The Legend of the Condor Heroes: Starting from the Bodyguard

Chapter 232 A chaotic battle where one move affects the whole situation

The dense, metallic clanging, like fireworks bursting in the first month of the lunar calendar, rapidly struck the eardrums of the spectators.

"Three steps and eighteen spears"—taking three steps is merely a matter of a breath. In that brief instant, eighteen spear shadows connect into a crisscrossing rain of light and lightning, swirling and cascading, chasing and thrusting towards Gongsun Zhi.

Gongsun Zhi felt his hair stand on end, and he brandished his golden knife and black sword, but they were impervious to water.

Very few people could clearly see Zhou Yan's specific spear techniques, but Gongsun Zhi had two weapons, which the observers could clearly see. They saw him wielding a light black sword, hacking and slashing, while a heavy, serrated gold saber flew nimbly. He followed the single-sword style, and his moves were exactly the opposite of the principles of martial arts.

Such martial arts were truly unprecedented and unheard of, drawing cheers from the martial arts community of the Western Regions.

Qiu Qianren, Zhang Sanqiang, and Jinlun Fawang watched with great focus, secretly marveling at how they would counter this move if they were in that situation.

Yang Kang's eyes suddenly brightened. He had never witnessed Gongsun Zhi's martial arts before, and now that he had, he found it amazing. Recruiting such a talent would be like adding wings to a tiger.

Zhou Yan's "Three Steps and Eighteen Spears" was merely a test of Gongsun Zhi's mastery of the "Yin-Yang Reversal Blade Technique" and a way to familiarize himself with the opponent's routine.

After the first wave of attacks, you can also launch a "three steps and twenty-one shots" attack.

Gongsun Zhi had no way to express his suffering. He was stronger because of his length. Without Helian Chuncheng, Yin Kexi and others to restrain him, he could not break through the opponent's spear momentum, nor could he unleash the power of his ultimate skills. Moreover, every time he received a spear from Zhou Yan, his sword and saber would vibrate and his hands would go numb. If this continued, it would not be long before his sword and saber would be smashed out of his hands by the heavy spear.

When Helian Chuncheng, Nimo Xing, and Yin Kexi saw Gongsun Zhi parry Zhou Yan's lightning-fast thrust, they were instead invigorated and their confidence soared.

"Don't be so arrogant."

Helian Chuncheng drew a striking mark with the iron spear held horizontally in his hand, sweeping towards Zhou Yan's waist. Yin Kexi's long whip wrapped around the Xuan Tie Heavy Spear, while Nemo Xing still pounced on Zhou Yan from behind.

Suddenly, the trembling spear in Gongsun Zhi's sight disappeared, and when it reappeared, it was already to Zhou Yan's left. The next instant, a crisp sound of metal clashing exploded, and sparks burst forth like a bolt of lightning that appeared out of nowhere.

With a whoosh, Helian Chuncheng's spear bounced outwards. Zhou Yan withdrew his spear, his palm sliding to the middle of the spear. The spear spun in a magnificent circle, and he and the spear rotated together. The spearhead was like a blade, slashing towards Nemo Xing, while the spear tail swept across Gongsun Zhi who was rushing over.

Nemo felt a burst of light and flashes of green flames in his vision, and the surrounding air was filled with a chilling killing intent. He screamed and tumbled out again.

Gongsun Zhi's black sword slashed at the end of the spear with a clang, and the overwhelming force that struck him shattered the black sword into an arc, causing him to stagger back several steps.

"Excellent! A stroke of genius! Such spearmanship is truly eye-opening!" A discerning martial arts expert spared no words in praising the skill.

Lu Beihe sighed and said to Zhang Wangyue, "I saw Brother Zhou once, and his cultivation level improved by one level. I have to admit it."

"Brother Zhou's dedication to martial arts is truly admirable, like that of an ascetic."

On the outskirts of the crowd, a smile bloomed on Zhang Sanqiang's face. This was his own spear technique, yet his opponent had used it so skillfully, like a gazelle leaping through the air, leaving no trace. A spear prodigy, it's a pity he can't join the Ming Cult.

Zhou Yan forced Gongsun Zhi and Nimo Xing back with a single spear thrust, then unleashed the deadly move "Three Steps, Eighteen Spears" from the "Rain of Pear Blossoms Spear" technique he had learned from Yang Miaozhen.

He is now proficient in many marksmanship techniques, but in this chaotic battle where he is one against four, this marksmanship technique is the most suitable.

The powerful internal energy surged forth from the long-cultivated Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, erupting from acupoints such as Guanchong, Yemen, Zhongzhu, and Yangchi in the hands, wrists, and fingers, propelling the Xuan Tie Heavy Spear.

Zhou Yan used his ancient tomb lightness skill, moving swiftly and gracefully within a radius of about ten feet, appearing simultaneously before Helian Chuncheng, Gongsun Zhi, Yin Kexi, and Nimo Xing.

Aside from top masters like Hong Qigong, Huang Yaoshi, Ouyang Feng, Jinlun Fawang, Huogong Toutuo, and Kucheng, Zhou Yan's figure appeared as an indistinct, hazy phantom in the sight of everyone else. With the sharp sound of his spear cutting through the wind, he took six spear thrusts with each step as his figure materialized, instantly unleashing a total of twenty-four spear thrusts at Yin Kexi, Helian Chuncheng, and the others.

