Chapter 74: The Peerless Fist

When Mao Yingxia finally finished reciting that obscure formula, Li Miao had already closed to within ten zhang of her.

Li Miao pointed a finger.

Sharp true energy like an arrow leaving the string shot toward Mao Yingxia's chest.

It was none other than the Ming Sect's peerless skill "Mysterious Heaven Finger," which was also the martial art Lan Lechuan used to test Li Miao that day.

Mao Yingxia was, after all, a direct descendant of the Ming Sect's top-tier experts; hearing the sharp whistling behind her, while shocked that Li Miao actually knew the Ming Sect's peerless skills, she also instinctively reacted.

True energy surged under her feet, and she suddenly exerted force to turn sideways, raised her left hand, and used a "Mysterious Heaven Finger" to counterattack!

Boom!

A dull sound in mid-air, blood splattered, Mao Yingxia covered her left shoulder, and her arm hung softly.

Between an expert above the Peak Realm and a top-tier expert, it is like the difference between clouds and mud. Mao Yingxia's "Mysterious Heaven Finger" was smashed to pieces in mid-air, and the remaining sharp true energy was not exhausted, only slightly deflected, opening a hole the size of a thumb on her shoulder.

This wound directly broke her collarbone into two halves, making it difficult for the left half of her body to move. Mao Yingxia groaned, raised her right hand to point several times on her left shoulder, and barely stopped the bleeding.

Raising her head again, Li Miao was already close at hand.

Li Miao's "Mysterious Heaven Finger," like the tile he struck when pursuing You Zi'ang, was the same principle.

This strike, whether you block or receive it, as long as your true energy flow stops for a moment, I can close to your front.

Li Miao clenched his fist, and the gloves woven from silkworm silk made a sound of almost collapsing, held at his waist, and the rampant true energy blew away the smoke and dust around him.

Boom!

Li Miao's left foot stepped on the ground suddenly, gravel splattered, and a loud noise exploded!

The fist at his waist was raised.

A punch was thrown!

Looking at it, apart from the great momentum, it was exactly the same as the "step-by-step punch" practiced by children when building a foundation.

This fist technique looked plain and unremarkable, but Mao Yingxia showed a look of horror.

She recognized this fist technique—"Horizontal and Vertical Fist"!

That's right, this fist technique is called this name, both earthy and simple. Like the name, this fist technique has only two moves, one horizontal and one vertical, not outstanding at all.

But it is a famous peerless divine skill in the Jianghu!

It is said that more than a hundred years ago, there was a young man with exceptionally good bone structure but a simple and plain temperament, whose comprehension was exceptionally poor, and he found it difficult to get started with most martial arts, only having a foundation fist technique that he learned decently.

After several years of careful training by the sect, this young man still couldn't get started with the sect's martial arts. Gradually, the sect no longer paid attention to this young man.

Until the young man was thirty years old, he still practiced this foundation fist technique day after day, through cold winters and hot summers, without a trace of slack. And the foundation fist technique, which originally had dozens of moves, only had two left after twenty years—one horizontal, one vertical.

The disciples in the sect often mocked him, but he just giggled and didn't care, still practicing this fist technique with only two moves very seriously, move by move.

Until one day, the sect suffered a disaster, and the experts in the sect were wiped out in one battle. The enemy came to the door, wanting to destroy the sect's inheritance and kill all the disciples in the sect.

No one in the sect could resist anymore, and the disciples were in despair, only able to close their eyes and wait for death.

At this very moment, the young man who had practiced the foundation fist technique for twenty years stood up.

One vertical, smashing the enemy's head into his chest.

One horizontal, more than a dozen people flew backward, and there was no sound when they landed.

Only then did the fellow disciples discover that the two moves that appeared in front of them every day, like country-style tricks, were so introverted and so heavy.

Since then, this young man took over the sect's inheritance, was unrivaled in the Jianghu for a time, and even suppressed the contemporary Wudang Sect leader at the age of fifty, becoming the leader of the Central Plains Wu Lin.

Unfortunately, since he died, no one in the sect has been able to use this fist technique with his charm. Over time, the sect withered, and this "Horizontal and Vertical Fist," which was famous for a time, was also lost and disappeared.

