Chapter 64: Chapter 44: Grandmaster 1
Translator: 549690339
This sudden attack was truly unexpected.
What kind of person would dare to launch a stealth attack after witnessing this scene?
Could it be that he believes his own strength surpasses that of the many experts from both the righteous and evil paths, from Buddhism and the Demon Sect?
No one knew.
But he indeed made his move.
His figure was like a specter, filled with a chilling Yin Qi and raging Demonic Qi, elusive and unfathomable.
To this, Xu Yang showed no surprise; he raised his hand and struck with his palm, not toward the ghostly figure, but into… the void?
The void, the emptiness, within the air itself!
With a palm strike from Xu Yang, ripples appeared, and a figure tumbled out from the void, hands moving as fast as lightning, casting six seals in an instant, each move uncertain between reality and illusion, each style flowing between life and death.
The Undying Seal Technique!
At that moment, Xu Yang’s palm had arrived, but unlike the previous overpoweringly strong and resolute strike, this palm was imbued with the force of Primordial Unity, combining the essence of Wuji, as if heaven and earth were one, truly exquisite in this world. Fighting Scroll—Primordial Unity!
What is Primordial Unity?
Primordial Unity refers to the primordial Yuan Qi from before the heavens and earth were formed, the chaos of existence.
The profound essence of the Primordial Unity technique is that it forms a world within itself, akin to the universe and the earth, impervious to any technique that absorbs, converts, deflects, or counteracts force, making it one of the ultimate techniques of the Martial Arts Scripture, Fighting Scroll.
To put it in terms modern people might understand, it means… disregarding any blocks or immunity to damage.
Unless the opponent’s martial arts realm and techniques surpass those of Xu Yang’s Martial Arts Scripture, there is no possibility of dissipating this force of Primordial Unity.
Does this person possess such capability?
Certainly…
The man let out a fierce shout, his hands moving wildly as if possessed, unleashing the six great seals of the Undying Seal Technique to counter Xu Yang’s Primordial Unity palm strike.
Indeed, it was the top skill of the Demon Sect’s Evil King—the Undying Seal Technique!
The six great Undying Seals, combined into one strike, blurred the lines between reality and illusion, life and death, in one instant appearing within an arm’s reach, in the next, distant as the horizon, intending to use this to nullify the opponent’s ultimate move.
However…
“Boom!!!”
With a thunderous sound, under the Primordial Unity palm, the Undying Seals shattered.
The newcomer was sent flying, flickering through the void, only barely managing to land over thirty feet away.
Xu Yang did not pursue, standing in place, his expression calmly watching the newcomer: “Shi Zhixuan?”
The person in question wore a black robe, with temples like frost, his brows exuding a chilling evil aura, yet inexplicably carrying a sense of compassion. His facial features were difficult to describe, seemingly unchanged, yet giving off entirely different impressions—one moment he personified malevolence, the next, compassionate sorrow, and at times, formless and indistinct…
With such a temperament, there was no need to say more; it must be the top figure of the Demon Sect, the Evil King, Shi Zhixuan.
Xu Yang looked at Shi Zhixuan, and Shi Zhixuan also gazed at Xu Yang, wiping away the streak of fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with shock and doubt.
Known as the Evil King, Shi Zhixuan was considered the foremost of the eight great masters of the Demon Sect and often compared to Heavenly Blade Song Que, regarded as a Grandmaster-level expert.
But one knows oneself best, and Shi Zhixuan was very clear that he had not yet entered the Grandmaster Realm and was not the match of any Grandmaster of this world.
Why then did the world consider him a Grandmaster?
Simply because, faced with Grandmaster-level opponents, he may not win or outfight them, but he could preserve his life and even retreat with ease.
Years ago, disguised as a virtuous monk, he infiltrated Buddhism, pledging as a disciple to Master Jiaxing of the Sanlun Sect and Grandmaster Daoxin of the Zen Sect, stealthily learning the secret skills of these two Holy Monks. Consequently, the Four Holy Monks of the Four Sects united to hunt him down, determined to reclaim his martial abilities.
