OBS Chapter 340 Exhausted Strength, Unable to Remove the Shu Mountain Serpent
Chapter 340 Exhausted Strength, Unable to Remove the Shu Mountain Serpent
Dongxuan slowly raised his head, gently smoothed the wrinkles on his Taoist robe, and stood quietly on the bluestone floor with bright eyes.
"Long time no see, Senior Brother Feng."
Although he still possessed the gaunt appearance of "Dongxuan," who was over forty years old, his posture was now as upright as a pine tree, his eyebrows and eyes as gentle as jade, and a perfectly timed smile always lingered at the corners of his mouth. Every gesture he made exuded a refined and elegant air, making him seem more like a carefree young gentleman, even causing people to overlook the incongruity of his appearance.
"Now that you have become the leader of the Wudang Sect, it is truly a cause for celebration. It is a pity that I was unable to congratulate you in person or inquire about the well-being of our old friends. I am truly ashamed."
Dongxuan smiled gracefully at Feng Daode, as if a spring breeze were blowing and ice and snow were melting. This not only made the perpetually suspicious Feng Daode seem like a villain, but also made Jiang Wen feel a little jealous.
"Who is this guy? Elegant, so very elegant, his demeanor is my lifelong rival."
Yuan Ziyi, who was standing to the side, rolled her eyes after hearing this and said with great hostility, "Sect Leader Feng sees him as a tiger, but the other party shows no fear at all. This is clearly an act that he has even believed himself. Although he looks extraordinary, who knows what lies beneath his hypocritical heart."
Just as Yuan Ziyi said, Feng Daode, filled with fear and apprehension, had no intention of acknowledging his relatives. Instead, he felt a sense of dejection, as if the worst premonition had come true, and he gritted his teeth and said:
"...It really was you!"
"Dongxuan" slowly stepped forward, seemingly to embrace this long-lost old friend. Each step was a perfectly synchronized, exquisite movement, yet the stark contrast between the two sent chills down the spines of those around them.
Because this impeccably perfect demeanor actually exudes an indescribable sense of falseness and awkwardness.
His smile was so perfect, as if it had been measured with a ruler, always stopping at the corner of his mouth, never truly reaching his eyes. Those clear, autumn-water-like eyes seemed calm and still, yet they held unfathomable depths.
"Traitor! Do you even recognize me?!"
This time, however, Feng Daode remained silent. Instead, Lu Feiqing, dressed in Confucian robes, stepped forward, her anger even more intense than Feng Daode's. When the last three words were squeezed out from between her teeth, they seemed to carry an immense weight, each utterance like a boulder tumbling down a cliff into a mighty river, stirring up countless waves.
"Fu! Yu! Shu!!!"
Lu Feiqing's eyes were bloodshot with rage, her voice filled not only with hatred but also with a chilling pain. Even Zhao Banshan was shocked by his old friend's loss of composure, because even after knowing him for so many years, he had never seen Lu Feiqing like this.
Dongxuan slowly turned around, his doubt turning into surprise, and finally revealing joy. However, this performance was too perfect, and everyone understood that the person in front of them was no longer Dongxuan, the leader of the Xiandu Sect, but should be Fu Yushu, the Wudang traitor mentioned by Lu Feiqing.
"Senior Brother Lu, when you were being chased and fell off a cliff and disappeared, I searched everywhere for your whereabouts. I never thought I would meet you again in this lifetime!"
Lu Feiqing gripped the White Dragon Sword tightly, seemingly trying her best to suppress the urge to sacrifice her remaining body to perish together with him, her eyes burning like flames.
"Back then, you were clearly feigning friendship with me. In order to get rid of me and seize the position of sect leader, you killed more than ten members of my family and even forged a letter to invite me to Hengshan for a death match. It was you who knocked me off the cliff!"
Lu Feiqing was all alone, driven by a deep-seated hatred that led him to flee the world. "I survived the fall into the river and spent half a year recovering before returning to fight you to the death, but I never expected you to die at someone else's hands first! Today, I will take my revenge!"
Jiang Wen quickly pulled Lu Feiqing back to his feet as he was gathering his strength. The old man's injuries had not yet fully healed, and he had just been so excited that blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. If he really went up, he would probably be wiped out in one move.
"Master Lu, please calm down for now. Today we outnumber you and will not let this scoundrel escape. But what exactly is the connection between Fu Yushu and Wudang?"
