Chapter 536: Advance
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The four of them breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the four monks in grey flutter away. Their bodies collapsed as they fell to the floor; they laid on the ground with no intentions of moving at all.
Recalling what just happened, the fact that they had almost lost their lives was thrilling – their hearts were beating like drums in a festival.
“Sigh… the Centurion is really…” Ning Zhongyuan shook his head and sighed helplessly.
Ning Boyuan was taking deep breaths as he replied, “What are you trying to say?”
Ning Zhongyuan shook his head, “Sooner or later, we’re going to die because of his tricks!”
“Brother Zhongyuan, what do you mean?” Dong Qifei quickly asked.
By applying spirit medicine, complemented by Chu Li’s spiritual energy, the severity of his injuries had been greatly reduced. He felt like he had returned to the living and had just escaped from Hades’ grasp. Being alive had never felt so good – he was enthusiastic and high-spirited about everything.
“Forget it!” Ning Zhongyuan waved his hand, he did not want to continue.
“Spit it out! We will be working together closely in the future.” Dong Qifei said in exasperation.
Yang Zongwen decided to b.u.t.t in, “Brother Zhongwen, you suspect that the Centurion had been here for some time but merely was looking from afar, am I right?”
“What do you think?” Ning Zhongyuan asked.
Yang Zongwen nodded slowly, “It is very likely.”
“Why is that?” Dong Qifei in confusion. Immediately after, however, he smacked his thigh and laughed out loud.
He remembered Chu Li’s instruction to hide behind the Ning brothers in order to learn from their abilities.
By the looks of it, the Centurion wanted to observe everyone’s capabilities!
Yang Zongwen shook his head and sighed bitterly.
“Who knows what the future holds if we follow this Centurion!” Ning Zongyuan shook his head helplessly, “At least he didn’t leave us to die.”
“That’s only as long as you don’t offend him.” Dong Qifei laughed forcefully.
Ning Boyuan scoffed and decided to change the subject, “Alright, quickly treat your injuries, there’s no point in talking about this now.”
Ning Zhongyuan smiled in response, “Eldest brother, how do you think we should view this, was the Centurion’s act our saving grace, or was it something else entirely?”
“Of course, it was a saving grace.” Ning Boyuan snapped, “If it wasn’t for the Centurion, our lives would’ve ended by now, we would’ve been killed by that fellow from the beginning!”
“I guess you’re right…” Ning Zongyuan grit his teeth with dissatisfaction.
Ning Boyuan scoffed and continued, “We just had to bring that murderer back to the house – however, we can’t blame anyone for this unforeseen event.”
“Ha! It turns out that you’re the most liberal one amongst us after all, eldest brother!” Ning Zhongyuan laughed out loud.
He turned to look around him, then laughed even louder, “Eldest brother, do you think the Centurion is still around?”
“Oh, get lost!” Ning Boyuan smiled.
Dong Qifei and Yang Zongwen laughed joyously as well, it was a wonderful feeling to have escaped from death’s door.
—
Chu Li flew away with Zhou Lingfeng.
Zhou Lingfeng wanted to struggle but all the acupuncture points on his body had been sealed.
Soon enough, Chu Li realized that the Body of Asura was extremely overbearing, he could not actually seal off his acupuncture points. In a brief moment, he disengaged them himself.
Refusing to believe in this heresy, Chu Li sealed the acupuncture points over and over again, stopping Zhou Lingfeng from re-opening them.
Zhou Lingfeng grit his teeth as there was nothing he could do – Chu Li was just too quick.
Chu Li tried to s.h.i.+ft the Petrifying Finger that Fa Yuan had cast before.
Getting a grasp of one technique would make it easier to master the other techniques. Since he already had profound knowledge in Buddhist Austerities and was familiar with the martial arts of the Temple of Tempest, he should technically be able to do it easily.
This finger technique was particularly marvelous as it could actually petrify a person. It involved an exceedingly rare and indigenous theory of martial art, which Chu Li could not fathom in such a short time. He could only try it repeatedly and hope for the best.
After ten fingers, he felt that something was off. He tried to perform it on Zhou Lingfeng but it did not have any effect.
While he galloped at full pace, he pondered. He kept pointing with his fingers and did not stop practicing the Petrifying Finger.
Finally, he shook his head, then, the two of them vanished into thin air. The next moment, they appeared at the hillside of Horse Racing Town, and he let go of Zhou Lingfeng.
The acupuncture points of Zhou Lingfeng were instantly disengaged as well. He stared at Chu Li ferociously and pounced towards him.
When one is determined to kill a person, the target must be executed at all cost, such was the will of Asura.
Chu Li immediately disappeared before reappearing ten meters away.
In Zhou Lingfeng’s eyes, Chu Li had suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving him with an extensive view of the various greenery around him. It looked boundless to him, as if he was drowning in an ocean.
