Chapter 93: Suppressing Song Yinglong Once More
Little Song?
Brother Yuan?
Song Yinglong’s face was like ice, his cold gaze fixed on Hong Yuan, who entered with a composed expression, strolling as if in his own courtyard. He said in a chilling voice, “Brother Hong, what do you mean?”
With a ‘swish,’ the more than a dozen people in the council hall reacted swiftly. As they drew their weapons, they quickly surrounded Hong Yuan.
Almost everyone had a grave expression, and killing intent was evident.
Hong Yuan glanced at them, and his eyes fell on one person.
This person was of medium build, with an ordinary appearance, but his face was quite fair. At first glance, he looked like a young man in his mid-twenties, but upon closer inspection, he seemed like an old man in his fifties or sixties.
It was Mr. Wuchen.
“What do you call yourself, Your Excellency?” Hong Yuan asked with a smile.
Compared to the others who were on high alert, Mr. Wuchen was much calmer. He chuckled and said, “This old man is nobody…”
Hong Yuan raised his hand and said gently, “Since you are nobody, then don’t speak. Keep your hands and feet still, and your mouth shut… Do not move, or you will die.”
Mr. Wuchen’s smile froze on his face. His hands, hidden beneath his sleeve robes, had already opened into five fingers, and with a slight movement, he could release toxins silently.
But he was completely rigid, as if bound by a spell, unable to move.
A sharp, chilling coldness surged into his heart. Although the other party’s voice was calm, Mr. Wuchen felt an invisible sword hanging over his head.
If he dared to make the slightest move, that ‘sword’ would fly down and take his head.
Hong Yuan then looked behind the crowd to a woman standing in a corner of the hall. She was wearing a loose black robe that concealed her tall figure. A heavy veil covered her face, revealing only a pair of soul-stirring eyes.
Hong Yuan appraised the woman, then met her charming gaze again and said, “I seem to have seen this young lady before…”
Lady Miaoyun chuckled coyly, her body swaying like a snake within the black robe, and said softly, “Young Master Hong is a celestial being. Which woman would not be captivated by him and yearn for him day and night? Perhaps it is because I have yearned for you so much that I have met you in my dreams.”
Her words carried a tone of tender coyness and wistful lament, making one want to embrace her and comfort her.
Seeing her waist writhing, Hong Yuan couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Did a snake bite this young lady’s waist? Or are you having an episode? If you are sick, you should seek treatment promptly. It will be too late to regret it if you become paralyzed from delaying.”
Lady Miaoyun stopped smiling.
Only then did Hong Yuan turn back to Song Yinglong and sigh, “Little Song, you are not that old, so why are you blind and deaf? Didn’t I make myself clear enough? Brother Yuan will also advise you to exercise restraint in normal times.”
I am forty or fifty years old, and you, a kid not even twenty, are calling yourself Brother Yuan in front of me?
Song Yinglong’s expression grew colder, “Do you think a single word from Brother Hong can make me retreat from Black Iron Town? Do you know how much it cost me to mobilize troops, and how many men I have lost?”
Capturing Black Iron Town, this vital military supply hub, was a crucial part of Song Yinglong’s plan, for which he had already promised rewards after its conquest.
To retreat now would not only nullify all previous efforts but also be a huge blow to his prestige.
Hong Yuan said, as if it were obvious, “So what?”
Damn it!
Those three words alone caused Song Yinglong’s forehead veins to bulge. The anger he had been suppressing due to his fear of Hong Yuan could no longer be contained, “Good! Good! Good!”
He repeated “Good” three times, his laughter fueled by rage. “You, Hong Yuan, truly do not take me, Song Yinglong, seriously. Then let me, Song, experience your superior skills again.”
As his voice fell, someone among the martial artists in the hall shouted, “Kill!”
The next moment, force surged, and a steel saber flashed with cold light, chopping down fiercely.
These people had not witnessed the battle between Hong Yuan and Song Yinglong. Although they had heard of its prowess, they had not seen it with their own eyes.
Hong Yuan remained motionless. He casually raised his palm and pointed a finger at the approaching saber. Sharp, fierce force erupted from his fingertip.
This was the Condensed Needle Force that Hong Yuan had initially cultivated. In its early stages, it could not leave his body, but by the time of the Twin Dragon Gorge battle, he could injure people at a distance of three feet.
Lei Meng was the victim of his one-strike Condensed Needle Force, launched from over three feet away, which directly burst his eyes.
His Air Transmitting Force was now even more potent, subtly resembling the ‘Six Meridian Divine Sword.’ While its range might still be lacking, it was more insidious and unpredictable.
After all, the ‘Six Meridian Divine Sword’ could only be used with fingers, whereas his Condensed Needle Force could be unleashed by any part of the body, even every pore with sufficient practice.
However, facing this wind-cutting saber strike, Hong Yuan did not unleash his finger force remotely. Instead, he imbued his fingertip with force and struck the blade instantly.
