HEAVEN SWORD DRAGON SABRE Book 2 of 2

The Hidden Military Manual Strategy Part 5

Although Taiji Fist is common for the later generations, not too many Wulin people were even aware of its existence at the time right after Zhang Sanfeng developed it. Lu Zhangke had never seen this kind of soft, seemingly powerless palm technique; naturally, he did not know what kind of trick was hidden in this palm attack. He was extremely afraid of Zhang Wuji, hence he did not dare to meet his palm and leaned sideways to evade.

Zhang Wuji turned around and with 'bai she tu yan' [white snake spitting words] his left palm struck He Biweng, while his right palm shook in and out randomly. He Biweng pointed his left hand index finger to the center of Zhang Wuji's palm, his right palm swept diagonally down toward Zhang Wuji's lower abdomen.

Zhang Wuji had fought the Xuan Ming Elders several times; he knew these two men were not his match. Compared to Du E and the other, the three monks whom he encountered in his most recent three battles, these two were a level below in terms of their depth in martial art skills. So if he wanted to defeat these two, he should have more than enough to spare. However, these two's skill was, after all, not superficial. Therefore, Zhang Wuji did not dare to be reckless. He launched Taiji Fist to its fullest potential; creating circle after circle, with Jiu Yang Shen Gong struck out from sometimes straight, sometime slanting circles.

The Xuanming Elders gradually felt the 'yang' energy burning fiercely; while the 'yin' and cold energy of their own 'Xuan Ming Shen Zhang' was frequently forced back by the opponent.

After fighting for more than a hundred stances, by chance Zhang Wuji turned around and saw two dark shadows shiver on the ground. The moon had cast its shadow on Zhao Min and Zhou Zhiruo. His heart skipped a beat. Zhao Min appeared to be shaking uncontrollably while she was fighting to keep Zhou Zhiruo in her arms.

"Not good!" Zhang Wuji was secretly alarmed, "After taking Old Lu's 'xuan ming shen zhang', I am afraid Zhou Zhiruo cannot withstand it. The energy cultivation she trained was 'yin' and cold in nature. Now that she received Xuan Ming Shen Zhang which is the world's coldest and most poisonous energy, cold on top of cold, apparently even Min Mei is not able to endure it." Thereupon he increased his effort to press Lu Zhangke.

Lu Zhangke noticed the change in Zhang Wuji's fist technique; he guessed Zhang Wuji's intentions correctly. Leaping sideways to evade, he called out, "Shidi, surround him; that woman surnamed Zhou is having a cold-poison attack. Don't let him help her."

"Certainly," He Biweng replied. Leaping out of the circle, he picked up his pair of crane-beak pens and with the 'tong tian che di' [going through the sky and penetrating the earth], his pens smashed in from top and bottom.

Zhang Wuji smiled slightly and said, "With or without weapons, it's all the same!" With a shout his palm struck; the gust of wind generated was so strong that He Biweng was gasping for breath.

Lu Zhangke reached back for his deer-antler staff and swept it toward Zhang Wuji's waist. Zhang Wuji successively changed his fist techniques; now he launched the thirty-six style (or form) 'long zhua qin na shou' [dragon claw 'grab and capture' or grappling technique] he learned from Shaolin Divine Monk Kong Xing, the 'fu qin shi' [zither playing form], 'gu se shi' [drum beating form], 'bu feng shi' [wind grasping form], and 'bao can shi' [destruction carrying form], all with very strong offensive power.

"This Dragon Claw skill is very well trained," Lu Zhangke called out, "Later on it will be very useful to dig a hole in the ground; no mistake about it."

"Shige," He Biweng replied, "Why do we need a hole in the ground?"

Lu Zhangke laughed, "That Miss Zhou is going to die; of course we need a hole to bury her!"