Yefutidaolu

Chapter 339 Draw the Blade!

Xia Youdu clapped and cheered, "Well done, Senior Brother!"

However, at that very moment, Takami's eyes, which had been slightly closed, suddenly opened as his shoulders were struck!

His eyes were no longer filled with absolute calm, but instead flashed a very subtle look of astonishment! This astonishment did not stem from the threat of Wu Feng's palm strike, but from the unbelievable accident that had just caused him to lose his balance and his fingertips to deviate...
Given his control over his power and his insight into his environment, it was impossible for the whetstone beneath him to suddenly shatter while he was meditating! This defies common sense!
So, he glanced sideways at Xia Youdu.

"You dare look elsewhere?" Wu Feng was overjoyed at his successful attack! But the next moment, he saw Gao Jian looking behind him, and his joy turned to anger. He roared and attacked again!

The blessing from his beloved junior sister has taken effect! He felt better than ever before, brimming with confidence! Now was the time to press his advantage, and with a roar, his palms shone with dark light, and his Yin energy condensed once more, ready to launch an even more ferocious attack!

Gao Jian's cultivation level is one realm lower than his; if he takes a hit from him, he will definitely suffer serious injuries!

His figure moved with ghostly speed, not attacking in a straight line, but tracing eerie arcs. His palms did not strike directly, but his ten fingers, like hooks, carried strands of dark, malevolent energy, like countless serpents, silently coiling towards Gao Jian's vital points! He intended to wear down his opponent with a dense, persistent energy, and look for an opportunity.

You can see layers of ghostly shadows floating around his body; those are the ghost kings he has raised, possessing him and performing martial arts on his behalf.

This is also one of the secret techniques of the Netherworld. By raising and controlling the Ghost King, one can allow the Ghost King to possess one's body and thus gain the Ghost King's abilities. The Ghost King that Wu Feng raised is a martial artist, so his fighting style is more inclined towards that of a martial artist. However, at the same time, he can also use magic to assist in the battle, achieving a synergy greater than the sum of its parts.

Just as that strand of Yin energy was about to touch Gao Jian's clothes!

The brilliant idea has been put to the test!

He remained seated cross-legged, but his body twisted strangely as if boneless, and his right index finger shot out with lightning speed! A wisp of pale golden, sharp inner energy condensed at the tip of his finger, pointing precisely at Wu Feng's "Laogong" acupoint on his right palm! The timing, angle, and force of this finger strike were exquisite; if it hit, the Yin energy in Wu Feng's entire arm would immediately dissipate!
however--

"Hoohoo!"

A sudden gust of cold wind, without warning, swept in from the narrow vent on the side of Lifeng Terrace! The wind wasn't strong, but it happened to pick up a sharp-edged, black, withered leaf that had fallen from the ground sometime earlier!

The withered leaf seemed to come alive, swirling around and landing precisely between Gao Jian's flicked fingertip and Wu Feng's "Laogong acupoint"!
"laugh!"

The pale gold finger force easily pierced through the withered leaves, but because of this insignificant obstacle, its speed, power, and accuracy were all slightly affected! Wu Feng felt a numbness in his palm, followed by a sharp pain. Most of the condensed Yin energy was scattered, but it did not completely dissipate as expected! He broke out in a cold sweat, but reacted extremely quickly. Using this momentum, his left palm, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, carried an even more Yin and lingering force, aiming straight for Gao Jian's vulnerable ribs!
Gao Jian's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. His left hand, fingers pressed together like a knife, struck with the sharpness to cut through space itself, aiming for Wu Feng's left wrist pulse point! This slash, with its treacherous trajectory, was enough to cripple his wrist!
but--

"Boom!"

Beneath Gao Jian, a seemingly stable whetstone inexplicably shattered into a small, sharp fragment! The fragment flew at an extremely tricky angle, striking the numb tendon on the inside of his left elbow joint!

Takami's left-hand slashing motion was slightly delayed by this sudden interference from his own support point, almost imperceptibly!
It's that tiny difference!
Wu Feng's left palm narrowly grazed Gao Jian's ribs. Although the soft, entangling force failed to grab him firmly, it still tore a hole in Gao Jian's robe! And Gao Jian's sure-fire hand strike, due to this delay, only severed a section of Wu Feng's sleeve, failing to damage his vital points!
"Hiss!" A collective gasp filled the air! Wu Feng had already dodged Gao Jian's fatal counterattacks twice in a row?! At this rate, it seemed like Wu Feng had a huge advantage.

Wu Feng's heart pounded wildly, filled with both surprise and joy! His junior sister You Du's good fortune was truly extraordinary!

His confidence soared, and his offensive became even more relentless. The Yin energy threads, like maggots clinging to bones, constantly entangled and invaded, forcing Gao Jian to make even more ingenious responses.

