An electrifying sensation crept up to the old monk’s throat.
“Huu…” The old monk’s gaunt right palm thrust forward, a beast-like howl came from it.
The vivacious soaring dagger stopped just a few centimeters in the air before the palm, vibrating lightly, as if it gained a life of its on, wanting to break through to charge ahead.
The gaunt right palm gently pressed it, the soaring dagger abruptly fell to the ground.
He dipped his head to look at the dagger, shaking his head.
Chu Li soared towards him, the surrounding spiritual energy gathered around him, rejuvenating his body.
His figure suddenly disappeared without a moment’s notice.
The old monk didn’t panic. He waited as Chu Li disappeared for a short while. The moment he reappeared within twenty meters, the old monk disappeared from where he stood and reappeared behind Chu Li.
Chu Li’s hands and face were ridden with blood and wounds exposing whiteness of bones between the flesh with solidified blood. It was a rather frightening appearance.
A burning sensation was felt from his hands and face which throbbed agonizingly as if his insides were being skewered by a dagger and burned in flames. The old monk’s palm strike upon his body was similar to a gush of lava flow, sending unending stabs of pain into his body.
He recovered his vitality through Verdant Recuperation, destruction from one end and healing from the other. Destruction was less complex than healing as its speed was higher. His body continued to deteriorate, about to give out at any given moment.
Using his potential to the fullest, he juggled a few moves at once, using Verdant Recuperation, while attempting Imminent Skyline, as well as Sentient Menace.
Sentient Menace possessed a unique strengthening effect to one’s flesh with spiritual energy flowing between the muscles, repairing his internal organs.
In an all-out rush, he lost the notion to counterattack.
Against this old monk from the Temple of Titanium, the only advantage he had was the Scripture of Life and Death, granting him an unending well of inner energy. Without other advantages, the old monk pressured him all around.
Not even his Blade of Eternity could land a single scratch on the man. There were no advantages to be seen even if it was right in front of him.
If Chu Li had to guess, this old monk didn’t just master an All-Seeing Divine Power. More scarily perhaps was that he may had mastered Divine Footwork as well. Otherwise, his body movement technique wouldn’t be this extraordinary and was able to go toe-to-toe with Imminent Skyline.
Imminent Skyline was an ancient martial art passed down through generations, another martial art study system of its own. From the looks of things, it bore a resemblance to a divine power technique which can break through its limitations, exceeding beyond the areas of levitation.
At first, he thought none could compare against Imminent Skyline. However, the title for Divine Footwork did not belong to him and the world was truly not short of the extraordinary so there will always be a higher mountain over another. There was no doubt that the Temple of Titanium was among the four greatest sects.
The old monk suddenly teleported behind him.
The old monk had only his figure in sight. Chu Li had enough experience and with the activated Omniscient Mirror, the moment he perceived motions between spaces, he immediately unleashed the Imminent Skyline.
He mastered Imminent Skyline, making him the most perceptive towards open space and also the most sensitive.
The old monk’s white brows slightly furrowed, remained as he was.
As Divine Footwork heavily drained his inner energy, even with an inner energy deeper than the depths of the ocean, the damage will still present if he couldn’t maintain Divine Footwork, allowing only a few times of use.
His white brows fell into a curve and he nodded with a grin.
Prince An had certainly given high expectations of Chu Li, giving himself and Gu Yue a run for their money.
He rarely left the temple for the unruly world outside but the few times that he left, he encountered top-notch masters with Divine Footwork. However, none of them were a worthy adversary, no more than two times did he need Divine Footwork. That record was broken today.
After some thought, he unleashed Divine Footwork once more, appearing within twenty meters behind Chu Li.
Instead, he saw Chu Li’s figure, which he then took a step back.
The old monk withdrew a black potion from his side and popped a spherical pill from it into his mouth. In a blink of an eye, a huge surge of energy entered his body.
After taking heavy damage, anyone would’ve been perished already. This Chu Li was rather nimble in his steps and bizarrely, he was difficult to deal with!
Chu Li dashed with all his might, unwilling to give in. His hands and face covered in blood, frightening to say the least.
He ran around while healing his wounds. The spiritual energy’s healing was rather effective, yet the old monk’s palm strike was superior, intensifying his damage.
After a quick thought, he couldn’t afford to mend his meridian and diverted his focus to using Infinite Azure Sea.
