pertwk Chapter 354: The Heart Image Prototype Appears
Chapter 354: The Heart Image Prototype Appears
A chill ran through Xu Wuyi’s heart as he drifted back once more.
But Chu Shanhe gave him no respite.
His right fist missed. He spun with the momentum, his left leg cleaving down like a war axe. Blood-red patterns condensed along his shin, forming a dark-red blade of energy that ripped through the void!
Xu Wuyi flicked his spear upward, the tip clashing with the leg-blade.
"BOOM!"
A shockwave erupted. Xu Wuyi’s form dipped slightly, and a ripple spread across the void beneath his feet.
Chu Shanhe’s assault shifted again. His fists flew like a torrential storm—fists, palms, elbows, knees...
Every part of his body had become a weapon. Every blow was heavy as a mountain, and combined with his peerless Martial Arts, his assault was as relentless as a tsunami.
Xu Wuyi was completely on the defensive.
He was forced to push the Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear to its absolute limit, its afterimages forming a screen that staunchly defended the three-foot radius around him.
But the defensive power of Chu Shanhe’s "Blood Weapon arms" was terrifyingly high. Ordinary spear techniques couldn’t even begin to break through.
What was more terrifying was that the arms’ offensive power had also reached an inconceivable level. Every clash sent Xu Wuyi’s Qi and Blood into turmoil.
In just three seconds, the two had exchanged dozens of moves.
Chu Shanhe pressed his advantage, his dark-red "Blood Weapon arms" leaving trails of afterimages across the Starry Sky, looking as if they would utterly pulverize anything in their path.
The fourth second. An imperceptible stutter appeared in Xu Wuyi’s Spear Momentum.
A glint flashed in Chu Shanhe’s eyes. His right fist shot through a gap in the spear’s afterimages, aimed directly at Xu Wuyi’s chest!
If this punch were to land, he would be severely injured, even with the protection of his Qi and Blood.
In the spectator stands, countless people held their breath.
Yet, just as the fist was about to make contact, a dark-golden light suddenly flared in Xu Wuyi’s eyes.
He stopped retreating.
He spun his spear, sweeping the butt end horizontally like a staff to viciously collide with Chu Shanhe’s right fist!
"CLANG—!!!"
Amid the deafening clang, Xu Wuyi used the force of the impact to float back ten meters, stabilizing himself.
Chu Shanhe’s right fist was blocked and his assault slowed for a moment, but he didn’t stop, charging forward once more.
The fifth second.
Watching Chu Shanhe charge at him again, Xu Wuyi slowly exhaled.
’It’s time.’
He no longer suppressed the Mental Realm within his sea of consciousness.
The two True Intentions of "Mountain" and "Burn" had long been gathering power. Now, under the extreme pressure from Chu Shanhe’s Blood Condensation Soldier, they were fully unleashed.
No, this was no longer a simple fusion.
Instead, using the Golden Crow Carrying the Earth Visualization Method as its foundation, the two True Intentions were completely integrated into the framework of his Heart Image Prototype.
Behind Xu Wuyi, an illusion of a radiant, great sun slowly materialized in the void.
Within the great sun, a three-legged Golden Crow beat its wings and cried out, showering down endless golden light.
And beneath the great sun, an illusion of a vast, boundless Earth slowly unfolded, bearing the golden light and nurturing life.
Golden Crow Carrying the Earth, the Heart Image Prototype—erupting in its full glory!
At that moment, all the starlight across the entire Star Dome Battlefield seemed to dim.
Chu Shanhe’s charge came to an abrupt halt.
He felt an indescribable spiritual pressure, as if the heavens and earth themselves were bearing down on him.
The blood-red patterns on the surface of his "Blood Weapon arms" began to tremble violently, looking as if they might shatter at any moment.
"This is... your Heart Image Prototype?" Chu Shanhe’s voice was hoarse, yet his eyes blazed with a fiery light.
"It is," Xu Wuyi said slowly, raising his spear.
On the tip of his spear, the dark-golden Undying Flame ignited without a sound. This time, however, a clear Golden Crow Illusion could be seen within the Flame, with the illusion of the Earth faintly visible as well.
