The Almighty Martial Arts System - Chapter 334

Manipulating airflow was something many could achieve at a basic level.

Take, for instance, the battle between Liu Yunduo and Miyamoto Ichizen. Initially suppressed by Miyamoto’s sudden Iaijutsu draw, she deliberately broke her own sword. Then, harnessing the gentle breeze in the air, she unleashed a powerful move that shattered Miyamoto’s imitation Iaijutsu.

However, Liu Yunduo’s technique merely utilized the wind’s force to blend her sword technique into the airflow, thereby amplifying its lethality. Her application represented the most fundamental and simplistic use of airflow principles—something most skilled internal force masters could accomplish.

Yet, the move employed by this drunkard before him was fundamentally and completely different from Liu Yunduo’s.

This drunkard wasn’t simply using airflow’s properties to merge his technique into it. He wasn’t relying on any external element at all. This palm technique was formed directly by manipulating the air itself!

The difference between the two was like comparing someone who had just grasped the basics of a subject to someone who had meticulously dissected it, thoroughly understood its underlying principles, and comprehended its very essence!

Although the drunkard likely hadn’t cultivated internal force for as many years as Miyamoto Ichizen—over a decade—his understanding and application of internal force were remarkably profound and effortless, reaching a level of mastery.

Having reached this stage in internal force cultivation meant he had truly entered the hall of mastery, deserving of the term ‘profound.’ He was probably not far from the legendary realm where even a flying flower or plucked leaf could become a weapon.

A master of this caliber was undoubtedly a level stronger in combat prowess than the Miyamoto Ichizen that Jiang Fei had slain. Had Miyamoto come to challenge this young drunkard back then, even employing his ultimate Three-Sword Style likely wouldn’t have secured him a victory.

Jiang Fei’s expression turned grave.

If this young drunkard was already this formidable, what about his master, the Drunken Monk?

There was no time for Jiang Fei to ponder further or ask questions. The drunkard’s initially awkward and strenuous palm movements grew increasingly fluid. The internal force-driven airflow accumulated between his palms surged with mounting ferocity. Not only did the drunkard’s coarse linen clothes billow out, but even the green bamboo lining the path began swaying violently under the influence.

Remembering this was a filming location for the movie “The Storm Riders,” and witnessing the drunkard’s marvelous palm technique, Jiang Fei couldn’t help but think to himself that even Bu Jingyun’s “Cloud-Parting Palm” probably wouldn’t be vastly superior.

When the drunkard was about a meter away, his palms reached their peak speed, flashing like lightning as they struck directly at Jiang Fei’s head.

Hiss——————

The sound of tearing air grew sharper. Facing this attack head-on felt like being assaulted by thousands of sharp blades simultaneously. Jiang Fei knew perfectly well he couldn’t afford to take this hit. If such a powerful airflow blast connected with his head, it would shatter like a watermelon smashed by a brick, brains and all.

A palm strike containing such immense power and destructive force, once its airflow was truly unleashed, would be no less devastating than the explosion of a small bomb.

Naturally, Jiang Fei had to raise his hand to block.

The drunkard’s attack speed at the end was incredibly fast, almost leaving afterimages in the air, invisible to the ordinary eye. But to Jiang Fei, this speed was still insufficient.

This wasn’t because Jiang Fei’s eyesight surpassed mortal limits. It was because when you yourself become exceedingly fast, everything around you naturally seems to slow down.

Among Jiang Fei’s four basic attributes, three had just broken through the threshold of four, making them roughly four times that of an ordinary person. Only his agility attribute had been boosted to six!

What did an agility attribute of six signify?

Simply saying “six times” might not fully convey the terror. But putting it another way makes its incredibleness clear.

An average adult man running the 100-meter dash at full speed takes about 13 seconds, covering roughly 7.7 meters per second. Multiply that by six, and you get 46 meters per second!

Converted to kilometers per hour, that’s 166 km/h!

Consider that the cheetah, arguably the fastest land animal, reaches a top speed of only about 113 km/h—significantly slower than Jiang Fei.

And this was Jiang Fei’s speed without any internal force augmentation or lightness skill techniques. If he factored in his internal force, doubling his speed probably wouldn’t be an issue.

At that point, he would truly be faster than the wind.

With such running speed, the speed of his punches or sword strikes would naturally be even faster.

Thud!

Jiang Fei’s right-hand middle and index fingers extended like a sharp sword, thrusting forward at an incredibly tricky yet perfectly precise angle.

Pfft——————

When Jiang Fei’s fingers collided with the drunkard’s palm, it was like a sharp sword piercing a ball. The drunkard’s accumulated energy was immediately punctured, and the fierce power brewing inside found an outlet.

