A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 404 Falling short of success

In the valley, Huangfu Changhen annihilated Fengshen Nu with a single palm strike, leaving Liao Rushen both shocked and terrified. With Fengshen Nu broken, his energy dissipated and the air currents rushed around, instantly stirring up gusts of wind that forced the two combatants to retreat.

However, Liao Rushen was the one who made the move, and he had some advantages over Huangfu Changhen. Before the wind arrived, Liao Rushen's figure flashed and he had already fled far away. At the same time, ignoring the churning energy in his body, he silently circulated his inner energy and then unleashed the Wind God's Wrath. The scattered Wind God Dharma Image behind him slowly condensed and was restored to its original state in the blink of an eye.

Just as Ru Shen unleashed the Wind God's Wrath, a figure darted out from the rising dust and wind opposite him, raising his hand and striking several times. The Yin-Yang Palm Force easily broke through the air waves and rushed straight towards Ru Shen, whose face turned cold upon seeing this.

"Boundless Palm of Heaven and Earth, humph!"

Liao Rushen looked at the palm force composed of black and white vortexes and felt a chill in his heart. Although the Qiankun Wuji Palm was only ranked twelfth among the many martial arts of the Tianji Sect, it was a martial art that was easy to learn but difficult to master. There were quite a few disciples of the Tianji Sect who practiced this palm, but very few could master it to a high level. Judging from the power of this palm force, Huangfu Changhen must have mastered it to a high level.

"I'll underestimate you then."

Liao Rushen was filled with regret at this moment. He hadn't killed Huangfu Changhen completely when Cangying Fortress was at its peak. Otherwise, not only would he have already obtained the Dreamless Limitless, but he could have also eliminated this only threat to him in advance. But it was too late to say anything now. If only he could escape from this battle...

Liao Rushen's eyes sharpened as he watched the several boundless palm strikes coming towards him. He shouted in a deep voice, and the Wind God Dharma Image behind him pushed forward with both hands, sending out gusts of wind to meet the boundless palm strikes. The two forces collided continuously, creating shockwaves and deafening sounds. After a while, Wind God's Wrath prevailed. The gusts of wind swept away, and the boundless palm strikes were all dissolved into nothingness. But just as the gusts of wind were about to hit Huangfu Changhen, Huangfu Changhen's figure flashed, leaving only an afterimage on the spot, which was easily torn apart by the gusts of wind.

"A photograph as a substitute!"

Liao Rushen's face was extremely ugly at this moment. He considered himself an outstanding disciple of the Tianji Sect, one in a hundred years, and was proficient in more than a dozen martial arts in the sect. However, he had no chance to learn a profound martial art like "Leaving Shadow to Replace Form". It was not that he was not talented enough, but that this skill, like "Thousand Mile Whip Thunder", was recorded in the Tianji Manual. Without the secret, it could never be mastered. And this Tianji Manual was passed on to Huangfu Changhen by Tianjizi.

Thinking of this, Liao Rushen's eyes were filled with killing intent, and at the same time, greed was revealed in his eyes. If he could get his hands on this Heavenly Secret Manual and learn the martial arts on it, he would not have to look at Guan Yutian and Ren Qianxing's faces at all times. What innate qi? It was all vulnerable!
Seeing Huangfu Changhen rushing towards him, Liao Rushen changed his mind. The Wind God Dharma Image stomped its foot, causing the ground to tremble and the void to shake. Waves surged toward Huangfu Changhen.

Seeing this, Huangfu Changhen unleashed the Wuji Palm again, continuously countering the surging gale. However, the power of this wind god was truly astonishing. More than ten Wuji Palm strikes hit it, only slightly restraining it, but still unable to stop its advance.

"After Liao Rushen used Wind God's Wrath twice in a row, his true energy must be almost depleted. It's a pity that I lost my weapon, otherwise I could have attacked him without getting close."

