"I truly underestimated you, Yan Shouyi."
With his plot exposed, Huang Qingcang dropped the pretense.
His face darkened, his eyes, once amiable, now glinted with cold malice. The esteemed martial arts grandmaster transformed into a cunning villain.
"Did you kill the disciples of the Emei sect? Why did you do it?" Yan Shouyi asked sternly.
Huang Qingcang sneered, "You don't need to know my reasons, because you are all about to become dead men!"
"Because you are the Twelve Yuan Chen of the New Xuan Mountain Sect?" Yan Shouyi, unfazed by the threat, pressed on. "Li Genmiao's mission to you was twofold: to sow discord among sects and to create friction between renowned schools and folk cults. But I can't fathom why you would destroy the Emei sect."
Qi Dongqiang also began to grasp Huang Qingcang's true identity. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he snarled, "Did you kill Caiyun?!"
"You talk too much!"
Huang Qingcang roared, and the disciples of the Dian Yi Sect immediately surrounded Yan Shouyi and his companions.
"Do they really think they can stop us with just their numbers?" Long Feicheng scoffed.
Zhuge Ji adjusted his glasses and whispered, "Brother Long, the Dian Yi Sect is a martial arts sect. While they might not excel against spirits, they are masters of killing. A powerful Daoist priest can very well die at the hands of a martial arts grandmaster…"
Zhuge Ji surveyed their group. Apart from Yan Shouyi, everyone else was no match for the Dian Yi Sect disciples.
He and Long Feicheng were practically useless in a fight. Ye Tianyuan was a cripple, while the girl, Tian Juer, possessed brute strength, capable of fighting three opponents at once. Qi Dongqiang was a minor combatant at best.
Even with everyone counted, facing Huang Qingcang and his nearly ten Dian Yi Sect disciples, they were clearly outmatched.
According to Zhuge Ji's assessment, the worst-case scenario was Huang Qingcang engaging Yan Shouyi while his disciples overwhelmed the rest. By the time Yan Shouyi dealt with Huang Qingcang, his companions would likely be dead.
Hearing Zhuge Ji's analysis, Long Feicheng's eye twitched.
In the past, he might have offered a token submission, trying to placate Huang Qingcang to avoid a fight.
But this time was different. He remembered Caiyun, violated and left for dead in the Wuliang Hall, and the innocent disciples lying dead in the plaza. Long Feicheng abandoned any attempt at banter. He seriously drew his Caiwei sword from his back and declared in a low voice,
"Fine, let's fight! Even though my skills aren't great, I can definitely pull off an exchange! What's that saying… killing one is no loss, killing two is pure profit! Today, I'll go all out against you scum!"
Zhuge Ji and Ye Tianyuan looked at Long Feicheng in surprise, finding him remarkably different from his usual self.
The two suddenly understood why Yan Shouyi, despite having many capable individuals around him, preferred to keep Long Feicheng close.
Although Long Feicheng was often flippant and unreliable, when it mattered most, he was always the first to charge forward!
"Fine, let's fight!!" Zhuge Ji gritted his teeth. "Killing one is no loss, killing two is pure profit!"
Seeing their spirited resolve, Huang Qingcang narrowed his eyes.
"Then… kill!"
Huang Qingcang charged rapidly towards Yan Shouyi!
True to his plan, the other Dian Yi Sect disciples abandoned their attempt to surround Yan Shouyi and instead turned their attention to Long Feicheng and his group.
Yan Shouyi quietly told Tian Juer, "Protect everyone. I only need ten moves!"
He was confident he could defeat Huang Qingcang within ten moves.
With that, he also charged towards Huang Qingcang!
The two met head-on, their fists colliding simultaneously with a deafening boom!
Yan Shouyi, relying on his extraordinary physical prowess, remained rooted to the spot, yet his arm still ached from the sheer force of Huang Qingcang's punch.
However, at the moment their fists connected, Huang Qingcang employed the Dian Yi Sect's signature technique of dissipating force, skillfully redirecting Yan Shouyi's power!
Behind him, a fan-shaped wave erupted on the surface of the Xi Xiang Pool, the very embodiment of the dissipated punch force.
The art of dissipating force, while limited in direct damage, possessed a cunning ability to neutralize any force directed at one's body, rendering oneself virtually invincible!
The brief exchange surprised Yan Shouyi. He realized Huang Qingcang was indeed a formidable figure, befitting his sect leader status.
He recalled facing Yan Chou's enemy at Longhu Mountain, the esteemed Xing Yi Quan sect leader Ma Hong, another grandmaster. Ma Hong knew neither Daoist magic nor ghost-catching, but his single punch had incapacitated Yan Shouyi's arms.
Now, Huang Qingcang appeared to be no weaker than Ma Hong.
But the good news was, Yan Shouyi was no longer the greenhorn he once was.
Huang Qingcang shifted his fist into a palm and struck towards the crown of Yan Shouyi's head. Yan Shouyi raised his hands above his head, his arms glowing with a golden light, as if coated in gold.
*Clang!*
The formidable palm strike landed on Yan Shouyi's arms, producing a dull thud like that of striking a massive bell.
Yan Shouyi remained unharmed, while Huang Qingcang was forced back several steps, staring in disbelief.
"Buddha's Golden Body," Yan Shouyi stated calmly, revealing his skill.
"You know an awful lot of tricks!"
Huang Qingcang taunted, then bent down for a sweeping leg attack aimed at Yan Shouyi's lower body.
Yan Shouyi leaped into the air. Huang Qingcang immediately retracted his move and launched an uppercut, "Where do you think you're going to dodge!"
