The middle-aged man was tall and powerfully built, with extremely broad shoulders. Standing there, he resembled a towering mountain before Meng Qi, exuding immense pressure.
Upon hearing the words, he slowly stepped forward. The heavens and earth seemed to shift, the ground trembled, and black clouds collapsed, extending all the way to his fist, as if forming a passage bridging the boundary between heaven and humanity—the mythical Buzhou Mountain that connected the Nine Heavens with the mortal world!
His right fist expanded unbelievably, filling Meng Qi’s entire vision. Other than the clearly defined knuckles, hard and unyielding, nothing else could be seen.
Innumerable heavy breaths converged, merging with the collapsing black clouds and the fist, forming a tangible “mountain” that pressed down on the surrounding void, causing it to creak and wobble. It crushed the ground with a grating sound, cracking and sinking as it went.
The mountain loomed heavily, as if it had flown from beyond the sky, pressing down on Meng Qi’s heart, making him tremble involuntarily, unable to escape. At the same time, it materialized as “reality,” crushing down on his body.
The distance between them vanished in an instant!
Yao Xingliu, upon seeing the corpse-handler unleash his attack, had been tightly gripping his twin swords, slightly frowning, and pondering the strange familiarity of the move. Now, under the oppressive force radiating from the towering mountain, he suddenly shuddered and blurted out:
“External Scene!”
Behind the middle-aged man, a mountain emerged, stretching from the heavens above to the earth below, massive and imposing. The ground cracked beneath its weight, unable to bear the burden, about to collapse. This mountain merged seamlessly with the fist’s momentum, indistinguishable from the right fist, pressing down on “Officer Xiao Su.”
It was actually the External Scene!
Authentic and genuine!
“Officer Xiao Su” is done for…
But if the corpse-handler possesses an External Scene zombie, why knock and wait at the door? Why not attack directly to subdue us all, wasting time pointlessly?
Li Chong had never seen such a powerful attack before. Even hiding behind the fire pit, he trembled in fear, as if a real mountain, carrying terrifying weight, had fallen from the sky. Under such immense pressure, no one could remain fearless, no one could avoid shivering!
This is the External Scene?
This is the External Scene!
Even if he had never eaten pork, Li Chong had at least seen pigs walk. From countless rumors and records, he had heard descriptions of External Scene experts in action—shifting winds and changing clouds, the heavens and earth tilting for “me”!
How could this be?
How could this be!
To unexpectedly encounter an External Scene zombie, and one who didn’t attack earlier but instead drove everyone away!
It was simply inconceivable!
Officer Xiao Su… A thought flickered in his heart, bringing both anxiety and despair. How could an Open Aperture expert possibly withstand the might of an External Scene? Hadn’t the top ten names on the Human List, with all their power, included those who had slain Half-External Scene opponents? Yet in all of history, was there ever a record of a Human List expert killing a full-fledged External Scene master? Even if the opponent was only at the first level!
No matter how strong Officer Xiao Su is, no matter how powerful his hidden life-saving techniques are, he cannot withstand a full-power strike from an External Scene expert!
Sigh, what a fine young man Officer Xiao Su is—strong, polite, and level-headed—yet he is to die here by sheer chance…
Once he is killed, we may all share the same fate…
Xiao Yue lowered her delicate hand from her mouth, her red lips trembling uncontrollably. The corpse-handler actually has an External Scene zombie!
Earlier, she had been wary of him, watching him closely, wanting to test him, wanting to confront him, wanting to drive him out of this courtyard. Yet now, faced with this terrifying reality, she couldn’t help but regret her earlier thoughts, which now seemed foolish and embarrassing.
Thankfully, Officer Xiao Su stood strong, upholding the authority of the justice system. Thank goodness his martial arts were superior, easily defeating her. Otherwise, it would have been her crushed beneath this mountainous pressure, reduced to a pile of pulp!
Even without battle experience, even without opening all nine orifices, under the middle-aged man’s fist, Xiao Yue’s body and mind trembled uncontrollably. This heavenly and earthly might was beyond ordinary beings to resist. Just from the aura and the sight of that fist, it felt as if a massive weight had crushed down on her, her body disintegrating piece by piece.
If he has an External Scene zombie, why does this damned corpse-handler pretend to be weak, watching and sizing me up?
Why not just unleash the zombie directly?
What a pity for Officer Xiao Su. Such fine flesh will be reduced to mud!
The mountain descended, the moonlight dimmed, the void roared, and the ground sank, pure force without the slightest embellishment!
It’s actually the External Scene… Meng Qi’s heart sank under the mountainous pressure.
Although he had always regarded the middle-aged man as more dangerous than the corpse-handler, he had only considered him a Half-External Scene expert. He never expected him to be a full External Scene powerhouse, capable of killing Bolu’erba with just a few punches—this was a veteran External Scene master!
No wonder the corpse-handler dared to come here to kill Old Zhong…
But when facing such a critical situation, why pretend to be weak to catch the strong off guard? Why not just let the middle-aged man attack directly, either killing or driving everyone away? That would have cleared the area before we could call upon Mr. Cui!
Moreover, this boxing technique felt so familiar!
The fist’s momentum transformed into a mountain, towering and heavy, sealing Meng Qi’s body and cutting off all escape routes.
Meng Qi seemed to smell the scent of death. Even as he desperately circulated his inner techniques, maintaining a calm and undisturbed state, he couldn’t stop trembling. If he didn’t act soon, he would die for sure!
The “Lamp Before Buddha” could expel yin entities and suppress evil spirits, but with his current strength, how much of its power could he truly wield?
It would certainly handle a Half-External Scene zombie without issue, but against this genuine External Scene opponent, it might not be enough to truly drive him away or suppress him!
