"You haven't even seen him yet. Once you have, you'll lose the courage to fight! Here, I lost my martial arts beliefs, and I don't want you to lose them too. Go back! Don't come back! You're no match for him, not even with a gun!"
Chapter 47 The Spring and Autumn Broadsword and the Yin Talisman Spear (Part 1)
"You haven't even seen him yet. Once you have, you'll lose the courage to fight! I lost my martial arts beliefs here, and I don't want you to lose them too. Go back! Don't come back! You're no match for him, not even with a gun!"
The speaker was a woman whose age was hard to discern; she could be eighteen or thirty, as time had left no trace on her. Yet, her tone was mature and composed, clearly exceeding her age and appearance. At this moment, she wore a loose-fitting white gauze dress with a red sash around her waist. She was gently punching the bronze figure, which was as tall as herself, using her fists and fingers to strike, point, chop, grab, drill, pierce, and stick to various pressure points on the bronze figure.
Her movements were perfectly synchronized, fast and slow, appearing light and gentle, like the swaying of cotton, yet each finger and flick was as fast as lightning, with a faint sound of wind breaking through.
Her hands moved like butterflies, fluttering up and down. The room was pitch black, yet her fingers precisely struck the smallest pressure points on the bronze figure. And within a second, a long, continuous metallic clanging sound echoed in the darkness.
But Liu Mubai heard eighteen consecutive strikes, hitting all eighteen acupoints on the bronze figure's chest, back, feet, back of the head, skull, and face. The eighteen strikes combined to produce a melodious and long-lasting crisp sound.
18 acupoints per second, and all parts of the body at that speed—it's incredible, like lightning.
This is Yan Yuanyi's signature move—Emei Chasing Wind Short Strikes! And the move is "Three Hundred and Sixty Styles of Bronze Man Acupuncture Point Striking Technique".
She stood with her hands hanging down, and her four fingers were all the same length: her middle, index, ring, and little fingers.
Liu Mubai, holding his spear, looked at Yan Yuanyi. This once spirited and extremely proud woman now looked utterly exhausted. He said, "You should go back. Losing doesn't matter; we can always get it back next time. What have you been through these past few days, locking yourself in the dark?"
Yan Yuanyi sighed deeply, then gritted his teeth and said, "I can't go back. My martial arts are broken. If I can't find them again, I'll hardly make any progress. I know you won't give up until we fight! Liu Mubai, if you really want to see what divine power is, I'll go with you. If we join forces, we might have a chance. I want to find my martial arts again! I don't want my beliefs to be crushed like Japan's!"
"With you and me combined? My Yin Talisman Spear and your Spring and Autumn Broadsword, who in the world can stand against us?" Liu Mubai stroked the spear in his hand as if caressing a lover's skin, tender and affectionate.
"We are all frogs in a well!"
Yan Yuanyi gave a wry smile, then devoutly bowed towards the center of the room. He tore off a large red cloth, revealing a broadsword. A flash of cold light appeared, and a crescent moon materialized—it was Guan Yu's broadsword, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, also known as the Autumn Blade, weighing eighty jin (approximately 40 kg). An ordinary person couldn't even lift it with one hand, let alone wield it.
Yan Yuanyi twirled the broadsword in his hand with effortless ease. With a single slash, not only would it cleave a person in steel, but it could also split a tank in two.
"Excellent swordsmanship! It has reached the point where ink cannot penetrate it! Even Cao Jiwu, if he were alive, would not have achieved this."
The Cao Jiwu mentioned by Liu Mubai was a grandmaster of martial arts in history, the second-generation founder of Xinyiquan (a style of Chinese martial arts), and also the top martial arts scholar during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that this second-generation founder of Xinyiquan could wield a Spring and Autumn Broadsword weighing over 100 jin (approximately 50 kg) during the martial arts examinations, his body gleaming with the light of the blade. Several people poured ink on him, and after the ink was poured out, not a drop of ink remained on his body.
Such a level of swordsmanship is truly unfathomable, something that can only be achieved after mastering the Gang Jin (罡劲, a type of internal energy cultivation).
Yan Yuanyi gripped the Spring and Autumn Greatsword and slowly pushed open the door. A ray of autumn sunlight shone down, and the greatsword reflected the light, heading straight towards the direction of the river.
...
Are you ready to draw your knife?
Jiang Liu sat cross-legged by the lake with his eyes closed. The surrounding vegetation was charred black, not from fire, but more like signs of being struck by lightning.
"Seven days ago, one glance from you extinguished all my courage to act. Seven days later, I have barely managed to dispel my fear from the bottom of my heart. Please enlighten me on my limited skills."
Yan Yuanyi raised her Spring and Autumn Greatsword, her hand steady, her expression calm, though she was resigned to death. "If I hear the Dao in the morning, I can die content in the evening!" she thought, believing that even a fleeting moment of enlightenment would be enough.