The Four Holy Monks of Buddhism, each a Grandmaster-level powerhouse, on par with the Three Great Grandmasters of the world, form a formidable force when united. Yet, Shi Zhixuan managed to escape their surrounds three times, and though gravely wounded each time, ultimately kept his life.
This is why the world saw him as a Grandmaster. After all, if someone whom the Four Holy Monks could not subdue was not a Grandmaster, it would be inconceivable.
But this was merely the ignorant view of the public; Shi Zhixuan was keenly aware, certain that he had not stepped into the Grandmaster Realm.
His repeated escapes from the encirclement and pursuit of the Four Holy Monks were partly because the monks, as great figures of Buddhism, embodied compassion and merely aimed to capture him alive, not fatally striking him down.
Secondly, he possessed two exceptionally profound martial arts techniques— the Undying Seal Technique and the Phantom Demon Body Skill.
So-called Grandmasters, although dominantly strong, are still within the “Condensing Spirit” realm, not yet stepping into the “Co-Dao” realm capable of breaking voids.
So, why do Grandmasters dominate other Condensing Spirit martial artists?
It is because of spirit!
The soul and spirit of a Grandmaster have reached perfection, even forming an “Impetus” existence.
Condensing Spirit martial artists, achieving Unity of Heaven and Man, depend on their efficiency of harnessing the powers of heaven and earth to determine their combat outcomes.
But with the perfected soul and spirit of a Grandmaster, nurturing an “Impetus,” when exerted, it can seize control of a region, making it impossible for ordinary Condensing Spirit martial artists to achieve Unity of Heaven and Man, unable to harness the powers of heaven and earth.
In this situation, how could an ordinary Condensing Spirit martial artist confront a Grandmaster, one united with heaven and earth, commanding the Impetus?
They simply couldn’t!
Shi Zhixuan was not a Grandmaster and had not formed an Impetus; facing Grandmaster opponents, he could not contend.
But though he could not win, he could flee!
His Undying Seal Technique, intertwining the principles of reality and illusion, life and death, could effectively nullify attack power, converting the energies of life and death.
Even as a Grandmaster, if he didn’t use his full strength, it was very hard to knock him down or heavily injure him with one strike.
And when a Grandmaster exerted his full strength, stretching his “momentum” to the limit and gathering the power of heaven and earth to unleash his strongest killing move, Xu Qingyang would have already escaped using his unpredictable Phantom Demon Body Skill. After all, gathering that level of heavenly and earthly power took quite some time.
Thus, Shi Zhixuan became a Grandmaster who was not a Grandmaster. He couldn’t defeat a Grandmaster, but a Grandmaster couldn’t kill him either. And those top experts below the level of a Grandmaster were no match for him; they had no choice but to treat him as a Grandmaster.
With that, Shi Zhixuan acted unbridled across the world, not only provoking the four Holy Monks of Buddhism but also challenging the most battle-famed, deadliest “Heavenly Blade” Song Que among the Grandmasters.
This shows his ability.
But Shi Zhixuan knew that his technique was not invincible and it was possible for someone to break it.
To break his technique was actually quite simple. As long as one’s moves were more exquisite, surpassing his Undying Seal Technique and Phantom Demon Body Skill, then it was possible to kill him directly without having to mobilize the power of heaven and earth, giving him a chance to escape.
Shi Zhixuan was also clear about this. However, since creating the Undying Seal Technique, he had roamed the world for many years and had never encountered a martial artist whose martial arts attainments and realm of technique surpassed his.
Even the four Holy Monks or Ning Daoqi, who was secretly claimed to be “the number one person in the world,” their martial arts attainments were only comparable to his, difficult to distinguish clearly, at most they could use strength to overpower and defeat him. To wish to break his technique and kill was simply wishful thinking.
But…
Looking at the excessively young face before him, Shi Zhixuan’s heart surged with turmoil that took a long time to subside.
Could this person actually break his Undying Seal Technique?
