Karmapa the Master, upon hearing this, knew he had no choice but to act. He shouted, "I'm coming! Let him taste the power of Prajñā!" As soon as he finished speaking, he leapt forward and struck at King Luoben. His skill was indeed extraordinary—his very first move targeted Luoben's Tiantu acupoint.
At that moment, King Luoben was already locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle with Abbas. With Karmapa suddenly attacking from the side, Luoben hurriedly used both palms to block Abbas's assault. Forced to receive Karmapa's strike as well, the pressure on him instantly doubled. One man with two palms against two opponents with four—it was an immense burden. Surrounded by surging palm-force, Luoben realized Abbas had called for reinforcements. Seeing the danger, he shouted:
"Wu Tong! Wu Tong! You said you'd return the scripture, yet you've only brought me trouble—come help me now!"
Wu Tong, however, seemed amused. Laughing loudly, he replied,"King Luoben's martial arts are superb—fighting two of the greatest masters of our time, Abbas, the foremost Persian warrior, and Karmapa himself! I'm enjoying the show!"
Luoben's strain grew heavier. Alone against two, his mind shook and his face changed color. He roared,"If you don't act now, I won't be able to hold them off!"
Wu Tong smiled calmly. "I'm coming!"With a burst of inner strength, he dashed forward like an arrow and struck with a palm. His left hand shot toward Karmapa's vital point—a brilliant move that forced Karmapa to defend. Karmapa retreated sharply but remained composed, countering with both palms.
In an instant, Wu Tong transformed his palm into a claw, seizing Karmapa's large frame. Karmapa responded in kind, turning his own palms into claws and aiming for Wu Tong's vital points. As danger loomed, Wu Tong lashed out with a kick toward Karmapa's lower body, forcing him to withdraw again. In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged rapid blows—fists and kicks flying in tight succession.
Meanwhile, Abbas, seeing his plan falter, refused to give up. He shouted,"Xu Sheng! Don't just stand there—help me!"
Li Jian, watching anxiously, could no longer hold back despite his inferior skill. He called out to Xu Sheng,"Senior Xu, I may lack ability, but it's unfair to fight him in turns like this! I can't ignore injustice—let me spar with you barehanded. Please show mercy!"
Xu Sheng, known as "Thunderbolt Palm," was about to join the battle, but Li Jian's words angered him."Brat, who do you think you are? I'll deal with you first!"Still mindful of martial hierarchy, he restrained himself and said,"You make the first move."
But Li Jian replied, "Senior, please go first—and show mercy."Facing a powerful enemy, he silently recited the internal口诀 of the Beiming Palm technique:
"Practice diligently with time and discipline… where the mind leads, qi follows… gather energy to the dantian… let inner force flow endlessly…"
Xu Sheng snorted. "Enough talk—take this!"Enraged, he struck with deadly intent, aiming a palm at Li Jian's head.
Li Jian was startled by the fierce incoming force, like a raging storm. He thought, "This man's palm strength is formidable!" Yet there was no turning back. He focused and used the eighth move of Beiming Palm, "Calm Sea Waves," his hands flowing like gentle tides to neutralize the attack.
Xu Sheng's assault was relentless—palms like thunder, striking chest, face, and back with lethal precision. Within moments, he unleashed over ten powerful strikes, forcing Li Jian to retreat repeatedly.
Though at a disadvantage, Li Jian remained calm. He executed Beiming Palm skillfully:"Vast Ocean and Sky" to deflect frontal attacks,"Calm Sea Waves" to soften incoming force,"Horizon's Edge" to sidestep,"From South to North Seas" to counter unpredictably,and finally "All Rivers Flow to the Sea" and "Four Seas Unite" to use softness against hardness.
His movements were fluid and agile, like a dragon weaving through the air. Yet Xu Sheng's attacks grew fiercer, driving him back step by step. Frustrated, Xu Sheng suddenly roared and forced Li Jian into a direct palm clash.
Knowing his internal strength was inferior, Li Jian avoided direct contact, deflecting or evading instead.
At that moment, Tan Wei, watching nearby, cried out urgently,"Li Jian—don't match palms! Don't meet him head-on!"
They exchanged more moves, but Xu Sheng could not break through Li Jian's defense. Still, he pressed harder, repeatedly forcing a direct clash.
Seeing the danger, Tan Wei rushed forward with swift footwork and shouted, "Take this!"Xu Sheng, ruthless as ever, used his full strength. With a sudden motion, he split his force—his right palm met Tan Wei's, while his left struck Li Jian squarely in the back.
Li Jian was sent flying, coughing up blood instantly.
Xu Sheng sneered,"You brat don't know your place! If not for that ugly girl interfering, you'd already be dead!"
Though his strength was divided, the blow still severely injured Li Jian. He coughed up more blood as pain surged through his back.
Tan Wei stepped in front of him, furious."He already asked for mercy! There's no deep grudge—was such cruelty necessary just for a scripture?"
Meanwhile, the other battles had dragged on long enough that continuing might lead to mutual destruction. Because of this sudden turn, everyone gradually stopped fighting.
Karmapa spoke loudly,"Is it worth risking your lives over a scripture? There are four volumes in total, and each contains a sixteen-character riddle. Without solving it, the texts are useless!"
King Luoben then traced a cross-like symbol in the air and said,"This set of scriptures consists of four volumes—hand-copied originals by the 'Great National Dharma King,' sacred treasures of our order. The Tianwei Chapter has long been lost and never seen before. Now that I have retrieved it, it is surely the will of the World-Honored One."