Chapter 2052: Missing Five

Then I shall slaughter the people of your Apricot Realm as well!

Sheng Xin, utterly indifferent, was determined to cut off the supply of fame power, severing Xu Xiaoshou's backup energy reserves. To achieve this, he was willing to pay any price.

The demonic hand condensed and continued to press down, pouring all its might into crushing everything. Conversely, Sheng Xin seemed entirely unconcerned by Xu Xiaoshou's encroaching presence, merely summoning a black tripod-bell to block in front of himself.

"Proxy Bell!"

Facing Xu Xiaoshou, he chose to defend. But against the common people of the Apricot Realm, he chose to attack. Xu Xiaoshou, left with only two choices, would inevitably be caught in this dilemma, neglecting one while attending to the other. This created time gap was precisely the opportune moment Sheng Xin was waiting for.

"Are you waiting for me?""And I, too, was waiting for you.""Die!"

The black cloud pressed down on the Apricot Realm, and before even touching the ground, it had already crushed the Apricot Realm's Heaven and Earth Dao Laws from a distance, utterly obliterating the barriers of the major reception cities, which were like mantises trying to stop a chariot. Countless people in the cities, merely by glancing up at the giant black cloud hand, were crushed by the immense pressure, exploding into mincemeat.

Unfortunately, Sheng Xin had overestimated Xu Xiaoshou's compassion. Or rather, he underestimated Xu Xiaoshou's judgment of the battle situation—how could a Progenitor God solely focused on cutting off an opponent's supplies truly fail to cut off at least some of them? If Sheng Xin's strategy were to succeed, not only would all the people of the Apricot Realm perish, but even Xu Xiaoshou himself would be drawn into Sheng Xin's subsequent battle rhythm.

Seemingly two choices. The only thing Xu Xiaoshou could do was to relentlessly attack Sheng Xin, employing the strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao.' Besides this, there was no other way.

"Roar—"

Behind the black tripod-bell, a beast's roar exploded. The Limit Giant rose to its full height, and its Crushing Jun Shield slammed fiercely forward.

"How could you truly bear to abandon the Apricot Realm?"

Sheng Xin was greatly alarmed and immediately withdrew most of his power, pouring it into the black tripod-bell. But he had underestimated the Limit Giant's explosive power. This was not a mere projection, but the full-powered true body. Its single strike, let alone a Proxy Bell, could perhaps only be withstood head-on by the War Progenitor himself.

With a booming explosion, Sheng Xin, who had expected the Proxy Bell to absorb the damage even if his own body shattered, completely did not expect that ancient divine artifact to last less than an instant under the Crushing Jun Shield. It exploded on the spot! The tripod-bell, which could have taken his place in death, was smashed to pieces before his body could shatter. How could the now unprotected Sheng Xin withstand such a fierce blow?

Even though he instantly summoned the form of the Progenitor Saint, the time left for Sheng Xin was absolutely insufficient for him to cast even one more technique.

"To the sky with you!"

The Crushing Jun Shield swept across, striking the side of the Progenitor Saint's face. Amidst the crunching sound of bones cracking, the Progenitor Saint's nose bridge was shattered, his eyeball was knocked out, and his entire shoulder and head were cleaved apart. There was not even the slightest delay. The moment the Progenitor Saint's form appeared, it was instantly shattered.

Following that, the Crushing Jun Shield flipped upwards, and its edge directly sent thousands of miles of land flying. Along with the splashing of rocks and earth, Sheng Xin's true body was also completely fractured by the impact, hurled into the air, shattering space, and thrown from the Apricot Realm into the shattered temporal currents.

"Buzz!"

The power of the black cloud hand faltered, nearly being severed by the backlash. But the Proxy Bell, coupled with the form of the Progenitor Saint, and the physical body cultivated for countless eons within the Primordial Mother Coffin, truly allowed Sheng Xin to withstand this fierce attack. He barely managed to regain his will, pulling himself back from the pain. Although his body was entirely riddled with shattered bones and his internal organs had all burst, he could still maintain the black cloud hand's descent.

