Chapter 1691

After the Chasing Star Repeating Crossbow shot and killed the enemy's vanguard unit, Xiong Tianba's charge into the enemy formation had already thrown the opposing camp into chaos; Liang Yinghao led thirty elite warriors who followed suit, joining the fight. Though few in number, each was a fighter worth ten men, like tigers charging into a flock of sheep. Although the Dangyi tribespeople had them surrounded in the center of the encirclement, they had no way to rout them. Hu Xiaotian's side warriors were well equipped, their armor tough and resilient, able to withstand the enemy's arrows and blades; their weapons were finely forged, exerting tremendous power in close combat, easily cutting the enemy's weapons.

Zong Tang directed the remaining twenty warriors on high ground to provide cover fire; the Chasing Star Repeating Crossbow's lethality was enormous, and within a short time over half of the opposing two thousand were casualties, many of them having already fallen in the earlier infighting. After Hu Xiaotian slew the red-robed foreign monk, Wei Sa's Soul-Confusing Melody sounded again, and many Dangyi tribespeople fell under its spell, their consciousness confused, unable to distinguish friend from foe, hacking and slaying wildly; thus even their numerical advantage was lost.

Outside the ancient fort, the shouts of killing shook the heavens, plunging into an unprecedentedly chaotic battle.

Hu Xiaotian sheathed his Black Iron Sword behind his back, crossed his hands with palms inward, fingers hooked—this was precisely the Tiger-Subduing, Dragon-Seizing Hand that Bu Wu had taught him.

Bu Wu nodded slowly, drifting toward Hu Xiaotian like a dark cloud blown by the wind, his hands outstretched like bird claws; he wanted to see just how far the disciple he had personally taught had progressed in his cultivation.

Hu Xiaotian's abandonment of the Black Iron Sword was neither due to underestimating his opponent nor out of sentiment for the master-disciple bond that would make him hold back against Bu Wu. He knew Bu Wu's martial arts well; even if he managed to project sword qi, he might not be able to wound him. The only technique that could possibly defeat Bu Wu in one move was the Heaven-Splitting Sword, but that required Bu Wu to be off‑guard. Bu Wu raised his right hand, and five fierce finger‑shots pierced the air.

Hu Xiaotian also met him with a claw. Both knew the other's inner strength was profound; in close combat they exchanged over ten moves in a short time, each using the Tiger‑Subduing, Dragon‑Seizing Hand, fighting from the ground to the air and back down again.

Their sparring resembled a pre‑match warm‑up, each probing the other's inner strength without going all out; although the exchanges were fierce, they were not truly fighting for their lives. The real victims were the nearby Dangyi tribesmen warriors, who, before they could flee, were injured by the two men's fierce claws. Although Bu Wu belonged to their side, his strikes were even more ruthless than Hu Xiaotian's. Seeing one man block his path, he grabbed and tore with a single motion, ripping the man in half.

Both bodies rose together, then swooped down at high speed like two eagles battling in the sky. As they neared, they simultaneously changed claws to palms; their palms collided in mid‑air with a loud 'Boom!' They then retreated simultaneously—Bu Wu drifted backward like a dark cloud, while Hu Xiaotian's body shot down like lightning, spiraling; upon landing he kicked a man flying away.

Bu Wu's body actually lingered in mid‑air. His black cloak fluttered lightly in the night breeze as he sneered, 'I've long seen you as a wolf‑cub with ambition; do you think you've learned all my skills?'

Hu Xiaotian stood on the grass, smiling faintly: 'Why bother with mysticism? This Void Zen Method you stole from Old Monk Yuan Kong, right? Earlier I was holding back; since you seek death, don't blame me for being rude.' The grass at his feet swayed violently as if a strong wind blew—though the night wind had actually died down, it was Hu Xiaotian's inner breath radiating outward, forming an invisible energy shield around his body.

Seeing the direction of the swaying grass, Bu Wu already knew what had happened; his heart gave a start. He never expected this brat to have absorbed Yuan Kong's inner strength—not only had his meridians not ruptured and killed him, but he was thriving even more. From his performance it seemed he had already digested a good portion of Yuan Kong's strength; given time, that would be formidable. If he could fully make Yuan Kong's inner strength his own, then in this world perhaps no one could match him in inner strength—not even Bu Wu himself. Thinking this, Bu Wu felt a pang of fear and resolved to eradicate this hidden threat, refusing to let Hu Xiaotian grow unchecked.

Bu Wu moved his hands back and forth, extremely slow, like the opening stance of Taiji—round and unending, breath and intention linked. The space around his body seemed to develop a void; its powerful suction drew everything in, pulling up the withered grass by the roots and spinning it toward him.

Bu Wu floated between heaven and earth, as if he had drawn the surrounding world into his sway; on this patch of land he was the sovereign. He said, word by word, 'Let me teach you one thing: the ultimate pinnacle of martial arts is to make heaven and earth serve you, to draw upon the power of heaven and earth! No matter how strong your inner strength, it cannot prevail against heaven.'

