Chapter Forty-Two: Shang Ziqiu (Revised)

But before Lan Fang could speak, Zhang Xiao suddenly stood up and swept her into his arms, moving her aside. Startled, Lan Fang was about to push him away when a thunderous explosion erupted where she had just been standing. Zhang Xiao pulled Lan Fang behind him, his eyes fixed intently on the woods ahead.

A deep, mocking laugh rang out. "Such quick reflexes, such swift movement. But I don't recall the Maoshan Sect being renowned for martial prowess." A middle-aged man emerged from the trees, accompanied by two others. One of them was Gaolu, who had previously fallen under Zhang Xiao's Soul-Devouring Curse, yet now appeared perfectly normal, showing no sign of affliction. The third man was a stranger to Zhang Xiao, though it was clear from his bearing that he, too, was a master in the Foundation Establishment stage. Yet it was the middle-aged man whom Zhang Xiao regarded with the most caution; his cultivation was even higher, on the verge of reaching the Golden Core realm, a step above Zhang Xiao himself.

Unlike the others, the middle-aged man wore a Daoist robe embroidered with a dragon and a tiger entwined around a golden orb, vivid and lifelike, marking the garment as a superior spirit treasure.

"I am Shang Ziqiu, a founding disciple of Mount Longhu. May I ask which disciple of Maoshan I have the honor of meeting?" Shang Ziqiu greeted Zhang Xiao with a cupped fist. Zhang Xiao had not expected to encounter a founding disciple. By his own estimation, such a title was often little more than a puppet, like Wang Yanbo, but he had to admit that none of them were lacking in skill.

Though Shang Ziqiu was formidable, Zhang Xiao's Buddhist techniques could already rival those of Golden Core masters. Surprised, but not alarmed, he smiled and replied, "So it is Fellow Daoist Shang. I am Zhang—" Suddenly, he caught himself, cursing inwardly for the slip of the tongue. Glancing back, he saw Lan Fang's eyes fixed on him, already misting with tears.

As Zhang Xiao wavered, unsure whether to finish his name, one of the men behind Shang Ziqiu could restrain himself no longer. "My senior brother asked you a question, and you dare be so rude? Take this!" With that, he shot forward, palm outstretched, dragons and tigers swirling around his hand with terrifying force.

Zhang Xiao had not expected such sudden violence. Unable to summon his bronze-armored corpse in time, he immediately activated the Diamond Indestructible Body and countered with his own palm. When their hands collided, the assailant felt as though he had struck solid steel; pain shot through his arm, and the twin energies of dragon and tiger unraveled under the force of Zhang Xiao's blow.

Zhang Xiao's mastery of the Diamond Indestructible Body was complete, far beyond that of ordinary practitioners. Though he had met the attack in haste, he was unaffected. With a slight increase of force, his opponent could no longer withstand it. With a scream, he was sent flying to the side. Zhang Xiao moved to press his advantage with another blow.

But at that moment, Shang Ziqiu darted forward, caught his companion, and retaliated with a punch. Zhang Xiao narrowed his eyes, his entire body erupting in golden light; with a thunderous shout, he met the attack with his own fist.

A subtle but resounding impact echoed between them. Shang Ziqiu used the momentum to leap backward, while Zhang Xiao stood unmoved, though his feet had sunk into the earth. There was a sharp crack, and Zhang Xiao's mask shattered. Though neither man had used his full strength, the shockwave was enough to destroy the mask.

Seeing his disguise fall to pieces, Zhang Xiao could only smile wryly and turned to face Lan Fang. She gazed at his face—a blend of the familiar and the strange. The tears she had struggled to hold back now flowed freely.

Zhang Xiao gently wiped the tears from her face, but with a sharp smack, Lan Fang struck his cheek, the force leaving a distinct handprint. Zhang Xiao had seen her move the instant she raised her hand, yet he neither dodged nor blocked, hastening to disperse the spiritual energy from his body lest she injure herself. Ever since mastering the Diamond Indestructible Body, his skin was as tough as iron; had he not removed the protective energy from his face, Lan Fang's hand would have been hurt instead.

She was still not satisfied, and hugged him while kicking and punching, venting her anger. Zhang Xiao simply released his Diamond Indestructible Body and held her softly in his arms. "I know I was wrong," he whispered, "but I've come to find you, haven't I? Even when demons plagued my heart, the one I thought of was still you."

His words, like a soothing balm, melted the defenses around Lan Fang's heart. Her body slackened, and she quietly collapsed into his embrace, basking in the sweetness she had long craved.

From a distance, Shang Ziqiu laughed. "So, Fellow Daoist Zhang is a man of deep feeling. Truly rare!"