"Hiss hahaha!""Xu Xiaoshou, what can you do to me?!"

Sheng Xin, now seemingly driven to madness, utterly disregarding his own injuries, continued to control the black cloud hand, abruptly pressing it down into the major reception cities of the Apricot Realm, and even the main Crystal City.

"Die—"

Splat!

But just as the black cloud hand was a mere ten feet from the ground, Xu Xiaoshou returned from his Limit Giant form and, with a single step, soared into the shattered temporal currents. He pressed one hand onto Sheng Xin's right shoulder, grasping his body, which was riddled with comminuted fractures. A surge of power erupted from him, flowing from his fingertips into Sheng Xin's body, sealing all the acupoints within his body and severing the connection between his acupoints and the Heaven and Earth Dao Laws.

At the same time, above the major cities of the Apricot Realm, the black cloud hand vanished with a ripping sound, transforming into a mere wisp of black mist as it brushed past people's faces. Only fear, no additional harm.

"What?!"

Sheng Xin was terrified. His shoulder was gripped, and his acupoints were sealed. This familiar scene made him recall some unpleasant memories; a long-lost boxing technique flashed through his mind…

"Temporal Realm of Delay!"

Sheng Xin cried out in alarm, attempting to protect and save himself. According to his plan, when Xu Xiaoshou pursued him, he would subsequently unleash his Divine Court. But though he called out, his acupoints were sealed, and even the Heaven and Earth Dao Laws that his body could connect to were blocked, as if he were completely forbidden from using magic. His spirit and will were confined within the 'bottle' of his own body. Sheng Xin couldn't even shout out 'Temporal Realm of Delay'.

"This starting stance…"

On the Sacred God Continent, sensing the instantaneous disappearance of the Temporal Realm of Delay's power, Shennong Baicao not only didn't flee, but instead froze in place. His consciousness could fully keep up with the battlefield. Naturally, he also saw the scene of Xu Xiaoshou gripping Sheng Xin's shoulder with one hand. At this moment, cultivators of the new era did not understand why. The Medicine Progenitor, also an ancient Progenitor God, just like Sheng Xin, had a towering figure flash through his mind, and a complete chill ran down his spine.

"Th-th-this…""Hasn't this boxing technique been lost for ages?"

At the beginning of the divine war of old, the War Progenitor, who was targeted first, was eliminated early on. But this opening shoulder-grip stance still managed to grip a full two Progenitor Gods. The Medicine Progenitor bore the brunt and was directly eliminated. Cursed Yin followed closely and was also shattered by a single punch, leaving behind injuries that were difficult to heal for several eons. But it finally managed to stifle the martial path's rapid advance, sending the War Progenitor into reincarnation and utterly submerging him. This boxing technique naturally became lost as well.

"And now, it had appeared in Xu Xiaoshou's hands?"

"The War Progenitor's true body, created by the Life Wheel Fruit, couldn't execute this boxing technique due to lacking spirit and will. How could Xu Xiaoshou have mastered it?""Has he, by any chance, seized the War Progenitor's body?!"

"Exactly!"

In the Revered Extreme Slash space, the War Progenitor's Dharma Idol observed the main battlefield, nodding as he spoke:

"Your opening stance is correct.""Nine Palaces, Eight Gates, Seven Constellations, Six Paths; Four Quarters, Three Realms, Two Poles, One Venerable. Lacking Five, Without Extremes, this is the Martial Path.""The culmination of the Martial Path is the Boundless.""And the boxing technique that interprets the pinnacle of the Martial Path is the 'Fist of Five Absences,' also known as 'Lacking Five'."

