Chapter 226: Chapter 204: Firearms 2
His Harmony ability manifested as magnetic field manipulation. A black light bloomed around his body, coalescing into the shape of a gate. Even the intricate carvings on the gate were clearly visible—demons, ghouls, and all manner of evil spirits, exuding a sinister, ghostly aura.
At this moment, the gate swung open. Black smoke billowed out, condensing into tangible forms, resembling a Night Parade of Hundred Demons—as if the gates of Purgatory had been opened.
Each Evil Ghost was a condensation of Spirit, capable of snatching a person’s life in an instant.
The Hundred Ghosts Dao: Rashomon.
This was the technique Wakatsuki Kei cultivated—one that emphasized spiritual practice. After he reached Harmony, the release of his magnetic field became incredibly powerful. He had thought it would be enough to resist the pressure from the Three Elders’ Array, but now, his ghostly qi couldn’t even spread five meters from his body. It was suppressed by their Divine Speech Technique. Even his own body was severely affected, to say nothing of the other experts at the Five Qi Chaoyuan realm.
Up to this point, everything was still within the realm of normalcy. But what happened next was anything but.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
A series of explosions rang out.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Followed by a dense volley of reports.
Among the Three Elders, the Heavenly Elder held a staff, concentrating his Spirit to control the phantom Deities and respond to the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Human Elder, clad in a purple robe, held two pistols that resembled black boxes. They appeared to be custom-made, their caliber twice the size of a normal handgun. The dark, gaping muzzles were enough to make one’s scalp tingle. With each pull of the trigger, purple muzzle flashes erupted continuously from the barrels.
The Earth Elder was much the same. He held a pistol in one hand and an object resembling a Machine Expansion device in the other. He suddenly threw the device, which instantly erupted in a purple flash, scattering sharp needles toward everyone in the courtyard.
Firearms, Machine Expansion devices, explosives... This duel seemed to have gone far beyond the scope of a simple Martial Dao confrontation.
And this was where the Three Elders’ true strength lay.
The Secret Transmission of the Three Elders focused on spiritual cultivation; physical combat ability was merely supplementary. All three of them were only at the Half-Step Harmony realm. Coupled with their advanced age and declining Physical Ability, it was extremely difficult for them to fight as they did in their youth, let alone contend with an expert at the full Harmony realm.
The Qimen Secret Transmission was eclectic. It taught not only the Martial Dao, Feng Shui, and Arrays, but also all sorts of miscellaneous skills like Machine Expansion and Hidden Weapons. It was because their attention was so divided that they found it difficult to reach the pinnacle of the Harmony realm. This was the greatest limitation of cultivating the Qimen arts.
With just their aura and Spirit, they could never have contended with the Military Commander. But when Hidden Weapons and Machine Expansion devices were added to the mix, it was a completely different story.
They used the aura of their spiritual Array to suppress their opponent, weakening their five senses and Physical Ability and restricting their movements. Then, they would injure them with Hidden Weapons and Machine Expansion devices.
And in today’s world, what Hidden Weapons or Machine Expansion devices could possibly be stronger than Firearms?
However, ordinary firearms were naturally incapable of harming a top-tier Martial Arts Expert. With their skin and bodies hardened by the circulation of Qi and Blood, bullets couldn’t even penetrate them.
But large-caliber firearms using special gunpowder were a completely different matter, and that was precisely the type the Three Elders were using.
However, while these firearms possessed immense power, their recoil was unimaginably terrifying. If an ordinary person fired one, forget aiming—their entire arm would shatter. Even a Martial Artist with great Physical Ability would struggle to control one with precision. Only a top-tier expert could handle such a weapon as if it were an extension of their own arm.
But under normal circumstances, top-tier Martial Artists disdained the use of firearms.
This type of Martial Artist vied with the heavens themselves, vowing to break through the limits of Physical Ability. If they relied on external objects, their focus would be divided and their will weakened. How, then, could they ever break through to the supreme realm of Harmony? The Three Elders were the perfect example.
Furthermore, top-tier experts moved like Ghost Gods. A single surge of their aura would make a lesser opponent tremble in fear, rendering them completely unable to aim. Even against a long-range shot, they could sense the killing intent in advance and dodge instantly. Even with the technology of his previous life on Blue Star, it had been incredibly difficult for multiple nations to try to kill Zhao Xuanqi, and they had paid a tremendous price for the attempt.
