Chapter 153 – Oppressing Aura

…

…

…

Peng!

Ouyang Dihua’s palm wind struck a stone column that was at the edge of the military field and instantly split it apart.

Meanwhile, Lin Ming had already flickered like a ray of light to Zhang Guanyu’s side. His palm struck down, and a merciless handprint appeared on Zhang Guanyu’s back.

‘Pulse Cutting Palm’!

Lin Ming’s true essence infiltrated into Zhang Guanyu’s body. At this time, Zhang Guanyu had already completely lost any means of resistance, so the true essence rapidly spread out, unobstructed, across all of Zhang Guanyu’s meridians. His meridians were smashed apart by the rushing true essence, including many key points, pores, and all else; everything was utterly ravaged!

Zhang Guanyu stiffly groaned, and fainted!

This sudden change in events caused everyone to gasp. Lin Ming had ignored Ouyang Dihua’s command, and moreover he had abruptly broken through Ouyang Dihua’s interference to strike a palm upon Zhang Guanyu.

Did this not mean that Lin Ming’s speed was quicker than Ouyang Dihua’s?

“Ouyang Dihua actually could not stop Lin Ming! Lin Ming is too terrifying!”

“Ouyang Dihua is the direct disciple of an elder, he’s definitely not some ordinary Pulse Condensation Period martial artist, and Lin Ming is only at the Altering Muscle stage…”

These people discussed in a low voice with each other through true essence sound transmission. The looks upon their faces as they gazed at Lin Ming were filled with reverence, and even fear.

After he used a single palm to cut off the root of so many future troubles, Lin Ming deliberately picked up the Thunderbolt Devilfire Bead that was by Zhang Guanyu. Although it was the first time that he had seen something like this, Lin Ming could approximately guess what it did. It must be some kind of destructive concealed weapon.

As he examined the Thunderbolt Devilfire Bead, Lin Ming could feel a tingling sensation akin to arrows piercing his back. He calmly turned around to see Ouyang Dihua balefully gazing at him.

Ouyang had never been as angry as he was today. He was already mad enough that Lin Ming had ignored his order, but what he could not accept the most, was that his attack in which he had invested his full strength to stop Lin Ming, had actually been evaded by him, and thus failed. This caused him to lose a great amount of face!

He was a martial artist at the Pulse Condensation Period. He was 24 years old, and was also a direct disciple of a Seven Profound Valleys elder. Lin Ming was only a quasi-core disciple, 15 years old, and his cultivation was at the early Altering Muscle stage. He had actually been beaten by Lin Ming, and his palm had struck nothing but empty air. He could only helplessly look on as this little brat struck Zhang Guanyu with a heavy hand. He was older than Lin Ming by 9 years; his life had just been all in vain!

Now where had all his dignity gone?

His martial talent was not anything too outstanding. The reason he was able to become a direct disciple of an elder was because his uncle was the third elder of the Acacia Faction. What he hated the most was those that spoke behind his back and said, “This Ouyang Dihua only relied on his relations to become a core disciple. He has no skill at all.”

“Good! Very good! You did not listen to my orders and still maliciously attacked Zhang Guanyu when he had lost all ability to resist! Just by this alone, I can cripple you!” Ouyang Dihua clenched his fists, his eyes glazed over with hate as he wished he could just eat Lin Ming alive.

Lin Ming did not have an change of expression. He flashed the Thunderbolt Devilfire Bead in his hand, and confidently said, “Sir Seven Profound Envoy, I think that you should recognize this. Zhang Guanyu wanted to use this against me. I don’t believe this is allowed in the rules of this duel. This is probably something that can only be refined by a large sect, its power can be imagined. How can you say he had lost the ability to resist?

“Is Sir Seven Profound Envoy’s meaning that I should hold out my neck and let him cut off my head? Should I have waited until Zhang Guanyu severely injured me before I dealt with him? I’m sorry; I’m simply not someone so noble. Also, there are many important people present. Since this thing’s power is so great, wouldn’t it be horrible if he threw this out and injured everybody?

