My martial arts have no bottlenecks.

Chapter 143 Perfect Mirror

Outside the secret area, a temporary camp.

Liu Jingtao was sitting cross-legged on the white jade boat, closing his eyes to rest.

Suddenly, without warning, a warm jade pendant in his arms cracked into several pieces!

Liu Jingtao suddenly opened his eyes, and a terrifying sword intent and aura erupted!

"boom--!"

Centered on him, the air within a radius of ten feet seemed to freeze, and dust rose from the ground without wind. Several martial artists who were slightly closer turned pale and staggered backward.

The camp fell into a deathly silence as everyone looked at the treasure boat with suspicion and uncertainty.

"Envoy Liu, what has caused your anger and alarm?"

Chen Xuanfeng flashed and appeared in front of the boat, cupping his hands in greeting as he inquired, his brows furrowed.

Liu Jingtao slowly opened his palm, revealing several dull fragments in the center, with the three characters "Shi Po Dang" faintly visible.

His voice was icy: "Shi Podang, a disciple of the Penglai Sect, has had his life tablet shattered."

"What?!"

"The prodigy of Penglai Sect has fallen?"

What exactly happened in the secret realm?!

17

After a brief silence, the camp exploded!

Exclamations of surprise, doubts, horror, and relief —

Various emotions spread among the crowd.

Those factions whose members had been eliminated but survived by sheer luck felt a strange mix of fear and relief.

Being eliminated is better than dying!

Liu Jingtao slowly withdrew his aura, but his eyes remained icy cold.

He gazed at the slowly rotating star vortex at the entrance to the secret realm, his mind racing with thoughts.

The secret realm was isolated from the outside world, and even with his abilities, he could not see what was happening inside.

Were they encountered an inescapable, hidden danger?

Or did he die at the hands of someone else?

He swept his light across the people in the camp, and finally calmed down.

Now, all we can do is wait.

Once the secret realm ends, everything will be clear.

Chen Xuanfeng retreated to the main camp, his face grave.

His gaze swept over Lu Zheng and Leng Feng, who were meditating, and he noticed that their expressions were different, and their eyes seemed to be exchanging words.

He remained calm, and a subtle whisper reached their ears: "What do you know?"

Lu Zheng and Leng Feng exchanged a glance. Lu Zheng gritted his teeth and quickly informed Leng Feng via telepathy that Shi Po had been chasing Liang Cheng in the secret realm, and that the two had become mortal enemies.

Chen Xuanfeng's pupils contracted.

Was Shi Po killed by Liang Cheng?

This thought sent a jolt through him.

He knew his young apprentice's temperament: resilient, decisive, and vengeful; he would never sit idly by and wait for his death.

However, Shi Po must be a late-stage True Qi cultivator, a prodigy of the Penglai Sect!

-

Liang Chengcai is at the True Essence Realm.

Could it be that this kid broke through to the True Qi Realm in the secret realm?

A True Qi Realm cultivator at the age of twenty-one!

They are in no way inferior to the outer disciples of the Penglai Sect!

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

Once he calmed down, he glanced coldly at Shi Jun, who was also recuperating in the corner.

They colluded with outsiders to murder their fellow disciples.

This boy should be executed.

However, now is not the time to clean house.

Chen Xuanfeng suppressed his killing intent and looked back at the entrance to the secret realm.

Liang Cheng, Zhi Qiu, you must both get out safely.

Within the secret realm, at the White Jade Square.

Liang Cheng flicked the blood off his sword and sheathed it.

He walked quickly to the headless corpse of Shi Podang, squatted down and touched the body with practiced movements.

Several exquisite jade bottles contained top-grade elixirs unique to the Penglai Sect, brimming with spiritual energy.

Two bottles of True Qi Pills are excellent medicines for True Qi Realm cultivators to strengthen their foundation, cultivate their essence, and improve their cultivation; they are extremely valuable.

Unfortunately, he didn't have any cultivation manuals on him; perhaps the Penglai Sect didn't allow them to carry them with them.

Without hesitation, Liang Cheng put the pill into his pocket, then took out a small jade bottle and dripped a few drops of corpse-dissolving liquid onto the corpse.

"laugh"

A wisp of smoke rose, and flesh and bones rapidly dissolved, turning into several pools of murky yellow water that seeped into the fine lines of the white jade floor, leaving no trace.

