Chapter 306 - 244: Ghost God Realm (2)

His Fist Technique had yet to land, but its momentum had already faltered.

What’s more, when it came to sheer explosive power, how could Zhao Xuanqi possibly be weaker than him?

Dragon Extreme was the art of the dragon’s claw. With five key acupoints opened, the arm was said to possess the might of a celestial dragon.

BOOM!!

Their palms crashed together. Yu Qing was violently thrown back, but Zhao Xuanqi didn’t pause for even a second. With a single step, he was on Yu Qing again, his palm striking down from above.

"How dare you!!"

Just then, a great shout rang out. Celestial Sparrow Song Lan, who had been standing aside, had made his move.

WHOOSH!!

The wind howled and a misty vapor coiled around Song Lan. As his aura flared, the very ground seemed to transform into the highest heavens, battered by raging astral winds.

As his arms stretched and moved, they seemed almost unreal.

If you filmed his movements with a high-speed camera, you would see his arms vibrating at an incredible frequency as he released his Force.

This was no simple power. It was an extremely potent Inch Force technique. Through this high-frequency Force Release, a single attack was equivalent to several—or even more than ten—attacks stacked instantaneously onto a single point. The profundity of his Fist Technique was similar in principle to Zhao Xuanqi’s Nine-tailed Force Release.

However, Zhao Xuanqi’s Nine-tailed burst was incredibly draining and couldn’t be used continuously. Song Lan was different. While the power of his individual bursts couldn’t compare to the Nine-tailed, he could maintain this state of high-frequency, stacked Force with every single move.

Thirty-Three Heavens!

This was the Force Release technique from the Cloud Palace Sect’s Secret Transmission, used by Song Lan. It was said that when this Secret Transmission was mastered, a single strike could stack thirty-three layers of high-frequency Inch Force—the Thirty-Three Heavens—and nothing in the world could withstand it.

The Cloud Palace Sect’s primary art, the Cloud Palace Skill, shared similarities with the Beidou Sect’s Secret Transmission.

The Beidou Sect’s Secret Transmission involved cultivating the Seven-Star Life Palace, whereas the Cloud Palace Sect’s Secret Transmission involved cultivating the Triple Cloud Palace, also known as the Triple Sea of Qi. This was akin to forming three extra sets of respiratory organs within the body. As a result, the sect’s disciples possessed profound reserves of breath and stamina as vast as the ocean, allowing them to endure the continuous strain of high-frequency Force Release.

Celestial Sparrow Song Lan had already cultivated this technique to the realm of Eighteen Heavens. With every move he made, eighteen layers of Inch Force stacked upon each other, unleashing terrifying power.

SWISH!!

His figure flickered, light as a feather. By channeling qi from his Triple Sea of Qi, Song Lan could take seven steps in mid-air, making it seem as if he could ride the very clouds.

He swung his arm down, aiming for Zhao Xuanqi’s own. The eighteen stacked layers of force could have severed refined steel in an instant.

Yet, just as his arm descended, he was shocked to see Zhao Xuanqi’s arm tremble slightly. More importantly, as it trembled, it seemed to possess some kind of Magic Power, creating afterimages in his vision that were so disorienting they threatened to shatter his focus.

Shaking hands that could command Ghost Gods.

BANG!!

Song Lan’s strike landed, but his arm was thrown back as if by an unseen force. His entire body shuddered, yet he hadn’t harmed Zhao Xuanqi in the slightest. Meanwhile, Zhao Xuanqi’s palm continued its descent toward Yu Qing.

While Zhao Xuanqi’s Nine-tailed burst couldn’t be sustained, the power of a single attack was far greater than Song Lan’s. Furthermore, with his Spirit bewitched by the strange power of Zhao Xuanqi’s hands, Song Lan was completely unable to stop him!

BOOM!!

The palm struck without pause, crashing down on the still-unsteady Yu Qing.

PFFT!!

The palm struck true. With an explosion of force, Yu Qing coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying once again.

"Every movement confounds the Celestial Secret, every fist and palm throws the Ghost Gods into chaos... Is this the Ghost God Realm?"

Song Lan, thrown back by Zhao Xuanqi’s single move, watched in horror as Yu Qing was sent flying right before his eyes. The words escaped him before he could think, his eyes wide with shock.

The Ghost God Realm was a little-known concept, a term used within the Divine Land’s Martial Arts Realm to describe an extremely high level of Harmony.

An ordinary master, with powerful Physical Ability and the unity of their fist and Intent, could project an oppressive aura—crushing an opponent’s will to fight without even throwing a punch. At higher levels, this surging aura could even influence the natural world, condensing into rainbow-colored light and turning the illusory into something solid and visible to the naked eye.

The state of Harmony, however, was a step beyond. It required the Unity of Body and Mind, further unlocking one’s Physical Ability. The aura of one’s Fist Technique would begin to affect the surrounding magnetic fields, producing unique phenomena. For example, the Vermilion Bird Sect could use their will to manipulate these fields and raise the temperature in a given area. Other abilities included distorting an opponent’s sense of space and time, creating illusions, and confounding their perception of weight. At this stage, the Martial Dao was already approaching Magic.