Gao Jian remained seated cross-legged, his hands moving swiftly, his fingers and palms like knives and swords, each strike precise, efficient, and aimed directly at vital points. His techniques were exquisite, far exceeding Wu Feng's comprehension, repeatedly defusing crises from seemingly impossible angles, and even launching fierce counterattacks. However—

Just as his finger strike was about to hit Wu Feng's "Shanzhong acupoint," a drop of condensed Yin Sha water from a crevice in the rock above his head happened to fall, interfering with the trajectory of the finger strike and grazing past Wu Feng's chest!

Just as his palm strike was about to sever Wu Feng's vital energy, a startled black crow in the distance crashed into the space between the two's vital energies. It was shredded by the aftershocks of the palm strike, its bloody feathers flying everywhere, but this once again disrupted the sure-kill attack!
Just as he was preparing to dodge Wu Feng's powerful palm strike with exquisite footwork, the fine stone dust kicked up from the previous battle created a small, slippery area beneath his feet, shortening his anticipated dodge distance by half an inch! Wu Feng's palm wind grazed his shoulder, leaving a burning sting!
Every single time! Every single time Gao Jian is about to secure victory or severely injure his opponent with a brilliant move, there are always all sorts of unbelievable "accidents" with a probability so low as to be negligible! Whether it's environmental interference or Wu Feng's "extraordinary performance" under the blessing of good fortune, he always manages to twist his body at an impossible angle to avoid vital points, and problems always arise at crucial moments, causing Gao Jian's exquisite attacks to always fall short by a single move!

Gao Jian's calm eyes finally stirred slightly, revealing a hint of seriousness, inquiry, and impatience caused by the constant "unexpected" interruptions.

Wu Feng, on the other hand, became increasingly alarmed and excited as the fight progressed! He discovered that although he couldn't fathom his opponent's strength at all, with his profound foundation of Qi in the seventh realm far exceeding that of the sixth realm, coupled with the ever-present "good luck," he was able to easily hold his own and even force his opponent into a sorry state!

Although Gao Jian was powerful, he was already shaken by the attack, his blood and qi were churning, and his internal organs were injured. As long as he could hold on and outlast him with his superior realm, his chances of winning were extremely high! After all, how could the foundation of a sixth realm cultivator be comparable to that of a seventh realm cultivator?
The battle reached a bizarre stalemate. Wu Feng, like a persistent, lingering ailment, maintained his Yin energy relentlessly, relying on his profound internal energy and the protection of "good fortune" to continuously wear down his opponent.

Gao Jian, like a rock, unleashed a constant stream of exquisite techniques, deflecting attack after attack, yet each time a fatal blow was unexpectedly interrupted. His black robe was torn in several places, making him appear somewhat disheveled. The disadvantage in his cultivation level was gradually becoming apparent under the continuous drain of these "unexpected" losses.

No matter what, even the most insightful viewpoints are only at the sixth level.

His ability to maintain the upper hand actually relied on his exquisite moves and almost unbelievable ability to pinpoint weaknesses, as if he knew everyone's secrets.

For example, in a battle between two armies, one side has a battle-hardened elite force of only eight hundred men, while the other side has a massive army of one hundred thousand, which is nothing more than a rabble. In such a situation where the strength of the two sides is so disparate, generally speaking, the battle should be eight hundred against one hundred thousand, and the latter should suffer a complete defeat.

In Takashi's hands, he could always detect weaknesses and find flaws in the situation. He would concentrate his strength to attack the opponent's weaknesses, turning the power balance into 800 against 700 or 800 against 1000. With his superior elite troops, he could achieve absolute dominance in a local area, immediately breaking the enemy's strategy. Then, he would drive away the defeated forces, causing the opponent to retaliate and expose other weaknesses. He would then immediately change tactics, supporting other areas and repeating the method of attacking weaknesses, once again achieving point-to-point dominance and quickly breaking the opponent's momentum. Through such operations, he could quickly gain absolute advantage in a local area, break the enemy's point as soon as possible, and then cause the opponent's complete collapse.

In addition, his occasional bursts of fierce attacks allow him to reach a certain level of 'situation' that enables him to overcome the strong with the weak and fight against the many with the few.

Gao Jian is like a general leading a hundred battle-hardened troops, moving with lightning speed, striking late but arriving first, fighting against a hundred, directly ramming through the enemy, avoiding their strengths and attacking their weaknesses, breaking through the surface with a point, constantly changing his moves to avoid the opponent's advantages, attacking their weaknesses, causing the opponent's moves to backfire, achieving an incredible victory with fewer troops, and then beheading them.

But no matter what, he is still 'few'.

Repeated defeats have caused Gao Jian's "eight hundred elite soldiers" to begin to crumble.

These unexpected events occurred one after another, causing Gao Jian's exquisite moves to always fall short, failing to deliver a truly fatal blow.

On the contrary, Wu Feng's continuous and fierce Yin Sha Qi, which relied on his powerful internal energy, was like a bone-deep sore, constantly consuming and tearing away at him!
Gao Jian's black robe had been torn in several places by the sharp force of the energy, revealing skin underneath that also bore fine cuts and bloodstains. His breathing was noticeably more rapid than before, and his chest rose and fell slightly.