The prodigy of the outer sect of Penglai Sect vanished from the face of the earth.

Liang Cheng sat down cross-legged, swallowed a healing pill, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

With the fourth level of the Broken Wave Technique activated, newly generated true energy surged like a tide, mixing with the power of the elixir to rapidly restore its condition.

His body, now at the peak of the Hunyuan Gang Body, possessed astonishing recovery ability. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he was fully recovered, his eyes open, his inner light concealed.

He stood up, glanced at the empty and silent square, and then looked toward the misty corridor in front of the square.

Thousand Machines Corridor.

Without the slightest hesitation, Liang Cheng moved like lightning, shooting into the mist of the corridor, his figure instantly swallowed up.

Liang Cheng stepped into the Thousand Machines Corridor.

The fog closed in behind me, and the scene before me suddenly became clear.

He was standing in a straight corridor that seemed to have no end. On both sides were smooth, jade-like walls that were so high that the ceiling was invisible. The corridor was about three zhang wide, and a faint golden light emanated from in front of him.

Silence.

Liang Cheng gripped the Struggle Blade tightly and slowly stepped forward.

After taking only ten steps, golden light gathered in front of them, and a figure materialized out of thin air.

It was a young man whose blood and qi surged, clearly indicating that he had reached the Ming Jin level of cultivation.

Liang Cheng stopped abruptly, his pupils shrinking.

The boy's features and physique are clearly those of myself back in the seaside town, when I had just awakened my mayfly destiny and gritted my teeth to embark on the path of martial arts!

"This is----"

Liang Cheng was filled with doubt and unease.

"Ming Jin Liang Cheng" let out a low roar, stepped forward, and charged with the raw and unrefined power of a bull, throwing a straight punch!

The moves, footwork, and power generation were exactly the same as Liang Cheng remembered himself.

Liang Cheng's eyes sharpened.

I don't care what kind of illusion or incarnation you are!

"break!"

He didn't draw his sword, but simply threw a punch, his powerful ox-like strength meeting the attack head-on. He didn't even unleash his inner energy, relying solely on his physical body to cope.

"Bang!"

Ming Jin's avatar was instantly shattered, turning into specks of golden light that dissipated.

Liang Cheng stopped, but his brows furrowed even more.

But before he could think it through, the golden light gathered again in front of him.

This time, it was Liang Cheng, a dark-skilled man with a deep and sharp gaze.

Without hesitation, Liang Cheng made his move!

A single punch pierced through the hidden force defense.

"puff."

The manifestation of hidden strength dissipated once again.

Immediately afterwards, Hua Jinliang appeared, his entire body's energy perfectly integrated.

Liang Cheng still killed him with a single punch.

The avatar shattered once again.

Liang Cheng stood there with his knife in hand, already understanding the situation.

"Each of these incarnations represents my most perfect state at that time."

"Is this Thousand Machines Corridor forcing me to confront my past self?"

As if to confirm his conjecture, golden light surged ahead.

Liang Cheng, at the True Qi Realm, took a step forward, his true qi surging around him, his long sword sharp, and his eyes calm as ice.

Liang Cheng smiled slightly and walked towards him.

This time, Liang Cheng drew his sword, and the blades clashed!

one move.

The sword technique, manifested as true qi, was fierce and directly defeated in the face of the perfected Broken Mountain Sword Intent and True Qi cultivation, resulting in the sword shattering and the person dying.

Then the golden light lingered and continued to condense.

Liang Cheng, a True Essence Realm cultivator, appeared, with nine illusory True Essence Orbs swirling behind him. His aura was as thick as a mountain, and the long sword in his hand hummed.

"Come!"

Liang Cheng's fighting spirit surged. He wanted to see just how much of his strength he could force out of his body before he attained enlightenment.

Liang Cheng did not use the Broken Mountain Saber Technique, but his saber momentum was still like layers of waves, overwhelming the sky.

The True Essence Avatar pushed the Lesser Completion Realm of the Broken Mountain Blade to its limit, and the blade light was like an iron wall and a copper wall, actually blocking Liang Cheng's first two strikes!

With his third strike, Liang Cheng's sword technique suddenly changed. Under the Wind and Thunder Slash, this time the sword light was so fast that only a fleeting afterimage remained.

