The Fifteenth of the Third Month, Guanyin Kills

Buzz!!

Chu Tianshu was slightly taken aback by the speed of the opponent's move.

But in a flash, the sword in his hand changed direction, its tip pointing towards the opponent's right rib.

The changes may seem minor, but they directly address the root of the problem.

Duan Zhong wanted to thrust forward with his right hand, but the right rib was the most difficult position to maneuver in.

Before that hand could even touch Chu Tianshu, Chu Tianshu's sword had already pierced through his ribs.

However, just as Chu Tianshu unleashed his sword strike, he felt the figure in front of him shift to his left.

Duan Zhong's clothes were adorned with numerous silver embroidered patterns, and while they appeared to resemble a grey monk's robe, they were actually exquisite and luxurious.

But at this moment, his body shifted to the side, and all the embroidered patterns, even the gray-white fabric and his right arm without a sleeve, were all blended into a moon-white afterimage.

Under the moonlight, this silent scene can only be described as "unfolding".

Suddenly, it moved from in front of Chu Tianshu Chu Tianshu to his left.

It looks like he's already at his limit in the sprint, yet he can still turn so skillfully!

In an instant, Chu Tianshu's long sword blocked his left shoulder, back, and right side.

The left-hand block has the sword tip pointing downwards, while the back-hand block has the sword spine pressed against the back.

The right-side block, with the sword lying horizontally and the tip pointing backward, was to block Duan Zhong's attack aimed at his right ear.

He raised his hand overhead and swung his sword to protect himself in one fluid motion, changing the move three times in one movement.

In that single movement, he blocked three thrusts launched from different directions.

It seemed that he had perfectly blocked the opponent's attack, but it was also the opponent who thwarted his counterattack three times in a row.

Chu Tianshu's movement could have easily turned into a spinning slash.

However, in order to block three attacks from tricky angles, the force collided, and Chu Tianshu's body did not have time to rotate, nor could his longsword be swung outwards.

After the three sword strikes, Chu Tianshu took a thunderous step to the side with his left foot, shifting his weight completely to the left side, giving his bent right arm a chance to stretch out.

BOOM!!!

The Sanqi Divine Sword thrust straight out, blasting a faint ring of air around its tip before piercing through it.

Unexpectedly, Duan Zhong had already taken a step ahead and retreated swiftly to the right.

Even when the sword was extended to its limit, it couldn't catch up with Duan Zhong, who had gone first.

He passed between the two white-canopied coffins, suddenly reached the edge of the square, and yanked up the white banner.

The white banner's tail was lifted by the wind and was now hanging down.

In contrast to Duan Zhong's series of movements, the changes in the banner were extremely slow, and it had not yet reached the bottom.

But now.

Duan Zhong grabbed the white banner, and the banner's dynamic changes suddenly became violent.

As the long pole moved, the banner at its tip tore through the air, and was also torn apart by the air.

Inch by inch, the fabric, following the trajectory of the long pole's swing, disintegrated in the vast sky.

A cold, dark metallic sheen had spread across the entire long pole.

With a twist of his waist, Duan Zhong turned around and used his spear to block Chu Tianshu's follow-up sword strike.

Clang!!!

The sword tip struck the top of the long pole.

Although most of the Mind Power of the Sanqi Divine Sword was concentrated in Chu Tianshu's body, the remaining portion was enough to maintain its sharpness that could cut through iron like mud.

Despite the powerful thrust of Chu Tianshu's Inner Sage, Outer King, the sword failed to pierce the bamboo pole.

A crimson light flashed in Duan Zhong's eyes, which appeared even more striking and alarming against his pale, moon-white figure.

Originally, the longer and wider the object that Duan Zhong's Asura Path Soldier Soul Power was applied to, the more dispersed the power became.

Therefore, in previous battles, he had been using the enhancement on his arms and sleeves.

Now, he is using the Hell Path to squeeze out his potential, and the power of the Weapon Soul is also stimulating each other, subtly breaking down the original barriers and causing them to merge and transform.

The original six powers can each be used for only one effect and cannot be transferred to other effects.

Now, all six forces are tilting towards the effect of the Asura Path.

The spears and swords clashed at the top, immediately intersecting and creating hundreds of afterimages.

The sword's patterns resemble wood, while the spear has bamboo-like joints.

Now, the collision between the two produces breathtaking sparks of steel.

Between the two of them, it was as if one after another, brilliant golden and red fireworks exploded.

