Chapter 159 - Arc 11: The Sect"s Grand Compet.i.tion | Chapter 159: Match 6

Translator: Lynn

Xu Ziqing ascended the stage and sized up his opponent.

His opponent was a woman, and she stood quite tall. Most women would reach about seven feet in height, even if they were slender, but Du Linglong was approaching eight feet, towering over Xu Ziqing by half a head.

She wore a striking black dress that accentuated her flawless figure, exuding a captivating sensuality. Her skin had an ivory-white hue, reminiscent of finely sculpted jade, with a subtle sheen.

While her appearance wasn’t the traditional delicate beauty, it possessed a unique allure that seemed perfect in its own way. Her most striking feature, however, lay in her hands.

Each finger was gracefully slender, each bit of flesh plump, devoid of any long nails, presenting a clean and simple elegance. The contrast between the snow-white back of her hand and the delicate pink palm held a unique beauty.

This was Du Linglong from Feixian Peak, a female cultivator with a distinctive and exceptional presence.

Upon her initial appearance on the stage, she immediately drew the attention of many, sparking discussions among the spectators.

“What an extraordinary female cultivator!”

“Her aura seems seamlessly integrated, as smooth and comfortable as an uncarved piece of jade. I wonder what kind of cultivation technique she practices!”

“Notice that she isn’t carrying any magical weapons. Could she be planning to fight barehanded?”

“A female cultivator relying on her body for combat? She must be quite confident!”

Despite the chatter, it appeared that no one recognized her or knew her origin. However, it was evident to discerning eyes that she was firmly in the middle stage of foundation establishment and stood on the verge of advancing to the next level.

Given her unique appearance and formidable abilities, why hadn’t she gained recognition in the past?

One person mentioned, “Feixian Peak… that name rings a bell.”

“Peaks with ‘immortal’ in their names have all produced notable cultivators!”

“I’ve heard of many peaks, but I can’t recall Feixian Peak. Perhaps they are making their debut on the martial arts stage!”

The crowd was puzzled, and on the elevated platform, Master Qiu He stroked his short beard while speaking leisurely, “Feixian Peak was the residence of Du Qingzhi before his ascension. Over generations, the Du family’s strength has dwindled, with no more than the Transformation stage cultivators. Consequently, the sect took back the upper peak, leaving only two middle peaks and several smaller ones for the Du family to occupy. However, they are descendants of immortals, and the sect has always acquiesced to their claim of Feixian Peak…”

Upon hearing these explanations, everyone finally understood.

Back on the martial arts stage, the two opponents prepared to engage in combat.

Xu Ziqing flipped his palm, raised his steel-wooden sword, and with a flick of his fingers, a melodious “Qiang Qiang” rang out, enveloping the sword with a cyan radiance, imbuing it with a touch of elegance.

Through numerous battles, Xu Ziqing had gained a heightened sense of combat awareness and a deeper grasp of swordsmanship. He no longer needed to a.s.sume a deliberate stance; instead, a mere thought activated the concept of spring rain.

Facing him, Du Linglong extended her hands slightly and then clenched them into fists.

As she formed her fists, it seemed as though she had drawn in all the surrounding air, causing an instant surge of intense fluctuations. It was as if countless air currents had been compressed into those pair of delicate pink fists, sending one’s heart racing.

“Peng Peng!”

At that moment, Du Linglong’s fists transformed from jade-white to deep red.

It appeared as though all her energy and blood had converged in an instant.

A powerful force enveloped her entire body, making her presence seem to vanish, leaving only her fists visible before everyone’s eyes.

Both of them moved simultaneously.

Xu Ziqing raised his long sword, his movements flowing like clouds, aiming to thrust it toward Du Linglong’s throat. The sword’s movement brought a gust of wind, filled with relentless intent, carrying the soft and gentle breeze, resembling floating catkins in the sky. The cyan sword light it emitted was ethereal and delicate, imbued with the essence of spring. When the sword struck, it seemed to strip away one’s fighting spirit, leaving them disarmed by the murderous aura concealed within the gentle spring rain.

However, Du Linglong remained unfazed, standing her ground with her fists clenched.

As the sword tip neared her throat, she suddenly punched with her right fist!

“Ding Dong—”

The delightful sound, akin to the glistening flow of a mountain spring, echoed.

When Du Linglong’s fist collided with the steel-wooden sword, it didn’t sustain any damage, and she emerged unscathed.

Nevertheless, the countless droplets of spring rain, driven by the steel-wooden sword, dissipated invisibly in an instant.

It was the force of her punch that shattered them!

Before the spring rain could descend and allow the gra.s.s seeds to germinate, Xu Ziqing’s “Mengzi Technique” had been interrupted because he couldn’t establish the required artistic conception.

In this moment of surprise, Du Linglong threw her right fist toward the steel-wooden sword, and her left fist came up from below, delivering a vicious blow to Xu Ziqing’s abdomen.

Instinctively, Xu Ziqing gathered his true essence to form a thick protective layer around his dantian. The fist didn’t fully breach the true essence barrier, but its force still penetrated partially, sending a powerful shock through Xu Ziqing’s body.

Taking in a sharp breath, Xu Ziqing quickly retreated, propelled by the force of the punch. His dantian throbbed with dull pain, and his internal organs had sustained damage.

What kind of martial art was this? Its power was astonishing!

On the elevated platform, everyone was taken aback witnessing Xu Ziqing being injured.

Xu Ziqing had remained unscathed in numerous previous battles. Although each battle was challenging, this was the first round of the Yanwutai compet.i.tion, and he had already been injured.

Du Linglong was truly remarkable.

