Mighty Dragon Divine Palm vs. Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms

"Mighty Dragon Divine Palm!"

Ren Qianxing struck in fury. His inner power surged as he poured it all into his right palm. The palm wind howled, accompanied by a faint, deep dragon roar that left everyone's eardrums buzzing.

As his palm force rose, golden dragon-shaped true qi burst forth like a wild dragon emerging from the abyss, carrying an overbearing force that seemed capable of destroying everything as it shot straight for Zu Hao's chest.

Facing this swift blow, powerful enough to split stone monuments and shatter rocks, Zu Hao's Nine Yang Divine Skill began circulating mightily. Supremely yang and unyielding inner power surged endlessly through his meridians like great rivers, while a faint layer of warm pale-gold radiance appeared around his body.

Only when the palm wind was already upon him did Zu Hao unhurriedly raise his right hand and push forward, seeming slow and heavy.

At first glance, this palm strike looked plain and unadorned, even somewhat clumsy. Yet at the instant when its momentum was neither fully spent nor fully released, an immense, peerless force of incomparable ferocity erupted.

"Boom—!"

The two palms collided head-on without any embellishment, erupting with a thunderous boom.

Violent force spread wildly outward from the two of them. The already wrecked tables, chairs, and debris in the hall were swept by an invisible giant hand and instantly ground into dust.

Dust on the floor rippled outward in rings, and even the thick beams and pillars let out teeth-grinding creaks.

Ren Qianxing's expression changed drastically. He felt a mountain-toppling force surge up his arm, its savage dominance far exceeding that of his own Mighty Dragon Divine Palm.

Unable to keep his footing, he staggered back three steps. Each step left a distinct footprint in the bluestone floor before he barely managed to dissipate that terrifying force.

The wound on his right palm, already cut open by the Golden Cymbals, split fully apart from the violent impact. Blood gushed out, dripping from his trembling fingertips and blooming into crimson spots in the dust.

"What palm technique is that?"

Suppressing the agony, Ren Qianxing demanded the answer in shock and uncertainty.

He had inherited Guan Yutian's true teachings and seen the supreme arts of countless sects throughout the martial world, yet he had never encountered such a vast, unyielding, and unstoppable palm technique. Its power seemed no less than the Mighty Dragon Divine Palm!

Zu Hao slowly withdrew his hand and said calmly, "Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms."

"Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms?"

Ren Qianxing furrowed his brow and searched his memories at lightning speed, but found nothing.

He prided himself on his extraordinary talent. At such a young age, he had already reached Later-Heaven Great Perfection, and his Mighty Dragon Divine Palm had attained considerable mastery. Among his peers, he had rarely found an opponent. Yet today, he had suffered greatly at the hands of this unknown nobody. Fury and shock roiled in his heart, along with the humiliation of being defeated.

"What a Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms!"

A cold gleam flared in Ren Qianxing's eyes as killing intent burst forth. "Take another move from me!"

He forcibly suppressed his turbulent blood and qi, ignoring the piercing pain in his right palm. He took a deep breath, and a series of faint crackles sounded from his bones as he pushed his remaining inner power to its limit and struck out with both palms.

This time, he unleashed the Mighty Dragon Divine Palm to its utmost. His palm wind condensed into a pale-gold dragon-shaped force, baring its fangs and claws as it descended upon Zu Hao with an aura of destruction capable of tearing apart all things.

Zu Hao's gaze sharpened slightly. He bent his right arm inward and drew a perfect circular arc before him with his right palm. The movement was ancient and weighty, as if it contained some profound truth of heaven and earth.

Then he exhaled with a shout and fiercely thrust his right palm outward.

"Dragon Soars with Regret!"

This was the essence of the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms.

The palm force erupted like raging waves and furious tides, vast and irresistible. Yet it concealed a note of regret, leaving room to withdraw. Its force could be released and recalled at will, fierce yet nimble.

"Rumble—!"

The two supreme palm forces clashed again with brutal force. The explosion far surpassed the previous one, and the entire front hall shook violently. Roof tiles were blown away by the force, raining down all around with sharp clatters.

The fine cracks in the floor instantly widened, spreading like a spiderweb.

The dragon-shaped force Ren Qianxing had condensed proved as fragile as papier-mâché before the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms' utterly pure and extreme ferocity. It shattered inch by inch and dispersed without a trace.

"Pfft—!"

Ren Qianxing was struck as though by a massive hammer and flew backward uncontrollably. His back slammed hard into a thick wooden pillar supporting the hall, producing a heart-stopping dull thud.

