Book 2 Chapter 50: The Blade Aura's Embrace - Martial God

Chapter 50: The Blade Aura's Embrace Lü Xin Wen gazed at the tattered garment in his hand with a hint of regret on his face. "What a pity. If this clothing had been made from the icy silk of the Northern Icemountain's celestial silkworms and the Southern Border's man-faced spider silk, it would have withstood your innate needle attack today." He Yi Ming was slightly taken aback, pondering, "So, does this mean Brother Lü's technique requires such specially crafted weapons to reach its full potential?" Lü Xin Wen chuckled wryly, tossing the tattered garment aside. "Even without such specialized weapons, I could still annihilate your entire sect." With that, he took a step forward. Hands poised, this time, his speed didn't match the previous blinding swiftness, appearing strangely slower. However, this was merely an illusion. In just three steps, he spanned several dozen meters, delivering a thunderous palm strike. The water-based technique wasn’t suited for direct clashes, yet this elder chose a path of aggressive offense. Having assessed from their earlier conversation that He Yi Ming was a newly ascended innate realm warrior, he reasoned that despite possessing a formidable innate skill like the hidden needle mark, He Yi Ming’s innate energy couldn’t match his own, honed over two decades. Thus, after failing with the cloud-compression technique, he opted for the surest approach. The principle of overwhelming force was a straightforward yet often effective strategy. A palm seemed to materialize from thin air, striking toward He Yi Ming’s chest. If it landed, even an innate warrior like He Yi Ming might find it unbearable. Faced with this sudden palm, He Yi Ming’s hands flipped swiftly, transforming the former hidden needle mark into a solid Earth Embrace mark. This technique, also stolen from Lin Tao Li, was mastered to perfection. Though it differed slightly from Lin Tao Li’s execution, those differences were customized to He Yi Ming’s unique qualities, making it the most suitable technique for him. The ethereal palm hesitated, searching for flaws in He Yi Ming’s defense. But upon the transformation of He Yi Ming’s mark, every vulnerability vanished, the unique mark guarding him entirely. After countless feints and adjustments, the ethereal palm finally collided heavily with He Yi Ming’s Earth Embrace mark, as if it had been waiting there all along. Lü Xin Wen felt an extreme frustration, having exerted full effort yet not gaining any advantage in the clash of techniques. His keen eyes discerned that while the two hand marks shared some commonalities, each possessed distinct paths. Indisputably, both were innate techniques. In astonishment, he pondered the youth’s origin, mastering two innate hand techniques. Mastery alone was remarkable, but He Yi Ming grasped their essence—a feat beyond comprehension. At this moment, Lü Xin Wen truly doubted He Yi Ming’s age. Inner strength could be enhanced with golden elixirs, as were rare innate elixirs. However, mastering techniques had no shortcuts, aside from rare moments of enlightenment or relentless practice until the technique fused with one's marrow. He Yi Ming, however, shattered this convention with his seamless execution of both innate hand techniques, displaying a mastery rivalling Lü Xin Wen’s two decades of arduous cultivation. Confronted with such an anomaly, even the Blood Butcher Lü Xin Wen felt waves of helplessness. As He Yi Ming’s palm met the Earth Embrace mark, he slightly bent his knees. This small adjustment diverted half of Lü Xin Wen’s innate water energy to the ground. With a forceful push from his legs, a powerful rebound surged through his three hundred acupoints, relaying through the Earth Embrace mark. A muffled sound echoed, akin to an explosion in an iron box, stirring unease in one's heart. Lü Xin Wen's eyes widened in disbelief. The clash of energies revealed He Yi Ming’s overwhelming earth element power, naturally countering his own. Alarmed, Lü Xin Wen retreated in electrifying speed, his feet taking rapid small steps, each leaving distinct footprints. In mere moments, he left three hundred sixty footprints, dissipating the force from He Yi Ming's three hundred acupoints. Lü Xin Wen raised his head, baffled by the possibility of a newcomer to the innate realm wielding such potent energy—energy on par with his own tempered through years of strenuous training. Finally, a sliver of doubt crept into his belief in defeating He Yi Ming. Sensing Lü Xin Wen's waning momentum, He Yi Ming’s spirit soared. Without hesitation, he let out a long roar, his footwork blurring into lightning speed, rivalling Lü Xin Wen’s earlier swiftness, charging valiantly forward. He Yi Ming’s feet drummed the earth in a rapid-fire rhythm, creating a sensation akin to standing in a relentless mountain rain. Thus transformed into a tempest, He Yi Ming’s rapid steps restricted all of Lü Xin Wen’s escape routes. At the same time, he raised his hand, the Earth Embrace mark reemerged in a fierce offensive, crashing down like Taishan Mountain. In Lin Tao Li’s mastery, the Earth Embrace mark was purely defensive. However, He Yi Ming subtly altered the energy’s flow, introducing an unexpected offensive transformation, the mark’s sole attack maneuver. A powerful energy diffused from the Earth Embrace mark, binding Lü Xin Wen with invisible cords, ensuring inescapable accuracy. Lü Xin Wen’s eyes flashed with disbelief; faced with He Yi Ming’s terra firma mark and aqueous footwork, he was awash with a certain admiration. Yet, being a century-old innate expert, seasoned by countless battles, Lü Xin Wen took a deep breath, regaining composure. Accepting his fate, he unleashed his innate energy to its zenith, launching a triple palm strike. Each successive palm unleashed a surge of force. The first palm nudged him back slightly, the second created more distance, and with the third, Lü Xin Wen, akin to an arrow released, darted away swiftly. He Yi Ming halted his steps, not because he didn't want to pursue, but because Lü Xin Wen’s three consecutive strikes were increasingly powerful, culminating in an overwhelming force. Even with the upper hand, He Yi Ming was compelled to stop, using the earth’s solid steadiness beneath him to diffuse this immense power. As he looked at Lü Xin Wen retreating, a strong wave of emotions surged in He Yi Ming's heart. Initially, he chose a defensive stance, withdrawing like a turtle. Once Lü Xin Wen's attack failed and his momentum waned, He Yi Ming counterattacked abruptly using the Cloud Rain Leaping Technique coupled with an aggressive Earth Embrace mark, only to find the seemingly inevitable victory deftly broken by Lü Xin Wen's consecutive triple strikes. Indeed, innate warriors are not easily vanquished. To defeat someone like that, unarmed, was beyond He Yi Ming's capability. Little did he know, Lü Xin Wen was even more astounded. Those weren't just ordinary strikes; they were Lü Xin Wen’s trump card, a secret he hadn’t revealed in any battle since reaching the innate stage. The triple strike was a miraculous technique of stacked energy, not something he could fully master. Due to a past encounter, he learned a fragment of this skill—enough to execute the triple energy attack, despite knowing it inflicted some physical strain and could not be repeated consecutively. Despite the drawbacks, this skill, refined over twenty years, empowered him significantly. Yet, in his duel with He Yi Ming, he was forced to use it as a last resort for self-preservation. He Yi Ming’s counterattack failed to achieve its objective, but his intuitive perception was exceptional. He sensed Lü Xin Wen’s dwindling momentum. Seizing this moment was imperative, as another such opportunity might never arise. With a decisive shake of his shoulders, the muscles across his back flexed, snapping the vines binding them. Long strips of cloth fluttered skyward, and three sections of the mighty guandao quickly assembled over his head. Without pausing, He Yi Ming charged after Lü Xin Wen, swinging the massive guandao with a screeching howl, mercilessly aiming toward him. What seemed like an offhand strike actually contained an unfathomable, mysterious power. This was the first move from the 36 Styles of Mountain Opening, a perfect display of innate prowess. Lü Xin Wen’s gaze sharpened, and fear flickered in his heart. From this nearly four-meter-long weapon, he sensed a scent of death—a feeling absent since he attained the innate realm. He realized He Yi Ming’s guandao had the potential to end him. In that instant, his thoughts of slaughtering He Yi Ming and his companions evaporated. To him, He Yi Ming became a nightmare filled with terror. With a powerful stomp, Lü Xin Wen’s body twisted and darted sharply toward He Quan Xin and the others. This sudden change caught everyone off guard, including He Yi Ming. No one expected Lü Xin Wen to flee during a battle with an innate warrior and target the opponent’s family, clearly intending to take hostages. To see an innate warrior resort to such tactics openly was unimaginable—even He Quan Xin didn’t have time to react. In desperation, He Yi Ming bellowed, unleashing an earth-shattering slash, while propelling himself like a spectral beam to He Quan Xin’s side in the shortest possible time. But upon reaching He Quan Xin, he sensed something was amiss. Lü Xin Wen, deftly dodging He Yi Ming’s strike mid-air, slipped out of the guandao's reach like a nimble feline. He Yi Ming quickly understood that Lü Xin Wen never truly intended to take hostages; it was merely a ploy to break free from the entanglement of the 36 Styles of Mountain Opening. Realizing this, He Yi Ming knew Lü Xin Wen intended to retreat. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lowered his dignity thus. Suddenly, He Yi Ming's confidence soared—an unyielding belief as vast as celestial bodies. In his grasp, an innate warrior chose to flee, even holding a grudge for a slain disciple, dared not stand against him. Such realization was akin to a powerful stimulant, heightening his spirits to the utmost. With a tremble of his hands, immense energy surged into the guandao. At that moment, he held nothing back. Under this newfound power, the Five Elements Technique activated, their forces synergizing, igniting formidable strength instantaneously. A blade aura emerged from the guandao, a pale golden glow fluctuating like a serpent’s tongue—daunting and mesmerizing. He Yi Ming shouted, his guandao sweeping with a trail resembling a shooting star. Time seemed to freeze. Of course, time hadn’t truly stopped, but the blade aura moved with such speed it felt as though it could tear through space, negating distance. Meanwhile, Lü Xin Wen arrived by Fan Hao Ri, pulling him along as he swiftly fled. With Fan Shu He dead, leaving Fan Hao Ri behind would risk his life on the mercy of Yuan Cheng Zhi and his companions. Yet, Lü Xin Wen, for reasons unknown, decided to whisk Fan Hao Ri away in escape. Moving with unmatched swiftness, none could deter him. But as he reached Fan Hao Ri, a shift occurred behind him. Unprecedented danger enveloped him instantly. Instinctively, he swung his right hand back. He sensed a peculiar force—sharp, unstoppable, consuming everything. Glancing back, he saw his right hand severed, falling to the ground. The golden blade aura didn’t cease, instantly slashing through him. A bizarre blue hue flashed across Lü Xin Wen’s face as the aura passed through, vanishing. Everyone watched, stunned, as Lü Xin Wen sprang up nonchalantly, grasping Fan Hao Ri with his left hand, leaping over the wall and vanishing without a trace. Only his severed hand remained, strangely leaving no blood trail except for the trickle from the severed palm, as though no blood flowed in Lü Xin Wen’s body.