In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 148 A Heart Soars, a Body Feels Comfortable

Seeing Yang Xiao charging towards her, Abbess Miejue's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

With both wrists pointing downwards, the scabbard in his left hand and the Chengxin sword in his right hand were both inserted a foot into the ground beside him.

"Why would I need to use my sword to deal with a fiend like you?"

As she spoke, Abbess Miejue suddenly raised her right hand and struck Yang Xiao, who was rushing towards her.

As she swung her hand out, the true essence within Abbess Miejue's body gathered in her right palm like a flood bursting its banks. The powerful true essence, mixed with the palm force, condensed and did not dissipate.

"court death!"

Seeing that Abbess Miejue dared to abandon her sword, Yang Xiao's eyes suddenly showed a hint of contempt.

boom--!
As the two palms clashed, a muffled sound suddenly emerged.

At the same time, a terrifying shockwave erupted from the palms of Abbess Miejue and Yang Xiao.

The moment their palms touched, the contempt in Yang Xiao's eyes froze, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief.

He could clearly feel a much stronger force surging through his palm, and his own true essence and palm strength were almost instantly shattered by the immense power contained in Abbess Miejue's palm strike.

As this overwhelming force surged in, Yang Xiao, who had just rushed in front of Miejue, was forced to take three steps back uncontrollably.

The heavy footsteps left three clear, spiderweb-like cracks on the bluestone slab, and his blood surged throughout his body.

In contrast, Abbess Miejue remained completely still after striking him with her palm, standing as steadfast as a mountain.

"How could her skill be so profound?"

Over the years, Yang Xiao had indeed clashed with Abbess Miejue.

After Gu Hongzi's body was returned to Emei and properly buried, Abbess Miejue, who had found the Heaven Sword, immediately sought out Yang Xiao.

At that time, in Yang Xiao's eyes, although Miejue had returned to the Innate Realm, in terms of strength, she was not necessarily much stronger than Gu Hongzi.

It was entirely due to the sharpness of the Heaven-Slaying Sword and his ruthless, reckless fighting style that Yang Xiao was quite wary of.

Yang Xiao was not surprised that Abbess Miejue had reached the Qi Condensation Realm in her internal energy cultivation after ten years of separation.

But Yang Xiao never expected that Abbess Miejue's skill had become so profound in the past ten years.

With a single palm strike, she forced Yang Xiao back. Then, Abbess Miejue took a step forward, her right hand forming a sword-like shape, and thrust out with lightning speed.

However, it is the "Sunset Sword Technique" which uses fingers as a substitute for a sword.

As the sword points through the air, true essence circulates within the body along a special path and flows into the fingers. Extinction's two fingers are already filled with true essence, causing a sharp whistling sound to follow as the sword points through the air.

This finger strike was as fast as lightning, aimed directly at Yang Xiao's vital point.

Yang Xiao was terrified. He suppressed his surging blood and qi, touched the ground with his toes, and flew backward. At the same time, he lightly tapped his right middle finger and thumb together and then suddenly flicked them out.

"Swoosh!" A sharp, condensed, pale blue energy, powerful enough to pierce through metal and stone, shot towards Abbess Miejue like an arrow.

It was a martial art called "Finger Flicking Divine Skill" that Yang Xiao had accidentally learned many years ago.

Faced with this condensed energy, Abbess Miejue's eyes remained calm. Her body swayed slightly, and her sword finger moved towards the energy as she moved.

"Boom!"

As the sword energy gathered at his fingertips pulsed, the moment it touched the sharp finger strike Yang Xiao unleashed, the concentrated energy from Yang Xiao's "Flick of the Finger Divine Skill" suddenly dispersed like water droplets falling to the ground.

After neutralizing Yang Xiao's "Finger Flicking Divine Skill", Abbess Miejue did not slow down. However, she smoothly withdrew her right hand and hid it under her ribs. Her left palm suddenly drew an arc in front of her, and several palm shadows appeared. The palm wind she generated alone was enough to completely envelop Yang Xiao, making him feel that he had no way to avoid it.

The lightness skill, the moves, and this change of tactics were all extremely ingenious.

Having fought against Gu Hongzi and Miejue before, and having been informed by Ji Xiaofu, Yang Xiao knew that Miejue was using the "Mist Locks the Cold Peak" technique from the Emei Sect's "Golden Summit Cotton Palm".

