Chapter 1167

If not for the lack of time, this monk would now be the first in history to master all seventy-two supreme arts.

Nowadays, Jiumo Zhi has, through clever means, cultivated over thirty of the seventy-two supreme arts.

Indeed, given him a little more time, mastering all seventy-two might not be impossible.

Hearing this, Gai Nie spoke softly,

"Master, you've learned so many—what use is it?"

"Hmm?"

Jiumo Zhi paused at these words.

This question struck right at the core of Jiumo Zhi's deepest issue.

All martial artists of the Nine Provinces, before reaching the Earthly Immortal Realm, must choose one or several Wu Gong to hasten their advancement to the peerless level.

But after reaching the peerless level, when one perceives the power of heaven and earth and senses the primordial qi of the cosmos,

one must begin forging one's own martial Dao.

One need not necessarily create new martial arts, but at least must find one or several Wu Gong that suit one's nature and martial philosophy.

Through the law of heaven and earth, one perceives the martial Dao, thereby breaking through mortal constraints and ascending to the Earthly Immortal Realm.

In the Earthly Immortal Realm, there is no need to greedily accumulate more.

One need only deepen one's own insights, expand one's martial Dao, elevate one's martial intent and battle spirit, until achieving unity with heaven and earth, and thus entering the Realm of Heavenly Beings.

During this time, no matter how many Wu Gong one possesses, what use are they?

Moreover, among the seventy-two supreme arts of Yunzhou Shaolin, few even rank as Earth-grade, let alone Heaven-grade or Immortal-grade!

Gai Nie's question cut straight to the heart of Jiumo Zhi's martial barrier.

Instantly, Jiumo Zhi, who had been smug and boastful, fell into deep thought.

He muttered repeatedly, "What use? What use is learning all this?"

In the end, Jiumo Zhi became oblivious to all around him, endlessly questioning himself, released Gai Nie, and walked off to the side.

Clearly, he would not awaken until he shattered this martial barrier.

Clap… clap…

A round of applause rang out.

Gusu Murong Fu clapped his hands and praised Gai Nie,

"I never thought the 'Great Qin Sword Saint' had a tongue sharper than his sword!"

"Great Qin Sword Saint" was a flattery Zhu Jia once bestowed upon Gai Nie.

Gusu Murong Fu had long resented it when he was in Huangzhen.

Now, facing Gai Nie again, he naturally brought it up to mock him.

Jiumo Zhi's strength may indeed fall short of Gai Nie's.

But for Gai Nie to defeat him—or even force Jiumo Zhi to cease resisting—

would require at least a thousand strikes, perhaps even his true power.

Yet now, Gai Nie seized upon Jiumo Zhi's one character flaw and struck straight at his martial barrier.

One could say Gai Nie helped Jiumo Zhi.

One could also say Gai Nie dismissed Jiumo Zhi with words alone.

Gai Nie broke through the acupoint Jiumo Zhi had sealed on his left arm, flexed his arm, then said to Gusu Murong Fu,

"What? Does Young Master Gusu Murong also wish to fight me?"

In Huangzhen, Gusu Murong Fu had already provoked Gai Nie.

But Gai Nie had refused to fight.

Yet now, before the Bing Mo Shen, this battle could no longer be avoided.

"Indeed!"

Gusu Murong Fu nodded calmly and slowly drew his sword,

"I know a bit of vertical sword and horizontal sword techniques.

I've heard your Guigu Sect has a saying: 'Vertical and Horizontal Fury—none in the world dare resist.'

Today, this Young Master wishes to test your Vertical and Horizontal Fury with my own vertical and horizontal sword techniques!"

"The Fury of Vertical and Horizontal is not something just anyone can endure."

Gai Nie had refused to fight before, partly because he does not strike lightly, and partly because he had matters to attend to then.

Second, because this Gusu Murong Fu gave Gai Nie an uncanny feeling.

