Chapter 251: The Ultimate Decisive Battle, Ascending to Immortality

The summit of Tianshan.

The flying snow gradually dispersed, revealing the figure of Yu Liancheng, standing with his hands behind his back, as elegant and carefree as ever.

Clad in black, he should have formed a sharp contrast with the surrounding accumulated snow, yet at this moment, he appeared perfectly harmonious, as if he had merged with this heaven and earth, forming an inseparable whole.

"You..." A look of disbelief appeared on Ye Gucheng's pale, indifferent face.

"Your sword technique has improved, so naturally, my cultivation would not remain stagnant." Yu Liancheng seemed to know what Ye Gucheng wanted to ask, and with a faint smile, he said, "It is just that my speed of improvement is faster than yours."

The crowd of heroes could not help but show expressions of astonishment.

Ye Gucheng had just defeated Ximen Chuixue and already possessed the qualifications to contend for the title of World's Number One Swordsman, yet in the blink of an eye, he had been defeated by "Jade-Faced Divine Sword" Yu Liancheng.

Losing to Yu Liancheng was not surprising; after all, from their previous conversation, it was already known that he had lost to Yu Liancheng once before.

But this time, the defeat had come too quickly, and seeing that Yu Liancheng's hands were empty, it was clear he had not even used a weapon.

Could the gap between the two really be this vast?

In reality, with Ye Gucheng's current Sword Dao cultivation, aside from the extraordinary Fifteenth Sword of Yan Shisan, he might not lose to any other Sword Dao expert Yu Liancheng had ever seen.

But Yu Liancheng's strength was no longer what it once was, and he was extremely familiar with Ye Gucheng's sword moves; furthermore, by attacking with his full power, he was able to resolve the battle so swiftly.

Yu Liancheng swept his gaze toward a certain direction and smiled, "Old Master Wu, do you think my martial arts are enough to have the capital to trade blows with you?"

The crowd of martial arts heroes followed Yu Liancheng's gaze and discovered that, at some point, a little old man had appeared on the summit; he had a round face and a very amiable smile, looking completely unremarkable.

The martial arts experts standing near the little old man could not help but shudder, for they had not sensed the arrival of this old man at all, and yet they vaguely remembered as if this old man had already been on the summit earlier.

"Not bad, not bad." The old man clapped in praise and smiled, "With the skills you just displayed, this old man truly has no certainty of defeating you; even if we were to decide a winner, it would take at least three hundred moves."

"Old Master is an peerless expert who rarely appears in the world, unable to find a single defeat. When you gifted me the manual, I kept this kindness in my heart."

Yu Liancheng smiled, "Therefore, a few days ago, I sent an invitation for you to meet here, specifically to present you with a grand defeat today."

"Hahaha!" The little old man laughed loudly, his roar like crashing waves, sweeping out in all directions.

With him as the center, the accumulated snow within a radius of ten zhang was shattered. The experts closer to him felt their Qi and Blood surging and retreated repeatedly; upon retreating more than ten zhang, their faces flushed, and they finally could not help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Hiss—" The experts present were all struck with terror.

The depth of this old man's Internal Force, if not unprecedented, was likely not far from it.

Lu Xiaofeng looked at the little old man, a flash of inspiration crossing his mind. He remembered that when he first found Yu Liancheng, Yu Liancheng had said that Huo Xiu's wealth had been taken away without anyone knowing.

This old man lived in seclusion and had never been heard of; coupled with such profound martial arts, even if he were not the mastermind behind the scenes, he was surely involved.

"Good, good, good!!" The little old man clapped, calling out 'good' three times, "Back then on Wumingdao, I gave you the manual in the hope that one day, you could be my opponent and let me taste the flavor of defeat. If you can accomplish that today, this old man really should thank you properly."

Yu Liancheng let his long sleeves fall and exhaled lightly, "You are the person with the highest martial arts I have ever seen. I have long wanted to trade blows with you, but I knew I was no match for you. If I can defeat you today, it will fulfill a regret."

The little old man smiled, "Good ambition. When do you wish to fight?"

Yu Liancheng said, "Right now."

The little old man said, "Where shall we fight?"

Yu Liancheng said, "Right here!"

"Make your move!"

"Very well!"

As the words fell, Yu Liancheng stomped his feet violently, the ground trembling intensely as a wild blast of air, carrying wind and snow, swept toward the little old man's position like an angry dragon.

The little old man struck out with a palm from thin air, a majestic palm force erupting and instantly shattering the angry dragon.

At the same time, the little old man lunged toward Yu Liancheng, fast as lightning. Across a distance of several zhang, he struck out with another palm; the palm force was vast and surging, causing the air to roll like a tidal wave.

Yu Liancheng let out a long whistle, and as he lunged toward the little old man, he threw a punch, the wind of his fist billowing.

