Chapter 502: Various Forms Skill

It was too rushed!

So rushed that there was no time to take out the gourd, remove its stopper, and then activate the immobilizing substance.

So rushed that there was no time to take out that three-piece set of magical artifacts to cast spells and control them.

So rushed that the problem had to be resolved before the opponent's accomplices heard the commotion and jumped over.

This meant absolutely not letting their accomplices see him again.

However, Wu Jinliang's judgment was correct; a suspect who didn't dare to act and apprehend someone, but instead immediately called for help, truly couldn't be very strong.

How strong could the minor henchmen sent by Mount Shen to search everywhere and run errands possibly be?

But even if their strength wasn't high, their cultivation was still superior to Wu Jinliang's.

Wu Jinliang's cultivation was currently still at the minor achievement stage of High Martial arts, and changing his cultivation method had significantly delayed his progress, whereas this Mount Shen henchman was at the major achievement stage of High Martial arts.

However, Wu Jinliang's aggressive and charging momentum still somewhat startled him, almost making him flee.

Indeed, his first reaction was to dodge.

But as soon as he moved, Wu Jinliang swung the iron chain to sweep across and block, throwing Huang Yingying along with it.

Bang, bang, bang, several thick Heart-Wrap Grass plants were swept and severed by the iron chain.

"Ah... oh... no..." Huang Yingying also let out strange, garbled cries.

He had just grabbed the pulling chain and was about to recover when he found himself flying horizontally and crashing straight ahead. Before he could even see what was happening, he forcefully crashed through a plant with his body. It was terrifying, making it difficult to remain calm.

The sweeping iron chain hastily blocked the Mount Shen henchman's path.

The henchman had just leapt up, his feet leaving the ground, with nowhere to exert leverage. Unable to avoid it, and seeing the iron chain sweeping towards him, he had no choice but to frantically slash at it with his saber.

Clang! A resounding thud.

The sweeping iron chain was forcefully knocked aside.

The thud resonated far, causing people around the grassland to constantly pop up from the bushes and look towards them. Some were already flying over.

Huang Yingying, holding the iron chain, could not withstand the force of a High Martial cultivator's strike. Her gripping hand was instantly ruptured by the vibrating chain, forcing her to let go.

Fortunately, the chain and Huang Yingying herself repeatedly collided with the Heart-Wrap Grass plants, which reduced the chain's tension and, to some extent, indirectly lessened the power of the incoming force.

But it was still enough to make Huang Yingying's eyes bulge and her tongue dart out again; her neck truly almost broke once more.

The person who flew out rebounded, crashing to the ground and rolling as if dead.

With one strike, the Mount Shen henchman landed back on the ground, but this time he didn't run.

With just this one exchange, both combatants assessed each other's cultivation level.

The Mount Shen henchman, realizing his cultivation was a level higher than his opponent's, naturally felt reassured and saw no need to run. Besides, after such a delay, it was too late to dodge anyway; his opponent was already upon him. He swiftly flipped his hand and swung his saber horizontally at the charging figure.

Wu Jinliang also estimated that his opponent's cultivation was one level higher than his, but facing the sweeping horizontal slash aimed at his waist, he neither dodged nor avoided it. Instead, he lunged forward with a direct palm strike, with an even more determined, no-retreat momentum.

This reckless fighting style somewhat bewildered the Mount Shen henchman. Who would actively seek death?

The objective of the search was to capture live targets, unless absolutely necessary. So, he slightly diverted the blade's path, changing it into a horizontal slap. He was confident that, given the difference in their cultivation levels, this strike would be enough to severely injure his opponent.

However, when the flat of the blade struck the newcomer's body, the newcomer's clothes rippled and their momentum paused, but they were not sent flying. This felt illogical; given the disparity in their cultivation, this strike should have sent the person sprawling.

There was no time for him to ponder further. After enduring his saber strike, the opponent had already delivered a palm strike.

