Chapter 259: Spark Guidance, Nine Heavens Combat (Thanks to 'Zhen Zao Qing')

Chapter 259: The Spark’s Teachings, Battle in the Nine Heavens (Thanks to ‘Zhenzao Qing Hupo Zhu’ for the Alliance Leader Reward)

Wang Yin’s Heaven-Overturning Strike was the most devastating move within the World-Shattering Fist.

Its essence lay in the ability to use one’s own spiritual energy to stir the opponent’s internal energy, creating resonance and ultimately inflicting dual damage from both inside and out.

Thus… using the opponent’s own energy to attack them from within was not only incredibly powerful but also nearly impossible to defend against, making it especially effective at breaking through various hardened body techniques.

The reason he had refrained from using the Heaven-Overturning Strike in previous battles was for one simple reason.

“Can’t kill him.”

“If he’s dead, how can we sell him for a high price?”

“Crippling him too badly isn’t ideal either—treatment costs would add up.”

Unlike Zhang Yu, who was fully immersed in the battle with his mind entirely focused on the fight, for Wang Yin, this was not a battle at all. From start to finish, it was merely part of his job. His combat decisions were primarily driven by considerations of company profits rather than the fight itself.

After all, for him, this battle…

“Victory is unquestionable, so the key is to win beautifully, to showcase its promotional value and generate higher profits.”

“Now, without the support of the heart technique, the Heaven-Overturning Strike cannot reach its full power, but it’s more than enough to deal with Zhang Yu.”

With a thunderous roar, Wang Yin’s fist, enveloped in surging martial energy, struck Zhang Yu squarely in the chest.

Amidst the crackling explosions, the surrounding air shattered, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to buckle under the immense force, sinking as if crushed by a mountain.

As Wang Yin watched his fist press into Zhang Yu’s chest muscles, ribs, and internal organs…

Feeling the opponent’s flesh give way beneath his knuckles, he felt a flicker of surprise. “This guy… all offense and no defense? He’s completely abandoned his guard?”

At the same time, the ferocious martial energy from Wang Yin’s punch surged into Zhang Yu’s chest, tearing through his body like a raging storm.

But then Wang Yin discovered that Zhang Yu’s body was completely empty—devoid of even a trace of spiritual energy to resist.

Without a shred of spiritual energy, the Heaven-Overturning Strike could not stir the opponent’s energy, preventing it from unleashing its maximum destructive potential.

“He knows the secret of the Heaven-Overturning Strike, so he’s given up on defense entirely, not even leaving a trace of spiritual energy behind.”

“Hmph, that old ghost Spark must have told him.”

Amidst the explosive sounds and the relentless onslaught of martial energy, Zhang Yu’s body erupted in layers of blood mist.

“Even without the full power of the Heaven-Overturning Strike, this blow alone is enough to leave you severely injured.”

Wang Yin sneered inwardly. “And the opportunity you’ve risked your life for won’t be enough to harm me… What?!”

Almost as soon as Wang Yin’s Heaven-Overturning Strike struck Zhang Yu, wisps of milky-white mist suddenly appeared before him.

It was the Formless Cloud Energy.

But how could the Formless Cloud Energy penetrate the Blood Shadow and appear before him?

In the next instant, a hand abruptly broke through the layers of blood shadow, reaching out to grab Wang Yin’s face.

Behind that hand were Zhang Yu’s cold, piercing eyes.

“Got you.”

Feeling the hand that had broken through the blood shadow and reached his face, Wang Yin couldn’t fathom how, just an hour and a half earlier, Zhang Yu had been utterly helpless against his Nether Blood Shadow Shroud without Bai Zhenzhen’s help. Yet now, he had shattered his magical artifact in an instant.

“When did this happen?” Wang Yin wondered in shock. “That move he just used… it actually broke through my Nether Blood Shadow Shroud?”

Because Zhang Yu’s full-force eruption of Formless Cloud Energy concealed his techniques within the billowing mist, Wang Yin had failed to grasp its intricacies.

Or perhaps, from the very beginning of this battle, he had never taken Zhang Yu’s attacks seriously.

Yet, just moments ago, as Wang Yin unleashed the Heaven-Overturning Strike on Zhang Yu, Zhang Yu had simultaneously released the 11 consecutive strikes he had stored in his energy cavity using the 11th level of the Nine Heavens Cloud Sky Force.

At the moment of his strike, the words of Master Spark flashed through Zhang Yu’s mind once more.

“For fierce palm strikes, you must drive them with palm techniques.”

“For pulling and guiding energy, grappling techniques are most suitable.”

“Conversely, if you strike with a palm but the force is one of dragging, how can you unleash its full power?”

“Your Nine Heavens Cloud Sky Force can store the power of your strikes, but to maximize its potential, you must align form with force. You must shape your energy into the most suitable form for different types of explosive power…”

The insights of the 11th level of the Nine Heavens Cloud Sky Force blossomed in Zhang Yu’s mind, with scenes of his training flashing through his consciousness.

Under immense pressure, the Remnant Ox Self-Sacrifice Heart Technique operated frantically, clearing Zhang Yu’s mind and allowing him to command his body and energy with unparalleled precision, meticulously controlling every detail of his next moves.

Amidst the surging Formless Cloud Energy and the billowing mist, the 11 consecutive strikes Zhang Yu unleashed now transformed into 11 figures composed of Formless Cloud Energy. Each assumed a different posture—palm strikes, fist techniques, grappling, embraces—all converging toward the Nether Blood Shadow Shroud.