Zhang Xiao admired Shang Ziqiu's strength from their exchange—far superior to the likes of Wang Yanbo. He smiled, "Fellow Daoist Shang, I know Xiao Fang wounded someone from your sect and took something that belonged to you, but she is my beloved. I ask that you let this matter rest for my sake. Of course, I owe you an explanation."

Lan Fang blushed with shyness at his words, though her heart was filled with joy.

Gaolu, nearby, sneered. "An explanation? What explanation? Never mind the stolen item, but my senior brother's own brother was killed by her. You think a few words from you can settle this? You think too highly of yourself."

"Junior Brother Gao," Shang Ziqiu interrupted, then turned to Zhang Xiao with a smile. "My brother's death was due to his own lack of skill. Since you insist on protecting her, I won't press for her life. Yet as my junior said, you can't just brush this aside with a single sentence." His expression grew icy.

Zhang Xiao asked, "Then what do you propose?"

"Fight me. If you lose, she must pay with her life once. If you win, we settle it as you suggested."

Whatever the outcome, Shang Ziqiu would benefit. Zhang Xiao raised his brow and smiled. "Very well." He carried Lan Fang to a safe distance. "Don't worry, that man is no match for me. Wait here for me." Lan Fang agreed, her eyes brimming with boundless affection.

Zhang Xiao stepped forward. "Fellow Daoist Shang, please."

Shang Ziqiu motioned for the other two to stand back. "Fellow Daoist Zhang, I await your instruction." With that, his aura surged; a dragon and a tiger materialized, circling around him.

With a cold shout, Shang Ziqiu struck first, his fist accompanied by the dragon and tiger. Zhang Xiao did not retreat, unleashing the Diamond Indestructible Body. His whole body shone like a golden Arhat, scriptures appearing on his skin. As Shang Ziqiu's fist closed in, Zhang Xiao countered with both fists, the move "Twin Dragons Seize the Pearl" aimed directly at Shang Ziqiu's heart.

Shang Ziqiu's eyes brightened; he dodged aside and swept his palm down in a blade-like arc, the move "Cleave the Mountain," striking at Zhang Xiao's head. Though they fought with bare hands, each blow carried the force of a blade, laying waste to the surrounding trees and earth. Back and forth, they exchanged dozens of moves.

Then, Shang Ziqiu pivoted and shouted, "Dragon Soars the World!" With his cry, dozens of dragon-shaped spiritual energies gathered around him. Pointing at Zhang Xiao, he sent the dragons spiraling toward him.

Zhang Xiao no longer held back. He summoned the full might of his Diamond Indestructible Body, and for a moment, the air filled with Buddhist chants. A great Dharma Wheel appeared above his head, no longer bare as before; since refining the Buddha's Golden Wheel, a giant Buddha identical to himself now stood atop it, chanting. The dragon energies were halted three steps away, unable to advance.

With a sweep of his hand, Zhang Xiao unleashed a palm illuminated with sacred scriptures, shattering the dragon energies.

Shang Ziqiu was astonished. He could not fathom why a Maoshan disciple wielded such formidable Buddhist arts. But Zhang Xiao gave him no time to ponder. With another sweeping palm, golden light burst forth, while his other hand summoned swirling black mist, transforming into several shadowy figures rushing toward Shang Ziqiu.

Shang Ziqiu barely managed to block the first strike; weary, he then faced the advancing shadows, their ominous aura unmistakably the work of Maoshan sorcery. Knowing he could not meet them head-on, his robe flared, and a barrier of light repelled the shadows.

Zhang Xiao smiled coldly to himself. "Let's see how many times you can block this." With a quick gesture, he conjured a single black shadow, this time not a Soul-Devouring Curse but a skeletal specter, shrieking and wailing as it danced through the air—a Ghost-Scaring Mantra, one of the seven arts of Maoshan.

The ceaseless howling battered Shang Ziqiu's mind, agitating and distracting him. Time and again he tried to dispel it, but each attempt was thwarted by his own increasing confusion and frustration, nearly causing a backlash.

Shang Ziqiu realized he would certainly lose if this continued. With a sweep of his sleeve, three banners flew out, encircling Zhang Xiao. Each banner bore dragons and tigers in flight, and at the tip of each pole was a bronze mirror.

Zhang Xiao could not name the artifact, but understood Shang Ziqiu meant to trap him. He struck one banner with his fist, intending to destroy it, but before he could connect, the mirrors on the banners flashed with golden light, shooting beams at him. Startled, Zhang Xiao abandoned his attack and used Divine Footwork to try to escape the formation.

But Shang Ziqiu would not allow it. Gripping the command banners, he shouted, "Three Forces Align, Dragon and Tiger Roar!" At his order, the dragons and tigers from the banners surged forth, enclosing Zhang Xiao layer by layer.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiao could only groan inwardly, "If only I had mastered Divine Footwork to a higher level, I would not need to fear any formation he could muster."