Chapter 23: Fierce Battle with Arch-Enemy

  After Wu Xin left, Xiao Zhao, Xiao Lan and Xiao Rong spent their days doing household chores well and often chatting with Wu Mama. They also practiced martial arts with Hu Bin to prepare for any situation. At first, Xiao Lan and Xiao Rong couldn't keep up and looked pale. Xiao Zhao didn't say anything, but repeated what Zhou Zi Yi said that night. The two girls were moved to tears and began to respect Xiao Zhao as their leader, practicing diligently together. Wu Mama was touched by the girls' cleverness, kindness, and diligence, but felt conflicted - did they all like Wu Xin? What would happen next? She couldn't help but feel both fondness and worry.

  Hu Bin didn't dare to slack off, if he lost to a few girls, it would be too embarrassing. So he practiced the martial arts that Wu Xin taught him before he left, and practiced them diligently until they were flawless. He also practiced his internal skills every day, and gradually he could go without sleep. Every night he sat in meditation for several hours, and when he woke up, he felt like he had just woken up from a nap. His spirit was even better than if he hadn't slept at all. In his heart, he understood why Wu Xin was able to study so diligently and extensively - it was because he spent more time and effort than ordinary people.

  Let's put these idle words aside for now and talk about how Wu Xin became more vigilant step by step as he walked towards the black hole that day.

  This cave is extremely dark, fortunately Wu Xin was hit by his master last time he went crazy and absorbed more than half of his master's true energy, his internal strength is quite deep, so he can barely see the road in the darkness. After moving forward for about a dozen meters, there is only darkness ahead, and there is no road anymore, and the monster that led the way has disappeared on the left side.

  Wu Xin felt a bit strange, and knew that the path was on his left side. He stretched out his hand to feel it, but it was a stone gate, as stable as a boulder, as strong as fine steel, cold as ice that had been frozen for a thousand years. Wu Xin was greatly astonished, but he understood one thing - this cave was not naturally formed. How could the wonders of heaven and earth create such a flat stone gate? He didn't know who the creator of the cave was, or if there was some great connection between him and the mountain. As Wu Xin thought about it, he stretched out his hand to feel for the mechanism of the stone gate.

  The stone gate was over a meter wide, very flat, like it was made by a machine. The surface had a thick layer of dust, obviously it hadn't been opened for a long time. Wu Xin wiped off the dust but didn't find anything. There wasn't even a lock on this door, and the opening mechanism wasn't on the door either. As Wu Xin continued to feel his way to the right, he soon discovered a hole the size of a bowl on the stone wall not far from the gate. It seemed that the strange beast must have slipped in through this hole.

  Wu Xin searched for half a day and finally found about ten buttons. No, it was twelve! If there were only one or two, Wu Xin would have considered whether to press them or not. But with so many buttons, there must be some hidden mechanism. Maybe pressing them would cause the stone cave to collapse, or maybe flames or water would spout out from the stone wall, sealing him in and making it impossible for him to escape. Wu Xin didn't dare take that risk, so he could only sigh and turn back to leave the cave, after all, preserving his life was the most important thing.

  Wu Xing suddenly turned around and felt a figure flashing at the entrance of the cave in the distance, as if someone had entered. He was greatly shocked and quickly concentrated his mind, tensing up his whole body. Just as he stood still, he suddenly felt a strong killing intent surging before him. Although Wu Xing was startled because there seemed to be nothing in front of him, his heart remained calm. With all his strength, his left hand slowly rose from the lower left side and formed a palm at chest level, guarding all the vital points on his body. His right palm opened wide, striking forward with great force, while his body retreated backward.

  Wu Xin was guarding carefully, but he didn't expect the incoming attack to be so powerful! Wu Xin's right palm didn't dare to use its full force, yet it almost used all his strength. Unexpectedly, as soon as he touched the front, he felt a thick and powerful true energy slowly pressing in, not only gently stopping his own fierce palm, but also heavily counterattacking Wu Xin. The two exchanged blows with a loud shock.

  Wu Xin's body was already stuck to the stone wall, stabilizing his figure, suppressing the discomfort and turmoil in his chest, and calming down. Suddenly, a black shadow appeared before him. The black shadow sneered: "You react pretty quickly! But you're too timid, not even daring to press a few buttons!"

  Wu Xin listened, feeling stunned for a moment. Could it be that his every move was in the other person's eyes? He also recalled the whistling wind sound he heard when he was deeply trapped in the dust, and suspected that it must have been this person. But he said: "Who are you? Why did you follow me all the way? How do you know the Five Elements Concealment Technique?"

