Li Su suddenly struck, leaving everyone utterly astonished.
Monk Tianming had already raised his bowl to his lips, but he set it down in shock. "Xuankong, what are you doing?"
Supreme Yang Finger. He'd caught them completely off guard.
By the time the Western Xia soldier came to his senses, Li Su had already jabbed him in the chest.
Pfft!
Before he could even react, his pupils contracted. A wave of agony surged through his chest, and his strength drained away in an instant.
Not good!
The captain watching from nearby changed expression and roared, "Attack!"
Clang!
Steel flashed as blades left their sheaths.
Unlike the martial artists of the Central Plains, the Western Xia soldiers were long accustomed to killing. The instant they heard the order, they drew the sabers at their waists. Without the slightest pause, one soldier beside Li Su lunged at him, while the rest charged at the stunned Monk Tianming.
Their blades flashed like lightning, filling the air with streaks of light.
Li Su drew a deep breath and activated the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art with all his might. He gritted his teeth, hoping the art was truly as formidable as its name suggested.
He ignored the blade arcing toward him and swept out an arm at the soldiers attacking his master, Monk Tianming.
Clang!
A metallic ring rang out, and blood burst from Li Su's back.
At the same time, his palm struck the attacking soldier without holding back. The terrible force crushed the man's head out of shape and sent him flying, soldier and saber alike, into another man charging at Monk Tianming.
In an instant, the Western Xia soldiers' formation around Monk Tianming was broken.
"Western Xia!"
Monk Tianming finally understood. Whatever else might be said, the captain's order had clearly not been spoken in Han Chinese. Seeing the Shaolin Temple's most valued disciple spill blood to save him, Monk Tianming was overcome with fury.
"Useless!"
A low shout rang out. The front door of the hut nearby exploded, and a figure shot out like lightning.
Without hesitation, he charged straight at Monk Tianming.
He threw a punch in midair.
Heat—an unbelievable heat—erupted from his fist.
"Prajna Palm!"
Monk Tianming's expression changed. He sensed that the newcomer was his equal, a first-rate fighter.
Daring not to take him lightly, he struck out with a palm.
Boom!
A thunderous, muffled blast rang out. A violent surge of force burst between them, and the space between them seemed to explode like a hand grenade, sending a fierce gale sweeping across the field.
Li Su and the others were closest. They bore the brunt of the gale and were flung away.
Monk Tianming staggered back several steps and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The man who had emerged fared no better. He was already exhausted, but Shaolin Temple's true qi was exceptionally domineering, and the Arhat Hall's chief was stronger still. His deep internal energy far exceeded expectations. Though he was only a first-rate fighter, the strength of his energy surpassed that of an ordinary first-rate fighter by far.
The man's tongue tasted sweet with blood. He had suffered internal injuries, but he barely touched down before forcibly twisting away the momentum of his retreat and charging in again.
This time, he didn't meet Monk Tianming's attacks head-on. Instead, he hooked his hands like claws and unleashed the Eagle Claw Technique!
Monk Tianming swept out both palms. Facing the man's razor-sharp claws, he wielded his hands like blades, his true qi blazing like fire. It was the Shaolin Temple's supreme art, Burning Wood Blade Technique.
Boom, boom, boom!
In an instant, the two men became a pair of shadowy figures. In just a few blinks, they had exchanged dozens of blows.
Monk Tianming shouted, "Nine-Turn Eagle Claw! You're Tuoba Xiong of the First Rank Hall?"
Tuoba Xiong gave a cold smile. "I didn't expect the Arhat Hall's chief, Master Tianming of Shaolin Temple, to know who I am. I'm honored. Li Hui, kill them all!"
"Yes!" The captain who had withstood the force from the two first-rate fighters—Li Hui—shouted at once.
Monk Tianming's expression changed. "Amitabha Buddha..."
Just then, a figure suddenly sprang up and, before anyone could react, charged at the Western Xia soldiers stumbling from the shockwave.
A blade flashed. Without the slightest hesitation, he took two heads.
His expressionless face unchanged, he flung the saber from his hand and killed another man. At the same time, he kicked out repeatedly, sending the scattered steel sabers on the ground toward two more soldiers.
In the blink of an eye, five Western Xia soldiers had been cut down.
There had been ten Western Xia soldiers in total.
Including the one killed by the finger strike at the start, six skilled fighters from the Western Xia First Class Hall now lay dead.
