Demon Lord Tang Dynasty

Gao Yi remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic at having his secret exposed.

As long as something exists in this world, it is impossible for it to remain unknown forever.

Secrets, unless known only to the person in question, will eventually be leaked.

Zhao Deyan smiled again, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: "You are unperturbed by favor or disgrace, young friend."

Gao Yi's expression remained unchanged; he merely bowed slightly.

"Commander Yan is a highly respected senior whose reputation is known throughout the country. I'm afraid my meager remnants are not worthy of his attention."

"Hahaha."

Zhao Deyan burst into laughter, his eyes narrowing into slits.

But just as the laughter subsided, Zhao Deyan abruptly raised his hand, his fingers slightly bent, and reached straight for Gao Yi.

Gao Yi was startled, and his pupils contracted.

With a light tap of his foot, he was sent flying backward.

But Zhao Deyan didn't seem to care at all, his expression remaining calm and unhurried.

He didn't change his moves; his outstretched hand seemed to grow out of thin air, still following Gao Yi at a steady pace.

"Hahaha, kid, take this!"

Zhao Deyan showed no sign of ferocity; his face remained smiling.

But if you relax based on this alone, the outcome will only be a terrible one.

Zhao Deyan's hands moved slowly and steadily, appearing simple and clumsy, without any dazzling features.

But this simple palm strike carried a weight as heavy as a mountain.

The five outstretched fingers remained motionless, yet they conveyed endless variations.

It's like an open coffin, about to be filled with a person before being completely sunk into the ground.

Gao Yi did not expect Zhao Deyan to make such a sudden move.

In the midst of their pleasant conversation, they suddenly decided to make a move.

Such behavior cannot be described simply as being capricious.

To be honest, Zhao Deyan, being from the Demonic Sect, is indeed unpredictable and acts in a strange and treacherous manner.

Although Gao Yi was startled, he did not panic.

With his hands forming a mudra, a faint light flickered between his eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.

"Commander Yan, what is the meaning of this? Could it be that you wish to instruct this junior in martial arts?"

Zhao Deyan did not respond. He wrapped his arm around Gao Yi and pressed down with his palm. His five fingers tapped slightly, like a phoenix nodding, completely sealing off Gao Yi's entire body.

"Eighteen Claws of Returning Soul," Gao Yi uttered softly.

Zhao Deyan, as one of the top masters of the Demonic Sect, is renowned in the martial arts world.

His two most well-known techniques are the Hundred Transformations Diamond Spear and the Eighteen Returning Soul Claws.

The latter is his most treasured skill.

Zhao Deyan once relied on these eighteen claws to fight against Martial Venerable Bi Xuan. Although he was defeated, he forced the opponent to use the strongest technique in the Flaming Sun Wonder Art, the Transformation of Yang.

"The Vermilion Bird does not lower its head in rejection. It stands tall like a mountain, its head never bowing. This is the Vermilion Bird's rejection. My young friend, why don't you take a look and appreciate it?"

Zhao Deyan laughed heartily, his face full of friendliness, but his every move showed no restraint.

"Om! Ah! Hum!"

Gao Yi suddenly opened his mouth and uttered three extremely profound syllables.

At the same time, it stopped retreating, placed its feet on the ground, and stopped in place.

His eyes shone brightly, and air swirled around his mouth and nose.

A glint of light flashed in Zhao Deyan's eyes.

"Good lad, you've already attained the Mahayana Samadhi in terms of eyes, ears, nose, body, speech, and mind."

"Commander Yan, I've made a fool of myself."

Gao Yi chuckled and spoke, holding a mudra in his left hand and striking out with his right palm. In an instant, a Buddhist light seemed to emanate from the surroundings, accompanied by the sound of Zen chanting, but it quickly and abruptly disappeared.

Gao Yi's right palm, however, struck Zhao Deyan first, even though it was delayed.

A muffled "bang" was heard.

Gao Yi's body trembled slightly, and in an instant, he dissipated the terrifying force.

Zhao Deyan didn't move his arm, but quickly made a fist with his fingers together, and then pulled it back behind his back.

At the same time, a deep look of surprise flashed in Zhao Deyan's eyes.

"What strength, what a physique! Could this be the Ten Abodes Mahayana Kung Fu of Zhu Faqing back then?"

Zhao Deyan spoke in surprise.

There are indeed some records about Zhu Faqing and the Mahayana sect, including their Demonic Appearance Sect and some other forces.

However, even Zhao Deyan did not know the specific effects of the Ten Abodes Mahayana Practice, which was limited to this.

But from that tentative strike just now, he sensed the terrifying, restrained power within Gao Yi's body.

This force unconsciously reminded him of someone.

The one who fought him back then was Martial Venerable Bi Xuan.

There are countless martial arts schools in the world, and the grandmasters who have made a name for themselves in the martial arts world all have their own areas of expertise.

Like Fu Cailin's swordsmanship and Song Que's knife-wielding.

Besides his world-renowned Blazing Sun Technique, Martial Venerable Bi Xuan is most famous for his physique.

Because Bi Xuan initially started by cultivating external martial arts, and only after achieving some success did he create the Blazing Sun Technique, reaching an even higher level.

Bi Xuan was also the number one expert in external martial arts in the martial arts world.

But the palm strike he just exchanged with Gao Yi made him feel as if he had returned to the day he fought Bi Xuan.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Gao Yi has reached the level of Bi Xuan.

However, the opponent's physical strength far exceeded his expectations.

In fact, as mentioned before, Zhao Deyan did not use his full strength in his attack just now; he deliberately controlled both his internal energy and his power.

But without a doubt, that collision just now caused him a minor setback.

It is neither true qi nor techniques.

Gao Yi's highly varied palm strike, delivered after Gao Yi's attack, caught Zhao Deyan's eye, but it wasn't enough to cause him any harm.

The main problem was the overwhelming power that surged like a torrent after contact. If Zhao Deyan hadn't possessed profound cultivation, he probably would have been a complete clown.

"The Ten Abodes Mahayana Technique, could it be a technique specifically for cultivating the physical body?" Zhao Deyan asked, his eyes filled with confusion.

The Demonic Appearance Sect only has a few words describing the Ten Abodes Mahayana Technique, but they clearly don't match the current situation.

"General Yan, you flatter me. I am simply born with a bit more strength than others."

Gao Yi responded, but he was not at all relaxed.

Judging from the actions just now, Zhao Deyan had no intention of killing or any malice.

But Gao Yi clearly couldn't trust the other party so easily.

The Ten Abodes Mahayana Technique? Could it be that this is the other party's intention?

A guess flashed through Gao Yi's mind.

"Innate divine power?" Zhao Deyan was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered.

"I see. No wonder you were able to fight across thousands of miles and win battle after battle. Such physique and strength—truly a born general!"

"General Yan is too kind; it's nothing more than a trivial skill."

Gao Yi waved his hands repeatedly.

"On the contrary, Commander Yan's Eighteen Claws of Returning Soul has truly broadened my horizons."

"The Vermilion Bird bows its head, the Black Tortoise grieves, the White Tiger carries a corpse in its mouth, and the Azure Dragon is jealous of its master. It truly lives up to its name of 'Returning Soul'."

"what?"

Zhao Deyan paused involuntarily, then looked abruptly at Gao Yi, his eyes shining with an unprecedented light.