The left palm appears to be flashing with palm strikes, but the real killing move is the right palm hidden under the ribs.

Seeing this, Yang Xiao didn't even look at Abbess Miejue's left hand, but instead raised his palm and slapped Abbess Miejue's right hand hidden under her ribs.

Seeing Yang Xiao's reaction, Abbess Miejue's eyes grew even colder.

Unfortunately, although Yang Xiao had already learned some of the tricks of the Golden Summit Cotton Palm, he was unaware that in the past few years, due to Gu Shaoan, Miejue had greatly improved her skills in martial arts such as the Sunset Sword Technique and the Golden Summit Cotton Palm.

Whether it's the Golden Top Cotton Palm or individual moves from the Sunset Sword Technique, they have all reached the level of "smooth and perfect".

Take the move "Mist Locks the Cold Peak" for example; Abbess Miejue has already achieved a level where her left and right palms are both real and illusory.

Therefore, upon noticing Yang Xiao's movements, Abbess Miejue's right hand, hidden under her ribs, remained motionless, while her left palm suddenly accelerated.

"No, the killing move isn't with the right hand, it's with the left."

Sensing something was wrong, Yang Xiao's heart sank, and in a flash, his true essence instantly circulated according to the mental technique of "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth".

When Extinction's left palm, concealed by several palm shadows, landed solidly on Yang Xiao's chest, Yang Xiao took a step back.

"boom!"

In an instant, a terrifying force was deflected by Yang Xiao and then passed into the stone slab behind his feet.

The terrifying force caused a crater less than two inches behind Yang Xiao's feet to explode, creating a hole about an inch deep and three feet in diameter.

On the other hand, Yang Xiao used the remaining force to swing backward another ten feet, his back drenched in cold sweat.

However, as Yang Xiao retreated, Abbess Miejue did not press her advantage, but instead looked at Yang Xiao with a gloomy expression.

"As expected, that wretched child actually told you all the key points of my Emei martial arts."

The sound was like the cold wind in the dead of winter, full of biting chill.

As a superior martial art unique to the Emei School, the Golden Summit Cotton Palm has never been learned by anyone other than the Emei School's own disciples, not even by the elders of the Emei School.

Not to mention knowing the key points of the "Mist Locks the Cold Peak" move in the "Golden Summit Cotton Palm" and taking precautions in advance.

But Yang Xiao was able to prepare in advance, and Abbess Miejue was well aware of the reason.

As she spoke, Abbess Miejue was filled with anger and hatred.

She never imagined that Ji Xiaofu would dare to reveal the secrets and weaknesses of the Golden Top Cotton Palm to an outsider, and that the person she revealed it to was Yang Xiao.

Upon hearing Abbess Miejue's words, Abbess Juechen, standing in front of the Emei disciples, couldn't help but shake her head and sigh inwardly.

Even now, Abbess Juechen still doesn't understand why Ji Xiaofu, who was eloquent and reasonable on the mountain, became so inconsiderate and confused about right and wrong after coming down the mountain, as if she had been possessed by a demon.

Not only did she have an affair with Yang Xiao, she also revealed the secrets of the "Golden Summit Cotton Palm" martial arts technique.

Where is even a trace of the Emei Sect's rules in their hearts?

Inside the arena, Yang Xiao did not respond to what Abbess Miejue had said.

Instead, he silently circulated his true energy to its limit, and when he looked at Abbess Miejue, his heart was heavier than ever before.

Yang Xiao never imagined that after ten years, Abbess Miejue's strength would have improved so terrifyingly.

In that brief exchange, Abbess Miejue surprised Yang Xiao greatly in terms of speed, skill, and even agility.

If he hadn't cultivated the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" and mastered the second level of it over the past ten years, he would have been injured just now if he had been struck by Abbess Miejue's palm during that moment of misjudgment.

Seeing that Yang Xiao remained silent, Abbess Miejue stopped talking and, with a slight turn, split her body in two, appearing one in front of Yang Xiao in an instant.

With two figures, one real and one fake, Yang Xiao was unable to immediately distinguish which was real and which was fake.

With a flick of his fingers, he instantly unleashed nine bursts of energy from the "Flick of the Finger" technique, each striking one of the two figures before him.

As several of the finger strikes passed through a blur, Abbess Miejue's body mysteriously shifted three feet to the left to dodge Yang Xiao's finger strikes, then spun like a top and appeared in front of Yang Xiao.