"Sizzle!"

The chest of the true essence incarnation was cleaved open, golden light splashed everywhere, and slowly dissipated.

Liang Cheng sheathed his sword, his breathing steady.

From Ming Jin to Zhen Yuan, all five "past selves" were slain by the blade at this moment.

"If that's all there is to it, then the Thousand Machines Corridor is far too simple—"

Before the words were even finished, the golden light in the corridor ahead became more intense than ever before!

A figure slowly materialized.

His physique, appearance, and clothing were exactly the same as Liang Ben's at this moment.

Even the long sword he held in his hand was a dazzling blue light, its sharp edge gleaming – “Striving for the First”!

What made Liang Cheng's expression most solemn was that the avatar was surrounded by a condensed and surging aura!

The aura was so strong that it was at the peak of the early stage of True Qi, even slightly stronger than his own body!

"Me, at the True Qi Realm?"

Liang Cheng's eyes calmed down completely.

This avatar not only had the same cultivation level as him, but also faintly exuded a flawless and perfect aura, as if he had cultivated the early stage of the True Qi Realm to its extreme.

The True Qi Avatar raised its eyes and looked at Liang Cheng, its gaze calm and unwavering, yet carrying an indifferent scrutiny.

Then it moved.

With a single step, the speed of the Perfected Dragon Step exploded, instantly closing the distance, and the Fighting Blade was raised high.

Mountain-Slaying Blade - Mountain-Splitting!

The force of the blade was even stronger than the strike Liang Ben had just unleashed!

Liang Cheng was startled and dared not be careless, so he met the attack with the same move, Breaking Mountain!

"clang--!!!"

The two swords clashed, their true energy surging, and the explosive sound echoed repeatedly in the corridor, deafeningly loud.

Liang Cheng felt a numbness in his arm and was so shocked that he slid back half a step!

The avatar remained motionless, and the sword's momentum shifted accordingly.

Broken waves, broken rivers, broken seas —

The Broken Mountain Blade Technique was executed with the fluidity of flowing clouds and water, each move exquisitely perfect, with impeccable power, speed, and angle.

What's even more terrifying is that it seems to be able to predict Liang Cheng's every move and always manages to intercept Liang Cheng's blade strike half a step ahead.

Liang Cheng pushed his Hunyuan Gang Body to its limit, a pale golden glassy membrane covering his entire body, and he also used his swordsmanship to the extreme, attempting to break the stalemate.

However, this True Qi incarnation was too perfect.

Its internal energy seemed to be of a higher quality, its swordsmanship was flawless, and its combat instincts were terrifyingly sharp.

Fifty moves pass in the blink of an eye.

Liang Cheng's forehead was already covered in sweat. His internal energy was being severely depleted, and he had three shallow knife marks on his body. If it weren't for the strong defense of his Hunyuan Gang Body, he would have been injured long ago.

In contrast, the avatar remained calm and composed, and its moves were still sharp and precise.

"Impossible! We're both at the early stage of True Qi, and both have perfected foundations, so why is it stronger than me?"

A storm raged in Liang Cheng's heart.

He suddenly realized a problem.

This incarnation may represent Liang Cheng, who is theoretically invincible in the same realm, a "perfect fighting machine" that eliminates all fluctuations in his condition, whose true energy is always abundant and whose spirit is never tired.

His true form had just experienced a life-or-death battle with Shi Podang. Although he had recovered, his mind and spirit were still somewhat depleted, and his true energy was not limitless.

This is a long time.

"We can't fight them head-on!"

Liang Cheng's mind raced, and he unleashed the full power of his Dragon Step, attempting to create distance and find an opening.

However, the avatar was ever-present, and the Dragon Step was activated simultaneously at the same time. The blade light was like a leech, impossible to shake off.

Seventy moves.

Liang Cheng's left shoulder was grazed by the blade's energy, the glassy membrane flashed violently, and a sharp pain came.

Eighty moves.

He suffered another wound on his right leg, causing his movements to falter slightly.

Seizing this fleeting opening, the blade flashed like lightning, piercing straight for Liang Cheng's heart!

Liang Cheng gritted his teeth and parried with his sword.

"clang--!

"

With a loud bang, his tiger's mouth split open, and the Zhengxian Blade was shaken high into the air, leaving the center gate wide open.

