Chapter 190: The Unique Skills of Yihua Palace

Yu Liancheng unfolded his form; even with Xiaoyuer in his hand, he was as fast as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he had already swept into the dark mountain path.

"Such fast movements, such brilliant footwork." A number of martial arts heroes could not help but change color.

This young man not only possessed remarkable finger techniques and extraordinary Sword Technique, but even his light-body skill was among the best in the world; one truly wonders how he trained.

"That bastard Yu Liancheng, taking that stinking fish and not taking me." Xiaoxiannv stamped her foot, lit a fire-starter, unfolded her light-body skill, and flew into the tunnel like a startled fairy.

"You are injured, come over slowly. It is impolite to keep people waiting, I will go first." Hua Wuque gave instructions to the two maidservants, then cupped his fists toward Shenxi Daozhang and the others: "Junior Hua Wuque will take his leave first, excuse me."

Shenxi Daozhang, Wang Yizhua, and the others had already recovered from their surprise and returned the salute to Hua Wuque.

Hua Wuque unfolded his form, turning into a white shadow, and likewise disappeared before everyone's eyes very quickly, seemingly a step slower than Yu Liancheng.

But he was only thirteen or fourteen years old; the high level of light-body skill he displayed at this moment was enough to make the martial arts experts present feel ashamed.

Shenxi Daozhang and the others could not help but be stunned for a long while again, looked at each other, picked up their torches one after another, executed their footwork, and swept outward.

The martial arts of the two Yihua Palace maidservants were already so remarkable; as for Young Master Hua, being the main representative and the only successor of Yihua Palace to truly step into the Edo in decades, his martial arts were likely even more unimaginable.

Among the experts present, who would not want to see the unique skills of Yihua Palace?

As for that "Heavenly Soldier Master" Yu Liancheng, he was mysterious and unfathomable, and his sword cultivation had already caught up to the "World's Number One Hero" Yan Nantian of the past.

The duel between these two would certainly be brilliant, and naturally, no one was willing to miss it.

……

Emei Mountain, Back Mountain.

Yu Liancheng carried Xiaoyuer as they drifted out of the mountain cave: "Little brat, you can go now."

Xiaoyuer's eyes rolled as he said: "Big Brother Yu, you are letting me go, could it be that you are no match for that fellow surnamed Hua?"

"You brat want a beating again, don't you." Yu Liancheng said indifferently: "I will not kill Hua Wuque, at most I will test the unique skills of Yihua Palace. After the test, if he kills you, I will not care at all; whether you go or stay is up to you."

Xiaoyuer's thoughts shifted like lightning, and he suddenly revealed a pleading expression: "Big Brother Yu, can you tell me why Hua Wuque wants to kill me?"

Yu Liancheng glanced at Xiaoyuer, pondered for a moment, and said: "Fine, since you asked with such sincerity, I will show mercy and tell you: it was an order from his grandmaster, Yao Yue."

"But... but I want to know why Yao Yue wants to let that fellow surnamed Hua kill me, can't she do it herself? Although I, Xiaoyuer, have only just left Villain's Valley, I know the power of Yihua Palace. If that old woman called Yao Yue wanted to kill me, it would be as easy as turning over her hand."

This time Xiaoyuer finally learned his lesson; he did not play tricks in front of Yu Liancheng, asking directly about whatever he wanted to know and speaking directly about whatever was on his mind.

"Although I know this matter, I cannot say it. Because once you know this secret, although it may be good for you, that person from Yihua Palace will spare no cost to take your life, and may even make you wish you were dead."

Yu Liancheng shook his head and suddenly reached out to grab Xiaoyuer's shoulder: "Alright, I have said enough, Hua Wuque is coming too, you can go."

Having said that, he used a little force to throw Xiaoyuer, sending him flying away like he was riding the clouds amidst his "Ah!" scream.

This brat had finally been honest for a moment today, but that opening remark had been ulterior-motivated; Yu Liancheng naturally wanted him to suffer a little.

A moment later, Hua Wuque had already swept out of the mountain cave.

He was not surprised to see that Xiaoyuer was gone, and with a calm and composed expression, he walked up to Yu Liancheng and bowed: "Sorry to have kept you waiting."

The Duoqing Sword was stuck to the side, and Yu Liancheng stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an aura like a deep pool or a towering mountain: "Good, I will let you strike first."

Hua Wuque hesitated for a moment and said: "Wuque will be impolite then."

As soon as the words fell, he had already struck a palm toward Yu Liancheng.

The palm was like flowing water, like light clouds, but it aimed directly at the vital point of Yu Liancheng's heart.

Moreover, the palm was deeply sunken, with True Qi contained and not released, but just like a volcano gathering strength to erupt; once it engaged with Yu Liancheng, that palm force would gush out like magma, submerging everything before it.