In short, sufficiently powerful Martial Artists had almost no fear of gunmen, while those who became gunmen often lacked the requisite Martial Dao realm and Physical Ability.
In a small-scale battle, it would likely take dozens of skilled gunmen laying an inescapable trap to even have a chance of backing a top-tier expert into a corner.
People like the Three Elders—who could use an Array to expand their Spirit enough to affect a Harmony realm expert, and who also possessed the Physical Ability to precisely control custom firearms—were simply anomalies. You would be hard-pressed to find more than a handful like them among all the various powers.
That was why the Three Elders had said earlier that their methods were not suited for arena combat.
The Divine Wave Group from the Neon Nation’s Military Department was an example of a force that followed this path. By working together in groups, they could even hunt top-tier experts. However, their numbers were extremely small, so they could only be deployed as a special forces unit, while the main front lines were still dominated by regular soldiers.
However, on a large-scale battlefield, it was a different matter. Once there were enough gunmen qualified to use custom Firearms, their numbers would tell. Under a hail of bullets, even a top-tier expert wearing heavy Battle Armor would eventually be overwhelmed.
If that were not the case, the Divine Land would not have suffered such a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Great Powers all those years ago.
In recent years, the major Warlords had also been using their sects’ Secret Transmissions to cultivate similar individuals. However, their technology and scale could not ultimately compare to the Great Powers, who possessed Secret Medicine technology and resources.
Inside the courtyard, the group was in utter chaos. It was already exceedingly difficult for them to barely defend against the Three Elders’ onslaught, let alone get close enough to attack.
When the Three Elders were fully prepared, even the Military Commander himself would find them a headache to deal with. Across the entire world, there were very, very few who could match the Three Elders in their combination of the Martial Dao and firearms.
’I underestimated these three old geezers... to think they’re capable of this...’
Wakatsuki Kei’s expression was grim, but he wasn’t particularly anxious. They had investigated the Three Elders’ background beforehand. This operation was never about taking down the Three Elders directly. If the elders were that easy to deal with in Jinmen, the various Warlords would have made their move long ago.
All they needed to do was stall for time. As long as they kept the Three Elders occupied, it would create an opportunity for the others.
Their targets were the participants from the Martial Arts Association—especially Zhao Xuanqi!
WHOOSH!!
However, at that very moment, a wall of light somewhere in the courtyard suddenly distorted and caved inward. A figure then burst through it, landing with incredible lightness on the ground.
The entire battlefield seemed to freeze for a moment at this figure’s arrival, all eyes turning toward it.
It was a creature whose body had transformed to resemble a beast’s. It stood on all fours, exuding ferocious power. Yet, despite the transformation, everyone could easily identify the person by his face.
Furthermore, they noticed that he was carrying someone on his shoulder.
Hundred Beasts Fist, Zhao Xuanqi!
’How could he be here?!’
Wakatsuki Kei and his men were shaken to the core as a sense of foreboding washed over them.
’We laid a foolproof trap in the back courtyard! How could Zhao Xuanqi possibly be here?!’
’Could it be... that the operation in the back has already failed?’
Meanwhile, upon seeing the Three Elders wielding firearms, a flicker of surprise appeared in Zhao Xuanqi’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a look of understanding.
’In his past life on Blue Star, he had often dealt with this type of person. He knew just how terrifying such individuals could be; some were even harder to deal with than Martial Arts Experts.’
"The situation in the back courtyard is resolved," Zhao Xuanqi said calmly. "Two of Neon’s Yakshas have been killed, the successors of the Three Great Warlords have been forced to retreat, and I’ve captured Hong Luan of the Vermilion Bird Sect."
He then tossed the figure he had been carrying on his shoulder onto the ground before him.
Hong Luan’s face was completely ruined, and her clothes were in tatters. But her build, the special heat-resistant material of her garments, and the exquisite workmanship evident even in the remaining fragments—none of it could be faked.
’Is that... Hong Luan of the Vermilion Bird Sect?!!’
Wakatsuki Kei and his men were stunned. The veteran elder sent by the Vermilion Bird Sect, in particular, simply couldn’t believe his eyes.
Even though her face was destroyed, her build and tattered clothing still allowed him to quickly recognize who it was.
’The aloof and immensely powerful Young Master Hong... has been reduced to this state?!’
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