The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 378 - 190 Circulation Eight Extremes Array

Chapter 378: Chapter 190 Circulation Eight Extremes Array

The Eastern Palace was neither particularly large nor particularly small.

It was considered large because it was, after all, the residence of the future ruler of a nation; if it were not sufficiently grand, it would bring shame to the entire country.

It was deemed small because the place, which should have been occupied solely by the Crown Prince, now housed three Imperial Princes, as well as Feng Chaonan, the Prince in all but name.

These four, along with their respective subordinates, made the vast Eastern Palace seem somewhat crowded.

At such close proximity, with Qing Yu’s abilities, moving in and out without a trace was an easy feat.

Just as with her previous stealthy night visit to Feng Chaonan, if Qing Yu wished, no one would know she had been there.

Most of the palace’s skilled experts were concentrated in the area of Yangxin Hall, where Emperor of Northern Zhou, Feng Tianming, resided. Qing Yu had the freedom to come and go as she pleased, a bit further from Yangxin Hall.

Therefore, once Qing Yu confirmed there were no True Pill Realm masters among Feng Guanyu’s entourage, she decisively struck.

Her attack was fierce and swift, killing the unprepared Huyan Qian on the spot with a brutal strike from behind. With strength that overpowered and a prepared mind against an unprepared one, Huyan Qian was killed by Qing Yu with a serious blow.

Subsequently, the invisible signal for help that Feng Guanyu tried to send was neutralized by earlier precautions. This sudden assassination was brutally simple and executed flawlessly.

"Did you set up an Array outside?" Feng Guanyu, seeing his call for help rendered useless, exclaimed in shock.

Knowing his enemy had connections with the Azure Dragon Association, Feng Guanyu, though he looked down on Gong Ziyu (not referring to Feng Chaonan) as merely a lackey, remained extremely cautious.

Hundreds of guards patrolled day and night outside the sleeping quarters where he resided, ostensibly securing the chamber so tightly that not even a fly could enter.

Yet, this chamber had been invaded.

After all, places that since ancient times were impenetrable to flies would ultimately admit a living person; this was an immutable truth, as living persons are not flies.

At this moment, outside this sleeping chamber, the patrols lay scattered in disarray. Once Qing Yu realized she could move, she quickly called in the personnel she had already prepared.

Striking directly within the Imperial Palace was her most favored plan of action.

She used "Beisu Qingfeng" to subdue the patrolling guards with drugs.

Twenty-four figures clad in black cloaks stood in groups of three, positioned in the eight directions of the Eight Diagrams.

The True Qi of each trio belonged to the same class, merging and intersecting with the other seven groups, forming an invisible barrier outside the chamber, isolating the inside from the outside.

Using people as the base of the Array, Qing Yu crafted a geomancy Array blueprint from the "Geodetic Secret Manual." The twenty-four people connected to the Earth Qi, combined with the Circulating Eight Forces to create the "Circulation Eight Extremes Formation," which could not prevent passage but was excellent at shielding against energetic fluctuations.

Feng Guanyu’s life-saving Jade Pendant was carried by every member of the Imperial Family within the palace, designed to counter assassins targeting the Imperial Family. Feng Jiu had one as well, which Qing Yu had already studied countless times.

Regarding Feng Guanyu’s question, Qing Yu had no intention of giving an elaborate answer. After all, what was the point for a dead man to know so much?

Moreover, the twenty-four people who had set up the "Circulation Eight Extremes Formation" had rapidly mastered the eight forces via the Absorption Technique. Their True Qi was mixed and impure, making the Array’s continued effectiveness quite poor; thus, it was best to resolve the situation quickly.

With a slight shake of her head, Qing Yu’s figure suddenly vanished, as if transforming into a gentle breeze, materializing above Feng Guanyu and striking down with her palm.

The palm force was majestic and substantial; with a single strike, it was like a mountain collapsing, bearing the overwhelming weight of Mount Tai.

In reality, this palm strike, fortified with the Circulating Mountain Strength, wielded the force of a thousand jins—at least ten thousand catties of power, comparable to a small mountain. It would be an exaggeration to say a mountainous collapse was imminent, but not by much, for a small mountain is still a mountain, isn’t it?

Feng Guanyu’s heart sounded a loud alarm; when he truly faced Gong Ziyu, he realized the magnitude of his threat. It was a threat that could certainly be lethal.

The aura emanating from his opponent seemed distant and ethereal, akin to that of an immortal, not at all like the leader of assassins who lived by killing, but Feng Guanyu felt as though he was standing in front of an abyss, his body’s instincts continually reminding him to get away, to get far away immediately.

However, showing any sign of weakness at this moment would truly cast him into the abyss.

"You wish!" he exclaimed.

In the span of a moment, Feng Guanyu cast aside his fear, and fiery flames burst forth from his body, forming the shape of a phoenix and letting out a majestic cry to the heavens.

"Li—"

The cry of the phoenix was clear and regal, resonating with an indescribable nobility, as if a real phoenix had descended upon the earth, carrying an incomparable grandeur.

"Oh?"

Qing Yu uttered a sound of mild interest. Feng Guanyu’s display was indeed somewhat unexpected.

The ’Phoenix Sky Strategy’ of the Northern Zhou Imperial Family was a little different from other Martial Arts; the True Qi shape it took on had a vitality and life force not present in other powers.

The True Qi shapes of dragons and phoenixes in other Martial Arts, while imposing and vivid, could still be identified as inanimate by the discerning eye. Even if one had a higher Realm, those of equal Realm could still discern the truth behind the facade.

But the ’Phoenix Sky Strategy’ was different. Its cultivators seemed to truly conjure a phoenix; the True Qi possessed a mystical vitality that even Martial Artists of a higher realm, who could see through the nature of this Qi, were unable to explain its origin.

However, achieving such proficiency was no easy feat. Even Feng Jiu of the same Divine Origin Realm couldn’t manage it.

It seems Feng Guanyu’s rise from an obscure, unnoticed Prince to where he stood today wasn’t solely due to the support of the Cangsheng Sect.

Qing Yu was moved by this thought, but his hands didn’t slow down. He increased the might of his strike, coupling the ’Circulating Mountain Strength’ with another ’Circulating Earth Power’.

Mountain Earth Stripping.

Upper Gen and lower Kun, the high mountains adhering to the ground, the high aligning with the humble, the strong Yang yielding—though this move was domineering, it was a move where Yin prevailed over Yang, perfectly countering Feng Guanyu’s supremely Yang and intense phoenix True Qi.

The potent palm force, merely by coming close, caused the flames surrounding Feng Guanyu to distort as if they were being smothered by an invisible force.

—

When the palm force collided with the form of the phoenix, although one was of the mountain and earth and the other of fire, both represented Yin and Yang. Like water and fire, they were incompatible; when the two distinct types of True Qi collided, there was no noise, no show of force.

However, as the flames around Feng Guanyu slowly extinguished, it was clear who had the upper hand.

The word "Stripping" in Mountain Earth Stripping implies peeling away layer by layer. Stripping, after all, is always a gradual process. Despite the move combining the might of mountain and earth, being vigorous and imposing, its intention was heavily Yin-oriented, an undermining Yin damage.

The absence of noise was a clear sign that Qing Yu was overwhelmingly dominant.

"Boom, boom, boom—"

Following a brief initial stagnation, there suddenly came a series of deep booming sounds. Nonetheless, this was not an indication of increased might.