Sword and spear flourishes are originally a form of aggressive, clashing combat.

However, the amplitude of the spear's trembling can be far greater than that of the sword's trembling.

Soon, the spearmen were no longer just engaging in head-on attacks.

When the gun twirled, it almost enveloped Chu Tianshu's entire upper body.

In addition to retracting and thrusting, it can also strike Chu Tianshu's upper body from the left or right sides at any time, or fall from above to strike.

Chu Tianshu's aggressive attacks were forced to be mixed with defensive maneuvers.

But the light from his sword flashed ever brighter and smoother.

He had not systematically studied swordsmanship before. The sword techniques he used were all techniques he learned from Tongbei and Taiji Fist manuals, which involved applying force to the sword.

But honestly, channeling energy into external objects, no matter what they are, is far less comfortable and natural than channeling energy into the limbs.

Therefore, although he often held a sword, he didn't use it like a sword, but rather like a steel whip or iron rod.

Now his sword possesses Weapon Soul, as intimate as his own hand.

The more he confronted powerful enemies, the more Chu Tianshu felt as if he had returned to that bamboo forest in the Republic of China era.

When I first started practicing boxing, I would slam my still stiff arms and fingers hard onto those thick bamboo poles.

Throw with your arm, bump with your elbow, punch, chop with your palm, grab with your fingers.

It was through that painful, burning ordeal that he truly understood what strength meant!

Choke!!!

When the weapons clashed again, the sound of the swords ringing out drowned out the sound of the impact.

A bright flash of light appeared on the spear, leaving a clear sword mark.

The subtle vibration of the spear was transmitted to about half a foot in front of Duan Zhong Zhonghu's mouth before being extinguished.

In that instant, Chu Tianshu advanced more than three feet.

Duan Zhong retreated quickly, thrusting his spear towards Chu Tianshu's shoulder.

Chu Tianshu swept his sword, a strike that combined the power of Taiji Whip Hand with the force of Shaolin Long Fist horizontal punches.

However, the force of this strike was not channeled into the hand, nor was it used to propel the sword, nor was it even channeled throughout the entire sword.

Instead, it presses sharply against one side of the blade, penetrating all the way to the tip.

The remaining Mind Power on the sword was also activated, causing the blade on one side to glow with a branding red light.

What Chu Tianshu held in his hand no longer seemed to be a sword with volume and thickness, but rather an incomparably sharp, fiery red arc.

The weapons clashed without making a sound; the spear had already been severed.

"Not good!!!"

Chu Tianshu let out a silent roar, a chill running down his spine.

That shot broke it too easily.

Duan Zhong voluntarily withdrew the power of the Weapon Soul from the tip of his spear.

Chu Tianshu should have transferred enough force to the remaining parts of the spear while severing it.

But Duan Zhong's action caused the gun to break too easily and too quickly; the rest of the gun was practically unaffected.

Those hateful bamboo spears!

Even if it's a steel spear, after being enhanced, its potential might not be higher than a bamboo spear, but when it's cut, it will definitely be more affected than a bamboo spear.

The broken bamboo pole tip pierced Chu Tianshu's heart in an instant.

Duan Zhong's bloodshot eyes were fixed on the tip of the bamboo pole, and he grinned with his teeth showing.

The sharpest point, with its cold, dark steel sheen, seemed to be tinged with a bloody, deadly red.

Chu Tianshu's limbs couldn't be withdrawn in time, and he almost tried to speak.

If the opponent were to stab his throat, he would actually have a chance to try the Taiji Fist technique of retracting his neck and lowering his head, and use his teeth to receive the blow.

But the heart, that vital spot, is too far from the mouth.

In that instant, he only had time to slightly tilt his body and sink half an inch.

It's no use!

He could have dodged Duan Rusu's sword by shifting his body slightly before, but now he shifted too little and couldn't dodge this spear.

Wow!!!

The broken spear pierced through flesh and blood, embedding itself in the chest; the sound of flesh being torn apart abruptly changed.

It turned into a loud scraping sound of metal.

The tip of the gun felt as if it had scraped across a large steel ball.

It was supposed to be inserted into Chu Tianshu's chest, but instead of piercing his chest cavity, it slid to the side.

The sharp point cut a long, narrow, bloody wound on his body, extending down to his left armpit.

Chu Tianshu yanked the gun off with his left hand, his figure flashing forward as his right hand swept out with his sword.

A pale white afterimage flashed to the side and disappeared.