Using the force of her spinning body, Abbess Miejue swung her palm back like a whip, aiming straight for Yang Xiao's carotid artery. This time, however, the expected powerful force did not materialize when Yang Xiao's hand touched Abbess Miejue's palm.

Just as Abbess Miejue was about to strike Yang Xiao with her right palm, she felt as if she had pressed her hand into a lump of mud, and the area around her palm instantly became sticky.

At the same time, the energy contained in her palm was displaced at an extremely fast speed.

Yang Xiao lifted his left foot and then stomped down hard.

Two feet behind Yang Xiao's left foot, another pit appeared.

"The Great Shift of Heaven and Earth"

Glancing at the crater behind Yang Xiao out of the corner of her eye, Miejue quickly realized what was going on.

But the next second, Abbess Miejue let out a cold snort in her heart.

"Even the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth cannot save you today."

As soon as she finished speaking, Miejue's palms flew up and she struck Yang Xiao again.

Having suffered repeated losses, Yang Xiao dared not be careless in the slightest.

Faced with a flurry of palm strikes, he focused intently, using his fists and feet in conjunction with his light-footed movements to constantly counter them.

As the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult, Yang Xiao naturally possessed outstanding strength.

Not only is he proficient in the "Finger Flicking Divine Skill", but he has also incorporated the "Forty-Four Sets of Weapon Techniques" into his palms, which further demonstrates the complexity of his martial arts.

Combined with the Qi-shifting techniques of the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth," they managed to barely withstand Abbess Miejue's overwhelming offensive.

On the Emei Sect's side, looking at the situation in the arena, Zhou Zhiruo couldn't help but say, "This Yang Xiao truly lives up to his reputation as the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult. His strength is indeed extraordinary. He was able to withstand dozens of moves against my master without being defeated."

Yang Yan, who was stirring up the surrounding atmosphere by mobilizing her own internal energy, said, "Senior brother, could that guy surnamed Yang be using the Ming Cult's 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth'?"

In response to Yang Yan's question, Gu Shaoan nodded slightly.

"Not bad! Judging from his moves, he should have mastered the second level of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth."

Zhou Zhiruo, who was standing next to her, also showed a hint of surprise on her face.

"The second level of the 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth' has such an effect?"

Gu Shaoan nodded and said, "The first level of 'The Great Shift of Heaven and Earth' mainly focuses on developing potential and tapping into the internal energy. Starting from the second level, it will involve the application of energy and the tricks of guiding and shifting the energy of other people's martial arts moves. For example, Yang Xiao is now using a special method to guide the energy from his master's moves into the ground."

Yang Yan asked, "If Yang Xiao can always redirect and deflect other people's attacks, wouldn't he be invincible?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan chuckled lightly and said, "It's not that simple."

Gu Shaoan then explained, "A tall building rises from the ground. The further you progress in the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, the more meridians it involves, making it easier to draw and shift the energy of others."

"If Yang Xiao has now cultivated the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to the fourth level like Yang Dingtian, and has already reached the perfection level of the fourth level, then it might be a bit difficult for Master to defeat Yang Xiao without using the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, provided that his true essence has not been exhausted."

"But it's only the second level of the 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth,' and too few meridians have been opened. Even with the true energy to deflect the force, some residual force will inevitably remain in Yang Xiao's body."

"This might still be a bit tricky in the short term, but after a few more times, Yang Xiao's blood and qi will surge due to the constantly increasing force."

"Yang Xiao is only able to hold on now because his master doesn't yet understand the special nature of the 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth.' Once he gets used to it a few more times and figures out a way to break it, the situation will change."

Hearing Gu Shaoan's explanation, Zhou Zhiruo nodded and said, "No wonder Yang Dingtian is so strong. It turns out that the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth has such strange abilities."

Gu Shaoan said slowly, "In any martial art, quality is more important than quantity. As the saying goes, 'One skill is enough to make you successful.' If you can cultivate any martial art to its peak, it can bring about a great improvement."

Internal energy cultivation methods are different from martial arts techniques.

Martial arts techniques such as "Willow Floss Swordplay" or "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" can be broken down into individual moves and practiced separately; they are not a complete whole.

However, internal martial arts techniques like the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" are like foundations, with each level building upon the foundation.

The more solid the foundation, the stronger the power it will unleash in the future.

Even though it's the same "Great Shift of the Universe," the reason Zhang Wuji could only barely hold his own against the Three Elders when he cultivated it to the sixth level is because...

