Chapter 58: The Mutated Version of the Great Compassionate Palm

Before the official start of the competition at the Dengfeng arena, conflict erupted, and both sides began fighting in the pavilion.

To everyone's surprise, Li Xuan, a late-stage innate martial artist, was being overwhelmed by the combined efforts of Huang Feihong, Su Can, and Tie Niu. 

In this altercation, Tie Niu was the main contributor. His unique talent allowed his Giant Spirit Palm to be difficult to evade, forcing Li Xuan to focus all his energy on countering him. Huang Feihong and Su Can primarily supported by attacking from the rear, successfully landing a few surprise hits.

As both sides were about to fully engage, some people, like the sword-wielding Chai Xian, managed to keep their composure, while others, like the two ghostly figures from the north, were quick to act.

The two northern ghosts, both peak late-stage innate martial artists, were known for their joint attack tactics. Together, they could possibly overpower Chai Xian, one of the stronger fighters on Chen Ding's side.

These two aggressive individuals wasted no time and charged directly at the opposing side's core figure, Shaolin's Abbot, Hu Yuan Zhen.

It was a smart tactic—target the leader first.

Seeing the two rush toward him, Hu Yuan Zhen chuckled coldly, raised a hand to stop the others from intervening, and said, "Please, gentlemen, put down your weapons. This is not the place for bloodshed."

The leader of the northern ghosts, the green-faced ghost, shouted, "Bald monk, don't talk nonsense. Today, I'm sending you to see the King of Hell!"

Hu Yuan Zhen calmly responded, "Even if I die, I will meet Buddha, not the King of Hell."

With that, he skillfully retreated, dodging the two incoming ghosthead blades.

"Please, gentlemen, I have already allowed you one strike," he said, his voice steady.

The two northern ghosts, stunned by Hu Yuan Zhen's swift movements, failed to land even a blow. Despite their growing apprehension, they pressed forward, cursing loudly, "Bald monk, don't run! What's the point of dodging with your lightness skill?"

Just as the ghosthead blades came for his head, Hu Yuan Zhen smirked and calmly declared, "Even if I don't dodge, you won't harm me."

Before the words were even finished, the two ghosthead blades struck his bald head.

"Clang!"

The blades bounced off his head with an incredible sound, leaving no mark whatsoever.

The move left most of the onlookers in shock. This monk's skull was unreasonably hard!

The two northern ghosts were dumbfounded, their faces pale. The force behind their strikes was immense—yet the monk's head showed no sign of injury.

Hu Yuan Zhen continued to chant, "Amitabha, I have allowed you two strikes, yet you still do not understand. Will you not realize your mistake?"

The northern ghosts hesitated, fear creeping into their hearts. They exchanged a glance, neither saying a word, but both could feel the urge to retreat.

At this moment, Chai Xian, from behind, warned, "Be careful. His Iron Head skill is formidable. Don't attack his head."

The Iron Head skill was no secret in Dengfeng. Everyone had witnessed it when Niu Er struck Hu Yuan Zhen's head with all his might, yet it did no harm. Hundreds of people had witnessed it firsthand.

The northern ghosts glanced at each other, their resolve still unshaken, and launched another attack.

This time, Hu Yuan Zhen did not evade. Instead, he suddenly bellowed, "Stubborn fools! Time to teach you a lesson!"

His roar was so powerful that half of Chen Ding's side, including the northern ghosts, were struck with dizziness, vomiting, and collapsing to the ground.

Even the northern ghosts, although skilled, were momentarily stunned, their movements faltering.

Hu Yuan Zhen's late-stage innate power allowed him to use his Lion's Roar without exhausting his internal energy, though it wasn't something he could use frequently. Seeing the effect, he swiftly charged forward, stating, "I've already given you three chances, yet you persist in your ways. Today, I must make you suffer a little. Hopefully, you will understand my intentions."

He closed in on the two northern ghosts, quickly pressed both their heads down, and used his Great Compassionate Palm.

The northern ghosts, still recovering, instinctively raised their hands to block, but before they could react, Hu Yuan Zhen grabbed their wrists, twisted them, and caused them unbearable pain, forcing them to crouch.

With a mighty thrust of his palms, he pressed down on their heads, and with a loud shout of "Hah!"

The combined force of his internal power and Dragon Elephant Prajna skill slammed the northern ghosts' heads into the ground. The force was so great that their heads buried nearly a foot into the ground.

