Chapter 10, Fierce Battle
Even the most formidable techniques were ineffective against the old eunuch, and naturally, Li Zhichang did not dare to linger in battle. The two men's palm forces neutralized each other, and they were both forced back. Li Zhichang shouted loudly, "Old monster, take a look at my move 'Deadly Continuous Three Immortal Swords'!" The old eunuch thought to himself, "Not good, this kid is going all out."
This feeling grew stronger and stronger, all the way to the outskirts of the city, nearly ten miles away from Yanjing. Li Zhichang had just used the sword technique 'One Qi Transforming into Three Purities' to repel the enemy, and now, without pausing for breath, he fled from Zhongdu. His mind and spirit were exhausted, and he knew it would be difficult to shake off the pursuers behind him. Therefore, he decided to stop running and instead regulate his breath, preparing himself for either battle or escape when the time came.
Li Zhichang felt a mix of joy and worry. The worry stemmed from the fact that the other party was indeed not an easy opponent, having seen through his plans; the joy came from the realization that the other party did not approach him directly, indicating that their martial arts had not reached the pinnacle. Otherwise, they would have certainly taken the opportunity to pursue him while he was momentarily halted. This battle of wits and strength was fraught with danger, known only to the two of them, and even though they had not met face to face before, each had their own calculations in mind.
Li Zhi often said those two sentences, originally intending to provoke his anger. However, upon seeing his sleeve slightly sway, he immediately thrust his sword towards his throat with great speed. This thrust was incredibly swift; had the old eunuch not recoiled, the sharp blade would have pierced his throat instantly. But at that moment, Li Zhi only felt a slight pain on his left cheek, followed by his sword, the Unchanging Sword, being deflected to the left. It turned out that the old eunuch's response was astonishingly quick; in that fleeting moment, he had already used his fingernail to prick Li Zhi's face, then retracted his arm and flicked Li Zhi's sword away with his fingers.
Li Zhichang leaped over the palace wall and suddenly felt a chilling sensation behind him. He did not dare to look back and exerted all his strength to run his internal energy, but that chilling feeling clung to him like a persistent affliction that could not be shaken off
The old eunuch coughed again and sighed, saying: "Why are you, a young man like this, so eager to meet me? Otherwise, in twenty years, the world will have another Wang Chongyang."
Li Zhichang tightly gripped the hilt of the Impermanence Sword, his expression unreadable. Of course, he was wearing a mask, so even if he had an expression, the old eunuch would not be able to see it. He noticed that the old eunuch bent over, his body shifting slightly. Li Zhichang thought to himself how fast it was; it turned out that in that brief moment of movement, the old eunuch had already struck seven times in succession. His speed was so great that after each strike, he immediately returned to his original position, creating this effect. Fortunately, Li Zhichang's instincts were far superior to ordinary people, and his martial arts training had reached a certain level, allowing him to avoid the critical hits. Li Zhichang thought to himself how fast it was; it turned out that in that brief moment of movement, the old eunuch had already struck seven times in succession. His speed was so great that after each strike, he immediately returned to his original position, creating this effect. Fortunately, Li Zhichang's instincts were far superior to ordinary people, and his martial arts training had reached a certain level, allowing him to avoid the critical hits.
Even so, the mask on his face was just shattered by the dissipated energy, and under the moonlight, his chiseled handsome face was filled with gravity
The old eunuch's complexion was waxy yellow, his back hunched, and he coughed incessantly, as if suffering from a serious illness. He slowly approached Li Zhichang. The old eunuch said in a sharp and high-pitched voice: "Is it from the Quanzhen Sect?" The old eunuch merely spoke offhandedly; ultimately, who the assassin belonged to was, in his view, a matter for the emperor to decide. He only needed to do his utmost to capture this person and bring him back.
Li Zhi could be seen channeling all his energy into the sword, delivering a powerful strike aimed directly at the head, followed by two more strikes, each executed with a desperate intensity
Li Zhichang, fully aware that the crisis was imminent, could not help but laugh and say: "Look at you, you must have been hurt in the lung meridian not long ago, and at such an old age, who knows how many more years you have left? Why not quietly wait for death in the palace instead of accompanying me to enjoy the moon in the middle of the night?"
The two had no idea how many moves had passed, and Li Zhichang's arms were beginning to feel sore and numb. Suddenly, Li Zhichang became acutely alert as a faint black shadow rushed towards his left eye. At that moment, there was no time to block or evade; in a flurry, his long sword trembled and lunged towards the old eunuch's left eye, resulting in a mutually injurious attack. Fortunately, during the exchange, his strength was fully mobilized throughout his body. Li Zhichang closed his eyes, and the tiny object barely pierced his eyelid.
