Wu Tong and his companion, while at Huangshan Palace, happened upon the two eccentric wanderers of the martial world, who had come to pay a visit to Daoist Master Danyang. By chance, they learned that the Judges of Life and Death were to serve as referees for a duel between Long Zhentian, the Lord of the Nine Skies Palace, and Tuoba Xinge, the Lord of the True God Palace.
At that time, Huangshan Palace and its many Daoist temples were in financial difficulty, barely able to keep going. The clever Zhao Rou suddenly had a flash of inspiration: she proposed that the palace should charge one hundred coins from every person entering to watch the duel, so that the funds could be used to support the temples. When Danyang Zhenren reported this to Daoist Master Danqing, and a council of abbots was convened, all voiced their agreement. Thus the plan was approved. The two eccentric wanderers agreed to serve as guardians at the gates, preventing troublemakers from sneaking in without paying. Wu Tong, for his part, undertook to inform the Judges of Life and Death. With the matter settled, the two wanderers remained at the temple while Wu Tong and Zhao Rou left Huangshan Palace, preparing to return to Lingwu—after all, more than ten days remained before the duel.
Descending the mountain, they passed Mawei Slope, where crowds still gathered to pay their respects. Riding on through the mountain paths, they suddenly saw two gray shadows darting like lightning to strike at a man on the road. Before the assailants even arrived, the force of their palms swept forth like blades of wind. Narrowing his eyes, Wu Tong saw that the victim was none other than Yin Li, the "Stele-Splitting Demon Palm." His attackers were the Kirin Elder Lin Ping and Black Tortoise Elder Shen Er of Nine Skies Palace. Strangely, Yin Li's beloved, Gao Siyao the "Jade Guanyin," was nowhere to be seen.
Elder Lin Ping shouted, "Yin Li, you botched the task! The Tufan snow lotus has been seized by the True God Palace. Lord Long Zhentian only asked that you return the deposit. And yet you vanish without a trace!"
Yin Li retorted: "Money I have none! Life—just this one old life!"
Elder Shen Er sneered, "And where's that sweetheart of yours, Gao Siyao the Jade Guanyin?"
At that, Yin Li's face turned ashen. With a sigh he said, "Say no more… she took everything I had and tricked me!"
Lin Ping's expression hardened. "So—you mean to keep Nine Skies Palace's silver? In the martial world, stealing another's coin is the road to death."
Yin Li repeated coldly, "Money I have none! Life—just this one old life!"
Lin Ping snapped, "Then repay with your flesh and blood! You should have known this day would come." With a chilling laugh, he struck out with palms like a crashing avalanche. Shen Er's palms too roared forth, carrying crushing force.
The three collided with a thunderous roar, energies surging and clashing. It was early spring, yet snow still lay in the mountains; Yin Li's furious palms swept up the drifts into icy clumps, hurling them like missiles. The two elders were forced to expend vast amounts of inner strength fending them off. At last Yin Li leapt skyward and brought down a crushing blow. Shen Er, caught off guard, staggered back several paces. Lin Ping rushed in with a palm, only to be driven back as well.
Yin Li warned coldly: "Blame not my hands for showing no mercy. Press me further, and you'll force the tiger to maul!"
But the two elders would not relent. Shen Er shouted, "Then call forth the Four Envoys of Wind, Thunder, Earth, and Sky! Nine Skies Palace must not lose face—attack together!"
The four envoys—Zhou Da, Xu Er, Sun San, and Ma Si—rushed in. Lin Ping roared, "Yin Li, today we'll grind your bones to dust, or Nine Skies Palace will be shamed forever!"
Yin Li barked back, "I admit I wronged the palace, but if you force me, I'll fight to the death!"
In a blur of gray shadows, the four envoys charged. But Yin Li vaulted high, let out a sky-shaking roar, and unleashed his famed technique, the Sixteen Stele-Splitting Palms. One after another the envoys fell before him—palms striking like thunder, sending men flying.
Even the two elders, joining from both sides, could not gain the upper hand. Yin Li's movements were calm yet fierce, his strikes earth-shaking. Dust and stones whirled as he countered with overwhelming might. At last, with a thunderous crash of palms against Shen Er's strike, the Black Tortoise Elder staggered back, his qi in turmoil. Lin Ping rushed in, only to be met by Yin Li's twin palms. With two resounding cracks, both elders were driven back, their footing unsteady…