One step beyond that was the so-called Ghost God Realm. For a Martial Artist who reached this stage, the union of will and body was so profound that their fist-intent aura could be released from any part of their body. To beings like this, the world’s magnetic field and the forces of nature were no longer ethereal concepts, but tangible things they could touch.

In their every action and every technique, Form and Intent were perfectly merged, creating a disorienting effect that could bewilder all who witnessed it. Their bodies were so powerful they seemed to be under the Possession of a Ghost God.

A fist thrown can roil the heavens; a flicker of Intent can startle the Ghost Gods!

In that brief exchange, Song Lan had been bewildered by his opponent’s ability to disrupt the magnetic field with every move. His Spirit and aura were suppressed, which was why Zhao Xuanqi had broken through his Technique in an instant. Now he understood just how terrifying his opponent was.

’The Ghost God Realm!’

It wasn’t just Song Lan who had seen the signs; the other masters present now understood as well.

He had moved through Yu Qing’s Five Peaks aura as gracefully as a dragonfly skimming water, completely untouched and unaffected. The movement of his feet had sown chaos in their qi and senses. He had instantly deflected the momentum of Yu Qing’s fist and, in the same breath, bewitched Song Lan’s will.

All of it proved that Zhao Xuanqi’s Martial Dao had already surpassed theirs, reaching an entirely different level.

Among the Sixteen Generals, only Yijue Zhang Hu had reached that level. Above them were the Eight Kings!

To step into such a realm meant that one’s personal martial prowess had truly entered the highest echelons of the entire Divine Land.

And Zhao Xuanqi, not yet twenty years old, had already reached it.

In just a few short moves, he had injured Earth Extremity Yu Qing and forced back Celestial Sparrow Song Lan.

Qi Hongxuan, Meng Dongtai, and the others hadn’t been fully on board with Yu Qing and Song Lan’s plan to begin with. Now that Zhao Xuanqi had displayed his true strength, any will they had to resist was completely extinguished. Everyone present had their own agenda; a true alliance was impossible.

Otherwise, if eleven masters at the Harmony realm were to join forces, even Zhao Xuanqi would have found it troublesome to deal with them.

Zhao Xuanqi stepped forward, walked to the chair Yu Qing had just vacated, pulled it out, and sat down. His gaze swept across everyone present.

"The various armies have their businesses in Jinmen. If they are run through legitimate means, it’s none of my concern. Jinmen falls under the jurisdiction of the Beidou Army, and in this special situation, a normal military presence is also none of my concern. However, if any of you intend to seize the Martial Arts Association’s assets, maliciously suppress our development, or scheme against us in the shadows, I guarantee you will not be leaving Jinmen in one piece."

"As for the specifics, we can sit down and discuss them. The Three Elders Association will contact you to handle the details."

Zhao Xuanqi said, his expression calm.

Hearing Zhao Xuanqi’s words, the others present surprisingly breathed a slight sigh of relief.

As long as they could protect their respective armies’ interests in Jinmen, they would be more than satisfied.

Zhao Xuanqi’s strength had earned him the right to call the shots in Jinmen.

...

...

After intimidating the masters from the various armies, Zhao Xuanqi quickly left the warehouse and returned to the Martial Arts Association Headquarters.

Upon his return, he was surprised to find everyone still gathered in the conference room.

Moreover, Zhao Xuanqi noticed that everyone’s expressions were grim, even a little tense.

"Did everything with the masters from the armies go smoothly?" the Heavenly Elder asked Zhao Xuanqi.

"Everything went smoothly. The main instigators were the recent arrivals, Yu Qing and Song Lan. I taught them a small lesson, and things proceeded easily after that. You can send people to negotiate the specific details with the armies now."

Zhao Xuanqi nodded. Then, a curious look crossed his face as he asked, "What’s going on with all of you? Did something happen?"

"A short while ago, we received word from Elder Jiang. Someone has invaded the Blessed Land. They’re using its safety as leverage to demand that you go there to meet them," the Earth Elder said in a grave voice.

Hearing this, Zhao Xuanqi’s brow furrowed slightly.

He knew Jiang Wu’s strength well. Supported by the Blessed Land, he was at least on the level of the Sixteen Generals. On top of that, the Blessed Land itself was shrouded by an Illusion Barrier, making it exceedingly difficult to find.

’If someone can coerce Jiang Wu and use the Blessed Land’s safety as a bargaining chip, just how strong must they be?’

A flicker of interest sparked within Zhao Xuanqi.

"Who is it?" Zhao Xuanqi asked.

"The Beidou Army Commander. Number one in the Martial Dao of the Divine Land. Grand Marshal Yuan Tianhao," the Heavenly Elder said, his voice incomparably grave.

Hearing that name, a sharp glint flashed in Zhao Xuanqi’s eyes.