Chapter 217: The Mystery of Wang Ye, Dragon Demon Heart Barrier! (3k)
At this moment on the stage, the girl was too exhausted to stand and sat on the solid jade bricks.
Wang Ye deliberately put on a casual smile, cupped his hands, and said:
"Thank you, junior sister, for holding back, then..."
Pa——!
Before he could finish, the black-haired beauty's concealed three-section staff suddenly snapped straight, striking towards Wang Ye's face...
Off stage.
"Then I'm relieved."
Meng Chuan let out a long sigh of relief, feeling comfortable as he finally landed a hit.
Upon hearing Luo Guanyun's teasing, Zhao Shousui's face was a bit unable to keep its composure, but he still stubbornly said:
"Pah! This is Tai Chi's soft force, used in such a way to avoid injury, what do you know!"
"Is that how you use soft force? Your soft force seems a bit improper."
Seeing his disciple still acting foolishly, Zhao Shousui sighed and said:
"Wang Ye wasn't like this before, it's related to that [Cyan Netherworld Dragon Lock Body]."
Meng Chuan's expression changed, listening as Grandmaster Zhao spoke:
"Meng Chuan, you should listen too; when you practice this cultivation technique later, you might encounter a similar situation."
"Grandmaster Zhao, please speak."
As expected, Wang Ye, held in high regard by Wudang, would not act this way.
It seems there's another reason, concerning his conception of a hard skills system, Meng Chuan listened attentively.
"The Cyan Netherworld Dragon Lock Body is extraordinarily strong, almost unlike a first-class hard skill, its practice methods seem more like true skills.
Just like our Wudang philosophy, everything is divided into yin and yang, having exceptional aspects but corresponding drawbacks.
That is, during practice, the cultivator needs to visualize within themselves a [Dragon Demon] that releases their suppressed evil desires.
Wang Ye started practicing this last month. Before, he was never close to women, solely focused on martial arts to eradicate the Celestial Demon.
Now, it is this [Dragon Demon] inside him that has unleashed the deepest suppressed desires in his heart."
Meng Chuan's expression was grave, still unaware of how the Cyan Netherworld Dragon Lock Body worked, but its drawback sounded quite serious indeed.
If he were to become like this...
Then Zheng Zhenzhen and Meng Jiaolong might suffer...
As he was lost in thought, Grandmaster Zhao continued:
"Wang Ye was born and raised on Wudang Mountain, a genuine third-generation Wudang disciple. His father [Pure Yang Red Refining Wang Yunpu] always taught him personally in the back mountains.
The only women he came into contact with daily were his mother and a few female Daoists.
Alas... Later, both his parents perished in the Demon Nest, and only then did Wang Ye follow me."
Upon hearing this, Meng Chuan and Luo Guanyun's expressions turned solemn.
Every martial arts hero who sacrificed themselves in the Demon Nest is a selfless hero who has made sacrifices for humanity, worthy of admiration and respect.
Luo Guanyun worriedly asked:
"If my disciple practices this cultivation technique, will he also experience similar situations later on?"
Zhao Shousui said seriously:
"[Dragon Demon] will evoke the deepest desires inside, whether Meng Chuan will become... like Wang Ye is uncertain.
Money, power, even appetite, the desire for knowledge, etc. The more unexperienced, the easier to be lured and exaggerated, depends on which one specifically it will be for Meng Chuan."
Meng Chuan was puzzled, feeling he was living quite well daily, with no suppressed desires.
But thinking that he also only focused on martial arts, perhaps his heart's desire is also...
"Women? Or perhaps... the desire to give up?"
The first is fine, at least it doesn't affect his martial arts practice.
He isn't someone who is completely immune to desire, pure and untouched.
Also, he's already eighteen, if he can't hold it any longer, just finish it...
Doma Iron Crotch Skill, let me see where your limits are!
The latter would be a bit troublesome, but Meng Chuan firmly believes he can uphold his true nature and won't give up at all.
Seeing Meng Chuan's serious expression, Zhao Shousui further comforted:
"Xiaomeng, don't think too much for now. In our Wudang records, there are some who practiced this method without having their desires stirred.
It's unclear if they really possess extraordinary willpower, completely resisting it. Or perhaps, they are incredibly suited for this cultivation technique.
It's just magnifying one desire, you see Wang Ye... isn't it no big deal?"
...
Wang Ye rubbed his face as he stepped off the stage, coming up to the three of them.
Meng Chuan looked closely and saw a red mark straight from his forehead to his chin, perfectly dividing north and south.
We'll discuss this strange hard skill later; let's handle the current match first.
Wang Ye wanted to sneak away, but Meng Chuan grabbed him and said:
"Daoist Wang, don't be in such a hurry. Wait for the next draw results to come out, no need to rush."
Although today's match was over, the audience in the seats did not get up to leave either.
The upcoming quarterfinals were particularly intense, and everyone wanted to know who would face whom.
At this moment, the screen began rolling for pairings.
[Absolute Brightness Little Monk vs. Zheng Chengcheng]
As results were announced, the cheers from the audience erupted backstage.
These two were recognized as the top two favorites to win this competition, unexpectedly meeting early in the round of eight.
One of them was destined to lose their seed status.
"What a shame, both of them are steadily in the top two, yet one must exit early."
Hearing this, someone nearby was displeased.
"Hmm? What do you mean by that? Are you ignoring Meng Shen?"
The man confidently adjusted his glasses and said faintly:
"I'm a professional judge for this kind of competition. Meng Chuan's foundation is not bad, his physical body is strong, and his combat experience and other aspects are all fine.
