Volume 2 Chapter 39 - Arm Exertion - Martial God

Chapter 39 - Arm Exertion "Snap..." The crisp and resounding sound echoed continuously. He Qianxin stood motionless; his movements didn't appear particularly rapid, yet his extending palm touched each of the Xiao Brothers' four arms with impeccable timing. Unexpectedly, the outcome defied everyone's expectations. The seemingly gentle tap produced successive loud metallic clashing sounds, and the Xiao Brothers evidently were not at a disadvantage. He Qianxin's complexion turned grave, astonished by the immense internal strength transmitted from the interaction with their four arms moments ago. This power was so formidable, it nearly rivaled the force he exerted himself. While he hadn't used his full strength, neither had he underestimated his opponents. He believed that under these four strikes, even an expert with a ninth-level internal power would only retreat. Yet, seeing these two brothers vibrant and lively, he couldn't help but wonder if they were possibly masters of the tenth-level internal strength. The moment the Xiao Brothers made their move, they pressed their advantage relentlessly. Their four arms swung in rapid succession: at times like iron whips sweeping horizontally, at others like soft whips lashing. Concurrently, their feet followed a peculiar footwork in the confined space, moving swiftly up and down. Even He Qianxin found it a headache, unable to exert full force to land a lethal strike. He Yiming and others had long since stood up, their gazes fixed on the combatants, including Fan Haori who had initially come to provoke. The Xiao Brothers moved faster and faster; not only were their arms spinning like wind mills, but their speed and footwork made it hard for the onlookers to keep up. Even Yuan Chengzhi, a practitioner of eighth-level internal power, gradually found his eyes dazzled, unable to fathom their movements. Only He Yiming truly saw through the wonder of it. He Yiming's eyes partially closed as he perceived the Xiao Brothers' arm technique. Although rare and unusual, it wasn't necessarily a groundbreaking technique. Judging by He Qianxin's steady, unyielding stance, it was clear they could not truly harm his uncle. However, what puzzled He Yiming was the internal strength emanating from their arms, vastly exceeding the limits of a ninth-level master. Even if a ninth-level warrior were to accumulate power for a while, they might not unleash such formidable force. If not for this, He Qianxin, with his tenth-level internal strength, could easily repel them with a casual strike, preventing their continuous assault. Moreover, their mysterious and unpredictable footwork when executed was as elusive as clouds and rain, making it impossible to discern the enigma. He Yiming was secretly astonished. Even as an innate master, he couldn't decipher this wondrous footwork. It's no wonder his uncle struggled to attack with full might. Gradually, He Yiming’s focus heightened, as a magical scene unfolded in his mind. In an open expanse, two misty swirls spun, each turn manifesting into various peculiar transformations, sometimes nimble, other times substantial. The two clouds coalesced and dispersed, each form unique, changing endlessly. The veins on He Yiming’s temples throbbed faintly. He felt a surge of power in his heart, as though he might explode at any moment. His heart raced with excitement; alongside the mists, a pair of hands appeared in his mind. Those hands were nimble, almost boneless. These hands shifted continuously, but all changes were vague, seemingly veiled by a thin mist, preventing him from fully seeing through. Gradually, the mists vanished, the hands disappeared, replaced in He Yiming’s mind by clouds and rain. The undulating clouds and ubiquitous rain... Vaguely, he understood. These two dared to challenge He Qianxin with merely ninth-level internal strength, not out of recklessness, but with a well-prepared plan. Every strike from the Xiao Brothers was empowered far beyond ordinary ninth-level practitioners, intimidating enough for his uncle. Yet their true reliance was this mysterious footwork. If he wasn’t mistaken, this resembled an innate technique. An innate agility technique, likely derived by a senior master from clouds and rain, thus bestowing such an elusive feeling. The footwork He witnessed suddenly reminded He Yiming of Lin Taoli’s 'Cloud and Rain Print' from the innate imprint technique. Clouds and rain, rain and clouds—the techniques intertwined in He Yiming's mind, corroborating and merging, undergoing a transformation indescribable by words. If the creators of these techniques knew their arts would be explored and transformed so, they would be astounded beyond belief. Creating such techniques required decades, even centuries of