Chapter 223

　Of course, the main reason why Zhang Weihao secretly followed Emei was not only because he was very interested in the beautiful Zhou Zhiruo, but also because he wanted to use Zhang Wuji to deduce the plot and find an opportunity to intercept Xiao Zhao and the Qiankun Great Shift. He could choose not to learn it, but he couldn’t do without it, otherwise wouldn’t all his Persian learning have been in vain?

　　However, Zhang Weihao also noticed that this Zhang Wuji looked a bit scary. It wasn’t that he was ugly, but that he looked a lot like Jet Li. After all, he had incorporated both the movie and TV series versions into the character.

　　The movie version doesn’t include Zhu’er, or even Yang Xiao, but it’s now confirmed that they are. Zhou Zhiruo is the version with the big, beautiful face, which is the 2003 TV series. Zhao Min’s identity is uncertain for now. Xiao Zhao might be in the movie version. The red-clad Xiao Zhao was played by Chingmy Yau, which Zhang Weihao is naturally very interested in. In addition, there’s the Purple-Robed Dragon King, which is another excellent mother-daughter pair. The Great Shift of the Universe is the key to unlocking this mother-daughter pair.

　　Zhang Weihao had already reverted to his original form. Wu Wudi was a backup plan, since it would be too conspicuous for him to make a move in person. He wasn’t alone, so an alias like Wu Wudi was more suitable.

　　As the saying goes, “Li Feiyu kills and sets fires, Han Tianzun saves people from suffering!”

　　It’s quite necessary to have a black glove specifically for doing bad things, as the saying goes, it’s about saving face and substance.

　　Zhang Weihao’s biggest advantage is his ability to create clones, so he can handle everything himself, both outwardly and inwardly. He can be a god or a ghost.

　　After following for a few days, Zhang Weihao finally witnessed the famous scene of the three-palm agreement, and also activated his Sharingan to observe the Nine Yang Divine Skill up close.

　　In that moment of utter silence, Zhang Wuji suddenly remembered a few lines from the Nine Yang Manual: “Let him be strong, the breeze still caresses the mountain ridge. Let him be tyrannical, the bright moon still shines over the great river.”

　　As he recited these verses in the secluded valley, he never understood their meaning. Suddenly, he realized (a moment of enlightenment, exclusive to the protagonist) that he was no match for Abbess Miejue’s strength and ruthlessness. According to the essence of the Nine Yang Manual, no matter how strong or fierce the enemy was, he could treat them like a gentle breeze on a mountain or the bright moon reflected in a river. They could hurt him, but they could not cause him any harm.

　　But how can I avoid harming myself?

　　The text below says: “He is ruthless and evil, but I have enough true energy.”

　　Upon realizing this, he suddenly understood. He sat down cross-legged and regulated his breathing according to the method shown in the scripture. He felt a warm and lively sensation in his dantian, with true qi flowing through his body and limbs in an instant.

　　The immense power of the Nine Yang Divine Skill was only revealed at this moment.

　　Although his external injuries were severe and he vomited blood, his internal strength and true energy were not diminished in the slightest.

　　When Abbess Miejue saw him circulating his qi to heal his injuries, she couldn’t help but be secretly surprised. This young man truly possessed extraordinary abilities.

　　Her first strike against Zhang Wuji was a move from the “Snowflake Piercing Cloud Palm,” and her second strike was even more powerful, being the third move from the “Nine Intercepting Hand Techniques.” These are the essence of the Emei Sect’s palm techniques.

　　She used only three-tenths of her strength in the first strike, but increased the force to seventy percent in the second. She figured that even if she couldn’t kill him on the spot, she would at least break his bones and paralyze him, leaving him unable to move.

　　To her surprise, he knelt down for a while, then sat up, which was completely unexpected.

　　According to the conventions of martial arts competitions, Abbess Miejue could not wait for him to recover and heal, but she valued her status and would not take advantage of his vulnerability to attack a junior.

　　Ding Minjun shouted loudly, “Hey, Zeng, if you don’t dare to take my master’s third palm strike, you’d better get the hell out of here. Do you think we’ll wait for you here for the rest of our lives while you’re recuperating here?”

　　Zhou Zhiruo said softly, “Senior Sister Ding, let him rest a little longer, it won’t cause any trouble.”

　　Ding Minjun retorted angrily, “You…you’re also protecting outsiders, is it because you’ve got your eye on this kid…”

　　She had intended to say, “Look how handsome this young man is, I’m interested in him.” But she immediately remembered that there were many famous figures from various sects present, and she couldn’t utter such vulgar words. So she stopped before she could finish her sentence.

　　But how could others not understand the implication of her words?

　　Although the second half of the sentence was not finished, it was no different from saying it aloud.

　　Zhou Zhiruo was both ashamed and anxious, her face turning pale with anger, but she did not argue. She said calmly, “I am only concerned about the reputation of our sect and my master, and I hope that no one will gossip about us.”

　　Ding Minjun asked in surprise, “What gossip?”

