Ascension Day

Upon seeing this, Xu Ying instantly understood why the Elephant King Divine Body had been broken. ’His Martial Arts Technique is far superior to ours! His technique contains a Hidden Scenery, and when he attacks, he coordinates it with the Hidden Scenery of a Four-armed Heavenly God! But the Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist that Yuan Qi and I practice has no Hidden Scenery to support it!’

A Hidden Scenery is a Dao Image. If a Martial Arts Technique can be coordinated with a corresponding Hidden Scenery, it can unleash unexpected power. For example, if one could comprehend the Elephant God as a Hidden Scenery for the Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist, the power of this Martial Arts Boxing Technique could be elevated to a whole new level.

Without a comparable Cultivation Technique, even if Xu Ying could find an opening in his opponent’s defense, it would be very difficult to injure him.

’Although I don’t have a Hidden Scenery, I just refined a type of Dao Image!’

Xu Ying retreated several steps, then suddenly stopped and shrugged his shoulders. A streak of Sword Qi shot out from behind him, slashing down toward Zhou Yihang!

This sword strike appeared as suddenly as a celestial rainbow, making it impossible to guard against. Its Sword Qi and Sword Intent assaulted Zhou Yihang’s consciousness!

Without a second thought, Zhou Yihang clapped two of his palms together, catching the Sword Qi between them. His other two palms continued striking toward Xu Ying.

The moment his hands clamped down on the Sword Qi, he felt its power surge explosively. He had to abandon his attack on Xu Ying and hastily bring his other two palms together. With the combined strength of all four hands, he trapped the sword strike.

Xu Ying suddenly strode forward, taking advantage of the opening in Zhou Yihang’s center. He tapped a finger on his chest, and Sword Qi erupted!

CHHHK!

A strand of Sword Qi pierced through his Vajra Indestructible Body like a steel nail, stabbing into his heart!

Fortunately, the Sword Qi from Xu Ying’s fingertip was nowhere near as terrifying as the Dao Image. It only penetrated three inches into his body before being stopped by the Vajra Indestructible Body.

In the next moment, however, Xu Ying’s ten fingers became a blur. In a flurry like a torrential downpour, his fingertips struck one acupoint after another on Zhou Yihang’s body!

Yuan Qi, who had not yet calmed his own chaotic Qi Blood, felt his bones turn to jelly as he witnessed this scene.

What Xu Ying was using was precisely the bone-dismantling technique of a Snake Catcher. It was this very method, of having every bone in his body dislocated, that had led to his own capture by Xu Ying.

But to Zhou Yihang, each time Xu Ying’s finger landed, it felt like another steel nail being driven into his body, severing the flow of his Qi Blood.

He was terrified. ’What kind of technique is this? How can he see the very pathways of my Cultivation Technique?’

With his Qi Blood severed, the strength in his four arms diminished greatly. The Sword Qi above him broke through the pincer-like grip of his palms, bore down on his four arms, and slashed into the top of his head!

This was precisely the Dao Image of the Sword Dao that Xu Ying had comprehended in front of the broken temple!

The great chasm contained the Sword Qi and Sword Intent of a peerless Sword Dao expert. Although Xu Ying had never seen such an expert in action, he had comprehended the essence of this rainbow-like sword strike from the residual Sword Intent.

This sword strike grew stronger the more resistance it met. If there were nothing in its path, it would not possess such immense power.

To fully unleash the power of this Sword Dao technique, there had to be an obstacle.

It was precisely because of the obstruction of a great mountain from the Underworld that the peerless Swordsman’s Sword Intent grew stronger against the resistance, splitting the mountain apart. In the moment it severed the mountain’s roots, it reached an unprecedented limit, surpassing its own self!

It was the same in Xu Ying’s fight against Zhou Yihang. Encountering the obstruction of Zhou Yihang’s four arms, the Sword Qi’s power surged, directly overwhelming Zhou Yihang’s strength and slashing down on his forehead!

At the same time, Yuan Qi whipped his tail again. Its tip broke the sound barrier as he mustered all his Qi Blood for his strongest attack, viciously lashing Zhou Yihang with a loud WHAP!

WHAP!

The old man’s clothes exploded. His Vajra Indestructible Body was beaten to a bloody pulp, and the sword on his head drove straight down, slicing all the way to the spot between his eyebrows!

Zhou Yihang’s mind was damaged. His eyes grew turbid and his consciousness faded, leaving him in a daze.

Xu Ying pushed harder, trying to continue cleaving downward, but the Sword Qi could not advance another fraction of an inch. It had met with immense resistance.

Suddenly, he felt the Sword Qi in his hand begin to vibrate violently, tearing open the web of his thumb. He hastily let go and retreated.

The Sword Qi embedded in Zhou Yihang’s head exploded with a POP. The Sword Qi "nails" that Xu Ying had driven into his body then burst one after another.

Xu Ying’s heart sank. He had completely overwhelmed Zhou Yihang in terms of technique, but the gap in their Cultivation was too vast. Even with superior moves, he couldn’t kill him.

Xu Ying let out a sudden, long roar and activated his Taiyi Guiding Skill.

Da Zhong sensed his intention and quickly said, "Ying, Knocking at the Gate requires the aid of a Great Medicine! Otherwise, you won’t have enough Qi Blood to break through the gate! Don’t be reckless!"

The words had barely left its mouth when the sky suddenly brightened. Countless motes of light from the sun of this Broken Temple World swarmed in, their density more than ten times greater than in the outside world!

In an instant, the motes of light formed a field of light half an acre in size, its brightness also more than ten times that of the outside world!

Beneath the field of light, Xu Ying’s Qi Blood surged. Da Zhong was horrified; it was as if Xu Ying had consumed a Great Medicine for Knocking at the Gate. His Qi Blood churned and roared as it rushed toward the Black Iron Gate in his Mysterious Domain!

’The Sun Essence Qi here is so dense, more than ten times that of the outside world. Could this really be the Immortal Realm?’ Da Zhong wondered.

With Sun Essence Qi this dense, it didn’t matter whether one had a Great Medicine for Knocking at the Gate or not.

"Ying, the so-called Knocking at the Gate is primarily about the ’knocking’. You must question the Profound Gate and comprehend the Heaven and Earth Profound Root to open it."

Da Zhong spoke rapidly, "There is a poem to prove it: *’With Innate Qi, one knocks at the Guan Yuan. In the deep and murky darkness, the Great Medicine lies. Reversing Qian and Kun creates the image of peace. Interacting Li and Kan establishes the Profound Root.’* This isn’t the proper way for a Qi Refiner to break through a gate... Huh?"

Within Xu Ying’s body, his Qi Blood howled and surged. Under its assault, the Black Iron Gate wavered and trembled. With a CREAK, the two doors swung apart!

He hadn’t even tried to comprehend the image of peace from Qian and Kun, let alone the Profound Root of Li and Kan. He was simply using brute force to assault the Tailbone Profound Gate!