Ao Qi's injuries improved, and Elder Liu just returned as well.
It was 5 p.m., so everyone tidied up and closed the clinic, heading ho for dinner together.
"Did Ao Qian go back?" Ao Qi asked.
"She went back," Liu Qingyan replied.
Du Yueyao asked with a smile, "I heard Ao Qian inadvertently ntioned your whereabouts while talking to the Jade Dragon King, and then the Jade Dragon King and his wife ca looking for you?"
Ao Qi glanced around, nodded seriously, "Exactly!"
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan exchanged a glance, suppressing their laughter as they lowered their heads to eat.
Liu Qingyan asked Yan Hongxia, "Did you spend the New Year at Cloud Ascending Mountain?"
"Yes, indeed!"
"Where are you planning to go now?" Liu Qingyan asked, "Back to the East Sea?"
Ao Qi shook her head, "No rush, I still want to tour around various places in Great Jing."
Seeing the playful gazes from Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan, Ao Qi couldn't help but cough twice.
"Cough cough! Unlike Ao Qian, my father allows to go out!"
"Right, right, right!"
Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly, expressing agreent, then pointed with his chopsticks at a dish of squirrel fish in front of him, "Eat, eat!"
...
In the evening, Liu Qingyan gently wiped off a thin layer of sweat, resting in Lu Zheng's arms, and couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at Ao Qi for actively reporting Ao Qian's whereabouts to the Jade Dragon King."
"Did you figure it out?"
"Didn't you see it?"
The two exchanged smiles, and Liu Qingyan couldn't help but shake her head, "Yueyao, such a silly girl."
Du Yueyao didn't see through it.
But this has nothing to do with the level of Dao Practice, as it seems Yan Hongxia didn't notice either.
Speaking of which, Lu Zheng asked, "When should we visit the Dragon Palace again?"
"Didn't we just get back?" Liu Qingyan couldn't help asking, "Already planning to go again?"
"Just planning a bit."
Lu Zheng said with a smile, "With such a wealthy neighboring realm, we must visit more often and maintain good relations. Not to ntion anything else, just taking another tour around the Dragon King's Secret Vault would be a huge profit!"
"Always joking around." Liu Qingyan slapped Lu Zheng's chest lightly, couldn't help but laugh, then turned to say, "But Qing Quan did ntion it a few tis recently, maybe in a few days, we can visit again."
...
Early the next morning, Ao Qi fully recovered after a night's rest.
"Clang clang clang!"
"Bang bang bang!"
Ao Qi blocked horizontally with her spear, feeling a trendous force transmitted through the spear shaft, making it difficult to control her figure, causing her to fall uncontrollably downwards.
Just as she was about to hit the ground, she barely managed to twist her body, and the spear tip touched the ground.
"Crack!"
Nurous cracks spread dozens of ters from the point where the spear tip landed.
Using the force, Ao Qi redirected herself, twisted mid-air, and shot upwards again, the spear thrusting forward from her chest and abdon like a poisonous dragon erging from its cave.
Opposite her, Lu Zheng held his saber with both hands, twirling the True Dragon Concealed Head Saber before thrusting it forward like a spear, precisely striking the side of Ao Qi's spear. A gentle twist and guide neutralized her spear thrust.
However, Ao Qi exerted force with her wrist, turning the spear shaft from hard to soft, performing a mid-air spin, gathering and releasing her strength, circumventing the saber, and the spear tip pointed at Lu Zheng's throat even faster by a fraction.
"Well played! Impressive!"
Lu Zheng's eyes brightened, forced to retreat, positioning his saber horizontally in front of his throat.
"Ding!"
A light sound echoed as Lu Zheng retreated, and Ao Qi pressed forward, the spear weaving seven spear flowers, a mix of real and illusory spear tips enveloping Lu Zheng's face and chest.
Lu Zheng squinted his eyes, retreating and defending while swinging his saber to block the incoming spear tips, then spun around, delivering a reverse horizontal slice.
"Excellent sword technique!"
Ao Qi was thrilled. At this mont, her spear was just deflected by Lu Zheng. She spun, twirling the spear around her waist, the spear tail erging from under her other side, perfectly blocking Lu Zheng's horizontal slash.
A single spear was truly played to the fullest extent by Ao Qi.
"Beautiful!"
Not far away on the mountain peak, Yan Hongxia couldn't help but clap and laugh.
Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying stood hand in hand, also praising, "Miss Ao's spear technique is truly remarkable."
Additionally, Du Yueyao, Wang Xiaowan, and the Eighteen Celestial Maidens who were observing on the side were also dazzled and full of admiration.
...
Then, this morning Ao Qi fully recovered, and hearing that Lu Zheng recently got a great saber during the New Year, excited to spar with Lu Zheng, and they agreed to an encounter comparing only weapons.
The group gathered and found a remote mountain, drew their weapons, and started sparring.
...
Using the spear tail to deflect the blade, the spear rotated with borrowed strength, transforming the spear into a staff, the whistling wind swung towards Lu Zheng's waist.
Lu Zheng's saber stood inverted, and then he was swept far away by the spear.
Ao Qi flashed, thrusting the spear as she gave chase.
Seeing Lu Zheng's tumbling figure unable to stabilize, Ao Qi, showing no rcy, thrust the spear towards Lu Zheng's back.
"Hit!"
The onlookers, although knowing both were just sparring and had deep strength, couldn't help their hearts racing and almost gasped in surprise witnessing Ao Qi's spear thrust.
But just as Ao Qi lightly exclaid, with the spear tip nearly touching Lu Zheng's back, Lu Zheng twisted his upper body, narrowly dodging Ao Qi's piercing thrust.
The spear skimd three inches above Lu Zheng's back, and he spun around, the True Dragon Concealed Head Saber slicing upwards from below.
This was precisely the mont Ao Qi was closing in, releasing her spear.
"Dragging Blade Strategy!"
The True Dragon Concealed Head Saber's cold light flickered, slashing towards Ao Qi's left ribs at lightning speed, like a silver glow cutting through the sky.
Ao Qi was prepared, but the saber's movent was unexpected, forcing her to release her left hand from the spear, side-stepping to evade.
The saber swept past, transitioning to a horizontal slash.
The spear abruptly retracted, blocking in front.
"Clang!"
A light sound resonated, Lu Zheng and Ao Qi each retreating ten feet.
"Great! Perfect spear technique! Impeccable sword technique! Cheers to that!"
"Lu, when did your Martial Dao beco this formidable?"
Two voices echoed from above the sky, causing everyone to look up, spotting two figures standing on the distant clouds.
One wore a bright yellow Daoist robe, had three strands of beard under his chin, a graceful appearance, and eyes like stars.
The other had grey hair and beard, shabby clothes full of holes.
"Elder Liu!" Lu Zheng cupped his hands in salute.
The shabby one was actually the old beggar Liu Zong from the Celestial Escape Sect.
"Only two years absent, and your cultivation is getting deeper," Liu Zong comnted, clicking his tongue in wonder, "Are you interested in joining my Celestial Escape Sect? I'll ensure you beco the next Sect Leader, how about that?"
Lu Zheng couldn't help but roll his eyes, "Elder, please don't joke. I am not capable of such things."
Then he respectfully saluted the middle-aged Daoist, "Outer Disciple of the White Cloud Temple, Lu Zheng, greets the elder."
Liu Zong introduced, "This is my brother, Master Lin Yi of Chunyang Palace."
"Greetings, Master Lin Yi!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers