Chapter 95: Chapter 94: Five Elements Palm

Hutou Mountain Stronghold.

There was only a single narrow path leading up the mountain. The trail was rugged and difficult to traverse, making the stronghold’s position easy to defend and hard to attack.

It was a classic case of one man guarding the pass, and ten thousand men being unable to break through.

「On this day.」

Three figures appeared before the stronghold’s gate.

The gate was constructed from thick, solid logs. Above it, a banner bearing the name "Hutou Stronghold" fluttered in the wind.

"Young Master Zhu."

Shii Zhao, holding his long spear, was eager for a fight.

"There’s no need for you to act. Let me go and test that Nine-Section Whip Suo Chao."

"..." Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes, looking at the deathly silent stronghold. He shook his head gently.

"Forget it."

With that, he strode forward.

"Young Master," Dugu Feng said, rushing forward.

"I’ll open the gate."

The gate was built into the mountain’s topography, its sides flush against the rock face. Based on her experience, this was likely just the first gate, an outer gate. There had to be a true main gate further in.

SHIIING...

The sound of a longsword being drawn rang out.

Ever since the Third Prince, Zheng Hong, began suppressing all martial artists, and Dugu Wuwang’s death, the experts of the Red Blood Sect had been withering away one after another.

The Three Capitals Guardians were supposed to be Limit-Breaking Grandmasters, but now, a mere Gui Cang practitioner like Dugu Feng was qualified for the role. It was a move born of desperation.

However, although she was only at the Gui Cang realm, her strength was not to be underestimated.

The moment her longsword was drawn, its sharp blade cut into the gate, which was several feet thick. A terrifyingly giant power erupted.

BOOM!

The stronghold gate was shattered to pieces by her raw strength.

Shii Zhao’s face twitched. He had been deceived by Dugu Feng’s delicate appearance these past few days and had almost forgotten who she was.

’This level of strength...’

’I’m nowhere near her level!’

Zhu Ju stepped over the shattered gate, and dozens of variously dressed mountain bandits immediately charged at him from ahead.

"How dare you!"

Shii Zhao roared and charged forward.

"Suo Chao, get out here! I, Shii Zhao, have come to meet you!"

He flicked his long spear, and it danced with the force of a tiger, its movements enveloping a dozen men in front of him.

Mere mountain bandits were naturally no match for him. With smashes and thrusts of his long spear, the bandits screamed and fell to the ground.

As the fighting raged, his expression suddenly changed.

"Dugu, you demoness, what are you doing?"

It was because Dugu Feng, longsword in hand, was fighting while retreating. Despite her formidable strength, she showed no intention of advancing, instead trading blows with a group of bandits who hadn’t even reached the entry level of Qi Blood Martial Arts.

She was clearly stalling for time on purpose.

"Idiot!"

Dugu Feng lowered her gaze.

"Haven’t you noticed? Something is very wrong here."

’Wrong?’

Shii Zhao froze, his gaze falling upon the charging bandits. He saw that every single one of them had a terrified expression.

Despite their hearts being filled with fear and dread, they still charged forward.

’Why?’

...

Juyi Hall.

The heart of the stronghold.

The infamous bandit, the great chief of Hutou Mountain Stronghold, Nine-Section Whip Suo Chao, was kneeling on the ground with his hands behind his back.

His body trembled, his eyes filled with terror, and he didn’t dare make a sound as his head hung low.

Several days ago, Hutou Mountain Stronghold had already been taken. All the bandits had become prisoners.

"Godfather!"

A young, armored officer strode in, cupping his fist in his palm.

"That man is here!"

"Good!"

The ground trembled.

The entire Juyi Hall swayed.

In the seat that originally belonged to Suo Chao, a burly giant over two meters tall now sat.

The giant was clad in heavy armor and held a greatsword. As he slowly stood up, an invisible pressure enveloped the entire hall.

"An Unparalleled Grandmaster!"

"Even if one pushes their Martial Arts cultivation to the limit, they are ultimately just a Hundred-Man Enemy. Today, I have personally led a thousand elite soldiers."

"I will ensure he never leaves this place alive!"

Beside the giant, Bai Fu, who was bound tightly by ropes, clenched her teeth and struggled, shouting angrily:

"Despicable! Shameless!"

"You’re a great general of the Court, yet you resort to setting traps and ambushes just to deal with one person. Have you no shame?"

"Heh..." The giant lowered his gaze.

"All warfare is based on deception."

"He is an Unparalleled Grandmaster, after all. Though I am a Limit-Breaking Grandmaster, I must still treat this matter with caution."

"The general is right," Nine-Section Whip Suo Chao said, nodding repeatedly with a fawning expression.

"Who in this world doesn’t know the great name of the Divine Sword, General Xue Tong? With you taking action personally, no matter how strong Zhu Ju is, he will not escape his fate today."

"Besides..."

He swallowed and continued,

"That Zhu is merely a commoner, yet he dared to kill the Third Prince, who was supposed to inherit the throne. This is a blatant disregard for the Court’s authority."