Normally, Yan Shouyi would find it difficult to evade such an attack while airborne. However, at the critical moment, Yan Shouyi raised his arm and fired a grappling hook from his sleeve towards a nearby large tree!
It was the Flying Tiger Claw given to him by the Ma siblings!
The Flying Tiger Claw latched onto the tree trunk, allowing Yan Shouyi to instantly adjust his posture, not only evading Huang Qingcang's attack but also landing a kick to Huang Qingcang's chest!
Huang Qingcang stumbled to the ground, retreating dozens of steps. He felt his internal qi surge, nearly making him vomit, but he managed to channel his energy to stabilize himself.
Yan Shouyi landed, the Flying Tiger Claw retracting automatically. He announced, "That was two moves."
His objective was to defeat Huang Qingcang within ten moves!
Meanwhile, Long Feicheng and his companions were locked in a fierce battle.
Long Feicheng swung his Caiwei sword wildly, with Zhuge Ji hiding behind him. Ye Tianyuan was protected by Qi Dongqiang.
Huanhuan and Lele were pelting stones to harass their opponents, while the other monkeys hesitated to attack directly.
Even with the assistance of two monkeys, the four were being dominated by the Dian Yi Sect disciples, a truly frustrating situation.
Only Tian Juer was different. Before the fight, this seemingly delicate and absent-minded girl walked to a large tree, took a deep breath, and with a grunt, uprooted the massive tree before everyone's eyes!
The tree trunk was as thick as Long Feicheng's waist!
It was a scene of a maiden like Lin Daiyu uprooting a willow.
Truly, "When the Tian family has a daughter in bloom, she possesses the strength of mountains and the spirit to conquer the heavens!"
After uprooting the tree, Tian Juer began wielding it, smashing it against the Dian Yi Sect disciples!
The Dian Yi Sect disciples practiced dissipating force, capable of easily nullifying punches and kicks. But how could they possibly dissipate the impact of an entire tree being swung at them?
Thus, the battlefield divided into three parts.
Yan Shouyi confronted Huang Qingcang, Long Feicheng and his group were being cornered, and then there was Tian Juer, wielding a tree and smashing it against two Dian Yi Sect disciples!
Seeing that Long Feicheng and the others were temporarily safe, Yan Shouyi breathed a sigh of relief and focused entirely on Huang Qingcang.
Perhaps finding himself at a disadvantage against Yan Shouyi, Huang Qingcang grew increasingly agitated.
He flung his arms wide, and visible cyclones began to swirl around his body. It was the legendary protective qi!
Traditional martial arts, much like folk cults, had declined with technological advancement. People no longer needed rigorous training for self-defense as few could reach a level where they could dodge bullets. Consequently, interest waned.
Furthermore, during years of war, many inheritors of traditional martial arts had sacrificed themselves for the country on the battlefield, leading to the current decline of these arts. Few possessed true martial skills.
Today, the situation for traditional martial arts was even worse than that of ancient medicine. People no longer believed in them, dismissing them as mere flashy techniques, inferior to Western combat arts or Taekwondo. The occasional appearance of clowns claiming to be martial arts masters had also severely damaged the reputation of traditional martial arts.
However, truly powerful masters like Huang Qingcang could indeed summon genuine protective qi!
The qi swirled around Huang Qingcang's body, kicking up dust and fallen leaves. Each of his movements was amplified by this qi, his destructive power increasing exponentially!
"Take this punch!"
Huang Qingcang roared and lunged at Yan Shouyi!
Unsure of Huang Qingcang's reach, Yan Shouyi retreated to dodge. Huang Qingcang's fist grazed past his shoulder, but Yan Shouyi felt a heavy blow to his face and shoulder!
He staggered back several steps, then turned his head to look. His shoulder cloth had disintegrated into fragments, and his shoulder was a bloody mess.
He reached up and touched his cheek; it was also covered in blood!
Huang Qingcang hadn't even touched him…
Yan Shouyi suddenly understood. It was Huang Qingcang's protective qi at work.
The protective qi not only enhanced Huang Qingcang's defense but also extended the reach of his punches and kicks.
At this moment, even if Huang Qingcang threw a punch from two meters away, the formidable qi would strike Yan Shouyi at that same distance!
"Traditional martial arts are unfathomable…" Yan Shouyi murmured.
It was a pity that such a powerful martial arts grandmaster had engaged in such ignoble deeds. Even though Yan Shouyi cherished the legacy of the Dian Yi Sect, he had no choice but to uphold justice today!
Yan Shouyi clasped his hands together and chanted Sanskrit.
A golden Buddhist light flashed beside the Xi Xiang Pool, emanating entirely from Yan Shouyi's body.
His entire being was coated in gold, making him appear like a gilded statue!
This was his Buddha's Golden Body at its peak!
But that was not all.
A fine, semi-transparent layer of scale armor slowly covered his golden skin. It was the Fine Scale Armor gifted to him by General Qing Jiang!
With the combined defense of the Fine Scale Armor and the Buddha's Golden Body, Yan Shouyi's defensive capabilities reached a terrifying level.
Now, it would not be so easy for Huang Qingcang to harm him!
Huang Qingcang sensed Yan Shouyi's transformation and, disbelieving, charged forward, throwing a punch at Yan Shouyi's chest!
*Boom!*
The fist landed squarely, but Yan Shouyi stood as unmoving as a rock, completely unharmed!
Huang Qingcang stared at Yan Shouyi in utter disbelief.
Yan Shouyi spoke in a low voice, "The conditions have changed. Within five moves, I will take your dog life!"