Tiger Elder Wang Tao called out loudly, "Four Great Envoys—go and meet the Left and Right Envoys of the Nine Heavens Palace!"
This tactic of "sending inferior horses against superior ones" was not only meant to humiliate the Yin-Yang Envoys, but more importantly to preserve strength. After all, a decisive duel between the Master of the True God Palace, Tuoba Xingge, and the Lord of the Nine Heavens, Long Zhentian, at Mount Huangshan was imminent. A full-scale conflict could erupt at any moment.
Hearing this, Li Han, the Left Envoy, immediately formed his own plan. His gaze shifted as he caught sight of Qilin Elder Lin Ping and Xuanwu Elder Shen Er. Raising his voice, he said, "Lin Ping, Qilin Elder, and Shen Er, Xuanwu Elder—these minor troops are yours to deal with!"
Lin Ping replied, "The Lord of the Nine Heavens has recently praised Shen Er for his rapid progress in martial arts. Why not let him take the field and test himself?" His words were half born of jealousy, half from a genuine desire to see Shen Er's true abilities.
With a flicker of movement, Xuanwu Elder Shen Er stepped lightly into the arena. He cupped his fists respectfully and said, "Four Great Envoys, let us fight bare-handed and test each other's skills—what do you think?"
Shen Er was a martial fanatic. His master, Fu Jing, had once secretly observed Chen Tao practicing the "Seven Absolutes Palm" technique and memorized it for his own use. However, without the internal cultivation methods and口诀 (oral formulas), the technique remained incomplete. When Shen Er had previously used this hollow form against Ling Xian'er, she had easily seen through it and soundly defeated him. Yet from that humiliation came unexpected fortune. After returning from Tianshan, Shen Er repeatedly pondered the palm techniques and fragments of口诀 he had memorized. Over time, he grasped their profound subtleties, and his martial arts advanced rapidly. His strikes were no longer what they once had been.
Tiger Elder Wang Tao, however, did not think highly of Shen Er. Seeing him challenge four opponents alone, he said, "Xuanwu Elder, one man against four—such generosity we dare not accept. Why not fight alongside Qilin Elder?"
Though his words seemed courteous, his tone was dismissive. He clearly doubted Shen Er's abilities.
But Shen Er replied calmly, "Tiger Elder, you may not know this, but I have made great progress in my martial studies recently. To have the chance today to test my skills against your Four Great Envoys is a rare honor." His expression was sincere, almost humble.
Wang Tao was taken aback, then said coldly, "In that case, our True God Palace is fortunate to meet such a worthy opponent. Four Great Envoys—the Xuanwu Elder of the Nine Heavens Palace possesses formidable skills. Do not be careless."
Though he spoke words of praise, his tone was laced with sarcasm. Inwardly, he sneered, Let's see what you're really capable of.
Unperturbed, Shen Er respectfully said, "Four Great Envoys, please make your move."
The Four Great Envoys of the True God Palace—Li Qi, Bai Mu, Wang Ben, and Zhao Li—were furious at being treated so lightly. Their expressions darkened as they muttered among themselves.
Li Qi barked, "The True God Palace and the Nine Heavens Palace have always kept to their own paths. You've brought this upon yourself!"
Zhao Li added angrily, "This score must be settled!"
In an instant, the four surrounded Shen Er. Wang Ben said coldly, "You think to test our skills? You'll regret it soon enough!"
Li Qi shouted, "This fool really thinks himself invincible, daring to face four alone! Today we'll teach him a lesson!"
With a sharp movement, Li Qi leapt forward and called out, "Zhao Li, we attack first!" The two darted out together, moving in perfect coordination. Clearly, they had trained extensively. Their palms shot toward Shen Er from different angles.
In that instant, Shen Er seemed to freeze. Suddenly, his right arm circled, and his right palm struck out.
Li Qi was already moving like an arrow released from the bow, while Zhao Li's strike was already upon him. Shen Er's palm met Li Qi's—
Bang!
Li Qi had no time to evade. He was struck directly and sent flying backward, stumbling several steps before regaining his footing.
Without pause, Shen Er shifted his stance. His left arm circled, and his left palm followed.
Zhao Li could not avoid it in time and was forced to meet the blow—
Bang!
He too was sent reeling backward four or five steps.
The crowd was stunned.
With only two strikes, Shen Er had sent both Li Qi and Zhao Li flying. His palm force was formidable, but even more remarkable was his impeccable timing and adaptability in combat. His mastery was unmistakable—his skill already rivaled that of the Left and Right Envoys, Li Han and Ling Yun.
At that moment, everyone present was utterly astonished.
As the saying goes: "When an expert makes a move, the truth is revealed at once."
Li Han and Ling Yun of the Nine Heavens Palace, as well as Qin Wei and Wang Tao of the True God Palace, were all deeply shocked. It was truly a case of "after three days apart, one must look with new eyes."
Tiger Elder Wang Tao, seasoned in the martial world and widely experienced, had previously looked down upon Shen Er. Now, he could hardly believe what he was seeing.
Back during the Tianshan battle, Shen Er had suffered a crushing defeat, struck down repeatedly by Ling Xian'er. Though the pain had been excruciating, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He gained fragments of the palm techniques and internal methods.
At the time, Shen Er had even thanked her repeatedly despite being beaten to the ground. Watching this, Qilin Elder Lin Ping had been furious, shouting, "Shen Er, have you lost your mind? She beat you so badly, and you still thank her?!"
But Shen Er had replied, "Exactly. I must thank her. After all these years of practice, even my master never taught me the true essence of palm techniques. If I had not been beaten, how could I understand their profundity?"
Not long ago, Tiger Elder Wang Tao had sent the Four Great Envoys to challenge them. Li Han, unwilling to engage directly, had assigned Lin Ping and Shen Er to face them. Lin Ping, however, burdened by jealousy, refused to fight alongside Shen Er, intending instead to see what he was truly capable of.
He had never expected that today, Shen Er would strike with lightning speed. With just two palms, he proved that the Nine Heavens Lord's praise was no exaggeration.
At this moment, Lin Ping was filled with regret. Why had he not encountered such an opportunity at Tianshan?
He suddenly recalled Liu Yun's words: "Shen Er has truly gained great skill today. You must be both envious and jealous, aren't you?"
She had been right.
Though Shen Er had been beaten so badly he could barely stand, and others saw only humiliation, Liu Yun had understood that he had gained immeasurable benefit.