His Undying Seal Technique, operating on the principle of “fictitiousness and reality, life and death,” was similar to Taiji Yin and Yang, cycling in reincarnation, capable of neutralizing all forces, transforming them into the Qi of life and death and nourishing himself, thereby achieving the ability of
“undying.”
But just now, that palm strike from his opponent, which harnessed the Primordial Unity, united with the concept of Wuji, seemed as if heaven and earth became one entity, flawless and undecipherable, unable to dissipate his Undying Seal Technique, but instead shattered it with one strike.
The superior and the inferior were already determined!
Not an opponent!
Retreat! !!!!
His thoughts turned instantly, and he made a decision. Shi Zhixuan’s body moved and turned into multiple ghostly shadows, breaking out in all directions.
Phantom Demon Body Skill!
He had dared to attack stealthily just now because he had something to rely on.
Don’t misunderstand, he had a clear understanding of his own strength, and he thought that he was a Grandmaster who was not a Grandmaster and able to take down this terrifying expert who had nearly exterminated both the righteous and evil paths, as well as the two sects of Buddhism.
He dared to launch a stealth attack because the opponent had just used his most extreme killing move.
Grandmaster-level fighters, once their momentum was built, could achieve Unity of Heaven and Man, invoking terrifying powers.
But this Unity of Heaven and Man carried an immense burden, causing severe depletion of both spirit and Gang Yuan. So, after executing an extreme move, a martial artist would enter a relatively weakened state for a period of time. It was this particular moment Shi Zhixuan had seized to daringly initiate the stealth attack, and the attack wasn’t meant to defeat the opponent but purely to approach using his body skill and snatch away the Evil Emperor’s relics.
Who could have anticipated that Xu Qingyang was so powerful that even without invoking the power of Heaven and Man, he could still forcefully break his Undying Seal Technique?
With that being the case, why continue the fight? Better to flee for his life.
The Evil Emperor’s relics were important, but were they more important than his life?
With the Phantom Demon Body Skill unleashed, ghostly shadows moved unpredictably, each searching for a direction to break out.
Which one was the true body?
Xu Yang’s expression remained unchanged. He took a step that seemed to shrink the ground, instantly moving several meters forward, and at the same time, he began to move his hands, transforming Tai Chi, seemingly slow but actually fast, striking later but arriving first, and with one force, shook the void.
“Boom!!
The void trembled as if a bell sounded, and amidst the rolling ripples, a figure tumbled out.
Shi Zhixuan!
Although it was anticipated, having his Phantom Demon Body Skill broken still sent a shock through Shi Zhixuan. Without caring about the injuries from the strike, his body twisted, attempting to transtorm into shadows again.
But unexpectedly…
“Whoosh!! !! ”
Xu Yang moved his hands, and the Yin and Yang Qi turned into black and white fishes chasing each other’s tails, driven by the Tai Chi momentum, pulling the surrounding void. The Phantom Demon’s method immediately collapsed, and Shi Zhixuan himself was dragged along, involuntarily flipping in front of Xu
Yang.
Fighting Scroll—Tai Chi!
If the Primordial Unity was strong in its solidity and flawlessness, then this Tai Chi method excelled in inclusiveness, swallowing the world, encompassing everything, possessing tremendous control power.
The forcefully pulled Shi Zhixuan was extremely shocked and angry, his Undying Seal Technique about to be forcibly exerted.
However…
Xu Yang moved like a combination of a turtle and a snake, extremely slow yet also extremely fast.
Before Shi Zhixuan could unleash his Undying Seal Technique, Xu Yang struck him on the chest from behind, and under the tremor, his Gang Yuan dispersed immediately, the Undying Seal Technique, dead in the womb.
“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”
In an instant, several moves struck in succession, fluid as flowing water, hitting various parts of Shi Zhixuan’s body, cutting off the flow of his Gang Yuan, sealing the acupoints around.
And in the end…
The black and white fishes chased their tails and struck out, sending the Demon Sect’s Evil King flying with one hit, slamming him more than ten meters away and leaving him unable to rise again..