This is already a sign that defeat is imminent.

Even when he directly clashed with Wu Feng's Yin Sha Palm Force, his seated figure was so shaken that he slid back half a foot! Two clear friction marks were left on the whetstone beneath him!
"Pfft!" Gao Jian felt a sweet taste in his throat, forcibly suppressing the surging blood and qi, his face turning slightly pale. He could clearly feel his physical strength and blood and qi being rapidly depleted by this continuous, high-intensity defense and exquisite counterattack!
The biggest advantage of a seventh-realm cultivator against a sixth-realm cultivator is the overwhelming difference in their cultivation levels! Wu Feng relied on this to launch a relentless and fierce attack, determined to wear him down!

"He's failing! His vital energy is almost depleted!"

"Brother Wu is awesome! Keep it up!"

"Six Realms is just Six Realms! The foundation is too shallow, it can't withstand it!"

Those around them had already noticed something amiss. When the surrounding disciples saw Gao Jian's disheveled state and the mouthful of blood he had been forced to swallow, they erupted in excited whispers.

Even as a celestial sect, Youmingdi has its dignity. Being cornered and beaten by a sixth-realm martial artist is infuriating for everyone. Naturally, they are happy to be able to vent their anger now.

"It's over!" Wu Feng shouted, unleashing the full power of his seven internal energies without reservation!
Wu Feng's palms blazed with dark light, his Yin energy coalescing into two enormous, ghostly claws seemingly from the netherworld. With a terrifying power capable of tearing everything apart and freezing souls, they slammed down from either side like a mountain crashing down upon Gao Jian, whose aura was unstable! This was his strongest killing move—

Before the ghostly claw even arrived, the chilling wind from its claws had already frozen the air around Gao Jian! Everyone held their breath, waiting to see how Gao Jian would be severely injured or even shattered by this deadly blow!
At this critical moment!
Gao Jian, who had been on the defensive and whose breathing was disordered, suddenly unleashed two terrifying beams of light from his eyes! The light was as sharp as a knife, piercing through the layers of ghostly claw phantoms with unparalleled precision, carrying a heart-stopping decisiveness and ferocity, and instantly locking onto Xia Youdu, who was watching from below the stage!
"you--!"

Gao Jian let out a low growl like a wounded beast, his voice filled with the rage of being plagued by "bad luck" and a madness that wanted to tear the instigator apart! He completely ignored the deadly ghost claw that was about to fall on his head and suddenly sprang up from his cross-legged position!

It wasn't retreating, nor was it dodging; instead, it was like an arrow released from a bow, carrying a fierce and destructive momentum, lunging headlong into Xia Youdu in the crowd below the stage!

His speed was incredible! His target was clear—the "lucky star" who brought endless surprises!
"Ah—!" Xia Youdu was terrified by Gao Jian's sudden, violent, and murderous gaze and attack, which made her pale with fright!
She had never seen anything like this before. Those eyes seemed to want to devour her alive!
She let out a terrified scream, and almost instinctively and scrambled backward, covering her head in a disheveled state! She didn't care about her image anymore; all she wanted was to get as far away from Gao Jian as possible!

At the very same moment that Xia Youdu fled in panic and Gao Jian seemingly lost his mind and lunged at her!

Gao Jian, who was lunging at Xia Youdu, suddenly twisted his body at an incredible angle in mid-air! Like a serpent defying the laws of physics! All his forward momentum and all his furious killing intent transformed into a deadly cold light that tore through the void in the instant he twisted!

Gao Jian's body was taut in mid-air, forming a hard bow full of destruction.

His body twisted violently at an unbelievable angle—his spine cracked with a teeth-grinding thud, his muscles stretched to their limit and then twisted back abruptly, forcefully reversing the surging momentum! Defying common sense and the limits of what his muscles and bones could withstand, he transformed into a venomous steel serpent that had broken free from the earth's shackles!
This is not an elegant maneuver, but a pure, beastly killing technique, solely to compress all kinetic energy into that final point!
The target was none other than Wu Feng, who, believing victory was assured, unleashed his full power with his Ghost Claw, leaving his chest wide open!
At that moment, a rusty knife with only a few inches of edge suddenly appeared in Gao Jian's hand, the tip of which was a dark, condensed point of light!
call out--!
Just as the rusty knife was drawn, Wu Feng felt... his mind suddenly become muddled.

Bizarre and fantastical visions appeared in his mind.

Wu Feng, who was exerting all his strength and focusing all his mind on the Netherworld Claw, felt as if his head had been struck hard by an invisible hammer! It wasn't a physical impact, but a collapse from the deepest part of his consciousness. An indescribable cold and dizziness instantly overwhelmed him, as if his soul had been forcibly dragged into a bottomless icy pool.

Gao Jian has finally made his move.

So far, he hasn't actually used a knife.

(End of this chapter)