Huangfu Changhen swept away the oncoming gale with a palm strike, his true energy surging wildly. He broke free from the restraints of the Wind God's Dharma Image and retreated more than ten feet away before the heavy force slowly disappeared. Looking at the raging wind in front of him, with the air currents swirling like a god, Huangfu Changhen thought for a moment, sighed inwardly, and threw a Fire Thunder Pearl into the eye of the gale.

"not good!"

Liao Rushen watched the crimson light shooting towards him. With a turn of his true energy, the gale quickly gathered into a tornado. Just as the Fire Thunder Pearl was about to explode, it was enveloped by the tornado and burst open with a bang. The tornado was torn apart on the spot, but the dissipated air waves were absorbed by another gale that followed closely behind and then moved to the outside. At the same time, Liao Rushen freed his left hand and shot out the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles again. With the help of the wind, they gathered in one place and attacked Huangfu Changhen.

The flying needles were already incredibly fast, and now, aided by the wind, their speed increased several times over. The howling wind drowned out the sound of the flying needles piercing the air, and they silently closed in on Huangfu Changhen, who was about to be pierced by the rain of pear blossom needles.

"How can you block such an attack!" Liao Rushen knew that Huangfu Changhen had the Iron Bagua, but now that they were so close, its power was several times stronger. Even if he couldn't kill Huangfu Changhen, he could at least seriously injure him.

But just when Liao Rushen thought that Huangfu Changhen would have no chance of escaping this move, a protective aura appeared on Huangfu Changhen's body. Unlike the transparent aura of the past, this aura was five colors rotating. When the flying needles and gale struck the aura, a flash of spiritual light appeared. After a few breaths, the five-colored aura turned red, and a scorching aura spread in all directions along with the gale.

Liao Rushen felt the intense heat emanating from him, and his chest tightened. His blood and qi surged violently, and his true qi stagnated for a moment. The image of the Wind God behind him also became somewhat blurred. Liao Rushen immediately sensed something was wrong and hurriedly injected his true qi to stabilize himself. However, just as he was maintaining the image of the Wind God, Huangfu Changhen on the opposite side seized the opportunity. His qi shield turned red and suddenly expanded outward, instantly dissolving all the flying needles without leaving a trace. Even the gale was tainted by the red light. The blue wind was swept by the red light and instantly assimilated. Seeing that the opportunity was not to be missed, Huangfu Changhen flashed and leaped more than ten feet away, striking Liao Rushen's chest with a palm.

"court death!"

Liao Rushen was first surprised that Huangfu Changhen had escaped, and then, seeing his actions, he sneered inwardly. He suddenly activated the Wind God Dharma Image behind him, and the Wuji Palm Force that was attacking him was drawn towards the Wind God Dharma Image. When it hit the image, it only made a thud, without leaving a trace.

"Huangfu Changhen, your Wuji Palm technique is indeed extraordinary, but to think you can break through my defenses with it is simply wishful thinking!"

Liao Rushen let the Limitless Palm Force attack him, laughed loudly a few times, and after taking several more blows, he shouted loudly, clasped his hands together, leaned forward, and then separated his hands, unleashing a powerful force. The Limitless Palm Force was immediately forced back, eventually being forced back to Huangfu Changhen's side. Moreover, as Liao Rushen continued to increase his strength, Huangfu Changhen struggled to withstand the immense force coming from the front, but his feet were constantly pushed back, leaving a deep mark.

Forced back several feet in one breath, Huangfu Changhen's heart sank. This Liao Rushen actually had such power. He was indeed not so easy to kill. Moreover, apart from the Wind God's Wrath, he had not yet used any of his other ultimate techniques. Although he had the Yuan Dan given to him by Daoist Gu Xu to help him, this stalemate was not what he wanted.

Thinking of this, Huangfu Changhen stopped, mobilizing all his internal energy. He paused, his palm force surged, and after a brief stalemate, the pale-faced Huangfu Changhen finally stopped the Wind God's Fury. As his internal energy continued to be generated, the Wind God's immense power began to slowly dissipate.