Appearing in the world again at this moment, it was aimed at Mao Yingxia!

The charm is introverted, heavy as if the sky is falling, and he has obtained the essence of this fist technique.

Mao Yingxia raised her palm, and a true energy handprint left her body and struck toward Li Miao's punch.

It shattered in response!

"Mysterious Heaven Finger"! "Great Nine Heavens Hand"! "Cold Cotton Palm"!

"Bone-Piercing Needle"! "Yin Wind Blade"!

Countless Ming Sect peerless skills were used by Mao Yingxia, splashing toward this punch as if they were free, but they were like bubbles, shattering in mid-air, unable to shake it in the slightest!

This "Horizontal and Vertical Fist" is just like this; it is not fast, and even if Li Miao uses it, Mao Yingxia can see it clearly, and it can almost be said to be slow.

But it cannot be blocked.

Suddenly, Mao Yingxia's expression relaxed.

It arrived; the formula she recited finally played a role, albeit late.

The wind rose suddenly, and several roars like wild beasts sounded nearby.

Several human figures pounced over, blocking between Mao Yingxia and Li Miao, their sharp claws grabbing toward Li Miao's whole body.

Boom!

Clatter—

Limbs shattered, those human figures were suddenly knocked away, and pitch-black, sticky blood like petroleum splattered everywhere.

Li Miao's punch still landed on Mao Yingxia's shoulder.

"Pfft—"

Mao Yingxia vomited blood and flew backward, her right shoulder already becoming a pile of broken flesh.

But she ultimately survived, only sitting paralyzed on the ground, unable to move anymore.

It's just that, at this distance, Li Miao killing her would only be a matter of an instant.

Li Miao didn't take action, but stopped his pace and scanned left and right.

Around him, hundreds of figures stood, issuing dull roars and gasps, ready to move.

Li Miao finally spoke his first sentence: "You Ming Sect members really know how to play with Gu insects."

"You guys haven't been hiding in the Miao region all these years, have you?"

"Cough, cough... cough..." Mao Yingxia coughed several times and vomited a mouthful of stagnant blood.

"It is my sect's lack of preparation that we didn't discover at all that there was such a character hidden in the Imperial Court."

"But how did you manage to cultivate two paths... and still survive..."

Li Miao said indifferently: "You don't need to worry about this; I cultivated it myself, and it has nothing to do with the Imperial Court."

"I was tired of staying in Shuntian Prefecture, went out for a walk, happened to run into you group of beasts, so I came to kill a few."

Hearing Li Miao's understated words, Mao Yingxia's face turned red, and she was so angry that she vomited another mouthful of blood.

"Heh... heh heh..."

"You, just be arrogant."

"You cannot kill me."

Mao Yingxia said while bracing herself: "These around are the five hundred 'Gu soldiers' accumulated by my Holy Sect..."

"The mother Gu is on me; if I die, these Gu soldiers will have no restrictions and will naturally go to find meat in all directions."

"Don't think about killing me and taking the Gu from me... true energy connection, blood energy nourishment, if it breaks for a moment, the mother Gu will die with me immediately..."

"No matter how high your martial arts are, it is impossible for you to kill them all before they reach the surrounding villages and towns..."

"At this moment, you only have one choice..."

Mao Yingxia said coldly: "These Gu soldiers are infinitely strong, and blades are hard to injure..."

"You can kill fifty, kill one hundred, but you are ultimately not 'Sumeru', and your true energy is limited..."

"Come! Kill... let's see if you finish killing these Gu soldiers first, or if your true energy is exhausted first..."

"Heh... heh heh heh heh heh... cough cough..."

Li Miao turned to look at Mao Yingxia: "Has anyone ever said that you talk too much?"

"I was originally going to slaughter all of you group of beasts. Then I'll leave you to die last."

Having said that, he raised his hand and struck a "Mysterious Heaven Finger," shattering Mao Yingxia's hip bone and abolishing her ability to escape.

And then, amidst Mao Yingxia's suddenly ringing miserable wails, he walked slowly toward the pouncing Gu soldiers.

(End of chapter)