Chapter 31: with translation of chapter title

Seeing the prayer beads and kasaya one before and one after, carrying the sound of breaking the air, they struck straight at the face.

Niu Dingtian stepped on Lingbo Wave, swiftly retreated; when the prayer beads and his face were only two cun apart, it became impossible to get any closer.

After retreating to the edge, Niu Dingtian sidestepped slightly; the prayer beads brushed past his head, only hearing a "bang", they struck the stone tower behind him, shattering into pieces; looking again at the stone tower, it too had a corner broken off.

In the span of a half breath, the kasaya behind also came crashing down!

The sound of breaking the air rumbled loudly.

Niu Dingtian casually struck with an Azure Wave Palm Technique, the palm force like waves, layer upon layer advancing; with a "boom", the kasaya was also blasted to pieces.

"Thief, take this move!"

Jue Zhen seeing his kasaya shattered, his aged face showed a hint of bluish-gray; his legs planted on the blue stone bricks sprang, he leapt up and threw a punch at Niu Dingtian in the arena, booming forward.

An ordinary Shaolin Luohan Fist, yet it unleashed matchless power.

Jue Xing, seeing the same, likewise flew out; in midair, as his right hand's two fingers pressed together, a prayer bead gathered power at his fingertip, and then a string of prayer beads shot forth, carrying a fierce force.

"Plucking Flower Finger!"

But this time he was plucking the prayer beads, its power only stronger, not weaker!

Niu Dingtian seeing both attack, he did not retreat even a fraction; stepping with Lingbo Wave Microstep, in an instant he flashed before Jue Zhen, raised his hand and met Jue Zhen's fist with a Splitting Sky Palm.

Palm after palm thrust out, palm after palm met nothing—this is the Splitting Sky Palm of Peach Blossom Island!

The Splitting Sky Palm is the Peach Blossom Island's exclusive martial art, a supreme skill of the Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi.

He back then used the Splitting Sky Palm and the Flicking Finger Divine Ability to fight evenly with Western Poison Ouyang Feng, Southern Emperor Duan Zhixing, and Northern Beggar Hong Qi Gong, thus earning the title of the Five Absolutes.

Peach Blossom Shadows Fall, Flying Divine Sword; Azure Sea Tide Rises, Pressing Jade Flute.

Among these martial arts, aside from the "Flicking Finger Divine Ability" and the "Splitting Sky Palm", whose origins are uncertain, the others were basically created by Huang Yaoshi after the Mount Hua Sword Debate.

Only these two martial arts were used by Huang Yaoshi when he participated in the Mount Hua Sword Debate and fought other masters; it is also uncertain whether he himself created them.

Moreover, this palm technique had already appeared over a hundred years ago.

Back then, the Beggar Gang's chief Qiao Feng once blocked the Splitting Sky Palm struck by the Shaolin Temple's abbot Xuanci with a bronze mirror at the Shaolin Temple.

He also once used the Splitting Sky Palm to attack Zhao Qian Sun at the Zhu Xian Manor.

Furthermore, in front of the Liao Emperor Yelü Hongji, he also used Splitting Sky Palm force to kill a Khitan old man.

Therefore, this palm technique was most likely lost due to its antiquity; to this day, only the Huang Yaoshi lineage of Peach Blossom Island has remained unbroken.

No matter where this palm technique was passed down from.

At this moment, when Niu Dingtian employed it, its reputation was not diminished.

Jue Zhen's Shaolin Luohan Fist with full inner strength, when it met Niu Dingtian's ordinary palm, he felt an unstoppable force instantly break through his fist, rushing along his arm and crashing into his body.

Under this palm force, his leaping-forward body could not help but fall to the ground; after landing, the incoming force had not yet dissipated, and he could not help but retreat three steps before stabilizing his stance.

This Splitting Sky Palm, Niu Dingtian also used full inner strength!

Given the urgent situation, the gray-clad old monk of the Sutra Pavilion was nowhere to be seen; he surely would not be hiding in the dark to launch a sneak attack.

He had already begun to worry whether that old fellow had chased down the mountain, and so he stopped holding back and went all out.

After Jue Zhen was repelled by a palm, Jue Xing's Plucking Finger Force shot out the prayer beads, which also flew straight into view.

Niu Dingtian again flashed with his movement technique; the prayer beads swept past his head and shot straight toward the willow tree behind him, with a "boom", a branch snapped on the spot!

"Damn it!"

Niu Dingtian silently cursed; he now began to yearn for the Six Meridian Divine Sword.

Relying on his movement, the old bald donkey's finger force, though hard to hit him, these consecutive dodges made him start to feel annoyed.

No! I must get close!

Thinking this, Niu Dingtian immediately unleashed his movement technique and rushed at Jue Xing; halfway there, Jue Zhen threw another punch, its edge icy, its force pressing.