Liao Rushen unleashed the Wind God's Wrath twice in succession, leaving him with almost no true energy. He could no longer maintain the Wind God's Dharma Image behind him. His true energy stagnated, and he staggered, nearly falling over. Seeing Huangfu Changhen's hostile expression, Liao Rushen was startled. He drew the feather fan from his waist, channeled his last bit of true energy, and fanned it forward. Dust rose from the ground, and his figure disappeared into it.

When Huangfu Changhen saw Ru Shen use the Bewitching Dust Technique, he immediately sneered. If Ru Shen were at his peak, he might be able to confuse him, but now that he was using it, it would only backfire. With a flick of his hand, a gentle gust of wind swept over, and with just a sweep, the dust was suppressed. But to Huangfu Changhen's surprise, Ru Shen had disappeared.

"I see." Looking at the clear footprints on the ground, Huangfu Changhen understood. He immediately followed the direction of the footprints. Just a moment after Huangfu Changhen left, a cloud of dust rose from the spot, and a figure appeared. It was none other than Liao Rushen.

"The illusion won't fool him for long; we have to leave quickly." After swallowing a few pills, a hint of color returned to Liao Rushen's pale face.

After a brief moment of rest, Liao Rushen used his lightness skill to rush out of the valley. However, he hadn't gone far when he saw Huangfu Changhen blocking his way. His eyes narrowed, and he unconsciously increased the frequency of his fan movements.

"Huangfu Changhen, when did you learn to be so cunning? It's really hard to guard against an honest person when they start to scheme."

Liao Rushen's sarcastic words did not cause Huangfu Changhen any emotional fluctuation. Liao Rushen, who was always watching him, couldn't help but darken his expression. After letting out a cold snort, before Huangfu Changhen could make a move, he held his hands in a Yin-Yang formation, gathered his energy in his dantian, and swept his feather fan. As a result, wind blades shot towards Huangfu Changhen. Upon seeing this, the latter neither dodged nor evaded. He reached out and grabbed forward, and a transparent energy shield blocked his way. The wind blades that hit the energy shield were either deflected or dissipated. The scattered energy was absorbed into the energy shield before it could gather, further increasing the power of the energy shield.

"Qi Gathering and Returning to Emptiness, Junior Brother, your martial arts have improved remarkably in just a few months."

Liao Rushen watched as his moves were easily neutralized, his pupils contracting slightly. In his memory, Huangfu Changhen's martial arts aptitude was only above average. Cultivating the Thousand-Mile Whip Thunder technique already consumed most of his energy. How could he have any spare time to cultivate those profound martial arts? He would never believe there was no trickery involved.

"You're a genius, no need to waste your energy. If you can obediently surrender, I might spare your life. But if you continue to resist stubbornly, you'll only face certain death. As the leader of Eagle Fortress, you should be very clear about these interests."

As Huangfu Changhen spoke, he secretly gathered his strength. Liao Rushen, upon hearing this, scoffed, held his feather fan, and waved it lightly, saying, "Junior brother, even if you don't say it, I know that Gu Xu's help is indispensable. Only he has the ability to make you improve so much in such a short time. Heaven is truly unfair. How come you get all the good things? I, Liao Rushen, am not convinced. Whether it is talent or ability, I far surpass you. Heaven is blind!"

Liao Rushen roared angrily, his face contorted with rage. He waved his feather fan repeatedly, unleashing a barrage of wind blades. Huangfu Changhen sighed upon seeing this and unleashed the Qiankun Wuji Palm once more. A deafening explosion resounded as the palm force collided with the wind blades. The shockwave sent Liao Rushen flying back several feet.

