Invincibility Begins with Mastery of Fist Techniques-Chapter 99: Escape Skill

Night had fallen on the Yunxiao Arena.

The arena was a sea of people, the atmosphere electric.

Thanks to their connection with Zhou Yuanjue, Lu Ming, Li Qingxuan, Wu Tianhe, and the others were seated in the front row of the arena.

"Zhou Yuanjue of the Red Falcon Fist... you guys heard of him? Where'd a master like that come from?"

"You haven't? I heard he's the champion of his prefecture. He's pretty famous over in Guangpu City. I just don't get why he'd come all the way to Shuntian City to compete."

"The champion of a prefecture, huh? That makes him a master, for sure. But picking a fight with Zhang Zhizhen was a mistake, wasn't it? How many other prefecture champions have challenged him already? None of them even made a splash."

"True. There's still a huge gap between a prefecture champion and a successor of the Celestial Heart Sect. I heard the betting odds are already up to 2.5 to 1.55. But we'll have to see how the match goes. Hopefully, it won't be as one-sided as the last few challenges."

"..."

The match had yet to begin, but Li Qingxuan, Lu Ming, and the others could already hear the crowd's constant chatter.

Zhou Yuanjue might have been somewhat famous in Guangpu City, but here in Shuntian City, very few people knew his record or had seen him fight. Even though the recording of his match against He Runlin had circulated widely, the tournament had now been going on for half a month. An endless stream of spectacular fights had emerged, and most people had already forgotten that one.

"The crowd is really behind Zhang Zhizhen. And looking at his record, he really is that strong. I wonder if our guy can actually win this time?"

Lu Ming sighed. Listening to the crowd, he could feel his own confidence wavering.

"After all this time, you still don't know what kind of man he is?"

Li Qingxuan, however, remained perfectly calm as she listened to the same chatter.

"The stronger the opponent, the stronger he becomes. No matter how powerful they are, they're just another stepping stone for his own transcendence!"

DING DING DING!

As the bell rang from above, the iron grates at both ends of the arena slowly rose, and two figures walked into the ring.

On the left stood the reigning champion, Zhang Zhizhen. On the right was Zhou Yuanjue, dressed in a black Martial Arts Uniform.

From the moment he entered the arena, Zhou Yuanjue carefully sized up his opponent.

Zhang Zhizhen had a handsome face and a gentle smile, but his build was incredibly powerful. He stood over 1.9 meters tall, his body a mass of knotted muscle. His frame was large, with naturally broad shoulder blades. His hands were especially noticeable: the palms were wide, the knuckles thick and long—a telltale sign of long-term Palm Technique practice. A single strike from such massive, powerful hands could shatter bone.

The signature style passed down by the Celestial Heart Sect was, in fact, a Palm Technique known as the Celestial Heart Five Thunders Palm.

However, what surprised Zhou Yuanjue was that despite this man's intimidating appearance, he gave off no sense of pressure or threat. He was like a part of the environment, a floor tile, a speck of dust. Without concentrating, one might even overlook his existence entirely.

Unity of Heaven and Man.

Zhou Yuanjue's Spirit slowly coalesced, his will gathering into a perfect sphere that shimmered with a faint golden light.

In this state, he could see much more.

Unlike Li Qingxuan and Lu Ming, Zhang Zhizhen's body contained almost no impurities. He was thoroughly pure and clear, like a piece of uncarved, precious jade.

It was a sign of a powerful body, robust health, and vigorous life force.

Most striking of all were his internal organs. To Zhou Yuanjue's senses, they were even more translucent and bright than the rest of his body, and seemed to be faintly radiating light.

Zhou Yuanjue understood.

'The Five Thunders must represent the five major organs,' he realized. 'The Celestial Heart Five Thunders Palm contains the secret to their Cultivation. Unlike the Hundred Acupoints Return to the Origin, the Celestial Heart Five Thunders Palm uses the five organs as its foundation. While strengthening the physique to the utmost, it ultimately achieves a union and resonance between body and mind.'