Only a loud "Bang!" was heard as the force of the fist and palm exploded in mid-air, turning into wild, surging energy that swept out in all directions.

The two figures of Yu Liancheng and the little old man were already entangled in mid-air, engaging in lightning-fast combat; energy collided, fists and palms struck, and in just a single breath, they had exchanged dozens of blows.

Boom!!

The two struck each other again with fist and palm, like a muffled thunderclap exploding from within. A powerful shockwave swept out, and countless piles of snow were uprooted, rolling and heaving like waves.

Even rocks flew out from the snow, shooting in all directions and inciting sharp, piercing whistling sounds, their power no less than that of heavy bows and crossbows.

The martial arts heroes standing nearby were caught in the crossfire, their cries of alarm and pain echoing incessantly.

Even those further away felt their ears buzzing and their scalps tingling.

"There are too many miscellaneous people here; how about we change locations?"

"Good!"

Amidst the thunderous, booming combat, two extremely clear voices still rang out.

Immediately after, everyone saw two figures shoot out like meteors.

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared from everyone's sight.

But the continuous sounds of their battle still echoed from afar, lingering for a long time.

The experts present were stunned into silence.

Although the previous exchange between Yu Liancheng and Wu Ming was brief, the shock it gave everyone was beyond measure. When had they ever seen such earth-shattering combat? It had almost exceeded their cognitive range, reaching a level of transcendence.

Lu Xiaofeng was moved with terror, his face showing disbelief: "Who exactly is that old man? And what level have Yu Liancheng's martial arts reached?"

When he first met Yu Liancheng, Lu Xiaofeng was pressured by the sharpness of his sword, but Lu Xiaofeng was confident that if he fought with his full strength, he might not lose to the other party.

Yet every time he saw Yu Liancheng afterward, the other's martial arts seemed to improve, each time more astonishing than the last.

Since parting in the Capital, only three months had passed, and this person had suddenly stepped into a brand-new realm; to describe his progress as 'a thousand miles a day' would not be an exaggeration.

Now, Yu Liancheng's martial arts were already transcendent; I fear that apart from that mysterious old man, there is no one left in the world who can restrain him, and even lasting thirty moves would be difficult.

Gongsun Lan sighed softly, "I said before, with his current martial arts, even if Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng joined forces, they might not be his match. Do you believe me now?"

Lu Xiaofeng said with emotion, "But how could he improve so quickly? Even if he practiced the martial arts of the Demon Sect, I fear he could not have progressed to this point."

Gongsun Lan shook her head, "You ask me, but who can I ask?"

Xue Bing suddenly said coldly, "I don't know why his martial arts have advanced by leaps and bounds, but I know that if we miss this 'Number One Battle Under Heaven' today, we will likely regret it for the rest of our lives."

After speaking, she had already unfolded her movement technique, sweeping away like a startled fairy.

"Such a world-shaking battle, I am absolutely unwilling to miss it."

"Haha, to be able to witness the exchange between the two peerless swordsmen Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng today is already worth the trip from the Central Plains to Tianshan. But I didn't expect there to be two more duels to follow, and each one is more exhilarating and heart-stirring than the last."

After a moment of astonishment, the hundreds of martial arts heroes in the arena one after another unfolded their light-body techniques, rushing toward the place where the two were fighting.

The sound of sleeves breaking through the wind rose one after another; one by one, they unfolded their movement techniques, following at the fastest possible speed.

Among the crowd of experts, the light-body techniques of Lu Xiaofeng, Gongsun Lan, Ye Gucheng, and others were the highest; they were all famous figures in the Edo, and walking side-by-side with them was indeed an old man. He looked to have white hair and beard, with half his body already buried in the grave, but his movement technique was absolutely not inferior to any expert.

Lu Xiaofeng only had to take one look to know that this shifty-eyed old man was undoubtedly Sikong Zhaixing; if it were any other time, he would certainly have teased Sikong Zhaixing well, but now he had no interest.

Bang, bang, bang!!

Suddenly, Lu Xiaofeng and the others all heard the sound of collision, as if it were right nearby. But looking around, there was only white snow, and not a single shadow of a person.

"The snowfield, they are in the snowfield."

No one knew who had exclaimed, but the crowd suddenly discovered that the collision sound was coming from inside the snowfield. Moreover, the snowfield was trembling incessantly, as if a subterranean dragon were tossing and turning beneath it, and the surging Qi force was penetrating straight through the snow surface.

Rumble!!

The snowfield suddenly exploded, as if hundreds of sticks of dynamite had been detonated instantly from within the ground; the accumulated snow flew up like waves to a height of five zhang, then crashed down with a roar, causing waves of tremors, the power of which was unimaginable.

Boom!

The snowfield exploded again, and two figures had already swept out from the accumulated snow, rising like divine dragons.

"This old man's physique is formidable; wanting to win quickly is simply impossible."