In that flash, he was more than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) away.

However, half of his arm fell to the ground and, due to inertia, rolled twice towards Duan Zhong.

That was his right arm; the five rings on his right hand emanated the aura of Weapon Soul.

When Duan Zhong stopped, his face turned pale. His right arm was severed at the elbow, blood gushing out, and there was also a sword wound under his right rib.

Although Chu Tianshu's sword sweep didn't reach Duan Zhong's elbow and sever him completely, it still crippled most of his fighting ability.

Duan Zhong only dared to stop for a moment before fleeing in alarm.

BOOM!!!

The sharp bamboo pole was thrown, piercing through his afterimage and embedding itself deeply in the ground.

Chu Tianshu's figure leaped over the bamboo pole in the next instant and chased after it.

"Hai Donglai."

Seeing that they had reached within twenty feet, Chu Tianshu suddenly shouted and threw his long sword backward.

The Sanqi Divine Sword spun rapidly, flying towards the Hai Donglai.

Hai Donglai out and caught the sword hilt.

He couldn't control the Mind Power within the sword, but when Chu Tianshu threw it out, he had already activated all the remaining Mind Power.

A transparent flame flickered between Hai Donglai's fingers, and a rich, warm sensation flowed into his body.

This kind of medical Mind Power, which cannot target the root cause of the illness, cannot cure his disease, but it can stop the progression of his injury.

"Ah, swordsmanship... I seem to be quite unskilled in it."

Hai Donglai murmured to himself, his gaze slowly turning away to look at the Maitreya Hall.

Guan Changling's expression changed slightly as he stood before the hall.

The moment he saw Duan Zhong flee, his heart sank, but even a cornered beast will fight, and today might still be a chance to escape.

"Hai Donglai, are you trying to scare me again?!"

Guan Changling raised his broadsword, over four feet long with a wide, curved Great Saber, and said in a deep voice, "You think I'm so easily intimidated?"

His Weapon Soul, the Weisheng Eye, primarily helped him make great progress in poison techniques.

However, in battle, it can at least give him exceptional observation skills!

Therefore, he has a set of special risk-taking techniques. Even when fighting against experts of the same level, he is confident that he can always narrowly avoid vital points and kill his opponent.

Hai Donglai looks half-dead...

We're going to kill them!

Guan Changling's peripheral vision also caught a glimpse of the blind man.

The blind man suddenly felt like vomiting, and his cheeks puffed out.

Puff!!

The Blind Cheng's Wind-Listening Saber silently grazed the flint on his sleeve, and the sprayed liquor instantly turned into a ball of flame.

Guan Changling's eyes were startled, and he suddenly heard two sounds.

"Kill!!"

One was proud, the other deep; their tones were completely different, yet they overlapped in one place.

At this moment, Duan Zhong had already left Temple of National Protection.

He ran wildly across the wilderness, the only remaining Weapon Soul in his hand keeping the red light in his eyes burning, and his speed still surpassing that of tigers and leopards.

We lost, we lost, we lost...

Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; if you lose, you lose!

At worst, I could completely surrender to Tubo and become a general.

Even if he loses five of his Weapon Soul, Duan Zhong's cultivation level is still intact. Given half a year, he can use the remaining Weapon Soul to split and cultivate the Six Paths Form.

However, when the time comes, you'll be wearing six rings on your five fingers, and you might need to wear an extra one on your middle finger.

Duan Zhong gritted his teeth and dashed through the jungle, snapping banana leaves, vines, and branches in his wake.

Before the emerald green had even touched the ground, another figure burst in.

The strong wind generated by Chu Tianshu scattered these things again, and the broken leaves drifted further away.

Duan Zhong was severely injured, but Chu Tianshu was also in bad shape.

Faced with that deadly shot, Chu Tianshu's actions were not a blind struggle.

He deliberately let his ribs take the hit.

The human ribs are designed to protect the internal organs.

Chu Tianshu's ribs were as hard as iron, but they couldn't possibly withstand the force of that spear.

However, the special feature of the "Guanyin Bone" is that it can distribute the force throughout the entire skeletal structure at the moment of impact.

Chu Tianshu's Guanyin Bone was already seventy percent perfected. In addition, he used the natural curvature of his ribs and the vibration of his bones to make the spearhead slide away, which prevented him from being injured in the heart and lungs.

He's in pain right now, and that pain stems from this slip.

He might not be unable to bear the pain of broken bones, but the feeling of the spearhead scraping against the surface of the bone was truly beyond his expectations.

