“Damn it...” Bing pulled out a Spirit Cake from his storage ring and ate it as he crashed to the ground.
Runt helped him up on his feet and saw the malevolent rise of qi flowing into the air from what used to be Huan Leng’s house. As Bing gulped down several cakes to boost his strength in preparation for fighting that thing staring right at him with nothing but murderous thoughts running through its mind, he felt his body becoming stronger. He had no time to waste and knew that Leng would be coming to kill him any second now. After finishing the cakes, he tossed Runt away and finally got a good look at the monstrosity he had to kill.
The elegant and handsome cultivator that everyone knew Huan Leng as was not standing there. A demonic beast radiating with foul qi that prickled the skin and nearly unmatched killing intent glared at Bing. His breath that resembled steam from fire meeting water was visible every time he took a breath, Leng’s eyes were unseeable due to his hair covering them, and most notable of all was the beast-like mouth on his torso loudly roaring into the air. Just with a glance, everyone could tell that Huan Leng was not in control of his mind at the moment. Whatever bloodline that was, sapped him of his sanity and sent him into an uncontrollable state.
“Alright... Let’s see if I'm lucky enough to survive this time around...” A six-armed muscled-up Bing took a deep breath, slapping his thighs to stop them from shaking.
He focused his eyes on Leng, held his shield at ready, and got ready for a deadly fight. It was rather kind of Leng for him to wait until he was completely ready. But Bing figured that was his luck playing into part there rather than any choice of Leng’s. Because right after he got in position to fight, Leng suddenly appeared in front of him. His fist came flying towards his face and Bing could actually see his movements!
Two of his fists caught Leng’s during his rush while his other four slammed into his chest. Bing was physically more powerful than him! Leng was a qi cultivator! He had more of a chance of winning now if he took advantage of this information! Upon learning this, Bing tried slamming Leng into the ground only to be blasted in his ripped abs by a beam of qi from Leng’s mouth stomach. It sent him sliding backward while Leng’s figure became coated in purple qi.
“Swift Devil!” Bing didn’t give him the chance to get used to his movements.
His shield bashed down on the skull of the Huan Clan leader but the rapid shaking of his brain against his skull did little to stop his movements. Leng flipped forward with the strike and his leg came striking down right towards the back of Bing’s head. He blocked with his shield and reached forward with his hands to grab him by the leg. Only for Leng’s other leg to kick his shield and send him backward.
“Swift Devil!” Bing ran back in once again. “Swift Devil!” Then suddenly dashed to the left. “Swift Devil!” Then forward, all the way around Leng before tackling him from behind with his shield.
Leng was prepared despite Bing’s surprisingly fast movements. He struck with a leaping kick that saved himself from taking any damage. The two flew across the Inner Court together and continued their battle in full sight of everyone. Bing couldn’t spare any attention to anyone else but Leng.
A sharp kick just flew past his head and would’ve probably decapitated him if he wasn’t as focused as he was now. He reached out to grab the leg and just like before, was blasted by that mouth stomach. It was starting to irritate him that every chance he had was getting ruined by that thing. But he knew that targeting Leng’s back had to be its weakness. As every time he tried getting behind it, it would quickly prevent him from doing so with everything it had. Not even giving him the chance to strike from behind.
Bing had the edge in power, speed, and defense but Leng had the advantage in fluidity, flexibility, and qi. If he wanted to win, he would have to think of something to trick the beast in human skin. So, he tossed his shield right at Leng. Leng hopped over the shield and charged him now that he was without a weapon. The sole fatty of Heaven’s Angels didn’t panic at the incoming threat. He’s had more close combat experience than he ever wanted to have thanks to Hu Tao, Ying, and the Empress.
“You can’t rely on that shield to protect you forever Fatass. Let’s play around for a bit. I’m bored.”
“What can you even do without your shield, Bing? Even I know some martial arts for if I get disarmed.”
“Slave, I didn’t give you that weapon to rely on as an extra life. Let me teach you a few things.”
The six-armed disciple took on the two-armed one in an impressive show of skill. He overpowered and outclassed Leng in pure martial arts prowess and could’ve subdued him if it wasn’t for that bloodline of his. The surprisingly agile and round disciple struck with ruthless and dominating attacks. His fists aimed at the face, throat, neck, kidney, balls, and every opportunity that appeared where there was a chance to grab hold of Leng, he went for it.
Leng was no slouch himself, however. Even though he was outmatched in an upfront brawl, this was a life-or-death battle. There was more at play than just martial arts skills. He moved and fought like a wild beast with knowledge of martial arts but no intention to use any of it. The Huan Clan leader fought in an aggressive manner that attempted to savagely injure and cause as much pain as possible to Bing. Purposely avoiding his vitals and seemingly getting more excited as blood flowed from his wounds. Nevertheless, he instinctively knew the danger that Bing held against him. With his eagerness to strike his vitals and grab hold of him, he evaded every attempt to do so.
