The Struggle for Supremacy – A Battle at the Pinnacle
The Black Dragon Sect's leader, Murong Gui, had just seen two of his top generals claim consecutive victories—West Heaven King Xiao Cheng and East Heaven King Yang Chao had, one after another, defeated the Celestial Veneration Sect's "Celestial Venerator" Ding Ren and "Earth Venerator" Wei An. Standing proudly in the center of the arena, Murong Gui's eyes, sharp as an eagle's, swept over the crowd with a trace of arrogance. In a slow, resonant voice, he said, "I wonder… does the Celestial Veneration Sect still have anyone left who dares step forward?"
At these words, the gathered heroes held their breath. This was no longer merely a matter of the Black Dragon Sect's pride—this was the growing shadow of An Lushan's faction over the martial world. If the Celestial Veneration Sect were to lose yet again, the morale of the rebel-opposing alliance might be crushed.
The battle for dominance was about to begin.
Sect Master Liu Xuan of the Celestial Veneration Sect understood well—this fight was no longer about personal glory, but about the fate of the realm itself. His champions had already all been tested; now, after so many bouts, the match had reached its peak. After a moment of contemplation, he declared in a steady voice, "Since this is the final stage of our sects' contest, as leaders of our respective orders, it is only fitting that we ourselves step onto the field to determine the victor!"
A roar of astonishment swept the audience.
Murong Gui threw his head back and laughed, his voice booming like a great bell. "Liu Sect Master, I came here today precisely to witness for myself the unrivaled skill of your Ninefold Profound Scripture! Let us see it in action!"
Liu Xuan was no less resolute. With a clasp of his fists, he replied, "And I, Liu Xuan, wish to experience firsthand the supreme art of the Black Dragon Sect—Dragon Heaven Seven Slashes!"
The two men stepped into the center of the arena. For a long breath, they stood locked in place, their auras rising, colliding invisibly in the air. The very atmosphere seemed to change—the sky pressing low, the wind stirring restlessly. This was not merely a duel between martial masters, but the clash of two great powers: the rebels of An Lushan against the loyalists of the Tang.
A dragon and a tiger—about to clash.
Murong Gui struck first. His palms traced twin arcs through the air, inner force surging into his strikes. With a fierce shout—"Commanded by Heaven!"—he unleashed his attack. The force roared forth like a coiled dragon breaking from the earth, sweeping toward Liu Xuan in a gale of deadly power.
Liu Xuan's gaze was like tempered steel, his steps shifting into the Seven-Star Step—a Daoist movement art patterned after the Big Dipper. His feet traced the heavenly constellations; each step was precise, advancing and retreating in harmony with the flow of the fight.
With graceful arcs to the left and right, he evaded the first two palm strikes. Then, with "Virtue as the Valley", his palms folded and turned, inner energy coiled tight before lashing out at Murong Gui's lower flank with lightning speed.
Murong Gui's reflexes were razor-sharp. He pivoted on one heel, lifting his leg to evade and counter, his kicks threading into the rhythm of his palm strikes. Their arms and legs clashed in a storm of movement—low sweeps, high blocks, driving palms, and shifting stances. In a heartbeat, they had exchanged thirty blistering moves.
The audience's blood surged at the sight, cheers and shouts echoing through the grounds.
Palm power met palm power in an earth-shaking exchange. Liu Xuan stepped forward on the Seven-Star path, right palm thrusting, left palm following in rapid succession. "How Far Apart" and "What Distance Between"—two consecutive techniques from the Ninefold Profound Scripture—flowed from one to the next, the first probing, the second sealing.
Murong Gui countered with a bellow, his palms tracing circles as he unleashed "Omnipresent", the winds whipping wildly with each blow. They moved like shadows chasing each other, offense and defense switching with each breath, fifty more exchanges flashing past in the blink of an eye.
Then, as if with one mind, they both rooted their stances and poured power into their arms—
Boom!The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the arena, both men driven back five steps.
Murong Gui laughed aloud. "I have long heard that the Ninefold Profound Scripture of the Celestial Veneration Sect has reached the realm of perfection. Today's contest proves it—its reputation is well-earned!"
Liu Xuan replied with equal clarity, "The Dragon Heaven Seven Slashes of the Black Dragon Sect is likewise a world-class art. To see it with my own eyes surpasses a hundred tales!"
Nine Palaces Step vs. Dragon Heaven Seven Slashes
Murong Gui's qi surged again, power coursing through his meridians until his frame seemed to swell. With a drop of his shoulders and twist of his elbows, he launched the fearsome "Contend for Supremacy Under Heaven", a technique of unmatched ferocity from his sect's supreme art. The air itself seemed to split before it.
Liu Xuan responded with the Nine Palaces Step. His footwork was fluid as a mountain stream, weaving in and out of the attack with unshakable composure. The Nine Palaces traced the eight trigrams—Kan, Li, Zhen, Dui—and their diagonal corners—Qian, Kun, Xun, Gen—centered around the yin-yang heart. Each shift of position placed him exactly where he needed to be, gliding from east to northwest, then pivoting to strike from the southwest.
Murong Gui's onslaught was relentless, but Liu Xuan's steps seemed to erode it like water wearing down stone. The duel raged for another fifty moves, the onlookers hanging on every exchange. For the martial artists present, it was as if the fight itself were a living scripture—each move revealing new insights into their own shortcomings and the boundless heights of skill.
The turning of the tide
At last, after another direct clash—BOOM!—Murong Gui staggered back, qi and blood surging chaotically. A spurt of blood burst from his lips. He could no longer continue.
Liu Xuan lowered his hands and said evenly, "Sect Master Murong—concede."
The Black Dragon Sect had been defeated. The rebel faction of An Lushan had suffered a heavy blow, while the morale of the rebel-opposing alliance soared. From this day forth, the balance of the world had shifted.
As Laozi said: "Nothing in the world is softer and weaker than water, yet nothing surpasses it in overcoming the hard and strong." Murong Gui's skill was formidable, but such relentless offense burned its own strength. Liu Xuan's measured, ordered Nine Palaces Step, balancing attack and defense, could endure indefinitely—and over time, inevitability became victory.
Just as in the great game between An Lushan's rebels and the Tang armies—the tide had begun to turn.