"Well struck!" Yu Liancheng's eyes lit up, and he pushed out a flat, simple punch to meet it.

Who would have thought that Hua Wuque's palm, which had struck straight like an arrow, would suddenly veer to the right, drawing a circle out of thin air. It looked ordinary, but the ingenuity of the transition was incredible, exquisite to the extreme.

This move was precisely the peerless "Flower-Shifting Jade-Plucking" of Yihua Palace.

And as soon as Hua Wuque used it, he knew that the opponent's punch would definitely be deflected and strike his own body.

But soon his expression changed, because Yu Liancheng's punch continued to strike straight out, as if a massive mountain were crashing toward him.

As for his "Flower-Shifting Jade-Plucking," it was nothing more than a wisp of a breeze.

A wisp of a breeze could at most stir grass and trees, so how could it shake a mountain?

Hua Wuque could only retreat.

He retreated at high speed.

He barely dodged this steady yet violent punch from his opponent.

He could also see that the opponent's punch had not truly erupted; otherwise, he might very well have been injured.

"Based on this punch alone, this person's kung fu is already not much inferior to my Second Master."

Hua Wuque's expression was grave; although he was young, his high level of martial arts and deep insight were things that even long-established martial arts masters might not be able to match.

He could see many things from this punch.

But he still had to strike, because he represented the face of Yihua Palace.

While he was deep in thought, "Xiaoxiannv" Zhang Jing, Shenxi Daozhang, and the others arrived one after another. They had not seen the previous exchange between the two, but they could already feel a tense atmosphere.

"Be careful!"

Hua Wuque's figure swept forward, and he struck out with both palms. His palms were as elusive as floating clouds and as agile as a clear breeze, changing unpredictably, truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Yu Liancheng did not move, turning his fist into a palm, and his palm emitted a glistening jade light as he met the attack again.

In an instant, the two had engaged in a lightning-fast duel.

Hua Wuque's figure shifted repeatedly, too fast for the naked eye to follow, and his pair of palms struck out in succession—stabbing straight, striking diagonally, intercepting horizontally—the moves combining elegance, heaviness, and swiftness; every move and every stance was a rare and wonderful technique in the world.

Among the martial arts people present, apart from the two currently dueling, Emei Sect Leader Shenxi Daozhang had the highest martial arts.

Yet if he were in their shoes, he would likely be able to take at most five moves from Hua Wuque, and that was only if he exerted his cultivation to the peak.

As for the others, they were even less capable.

But no matter how Hua Wuque shifted his figure or palm techniques, Yu Liancheng's palm was like a wall of copper and a rampart of Iron; he could not even penetrate a single move.

As for that peerless technique that shook the Edo, it seemed unable to exert even a bit of power in front of Yu Liancheng.

"Be careful."

Suddenly, Yu Liancheng clenched his five fingers, and a punch struck out like wind, thunder, and lightning.

This punch was vast and open, rigid and fierce; the power of the move, if not peerless in the world, was likely not far off.

Hua Wuque shifted his palms, once again attempting to use "Yihua Grafting Jade" to neutralize this move.

But the power carried by this punch was far beyond his expectations.

Only a "bang" was heard, and Hua Wuque's figure stumbled backward, his face turning pale.

Yu Liancheng shook his head: "Yihua Grafting Jade is indeed an extraordinary ultimate technique, but it depends on who is using it. If it were the two Fungongs, Yao Yue or Lianxing, I might not have been able to land this punch. You are still lacking quite a bit."

Hua Wuque cupped his fists and said: "Your martial arts are so high, Wuxue is no match."

Although he had been defeated in this round of exchanges, he was still able to maintain his graceful demeanor.

Yu Liancheng said: "But I know that the Sword Technique of Yihua Palace also has its unique aspects. Draw your sword."

"Very well!" Hua Wuque sighed, and suddenly drew a Silver Sword from his robes.

Everyone could not help but perk up; the Yihua Grafting Jade of Yihua Palace was world-renowned, yet few people had ever seen the swordplay of Yihua Palace, and they wondered what exquisiteness it held.

One could see that the Silver Sword in Hua Wuque's palm had a narrow and long blade, appearing even thinner than a chopstick, yet it was over five feet long. From head to tail, silver light flowed, as if it could fly out of his hand at any moment.

"Draw your sword." Yu Liancheng's figure remained as still as a mountain, giving one a feeling that he was extremely difficult to shake.

Hua Wuque flicked his left middle finger, and the Silver Sword let out a "zheng" sound like a dragon's roar.

Before the dragon's roar had faded, the sword had already struck.

When this sword was still, it was already flowing with silver light, dazzling to the eyes; now that the sword light unfolded, it was as if a basin of mercury had been poured down from the sky.

In the blink of an eye, Hua Wuque had already launched seven strikes.

Yu Liancheng's expression did not change, but Shenxi Daozhang and the others had already lost their color.