"Seeking death!" The Mount Shen henchman sneered. How dare someone with lower cultivation engage in a close-quarters, head-on confrontation? What else could it be but seeking death?

With his other free hand, he hastily initiated a stance, his palm glowing with demonic energy, and met the incoming palm strike head-on, intending to knock his opponent down and capture them with a single blow.

*Bang!* The two palms met, but there was no loud impact sound.

The moment their palms clashed, the sneer on the Mount Shen henchman's lips froze, and the astonishment in his eyes was undeniable. He felt a strange force from his opponent's palm penetrate his body, expanding and causing chaotic disruption. His own cultivation was unable to restrain this destructive force, which surged against the current, traveling directly from his arm to his internal organs.

He instantly widened his eyes, stumbled back a few steps, and a bulge suddenly appeared on his back.

Wu Jinliang was also sent flying by the opponent's palm. As he landed, he pulled back the iron chain, scooped up the unconscious Huang Yingying, and immediately used Earth Evasion to disappear underground.

He didn't even turn to check on his opponent's fate, instead fleeing in a hurry, fearing that even a moment's delay would result in being seen.

Daring to determine the outcome with just one palm strike naturally showed his confidence in that specific attack.

That palm strike of his was Shi Chun's unique skill, "Demon Dissolving Hand." Since he knew this move, he naturally understood its power. Those hit by it generally had no chance of survival, at least for people whose cultivation wasn't too high.

According to Chun Tian, so far, only Li Hongjiu and Mulan Qingqing have survived being hit by that palm. Li Hongjiu survived because he was exceptionally prodigious, while Mulan Qingqing survived because she was wearing some kind of protective treasure armor; otherwise, she would have long been dead. The recent strike was a direct palm-to-palm confrontation, and the opponent had no protective armor or gloves.

Therefore, in a true sense, currently only Li Hongjiu has survived a direct palm strike. He didn't believe such an opponent could possess Li Hongjiu's capabilities.

As for why he knew "Demon Dissolving Hand," it was quite simple: it was related to his current cultivation method, "Myriad Forms Technique."

This technique was quite peculiar; it only cultivated internal energy, with no corresponding external combat moves to practice.

Of course, if he didn't have them himself, he could learn from others.

This statement sounds a bit far-fetched. Internal and external techniques usually need to be compatible, like how someone cultivating water-based techniques couldn't possibly use fire-based moves.

However, this was the marvel of the "Myriad Forms Technique."

The cultivation method stated: "Vast in oneself, techniques like duckweed, moving with the wind; all have shores, all are shoreless; no form then has form, having form then no form — this is called Myriad Forms."

This cultivation method was truly miraculous. The practitioner's source of power seemed to connect with all techniques. The notion that someone cultivating water-based techniques couldn't use fire-based moves simply didn't apply to Wu Jinliang now.

He could perform the fire-based techniques Tong Mingshan used once he understood them.

He could also perform the water-based techniques from Chu Jingtang of the 'Azure Wave Sect' once he understood them.

Even Shi Chun's 'Demon Bathing Technique' moves, he could perform after comprehending them.

Furthermore, he comprehended them extremely quickly, without even needing the other party to teach him. As long as he was enveloped within the emitted power of a certain technique, his Myriad Forms ability could deduce the operational and explosive pathways, allowing him to replicate and perform it intuitively.

Moreover, as his cultivation grew, his speed in comprehending others' techniques would also increase.

Having cultivated such a bizarre technique, he naturally wanted to learn from anyone who was skilled in combat.

The first one, of course, was the Boss. He had long coveted Shi Chun's techniques. Upon acquiring this method, he immediately pestered Shi Chun for instruction, sparring, and experimentation, which ultimately led to the "Demon Dissolving Hand" move he just used.

Of course, there was still a difference between the replicated version and the authentic one.