Lu Feiqing clutched her chest, trying to catch her breath. After a long while, she said bitterly, "The former leader of the Wudang Sect, Master Qingsong, was once saved by this man when he was in danger. Seeing that he was all alone, he took him back to the Wudang Sect and taught him as his personal disciple. Who would have thought that this man, who appeared to be shrewd and kind-hearted, was actually scheming and treacherous. He instigated discord among the three sects and seven branches of the Wudang Sect and secretly harmed the candidates for the leadership of each sect, all in order to seize the position of leader."
Yuan Ziyi looked at him with even more caution, as if some inexplicable feeling was reminding her that this person was dangerous. "Are the people of your Wudang Sect so straightforward that they didn't even notice a single trace?"
Lu Feiqing said with shame, "This person is too good at hiding his true intentions. Even if he was trying to kill you a second ago, the next moment his eyes will show regret and astonishment, as if it was just an accident. Moreover, his intelligence and cunning far surpass those of ordinary people. He can manipulate people's hearts with just a few words, making it impossible for them to judge him. My senior brother Ma Zhen was deceived by him. He was tricked into becoming the sect leader, and in the end, he died a violent death. Even before he died, he still thought that he was the good person..."
Fu Yushu, single-handedly, brought the prestigious Wudang Sect to the brink of collapse, almost preventing it from surviving the Jia Shen Incident. He was indeed an extraordinary figure. But what intrigued Jiang Wen most was something else entirely—
Fortunately, Fu Yushu asked the question himself.
"Senior Brother Lu, Senior Brother Ma was killed by Yun Feiyang, a traitor of Wudang. I warned all my fellow disciples many times, but no one listened to my advice. If we had dealt with him earlier, this tragedy could not have happened..."
A surge of resentment welled up in Lu Feiqing's heart, and she almost spat out another mouthful of blood: "Shameless traitor! Now I understand, if you hadn't framed Junior Brother Feiyang at every turn and deliberately taken away his most beloved person, how could his personality have changed so drastically!"
Jiang Wen looked at Fu Yushu and suddenly noticed a similar aura he had seen in Zhao Wuji. Fu Yushu wore the same fake, peaceful smile, as if no one could remove his mask even if the sky were to fall.
Zhao Wuji is the biological son of Qingsong Daoist. He secretly took over the power of Qingyang Sect. Fu Yushu is so ruthless that he can ruin the reputation of such a promising player, and even his own woman does not believe him.
The bloodthirsty spectators around them pricked up their ears, showing no intention of leaving or retreating, but instead gathering even closer together. Even though they couldn't understand why the "Dongxuan" dared to spout such nonsense at the Wudang Sect, they were afraid of missing a single detail.
Just as Wudang's reputation was about to be ruined, Feng Daode gently flicked his whisk, and his snow-white ponytail billowed like flowing clouds. It seemed to be just an ordinary Taoist starting stance, but in an instant, thousands of silver threads wove into an impenetrable net, covering Fu Yushu's major acupoints.
This Wudang whisk skill was originally a defensive technique, which once rendered the fiercely aggressive Hong Xiguan helpless. Now, however, it is used as a defense, with each strand of silver thread carrying abundant internal energy, directly targeting the weaknesses of Fu Yushu's body.
Fu Yushu's lips curled into a half-smile. He suddenly lowered his body and glided along the ground like a serpent. With a light tap of his right hand, he precisely struck the knot of the whisk's silk threads. With a soft "hiss," the seemingly indestructible silver threads were deflected by his finger. Then, his left arm moved like a snake's tongue, his five fingers forming a claw, grabbing Feng Daode's weapon.
Feng Daode was prepared. He suddenly threw his whisk and abandoned his weapon without hesitation. He formed a tiger claw with his left hand and struck Fu Yushu's door with a powerful wind that could split rocks and pierce gold. The Wudang whisk technique that had suddenly launched a cold arrow earlier was just a feint!
The Wudang Tiger Claw Hand is known for its fierce and ruthless nature, with every move aimed at vital points. Now, fueled by his decades of experience, the claw wind became as sharp as a knife, whistling through the air.
"Good timing."
Fu Yushu chuckled, his body suddenly rising higher, his crane-wing-like arms spreading out and drawing a graceful arc in mid-air, just avoiding the fatal claw. Then, before he landed, his right leg swept across like an iron whip, forcing Feng Daode to retaliate and defend himself.
