# Chapter 314: Bone-Melting Yin Mian Palm
The hair on Jinchuan's head moved without wind as he formed hand seals with both hands, activating protective heavenly armor to wrap around his body.
With a loud "bang," Jinchuan was struck by that water-fire power. Protected by his heavenly armor, he slid backward more than ten zhang.
"Attack!"
Zhang Ruochen spoke another word from his mouth. From the formation center, dozens of purple electric lights flew out, scattering in all directions.
On the ground, dense fine electric patterns appeared, as if turning the entire estate into an ocean of lightning.
Those pavilions and towers, under the impact of the electric light, instantly split into pieces, turning into charred wood shavings.
More than thirty Man-Elephant soldiers were struck by the electric light, letting out screams as they fell to the ground.
Some Man-Elephant soldiers were only severely injured and unconscious; others inside their armor were already nothing but charred remains.
In the distance, on the top floor of a six-story tower pavilion, stood a man wearing a metal mask. It was the young master of the Black Market First Class Hall, Di Yi.
His eyes appeared purple, like two purple flames burning in his pupils. Even the city-wide white fog could not block his vision.
Di Yi gazed at the distant battlefield, shook his head, and said, "A bunch of trash! Zi Feng, go help them out."
"As you command!"
The purple-robed man standing behind Di Yi flickered and flew above the Death City.
Zi Feng Star Envoy hovered in the void, his hands wearing purple metal gloves. His fingers, like purple metal rods, continuously formed seals as he shouted loudly: "Heaven and Earth Wind Spirits, heed my command!"
"Boom!"
Zi Feng Star Envoy opened his mouth and exhaled a breath, transforming it into a gale that swept through the entire Death City.
The wind howled with a "woo woo" sound. In just a moment, the white fog that had filled the city was completely blown away by him.
With the white fog dispersed, the Man-Elephant soldiers surrounding Zhang Ruochen regained their sight and all attacked toward the direction of the Water-Fire Wind-Thunder Formation.
"Kill!"
"Kill Zhang Ruochen and receive a great reward," Guo Shisan said.
"A mere formation wants to block me? Guo Shisan, protect me." Jinchuan said in a deep voice.
Guo Shisan immediately rushed over and stood beside Jinchuan.
Jinchuan closed his eyes. A faint soul shadow flew out from his body, hovering above Jinchuan's physical form.
"Senior Jinchuan has actually cultivated a Martial Soul. No wonder he can become one of the top ten experts of the Four Directions Commanderies."
Guo Shisan looked up at the soul shadow floating above, filled with envy.
Although it was said that upon reaching the Heavenly Extreme Realm, martial artists could use their true qi to nourish their souls and cultivate Martial Souls, only those Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artists with extremely profound cultivation could train their souls to the Martial Soul level.
A Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artist who had cultivated a Martial Soul could mobilize heaven and earth spiritual energy to launch attacks.
Therefore, a Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artist who had cultivated a Martial Soul and one who hadn't were completely different concepts.
Guo Shisan's soul strength was far from reaching the Martial Soul level.
In fact, a Martial Soul was simply the name given to a soul when it reached a certain level.
Jinchuan's Martial Soul began to mobilize heaven and earth spiritual energy, condensing a huge blade shadow in the void, slashing down toward the Water-Fire Wind-Thunder Formation below.
"Not good. Jinchuan has actually cultivated a Martial Soul." Zhang Ruochen's expression changed slightly.
Although Zhang Ruochen also had a Martial Soul and could mobilize heaven and earth true qi—even his Martial Soul was much stronger than Jinchuan's—his Martial Soul had to rely on the power of soul veins to communicate, which had great limitations.
Not to mention whether he could use his Martial Soul's power to contend with Jinchuan, just the fact that the expert who had blown away the city's white fog with a single breath was nearby made Zhang Ruochen dare not expose his Martial Soul.
