Chapter 65: Accompanied by Wind and Thunder

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Accompanied by Wind and Thunder

The city walls stood forty feet high, their mottled bricks and stones casting heavy shadows under the moonlight.

Instead of slowing, Chen Yue accelerated. Just as he was about to collide with the wall, he executed the Cloud Ascending Step from his Vertical Cloud Thousand Layer Step technique. His toes tapped against the vertical surface several times, propelling his body upward.

In just a few bounds, he vaulted over the battlements. Without a moment’s hesitation, he leaped down, vanishing into the pitch-black wilderness outside the city.

Gu Yiqiu was right behind him. Using his own advanced Body Technique, he scaled the wall with ease and continued his relentless pursuit.

Once outside the town and free from the cover of its dense buildings, a vicious glint flashed in Gu Yiqiu’s eyes. An unnatural flush crept over his face, and a low grunt rumbled in his throat.

The next moment, his speed surged again. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, he abruptly closed the distance with Chen Yue, his fingers forming a claw that whistled through the air as it shot toward the center of Chen Yue’s back.

Sensing the vicious gust of wind at his back, Chen Yue frowned. His forward momentum ceased without warning, shifting from extreme motion to absolute stillness. He stood rooted to the ground as if nailed to it, violently twisting at the waist to turn around.

Gu Yiqiu hadn’t expected Chen Yue to dare to stop. A savage glint flashed in his eyes as he shifted from a claw to a palm strike. The edge of his hand shimmered with a faint metallic luster, striking toward Chen Yue’s skull with a ferocious power capable of shattering stone.

If this palm landed true, even a head made of iron would be pulverized.

The instant the force of the palm was about to reach him, Chen Yue circulated his Heart Nourishing Technique at full power.

Instantly, the world as he saw it seemed to slow down. Chen Yue clearly perceived every subtle change in the angle and trajectory of Gu Yiqiu’s lightning-fast palm strike.

At the same time, the Protective Gang Qi of his Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield instantly condensed within his right fist.

BAM!

Fist met palm, erupting with a deafening thud like a heavy mallet striking a war drum. A shockwave exploded outward from the point of impact, kicking up dust and dry grass.

Chen Yue felt an immense, irresistible force travel from his fist and sweep through his entire body.

His feet remained rooted to the spot, but the immense force sent his body sliding backward more than three feet, his boots carving two distinct trenches in the earth beneath him.

His Qi Blood roiled and his right arm felt slightly numb, but the vibrating power of the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield had already dispersed the majority of the incoming Palm Force, leaving him uninjured.

Meanwhile, Gu Yiqiu felt a potent and domineering force transmit from his opponent’s fist, bringing his forward charge to an abrupt halt and forcefully shattering the power he had gathered in his palm.

Gu Yiqiu used the momentum to execute a deft backflip, dissipating the residual force. He landed lightly over ten feet away, not even stirring the dust beneath his feet.

Once he steadied himself, the look Gu Yiqiu gave Chen Yue had transformed from initial mockery to one of deep shock and suspicion.

’It was one thing for this kid’s Body Technique to be fast, but for his raw power in a direct clash to be so tyrannical?’

He, Gu Yiqiu, had been in the Marrow Refining Realm for over a decade. The technique he practiced was the Great Vajra Palm, renowned for its overwhelming power, and he had even cultivated this Palm Technique to the Great Success Realm!

His Palm Force was so immense that he had few rivals in the Marrow Refining Realm. If not for a foundational injury he suffered at the hands of a powerful enemy years ago—which had severed his hopes of advancing to the Refining Organ Realm—his strength today would be even greater.

Even so, setting aside the Body Technique that had made him famous, his palm skills alone placed him among the top experts of the Marrow Refining Realm.

Yet tonight, a palm strike at his full strength had been met head-on, fist to palm, by a mere junior in the Bone Forging Realm!

Although his opponent had been knocked back and seemed to be at a disadvantage, Gu Yiqiu was far from satisfied with the result.

’What in the world is this boy’s Cultivation Technique? How can his foundation be so profound?’

Gu Yiqiu suppressed his shock and suspicion. Staring at Chen Yue, he said coldly:

"You’re quite strong for a junior. That Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill... was that your handiwork as well?

If so, I can give you an opportunity. Join my Youquan Prefecture, and we can let bygones be bygones. I might even be able to promise you a bright future."

Chen Yue slowly steadied his breathing. Instead of refusing outright, he countered, "Youquan Prefecture? I’ve never heard of it. What kind of power are they? And what can you offer me?"

"Hmph. A frog in a well."