The two exchanged more than ten moves in the blink of an eye. Seeing that the Tiger Claw Hand was ineffective, Feng Daode suddenly changed his palm technique. His hands spun around like wheels, and he used Wudang Tai Chi Push Hand. His palm force was dense and long, like the Yangtze River, and he tried to neutralize Fu Yushu's strength by using the method of using softness to overcome hardness.
However, Fu Yushu's Thirteen Forms of Snake and Crane seem to be inherently restrained by the harmonious way of Tai Chi.
At times, he twisted and slithered like a serpent, launching cunning attacks from unbelievable angles, causing Feng Daode's methods of deflecting force to repeatedly fail; at other times, he fought in mid-air like a crane, his palm strikes fierce and swift, forcing Feng Daode to retreat step by step without success in his attacks.
"Senior Brother Feng, it's been so many years."
Fu Yushu forced Feng Daode away with a palm strike, then gracefully retreated about ten feet. His tone was filled with undisguised concern, but to outsiders it sounded like mockery: "Have you forgotten who taught you your Wudang skills?"
“I still remember that back then in the pine forest behind Zixiao Palace on Wudang Mountain, you couldn’t find the key points of Wudang boxing. I accompanied you to practice each move, until the moon was high in the sky.”
"And the Wudang Tiger Claw Hand. Back then, Master always said that you had too many Shaolin habits, too much force and too little agility. It was because I secretly passed on the agility transformation method from the Thirteen Forms of the Snake and Crane to you that your Tiger Claw Hand has its current power."
His voice was so gentle it could melt your heart, as if he were truly reminiscing about his youthful days, but Feng Daode's face grew increasingly pale.
"Even if you were to become the leader of Wudang, if I hadn't left on my own initiative back then, and if Senior Brother Ma Zhen hadn't had that accident, do you think you would have been able to command respect as the leader based on your qualifications?"
Inside the Tongtian Hall, there was a great deal of discussion. Hearing such explosive news, it was difficult for people to remain calm. Jiang Wen also quickly found Lu Feiqing and asked him why Fu Yushu dared to speak so arrogantly.
Lu Feiqing was no longer within the Wudang Sect's walls, so she spoke less cautiously. At this moment, she lowered her voice and said to Jiang Wen, "Feng Daode was also rescued by the Qingsong Sect Leader and brought to Wudang, but he joined the sect later than Fu Yushu. Therefore, many of his skills were taught to him by Fu Yushu on his behalf. Moreover, Feng Daode initially followed Fu Yushu's lead. Later, after Fu Yushu died suddenly, he benefited greatly from his legacy, which is why he gained the trust of various sects and lineages."
Fu Yushu sighed helplessly, "Senior Brother Feng, although you joined the sect later than me, you are older than me, so I call you Senior Brother and regard you as a brother. But why did you collude with the Wudang traitors to kill me on the Golden Wheel Platform to silence me?"
These words struck Feng Daode like a heavy hammer blow.
His already mischievous face suddenly flushed red, a flash of shame and anger in his eyes. With a loud shout, his fist abruptly changed direction, unleashing the unparalleled Shaolin Tiger-Subduing Fist. The force of his punch was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, carrying the majesty of Buddhist demon-subduing techniques, aimed straight at Fu Yushu's chest.
Immediately afterwards, his fist stance changed again, his left fist like a tiger and his right palm like a crane, which was the Tiger and Crane Double Form Fist of Southern Shaolin. This style of fist combines hardness and softness, with the tiger form emphasizing ferocity and the crane form emphasizing agility. He mastered it to perfection, and for a time he forced Fu Yushu to dodge repeatedly.
The crowd in front of the Tongtian Hall watched with bated breath, never expecting that Feng Daode, the leader of Wudang, would possess such exquisite Shaolin skills. Only a few people knew that this was the skill that Feng Daode had ingrained in his bones, and now he was truly enraged.
However, Fu Yushu's strength was truly too strange and difficult to deal with.
His moves were sometimes chilling and bone-chilling, sometimes violent and thunderous. What was even more bizarre was that the landing point of each move of his Thirteen Snake-Crane Style could always accurately predict Feng Daode's next move. No matter how Feng Daode's Tiger-Crane Double Form changed, he could always block the fist path a step in advance, and even turn around and use Feng Daode's strength to guide it towards Feng Daode himself.
