Chapter 396 - 222: Beating Up the Riddler (3)

Chapter 396: Chapter 222: Beating Up the Riddler (3)

The moment he raised his arm, Xie Yuan felt a crushing pressure in his chest. He knew this elbow strike packed immense power, so he deftly spun on his heel to evade it.

’This Golden Bell Shield is truly formidable.’

Xie Yuan’s expression remained unchanged. This initial exchange was enough for him to realize that Huie Jue’s strength was indeed extraordinary.

But this was just the beginning.

He stepped forward, his body instantly becoming a whirlwind. He began to race around Huie Jue, his saber a blur of slashes. Each strike carried the faint howl of a wolf. The sheer power of the Wolf King Howling at the Moon technique seemed to dim the very sky above Huie Jue, as enormous silver wolves lunged from the air, eager to devour him.

The Rushing Wolf Saber Skill might have seemed like an ordinary saber technique, but in Xie Yuan’s hands, it was a perfectly mastered art with its own unique charm. Even its simplest moves were immensely powerful.

But Huie Jue was no ordinary Martial Monk. A brilliant golden light surrounded him, and no matter how the pack of wolves charged, it failed to cause even the faintest ripple on its surface.

Huie Jue stood within the inverted bell of light, methodically throwing one straight punch after another. His fists weren’t fast and the angles weren’t tricky, but each one was a blow Xie Yuan was unwilling to block directly. He timed them perfectly to interrupt Xie Yuan’s torrential assault just as it reached its crescendo, forcing him to retreat and begin again.

The two exchanged dozens of blows in the blink of an eye. Although Xie Yuan was the one launching a fierce assault, he couldn’t gain any ground on Huie Jue. They were evenly matched.

"Patron Xie, this saber technique is too weak."

Huie Jue stood within the Light Shield of the Golden Bell, throwing one punch after another. He clearly had energy to spare as he chuckled and spoke.

He could tell this was merely one of Xie Yuan’s Initial Stage Skills. His words carried a double meaning: that Xie Yuan was underestimating him, and that he himself thought little of the technique.

Xie Yuan scoffed and slightly relaxed his stance. He looked at the unmoving and completely unperturbed Huie Jue, raising an eyebrow.

"Monk Huie Jue, your Golden Bell Shield seems a little different from the usual version."

"But of course. This is one of the signature techniques of my Prajna Temple: the Indestructible Golden Bell Shield. Unborn and undying, unbreakable and inviolable. I’m afraid your paltry little saber won’t be able to pierce it, Patron Xie."

Huie Jue brought his palms together and said with a wide smile.

’Indestructible Golden Bell Shield?’

’Prajna Temple’s ultimate, secret technique!’

’So that’s it,’ Xie Yuan realized. ’No wonder I’ve been hacking away at this damn turtle shell and it hasn’t shown a scratch. It’s his trump card.’

’This old Buddhist turtle... getting all smug just because he can hide in his shell!’

Xie Yuan raised his saber, pointed it at Huie Jue, and laughed heartily.

"If a saber can’t crack this hard shell, how about we try a sword?"

His saber blurred, twisting into an intricate flourish. In a few flashes, it transformed, elongating into a Long Sword. The blade’s light shimmered, creating a vast, white expanse like a sea of clouds that completely enveloped Huie Jue’s golden aura.

The alley seemed to transform into Ruyun Peak. Everything was a hazy white, shrouded in impenetrable clouds and mist. Only a single point of golden light shone faintly within the dense fog, illuminating no more than a few square feet.

Suddenly, the dense fog parted. A beam of sword light, like a divine dragon craning its neck, shot out with unparalleled momentum, striking straight at him.

Huie Jue’s eyes locked onto the sword light, which streaked toward him like a rainbow through the clouds. The golden glow on his fist flared as he met the Long Sword head-on.

"CLANG—"

A sharp ring, like metal on metal, pierced the air. Xie Yuan felt a tremendous force push back against his Cloud-Dragon Nine Forms, so powerful it sent a numbing shock up his arm.

This was the first time he had directly faced Huie Jue’s Iron Fist. Its power was truly immense.

However, when he saw the Light Shield around Huie Jue flicker twice, Xie Yuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.

’Indestructible? There’s nothing in this world that’s truly indestructible!’

He spun his Long Sword, retracted it, and then unleashed a ferocious thrust. The blade pierced through the mist and wind. The high-speed friction between the Sword Edge and his own energy produced a deafening roar, like that of a dragon.

Huie Jue’s expression grew solemn. He drew his fists back in a circle before his chest, then suddenly shoved them forward. The golden light in front of him erupted, the entire Golden Bell Shield seemingly contracting to that single spot. The light before his fists shone as brightly as a miniature sun.

The Long Sword and the golden light collided, erupting in a flash even more blinding than the sun.

A violent gale blasted out from the point of impact. The courtyard wall beside them collapsed with a thunderous crash, sending rubble flying everywhere. The walls on both sides of the alley began to sway precariously.

After the light faded, Huie Jue’s expression was grave. Though he had withstood the blow, the arc of light before him flickered violently.

Even with the full power of his Indestructible Golden Bell Shield concentrated in one spot, he had taken a massive hit.

A glint flashed in Xie Yuan’s eyes.

’The Indestructible Golden Bell Shield is naturally stronger than the regular Golden Bell Shield, which must mean it’s harder to cultivate and control. And yet, Huie Jue can wield it with such freedom, casually shaping it into a Light Shield instead of letting the Cultivation Technique spread over his whole body and waste its power.’

’Such mastery, the ability to command it at will, is a testament to his Buddhist Technique and his understanding of Zen. But more than that, it’s a reflection of Huie Jue’s true power in the Martial Dao.’

’But that doesn’t mean I’m any weaker.’

After just a few moves, it was clear that his Cloud-Dragon Nine Forms could shake this supposedly indestructible defensive Cultivation Technique.

His powerful, Grandmaster Level Swordsmanship, combined with his profound understanding of the Cloud Mountain Sword Intent Scripture, infused his every move with incredibly sharp Sword Qi.

Even the flourishes that created the deceptive mist were, in reality, a series of infinitely powerful thrusts. And at any moment, they could coalesce into the Cloud-Emerging Long Dragon—a hidden killing blow.

The Cloud-Dragon Nine Forms were not only endlessly variable and profound, but their power was like a divine dragon descending from the heavens—irresistible. When augmented by the Cloud Mountain Sword Intent Scripture, this was even more true. An ordinary Martial Artist wouldn’t be able to withstand a single strike. Only a world-class Horizontal Training technique like the Indestructible Golden Bell Shield could hope to block it.

Warmed up by the exchange, Xie Yuan let out a chuckle.

"Monk, if the saber wasn’t enough to open your eyes, how do you like the sword?"