Free Web NovelChapter 161: Chapter 160: Seizing the Heart
BOOM!!
Out of the corner of his eye, Zhao Xuanqi saw a spark flicker at the corner of Hua Jingcheng’s mouth. The Qi Sword shooting from his lips suddenly erupted in a pale blue light, followed by a terrifying explosion that thundered like a clap of thunder.
A shockwave instantly spread out, and a ring of heat expanded, with Zhao Xuanqi at its very center.
An explosion this intense would have blown the entire arm of an ordinary person or Martial Artist to smithereens.
Even Zhao Xuanqi was thrown back uncontrollably by the force of the impact, flying five or six meters away.
If he hadn’t raised his hands to defend, instead trying to exploit the opening after his opponent spat out the Qi Sword to attack, dodging with only a turn of his head and body, the Qi Sword would have detonated right beside his face. His injuries would have been catastrophic.
A concussion, perforated eardrums, and a drastic loss of combat ability for a short period.
On the other hand, Hua Jingcheng wasn’t faring much better. The two had been locked in combat at close range, so the force of the explosion was nearly identical for him.
However, he had been prepared. His body was as light as a feather. Tapping his feet, he used the shockwave to retreat, quickly shielding his head as he used the opportunity to create distance from Zhao Xuanqi.
Still, the high-temperature burns around his mouth, nose, and on parts of his hair were visible to the naked eye.
What in the world just happened?!
The sudden explosion shocked everyone; no one knew what had just occurred.
It was as if... the Neon person had exhaled, and that breath had suddenly exploded like a bomb, blasting them both away. It was so fantastical that the crowd felt as though they were dreaming.
There were far too many things in this match that defied common sense. The techniques used by Zhao Xuanqi and Hua Jingcheng had reached a level that even the Martial Arts Experts in attendance struggled to comprehend.
’Is this still the Martial Dao?!’
’Flint? To think he’d hide something like that in his mouth.’
Zhao Xuanqi’s expression was calm. After a moment of surprise, he understood.
Scientific knowledge and principles were not widespread in the current era. An ordinary Martial Artist would struggle to analyze such a situation, but Zhao Xuanqi was different.
His opponent’s ability was related to a type of gas. There were only a few common gases lighter than air, several of which were flammable.
What Hua Jingcheng had just expelled was not air from his lungs. He had generated hydrogen gas in his body, transferred it to his lungs, and then compressed it into a Qi Sword. The instant the Qi Sword left his mouth, he had clenched his teeth, causing a specially embedded piece of flint to grind violently. This created a spark that ignited the hydrogen, causing it to react with oxygen and create the explosion.
’This method...’
’It can’t be called pure Martial Dao anymore. The effect of combining the two is truly unimaginable. Even I was nearly caught off guard. If not for my vast experience and bestial intuition, that single blow could have been the deciding factor in any other Martial Artist’s defeat.’
"You could even see through that?" freēwebnovel.com
Hua Jingcheng’s expression turned strange. If he had been using his Physical Ability and Martial Dao abilities, it would be normal for his opponent to see through them in the heat of battle.
But the ability he had just used was beyond the scope of the Martial Dao, yet his opponent had seen through it instantly. ’What kind of man is he?’
Even as his opponent, Hua Jingcheng couldn’t help but feel a mixture of fear and admiration, which was accompanied by an intense killing intent.
’If an opponent like this is allowed to fully mature, how terrifying will he become?’
"Since you’ve figured it out, does it not bother you?"
Hua Jingcheng said coolly.
"Bother me?"
Zhao Xuanqi grinned.
In his past life on Blue Star, technology was advanced. An individual’s strength had long since broken the shackles of the pure Martial Dao, heading down a different path entirely. Body modification, neuro-enhancing drugs, genetic reconstruction—even airplanes and missiles. Which of these had he not faced as an opponent?
And he had only ever relied on his own Martial Dao.
He had always believed that only through absolute purity could one break through the most fundamental shackles of the human body and touch the legendary Celestial Human Realm, ascending to a new plane of existence. That was a state that no external object or technological means could ever truly reach—at least, not in his time.
’Compared to all that, what did Hua Jingcheng’s little tricks amount to?’
"Why should I be bothered? Without resorting to such tricks, how could you ever be worthy of being my prey? And how could you ever hope to entertain me?"
"So bring it on! Give me everything you’ve got!"
The smile on Zhao Xuanqi’s lips grew wilder. Far from feeling any fear or panic at his opponent’s strength, his aura swelled, becoming even more immense and terrifying.
Shadows crept forward as a terrifying Fog began to spread. Vaguely, it seemed as if some kind of Fierce Beast was looking down upon the scene.
Hua Jingcheng sensed this majestic aura, and his body trembled slightly. The calm facade on his face cracked, revealing a sliver of frenzied killing intent.
"Fine! Fine! Then I’ll let you see the true Profound Technique of my Feather Thought Style!"
"Behold the miracle born from the union of the new and the old!"
Hua Jingcheng’s heart pounded violently as his internal organs kicked into overdrive. Stimulated by his organs and Qi and Blood, the cells throughout his body were completely activated. An unending stream of hydrogen was produced, compressed, and then ejected from his pores, where it was finally shaped by his Martial Arts Gang Qi.