Once his Martial Soul was exposed, the ones he would have to kill would not just be Jinchuan and those Man-Elephant soldiers, but even more terrifying martial artists would be provoked.
Unless absolutely necessary, Zhang Ruochen absolutely could not expose his Martial Soul.
Zhang Ruochen controlled the formation, gathering the power of all thirty-two formation flags together, condensing a huge electric ball to attack first.
"Shua!"
Jinchuan also controlled the blade shadow and slashed down.
With an explosive sound, that thunderball was cut through by the huge blade shadow, turning into bolts of lightning that shot out in all directions.
"Bang!"
The blade shadow struck the top of the Water-Fire Wind-Thunder Formation's protective barrier, pressing the ground where the formation was located downward, splashing up a large cloud of dust.
When the dust cleared, a huge pit dozens of meters in diameter appeared on the ground, sinking about two meters.
However, apart from the broken formation flags, there was no sign of Zhang Ruochen.
Jinchuan's Martial Soul returned to his body. "Chase him quickly. Don't let him escape."
Cao Lin and Guo Shisan led the Man-Elephant soldiers in pursuit toward the depths of the estate, turning the entire place upside down.
"A Heavenly Extreme Realm expert who has cultivated a Martial Soul is indeed formidable. Even the Water-Fire Wind-Thunder Formation couldn't block a single strike from him. This is true martial arts myth. Fortunately, I was wearing the Flying Fish Armor, which blocked seventy percent of the attack."
Zhang Ruochen used his movement technique, pushing his speed to the limit as he rushed toward the entrance of the secret passage.
Controlling the formation had already consumed a large amount of his true qi, and Jinchuan's final strike had inflicted considerable injuries on Zhang Ruochen.
Now, he could only hope to escape through the secret passage.
A sinister voice sounded behind Zhang Ruochen: "Zhang Ruochen, where do you think you're running?"
The old eunuch Cao Lin was closely pursuing Zhang Ruochen, the distance between them growing shorter and shorter.
Zhang Ruochen could clearly feel the cold air coming from behind. Each wisp of cold air was like a steel needle stabbing into his back—both icy and painful.
Cao Lin's speed was much faster than Zhang Ruochen's. Just as Zhang Ruochen reached the stone door of the secret passage, Cao Lin's five fingers formed into a claw shape and struck toward Zhang Ruochen's back.
Zhang Ruochen knew he would definitely be hit by the claw strike, but he didn't dare stop to defend. If he paused even slightly, Guo Shisan and those Man-Elephant soldiers would catch up and surround him again.
If he were surrounded again, would he still have the strength to break out?
He had to endure it.
"Hua chi chi!"
Cao Lin's claw strike hit Zhang Ruochen's back.
The claw strike collided with the Flying Fish Armor, producing a metallic cracking sound, leaving five white marks on the armor.
"A ninth-rank True Martial Treasure level armor! No wonder he could withstand Jinchuan's strike and not die. But even if the armor is strong, it can only block penetrating power, not the hidden force and shockwaves."
Cao Lin withdrew his claw strike, flattened his five fingers, and formed a palm strike.
"Bone-Melting Yin Mian Palm."
"Bang!"
A chilling palm force struck Zhang Ruochen's back.
Although the armor blocked it, a continuous, gentle, yin-cold palm force still penetrated through the armor and struck Zhang Ruochen's body. That palm force was quite peculiar—upon entering his body, it rushed straight toward all his bones.
Suffering this palm strike, Zhang Ruochen flew straight out, falling into the stone door of the secret passage and rolling down the stone stairs leading underground.
"There's actually a secret passage here. No wonder Zhang Ruochen desperately rushed in this direction."
Cao Lin was delighted and immediately chased into the secret passage.
As long as he could capture Zhang Ruochen, whether dead or alive, it would be a great achievement.
Zhang Ruochen had been hit by his Bone-Melting Yin Mian Palm, adding injury to injury. This was the perfect time to kill him.