Bu Wu unleashed two successive punches, opposing forces like raging torrents, striking Hu Xiaotian with the force to crush dry weeds and snap rotten wood; at the same instant his body sprang into action, becoming as solid as a mountain, his aura seeming able to crush everything—even distant onlookers felt a powerful wave radiating outward, sending dry grass flying and blinding everyone's eyes. Bu Wu appeared like a demonic deity descending, his power fully exploding in this move: the Arhat Diamond Palm, an ordinary technique, yet possessing the power to overwhelm all.

Everyone around felt a deep‑seated illusion of heaven and earth being destroyed.

At this moment Hu Xiaotian's stalwart frame was no longer as upright as before; his knees bent slightly, his straight back seeming to suddenly hunch. Under the opponent's tremendous pressure, even the stalwart Hu Xiaotian had to lower his head. Though refusing to bend preserves integrity, a man may occasionally bend without shame—at least it saves his life. Moreover, the bend is only momentary; a true man can yield and then rebound, and Hu Xiaotian lowered his body precisely to gather power for a stronger strike.

Hu Xiaotian had not yet reached the stage of drawing upon heaven and earth, but he would use the environment, exploiting every condition, and his body suddenly shot upward.

Just moments ago Bu Wu had drifted lightly in mid‑air like a feather; in the blink of an eye he turned into a massive rock bearing an aura of ten thousand jun.

To Bu Wu, the energy shield formed by Hu Xiaotian's outward inner breath was nothing more than a ordinary protective aura—a realm commonplace to him. Although he admired Hu Xiaotian's achievement at such a young age, acknowledging him as a rare martial arts genius, he felt no fondness for talent and now intended to crush this prodigy with his own hands.

The protective aura was like an invisible armor, offering maximal defense. Bu Wu had thought Hu Xiaotian's defensive power greatly increased, but as Hu Xiaotian shot upward and lunged toward him, in that instant he felt a bleak, cutting qi; Hu Xiaotian's figure seemed to vanish before his eyes, and what he faced appeared not a man but a huge, invisible sword!

At that moment Bu Wu finally realized Hu Xiaotian's true strength far exceeded what he had shown; their earlier exchanges had merely been meant to confuse him, to lull him into complacency. Even so, Bu Wu still did not believe Hu Xiaotian possessed the ability to match him.

Arhat Diamond Palm! This simple technique, pushed to the extreme by Bu Wu, had his five fingers slightly spread; though his palm looked withered and thin, it possessed an irresistible, mountain‑like force that came down upon him. Bu Wu's eyes shone with confidence, convinced that any opponent would be reduced to powder beneath this palm.

Two different energies collided in the void; to outsiders, Hu Xiaotian was no different from walking into a trap, as he proactively used his body to meet Bu Wu, even using his head to greet that slap, and Bu Wu's palm strike was certain to land on Hu Xiaotian's crown.

Zong Tang turned pale with shock; he was too far away, wanting to go rescue but it was already too late, and Wei Sa, also panicked, forgot to continue playing the soul‑confusing melody.

Tang Qingxuan was fighting bloody in the crowd; seeing what happened before her, she also let out a startled cry.

Xiong Tianba was the closest; though this fellow looked foolish, his reaction was extremely fast—his right hand's great hammer flew off, shooting like a meteor toward Bu Wu monk's back.

Bu Wu didn't even glance, he slapped down. When his palm was still three chi from Hu Xiaotian's head, it met an extremely sharp sword qi; Bu Wu's arm shook violently, his palm actually felt intense pain from the sword qi, and if he had kept going his palm might have been pierced through—something utterly impossible for Bu Wu. In panic he hastily withdrew his palm, and at the same moment the iron hammer struck his back; although Xiong Tianba had mustered all his strength, this surprise attack inflicted no harm on Bu Wu whatsoever.

Hu Xiaotian was like a sword drawn from its sheath; after wounding Bu Wu, his right hand shot out like lightning, with the force of thunder that leaves no time to cover one's ears, reaching Bu Wu's face—Subdue Tiger, Capture Dragon Hand! Two fingers like claws, deeply piercing Bu Wu's both eyes; Hu Xiaotian showed no mercy, for facing a master like Bu Wu even the slightest hesitation would waste all prior effort, and though Bu Wu's whole body had been trained to be extremely strong, these eyes were transplanted later, not originally part of his body, and can be said to be the most tender and weakest spot on his whole body—his vital point; if others attacked it would be forgivable, but Hu Xiaotian's inner strength is now so great, his strike like lightning, he forcibly gouged out Bu Wu's these two eyes.

Bu Wu's vision went black, his panic reaching its peak; he had just barely regained sight after great difficulty, having paid a huge price for these eyes, suddenly losing them was a huge blow to his heart, and Hu Xiaotian's displayed strength made him instantly lose confidence in his own martial arts.

Hu Xiaotian had intended to punch and shatter Bu Wu's throat, but Bu Wu's body slipped from his grasp like a loach, and in an instant he had already rushed into the crowd.

Hu Xiaotian would not let him escape so easily, he shouted loudly: 'Where do you think you're going!' (To be continued~^~)