Chapter 295: Xuanming Divine Palm, Hundred Loss Taoist?
The autumn wind blew, sweeping past the high walls and swirling under the eaves.
Elder Liang said, “I agree with Elder Peng taking over the Beggars’ Sect, but Brother Li’s words also have some truth. Since that’s the case, let’s settle it with a martial arts competition, and the capable shall lead. What do you think, Elder Lu?”
As Elder Liang finished speaking, a disciple from the Dirty Clothes Faction immediately said, “But there are nearly a thousand brothers here. If we fight, when will it end?”
Lu Youjiao said, “That’s true.”
Elder Peng smiled slightly, “Elder Lu, I have a plan.”
Lu Youjiao quickly asked, “Please tell us, Elder Peng?”
“There are often conflicts between the disciples of our two factions, this is a fact, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.” Lu Youjiao admitted the dispute between the Dirty Clothes Faction and the Clean Clothes Faction.
“Why don’t each faction, including the elders, send out three people to compete in three matches? Whichever faction wins will then select a talented individual to temporarily lead our sect, how about that?”
Li Sheng said, “That’s a good idea, but the Clean Clothes Faction has Elder Peng and two other elders. How can my Dirty Clothes Faction compete?”
“For fairness, each faction will only send out one elder. How about that?” When Elder Peng said this, let alone Lu Youjiao and Li Sheng, all the disciples of the Dirty Clothes Faction present had nothing to say.
Li Sheng secretly thought that the position of Gang Leader must be held by Elder Lu. The Dirty Clothes Faction had more people and was more powerful. With Elder Lu among them, selecting three people to win the competition should not be difficult.
“Okay, I agree.” After he said this, he looked at Lu Youjiao.
“Fine.” Lu Youjiao nodded.
Elder Peng smiled slightly, “Then it’s decided. Three matches will determine the victor. Afterwards, the winning faction will select a temporary Gang Leader to lead us against Manichaeism and search for the Gang Leader. If the Gang Leader has met with disaster, they will officially take charge of our sect and avenge the Gang Leader.”
Zhou Yan even admired Elder Peng’s move. If he were to truly take charge of the Beggars’ Sect because of this, it would be much more brilliant than supporting Yang Kang as the Gang Leader in Legend of the Condor Heroes.
When Elder Peng finished speaking, disciples from both factions cheered, and no one objected.
The elders and main disciples of both factions gathered to begin selecting personnel.
Zhou Yan saw that the Dirty Clothes faction was sending out Elder Lu, Li Sheng, and an Eight-Bag Disciple.
The Clean Clothes faction was sending Elder Peng, an Eight-Bag Disciple, and a Four-Bag Disciple.
Elder Peng cupped his hands towards Elder Lu and said, “If Elder Lu is ready, let the competition begin.”
“Ready.”
The Beggars’ Sect disciples all sat cross-legged, watching the martial arts competition.
From the Clean Clothes Faction, a Four-Bag Disciple in his forties, with a pale complexion, tightly pursed lips, and cheeks sharply angled like a knife, stepped forward first.
Li Sheng, thinking that Lu Youjiao would face Elder Peng, knew they couldn’t lose the first match no matter what. He stepped forward, “I will learn from this brother’s excellent technique.”
“Please!”
…
“Does Qigong know this disciple?” Zhou Yan, hidden in the shadows of the overhanging eaves on the roof ridge, asked Hong Qigong.
“How would this old beggar know a Four-Bag Disciple?” Hong Qigong glared.
Li Mochou chuckled lightly.
Zhou Yan let out a “heh” and looked at the arena.
He saw Li Sheng advancing, his hands held in front of his chest. He began with the fist techniques of “Free and Easy Journey,” then suddenly, like a hungry tiger pouncing on a sheep, he clenched his right fist into a hammer and struck towards the Four-Bag Disciple’s chest.
Hong Qigong shook his head as he watched.
Zhou Yan also smiled. The intention of this “Free and Easy Journey” fist technique was all in the words “Free and Easy,” but Li Sheng had turned it into “Fierce Tiger Fist.”
The Four-Bag Disciple simply took a step, swept his left hand horizontally, and his right fist struck like lightning towards Li Sheng’s right shoulder. Li Sheng blocked it with a move from “Free and Easy Journey” called “Hand Reaching for Food.” The Four-Bag Disciple’s left fist hooked, and as Li Sheng raised his arm to block, he suddenly moved behind him, his right hand forming a cone with his five fingers, striking at a vital point on Li Sheng’s back.
Li Mochou whispered, “This move is hard to block.”
Hong Qigong was confident.
Zhou Yan was also not worried. Li Sheng would use the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms” move “Shenlong Tail Whip,” which was perfect for countering the killing move from behind. However, the cultivation displayed by that Four-Bag Disciple greatly surprised Zhou Yan. Both his reaction in striking after his opponent and his movement in shifting his body showed outstanding cultivation. Not only Li Sheng, but even Lu Youjiao would not be his match.