Sweetness flooded his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood that stained the front of his robes red.

Ren Qianxing felt as if his organs had been displaced, his meridians scorched by blazing fire. His inner power moved sluggishly and with difficulty. He had suffered serious internal injuries.

"Impossible... This is absolutely impossible..."

Ren Qianxing struggled to stand, but pain wracked his entire body and strength failed him.

Half leaning against the wooden pillar, he stared in disbelief at the still-composed Zu Hao. His eyes were filled with shock, resentment, and a trace of fear that even he had not noticed.

As Guan Yutian's personal disciple and the outstanding talent of the Supreme Alliance's younger generation, he had actually been defeated so thoroughly by an obscure nobody!

Zu Hao walked forward slowly and stopped several paces before Ren Qianxing. Looking down at his wretched state, he said, "The Mighty Dragon Divine Palm is strong, but your mastery is far inferior to Guan Yutian's."

Ren Qianxing's face turned alternately green and white, his teeth grinding loudly.

But he was no fool. He knew full well that his injuries were severe, and if he continued fighting, the only outcome would be death.

Ren Qianxing glared viciously at Zu Hao, then swept his gaze over Liu Yiyi, who was still badly shaken. Forcing up a breath of already scattered true qi, he flipped over and leapt out of the shattered front hall. After a few bounds, he vanished into the mountain forest outside the fort, leaving only a vicious threat drifting on the wind: "I will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold one day!"

Zu Hao did not care.

If he had not thought Ren Qianxing might still be useful, Ren Qianxing would never have had the chance to make threats.

Zu Hao raised his palm and frowned slightly.

"This Mighty Dragon Divine Palm truly is overbearing!"

Zu Hao had just defeated Ren Qianxing's Mighty Dragon Divine Palm with the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms not because the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms was stronger.

It was simply because Zu Hao's physique far surpassed Ren Qianxing's. Great strength worked wonders.

If it had been Guan Yutian instead, then in a pure contest of martial arts, even with the support of several tons of strength, Zu Hao might not have been his match.

With telekinesis added, Zu Hao felt he would still have a chance of winning, so he was not afraid of offending Guan Yutian.

At worst, he could still retreat unscathed.

The problem was that using the Nine Yang Manual and the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms consumed true qi extremely quickly. Moreover, Zu Hao could feel that even now, his Nine Yang True Qi was still leaking away.

He had only used two moves, yet it already felt as though his true qi was nearly exhausted.

[Detected a reversible state.]

[True qi leakage: Before the Nine Yang Manual reaches great mastery, true qi cannot be controlled freely.]

[Side effect: True qi is uncontrollable, creating a risk of dying from total true qi depletion.]

[Negative reversal: True qi replenishment, enhanced control over true qi.]

As the system notifications sounded, the leaking true qi returned to him in double measure. Not only did it make Zu Hao's Nine Yang True Qi even more abundant, but it also opened several profound checkpoints in succession.

His control over true qi was enhanced as well, making its circulation increasingly smooth and effortless.

It can work like this too!

Zu Hao had never expected that the Nine Yang Manual's drawback would become a benefit in his case.

At this rate of replenishment, it would probably take only a few days for him to break through the profound checkpoints throughout his body and enter the Innate Realm.

Liu Yiyi stepped forward and asked with concern, "Young Hero Zu, are you all right? That murderous madman is truly hateful!"

"I'm fine."

Zu Hao turned around, his gaze falling upon Liu Yiyi's swollen, reddened cheek. He took an antique narrow-necked porcelain bottle from his robes and handed it to her. "This bottle of Ice Jade Dew Salve promotes blood circulation and disperses bruising. It is highly effective against external injuries and swelling. It cools and relieves pain when applied. By this time tomorrow, the redness and swelling should be completely gone, leaving no marks."

Liu Yiyi accepted the cool little bottle blankly. The chill against her fingertips settled her chaotic thoughts slightly.

"Thank you..."

Liu Yiyi thanked him softly.

Then she suddenly remembered the devastation in the hall and hurriedly turned toward the seat of honor. "Fort Master Wan has been killed. This trip was for nothing!"

Zu Hao looked over the now-chaotic Ten-Thousand Horses Fort.

Ren Qianxing had not come to Ten-Thousand Horses Fort alone. Some accompanying members of the Supreme Alliance were still fighting the people of Ten-Thousand Horses Fort.

In the original plot, if Ren Qianxing had not taken an interest in Liu Yiyi, even Food God Residence's involvement would have made it difficult for them to withdraw unscathed.