Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 371 The Divine Martial Canon: Victory or Defeat is Only Determined

The concentrated qi was not very thick, only about four feet, which was one-third thinner than the six-foot qi of the Stone Guanyin.

However, in terms of defensive power, it is far superior to Shi Guanyin's six-foot-long protective aura.

The Heavenly Martial Nerve that Shi Guanyin cultivated was simply a body with abundant true qi.

Cao Zhengchun's Heavenly Gang Boy Skill produced extremely high-quality true qi, and since it was a unique skill specifically for cultivating qi, the qi he condensed was naturally powerful and sturdy.

If Shi Guanyin's aura was a boulder, then Cao Zhengchun's aura was a piece of steel.

Four feet of steel is naturally harder than a six-foot boulder.

Zhu Wushi didn't want to, so he suddenly flicked the ice and fire power he had gathered in his hand, which turned into an arc and blasted towards Cao Zhengchun's side instead of directly attacking the point where the qi was gathered in front of Cao Zhengchun.

However, the Wanchuan Guihai technique developed by Cao Zhengchun was by no means simple. In an instant, the point of energy condensation shifted to his side, right at the spot where Zhu Wushi was attacking!
The two forces collided instantly, and the red and white light displayed incredibly powerful heat and cold, causing the ground beneath Cao Zhengchun's feet to simultaneously exhibit the strange phenomena of being scorched black and frozen.

The point where the Qi condensed by this attack was naturally damaged, but the damage was minimal, only reduced from four feet to three and a half feet.

We are still a long way from completely breaking through its defenses!

Although Cao Zhengchun was not good at attacking, he could not stand by and watch Zhu Wushi act arbitrarily under these circumstances. He charged towards Zhu Wushi despite the attack of the red and white light.

Zhu Wushi had no choice but to separate his fists, and then, wielding these fiery and icy fists, engaged in a fierce close-quarters battle with Cao Zhengchun, who was defending against the protective aura.

The two sides exchanged blows, and although the scene was far less grand than their confrontation on the river earlier, it was still quite astonishing.

The two Three Flowers Grandmasters attacked at an extremely fast speed. At first glance, it seemed as if they had grown six arms and eight legs. During their battle, there were many afterimages, which was dazzling.

However, it is also clear that Cao Zhengchun, who is not good at offense, is far inferior to Zhu Wushi in terms of moves. However, he has a strong protective aura, which is like wearing an invisible armor. He is not afraid of any of the opponent's moves, so he can always remain undefeated.

In contrast, Zhu Wushi's moves were exquisite. The intense heat and extreme cold surrounding his fists unleashed unparalleled divine power. In particular, when his fists came together, the red and white light released was so powerful that only Cao Zhengchun's concentrated qi could withstand it.

However, Cao Zhengchun was also formidable. No matter where Zhu Wushi attacked, the point of convergence could arrive instantly. It could be said that he acted at will and his reaction speed was exceptionally fast.

Therefore, his defense was able to remain undefeated.

However, being clearly at a disadvantage in the contest of moves angered Cao Zhengchun, who couldn't help but sneer, "So this is the loyal Zhu Tiedan! How dare you steal the royal family's supreme secret manual! Are you perhaps plotting a rebellion?!"

Zhu Wushi said loudly, "Eunuch Cao is mistaken. My move is nothing more than the widely circulated Pure Yang Finger and Mysterious Yin Hand in the martial arts world."

"Hmph! Even if my eyesight is failing, I still recognize this move, 'Galaxy Rebirth,' from the Ming Shen Martial Scripture!" Cao Zhengchun sneered.

The so-called supreme royal secret manual, also known as the Ming Divine Martial Manual, is the unparalleled martial art of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who pacified the world. It was originally the supreme martial art of the Ming Cult.

Of course, this doesn't refer to the Ming Cult that was driven to the southeastern corner of the Ming Dynasty and whose lineage was severely lost.

Those who lived through that era of foreign invasion should still remember how powerful the Ming Cult was in the past.

This powerful sect would select a person from the common people who possessed a unique destiny related to the sun and moon, teach them martial arts, and carefully cultivate them. Such a person would often eventually become the leader of the Ming Cult.

Each leader of the Ming Cult has expanded and researched the martial arts tradition of the Ming Cult, taking their own unique destiny and the tradition as the core, thus forming a complete martial arts system, collectively known as the Ming Divine Martial Canon.

Each leader's Ming Shen Wu Dian (Divine Martial Codex) is different, but they all revolve around the sun and moon.

Unfortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang possessed a unique destiny, being a being of the sun and moon as one. After learning the Ming Shen Wu Dian (Martial Arts Manual of the Ming Dynasty), he also created his own unique version of the Ming Shen Wu Dian based on his own experiences and characteristics.

This martial art requires a specific destiny to practice, and among Zhu Yuanzhang's sons, only Zhu Di possessed such a destiny.

