Ye Wen saw Wang Shu’s punch coming, as if he had foreseen it, his expression unchanged, his stance unwavering, yet his hands were not slow; with a lift and a turn, he deployed a move from the Mian Zhang (Soft Palm) style to block the punch, immediately following up with a counter-palm strike.

The principle Ye Wen believed in was reciprocity; since Wang Shu had made a move, Ye Wen naturally saw no need for further politeness. That initial palm strike was merely the beginning, not the end. As his hands spun, he unleashed a continuous barrage of palm strikes, still using the Mian Zhang routine. The force was concentrated but not fully released, the palm movements flowing seamlessly, one strike following another, throwing the charging Wang Shu into a flurry of confusion.

Ye Wen remained still, his hands patting out in rapid succession. Though seemingly slow, the movements were exceptionally fluid, one palm technique seamlessly leading to the next, as if they would never cease.

Wang Shu, facing him, could do little after his initial punch was blocked. The ensuing moments were spent constantly parrying Ye Wen’s continuous stream of palm strikes. What was worse, Ye Wen’s seemingly light taps carried immense palm force, making Wang Shu’s arms subtly ache, and his body began to retreat unconsciously.

In the brief moment they clashed, the crowd in the square saw that Ye Wen’s offensive did not relent but grew fiercer. Wang Shu, who had been shouting fiercely about teaching Ye Wen a lesson, was now stepping backward under Ye Wen’s assault, looking as if he could be struck by Ye Wen’s palms at any moment.

At this point, even the least discerning observer could tell that Wang Shu was completely at a disadvantage. What astonished them was that the acknowledged top master of Shushan, the head of the Zhengquan Sect, was immediately forced back upon engaging Ye Wen, seemingly unable to mount any effective counterattack. This greatly surprised those who had anticipated a fierce, dragon-and-tiger battle.

Compared to the onlookers, Wang Shu felt the situation far more acutely. Ye Wen’s palm strikes were continuous, and every time they connected with his fists or palms, a formidable force erupted. Furthermore, Ye Wen’s delivery, alternating between slow and steady, possessed a deceptive quality. After only a few exchanges, Wang Shu was secretly cursing his predicament.

In truth, Wang Shu had already heard from Zhang Gui that this young man possessed profound internal energy and exquisite skill in his movements, but at the time, he had not taken it to heart.

Later, after hearing the detailed account of Zhang Gui’s defeat by Ye Wen, he had only become slightly more attentive, estimating that Ye Wen’s skill might be comparable to his own, perhaps even slightly superior. Yet, he was confident that with his wealth of combat experience, he could gain the upper hand against Ye Wen.

Upon arriving at the Shushan Sect today, his initial intention was merely to dampen the sect’s rising prestige. Shushan had been too prominent lately, and moreover, they had past grievances with his Zhengquan Sect. To ignore them entirely might only embolden the Shushan Sect further. Of course, if circumstances permitted, he would not object to openly confronting or even annihilating the sect.

However, he had not anticipated that events would unfold so contrary to his expectations. Even when he realized the situation was untenable and wished to withdraw, Ye Wen relentlessly blocked their path, leading to this very fight.

What astonished him even more was his near-total inability to fight back against this young man. They had exchanged at least a dozen moves since the fight began; apart from his opening punch, the rest of the time had been entirely defensive, with no opportunity whatsoever to counterattack.

Having been relentlessly pressured and beaten back for a sustained period, the arrogant Wang Shu felt a suffocating frustration. He hardened his resolve, deciding to risk everything. With a fierce roar, he prepared to intentionally absorb one of Ye Wen’s palms, then use that momentum to land a powerful punch.

He was willing to trade injuries to reverse this dire situation. He was confident that with the power of his own fist, if he could just connect with Ye Wen, he could severely injure the young man on the spot.

This punch employed the most formidable technique within the Da Zheng Quan (Great Orthodox Fist) style, simultaneously channeling all his internal power into this single strike. Wang Shu was clearly attempting a decisive, all-or-nothing gambit.

Unfortunately, his intentions had not escaped Ye Wen’s notice.

Ye Wen found that as his internal cultivation deepened, his five senses, including his eyesight, grew increasingly acute. He perceived Wang Shu’s shift in gaze instantly. Following the roar, Ye Wen immediately understood that the man intended to fight desperately.

Observing the trajectory of the incoming fist, Ye Wen’s hand movements instantly changed. He did not retract the palm strike aimed at Wang Shu; instead, he rushed forward rapidly, closing the distance between them further. Simultaneously, his palm struck Wang Shu’s chest even faster. Then, before Wang Shu could react, he retracted his hands using the rebound force and immediately struck towards his left side.

Wang Shu heard a series of sharp pa-pa-pa sounds. First, a sharp pain shot through his chest, causing his internal qi and blood to surge. This disrupted the internal force he was channeling, causing the momentum of his punch to involuntarily slow slightly. Because of this momentary delay, Wang Shu’s punch failed to reach Ye Wen. Instead, immediately following the impact on his chest, and with almost no interval, the side of his swinging fist, his wrist, and his forearm were struck in quick succession.

The force of these subsequent blows was not overwhelming, but they landed precisely where Wang Shu was channeling his internal force. Furthermore, the first palm strike landed squarely on his Tanzhong acupoint. These combined impacts directly jarred the qi within Wang Shu into chaos. The right fist he had thrown lost its original momentum, and moreover, because Ye Wen’s subsequent strikes had shifted its trajectory, it posed no threat whatsoever.

