Chapter 1464: A Gentleman's Duel

Dou Zhao felt the journey worthwhile.Jiang Wang, however, felt...Exceedingly wanting.At this moment, he was immensely wanting.The damage inflicted by the Five Declines of Heaven and Man still festered within his body.Truth be told, he had rescued Zuo Guangshu and Yue Tiannu, preserved the Ode to the Orange Jade Slip, and successfully escaped.But in reality, it was merely that Dou Zhao's thirst for battle surpassed his desire for the Nine Chapters Jade Slip, and he had not made further moves against Zuo Guangshu. Otherwise, Jiang Wang could not have stopped him.Dou Zhao was powerful in all aspects, virtually without flaw. Not only did his cultivation surpass, his blade technique was crushing, and even his talent for battle was supreme.Exerting his utmost effort, he could only manage an escape, with no possibility of victory.Only now did he have the leisure to tend to his injuries.At this moment, he sat cross-legged atop the head of the mechanical Mahoraga. The fierce wind and rain remained outside the golden light. It was as if looking upon the world through a window, veiled in a haze.This human-bodied, snake-headed Mahoraga, its left hand cradling the meditating Yue Tiannu, its right hand cradling the unconscious Zuo Guangshu, journeyed through the wind and rain.All three were gravely injured, none able to aid the others.The five colossal fingers of the Mahoraga's left hand were curved, like a divine seat for Yue Tiannu.She closed her eyes in contemplation, her face bearing a Zen radiance, wholly focused on mending her divine soul.Jiang Wang was quite curious about this esteemed disciple of the Wash Moon Nunnery, and at the same time, somewhat embarrassed by the continuous foul odor emanating from his person.But upon seeing Yue Tiannu's expressionless face, he realized.With her puppet body, even if she possessed senses such as smell, they existed only as auxiliary perceptions for combat, not truly experiencing scents or odors.How could Yue Tiannu, a heavenly talent of the Wash Moon Nunnery, someone capable of being associated with the Qu clan, a thousand-year-old noble family of Da Chu, be a puppet? What story lay behind this?Jiang Wang cast aside these suddenly fleeting杂思, positioning his five centers towards the heavens, and likewise closed his eyes, tending to his injuries himself.Soiled clothing, withered hair blossoms, sweat under the arms, a foul odor from the body, and displeasure with one's seat – these are the Five Declines of Heaven and Man.When the lifespan of a heavenly being reaches its end, these five declining signs appear.Dou Zhao's blade had not directly struck Jiang Wang, otherwise he could not have endured until now.But if the Five Declines were allowed to continue to worsen, he could only step by step descend towards death.The power of the Five Declines cut into his body was, after all, merely the aftershock of the great battle at that time. Though it could kill if not treated promptly, if he were to truly calm down and resist it wholeheartedly, there were methods.For instance, mobilizing his Dao Yuan, spreading it throughout his body, contacting each strand of wandering Five Declines power, bit by bit breaking it down, enveloping it, harmonizing it... This was a slow process, but also a relatively safe one.With Jiang Wang's subtle control over Dao Yuan, he was capable of achieving this step.But he did not choose thus.Instead, he used the immortal light of the Red Heart divine ability to protect his vital points, and then directly mobilized the True Fire of Samadhi within his body, surrounding, pursuing, intercepting, and thoroughly annihilating it!Rumble!Amidst the wind and rain, occasional peals of thunder rang out.Turning his body into a battlefield, burning and killing in every corner where the power of the Five Declines raged, was naturally a painful process.Jiang Wang even continuously coughed up blood during this process.The blood was black, with a腥臭 taste.The injuries within his body were not only related to the blade energy of the Five Declines of Heaven and Man, but also to the True Fire of Samadhi. Substantial divine ability fire coursed through his body. No matter how meticulously controlled, it was impossible to avoid injury.Using means that exacerbated his injuries to prevent them from worsening further was truly like treating a severe illness with potent medicine. A single slip could lead to his demise.It was only because he had just erected his second Star Tower and his body had been strengthened once more, otherwise he would not be able to withstand it now.But apart from a slightly furrowed brow, his face showed no expression.He had long become accustomed to enduring pain."You might as well wait. When I am slightly better, I have a way to resolve your injuries," Yue Tiannu suddenly spoke.Even in her Zen meditation, she had sensed the intense struggle within Jiang Wang's body.That kind of pain, she could comprehend.Jiang Wang opened his eyes, looked at her, slightly surprised, but still shook his head: "There isn't time."Continue the burning and killing, continue the pain, continue the coughing up of blood.Such was his choice, such was his endurance.No time?With just this inexplicable sentence, Yue Tiannu seemed to have understood something, and no longer spoke, merely also choosing some relatively radical methods, silently mending herself.Jiang Wang observed the surrounding environment, maintaining vigilance while also diverting some of the pain.By now, the True Fire of Samadhi within his body had surrounded all the power of the Five Declines and was burning it away, so it no longer required his