With a crisp ‘crack,’ the fine steel long saber suddenly shattered. Half of the blade, carried by the force, spun back and pierced the throat of the swordsman.
Immediately after, Hong Yuan stomped his foot hard. It was as if a thunderclap struck the hall, booming loudly. The entire hall trembled violently, and roof tiles clattered down from above.
The next moment!
The floor cracked and shattered over a large area, sending sand and stone fragments flying like sharp arrows towards the surrounding martial artists, causing a cascade of screams.
Along with the force of his stomp, Hong Yuan suddenly darted forward.
“Last time I sparred with Manor Lord Song using weapons, it wasn’t satisfying. This time, let’s try some hand-to-hand combat.”
Song Yinglong remained silent. The opponent had already closed in; he couldn’t retreat. His entire body’s force surged, his qi and blood roared like a stream, and his body hummed, emitting a metallic sound.
He brought his fists together, and an inferno seemed to erupt.
In an instant, the two collided. Their four fists were like four meteorites falling from the sky, carrying terrifying momentum. They clashed without yielding.
Bang, bang, bang!
Force surged, and the sounds of bombardment were ceaseless. Dozens to hundreds of clashes occurred in a single breath. The entire hall felt like a ship in a vast ocean storm, swaying incessantly.
Their figures intertwined, fists and feet flew, flickering within the spacious hall. Martial artists who were too close were directly blown away by the force, spitting blood or crashing into the walls, losing consciousness.
A moment later, with a thunderous roar, the entire hall collapsed.
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Hong Yuan and Song Yinglong leaped out and suddenly appeared in another courtyard, the sounds of clashing forces echoing for another quarter of an hour.
Song Yinglong grunted, his face pale as gold paper. Large amounts of bloody steam evaporated from his body, and his expression was extremely grim.
Hong Yuan ceased his attack, still looking calm, his breathing not even quickened. This sent a greater shock through Song Yinglong’s heart.
“Do you still want to fight? Perhaps we should end it here today,” Hong Yuan said kindly, seeing Song Yinglong’s poor condition.
After all, he had only come to spar, not to kill.
He had fought with Song Yinglong for so long primarily to observe his martial arts through combat.
Song Yinglong felt the metallic taste rising in his throat and suppressed it forcibly, only feeling increasingly stifled. He said coldly, “I will order a retreat from Black Iron Town shortly. If Your Excellency has nothing else, then please leave!”
Hong Yuan chuckled, “No rush. Brother Song and I have become acquainted through fighting. I have many questions I’d like to ask you.”
If you’re not in a hurry, I am!
Song Yinglong’s previous injuries from fighting Hong Yuan had not fully healed, and this subsequent fierce battle had only worsened them.
Song Yinglong felt an immense, throbbing pain in his body, as if he were compressed into an iron box, his flesh and bones contorting.
Knowing this was the backlash of his Gang Body, he quickly took out a small medicine bottle from his embrace and swallowed it all.
Hong Yuan watched all this silently. When the other party had somewhat recovered, he slowly began to speak, “To be honest, I come from a humble background, unlike Brother Song, who is so knowledgeable. I also don’t know how many top masters there are in this world. With your martial arts, what level would you consider yourself to be on a global scale?”
After a long while.
Hong Yuan smiled and cupped his hands to Song Yinglong, “Today’s guidance from Brother Song has been greatly beneficial. If there’s an opportunity in the future, I will come to seek your advice again.”
Get lost!
Song Yinglong’s body trembled uncontrollably, not from anger or fear, but because the backlash of his Gang Body was intensifying.
Hong Yuan glanced at the many martial artists and soldiers who had surrounded them. He leaped forward, his toes tapping on a nearby rockery, and suddenly sprang four Zhangs away, swiftly reaching the roof beams, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Song Yinglong stumbled, almost losing his balance. Fortunately, Mr. Wuchen and Lady Miaoyun quickly moved forward to support him.
The two exchanged a glance, briefly gave some instructions to the crowd, and then led Song Yinglong away.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Hong Yuan’s figure moved with the wind, his robes flapping. He suddenly frowned, feeling as if he had forgotten something.
He looked down at his hands.
Oh, he had forgotten to take the Life-Snatching Throat-Locking Spear.
Hong Yuan didn’t pay it much mind. At his level of martial arts, his combat power was even stronger without weapons.
Due to the versatility of his force, only by using himself as a weapon could he maximize its potential.
Of course, on the battlefield, facing thousands of troops, changes in force would be unnecessary. He would need heavy weapons to achieve overwhelming power and sweep through the enemy like a whirlwind.
Hong Yuan had no intention of going back to retrieve the weapon.
He feared that Lao Song might not withstand the shock and die, and it wasn’t the right time to inherit his legacy.
Anyway, the other party would probably send the Life-Snatching Throat-Locking Spear back.
Earlier, Hong Yuan had noticed Song Yinglong’s unstable condition, which was why he took the opportunity to ask many questions.
