All Heavens: Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts Starting from the Republic of China

Chapter 77 Fierce Battle: The Only Good News

Fu Ze forced himself to steady himself, but the blood in his chest was still churning violently. A metallic sweetness rose in his throat, which he forcefully suppressed.

He looked at his right hand, where a few faint traces of golden light remained.

"If I hadn't reacted quickly enough and instantly attached my palm with golden spiritual energy to deflect some of the impact, that palm strike would probably have directly injured my bones and muscles."

Even so, the primordial energy still made half of his body go numb.

He really wanted to say: A Dan Jin expert is terrifying!

Fu Ze looked up at Yan Heting and chuckled softly.

"Old man, you look like you're halfway to the grave, but I didn't expect you to be so capable."

When facing the enemy, Fu Ze deliberately acted nonchalant.

He recalled that when he first started exploring cultivation, in the world where spiritual energy was depleted, he had tried to attach the meager amount of spiritual energy in his body to his fists and feet.

At that time, his thinking was very simple: since talismans can carry spiritual energy, why can't fists and feet? Even if they don't have the many mysterious transformations of talismans, it would be good enough if they could simply help him injure spirits and ghosts.

Magic and martial arts were something Fu Ze had figured out and blended together little by little on his own.

Later, the [Order of All Heavens] completed the technique, and his fighting style became even more effective. Spiritual energy infused his fists and feet, golden light temporarily enveloped his body, and talismans and spells were used in conjunction, allowing him to attack and defend, and to fight at both long and short ranges.

In terms of combat skills, Fu Ze boasted that he was more agile and skillful than the "natives" of this world.

But Yan Heting's palm strike just now shows that his cultivation level can still be overwhelming.

"There are still many real old monsters in this world! I can't let my guard down."

Li Junfeng had told him before that once one reaches the Dan Jin level beyond the Hua Jin level, one can embrace the Dan and sit on the hips, achieving a state of primordial Qi and blood, and a unified fist intent, thus becoming a Grandmaster.

When Fu Ze listened, he felt awe, but he didn't truly experience it firsthand.

Just now, Yan Heting's casual palm strike made him realize that there is indeed a huge gap between Hua Jin and Dan Jin!

A Dan Jin martial artist seems to condense their entire body's Qi and blood into a round, heavy pill; when they strike, all their strength is unified. Once unleashed, its power far surpasses that of a Hua Jin martial artist.

Yan Heting withdrew his hand, his expression calm.

"He's only just entered the Transformation Realm, yet he can withstand my palm strike without getting hurt. He can also cultivate magic to such an extent; no wonder he can ruin those sorcerers' schemes."

Fu Ze smiled.

"Let me correct you, I'm a sorcerer who also practices martial arts. Old man, you've lived this long, haven't you ever seen someone like me who practices both magic and martial arts? Well then, it'll be worth it for you to die by my hand today."

Yan Heting glanced at him, seemingly finding it somewhat interesting.

"His verbal skills are pretty good too."

Han Zhenyue took a step forward, his expression extremely solemn.

"Senior Yan, you are a renowned martial arts master from the North, why bother with such matters?"

Yan Heting didn't look at him, but said calmly.

"A renowned martial arts master?"

He seemed to have heard some rather boring title.

"Can a master martial artist make me young again? Can they keep my energy and blood flowing smoothly? Can they help me improve my skills further?"

Han Zhenyue was speechless.

Yan Heting said slowly.

"You are still young, still struggling in the early stages of cultivation, so naturally you feel that the world is vast and the road ahead is long. But when you reach my age, you will know what it means to have one step on a cliff."

"The path beyond Dan Jin cannot be paved by hard work alone."

He looked down at his palm.

That hand was thin and aged, but beneath its muscles and skin lay a terrifying life force.

"I've practiced boxing my whole life, reaching the Dan Jin level, and thought I had seen the world. Later I realized I had only just touched the threshold. There are higher and stronger levels waiting for us martial artists. How can I die in peace without witnessing their splendor?"

Lu Shouzhen said coldly.

"So you betrayed your country and defected to the enemy, helping the Japanese to wreak havoc on my Wenlong and my homeland?"

Yan Heting finally looked at him.

"Taoist priest of Maoshan, you don't need to use righteousness to pressure me. I am not loyal to Japan, nor to Nanjing, nor to Chen Ji'an."

His tone was calm to the point of being indifferent.

"Whoever gives me something, I'll fight for them. I'm just a warrior; what does the imperial court have to do with me?"

"What did the Japanese give you?" Fu Ze asked. "An elixir of immortality? A higher level of martial arts? Or resources that will allow you to continue progressing?"

Yan Heting remained silent for a moment.