"If he dares to kill the Third Prince, he’ll dare to kill the current Saint Emperor! Such a naturally rebellious and defiant person absolutely must not be allowed to live!"

"Oh?" Xue Tong raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise in his eyes.

"I never thought a mere bandit like you would possess such insight."

"A pity!"

"If you understand rebellion and defiance so well, then why do you occupy this mountain as its king and fight against the Court’s soldiers? Isn’t that seeking your own death?"

"Allow me to explain, General," Suo Chao said hastily.

"I, too, once had a heart full of patriotism. I was framed and had no choice but to become an outlaw. But Hutou Mountain Stronghold has never oppressed the nearby common folk. We just... do a little business to survive."

"My Suo Family has been loyal for generations, a fact that heaven and earth can attest to! If the General would take me in, I am willing to repay you with my life!"

"Heh..." Xue Tong chuckled.

"You have a sharp tongue. However, since you claim to be loyal, I will give you a chance."

"Go!"

"Kill that Zhu Ju!"

"Ah!" Suo Chao looked up, completely dumbfounded.

*

*

*

The mountain wind lingered and collided within the narrow mountain path, finally transforming into a sharp whistle that rushed forward.

「After walking a short distance.」

A vast, open square came into view.

This place was likely where the Hutou Mountain bandits usually gathered and practiced their martial arts. It was more than spacious enough to hold a thousand people.

The sounds of fighting grew more and more distant.

With the strength of Shii Zhao and Dugu Feng, dealing with a group of small fry should have been easy, and they should have caught up without a problem.

But now...

With a faint smile, Zhu Ju looked up.

On top of the wooden wall ahead, figures appeared one after another. Arrows glinting with a cold light were aimed at the sky.

Then.

SWOOSH!

Thousands of arrows shot toward the sky, turning into a dense rain that fell from above.

The arrow rain was dense, completely blanketing Zhu Ju’s position. No matter how skilled one was, there was nowhere to hide.

DING...

A layer of Invisible Gang Force appeared around his body, over two feet thick.

The sharp arrows landed on it. Some shattered on impact, some slid to the sides, and others embedded themselves deep within it.

But without exception,

not a single arrow could get within two feet of him.

"Fire!"

THWANG!

The sound of vibrating bowstrings rang out.

A giant crossbow bolt, as thick as an arm and nearly ten feet long, typically used for sieging cities, was now aimed at a single person.

BANG!

The giant crossbow bolt collided with the Invisible Gang Force. Its sharp tip pierced into the Gang Force before exploding violently.

Wood splinters and iron fragments flew everywhere.

The Protective Gang Force rippled violently.

This time, the arrowhead not only broke through the two-foot barrier, but it came within five inches of his body.

"Fire!"

THWANG! THWANG! THWANG!

Several giant crossbow bolts shot out in succession. Zhu Ju’s advancing figure came to a sudden halt, and he was blasted backward again and again.

On the wall.

The soldiers’ faces were pale, their wrists trembling as they nocked more crossbow bolts and subconsciously plucked at their longbow strings.

Wooden arrows, cloud-piercing arrows, single-feathered arrows, giant crossbow bolts...

Countless arrows surged forward at once.

BANG!

Divine Summoning Skill!

Water and Fire Immortal Robe!

Zhu Ju stomped his feet on the ground. The Powerful Qi around him swelled, and the self-sustaining nature of his Five Elements True Qi allowed him to stand perfectly still under the deluge of arrows.

Even the giant crossbow bolts could no longer graze him in the slightest.

「A moment later.」

The field fell deathly silent.

Countless arrows stuck out of the ground like a dense forest, with only the spot where Zhu Ju stood remaining empty.

GULP...

On the wall, an archer swallowed hard, his eyes wide with terror.

"Monster!"

"He’s not human, he’s a monster!"

"Bullshit!"

Someone roared.

"It’s a Blinding Technique! This is a Blinding Technique!"

"Charge!"

BOOM!

The wooden gates on both sides opened, and armored heavy cavalry, lances couched, charged toward Zhu Ju.

Sturdy warhorses, cavalrymen, heavy armor, incredible speed...

Each heavy cavalryman could send a fierce tiger flying or skewer a black bear, let alone a mortal body of flesh and blood.

And now, there were more than a hundred of them charging forward.

They were the elite army of the Zheng Kingdom, the invincible iron cavalry that guarded the borders.

The Fierce Border Cavalry!

"KILL!"

The battle cry shook the heavens. It was perfectly uniform, and even the sound of their hooves was orderly. The lances rapidly closed in.

Hoooo...

Zhu Ju took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly focused. He first pressed his hands downward in an empty gesture, then abruptly raised them.

Five Elements Palm—Earth Element!

This was the Palm Technique he had comprehended after witnessing that colossal palm on the mountain peak. It consisted of five forms.

Although it was created by imitating the divine essence of that giant palm, it had already transcended the mortal realm, a Martial Skill on par with the Demon Saber.