The street, hardened by countless people's footsteps, should have been tough enough to prevent such an occurrence. Yet, the northern ghosts' heads sank deeply into it.

This was the power of the Great Compassionate Palm, a technique normally associated with mercy. However, with the enhancement of Hu Yuan Zhen's Dragon Elephant Prajna skill, it became a devastating force.

With his palms together, Hu Yuan Zhen muttered, "Amitabha, you two were stubborn, so I had no choice but to give you a small punishment. I hope you can learn from this experience."

His actions stunned everyone present.

Even Guan Shan Yue, though capable of dealing with the northern ghosts easily, could never replicate the effortless ease with which Hu Yuan Zhen had subdued them.

Had he used a palm strike instead of pressing down, would their heads have exploded like watermelons?

The onlookers stood in stunned silence as Hu Yuan Zhen turned to the Shaolin monks and said, "Well, since these gentlemen like this pavilion so much, we'll leave it to them. Let them have their way. Why fight over it? The Great Wall still stands; what does it matter to us? Let's go over there."

The Shaolin monks chanted in unison, "The abbot is merciful."

Afterward, they followed Hu Yuan Zhen's lead to another pavilion, leaving behind the destroyed area and the northern ghosts, still planted in the ground.

Chen Ding, standing dumbfounded, realized for the first time that his plans had fallen apart.

Li Xuan, clutching his bruised jaw, looked utterly defeated. His hopes for revenge had been dashed, and he stood helplessly, uncertain of his next move.

Only Chai Xian remained clear-headed, kicking Chen Ding in frustration, "What are you staring at? Go pull them out!"

Chen Ding snapped back to reality, recalling his other expert reinforcements. His hopes were reignited, and he quickly called for help to pull the northern ghosts out of the ground.

A group of men scrambled to assist, with two men pulling each ghost out like they were pulling up turnips, grunting as they worked. Both northern ghosts were bloodied, their necks feeling strangely compressed. Once attractive, they now looked more like demons than men.

Witnessing the horror of the northern ghosts' state, many felt a surge of anger, cursing Hu Yuan Zhen's so-called "compassion." What kind of compassion was that?

Chai Xian, tired of the spectacle, waved his hand dismissively, signaling for them to take the two ghosts away.

Though this wasn't a formal competition, the effects of this encounter were far more profound than any victory or defeat. First, Chen Ding's side had lost two key players, and second, Hu Yuan Zhen's terrifying power had instilled a sense of fear in Chai Xian.

Soon, more reinforcements would arrive, but could they possibly be a match for the abbot?

Meanwhile, Hu Yuan Zhen and the Shaolin monks moved on to a different pavilion, their steps light. A servant approached, waving a fan, and asked, "Abbot, what martial art did you just use on those two ugly ghosts?"

The moment the question was asked, everyone's ears perked up.

The abbot, after all, was the highest-ranking monk in Shaolin, though he rarely showed his true abilities. Now that he had, it was truly awe-inspiring.

Hu Yuan Zhen took the fan from the servant, fanned himself a couple of times, and said, "The Great Compassionate Palm."

"What... What? The Great Compassionate Palm?" The monks stared at him in disbelief.

Hu Yuan Zhen didn't elaborate further. Instead, he reached into his robes, pulled out a book, and showed it to them, saying, "See? If anyone proves worthy, I will teach this technique."

The eyes of all the monks gleamed with excitement, each secretly vowing to train diligently, hoping to catch the abbot's favor and learn this powerful technique.

Hu Yuan Zhen thought to himself. Today's battle had involved quite a bit of luck. The northern ghosts were indeed strong, but without strategy, their strength was futile.

He had first used his lightness skill to evade their attacks, then relied on his Iron Head skill to deter them. Once they were hesitant, he used his Lion's Roar to disorient them, allowing him to land the decisive blow.

However, with his Great Compassionate Palm, boosted by Dragon Elephant Prajna, he was able to achieve such a stunning result. If he tried again, it would be impossible to replicate the same outcome.

Despite this, his plans had worked. Chen Ding's side was clearly shaken, and if no unforeseen event occurred, this contest was already won.

But the Great Compassionate Palm... Hu Yuan Zhen was not keen on teaching it lightly. Compassion was not something that could be easily imparted, and not everyone was suited for such a path.

As he pondered this, officials from the county appeared, signaling the official start of the Dengfeng arena contest—an event that would decide the fate of Shaolin.

The battle for Shaolin's future was about to begin.