Seven days ago, Jiang Liu emerged from a simulated lightning laboratory, carrying with him a surge of violent lightning power. Even after seven days, he still hadn't fully mastered the power of lightning. On that day, he happened to encounter Yan Yuanyi, who had come to challenge him. At a glance, lightning flashed, and the uncontrollable lightning energy directly entered Yan Yuanyi's body, mind, and soul, instantly crushing him.
This is why she collapsed before she even made a move. She was defeated before the battle even began, and her martial arts beliefs were shattered in an instant. Yan Yuanyi couldn't understand it, and her heart was filled with despair.
Jiang Liu slowly opened his eyes, his pupils a bright white that even dimmed the brilliance of the sun in the sky. Arcs of electricity flickered in his eyes, making them strange and unpredictable.
"Destruction precedes construction, death precedes life. I'm giving you a destiny! Spring and Autumn Greatsword and Yin Talisman Spear, begin!"
Liu Mubai looked into Jiang Liu's eyes, then gripped his spear tightly, remaining silent and expressionless, his gaze fixed solely on the spearhead. At that moment, his aura seemed to vanish, his entire focus concentrated on the spearhead, even ignoring his formidable opponent, Jiang Liu.
The long spear held the two gods still, without any other form or person!
The two lines of the Yin Fu Spear manual by Wang Zongyue were perfectly embodied by Liu Mubai.
Just like writing, you must concentrate on the tip of the pen, forgetting even the shape of the characters, so that the pen moves like a dragon or a snake, and the force can penetrate the paper and reach the wood!
"Everyone says you've become a god, but I don't believe it, and neither does my gun!"
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
To be able to wield a steel-cast spear with such a buzzing sound—what incredible skill that must be! Liu Mubai didn't hesitate and made the first move, gripping the steel spear handle. A venomous dragon emerged from the hole, ready to devour him! The high-quality, elastic steel spear vibrated, producing an even louder, tolling sound, accompanied by a piercing sonic boom as it stabbed directly towards Jiang Liu's lower and middle flanks.
"Excellent marksmanship! Truly worthy of battlefield marksmanship, a reincarnation of Zhao Zilong of Changshan!"
Jiang Liu sat cross-legged without moving, his body emitting the sounds of dragon roars and tiger howls. This was the "Dragon Roar Iron Shirt" and "Tiger Roar Golden Bell Cover" external martial arts he had learned from Ba Liming. Moreover, he sat with his legs crossed, gathering his vital energy, and the image of the True Martial Tortoise and Snake sat cross-legged in his dantian.
It is as immovable as a mountain, and a mountain made of steel.
Chapter Forty-Eight: The Spring and Autumn Broadsword and the Yin Talisman Spear (Part Two)
The sounds of dragon roars and tiger howls emanated from his body. Jiang Liu sat motionless under the Yin Fu Spear, showing no intention of moving.
The spear in Liu Mubai's hand hummed incessantly, like a poisonous dragon soaring into the air, ready to devour its prey. A glint flashed in his eyes, and by then it was too late for Jiang Liu to dodge; he could only take the spear head-on with his bare body. The spear swayed unpredictably, sometimes up, sometimes down, making it impossible to anticipate whether it was aimed at his waist or his leg.
A leg stab will sever the root; a waist stab will cause blood to flow!
If you stab someone, their soul will flee; if you stab someone else, even ghosts and gods will be troubled!
Guns represent the pinnacle of martial arts, and are far more dangerous than fists! But this is only relative. For someone like "GOD" who has already become a god, there is no difference between using a weapon and not using one. The power of a flick of the finger is no different from the power of a thrust from a large gun!
However, for mortals who haven't broken through the void and seen the divine, the difference is enormous. One can imagine what it would be like to have a steel pole over three meters long and as thick as a goose egg pierce a person's body at high speed. No matter what kind of martial arts skills one has mastered, such as the Golden Bell Cover, Iron Shirt, or Thirteen Bodyguards' external training, or what kind of armor or bulletproof vest one wears, they all seem childish and laughable under the force of such a spear.
This is a shot that can pierce through a bulletproof armored vehicle!
"He's actually going to use his physical body to withstand the Yin Talisman Spear?! How is that possible?"
Yan Yuanyi was momentarily stunned; this scene was far beyond her imagination.
"when!"
The Yin Talisman Spear collided violently with Jiang Liu's body, but there was no feeling of it piercing flesh. It was as if it had been nailed to a large bronze bell. It emitted a grand and far-reaching sound, like a giant bell being violently struck. The sound was loud and clear, reaching dozens of miles away. To people's ears, it sounded like the thought-provoking morning bell of a mountain temple.
All the staff at the Three Gorges Power Station looked at each other in bewilderment, then searched for the source of the sound. However, it was clear that an internal order had already been issued, and after being reprimanded by several leaders, they returned to their respective posts.
More than a hundred soldiers from several special forces units have sealed off the area within a ten-mile radius of the Three Gorges, and dozens or even hundreds of ultra-high-definition cameras are filming the river's every move around the clock.
This was the price Jiang Liu had to pay to obtain the Heavenly Thunder simulation environment, but he felt it was all worth it.