However, Yang Dingtian's mastery of the fourth level of the Great Shift of the Universe and his own martial arts skills allowed the three Shaolin monks to remain secluded for decades, not daring to descend the mountain to seek revenge on him. The difference lies in the fact that Zhang Wuji only learned the Great Shift of the Universe and could barely use it.

However, Yang Dingtian spent time cultivating steadily and gradually to reach the fourth level.

The amount of effort and level of mastery required will naturally result in differences in the power and application of that power.

Like Zhang Wuji, who cultivated the "Great Shift of the Universe" to the sixth level in just a few hours, it may seem like a momentary thrill, but it will ultimately lead to disaster.

And the result was exactly as Gu Shaoan had predicted.

As Yang Xiao used the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" several times in succession, his internal energy and blood surged continuously.

On the other hand, Abbess Miejue had already figured out how Yang Xiao had removed her true energy.

To this, Miejue snorted coldly. The moment her right palm was briefly stuck, Miejue stepped on a lotus flower and her footwork suddenly changed! She pushed the profound movement technique of "Three Appearances of the Divine Dragon" to its limit. Her figure was like a faint cloud phantom, sliding backward three feet without warning!

Abbess Miejue's retreat conveniently severed the special pulling force that Yang Xiao had gathered using the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth".

The vortex of energy that had been clinging, entangled, and trying to guide the power of the Extinction Palm instantly lost its footing due to this perfectly timed retreat, and vanished like a rootless duckweed!

Yang Xiao felt his palm go empty, and the force he had gathered with all his might had nowhere to attach. Instead, it caused his center of gravity to lean forward slightly, and a warning sounded in his heart.

On the other hand, upon sensing the dissipation of the viscous energy, Abbess Miejue's internal energy circulation path suddenly changed to "Nine Spiral Shadows," and she lunged forward again in the instant her body paused.

At the same time, Abbess Miejue's hand, which had just been withdrawn and still carried the residual powerful true energy of the Golden Top Cotton Palm, slammed solidly onto Yang Xiao's right shoulder, which had not yet had time to fully adjust his posture, with an even stronger, heavier, and more undeniable force!

"Oh!"

The moment Yang Xiao was struck on the shoulder, he felt an unimaginable force slam into his body.

Even with his extremely quick reflexes, he immediately activated the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" upon contact.

But in such a rush, even if Yang Xiao used the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth", how could he possibly deflect all the force that was slapped on the shoulder?
With a sickeningly loud "crack" sound coming from Yang Xiao's shoulder bone, Yang Xiao felt as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer. His right shoulder and entire right arm instantly became numb and painful, and half of his body was knocked to the side, causing him to stagger and spit out a mouthful of blood.

From this move onward, Yang Xiao became like a puppet on strings, powerless to resist Miejue's onslaught.

However, when facing Yang Xiao, Miejue did not strike Yang Xiao's head with a palm strike as she would when facing an enemy in the past. Instead, after crippling one of Yang Xiao's arms, she turned around and slapped Yang Xiao's face directly.

The moment her hand slapped Yang Xiao's face, feeling the touch from his palm, Abbess Miejue felt all the pent-up frustration she had accumulated over the years was released with that touch.

My body felt lighter and more agile at that moment.

The feeling was like when you were on Peach Blossom Island, and you put the parchment scroll containing the "Nine Yin Manual" and the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" into your bosom.

When the heart soars, the body feels at ease.

Yang Xiao's face turned bright red after being slapped in the face by the people of the six major sects and many disciples of the Ming Cult.

"Extinction—"

He couldn't help but let out a low growl, and his left hand, with its five fingers forming a claw, reached out to grab at Miejue's face.

Before Yang Xiao's hand could even touch Miejue, Miejue subtly dodged Yang Xiao's move by sidestepping it, and simultaneously raised her right hand, bringing her two fingers together. With a burst of energy, she actually pierced through Yang Xiao's wrist.

They actually crippled Yang Xiao's other hand as well.

After crippling Yang Xiao's hands, Abbess Miejue disappeared from sight. As her wide sleeves fluttered, she slapped Yang Xiao's face again. The powerful slap caused Yang Xiao to stagger.

Anger surged within me.

Extinction's face now wore a joyful smile.

　I felt the protagonist's introduction wasn't good enough when I was halfway through writing it, so I revised and rewrote it. I'll post the next chapter around 8 PM!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)