A golden light flashed in the avatar's eyes, and with his left hand forming a sword-like gesture, a highly refined azure aura, like a venomous snake's tongue, struck directly at Liang Cheng's brow!

Mysterious Yin Sword Technique - Penetrating Bone!

The same killing move that Liang Cheng used was now being used to end his own life.

Too fast!

So accurate!

Liang Cheng had no time to get back on defense and could only desperately turn his head to the side.

At the same time, the transformed blade of Struggle was already close behind him, pressed against his neck.

The cold blade pressed against the skin, and the scent of death was clearly audible.

The avatar stood holding a knife, looking at him expressionlessly.

Liang Cheng froze, then slowly lowered the knife in his hand.

lost.

A battle against your own "perfect self".

He lost.

Then a golden light flashed, and the avatar vanished along with the knife at his neck, as if it had never existed.

Silence returned to the corridor, broken only by Liang Cheng's heavy breathing.

He knelt on one knee, using his knife as a support, his eyes filled with shock and a hint of understanding.

So this was the real test that Qianjilang had given him.

It's easy to let go of the past, but difficult to overcome the present.

The real opponent is always yourself.

Liang Cheng took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood and distracting thoughts. Without any hesitation, he took out the True Qi Pill he had obtained from Shi Podang.

The jade bottle was opened, and a pure and rich fragrance of elixir wafted out.

Liang Cheng tilted his head back and swallowed it.

The pill entered the stomach and transformed into a scorching yet balanced and peaceful torrent, instantly surging into the limbs and bones, and finally converging into the dantian.

Like rain after a long drought, the nine seeds of qi greedily absorbed this pure energy, their rotation speed suddenly increased, their volume subtly expanded, and the qi they emitted became increasingly condensed and profound.

The fourth level of the Broken Wave Technique is fully activated, guiding the medicinal power through a complete circulation.

An hour later, Liang Cheng opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and bright, and the fluctuations of his aura were noticeably stronger than before.

However, he did not stop. The perfected Hunyuan Gang Body gave him resilient meridians, making him far more resilient than other martial artists of the same level.

With the addition of the incomplete True Meaning of Crossing the Sea, he decisively swallowed another True Qi Pill.

He only stopped after taking ten True Qi Pills and reaching the limit of his meridians.

[The Fourth Level of the Broken Wave Technique: Beginner (607/10000)]

His cultivation has advanced another step!

Liang Cheng clenched his fist, feeling the stronger power surging within him, and his fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes.

"This time, I'm determined to beat you!"

He suddenly stood up, pointed the knife forward, and took another step forward without hesitation!

Golden light gathered in the corridor in response.

The True Qi Incarnation reappeared, its form and appearance unchanged, the "Striving for the First Blade" in its hand gleaming coldly.

However, the moment the transformation solidified, Liang Cheng's pupils suddenly contracted.

The aura emanating from this incarnation—

It even improved!

It is still slightly stronger than his current state, steadily maintaining a level of theoretical perfection within the same realm.

It generates a corresponding "perfect mirror image" based on the challenger's current strongest state!

As your cultivation level improves, your avatar will improve in tandem!

"Is that so?"

Liang Cheng's heart sank; this trial could not be passed simply by accumulating cultivation points.

The avatar then made its move again.

The blade gleamed as before, and the Broken Mountain Blade Technique was executed flawlessly, with power, speed, and angle remaining impeccable.

Liang Cheng let out a low roar and swung his sword to meet the attack!

"Clang clang clang clang—!"

Blades clashed, and qi surged.

This time, Liang Cheng held out longer and was more familiar with the avatar's moves and routines. Occasionally, he could launch a counterattack and force the avatar to retreat and defend.

Thirty moves, forty moves, one hundred moves —

Liang Cheng used the newly grown power to its fullest extent. The Hunyuan Gang Body's glassy light membrane was indestructible, and the speed of the Duan Yue Blade combined with the Wind and Thunder Slash was sometimes visible and sometimes hidden, trying to disrupt the rhythm of the avatar.

However, the incarnation was too perfect.

It's like a fighting machine that never makes a mistake, always able to defuse an attack at minimal cost and retaliate from a more ingenious angle.

After 120 moves, Liang Cheng was once again on the defensive.

