owlsbooks Chapter 22 Nine Yin and Nine Yang, their power is first revealed!
Chapter 22 Nine Yin and Nine Yang, their power is first revealed!
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, the two men's palms collided, and the force of their blows spread outwards.
Ouyang Ke, dressed in flowing white robes, tucked his crutches under his arm and swayed slightly before regaining his footing. Qiu Chuji, on the other hand, had his Taoist robe billowing as he involuntarily staggered back three or four steps, each step leaving a deep footprint in the ground before he finally steadied himself.
He looked up, his eyes filled with astonishment.
Everyone present was greatly surprised.
It should be noted that among the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, Qiu Chuji was the most skilled in martial arts, followed by Wang Chuyi and Ma Yu.
Qiu Chuji had been immersed in martial arts for decades, possessing profound internal strength and powerful palm strikes. Even if he encountered a master of the Five Greats level, he might not be defeated in one move.
But this young man in front of him, who was disabled in both legs and had difficulty moving, was able to knock him back with a single palm strike.
Guo Jing and Huang Rong exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.
The two of them spent many days with Ouyang Ke on Mingxia Island, and later saw him healing Guo Jing's injuries, so they knew that his martial arts had improved since Peach Blossom Island.
But to everyone's surprise, he made such great progress.
Despite his leg injury, he was still able to defeat Qiu Chuji with a single palm strike.
Han Baoju, however, remained calm. He and his six siblings had fought Ouyang Ke at the Zuixianlou Restaurant in Jiaxing, and even with all six of them attacking, they couldn't do anything to him. So, seeing him gain the upper hand in his exchange with Qiu Chuji, he wasn't surprised at all.
Qiu Chuji's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he coldly said, "You scoundrel! In just a few months, your skill has improved so much!"
Ouyang Ke smiled calmly, his expression composed: "After we parted ways in Dadu, I never had the chance to learn Quanzhen martial arts again. I am quite looking forward to seeing you today."
The two men stood more than two zhang apart, their eyes locked on each other, neither moving an inch.
Qiu Chuji and Wang Chuyi were in turmoil.
Several months ago, they had a brief encounter with Ouyang Ke in Dadu, the capital of the Jin Dynasty.
At that time, their internal strength was roughly equal, but this person's power was quite strange and difficult to fathom. But now, only a few months later, Ouyang Ke's legs are crippled, yet his martial arts have not only not regressed but have advanced, which is truly unbelievable.
Seeing that the two sides had temporarily stopped fighting, Han Baoju quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Master Qiu, could there be some misunderstanding here?"
Upon hearing this, Qiu Chuji recalled the ordeal of his beloved disciple Yin Zhiping, whose kidney meridians had been destroyed. Enraged, he coldly retorted, "A misunderstanding? This villain crippled the martial arts of two third-generation disciples of my Quanzhen Sect in Chang'an several months ago! One suffered a severe kidney meridian injury, one from which he will never recover; the other had his dantian destroyed, rendering him a cripple! How could this be false?"
Wang Chuyi slowly took a step forward, lightly tapping his left foot on the ground before withdrawing it. A deep footprint, nearly a foot deep, was left in the ground. He raised his head, looking directly at Ouyang Ke, and slowly said, "May I ask, sir, has my disciple Zhao Zhijing ever offended you?"
He was usually calm and rarely got angry. But when his disciple had his martial arts crippled, such a deep grudge would make even a clay figure lose its temper.
Ouyang Ke glanced at the footprint and smiled slightly: "What a fine Iron-Foot Immortal, truly living up to his name."
He glanced around and saw that Ma Yu and Liu Chuxuan had solemn expressions and were still able to keep their composure; while the hot-tempered Sun Bu'er, Hao Datong and others had unknowingly blocked all his escape routes.
The Seven Masters of Quanzhen truly lived up to their reputation.
Seeing this, Guo Jing quickly stepped forward and advised, "Master Qiu, Brother Ouyang has already repented and reformed. There must be some misunderstanding here!"
"Turning over a new leaf?"
Upon hearing this, Qiu Chuji couldn't help but sneer, his gaze sweeping across Guo Jing like lightning. "Jing'er, do you know what this villain has done? Zhiping is someone I raised from childhood, a man of excellent talent and character, the future pillar of our Quanzhen Sect. Now that he has damaged his kidney meridian, I fear his life is over... How can you expect me to believe he can truly repent?"