Would he have to unleash both the “Lamp Before Buddha” and the “Heaven’s Scar,” then use the last of his strength to seize a fleeting opportunity and flee?
But would the opponent not chase him down…
Or should he directly shatter the Reincarnation Talisman, like Gu Xiaosang?
Then he would have to abandon waiting for Zhiwei and Senior Brother Qi…
Suddenly, a thought struck Meng Qi. Wasn’t this boxing technique the “Nine Mountains Hard Fist”?
Its momentum resembled mountains of different styles—massive, heavy, and unbreakable. It was exactly the External Scene technique cultivated by Luo Shengyi. The current move was precisely the “Mountain Pressing Overhead” he had used!
The “Nine Mountains Hard Fist” was created by the wandering hero of Ningzhou, the “Solitary Hero.” He was killed by the Life-and-Death Unceasing Sect before he could pass it on to any disciples.
In other words, unless obtained from the Master of the Six Dao Reincarnation, this “Nine Mountains Hard Fist” should no longer exist in this world!
However, the secret techniques obtained from the Master of the Six Dao Reincarnation could not be taught to others. Could it be that this External Scene zombie was once a “Reincarnator”?
Considering Old Zhong’s “Heavenly Demon Cultivation,” it wasn’t impossible…
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Meng Qi’s mind. Suddenly, he recalled a sentence spoken carelessly by Kong Yu:
“There had always been rumors that those killed by the Life-and-Death Unceasing Sect would transform into vengeful ghosts. Now it seems, perhaps mixed within these tales was the matter of the Celestial Maiden’s incarnation.”
“There had always been rumors that those killed by the Life-and-Death Unceasing Sect would transform into vengeful ghosts…”
“Ningzhou’s Hero was precisely killed by the Life-and-Death Unceasing Sect…”
“Could this be Ningzhou’s Hero?”
“His age and strength match perfectly!”
“If it really is him, judging from his current weak aura, half-human and half-ghost state, and his complete obedience to the corpse-handler’s commands, it seems his past memories have been erased, leaving only his body and a new soul!”
“He’s not like the other zombie, completely devoid of intelligence and vitality. He still has an aura, and behaves like a living person!”
Memory… Awakening…
Meng Qi suddenly made a bold decision. He secretly gripped the Reincarnation Talisman, facing the descending mountain without dodging, staring directly at the middle-aged man.
Yao Xingliu gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to flee, upholding the demeanor of a True Martial Sect disciple. His Yang sword was soft, his Yin sword was hard. In a strange posture, he prepared to strike the middle-aged man’s back of the head, employing the strategy of attacking the enemy to relieve the siege.
With the two of them working together, and with “Officer Xiao Su’s” hidden strength, there was still hope of escaping together!
Suddenly, his pupils constricted, his gaze frozen. The twin swords he was about to strike with hesitated for a moment. Before him, the “Officer Xiao Su,” previously on the verge of collapse under the fist’s pressure, suddenly transformed in demeanor. He stood there, as if merging with the heavens and earth, his figure towering and majestic, exuding an indescribable charm of gods and demons.
Xiao Yue had already decided to turn and flee, planning to escape while the External Scene zombie was preoccupied with killing Officer Xiao Su. But as soon as the thought arose, her body froze in place. She felt the “Officer Xiao Su” nearby suddenly become towering and immense, as if filling the entire heavens and earth, like a deity descending into the world, his charm beyond description. His already handsome face now bore an air of sanctity and unfathomability.
He wants to withstand an External Scene expert head-on?
Impossible!
Li Chong couldn’t see much, but he deeply felt the change in “Officer Xiao Su’s” aura. Before, he had seemed like just an extraordinary martial artist, but now, he carried an almost inhuman presence—ancient and distant, overlooking life and death with impartiality.
What was happening?
The middle-aged man, “half-dead and half-alive,” with limited consciousness, suddenly found his vision darkening, the scenery shifting.
It was now a deep, calm sea, with golden glimmers hidden within, like reflections of sunlight. Yet the surroundings were shrouded in black mist—where could sunlight come from?
Suddenly, the waves surged, a golden glimmer leaped forth, only to be consumed by the black mist. Yet the waves surged powerfully, golden glimmers flying out in pieces, and the black mist could no longer suppress them.
A tall and powerful man, dressed in rags, practiced martial arts day after day, visited renowned masters, and diligently sought instruction.
He failed repeatedly, faced danger time and again, endured countless hardships, and finally became a martial expert.
He never married, devoting himself entirely to martial cultivation, with unwavering faith and focus.
He traveled across mountains, observing their formations, gradually becoming immersed, as if gaining insight.
He stood proudly before a mountain, slowly swinging his fists. In the end, it was as if an identical mountain had risen from the ground!
Success! The tall man let out a triumphant roar toward the sky. The middle-aged man’s consciousness felt genuine joy.
Who is this? He wondered inwardly.
The tall man turned around, revealing a face the middle-aged man knew best!
It was himself!
It was himself!
All the black mist dissipated. The middle-aged man’s descending fist abruptly halted. He raised his head and let out a long, crazed roar.
“What are you doing?” the corpse-handler shouted, swinging his zombie-controlling staff.
The middle-aged man swiftly turned, his face twisted, seemingly lucid yet mad, and swung his fist downward. A mountain descended from the sky.
The corpse-handler unleashed numerous techniques, but under the onslaught of the mighty fist and mountain, they all appeared fragile and were instantly shattered!
The fist struck down, the ground collapsed, and the middle-aged man let out a strange cry, bursting out of the courtyard. In the crater left behind, only a pool of blood and mud remained.
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