The War Progenitor's Dharma Idol naturally knew that Xu Xiaoshou had seized his Dao and had comprehended this boxing technique. However, in practical application, there were some crucial points that required extra attention, so he immediately elaborated:

"Martial arts open and pierce acupoints, specializing in cultivating one's own body.""Lacking Five seals and closes acupoints, specializing in countering the enemy's body.""Taking the body as a world, viewing acupoints as stellar palaces and meridians as Dao Laws, sealing and closing acupoints can, from the source, block the enemy's use of Progenitor Source power and their connection to Heaven and Earth Dao Laws.""After sealing and closing acupoints, use the opponent's body as a bottle, and one's own opening shoulder-grip stance as the stopper. Quickly take control of all acupoints and meridians within their inner world, replacing them. Then, through the body, influence and suppress their spirit and will, confining them within the bottle, thus completely sealing the body, spirit, and will during the shoulder-grip stance.""Thus, practitioners of Lacking Five need only get close, grip the opponent's shoulder, and they can sever all Dao, Laws, Techniques, and Energies, as well as Divine Court summoning, forcing the opponent into a direct confrontation.""Indeed, in battle, a martial artist is unsurpassed."

Flashing in his mind were the insights gained when seizing the War Progenitor's Dao. Echoing in his ears was the War Progenitor's Dharma Idol's earnest instruction. Xu Xiaoshou, gripping Sheng Xin's right shoulder with one hand, sealing his acupoints and confining his spirit and will, completely blocking Sheng Xin's summoning of the Divine Court, felt an even deeper understanding. Unconsciously, he murmured aloud the incantation of the Lacking Five boxing technique:

"Merge the power of the Nine Palaces, regulate the might of the Eight Gates, draw forth the stars of the Seven Constellations, connect with the Laws of the Six Paths; this is the Outer World.""Abandon the Four Quarters to gain, journey to the Three Realms to return, transform the Two Poles to know, exhaust the One Venerable to reach the extreme; this is the Inner World.""Taiji, then Wuji; the culmination of the Dao.""Wuji, then Taiji once more; the interpretation of the Dao's culmination.""The path of interpreting the Dao lies in the fist; the path of interpreting the Boundless lies in Lacking Five!"

Heaven knew how terrifying these demonic whispers were when they fell upon Sheng Xin's ears. Especially when the words 'Lacking Five' truly and clearly emerged from Xu Xiaoshou's mouth, and he met the incredibly calm gaze of the person before him. At this instant, Xu Xiaoshou's figure completely overlapped with the figure of the ancient War Progenitor.

"Madman!""Let go of me!"

Sheng Xin was going mad. Earlier, in the Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns, he had experienced lucid dreams and dreams within dreams. Now that Xu Xiaoshou had him held, he was experiencing a wave of sleep paralysis; even though his body, soul, and consciousness were clearly still under his control. But once the Lacking Five's opening shoulder-grip stance had grasped his shoulder, it was truly no different from being held down by a ghost. Sheng Xin could see, hear, and feel, but he could do nothing; he was utterly powerless!

"Fist of Five Absences…"

Xu Xiaoshou adopted a horse stance, his left hand gripping the man's shoulder, his right hand poised for a heavy punch. As if after countless sweat-drenched practices, he was about to unleash that simple, unadorned, ancient boxing technique that he had rehearsed countless times in his mind.

"First punch, Heaven's Collapse!""The Fist of Five Absences has a total of forty-five punches. It skips every fifth, meaning there's a fourth punch, but no fifth punch…""The first punch of the Fist of Five Absences is named Heaven's Collapse. True to its name, it can blast through a world plane; Cursed Yin could not withstand it…""The Fist of Five Absences inflicts damage on the user as well. The backlash is so severe that even a Progenitor God cannot endure it. Thus, even I, the Progenitor, could at most unleash the second punch…""The Fist of Five Absences embodies the essence of the Martial Path and cannot be unleashed by ordinary individuals. There should be a simplified version, much like Saint-level martial arts to acquired spiritual techniques. Thus, there is a 'Zero Punch,' named 'God-Shattering Fist'…"

Similar to the Way of Wuji, even the War Progenitor did not fully master the Fist of Five Absences. The upper limit of this boxing technique reached the forty-fifth punch, which had been repeatedly confirmed as feasible by the War Progenitor. Limited by resources and stamina, subsequent punches could only exist in theory, awaiting verification by future generations. Perhaps only when the timing, location, and human factors were all perfectly aligned could someone truly push this boxing technique to its ultimate limit.

