At this moment, as the situation reached a critical juncture where both sides could suffer grievous injuries or even perish, Lin Hei'er suddenly clawed her hand, gripping the Red Soft Spear.
Her five fingers twisted and flicked on the spear, causing the spiral thrust pattern of the Red Soft Spear to change abruptly.
The tip began to sway up and down, and the amplitude of the swaying grew larger.
Just as the two spear tips were about to collide, the front end of the Red Soft Spear struck against the wooden pole spear.
With that strike, Yama Dai felt a surge of power akin to an electric current transferring from the wooden pole spear to his hands, making it nearly impossible for him to maintain his grip on the light wooden pole spear, and he almost lost hold of it in an instant.
However, not only did he possess remarkable willpower, but he had also undergone genetic adjustments and was a seasoned warrior.
In that moment, he gritted his teeth and endured the numbness in his hands, forcefully holding onto the wooden pole spear and thrusting it forward.
Yet, he ultimately lost his aim, and the thrust struck Lin Hei'er on the side of her shoulder, tearing her red sleeve and leaving a red mark on her snow-white skin.
In an effort to evade this thrust, Lin Hei'er was unable to strike at Yama Dai's throat.
Instead, she pierced through the side of his throat, narrowly missing his carotid artery, leaving a gash on the side of his neck.
Yet, Yama Dai did not even furrow his brow.
With a roar, he attempted to withdraw the wooden pole spear and continue his assault on Lin Hei'er.
With her shoulder exposed after the attack, Lin Hei'er felt both embarrassed and furious.
However, she also held a degree of admiration for Yama Dai.
The explosive force of his hidden strength targeted the internal structure of the human body.
Although Lin Hei'er was unaware of the specifics of bones, joints, or nerves, as a martial arts master, she understood the flow of qi and blood through the meridians.
For an ordinary person, receiving such a blow would mean not only failing to hold onto the spear but also being fortunate to remain standing.
Yet, Yama Dai displayed such fierce bravery.
Even if he was a foreign barbarian, Lin Hei'er couldn't help but feel a sense of appreciation for his talent.
She snorted softly; though her voice was not loud, it resonated in Yama Dai's ears like a thunderclap, causing his grip to weaken by three parts.
Lin Hei'er flipped her palm, pressing it against the wooden pole spear, and shouted, "Let go!"
With a surge of hidden strength, Yama Dai's fingers immediately burst with blood, and he found it impossible to maintain his grip on the long spear, forcing him to release it.
He swiftly reached behind him with one hand, grabbing the wooden three-edged spike, and as Lin Hei'er held onto the wooden pole spear, he rolled on the ground, thrusting the three-edged spike toward Lin Hei'er's abdomen.
This exchange of blows was as swift as lightning, leaving those behind Lin Hei'er dizzy and disoriented.
They naturally believed that their senior sister Lin Hei'er was invincible in the world, and even if she lost to legendary masters, it was merely due to age.
However, they were astonished that in this remote place, a foreign barbarian could be so fierce.
They feared that any one of them would struggle to withstand even a single move, darkening the expressions of the women.
The core principle of the Red Lantern Society was to support the Qing and eliminate the foreign devils.
Supporting the Qing was negotiable, but eliminating the foreign devils was absolutely essential.
Without this, it would be impossible to unite so many brothers and sisters, especially since the main group of the Red Lantern Society, the Righteous and Harmonious Fists, relied on this to establish themselves in both the martial world and the court.
If all foreign devils were as fierce as Yama Dai, then what was the point of fighting at all?
As Lin Hei'er watched Yama Dai roll and thrust from below, she considered striking down with her wooden pole spear.
If she could land a solid blow, with her hidden strength unleashed, Yama Dai would surely suffer a fatal injury.
However, on one hand, she felt a sense of appreciation for his talent, and on the other, she recalled the words of the Han master her sisters had mentioned, as well as the fact that this foreigner seemed to be a subordinate of that master.
If that were the case, perhaps this fierce warrior could be of use to her.
Thus, she could only take a few steps back, employing the Lotus Step to evade, making it impossible for the three-edged spike to strike her.
Meanwhile, Lin Hei'er held the Red Soft Spear in one hand and the wooden pole spear in the other, forcefully thrusting the wooden pole spear downward, pinning the three-edged spike to the ground.
She coldly declared, "This is the third time. I've let you off twice; if you come again, it will be a matter of life and death."
Just as Lin Hei'er and Yama Dai were locked in a struggle, the women in red behind her suddenly produced talisman paper and began to chant incantations while performing rituals.
Lin Hei'er was indifferent; although she, as the leader, understood that such things were more about morale and rallying spirits, as a master of national martial arts, she did not believe in these practices.
However, allowing her subordinates to express themselves at this moment was not out of the question.
But Yama Dai grew anxious and furious.
As he cursed loudly, the strength in his arms surged to its limit.
Lin Hei'er's expression changed as she also employed the stance of the Thousand Jin Weight, firmly pressing down on the three-edged spike, her anger and killing intent simultaneously rising.
At that moment, a long howl echoed from afar, like thunder or a tiger's roar, and a figure rushed toward them at incredible speed.
Lin Hei'er's expression changed, and she unexpectedly released the three-edged spike, retreating more than five meters.
"Indeed, it is the master."
Lin Hei'er's expression grew serious.
As the saying goes, a true expert reveals their skill with a single move.
