Urban Martial Saint

Helian Tiehua is not a belligerent person, but neither is he a fool.

After Prince Nalan’s master uncle arrived, he maintained a condescending demeanor, as if he didn’t regard anyone in the world. Moreover, his words were domineering and unreasonable, clearly showing he was a bully. His purpose for arriving at this time was obvious; he was here for the Sun Shooting Bow.

Regarding the Sun Shooting Bow, the Seven Steering Committees of Hong Alliance would never give in. With this person’s character, if Helian Tiehua were to say even half a word in refusal, a fight would be inevitable. Therefore, Helian Tiehua didn’t waste time on useless words and immediately declared war without any hesitation!

Helian Tiehua’s imposing manner left the old man momentarily stunned. He had appeared forcefully, thinking his presence alone would suffice to intimidate everyone present. Unexpectedly, not only were the people not intimidated, Helian Tiehua dared to declare war against him, which surprised him somewhat.

”You’re quite bold, you junior!” the old man said with a grim expression, staring intently at Helian Tiehua: ”Even your grandfather King Helian did not dare to declare war on me. Yet you dare challenge me, truly ignorant of death!”

”My grandfather has already passed away, and I know nothing of the past. You can say whatever you want.” Helian Tiehua replied coldly, ”I don’t want to waste words. Dare you fight me!”

”Alright!” the old man shouted, and without any visible movement under his feet, suddenly appeared in front of Helian Tiehua.

”Junior, since you challenge me, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” the old man said coldly. Just as he finished speaking, he vanished from in front of Helian Tiehua, causing the onlookers to exclaim in surprise.

With Helian Tiehua’s strength, he saw only an afterimage darting to his left. This speed was even more formidable than that of Lord Sara, leaving him in awe. Such speed made Helian Tiehua suspect it was nearly comparable to the Purple Robe Lama’s Crossing the River with a Reed technique.

”Hehehe...” The old man, relying on his tremendous speed, rushed to Helian Tiehua’s left and aimed a palm strike at Helian Tiehua’s shoulder. This time, he intended to use his speed to knock Helian Tiehua down in one blow, intimidating everyone present.

The old man’s move was almost akin to a stealth attack, and given his extraordinary speed, Helian Tiehua couldn’t dodge and took the hit heavily. However, the strike landed on Helian Tiehua’s body, but he stood firm as a mountain, not moving an inch. Conversely, the old man stepped back several steps, looking at Helian Tiehua with apprehension as if he had seen a ghost.

”The Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield!” the old man exclaimed, staring intently at Helian Tiehua: ”You’ve mastered this martial art! Incredible! Simply incredible! It’s said when perfected, this technique makes one invulnerable to sword, spear, and elements, turning every muscle into a weapon, extremely formidable. Over the years, you are the first I’ve seen to bring this martial art to its peak!”

”Are you afraid?” Helian Tiehua replied coldly.

”Afraid?” the old man burst into laughter: ”A joke. Do you think such trivial skills would scare me? Today, I’ll personally break your Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield, and show you there’s always one stronger, beyond the heavens, beyond the masters!”

As he spoke, the old man suddenly took a step back, extended both hands, took a few deep breaths, and spat a breath onto his hands. The crowd saw clearly that with this breath, his hands changed color in an instant. The left hand turned fiery red, while the right hand became as pale as ice, an exceedingly eerie sight.

Seeing the old man’s hands, Helian Tiehua’s expression changed, and he said gravely, ”Ice-Fire Palm! You’re from the Demon Sect?”

”I didn’t expect you to recognize the Ice-Fire Palm!” the old man sneered, ”Who says you must be from the Demon Sect to learn the Demon Sect’s martial arts? I just found this martial art interesting, so I practiced it casually. Although the power of the Ice-Fire Palm isn’t strong, it’s perfect for countering your Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield!”

Helian Tiehua frowned deeply, fully aware of the situation with the Ice-Fire Palm. When he learned the Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield, he already knew its formidable power, even capable of using the body to block famed instruments when perfected, a terrifying notion. However, the only martial art that could counter the Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield was this Ice-Fire Palm, with its dual cold and heat impact, potentially disrupting the Inner Strength of the Golden Bell Shield. Thus, seeing the Ice-Fire Palm, even Helian Tiehua felt uncertain.

”Ye Qing, take the two children of the Huangfu Household and leave.” Helian Tiehua suddenly communicated to Ye Qing.