“It doesn’t take much true essence to throw this. As long as Zhang Guanyu has even a breath of life left in himself, he can readily throw this out. That’s why, I had to stop him. I only put him to sleep. The palm I used was a bit heavy a moment ago, but I made sure not to remove Sir Zhang’s hand. I’m sorry, I truly do feel regret, but I was helplessly forced to act.

“Taking 10,000 steps back, I say that even if I was to be cruel, Sir Zhang and I have already signed a Life Death Contract before this, and we have even pressed our thumbs as proof, so that any life threatening wounds cannot be investigated. Mister Ouyang, don’t you remember?”

Lin Ming’s reasoning caused Ouyang Dihua to tremble with rage.

That palm was not too heavy?

Although Ouyang Dihua did not understand what profound mysteries were contained within that palm strike, what he certainly knew was that with Lin Ming’s decisive and vicious movement, that palm absolutely had done some great harm to Zhang Guanyu.

Coupled with the fact that before, he had already ruined Zhang Guanyu’s right hand, and turned it into nothing more than ravaged meat and broken bones. Without rare and valuable medicine that could regrow limbs, it would simply not heal well. It seemed that from here on out, Zhang Guanyu’s martial path had come to a full stop.

This Zhang Guanyu was a person whose heart was simply too proud. He could not tolerate even a small failure, much less a failure of this level!

Perhaps his heart of martial arts had been totally defeated, and he would never be able to recover!

Zhang Guanyu’s entire life could now be considered over.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

It just so happened that Lin Ming’s vicious move was actually not wrong nor against the rules. Just before, Zhang Guanyu had wanted to kill Lin Ming, and this Thunderbolt Devilfire Bead was the evidence.

According to the regulations of the Seven Profound Martial House, one could not kill an opponent in battle or deliberately disable them when they had lost the ability to resist counterattacks, or else they would be subject to certain punishments.

But now Lin Ming hadn’t actually killed his opponent, nor had he disabled his opponent once they had lost any means to resist. What he did was a legitimate defense, so there was simply no violation of any rules. This caused Ouyang Dihua to almost go crazy with vexation.

Not only that, but they had also signed the Life Death Contract before the duel, so Ouyang Dihua could not find fault with Lin Ming.

Therefore, he had no means to deal with Lin Ming. He was a 24 year old man while Lin Ming was only a 15 year old youth. If he relied on his cultivation to intimidate, it would be seen as an elder bullying the younger generation. If he had no appropriate reason to deal with Lin Ming, then any actions could not be justified.

Moreover, Ouyang Dihua thought back to Lin Ming’s elusive speed, and he began to lack self-confidence. If he was able to suppress Lin Ming with his absolute power, then that would be good. However, if he still could not defeat Lin Ming in several moves, then he would really want to hit his head on a wall and die. This nine year gap would simply be too laughable a matter!

But today, he could not forget this matter or let it go, or else his dignity would be gone!

The atmosphere was very solemn and grim. Anybody could see that the sparks between Lin Ming and Ouyang Dihua were about to burst. These two were a future Seven Profound Envoy and a current Seven Profound Envoy that were in opposition to each other!

Of course, no matter how one looked at it, Lin Ming was the weaker party.

“Lin Ming is in danger… Ouyang Dihua is not someone to be trifled with. Even the Seven Profound Martial House Master has to treat him with a bit of respect.”

“The youth has courage. Now that Lin Ming has provoked Ouyang Dihua before he has grown, I’m afraid that Lin Ming will have dark days from here on out.”

“Don’t look down on Lin Ming. Just look at all the enemies Lin Ming has made; Zhang Cang, Zhu Yan, Zhang Guanyu… all have been defeated by Lin Ming. Zhang Cang and Zhu Yan are too weak, but leaving them aside, isn’t Zhang Guanyu at the peak, whether it is cultivation or individual strength?”

The truth was that there was an enemy that no one dared to name out loud. This was the Tenth Prince, Yang Zhen.

Yang Zhen had been tightly and significantly suppressed by Lin Ming. He could only smile it front of Lin Ming, not caring about keeping any face. He only needed to look at those who cared about face, such as Zhang Cang, Zhu Yan, and Zhang Guanyu, to see that they were all finished. The Tenth Prince Yang Zhen was wise, every day he could play ball with Lin Ming was an extra day.

