Chapter Thirty-Three: The Outbreak of War

In the arena, Jue Wushen strode forward. His steps were heavy and steady, like a bulldozer, determined to crush Qin Shuang beneath him.

"Today, let us see whether my Killing Fist or your Heaven Frost Fist is superior!" Jue Wushen declared, attempting to restrict Qin Shuang to using only the Heaven Frost Fist.

"Ha! Even if I used a simple straight punch, it would be enough to kill you!" Qin Shuang sank his weight and crouched low, charging forward. As he moved, the ground beneath his feet sank three inches, but otherwise, there was no sign of any extraordinary phenomenon.

"Heart-Killing Strike!" This technique targeted the opponent's heart directly, aiming to shatter the chest and destroy the heart; to kill the heart was to kill the man—it was exceptionally vicious.

"Frost-Cold Long River!" The fifth form of the Heaven Frost Fist. Its intensity was such that it could freeze a river, let alone a man.

The two collided like a crash between two medium-sized tanks, causing the surrounding earth to tremble. Their clash was not merely a contest of techniques and internal energy, but a trial of sheer physical fortitude. After their bodies impacted, they exerted their restrained internal power.

Jue Wushen activated his Indestructible Golden Body, turning his protective aura into a shimmering gold, while his murderous fists glowed with a blood-red hue. In contrast, Qin Shuang’s internal energy was as crystalline as jade, with his fists glowing a pale, biting white that seemed capable of freezing the very soul upon a single glance.

As they intensified their internal energy, shockwaves radiated outward. One side of the arena was blanketed in white—the essence of extreme frost—while the other was engulfed in swirling dust. Abruptly, the two were repelled by the sheer magnitude of their own energy. Qin Shuang remained completely unscathed.

As for Jue Wushen, the internal energy and murderous intent that had penetrated his skin were frozen by Qin Shuang’s manipulation of space-time, and as they pulled apart, the cold was forced out of his body. The ability to freeze space-time required the spirit as fuel; when manifested externally, it could only be used in seconds, and the greater the interference with the reality of time and space, the greater the backlash. However, within the confines of a living body—a microcosm of the universe—the consumption was less severe. Moreover, true combat was measured in seconds and milliseconds. Qin Shuang speculated that only the spirit could freeze time because the spirit was inherently transcendent, existing beyond the bounds of space and time—much like the telepathic connection over thousands of miles or the premonition of the future, all of which were manifestations of spiritual power.

Based on this, Qin Shuang surmised that the power over space-time was a taboo for those who had not yet attained immortality. Those who could truly wield it without fear must be at the level of a Golden Immortal or higher. Although Qin Shuang was not even an immortal, and such speculation might be mere fantasy, he knew from his reading of web novels that a Great Luo Golden Immortal was defined by eternal presence across all space and time. To him, a Golden Immortal was the unity of the three elements: the power of the flesh, the energy of the world, and the spirit that governed the body.

Jue Wushen hid his right fist behind his back, activating his Indestructible Golden Body to force out the lingering cold.

"A fine strike, that Frost-Cold Long River!" Jue Wushen struggled to buy time to purge the frost.

Qin Shuang offered a faint smile. "And yet, Palace Master, your Killing Fist is nothing more than this!"

After that exchange, both men had a measure of each other's strength, internal energy, and the attributes of their arts. Sensing Jue Wushen’s discomfort, Qin Shuang took a moment to scan the other battlefields, focusing particularly on the duel between Bu Jingyun and Pojun.

Following Qin Shuang’s advice, Bu Jingyun focused on entanglement. His "Cloud Trace Phantom Shadow" was unpredictable, serving equally well for offense, reconnaissance, and stalling. Although Bu Jingyun was currently on the back foot, he occasionally countered with ingenious moves from the Ten Great Martial Arts to regain ground. Pojun, despite his experience, lacked familiarity with the Ten Great Martial Arts, though his understanding of technique was extraordinary—rare in the Jianghu, which explained his past rivalry with Wuming for the "Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin." Relying on his superior internal energy, Pojun was able to break through Bu Jingyun’s clever tactics and maintain pressure.

Seeing that Bu Jingyun could hold his own, Qin Shuang felt a weight lift from his heart. He turned his attention back to Jue Wushen, who was now massaging his right hand with his left to restore his circulation.

"It seems you are about to be defeated," Qin Shuang said, lunging forward. Jue Wushen had also scanned the other battlefields; he knew that while Pojun held an advantage, he could not easily secure a victory. Nie Feng was gaining the upper hand against Jue Di, and Jue Xin was locked in a close fight with Duan Lang, with Jue Xin holding a slight edge but far from victory. Tian Xing was similarly pressuring the Catcher, but likewise, a quick win was impossible.

"That is not necessarily true. Kill you, and everything ends!" Facing Qin Shuang’s punch, Jue Wushen did not dodge. He activated his Indestructible Golden Body and countered with a punch of his own.

Although his "Nine Heavens of Ice and Jade" provided protective effects, Qin Shuang had no desire to trade blows like a brawler; it was beneath his dignity. He blocked the strike and countered, but Jue Wushen ignored his defense entirely, trading blow for blow.

Xiongba’s eyes gleamed as he watched. Given Jue Wushen’s relentless pressure, he wondered how long Qin Shuang could endure. Eventually, a defensive lapse would lead to a war of attrition where they would simply trade injury for injury.

Elsewhere, the Dog King had finally located the Emperor. Just as he prepared to strike, the Sword God—who had feigned surrender to Jue Wushen—appeared and killed the dog lunging at the Emperor. "Take the Emperor and go!" the Sword God ordered his subordinates, turning to face the Dog King.

"You dare block the Twelve Demons of Tianchi? You dare oppose our Master Xiongba?" the Dog King roared. His voice reached not only the Sword God and the fleeing Emperor but also Wuming, who was hiding nearby.

"Xiongba? Xiongba again! The Emperor must not come to harm!" Wuming immediately set off toward the sound. Having recovered from the poison during the chaos, he was now restored to full strength.

Meanwhile, Dance had located the stash of secret manuals, packed them away, and hidden them in a rockery, before also heading toward the commotion.

In the arena, Qin Shuang and Jue Wushen continued their exchange. Whenever Qin Shuang launched a strike, Jue Wushen would simply ignore it and counter, forcing Qin Shuang to abandon his offense to defend. Though Jue Wushen’s speed was inferior, his refusal to defend forced Qin Shuang onto the back foot, making it appear as if the tide had turned against him.