Then he laughed.

"You've got good taste, kid."

Fu Ze felt a slight unease.

really!

This Grandmaster of Dan Jin was neither bewitched nor controlled by magic.

He was very clear-headed.

This kind of person is extremely selfish. He knows what he's doing, but he doesn't think he's done anything wrong.

Lu Shouzhen said coldly.

"The path to martial arts is one you forge step by step through your own training. What kind of path is it to rely on medicine given by outsiders, or resources gained by betraying the people and the nation, even if it extends your life by a few years?"

Yan Heting glanced at him.

"Taoist, you have a sect, a lineage, elixirs, and an altar. Of course you can say such things."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling, rusty quality.

"In my youth, I fought my way from beyond the Great Wall to within, from镖局 (security escort agencies) to military camps, from the martial world to the battlefield. I mastered both Ming Jin (manifest strength) and An Jin (hidden strength)..."

From the initial stage of "Transformation of Strength" to the final stage of "Elixir of Power," which step wasn't forged through mountains of corpses and seas of blood?

"But after reaching Dan Jin, I knew there was still a road ahead, but I couldn't go any further."

"Those powerful sects won't give me their elixirs, and they won't lend me their treasured boxing manuals from the Central Martial Arts Academy. It turns out they just see me as a useful weapon."

As he said this, a flicker of emotion finally appeared in his eyes.

"Since the Central Plains won't give it, but someone overseas will, why can't I take it?"

Han Zhenyue said angrily.

"Take it, but then use it to kill your own people?"

Yan Heting said calmly.

"You get what you pay for. You work for Chen Ji'an, I work for someone else, it's no different."

Fu Ze sneered and said.

"Nonsense."

Yan Heting looked at him.

Fu Ze gripped the lightning-struck jujube wood dagger tightly, his tone cold.

"Deep down you know this is treason and defection, but you're just deceiving yourself to ease your conscience. With a mind like yours, you could never break through to the Dan Jin realm. You're not worthy!"

Yan Heting remained silent for a moment.

He then said.

"You little thing, you're sharp-toothed. Only by killing you today can I achieve my goal."

Fu Ze sneered.

"The same goes for me. Only by killing you can I achieve clarity of mind and advance further in both magic and martial arts."

Behind the altar, the sorcerer in narrow sleeves and black robes suddenly spoke. His Chinese was correct; it was indeed the voice Fu Ze had heard in the cabin of the South Wharf earlier.

"Mr. Yan, time is running out."

Yan Heting said calmly.

"Know."

The Japanese sorcerer formed a hand seal, and the three blue lamps on the altar lit up simultaneously.

A small mirror hung in mid-air, reflecting the chaotic streets outside the armory, the firelight in the direction of the city gate, and many city defense soldiers being mobilized by false military orders.

The paper figures stood up one by one, swaying gently as if pulled by invisible threads.

Fu Ze immediately felt the chilling atmosphere in the entire armory become even stronger.

Besides the area around the altar, tiny yellow talismans began to glow on the ammunition boxes, corners of walls, door beams, and iron frames all around.

Clusters of misty blue light fell at Yan Heting's feet, like a thin mist, helping to conceal his aura and also slightly dulling the senses of Fu Ze and the others.

Fu Ze's eyes turned cold.

"This Japanese sorcerer is protecting the altar and also helping Yan Heting."

Lu Shouzhen nodded.

"Let this humble Taoist priest have a go at this Japanese pirate villain."

After he finished speaking, he raised his hand and produced a thunder talisman.

"Shangqing Thunder and Fire, by imperial decree!"

Thunder and fire flew towards the altar.

The Japanese sorcerer clasped his hands together, and the paper figures in front of him instantly burst into flames, transforming into a bluish-black barrier.

boom!

The lightning struck the barrier, blasting out a shower of sparks.

Two of the paper figures broke.

But the thunder talisman was also blocked.

Lu Shouzhen frowned.

"There are quite a few variations of the Substitution Technique."

The Japanese sorcerer ignored him and continued to activate the altar.

Yan Heting, however, had already made his move.

He took a step forward.

It didn't seem particularly impressive, yet it caused the ground within a radius of several meters to tremble slightly.

As he took that step, the small mirror on the altar lit up slightly.

The mirror reflected the figures of Han Zhenyue and Luo Dingfang.

The two shadows were a beat slower than the real people, but it was as if they had been pulled back by some kind of cold force beforehand.

Just as Han Zhenyue was about to throw a punch, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders and back.

Luo Dingfang's feet also paused slightly.

By being only slightly slower, Yan Heting had already seized the initiative.

Fu Ze's heart sank.