  "That person was slightly surprised: 'Did you know I was following you? Or was it a guess? These five-line hiding techniques are just minor skills, you can do them, how could I not?'"

  Wu Xin knew that the other party was stronger than himself and didn't dare to entangle, only saying: "Of course I know you're following me. In the faint dust array at the foot of Jin Gang Mountain, I've known it's you long ago. But we have no past grievances, so I haven't disturbed you. I don't know what intention you have in sneaking up on me?"

  "That person exclaimed: 'You also know that it's the faint dust array? I didn't think of this point! Me sneak attacking you? Obviously, it was you who made the first move!'"

  The sound had barely faded when the man suddenly struck out again, swift as lightning. Wu Xing was already on guard and dodged to the side, using his Tai Chi fist to deflect the powerful palm wind with the "four ounces move a thousand pounds" technique, dispersing some of it and redirecting it to one side. The man's body swayed slightly, then borrowed the power of the stone wall to launch himself upwards, unleashing a pair of scissors kicks in rapid succession towards Wu Xing. Just as Wu Xing had dispersed the man's true strength, his own body swayed slightly, and he saw the opponent's feet approaching, so he quickly switched to Iron Plate Bridge, falling backwards with his hands protecting his chest and head, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack the man's body. The man hadn't expected Wu Xing to change moves so swiftly, and although his feet had missed their mark, he didn't dare step towards Wu Xing below him. After all, even though he was attacking from above with a strong force, he lacked follow-up power, and if one move fell short, it would bring many dangers. At this point, the man's feet continued to advance, but he used his palm strength to strike down at Wu Xing instead. Wu Xing saw that the man's body was now above him, so he followed up with a powerful kick, sliding out of the cave entrance and naturally avoiding the man's palm strike.

  All that could be heard was a loud crash, and the man's feet had already shattered some of the stones on the stone wall, and his hands also slammed into the ground with a loud noise. Both men's moves were extremely fierce and changed quickly. It felt like they had just made their move, and the two of them had already switched directions. Wu Xing was now standing in the original position of the black shadowy figure, while that person was now in Wu Xing's previous position.

  Wu Xin sneered, "You're really shameless! A grown man like you would actually use such despicable means to bully a child. And as a senior, you come to bully a junior, aren't you afraid of being ridiculed?"

  That person also laughed and said, "I'm too lazy to argue with a hypocrite like you! You dare to call yourself a child? Do you think this is an ambush? If you weren't intentionally trying to ambush me, how could you have dodged my move?"

  Wu Xin didn't wait for him to finish, his body had already sprinted towards the cave entrance. He knew his strength was no match for that person, and thinking of the heavy burden he carried, he remembered his master's teachings: "Failure is not terrible, only by being clear-headed in failure and preserving one's strength can one find a way to turn the tide in the future!", besides, among the thirty-six strategies, retreat is the best option!

  Wu Xing had just come out of the cave when that person caught up with him.

  Wu Xin's body swayed, his feet landing on the right side of the stone wall at the entrance to the cave. He used the momentum to propel himself forward, his palms slightly open, one light and one heavy, alternating in an upward and downward motion. His right palm was light, floating and ethereal, positioned in front of and above his body; his left palm was heavy, steady and solemn, condensed at the lower left side of his body. As he shifted his gaze, both palms began to circulate in front of his chest, his feet lightly turning as if walking or running, seeming to be both stable and floating, advancing towards that person.

  That man was extremely tall and wore a green robe, his eyes were like lightning, his eyebrows like swords. Although he had covered his face, there was an aura of majesty about him that commanded respect without being angry. Wu Xing felt as if he had seen him somewhere before. The man saw Wu Xing make his move and stopped in his tracks, chuckling lightly as he said: "A fine Drunken Yin-Yang Palm! However, you probably haven't drunk wine before, so you don't know what 'drunk' means. You're like a dog jumping over a wall, using this move in such a clumsy way."

  Wu Xin's face turned red as he said, "How did you recognize this move? Why are you covering your face and ashamed to be seen?"

  "But who needs to be shy, I'll show you!" The man laughed and said. After finishing speaking, his right palm floated to the front of his right side, while his left palm retreated and condensed on his left waist, just like Wu Xin's palm strike. However, his feet were unstable, stumbling and staggering, but he didn't fall down. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, when he was about to fall, he suddenly stopped, making it difficult for people to track his movements.

