Lei Jing’s young heart was thinking of how she could experience Shen Lian’s current state.

　　Ever since Shen Lian decided to seek the supreme path of detachment, he desired to truly surpass past generations of Qing Xuan founding masters and follow the footsteps of Daoist Master Buddha. In the eyes of those in pursuit of Tian Xian state cultivators, it was merely wishful thinking. Shen Lian however, did not doubt his abilities in achieving it.

　　After having sought the founding masters of previous generations of philosophers as well as the scripture of Daoist Master Buddha, the principles laid down by the predecessors were like formidable summits. Nevertheless, that did not mean that it could not be scaled.

　　Shen Lian’s confidence was miles ahead of almost anyone else. He had walked the path to the pinnacle of cultivation, he had seen the prospect there and he knew how moving it was. Having reached that step, could he from then onwards, discard the shackles that bound him? Could he become truly free from anyone and anything?

　　Perhaps freedom was not a sense of being absolutely unrestrained but rather a sense of liberation within the body and mind. This was similar to a Daoist Master or Buddha, but Shen Lian could not concretely understand this state, for he had yet to achieve it.

　　Within Shen Lian’s heart and soul was a clear understanding of the transformation in the Qi dynamic of Diqiu.

　　In the Wangcheng in the north, Emperor Xia increased in strength. He was strong to the point of having almost no flaws and to the point where an unbreakable Qi of Essence in the kingdom morphed into the shape of a real dragon. The essence of the sun and moon was absorbed and a flying dragon was inclined in the sky. Atop Xia Stage, Tianyi suffered pressure as a result of the Qi of the real dragon. His psyche and Qi dynamic gradually deadened but just like a boulder that did not yield to the current of water, he remained steadfast.

　　Tianyi had already reached the eighth transformation in the cultivation of the Nine Transformations Technique. If placed just before the birth of Emperor Xia, it was considered to be utterly strong and devoid of obstacles. Now, even the eighth transformation was not enough and both Emperor Xia and Shen Lian would narrowly surpass him in terms of strength.

　　However, Shen Lian still did not underestimate Tianyi. Tianyi was a person who may possibly achieve the state of Saints since he has already touched upon the state of the philosophers.

　　Time flowed like water and three days passed by just like that.

　　In that three day span, Lei Jing did not receive any pointers from Shen Lian but merely kept quiet and followed Shen Lian’s way of living. With Shen Lian, she brewed tea, ate, looked at the sunrise and appreciated the sunset.

　　Today, Lei Jing went out early. She first went to see her parents and later on set off to Dongcheng. Wherever she went, the rain and wind were summoned.

　　Finally, she reached Lake East. Wuding was clad in white clothes and he was waiting for her.

　　The Xia Clan and people of Yin Shang came early to the vicinity and saw a very clean Wuding. Many of the aristocrats of Xia Kingdom thought to themselves that it would be nice to have a person like him to be their son-in-law. The noblewomen of Xia, on the other hand, could not shift their gazes away from his body.

　　After being polished by the Lake East, there was a certain quality about him that was like pure starlight, neat and clear-cut.

　　Compared to Wuding, Lei Jing was not inferior herself. After she reached Lake East, the wind and rain halted and the sky was full of dark clouds. Lei Jing stood not far from Wuding and clasped her hands behind her back. She was reminiscent of her Master, like a tall s tanding mountain and deep waters ¹ .

　　She sized up Wuding and the lake behind him with an intense look.

　　Wuding cupped his hands in greeting, “Mister Jing, please make the first move ² .”

　　His hands still held the wooden knife. It was made from a random poplar branch found by the side of the lake and one could vaguely see its fresh xylem.

　　But once he held it to his hands, the knife did not look as if it was made of wood. Rather, it looked as though it was made from Cosmic Iron of the Heavens after it went through numerous times of polishing and tempering by fire. There was an aggressiveness to it that assaulted the senses and it was capable of slicing a mountain into half. Combined with the qualities of Wuding’s current neat and clear-cut state, it displayed the capability to cut through all whims.