full attention.Yue Tiannu's timing in speaking was quite clever.Jiang Wang felt that perhaps due to some reason, she hadn't been able to display her full strength to the greatest extent, otherwise she should have been able to cause Dou Zhao a little more trouble.His body truly ached, and instinctively he let his thoughts wander to alleviate the pain."Indeed, there isn't time," a voice said in the wind and rain.It pierced through the rain curtain, ringing in their ears.The mechanical Mahoraga came to a halt.Its tall body, faintly enveloped in golden light, stood erect beneath the dim sky, possessing a cold and unyielding aura.Jiang Wang and Yue Tiannu both remained seated, motionless. They were clear-minded individuals, knowing what was most important at such a time. Every bit of strength recovered meant one more possibility.As for the appearance of the newcomers, they would surely see.The rain curtain was like a bead curtain.Two individuals "rolled open" the curtain and walked through the air.They walked directly in front of the mechanical Mahoraga, and naturally within the view of Jiang Wang, who was seated on the snake head.One had an unappealing appearance, dressed in a scholar's robe, wearing an official's hat, and a black butterfly rested on his left shoulder.The other also wore an official's hat, but it was a crown cast from iron. He was clad in armor, his two eyes one large and one small, inexplicably quite harmonious, and could even be called handsome.The newcomers were certainly not well-intentioned.The one who spoke was the one wearing the scholar's robe.Jiang Wang had seen him on the View River Terrace and recognized him as the Yue Kingdom's heavenly talent, Ge Fei. Then the armored one with disparate eyes beside him must be Wu Ling.To avoid the other party's vigilance, he stopped spitting blood: "Friends come from afar. Jiang is gravely injured and cannot greet you. Pray forgive the discourtesy."Wu Ling's disposition was likely more direct. He paid no heed to Jiang Wang's pleasantries, merely looking at him, his gaze filled with interest: "How did you guess?"Since the other party was willing to converse, Jiang Wang was happy to speak a few more words."The Mountain and Sea Realm is so vast, I initially thought it would be very difficult for me to find Guangshu and the others," he said. "But I always had an inexplicable feeling, as if he was in this direction, waiting for me to find him... Heh heh, and indeed he was. Don't you think it's coincidental?"Ge Fei smiled slightly: "Sometimes inspiration is like this, coming out of the blue. Why is this even worth doubting?"He continued walking forward: "It seems you are a suspicious person."Jiang Wang thought, perhaps that so-called inspiration was Ge Fei's method, which was why he said this."Perhaps it's not worth doubting," he smiled weakly. "I am merely maintaining vigilance in a鬼地方 like the Mountain and Sea Realm."What he didn't say was that when that kind of inspiration first appeared, it was resisted by the Red Heart divine ability, and had no effect on him at all. He had merely deliberately followed this inspiration to see who was behind it.Upon arriving at the location and witnessing the scene of Zuo Guangshu falling into the sea, he naturally could not restrain himself and immediately drew his sword to join the battle.Initially, he thought that kind of sudden inspiration might be Dou Zhao's method. Someone as proud as Dou Zhao might have cast a bait to lure all the competitors and kill them.But after successfully escaping, he overturned his conjecture.Because he did not encounter any of Dou Zhao's follow-up moves during his escape.This indicated that the place where the battle took place was not a battlefield predetermined by Dou Zhao.Jiang Wang asked himself, if he were to lure people in to kill, he would more or less set up something nearby.Since that kind of sudden inspiration was not Dou Zhao's method. Then where was the person who truly set up the method and guided their confrontation?As a mantis stalking a cicada, he would naturally only appear after the battle.And he could only block their escape route.But this distance would not be too close, as this person surely did not wish to be discovered by himself or Dou Zhao beforehand.In Jiang Wang's judgment, it was probably a place like this now...He had already instructed Yue Tiannu to make the mechanical Mahoraga fly as erratically as possible, but frankly, being intercepted was normal.The one who set the trap could not possibly fail to intercept even a puppet.Why did he choose such a violent method, directly using the True Fire of Samadhi to burn away the power of the Five Declines within his body?He was racing against time.Using pain to seize an opportunity.At this point, Wu Ling said: "Maintaining vigilance is a good habit. I hope you know that assessing the situation is also."The duo in official's hats spoke as they approached, likely using some means to rule out possible arrangements within the area.Facing this individual who could directly confront Dou Zhao and then escape, they did not conceal their vigilance."Of course." Jiang Wang frowned slightly in pain, seeming unable to suppress his injuries at all, and also appearing somewhat deliberate, a guise of feigning weakness to the enemy.In short, he was being cryptic, making it difficult for others to judge.Then, with an earnest expression, he smiled and said: "Please speak your thoughts freely, both of you. If there is anything I can do to help, I am very willing. To the Mountain and Sea Realm, we are all passing through. We should help each other.""Brother Jiang is truly a remarkable man