Huff!
Li Su let out a long breath and turned to look at Li Hui and the two soldiers who had recovered.
Protected by the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art, the force had still swept over him and knocked him back, but it hadn't robbed him of the ability to move. Unfortunately, even though he'd acted quickly, he still hadn't been quick enough.
"You little bastard!"
Seeing this, Tuoba Xiong flew into a rage. "Li Hui, what the hell are you doing?!"
Monk Tianming's eyes lit up. The anguish on his face softened with relief, but a moment later, tension crept back in.
"Damn it!"
Staring at Li Su, Li Hui looked as if his eyes would burst from their sockets. His fury blazed.
Everyone here was a skilled fighter from the First Rank Hall, at the peak of the third-rate level and not far from the second-rate level.
Ordinarily, it took at least three third-rate Song Dynasty fighters to kill one of them. Today, six had died in quick succession. The first had been killed by a sneak attack, and the next five had fallen with virtually no chance to fight back.
"You deserve to die!"
Though furious, he hadn't lost his reason. "You two, go kill the others first, then come back."
"Yes!"
The other two were just as murderous. They were furious at the humiliating way their brothers had died.
"Jiejie, we're in serious danger."
Just then, a voice like a silver bell rang out. Ming Yulong rose to her feet, her face pale. Her skin was now as pure white as jade, and her qi was visibly rising.
Hm?
Li Hui's eyes narrowed. The powder they had all drunk was a specially prepared Muscle-Softening Powder from Western Xia. It was colorless and odorless, and once swallowed, it left its victims unable to muster even the slightest strength. He hadn't expected anyone to be able to use their energy to expel it.
"Shangqing True Qi? The Mystic Maiden of Shangqing? You two, go kill her!"
Realizing what was happening, Li Hui pointed at the two men, then drew his saber. He charged at Li Su like a bolt of lightning.
The instant the blade flashed, Li Su felt a chill run through his entire body.
It was a powerful blade, and a blade meant to kill.
He sharply drew in a breath of true qi. As Arhat True Qi flooded his palm and the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art covered his body, he used Cotton Palm to sweep at the descending saber.
"Heh!"
Li Hui let out a cold shout, killing intent surging in his eyes. Li Su was daring to fight barehanded. He was asking for death!
Clang!
Their first clash rang out like metal striking stone.
Li Su's palm bled, while Li Hui's saber was knocked aside.
Hm??
Li Hui's eyes widened, disbelief spreading across his face. Though the blade in his hand was only a standard-issue Song Dynasty saber, not a particularly fine weapon, wielded with his martial skill, it could split stone and cleave wood. With that kind of force, it could even split a horse in two. Though Li Su had struck it from the side, how could flesh and blood have blocked it barehanded?
Impossible!
Roaring, Li Hui slashed wildly, giving it everything he had.
Now confident in his chances, Li Su held his breath and met the attacks with his palms.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sharp blade and hand-blade clashed again and again. Neither gave ground; neither yielded.
The sparks flew, and blood sprayed. Wang Jiantong and the others, sprawled on the ground in utter despair and unable to move even a finger, watched in shock and terror.
Wang Jiantong in particular had heard his master, Guan Tiannan, speak of it before.
There were three supreme arts in the world.
Xiaoyao Northern Darkness, Shangqing Mysterious Jade, and Shaolin's Vajra.
Anyone who mastered one, even just its basics, would shake the world and leave their name through the ages.
Good heavens.
That was the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art!!!
One minute, two minutes, three minutes.
The two men stood firm, relentlessly trading blows with such savage force that the ground beneath their feet sank deeply under the strain.
At last, after a full five minutes, Li Hui's breathing faltered. His body jolted to a halt, and his frenzied eyes contracted in disbelief.
Impossible!!!
Li Su was in no better shape. Normally, he could keep holding his breath for half an hour, but after only five minutes, his chest felt ready to burst.
Still, this wasn't the time to stop. He struggled to summon the last of his Arhat True Qi.
Two fingers. Formless!
An invisible finger force shot through the air and struck Li Hui in the chest.
Boom!
The force burst apart. It was nowhere near as strong as the first strike, but no mortal body could withstand it. The flesh from Li Hui's chest to his heart was charred through.
Watching the light fade from his opponent's eyes as he fell, Li Su's vision blurred. The world around him vanished.
Master, don't let me down.