But the exchange was not over. After using three consecutive palms to neutralize Wang Shu’s attack, Ye Wen seized the opportunity presented by Wang Shu’s wide-open, defenseless posture. His palm attacks continued, smoothly transitioning into a strike aimed at Wang Shu’s abdomen.

Wang Shu, reeling from the continuous assault and his chaotic internal qi, reacted much more slowly. By the time he recovered his senses, Ye Wen’s attack was upon him again.

At this close range, Wang Shu’s broad, sweeping Da Zheng Quan techniques were completely unusable. Fortunately, because Ye Wen had been pressing his attack continuously, this particular move, despite its coherence, was inevitably half a beat slow. Wang Shu immediately switched to another proud skill, Xiao Zheng Quan (Lesser Orthodox Fist), barely managing to ward off the palm strike aimed at his abdomen, and using that leverage, he instinctively brought his elbow crashing towards Ye Wen’s chest.

In reality, Wang Shu had not put much force into this strike; he merely sought to use it to force Ye Wen to retreat. He was deeply wary of Ye Wen’s continuous, relentless palm style that allowed no time for reaction. At this moment, he could only force Ye Wen back first, then strategize how to counter.

Alas, Ye Wen gave him no such opportunity. With only a slight step back and a slight shift of his body, he precisely evaded the blow. At the same time, his hand movements shifted. The seemingly leisurely moves suddenly turned fierce and powerful, culminating in a closed-fist strike that shot directly towards Wang Shu’s shoulder.

Ye Wen’s punch was fully charged and unleashed with astonishing momentum. Before the fist even arrived, Wang Shu felt a pressure building in front of his shoulder.

However, because Ye Wen’s punch involved such a large motion, and he had shifted slightly to avoid Wang Shu’s elbow, Wang Shu was granted a crucial fraction of a second to react. He immediately shifted his body sideways, dodging Ye Wen’s ferocious punch.

But just as he barely dodged it, he realized Ye Wen was using the momentum of the punch to surge forward. His footwork was not slow either; he followed up with a sweeping leg kick aimed at Wang Shu’s lower body. Wang Shu knew that if his reaction or perception had been even slightly slower, he would have been immediately swept off his feet.

If that happened, as the head of the Zhengquan Sect, he would lose all face and likely never be able to operate in the Shushan region again. Yet, while this attack was fierce, attempting to strike Wang Shu seemed a touch naive. Wang Shu immediately leaped into the air, vaulting directly over Ye Wen to escape the kick.

The moment he jumped, Wang Shu felt a terrible premonition, as if he had leaped into a carefully laid trap. But before he could react, he felt a jarring shock against his back, followed by an overwhelming surge of power penetrating his body, impacting various meridians. As the force erupted, Wang Shu felt himself become like a kite cut loose, flying far forward through the air before smashing down onto the hard stone pavement with a heavy bang.

“Pfft!”

Wang Shu, who had tasted a coppery tang in his mouth even in mid-air, was jolted again upon landing. He could hold it back no longer, and a large mouthful of blood spewed out without restraint. Even after the first gush, he choked, vomiting another mouthful.

Wang Shu realized there was a rogue surge of qi churning violently within him, twisting his already chaotic internal energy into a messy knot. This violent energy directly injured his meridians, and even his internal organs had been affected.

Before he could properly assess his internal condition, another spurt of blood erupted. Wang Shu knew he had suffered a severely internal injury this time. Losing all his cultivation would be the best-case scenario; it was entirely possible he might die here.

What he couldn't comprehend was how that young man possessed such terrifying palm force. He had already guessed that Ye Wen had attacked his back immediately after he jumped, but he couldn't understand why that strike was not only overwhelmingly powerful but also carried such a difficult, disruptive internal energy? Only a true master with a formidable internal cultivation method could achieve such a feat. He could not fathom how such a master existed in this backwater place like Shushan.

“What exactly is Ye Wen’s background?”

Unfortunately, these words could not escape his lips. Clutching his chest and spitting blood, Wang Shu was completely unable to speak, unable even to rise, left sprawled on the ground in utter disarray.

By this time, Ye Wen had withdrawn his hands and stood calmly, looking down at the defeated Wang Shu unable to rise. He was not surprised Wang Shu was injured to this extent. In those final few maneuvers, he had suddenly altered his technique, using moves from the Duoming Lianhuan San Xian Jian (Fatal Continuous Three Immortals Sword). Since he wielded no sword, he had to adapt the execution slightly.

For instance, the initial strike, the powerful Zhengquan blow, actually utilized a move from Taizu Chang Quan (Ancestral Long Fist). The follow-up move that forced Wang Shu to jump was unremarkable, simply something he improvised based on the situation.

The final counter-palm strike had similar moves in Mian Zhang and Quanzhen Swordplay, though slightly different. It was, however, extremely similar to the final blow of the original San Xian Jian. The difference was that the final move of San Xian Jian was a backward stab, directly killing the opponent.

Ye Wen held no sword, and relying only on palm force would not yield such power. But Ye Wen possessed the Zixia Gong (Purple Cloud Skill); during the final strike, he channeled the Zixia Gong, driving the internal energy solid into Wang Shu’s body.

“You still being alive right now is thanks to my Zixia Gong not yet being fully mastered.”