  Wu Xin saw him make his move, and his heart trembled even more. He thought to himself, "This is the true essence of the Drunken Yin-Yang Palm, with yin and yang complementing each other, and seven parts drunkenness in every step." Could it be that he had some connection with his master? Or were they from the same school? If they were from the same school, then he must have already known about his own school. Why was he making things difficult for him everywhere, pressing him tightly? Could it be that he had a grudge against his master, or that he was related to his master's death? Thinking of this, Wu Xin decided to test him out. His face turned cold and gloomy, and he shouted, "You killed my master! Today, I will avenge my master's death! Kill you, you treacherous disciple!" The crime of "betraying the school" was randomly added on, but anyway, killing a fellow disciple wasn't much different from that sin.

  That person's expression changed upon hearing this and he said sternly: "You know everything! He told you? Betray the sect? Does he still have the face to say that?"

  Wu Xin listened, only to feel a surge of intense pain, his voice trembling as he said: "So it was you who killed my master! You're...you're...!" His throat was blocked, and he couldn't say another word. His eyes bulged out, staring fiercely at the person, his expression terrifying, as if he wanted to devour him whole.

  That person saw, in his heart only felt a chill come over him, feeling Wu Xin's boundless hatred, he trembled slightly, and with a cold laugh said: "So you actually didn't know! Fine, today I'll settle the score with you, let you go accompany your lustful and unrighteous good master!"

  "You dare to spout nonsense! Today, I will avenge my master!" Wu Xin said, his eyes flashing with anger. With a swift movement, he stepped into the mysterious footwork of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, his body floating as if weightless, his hair flying behind him. He had unleashed all his strength, displaying the ultimate techniques he had learned in his lifetime. His left hand wielded the powerful Golden Vajra Palm, while his right hand employed the Dragon-Subduing Skill, both of which were unmatched in their ferocity. However, the footwork he used was actually the Spiritual Void Step, and his entire body was enveloped by the Pre-Heavenly Gang Energy. In an instant, his figure transformed into a blur, like a mighty dragon rushing towards that person, filling the air with the sounds of roaring dragons and howling tigers.

  That person was shocked to know that Wu Xing had used his full strength. The powerful Golden Vajra Palm and the Dragon Subduing Skill were both supreme Yang masculine martial arts, making it impossible to dissolve them. After all, when using softness to overcome hardness, one must wait for the opponent's "hardness" to not reach its extreme, otherwise, not only can't control, but also be controlled by the opponent! The person couldn't think of a way to dissolve it for the time being and retreated to the tree forest outside the cave, already unable to avoid. Seeing Wu Xing suddenly approach, he also drew a picture of a gourd, stepping on the Lingxu Step, his left palm using the Golden Vajra Palm, his right palm using the Dragon Subduing Skill, with move against move, with strength against strength, it was all just a blur of palms.

  Two men faced each other, with the Dragon Subduing Palm meeting the Great Power Golden Fist. A loud crash was heard, and both figures froze in place. The air around them rippled outward like a wave, sweeping up the dry branches and leaves on the ground around them, scattering them in all directions in a circular pattern.

  Wu Xin let out a cold snort and spat out a large mouthful of blood. The man saw the blood coming towards him and wanted to dodge, but Wu Xin's powerful Vajra Palm had already bypassed his Dragon Subduing Technique and struck straight at his chest. The man was shocked, thinking that his own Dragon Subduing Technique was renowned for its ferocity, able to instantly transform into a claw to subdue the dragon and tiger. Just now, when his right palm's Dragon Subduing Technique met Wu Xin's left palm's powerful Vajra Palm, it didn't transform into a claw, but instead resisted against him. Now, Wu Xin suddenly ignored his own Dragon Subduing Technique and went straight for his chest, naturally hitting the mark. But he also had to forcibly endure the power of his own grab, this was purely a life-or-death struggle, could it be that this young man truly didn't care about his own life?

  The two men's hesitation was over, and they could no longer avoid each other. With a loud cry, Wu Xin's powerful Golden Strength Palm met the opponent's protective aura, shattering it and striking his chest with a loud crack. Several ribs were broken, and the man was undoubtedly severely injured. The man's Dragon Subduing Skill quickly reached Wu Xin's left shoulder, grabbing it and tearing off the sleeve like paper, leaving behind a bloody mess of shattered bones and torn flesh. As soon as their bodies touched, both men flew backward like paper, each spewing out a blood arrow. However, Wu Xin's injuries were mostly external, while the man had suffered severe internal injuries from the palm strike to his chest and could no longer get up. The man angrily exclaimed, "I only spared you because I cherished your talent, and didn't intend to kill you! I even spoke kindly to you earlier, hoping to properly train you, but I never expected you to be so ungrateful!"

