All Heavens: A Role-Playing System Starting from Tianlong

Chapter 145 is a special effect! I added a special effect!

Shi Long was devoted to the Dao and yearned for immortality. Otherwise, given his status as the number one expert in Yangzhou, he wouldn't have remained unmarried and spent his days hiding in this small manor studying the "Longevity Manual."

Upon hearing Zhang Cheng's words, he was visibly shaken, but quickly regained his composure: "How can I know whether what you say is true or false?"

"Then I'll show Brother Shi what I've got first," Zhang Cheng said with a smile, stepping forward. "So that Brother Shi knows that if we try to take it by force, you won't be able to keep the 'Longevity Manual'."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Shi Long flipped his hand, his right palm slashing out and transforming into a giant hand. "Then I, Shi, will have to see Brother Zhang's skills for myself. Five Ding Mountain Split!"

Zhang Cheng and the other two stared at the giant hand coming towards them, and were stunned for a moment.

It wasn't that they were shocked by the power of the palm strike. Although Shi Long's casual strike was similar in power to Li Qiushui's powerful palm strike when she dispersed her protective aura, the three of them had already anticipated this.

After all, the three of them knew that using martial arts in this realm would amplify the energy of heaven and earth.

They were stunned because the palm strike they received was not invisible and colorless, but a giant, bright orange hand that was visible to the naked eye!

The giant hand swept everything in its path, advancing relentlessly.

Although Zhang Cheng was momentarily stunned and slowed down, he quickly mobilized his internal energy, condensing it in his palm and using the Northern Darkness True Qi to unleash the ultimate Yang transformation, delivering a powerful Vajra Palm strike.

As Zhang Cheng made his move, Wu and Li suddenly noticed a crimson-orange aura emanating from him, and at the same time, a majestic Buddha phantom appeared behind him, coordinating with Zhang Cheng's palm strike.

"Boom—!" The giant palm of the Buddha's phantom collided violently with the crimson-orange giant hand. The force exploded, a gust of wind swept through, and the green plants in the courtyard were blown about.

The giant crimson-orange hand couldn't withstand the Buddha's phantom palm for even a moment before being shattered. The Buddha's phantom, still brimming with power, continued to press down on the stone dragon.

Shi Long dodged the palm strike by sidestepping. The illusory palm landed on the house facing the courtyard gate, causing the lintel and the upper half of the wall to collapse with a crash, scattering broken bricks and tiles all over the ground.

Shi Long stared at the illusory image of Buddha that had not yet completely dissipated, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

"Buddhist martial arts?" His gaze swept over Zhang Cheng, "Aren't you from a Taoist background?"

Zhang Cheng dispersed his palm strike, and the crimson-orange aura around his body disappeared.

"What I practice is a unique Taoist skill that can mimic all martial arts techniques in the world. What I used just now was merely borrowing the form of a Buddhist palm technique. If Brother Shi doesn't believe me, why don't you try it again?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Long's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He thrust out both palms and shouted, "Good! Then please, Brother Zhang, take another move from me! The Foolish Old Man Moves the Mountain!"

Wherever the palm strike landed, the earth and stones in the courtyard were pulled together, transforming into an earthen dragon that crashed head-on towards Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng used his divine sense to lock onto the stone dragon, sensing the energy pathways within its body. As the stone dragon charged closer, he suddenly assumed the same stance, striking first despite being behind. "The Foolish Old Man Moves the Mountain!"

The same move, the same name. But Zhang Cheng's palm strike caused an even greater tremor in the courtyard!

The ground within a radius of ten zhang suddenly collapsed, and a huge amount of soil and rubble shot into the sky, coalescing into an earth dragon nearly twice as thick as the stone dragon had been called. It raised its head, roared, and crashed forward fiercely.

In the instant the two dragons collided, Zhang Cheng and Shi Long had already closed in, their four palms facing each other, exchanging a head-on blow.

Shi Long couldn't withstand the force of Zhang Cheng's palm strike and was sent flying backward, crashing into the courtyard wall with a "bang" before falling heavily to the ground.

At the same time, the earth dragon he summoned was also defeated by Zhang Cheng's earth dragon, turning into mud and rocks that fell to the ground.

In an instant, mud and stones rained down in the courtyard, making a "crackling" sound as they hit the ground. Zhang Cheng and the other two each raised their protective qi, and the invisible barrier of true qi kept all the broken stones and mud away from their bodies, leaving their clothes untouched.

Zhang Cheng stopped his stance, stepped forward, and extended his hand to Shi Long: "Brother Shi, are you alright?"

"Thanks to Brother Zhang's timely withdrawal, I am unharmed." Shi Long clutched his chest and stood up on his own. "Now I believe that your sect's martial arts can truly prolong life and grant immortality."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, rummaged around for a moment, and pulled out a thin booklet, which he then handed over.

Zhang Cheng reached out and took it. The booklet had a strange feel to it; it was neither paper nor silk, but warm and smooth like jade yet supple and resilient like silk, and he couldn't immediately tell what material it was. On the cover were three large characters written in oracle bone script.

Although it was different from the armor he remembered, he was certain that this was the "Longevity Manual".

"Brother Shi is straightforward." Zhang Cheng put the booklet into his sleeve and then used the method of sound transmission to explain the contents of "The Longevity and Immortality Technique" to Shi Long in detail.

After explaining the technique, Zhang Cheng asked, "I wonder if all the land around here belongs to Brother Shi?"

Our Free and Unfettered Sect will be staying in Yangzhou for a while, and we'd like to build a temporary residence nearby. Living closer will make it easier for Brother Shi to come and ask us any questions he may have about cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique.

Shi Long was initially skeptical about whether the "Eternal Spring Technique" could truly grant immortality, but circumstances forced him to hand over the "Eternal Life Manual" to protect himself.

Seeing that Zhang Cheng was actually willing to provide "after-sales service", their attitude immediately became warmer.

"This entire area is indeed under my name. The three of you may choose a site and build your houses. If you need to hire craftsmen, I can have my disciple arrange it in the city."

As he spoke, he glanced back at the house, which was mostly collapsed, and said with a wry smile, "It seems that the hot tea I promised to the three of you will not be brewed in the future."

Zhang Cheng waved his hand, naturally unconcerned. He thought for a moment, then said to Shi Long, "By the way, Brother Shi, my disciples from the Xiaoyao Sect will be frequently traveling around Yangzhou, and our actions will inevitably involve interactions with local forces. Are there any gangs in Yangzhou that we should be wary of?"

Shi Long pondered for a moment and said, "If we're talking about Yangzhou, we need to be careful of the Bamboo Flower Gang. This gang runs casinos, brothels, and..."

Pawnshops and other traditional businesses have deep roots, with Yangzhou being their old stronghold.

"Our leader, Yin Kaishan, is quite a figure. Although his martial arts skills are inferior to mine, he has many men under his command and is well-informed. If the three of you intend to operate in Yangzhou, cultivating good relations with them will save you a lot of trouble."

Zhang Cheng nodded: "Oh, then I'll have to trouble Brother Shi to introduce me to the higher-ups of the Bamboo Flower Gang another day. My Xiaoyao Sect is new here, so we should at least pay our respects."

Shi Long readily agreed: "No problem! Leave this to me. I've met Yin Kaishan a few times, so I can at least exchange a few words with him."

After the negotiations were concluded and a few more polite words were exchanged, Zhang Cheng and his two companions took their leave without lingering.

After leaving Shilong's courtyard, the three used their lightness skills to slowly walk through the fields on the outskirts of the city, looking for a suitable location to serve as a temporary camp.