Seeking Martial Dao in All Reborn Lives

Chapter 185: Chapter 181: Title

The Unreturning Strike had already consumed nearly all of Cangtian Yishi’s strength. After that one slash, his muscles, and even his bones, were in a state of extreme exhaustion and severe injury. In other words, Cangtian Yishi’s defensive capabilities were now incredibly low—even weaker than a normal Five Qi Tongxuan Martial Artist in their regular state!

The One Heart Style had always been a fanatical school that prioritized attack, walking a razor’s edge. In its pursuit of ultimate offense, how could it possibly care for its own defense?

Now, however, under these circumstances, this was a massive flaw.

Cangtian Yishi’s slashing power had been completely depleted by Zhao Xuanqi’s Fire Qilin Form. Zhao Xuanqi, on the other hand, had only expended his Outer Layer Gang Qi. The power of his physical attack still accounted for at least half of the technique’s total explosive force.

And this was a force that Cangtian Yishi, now utterly spent, had no way of resisting.

BOOM!!

A terrifying vibrational force instantly traveled up his right arm.

Skin, muscle, blood vessels, bone... even his very cells were powerless to resist this force. They separated and dispersed under the vibration.

And the result this produced in reality was...

BANG!!

With a dull thud, Cangtian Yishi’s right arm violently exploded into a mist of blood. His shoulder and entire upper chest were torn apart along with it, reduced to a mass of mangled flesh.

The bloody mist dispersed as flesh and gore flew everywhere. Half the arena was speckled with dots of red like scattered plum blossoms. Cangtian Yishi’s body was sent flying back from the blow, tumbling like a ragdoll. He finally rolled to the edge of the platform, half his body hanging off. Blood dripped continuously from his mutilated torso to the ground below. Fragments of his lungs were even clearly visible—a horrifying sight.

Cangtian Yishi’s eyes were vacant. Though his chest still rose and fell with faint breaths, an injury this horrific was likely beyond saving, even with the most miraculous of medicines.

The blade leaves with No Return; either the enemy dies, or I perish. This time, Cangtian Yishi wasn’t as lucky as he had been in previous uses of his Unreturning Strike. He had run into Zhao Xuanqi, and he didn’t even get a chance to concede.

The exchange was over. The powerful auras retracted, and the iridescent light above the platform slowly faded. All the manifested forms vanished as if they had never been, like a mass hallucination. Only the gruesome scene on the stage proved that it had all been real.

Zhao Xuanqi deactivated his various Secret Techniques, returning to his original appearance. The intense Force Release had shredded the specially made clothes on nearly half his body, revealing his powerful physique.

His gaze fell upon Cangtian Yishi, whose life was slowly fading. His expression was as calm as still water. He slowly turned to walk off the platform and spoke at the same time. "A blade that leaves with no way back, a strike that never returns. To gamble everything on a single blow... I’ll grant you that much."

"Remember the one who killed you. Hundred Beasts Fist, Qilin."

In the surrounding silence, Zhao Xuanqi’s voice wasn’t loud, but it echoed across Longwu Square, clearly reaching the ears of every spectator present.

It was as if this declaration was not just for the dying Cangtian Yishi, but for everyone present, for the entire Divine Land, and perhaps even for the whole world!

From this day forward, the name of the Hundred Beasts Fist would no longer need to be hidden!

Watching Zhao Xuanqi step down from the platform, two figures below—the leaders of the Seven General Stars, Zhao Yuan, heir to the Primordial Dragon Secret Technique, and Xiang Ji of the Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough—had a peculiar light flash in their eyes. They couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

’What audacity!’

The techniques they inherited, be it the Primordial Dragon Secret Technique or the Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough, were both illustrious legacies that had left a brilliant mark on the Martial History of the Divine Land. They understood better than anyone what such a colossal reputation from legend meant for a Martial Artist.

It didn’t mean splendor and glory, but endless trouble.