Lin Hei'er was also a master in the martial arts world, well-known in the northern regions.
Despite her beautiful appearance, she was already in her late twenties and had been famous for at least five or six years, having encountered more than ten masters of hidden strength.
Yet, from that howl, she felt an unprecedented sense of pressure.
So powerful!
When Lin Hei'er saw the man approaching, her first reaction was one of awe.
In truth, national martial arts were not magic or internal cultivation techniques; not just anyone, be it a child or an old man, could become invincible.
National martial arts involved the explosive force of qi and blood, mastery over the physical body, and combat skills, all of which hinged on… the physical body!
For a petite woman like Lin Hei'er, when she reached the level of hidden strength, her explosive power was enough to kill a strong man with a single punch.
Even Yama Dai, a veteran with three genetic adjustments, could not match her in explosive power.
However, Lin Hei'er's overall physical quality was far inferior to Yama Dai's; this was undeniable.
The reason she could suppress Yama Dai was simply due to her superior explosive power, control, and combat techniques.
If one were to quantify the qi and blood of a human body as a percentage, Yama Dai would be exerting one hundred percent of his strength—his hands, feet, wrists, internal organs, and qi and blood all distributed throughout his body.
In contrast, Lin Hei'er could instantaneously redirect qi and blood from other areas, allowing her wrists to unleash three hundred, four hundred, or even five hundred percent of their power, resulting in a crushing advantage.
Yet, the physical body remained the foundation.
And Wu Qilu… his physical quality was even half a tier stronger than Yama Dai!
From afar to near, in the blink of an eye over several hundred meters, Wu Qilu stood half a body length in front of Yama Dai.
He glanced sideways at Yama Dai, noticing that he only had blood at the corners of his mouth and fingers, his complexion still rosy, not appearing to have suffered internal injuries.
He let out a sigh of relief; the last thing he feared was that Yama Dai had been injured internally by hidden strength.
Now seeing he was unharmed, he turned to look at Lin Hei'er and the women behind her, his expression darkening.
In stark contrast to what Lin Hei'er saw, in the eyes of Wu Qilu and Yama Dai, as the many women in red burned paper talismans, chanted spells, and performed rituals, a hazy, distorted giant figure floated in mid-air.
It descended through a translucent circle that resembled glass or a bubble, dropping threads that connected the red-clad women and Lin Hei'er above.
As Lin Hei'er watched Wu Qilu approach, the red-clad women behind her began to transform one by one into paper figures, each with different shapes and clothing, but all with the same pale blue-white paper skin, their faces adorned with blush, and their eyes, mouths, and ears outlined in black lines.
The key was that these black line outlines seemed to move!?
The paper figures stood in a bizarre and terrifying manner, their black line eyes fixated on the three individuals, rotating as they drew closer.
Lin Hei'er could also sense her sisters approaching from behind.
She frowned, feeling an inexplicable stiffness in her thoughts, but she still waved her hand, indicating that this battle between masters was not something they could interfere with.
Moreover, if word got out that martial arts masters were engaging in a siege, she would have no place in the martial world.
However, the sisters behind her continued to approach step by step.
At that moment, Wu Qilu suddenly surged forward, leaving Lin Hei'er stunned and filled with rage.
Without even a word, this was pure bullying.
She had just shown mercy, and now, as she watched Wu Qilu reach out toward her, Lin Hei'er no longer held back.
She crossed her legs and squatted down, adopting a posture resembling a lotus seat, while one palm supported upward and the other met Wu Qilu's reaching hand.
"Good skill!"
Wu Qilu's eyes lit up.
This posture seemed utterly nonsensical in a fight, but with his current keen perception, he could see that as Lin Hei'er sat and supported, her entire strength began to gather toward her dantian, then burst forth upward.
In an instant, her power increased by more than tenfold, giving him the impression that her palm could punch a hole in the heavens.
This move was a killing technique from the Huanglian Shengmu Jing, known as the Lotus Sitting Technique.
It was a method that briefly simulated the immense power of internal strength using hidden strength.
Although it carried significant risks and damage, and could only deliver a single strike, it was nearly unstoppable when executed.
Unexpectedly, although Wu Qilu appeared to charge fiercely, he did not intend to engage Lin Hei'er in a life-and-death struggle.
His palm bore no attacking force; at that moment, as he followed Lin Hei'er's supporting hand, he merely made contact.
Wu Qilu's hidden strength erupted, countering the immense force Lin Hei'er unleashed, causing him to retreat five or six steps, his complexion shifting between blue and red three times before he finally exhaled.
Lin Hei'er also felt her qi and blood surging within her.
However, the expected recoil did not occur, and she smoothly exited the lotus seat posture, looking at Wu Qilu in confusion.
Wu Qilu then said to her, "You might want to look behind you. Don't worry, I won't sneak attack."
Just at that moment, the threads that had been connected to Lin Hei'er's head suddenly snapped, and the process of her body beginning to turn to paper began to reverse.
At this moment, Lin Hei'er regained her sharpness of thought and sensed something was amiss.
She turned to look behind her, and her entire body went cold, a wave of terror erupting from the depths of her heart.
What sisters were behind her? Only eerie and terrifying paper figures, each wearing a dazed, drawn smile, holding paper scissors, paper mallets, and paper forks…
They were less than three meters away from her!!
(End of Chapter)