'Furthermore, the five organs correspond to the five elements: Gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The five elements generate one another, give birth to all things, and are the foundation of nature. By regulating the changes in the five organs, one can bring body and mind closer to nature, better integrating with the surrounding environment to achieve the state of Unity of Heaven and Man.'

In that brief standoff, with the help of his mysterious Eye of the Heart, Zhou Yuanjue had instantly perceived a wealth of useful information. By this point, his abilities had advanced along with his strength, entering a realm that was Xuan beyond Xuan.

"Hm?"

The smile on Zhang Zhizhen's face gradually faded. In that instant, he was overcome with the feeling of being watched, as if he were being seen through completely.

His Spirit began to radiate outward, resonating with his body's state of Unity of Heaven and Man and creating a sort of spiritual deception.

At that, Zhou Yuanjue found that the strange aura emanating from the man's body had vanished. Zhang Zhizhen once again appeared perfectly ordinary, his power deeply concealed.

"It seems I underestimated you. Body and mind as one, giving rise to Divine Power. Your will, your Martial Dao, your very body… they are vastly different from those of my other opponents."

Zhang Zhizhen's expression grew solemn. From that momentary sensation alone, he knew this was by no means a simple opponent.

'It looks like this battle won't be as boring as the previous ones,' he thought.

Suddenly, Zhou Yuanjue noticed that the muscles on Zhang Zhizhen's body had contracted, and even his sturdy frame seemed to shrink slightly.

In a daze, he felt as if Zhang Zhizhen was becoming indistinct, almost unreal.

'No, he hasn't vanished,' Zhou Yuanjue realized. 'His body and mind have resonated and merged with the surrounding environment, and he's using his powerful Spirit to invisibly influence my will!'

SWOOSH!!

Zhang Zhizhen's body vanished in an instant.

As Zhang Zhizhen moved with incredible speed, Zhou Yuanjue found himself misdirected by that powerful Spirit, unable to locate his opponent's figure in the arena.

This was the unique footwork of the Celestial Heart Five Thunders Palm: the Five Elements Escape Skill!

The Celestial Heart Sect descended from a top-tier Daoist Family lineage and had inherited many such Secret Techniques.

According to legend, Daoism's Five Elements Escape Skill was a Dharma Sect for concealment and escape that utilized the five elements, allowing one to soar through the heavens and tunnel through the earth. It was ever-changing, Xuan beyond Xuan.

In truth, this was an exaggeration. The more common versions were simply escape methods that used trees, pools of water, or tunnels, more akin to a Blinding Technique or a magic trick. When actually performed, some of these looked utterly comical and absurd.

The truly superior version, however, was what Zhang Zhizhen was demonstrating: using the five organs as a foundation to adjust the transformations of the five elements, regulating the relationship between his body, mind, and the surrounding environment. Then, using a powerful Spirit combined with supreme technique, he achieved the effect of formless concealment.

This had already transcended the realm of Martial Arts techniques, verging on the legendary "Divine Powers"!

'An Escape Skill, is it?'

Zhou Yuanjue's eyes narrowed slightly as the fire in his spirit suddenly blazed to life.

Hundred Acupoints Kindle!

The Star Fire finally connected into one, blooming with a crystalline, jade-like radiance.

SCREEE!!

A colossal Firebird spread its wings and soared behind him. Blazing light swept across his body, creating a violent collision between his will and his opponent's.

The will that had pervaded the space around him was blasted away, revealing a hand that was already striking toward his head from an impossibly tricky angle.

Zhou Yuanjue's powerful Spirit had shattered the Escape Skill, and Zhang Zhizhen's figure abruptly appeared at his side.

His arm swelled violently, turning a terrifying, blood-red color.

BAM!!

The two palms collided. An immense power violently shook the air, creating a deafening thud as a transparent shockwave instantly rippled outward.