Chapter Nine, having settled the matter, he left without a trace
Miss Qianqian, with her hair in disarray, gazed somewhat absentmindedly at the two individuals, who flitted across the surface of the lake like two flying birds
The tips of the two individuals' feet swiftly tapped on the scattered lotus leaves, the slender leaf stems suddenly bent sharply, seemingly on the verge of breaking, yet they abruptly ceased to bear any weight! As the lotus leaves trembled, the two individuals glided past, already reaching another lotus leaf about ten feet away! Had it not been for the startled water birds taking flight and the splashing water, the two would have appeared as if they were flying in the clouds
In the resounding sound of the zither, Xiahou Lei leaped up, letting out a mighty roar, as his formidable handprint struck towards his opponent
Neither side engaged in any probing; they immediately exerted their full strength! In the blink of an eye, they exchanged dozens of blows in a direct and forceful manner! The surging energy tore the drapes and curtains beneath the qin platform into shreds!
Xiahou Lei's expression became extremely grave, as the opponent was able to break through the encirclement and stand before him, clearly aware of his strength as a Earth-level Master, yet still waiting for him to be fully prepared. This blatant contempt not only made him feel a tremendous insult, but also stirred a chill deep within his heart
Just a moment ago, the opponent's strength was still inferior to my own, yet in the blink of an eye, they completely overwhelmed me! And this is in my peak condition! There can only be one explanation for this: the opponent had not exerted their full strength before, and this is their true capability!
The Light Wave Step is a skill of the Grand Master of the Heavenly Stairs. Neither Lu Yun nor Xiahou Lei possesses this ability yet; their capacity to chase each other across the water's surface without the aid of boats is due to the endless expanse of lotus flowers surrounding the painted boat
In the blink of an eye, one could see Xiahou Lei with his hands clasped in front of his chest, fingers interlocked, as he performed a series of intricate hand seals. With a thunderous shout, he declared: "Those who are ready for battle, advance in formation!" Accompanied by that fierce roar, Xiahou Lei forcefully thrust his palms forward
Lu Yun, however, did not dodge or evade; instead, he slowly threw a punch, determined to withstand the palm strike that had sent him flying.
"Useless!" The speed of Lu Yun's movements had clearly slowed down significantly, evidently straining to hold on. Xiahou Lei laughed heartily: "Let me send you on your way to the west!" As he spoke, he struck out with both palms, unleashing the Dragon Elephant Great Hand Seal's Sun Wheel Seal, enveloping it with immense force, intending to crush this oblivious junior into powder!
Liu Qianqian was momentarily taken aback, and only then did she tremble as she pressed down on the strings of the zither, gritting her teeth as she began to pluck them.
In Xiahou Lei's view, the outcome has already been determined, and there is no suspense left.
Arrogant!" Xiahou Lei snorted in anger and said to the trembling Liu Qianqian, "Miss Qianqian, play the zither to assist me, and watch as I slay this scoundrel!"
Forget oneself and enter the Dao! Lu Yun could not help but frown, never expecting that Xiahou Lei, with the aid of the music, had completely freed himself from the psychological influence he had imposed on him, entering the state of self-forgetfulness that martial artists yearn for!
... ...
Xiahou Lei looked at his own hands, trembling slightly with excitement. He had finally executed the eighth form of the Dragon Elephant Great Hand Seal— the Sun Wheel Seal! Although its power was far from comparable to that of his several nephews' Sun Wheel Seals, with time, he was certain that he could use this to elevate the Dragon Elephant Subduing Demon Divine Skill to the eighth level! He would become a Grand Master of the Heavenly Rank!
This rare spectacle made the young lady on the qintai completely forget her fear, her jade-like fingers fluttering like butterflies, and the sound of the guqin grew increasingly passionate and stirring, with each note seemingly capable of making one's heart leap out of their chest
However, Lu Yun did not take the opportunity to launch an immediate attack; instead, he allowed Xiahou Lei to rise and permitted him to adjust his energy and spirit to their peak.
Could it be that this person possesses the strength to crush the Earth Stage? A hint of gloom flashed through Xiahou Lei's mind. However, there are only about ten Grand Masters at the Celestial Stage, and the other party is clearly not among them! Where does this confidence come from!
The sound of the zither came to an abrupt halt, and with the rebound of the immense force, Xiahou Lei turned and leaped out of the painted boat!
The entire qintai was shaken by his strike, and the young lady Qianqian hurriedly pressed down on the seven-stringed zither, preventing herself from falling off.
Xiahou Lei could no longer contain himself and shouted, "Go to hell!" He then transformed into a shadow, propelled by the intense sound of the zither, and lunged towards his opponent
Lu Yun's lips curled into a cold smile as he raised his hand and threw a punch! That punch seemed capable of summoning thunder, its might unparalleled as if it could split the heavens and the earth!
The sound of the zither began intermittently and lacked melody, but she was indeed a master of the zither, and soon, a vigorous and resounding "March into Battle" was played on the zither platform
Xiahou Lei dared not delay any longer, channeling the Dragon Elephant Subduing Demon Divine Skill. Within a few breaths, he dissipated that surge of energy and suppressed the chaotic blood flow. It was evident that the opponent was definitely not at the Celestial level; otherwise, how could he have been given the opportunity to recover
In an instant, Lu Yun seemed to see a divine dragon descending, a sacred elephant charging, the Buddha glaring in anger, and the Vajra subduing demons! An unparalleled immense force came crashing towards him!