Just like a breach in a floodgate, the pent-up torrent burst forth. The brutal force rampaged and collided wildly, resonating like muffled thunder.

Boom!

Both men were struck by the overwhelming, out-of-control force. Even with their formidable strength, they were sent flying nearly ten meters through the air before landing.

At the point of their collision, a fierce, unnatural whirlwind erupted from the ground, uprooting two nearby bamboo stalks.

Upon landing, both Jiang Fei and the drunkard wore looks of astonishment. They were individuals who had always held great confidence in their own strength, never expecting to meet their match this time.

“What a rare master. His internal force is so exquisitely refined, practically perfected. If I used the North Dipper Divine Art to absorb his power, the gains would probably be incredible!” Jiang Fei thought to himself, eyes narrowing slightly after landing.

Although the last exchange ended in a draw, Jiang Fei didn’t believe a full-out, no-holds-barred fight would yield the same result. After all, his most formidable techniques currently were the Lone Nine Swords and the Wudang Cloud-Ladder lightness skill.

The combination of these sword techniques and agility skills, amplified by his agility attribute of six, formed his true trump card. Using his fingers as a substitute for a sword earlier hadn’t unleashed their full power.

Had Jiang Fei wielded his actual sword instead of bare hands, he wouldn’t have merely neutralized the drunkard’s move for a draw. Confident in his swordsmanship, Jiang Fei believed employing the “Palm-Breaking” technique from the Lone Nine Swords would have inflicted serious wounds on his opponent.

The drunkard’s eyes also held a flicker of change after landing, though his thoughts remained inscrutable.

Just as the two prepared to clash again, footsteps sounded from a distance. Both turned their heads almost simultaneously.

“Haha, truly spectacular!” The voice arrived before its owner.

Three young people approached—two men and one woman.

The man and woman walking closely together clearly came from affluent backgrounds. Moreover, they weren’t from ordinary nouveau riche families producing spoiled heirs, but rather from prestigious, long-established lineages.

Their attire and bearing were elegant without being ostentatious, refined yet not aloof, far surpassing the average wealthy second generation.

The third individual, however, stood out starkly. Like the drunkard in his coarse linen, he seemed out of place in the modern era, very non-mainstream. He was burly, built like a bear from the northeast. Most of his head was shaved bald, save for a single lock of hair in the center, tied into a small braid.

Seeing Jiang Fei and the drunkard, the couple stood up. The man addressed Jiang Fei, “Meeting you in person surpasses mere reputation. Jiang Fei, hailed as the most gifted swordsman in the martial world in nearly a century, your skills are indeed extraordinary. No wonder you defeated Miyamoto Ichizen. It’s a regret I couldn’t witness that battle in Huacheng personally.”

The braided man, looking like a northeastern bear, fixed Jiang Fei with a combative gaze. “To so easily break Little Drunkard’s ‘Air-Cleaving Palm,’ you’re clearly no fraud, but a genuine master! Come on, let’s have a match too!”

As he spoke, the braided man’s hands chopped down like blades on two nearby bamboo stalks, cleanly severing them at waist height. With a few swift motions, he used his hands to “whittle” them into two bamboo poles. Tossing one to Jiang Fei, he said, “I hear your sword art is your forte. Today, I seek to learn from it!”

Catching the bamboo pole, Jiang Fei gave a wry smile and pointed at the drunkard. “Why don’t you challenge him instead?”

“I’ve fought this guy too many times. It’s always a draw. Another fight won’t change much. Battling you is far more interesting,” the braided youth replied.

Jiang Fei felt a prick of irritation. “Do you take me for some square-dancing granny? You think I’ll fight just because you say so?”

These masters seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, each one seemingly a top-tier expert. He hadn’t encountered any of them at the Central National Martial Arts Hall in the capital or during his decisive battle with Miyamoto Ichizen in Huacheng.

If he could absorb the internal force of all four… Jiang Fei felt he might even break through the first layer of the North Dipper Divine Art!

But what exactly had brought this group to seek him out?

The drunkard flashed over, retrieved his gourd from the stone table, took a swig, and laughed heartily. “Enough. Let’s hold off for now. Judging from that last exchange, truly determining a victor between us wouldn’t be easy. It would likely require using our ultimate trump cards, draining us significantly. Bai, you should hold off too. Let’s find Jiang Fei again after his match with Yagyu Munenori.”

“After facing Yagyu Munenori, will there even be a ‘him’ left in this world?” the braided youth called ‘Mánzi’ (Barbarian) stated bluntly. Then, looking at Jiang Fei, he said, “Oh, you must know this drunkard’s background by now? I’m Bai Kedi. My master is ‘Lord Dong’!”