Guo Jing was startled upon hearing this.
He recalled a brief encounter with Yin Zhiping back in the desert. At that time, he had not yet received the Quanzhen Martial Arts from Ma Yu, and had only exchanged a few blows with Yin Zhiping. He knew that although Yin Zhiping's martial arts skills were not yet fully developed, he was an upright person. Now, hearing that he had suffered such a calamity, his heart sank.
However, after spending several days together, Ouyang Ke's character and actions were not at all related to the word "ruthless".
Huang Rong stood to the side, her eyes darting around, but she remained calm and composed.
She was incredibly intelligent and had already discerned that there must be more to the story. Ouyang Ke's behavior was indeed very different from before, yet he had still managed to severely injure a third-generation disciple of the Quanzhen Sect. If it was intentional, it didn't seem like he was doing this; if it was a misunderstanding, then those two people were indeed injured by him.
She loved watching a good show, especially one involving Ouyang Ke, which made her even more excited. She didn't interrupt, but simply waited with great interest to see what would happen.
Guo Jing looked anxiously at Ouyang Ke: "Brother Ouyang?"
Ouyang Ke caught a glimpse of the genuine concern in his eyes, and his heart warmed slightly. He then shook his head, his tone calm yet firm: "This matter has nothing to do with Brother Guo. Don't get involved."
He turned to Qiu Chuji and the others, his expression calm: "I was the one who injured those two young Taoists. They spoke arrogantly and disrespectfully to my uncle in front of me. I didn't kill them on the spot, which was already out of respect for the reputation of Master Chongyang."
"How dare you!"
Upon hearing this, Qiu Chuji's beard and eyebrows furrowed, and his anger intensified.
Ma Yu reached out to stop him, stepped forward, and said in a deep voice, "May I ask who your uncle is?"
Ouyang Ke said calmly, "My uncle is Ouyang Feng."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen all changed.
A glint flashed in Ma Yu's eyes, while Qiu Chuji sneered repeatedly: "Good! Good! Good! So you're the nephew of the Western Poison!"
Sun Bu'er, Hao Datong, and the others who were guarding the perimeter all had their right hands on their sword hilts, their eyes flashing with cold light as they stared intently at Ouyang Ke.
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
Seeing this, Han Baoju inwardly groaned. Although he was on good terms with the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, Ouyang Ke had saved Jing'er's life, and he couldn't renege on that debt of gratitude. If the Seven Masters of Quanzhen were to actually attack Ouyang Ke later, he absolutely couldn't stand idly by.
Unfortunately, the six siblings had just received a favor from the Quanzhen Sect. If they hadn't sent someone to warn them in advance, their families would probably have met with disaster!
Thinking about this, Han Baoju found himself in an even greater dilemma!
Ouyang Ke remained calm and said indifferently, "Master Chongyang is renowned and respected by me. However, the disciples you have taught are far too arrogant. Master Wang, your disciple Zhao Zhijing called my uncle 'old thief' to my face. Was it wrong for me to teach him a lesson?"
Wang Chuyi was taken aback upon hearing this.
He recalled how his late master, Master Chongyang, had invited the Five Greats to a sword competition at Mount Hua, and he had been fortunate enough to observe from the sidelines. At that time, he had personally witnessed Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison, in action, and knew that although this man was ruthless, he was also a grandmaster of his generation, a figure on par with his late master. Not to mention a junior like Zhao Zhijing, even he and his seven fellow disciples had never spoken ill of him behind his back.
He was speechless for a moment and didn't know how to answer.
Qiu Chuji snorted coldly and said, "What about my disciple, Yin Zhiping? How did he offend you, Your Excellency?"
Ouyang Ke smiled slightly, a hint of mockery in his smile: "Your Quanzhen Sect considers yourselves the orthodox sect of all martial arts, yet your disciples are all so arrogant. They haven't even mastered the unique skills of Master Chongyang, yet they dare to look down on the heroes of the world. Shouldn't I teach them a lesson?"
"I'm so angry!"
Qiu Chuji roared, unable to contain himself any longer! He leaped up, his long sword at his waist transforming into a streak of light, its sword energy hissing as it aimed straight for Ouyang Ke's throat!
