Chapter 1057

This finger art is a top-tier Wu Gong of Yunzhou Shaolin, ranking among the very best even within the Seventy-Two Absolute Techniques.

Who would have thought that Cao Zhengchun had somehow, at some unknown time, actually learned this finger art!

Even the intelligence of the Shanzhuang had never known of it.

Clearly, ever since Cao Zhengchun mastered it, he had never once used this finger art.

To suddenly unleash it now was clearly like Zhuge Shenhou using the Wu Gong of the Nine Provinces — every last trump card had been played.

Cao Zhengchun's Mixed Origin Heavenly Gang true qi, accumulated over several decades, carried tremendous power in even a single fist or palm.

Now, using that Mixed Origin Heavenly Gang true qi to drive this Shaolin absolute art—

Even a master at the mid Heavenly Being Realm, if caught off guard, would be injured.

In Cao Zhengchun's estimation, even Zhu Wushi would be thrown into disarray.

But Zhuge Shenhou, having recognized the Plucking Flower Finger, not only showed no retreat or guard.

His hand continued reaching for the Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom, as though he cared nothing at all for the Plucking Flower Finger powered by Mixed Origin Heavenly Gang true qi.

"Fine Zhu Tie Dan, daring to look down on our house like this — today I'll surely make you suffer for it."

Seeing Zhuge Shenhou so overconfident, Cao Zhengchun was so furious his teeth itched, and he added more force to his hand.

He never expected that the invisible, formless finger force, striking Zhuge Shenhou's arm, would sink in like a clay ox into the sea, stirring not the slightest ripple.

"How could this be?"

Cao Zhengchun's face drained of color.

After all, Zhuge Shenhou neither practiced the Diamond Indestructible Divine Art nor activated the Heaven-Sucking Art.

Why then could he treat his own Plucking Flower Finger as nothing?

"Hehe! Old eunuch dog, didn't expect that, did you!"

Taking advantage of Cao Zhengchun's moment of stunned distraction, Zhuge Shenhou finally snatched the Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom into his palm.

Then his other hand shot out in a palm strike, hoping to teach Cao Zhengchun a lesson while the man was still shocked.

"Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Sea!"

Cao Zhengchun's reaction was undeniably swift — he immediately changed his move and unleashed the strongest defensive technique of the Heavenly Gang Child Art.

This very move, he had once used against Zhou Zhiruo.

It was only because Zhou Zhiruo had obtained the Heaven Reliant Sword and executed the Great Demon-Subduing Heaven-Slaying Sword Art that she broke through this move of his.

But the true Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Sea is, in fact, an extremely powerful defensive technique.

Cao Zhengchun had simulated it privately several times, and was convinced this one move could absolutely block Zhu Tie Dan's Heaven-Sucking Art.

"Boom…"

A muffled thud.

The instant Cao Zhengchun executed Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Sea, Zhuge Shenhou's palm strike arrived.

This palm landed precisely atop Cao Zhengchun's head.

Cao Zhengchun's Mixed Origin Heavenly Gang true qi surged rapidly, forming layer upon layer of invisible qi walls above his head.

Zhuge Shenhou's palm struck down, shattering two layers of qi walls in succession, before finally being blocked by the third.

"Zhu Tie Dan, this move is specifically designed to counter your Heaven-Sucking Art — didn't expect that, did you!"

Seeing that he had indeed blocked Zhuge Shenhou's palm strike, Cao Zhengchun could not help but say with immense smugness.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Zhuge Shenhou could not help but show a strange grin on his face.

Then Cao Zhengchun felt that, from the palm of Zhuge Shenhou's hand above his head, a terrifyingly extreme suction force was transmitted.

This suction force differed slightly from Zhuge Shenhou's Heaven-Sucking Art.

The Heaven-Sucking Art, famed alongside the Diamond Indestructible Divine Art, could not only drain a person's true qi and physical body, but even their cultivation realm and Wu Gong — all drained away one by one.

Truly overbearing beyond compare!

But this current suction force was not so overbearing.

Instead, faintly, there was a sinister, ghastly feeling to it.

While it absorbed part of Cao Zhengchun's Mixed Origin Heavenly Gang true qi, there was even more of a peculiar dissolving force within it.

Even more terrifyingly, from Zhuge Shenhou's palm, wave after wave of foul stench kept emanating and clinging over.

Clearly, this was some kind of strange deadly poison!

"What on earth is this?"