"This Japanese sorcerer didn't directly enhance Yan Heting's power; he was helping Yan Heting create an advantageous situation."

Using Japanese sorcery, they conceal the flow of qi, slow down perception, and disrupt judgment.

For a martial artist as powerful as a Grandmaster of Dan Jin, gaining the upper hand would be enough to completely tilt the situation.

Han Zhenyue and Luo Dingfang join forces to fight the enemy!

Han Zhenyue's fist was fierce and powerful, his arms like iron beams, and he directly punched Yan Heting in the chest with a cannon fist.

Luo Dingfang then swayed his body, circled to the side, and hooked his five fingers towards Yan Heting's ribs.

The two masters at the peak of the Transformation Realm cooperated extremely well, far surpassing ordinary Transformation Realm experts!

Yan Heting simply raised his hands at the same time, one hand blocking Han Zhenyue, and the other grabbing at Luo Dingfang.

boom!boom!

Two muffled thuds.

Han Zhenyue staggered back three steps, the large blue bricks beneath his feet cracking and sending shards of stone flying.

Luo Dingfang's face turned pale, and he barely managed to dissipate the heavy force by turning to the side.

Yan Heting stood still, not even the hem of his clothes was ruffled.

Han Zhenyue gritted his teeth.

"This is Dan Jin? It's fucking powerful!"

Luo Dingfang said in a deep voice.

"Don't fight head-on."

Tang Ziming raised his gun from a distance.

boom!

A bullet struck Yan Heting in the back of the head.

Yan Heting seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, his shoulders and back twitching slightly.

The bullet grazed his clothes.

Tang Ziming's face darkened.

His marksmanship was not as good as Zhao Rui's, but it was by no means comparable to that of an ordinary soldier.

But when facing a Grandmaster of Dan Jin, such a long-range shot is so powerful that the opponent doesn't even need to look back, but simply dodges on instinct, without even getting a scratch.

Zhao Rui, however, fired from the other side.

Boom!

Two shots, one in front of the other.

The first shot blocked Yan Heting's dodge direction.

The second shot is the real killing blow.

Yan Heting finally glanced sideways.

He lightly touched the ground with his foot, and his body shifted half a foot to the side.

The second bullet grazed his shoulder, tearing a gash in his clothes.

Zhao Rui's eyes lit up.

"It will be successful!"

Yan Heting looked at Zhao Rui.

"Good marksmanship."

Before he finished speaking, he stomped his foot, shattering the ground and sending a large brick flying. He then slapped it out with his palm.

The stone, carrying terrifying force, hurtled towards Zhao Rui like a cannonball.

Zhao Rui's expression changed, and he rolled away.

Bang—snap!

The wooden crate behind him was smashed open by the falling rocks, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Seizing the opportunity presented by Yan Heting's attack, Fu Ze twirled the lightning-struck jujube wood dagger in his palm and charged towards the altar, his body skimming the ground.

He's already figured it out.

As long as this Grandmaster of Dan Jin stands here, it will be very difficult for them to cross over and destroy the altar.

But conversely, Yan Heting also had to protect the altar!

Once the altar is destroyed, most of their schemes and plots will collapse.

Fu Ze's target was not Yan Heting.

It's a Dharma altar!

The Japanese sorcerer immediately noticed it.

He swiftly formed hand seals, and one of the three green lamps suddenly grew longer, transforming into a green fire snake that coiled around Fu Ze in mid-air.

Fu Ze held the talisman in his left hand.

"Golden light to ward off evil!"

Golden light blocked the fire serpent.

But the fire serpent neither exploded nor dispersed; instead, it circled along the edge of the golden light, as if it had its own consciousness.

Upon seeing this, Lu Shouzhen raised his hand and unleashed a lightning talisman.

"Young friend Fu, let's go!"

boom!

The thunder talisman blasted the fire snake apart.

Fu Ze took the opportunity to continue approaching the altar.

But Yan Heting was already blocking their way.

His speed did not appear fast.

Every step he took seemed to be precisely where Fu Ze was headed.

Then he raised his hand and slapped down!

Fu Ze did not take the hit head-on this time.

He slipped and twisted his waist and hips, narrowly escaping the edge of the palm strike.

Even though he wasn't hit, the force of the palm still made his shoulder go numb.

Han Zhenyue and Luo Dingfang pounced again.

Tang Ziming also fired shots from a distance.

boom! boom! boom!

Although the bullets were unlikely to hit Yan Heting's vital points, they forced him to divert some of his attention.

Zhao Rui is even more cunning.

He didn't hit Yan Heting's chest or head, but only targeted his ankles, the corners of his eyes, and behind his ears—areas where he was less likely to bear weight.