It was merely an imitation, not the real thing, as their fundamental sources were different. Through diligent practice, his "Demon Dissolving Hand" technique had achieved ninety percent of the resemblance to Shi Chun's. If he could receive a trace of Shi Chun's original true intent to utilize it, he could unleash ninety-nine percent of its proper power.

Although only a tiny bit short, it lacked the power to sever souls and destroy spirits.

However, its destructive power was already quite formidable, and the general outline of its lethality was present.

Another point was that some things weren't manifested purely through cultivated techniques. Without the 'Demon Bathing Technique's' original true intent, Wu Jinliang couldn't replicate Shi Chun's protective green energy. Otherwise, with that counter-explosive force upon being attacked, a significant amount of the incoming offensive power could be dissipated.

If Shi Chun had delivered that palm strike in a direct clash when he was at Wu Jinliang's cultivation level, he wouldn't have been sent flying back by the Mount Shen henchman's palm.

The situation at this moment was also quite perilous. The instant Wu Jinliang pressed Huang Yingying to disappear underground with him, a figure swooped down into the area.

Then, one after another, figures swooped down.

Several people quickly scanned the scene, seeing no opponent, and their gazes were successively drawn to the Mount Shen henchman, who was pushing back with one leg.

He was seen with puffed cheeks and wide eyes, his chest still heaving rapidly, clearly struggling to resist something. His gaze was fixed, and even with people nearby, his eyeballs didn't move to look.

The leading person in charge of this area said in a deep voice, "What's going on?"

"Pfft..." The henchman suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and it felt as if his entire body was also spewing out.

Along with the gushing blood, he instantly revealed his true form: a massive gray-furred bear demon that crashed to the ground with a thud.

The moment it fell, it stopped breathing and was completely still.

Confirming that it had been injured by someone, the leader made a gesture, and his subordinates quickly scattered to search.

More and more people were arriving from all directions, and the number of individuals involved in the search in this area was growing.

Before long, a tall, brown-haired man, dressed in bamboo-green clothes, hovered in the air. He had a chiseled, stern face, a weathered and mature appearance that exuded masculine charm. Two other people floated to his left and right behind him, causing the crowd on the ground to look up in awe.

After the newcomers descended, everyone bowed in unison, "My Lord."

The arrival was none other than Lord Poyuan, whom City Lord Li Xianghong had mentioned. He possessed the strength of a Grand Completion Earth Immortal, and his two attendants had also entered the Earth Immortal realm. How could anyone present not feel awe and reverence?

When Poyuan stood before the corpse, someone naturally reported the incident's details to him.

After listening, he leaned down and pressed his hand on the corpse to examine it for a moment. Suddenly, he felt something was off with the texture, so he waved his hand over it, and all the gray fur on the bear's body was instantly shorn clean.

Everyone's gaze also focused on the bear demon's back. There was a section with a contour like a washbasin, yet it also resembled a human face. That thick bear hide felt wrinkled and flaccid, and was covered in blood vessels. Other parts of the bear's hide showed no such phenomenon.

"My Lord, what kind of technique was this?" someone asked.

Poyuan's expression was calm and detached, and he remained silent because he had never seen such a thing either. He stood up, looked around, and seemed to murmur to himself, "They didn't leave through the sky, and our people are everywhere around. After the commotion of the fight, the aerial patrols also didn't detect anyone fleeing..."

Feeling somewhat strange, he suddenly understood. He abruptly closed his eyes, and his spiritual power surged forth like a shockwave, sweeping in all directions, causing the clothes of those around him to flutter.

After his surging spiritual power expanded for a moment, he abruptly retracted it and opened his eyes. Taking a step that seemed like teleportation, he nudged a slightly loose patch of soil on the ground with his toe and grunted, "Earth Evasion!"

He abruptly turned his head to his two close associates and said coldly, "If their cultivation isn't high, Earth Evasion won't be fast, and they can still be caught. Just follow the disturbed soil. There are two paths; you two jointly pursue along this one, and I will personally pursue along the other. If anything unexpected happens, alert me immediately!"