These were mainly about True Skills, Dan Dao, and Gang Body.
Within some of the books collected by the Hua Family, Guo Family, and Tao Family, there were scattered descriptions of these topics.
However, they were not detailed enough.
And to quickly get rid of Hong Yuan, Song Yinglong truly revealed everything he knew.
Moreover, the questions Hong Yuan asked were not things Song Yinglong couldn’t answer; they were common knowledge for those at the top master level.
Hong Yuan had risen too quickly, and the Tiger Subduing Sect lacked sufficient foundation, thus missing out on this knowledge.
Song Yinglong’s self-assessment was that of a top-tier master.
According to him, achieving any one of Dan Dao, True Skill, or Gang Body would qualify one as a top-tier practitioner.
Within this level of masters, there were naturally differences in strength, but who would win or lose could only be determined through combat.
Before an actual engagement, everyone was in the top tier, so who would truly yield to whom?
Furthermore, the paths of True Skill, Dan Dao, and Gang Body each had their own strengths.
Dan Dao essentially remained at the Microscopic Level Master stage, but by refining elixirs and taking medicine, qi and blood were greatly increased, far exceeding ordinary Microscopic Level practitioners. Then, through external or internal elixir methods, force was nurtured, leading to a surge in combat power.
Dan Dao was considered the safest of the three paths.
True Skill involved penetrating human organs with force. This force would be transformed and tempered by the organs, imbuing them with certain characteristics, thus giving rise to True Force and Strange Force!
It must be noted that cultivating True Skill requires force to reach the Microscopic Level. Due to the explosive nature of force, without Microscopic Level control, infiltrating organs could easily lead to death.
However, reaching the Microscopic Level was merely a threshold, not a guarantee of success. Even Microscopic Level Masters found cultivating True Skill extremely perilous.
The danger of Gang Body was even greater than that of True Skill.
Gang Body was also the most peculiar of the three paths.
Gang Body was a combination of Sorcery and Martial Arts, divided into Inner Gang and Outer Gang!
Outer Gang involved modifying the body and limbs through sorcery, creating a human weapon, which was slightly less dangerous.
Inner Gang went deep into the internal organs, reconstructing the viscera and meridians, making it unpredictably dangerous.
However, once achieved, it meant stepping into a non-human realm, possessing unfathomable mysterious abilities, akin to demons.
Furthermore, the sorcerous modifications of Inner Gang and Outer Gang could be either whole-body or partial.
For example, 【Lei Xin Gang】 and 【Tie Fu Gang】 were Inner Gang methods that targeted only the heart and lungs, respectively. 【Ming Tong Gang】 and 【Yuan Bi Gang】 were Outer Gang methods related to eyes and arms.
The vast majority of Gang Body masters in the world belonged to the partial modification type, their overall combat power being far inferior to complete Gang Body practitioners.
However, due to the unpredictable nature of Gang Body, there were countless instances in the past few centuries where weaker opponents defeated stronger ones, and a single misstep could lead to instant death.
Theoretically, the three paths could be compatible, but practical examples were extremely rare.
“Lao Song should be an Outer Gang practitioner, invulnerable to blades and spears. Unfortunately, he practiced some kind of Gang Body, which he refused to reveal…”
Hong Yuan pondered, feeling that he seemed to have completely integrated these three paths through his ‘point system.’
With his current robust qi and blood, who could say he wasn’t a Dan Dao master?
His physique had also reached the point of being invulnerable to blades and spears, and even Song Yinglong and others recognized it as a Gang Body, without requiring the peculiar modifications.
Although Song Yinglong tried his best to endure, with Hong Yuan’s sharp spiritual sense, he could still detect certain abnormalities within his body.
Only True Skill had not yet cultivated Strange Force, but the ‘Heavenly One True Water Skill’ was also being explored gradually.
“Although I can research it myself, it would take a long time. I still need to find a complete True Skill method to see the quality of the so-called Strange Force.”
Of course, he also had to continue searching for Force Methods. Others believed Microscopic Level was the limit of force transformation, but Hong Yuan felt there could be an even higher level of ‘Ten Thousand Forces Flowing Together.’
“How many Microscopic Level Force Methods do I have now?”
“Tidal Wave Force, Condensed Needle Force, Spiral Force, Earth Vein Listening Force, Liver Burst Heart Destruction Force, Flowing Cloud Wuding Strength, Tiger Fiend Mountain Splitting Strength… Oh, and Diamond Force!”
Hong Yuan’s self-created Diamond Palm had also been pushed to another level during this period, allowing the fierce power of Diamond Force to extend and transform further, reaching the Microscopic Level.
“Eight types. Using these eight forces as a core to deduce the prototype of ‘Six Void Force’ still feels insufficient… And Earth Vein Listening Force, Tidal Wave Force, and others are somewhat lacking in quality…”
With a thought, Hong Yuan returned to the Tao Mansion.