Hua Wuque's sword was already fast, making one's eyes dazzled and mind bewildered, and this sword was even more blindingly bright.

The combination of the two truly made one's eyes dazzled and mind bewildered, with changes impossible to predict.

One could only see clusters of silver light flashing, as if hundreds of sword strikes had been unleashed.

But it was at this moment that Yu Liancheng's sleeve flicked, and the Duoqing Sword that had been stuck to the side seemed to be pulled by an invisible hand; amidst a dragon's roar, it suddenly left its scabbard.

The sword light flew across the air, and the hilt landed in Yu Liancheng's palm.

The next moment, the divine light in Yu Liancheng's eyes flared, and the long sword in his palm thrust out plainly, piercing through the sky full of light and shadows, striking toward the point where the sword momentum was strongest.

This sword was plain and solid, without any tricks, but it was incredibly fast, steady, heavy, and fierce. It pierced through the air and had already collided with Hua Wuque's sword.

Only a "ding" was heard, and sparks flew in all directions.

The sky full of light and shadows dissipated, and Hua Wuque could not help but take two steps back. His face, originally like polished jade, revealed a trace of pallor; the opponent's sword was heavy to the extreme.

The next moment, Hua Wuque had already struck again.

One could see silver light flowing across the sky, like mercury spilling onto the ground, penetrating every gap. Yu Liancheng also seemed to be trapped in this flowing light, at any moment likely to be slashed until he was dripping with blood.

However, this was strangely similar to the previous exchange where the two were empty-handed.

Hua Wuque flew around Yu Liancheng without stopping, the sword light swirling. He appeared to have the initiative everywhere, yet he could not shake his opponent in the slightest, falling into a disadvantage everywhere. If it were not for the fact that the opponent wanted to see Hua Wuque's swordplay, he would have likely been defeated long ago.

"The sword of Yihua Palace indeed has its unique aspects. To have this level of sword cultivation at thirteen or fourteen years old, you are truly a talent gifted by God."

The two had been fighting for a moment when Yu Liancheng's calm and clear voice came through the mercury-like sword light, causing Hua Wuque's expression to change once more.

"You have used one hundred and sixty-eight strikes; I will return one strike to you."

The sword let out a dragon's roar, and a silver-bright and brilliant sword light had already pierced through the air, thrusting toward Hua Wuque.

This sword was already dazzling and glorious enough, and it struck while carrying wind and thunder. The sword momentum was vast and mighty, wild and desolate, as if a heavenly river were pouring down, impossible to resist.

Under the threat of this sword from Yu Liancheng, Hua Wuque poured all his True Qi into the long sword. The long sword erupted with unprecedented brilliant light and suddenly thrust out.

However.

This sword of Hua Wuque, executed in an almost peak state, vanished completely under Yu Liancheng's Duoqing Sword, like snow under the scorching sun.

As the sword light flashed, Hua Wuque's long sword was knocked away, "dinging" into a piece of bluestone.

And the momentum of the Duoqing Sword did not cease; as the sword light flashed, it was but an inch from Hua Wuque's throat.

But soon the sword light flashed again, and Yu Liancheng had already sheathed his sword.

Hua Wuque's expression was dim, and he cupped his fists: "Your divine blade is peerless; I have lost."

The others had varied expressions.

Yet they could not believe that the successor of Yihua Palace had suffered a crushing defeat the moment he entered the Edo.

And he had lost so miserably, with almost no power to fight back.

"You are young, but your martial arts are already at the peak of the Edo. Now, you are not arrogant in victory and not discouraged in defeat; your temperament is also far beyond that of ordinary people. Your future can be said to be limitless."

Yu Liancheng first praised Hua Wuque, then changed the subject and said: "However, I would like to know, how many moves can you last under the two Fungongs, Yao Yue and Lianxing?"

Hua Wuque showed a thoughtful expression, and after a long while, he said: "I have almost never fought with my two masters, but I have seen the peerless divine arts of my two masters. If the eldest master strikes, I fear Wuxue would find it hard to withstand even one move. As for the second master, Wuxue might luckily last two moves. Your martial arts are already not inferior to the second master."

Once these words were spoken, all the experts present were shocked.

The high level of Hua Wuque's martial arts was beyond doubt.

Yet under Yao Yue, he could not even withstand a single move.

That woman was truly a figure like a ghost or a God.

"Very well, thank you for clearing my doubts." Yu Liancheng glanced at Shenxi Daozhang again, temporarily not questioning him about the person who sent the message, and walked straight to Xiaoxiannv Zhang Jing, wrapped his arm around her slender waist, and performed his light-body technique. Like a flying immortal, he disappeared from sight in a few blinks.

"Goodbye, everyone. Remember what you said in the stone cave."

The words finished, and the person had also disappeared from sight.

……

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