Qiu Ze and the others lacked the experience to identify the specific martial art Du Linglong employed, so they turned to Master Qiu He for insight.

However, even this time, Master Qiu He shook his head and admitted, “I’ve never seen it before.” He paused briefly, then looked toward his eldest disciple, Yun Lie, saying, “Yun’er, do you happen to know?” Master Chu He, with his limited apt.i.tude, had reached only the Golden Core stage, and now all his achievements paled in comparison to his eldest disciple. He had no reservations in seeking Yun Lie’s wisdom.

Yun Lie rose to his master’s expectations and promptly responded, “It’s the Linglong Seven Killing Fist.”

At the same time, Luo Yao paused in his thoughts.

It turned out that at this very moment, within his consciousness, there was another voice proclaiming, “That’s the Linglong Seven Killing Fist!”

Someone was communicating this knowledge directly into his awareness.

The voice sounded strangely familiar, causing Luo Yao to pause for a moment. He then glanced towards the source of the voice.

The voice spoke again, its tone confident and haughty, saying, “Why are you staring at me? Is there a problem with what this young master said?”

It was indeed Du Zihui.

Hearing his defiant tone, Luo Yao no longer harbored the same level of dislike as before. Instead, he smiled and responded, “Thank you for clearing up my confusion.” He continued with a question, “Is Ms. Du related to your family?”

Du Zihui didn’t seem eager to respond, and he turned his head away with a cold snort, stating, “Linglong is my cousin, don’t even think about pursuing her!”

Luo Yao remained silent, puzzled by the a.s.sumption that he was interested in pursuing her. Nevertheless, he understood Du Zihui’s temperament by now, so he sighed and said, “If it doesn’t bother you, could you explain this martial art to me?” Despite Du Zihui’s challenging demeanor, Luo Yao maintained his composure. Remembering Du Zihui’s earlier comment about caring for Xu Ziqing, he hoped to learn more about this powerful technique.

Du Zihui grudgingly agreed, and with a hint of frustration, he briefly explained the power behind the “Linglong Seven Killing Fist.”

This martial art technique had a rich history.

As common knowledge dictated, humans experience seven emotions: joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, and shock. The “Linglong Seven Killing Fist” utilized the pract.i.tioner’s body to penetrate these seven orifices, effectively suppressing these emotions. The creator of this martial art was Du Qing, the progenitor of the Du family.

Du Qingzhi had multiple wives and concubines, all of whom he cherished deeply. One of them possessed an exquisite physique, but due to the spiritual energy within her seven orifices, she couldn’t cultivate, and her lifespan was significantly shorter than that of ordinary people. Determined to empower his beloved, Du Qingzhi crafted this unique martial art specifically designed for women with such physiques, allowing them to achieve remarkable results with minimal effort.

This particular wife later bore Du Qingzhi a child. Although the first generation was a male, the lineage still inherited the trait of women with exquisite bodies. The “Linglong Seven Killing Fist” was pa.s.sed down through the generations until it reached Du Linglong.

Du Linglong, born with an exquisite body and a strong-willed personality, had faced many challenges due to her physique. Her family, fearing they couldn’t properly care for her, initially didn’t even give her a name. They resorted to teaching her this martial art as a last resort.

Determined and diligent, Du Linglong worked tirelessly to master the martial art. Once she successfully executed the first punch of the “Linglong Seven Killing Fist,” her health improved significantly. From then on, she devoted herself to its practice, adopting the name “Linglong.” She became a formidable female cultivator with exceptional perseverance and unyielding resolve.

The power of the “Linglong Seven Killing Fist” was astonishing. It made any opponent, regardless of their cultivation level, struggle to contend with Du Linglong.

Luo Yao couldn’t help but speculate that a fierce battle would unfold between Xu Ziqing and Du Linglong. In Du Zihui’s eyes, Xu Ziqing was destined to lose.

Du Zihui conveyed through voice transmission, “Cousin Linglong used two punches just now. The first was the ‘Shasi Fist,’ which neutralized the emotion of love on the sword and disrupted Spring Rain swordsmanship. The second was the ‘Shajing Fist,’ aimed at damaging Xu Ziqing’s kidneys to immobilize him.”

Luo Yao found himself intrigued by the explanation of the “Linglong Seven Killing Fist” and its ability to target and suppress various emotional states. This martial art had the potential to be a powerful tool in battles, especially when facing opponents of similar cultivation levels.

In the arena, Du Linglong continued to showcase her formidable prowess. Her punches unleashed torrents of true energy, creating a whirlwind of power and fierce gusts of wind. Her boxing style was far from the stereotypical grace often a.s.sociated with women’s martial arts; it was wild and fierce, surpa.s.sing the intensity of many male combatants who specialized in heavy martial arts.

Xu Ziqing’s “Four Seasons Swordsmanship” was deeply rooted in the concept of the seven emotions, with each swordplay representing a different facet of human feelings. This connection between emotions and sword techniques was at the heart of his style.

As the battle unfolded, it became evident that Xu Ziqing was struggling to contend with Du Linglong’s relentless onslaught. Du Zihui took pride in explaining the nuances of his cousin’s martial art, detailing how each move exploited and subdued particular emotions. He provided insights into her techniques, such as the “Shasi Fist” and the “Shajing Fist,” and how they could manipulate an opponent’s emotional state to her advantage.

Luo Yao, while absorbing this information, couldn’t help but glance at the serene white-clad Daoist Yun Lie. His calm demeanor left Luo Yao pondering whether Yun Lie was exceptionally skilled at concealing his emotions or if he genuinely had unwavering confidence in his junior brother’s abilities.

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