Gu Yiqiu sneered, his tone dripping with undisguised arrogance:

"Youquan Prefecture’s influence spans several provinces. We have masters as numerous as the clouds and limitless resources. As long as you prove your worth, Cultivation Techniques, Elixirs, resources, and status—all of it will be yours for the taking."

Chen Yue nodded, appearing quite tempted. "I see," he said. "This is a serious matter. Can you allow me to consider it overnight? I’ll give you my answer tomorrow."

Gu Yiqiu froze for a moment before realizing what was happening. His eyes narrowed. "You whelp! You dare to play me for a fool!"

His earlier offer had been partly because he truly saw some value in Chen Yue, and partly a delaying tactic to probe for more information. He never expected Chen Yue to take him up on it and ask for a night to think it over.

Before the words had even left his mouth, Gu Yiqiu exploded into action. This time, he held nothing back. The Qi Blood of a Marrow Refining Realm expert erupted from him. His figure moved like a phantom, closing the distance in an instant as his palms became a storm of afterimages, thundering through the air to envelop every vital point on Chen Yue’s body.

The force of the palm strikes was so turbulent it kicked up dust and gravel from the ground in a terrifying display of power.

Chen Yue’s eyes narrowed. He planted his feet firmly, circulating his Heart Nourishing Technique at full power once again. His Heart Spirit became as clear as a mirror, reflecting every one of his opponent’s dazzling palm strikes.

Gang Qi flowed rapidly beneath his skin, concealed within his fists and the edges of his palms. Sinking into a low stance, he shot both fists forward. He wasn’t aiming for flashy techniques, simply unleashing his power in the most direct and violent way possible to meet the storm of incoming palms.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A continuous series of dull thuds, like fists striking tough leather, echoed across the wilderness. Each clash of fist and palm unleashed a visible shockwave that flattened the surrounding grass and trees.

Chen Yue pushed the force-dispersing vibrational method of his Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield to its absolute limit. Every time he met the Vigorous Palm Force head-on, his body bent backward like resilient bamboo in a gale. He was forced to retreat step after step, each one leaving a deep imprint in the hard ground.

Although the Divine Skill protected him from internal injury, the overwhelming, mountain-toppling force still made Chen Yue’s Qi Blood churn violently.

Thanks to the multiple refinements from the Vast Firm Essence Technique, the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield, and the Bone-Enhancing Pill, his strength had long surpassed that of his peers in the Bone Forging Realm, putting him on par with some Martial Artists in the Marrow Refining Realm.

However, Gu Yiqiu was a veteran master who had been immersed in this realm for many years. The Great Vajra Palm he cultivated was a top-tier Vigorous Palm Technique, and the sheer power and density of his Palm Force were beyond what an ordinary Marrow Refining Realm expert could produce.

If not for the formidable defense and force-dispersing ability granted by his Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield at the Minor Success Realm, he likely would have been defeated long ago. Even so, he was completely on the defensive, retreating step by step.

The two exchanged blows with blinding speed, trading dozens of moves in the blink of an eye.

While Chen Yue felt he was at a disadvantage, Gu Yiqiu grew more and more shocked with every exchange. He had already pushed the might of his Great Vajra Palm to its limit; an ordinary Bone Forging Realm practitioner’s organs would have been turned to pulp by his Palm Force long ago.

Yet this junior before him, despite being forced back repeatedly in a sorry state, always managed to neutralize his Killing Techniques at the last possible second, using either an exquisite Body Technique or ferocious fists.

For some reason, he was unable to convert his upper hand into a decisive victory, let alone capture or kill his opponent.

Just then, a whistling sound cut through the air as a figure finally reached the edge of the battlefield. It was Guo Xun.

Guo Xun had barely steadied himself when he saw the junior under the moonlight, clashing head-on against Gu Yiqiu’s Great Vajra Palm with his bare fists. Though forced back again and again, he was still holding on, not yet defeated.

Guo Xun’s pupils contracted. He knew all too well how terrifying Elder Gu’s Palm Force was. ’This kid... he’s actually holding on!’

’And by the looks of it, Elder Gu won’t be able to take him down anytime soon!’

A look of lingering fear and relief crossed Guo Xun’s face. ’Thank goodness Elder Gu, a Marrow Refining Realm master, is here for this operation,’ he thought. ’If we’d only sent other Bone Forging Realm practitioners, they would have likely met the same fate as Cheng Ziqian and Yuan Tiansu.’

Unable to secure a quick victory and now with his subordinate watching, Gu Yiqiu felt he was losing face. The killing intent in his eyes intensified. With a sudden shout, his Palm Technique changed, becoming even more sharp and vicious, faintly accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder.