Xing turned right, hearing the sound of rushing footsteps. A man soared through the air wielding a spear, pointed at him.

“Young Master!” The newcomer bellowed. “GET AWAY FROM HIM.”

The bellowing spearman brought the spear down with vigorous err, forcing Xing to step back, allowing Xia Tao to scramble backward, putting distance between the two.

Jushi landed and spun around, leveling his spear towards Xing, who narrowed his eyes, slightly confused as he gave him a long look.

The spearman wore black and red fatigued robes with a brown cloak hanging off his shoulders.

“Jushi! Thank the heavens you’re here. This madman means to kill me!”

His eyes traced the river bay, realising ten men had been defeated, which means this was the twelfth man hiding in the forest. Damn it, my ascension distracted me, He noted. leveled his weapon at Xing, eyes narrowed.

“Forgive my Young Master, Master…"

“Kung,”

“Kung, I am Jushi, bodyguard of Xia Tao, young master of the Xia family from Shaanxi.”

Xing tucked Li’er protectively against his chest with one arm, and held a despondent gaze on Jushi.

His strength felt weaker, but that was due to the cracks alongst his Core Dantian. He didn’t want to fight anymore, but he knew he had to, despite his battered condition.

As much as he wanted to charge forward, Li’er wailed defiantly, as if she were stopping him. Xing knew how powerful families in Huaxia operated.

If you offended a young master, he would hunt you down and with him raising Li’er, an Axsumite. It would’ve been best if he kept a low profile.

“That poisonous venom you have for a master started this.” Xing spat. “He sent men to my room, now he claims he will sell my daughter for profits. BY RIGHTS, his life is owned. By. Me.”

Jushi arced his spear defensive pattern. He rolled his neck slowly, ensuring not to take his eyes off Xing. “Yes, my young master is a fool, but there’s no need to take this fight any further. You’re poisoned.

“JUSHI WHAT ARE YOU DOING, KILL HIM!”

Lacerated pain pulsed violently across Xing’s face, as he felt the short cuts he’d gained when the young master was stomping his face into oblivion.

The urge to kill him had returned, but Xing quelled it immediately. He needed to leave and consolidate his Mind Dantian. “…an just like that, it is death he chooses,” Xing said firmly, raising his hand, inviting Jushi to attack.

“Then you leave me no choice. I cannot let any harm come to the Young Master on my watch!”

The two pugilists began circling each other warily, examining each other for any potential opening.

Xing kept Li’er tucked securely against his chest. Her small body rising and falling with each ragged breath he took. He couldn’t risk any harm coming to her.

“We don’t have to do this, Master Kung…” Jushi said, spear in his hands tracing hypnotic patterns through the air. “The Young Master’s quarrel isn’t with you…relinquish the child and we walk our separate ways.”

Xing growled a boisterous laugh, and began shaking his head maniacally. He did so as he kept an eye on Jushi but then his lips drew to a line.

After all he had endured to protect Li’er, he would never surrender her, especially not to the depravity Xia Tao spoke of.

His newly heightened senses zeroed in on Jushi, analyzing every minute shift in the spearman's stance.

The world seemed amplified - the rustling of leaves, the gurgling of the nearby stream, even the rapid drumming of Jushi’s heart.

“Tell me spearman Jushi, do you even have the ability to take my daughter from me…if so, please. Show me.”

Jushi’s spear thrusted forward with blinding speed. Xing dipped low, the spear’s point shearing through the air where his head was. He pivoted on one foot and launched himself into a furious flurry of kicks.

The spearman pivoted as well, weaving through Xing’s kicks, showing his defensive prowess.

He turned into Xing, then shot backwards giving himself space, but to allow his spear to become a whirling cyclone that deflected Xing’s onslaught.

He countered with a sweeping low strike, aimed to shatter Xing’s knee. Rolling to the side, Xing felt the rush of air as the spear grazed past, the spear point tugging at his robes.

Rising in a low crouch, Xing willed his breathing to steady, his focus to narrow. He feel the Qi swirling around Jushi’s body.

Xing swirled the Qi within his Mind Dantian and wisps of Qi began to explode around Jushi. Strings of Qi shot towards Xing. It was like Xing could see where Jushi wanted to attack. His true form being laid bare before his very eyesight, awakening from his perception.

So this is it…this is what ascending to the Qi Perception Realm is, I can see wisps of Qi, outlining his attack patterns.

