From what I understood of this situation, this guy was supposed to come and keep an eye on me. But when I had not returned to the dorms for days, he had asked people around for me. He finally found me and was angry due to wasting time on someone he considered below him.
These people and their egos. I could see where they were coming from. But this was not the kind of place where I would put up with such things.
He cocked back his fist and looked ready to throw a punch at me, and the air around him shifted.
Despite not having much experience in whatever technique he was planning to use. I understood how the air shifted around a fist and the technique that might come out. Those countless hours practicing Piercing Fang Fist were not for nothing.
“We could have been friends if you weren’t so violent. Would an apology be enough? I really feel bad for wasting your time,” I said, and a smile came to my face.
Though there were no mocking intentions in my words. Times like these reminded me of certain habits this body had that I had also inherited.
“Do you think this is a joke?” The man cursed under his breath and threw his punch. “Even if you lick the bottom of my shoes, there is no way you’re getting out of this without a beating.”
“Well, then I can’t say that I didn’t try using talk-no-jutsu on you!" I used Rushing Bull Steps and leaped to the side as he swung his fist where I stood before.
“You dare dodge my fist!”
For a split second, I was high in the air and got a good view of the sect with the full moon shining behind me. Then next came the weightlessness, and I started falling.
I hated the fight that was coming, especially when I knew the chances of me winning were slim to none. But at the same time, I loved it, this was just another experiment with my techniques, and I was the emotionless scientist through it all.
There was a crash behind me, and my heart leaped. But I did not turn around since even a millisecond of wasted time like that could be devastating.
The noise of crashing trees grew closer. Then it was followed by sounds of someone yelling, and this time even nearer. The difference in pure speed was too big to cover with a head start.
I wasn't running around aimlessly. But maybe it would be better to stop for a bit and buy some time by injuring him or something. It would be pretty bad if the guy somehow sneaked up on me and landed an attack on my back, knocking me out instantly.
There was still some time until I reached my training ground. Many rituals were already set up during my training time there.
I planned to use arrays against him since with only pure martial arts it would be difficult to close the gap. I had no Earth Grade techniques, nor artifacts to make up for that kind of difference in power.
Soon enough, I heard some rustling behind me. Without hesitation, I turned around and stopped in my tracks. Within an instant, a shadowy figure was upon me. I raised my arms to block something swift heading straight toward my face.
It was dark, and the big trees covered the moon and didn't make it easier to see anything. Even with the enhanced sight of a cultivator, it wasn't like I had night vision.
Something landed on my chest. I went flying and smashed against a couple of trees. My back ached, but it wasn't the kind of pain where I would be worried something broke.
Breaking something didn't feel like a dull ache and could best be described as a sharp pain. I had experience with that when fighting against the girl with the brass knuckles.
But I didn't have much time to think about the pain as the man pounced on me again. This time he used a technique as the air around him shifted. I raised my arms again. His fist blurred and moved past my guard like a snake. He struck me on the cheek, and it felt like my head was about to pop out of my shoulders. I went flying and crashed into a tree head-first.
What?!
Pain filled my senses. My vision went completely black for a second, and it was hard to form coherent thoughts. When I came to my senses and looked around, catching sight of my opponent getting closer.
I hadn't completely gone unconscious and that was only a split-second blackout.
Yet, as I looked at his hands, his arms twitched and moved in a weird rhythm. Despite how strong cultivators were, they still had human-like anatomy. Someone's arms couldn't move like it was a boneless worm unless they used a technique.
Before I got hit, I could have sworn there was an afterimage of a snake pouncing on me. So the technique had to be something like imitating a snake. There was no use blocking something like that. It was a good technique since it made defending against him useless.
The worst part was that I couldn't handle getting hit by him, while my attacks seemed to do little damage—If any at all.
"I can see them," I stated, brushing off my clothes of any debris.
I moved around to see if there were any splinters in my flesh. While I still kept my eyes on the opponent, I hoped adrenaline wasn't going to fuck me here and make me ignore the pain. Because if I were more injured than it seemed, it was a very dangerous spot to be in.
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"What're you talking about?" He halted, looking bewildered.
"Your punches, I can see them," I answered, brushing my tongue along my teeth, making sure none were loose. "Since there is a large realm between us. I thought even seeing you move would be impossible. The difference between us is less than I imagined."
This felt like fighting a Dark Souls boss for the first time and expecting to win. Not necessarily impossible, but extremely unlikely. The worst part was I doubted this was all he could do.
Qi Gathering disciples were known for their ability to use Qi. The books said sending Qi made them a whole other world from Body Tempering disciples.
Rapid punches came toward my face. I crouched to a ridiculous degree, and my face was almost to the same level as the inner disciple's knees.