　　Zhou Zhiruo said, “Our sect’s martial arts are renowned throughout the world, and our master is one of the most outstanding senior masters of our time. He would never stoop to the level of such a young upstart. It was only because he was so bold and arrogant that we took action to teach him a lesson. Would we really take his life? Our sect’s reputation for chivalry has lasted for a hundred years, and our master is benevolent and kind. Who does not admire him? How can this young man’s light, like a firefly, rival the sun and moon? Even if he trained for another hundred years, he would still not be a match for our master. What does it matter if he recovers from his injury a little longer?”

　　These words drew nods of agreement from everyone. Abbess Miejue was even more pleased, feeling that her young disciple was sensible and had brought honor to her sect in front of the masters of various schools.

　　As Zhang Wuji’s internal energy circulated more freely, he immediately felt refreshed and heard every word Zhou Zhiruo said. He knew that she was trying her best to protect him and had preemptively stopped Abbess Miejue from killing him. He was grateful and stood up, saying, “Abbess, I will risk my life to accompany you and take another blow from you.”

　　When Abbess Miejue saw that he immediately became energetic just by sitting cross-legged, she thought to herself, “This kid’s internal strength is so profound, it’s truly strange.”

　　Extinction said, “You just keep attacking me. Who told you not to fight back when you’re being hit?”

　　Zhang Wuji said, “With my meager skills, I couldn’t even touch the hem of your clothes, Master. What right do you have to fight back?”

　　Abbess Miejue said, “Since you have self-awareness, then you should leave as soon as possible. It is rare for a young man to have such backbone. Abbess Miejue is usually ruthless with her men, but I will make an exception for you today.”

　　Zhang Wuji bowed and said, “Thank you, senior. Did you spare all these brothers from the Ruijin Banner as well?”

　　Abbess Miejue lowered her long eyebrows and sneered, “What is my Dharma name?”

　　Zhang Wuji said, “Your esteemed name is ‘Extinction’ above and ‘Absolute’ below.”

　　Abbess Miejue said, “It’s good that you know. I will exterminate demons and evil people without mercy. Do you think the word ‘Extinction’ is just for show?”

　　Zhang Wuji said, “In that case, please, senior, deliver the third palm strike.”

　　Abbess Miejue glanced sideways at him. She had never seen such a tenacious young man in her entire life. She was usually cold-hearted, but suddenly she felt a surge of admiration for his talent. She thought, “With my third strike, he will surely die. This person is not a demon or evil being. It’s a pity that he would die so young!”

　　After a moment’s hesitation, Miejue made up her mind. Her third palm strike would be aimed at the vital point in his dantian. She would use her internal energy to shake his dantian, causing him to immediately lose his breath and faint. She would then revive him after she had annihilated all the demons of the Demonic Sect’s Sharp Gold Banner.

　　Abbess Miejue flicked her left sleeve, about to strike with her third palm, when suddenly someone shouted, “Abbess Miejue, spare her life!” These eight words pierced everyone’s ears like needles, making everyone feel extremely uncomfortable.

　　In the northwest corner, a man in a white shirt, fanning himself with a folding fan, walked through the crowd. His feet barely touched the sand, as if he were floating on water.

　　The man’s white shirt had a small black eagle embroidered on the left lapel, its wings spread.

　　Everyone could tell at a glance that he was a master in the Eagle Sect.

　　It turns out that the robes of the Sky Eagle Cult members are the same as those of the Ming Cult, also white robes. However, the Ming Cult robes are embroidered with a red flame, while the Sky Eagle Cult robes are embroidered with a black eagle.

　　The man walked to within three zhang of Abbess Miejue, cupped his hands and smiled, “Abbess, please. As for the third strike, how about I take it upon myself?”

　　Abbess Miejue asked, “Who are you?”

　　The man said, “My surname is Yin, and my given name is Yewang.”

　　As soon as the words “King Yin Ye” were uttered, the onlookers immediately started to jeer.

　　Yin Yewang’s reputation has been truly renowned in the martial arts world for the past twenty years. Many people in the martial arts world say that his martial arts skills are so high that they are not much different from his father, the White-browed Eagle King Yin Tianzheng. He is the head of the Tianwei Hall of the Tianying Sect, and his position is second only to the sect leader.

　　Seeing that this man was only in his forties, but his eyes were like cold lightning, radiating sharp light, and his aura was intimidating, Abbess Miejue could not underestimate him. Besides, she had heard of his reputation before. So she coldly said, “Who is this kid to you? Why do you have to take this palm strike for me?”

　　Zhang Wuji thought to himself, “He’s my uncle, my uncle. Could it be that he recognizes me?”

　　Yin Yewang laughed and said, “I don’t know him at all. But I saw that he was young but had a strong backbone, quite unlike those hypocritical and fame-seeking people in the martial arts world. I was delighted and wanted to see how skilled you are, Master?”

　　Yin Yewang’s last words were quite impolite, seemingly implying that he didn’t take Abbess Miejue seriously at all.

