The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 418 - 230: Contest of Dao

Chapter 418: Chapter 230: Contest of Dao

"Daoist, please." Qing Yu slowly drew the ’Eternal Brightness’ that had not been used for a long time.

This sword, back when Qing Yu was in the Innate Realm and had just entered the Divine Origin Realm, was still in use. However, as her ’Circulation of the Six Voids Technique’ improved, the frequency of using this particular sword diminished.

The reason for this was not only because Qing Yu’s combat style increasingly favored using palms, but also because of some inherent limitations of the sword itself.

When Qing Yu went to forge a sword at Sky Melting Mountain, she was only in the Innate Realm. Gongye Baiduan, at that time, would never have imagined how rapidly Qing Yu’s power would progress. Therefore, his design for ’Eternal Brightness’ was actually aimed at the Innate Realm.

Despite Gongye Baiduan’s forging skills being supernatural, allowing Qing Yu to exhibit her prowess with the sword even in the Divine Origin Realm, as her Realm advanced further, Qing Yu felt it was somewhat lacking in meaning.

Today, however, facing a Daoist in duel, Qing Yu had decided to utilize Daoist Skill, excluding other martial arts categories. The Shark Tooth Sword and ’A Night of Spring Rain in a Small Tower,’ both deadly weapons, were not within her consideration.

"Daoist, please!" Xiao Meng swung her horsetail whisk and said.

Her whisk had a famous sword, Qiuli, as its handle, a bit bizarre and yet almost natural, in perfect harmony. (Although Qing Yu didn’t know how a whisk, that was supposed to be from the Han Dynasty, had found its way into the Qin Dynasty.)

In the next instant, the two appeared a distance away, palms facing each other. Fair hands collided with delicate jade-like hands. An invisible wave was created and then simultaneously neutralized by both fighters.

"Harmonizing light with dust, so pure as if it exists. ’Harmonizing Light with Dust,’ the supreme mental method of the Taoist School, is indeed extraordinary," Qing Yu chuckled as she looked at the autumn water beauty opposite her, eyes filled with caution.

The effect of ’Harmonizing Light with Dust’ was such that even Qing Yu’s ’Heavenly Son’s Qi Observation Skill’ could only glimpse a bit of a clue. In the original text, this supreme Taoist mental method, only used for flashy show-off moments, proved its mighty power when truly faced, revealing why it was hailed as the supreme of the Taoist School.

"Daoist, your movement technique also deeply captures the essence of ’The Book of Changes,’" Xiao Meng praised as well.

As Sect Leader of the Heavenly Sect, a branch of the Taoist School, she too had recognized the foundations of Qing Yu’s Daoist Skill.

The two discussed as they kept their palms locked in combat. Xiao Meng’s True Qi embodied purity, like the water generated by heaven, flowing endlessly towards Qing Yu.

While Qing Yu’s ’Circulation of the Six Voids Technique’ harnessed eight forces, endlessly intricate and embracing the multitude of creations—broad yet refined. Although not as concentrated as Xiao Meng’s approach, it was still on par with her opponent.

"Bang——"

Another explosion of Qi Force pushed them both back.

Qing Yu grounded her Qi Force into the Earth to stop her movement, raised her hand, and stood the sword upright. Her True Qi mingled with the Yin Yang Qi circulating on ’Eternal Brightness,’ merging into one, bright golden light shining brilliantly on the sword, "Soul Dragon Travel."

Both from the same world, an Absolute Skill of the Yin Yang Family, which branched off from the Taoist School, manifested in Qing Yu’s hands. Dragon Swarming Qi transformed into Sword Light, dazzling as it surged towards the still Xiao Meng.

"Yin Yang Family’s Yin Yang Technique, you sure know a great variety," she said.

Cold eyes now rarely lit up with the desire to battle.

The Yin Yang Family, becoming independent from the Taoist School in the original text, had a reputation even surpassing the Taoist School by a good margin. With Moon and Star as protectors active in the political arena of the Qin Country, Donghuang Taiyi presiding over the headquarters of the Yin Yang Family, they overshadowed the split Heavenly Person of the Taoist School.

Xiao Meng had long harbored the intent to challenge the Yin Yang Family, encountering the Yin Yang Technique here was fortunate.

Qiuli, still in its sheath, was suspended in front of her by True Qi, Xiao Meng’s delicate hands opened and closed—the formless Qi Force filled the area, causing the Sword Light split by Dragon Swarming Qi to begin to stagnate.

"’Ten Thousand Rivers and Seas’ combined with ’Heart Like Still Water,’ right?"

Having read the original text, Qing Yu naturally knew the intricacies of these two techniques working together. ’Ten Thousand Rivers and Seas’ and ’Heart Like Still Water,’ one pushing while the other pulling, the combination could stagnate Vitality in the surroundings. If there’s a large gap in power between the adversaries, this combination can easily dispatch any weaker opponent.

"If I remember correctly, the move that usually accompanies these two techniques is only one..."

While Qing Yu mused, the Inheritance Space that had always been blank suddenly bloomed with different colors.

Endless shades of gray unfurled next to Xiao Meng, stretching far and wide, with the whole world seeming to be engulfed by this gray hue in a blink of an eye.

"Heaven and Earth Losing Color," Qing Yu named the technique.

This technique was a sure-kill against the weak, with pure Inner Strength enveloping the area, every living thing within the range, including animals and plants, would slowly perish upon being affected.

If one’s power was insufficient, within this Heaven and Earth Losing Color, even speaking would be a luxury.

Qing Yu, covered by this technique as well, had True Qi not inferior to Xiao Meng’s, even surpassing it somewhat, so he was not in a position where the only option was to await death.

On the contrary, he was leisurely researching this bloodless means of killing.

"It feels as though some force is continuously eroding me."

Using his ’Heavenly Son’s Qi Observation Skill,’ Qing Yu observed his own spirit and could see his spirit being constantly eroded by some force. No, to be precise, being continuously assimilated.

"I see, the core of this ’Heaven and Earth Losing Color’ still lies in that supreme Taoist mental method ’Harmonizing Light with Dust.’"

Xiao Meng usually used that flash technique by assimilating herself with the environment, achieving ’harmonizing light with dust.’ Her claim, "In this world, there is no self, everywhere I am," was based on this principle.

In such a state, using any environment as a medium, one could naturally achieve instantaneous movement.

However, ’Heaven and Earth Losing Color’ takes the inverse approach, turning everything into a single hue. Life force and True Qi would be continuously assimilated, turning into light, turning into dust, melting the enemy into harmony with light and dust, killing without a trace.

"Daoist, am I correct?" Qing Yu asked the figure shrouded in a hazy white.

"You’re much stronger than that old chap, Xiao Yaozi of the Human Sect," the figure amidst the hazy white world shimmered as it spoke with a tone of admiration. "That old guy only managed to break through this technique because his sect’s Absolute Skill ’All Things Return to Spring’ countered my ’Heaven and Earth Losing Color.’ In terms of understanding this move, that Sect Leader of the Taoist Human Sect is not as good as you, who is not of the Taoist School."

"You flatter me," Qing Yu chuckled.

"Since you can discern the truth behind this technique, are you able to break it?" she asked.

Their battle had so far not shown any intent of a life or death struggle, yet if one truly could not overcome the other, neither would give up the chance to strike the killing blow.

This was the fight between two true Daoists, both with similarly indifferent temperaments, debating the way of the Heavenly Dao.

The loser would die, but the victor would gain far more than what a mere fight to the death could offer.