“You fight with such ferocity” Jushi appraised, beads of sweat falling down his forehead, “Are you truly of the Accentuation Realm? I thought you would’ve decimated me in seconds.”

Xing said nothing, his jaw clenched in determination. He had reached too high, pushed himself too far, to fail Li’er now. With clinical precision, he analyzed the patterns in Jushi’s technique, the economic grace of his footwork, searching for the slightest flaw to exploit.

Muscles tensed, Xing launched himself into a soaring spiral kick. As Jushi raised his spear to deflect, Xing channeled a burst of Qi into his foot at the last possible second.

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The kick’s force redirected in mid-air, whipping back around to slam squarely into Jushi’s chest before he could react.

The thunderous impact reverberated through the clearing like a shockwave. The spearman’s cloak fluttered as he skidded back from the force, flustered.

Xing watched as Jushi gritted his teeth against the stunning blow. Then raised his spear in a defensive posture, energy roiling around him in a coruscating aura.

“Divination Realm?” Xing whispered.

“RECENTLY AWAKENED!” He growled in response.

“Then here’s to your defeat, Warrior Jushi,” Xing said firmly, pressing his advantage with a blistering combination of punches and palm strikes.

The combination forced Jushi backed into the defensive stature. He whirled his spear, showing Xing he was struggling with the unreadable combination.

With a resounding clang, Xing’s fist found its mark on Jushi's weapon - sending a tremor down its length that rattled the spearman's forearms.

For a split-second, Jushi faltered, his spear-point wavering as his guard opened a sliver.

Xing didn’t hesitate. Borrowing the momentum from his punch, he pivoted into a circular step, tucking Li’er behind his back to protect her. His other arm lashed out in a savage elbow strike directed at Jushi’s exposed ribs.

At the last possible instant, Jushi managed to arrest Xing’s strike with the shaft of his spear. But the force of the blow still impacted, knocking the wind from his lungs with a pained grunt.

He shunted the impact to the side, spinning with the redirection before whipping the spear back in a retaliatory thrust.

Ducking under the spear’s points, Xing saw his opening. He exploded off the balls of his feet into Jushi’s instep, chopping down with an axe-kick that slammed the spearman's heel into the ground. There was a sickening crunch as a hairline fracture trembled up Jushi’s leg.

Jushi howled in pain as he slammed into the ground, spear spear clattering to the side. He clutched at his throbbing ankle, then twisted into a rictus of agony. Tendons bulged in his neck as he fought through the blinding waves of pain.

“Do you want to be corpse?” Xing growled, chest heaving from exertion as he towered over the fallen bodyguard “Yield…Take your master and leave before I’m forced to take more drastic actions.”

Xing swirled the Qi within his Core Dantian and felt as his Qi withered through the cracks of his dantians.

He flooded his meridians with Qi from his Core Dantian, feeling a slight reprieve. The relief was short-lived as he realised that the Qi reserves within his Core Dantian had been slowly dissipating as he fought Jushi.

EIGHTEEN HELLS! I’VE LOST MY CORE DANTIAN STRENGTH! He growled to himself.

Jushi didn’t respond, but snared at Xing with his gritted teeth, smoldering his defiance. Then finally, almost imperceptibly, he gave the barest shake of his head. No…

That singular gesture of stubbornness awoke something primal within Xing. After all he’d sacrificed, all he had lost, there would be no more compromises.

No more half-measures.

A righteous fury ignited in his chest, banishing any remaining shreds of restraint. With a feral roar, he raised his fist high, preparing to bring it crushing down on Jushi's prone form.

“Fine…”

Xing jumped back, nestling Li’er in his arms as he tried to calm her down. Jushi rose from the ground, gritting his teeth, his grip on his spear tightening as he struggled to rise.

The fire in his eyes flickered with stubborn resolve, unwilling to admit defeat.

Xing’s patience though wore running thin. With a swift motion, he closed the distance between them, his fist drawn back for a finishing blow. But before he could strike, he hesitated.

Was this truly the only way to end the conflict? To extinguish another life in the name of vengeance? The question lingered in his mind, a flicker of doubt amidst the storm of battle.

In that moment of hesitation, Jushi seized the opportunity, launching himself at Xing with renewed ferocity. Their bodies collided with bone-jarring force, sending them both crashing to the forest floor.

For a heartbeat, they lay tangled together in a chaotic sprawl of limbs and weapons. And then, with a final surge of strength, Xing pushed himself free, scrambling to his feet.

