Flower Stealing Master

“Qingshu, we did not come here to wage war against Shaolin. Our purpose is to find out the whereabouts of your father and the others.” Zhang Sanfeng frowned slightly, clearly displeased with Song Qingshu’s actions just now.

“You are right, Grandmaster.” Song Qingshu smiled bitterly to himself. He had not expected that even his most subtle movements would fail to escape Zhang Sanfeng’s sharp eyes.

Zhang Sanfeng nodded and continued observing the duel in the arena. “Xuan Cheng is indeed worthy of being hailed as Shaolin’s greatest talent in over two hundred years. His mastery of Shaolin techniques has reached the pinnacle. Your senior brother may know the 72 Ultimate Techniques, but he has grasped only their form, not their essence. When pitting Shaolin techniques against Shaolin techniques, he is naturally at a disadvantage.”

Standing nearby, Ren Woxing, seeing Jiumozhi humiliating Shaolin, felt a sense of shared enmity and could not help but interject, “Daoist Zhang, the Maha Cakra Vajra ultimately had to study all seventy-two techniques. If he falls short in one or two, it is not surprising. Shaolin monks, for centuries, have never been able to master more than thirteen at a time, whereas the Maha Cakra Vajra has learned all seventy-two. He has already far surpassed Shaolin.”

Zhang Sanfeng shook his head slightly. “You may not be aware, Mr. Ren, but each of Shaolin’s 72 Ultimate Techniques has its corresponding internal cultivation method. To master the Prajna Palm, one must cultivate the Prajna Palm Heart Method; the Animitta Kalpa Finger requires the Animitta Kalpa Finger Heart Method. Many of these internal arts differ vastly from one another, which is why no one in Shaolin’s long history has ever mastered dozens of these techniques at once.”

Ren Woxing was taken aback. “Then how is Jiumozhi able to wield all seventy-two techniques?” Though he had suffered severe injuries in his previous battle with Zuo Lengchan, and even with Song Qingshu’s assistance in stabilizing his chaotic Qi, he was still somewhat out of breath after speaking so much. However, he was unwilling to let the opportunity to discuss martial arts with the renowned Daoist Zhang slip away.

“The Maha Cakra Vajra’s internal energy does not follow the Buddhist path but rather the Daoist internal cultivation system. The monks of Shaolin have never studied Daoist internal arts, so they naturally failed to recognize it.” Zhang Sanfeng’s explanation thoroughly convinced Ren Woxing. After all, when it came to Daoist martial arts, there was no one in the world more authoritative than Zhang Sanfeng. “The Maha Cakra Vajra has likely only learned the applications of the 72 Ultimate Techniques and uses a unique internal energy to power them. While it appears as if he has mastered them, in reality, it is mere imitation.”

Song Qingshu secretly admired Zhang Sanfeng’s keen insight. He himself knew these intricacies only because he was familiar with the original novel. Yet among all the experts present, only Zhang Sanfeng had immediately seen through Jiumozhi’s illusion of mastery.

Jiumozhi exerted his strength three times in an attempt to free his right hand from Xuan Cheng’s grip so he could unleash his Flame Blade technique. However, as he increased his force, Xuan Cheng’s grip strengthened in kind. In his desperation, a murderous intent suddenly surged within him. His left hand struck out with three rapid palm strikes, which Xuan Cheng deflected. Jiumozhi then swiftly withdrew his hand, bent down, and pulled a dagger from his cloth sock, stabbing it towards Xuan Cheng’s shoulder.

Xuan Cheng had never expected that Jiumozhi would resort to using a weapon in a fair duel. In that brief moment of distraction, a flash of white light appeared—the dagger was already upon him. Though his Vajra Body Defending Divine Skill protected him, he sensed a chilling aura emanating from the blade even before it made contact. Clearly, it was a divine weapon. Given Jiumozhi’s formidable strength and the fact that this strike was fueled by resentment, Xuan Cheng was uncertain if his defensive technique could withstand the blow.