This sword strike was swift and ruthless; even before the sword arrived, its aura was already overwhelming.
Ouyang Ke smiled, not dodging at all. He lightly tapped his cane with his left hand, the tip of the cane aimed straight at Qiu Chuji's face. This strike was seemingly casual, yet the timing and placement were perfectly timed, just a fraction faster than Qiu Chuji's longsword.
It arrived first despite being a latecomer, with a powerful and imposing momentum.
With a single strike, Qiu Chuji could parry and strike simultaneously; if he continued to thrust, the blow would surely hit his face! He had no choice but to dodge.
In just one move, Ouyang Ke had turned the tables and taken the initiative!
Guo Jing and Huang Rong, witnessing this, were startled. Their perspectives were now vastly different from before, and having been tempered by the Nine Yin Manual, they immediately recognized the power of this move.
To everyone's surprise, Qiu Chuji ignored the cane that had been brought to him, and instead increased the force in his hand, thrusting his long sword swiftly into Ouyang Ke's waist.
Ouyang Ke frowned, thinking to himself, "This old Taoist priest actually wants to die with me?"
He tapped his right staff on the ground, leaped up, and barely dodged the sword.
Qiu Chuji's face turned ashen. He switched his sword to his left hand and began to use a sword technique he had never used before in combat.
The sword flashed, each move aimed at Ouyang Ke's vital points, and instead of defending, the sword relentlessly attacked.
Upon seeing this, Ma Yu and the others' expressions all changed.
This sword technique is the "Mutual Destruction Sword Technique" created by the Seven Masters of Quanzhen after the death of their late master, Master Chongyang, to deal with Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison.
It embodies the idea of "mutual destruction"—when facing a powerful enemy and facing imminent death, this sword technique is used with utmost ferocity. Every move is a fierce attack on the enemy's vitals, each strike ruthless and merciless, a desperate fighting style where one is willing to risk their life!
Although it is a superior swordsmanship, its principles are exactly the same as the desperate methods of street thugs.
The Quanzhen Sect knew that Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison, possessed unfathomable martial arts skills, far surpassing those of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. Back then, only their late master, Chongyang Zhenren, could subdue him. Now that their master had passed away, if this man were to return to the Central Plains, the Quanzhen Sect might face annihilation.
For this reason, Master Chongyang left behind the "Big Dipper Formation," which is comparable to it, but requires seven people to use it together. If they meet hastily, it is not certain that all seven can be gathered.
The "Mutual Destruction Sword Technique" was designed for this purpose, sacrificing one or two people to perish together with the opponent, in order to save the rest of the disciples.
Qiu Chuji had just exchanged blows with Ouyang Ke, and although he had clearly gained the upper hand, he was instantly reversed by his opponent. Ouyang Ke was more than a decade younger than him and belonged to the White Camel Mountain lineage. If he continued to avoid him, he feared he would tarnish the reputation of the Quanzhen Sect.
In his desperation, he unleashed this desperate sword technique.
Although Ma Yu and the others knew his thoughts, they couldn't help but secretly marvel at Ouyang Ke's move just now.
The two exchanged more than ten blows. Ouyang Ke used his crutches under his armpits to touch the ground, his figure swift as the wind, but he was always enveloped by Qiu Chuji's sword light.
Qiu Chuji had now switched to the Quanzhen Swordplay. This swordplay consisted of seven swords and seven forms, totaling forty-nine forms. Its variations were subtle and refined, yet steady and dignified. The swordplay was swift as lightning, advancing and retreating like the wind. When wielded by him, it exuded an even more imposing aura, the sword light weaving into an impenetrable net that firmly enveloped Ouyang Ke.
Although Ouyang Ke was crippled in both legs, he was exceptionally agile. With his crutches under his armpits touching the ground, he moved nimbly left and right, forward and backward, weaving freely through the gaps in the sword light. The sword light was dense, yet it never managed to touch a single hem of his clothes.
Han Baoju was dumbfounded. Only now did he realize that when Ouyang Ke fought against the six siblings at Zuixianlou, he had clearly held back.
Tan Chuduan couldn't help but whisper in praise, "This scoundrel's martial arts are truly superb!"
Although the others did not speak, they secretly agreed.