Beneath the spear tip, a small patch of skin was a deep, bluish-black, and a wisp of vital energy had just managed to block the spear's sharp, penetrating power.
Liu Mubai's hands trembled incessantly, and the area between his thumb and forefinger was charred black, caused by the uncontrollable lightning leaking from Jiang Liu's body and burning along the steel spear.
It wasn't just his hands that were trembling, but also Liu Mubai's heart. He couldn't believe that someone could actually catch his gun with their own body.
With a tremor of his hand, his thumb and forefinger split open, and blood slid down the gun barrel!
Whoosh!
Liu Mubai's hands twisted like braids, his waist contorted and shoulders stretched! His dantian sank into his hips, his bones bulged and his tendons snapped, man and spear became one, like a dragon spewing thunderbolts rolling in the clouds!
In an instant, a mountain of gun shadows bloomed in his hand!
The steel poles unleashed a dense, mountain-like forest of guns, which attacked with overwhelming force.
Guns are everywhere!
Like a forest advancing, none could withstand its might!
It's as if, suddenly, it spreads its tail, like a peacock displaying its plumage!
A peacock spreading its tail feathers!
Within the dazzling and beautiful colors lies a deadly move!
This is the Yin Talisman Spear's ultimate strike!
At the same time, Yan Yuanyi's Spring and Autumn Greatsword also slashed down. With a single stroke, it was as if the Spring and Autumn Period had passed, a fleeting moment of beauty, gone like smoke in the wind.
One stroke to decapitate!
A bullet through the heart!
These are all deadly moves!
Jiang Liu frowned, and the image of the True Martial Emperor, with a tortoise and snake intertwined, manifested behind him. Faced with an attack that was almost at the peak of human strength, he had no choice but to use his trump card.
However, in order to grasp the piercing intent of the spear and the slashing intent of the knife, he refrained from attacking, opting instead for passive defense. His understanding of the piercing and severing techniques was insufficient; he needed to plunder the insights of others.
The Spring and Autumn Greatsword struck his neck, and the Yin Talisman Spear touched his heart. Jiang Liu sighed, and the True Martial Emperor's image, which resembled a tortoise and snake intertwined behind him, collapsed instantly.
"That's enough! Taste my thrust... Lightning Technique... Thousand Birds!"
Jiang Liu threw a punch, lightning flashed on his arm, a thousand birds cried out, and a sharp spike extended from his arm, like a spear made of lightning. In an instant, it was only a foot away from Liu Mubai's head!
With a scorching heat, the metallic smell of burnt steel had already entered Liu Mubai's lungs through his breath.
This metallic smell is so similar to the smell of death.
At that moment, although Liu Mubai sensed the smell of death, strangely enough, his eyes and expression showed no sign of loss or resentment; he remained remarkably calm!
Perhaps he already knew his fate...
The spearhead in Liu Mubai's hand was fiery red, seemingly about to melt from the intense heat—a result of the lightning attack. He wasn't dead; his hands had simply been burned again by the high-voltage current.
The spear slammed down and smashed into the ground.
As for Yan Yuanyi, Jiang Liu's finger was pointing directly at her chest, and a bolt of lightning completely extinguished her life force.
"You killed her?"
Liu Mubai was immediately stunned. Although he had prepared himself to be killed before coming, he still couldn't believe it when Yan Yuanyi died before his eyes. Jiang Liu had told him to live; there was no reason for Yan Yuanyi to die!
"Destruction precedes construction, death precedes life. I said I'd give her a stroke of good fortune! And it will be a great stroke of good fortune!"
A single finger to the Yellow Springs severs life and death; through countless reincarnations, destiny is determined.
There is great terror between life and death, and even masters who have reached the elixir stage are no exception. In the face of death, no matter how detached or how calmly one faces death, one cannot claim to have a completely tranquil mind.
One finger, one tremor, one bolt of lightning! Yan Yuanyi was incredulous. Her vision went black, her life force extinguished, and her body, unable to support her, collapsed stiffly like a javelin, lifeless. Her once fair and jade-like skin flushed a vibrant rose-red, clearly indicating she had lost consciousness and could no longer control her internal energy. For a master like her, a master of the Core Formation stage, when her body was dormant, it was like a dragon lying in wait in the underworld; once her blood surged, it was like a dragon soaring to the heavens. This uncontrollable state, in the classic terminology of martial arts manuals, is called "dissipation of internal energy."
"Life and death are but a dream, a journey towards death, wake up!"
Jiang Liu's continuous tapping sent electric currents flashing through Yan Yuanyi's acupoints, reviving her recently extinguished life force. Along with the current, a wisp of Jiang Liu's vital energy, a memory, and a shackle entered her body.
The plot of "Star River Emperor" begins with the ending of "The Legend of the Dragon and Snake". It is possible that it will enter this world again in the future. It would be best to prepare in advance and plant a foreshadowing in this capable and well-connected woman.
When Yan Yuanyi slowly opened her eyes, the river had already drifted away, leaving only a blurry figure!