With a muffled thud, the two men's palms collided. Feng Daode felt a soft yet incredibly powerful force travel up his arm. He groaned, staggered back three steps, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
"impossible!"
Feng Daode's eyes were filled with disbelief. He suddenly took another deep breath, his clothes fluttering without wind, his hair and beard standing on end. He then simultaneously unleashed the internal energy of both the Wudang and Shaolin Yi Jin Jing to their maximum. The two energies swirled and intertwined around his acupoints, forming a tremendous force—
Feng Daode knew his shortcomings in technique, and now he could only make up for them by practicing hard for more than ten years.
Fu Yushu's smile remained unchanged as he unleashed his inner strength. A strange energy surged from his body, carrying a chilling and eerie aura. It coiled and flowed, taking root wherever it landed. Although still weak, it met Feng Daode's palms without hesitation.
The moment their palms touched, the entire Tongtian Palace seemed to tremble.
Just as the two internal forces were about to collide head-on, Fu Yushu suddenly withdrew his palm force, and then suddenly burst forth again, striking with unparalleled precision the barely perceptible gap between the internal forces of the Wudang Yi Jin Jing and the Shaolin Yi Jin Jing.
"puff--"
Feng Daode suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the bluestone slab, his face as pale as paper.
Fu Yushu slowly walked up to Feng Daode, squatted down, took out a clean white handkerchief from his sleeve, and reached out to wipe the blood from the corner of Feng Daode's mouth.
The movements were so gentle, as if he were treating an old friend he hadn't seen for years, but Feng Daode reacted as if bitten by a venomous snake, abruptly turning his head away and coughing violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood.
"Master Lu, are you sure this person is Fu Yushu?"
Lu Feiqing replied with a grim expression, "Although their appearances are completely different, their martial arts skills are exactly the same, and their tone of voice is exactly the same. I can only assume that he is Fu Yushu."
"Damn it, it really is a case of 'reincarnation'... But this person's martial arts are clearly from Wudang yet they have taken a different path. Just who is he?"
Faced with Jiang Wen's question, Lu Feiqing sighed and said, "Twenty years ago, this fiend led a group to Sichuan. After returning, his martial arts skills improved greatly. He completely altered the original Thirteen Forms of Tai Chi, incorporating the strengths of various schools, making his every move incredibly unpredictable. To my shame, back then, I was not only no match for him, but I couldn't even catch a glimpse of his full power..."
Jiang Wen recalled the legend that when the leaders of the eight major sects discussed martial arts at Qingcheng Mountain, they jointly created the elusive and unpredictable Snake Crane Eight Steps fist technique, which caused a great upheaval in the martial arts world. It was from that time that Zen Master Tiancong of the Southern Shaolin Temple had the ambition to create an even more powerful martial art to protect the temple. He eventually comprehended the secret Dragon Form Fist at the "Ink Dragon Stele," and the martial arts world was thus plunged into a strange arms race.
"It seems he grasped the essence of the 'Eight Steps of the Snake and Crane' and was extremely familiar with Feng Daode's martial arts foundation, which allowed him to dismantle all of Feng's moves and completely restrain him..."
Well, just as much as Feng Daode restrained the Southern Shaolin, Fu Yushu restrained Feng Daode just as much. Like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, Fu Yushu was destined to lose this time.
Upon hearing Jiang's words, the entire audience erupted in uproar. Everyone suddenly realized that it wasn't that Feng Daode was weak, but rather that all of his trump cards had already been thoroughly investigated by his opponent, and the outcome of this battle was predetermined from the very beginning.
Just then, a lazy voice came from behind the crowd.
"I say, young man, you're being a bit too arrogant."
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old monk, dressed in tattered robes and with a gaunt and strange appearance, staggering out.
He said with a face full of indignation, "You taught him Wudang kung fu, but I taught him Shaolin kung fu. So, we are both his masters, so it would be reasonable for me to fight you instead."
His smile vanished instantly, his eyes sharpening like an eagle's. Before Fu Yushu could react, he appeared before him like a ghost, his right hand forming a claw, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, aiming straight for Fu Yushu's crown chakra.
This grab was as fast as lightning and as powerful as thunder; it was none other than the Shaolin martial art, the Indra Grab!
