Chapter 359: Chen Che vs. Zanpu Dunzhu (Part 2)

On this rainy night at Luoxia Mountain, dark clouds gathered and lightning flashed with thunder, as if the gods were roaring in anger. The rain poured down like a deluge, shrouding the entire mountain forest in a hazy mist.

"Hahahaha... exhilarating!"

Witnessing the formation of the Thunder Dragon, Zanpu Dunzhu looked up and laughed wildly, his laughter filled with endless excitement and madness, "I actually almost forgot that you have also read the Heavenly Book!

We have both read the same half of the Heavenly Book, yet the techniques we have comprehended are completely different. Then let us cast aside our cultivation realms and compare whose techniques are superior!"

Black Qi detached from Zanpu Dunzhu's body and coiled around the Blood Qi Giant Hand. The torrential rain soaked Zanpu Dunzhu's entire body, but he laughed hideously, filled with anticipation and longing for the battle to come.

"Come! Kill me! Let me see how much skill you have!"

Zanpu Dunzhu let out a loud roar and was the first to launch an attack.

A pair of True Qi giant hands tore through the curtain of rain, charging toward Chen Che with enough power to shake the heavens and the earth.

Chen Che's gaze sharpened. He did not rush to fight back with the Thunder Dragon, but instead raised his hands high. Under his control, the rainwater rapidly condensed to form a massive sword blade. The body of the sword shimmered with a water-blue luster, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding darkness.

Chen Che let out a shout and swung the sword toward the incoming Blood Qi Giant Hand. The blade sliced through the void, accompanied by the roar of thunder. Where the tip of the sword passed, the rain was split apart, revealing cracks in space.

The Blood Qi Giant Hands appeared even more hideous at this moment. They danced in the air like living creatures, each swing accompanied by a shrill whistle that tore through the air.

The number of Blood Qi Giant Hands began to change, from two to four... sometimes dispersing, sometimes converging. Each change carried an indescribable might.

Finally, the sword Qi tore through the rain curtain, and accompanied by splashing water and the roar of thunder, it slashed toward the Blood Qi Giant Hands.

At this moment, the Blood Qi Giant Hands condensed back into a pair. With a "Boom—", the two hands pressed together, steadily catching the majestic strike of the Water Sword!

The force of this bare-handed catch spread rapidly; the surrounding mountain trees were all uprooted, and the mountain peak itself had its top leveled off.

"Crash!!!!"

The Water Sword shattered, and the water droplets turned into ten thousand water bullets, shooting off in all directions.

Chen Che's body shuddered as Xun Wind swirled around him, shattering the incoming water bullets and scattering them to the ground.

"Roar!!!"

The Thunder Dragon let out an angry roar at this moment, its scales flashing with electric light. The dragon's roar carried a power that shook the heavens and the earth.

Chen Che waved his hand like a general issuing an order. The Thunder Dragon charged toward Zanpu Dunzhu, its swift pounce causing the trees that had been pulled from the ground to instantly ignite.

Borrowing the fire's momentum, Chen Che changed his hand seals and roared, "Li Fire Phoenix!"

A massive flame soared into the sky, condensing into a phoenix amidst the rain. The phoenix's wings flapped, stirring up waves of heat. Fire and rain intertwined, forming streaks of fiery red trails that incinerated everything.

The phoenix followed the Thunder Dragon and launched an attack together.

Zanpu Dunzhu revealed an excited, ferocious grin. He formed seals with both hands, and the pair of Blood Qi Giant Hands synchronized their own seals.

The seals were complete. The Thunder Dragon pounced, wrapping around the Blood Qi Giant Hands, and together with the red flame phoenix, they bit down. The power of thunder and fire was released simultaneously at this moment, shaking the heavens and the earth.

However, two beams of blood-red light shot out from the Blood Qi Giant Hands like the judgment of the apocalypse, causing the earth itself to tremble.

Under this strike, the Thunder Dragon was hit directly in the face. The collision of energy caused the surrounding air to distort. Finally, the Thunder Dragon's head was pierced through, and after a peal of thunder, it vanished into thin air on the spot.

The Li Fire Phoenix was also struck, but it was unharmed. It closed its wings to cover the giant hands and continued to bite. The fire that burned everything scorched the Blood Qi Giant Hands; even though the rain was pouring, it turned into white steam the moment it fell.

As mist filled the air, Zanpu Dunzhu's pupils lit up with an eerie green glow. He continued to manipulate the Blood Qi Giant Hands to form seals rapidly, creating a massive Blood Array. The array released cold black Qi, which contended with the flames of the Li Fire Phoenix.

Black Qi permeated the air, and a cold wave spread rapidly. Raindrops froze in mid-air and pelted the ground with a clatter.

The pervasive mist also turned into frost at this moment, and the entire mountain forest was covered in a layer of white.

The Li Fire Phoenix was frozen into an ice sculpture, and with a single tap from the fingertip of the Blood Qi Giant Hand, it shattered into powder.