Before seizing the War Progenitor's Dao, Xu Xiaoshou did not know the true nature of Lacking Five. But he knew that the God-Shattering Fist, even when wielded by a phantom god merely opening a small heavenly path, could shatter the Osmanthus Mountain Grand Formation, forging ahead irresistibly.

If one were to truly compare…

Now it seemed, setting aside destructive power, only comparing the degree of simplification, the God-Shattering Fist, compared to the Fist of Five Absences, was probably like the 'Drifting White Clouds' to the 'Seven Swords of the Heavens'—more than ten versions ahead.

"Hup!"

A punch shot out, striking Sheng Xin's abdomen. Visibly, Sheng Xin's already shattered body had a wave of force surge from his abdomen, rippling his flesh outwards in concentric circles.

"No—"

That clear sensation of death approaching was utterly despair-inducing. The blow to the abdomen was quickly endured. But Sheng Xin knew it wasn't just that. Because the essence of Lacking Five lay in its hidden force, in the subsequent arrival of the 'world's hidden punch' after the initial strike.

As expected, the moment this punch was thrown, Xu Xiaoshou's entire body of muscles tensed up. As if enduring immense pain in an instant, his face contorted, yet all his acupoints opened. The Nine Palaces, Eight Gates, Seven Constellations, and Six Paths automatically activated, drawing upon the power of the Outer World. The Four Quarters, Three Realms, Two Poles, and One Venerable were directly invoked, consuming the Outer World's power to unleash a punch that caused the Inner World to collapse, transforming into the Lacking Five's hidden force, exploding a second time within Sheng Xin's abdomen.

"Boom—"

Within the shattered temporal currents, it was as if a star had exploded. The magnificent, swirling vortex of starlight swept outwards, directly sweeping spatial blades, storms, and even the very essence of the shattered temporal currents into nothingness.

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

On the Sacred God Continent, the five regions resonated with a prolonged hum. Space shattered with a rumble across various locations, as if another world adjacent to this plane had collapsed, affecting the five regions.

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

The Apricot Realm also suffered continuous earth-shattering cracks. The sky and earth in the northeast instantly collapsed, with the deepest impact. The remaining territories experienced massive earthquakes, cracking open countless ravines and abysses. In the eyes of lower-level cultivators, it was an irresistible natural disaster.

"What kind of boxing technique is this?""This punch could probably shatter even the Temporal Realm of Delay, couldn't it?""The Fist of Five Absences, I think I've heard a few descriptions of it in some ancient book. It seems that the opening stance is the key; it can seal everything.""But if it can't grasp the Divine Court, it also means it can't seal the Divine Court, so naturally it can't shatter it, right? It seems it can only be used to hit people?"

The Apricot Realm was in an uproar, with fervent discussions. Countless people watched with anticipation, but on the Transmission Sky-screen, at most, only the scene before the punch was unleashed could be captured; everything after that was blurred. Under the shockwaves of power, the aftermath was completely unclear. One could only vaguely discern that even Master Shou's true body, after the punch's backlash, was torn into countless fragments.

As for Sheng Xin, who had taken a punch from Lacking Five…

"Could he have fallen on the spot?""Dead?"

With one punch thrown, his physical body was completely torn apart. Yet, leveraging the energy of the Infinite Void Seed, Xu Xiaoshou, who quickly repaired his physical body, retreated to the Sacred God Continent with a lingering look of horror on his face.

