Wu Tong and his companions galloped side by side. In no time, they were nearing the capital of the Huihe Kingdom. Just then, three riders suddenly approached from the left path and swiftly blocked their way.
Standing before them were none other than Murong Gui, Sect Master of the Black Dragon Sect, along with the Left Dharma King Meng Ming and the Right Dharma King Shi Kai.
Murong Gui declared, "Wu Tong, your journey ends here. Proceed no further."
Before Wu Tong could reply, Liu Yun retorted coldly, "So the mighty Sect Master Murong wishes to flaunt his skills and mystic tricks? You didn't need to travel all the way to the frontier for that!"
Murong Gui's voice turned stern. "Madam Wu, you certainly have a sharp tongue. But I've no time to exchange idle banter with you."
Wu Tong straightened his expression. "The tides of the world surge with unstoppable force. Those who follow it thrive; those who resist are doomed. Sect Master Murong, I offer this advice out of goodwill—do not assist the wicked. It's not too late to turn back. Don't persist in this delusion."
Murong Gui replied, "And who are you to predict the fate of the world? As it stands, our Black Dragon Sect has no retreat left. The Emperor of Yan himself has ordered us to stop you at all costs."
Ling Xian'er sneered, "What, is the Black Dragon Sect seeking death? Earlier, if we hadn't spared your Four Heavenly Kings, they'd already be rotting in hell!"
The Left Dharma King Meng Ming dismounted immediately, leaping with several agile bounds to the center of the path. "You little girl have quite the mouth. Why don't we settle this by martial rules—one-on-one combat!?"
Meng Ming had chosen Ling Xian'er, thinking she was young and easier to handle—a soft persimmon to pinch. He figured the other two, Wu Tong and Liu Yun, were no ordinary opponents.
Ling Xian'er leapt down from her horse in a few light bounds and gracefully landed on the road. She smiled, "Since the elder insists on teaching me, how could I refuse? Please—begin."
Meng Ming's cold, piercing gaze was like two blades stabbing at the heart. "Don't say I bullied a young woman. You may strike first."
Ling Xian'er smiled slyly, a glint of cunning in her eyes. "You said it. Don't regret it later!"
Still as a maiden, but moving like a hare, she launched forward in a flash, striking with a ferocious palm.Meng Ming raised his own palm to counter, seeking to overpower her with inner strength. But Ling Xian'er's attack was a feint—her real strike came with her left hand aiming straight for his chest.
Caught off guard, Meng Ming was forced to withdraw and block. But that one misstep gave her the opening she needed. A flurry of palms and fists surged forward like a storm, leaving him scrambling defensively.
Forced into retreat and unable to maintain dignity, Meng Ming backpedaled awkwardly through the air.
Seizing the advantage, Ling Xian'er executed a move named "Feathered Wings in Rain"—her fingers jabbing toward critical acupoints: Zhiyang, Lingtai, Shendao, and Shenzhu.
Thump! Thump!
She struck Zhiyang and Lingtai with pinpoint accuracy, sending Meng Ming crashing to the ground.
Before he could recover, Ling Xian'er struck his acupoints again, sealing his meridians—leaving him completely paralyzed and helpless. In mere moments, what had seemed like an even standoff had turned into a humiliating rout.
Liu Yun smiled with delight and called out, "Well done, Sister Xian'er! That display should have opened Sect Master Murong's eyes. So, Sect Master, still planning to stop us? Now it's two against three—not great odds for you! Don't forget—Wu Tong's 'Crouching Dragon Blade' is unmatched in the martial world!"
Murong Gui's heart sank. This mission to stop Wu Tong from summoning reinforcements had turned disastrous. Now, with his elite left-hand man defeated, how could he face the Emperor of Yan?
The Right Dharma King Shi Kai, fuming at Liu Yun's words, snapped, "Miss Liu, watch your tongue! Even your father would show our sect leader some respect. As a junior, you ought to speak with restraint!"
Liu Yun replied coldly, "We've already shown Sect Master Murong more respect than he deserves. If it weren't for 'Tiger Among Men' Shi Yong stepping in at the Songshan Assembly, your Black Dragon Sect wouldn't even have escaped the True God Palace alive!"
This remark enraged Shi Kai, who growled, "If that's how it is, I have no choice but to test your skills myself!"
Liu Yun responded calmly, "Very well. Time to show you that this world is vast, and there are many heroes in it. Don't think too highly of your Black Dragon Sect. A wise man knows when to yield."
The two gathered their inner energy, dantian pulsing, ready to clash.
Their sleeves fluttered like flags in the wind. In a sudden blur of motion, they closed the gap. Palms whistled through the air like roaring gales, internal force bursting forth like crashing waves.
Shi Kai struck with a howling double palm. Liu Yun evaded both, stepped into the wind, twisted her body, and launched a rapid counter. Her waist snapped, and her palm lashed out like a gale—fast and sharp.
With a thrust and a slash, she executed her technique with brutal efficiency, forcing Shi Kai to retreat and regroup.
Shi Kai roared and struck again—his right palm tearing through the air.
Liu Yun, not letting up, countered with two consecutive techniques:"Twisting Hands, Stomping Feet" and "Guided Steps, Leading Form."
Her slicing palm came first, followed by a chain of hammering strikes.
The two moved fluidly through attack and evasion, like dancers in a deadly waltz. She intoned:
"Primordial breath floods my form—"
Her palms moved with breath, expanding and contracting in perfect harmony, chasing like wind, striking like lightning.
Shi Kai felt her qi surging at him like a storm. He held his ground, arms wide, and met her force head-on.
But Liu Yun's internal energy churned through her, her stance firm and flowing.
Suddenly, she struck with a move called "Boundless Square Without Edge."
Her double palms came flashing forth like bolts of lightning. The moment Shi Kai blocked, he felt no resistance—as if he were striking mist.
His heart jolted. "Not good—!"But it was too late.
Bang!
A solid palm struck his chest.
Liu Yun, empowered by the mystical Tianshan Snow Lotus, had reached a new level of cultivation.
This single palm carried force no less than a thousand catties.
Shi Kai was blasted into the air and slammed into the earth.
Moments later, he coughed up mouthfuls of dark blood.
Liu Yun stood tall, declaring coldly:
"The path to heaven you would not walk, yet you chose to charge through the gates of hell!"