CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 70: GREAT RIVER DEMON FIST

Chen Guan only felt as if his palm had been struck by a steel hammer, causing him to involuntarily step back two steps. His palm throbbed with pain and continued to tremble slightly.

Duan Shulin wasn’t faring much better, also retreating two or three steps. His fist trembled as if it were twitching, the veins bulging like little snakes.

Duan Shulin was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected Chen Guan to take the punch head-on, and it seemed to be a draw.

It’s important to know that the Great River Demon Fist is an Unparalleled Secret Skill. Even at level 1, it requires the consumption of 5 points of Primordial Energy. The destructive power unleashed by 5 points of concentrated Primordial Energy is something ordinary Secret Skills, which consume only one or two points, can’t withstand.

Normally, the Blood Hand Seal is indeed not as strong as the Great River Demon Fist. However, Chen Guan’s Blood Hand Seal is extraordinary, bolstered by the Secret Technique of One, allowing the power of his level 2 Blood Hand Seal to double, just enough to withstand the level 1 Great River Demon Fist, gaining no significant disadvantage.

Duan Shulin wasn’t concerned. The reason the Great River Demon Fist is considered an Unparalleled Secret Skill isn’t because it can unleash five points of Primordial Energy at once. Secret Skills that can release 5 points or even more aren’t uncommon, such as the Profound Nether Yin Fire Palm, which can unleash 21 points of Primordial Energy, its resulting Yin Fire Force being quite sinister, but still considered a rare Secret Skill.

The Great River Demon Fist’s status as an Unparalleled Secret Skill is due to its unique attributes.

"Chen Guan, you’re finished." Duan Shulin maintained his punching stance, holding his head low, but with a victorious smile at the corner of his mouth.

Boom!

There was a resounding boom from Chen Guan’s palm. Although Duan Shulin was still some distance away and hadn’t launched another attack, Chen Guan felt his palm being struck as if by another Great River Demon Fist, rendering it numb and causing him to step back yet again.

"The Great River Demon Fist is like an endless river, relentless like a curse that never quits. You’ve been struck by a Great River Demon Fist, and its force has left its imprint on you, making you endure continuous onslaughts. You may block one blow, but not the ten or even a hundred successive blasts. From the moment you were hit, you were finished." Duan Shulin slowly withdrew his fist and stood straight, crossing his arms in a victor’s stance, scornfully looking down on Chen Guan.

Boom boom boom!

As Duan Shulin spoke, explosions resounded continuously from Chen Guan’s palm, causing his body to stagger back, as if repeatedly hammered by a giant mallet.

But Chen Guan didn’t fall, nor was his hand crushed. Contrary to this, Duan Shulin’s expression slightly changed.

His Great River Demon Fist was only level 1; naturally, it couldn’t sustain continuous and endless force as he had claimed.

In reality, Duan Shulin’s current execution of the Great River Demon Fist could only generate five blasts of force.

Yet even so, Duan Shulin believed that Chen Guan should have been either dead or severely injured. With Chen Guan’s level, there was no way he could withstand the five eruptions of the Great River Demon Fist’s force.

The main issue was a lack of Primordial Energy. Chen Guan’s Secret Skill could counter the Great River Demon Fist’s power, but the energy consumption had to be significant—possibly around four or five points, otherwise, it wouldn’t be equally matched against the Great River Demon Fist’s destructive force.

Let alone that Chen Guan was only level 4; even if he was level 10 and cultivated an Unparalleled Secret Technique with a 2.0 growth rate, his total Primordial Energy would only be 19 points.

With 19 points of Primordial Energy, the continuous use of a Secret Skill consuming about 5 points at each use could only be maintained four times in a short period, unable to withstand the five eruptions of the Great River Demon Fist’s force.

Especially since Chen Guan was only level 4, normally, he could only withstand the force erupting twice using a Secret Skill.

Now, Chen Guan had already withstood four eruptions of force and seemed to have more energy remaining, which surprised Duan Shulin.

Chen Guan’s consumption of Primordial Energy for his Blood Hand Seal wasn’t as high as Duan Shulin imagined, and he possessed a total of 16 points of energy. He used the Blood Hand Seal to counter each eruption of the Demon Fist’s force, successfully blocking all five eruptions.

"The Great River Demon Fist is somewhat impressive, but not overly so." Chen Guan had anticipated this; at such a low level, it was unlikely for the Great River Demon Fist’s force to continuously erupt as Duan Shulin had claimed. Thus, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

Though the force had only erupted five times, it was formidable enough. Anyone else at this level caught in its blast would have been unable to withstand it. Even if they survived, their hands would have been obliterated. Chen Guan suspected the Great River Demon Fist was indeed an Unparalleled Secret Skill.

Hearing Chen Guan’s mockery, Duan Shulin didn’t get angry. He coldly said, "Provocation won’t work on me; you can’t disrupt my will."

As his words fell, Duan Shulin swung his fist at Chen Guan once more, still using the Great River Demon Fist. He didn’t believe Chen Guan could withstand a second blow of the Great River Demon Fist.

Chen Guan appeared as if he would meet the attack with his palm, but before his hand made contact with Duan Shulin’s fist, his form suddenly flickered, and Duan Shulin’s punch only hit Chen Yan’s afterimage.

Chen Guan’s figure appeared at Duan Shulin’s left side, launching another Blood Hand Seal at his waistline.

Duan Shulin shifted his footwork, twisting his body in an incredible and bizarre manner to evade Chen Guan’s Blood Hand Seal.

"You have a Body Technique Secret Skill, I also have one..." Duan Shulin started to say, but then realized something was amiss.

Chen Guan, leaving afterimages, launched another Blood Hand Seal with astonishing speed.

Duan Shulin, having used Secret Skills repeatedly, found himself exhausted, with no energy left to utilize Body Technique Secret Skills. Despite being level 5, his Primordial Energy was depleted, unable to recover even with drugs.

Boom!

"How is this possible...how is this guy’s energy recovering so fast..." Duan Shulin was a mix of shock and anger, left with no choice but to meet Chen Guan’s Blood Hand Seal with his fist.

Without the energy to support the Great River Demon Fist, and lacking any Secret Skills to bolster it, his regular fist power was no match for the Blood Hand Seal. A cracking sound followed, and several of Duan Shulin’s finger bones were shattered, a blood-red hand print clearly marked on his fist.

Duan Shulin screamed and retreated, his body staggering.

Chen Guan, using the Senluo Ghost Step, moved like a specter, repeatedly striking at Duan Shulin with one Blood Hand Seal after another.

Duan Shulin was stunned, watching Chen Guan continuously use Secret Skills without resorting to ordinary attack techniques, feeling utterly dumbfounded.

His energy couldn’t keep up with the consumption, unable to employ his Unparalleled Secret Skill, unable to match Chen Guan, causing deep frustration, as if wanting to spit blood.

"What divine medicine did he take to restore energy so quickly...could it be the Nine-Life Profound Ginseng, a Heavenly and Earthly Treasure capable of swiftly replenishing energy..." Duan Shulin was struck in the chest by Chen Guan, his body flying backward, crashing into the cave wall, vomiting a mouthful of blood.

Chen Guan moved to continue his attack.

"Guan, stop! I don’t want the Nether Lotus anymore, the Tomb Master is yours, spare my life, please."

Seeing the blood-colored hand approaching his face like a sky-covering blood curtain, and with no ability to resist, Duan Shulin closed his eyes and cried out loudly.

Just as the hand was about to strike his face, it stopped.

"Return the Tomb Master to me first." Chen Guan withdrew his hand, glancing at Duan Shulin, who sat leaning against the wall.