Chapter 525 - 235: The Way of Effortless Action

Chapter 525: Chapter 235: The Way of Effortless Action

The old Taoist hurriedly tried to withdraw his hands, but he was a step too late.

Once, twice, three times. The sleeves, twisted tight as thick ropes, coiled around his arms. Three coils were their limit, but it was enough to ensnare both of the old Taoist’s hands.

In truth, the exchange was already over. The moment their hands were bound, the old Taoist had been utterly defeated.

But by now, the old Taoist was getting rather annoyed.

It was an inauspicious start, being defeated right out of the gate. In a fit of anger, the sound of tearing fabric—RIP! RIP! RIP!—rang out.

The old Taoist had shredded his own sleeves. His wizened arms suddenly freed, he curled his hands into palms and thrust them directly at Fang Shuwen.

At this point, the old Taoist knew Fang Shuwen’s Martial Arts were extraordinary, so this time, his strike carried even more weight.

He no longer had to worry about accidentally injuring the man...

Fang Shuwen smiled at the sight and pushed out both of his hands as well.

THUD! THUD!

With two muffled thuds, their four palms met.

The old Taoist froze. ’We don’t have some deep-seated grudge. Why has it come to a contest of Inner Strength?’

He immediately blurted out:

"Let go, alright!? What if this Daoist Master calls it a draw?"

Fang Shuwen chuckled in amusement.

"Who needs your concessions?"

"Go on, give it your all. Let me see what a long-nose like you is capable of."

The old Taoist’s face darkened... Calling a Taoist a "long-nose," while perhaps not as cutting as calling a monk a "bald donkey," was certainly no compliment.

He snorted.

"Ignorant whelp! Today, I’ll let you witness my [Non-action Profound Technique]!"

As his words fell, within a single breath, two streams of True Qi—one red, one white—surged from his body. They flowed down his arms, and his power instantly increased dramatically.

Fang Shuwen’s current understanding was far beyond what it once was; he could grasp the principles of Martial Arts by analogy.

Just by seeing his opponent’s technique, he guessed that the red and white True Qi corresponded to the Taoist School’s concept of ’balancing water and fire.’

The balance of water and fire, the convergence of the dragon and tiger.

To cultivate the Martial Arts of the Taoist School to this level meant he was already a master in the field.

However, skills like these were still far from enough to deal with Fang Shuwen.

And indeed, no matter how the old Taoist circulated his Inner Strength, Fang Shuwen’s power remained before him—unhurried, unperturbed, and steady.

Even with all his might, he couldn’t break through in the slightest.

The old Taoist looked up at Fang Shuwen in shock.

"Good kid. To have cultivated to such a degree at your age, you truly have the right to be proud."

"Less talk. Come on, if you have what it takes."

Fang Shuwen chuckled, seemingly provoking the old Taoist on purpose.

As expected, the old Taoist flew into a rage.

"Fine, fine, fine... This Daoist Master refuses to believe it!!"

With an enraged shout, the red and white True Qi instantly merged into one.

His power surged by more than tenfold in an instant!

But at this point, the old Taoist had been forced to use his full strength.

Fang Shuwen understood now. When the old Taoist had fought the black-clothed leader earlier, he had been holding back.

If he had used this level of Martial Arts then, the black-clothed leader would have been no match for him.

Judging by the old Taoist’s skills, while he was still a far cry from the legendary Unity of Heaven and Man achieved by Tian Xuzi, the Sect Leader of Taixu Dao—one of the Seven Great Sects of the Eastern Domain—his level of accomplishment was already exceptionally rare.

He could indeed be considered a top-tier expert.

’Alright, that’s enough of a test.’

Fang Shuwen let out a soft laugh and suddenly withdrew both his palms. The old Taoist’s eyes nearly split with horror.

The move was too abrupt. His power was surging at its peak, and Fang Shuwen had withdrawn without warning. With nowhere to go, his power naturally shot straight for Fang Shuwen’s chest and abdomen.

The old Taoist had no intention of killing Fang Shuwen. To put it bluntly, this was just a spar.

The contest of Inner Strength was already over. If he were to accidentally kill Fang Shuwen now, what would he do?

’My Dao heart will likely be stained from now on...’

He subconsciously tried to forcibly retract his power, but at this very moment, with his Inner Strength pushed to its absolute limit, how could he possibly recall it on command?

His heart was instantly filled with regret. ’I shouldn’t have been so reckless in a moment of anger...’

But just then, Fang Shuwen shot out both his hands again.

This time, however, it wasn’t palm against palm. He used the [Plum Blossom Scattering Hand] to dissipate the force of the two palms. In an instant, a fierce gale howled within the narrow iron-doored cell. Luo Shuqing stumbled back three steps—thump, thump, thump—and nearly fell flat on her rear.

She ended up pressed against the wall behind her, which was the only thing that kept her on her feet.

The old Taoist, meanwhile, was both shocked and overjoyed. He was shocked by the brilliance of Fang Shuwen’s Martial Arts and overjoyed that he wouldn’t accidentally kill an innocent person.

But his joy quickly turned to anger.

After a twist of his hands to dissipate the Palm Power, Fang Shuwen didn’t stop there.

With a casual grab, he seized the vital points on the old Taoist’s chest and abdomen, lifted him up, and slammed him to the ground.

Stunned, the old Taoist hurriedly struck back.

But Fang Shuwen caught his hand, and with a pull and a flip, the old Taoist went from lying on his back to being pinned face-down on the floor. He was now seething with uncontrollable rage.

"Kid, this Daoist Master will fight you to the death...!"

In his fury, he swung his other hand at Fang Shuwen.

But it too was caught by Fang Shuwen’s [Plum Blossom Scattering Hand].

Fang Shuwen brought the old Taoist’s two hands together, lifted them with a casual motion, and pressed them firmly against his back.

"Well?"

"This Daoist Master is not convinced...!"

The old Taoist bristled, his beard trembling and eyes wide. He truly wasn’t convinced.

’If I hadn’t been worried about accidentally killing Fang Shuwen just now, would I have desperately tried to retract my power?’

’If I hadn’t assumed the spar was over when he dissipated my Palm Power... would I have let my guard down completely? And been caught by Fang Shuwen’s [Plum Blossom Scattering Hand]?’

He certainly wouldn’t have ended up in such a sorry state.

Hearing this, Fang Shuwen just laughed and let go.

"If you’re not convinced, let’s go again."

The old Taoist flipped himself back onto his feet.