Niu Dingtian did not engage him head-on; he kicked into the air, shadow flickering, flipped his body, soared over Jue Zhen's head and lunged again at Jue Xing, striking down with a palm.

"Junior Brother, be careful!"

Jue Zhen seeing the situation was wrong, shouted loudly.

At this moment, the two fingers on Jue Xing's withered hand were still gathering power; hearing his senior brother's warning, seeing Niu Dingtian's palm already booming toward him, he immediately changed his fingers to a palm and unleashed the Vajra Mighty Palm with full force to meet it.

The instant the palms met, Jue Xing was overpowered, flying backward and slamming hard against the temple gate behind him; only with a "boom" did he manage to steady himself on the ground.

Given Jue Xing's skill level, even in a single exchange they should not have ended up so miserable.

The blame lies only in his having been busy gathering power for the Plucking Finger Force, intending to support the abbot senior brother from the side.

Who would have thought his movement technique was so uncannily swift, arriving before one's eyes in an instant.

In the haste, the Vajra Mighty Palm he unleashed lacked sufficient power, leading to this miserable state.

Niu Dingtian struck out with a palm; seeing Jue Xing slam into the temple gate, he did not continue the attack.

Instead, he borrowed the force from Jue Xing's palm just now, performed a rapid aerial flip, and launched a Splitting Sky Palm toward the incoming fist from behind.

It was Jue Zhen!

The Luohan Fist that Jue Zhen had just thrown was quickly deflected by Niu Dingtian's leg, after which he saw him directly lunge at Jue Xing to attack.

Jue Zhen had just truly experienced the power of Niu Dingtian's palm, knowing that Jue Xing, who had consecutively used the Plucking Finger Force, would certainly be unable to withstand in his hurried state.

Seeing the situation was unfavorable, Jue Zhen loudly warned, but he still succeeded; not having time to think further, he threw another punch to attack.

Fist and palm met; with a "boom", Niu Dingtian's feet landed and he stood unmoving.

"Crack~"

After receiving the force, Jue Zhen again could not withstand, retreating step by step; finally he slammed his foot down to discharge the force into the ground, and the blue stone bricks beneath his feet faintly cracked.

"So strong!"

Jue Zhen felt a moment of despair; even he and his junior brother together could not withstand the enemy!

"Abbot Senior Brother! Kasaya Subduing Demon Technique, subdue the demon!"

Jue Xing in front of the temple gate, having just recovered his strength, seeing that Jue Zhen also could do nothing, after a loud shout he fully exerted the Kasaya Subduing Demon Technique, waving a palm forward with a heaven-covering momentum toward Niu Dingtian.

Jue Zhen heard the words, exerted his strength, and likewise thrust a palm directly at Niu Dingtian.

Monk's Robe Subduing Demon Skill is a profound combined attack skill of the Shaolin Temple. When executing the combined attack to subdue demons, its power far surpasses that of a single individual.

At this moment, Jue Zhen and Jue Xing had already employed their secret techniques.

Niu Dingtian saw the two approaching from left and right, pushing horizontally toward him.

Is this going to be the ultimate strike?

He immediately stood firm on the spot, unmoving, dispelling distracting thoughts, gathering his mind and returning to the origin, ignoring the raging cold, as the yin and yang qi within his body frenziedly circulated; when the two's palm force neared, he simultaneously thrust out both palms in an instant to meet them.

As the four palms met, time seemed to stand still.

Jue Zhen and Jue Xing only felt that ahead there seemed to be an intangible yet substantial force blocking them, while the opponent's incoming true qi felt endless and inexhaustible.

Thus, the three were locked in a stalemate for a hundred breaths, their four palms indistinguishable; the resulting aura surged outward, making the staff-wielding monks unable to approach, forcing them to retreat repeatedly.

At this moment, Niu Dingtian had no distracting thoughts; seeing that the three were deadlocked, he did not wish to delay further.

He circulated the yin and yang true qi, merging them into one; in an instant, the yin and yang within his body harmonized, and his twin palms unleashed a mountain‑toppling, sea‑overturning force that surged toward the two.

"Pfft"

"Pfft"

Jue Zhen and Jue Xing spat fresh blood from their mouths, and with a boom each flew outward.

"Abbot!"

"Chief Monk!"

The surrounding warrior monks hurriedly caught them, each filled with righteous indignation, ready to charge forward with their staffs.

"Stop!"

The fallen Jue Zhen, seeing this, hastily suppressed the surging blood within him and shouted to stop.

Thereafter, he looked at Niu Dingtian with a face of terror, his voice trembling from lingering fear, and said:

"Body and soul united, protected by treasure, heavenly mind clear, a thought brings forth blossoms!"

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency, how could you..."

(End of chapter)