Golden Crow Sky Splitting—the second spear.
Xu Wuyi took a step forward.
It was just a single step, yet he seemed to traverse space itself, instantly appearing before Chu Shanhe.
He thrust his spear.
There was no sound of tearing air, no eruption of Qi and Blood. There was only a thin, dark-golden line, condensed to the absolute limit, extending from the tip of the spear. Within that line, the Golden Crow soared and the Earth supported.
This thrust was not fast, but it was as heavy as the entire Earth pressing down, as scorching as a radiant sun descending from the heavens.
Chu Shanhe gritted his teeth. He threw both fists forward, pushing Blood Condensation Soldier to its limit. His dark-red "Blood Weapon arms" slammed toward the spear tip like two mountains!
He was going to take it head-on!
"BOOM—!!!"
For a fraction of a second, at the moment of impact, time seemed to stand still.
The next moment, the thin, dark-golden line sank soundlessly into the dark-red "Blood Weapon arms."
There was no explosion, no shockwave.
Only a faint, crisp CRACK.
A fine crack appeared on the blood-patterned armor on Chu Shanhe’s arms, starting from his fists.
The crack spread rapidly, branching out like a spiderweb until it covered the armor on both his arms in the blink of an eye.
"BANG!"
The dark-red armor shattered completely, dissolving into a dissipating mist of blood.
Chu Shanhe’s arms fell to his sides. Although there were no wounds on the skin of his virtual body, his Qi and Blood was in complete chaos. He would be unable to form his Qi Blood Armor again for some time.
He staggered back several steps before managing to regain his footing.
Looking up at Xu Wuyi, a complex smile appeared on Chu Shanhe’s face.
It held shock and helplessness, but more than anything, relief.
"I’ve lost."
He said it calmly, as if he had expected this outcome all along.
Xu Wuyi retracted his spear, and the illusion of Golden Crow Carrying the Earth slowly faded behind him.
The Star Dome Battlefield grew quiet again, with only the distant stars continuing their silent orbits.
"Your Blood Nerve is very strong," Xu Wuyi said seriously, looking at Chu Shanhe. "If it weren’t for me, you probably would have made it to the finals of this youth tournament."
Chu Shanhe shook his head. "There are no ’what ifs.’ The path of Martial Arts is one of constantly meeting stronger people—either to be surpassed, or to surpass them."
He looked at Xu Wuyi, his gaze sincere. "I’ve learned a great deal from this battle. Thank you."
"Likewise," said Xu Wuyi.
Chu Shanhe smiled and said no more, his figure slowly fading away.
[Victory! Advancing to the finals!]
The system notification rang out, but the spectator stands remained silent for a long time.
Everyone was still reeling from the shock of that final spear thrust.
Golden Crow Carrying the Earth. A Heart Image Prototype.
That was a power on the same level as Hong Nianyi’s "Celestial River Annihilation," a true sign of having touched the threshold of the Innate realm.
And Xu Wuyi was only a second-year student.
"A monster..."
No one knew who whispered it.
The next moment, the entire spectator channel erupted.
...
The starlight of the Star Dome Battlefield slowly faded in the wake of Xu Wuyi’s final victory.
When the system notification faded completely from his ears, Xu Wuyi’s figure rematerialized on the vast Circular Plaza.
Countless virtual spectator seats flickered into view high above. Though they were silent, he could almost feel hundreds of millions of eyes focused on him.
His opponent for the final match was already waiting.
He was a tall young man in a dark-brown Martial Arts Uniform. He came from a key Martial Arts University in the eastern Federation, one not affiliated with the Three Greats.
His name was Chen Yuefeng, a fourth-year with a Life Energy Level of 34.1.
Xu Wuyi’s gaze calmly swept over him.
He could sense that while Chen Yuefeng’s Qi and Blood wasn’t weak, it lacked the refinement of Chu Shanhe or Zhai Zidu. His Spiritual Will also seemed unfocused, nowhere near the threshold of a Heart Image Prototype.