Qiu Chuji launched dozens of attacks, but could not gain the upper hand, and his heart tightened. His sword flashed, and he thrust three times in quick succession!
These three swords contained several variations, with sword light crisscrossing and firmly sealing off Ouyang Ke's vital points. It was the essence of the Quanzhen Swordplay - "One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones"!
The sword moved with the man, growing faster and faster. In an instant, the sword light bloomed like a lotus flower, heading straight for Ouyang Ke's chest!
"what!"
Guo Jing and Huang Rong exclaimed in surprise. With their keen eyesight, they could naturally see the danger of this move!
Han Baoju's expression changed drastically. He wanted to help, but it was too late.
The sword light was about to pierce through his chest—
Ouyang Ke, however, remained calm and composed. He seemed to twist in mid-air, shifting his position at the last second and disappearing in an instant!
Only a pair of crutches remained, stuck straight into the ground!
Qiu Chuji's sword missed its mark, and a strong sense of alarm rose in his mind. He instinctively retreated swiftly!
But the next moment, Ouyang Ke's figure suddenly descended from the sky.
He raised his left hand diagonally, and with his right hand, his five fingers formed a claw, he struck down from mid-air.
Caught off guard, Qiu Chuji was struck on the shoulder by a claw, his clothes were torn, and five finger holes were left deep in his flesh.
Qiu Chuji groaned, his longsword fell to the ground, and he staggered backward, his eyes filled with horror.
Ma Yu and the others watching from a short distance exclaimed in unison:
"Nine Yin White Bone Claw!"
Upon seeing this, Wang Chuyi flashed out, channeling all his power into his right palm, and struck directly at Ouyang Ke.
At this moment, Ouyang Ke was in the air, his new strength had not yet been generated and his old strength had already weakened, so this palm strike should have been unavoidable.
Guo Jing and Huang Rong were terrified!
Han Baoju roared angrily, "Shameless!"
However, Ouyang Ke remained completely calm. With nowhere to gain leverage in mid-air, he suddenly twisted his waist and moved three feet backward in mid-air.
It was those three feet that allowed him to barely avoid Wang Chuyi's palm strike.
He then performed an incredibly nimble flip and landed steadily on the pair of crutches on the ground.
Huang Rong's eyes lit up, and she whispered, "Brother Jing, that's 'Transcendental Movement' and 'Snake-like Leap'!"
Guo Jing naturally recognized it; it was the movement technique from the Nine Yin Manual. His admiration for Ouyang Ke grew even stronger—to have mastered these two movement techniques to such a high level in just three days was truly astonishing!
Wang Chuyi's palm strike missed its mark, and he was startled. His original intention was to relieve Qiu Chuji's siege, but seeing Ouyang Ke use the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, he was shaken and thus angrily attacked.
But seeing Ouyang Ke calmly dodge, he breathed a sigh of relief—if this person had really been seriously injured by his palm strike, he would have felt guilty.
He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Where did you learn the Nine Yin White Bone Claw?"
Ouyang Ke sneered, "Things have come to this, stop with the nonsense! Take my palm strike!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned slightly to the left under his armpit, and in an instant, he was in front of Wang Chuyi. His right palm struck out lightly and silently, as if it had no power at all!
Wang Chuyi's expression changed drastically, and he dared not be careless in the slightest! He gathered all the strength he had accumulated over decades and unleashed both palms at once, intending to take the blow head-on!
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, the two separated instantly!
Ouyang Ke made a single turn, his figure gracefully retreating, landing steadily a zhang away.
Wang Chuyi's face turned red, and he staggered back five or six steps, each step cracking the ground. He tried to stand firm, but finally couldn't hold on and fell backward.
"Junior brother!"
"Senior brother!"
Ma Yu and the others exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward to help Wang Chuyi up.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar.
Guo Jing looked in the direction of the voice and was overjoyed: "It's Master and the others back!"
Everyone turned around and saw Ke Zhen'e, Zhu Cong, Nan Xiren, and Quan Jinfa walking quickly towards them. Han Xiaoying, supporting Mu Nianci, followed at the back.
Although Ke Zhen'e was blind, he seemed to sense the tense atmosphere. He slammed his iron staff down and said in a deep voice, "Jing'er, what's going on?"
Guo Jing opened his mouth, unsure how to explain.