　　Abbess Miejue was not angry. She said to Zhang Wuji, “Boy, if you want to live a few more years, you can leave now. It’s not too late.”

　　Zhang Wuji said, “This junior dares not be greedy for life and forget righteousness.”

　　Abbess Miejue nodded and said to Yin Yewang, “This brat still owes me a slap. Let’s settle our score one by one, and I won’t disappoint you in the future.”

　　Yin Yewang chuckled and said, “Abbess Miejue, if you have the guts, then kill this boy. If he doesn’t survive, I’ll make sure you all die without a burial place.”

　　As soon as he finished speaking, Yin Yewang immediately darted away, passing through the crowd, and shouted, “Show yourself!”

　　Suddenly, countless heads emerged from the sand, each with a shield in front of them and a powerful bow, with rows of sharp arrows aimed at the crowd.

　　It turned out that the Sky Eagle Cult members had dug a tunnel in the sand and had already surrounded everyone.

　　Everyone was focused on Abbess Miejue and Zhang Wuji exchanging blows, without any distraction. Even knowledgeable people like Song Qingshu were only on guard against the Eagle Cult members suddenly rushing forward to attack. Little did they expect that the cult members would take advantage of the soft sand and dig a tunnel, unexpectedly occupying all the advantageous terrain around them.

　　This caused everyone’s faces to change color. They saw that the arrowheads on the arrows emitted a dark blue light in the sunlight, indicating that they were poisoned. If Yin Yewang gave the order, apart from the few people with the strongest martial arts, the rest of the famous sect would probably be in danger of losing their lives.

　　Among the five factions in the area, in terms of seniority and age, Abbess Miejue was the eldest, and everyone looked to her and obeyed her orders.

　　Knowing the plot well, Zhang Weihao naturally saw everyone’s reactions and knew that some people were actually having second thoughts, or even hoping that Miejue would be pragmatic and not really hurt this ignorant nobody, thus dragging them down with her.

　　It’s not that I’m afraid, but I don’t want to die in vain.

　　Unfortunately, Miejue has a volatile temper; she originally intended to show mercy, but now she’s directly decided to kill him.

　　A series of soft cracking sounds emanated from her bones, like popping beans, before the sound had even faded, her right palm struck towards Zhang Wuji’s chest.

　　This palm strike is a unique skill of the Emei sect, called “Buddha’s Light Shines Everywhere”.

　　Any palm technique or sword technique is always a continuous set, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, sometimes in the fewest three to five moves. But whether it is three or five moves, each move must contain variations, and one move is equivalent to several or even more than ten moves.

　　However, this “Buddha’s Light Shines Everywhere” palm technique only has one move, and this move has no other variations. It is a single strike that hits the enemy’s chest, back, shoulder, or face. The move is plain and unchanging. Its power comes entirely from its foundation in the Emei School’s Nine Yang Skill.

　　Once a palm strike is unleashed, the enemy has no way to block it or dodge it.

　　In the Emei Sect today, apart from Abbess Miejue, no one else can use this skill.

　　Little did Zhang Weihao know that he was very surprised. Although he could tell that this beautiful mature nun had not practiced martial arts, he could tell from the power she had just unleashed that this version of the Extinction had unintentionally mastered the use of Ming Jin and An Jin in martial arts. Although she had not reached the Xiantian level, her actual combat power was almost unmatched below the Xiantian level. She was really seriously underestimated.

　　Unfortunately, Miejue mainly practiced the Emei Nine Yang Skill and used the Emei Nine Yang Skill. Zhang Wuji practiced the complete version, so when the Emei Nine Yang Skill encountered the Nine Yang Divine Skill, it was like a river flowing into the sea, or like water and milk blending together, and it disappeared without a trace.

　　The actual damage caused was not as great as the first two blows. Apart from Abbess Miejue herself, everyone thought she had shown mercy. Some thought she cherished Zhang Wuji’s integrity, some thought she was considering the overall situation and did not want the five sects to suffer heavy casualties under the poisoned arrows of the Eagle Sect, and some even thought she was cowardly and afraid, and had succumbed to Yin Yewang’s intimidation.

　　Unaware of the situation, Zhang Wuji, believing that Miejue had truly shown mercy, bowed deeply and said gratefully, “Thank you for your mercy, senior.”

　　Abbess Miejue snorted, feeling extremely embarrassed. If she went forward to fight again, she would be doing the same thing, since she had clearly said she would only strike him three times. If she gave up now, it would be an even greater humiliation to submit to the Eagle Sect.

　　In that brief moment of hesitation, Yin Yewang burst into laughter and said, “Those who understand the times are heroes. Abbess Miejue truly deserves to be called a master of our time. Remove the bows and arrows!”

　　The followers suddenly tumbled and rolled away, a row of shields and a row of bows and arrows arranged in perfect order. It seemed that King Yin Ye had used military tactics to command his followers, and his advances, retreats, attacks, and defenses were quite well-organized.