He frowned out of confusion but did not pay much attention to it. He instinctively started moving and ran continuously along the treetops as he used his Light-Body Technique.
Ten meters away from him, Chu Li was laughing. Zhou Lingfeng thought that he was leaving but was in truth just going around in circles; the whole time he was only running in a large circle. If he did not realize it, he would kill himself from fatigue.
That was the power of formation.
On the other hand, Chu Li sat under a tree and continued cultivating the Petrifying Finger.
Images of Fa Yuan casting the Petrifying Finger appeared in his mind as he s.h.i.+fted his inner energy accordingly. Yet, nothing seemed to work. The finger force that was shot out from the Petrifying Finger was basically powerless.
After he thought for a while, an idea suddenly popped into his mind, and he dismissed the Infinite Sea of Azure. The Scripture of Duality could activate all sorts of martial arts in the world, but the Infinite Sea of Azure could not.
He quickly did the movements with the Scripture of Duality, then shot out with his finger.
“Puff!” An extremely soft sound that was almost unnoticeable was heard from the treetops above him.
Chu Li only felt emptiness throughout his body, and that a great deal of his inner energy had disappeared into thin air.
However, when the finger force hit the trunk of the tree, he felt half of his inner energy was sucked away. The feeling was very spectacular as if the finger force had broken through the confines of physical s.p.a.ce itself.
With just one finger, half of his inner energy had been used up. Not to mention, the attack had been drop-dead quiet. Indeed, the Petrifying Finger was quite strange.
Using the Scripture of Life and Death, spiritual energy from around him gushed into his body and transformed into inner energy for the Scripture of Duality. After this, he pointed another finger and “puff”, half of his inner energy disappeared again.
When a light breeze blew past, all the other trees around started swaying gently in the wind – only that tree remained completely still, as if it was carved from stone.
Chu Li smiled, he suddenly pointed towards Zhou Lingfeng who was still running in circles.
Zhou Lingfeng turned around abruptly and tried to avoid it.
His spiritual sense was quite impressive as he could feel the threat of the Petrifying Finger when it was aimed at him.
Chu Li secretly sighed to himself. As expected, the Body of Asura was very powerful.
Based on the derivation of the formation, he calculated Zhou Lingfeng’s trajectory and speed. His brain became exceptionally sharp and swift via the Omniscient Mirror, which was ten times more powerful than the mind of a normal human.
He suddenly pointed three Petrifying Fingers simultaneously, creating a situation whereby Zhou Lingfeng could not dodge no matter what. The poor fool managed to avoid two of the attacks before being hit in the shoulder by the third shot.
Zhou Lingfeng’s body instantly froze.
Chu Li pointed another two Petrifying Fingers at him.
Through the Omniscient Mirror, he could clearly see Zhou Lingfeng’s reaction. When the Petrifying Finger hit his body, it looked as though all his body’s internal function had been completely thrown off. Be it was his inner energy or his heartbeat, they were all stopped.
The duration of the petrification was very short, however, barely lasting a breath.
At that moment, another Petrifying Finger struck him again, ensuring that he remained stuck in place.
This. .h.i.t petrified him for a couple more breaths than the last.
Another shot. This time, he was frozen still for a good few moments – showing that the effect had become at least ten times stronger than his first try.
With each hit from the Petrifying Finger, the effects became stronger and stronger.
Chu Li smiled, what a skill!
“As expected, the Temple of Tempest’s mystical arts and antique studies were multiplying like rabbits. To think, they had actually created such a martial art study on their own!” thought Chu Li.
He suddenly appeared in front of Zhou Lingfeng.
As Zhou Lingfeng was petrified, he could only stare at him with his eyes wide open as Chu Li smashed his palm into him.
“Bam!” Zhou Lingfeng flew towards a tree before crumpling to the ground. “Blargh!” He vomited blood immediately.
That hit from his palm was firm and solid; the only reason Zhou Lingfeng was still alive was because of the overbearing power of the Body of Asura.
On the other hand, it was not like Chu Li had held back – he had every intention of beating him to within an inch of his life.
“Die!” Zhou Lingfeng jumped high into the air before das.h.i.+ng towards Chu Li.
Chu Li was not bothered at all, he easily blocked the hit and the two of them fought together with Shura Palm.
“Bam, bam, bam, bam…” Chu Li and Zhou Lingfeng each launched over a hundred blows in the blink of an eye. However, the Heavenly Demonic Orb was engulfing all the palm energy.
Chu Li was starting to feel bloated from being full, so he immediately dashed twenty meters away.
Zhou Lingfeng frowned and looked around him. He leaped onto a tree to get a better look, yet, he could only see a vast ocean of trees, with no sign of Chu Li.
Chu Li, however, was resting under a tree, making sure to remain as still and as calm as water.
At this moment, the Heavenly Demonic Orb suddenly dispersed and transformed into a globe of blue water.