…

Once again, Master Spark’s teachings echoed in Zhang Yu’s mind: “…The Nine Heavens Cloud Sky Force contains multiple strikes in a single move, and they must coordinate with one another.”

“For example, if three people attack a strong man simultaneously, is it more effective for all three to use the same move, like Black Tiger Steals the Heart, striking together?”

“Or is it better for one to push, another to pull the head, and the third to trip the feet?” “Multiple strikes in an instant, with different techniques working in harmony, can unleash astonishing destructive power.”

…

On the battlefield between Zhang Yu and Wang Yin, the 11 energy figures erupted with explosive force.

The first two figures, positioned left and right, used the Formless Cloud Energy as their medium and employed the Dragon-Elephant Mountain-Shattering Palm technique to unleash Zhang Yu’s full-power strikes, slamming fiercely into the Nether Blood Shadow Shroud.

Watching the blood shadow shift to block the left and right sides, thinning the shadow in the center, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Master Spark was right.”

“The Nether Blood Shadow Shroud is controlled by a rudimentary artifact spirit with limited intelligence, primarily reacting to attacks wherever they come from.”

“And since Wang Yin crippled his own cultivation, he can’t control the Nether Blood Shadow Shroud with precision. That means I can actively create openings in this artifact.”

“First, use the initial two strikes to draw the blood shadow to the left and right, then…”

The remaining nine energy figures simultaneously attacked the center line.

One struck the Nether Blood Shadow Shroud with a palm, creating a gap.

Another used grappling techniques to intercept the blood shadow’s reinforcements.

A third energy figure redirected force, causing the reinforcing blood shadows to collide with one another.

Yet another struck with a fist, shaking the path ahead and widening the gap further…

Under the combined assault of nine strikes, the various techniques worked in perfect coordination, as if nine Zhang Yus were exerting their full strength to dig, support, and clear debris from an unyielding rock layer, carving out a narrow but resolute path forward.

As the 11 energy figures unleashed their full-power strikes and gradually dissipated, Zhang Yu’s hand had already passed through the Nether Blood Shadow Shroud, slipping through the briefly opened gap to seize Wang Yin’s face.

The 12th strike!

Zhang Yu’s own full-power palm strike!

Boom!

Wang Yin’s head snapped back violently, as if struck by a heavy cannon.

“Impressive…”

As Wang Yin's head was knocked back by the palm strike, a flicker of admiration arose in his heart. "Knowing he can't outlast me, knowing the longer the fight drags on, the lower his chances of victory—so he abandons defense from the start and goes for this desperate strike."

"He even managed to crack a flaw in my Nether Blood Shadow Shield."

"Zhang Yu, oh Zhang Yu, even if you bare your teeth at me and try to bite back, I have to say it."

"You really are a fine dog."

At the same time, a cold smile curled at the corner of Wang Yin's lips. He had already withstood Zhang Yu's twelfth strike, enduring this palm blow... and slowly straightened his knocked-back head.

"No matter how many schemes you devise, you cannot break through this skin and bone of mine."

"This is the absolute gap in strength."

Wang Yin's other hand clenched slightly into a fist, ready to unleash the second strike of the Heaven-Overturning Force.

With this blow, he was confident he could completely incapacitate Zhang Yu.

"It's over..."

But in the very next moment, Wang Yin's expression changed once more.

He suddenly felt that the residual fist energy and aura from the Heaven-Overturning Force he had just unleashed were being rapidly absorbed, as if drawn into a black hole.

The power of the Heaven-Overturning Force flowed along Zhang Yu's body, guided outward by him, channeled into the empty cavity of the Formless Cloud Aura, and then...

The thirteenth strike!

Heaven-Overturning Force!

This was the special effect unlocked only when the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Technique was cultivated to the tenth level—the ability to absorb an opponent's incoming move, channel it into the empty cavity, and then release it again using aura as the medium.

The strength of the force that could be absorbed depended on Zhang Yu's own cultivation level.

The stronger his own cultivation, the greater the power his empty cavity could absorb.

"What?!"

Feeling the familiar aura violently surge into his body, even beginning to stir the magical energy within him, Wang Yin's face was filled with disbelief.

"Heaven-Overturning Force? How could he possibly know the World-Overturning Heroic Fist?"

"No, it's some kind of martial art that borrows force to strike back, even absorbing techniques?"

"To achieve this level... could it be a military-grade technique?"

There was no time to think further. Wang Yin immediately circulated his energy to suppress the turbulent magical force within him.

Seizing this opportunity, Zhang Yu slipped through the gap before the Nether Blood Shadow Shield closed again.

...

Zhang Yu recalled the teachings of Master Spark in his mind: "The Nether Blood Shadow Shield has a defensive range. It's like a glass dome covering Wang Yin, not clinging to his skin for defense—otherwise, his daily movements would be affected."

"That is to say... as long as you open a gap and slip inside to engage in close combat, this magical artifact won't be able to protect him."

He concluded, "You must remember that every magical artifact in this world has flaws. Only our own bodies and will can be tempered through countless trials, adapting flexibly, surpassing all magical artifacts."

At the time, lying on the operating table, Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Isn't it really because we're too poor and have to rely on ourselves?"

(End of Chapter)