SWOOSH!!
Standing his ground, he suddenly swung a Hand Blade at Zhao Xuanqi from nearly ten meters away. Empowered by his terrifying Physical Ability, his Gang Qi Blade extended to a length of six or seven meters.
As he unleashed the strike, he forcefully compressed his lungs and spat out a thin stream of gas. His jaws then clamped shut, and the flint sparked brilliantly, igniting the stream. In an instant, pale blue flames engulfed the entire Gang Qi Blade.
A massive Flaming Blade materialized in the air!
Sharpness! Explosive power! Searing heat!
The Feather Thought Style Secret Technique: Fire Feather Blade!
Zhao Xuanqi dodged sideways. The Flaming Blade came down with a terrifying, explosive sound, leaving a deep gash on the arena floor next to him. The stage, forged from thick, heavy steel plates, had nearly been sliced clean through in one hit!
However, such a terrifying attack was not without its price.
Hua Jingcheng’s jacket caught fire from the intense heat, and the arm he had used to slash was charred black. He paid it no mind, however, continuing to slash with both hands, sending terrifying flaming qi blades across the stage one after another.
He would push his body to its absolute limit if it meant eliminating the opponent before him!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The entire stage was instantly consumed by explosions, shockwaves, and smoke, completely obscuring the events within.
GULP...
Whether it was Luo Shizun and Yan Shuntao’s group or Wei Zonglong’s, only unparalleled shock remained in their hearts.
This had gone far beyond the scope of the Martial Dao.
’Is this the might of the Neon Nation’s top-tier Martial Dao?!’
’Who could possibly survive such a terrifying bombardment?’
And yet, within the chaos, Zhao Xuanqi’s body was a blur of motion, dodging and weaving like a bird darting through a dense thorn bush.
Qi Surge...
Blood Essence...
Profound Water Yin Sha...
The first gate of the Dragon Gate Secret Technique...
And the Heart’s Profound Ability.
Multiple abilities and Secret Techniques were stacked and unleashed in an instant!
In the space of two blinks, amidst the swirling smoke and dust, Zhao Xuanqi’s figure emerged like an Exotic Beast with its seal broken. His skin rippled, constantly using Force Release even as he moved at high speed, shrouding him in a Qi Shield that resembled a great bronze bell.
Gang Qi Protection, a shield like a golden bell!
Hua Jingcheng’s Fire Feather Blade had a fatal weakness: the interval between attacks. It could not be used as rapidly as a Close Combat Knife Skill!
This weakness was normally masked by the technique’s terrifying power. The roiling shockwaves and blasts of air would seal off an opponent’s escape, leaving them to be finished off by his continuous strikes.
It was, indeed, a terrifying technique.
Unfortunately for him, he was facing Zhao Xuanqi. And aside from the technique’s inherent weakness, he had also made a fatal mistake.
He should not have allowed the chaos of his own attack to obscure the vision of those watching.
Because by doing so, he had allowed an unimaginably terrifying Fierce Beast to unleash its full power without restraint!
Skill! Experience! Power!
With a perfect fusion of all three, Zhao Xuanqi magnified Hua Jingcheng’s weakness to an infinite degree!
To Hua Jingcheng’s utter terror, he discovered that within a few blinks, Zhao Xuanqi had weathered his onslaught and appeared right before him.
Through the smoke and dust, he saw a colossal figure over 2.3 meters tall, a terrifying body that looked like a transformed Exotic Beast, and a pair of bone-chilling eyes that looked at him as if he were already captured prey.
At the same time, the terrifying aura of Zhao Xuanqi’s Fist Technique erupted, no longer concealed.
The form of a Divine Bird—blue with red spots, crane-like with a single leg and a sharp, snow-white beak—appeared, wreathed in roaring flames. The immense pressure it exuded instantly sent a violent shock through Hua Jingcheng’s already disbelieving mind.
The next moment, Zhao Xuanqi moved.
He raised his arms, and as his muscles twitched, they left behind a blur of countless afterimages, their trajectory impossible to trace.
Suddenly, a Diao Hand shaped like a sharp beak struck out without warning, moving with unbelievable speed!
Steam from his body heat swirled around his palm, and the intense friction with the air seemed to give it a faint, crimson glow.
Flying Bird Form.
Bi Fang!
Hua Jingcheng tried to bring his hands back to block, but it was too late.
His spirit had been instantly suppressed, making his every reaction a fraction too slow. And that was before considering the incredible speed of Zhao Xuanqi’s Bi Fang’s Form, which was empowered by an eruption of Heart Fire and amplified by multiple Secret Techniques.
As he pulled his hands back to defend, his fingers brushed against Zhao Xuanqi’s Diao Hand and were instantly severed by a Qi Blade!
The attack met no further resistance and plunged straight through.
SQUELCH!
In the next instant, Hua Jingcheng’s body went rigid. His eyes bulged, and the expression on his face froze solid.
An arm was buried in his chest, the hand bursting out from his back. And there, held in its palm, a bright red heart was still beating.