The more he ran, the more uncomfortable he felt, and the more uncomfortable he felt, the angrier he became.

No matter where Duan Zhong runs today, he's going to beat this man to death!

The two crossed mountains and jungles.

After crossing another mountain ridge, we could vaguely see many campfires to our right.

There was also a hillside where no large trees grew.

Emerald Rock Slope!

Duan Zhong's target was not this hillside, but the Green Jade River, which was not far away.

Simply jump into the water, and the silt will churn and the turbid current will surge.

He would have a high chance of escaping Chu Tianshu, sneaking ashore elsewhere, and escaping alive.

Chu Tianshu had chosen this place for a duel, so he naturally knew about it and instantly thought of the Green Jade River.

"Don't even think about it!"

Chu Tianshu gritted his teeth and spat out two words, then used the Arhat Stomp technique, mixed with Palm Thunder, to stomp forward.

Thump thump thump!

Most of those waiting at the foot of Emerald Rock Slope were martial artists; some were still awake, while others were light sleepers.

They suddenly heard what sounded like someone beating a drum on the nearby hillside, and they all stood up.

Behind these people was a carriage adorned with gold and white gauze, guarded by hundreds of people.

The white veil was lifted, and Yimouxun looked up at the hillside.

"Is it someone from the Great Tang, or someone from the Duan Family beating drums to cheer them on?"

Yimouxun also attached great importance to this challenge.

In today's world, those who can become the ruler of a country may not be the most skilled experts, but they must certainly have some basic skills. Otherwise, relying solely on the protection of outsiders, they would not be able to hold onto that position securely.

Yimouxun was a figure who had personally led troops into battle, was skilled in swordsmanship, had a close connection with the Diancang Sect, and was even stronger than the combined attack of the Three Elders of Diancang.

But it is precisely because of their superior strength that they understand how enviable Duan Zhong and his peers are.

To come into contact with the true wisdom of the Blood Refining Method.

Yimouxun both hoped that Duan Zhong wouldn't win, but also didn't really want Duan Zhong to lose.

Thump thump thump!!

Once the drumbeats began, they didn't stop for a moment, rapidly approaching.

Yimouxun with a start from his complicated thoughts, suddenly realizing something was wrong.

This area is all mountainous and forested; how could the person playing the drums move so quickly?

This is probably not the sound of drums.

Suddenly, a moon-white figure darted out from the neighboring mountain forest.

He traversed that vast mountain valley in just a few breaths, heading straight up the Emerald Rock Slope.

"Duan Zhong!!"

Not only Yimouxun, but also many others with good eyesight recognized the figure.

Some people wanted to shout "Righteous King" on the spot, but were drowned out by the even more intense drumming.

They were shocked to see that the rocks behind Duan Zhong were exploding in a series of loud bangs, sending debris flying everywhere.

It turned out that the "drumming" sound was actually the sound of rocks cracking.

It was as if a powerful, evil spirit was looming behind him, trailing smoke and accompanied by booming sounds and falling rocks, and had already caught up with Duan Zhong.

Boom!!!

Duan Zhong delivered a final, swift attack.

Everyone saw that the pursuer also unleashed a palm strike.

The two palms collided, causing Duan Zhong to lose his balance and misdirect his force, resulting in a visibly broken arm.

The pursuers' momentum faltered slightly, and suddenly one of them grabbed Duan Zhong by the head and circled around him.

Duan Zhong's head was twisted off, and blood gushed from his neck, splattering around him.

"You dare to ambush me at Temple of National Protection? Is this the so-called Righteous King?!"

The man, covered in blood, grabbed Duan Zhong's head and sped away.

His head will be placed before the Buddha.

"Tell the world who won this battle!"

The words left behind by that person echoed through the mountains.

From a loud and clear tone, it became ethereal, and the final note seemed to soar straight into the sky.

His head will be placed before the Buddha!

Tell the world who won this battle!!

Everyone at the foot of the mountain stared at the headless corpse still standing on the slope, speechless for a long time.

They weren't even astonished by the meaning of those words; they were only horrified by Duan Zhong's defeat and death, and by that man's actions.

As a person travels alone, the mountain rocks crack and crumble everywhere.

As they left, the echoes had barely faded when they were completely out of sight.

What kind of power is this?

Yimouxun at the corpse on the slope and the moon in the sky. After a long while, he sighed deeply.

"The martial arts of the Tang People..."

(End of this chapter)