The True Qi Avatar suddenly changed its move, and the blade swept past. Liang Cheng's Zhengxian Blade only had time to parry before being slightly deflected by the impact.

flaw!

The avatar immediately seized this fleeting opportunity, thrusting his blade straight for Liang Cheng's throat!

Liang Cheng dodged desperately, the blade grazing his neck. At the same time, his transformed left hand, with its sword-like fingers, followed closely, pointing at his brow once more.

Liang Cheng suddenly leaned back, his body protected by a protective aura.

"puff!"

Although the protective aura was not penetrated, a violent fluctuation occurred. If the attack continued, the protective aura would likely be broken.

The defeat is set.

The avatar did not continue the pursuit, but stood with its knife in hand, watching him indifferently.

Liang Cheng staggered back several steps, using his knife to support himself on the ground, his internal energy in disarray.

Another defeat.

He stared intently at that perfect figure until it vanished in golden light.

The corridor fell silent again, save for his heavy breathing.

"If your cultivation level increases, it will increase in tandem; this path is blocked."

Liang Cheng's eyes remained sharp; he showed no sign of defeat.

"Then, there's only one path left: combat skills!"

"I have now perfected the Hunyuan Gang Body, the Duan Yue Blade, the Feng Lei Zhan, the You Long Bu, and the Xuan Yin Sword Technique. All the combat skills I can learn have reached their limits."

"If you want to surpass this perfect embodiment," the only way is to break the limits!

A clear idea emerged in his mind: fusion.

Just like before, the Gale Blade Technique was incorporated into the extremely powerful and fierce Wind and Thunder Slash, greatly increasing its power.

Thinking of this, a fierce light ignited in Liang Cheng's eyes.

Instead of stepping forward to trigger the trial again, he sat cross-legged in the corridor and took some medicine to recover.

Once he regained his composure, he stood up, took a deep breath, and began practicing his swordsmanship.

Without a specific goal, he simply practiced the basic moves of Wind and Thunder Slash and Mountain-Severing Blade repeatedly.

At times, his blade flashes like thunder and lightning, swift and fierce, pursuing the ultimate speed and explosiveness.

At times, his sword strikes were as powerful and imposing as mountains, imbued with a resolute will to sever everything.

The two sword techniques are very different in style, one fast and one heavy, one swift and one steady.

At first, he tried to force the Wind and Thunder Slash technique into the framework of the Mountain-Severing Blade, but the blade's momentum became sluggish and its power greatly reduced.

He then tried to suddenly increase his speed with the Broken Mountain Blade, but this disrupted the continuity of his sword intent and instead revealed an even greater flaw.

"No, it's not a simple splicing."

Liang Cheng stopped thinking.

"The essence of Wind and Thunder Slash is speed and explosiveness; like a violent storm, it destroys everything in an instant."

The essence of the "Broken Mountain Blade" lies in "severance" and "heavyness," like a river bursting its banks, crushing everything in its path.

1

How can the two coexist? How can they complement each other?

He swung his knife again.

This time, he no longer deliberately distinguished the moves, but simply followed a vague feeling, pursuing that instantaneous balance of speed and weight, swiftness and stability in the process of slashing.

The blade flashed, and the qi surged.

Ten times, one hundred times, three hundred times —

Time slipped away quietly in the silent corridor; perhaps several hours had passed, or perhaps a whole day had gone by.

Liang Cheng was completely absorbed in his work, his eyes fixed only on the knife in his hand, and his mind solely focused on the two drastically different techniques.

Then he swung the knife thousands of times.

Sweat soaked his clothes, his arms ached and went numb, and his internal energy was depleted time and time again.

Each time he was exhausted, he would take a pill, sit cross-legged to regulate his breathing, and once his inner energy was restored, he would get up again and continue wielding his sword.

Those born under the mayfly destiny face no obstacles and are destined for success!

He recalled his martial arts journey, how many times had he not trained desperately?

"Right now, we haven't put in enough effort; we haven't met the conditions to trigger a qualitative change!"

"Then keep practicing!"

He swallowed the pill to replenish his internal energy, feeling the energy dissipate within his body, and raised his longsword once more.

Throughout the corridor, the sound of qi piercing through the air could be heard incessantly.

monotonous!

Repeat!

A knife!

Another stab!