Seeking Martial Dao in All Reborn Lives

Chapter 181: Chapter 177: Background

BOOM!!

Amid a terrifying boom, Lu Yuanxiang’s body was sent flying backward like a cannonball, crashing uncontrollably into the pavilion behind him. The pavilion’s magnificent wooden doors, covered in hollowed-out reliefs, exploded on impact, destroying a great deal of the furniture in the main hall as well.

Within the courtyard, countless points of starlight shattered from the impact. They scattered into a rising and falling rain of glimmering motes, creating a dreamlike scene. More than half of the Feng Shui Qi in the courtyard had been dispersed by the shock, and it would take some time to fully recover.

On the second floor of the pavilion, the Three Elders of Heaven, Earth, and Man watched the scene unfold in silence.

They were well aware of Lu Yuanxiang’s strength. He ranked near the bottom among the Seven General Stars, but that was only because the Qimen Martial Dao itself was not suited for arena combat.

Now, with the boost from the Heaven-Locking Array, Lu Yuanxiang’s strength was at least upper-middle tier among the Seven General Stars. And yet, even so, he had not gained any advantage within three moves. In fact, it was a crushing defeat—he had been completely powerless to fight back!

They even had a feeling that Lu Yuanxiang might not have even forced Zhao Xuanqi to reveal his final trump card!

"Holy Beast Intent, Holy Beast Form, Holy Beast Body..."

"There’s no mistake. Only the legendary Holy Beast Fist, a technique that surpasses the Four Saints Sect, would allow someone to use a Beast Form to such a degree. And it appears the Secret Transmission he has mastered is truly complete," the Earth Elder said in a deep voice.

"This man’s strength has already reached the level of Zhao Yuan and Xiang Ji. We were originally relying on just those two to counter the Neon Three Celestial Assassins, which left us a bit shorthanded. But with his help, our odds of suppressing the Neon Martial Dao at the upcoming Martial Arts Association event will increase by at least thirty percent. He cannot run into any trouble before the event is over!"

"However, if it really is the Holy Beast Fist, the trouble will be immense if word gets out," the Human Elder said with a nod.

"We can discuss this later. Let’s go. It’s time we met this successor of the Holy Beast Fist," the Heavenly Elder said.

Meanwhile, in the first-floor hall of the pavilion.

Lu Yuanxiang’s body was embedded in the wall like something out of an abstract painting. It took him several breaths to recover enough to pull himself free and drop back to the floor.

From that single blow, a terrifying explosive power had coursed through him like a raging fire, damaging his internal organs. He felt a searing pain, as if his insides were on fire, and he fought the urge to spit out a mouthful of blood.

But he was one of the Seven General Stars of Jinmen, after all, and had to save some face. Even in defeat, one shouldn’t lose their composure. He forced himself to swallow the mouthful of blood. The effort only aggravated his internal injuries, making the feeling inside him even more unbearable.

But he showed none of it on his face. Instead, with a complex expression, he watched Zhao Xuanqi walk toward him step by step, his eyes filled with awe and admiration.

Those three moves had represented almost his full strength, yet he had been completely suppressed. He had only ever felt such terrifying pressure from those two monstrous individuals, Zhao Yuan and Xiang Ji.

"The Holy Beast Fist truly lives up to its reputation. I’m impressed," Lu Yuanxiang said to the approaching Zhao Xuanqi.

"You’re quite skilled yourself, to take one of my palm strikes and remain unharmed," Zhao Xuanqi said with a nod to Lu Yuanxiang. He acknowledged the man’s strength; he was truly worthy of being one of the Seven General Stars. To withstand an advanced version of his Exotic Beast Form head-on and not even spit out a mouthful of blood was impressive.

"COUGH, COUGH. Just lucky, that’s all."

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Lu Yuanxiang’s handsome face at Zhao Xuanqi’s praise.

