Chapter 1345: Crossing the River with a Reed
Hearing Ding Lianshun's words, the surrounding monks of the Brahmin sect were overjoyed. The stronger the Purple Robe Lama, the more they felt honored, as if they were the truly strong ones.
The Purple Robe Lama, however, remained calm. He shook his head slowly and said, "It's not that I've made much progress, I've just learned a long-lost ultimate technique."
"What ultimate technique?" Ding Lianshun asked curiously.
Helian Tiehua and Yin Xianzi also looked at the Purple Robe Lama at the same time, both wondering what martial arts the Purple Robe Lama had practiced.
The Purple Robe Lama said softly, "Crossing the River with a Reed!"
"Crossing the River with a Reed?" Ding Lianshun widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Patriarch Bodhidharma's Crossing the River with a Reed!?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Qing was also taken aback, surprised to hear about Patriarch Bodhidharma here again. Last time, Shen Tianjun had told him a lot about Patriarch Bodhidharma, including the technique "A Stone's Throw Away" learned by Helian Tiehua, which was one of the moves created by Bodhidharma. And according to Shen Tianjun, Crossing the River with a Reed was also one of the qinggong techniques from that martial arts set created by Bodhidharma.
The fact that Helian Tiehua had learned "A Stone's Throw Away" was already astonishing. Unexpectedly, the Purple Robe Lama had also learned a technique, and this Crossing the River with a Reed was the most powerful qinggong in Bodhidharma's martial arts set. No wonder Ding Lianshun couldn't even touch the hem of the Purple Robe Lama's clothes just now. The qinggong of Crossing the River with a Reed is by no means simple. It was personally created by Bodhidharma, a long-lost ultimate technique!
Helian Tiehua was also moved. Having learned "A Stone's Throw Away," he naturally knew it was one of the techniques from Bodhidharma's martial arts set. Unexpectedly, the Purple Robe Lama had also learned one of the techniques, Crossing the River with a Reed. It seems now that two of the moves from Bodhidharma's martial arts set have reappeared in the world. This is something that is enough to shock the world.
Moreover, the power of these two moves from Bodhidharma's martial arts set is so impressive that one can't help but speculate about the power of the remaining techniques.
"Crossing the River with a Reed!" Helian Tiehua slowly stood up, looked at the Purple Robe Lama, and said, "It's been many years, and I didn't expect the Venerable has learned this technique."
The Purple Robe Lama also turned around, looked at Helian Tiehua, and said, "I heard the Great General also learned a technique called 'A Stone's Throw Away.'
Helian Tiehua smiled gently, slowly extended his right hand, formed a fist, pointed distantly at the Purple Robe Lama, and smiled, "Venerable, let's try a move."
"Very well!" The Purple Robe Lama smiled calmly at Helian Tiehua. The two of them had already crossed paths before. However, this time it was a true spar, completely different from the previous encounter with Ding Lianshun.
Everyone around watched with wide eyes, tensely observing both sides. Although Red Snake Yin Fairy and One-Eyed Ding Lianshun were said to have strength comparable to the Five Uniques, they were ultimately not the Five Uniques and had both been defeated by Helian Tiehua and the Purple Robe Lama. This showed the great strength of the Five Uniques. Now, two of the actual Five Uniques were about to cross paths, a rare opportunity indeed.
You see, since the battle of Southern and Northern Fist Kings, the Five Uniques rarely met, let alone engaged in combat. This public display was truly a first.
The Western Xinjiang Purple-Robed Lama was reputed to be the top expert of the Brahmin sect, unmatched in the world by his qinggong, Crossing the River with a Reed.
Great General Helian Tiehua had been the most prominent figure in recent years, a colossal force in the North, unstoppable.
The encounter between these two, regardless of the outcome, their names alone were enough to echo throughout the world.
Even Yin Xianzi and Ding Lianshun were full of tension, both eager to see who would prove stronger between Helian Tiehua and the Purple Robe Lama.
Helian Tiehua and the Purple Robe Lama locked eyes for nearly a minute, then Helian Tiehua finally moved, slowly extending his right fist forward—a technique known as "A Stone's Throw Away."
A gleam flashed in the eyes of the Red-Striped Snake Yin Fairy; Helian Tiehua's move was something she knew well, since she had suffered a significant loss because of it last time. This technique, "A Stone's Throw Away," was extremely fast, so fast that it left one utterly unprepared, with luck playing a big role in any chance of evasion.
Upon seeing Helian Tiehua make his move, the Purple Robe Lama also showed a hint of surprise. Having practiced the "Crossing the River with a Reed," he now somewhat understood the martial arts passed down by Patriarch Bodhidharma. Seeing Helian Tiehua's execution, he had a vague sense that it was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. Helian Tiehua's strike seemed slow, yet it was a process of accumulating strength, and looking at him tense his entire body, his burst power at that moment had surely reached a frightening level.