Seeing that even Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Sea could not withstand Zhuge Shenhou's palm, Cao Zhengchun was terrified beyond measure, racking his brains to recall what this art was and how to break it.

843 Taste the feeling of being drained dry!

In truth, this art was somewhat similar to the Heaven-Sucking Art, yet utterly different.

It was precisely a peculiar Wu Gong that Zhuge Shenhou had accidentally learned during the period after his failed rebellion in the Great Ming of the Nine Provinces, when he faked his death and vanished into the jianghu.

The name of this Wu Gong was the Art of Dissolving Power.

It was the sect-guarding divine art of the Star宿 Sea within the territory of the Great Song Imperial Dynasty!

The Art of Dissolving Power originated from the Xiaoyao Sect's Northern Darkness Divine Art — it was a poison art, half-true and half-false, that Ding Chunqiu of the Xingxiu Sect had created through crooked, unorthodox means after failing to learn the Northern Darkness Divine Art.

To cultivate this poison art, one must constantly use the Divine Wood King Cauldron to absorb the deadly venom of poisonous insects, rats, and ants, so that one's palms contain immense poison.

Although Zhuge Shenhou had no Divine Wood King Cauldron, he still spent considerable effort catching poisonous insects, snakes, and rats to train.

Though his progress was not as rapid as with the Divine Wood King Cauldron, he still achieved something in the end.

He had long known that Cao Zhengchun would certainly practice a move specifically to defend against the Heaven-Sucking Art.

Therefore, when he struck, it appeared to be the Heaven-Sucking Art, but in truth he was employing the Art of Dissolving Power.

Now Cao Zhengchun had indeed fallen for it, and the Heavenly Gang Child Art he had bitterly cultivated for decades was being dissolved away by Zhuge Shenhou at terrifying speed.

"Hahaha! Old eunuch dog, do you really think this sovereign doesn't know you have this move, Ten Thousand Rivers Returning to the Sea, specifically to counter this sovereign's Absorbing Art?"

Watching the green qi spread across Cao Zhengchun's face, it was clear he was slowly being poisoned.

Once the poison reached the heart meridians and seeped into the marrow, this old eunuch would be at his mercy to be cut up as he pleased.

Back in the Nine Provinces, Iron-Courage Divine Marquis had not managed to defeat his old nemesis Cao Zhengchun.

Coming to this foreign Great Ming, he had instead finally gained the upper hand.

With the Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom in hand as well, he was overjoyed, and after a round of mockery, he added,

"This sovereign's divine skill is the Dissolving Art; today I shall dissolve every last trace of your Yuan Tiangang Child Skill.

Then I'll use the Absorbing Art to take your essence-soul, body, and cultivation realm entirely…"

Speaking to his moment of triumph, Iron-Courage Divine Marquis was even more overjoyed.

But just as he was halfway through, he abruptly stopped.

His face filled with terror.

"This… how is this possible?"

Iron-Courage Divine Marquis could no longer bother with dealing with Cao Zhengchun; he lowered his head to look at his own palm.

It turned out this Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom was madly draining his essence-soul, body, true qi, and cultivation right from within his palm!

He could even feel that the fortune of this world's Iron-Courage Divine Marquis was also being madly drained away.

Shocked beyond measure, he instinctively wanted to fling the Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom away.

But this last Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom was truly an utterly sinister Xie Sect thing.

Once it got into one's hand, how could Iron-Courage Divine Marquis simply fling it away just because he wished to?

"Eh? What is Zhu Tie Dan doing?"

Cao Zhengchun had gained this breather and finally managed to catch his breath.

Although the fierce poison of the Dissolving Art was still coursing through his body,

with his profound cultivation, Cao Zhengchun was, for the time being, in no danger.

He happened to see Iron-Courage Divine Marquis waving his arms repeatedly, looking as though he'd seen a ghost.

With a slight probe, he discovered that Iron-Courage Divine Marquis's true qi was rapidly draining away at this moment.

"Hahaha! Zhu Tie Dan, you've capsized in a ditch too."

Cao Zhengchun thought for a moment and immediately understood where the cause lay.

Earlier, when the Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom had not yet emerged into the world, it had already drained dry six top experts: the Four Great Secret Agents, Luo Jusheng, and Madam Luo He.

After emerging, it had, in an even more Guiyixie Sect manner, killed five Eastern Depot experts in succession.

Seeing Zhu Tie Dan now looking like he wanted to fling away the Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom, how could Cao Zhengchun fail to understand?