“Exceptional skill, Goddess Mo!”
The speaker was Ning Buqu. He approached with his sword in hand and offered a deep, respectful bow to Mo Lixi. “How about allowing this old man to experience your ‘Seven Captures, Seven Releases’ sword style firsthand?”
The main event had finally begun. While the previous matches between various martial artists served as a warm-up, the audience truly craved a confrontation between the three major sects.
“I would be honored,” Mo Lixi replied. “Please, Master Ning, guide me.”
The two stood at opposite ends of the platform. The wind whipped their robes and swirled the dust around them, creating an atmosphere thick with the tension of an impending storm.
“Did you notice? When Senior Sister Mo fought that scholar earlier, she seemed so energetic. But now… she looks a bit dispirited?” Zhuge Tian’er whispered into Wen Ruoxian’s ear.
The warm breath made Wen Ruoxian instinctively shrink back, her face flushing slightly. “Focus… and remember, you must address her as ‘Sect Leader’.”
“Yes, yes~” Tian’er replied playfully. Sister Wen is so no-nonsense…
Mo Lixi lunged with her sword. Ning Buqu parried the strike, but at that exact moment, Mo Lixi’s blade retracted into its hilt. Having committed his strength to the parry, Ning Buqu stumbled forward from the sudden lack of resistance. This was a feint—the First Capture.
Fortunately, Ning Buqu’s lower-body strength was exceptional; he stabilized himself in a single step. However, in a duel between masters, one step is often the difference between life and death. Exploiting this brief opening, Mo Lixi’s blade sprang from the bottom of the hilt, slicing upward. Sensing the danger, Ning Buqu pushed off his toes and slid back several paces, narrowly avoiding the strike.
This move was known as “The Fish Peeks Its Head”—the First Release. Despite the brilliance of the sequence, Ning Buqu had managed to escape.
Ning Buqu felt a surge of relief. Had it not been for his decades of experience, he would have been knocked off the stage by Mo Lixi’s unpredictable transitions. Steeling his nerves before she could launch her next attack, he lunged forward. His body soared as he unleashed the “Soaring Dragon” technique from the Thirteen Swords of Cangyun. His blade moved with the fluidity and speed of a mythical beast.
Mo Lixi raised her sword to parry. Each clash sent a jarring sting through her palms, a testament to the sheer depth of Ning Buqu’s internal energy.
She was forced back step by step. However, amidst the dense flurry of strikes, Mo Lixi realized that the “Soaring Dragon” relied entirely on a single breath of qi. Once that breath was exhausted, the technique would end and Ning Buqu would have to return to the ground. Yet, given his cultivation, continuing to retreat would put her at a severe disadvantage.
Mo Lixi quickly devised a counter-strategy. She arched her waist back, causing Ning Buqu’s sword to miss. As he prepared another strike, she suddenly dropped into a perfect split. The graceful move allowed his blade to pass harmlessly over her. The missed strike caused Ning Buqu’s internal breath to falter, and his momentum shattered.
Positioned directly beneath him, Mo Lixi retracted her blade into the hilt and thrust the handle toward his abdomen. Realizing the danger, Ning Buqu used his sword to parry and performed a mid-air somersault to leap out of her range.
Mo Lixi flipped back to her feet, while Ning Buqu smiled and sheathed his sword, bowing to her.
“I concede. This old man has lost.”
Ning Buqu had unleashed over a hundred strikes during his “Soaring Dragon” sequence. Though Mo Lixi had struggled to parry them all, her sudden split had rendered his entire offensive useless, throwing his breathing into chaos.
To the observers, it looked like a sudden tactical surprise. Only the two combatants knew the truth of how it ended.
“Goddess Mo’s Black Sword is two-and-a-half feet long,” Ning Buqu explained with a chuckle. “During that final exchange, your hilt was only two feet from my stomach. Had you not mercifully withheld the blade, half a foot of steel would already be buried in my gut.” He shook his head. “I am getting old… it is a world for the young now.”
“Master Ning, you flatter me,” Mo Lixi replied modestly. “Your ‘Soaring Dragon’ was so fierce I was nearly overwhelmed. I only resorted to such a strange move out of desperation.”
After their exchange, the elder presiding over the assembly took the stage. “Goddess Mo remains the victor. Let us break for thirty minutes to allow her to recover her breath before we continue.”
The assembly entered a rest period. Members of various sects began to mingle, seizing the chance to build connections with the three major sects and Linglong Villa.
When Ning Buqu returned to his seat, he realized his daughter, Ning Min’er, was missing. “Where is Min’er?” he whispered.
“The Junior Sister said she wanted to look around and wandered off on her own,” replied Lin Wanfeng, the head disciple of the Cangyun Sect.
“She is becoming increasingly undisciplined,” Ning Buqu sighed. “Well, she never had an interest in these assemblies anyway.” He lamented that despite her natural talent, she refused to practice, having only mastered two of the thirteen swords. However, he didn’t believe in forcing her; he only wished for her happiness.