But Jushi was already on the move, his spear spinning in a deadly arc. With a desperate lunge, Xing deflected the blow, his muscles straining with effort.

The spearman hunched over, eyeing Xing venomously as if he was ready to tear him apart, but this was nothing new to Xing. He outstretched his right hand, and gestured to Jushi to attack.

As the world blurred from the clash. Each strike Jushi made, served only infuriate him further as he realised that Xing defeated him, singlehandedly as he held a child in his other arm.

Unbeknowst to Jushi, Xing swirled the Qi within his Mind Dantian flared, allowing him to perceive Jushi attacks, each intended strike was scene as a string of white Qi pulsing into existence, extending to Jushi.

Once he got used to his movements, he quickly realised Jushi’s pattern of attack without swirling his Qi, allowing him to protect Li’er easily.

However, during their exchange, Xing had seen a ball of Qi swirling around his left hand, aimed at where he was holding Li’er. He’s planning to attack Li’er, all of these attacks are just feints, He mused bitterly.

Xing and Jushi continued their dance, their shadows dueling shadows in the moonlight, their movements a blur of speed and precision.

Each strike and parry, the clash of wood and hand echoed through the forest, punctuated by the grunts of exertion.

As Xing’s mind raced as he analyzed Jushi's fighting style, searching for weaknesses to exploit.

Despite his fatigue and the cracks in his Core Dantian, he refused to yield. He couldn't afford to – not when Li’er’s life hung in the balance.

Jushi’s lunged forward, spear lashing out like a viper, aimed at Xing’s left side. But Xing anticipated the attack. So you finally attack, Xing noted.

Xing didn’t dodge, he flicked his wrist, sending Li’er to the sky and caught the spear between his left hand and waist. He spun violently, snapping the spear in two.

He flicked the butte of the spear into the air.

The Guiding Star Fist: Seventh Fist - Galactic Spiral.

Xing stepped back, and withoutrealising, the aura and Qi that exhumed forced Jushi to step forward, as if drawn to him. The moment he stepped forward Xing loosed a punch filled with Qi, the spiralling qi in his hand swirled as if it were the galaxy itself.

Xing’s fist connected with a sickening crunch, sending Jushi crashing to the ground with a pained cry. But even as he fell, he refused to surrender, his eyes burning with defiance.

Xing caught both Li’er and the broken butte of Jushi’s spear in both hands and performed an Instantaneous Step, appearing in front of him in an instant.

As he towered over Jushi, he brought the butte down into the man’s shoulder, effectively immobilising him. “This fight is over, take your master and leave.” Xing growled.

As they stood there amidst the wreckage of their battle, a sense of weary relief washed over Xing.

He pushed himself up, cradling in his arms. He turned away then Xia Tao lunged forward, a dagger aimed at his heart. Xing spun away, then caught the blade with his Iron Shredding Claws, fingers clamping on the blade.

Xia Tao eyes opened widely from the shock, but mostly from fright.

“Shredding Claw Xing,” Jushi whispered through gritted teeth, his eyes widening with recognition.

Disappointment flickered across Xing’s face. “So, you know who I am.”

Jushi nodded weakly, unable to hide his pain. Xing sighed, feeling a mix of pity and determination. He couldn’t leave any loose ends.

“I gave you a chance, Jushi,” Xing said, his voice cold and resolute. “Now I must take your hand…as compensation.

Xing stomped the butte embedded in Jushi’s right shoulder. The spearman wailed out maniacally, then Xing racked his hand against his shoulder blade, severing his right had completely.

Jushi wailed out even louder as he clutched his bleeding stump.

Xing turned Xia Tao, who stood trembling, his bravado evaporating. “If anyone comes looking for me. I will take more than your eye,” Xing warned. His voice was like ice, each word a dagger of intent.

As Xia Tao’s eyes widened in fear, but before he could react, Xing plucked out Xia Tao left eye, hitting the pain acupoint in his neck in one smooth motion.

The young master fell to the ground, clutching his empty socket, too shocked to scream.

Xing crushed the eye in his hand, the wet squelch of the act reverberating through the clearing. He turned and began to walk away, Li’er cradled protectively against his chest.

Behind him, Xia Tao’s screams finally broke through the silence, a haunting cry of agony and despair.

Xing didn’t look back. His focus was on the path ahead, ensuring that Li’er would never face such horrors again.