Yu Liancheng's gaze sharpened. He had originally intended to suppress others with force, using only wide-open, sweeping moves with the power of a thousand jun. As long as the opponent revealed a single flaw, he could potentially crush them. Yet, he had not expected that all his moves would be neutralized by this old man.

"To receive without returning is not polite. Young Friend Yu, why not try my martial arts as well?" The old man had originally looked plain and simple, without the slightest astonishing quality. But now, he held his head high and his chest out, his momentum like an abyss or the sea, giving people immense pressure.

Amidst his words, his sleeves fluttered, and he struck out with a palm horizontally; a yin-soft and chilling palm force broke through the air, rushing straight toward Yu Liancheng.

——Bone-Melting Cotton Palm!

Yu Liancheng naturally recognized this; it was the Bone-Melting Cotton Palm of the "Bone-Melting Immortal" from years past, and the little mustache on Wumingdao had also once used this peerless art.

But compared to the old man's, the little mustache's Bone-Melting Cotton Palm was as different as clouds and mud. Even if the "Bone-Melting Immortal" were resurrected, he would likely be melted to bone and blood and die miserably on the spot if faced with this palm.

Yu Liancheng likewise struck back with a palm, instantly triggering an explosion of airflow and kicking up a sky full of snow, slamming toward him like an angry dragon.

The two palm forces made contact; the palm force Yu Liancheng struck out with was rapidly neutralized by that sinister palm force, while the Bone-Melting Cotton Palm's force was also weakened, and in the end, both dissipated into nothingness like a breeze.

The old man felt no surprise at all; he appeared before Yu Liancheng as if he had shrunk the earth into an inch, and with a "rumble," he slapped toward his Heavenly Spirit.

This palm was propelled by the Primordial Qi Art; the Qi force was integrated into one, and the palm force was like the sky collapsing and the earth sinking. Before the palm even arrived, the palm wind had already made Yu Liancheng's clothes rustle.

Yu Liancheng let out a cold snort, his five fingers suddenly clenching into a fist, and he struck upward in a counter-attack. A heaven-covering fist intent permeated every inch of space; as he threw this punch, it was as if a mountain had risen from the ground, spanning the horizon, and a massive sense of presence filled the entire world.

Rumble!!

Fist and palm collided, space trembled violently, and the airflow collapsed in layers, forming a gale that swept rapidly in all directions, scouring the ground and sending large swathes of soil and snow rolling into the sky.

The next moment, these two top experts of the current age fought again, their figures moving with incredible speed, like wind and lightning. Even with the eyesight of Ye Gucheng, Lu Xiaofeng, and the others, they could only see a blurred human shadow.

Lu Xiaofeng's heart was shaken beyond measure; he secretly imagined himself exchanging places with the old man, and he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat in his palms. If he were to face the current Yu Liancheng, he would be able to hold on for at most ten moves before being defeated, or even dying.

"Do I really still have hope of surpassing him?"

Lu Xiaofeng could not help but ask himself.

He had regarded Yu Liancheng as an opponent, believing that sooner or later he would be able to surpass him, but witnessing this "first battle of the current age," he could not help but become dejected.

A warm hand patted his shoulder. Lu Xiaofeng looked back and saw that the owner of this hand was none other than Hua Manlou, whose gentle eyes were "looking" at him with a smile on his face.

Although he did not speak, Lu Xiaofeng had already felt the power of friendship.

The battle between Yu Liancheng and the old man could truly be called the "first battle under heaven"; the heart-stirring nature of this battle was truly unimaginable.

The crowd of martial arts heroes looked at the two blurred figures and the fist winds and palm shadows sweeping in from all directions, each of them already pale with fright. If they were in their shoes, they would have absolutely no confidence in being able to take even a single move or half-style from the two.

Such peerless experts should not have appeared in this world.

But there just happened to be such experts.

And there were two of them.

"So martial arts can actually be cultivated to this point; it is truly inconceivable."

"With the martial arts of these two, I fear that even alone, they could dominate the Edo and rule the martial arts world. Even when facing thousands of troops and horses, they could charge and break through, sweeping across everything."

"Who exactly is that old man? There is such an expert in the world, yet no one has ever heard his name or known his background."

"No matter who he is or how powerful his martial arts are, he is already old."

"That is true; from now on, I fear no one in the Edo will dare to challenge Yu Liancheng."

The crowd of martial arts heroes discussed among themselves, their words already regarding Yu Liancheng as a peerless expert without equal in the past or future.

Although the old man could contend with him, he was ultimately already old.

But Yu Liancheng was still young, at most only twenty-something years old. By the time he reached the peak of a martial artist at thirty or forty, both his internal energy and his moves would have ascended to a brand-new level.

How powerful would he be then?

Regardless of what these martial arts heroes thought, Yu Liancheng and the old man had already fought to a white-hot state.