After Zhu Di deposed his nephew from the throne and took the throne himself, he deeply felt the drawbacks of the feudal prince system. In order to prevent other feudal princes from rebelling like he had, he not only stripped the feudal princes of their military power, but also prohibited them from contacting officials, leaving their fiefdoms, participating in the imperial examinations, and so on.

This shows their fear of the regional princes.

His own martial prowess was also a significant factor in his becoming emperor, so Zhu Di designated the Ming Divine Martial Canon as the supreme imperial secret, which only the emperor could practice.

If the emperor himself cannot practice it, then it is better to keep it shelved than to allow anyone else to learn it.

He also suppressed the Ming Cult and collected all the unique skills and freehand techniques related to the Ming Divine Martial Arts Manual.

As a result, there is now only one Ming Shenwu Canon in the world, which is the supreme secret manual of the Zhu family royal family.

Although Zhu Wushi said he used the Pure Yang Finger and the Profound Yin Hand, Yin and Yang, ice and fire, and the sun and moon are only superficially similar; their underlying power structures are completely different.

Ordinary people might not be able to see the difference, but Cao Zhengchun was no ordinary person.
"Escape from prison is a grave crime, and stealing the royal family's supreme secret manual is an even greater crime of treason! Zhu Tiedan, you are doomed this time!"

"Hmph! It's not certain who will live and who will die!"

Zhu ignored the red and white light emanating from his fists, once again unleashing that incredibly powerful strike.

However, it was still blocked by Cao Zhengchun's "All Rivers Flow into the Sea".

In truth, these two were truly a match made in heaven, a worthy opponent.

Zhu Wushi possessed profound cultivation and was proficient in the martial arts techniques of various schools and sects. No matter what methods his enemies used, he could directly find a way to counter them.

Not to mention there's also the move "Galaxy Rebirth," which is incredibly powerful.

But he happened to run into Cao Zhengchun, a freak.

He spent decades cultivating the Heavenly Gang Child Skill, specializing in defense, and thus created the method of "All Rivers Flow into the Sea" to enhance defense.

This caused Zhu to ignore numerous martial arts techniques, all of which could only be blocked by Cao Zhengchun's protective aura.

Of course, Cao Zhengchun's weakness in attack was also fully exposed at this moment.

All of his attacks were easily dodged by Zhu Wushi, who was proficient in countless martial arts techniques. Occasionally, if he failed to dodge one, Zhu Wushi would defend against it with his internal energy.

It should be noted that among the various unique skills that Zhu Wushi is proficient in, there are also unique techniques that allow him to use internal energy to enhance his defensive capabilities.

Therefore, in terms of the strength of his protective qi, although he is not as strong as Cao Zhengchun's "All Rivers Return to the Sea", he is definitely not weak.

Therefore, Cao Zhengchun's not-so-powerful attack methods were completely ineffective against Zhu Wushi's defenses.

Neither side can break through the other's defenses, so the battle has now become a war of attrition.

Whether it was Cao Zhengchun's terrifying protective aura or Zhu Wushi's Milky Way Rebirth, both were powered by their own true qi cultivation.

When either of them has suffered excessive depletion of their true energy, that is when the battle will be decided.

Before that, both sides need to find ways to deplete each other's true energy while reducing their own.

Both of them had already realized this during the battle.

As Zhu Wushi fought, the red and white light in his hands dissipated considerably, leaving only a trace at his fingertips.

Cao Zhengchun's protective qi also gradually shrank from four feet to two feet.

"Eunuch Cao, why has your Heavenly Gang Boy Skill weakened?"

"How come the Divine Marquis's combined Sun and Moon attack has become weaker?" The two even exchanged sarcastic remarks.

Although there is constant fighting in the martial arts world, most of the fighting is between higher-level players and lower-level players, or between more people and fewer people. Battles between players of the same level are rare.

When one reaches the level of a Grandmaster, or even a Three-Flower Grandmaster, it becomes extremely difficult to determine life or death between them.

On one hand, it's because the flow of true qi allows for extremely rapid recovery; on the other hand, it's because even a master of the Three Flowers Grandmaster level, if they were determined to run, would rarely be able to catch up, even if they were of the same level. If they saw they were about to lose, wouldn't they run immediately?

Therefore, battles that determine life or death are extremely rare.

However, neither Zhu Wushi nor Cao Zhengchun showed any intention of fleeing.

Cao Zhengchun wanted to kill Zhu Wushi under the pretext of escaping from prison, otherwise he would die.

Zhu Wushi also intended to use this opportunity to kill Cao Zhengchun, and he was confident of victory.

"As the saying goes, prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat. I'm attacking while you're defending. Eunuch Cao, you must have quite a bit of true energy needed to condense your inner energy."

"Hmph, those are just ordinary people!"

The Gang Qi technique can only be used by those who have reached the second level of the Innate Realm, because it requires both the purity and abundance of true qi, which naturally results in huge energy consumption.