“Sect Leader, have some tea.”
Wen Ruoxian presented the hot tea Mo Lixi preferred. It had become a habit over the years.
“Thank you,” Mo Lixi said. She glanced toward the spot where Fu Yunmo had been standing, but her eyes dimmed when she saw the space was empty.
“Senior Sister Mo, that blonde shop assistant girl from the inn was here watching earlier!” Zhuge Tian’er remarked. That golden hair was hard to miss in a crowd.
“Was she?” Mo Lixi replied tonelessly. The slight smile that had begun to form on her lips faded into a look of disappointment. Why do I feel so let down?
At that moment, a male disciple from the Shenren Sect approached. He was exceptionally handsome, with his hair tied back neatly and features as sharp as if carved by a blade. Despite his striking looks, his eyes were fixed solely on Mo Lixi, filled with a devotion that could melt the heart of any woman in Tianji City.
“…Miss Mo,” the man said bashfully.
Mo Lixi looked up, a flash of complex emotion crossing her eyes. “Brother Chu.”
“Oh, why are you two still acting like strangers? You’re already engaged!” Zhuge Tian’er interjected. It frustrated her to see one person trying to provide warmth while the other remained cold as ice.
“Junior Sister,” Wen Ruoxian warned coldly. Tian’er immediately shut her mouth; a silent Wen Ruoxian was far more terrifying than a shouting one.
“I wonder… Miss Mo, would you accompany me for a walk through the city tonight?”
This was Chu Hongfei, son of the Shenren Sect Leader, Chu Heng. He was Mo Lixi’s fiancé—an engagement arranged years ago by the late leader of the Tianyuan Sect and Chu Heng.
“I’m sorry, Brother Chu… I am quite tired today.”
“Then tomorrow—”
“Tomorrow I have several sect matters to attend to…” Mo Lixi offered him a gentle smile. Any frustration he might have felt vanished into a sigh at the sight of that smile. I can never win against you…
“I understand. Please take care of yourself, Miss Mo.”
After Chu Hongfei left, Mo Lixi resumed drinking her tea as if nothing had happened. Yet her mind was in turmoil. In the past, seeing Chu Hongfei elicited little reaction, but today, his presence felt oddly suffocating. Wen Ruoxian glanced at her and sighed inwardly.
“Wait… isn’t that the enchantress, Qiu Hongyi?” Zhuge Tian’er pointed toward a flash of red in the crowd. A woman of devastating beauty appeared for a moment before vanishing.
“She is here too?” Mo Lixi frowned. There was a secret history between the “Enchantress” and the Tianyuan Sect that only she and Wen Ruoxian knew.
“Sect Leader, should we…?”
“No. We will wait and see.” As long as she didn’t cause trouble, Mo Lixi preferred not to use force against Qiu Hongyi.
Meanwhile, Fu Yunmo was dragging Nan Kunlun through the streets of Tianji City. Exhausted, she finally stopped, leaning on her knees and panting for breath.
“I say… Sister Mo… what on earth… are you looking for?” Nan Kunlun was wiped out. He hadn’t realized Fu Yunmo had such stamina.
“Where is Azure Dragon Alley?”
“If you’re looking for Azure Dragon Alley, just say so! I know where it is!”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier!”
“Why didn’t you ask!”
Arguing all the way, the two made their way toward their destination. Tianji City was organized into eight main streets named after the Bagua symbols and four alleys named after the Four Mythical Beasts: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.
Azure Dragon Alley was located in the eastern part of the city.
“Sister Mo, what are we doing here?”
“Looking for someone. Ning Min’er.”
“Ning Min’er?”
“Yes! She’s been kidnapped by the Black and White Twin Demons! They’re right here in this alley.” Fu Yunmo lowered her voice, fearing eavesdroppers. The alley was secluded with several hidden passageways. She intended to check them one by one, but she insisted they stay together—she didn’t want to lose the “Male Lead” and risk something going wrong.
“How do you know this?”
“Don’t worry about that. If you trust me, just help me look!”
They began searching the hidden nooks. Though Nan Kunlun was confused, he followed her. So far, Fu Yunmo hadn’t steered him wrong, and she had no reason to lie about such a serious matter.
After checking several paths, they approached the final alleyway and heard two sinister, eerie voices.
“Brother, how should we play with this little bird?”
“Play however you like…”
“Hehe… imagine when that old man Ning Buqu finds out what we did to his daughter. How will he ever show his face in the martial world again?”
Fu Yunmo and Nan Kunlun exchanged a look and remained silent. Their martial arts were no match for the Twin Demons; they would have to find a clever way to save her.
The Black and White Twin Demons were two of the “Four Great Devils,” notorious for their mastery of poisons and lightness skills. They were among the most despised criminals in the land, particularly by the all-female Tianyuan Sect. However, Fu Yunmo knew one vital secret: the Twin Demons weren’t very bright, and they had a habit of turning on each other…