Chapter Fifteen: Shattering the Void

Ding ding ding...

The flying knives were blocked by the opponent’s fists, all knocked aside. Nevertheless, the falling body slowed its descent somewhat.

"No true energy, only raw physical strength!" Jiang Ming’s pupils contracted, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.

"You jumped high, didn’t you? Then I’ll keep you suspended in the air!"

With that in mind, Jiang Ming punched upward toward the sky.

"Hidden Dragon Soars!"

Boom...

The force of his punch exploded, transforming into an invisible dragon that swept upward. Quan Wuer, above, narrowed his eyes, his body suddenly spinning. With a slight bend of his left leg, he kicked down fiercely.

A thunderous crash shook heaven and earth.

Even the moonlight twisted, echoing through the mountains.

Jiang Ming’s strike was forcibly crushed by his opponent’s stomp, yet Quan Wuer was helplessly sent even higher by the counterforce, soaring over thirty meters above the ground.

Suspended in midair, with nowhere to anchor himself, he could only fall again.

Lu Yuan, watching from afar, was momentarily stunned, then smiled and called out quickly, "Brother Jiang, what a clever move, truly brilliant! Haha, this trick is perfect against Quan Wuer—just keep him from landing!"

"Quan Wuer practices the Dragon Elephant Body Mastery, his physique is extraordinarily tough. Rumor has it he once crushed a master with his bare hands. Impervious to blades, immune to fire and water, his strength is despairing."

"He has no true energy in his body, so he can’t leverage force or traverse horizontally."

"Brother Jiang, don’t let him touch the ground!"

Lu Yuan’s voice carried a hint of gloating.

"You deserve to die!" Quan Wuer roared in fury from above.

Yet Jiang Ming continued to bombard him, keeping him aloft. Though not injured, Quan Wuer was clearly suffering.

"I am the vice master of the Divine Fist Sect. If you oppose me, you oppose the entire Divine Fist Sect—have you thought this through?" His voice fell, revealing his background and issuing a threat. Then his tone softened, "There is no enmity between us; it’s all a misunderstanding. Let me go, and I’ll pretend nothing happened. What do you say?"

Jiang Ming’s expression was enigmatic.

Let him go?

He was no child. From the moment Quan Wuer leapt out, one side’s death was inevitable, for this was the world of martial arts.

If I do not die, then you must.

Moreover, hearing Lu Yuan’s words about the Dragon Elephant Body Mastery, which he sensed himself, confirmed that he could not allow the opponent to escape.

"Brother Jiang, don’t listen to him!" Lu Yuan had caught his breath and leapt over, striking a palm through the air, sending Quan Wuer even higher.

True energy condensed to its utmost, surpassing the innate stage.

Master level, Jiang Ming judged.

"I stumbled upon his and Tan Feng’s secret by accident, and was hunted by them both. Outmatched, I barely escaped. If it were only one of them, I wouldn’t be in such a sorry state!" Lu Yuan quickly explained, "Now that we know his situation, how can we let him go? Colluding with the Demon Sect means opposing the righteous path of the world—and he plans to murder the Sect Master!"

He struck two more palms upward.

At this moment, Quan Wuer spun suddenly, using the recoil to propel himself in another direction.

"I was already prepared!" Jiang Ming moved like lightning, arriving ahead and continuing his assault, forcing Quan Wuer back upward.

"Damn it!" Quan Wuer raged, but was powerless.

This revealed the drawbacks of physical cultivation.

Though immensely strong, he lacked adaptability. If he possessed powerful true energy, he would have landed easily, not been rendered so helpless.

"Plotting against the Sect Master?" Jiang Ming blinked. "Tell me more!"

"I only overheard fragments," Lu Yuan did not conceal the truth. "The Divine Fist Sect’s body tempering techniques are unrivaled, with the Divine Fist Scripture and Dragon Elephant Body Mastery. Even the Vajra Technique of Great Forest Temple cannot compare. Yet they have a weakness: they lack a true martial arts classic. Their cultivation of true energy is mediocre, and their combat adaptability limited, so they’re always overshadowed by True Martial Sect, Pure Yang Sect, Great Forest Temple, and others."