Many of those present shared a different view. Some worried over Lin Ming, and some, who liked to gloat over others’ misfortunes, looked forward to seeing Lin Ming be played to death by Ouyang Dihua.

Lin Ming was powerful, but, behind Ouyang Dihua was an elder of the Seven Profound Valleys. Such a character could easily send down a Seven Profound Decree that could even cause a nation to switch rulers, and change the name of the land. Even if Lin Ming reached the Pulse Condensation period, he would not dare to move against Ouyang Dihua, otherwise that would simply be courting death.

In all the controversy, Bai Jingyun was silently biting her lips as she looked at Lin Ming with a very complex expression.

She still had half a year… the day on which her filial obligations to mourn the death of her father for three years would end, was in half a year.

After the mourning period had ended, that was the day Ouyang Dihua would propose marriage.

Bai Jingyun did not expect that her grandfather, who had to worry about the family interests, would have the courage to refuse this marriage. She also didn’t expect that Ouyang Dihua would simply forget about her.

Although Ouyang Dihua hadn’t even spoken a few words to her at the banquet today, that was only because the timing was not suitable. Bai Jingyun had clearly seen Ouyang Dihua’s eyes when he looked at her, and those eyes were filled with greed and immorality.

Bai Jingyun had already resigned herself to her fate, but now, she saw that Lin Ming and Ouyang Dihua were enemies.

This caused her heart to clench.

Maybe…

Just maybe… there was a 1% possibility that Lin Ming could rescue her from the fiery pit…

………

On the military field, Ouyang Dihua took one step at a time towards Lin Ming. Every time he took one step, his horrible aura would become one point stronger. His footsteps caused the hearts of those who looked to beat as if they were resonating with them. This feeling was very uncomfortable.

“Since I cannot move against you, then I will force you to submit!”

As Ouyang Dihua fiercely though this, the aura of his body suddenly erupted. He wanted to rely on the virtue of his grand presence to oppress Lin Ming until he could not persist any longer and had to yield!

Ouyang Dihua had already cultivated his ‘Divine Acacia Power’ to the peak of the third layer. He was just missing one step before he could break through to the fourth layer. His imposing aura was much more perilous than Zhang Guanyu’s. With every step, all sorts of chaotic illusions and demons seemed to rush upwards like a swelling tide that covered Lin Ming.

Those standing around Ouyang Dihua were forced to retreat. This aura was extremely weird and ghastly. As soon as it spread to them, the immediately felt illusory nightmares appear before them, and their minds almost failed.

“My Lord, be careful!” A guard saw that his master already gone stupid, and saliva was dribbling from the corners of his mouth. He wanted to shake him up and wake him from this nightmare, but he knew it was useless. He could only throw him over his back and carry him beyond the range which Ouyang Dihua’s terrifying aura covered.

Many of the elite present had martial artist cultivation that was too low to resist the nature of Ouyang Dihua’s perplexing aura. Even those martial artists at the Flesh Training and Viscera Training stages did not feel good, and were forced to revolve the true essence within their entire bodies to resist Ouyang Dihua’s oppressive presence. There were those whose cultivations were simply too weak, and, not giving any thought to face, simply ran away.

A Pulse Condensation Period martial artist from the Seven Profound Valleys was truly formidable!

These elite nobles in the audience had only been brushed by this aura and yet they had suffered so miserably. Lin Ming was actually bearing the full brunt of the pressure on the field; how difficult it was could only be imagined.

But when everyone finally, with a great deal of effort, stabilized their own minds and consciousnesses against the chaotic illusions, they were stunned as they looked towards Lin Ming.

They also saw Lin Ming standing idly by, looking unconcerned. Both of his hands were held against his chest, and he was freely standing in the center of the military field. The Heavy Profound Soft Spear was hugged in his arms, up against his chest. And as they turned to his expression, they saw that Lin Ming was looking towards Ouyang Dihua as if he were just some playful monkey.