In an instant, the entire area flashed with cold light, then suddenly subsided. The cold blade rapidly poured out cold light, shifting between reality and illusion, flashing in turn. Although it was clearly four people besieging Zhou Yan, it appeared as if Zhou Yan had surrounded the four of them with his spear.

Zhou Yan moved once more, his figure solidifying before Gongsun Zhi. His spear rained down like a storm, his advance swift and fierce like a python pouncing on its prey. Gongsun Zhi roared, his black sword slashing at the heavy spear, a strike that concealed a hidden sword technique. His longsword thrust forward, yet contained a sword technique. Zhou Yan silently chuckled; a sword was a sword, and a saber was a saber. What followed was a longsword thrust, actually a slash, while the black sword transformed the slash into a thrust. The sword techniques on the saber and the blade were all mere illusions.

As Zhou Yan thought about it, a sudden inspiration struck him, and a line from the Nine Yin Manual came to mind: "Let him be strong, the breeze still caresses the mountain; let him be ruthless, the bright moon still shines on the great river. Let him be cruel, let him be wicked, I have enough true qi."

Zhou Yan suddenly felt a sense of clarity, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the blue sky. In an instant, he thought to himself that the Nine Yang Divine Skill had the characteristic of "all martial arts under heaven are readily available." In the world of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Zhang Wuji received a palm strike from Abbess Miejue and from that moment he suddenly understood the method of regulating his breath. But in my opinion, isn't this the true saying that breaks through the Yin-Yang disordered techniques like those of Gongsun Zhi?

It seems illusory yet not illusory, what does it have to do with me? The offensive is mine, you can do as you please.

Zhou Yan burst into laughter.

He was familiar with the "Yin-Yang Reversal Blade Technique" and already knew how to break it, but now he could use an even simpler, more brutal, and efficient method to break it.

Zhou Yan guided his Qi with his mind, and his internal energy flowed from the Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian of his hand, surging out from the acupoints on his palm and fingers, propelling his spear forward with a simple, straightforward thrust.

Zhou Yan ignored both the golden knife and the black sword, while Gongsun Zhi opened his mouth wide. The Valley Master of the Heartless Valley saw a straight line flashing with cold light, which suddenly magnified in his vision. The air was pushed open with obvious patterns, and the killing intent was overwhelming.

"I'm going to die!" Gongsun Zhi, who had little experience fighting powerful enemies, suddenly felt cold in his hands and feet, and his sword froze in mid-air.

Yin Kexi, Nimo Xing, and Helian Chuncheng's expressions changed drastically, and they rushed to provide assistance.

"Be careful!" Qiu Qianren shouted. His inner force surged and scattered, and his figure suddenly rose up, swooping down on Zhou Yan like a hawk.

Master Kucheng kept his eyes glued to the battle. He saw Qiu Qianren's thunderous shouts and his unparalleled internal strength. Fearing that Zhou Yan would suffer a loss, he leaped up.

"So shameless."

"Be careful, Brother Zhou!"

Zhang Wangyue, Lu Beihe, and Yanbo Diaosou leaped out one after another, while Bao Lei, Toutuo, Taihang Yixiao, and others from Yang Kang's group, the Vajra Sect, and the Western Regions martial arts world rushed over.

Suddenly, a flurry of figures appeared, and Ku Cheng landed between Qiu Qianren and Zhou Yan.

Qiu Qianren, in his haste to see Gongsun Zhi as his brother-in-law, had no time for words. His iron palms flew, unleashing a series of attacks like a surging tide, engulfing Ku Cheng.

With a single palm strike, Ku Cheng's palm strikes become two, two become four, four become eight, and eight become sixteen. The Shaolin Temple's ultimate technique, the "Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm," is used against Qiu Qianren's Iron Palm.

The moment the two clashed, a thunderous roar filled the air, accompanied by billowing smoke and dust.

On the other side of the battle, just as Zhou Yan's heavy iron spear was about to pierce Gongsun Zhi's chest, the spearhead suddenly snapped outwards, then rebounded and slammed heavily into Gongsun Zhi's body.

"Oh!"

"Wow"

Gongsun Zhi was thrown two zhang away by the impact and landed on the ground with a thud.

In a flash, Zhou Yan, who had dodged Yin Kexi's long whip, heard the sound of wind behind him. He swung his left hand around and grabbed Helian Chuncheng's spear five inches behind the tip. This move, using his left hand to hold the spear shaft, was half a move of the third variation of the Yue Family Spear's "Returning Spear." Before Helian Chuncheng could react, his right hand, wielding the heavy black iron spear, thrust forward.

The instant Zhou Yan tucked his spear in, Ouyang Feng vanished from Ouyang Ke's side. Huang Yaoshi was about to use his "Finger Flicking Divine Skill" to stop him when he suddenly saw a huge spear rise up from outside the crowd with earth-shattering force, descending towards Ouyang Feng like a rainbow.

He was slightly surprised. Who was this person?
How could that spear thrust be so domineering?

(End of this chapter)