Xia Yunyi and Chen Li stood in the void as their lifeblood energies rotated around their body supplementing the broken areas of their cyan barrier. Across from them, the young man stood silently as cyan sword Qis rippled around him.

"Jian Yueliang?!? You're still alive?" Xia Yunyi stuttered out between gasped breathes. His hand rested over the gash on his chest imbibing it with lifeblood forces.

"Do you know him?" Chen Li asked Xia Yunyi as he probed for his reaction.

"Yeah, he's a rogue swordsman from the Lunar Palace. He stole a sword manual and disappeared, the palace put a bounty on his head. I thought he died, but it seems he's alive and well." Xia Yunyi spoke solemnly.

His expression only changed once he said "alive and well." Suddenly the gash on his chest ripped open again and his expression hardened.

"Struggling to breathe?" The young man teased with a sneering expression.

"Jian Yueliang, we have no interest in you. Scram and we'll spare your life." Chen Li said in a gruff and domineering tone. The iron knight behind him closed its fists, releasing a thick and strong iron aura that distorted the void.

The waves past the young man's body threatening to skewer him, but he remained nonchalant as he floated in the void.

"No need to call me by that old name, I am but an old maven now. But it doesn't matter what you say because you will not pass today." Maven said with a devious grin, he raised his moonlight sword stirring the cyan sword Qis around him.

"Speak for yourself, I won't let him go." Xia Yunyi said between panted growls, suddenly the Cerberus totem pounced towards the young man.

Maven's eyes shined with cyan light, as the sword Qis rippled across space. Cyan streaks of light tunneled through the void instantly appearing in front of the three-headed dog.

"Arf!" The Cerberus tried to bark but the sword Qis were too fast. The intense rippling blasted past the Cerberus slashing it in five parts. Each of the heads imploded as the qi blast through it, then the front and hind legs flew off as the Qi passed through.

"What?!?" Xia Yunyi gasped in horror but it didn't last long. Because the sword Qi kept rippling as it blasted past the corpse of the Cerberus and struck at Xia Yunyi's barrier.

"Argh." He grunted involuntarily as the impact of the sword Qi threw him back hundreds of meters. The cyan Qi kept pushing intent on piercing through the barrier, and slowly cracks showed on it.

Fear flashed through Xia Yunyi's eyes as the cracks grew larger and larger, he raised his arms to guard accepting his impending doom, when suddenly an iron palm slammed down on the cyan Qi.

With a swift slapping motion, he forced the Qi into submission. The rippling died down as the palm closed squashing the Qi.

"Huh..." Xia Yunyi said involuntarily as he put his arms, to see the scene of Chen Li retracting his palm.

"You're ruthless enough, you do not deserve the gift of life." Chen Li said with his lips pressed together in annoyance.

The iron knight's Qi fortified as the iron aura grew stronger and sturdier, Chen Li raised his palm with the iron knight mimicking him. Suddenly he slammed down on the void with the iron knight following, the massive palm covered the heavens as it engulfed Maven's form.

Maven sported a playful grin as the palm came down on him. He closed his eyes as a scene from his training passed through his eyes.

*********************

Maven's body was floating in the blood temple, gathered around him were various motes of blue light. Ye Yuyan sat in lotus form facing Maven as he directed him in the Qi flows.

"The sword manual you stole had the will of Venerable Bearer Moon, by opening and cultivating the manual you accepted her will and absorbed a few her insights." Ye Yuyan spoke as he held up a sword manual in one hand.

"But you lacked the Blue Moon code to direct you in the condensation of Qi, making you unable to reach the level of Lunar Qi."

"Luckily, I stashed away the first two volumes long ago." Ye Yuyan snapped suddenly awakening the temple walls. Over the red throne, the mural of the serpent being devoured split open. An intense red light radiated as two beams shot out and swished through the air toward Ye Yuyan's back.

Without turning his back, Ye Yuyan raised his right arm and caught the two beams. The layers of light dissipated as it revealed a decrepit and dusty old tome. Written on the old tome was "Blue Moon Code: Volume 2."

Ye Yuyan took the other book and put it into his robes and removed the first volume of the Blue moon code. Maven flew down from his meditation as the blue Qis dissipated.

"If you use these to condense your totem, you'll have the powers of Venerable Moon!" Ye Yuyan said with a sly smirk as he handed Maven the books.

*********************

Maven's eyes slowly opened as they revealed two cyan vertical slits, intense lunar sword Qis rippled on his body filling the void. With a single swift motion, he grabbed his moonlight sword and raised it parallel to his body and recited:

"Moon reflected on the second spring.
The ripples on a pond, leave no trace.
As all things do, from time's embrace.
My moon alone shall shine on this day."

The intense rippling sword forces gathered together condensing into a massive cyan sword. The sword slashed at the palm as it ascended into the void.

"What?!?" Chen Li said with furrowed brows as he felt a strong force transmit throughout his iron knight's body.

Suddenly his palm flew back, revealing a massive cyan sword that ascended to the firmament. Maven stood stalwart as he held by the sword with one hand.

"Moonlight Sword Totem: Crescent Cut!" Maven intoned coldly, suddenly he slashed towards Chen Li bringing down a massive sword that spanned the size of a great world.

The massive sword bore down on the iron knight with a terrifying momentum. Chen Li was quick to act as he suddenly condensed all his iron Qi. Suddenly thousands of ripples of iron Qi gathered around the iron knight.

"Marks of Fortitude!" Chen Li roared as his body fused into his totem, the thousands of iron Qi ripples slashed onto the iron knight leaving a distinct mark.

The marks caused insignificant damage to the iron knight but left a lingering nomological power. Each of the sword marks held a strange power, Chen Li's bloodline boiled as the marks shone brighter and brighter.

"Divine Forge!" Chen Li said in a rebuking voice as the cyan sword came down at that moment. The iron armor of the knight totem heated up as the entire armor turned a molten red.

The marks became even more distinct as they shined with an immortal light that stood unmatched from time immemorial.

It was a divine sword vs a divine armor! The entire void was lit up with intense nomological sparks as the two met, the clash transmitted a terrifying sharp sound worldwide. Xia Yunyi covered his ears as the sound transmitted through his barrier.

The massive cyan sword bore into the armor by a single layer, but suddenly the molten red iron moved like a liquid and gripped onto the sword pulling it deeper.

Maven's body lurched forward as he felt his connection to his Qi cut off. Suddenly the massive sword flew deeper into the iron knight's body, which had the consistency of butter. The sword cut all the way through the iron knight, cutting him nearly in half!

But sadly, the Qi dissipated as it went deeper into the knight's body, and after a few moments, it completely disappeared. Maven's eyes filled with disbelief as he watched the iron knight's body regenerate perfectly, the molten red cooled until the iron knight was whole once again.

"Damn it!" Maven said through gritted teeth, around him the Lunar Qis slowly dissipated.

The Qi drained from his body as he grew weaker and weaker. Using an attack that powerful had to have a drawback and for Maven it did. Chen Li stabilized his body as he exited from his totem and met Maven's spirited gaze with his own iron stare.

"Is it worth it to serve him?" Chen Li coldly questioned.

Maven stood calmly in the face of danger, he sheathed his moonlight sword as he stared down Chen Li without fear and spoke frankly: "Why don't you meet him and see?"

"What?!?" Xia Yunyi unwittingly said as he turned to look at the blood plains world. A powerful red ripple appeared at the edge of the world, the void parted in half as a red light shone from it.

Inside the portal was a throne room decorated with masterfully crafted murals and decorations. At the room's center was a handsome young man with eyes as dark as the night sitting atop a red throne.