That feeling was as if this Gusu Murong Fu was not the real Gusu Murong Fu.

Though he could not say where this feeling came from, Gai Nie had always sensed Gusu Murong Fu was no ordinary man.

Now, seeing Gusu Murong Fu wish to challenge him with vertical and horizontal sword techniques,

Gai Nie could not help but feel intrigued.

945 Seen rude mouths before, never one this rude

Vertical and Horizontal means opening and closing!

Before entering the Guigu Sect, the first thing taught is this phrase.

Afterwards, students first learn the Guigu philosophy of Vertical and Horizontal, then, according to temperament, ambition, and talent, are taught either the Vertical Sword or Horizontal Sword style.

Each generation of Guigu disciples has exactly two successors: one Vertical, one Horizontal.

Since the current Guigu Zi, Wang Xu, died on Mount Wudang, the only remaining Guigu successors in the Nine Provinces are Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang.

Gai Nie has learned only the Vertical Sword technique.

He knows the Horizontal Sword techniques inside and out.

But as for the mental method and oral formulas, the force-application techniques and so on, he neither knew them in the first place, nor had any desire to speculate or inquire.

And yet, the Vertical and Horizontal Sword Arts — mysterious beyond measure, known to scarcely anyone.

Gusu Murong Fu, it turned out, knew a great deal about them.

After finishing his words, Gusu Murong Fu was not about to stand on ceremony either.

He raised his hand and launched several moves of the Vertical Sword Art, looking solemn in bearing, quite extraordinary.

Gai Nie watched the proficiency of these moves — second only to his own — and felt his interest rise several notches higher.

Just as he was about to draw his sword and strike back at Gusu Murong Fu with the Vertical Sword Art.

He had no sooner extended the Yuan Hong Sword halfway than he suddenly realized that these few moves of Gusu Murong Fu's Vertical Sword Art were not as simple as they appeared.

On the surface, these moves were all ultimate techniques within the Vertical Sword Art.

But in truth, what Gusu Murong Fu employed was the sword-principle of the Horizontal Sword Art driving the forms of the Vertical Sword Art.

Not only were they deceptively similar, but if one tried to break them down according to the original sword forms, one would most likely fall into a disadvantageous position.

Gai Nie had immersed himself in the Vertical Sword Art for so many years — how could he lose to such a trick?

The Yuan Hong Sword had been extended halfway; the moment he sensed something amiss, he immediately shifted his sword forms.

Without the slightest deviation, he broke down those strange moves of Gusu Murong Fu's.

"Good — worthy of the Sword Saint of Great Qin, to have seen through it."

Seeing his scheme exposed, Gusu Murong Fu was not angered in the slightest; on the contrary, he praised Gai Nie.

A mere handful of moves, naturally, could not decide victory or defeat.

After the praise, Gusu Murong Fu shook out his spirit, and unleashed his sword arts in an unbroken, flowing stream.

The number of his sword forms, their strangeness, their complexity.

In all Gai Nie's years of studying the sword, he was truly the first such person he had ever seen.

And that was not all!

Gusu Murong Fu's sword forms were not only numerous and complex — the sword-principles and sword-intent behind them were each different as well.

One moment he used the sword-principle of the Vertical Sword Art to drive the Horizontal Sword Art; the next, the sword-principle of the Horizontal Sword Art to drive the Vertical Sword Art.

A moment later, he brought out Yunzhou Shaolin's Three Swords of Xue Damo, which within them yet contained the principles of the Vertical and Horizontal Sword Arts.

For a time, though Gai Nie could still hold his ground, he could not help but sigh with deep feeling.

He had never imagined that the world already had one Jiumozhi, who had cultivated over thirty of Yunzhou Shaolin's supreme skills.

And now here came another — a Gusu Murong Fu who had learned at least a dozen top-tier sword arts.

These two were truly a wonder and a marvel.

The longer the fight went on, the more startled Gai Nie grew, and the more he admired in earnest.