Chapter Fifty-Five: The Great Demon-Subduing Pestle

The old monk was thin, his gray robe draped loosely over his body. Yet as he channeled his inner energy, a sudden powerful wind surged forth, inflating his clothes until they billowed taut, the wide sleeves swelling like sails filled with wind, the gusts whipping his garments with a sharp, flapping sound.

With a single palm strike, Li Chongyuan immediately felt as if an invisible giant wave crashed toward him, pressing down until he could barely breathe. Not daring to be careless, he activated his Asura Skill to protect his heart, channeling his combined internal strength into both palms for the "Thunderous Drums" technique of the Storm and Thunder Palm, pushing forward with all his might. There was a muffled "thud" as if his blow had struck an iron wall; he was forced three steps back, leaving two deep grooves in the sandy ground behind him.

Xuanfa laughed heartily. "Truly, the younger generation is to be feared! You could take my Great Demon-Subduing Cudgel head-on—even though I used only half my strength, to remain standing is no small feat! Come, now I’ll use seventy percent—let’s see how you do!"

Li Chongyuan knew this monk’s skill ran deep and was unwilling to fight further. He called out, "Master, I respect you as a senior in the martial world and have yielded to you time and again, but you refuse to appreciate it. Are you not afraid of being ridiculed for bullying your juniors?"

Xuanfa replied, "The sword technique and the Northern Dipper Phantom Moon you used just now are the arts of Tianshan's Northern Sect from decades ago—unquestionably demonic techniques. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Back then, I myself ascended Tianshan to help Senior Ye Changqing purge his own sect; I know these techniques well! Since you know such skills, you must have some connection with those evil sects. Demonic sect members are treacherous and must be killed on sight—who would dare mock me for rooting them out?"

Without waiting for Li Chongyuan’s retort, Xuanfa circled his left palm and thrust his right palm through the crook of his arm.

Li Chongyuan had barely managed to withstand the previous blow with all his strength. Now that Xuanfa was using seventy percent power, he dared not meet him head-on. He instantly used the Shadowless Steps, his figure flashing several yards away. Behind him, Xuanfa drew a deep breath and shouted, "All Demons Annihilated!"

Suddenly, it felt as if a thousand-pound boulder pressed against his back. At that moment, the long sword knocked away earlier landed at his feet. Without time to think, he flicked his toe, sending the sword into his hand, and turned to slash back with it—executing "Jade Dragon’s Claw" from the Tianshan Sword Technique. His inner power surged through the blade, the tip bursting forth with a foot-long sword light that slashed at the invisible shockwave chasing him. A piercing screech broke the air.

Xuanfa’s decades of cultivation made his Great Demon-Subduing Cudgel as implacable as a mountain—far beyond what Li Chongyuan could resist. Fortunately, the sword energy split the force in two, and the mountain-like shockwave brushed past him, sending river pebbles hurtling skyward. They rained down like hail. The onlookers, knowing the dangers of such an exchange, had already fled far away.

By chance, the boatman who had ferried Li Chongyuan and his companions to the southern bank of the Yangtze saw the monks waiting to cross and lingered, hoping to earn another fare. Seeing the fight, the rustic fellow, ignorant of the danger, squatted by the shore to watch, sleeves rolled up in excitement. By the time he sensed trouble, it was too late—he was swept off his feet by the shockwave, tumbled onto the sand, and pelted by falling stones until his face was bruised and bloodied, sitting on the ground and wailing incessantly.

Though Li Chongyuan had used the Tianshan Sword Technique to deflect most of the Great Demon-Subduing force, he was still left reeling, his vision darkening, a metallic taste rising in his throat—almost to the point of vomiting blood. He forcibly suppressed it with his inner strength, but his body swayed, nearly collapsing.

Xuanfa praised him. "Very good—even in Shaolin, such skill would earn a place in the Dharma Hall to study the monastery’s highest arts. I seldom spar with others, so this is a fine opportunity to test my skills. Now try this technique—‘Three Tribulations of Avici.’ I created it myself after ten years of seclusion; no one has ever faced it before. Take care!"

To be fair, Xuanfa was not a bloodthirsty man. He had spent most of his life cultivating martial arts in the Dharma Hall, rarely venturing into the world, and was thus ignorant of common affairs—a true martial arts fanatic. Ever since he devised "Three Tribulations of Avici," he longed to test it. But among the high monks of the Dharma Hall, causing a commotion would draw the abbot’s attention, and to try it on younger monks would seem like bullying. So, though eager, he had never dared use it until now. Upon encountering Li Chongyuan, he saw only a worthy opponent and could not restrain his excitement, never considering that his opponent, being so much younger, could not possibly withstand the decades of cultivation behind his blows. The two strikes just exchanged had already pushed Li Chongyuan to his limits; this next "Three Tribulations of Avici" would surely destroy him on the spot.