"Zhao Xiaoyou, the Holy Beast Fist... seeing it once is better than hearing of it a hundred times. It is truly extraordinary."

"What happened today was a matter of necessity. The situation is urgent, and we had to ascertain your value, young friend, before we could commit our resources. We hope you will forgive us. We have prepared some fine tea; please join us on the second floor for a discussion."

At the same time, the Heavenly Elder’s voice drifted down from the second floor. It was ethereal, like a voice from the heavens, echoing throughout the room and making it impossible to pinpoint its source.

"Mr. Zhao, please."

Lu Yuanxiang said to Zhao Xuanqi, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect.

’The Three Elders of Heaven, Earth, and Man?’

Zhao Xuanqi narrowed his eyes slightly.

...

...

Meanwhile, the strange phenomenon within the Jinmen Martial Arts Association Headquarters was quickly detected by the intelligence networks of the various major powers.

In a lavishly decorated room, filled with fiery red furnishings.

An androgynous figure sat at a desk, various documents spread out before her. She was holding one file and examining it closely.

On the file’s cover, the name "Zhao Xuanqi" was written in large characters.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!

Just then, there was a knock at the study door.

"Come in."

The woman said, her voice remarkably neutral.

The study door opened, and a subordinate strode into the room.

"My Lady, a short while ago, Zhao Xuanqi and the Elders from the Bai Hu and Black Tortoise Sects entered the Jinmen Martial Arts Association to meet with the Three Elders of Jinmen. Not long after, a strange phenomenon emanated from the Sanlao Residence. It was a Beast Form manifested by a volatile Array, likely created by a collision between a spiritual will and the Array itself."

"Unfortunately, the phenomenon vanished in an instant, so we couldn’t record it. We’ve also investigated Zhao Xuanqi’s connections in Jinmen. He has close ties with the Bai Hu and Black Tortoise Sects. There are also unconfirmed reports that he is already an Honored Guest Elder for both."

"His Secret Transmission is highly mysterious. We activated our informant inside the Giant Spirit Army and obtained the name of his Fist Technique."

"He allegedly admitted it himself, claiming his Fist Technique is called ’Hundred Beasts Fist.’ Based on all available clues, we’ve deduced that his technique is very likely related to the legendary Holy Beast Fist."

"Furthermore, the fact that the Three Elders of Jinmen met with him means this information is almost certainly accurate. To ensure victory in the World Martial Arts Tournament, the Three Elders will, in all likelihood, protect him at all costs."

The subordinate reported to Hong Luan in a low voice.

"Hundred Beasts Fist... Holy Beast Fist..."

Hearing these names, Hong Luan narrowed her long, slender eyes into slits.

"Can this information be fully confirmed?"

Hong Luan asked.

"He has gone all-out too few times for us to be certain. However, the World Martial Arts Tournament is full of masters. He will surely be forced to use his full strength at some point. Under the watchful eyes of the public, he won’t be able to hide anything."

The subordinate said.

"You’re right, we need further confirmation. But if it is confirmed to be that Fist Technique..."

"What can the Three Elders of Jinmen possibly do?"

A sharp, vicious glint flashed in Hong Luan’s eyes.

It wasn’t just the Vermilion Bird Sect. With the intelligence networks of the Beidou Army, the Giant Spirit Army, the Six Nations, and other major powers all working at full capacity—combined with Zhao Xuanqi’s meeting with the Three Elders of Jinmen at such a critical time—many speculations naturally fell into place.

In reality, if the Bai Hu and Black Tortoise Sects hadn’t deliberately suppressed the information, the existence of the Hundred Beasts Fist would have drawn the attention of the major powers long ago.

Now that Zhao Xuanqi had stepped fully into the spotlight, this information could no longer be concealed.

Zhao Xuanqi—the suspected successor of the legendary Holy Beast Fist, a technique from above the Four Saints Sect!

This shocking news instantly spread among the major powers, causing a storm.