With his level of martial arts, evading the attack would not have been difficult. However, doing so would mean losing his hold on Jiumozhi’s arm, nullifying the advantage he had painstakingly secured. Unwilling to let that happen, he gritted his teeth and made his decision—rather than dodging, he went on the offensive, reaching for Jiumozhi’s right wrist. Using the Dragon Claw, his fingers swiftly latched onto Jiumozhi’s wrist, his thumb and pinky immediately tightening.

However, in a battle between top experts, even the smallest opening could be fatal. Jiumozhi keenly noticed a flaw in Xuan Cheng’s technique and unleashed a burst of force from his palm. The dagger slipped from his grip and, in an instant, both his hands locked onto Xuan Cheng’s wrists.

With a soft “puff,” the dagger buried itself deep into Xuan Cheng’s shoulder, its hilt disappearing into the wound.

The entire exchange happened in a flash, leaving most of the Shaolin monks unable to fully grasp what had transpired. Yet when they saw Xuan Cheng’s injury, an uproar erupted among them. Some were shocked that Jiumozhi had used a concealed weapon in a fair duel, while others were stunned that Xuan Cheng’s Vajra Body Defending Divine Skill had been breached!

The Vajra Body Defending Divine Skill was one of Shaolin’s three supreme techniques, a sacred treasure of the monastery. Every Shaolin monk had grown up hearing countless legends about its invincibility. Now, seeing that legend shattered before their eyes, they could not help but feel a profound sense of loss.

Song Qingshu’s gaze sharpened as he focused intently on the dagger. It was merely a foot and two inches long, its blade as black as ink, devoid of any luster. Even from a distance, he could sense the chilling cold radiating from it.

‘This dagger is almost identical to the Mysterious Iron Dagger that Wei Xiaobao found in Ao Bai’s residence. I never expected there to be a second one in this world.’ Song Qingshu was secretly shocked. After Wei Xiaobao’s death, his Mysterious Iron Dagger had been kept by Shuang’er. Though the dagger before him bore a striking resemblance, it was unlikely to be the same one.

Thinking of that gentle and devoted girl, a warmth filled Song Qingshu’s heart. He had sent Shuang’er to Medicine King Manor by Dongting Lake to find Cheng Lingsu and the others. However, according to Bing Xue’er, Shuang’er had left long ago, and there had been no news of her since.

Unfortunately, Song Qingshu had been too occupied to search for her himself. He could only issue discreet orders to the intelligence network to investigate her whereabouts.

As for Xuan Cheng’s injury, Song Qingshu was not surprised in the least. After all, in The Deer and the Cauldron, Wei Xiaobao, who had no martial arts at all, was able to defeat powerful opponents simply by relying on his dagger. Jiumozhi, wielding the same type of weapon infused with his formidable internal energy, made it all the more lethal.

At that moment, Jiumozhi firmly gripped Xuan Cheng’s arms while launching a flurry of relentless kicks using the Shadowless Formless Legs technique. Due to his shoulder wound, Xuan Cheng’s Vajra Body Defending Divine Skill was unable to fully circulate its protective Qi. As a result, he was struck multiple times in the chest, spewing mouthfuls of blood. However, being no ordinary warrior, he summoned all his remaining strength, channeled his Qi into his wrists, and broke free from Jiumozhi’s grip. His face turned pale as gold leaf, and he staggered backward in retreat.

Jiumozhi knew that today’s battle had been perilous. If he were to face Xuan Cheng again in the future, he was not entirely confident of victory. Seeing his opponent now severely wounded, a murderous intent surged within him. With both hands finally free, he executed the Flame Blade, leaping forward like a Great Roc Spreading Its Wings, determined to finish Xuan Cheng off.

Noticing Jiumozhi’s killing intent, the Shaolin monks were horrified. Abbot Xuan Ci, along with top experts Kong Wen and Fang Sheng, immediately rushed toward them to intervene.

However, Jiumozhi had anticipated their reaction. With a sweep of his left palm, multiple arcs of Flame Blade Qi surged toward them. While these monks were top-tier experts, Jiumozhi did not expect his attack to defeat them—only to delay them long enough for him to sever Xuan Cheng’s meridians.

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