Fu Yushu's expression changed slightly. He hurriedly used the Thirteen Forms of the Snake and Crane, his body twisting like a snake, even his joints dislocating and contorting. He was clearly forced into a corner and was trying to avoid this fatal grab. However, Master Ji Po's Indra Claw followed him like a shadow, his palm shadows layering upon layer, completely blocking all his evasive routes.
Fu Yushu's Thirteen Forms of the Snake and Crane were known for their agility and unpredictability, but under the fierce, domineering, and invincible attack of Indra's Claw, he seemed to be restrained at every turn. Every dodge and every counterattack of his was accurately predicted and countered by Master Chicken's claw moves, as if not only his moves were not smooth, but even his internal energy was being suppressed.
Suddenly, Master Chicken shouted loudly, and his claws suddenly accelerated. His fists and palms even created eight afterimages, each carrying different forces such as pushing mountains, breaking rocks, rupturing internal organs, splitting hearts, crushing bones, destroying tendons, sealing, and decomposing. They all attacked Fu Yushu's strange and agile body. It was the Shaolin's ultimate skill, "Eight Strikes of Divine Palm"!
The blow landed on Fu Yushu's shoulder. Fu Yushu groaned and staggered backward. His Taoist robe was torn to shreds, and five deep claw marks that revealed the bone were clearly visible.
Jiang Wen stood in the crowd, his eyes fixed on the fight between the two people in the arena. His brows furrowed slightly, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.
He could see that although Fu Yushu's Thirteen Forms of Snake and Crane were exquisite, they contained an indescribable eerie aura, much like the "Eight Steps of Snake and Crane," whose moves were extremely unpredictable and defied common sense.
The Shaolin martial art, or rather the one mastered by Master Ji Po, which combines the "Eight Strikes of the Divine Palm" and the "Indra's Claw," is precisely the ultimate technique that counters this kind of bizarre martial art.
It seems to carry an aura of subjugating heretics, with its moves being wide and powerful, fierce and unparalleled. With absolute subjugation power, it forcefully breaks through all fancy and strange changes. No matter how tricky your moves are, I will break them with a single grab.
This is not a power inherent in martial arts, but rather a power possessed only by Master Ji Po. Perhaps decades ago, before the secret Dragon Form Fist was introduced in Shaolin Temple, this eccentric monk in front of us was the secret weapon of Southern Shaolin to deal with Xi Yi...
"Thank you for your guidance, senior. May I ask for your advice?"
Fu Yushu's gentle tone and steady manner of speaking lacked the warmth of a living person and had a stiffness that came from deliberately crafting each word, as if every word had been rehearsed a thousand times. But the meddlesome master was no longer acting crazy; instead, he answered him solemnly and self-assuredly, which was rare for him.
"Indra's Claw, Eight Strikes of Divine Palm. I am the foremost martial monk of the Arhat Hall of Southern Shaolin, my Dharma name is Haizhi!"
Fu Yushu patted his shoulder and exclaimed, "So it's Master Haizhi! Your martial arts have become even more profound over the years! It's a pity our meeting was too short. I'm also very curious about what kind of nightmare you're hiding in your heart..."
His gentle and refined mask seemed to finally crack a little, and alarm bells rang in Jiang Wen's heart—he used the sandalwood incense to lure out "Dongxuan", but he never expected that he would have such a deep connection with Feng Daode.
However, at that very moment, Master Ji Po suddenly stopped, his eyes gazing blankly at the sky, as if this world had shattered like water, and the Saha world was like the human realm, with only a seated figure slightly raising its head, as if asking people why they were so stubborn and how to be liberated.
Master Chicken slowly extended his hands, his face constantly shifting between extreme lucidity and utter madness. He seemed to see some indescribable existence, about to cut open his belly, take out something, and throw it into the world like discarded trash, leaving behind only a sky full of mad mountains and terrifying seas, with waves of blood surging to the sky.
The "Dongxuan" before them seemed somewhat taken aback.
He slowly raised his hand and found countless wounds emerging from his body, as if someone had swiftly slashed his body with a sharp knife. The rotting muscle texture was murky, the decaying blood smelled foul, and the wounds quickly spread beyond his palm. There was no pain, no groaning, only an indescribable astonishment.
At that moment, Master Ji's outstretched hand was bulging with veins and bulging muscles, countless earthworm-like blood vessels appearing on his skin, rising and falling like waves, as if desperately resisting something. Suddenly, two fingers of his left hand shot up, aiming straight for his own eyeballs! (End of Chapter)