The Purple Robe Lama, being one of the Five Unmatches of the World, possessed not only superior strength but also exceptional insight, which exceeded that of the Yin Fairy and Ding Lianshun, at least enough to discern the uniqueness of Helian Tiehua's move at a glance. However, Helian Tiehua's move was incredibly slow, allowing him ample time to change the direction and force of his fist, leaving the Purple Robe Lama uncertain of how to evade. No matter where he dodged, Helian Tiehua could always redirect his pursuit at any moment.
The Purple Robe Lama furrowed his brows, his expression rarely growing solemn. Watching Helian Tiehua's fist extend slowly, he suddenly began to run freely throughout the courtyard, primarily circling around Helian Tiehua. The "Crossing the River with a Reed" technique made his speed extremely fast; everyone only saw a blur circling Helian Tiehua, unable even to clearly see the form of the Purple Robe Lama, let alone attempt to stop or attack him.
Seeing the Purple Robe Lama's speed, a flash of pain crossed Ding Lianshun's eyes. The Purple Robe Lama's speed now was faster than when he had battled Ding earlier, indicating that he had not fought at full strength against him before. Now, with Helian Tiehua's move only half-executed, the Purple Robe Lama was forced to give his all, showcasing the terrifying strength of Helian Tiehua.
In truth, given the prowess of Ding Lianshun Yin Fairy, they could still make out the Purple Robe Lama's movements. As for the others around them, they simply could not see clearly at all, just observing a purple blur circling Helian Tiehua, making their hearts tremble involuntarily. Though Helian Tiehua was indeed powerful, with such speed from the Purple Robe Lama, how could Helian Tiehua possibly land a hit on him?
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Helian Tiehua's fist finally extended the majority of its length. At that critical instant, Helian Tiehua suddenly surged forward like a cannonball fired from a barrel, transforming into a blur himself, aiming directly alongside.
Everyone was taken aback; even the Purple Robe Lama's speed was fast enough, yet Helian Tiehua's punch appeared even faster. But could this punch actually land on the Purple Robe Lama?
Most people around were unable to see the exact situation; only the Yin Fairy and Ding Lianshun could clearly perceive the movements of both parties. Helian Tiehua's punch was not aimed at the Purple Robe Lama but was directed toward an empty space. However, his choice was correct; as the Purple Robe Lama circled Helian at tremendous speed during Helian's charge, he coincidentally ended up rushing right into that spot, appearing as if he were running into Helian's fist. Given the distance and direction, Helian Tiehua's punch was sure to land on him.
Yin Fairy and Ding Lianshun's expressions changed drastically; Helian Tiehua's strength was beyond their expectations. It looked as though not even the Purple Robe Lama would escape defeat at his hands. The technique "A Stone's Throw Away" seemed utterly unbeatable.
However, at that crucial moment, something unexpected happened. Just as Helian Tiehua's punch was about to land on the Purple Robe Lama, and with the Purple Robe Lama moving too fast to possibly dodge, he suddenly leapt into the air, jumping over three meters high, far away from the ground, completely avoiding Helian Tiehua's strike.
Most of the people around didn't see the specific situation clearly; they only witnessed the result afterward. The Purple Robe Lama leaped over three meters high while Helian Tiehua was standing right beneath him, with his punch entirely missing.
Everyone was momentarily stunned, and soon the Brahmanism members erupted into excited cheers. Although they did not see the precise situation earlier, they knew well that Helian Tiehua's punch was extremely fearsome. For the Purple Robe Lama to dodge this punch was akin to securing a victory, stirring excitement in all their hearts.
While in mid-air, the Purple Robe Lama flipped his body, coming directly down, striking the air with his palm towards Helian Tiehua. His speed was so swift that those around couldn't react.
Helian Tiehua remained calm, without a hint of surprise, raising his hand to counter with a palm strike in return. The two exchanged blows, sending the Purple Robe Lama flying backward while Helian Tiehua's feet shattered several planks beneath him, revealing the strength of their Inner Force.
"Hahaha…" The Purple Robe Lama landed on the ground and laughed heartily, "What a move 'A Stone's Throw Away!' What a Great General!"
"The Venerable's 'Crossing the River with a Reed' truly counts as the pinnacle of Qinggong," Helian Tiehua sincerely remarked.
"What use is there for such Qinggong, when in front of the Great General, it's insignificant." The Purple Robe Lama laughed, "The Great General's Thirteen Protectors' Horizontal Golden Bell Shield seems to have reached its peak. In this world, there may no longer be anyone capable of breaking your Golden Bell Shield. I may manage to escape from your side, but defeating you is entirely impossible. Just this one Thirteen Protectors' Horizontal Golden Bell Shield ensures that the Great General remains utterly invincible!"