For some reason, I was reminded of the boxing advice from Mike Tyson. Despite his shorter height and reach, he could dominate people bigger than him. Because people were usually trained to punch at their eye level and not below. Even if a punch landed on me when I was in this position, it would be much weaker due to being thrown from such an awkward position.
There was also the chance that he could try and kick me in the face. In that case, I would have to try my best and cripple his leg no matter what. Even if I had to give up and risk one of my arms being broken.
With a crippled leg, even if he was in a higher realm than me, he would have a hard time keeping up.
But despite my expectations, no hits came, and I used my Piercing Fang Fist to hit him in the liver. Which was supposed to be a weak point, but despite the critical attack, the young master only skidded back, left a track on the grass, and grunted.
He stared at me with bloodshot eyes and looked ready to kill me.
Barely any sign of injuries—That was the reward I got for putting my all into an attack.
"Trash like you! Daring to touch me!"
I zoned him out and no longer bothered paying attention to his words. He continued yapping a bit longer, and I used this time to look for any signs of him charging at me. When he finally showed signs, he didn't even bother hiding them, and his charge was almost telegraphed. There was no scheme or hidden strategy there.
Was he looking to overpower me with raw strength?
His moves were too telegraphed. If he kept moving like this, then his superior speed and strength were less advantageous to him.
His snake-like arms again shook, and his nails glowed green as his hands were like whips aiming for my face.
I didn't bother dodging this time and went on the attack instead.
The wind whooshed around my fist, and he looked uninterested. Taking this same attack twice had left him unimpressed, and he thought he could take it.
Instead of aiming for the face, ribs, throat, or liver, which would be considered weak points, I aimed for his snake-like elbows, which seemed boneless. It didn't seem like this point would be a weakness. But after reading up on enough techniques, I could roughly guess some places that might be a weak spot.
He winced, and his arms no longer swished about uselessly as he stepped back and frowned. There were bruises on his forearms.
"Your technique is good and makes defending useless. It allows you to change the direction of your attacks without any problems," I said. "But it has a weakness. Doesn't it? To move like that, you have to turn your arms soft. Those same arms that-"
Why was I explaining what I was doing like a two-bit villain? Because I wanted to buy some time and show him I was not an easy target.
Also, his technique was flawed. It was deadly at first sight, but even techniques like Turtle Shell Body would be useless on his hands as there was little he could do about softening those arms. His technique required him to create a weakness in his arms.
His frown deepened, and my reasoning seemed to have had no effect. He kept attacking as both of his hands turned into whips.
"Let's see if you can hit this then," his arms swished around with cracking sounds, breaking the sound barrier.
Boom!
One of his fists landed on the tree next to him, and it looked like someone had used a baseball bat to shred the middle of said tree.
In this case, speed equaled power in its own way.
Despite the move seemingly not making his attacks stronger, it seemed like the young man had some handle on his technique and had circumvented that weakness. No doubt his grandpa taught him something like this when he was young; this guy didn't seem like the kind who would figure out things like this on his own.
Or maybe he was? The best way to do this was to test each other's mastery of our techniques.
He rushed me with a smug smile and said some words I bothered not listening to. It was probably something rude. But such things no longer mattered and never even entered my mind.
I was in my own world, and the only thing in front of me were those whip-like arms. The way he moved those upper limbs was more than just joint-dislocation. This move was at the level of my Turtle Shell Body technique. Average Mortal Grade Techniques never caused such drastic changes in the limbs.
The way he approached me was rigid despite how fast he moved.
In the middle of the whip-like arms, I threw a punch, and immediately gashes formed around my arms. I kept my gaze on him, and my Piercing Fang Fist landed on his throat.
His eyes widened in shock, and for the first time since our fight started, he seemed to take damage as blood rolled down his mouth. He fell to his knees, clawing at his own throat. While looking around confused.
Perhaps he could no longer breathe? That was bad timing for him. But since he was my opponent, I was definitely kicking him while he was down.
I threw another punch. This one even slightly aided with Rushing Bull Step.
Yet, there was a sudden feeling in the air.
What was this strange sensation on my skin? The closest thing I could describe it to was like the heat coming off a metal stove.
I could not see it! But there was something there! Dangerous!
Despite having the perfect chance to give this bastard another beating, I listened to my instinct. Or more correctly I was forced to listen to them as my body moved on its own before I could even think things through and I jumped back. Even ten feet away from the coughing man, the hairs at the end of my neck stood up, and my heart started beating louder.
What was this strange feeling? There was something in front of me I wasn't seeing.
As the inner disciple stopped coughing, he stood up and stared at me with another emotion different from anger. He looked bewildered as he addressed me, "How did you dodge that?"
Excuse me? Dodge what?
As if reading the look on my face, he frowned, "No, you can't see it, just like every other Body Tempering disciple. But what made you dodge there? How can you sense Qi?! Don’t tell me…"