drowning in the essence of clouds and rain and a stroke of serendipity to realize the mysteries of nature’s transformations. Though post-heavenly masters learn innate techniques thanks to exceptional talent, ultimately, it's just mimicry, understanding perhaps a fraction of the power. But He Yiming was exploring the original strength of these two techniques, a notion utterly astonishing and unimaginable. Gradually, the clouds in He Yiming's mind sharpened. He lost himself entirely in a personal realm. Thankfully, all attention was diverted to He Qianxin’s duel with the Xiao Brothers, leaving no opportunity for anyone to notice his anomaly. At that moment, a resounding roar erupted from He Qianxin's mouth. The roar struck the Xiao Brothers' chests like a giant hammer, momentarily halting their flowing footwork. Following immediately, He Qianxin launched an offensive. Earth-element techniques, inherently the stalwart of defensive techniques, once launched in counterattack, possess tremendous ferocity. He Qianxin's palms, akin to battle axes, aimed for the Xiao Brothers' chests. He utilized the pinnacle of tenth-level inner strength, accompanied by a thunderous roar, clearly intent on lethal repercussions. Fan Haori's complexion turned pale instantly; he was the only one aware of the two brothers' origins among the present. Should they perish here, both Yuan's and Fan's families would likely face dire consequences. Amidst such high-level confrontation, he had no place to intervene, and though his face lost all color, he could only watch helplessly. Yet, at this critical juncture, the Xiao Brothers retracted their four arms simultaneously, defensively placing them over their chests. He Qianxin's palms landed upon their arms, propelling the brothers into mid-air, where they flipped before landing. Subjected to the tremendous force of tenth-level internal power, the two staggered back several steps, faces turning pale before regaining their footing. He Yiming regretted not because the two managed to escape unscathed, but because they couldn't persist longer. Under the footwork they displayed, even Lin Taoli’s 'Cloud and Rain Print' felt as if a veil was about to lift, bringing enlightenment. Yet at this crucial moment, the battle concluded, abruptly severing He Yiming's insights. If possible, He Yiming genuinely wished the confrontation had lasted a while longer; perhaps with a few more enduring moments, he might have attained further comprehension. But now, any progress was for naught. In truth, even He Yiming himself couldn't understand how he had entered such an ethereal realm of insight so suddenly. Moreover, he couldn’t be certain of revisiting that realm. When transcribing the Art of Bone Melting in He Family Village’s library, he once entered this miraculous state, but ever since, despite various attempts, he never recaptured that sensation. Unconscious epiphanies and deliberate attempts are two completely different phenomena. Hence, his lament… He Qianxin's face also flashed a hint of regret. Such a fierce, charged strike hadn't inflicted severe harm upon them. Such a prime opportunity might not present itself again. However, he promptly collected himself and scrutinized the Xiao Brothers' arms. Presently, their sleeves were utterly shredded, fluttering like butterflies in the air. From the tattered sleeves emerged two strong, bare arms, adorned with four glittering golden bracers that extended from the wrists to the elbows, covering a vast portion. Such extensive coverage by the bracers was extremely rare. He Yiming's eyes brightened, suspecting that the extraordinary internal strength displayed by the Xiao Brothers was likely due to these four bracers. Taking a deep breath, He Qianxin spoke loudly, "I've long heard that certain ancient families with millennia-long legacies possess powerful and unique artifacts with magical properties. If I’m not mistaken, the bracers on the hands of the Xiao Brothers are precisely such special artifacts." Xiao Yifan sneered, "Well noticed, He. Indeed, the bracers on our hands are the Da Shen Bracers." He Qianxin nodded slightly, his expression somber. When Fan Haoyue saw something valuable, his first thought was to seize it. However, upon seeing the Xiao Brothers' golden bracers, He Qianxin immediately contemplated their background. People with such mystical bracers couldn't be trivial. Who knew what formidable forces were behind them? If a great family with a thousand-year legacy supported them, even bringing his father from Taicang County might not be sufficient. Fan Haori's pounding heart gradually calmed. Fortunately, the brothers seemed to have sustained only minor injuries, which was the extent of what Fan Haori could tolerate. He hurried forward to the brothers, turned, and said, "Uncle Yuan, my