As the palm struck,

the heavens and earth shook!

The Five Elements Internal Qi within his body roared out, merging with the Power of Heaven and Earth to form two colossal, visible hands.

They struck out to meet the oncoming heavy cavalry.

BOOM!

The earth trembled, men were thrown, and horses were toppled.

The charging heavy cavalry were sent flying. The ground shook violently, as if two earthen walls had risen up to block the cavalry’s path.

After the chaos, the ground was a wreck, littered with cries of pain, screams of agony, and the neighing of horses.

Zhu Ju recovered his breath slightly and continued to stride forward.

This time,

whether it was the cavalrymen on the sides or the archers on the wall, all of them were silent as if they had lost their voices.

The true stronghold gate was thick and tall, no less imposing than a county city’s wall.

Five Elements Palm—Metal Element!

Zhu Ju struck out with his palm again.

A terrifying, colossal hand appeared dozens of feet away. Wreathed in a howling gale, it crashed into the stronghold gate.

BOOM!

It was like the strike of a battering ram. Nearly half the wall swayed, and the seemingly indestructible gate instantly shattered into pieces.

From within the billowing dust, Zhu Ju’s figure slowly walked out.

At his feet, Nine-Section Whip Suo Chao, who had been hiding behind the gate for a sneak attack, lay motionless on the ground, already dead.

Ahead.

Hundreds of soldiers stood in formation, ready for battle.

Their blades and spears formed a forest, projecting a cold, murderous aura, yet their eyes betrayed a deep-seated fear as they looked at him.

"It’s useless."

Zhu Ju shook his head gently. His gaze swept past the hundreds of soldiers to land on the heavily armored giant behind them.

’Mere mortals...’

SWOOSH!

He became a blur, charging into the ranks of soldiers before him. Every movement of his hands and feet contained an unrivaled, giant power.

As for the attacking blades and swords, not only could they not land on him, but even if they did, they could hardly injure him in the slightest. Before him, no enemy could withstand a single blow.

BOOM!

Water Palm!

Fire Element Palm!

Water and fire converged.

Dozens of soldiers in the vicinity were swept away by the Powerful Qi, sent flying in all directions. The others couldn’t even get close.

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Ju appeared before Xue Tong.

"..."

Xue Tong, who had his eyes tightly shut, slowly opened them. A bitter expression appeared on his face.

"It wasn’t a Blinding Technique."

"Is this... the power of an Unparalleled Grandmaster?"

"No," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head gently.

"I am stronger than Fu Xuan."

Fu Xuan, after all, was limited by the Martial Arts of this world. At most, his strength was comparable to someone capable of Inner Qi Release.

But he,

had already achieved full Qi Circulation!

Furthermore, he had cultivated the Water and Fire Immortal Robe, a technique comparable to that of an Innate Qi Refiner.

Therefore, in terms of true combat power, Zhu Ju was confident he was stronger than the Fu Xuan of a hundred years ago.

"I see," Xue Tong nodded. He had read the records about Fu Xuan, which was why he had been so confident about this operation.

Unfortunately.

The Unparalleled Grandmaster he faced was not Fu Xuan, but Zhu Ju.

"This whole affair was started by me. They were only following orders. I ask Young Master Zhu to show them mercy."

"..." Zhu Ju looked at him and slowly nodded.

"Fine."

"Thank you." Xue Tong took a deep breath, suddenly drew his sword, and swiped it across his own throat.

SPURT!

Blood splattered as the body slowly crumpled to the ground.

As a Limit-Breaking Grandmaster, he didn’t even entertain the thought of fighting back against Zhu Ju. He only sought to exchange his own life for the safety of his men.

"Godfather!"

"General!"

"..."

Cries of sorrow immediately filled the field, along with looks of grief and indignation directed at Zhu Ju. But no one dared to make a move. They couldn’t let Xue Tong’s death be in vain.

Shaking his head, Zhu Ju casually tore the ropes binding Bai Fu and turned to walk away.

"Tell your Emperor that I’m not interested in his life. The precondition is... don’t come looking for trouble with me."

In the distance,

Shii Zhao and Dugu Feng, who had secretly followed, stared at each other in utter disbelief.

SLAP!

"Why did you slap me in the face?" Shii Zhao roared.

"I was checking to see if I was dreaming."

"Then why didn’t you slap yourself?"

"I was afraid it would hurt."

"You..."

"Quiet, Young Master Zhu is back."

...

「A few days later.」

Zhu Ju called Bai Fu over and gave her a letter.

"Give this letter to the former Patriarch of the Fu Family, Fu Huanlian. I haven’t forgotten my promise to her to redraw the Five Mountains True Form Map."

"With this letter, both the Fu Family and the Ye Family will help you start a new life."

"Young Master," Bai Fu said, taking the letter, her heart trembling slightly.

"And you?"

"I still have my own path to walk," Zhu Ju said with a faint smile, waving his hand dismissively.

"I’m off."

"We’ll meet again!"