a more practical approach, pouring the primordial profound spirit converted from the destiny pattern of three liang and six qian into both the Flowing Cloud Sword and the Descending Goose Sword. A purple light unfurled, plunging Zhou Wuji into a separate world where he practiced the Flowing Cloud Sword and Descending Goose Sword relentlessly day and night. After decades of unceasing cultivation, Zhou Wuji grasped the core essence of both techniques, truly reaching the realm of consummate mastery. Zhou Wuji opened his eyes. The hand gripping the sword hilt was steady yet relaxed, while the true qi throughout his body resonated and circulated in harmony with the Seven Stars Sword, making man and blade seem as one. He had the sensation that, with this sword in hand, he could cut down every last rogue soldier. Yet he also knew this was merely the surge of self-confidence that followed a breakthrough in technique, not something to take as absolute truth. Even so, the immense confidence born of his elevated sword craft held vital significance for the coming battle. Zhou Wuji applied the Six Yang Dharma Eyes and the Pure Heart Divine Incantation to himself. He could already see a band of rogue soldiers charging in through the front gate, and heard another group leaping over the eastern wall. He raised his voice and shouted, "I, Zhou Wuji, am right here! Who dares step forward and fight?!" The voice, propelled by true qi, was not particularly loud, yet it possessed immense penetrating power, ringing out with crystalline clarity to everyone inside and outside Canglong Temple. Leading a squad of personal guards through the main gate, Wang Qi paused slightly in his tracks. Knowing their movements had been discovered, he dispensed with any further pretense of stealth. Wang Qi sneered and barked, "Zhou Wuji, I shall offer your dog head as a sacrifice to appease my brother's spirit in heaven!"