"The Divine Fist Sect has long sought a martial arts mind technique but never succeeded."

"Quan Wuer and Tan Feng’s conversation suggested that the Sun and Moon Demon Sect offered a long-lost fragment of the Lesser Yang Scripture to bait the Sect Master, planning to join forces and kill him, so Quan Wuer could inherit the position."

"Recently, I heard rumors of the Lesser Yang Scripture appearing in Kaoshan City. I assumed it was false."

"And then I heard the Sect Master went to Kaoshan City, which raised suspicions."

"Later, I uncovered Quan Wuer’s plot and realized the truth."

"Quan Wuer colludes with the Demon Sect to kill the Sect Master and take his place. As for the Demon Sect? They likely wish to stir up chaos in the world once again."

"Am I correct?" Lu Yuan raised his head and called toward the sky.

Quan Wuer gave no answer.

Jiang Ming said, "Lesser Yang Scripture?"

"You’ve never heard of it?" Lu Yuan was surprised. Seeing Jiang Ming shake his head, he explained, "Legend has it that long ago, two extraordinary geniuses appeared in the world, both dazzlingly brilliant. They challenged and refined each other until one comprehended the Nine Yin Divine Art, and the other created the Nine Yang Divine Scripture. Pure Yang Sect, you know? They supposedly obtained a chapter of the Nine Yang Scripture, and after improvement by the Pure Yang Patriarch, created the Pure Yang Canon and founded the sect. Cold Moon Palace seems to have acquired part of the Nine Yin Divine Art, establishing their vast legacy. Great Forest Temple, True Martial Sect, Sun and Moon Demon Sect also seem to possess fragments of these supreme arts. The Lesser Yang Scripture is a chapter of the Nine Yang Divine Scripture; if it appears, do you think the whole world will be stirred into action?"

"Do you believe it?" Jiang Ming smiled. "Two peerless figures in the same era, each comprehending supreme martial arts, and after their legacies spread, others founded great sects with just a single chapter. What about the sects those two belonged to? Their families? The forces behind them?"

Yet his heart grew heavy.

If Lu Yuan spoke the truth, seizing the Nine Yin and Nine Yang would be no easy feat.

"I don’t believe it either—it’s too fantastical. But the stories are told with such detail!" Lu Yuan shrugged.

"Could it be an alien origin?" Jiang Ming pointed to the sky. "In ancient books, I’ve seen mention of shattering the void. If a martial artist could break the void, might outsiders come?"

"Shatter the void, outsiders?" Lu Yuan was astonished. "I’ve never heard of that, but your idea is intriguing. Martial artists breaking the void?"

He scratched his head.

Jiang Ming’s expression became enigmatic.

At that moment, a change occurred above.

"Heart like a drum, blood boiling, body stained with battle blood to challenge the heavens."

"Battle intent rises, resolve of death awakens. If the enemy is not slain, the heart finds no peace."

Thump, thump, thump.

Quan Wuer’s heartbeat thundered like war drums, audible to the two below. Then, layers of blood mist surged from his body, intertwining.

His figure spun, head down, feet up.

He punched downward, his fist enveloped in a mass of blood mist, appearing as tangible blood-colored energy.

"This is the Divine Fist Sect’s War Blood Secret Technique—it amplifies battle power several times. Be careful!" Lu Yuan cautioned, his expression grave.

"War Blood Secret Technique? Making blood energy tangible, surging from the body to form a unique force—how fascinating!" Jiang Ming’s eyes contracted, but his interest only deepened.

"Let me test the power of his punch!"

"Dragon Rises from the Abyss to Battle the Heavens!"

Jiang Ming moved, rising into the air. True energy boiled within him, surging wildly from his energy sea, transforming into the terrifying killing move of the Suppressing Dragon Fist.