father asked me to deliver a message requesting you and Uncle Zeyu move out quickly. Otherwise, my father will accompany Uncle Zeyi personally to retrieve what belongs to him." With that, he gave a slight bow and pulled the brothers away. When they first entered, the brothers exuded an air of arrogance, as if not taking even He Qianxin seriously—a demeanor even beyond what Fan Haori could muster. But after the recent battle, their haughty expressions had been notably toned down, especially when looking at He Qianxin, where a deep-seated wariness was evident in their gaze. Yuan Chengzhi didn’t utter a word to stop them; instead, he watched their retreating figures with concern. Initially, he assumed the Fan family had only one tenth-level master, but unexpectedly, two ninth-level masters suddenly appeared, far surpassing other practitioners of the same tier. Together, they could entangle a tenth-level internal power master for quite some time. Although they ultimately lost, even with He Qianxin's full strength, he couldn't eliminate them. Ten days later, if they formally faced off, who would deal with these two if He Qianxin got tied up with Fan Shuhe? Inadvertently, his gaze drifted to He Yiming, his eyes shining brightly at the thought that perhaps only He Yiming, with his Herculean strength, could hold off these two. He Yiming pondered, asking, "Uncle, what exactly are those bracers they wore?" He Qianxin gave a wry smile, "I've never seen them, but I've heard your grandfather mention them a few times." He paused, searching his memories before saying, "It’s said that in the eastern continent, there's a great nation called Da Shen, home to countless master craftsmen capable of forging the mysterious materials of heaven and earth into powerful weapons or armor. When such items fall into the hands of practitioners, they can exponentially amplify one's power." A gleam shone in He Yiming's eyes as he recalled the Xiao Brothers' blows, each surpassing the power of typical ninth-level practitioners. Previously attributing it to some miraculous innate technique, he now concluded it was likely the extraordinary effect of the Da Shen Bracers. Yuan Chengzhi stepped forward, his expression somber. "Yiming, such mystical weapons and armor aren't exclusive to Da Shen; our northwestern nations also produce them." He Yiming looked puzzled, "Why have I never seen them before?" Yuan Chengzhi laughed wryly, "Ordinary blacksmiths can’t craft these; it’s said that only masters at the innate realm can make such armaments." The revelation took He Yiming aback, understanding that weapons forged by innate masters were overwhelmingly rare and precious—far beyond his aspirations at the moment. Unperturbed, He Yiming calmly inquired, "Uncle Yuan, do you know anyone who can craft them?" With a solemn expression, Yuan Chengzhi replied, "In the secret sects of the northwestern countries, innate experts must exist, and among them, some must excel in forging such powerful artifacts. Besides, in the northwest’s three major powers, there are also experts in this field, but persuading them to forge anything is nearly impossible." He Yiming nodded thoughtfully, genuinely paying heed to the information. Sighing, Yuan Chengzhi remarked, "These bracers must have some special ability, allowing them to contend with you so effectively." He Qianxin shook his head gently, "It’s not just the bracers they rely on; their inherent strength is formidable." He Yiming acknowledged his uncle’s keen insight. As formidable as the bracers were, relying only on lifeless objects couldn’t have sustained their prolonged engagement with his uncle. Their true strength lay in their innate footwork, which allowed them to cross boundaries and mount a challenge. The thought of such a wondrous innate combat technique reignited a fervor in He Yiming’s heart, though he also felt a pang of regret. Yuan Chengzhi’s face grew more worried, "Ten days hence, should you be unable to assist, what then?" He Yiming chuckled lightly, "Uncle Yuan, worry not. As marvelous as their bracers are, my Guan Dao isn't ordinary iron; it will give them more than they can handle." His statement brimmed with confidence, for in his mind, he added that even if the Guan Dao couldn’t cut through the bracers, it would have no trouble dismantling their four arms. With the unparalleled Dao technique in the hands of an innate master, if it couldn't handle two post-heaven practitioners, then He Yiming might as well hang himself in shame. Yuan Chengzhi's demeanor brightened considerably upon hearing this. Just like He Yiming's words suggested, after witnessing the Xiao Brothers' prowess, trepidation lingered in his heart, but considering all present, besides He Qianxin, only He Yiming with his unrivaled strength provided solace.