At the same time, the core fighting style of the Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield was also undergoing a shocking transformation, putting it on par with the Dragon Tiger Fist.
It was no longer just about passively taking hits and reflecting damage, although that remained its core.
But it had taken the supreme defensive Power of the Golden Bell Shield and turned it into both the firmest foundation and the most savage of weapons. It was an immeasurable transformation from what it was before.
The new philosophy behind the Combat Technique was: ’My body is the Golden Bell. When still, I am as steady as Mount Tai, impervious to all attacks. When I move, I am like a collapsing mountain, crushing everything with the purest, most brutish Power, utterly destroying all enemies and leaving nothing behind.’
Thus, the Golden Bell Fist Technique was born.
This Fist Technique didn’t have many flashy moves. Its core consisted of just a few methods of exerting force: Shock, Collapse, Ram, and Counter. Overall, it was still primarily defensive.
The so-called "Shock" meant a punch that rang like a bell, its force rippling in layers to penetrate the body. It specifically targeted the Inner Viscera, meridians, Spiritual Veins, and even the Soul with concussive attacks. No matter how formidable one’s External Techniques, their insides would be shaken into a dizzying mess, potentially causing instant death.
The so-called "Collapse" involved concentrating the defensive power of the Golden Bell Shield into a single point and unleashing it in a sudden burst. Like the shattering force produced when a golden bell is struck by immense power, nothing could stand in its way. It specialized in breaking through all kinds of Protective True Qi and hard Armor.
The so-called "Ram" was the simplest and most violent. You transformed your entire body into a moving golden mountain and charged forward with a ferocious, unstoppable slam that swept away everything in its path. It was perfect for confined spaces or fighting groups of enemies, using brute force to overcome finesse.
The so-called "Counter" was the ultimate application of the Golden Bell Shield’s essence. It didn’t just reflect physical attacks; it could also return an enemy’s True Qi, Qi Blood, and even a portion of their Spiritual Shock, sending it all back with even greater ferocity. Using an enemy’s strength against them, it was an exceptionally dangerous technique of outstanding might.
...
Even better, the Golden Bell Fist Technique and the Dragon Tiger Fist—one focused on defensive counters, the other on agile assaults—both stemmed from the same origin: the Dragon and Tiger Golden Bell Body. They complemented each other perfectly, allowing for seamless switching and harmonious coordination.
When facing enemies, he could be hard or soft, advance or retreat. His offense and defense were integrated, leaving no weaknesses. In terms of hand-to-hand combat, he had reached a certain pinnacle.
Time lost all meaning during his epiphany; he was no longer aware of its passage.
Xia Wuyang’s Heart Spirit was completely immersed in deducing, perfecting, and fusing these two Combat Techniques, to the point where he had forgotten his own existence.
Every flash of inspiration deepened his understanding of combat. Every refinement of a move added another layer of power to its future application in actual battle... The speed of his improvement was simply astounding.
After an unknown amount of time, the light in his Sea of Consciousness gradually subsided.
The two massive, illusory figures had vanished. In their place were two incomparably clear Spiritual Techniques that emanated a formidable pressure. They were deeply engraved in the depths of Xia Wuyang’s Sea of Consciousness, becoming one with his combat instincts.
One Combat Technique took the form of an intertwined dragon and tiger, an endless flow of agile and ferocious energy emanating from it. It had transformed into the High Level Spiritual Technique: the Dragon and Tiger Fighting Technique.
The other Combat Technique resembled an ancient, heavy, and steady golden bell, with faint ripples of reflected force appearing on its surface. It had transformed into the High Level Spiritual Technique: the Golden Bell Prison-Suppression Fist.
The two Spiritual Techniques complemented each other, integrating offense and defense. They were enough to bring out over one hundred and twenty percent of the Dragon and Tiger Golden Bell Body Refining Technique’s power, forcibly pushing its might to an astonishing level.
Even many Top Level Spiritual Techniques probably couldn’t compare.
Xia Wuyang slowly opened his eyes. No brilliant light shot from them; instead, they were as tranquil as a deep pool, seemingly without a single ripple.
But upon closer inspection, one could see the faint, coiled silhouettes of a dragon and a tiger and the shimmer of a golden bell’s pattern in the depths of his pupils.
An intangible, heart-pounding aura—a weave of sharpness and weight—flashed into existence the moment he opened his eyes, then was perfectly retracted.
He gently raised his right hand, his fingers slowly closing into a fist. The movement looked very, very slow.
He didn’t use any True Qi, relying solely on his physical strength and his comprehension of the newly mastered Combat Techniques.
HUMMM...
The air around his fist began to emit an extremely subtle vibration, like the faint chime of a golden bell, which gradually spread throughout the entire Practice Room.
The scene around his fist seemed to distort slightly. This was the faint effect on the air, naturally produced when Power is condensed to a certain degree, and it showed just how astonishing his fist was.
"Not bad. Much stronger than I expected."
Xia Wuyang relaxed his fist and nodded in satisfaction.
He could feel that his close-quarters combat ability had taken a qualitative leap forward. Especially in terms of his hand-to-hand skills, the difference was like night and day.
Previously, when fighting enemies, he had mostly relied on crushing them with his superior cultivation level, Power, and speed, or by using weapons. He rarely used his fists and feet.
He would have been even less likely to use it against a True Monarch of the same Level.
Now, even bare-handed, he was confident he could put up a fight when facing True Monarchs of the same or even a slightly higher level. In fact, the probability of him emerging victorious was not small.
The Dragon and Tiger Fighting Technique gave him unpredictable and incomparably sharp offensive methods, while the Golden Bell Prison-Suppression Fist granted him an indestructible defense and the ability to counter finesse with force.
With the two combined, his close-range combat was nearly flawless. ’If I can get my hands on a pair of Spiritual Artifact Level gauntlets in the future, my combat power will soar even higher.’
’What a pity. The Practice Room is too small to fully unleash my power, and there are no suitable opponents.’
Xia Wuyang looked around with some regret and shook his head. The power of these two Spiritual Techniques was too great. If he were to practice them here at full strength, he feared the entire Wenhua Hall would be demolished.
’But there’s still plenty of time. I’ll have a chance to test their power in the future and see just how strong they are.’
He stood up and stretched his limbs.
The joints all over his body let out a rapid series of pops and cracks, like roasting beans. His Qi Blood surged like a great river. The faint silver dragon and tiger patterns under his skin glowed briefly before vanishing, as if they had never been there.
He pushed open a crack in the window. The torrential rain that had been brewing outside finally poured down, sweeping across the entire White Jade City.
Bean-sized raindrops pelted the roof tiles, creating a deafening CLATTER. In an instant, the heavens and the earth merged into a sheet of white, making it impossible for an ordinary person to see what was ahead.
Thunder rolled and lightning tore through the dark clouds, illuminating the Imperial City in flashes of light and shadow. Many people, terrified, were already cowering under their blankets.
A fierce wind swept threads of rain inside, carrying the scent of damp earth and a fleeting chill.
Xia Wuyang took a deep breath of the fresh, rain-washed air. He felt his Heart Spirit become clearer than ever, and his condition was unprecedentedly good. He felt as if he could sweep away everything in his path.
’My Cultivation is steadily rising, my combat power is constantly increasing, and my Spiritual Veins continue to extend. My Body Refining Technique and Combat Techniques complement each other. My Refining God Technique is already at a High Level, and my Alchemy Skill improves daily. My pieces are secretly positioned both inside and outside the Imperial Court, and my enemies are falling into my trap step by step...’
Everything was progressing steadily in the direction he had planned, never once stopping.

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