Now Li Chongyuan found himself in a predicament, forced to muster his inner strength to calm his surging blood. He watched as Xuanfa, still rooted in a horse stance, extended his left palm in a feint—this was the "Vajra Offers the Cudgel." Then his right palm likewise thrust forward—this was "All Demons Annihilated." Finally, both palms pushed out together.

As the left palm shot out, Li Chongyuan braced himself for a tempest, but to his surprise, nothing happened. The right palm followed, equally calm. He let out a sigh of relief, thinking the old monk was only putting on a show, having already exhausted his strength with the previous two blows. But just as that thought crossed his mind, his body suddenly sank as if Mount Tai had fallen on him. An immense force enveloped and crushed him, his bones groaning under the pressure. He tried to resist with all his martial skills, but they were as useless as a mantis before a cart.

The sword light was snuffed out by the Great Demon-Subduing force. Even if he could protect his heart and not be killed instantly, his bones would surely be crushed to powder. Such was the mystery of "Three Tribulations of Avici": the force of the first two palms did not immediately explode outward but was held suspended. Only when the last double palm struck were all three energies unleashed as one, their combined power several times greater than a single full-strength blow. Xuanfa was confident that in a direct contest of palm strength, this move was unmatched in the martial world.

Under the crushing weight, the long sword bent agonizingly and then, with a loud snap, broke in two. With the sword shattered, Li Chongyuan could no longer hold on—he spat a mouthful of blood, his mind growing faint. At that critical moment, a gentle warmth suddenly rose behind him, a soft yet immense force entered his core, protecting his heart and bones. At the same time, a long sword flashed past from behind, its tip glowing with a blue-white aura that flared three feet long, straight as a spear. Instantly, the seemingly invincible palm force was subdued; the sword drew a heavy arc, diverting the force to the right, and with a fierce shout, the energy was channeled into the churning Yangtze. With a thunderous roar, muddy waters erupted into the air, raining down like a storm, yet a shield of internal energy kept both men dry.

Li Chongyuan struggled to look back and saw a man with a jade-like face and a Daoist crown—who else could it be but his master, Zi Wuzhuo? Relieved, his mind went blank, and he fainted.

Why was Zi Wuzhuo here? After searching fruitlessly in Yangzhou with Ji Wuce and Li Chongjun, he had hurried back to Hengzhou. Failing to find Yang Wuji and the others, he spotted a mark left by Du Xin at the city gate and followed the trail to the river, intending to cross in pursuit. Arriving just in time to see Li Chongyuan locked in a contest of inner strength with Xuanfa, he was alarmed. Knowing Xuanfa since their youth, he was well aware that the monk relished martial challenges and seldom held back—Li Chongyuan was in mortal peril. Without hesitation, he intervened. Fortunately, he was just in time; a moment later and Li Chongyuan would surely have perished.

In pure inner strength, Zi Wuzhuo could not match Xuanfa, but the Tianshan Sword Technique was peerless. Using the "diversion" principle, he redirected Xuanfa's force.

Seeing Zi Wuzhuo, Xuanfa was delighted. "Zi Wuzhuo! So it’s you. Perfect timing—tell me, what do you think of my ‘Three Tribulations of Avici’?"

Lin Qingli, catching sight of her master, rushed forward, calling out "Master!" and burst into tears. She had been terrified watching Li Chongyuan trapped by Xuanfa’s power, but now relief and lingering fear mingled, and, being a young girl, she could not stop the tears from flowing.

Lan Wutong stepped forward and saluted, addressing him as Senior. Zi Wuzhuo nodded, took Li Chongyuan’s wrist, and, seeing that while he had vomited blood his pulse remained steady and his injuries were not grave, finally felt at ease.

Behind him, Li Chongjun hurriedly carried Li Chongyuan to a safe spot, produced a Green Lotus Pill for him to swallow, and Ji Wuce used his internal energy to assist. Before long, Li Chongyuan revived and, struggling to his feet, knelt before Zi Wuzhuo in salute. Seeing that he could move without hindrance, Zi Wuzhuo motioned him to withdraw.

Turning to Xuanfa, Zi Wuzhuo saluted from afar. "Master Xuanfa, how have you been?"

Xuanfa shook his head. "Not well, not well at all. I’ve grown accustomed to peace in Shaolin; but the Abbot insisted I leave the monastery and travel the world. This dusty journey is more than I can bear. Life in the Dharma Hall was far more comfortable."

Zi Wuzhuo replied, "So you have finally mastered the ‘Three Tribulations of Avici.’"