Throughout their journey, even with the backing of powerful factions, there had been countless people coveting their Secret Transmissions. They had faced untold dangers to grow to their current level. They knew Zhao Xuanqi’s identity and background. Putting themselves in his shoes, they realized that if they were the ones standing on that stage, facing the current situation, they probably couldn’t have announced their own Secret Transmission and name as openly and honorably as he did.

Only they, as fellow inheritors of top-tier Secret Transmissions, could truly understand the audacity and confidence required for such an act.

Meanwhile, the ordinary people in the audience were still lost in a prolonged silence. Only after Zhao Xuanqi left the stage did they begin to recover from the shock of that final clash.

Aura manifested as an iridescent light; Gang Qi condensed into a physical form.

It was like a Holy Beast from legend descending upon the mortal world.

Though it lasted for but a fleeting moment, how could ordinary people ever witness such a mystical Martial Dao duel? That brief instant was enough to be etched into their memories for a lifetime!

"So strong! His Fist Technique was like a Holy Beast descending, so solid it seemed real. Is that still Martial Dao? How can Martial Dao achieve such power?"

"Hundred Beasts Fist Qilin... with a punch, a Qilin appears in the world, unstoppable. He truly deserves that name!"

"What on earth is the Hundred Beasts Fist? Why has no one ever heard of it before? How can it be this powerful?!"

"We tried to overestimate Zhao Xuanqi’s strength, but we still ended up underestimating him. This Hundred Beasts Fist might be another of history’s most illustrious Secret Transmissions, worthy of being ranked alongside the Primordial Dragon Secret Technique and the Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough!"

"..."

One discussion after another gradually broke the silence, growing increasingly fervent.

The major Martial Dao media outlets and newspaper reporters were all furiously taking notes. One lucky person even managed to capture a photo of the astonishing scene during the duel—the Qilin soaring through the air.

One could imagine that the names of the Hundred Beasts Fist and Qilin would soon spread throughout the Divine Land, and even to lands beyond the sea!

’Hundred Beasts Fist Qilin... a fine name indeed! So this is the name of the legendary strongest Beast Form Fist? Hundred Beasts... A Holy Beast Divine General comprehending a fist technique by gathering the forms of a hundred beasts, then naming it the Hundred Beasts Fist... yes, that is perfectly logical.’

Hong Luan slowly sat back down, but her eyes never left Zhao Xuanqi’s back as he descended from the platform. The scene of their clashing techniques still replayed in her mind.

’Holy Beast Form, Holy Beast Intent, and Holy Beast Body, all gathered together... There’s no longer any doubt about the true identity of this Fist Technique.’

"Telegraph Jinling at once," Hong Luan said coolly to her subordinate. "Report to the Military Commander that the successor to the legendary Holy Beast Fist has appeared. Ask for her decision on how to proceed."

It wasn’t just the Vermilion Bird Sect. The intelligence was rapidly escalated and acted upon by all the major powers. The headquarters of the various Warlords all received urgent telegrams detailing the relevant information.

「Elsewhere.」

The Neon Martial Artists were gathered in a circle. Cangtian Yishi’s body had been laid on the ground. His breathing hadn’t completely stopped, his vacant eyes still held a flicker of focus, and his lips twitched as his throat moved. It seemed he was trying to say something.

"I understand. You did well enough. You didn’t bring shame to the One Heart Style or our Neon Martial Dao. Go in peace. Leave the rest to us. We will have revenge for you!"

One of the Three Celestial Assassins, the one with the green pupils, suddenly extended a finger and pressed it to Cangtian Yishi’s forehead.

In an instant, Cangtian Yishi’s life was extinguished.

His injuries were beyond recovery. Rather than let him suffer, it was better to end it quickly.

The Neon Martial Artists stared at the corpse on the ground, all of them silent. Within that silence, a terrifying killing intent began to coalesce.

"Hundred Beasts Fist, Qilin?"

The green-pupiled man turned his head to look at Zhao Xuanqi on the other side. His face was calm, but his pupils, without him seeming to notice, had transformed into the shape of a cross.