Yan Heting was finally held back for a while by the combined efforts of two "sharpshooters" and two martial arts masters.

Even so, all four of them were in great danger!

Han Zhenyue's chest was grazed by Yan Heting's palm strike, his clothes ripped open on the spot, and a bruise appeared on his chest.

Luo Dingfang's left arm was numb from the shock, and his fingertips almost lost all feeling.

Although Tang Ziming and Zhao Rui were firing from a distance, Yan Heting repeatedly raised his hand to send flying rocks, forcing them to scramble and dodge, leaving them in a sorry state.

Zhao Rui's ear hammer was grazed by a flying piece of gravel, and blood immediately flowed from it.

His face looked grim.

"That old man's casual flick of the wrist is like firing a gun! When martial arts reach a high level, it's terrifying."

Fu Ze was also constantly moving, and several times he tried to rush towards the altar, but Yan Heting forced him back each time.

Moreover, whenever he had the chance, the blue lamp on the Japanese sorcerer's altar would light up, and his shadow would wrap around his feet.

Lu Shouzhen gathers the power of his thunder talisman, and the paper figures will fly up in droves, burning themselves to block the lightning.

As soon as Zhao Rui locks onto the warlock, the mirror will flicker, reflecting several illusory figures.

This Japanese man's magical skill is indeed more profound than Fu Ze's. If we only consider magic, Fu Ze might not have the upper hand. What's more troublesome is that the other party doesn't even engage in direct combat with him.

After several rounds of fighting, Lu Shouzhen finally seized an opportunity—

He bit his fingertip and put a drop of blood on the thunder talisman.

"Thunder and Fire Dispel Impurity!"

The talisman burned, and the lightning was even brighter than before.

The Japanese sorcerer's expression changed slightly.

He had to divert half of his magical power to resist Lu Shouzhen's lightning talisman.

The green lamp on the altar flickered.

Fu Ze's eyes lit up.

opportunity!

Instead of rushing towards Yan Heting, he tapped his toes on an ammunition box, leaped up, and jumped towards the altar from the side.

Yan Heting looked up, a cold glint in his eyes, and tried to intercept him.

Han Zhenyue roared and threw out both fists at the same time.

Luo Dingfang, risking injury, grabbed Yan Heting's wrist.

Tang Ziming and Zhao Rui fired their guns almost simultaneously.

Pressure from all four sides is falling simultaneously.

Yan Heting was finally slowed down by half a step.

Only half a step.

But for Fu Ze, that was enough!

While he was in mid-air, the lightning-struck jujube wood dagger was already flashing with blue and white lightning.

"Shangqing Cave God, Thunder and Fire Dispel Evil!"

The small mirror on the altar suddenly lit up, and Fu Ze's image appeared in the mirror.

The next moment, Fu Ze in the mirror reached out a hand and grabbed his throat!

Fu Ze's pupils contracted.

The magic of this Japanese sorcerer is indeed insidious and bizarre, using mirrors, shadows, paper, and lamps to manipulate people's souls and perceptions at every turn.

Fu Ze twisted his body forcefully in mid-air, and with a golden slap of his left hand, he shattered the hand that was reaching out from the mirror.

But this also slowed things down for a moment.

The Japanese sorcerer sneered.

"Just like in the cabin, you're too late."

He clasped his hands together, and a circle of red lines lit up below the altar.

The red line leads to the depths of the armory.

Fu Ze sensed a gunpowder-like aura rapidly heating up, indicating that the other party was about to detonate the inner vault!

"Holy crap, another explosion?"

In that instant, Fu Ze finally understood.

Their real strategy is: if they can't take it, they'll blow it up!

If the General Armory is blown up, Wenlong City will definitely be in chaos, Chen Ji'an's strength will be greatly diminished, and Liao Xibai's political capital will also be greatly reduced.

The only good news is that this crazy move might clear Chen Ji'an of suspicion!

This has nothing to do with him. After all, no one would be stupid enough to plot in this way.

Fu Ze landed on his feet, only a few steps away from the altar.

But Yan Heting had already turned around, his internal energy and blood were like a furnace, pressing down again.

Fu Ze took a deep breath.

Even if you can't beat them, you have to break through.

Otherwise, everyone's efforts tonight will have been in vain!

Moreover, if this place is bombed, there's a high probability that everyone will die here.

He gripped the lightning-struck jujube wood dagger tightly, his eyes sinking completely.

"Master Lu!"

Lu Shouzhen immediately understood.

"This humble Taoist priest will clear the way for you!"

Lightning flashed again.

Inside the armory, thunder, fire, lamplight, gunfire, and the force of fists erupted simultaneously.