"Was this the true power of a boxing technique created by an ancient Progenitor God?""Passive Fist wasn't even this strong!""A mere Passive Fist with 1000 charge value, compared to this thing, was simply a baby's punch, making one laugh and cry at the same time.""Don't you see, the Illusory Demise Finger with the same charge value was completely insufficient against the Zero Progenitor; in fact, it couldn't even completely break through the Sword Tower's protective layer.""And Lacking Five…"

"That's it!""Ultimately, Passive Fist originated from the Fame Progenitor, or Crazy Monk.""What is the Fame Progenitor? He's good at collecting fame power. Crazy Monk might be good at physical strength, but he's just brute force.""But when it comes to pure punching and combat technique, ten thousand Fame Progenitors plus Crazy Monk probably couldn't compare to my Wubao!"

Xu Xiaoshou was truly startled by the power of this punch. No wonder Wubao died so early back then. How could someone so strong not be ganged up on? Fortunately, Passive Fist and the Fist of Five Absences still had one fundamental difference. That was, through various evolutions, Xu Xiaoshou could now utilize energies like the Life Elixir Pool to infinitely augment Passive Fist. The Fist of Five Absences, limited by timing, location, and human factors, made Xu Xiaoshou feel that even if he stood in the New Heaven Realm, he might not be able to execute punches beyond the second or third. But Passive Fist was just one punch, and its power could be stacked, meaning as long as there was enough energy, he didn't need to punch repeatedly, slowly accumulating, but could directly unleash the forty-fifth punch of Lacking Five as his first strike!

"He won't die." The War Progenitor's Dharma Idol's words shattered Xu Xiaoshou's illusion, pulling him back from the unceasing emotional turmoil: "I once dealt a punch to Cursed Yin, and he was only severely crippled, not dead.""And the Trickster of Techniques even used a special method to briefly seal his injuries, causing them to only erupt after the divine war.""At that time, Cursed Yin should have also entered a recovery period. Although it was a long time, in a direct confrontation, he could be considered to have withstood a punch.""If Cursed Yin was still like that, Sheng Xin surely also has a way to preserve his life.""The only thing certain is that after one punch, their physical bodies would undoubtedly shatter."

Anyone who took that hit would shatter! Even if the Demon Medicine, Cursed Dao, and Shou were stacked together like arhats, and a Limit Giant came out to deliver a satisfying punch, Xu Xiaoshou estimated that even if he stood on the receiving end, he wouldn't be able to withstand one punch. After all, his ability to withstand the backlash and quickly repair his physical body was due to his perfect state. While an enemy gripped by the Lacking Five's opening stance, with all their Dao Laws sealed, was equivalent to being naked, without any defense, and directly taking a Lacking Five punch with true damage. They cannot be compared!

"However…"

"If the physical body is shattered, the first reaction can only be to repair the physical body.""After all, Sheng Xin follows a relatively normal path, not Hua Changdeng's soul perspective. He needs a physical body to fully release his power.""So, who would he choose?"

His thoughts had just reached this point when the main gate of the Apricot Realm's Crystal Palace was suddenly broken open by a chilling wind. Mu Zixi's eyes widened, gazing in disbelief as a wisp of demonic energy from outside the door rushed in at the speed of light. She let out a strange cry of "Ah!", threw up her small hands, and turned to run, helplessly shouting as she went:

"Senior Brother Hero, save me—mmph!"

Possession! A trace of demonic remnant immediately launched a possession, without even a moment of hesitation or daring to hesitate. With a booming sound, the power of the Ultimate Life Demonic Body perfectly blossomed. Mu Zixi couldn't withstand the possession for even half a breath and instantly dissipated. Under that endless hatred, her body, spirit, and will were instantly extinguished by Sheng Xin. Even the ugly pink four-leaf clover crystal pendant around her neck was snatched off and crushed by Sheng Xin.

"Ah haha!""Ah ha ha ha ha!""You dare shatter my body? Then I shall extinguish your junior sister, how about that!"

Sheng Xin immediately recalled the fragmented spirit and will that had just been blasted apart by the punch. Only then did he have the remaining strength to display a mad expression and scream with a heart-rending cry:

"How about it, Xu Xiaoshou!""Even if it's Lacking Five, what then?""From the moment you encountered the Ultimate Life Demonic Body in the Heavenly Mulberry Spirit Palace and established a bond with my trump card, you had already lost!"