Ye Qing listened to Helian Tiehua’s words, exchanged a glance, and nodded slightly before rushing over to arrange the departure of Huangfu Zilong and his sister.

Helian Tiehua wasn’t a fool. Although Ye Qing and the others emerged without having had a chance to explain what had happened inside the cave, the hostile looks from those who came out later gave away some clues to Helian Tiehua. Moreover, the fact that the members of Sha Men escorted Ye Qing and his group out first provided further indication of the situation.

Though Helian Tiehua usually spoke little, his strategic skills were second to none. As the General of Meng District, with a hundred thousand disciples under his command, he was no pushover. Observing the circumstances, he deduced that those people were certainly targeting Ye Qing and the Huangfu Household.

Initially, with no one capable of rivaling Helian Tiehua, he could have easily protected Ye Qing and the others. However, the sudden emergence of this elder left Helian unsure of his own ability to defeat him, leaving no time to look after Ye Qing and his group. Therefore, he immediately signaled Ye Qing to take Huangfu Zilong and his sister and leave, lest the impending melee put them at a disadvantage.

Seeing that Ye Qing understood his intention, Helian Tiehua felt slightly relieved. Turning to face the elder, he coldly said, ”Martial arts remain constant, but people adapt. Do you really think your Ice-Fire Palm can overcome my Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield? Hmph, only battle will tell; you’re rejoicing far too early!”

”You truly refuse to shed tears until you see the coffin, well then, I’ll let you experience the power of the Ice-Fire Palm today!” the elder shouted fiercely. His body flickered, and in an instant, he was already beside Helian Tiehua, pressing his fiery red left hand onto Helian Tiehua’s shoulder.

Before the palm even made contact, Helian Tiehua felt a surge of heat, as if a burning coal was about to fall on him. However, having no time to evade, he could do nothing but brace himself for the impact.

As the elder’s fiery red left hand pressed onto Helian Tiehua’s right shoulder, it caused him to flinch from the searing heat. Yet before Helian Tiehua could retaliate, the elder’s icy cold right hand struck the same spot again.

Initially, Helian Tiehua’s shoulder throbbed from the burn, but the elder’s hand, cold as ice, caused a sudden wave of relief, akin to applying cool water to a burn. However, Helian Tiehua couldn’t dwell on this comfort, as he felt a tingling numbness where the elder’s hand pressed, causing him great alarm.

Helian Tiehua’s Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield relied on True Qi circulating throughout the body. Upon encountering external attacks, the True Qi would concentrate and repel the force, leading to the famed impenetrability. However, this sudden thermal shock at the shoulder not only numbed him but disrupted the flow of True Qi, a dangerous development.

With the True Qi not flowing smoothly, it couldn’t concentrate rapidly during external attacks, making defense impossible. At this rate, the Golden Bell Shield at his shoulder might soon break.

Helian Tiehua formed his hands into palms, striking at the elder to force him back.

”Hahaha…” the elder laughed wildly, moving like a specter, shifting from Helian Tiehua’s right to left side, pressing again on Helian Tiehua’s shoulder. This time, his left shoulder.

Helian Tiehua’s speed paled in comparison to the elder’s. As he struck toward the right, he felt two more impacts on his left, causing significant numbness in his left shoulder. Unable to delay, Helian Tiehua quickly turned to counterattack. However, the elder’s agility was unmatched; after landing a hit, he immediately moved behind Helian Tiehua, continuing to press onto him.

The elder’s attacks weren’t just quick but strategically targeted Helian Tiehua’s crucial acupoints. His combat experience was evident; he knew precisely how to dismantle Helian Tiehua’s Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield. By disrupting key acupoints, Helian Tiehua’s inner strength couldn’t circulate, which would ultimately render his shield ineffective.

Aware of the elder’s intentions, Helian Tiehua ceased pursuit, focusing instead on defending his critical points to prevent further assault.

”Hahaha…” the elder circled rapidly around Helian Tiehua, taunting, ”Boy, do you really think covering your acupoints will suffice? With my speed, how long do you think you can last?”

Helian Tiehua remained silent, devoted wholly to repelling the elder’s attacks. Yet, the elder’s speed was overwhelming, making evasion futile. Despite his efforts, occasional sneak attacks from the elder found their mark. If this persisted, Helian Tiehua’s Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Golden Bell Shield wouldn’t endure much longer!