Overlying layer upon layer of inner energy and compressing his inner energy, it became more purified. The pressure upon his meridian grew stronger and was able to collapse at any moment, pushing his martial art to its limits.
“HA!” He shot out a beam of a black arrow as he dashed, his feet remained in motion, similar to how a gust of wind weaved through branches and mountains.
His sextuple amount of inner energy clashed with the old monk’s. With a subtle tremor and a slight tearing, his meridian had already been damaged.
An abundance of spiritual energy diverted to activating Minute Pulse Cleansing Technique, while simultaneously activating Sentient Menace. With both in effect, his meridian had rapidly recovered.
He triggered Infinite Azure Sea once more, multiplied his in six folds, and clashed against the old monk’s inner energy.
As this cycle repeated, his meridian went back and forth between damaged and recovered, unknowingly strengthened and thickened as each attempt passed.
Having dashed around for the entire night without a single breather nor food and drinks.
He went deep in thought, as impressive as this old monk may be, he couldn’t possibly keep chasing after him. Surely, he will eventually rest for a while.
Chu Li abruptly stopped in a part of the woods.
His eyes gleamed, as he had not lost himself in routes of despair. A way out appeared before him.
This part of the woods was convenient. Perhaps this was fate, as it satisfied the conditions for a formation trap. He only needed to shift three trees to set up the formation.
He unsheathed his Modesty Sword, fingers laid upon its blade as he sighed. Timing was critical and failing in setting up the formation would result in his death. He could only place the blame upon it.
The Modesty Sword acted as a shovel, digging out three pits from three trees. Upon shifting the trees’ positions, spiritual energy surged into the trunks. Not only did the three trees were not endangered in harm’s’ way but they were doubly rejuvenated.
The formation was set.
From the vast empty skies came a pool of immense energy, landing upon the formation which gradually begun to activate, continuously absorbing the intense energy from the empty skies.
A grin formed on Chu Li’s face. This was a Soul Splitting Formation, enough to handle the old monk.
He rested silently while waiting for the old monk to enter the trap.
Omniscient Mirror activated to its fullest, feeling the waves of motions between spaces.
He suddenly moved and took a step out the moment the old monk appeared, taking full advantage of every passing moment.
A flash from his waist and a tree was cut down.
What was a door of life becoming that of death in an instant?
Taking three steps to the left and seven to the right, bending left at a ninety degrees angle, then another three steps left and three steps right, he slowly left the Soul Splitting Formation.
Within the big formation, his only way out was through the Imminent Skyline. Nothing else would’ve made it.
Standing outside the formation, his tensed body drenched in sweat and Omniscient Mirror activated to its fullest. With the slightest motion detected between spaces, he will escape immediately.
But after a moment had passed, there were no movements from the old monk.
He couldn’t see the situation within the formation and the old monk couldn’t see him. The moment the formation sprang, that zone became the area of the formation’s power and no other power could enter it.
He determined that if the formation could trap a user of Imminent Skyline, it could trap someone with Divine Footwork as well.
He turned around to dash but Siao Shi was still trapped in the Horse Racing Town’s formation. It would take him two full days and nights to make his way back. He wondered how Siao Shi was doing.
—
The old monk stood still at where he was, his white brows bunched up.
The surrounding mist was thick, unable to see a meter beyond him.
He briefly felt his surroundings and realized he had met a huge problem. This was a formation that could suppress Divine Footwork!
This Chu Li was even a master of formations!
Good on Chu Li, if the man had triggered the formation earlier, he himself wouldn’t have been caught in it. Yet the man chose and took a dangerous risk, waited for him to enter the area before triggering it, trapping him in it.
He sat down with his legs crossed, picked a Śarīra Buddhist bead from his bracelet and gradually rubbed it with his right hand, clearing his mind and channeling a formation in his mind.
The Temple of Titanium did not house any masters of formations. From what he could gather, the Temple of Tempest did.
A pity, however, this master of formations cared not for matters of others and devoted to the teachings of formations. As such, the host of the Temple of Tempest preferred to not have him exit the temple.
Rumors had it that one resided within the grand palace, only no one knew who this person may be.
He wouldn’t have thought that this Chu Li was also a master of formations!
It was as if Śrāmaṇera, whose responsibility was to sweep the grounds, was an Enlightened Master!