Huangfu Changhen, having repelled Rushen with a single palm strike, pressed his advantage relentlessly. A flash of cold light appeared in his sleeve, revealing a slender, soft sword in his hand. With a surge of true energy, a cold glint appeared at the tip of the sword, and with a whoosh, the sword flew from his hand, piercing straight into Rushen's chest. Rushen, who had just been repelled by the Wuji Palm, was now caught off guard by the sword's deadly attack and was momentarily overwhelmed. Caught off guard, the sword pierced Rushen's chest with a hiss.

Liao Rushen grunted, reached out and gripped the sword blade, coldly staring at Huangfu Changhen opposite him, and smiled sinisterly. Huangfu Changhen's expression changed, and at the same time he sensed that the other party's aura was not right. Looking at the wisps of blood aura emerging from Liao Rushen's body, Huangfu Changhen's face darkened.

"Blood Demon Disintegration Technique!"

This "Blood Demon Disintegration Technique" is also one of the martial arts techniques hidden by the Heavenly Mystery Sect. However, this technique is a forbidden art that requires the blood of living beings to cultivate. Moreover, once this technique is cultivated, there is no turning back, and in the end, one will become a complete demon.

According to the sect's records, all those who practiced this skill inevitably died a violent death, and their deaths were extremely tragic.

That being said, once the "Blood Demon Disintegration Technique" is used, it can increase the cultivator's power several times over. Although it can only be maintained for three quarters of an hour, it is enough for a master like Liao Rushen.

Liao Rushen stared at Huangfu Changhen with a ferocious expression. A faint blood aura covered his body. With a furious roar, a flash of red light appeared on Liao Rushen's palms. The thin sword corroded at a speed visible to the naked eye. In just a few breaths, only a short section remained in Huangfu Changhen's hand, and it was also stained with a fishy stench.

"Go to hell!"

Seeing the approaching crimson palms, Huangfu Changhen threw away his broken sword, his expression solemn. He thrust out both palms to meet the attack head-on. As the four palms clashed, Huangfu Changhen felt a scorching heat constantly encroaching upon him, causing his arms to ache and go numb. Huangfu Changhen's heart tightened, and he hurriedly circulated his internal energy core. A cool energy instantly flowed up, dispelling the scorching heat.

Not only that, the scorching heat seemed to stimulate the Yuan Dan within Huangfu Changhen's body, and the speed at which he refined his true qi also suddenly accelerated. A continuous stream of true qi surged from his arm toward the opposite side, and red and blue colors flashed continuously in the four palms. Liao Rushen and Huangfu Changhen, who were facing each other, felt two forces, one cold and one hot, surging back and forth within their bodies. After a moment of stalemate, Liao Rushen made a move.

Although Liao Rushen used the Blood Demon Disintegration Technique, his cultivation was not deep and his mind was still clear. Realizing that he could not defeat Huangfu Changhen in one go, Liao Rushen made a decision and immediately withdrew his true energy, enduring Huangfu Changhen's two palms.

With a bang, Liao Rushen was knocked back several feet. Using the power of Huangfu Changhen's palms, Liao Rushen gathered most of his strength into his palms and struck out. After a loud explosion, Liao Rushen's figure had disappeared. Huangfu Changhen waved his sleeve to clear away the shockwave and found that Rushen was gone. His face was expressionless.

Behind the Supreme Alliance, Ren Qianxing was practicing the One Sword Separates Worlds technique. Just as he was about to sheathe his sword, he frowned, held the sword upside down, turned around and looked at a certain place, and said in a low voice, "Since you are all here, then come out. This hall master was just worried about having no one to test your sword skills."

As soon as the cold words were spoken, four figures emerged from the darkness. They were of varying heights and builds, all dressed in black and masked, each wielding a weapon.

“Master Ren’s swordsmanship is superb, and my four brothers and I have come here specifically to seek his guidance.”

The hoarse voice of the leader displeased Ren Qianxing. He immediately drew his longsword, slashed it through the air, and said coldly, "Make your move."

Upon hearing this, the leader chuckled and waved his hand forward. Behind him, a burly black figure stepped forward, and a steel mace lashed out at Ren Qianxing.

(End of this chapter)