Chen Che did not launch another attack. He knelt on one knee, gasping for air; more than half of his stamina had been exhausted.

"That's all you've got? Then it's my turn!"

Zanpu Dunzhu shouted loudly. The Blood Qi Giant Hands changed from two to four, and from four to an infinite number. Countless giant hands, like ghosts in the rainy night, wove through the rain curtain, whistling as they approached with mocking taunts.

Chen Che stood up, bracing his hands on his knees, and formed a seal: "Xun Wind Arrow Piercing Clouds!"

The gale let out a sinister roar, condensing into countless sharp arrows and blades in the air. Like warriors in a storm, they carried intense sonic booms as they shot toward the countless incoming Blood Qi Giant Hands.

Wind blades and sharp arrows clashed with and neutralized the Blood Qi Giant Hands, each strike accompanied by the sound of tearing air.

Before the technique was finished, Chen Che changed his hand seals again to counterattack.

"Kun Earth!"

"Zhen Wood!"

For a moment, the trees in the mountain forest seemed to be imbued with life. They pulled themselves from the ground, turning into massive wooden stakes or earth spikes erupting from the soil, complementing the wind blades and arrows to form walls of defense and attack.

"Come again! Continue!"

Zanpu Dunzhu continued to execute his Artisan Technique. The number of Blood Qi Giant Hands did not increase but decreased, yet their power became even greater.

Against the arrows condensed from gale winds, the Blood Qi Giant Hands met them head-on. They grabbed the arrows in mid-air or crushed them directly, each confrontation emitting a crisp cracking sound.

Meanwhile, a pair of Blood Qi Giant Hands from Zanpu Dunzhu's side reached directly into the ground, distorting the power of earth and wood, causing Chen Che's wooden stakes and earth spikes to be destroyed before they could even form.

The Blood Qi Giant Hands even snapped off an earth spike and hurled it at Chen Che.

The earth spike tore through the rain curtain, whistling through the air as it shot toward Chen Che.

Chen Che slammed his palms onto the ground, veins bulging on his cheeks, and gritted his teeth as he roared, "Zhen Wood Reaching the Sky!"

The earth trembled, and towering trees pulled themselves from the ground, forming green barriers.

The earth spike pierced through the barriers, shattering one giant tree after another, while simultaneously being worn down and reduced bit by bit.

"Pfft!"

Finally, the earth spike pierced through the last giant tree and became lodged in it, its sharp tip only half a centimeter from Chen Che's nose.

Chen Che struck the earth spike with his palm, and the thunder power within his palm erupted, turning the spike and the giant tree into dust.

Chen Che staggered and knelt on one knee again, and all his various techniques and Artisan Techniques vanished at this moment.

The torrential rain ceased, the dark clouds dissipated, and the moon cast an eerie glow. The entire mountain forest fell into an uncanny silence.

"Cough... Pfft!"

Chen Che could not hold it back in the end and spat out a mouthful of blood.

He had used his full strength in this battle; even when he suffered the backlash of the Great Red Sun Poison during his fight with the Gu Yuanzong, his body had not been as weak as it was now.

He looked up toward the mountain forest, now a ruin; due to the mixed elemental attacks, dust and smoke filled the air, and a thick mist hung over everything, the atmosphere heavy with the scent of soil after a torrential downpour.

Chen Che wanted to use his Pupil Technique to pierce through the obstructions and investigate the situation of Zanpu Dunzhu, but the True Qi remaining in his body was no longer enough for him to cast any Array.

Faint black Qi began to permeate the area, and Chen Che was startled, moving to retreat and dodge.

A blood-red giant hand reached out from the dust and mist; without a sound or any warning, it emerged suddenly and with the speed of thunder, gripping Chen Che's throat with steady, accurate, and ruthless force.

"Cough..."

In an instant, a sensation of suffocation spread throughout his entire body, and Chen Che let out a weak cough.

The figure of Zanpu Dunzhu slowly emerged from the mist; his body was tattered, and it appeared he had also suffered injuries in the previous battle, though for him, it was far from life-threatening.

"Not bad! Very good! At the Acquired Heavenly Master Realm, you actually managed to display the strength I had back when I was at the Heavenly Master Great Perfection; the younger generation is truly formidable!"

Zanpu Dunzhu's face was hideous and terrifying, yet he was laughing—laughing with such madness and excitement.

Endless black Qi spread from Zanpu Dunzhu's body onto Chen Che, surrounding him completely.

Chen Che felt firsthand the endless malice and power contained within that black Qi, as if a demon from the abyss were mocking his helplessness.

"You have successfully pleased me; I will allow you to die a more painful death!"

Zanpu Dunzhu exerted force with his wrist, and Chen Che heard the creaking sound of his own cervical vertebrae cracking; his legs went rigid, his eyes rolled back, and his lips turned from red to purple.

Chen Che had reached his limit...