Li Zhichang, in a state of shock, realized that he had encountered an unprecedented formidable enemy today. He understood that if he allowed the opponent any opportunity to act, his life would be in immediate danger. Without hesitation, he swiftly thrust four swords, all aimed at the opponent's vital points. The old eunuch spun faster and faster, his figure rolling about in the moonlight. The Wuchang sword was filled with true energy, creating a loud whistling sound. Yet, the old eunuch did not make a single sound. The old eunuch spun faster and faster, his figure rolling about in the moonlight. The Wuchang sword was filled with true energy, creating a loud whistling sound. Yet, the old eunuch did not make a single sound.
The bright moon hangs high in the sky, and the place is silent and deserted, making it a suitable location for a decisive battle. He originally thought that the person would arrive shortly, allowing him to remain still and wait for action. However, after a quarter of an hour had passed, he finally saw an old man of about sixty slowly approaching from a distance
Li Zhi often observed his attire, and was greatly surprised to find that he was a eunuch. It is well known that eunuchs, due to their physical shortcomings, find it very difficult to master superior martial arts. The fact that this person could follow him from the imperial city to this place indicated that his martial skills were certainly not inferior to his own, making him an exceptional case. Moreover, this person was able to anticipate that he was here to regulate his breathing; instead of rushing over, he approached slowly, clearly having also adjusted his breath during the journey.
For a moment, the surroundings were enveloped in silence, and Li Zhichang did not even dare to breathe. He slowly drew out his long sword, not daring to make even the slightest unnecessary movement. Any slight change in his actions would reveal a flaw, and exposing a flaw in the presence of a master like the old eunuch was tantamount to death
The infiltration of the palace by such a master was irresistible, and he could not help but take action. As a result, the opponent's martial arts were so formidable that they were almost unheard of. After a thousand moves, he finally found himself outmatched and was struck by a palm. Fortunately, before leaving, the man revealed that he was from the Jin state and possessed such high martial arts skills that he should not have spared his life. However, having enjoyed many delicacies in the palace over the past few days, he felt a sense of guilt and only inflicted an injury. Yet, the man's power was almost transcendent; although the palace had countless precious medicinal herbs, he still left behind a hidden ailment after treating the injury. This was a great humiliation in his life, and being singled out by Li Zhichang this time, how could he not be furious
As the powerful palm descended, the old eunuch indeed could not evade it. He thrust out both palms, having no choice but to take the blow head-on. Li Zhichang only felt an unending force of palm energy continuously dissipating the tremendous impact of his strike. He thought to himself: "What an impressive Daoist soft palm technique; how could this old man have mastered such Daoist skills?"
Fortunately, Li Zhichang's sword strike was extremely swift, and it was aimed at a point the enemy had no choice but to defend. In his fury, the old eunuch attacked the enemy, inevitably becoming somewhat reckless and overconfident. As a result, his finger strike went awry and failed to hit the vital point in the opponent's body. With nothing but flesh and blood, the old eunuch managed to deflect the Wuchang sword with a single finger, demonstrating martial prowess that was truly astonishing
Li Zhichang originally thought that this old eunuch merely possessed elusive movements, and that his true skills were not necessarily superior to his own. However, he soon realized that even in the practice of Qi Gong, the opponent seemed to be above him. It is important to note that Li Zhichang was young, strong, and full of vigor; this strike not only contained all of his true energy but also combined with his external martial arts. Even a massive boulder of blue stone in the mountains would have been split apart by this blow. Yet, this old eunuch, despite his frail body and hidden injuries, managed to withstand it. It is truly remarkable and awe-inspiring, deserving of both fear and respect. At this point, Li Zhichang could not help but feel deep admiration for the old eunuch.
It turned out to be a fine embroidery needle, which fell from his eyelid as its remaining strength was exhausted, and was then shattered by the true energy of the two men. Li Zhichang dared not be distracted; he thought that prolonged defense would inevitably lead to loss. He drew upon all his strength, his muscles bulging like those of a Yellow Turban warrior, and his body rose a full span. His left hand, as large as a fan, locked onto the old eunuch's energy and struck down. This was the secret technique "Law Manifesting Heaven and Earth" practiced by the Thirteen Guardians. Given his current cultivation level, it was still quite strenuous to execute, but in this situation, he had no choice but to fight for his life. His left hand, as large as a fan, locked onto the old eunuch's energy and struck down. This was the secret technique "Law Manifesting Heaven and Earth" practiced by the Thirteen Guardians. Given his current cultivation level, it was still quite strenuous to execute, but in this situation, he had no choice but to fight for his life.
The old eunuch coughed twice and said, "Young people do not know the heights of heaven and the depths of the earth." His face, however, was somewhat flushed. Suddenly, a figure flickered, and he pointed his hand like a sword, swiftly aiming at Li Zhichang. Thirty years ago, after achieving mastery in martial arts, the old eunuch became confident that there was no one in the world who could rival him. He regarded the Five Greats of the Central Plains as mere exaggerations, believing that it was only because he did not leave the palace that these individuals gained fame. Little did he know that a master had entered the imperial kitchen a few years ago, and he discovered this.