Chapter 116: A Different Line of Thought
Setting aside those minor episodes, let's turn our gaze back to the ring at this very moment.
Chen Yan looked at Pu Yuanzhou, who had already activated the Nandou Domination Technique, with a rather serious expression.
Although he had absolutely no idea what specific technique the other party was using, Chen Yan could still discern some clues.
Just by observing the restrained release and retraction of his true qi, Chen Yan could judge that Pu Yuanzhou's method must be a close-quarters grappling technique.
Just as Chen Yan had anticipated, in the next instant, Pu Yuanzhou stomped on the floor, pulverizing the bluestone slab beneath his toes. In just a single breath, he crossed the distance of over twenty zhang between him and Chen Yan.
"Whoosh!"
The sound of a fist tearing through the air rang out, whizzing past Chen Yan's ear.
Chen Yan quickly retreated half a step, then gathered his true qi and threw out a palm strike aimed directly at Pu Yuanzhou's chest.
"Cloud Dragon Step!"
An exclamation of astonishment couldn't help but erupt from the viewing stand:
"While cultivating such a fiercely rigid technique like the Nandou Domination Technique, he can still simultaneously execute the Cloud Dragon Step, a movement technique renowned for its ghostly and agile nature! This eldest senior brother of the Nandou Sect is probably no simple figure!"
Indeed, it was true.
The position where Pu Yuanzhou appeared was completely within Chen Yan's current blind spot.
Pu Yuanzhou threw another punch, this time aiming directly at the back of Chen Yan's head.
Chen Yan had absolutely no way to dodge.
"Tch."
Chen Yan clicked his tongue impatiently. In the next instant, his protective true qi violently erupted, blowing Pu Yuanzhou's already airborne body away like a fallen leaf.
"What immense true qi!"
"Is this early-stage Martial Spring Realm?"
"Chief Disciple Chen is the direct-line Chief Disciple of the Kongshan Sect. For him to be selected as Kongshan Sect's Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquirer with early-stage Martial Spring Realm cultivation, he must have his own unique strengths."
"I heard Chen Yan, based on the Kongshan Art, pioneered the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art, which can greatly expand a cultivator's Martial Spring, as well as the scale and efficiency of their true qi circulation."
"No wonder Chief Disciple Chen's true qi is so immense!"
The cultivators on the viewing stand discussed the situation on the field.
However, compared to the strength displayed by other disciples of the Five Great Sects at the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, Chen Yan's performance was indeed much more awkward.
Ultimately, the main reason leading to this result was because Chen Yan, possessing the power of the Cycle of Reincarnation, had been far too lax in his cultivation.
The techniques he practiced were still all the ones he had learned back during the Qi Circulation Realm.
And his combat style also remained that of a Qi Circulation Realm cultivator.
One must understand that the gap between the Qi Circulation Realm and the Martial Spring Realm is as vast as heaven and earth.
Techniques from the Qi Circulation Realm are completely insufficient when faced with a Martial Spring Realm cultivator.
But learning new techniques and moves now was already completely out of the question.
Just as Chen Yan had previously planned, the only method he could adopt was brute force.
Pu Yuanzhou, who had been blasted away by Chen Yan's erupting protective true qi, adjusted his posture in mid-air before landing quite steadily on the ground.
"Hah, hah..."
His breathing was very labored. The true qi fused into his sinews and bones by the Nandou Domination Technique placed an enormous load on Pu Yuanzhou's body.
If he were not at the Martial Spring Realm, but at the Qi Circulation Realm or Body Forging Realm, just by activating the Nandou Domination Technique at such high intensity, his physical body would likely have already collapsed.
Of course, the Body Forging Realm cannot cultivate the Nandou Domination Technique.
He had to end this quickly.
In the next instant, Pu Yuanzhou pounced towards Chen Yan once more.
Naturally, Chen Yan would not give Pu Yuanzhou another chance to engage in close-quarters combat with him. He raised his hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together, and pointed them towards Pu Yuanzhou's direction—
Kongshan Finger!
The same old trick.
True qi bursting from his fingertips shot towards Pu Yuanzhou's chest. Yet Pu Yuanzhou still charged towards Chen Yan, showing no sign of wanting to defend or dodge.
Just like that, he stubbornly withstood Chen Yan's Kongshan Finger with his restrained protective true qi.
Chen Yan's brow furrowed slightly. Silently reciting the Kongshan Art in his mind, he began to mobilize the surging true qi in his meridians, unleashing a Kongshan Finger with even greater power than the last one.
Yet Pu Yuanzhou still withstood it with his protective true qi.
This wouldn't do.
Although the Kongshan Finger was useful, it was, after all, only a Qi Circulation Realm technique.
When dealing with Martial Spring Realm cultivators, especially this type who focused on close-quarters combat with restrained true qi, it was clearly insufficient.
Unless—
Chen Yan began to activate the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art.
The fusion of the Purple Mansion Record with the Kongshan Art could double the efficiency of true qi circulation while also allowing the Kongshan Finger to unleash its maximum effect.
Or perhaps, this move could be called the Purple Mansion Kongshan Finger.
A terrifying force gathered at Chen Yan's fingertip, then shot towards Pu Yuanzhou like an arrow.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Pu Yuanzhou's neck stood on end. An intensely dangerous feeling surged into his heart.
Pu Yuanzhou swiftly twisted his body to the side, managing to dodge Chen Yan's Purple Mansion Kongshan Finger in a rather awkward manner.
His subconscious told him that if he took this finger head-on, his protective true qi would definitely be pierced through like paper, and he himself would surely suffer quite serious injuries.
Pu Yuanzhou raised his head. He discovered that Chen Yan was still pointing his fingertip in his direction. That terrifying force, even more dreadful than before, was gradually gathering at his fingertip...
"I concede."
Pu Yuanzhou dropped to one knee, clasping his fists with a bitter smile.
The terrifying force gathered at Chen Yan's fingertip dissipated.
"You were gracious."
Chen Yan said with a grave expression.
The viewing stand immediately erupted into an uproar.
"Truly worthy of Chief Disciple Chen! The direct-line Chief Disciple of the Kongshan Sect is indeed different. What was that move he used called?"
"The Kongshan Finger. In the Kongshan Sect, any Qi Circulation Realm disciple would definitely know how to perform it."
"That's just too exaggerated! Using a Qi Circulation Realm technique to defeat Pu Yuanzhou across realms?"
"A prodigious talent, a prodigious talent! Even with no advantage in techniques or cultivation level, he could still defeat his opponent so effortlessly. What else can we say about Chief Disciple Chen other than 'prodigious talent'?"
However, Chen Yan couldn't hear any of those praises from the viewing stand at all.
Just now, he had suddenly become aware of a problem he had never considered before.
The Kongshan Finger, under conditions of equal cultivation realm, is very difficult to cause actual lethal damage.
Therefore, regarding that outer sect disciple who died from the Kongshan Finger, both himself and Martial Uncle Zhong Yin and the others had all tacitly assumed the murderer's cultivation must be at the Martial Spring Realm or above.
But, the power unleashed by the Kongshan Finger when driven by the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art is several times greater than when driven by the Kongshan Art.
Doesn't this represent a possibility?
That the murderer did not intentionally use the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art to frame Kongyuan Mountain.
But rather, only by using the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art to drive the Kongshan Finger could they achieve the effect of killing with a single strike?
Thinking of this, Chen Yan's pupils couldn't help but contract sharply.