　　Lei Jing raised her head towards the south and saw someone standing on top of a boulder, facing the wind. It was her teacher, Shen Lian. He waved at Lei Jing.

　　With that, Lei Jing’s heart calmed down. She glanced at Wuding and said, “You will lose.”

　　The wind blew and out of nowhere a fallen leaf drifted slowly. The leaf made its journey and landed in the middle of the empty space between Wuding and Lei Jing.

　　This was the first fallen leaf of the year for Diqiu. The chilliness of autumn was not far behind.

　　Lei Jing suddenly vanished from sight and thunder sounded from the void.

　　Throughout the booming of thunder, Wuding did not make a move. The fallen leaf, having suffered the tremor of the thunder, shattered into countless pieces in a split second. Rain appeared to rumble and charge here.

　　Wuding unknowingly squinted as the Qi of Chilliness in front of him was too exasperating.

　　Lei Jing’s summoning of wind and rain was not simply the harnessing of power from the wind and rain to kill unprepared opponents. With Shen Lian’s improvements, the technique harnessed the true meaning of wind and rain from the heavens and earth, applicable in many situations.

　　Shen Lian observed everything from afar. The Qi of Vitality from the Netherworld was thicker than all the earth and stars of Qing Xuan but it was inclined to darkness and so was not very dynamic. Even if the mana was of the same state, its appearance in the outside world is different and both worlds would have a great discrepancy between them.

　　What Lei Jing did just now would be enough to cause the Qi of the heaven and earth to move about like the rolling tide had it been done in the earth and stars of Qing Xuan. It was even enough to tear open the void slightly.

　　And at that time, space in the Netherworld froze. It bore the full weight of Lei Jing’s mana.

　　Faced with the omnipresent leaf shreds, Wuding still did not move. Instead, he let himself be bombarded and his figure subsequently shattered.

　　This type of shattering was akin to the shattering of a mirror but in reality, there was not a scratch on him.

　　Wuding vanished right before Lei Jing was about to commence her first attack.

　　Lei Jing appeared from the void and the flowing Qi present in the surroundings whirled and centered around her, forming a wall made out of wind and rain. With a pull of knife light that struck the wall of wind and rain, the whirl was removed using a whirling power. Immediately after the wind and rain erupted and extended all around, Wuding appeared.

　　On the other side, Wen Zhong rode his black Qilin ³ and appeared next to Shen Lian. He chuckled and said, “Childish techniques they used. How boring it is.”

　　Shen Lian replied, “Brother Wen, it seems you have no concern over whether Wuding is capable of winning.”

　　“Zi Zhao is destined to become the king. Winning and losing are the tastes that he must savor in order to become a complete person.” Wen Zhong showed his true colors.

　　Shen Lian said plainly, “Brother Wen, I beg to differ. No one can stipulate this to be the measure of true completeness in one’s life.”

　　Wen Zhong replied, “This is the difference between you and me, national advisor. Only time can tell which one of us is correct.”

　　The black Qilin let out a low grunt and clouds formed below his feet, bringing Wen Zhong away. He headed east, towards the direction of Dongyi. From the looks of it, Wen Zhong had no intention of staying until the fight was over to inform the public.

　　Shen Lian knew that they will meet again for there was still an unsettled karma between Wen Zhong and himself.

　　On the Lake East, Lei Jing was already floating on the surface of the lake. She took over the terrain and boundless lake water was hers for the taking. The sky was laden with strong winds and heavy rain. Wuding could not hide. He could only struggle bitterly.

　　In this wind and rain, his knife technique sharpened. Each movement of the knife sliced a piece of wind and rain but Lei Jing persisted with her technique. Throughout the ordeal, Wuding could not get close to her.

　　If everything continued like this, it would only be natural that Wuding would struggle to get a win.

　　But in the storm, with his white clothes moving with the wind, his calm and leisurely qualities made the spectators feel as though Wuding had the battle in the palm of his hands.

　　Even if Lei Jing was already resembling her Master, she had no way of erasing the idea in other people’s minds that Wuding was poised for victory.