Yu Liancheng let out a roar, shattering the sky full of accumulated snow.

His entire body radiated surging heat, like an erupting volcano; even the eternal black ice seemed to have a tendency to melt.

At the same time, a dense sound like popping beans rang out within Yu Liancheng's body. In the blink of an eye, that sound transformed into rolling thunder, echoing back and forth within him.

And every time the thunderous sound rang out, his momentum surged by a fraction. In an instant, he seemed to have transformed into a giant spirit god, and every move he made seemed to possess the terrifying power to push mountains and overturn peaks.

Yu Liancheng struck out with a punch, and the entire sky's airflow was swept away, as if it had merged into this punch, and he smashed it heavily toward the old man.

The old man let out a cold snort, his robes billowing; his not-so-tall figure gave people a sense of majesty.

He turned his fist into a palm, his hand faintly becoming larger and turning a crimson red, like burning flames, and he slapped out fiercely, meeting Yu Liancheng's fist like a fire cloud.

This was a peerless art called the "Great Handprint"; not only was its power peerless, but its palm force was as aggressive as fire and tyrannical to the extreme. As long as a trace of it invaded the opponent's body, it would immediately make the person feel as if their whole body were being scorched by raging fire, making life worse than death.

Boom—!

Under the force of the two people's struggle, the eternal accumulated ice finally could not bear it, suddenly collapsing downward to form a hole; vast sheets of snowflakes surged over, instantly submerging them both.

They fought their way underground once more.

Previously, they had only been exchanging blows within the accumulated snow, where their movements could still remain fluid, but now they were amidst solid ice and stone walls; every move consumed immense physical strength and True Qi.

Everyone's hearts were shaken to the extreme; these two fought from the sky to the ground, truly like a myth. Their gazes were fixed tightly on the depression, and while the booming, shaking sounds continued to come, their line of sight had already been blocked by the accumulated snow.

Boom!!

A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering loud noise arrived, sending countless sand, stones, and snow flying, while Shitou rolled and fell. Among this loud noise, the crowd of martial arts heroes could not help but feel a sense of panic, as if facing the end of the world.

Bang!

Bang!

Two figures flew out from the ground one after another, landing lightly on the earth.

Both of them were still as calm and composed as before; aside from a few extra creases on their clothes, one could barely see any traces of having fought.

Xiao Laotou took a look at Yu Liancheng and sighed, "This old man truly cannot understand how your martial arts could have improved so rapidly."

Yu Liancheng stood with his hands behind his back and said indifferently, "When the time comes in the future, I will tell you."

"Then I shall certainly listen with respect when that time comes." Xiao Laotou added, "What are the names of the few moves you used at the end?"

Yu Liancheng said, "Alluring City, Heavenly River, and another move called Myriad Phenomena."

Xiao Laotou clapped his hands in praise, "They are all extraordinary ultimate techniques, especially the final move, Myriad Phenomena; it truly encompasses the myriad phenomena, the mountains and rivers for ten thousand miles."

Yu Liancheng said, "That is a move I created precisely after traveling across ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers."

"I took one palm strike from you; I have lost this battle." Xiao Laotou shook his head, showing not a hint of dejection, but instead laughed heartily, "So this is what failure tastes like. Although it is a bit disappointing and a bit uncomfortable, it is also quite interesting, very interesting indeed. I am off."

Having said this, Xiao Laotou flicked his sleeves, and his person had already drifted away.

Yu Liancheng watched Xiao Laotou's departing figure, remaining silent for a long time.

The crowd was also watching Yu Liancheng.

He stood atop Tianshan, amidst misty clouds and sky-filling white snow, setting off his lonely black figure, yet possessing a sense of loneliness that was difficult to describe with any words.

"It is over, it is all over, but my journey has only just begun."

Yu Liancheng suddenly sighed softly, tapped his toes, and his figure soared upward, as if he were about to ascend to the nine heavens. Just as his momentum was about to exhaust, a mysterious and unfathomable Stone Gate seemed to appear in the void; he stepped into it, and his figure was gone.

The crowd of experts below were terrified and lost their color; it took a long time for them to come to their senses, and then an uproar ensued.

"Did you see that? Yu Liancheng stepped into a gate and vanished."

"Could that be the legendary Immortal Gate? Has he already become an immortal and attained the Dao?"

"Bullshit, your eyes must be playing tricks on you."

The scene from before was truly too mythical, and coupled with the sky-filling wind and snow and the extreme distance, some had seen it clearly, some saw it hazily, and some had not seen it at all, thus leading to a huge disagreement.

And from this day forward, Yu Liancheng not only sat firmly on the throne of the world's number one expert, but also gained the legend of "White Snow Filling the Sky, One Jade Flying to Immortality."

This legend, however, had already passed through the Stone Gate and reached another world.

PS: Seeking monthly votes.