With a loud bang, all the snowflakes were swept away, and Lu Yun was also struck and sent flying, his back crashing heavily against the pillar
On the ship of the Xiahou clan, both sides ceased fighting. Upon witnessing this scene, the mountain demon was certain that he had been schemed against today! No longer willing to engage in battle, he whistled and shook off his enemies, leaving behind four or five corpses, and jumped back onto his own ship with the remaining assassins.
The warriors of the Xiahou clan could not afford to pursue them and hurriedly rowed their boats to assist Xiahou Lei... but the two had already vanished without a trace, leaving no chance of catching up...
This is not an illusion; as Xiahou Lei's momentum continues to rise, Lu Yun is gradually being suppressed.
Those fragments were entangled by the energy of the two individuals, swirling around them and unable to fall, becoming increasingly fragmented, like snowflakes dancing and fluttering in the air
Xiahou Lei found himself in such a state, with his entire body filled with true energy surging like a stampede of ten thousand horses, akin to a raging tide! Moreover, as the battle continued, this energy kept rising, and even the Dragon Elephant Subduing Demon Technique, which had been stagnant for over ten years, showed faint signs of a breakthrough!
At this moment, Liu Qianqian's urgent琴音 brought Xiahou Lei back to his senses. He suddenly realized that his opponent had not taken the opportunity to attack and remained motionless there, clearly also suffering from significant internal injuries, and was focusing on regulating his breath.
It is only this cloud, a piece of emerald green
Who would have thought, yet they heard Lu Yun laughing in a haughty manner. Xiahou Lei furrowed his brows; he had never encountered such an arrogant and ignorant person before
Lu Yun appeared to be disdainful, yet in reality, he did not dare to be the slightest bit negligent, immediately raising both hands to confront the enemy
After a while, Xiahou Lei collapsed on the ground, various thoughts flooding his mind. He even contemplated which level of hell he would descend to after his death
Where are you running! Lu Yun cast a glance at the pale-faced Liu Qianqian and then chased after Xiahou Lei
"It seems that I have underestimated the heroes of the world..." Lu Yun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and leaned against the pillar to stand up. His body swayed unsteadily, and he formed a strange hand seal with both hands. A flash of brilliance appeared in his eyes as he said, "Come again!" After speaking, he brought his five fingers into his palms, pressing his thumb against his index and middle fingers, and with a loud shout, he charged towards Xiahou Lei!
Indeed, misfortune often relies on fortune; unexpectedly, today's attack has become an opportunity for my own breakthrough
"Arrogant junior, do you now understand the might of this old man!" Xiahou Lei stood proudly beneath the qin platform, looking down at the weary Lu Yun, and laughed heartily towards the sky. "Zuo Yanqing, you castrated dog, open your dog eyes and witness my breakthrough!"
Under the influence of the music, Xiahou Lei felt more powerful than ever before
Amidst the sound of cracking, the sturdy and thick redwood pillar was unexpectedly struck, resulting in countless cracks! Lu Yun's protective vital energy was forcefully shattered, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood
Once again, with a loud bang, the fists collided without any embellishment, and this time it was Xiahou Lei who was sent flying sideways!
The so-called Master Ranking of the Judiciary Office has a rather distasteful restriction, only ranking martial artists under the age of fifty! They believe that unless one breaks through the legendary innate secret realm, after turning fifty, one's vitality will gradually decline, and the deterioration of martial skills is inevitable! However, Xiahou Lei feels that he is still full of vitality; at least at this moment, every punch he throws and every kick he delivers is unmatched by his younger self before the age of fifty!
Little did anyone know that Xiahou Lei had not exerted his full strength with this move. Seeing that Lu Yun was still able to counterattack, he flicked his wrist, and the Sun Wheel Seal struck the pillar of the qin platform
Entering a state of self-forgetfulness brings one’s body and mind closer to the Dao. At this moment, the skills and experiences accumulated over a lifetime can be fully realized, even to the extent of shutting down the five senses and relying solely on intuition to confront adversaries. One can even transcend oneself, reaching an unprecedented realm
Lu Yun killed four obstructing Xuan-level powerhouses and appeared on the Qintai. This was something Xiahou Lei could never have imagined
A pillar was struck and broken at waist height, causing Xiahou Lei to spit out a mouthful of blood! In that moment, Xiahou Lei found himself unable to move even a finger, and he was filled with a sense of impending doom!
The fierce energy surged within Xiahou Lei like an electric current, causing him excruciating pain in his internal organs as if they were being cut by knives! Once the true energy leaves the body, it does not immediately dissipate; it can still harm the enemy, a feat only achievable by a Celestial-level Grandmaster!
However, his opponent had both hands hanging down, with his single sword still sheathed. Watching Xiahou Lei's pretentious display, there was a hint of mockery in his eyes. This was not a deliberate show of arrogance by Lu Yun, but rather a psychological tactic aimed at suppressing Xiahou Lei. Uncle Bao had informed him that in a duel between masters, the most important factor is momentum; once one side's momentum suppresses the other, it becomes very difficult for the latter to demonstrate their true capabilities. When both sides are evenly matched in strength, the outcome is naturally predetermined. Uncle Bao had informed him that in a duel between masters, the most important factor is momentum; once one side's momentum suppresses the other, it becomes very difficult for the latter to demonstrate their true capabilities. When both sides are evenly matched in strength, the outcome is naturally predetermined.
Under the Qintai, Xiahou Lei, inspired by the intense sound of the zither, suppressed various distracting thoughts deep within his heart, and his fighting spirit continued to rise!
Upon seeing that seal, Liu Qianqian's playing noticeably faltered, but she quickly suppressed the tumultuous waves in her heart and continued to play the zither to support the performance