"What a formidable old eunuch. His skill is even higher than Yinshan and Jin Yeyun's, and he's also cultivated the evil technique 'Bone-Melting Art.'"
Zhang Ruochen rolled down the stone stairs, dizzy and seeing stars. He felt pain and weakness throughout his body, as if his bones had disappeared.
The sound of flowing water reached his ears.
The air was moist, and everything around was pitch black.
But using the power of his Space Domain, Zhang Ruochen could still see the surrounding environment. Not far away, there was indeed an underground dark river.
At this moment, he was lying on a stone platform beside the dark river, only a dozen meters away from it.
Zhang Ruochen immediately began circulating the "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture," hoping to use the spiritual fire true qi in his body to dissolve Cao Lin's Bone-Melting Yin Mian Palm's palm force.
The "Bone-Melting Yin Mian Palm" that Cao Lin practiced was very peculiar, carrying a yin-cold, continuous force that could penetrate into a person's bone marrow, which even the Flying Fish Armor couldn't defend against.
The "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture" was indeed a top-tier technique. After the true qi circulated through his body in one major cycle, it dispersed some of the yin mian palm force, allowing Zhang Ruochen to recover some strength.
But before Zhang Ruochen could completely disperse the yin mian force, footsteps came from not far away.
Cao Lin held a light-attributed spirit crystal, illuminating the dark underground space, revealing his ferocious, pale old face.
Cao Lin walked up to Zhang Ruochen and laughed: "Kid, not feeling too good after being hit by my Bone-Melting Yin Mian Palm, are you? Does it feel like all your bones have disappeared, and you can't muster any strength at all? Haha!"
Zhang Ruochen had been lying on the ground, but just as Cao Lin appeared, he suddenly exerted force, sat up, drew in his legs, and assumed a cross-legged sitting position.
Cao Lin was somewhat startled and uncertain. His eyelids twitched as he said: "Good kid, you've got some skill. Being hit by the Bone-Melting Yin Mian Palm and you can still move."
Cao Lin thought it was the armor on Zhang Ruochen's body that had blocked the palm force, allowing him to maintain some mobility. He never imagined that Zhang Ruochen had the ability to dissolve the Bone-Melting Yin Mian Palm.
Zhang Ruochen, while dissolving the palm force, smiled: "Just a mere palm technique. It can't do anything to me."
"Oh? I think you're just putting on a show."
Cao Lin gave a cold, sinister laugh and slowly approached Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen's strength was not weak, and Cao Lin didn't dare be careless. Hadn't he seen Yinshan die under Zhang Ruochen's sword?
With three hundred Man-Elephant soldiers surrounding him, he had still managed to break out. This kid absolutely could not be underestimated.
Just as Cao Lin stepped within five paces of Zhang Ruochen, he suddenly lunged forward, his speed abruptly increasing, and pointed a finger at Zhang Ruochen's brow.
As Cao Lin's finger strike shot out, the entire underground space was filled with cold light.
Zhang Ruochen's brow furrowed as he quickly struck out with his left thumb to meet the attack.
"Sun Meridian Sword Pulse!"
"Swish!"
The two finger forces collided.
Clearly, Zhang Ruochen's cultivation had not recovered, and the power of the sword pulse he unleashed was quite limited. In an instant, it was shattered by Cao Lin's finger force.
With a "bang," Cao Lin's fingertip struck the surface of Zhang Ruochen's Flying Fish Armor, producing a loud sound that sent Zhang Ruochen flying backward.
"Haha! Kid, you really are still badly injured. Trying to scare me? You're too green!"
Cao Lin laughed loudly and chased after him again, mobilizing his true qi, his five fingers continuously rotating as he prepared to strike with another Bone-Melting Yin Mian Palm.
As long as he killed Zhang Ruochen, it would not only be a great achievement but would also make his name known throughout the world.
Just as Cao Lin was excited, he completely failed to notice that the surrounding space had slightly trembled, with strange spatial patterns appearing.