Li Sheng only felt a blur before his eyes as he lost sight of his opponent, breaking out in a cold sweat. Suddenly, he heard the wind behind him and felt a slight sensation on his clothes. In that instant, he swung his arm back, using precisely “Shenlong Tail Whip.”
The Four-Bag Disciple turned his fingers into a palm and met Li Sheng’s horizontal slash.
With a “bang,” a burst of white breath erupted in the air. Li Sheng stumbled forward a few steps. Before his body could stabilize, the Four-Bag Disciple agilely advanced, his right foot striking Li Sheng’s knee pit like lightning.
In front of all the onlookers, Li Sheng’s knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground.
“I concede!” the Four-Bag Disciple said.
Li Sheng slammed his fist hard on the ground, then got up and cupped his hands, “This brother’s martial arts are extraordinary. I am impressed.”
“You are too kind.”
Li Sheng walked back to Lu Youjiao with a dejected expression.
“Victory and defeat are common in warfare, Brother Li. Do not be discouraged.” Lu Youjiao comforted him and stepped forward.
“This brother has excellent skills.”
The Four-Bag Disciple cupped his hands, “Greetings, Elder Lu. Please bestow your guidance, Elder.”
“Certainly, please make your move, brother.”
“Forgive me.”
The Four-Bag Disciple threw out a punch with a whoosh. The posture of this punch was both elegant and generous, and its strength was both hard and soft, soft and hard, perfectly displaying the ultimate state of fist techniques.
Li Mochou looked at Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan smiled slightly. The opponent was using the Taizu Long Fist, which he was skilled at. Hong Qigong’s complexion grew increasingly somber, but his eyes shone brighter as he stared at the Four-Bag Disciple in the arena.
Lu Youjiao shouted, “Excellent fist technique!” His right foot suddenly sprang, and he kicked out three times like lightning. The two exchanged punches and kicks, clashing fiercely. After dozens of exchanges, Lu Youjiao was gradually enveloped by the opponent’s fist momentum and began to show signs of defeat.
The Clean Clothes Faction disciples in the arena were all beaming with joy.
Zhou Yan withdrew his gaze and asked Hong Qigong, “What do you think, Qigong?”
Hong Qigong’s cultivation had not yet recovered, but his eyesight was unaffected. He took a big gulp from his wine gourd, wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and said, “Although that person fought Lu Youjiao for dozens of moves, he moved as if strolling through a leisurely garden. He was clearly holding back. What he displayed was not his true strength.”
“Yes, I also saw that. Shall I test him?”
“Please do!”
Zhou Yan smiled and leaped up. Since it was a test, he naturally gathered his momentum. As his figure swept over the roof ridge, his gray robe fluttered like surging clouds. The gust of wind stirred by his movement made a sharp whistling sound, like pouring a basin of cold water onto a red-hot iron. While in mid-air, he struck the Four-Bag Disciple with the “Flying Dragon in the Sky” move from the Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms.
Hong Qigong smiled, “Excellent. If this move were aimed at this old beggar, I would have to be on high alert to deal with it.”
Gasps erupted from the arena. Zhou Yan’s internal energy was projected outwards, and the qi energy pressing on the edge of his palm caused the air to ripple like water.
The Four-Bag Disciple’s expression changed drastically. He felt Zhou Yan’s descending palm was like a mountain collapsing, leaving him nowhere to escape, nowhere to hide. He let out a low cry, his palms circled, and thrust out from under his armpits, fiercely meeting Zhou Yan who was descending from the air.
The Four-Bag Disciple pushed his palms forward, but no palm wind erupted. It was as if all the sounds in heaven and earth were extinguished in his palms, extremely similar to the Shaolin ultimate skill, Vajra Prajna Palm.
Zhou Yan, with his rich experience, dared not be careless. He guided his energy with his intent, and his profound internal force surged up warmly from his dantian, protecting his viscera and meridians.
With a “bang,” the four palms collided simultaneously. Zhou Yan felt an extremely cold and sinister energy surge into his meridians through the “Laogong acupoint.” It rushed upwards rapidly, instantly breaking through the protective internal force in the Three Yang Meridians of the Hand.
This person was not just holding back; his cultivation was not inferior to Yu Huacheng or Qiu Qianren. The lethality of his cold palm energy was definitely beyond Great Nine Heavens Hand or Iron Palm Skill.
Zhou Yan suddenly thought of someone, Hundred Loss Taoist, but it didn’t quite fit the timeline.
He urged his internal force, and his pure and profound qi energy surged like a tide, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami roaring, its power awe-inspiring.
Two streams of energy, one cold and one hot, spread out in arcs from their palms. Lu Youjiao felt as if he were being tormented between ice and fire, and he retreated step by step.
Zhou Yan flipped backward in mid-air, his landing unsteady, and he retreated several steps.
The Four-Bag Disciple also swayed and retreated.