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Just as the face stomach was about to shoot Bing, his shield smashed into Leng’s back and sent him flying in Bing’s arms. Bing was more than happy to grab Leng in his arms and use all the strength and weight in his body to slam him into the ground. His devil hand’s tongue flicked out and he prepared himself to kill Leng by puncturing him with the tongue only to suddenly cry out in horrible pain. Heaven’s Angel’s second member stood up in disbelief and shock as a portion of his stomach’s flesh was eaten by the mouth stomach. He hopped away to get some distance and to deal with his injuries only to stare at Leng’s mad grin and wide-open stomach that ate him whole in one bite.
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Bing reawakened in a realm that reminded him of Ying’s void world. His clothes were missing, he was completely nude, and he felt his soul being gnawed away. Standing up, Bing looked down at himself and realized that if he didn’t find a way out of here, Leng would devour him whole. Soul and all. As someone who has eaten plenty of people during his time at the Golden Serpent Sect, in a way, Bing felt as if he deserved an end like this.
His life was nothing special. From beginning or to the end. He grew up in a low-ranked cultivation clan, with a plain little sister, and no real talent at all. It was a miracle he even made it this far in life. What he felt was supposed to happen was him failing the Golden Serpent Sect’s Recruitment Test and returning back home as a complete failure or dying in the test.
His little sister being as plain and untalented as she was would be too unimpressive to be married off to some talented outsider. Bing’s dream of becoming a cultivator strong enough to live life as he pleased would’ve been destroyed. The next choice for him would probably have been to become a chef. It wasn’t as if he had any other talent that could help him make a living. Being a useless waste wasn’t a choice for someone like him. Neither of his parents were wealthy enough to support a glutton.
As part of the branch family, life was harder for them. Showing off too much meant you were a threat to the main family. Being too useless meant you were a detriment to the clan. Bing was perfectly in the middle of those two extremes somewhat. Not talented at all but he wasn’t hopeless as a cultivator. So, if he lived his life a little bit humbly, he would achieve nothing and have a most mediocre life. Finding a nice mortal girl willing to settle with a man like him and then spending the rest of his life with her.
But was that what he really wanted? Was Bing really fine with living a life like that? Of course, he would have to hold his head low and make sure to do everything he could to satisfy cultivators stronger than him like the average person, but that was normal, wasn’t it? Both mortals and cultivators did it when they encountered someone stronger.
Then why hasn’t Bing lowered his head to anyone ever since joining Jing? Well, there has been moments where he did lower his head but that was only to trick them so that he could give himself an opportunity to attack or escape. He refused to be the cowardly and weak Fatty that others thought they could bully. Avoiding violent confrontations when he could but not backing down when forced into a corner.
Didn’t this mean that Bing wanted anything but a life like that? A life where he had to bow his head to anyone just for survival? A life where he couldn’t voice his displeasure and dislikes without being threatened to be killed? A life where he can’t live according to his own whims?
“I want to live life my way...”
“I don’t want to die here.”
“I haven’t done enough yet... I still have regrets...”
“I haven’t had sex yet.”
“I haven’t tasted enough foods yet.”
“I haven’t had my first kiss, yet.”
“I haven’t grown as strong as I wanted too.”
“I haven’t gotten married.”
“I haven’t made any children.”
“I haven’t seen my grandchildren to spoil them.”
“I haven’t had enough time to spend with my friends.”
“Lei Zhi.”
“Ying.”
“Hu Tao.”
“Qing.”
“Jing...”
“Li Li.”
“Ni Xong.”
“Quon...”
“And everyone else too.”
“To think that all of this happened just because you couldn’t let things go...”
“Face this... Face that... Who gives a shit?!”
“Reputation isn’t everything in this world, damn it!”
“All I wanted was to be left alone but you just wouldn’t stop trying to kill me! Then you involved Ying...”
“At that point, I couldn’t just let things be anymore. It wasn’t fine that you were trying to kill me but then you involved my friends... The first people to actually accept me as an equal and individual. Not a pawn or someone to look down on.”
“You not being able to let bygones be gone is the reason for this!”
“I don’t fucking want to die!” Bing clutched his fist and radiated the qi that hasn’t been eaten away yet.
“Not yet! I still have things to do, damn it!” A forked tongue appeared on his palm and licked the air.
“You want to eat me? I don’t think so, you bastard!” Bing smashed his hand into the ground itself and forced his Devil Hand to suck.
Qi and something else began to flow inside his body. With this energy, he grew even more arms with tongues of their own. As seconds went by, tens to dozens to hundreds to thousands of arms stretched out from Bing. Every single one of them devouring Leng’s void world collectively. The world itself began to crinkle, deform, and scream in pain. Bing laughed as the malicious and baleful qi began to further taint his soul and body. Leng’s voice and another’s could be heard crying out in agony as Bing continued his draining. He didn’t intend to stop until he was free.
It turns out that with his Devil Hand, Bing was fully capable of absorbing other’s bloodlines and integrating them into himself. Now he understood how he acquired control over yin and yang qi. That woman from the Great Tower that he used his Devil Hand on. She must have held a bloodline that gave her an easier time understanding and using yin and yang qi. This knowledge would be very useful going forward... Especially now that he had a void world of his own, just like Ying.
“Shatter and break!” Bing destroyed the void world and reappeared back at the Golden Serpent Sect.