  Wu Xin also angrily shouted: "The hatred of killing a master and friend cannot be shared under the same sky, I Wu Xin must avenge this hatred!" After speaking, he struggled to get up, gently patted the shattered bones on his left shoulder, stopped the bleeding, and then supported his weak and seemingly broken left arm, slowly approaching that person.

  That man's face towel had fallen off, still panting, with fresh blood remaining at the corner of his mouth. Seeing Wu Xing come over, he was startled for a moment, then coldly sneered again.

  Wu Xin saw that his face was square and regular, with a Chinese character-shaped face, and his eyebrows were extremely neat. He couldn't help but sneer: "I remember you, what's your name? Why did you want to harm my master?"

  That person smiled again and said, "What if I don't say anything? Do you think you can beat me now? Your injuries are not necessarily lighter than mine, my martial arts skills are much better than yours. If we really fight to the death, you're likely to be at a disadvantage! Why don't we just call it quits for now and fight again another time?"

  Wu Xin continued to advance step by step, gritting his teeth and saying: "Are you going to say it or not?!" After speaking, he raised his palm, accumulating strength, and a cold calmness and resentment flashed in his eyes.

  "Actually, I don't have to argue with you about life and death. Don't you want to listen to the truth?" The man smiled sideways at Wu Xing, his eyes revealing a sly smile.

  Wu Xin didn't say a word, just stared at him, his raised palm suspended in mid-air, as still as a wooden carving.

  "My name is Ren Tianqi, and I'm actually your uncle, the younger brother of your master. Your master joined the sect before me, and our master valued him highly, passing on all his knowledge to him. But I couldn't bear it, so I wanted to reason with him. However, that old man only favored him, and those two looked down on me together. But heaven is fair, and even that old man had a day when he misjudged someone. Your master actually... Haha! ...actually betrayed him, this is really laughable! Karma doesn't fail, does it? Who made him blind, my talent wouldn't be inferior to his!" Ren Tianqi said with a manic laugh, his face red from laughing, and accidentally started coughing violently, but suddenly raised his palm, and a dark red palm energy accompanied by a loud whooshing sound, like thunder, shot towards Wu Xing.

  Wu Xin was listening intently, but unexpectedly a sudden change occurred, and with both palms like lead, he sank his strength into his waist and forcibly caught the palm. The scarlet flame stopped as soon as it came into contact with Wu Xin's palm. Wu Xin's body shook again, and several teeth were crushed, his body swaying unsteadily, his chest feeling increasingly suffocated and nauseous. Wu Xin clenched his teeth tightly, knowing that it was blood, although it had already surged out, but once he spat it out, his body would become weak, and then he would only be able to endure the beating. Holding back that mouthful of blood with all his might, his body could no longer support itself, Wu Xin made a swift decision, staring fiercely at Ren Tianqi, and fell backwards into his arms.

  Ren Tianqi was secretly delighted, thinking that his sneak attack had succeeded and saved him a lot of effort. However, he did not expect that Wu Xin would suddenly turn around and come towards him, causing Ren's heart to panic and leaving him at a loss for what to do, forgetting to defend himself.

  This hesitation, Wu Xin's body actually leaned into his arms, obediently like a child.

  Ren Tianqi was both furious and puzzled, but suddenly felt a severe pain in his chest and shoulders. Wu Xin bit down on his own shoulder with his teeth and used his palms to strike his chest with all his might.

  Wu Xin's internal force was originally strong, and this remaining force could not be ignored either. Moreover, the furious anger that arose in Wu Xin's heart increased his power several times over.

  Ren Tianqi never thought that such a well-behaved child, who had been recreated by himself to have no power to fight back, could still come up with something like this, causing him to be even more seriously injured. At this moment, he wanted to fiercely throw off Wu Xin. Wu Xin's teeth were tightly clenched, his eyes were bloodshot, and it seemed as if fire was about to spew out of them. Seeing this made Ren Tianqi feel a wave of dizziness in his heart, making him even more furious, only knowing how to keep throwing, while moving away at the same time.

  The two of them crawled for a while longer before finally losing their strength and panting heavily.

  Ren Tianqi sorrowfully said: "Let me go! I am also your master's brother, considering we are from the same school, don't bother me anymore!" Wu Xin didn't care, his teeth tightly biting down, not loosening for a moment. Ren Tianqi was helpless and forcefully circulated his internal energy, but his breath was in disarray, unable to condense, and he couldn't even use his mouth to bite Wu Xin. When Ren Tianqi's mouth approached, it was exactly what Wu Xin had hoped for, and he prepared to bite his neck.

  But then he suddenly rolled on the ground, rolling away, and laughed: "Now I've finally escaped! You can't control me anymore! Do you think I'll become a dog like you?"