Chapter 23: Three-Point Origin Return Qi versus the Indestructible Golden Body (Part 3)

"Hahaha... Once I wipe out your Wushen Palace, I shall ride the momentum of that great victory to reclaim the World-Dominating Hall. Why would I ever need help from those Japanese curs!"

Xiongba understood Jue Wushen’s intentions perfectly well, but being a man of deep schemes, he immediately struck back with the most insulting epithet possible—"Japanese curs."

For martial artists of their caliber, such crude insults were rarely exchanged. Jue Wushen understood Xiongba’s design, yet he could not suppress the rage rising in his chest. Only the truth could incite such fury—which was precisely why Jue Wushen had chosen to operate in the shadows. On the land of the Central Plains, visitors from the East lacked legitimacy and moral standing; they had no foundation and were destined to lose the hearts of the people.

"Xiongba, you are nothing but a stray dog with a sharp tongue. Let our blades do the talking! Hah!"

With that, Jue Wushen lunged forward, attacking Xiongba. If Xiongba was a balanced warrior, then Jue Wushen was a traditional powerhouse—high attack, high defense, and low speed. The only issue was that Jue Wushen’s armor was so thick it was virtually impenetrable, leaving no openings to exploit. Xiongba’s seasoned eyes assessed this immediately, and Jue Wushen made no effort to hide his own shortcomings.

Since Jue Wushen had made his move, Xiongba did not hold back.

"Storm of Wind and Rain!"

With a light tap of his feet, Xiongba unleashed the Wind-God Leg technique. Unlike the elegant, fluid style of Nie Feng, Xiongba’s version was imbued with his own characteristic, overbearing dominance. If Nie Feng’s Wind-God Leg was elusive and unmatched in speed, Xiongba’s was tyrannical, unyielding, and heavy as Mount Tai. Before Xiongba even arrived, his aura descended, forcing Jue Wushen to stop and brace for defense.

"Indestructible Golden Body!"

Xiongba was suspended in mid-air, his figures appearing on all sides. Countless kicks rained down upon Jue Wushen. The sound of impacts was incessant, and the naked eye could not keep track of how many times Xiongba had struck, yet he failed to break through.

The storm eventually ceased. After the flurry of attacks, Xiongba returned to his original position, while Jue Wushen had been forced back by the sheer force of the kicks. The two stood just as they had when they first met, but the grave expressions on their faces revealed their mutual apprehension.

"Hahaha... A fine Jue Wushen, a fine Indestructible Golden Body!"

Xiongba laughed loudly, masking the pain in his legs. An expert knows the truth the moment they exchange blows; although Jue Wushen had not made a single counterattack, Xiongba already grasped the terror of his opponent. Perhaps others could strike Jue Wushen a hundred times, but as long as they could not break his Indestructible Golden Body, he would remain unharmed. Yet, a single punch from Jue Wushen would be enough to severely wound an opponent. Jue Wushen was a defensive counter-puncher who believed in striking only after the opponent had moved, waiting for a flaw to decide the battle in one blow.

Faced with Xiongba’s praise, Jue Wushen’s face remained dark.

"Pity that your Wind-God Leg is nothing but a tickle to me!"

Jue Wushen was clearly being provocative; the persistence of Xiongba’s Wind-God Leg was truly staggering. This was thanks to Xiongba’s mastery of the Three-Yuan Convergence Qi, which allowed his inner energy to flow in an endless, continuous cycle. When not fighting at full strength, his energy reserves were far beyond what an ordinary person could imagine.

As for the Twelve Evil Stars of Tianchi and the Rakshasa disciples, they had retreated far away. The strength shown by Xiongba and Jue Wushen was far beyond their estimations. The shockwaves of their clash alone were enough to injure those with shallow internal cultivation, so the onlookers cleared a vast space for the two combatants.

"Is that so?" Xiongba replied slowly. After the Wind-God Leg, he abandoned the thought of testing his opponent further with the Frost Fist or the Cloud-Shattering Palm. "It seems that none of the Wind-God Leg, Cloud-Shattering Palm, or Frost Fist can do anything to you. Then, try my Three-Yuan Convergence Qi!"

The two circled each other, searching for a flaw.

"Three-Yuan Convergence Qi? Oh! Then I shall see if your technique can shatter my Indestructible Golden Body!"

In an instant, Xiongba shifted from motion to stillness. Under the pull of their clashing auras, Jue Wushen also halted. Xiongba drew upon his internal energy, the three-colored qi swirling and intermingling until it condensed in his hands into an orb of energy that appeared as clear as water.

"Three-Yuan Convergence Qi!"

That a formless, intangible energy could be condensed into something with visible substance was proof of the marvelous and terrifying power of the technique. Facing such a move, Jue Wushen did not dodge—nor, locked in by Xiongba’s aura, could he have. He activated his Indestructible Golden Body and unleashed the first style of his Killing Fist: "Killing Heart!"

He raised his hand, withdrew his fist, and struck!

It was a simple, powerful punch, delivered exactly as the Three-Yuan Convergence Qi was about to strike him. The strongest point met the strongest point. Instantly, energy erupted into the sky, and a terrifying pressure caused the sand and stones to fly. The battle, which had been difficult to track, became completely obscured to the onlookers.

Boom! Boom-boom!! Boom-boom-boom!!!

Sounds like thunderclaps echoed out. The invisible battle raged on, clearing away the surrounding dust and sand until the figures of the two men were revealed once more.

Xiongba stood with his hands behind his back; his clothes were not even wrinkled, and no injuries were visible. Jue Wushen, still encased in his armor, showed no obvious wounds, though the two long furrows dragged into the earth indicated that he had been knocked back a significant distance.

After the exchange, neither spoke, instead silently circulating their energy to recover. Both knew it was not over yet. As top-tier experts, both had their own strategies. They understood that the first move had been a probe, and the second had been a counter. Xiongba’s goal with the Three-Yuan Convergence Qi had been to use his massive internal energy to vibrate Jue Wushen to death from within his armor, but it had been neutralized by the Killing Fist. It was like trying to kill the person inside a suit of armor with a heavy hammer when the armor itself could not be broken.

With their profound internal power, they recovered in moments.

"Good! You are worthy of being the hegemon of the East, Jue Wushen. Your turtle shell is indeed hard! Then try the finger technique I created specifically to break such shells!"

"Splitting Gold and Breaking Jade!"

Xiongba pointed a finger, concentrating his Three-Yuan Convergence Qi into a single point, launching a spiral of energy. It possessed the swiftness of the wind, the fluidity of the clouds, and the cold tenacity of frost.

Jue Wushen’s face darkened; he was forced into a passive defense. For the first time, he marveled at Xiongba’s prowess. Though they had only exchanged two blows, he already understood the nature of the Three-Yuan Convergence Qi. Yet, Xiongba delivered a surprise with his third move—following the Frost Fist, Cloud-Shattering Palm, and Wind-God Leg, he had even mastered a finger technique.

To master any one of these—fist, palm, leg, or finger—was enough to dominate the world, as seen with the trio of Feng, Yun, and Shuang. Yet, Xiongba had created a finger technique to add to his repertoire. Even before the energy reached him, Jue Wushen felt a biting chill and a murderous intent. The swiftness of the move and the density of the energy made Jue Wushen gasp in admiration.

It was a pity that such a man was his enemy. Jue Wushen could not help but lament that the Central Plains were full of heroes. If a single Xiongba was this powerful and versatile, then what of Qin Shuang, who had seized Xiongba’s World-Dominating Hall? How truly terrifying must he be?