with great awareness," Ge Fei then also smiled: "Then we will be so bold as to speak plainly. Please hand over your jade slips to me, and I will ensure your safe departure from the Mountain and Sea Realm, without harming your source. As you said, we are all merely passing through the Mountain and Sea Realm; there is no need to create enmity.""Brothers, why did you not say so earlier?" Jiang Wang's face was bitter: "Look at us, some dead, some injured, some fled. How could we possibly have preserved the jade slips in Dou Zhao's hands?""That fellow snatched them all!" He was filled with sorrow and indignation, then suddenly seemed to remember something, his eyes lit up, and he cried out: "Dou Zhao currently has a total of three Nine Chapters Jade Slips in his hand, but he is already gravely injured! Brothers, how can we miss this opportunity? Know that if Heaven offers and you do not take, you will suffer for it!"Yue Tiannu blinked her eyes. She looked at Jiang Wang's face and suddenly realized that he was indeed a very multi-faceted and difficult person to describe.Before meeting this person, merely hearing his name, she knew he was a renowned prodigy of the current age.Upon first meeting him, she felt he had likely just gone through something, possessing a clarity as if his worldly shackles had been broken, and being by Zuo Guangshu's side, he showed a very relaxed state.Later, encountering the disasterous army, she witnessed his decisiveness and responsibility.His appearance today, like a divine soldier descending from the heavens, truly brought her some surprise.His courage was evident in facing Dou Zhao alone, and his wisdom was apparent in successfully escaping.Now, speaking nonsense without changing his expression, he did not conceal his demeanor, and instead gained a few more points of charm.She suddenly recalled Yu Zhen's evaluation.Yu Zhen said this person was innocently hateful...Truly hateful, she thought.Ge Fei watched Jiang Wang's impassioned performance, thought for a moment, then looked at Wu Ling and said: "What he says seems to make sense."To avoid being detected, they naturally could not directly monitor the battlefield. They had merely set up a few observation points at a distance to intercept any fleeing individuals at any time.They only knew that Jiang Wang had successfully escaped with others, but were unaware of the specific battle situation.Jiang Wang was quite eager: "I will guide you! Oh, and brothers, you must be careful of that fellow Dou Zhao's Five Declines of Heaven and Man, it is truly sinister!"Ge Fei looked at him half-believing, half-doubting: "You seem a little too eager."Jiang Wang said with a voice full of hatred: "Since my debut, I have never suffered such a great loss. I utterly detest him and must kill him to feel at ease, to cut out his divine soul source!"He even said: "If brothers do not mind, I can join you in围杀 this fiend!"Wu Ling said nothing, merely silently took out his Nine Chapters Jade Slip and infused it with Dao Yuan. This jade slip instantly glowed outwards, and thus a poem titled "Drawing Thoughts" was projected into the air, the characters floating and sinking.In the palm of the mechanical Mahoraga's right hand, upon the still unconscious Zuo Guangshu. Though the jade slip was not visible, a ray of radiant light also leaped out, projecting a poem titled "Ode to the Orange," clearly visible in the air, with literary energy wafting and steaming.The two jade slips resonated across the air, a beautiful sight indeed.Jiang Wang: ...Yue Tiannu: ...Ge Fei: ...Wu Ling: ...In the dim rain curtain, there was a moment of awkwardness.At this moment, Yue Tiannu stood up.The damage to her divine soul was not so easy to recover from. Even after taking precious secret medicine, it would take some time to mend. Her Pure Land power was even more difficult to recover; at least until her divine soul recovered, there was no possibility of using it again.Therefore, her current combat strength was insufficient.But she understood that there was no more time for recovery.She was ready to fight to the death.But Jiang Wang remained seated, apparently feeling that there was still a need for negotiation.He looked sincerely at Ge Fei and the other man: "This is a misunderstanding.""Hahaha, I also didn't expect this jade slip to actually still be on Guangshu. I thought that fellow Dou Zhao had swiped it!"Ge Fei and Wu Ling both looked at him coldly, approaching in silence.At this moment, Jiang Wang was like Xu Xianggan possessed, and he spoke urgently: "Brother Ge! Brother Wu! We are all people of standing and reputation, we really shouldn't be estranged. I see that you are also heroic men and women, upright gentlemen, well-versed in the books of sages and worthies. I imagine you would not wish to take advantage of others' peril. How about this, you wait for me for a day, and after I have recovered from my injuries, I will immediately fight with you. Let's have a gentleman's competition and decide the ownership of these two jade slips with strength!""Aren't you only holding one?" Ge Fei couldn't help but ask."He included ours," Wu Ling said coldly.Even though Ge Fei had always had the mindset of watching a play, he couldn't maintain it any longer.Immediately, he raised his hand, and a dense swarm of gray insects surged out like a flood, directly towards Jiang Wang!Wu Ling pushed his official's hat further up, grasped the brush imbued with literary energy, and unfurled a long scroll of literary energy.Splendid radiance pierced through the dark clouds, tearing apart the rain curtain.Ten thousand li of rivers and mountains, all beneath his brush!