But he can't beat Jueming and Zheng Chengcheng. Even if he could win, the odds aren't high; at best, it's a seventy to thirty chance.
Meng Chuan is still young, and his Qi Blood is always a disadvantage. Besides, his Hard Skills don't have an advantage when facing Jueming.
Zheng Chengcheng's fist stance has yet to be revealed, and his own trump cards were already mostly exposed when facing Xunuo."
After listening to the other party's lengthy explanation, Meng Chuan's fans were both confused and impressed.
"What you said makes sense, but I still think Meng God can win."
"...Talking to a brick wall!"
...
Meanwhile, seeing the results come out, Meng Chuan felt relieved inside.
What he hoped for the most was for these two to face off, which not only eliminates a strong opponent.
But during the martial arts competition, intelligence is also crucial.
If Jueming can't beat Zheng Chengcheng, he could still gauge some information for himself.
Next, the remaining matchups were announced.
By the time the fourth group matchup appeared, Meng Chuan was thoroughly amused.
Quarterfinals fourth match, [Wang Ye vs Meng Chuan].
Beside him, Wang Ye was dumbfounded; how was he supposed to fight?
Meng Chuan patted his shoulder and laughed:
"Daoist Wang, your face injury won't affect tomorrow's match, right?"
"..."
Luo Guanyun also laughed, Wang Ye's style was practically a low-end version of his own disciple's; this is in the bag!
Zhao Shousui side had a particularly heavy expression, Wang Ye couldn't see Meng Chuan's depth, but he could see it clearly.
The flash of purple light across the body surface was clearly the Perfection level of Qi Nourishing Armor Technique!
Luo Guanyun chuckled and asked:
"Old Zhao, are we still betting? Don't forget our duel wager."
Zhao Shousui noticed Wang Ye looking at him, and as their eyes met, the mentor and disciple shared a look.
"Master, I have a facial injury, and it still hurts quite a bit...
I think just securing a ticket to the finals is enough, let's not compete for the seed spot..."
Wang Ye wasn't reckless; Meng Chuan, this high-attack, high-defense warrior, combined with his endurance and strong stamina, probably wouldn't be fazed.
That last move from Xunuo, with its massive saber energy like landslides and tsunamis, he admitted he couldn't withstand it for even a moment.
Yet Meng Chuan was completely unharmed, slamming the opponent's head into the ground with one palm; if it were him, how would he fight?
Upon hearing this, Zhao Shousui turned his head and told Luo Guanyun:
"What if we say you won? My disciple's old wound hasn't healed; leaving the suspense until Shanghai isn't bad either."
"...You really have a way with words."
Luo Guanyun was speechless too; losing the fight and admitting defeat was straightforward, but mentioning holding back the suspense was excessive.
...
The draw ended, and Wang Ye forfeited, giving himself a bye for the next day.
This made everyone happy; the opponent kept face, and Meng Chuan just had time to research the battle between Jueming and Zheng Chengcheng.
The four left the arena, planning to find a place to eat.
Chatting along the way, Zhao Shousui listened to Luo Guanyun boasting about his disciple, growing more surprised inside.
"In less than two years, not only did he quickly progress in Qi Blood cultivation, advancing from the first stage to the ninth stage.
He also found time to master a Perfection-level Armor Body, and furthermore, a Perfection-level Iron Cloth Shirt, heaps of various Western Hard Skills..."
If he didn't know Luo Guanyun's character, he would suspect the old guy was just fantasizing.
The Qi Blood talent was reasonable; quite a few martial geniuses could do it, some even faster than Meng Chuan.
But Meng Chuan's talent in Hard Skills, in his view, could earn him a name in history!
This can't just be called a talent in external training, but definitely an external training monster...
After the meal, Meng Chuan and Wang Ye found a martial arts hall to practice and get a feel, also letting Wang Ye feel assured about his forfeit.
...
Luo Guanyun and Zhao Shousui, both fond of drinking, were still at the table, unable to get up.
Once again, they talked about Meng Chuan, and Zhao Shousui increasingly felt that Meng Chuan was a rare gem.
He downed his drink in one breath, unable to resist saying:
"Old Luo, I really think Wudang suits Meng Chuan. Should we consider letting him apply?
I'll cover all costs for Qian with the Cyan Netherworld energies; you won't even have to spend the 15 million yourself.
Moreover, with Meng Chuan's abilities, he would definitely make it into our Wudang's [Seeking Dao Class]. With me around, you can be assured he'll have support."
The status of the Seeking Dao Class in Wudang is akin to the Grandmaster Class in the four United Universities, the signature teams of the schools.
As Zhao Shousui spoke, he couldn't help but feel a stabbing pain in his heart.
He had recently spent nearly 30 million on Qian's Cyan Netherworld energies for his disciple Wang Ye, and considering offering it for free to Meng Chuan...
Nearly 60 million! Enough to buy a decent True Martial item.
But thinking of Meng Chuan's talent, he felt more at ease.
"After all, I lost the bet and needed to cover the costs of the Cyan Netherworld energies for Luo Guanyun, aside from the 15 million.
It's not much more, and if I can lure this old man's disciple to Wudang, it's not a loss.
Eventually, when I explain the reason to the headmaster, they might even reimburse me..."
Then Meng Chuan could compete for Wudang on the battlefield, kill in the Demon Nest, and represent the school in the quest for glory, this money will be earned back soon enough!
Unfortunately, his calculation fell through, as Luo Guanyun equally gulped down his drink.