However, Cao Zhengchun's specialization in the Heavenly Gang Boy Skill meant that his energy consumption was naturally lower than that of ordinary grandmasters.

Moreover, when the two started fighting, he was full of energy, while Zhu Wushi had been starving for several days.

Cao Zhengchun certainly didn't think he could defeat Zhu Wushi in terms of attrition.

On the contrary, he felt he had a huge advantage!

This clash and competition between the two lasted for a full half hour.

At this moment, a full hour had passed since the two left the prison!
The two first ran wildly for half an hour using their lightness skills, and then, on the Yangtze River, they used a small mountain as their battlefield to fight each other with their true energy.

They then left the Yangtze River and stayed there for half an hour.

Although the two tried their best to reduce their internal energy consumption in the latter half of the battle, in order to effectively kill the enemy or defend against their attacks, their so-called effort to reduce their internal energy was only relative to their original full strength.

Even after reducing energy consumption, Zhu Wushi's finger could easily injure a second-level Grandmaster, and Cao Zhengchun's internal energy could easily block attacks at the second-level.

Not to mention that in the first half of the battle, they didn't even think about conserving energy; they went all out!
Such a long time and such a huge expenditure of energy are really taking their toll, even for a Three-Flower Grandmaster.

Between moves, there was no longer any fluctuation of true energy. Although there was still a strange force, it was only acquired internal energy.

This is because their true energy has been completely exhausted, and the two can only temporarily extract the power within their bodies. However, since they do not have time to condense it into true energy, they use this internal force to fight their enemies.

This also reveals the state of the two individuals.

It should be noted that both of them cultivate top-tier techniques and are Three-Flower Grandmasters. If they wanted to condense their inner strength into true qi, it would probably take them less than a breath.

However, neither of them did so, partly because they were in extremely poor condition and lacked the mental focus. On the other hand, it was also because even at this point, their battle would remain incredibly dangerous.

A single breath can be the difference between life and death.

Suddenly, Zhu Wushi stumbled and fell to the ground. He tried to get up, but failed after two thuds.

Clearly, Cao Zhengchun ultimately prevailed, holding out for a longer period.

"Hahaha……"

Although Cao Zhengchun was also in a very difficult state, he still laughed loudly upon seeing this: "Zhu Tiedan, you are more than twenty years younger than me, how come you are not as strong as this old man? Have you not eaten enough?"

"Humph!"

Zhu Wushi snorted coldly, wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

Cao Zhengchun said smugly, "You've exhausted your true energy and squeezed your body dry, drawing out your inner strength. I'm afraid you're already starving and have no strength left, right? Hehehe, the mighty Iron-Blooded Marquis, ended up starving to death! Hahaha!"

He laughed uncontrollably.

He laughed smugly.

He laughed so hard he almost forgot himself!

This sense of triumph and joy was not merely due to this battle, but because his decades-long power struggle with Zhu Wushi in the imperial court was finally coming to an end today.

He has not won this battle today, but the final victory of decades of struggle!
Although his victory was not due to his superior strength, but rather because his opponent had been starved for several days and had nine major acupoints sealed by dragon-head nails, suffering severe persecution, Zhu Wushi ultimately lost in this battle of endurance.

But it doesn't matter.

Most importantly, he won!

"Zhu Tiedan! Now that I've won, you're going to die!"

Cao Zhengchun secretly channeled his inner strength, condensed his true energy, and walked up to Zhu Wushi.

While there was a reason for this battle to settle scores with Zhu Wushi, the main motivation was self-preservation.

If he could kill Zhu Wushi, the situation he faced would suddenly become much clearer.

For this reason, he didn't bring anyone with him, partly because no one could keep up with the two of them, and partly because he didn't trust anyone under his command.

Judging from the current situation, this decision was very wise.

Otherwise, if Liu Xi had been there, the final result would not have been that he killed Zhu Wushi, but that both of them would have died at Liu Xi's hands.

Cao Zhengchun raised his palm high, circulating a wisp of condensed true energy within it.

"Does the Divine Marquis have any last words?"

"Remember your promise!"

Zhu Wushi forced himself to get up, sat cross-legged on the ground, and closed his eyes tightly. It seemed that he knew he was going to die and was trying to save face for himself.

"Of course, our family keeps its word and always honors its promises!"

Cao Zhengchun said things he himself didn't want to believe, and then slammed his palm down, aiming directly at Zhu Wushi's head.

In that instant, Zhu Wushi suddenly opened his eyes and raised his hand to meet Cao Zhengchun's palm!
"what?!"

Cao Zhengchun was shocked, but Zhu Wushi's palm had already struck him first, and the five fingers interlocked, forming a ten-finger interlocking position.

Zhu Wushi's gaze was like a knife: "Eunuch Cao, I have won this round!"

(End of this chapter)