Chapter 154 - 149: Rubble Hill, Fighting Xiang Bao (Part 2)

’Such a fast Body Technique!’

Xiang Bao arched his upper body far back to dodge Zhao Lin’s fist.

Despite this, he refused to take a single step back. As his body arched backward, his right foot instantly shot up, unleashing a whip kick that was incredibly swift and charged with powerful force.

Seeing the ferocity of the attack, Zhao Lin bent his knees and sank into his stance, turning his toes inward. He quickly crossed his arms before his chest, activating the Turtle Shell Force to protect his upper body.

Hollowing his chest, pulling in his abdomen, and arching his back, he absorbed the impact. The moment the kick landed, his chest and abdomen expanded as he abruptly released his power.

THUD!

A searing pain shot through Zhao Lin’s arms. He stumbled back seven or eight steps before barely managing to regain his footing.

Xiang Bao didn’t fare much better. The immense force of the recoil sent him flying. He performed two consecutive somersaults in mid-air to bleed off the momentum, landing only after covering a distance of thirty or forty feet.

’He hasn’t cultivated any body-strengthening techniques, so how can he have so much power?’

Xiang Bao’s expression turned grave, his heart filled with shock and uncertainty.

’There’s a saying in the martial arts: "Fists for speed, legs for power." I had the clear advantage, attacking with a fully charged kick. I never thought we’d be evenly matched in a direct clash of strength.’

’Innate Divine Power?’

Xiang Bao didn’t think so.

The Innate Divine Power found in ordinary people was nothing before a martial artist at the Third Layer of the Qi Realm. In the later stages of cultivation, everything came down to one’s Cultivation Technique and realm.

Xiang Bao had already figured that for Zhao Lin to enter the Wuxiang Institute at only the First Layer of the Qi Realm, his combat prowess had to be considerable. Still, the reality had far exceeded his expectations.

’It seems I underestimated him after all!’

These thoughts flashed through his mind in a fraction of a second. The next instant, Zhao Lin was upon him, charging forward like a bolt of lightning.

A sharp glint appeared in Xiang Bao’s eyes. He broke into a rapid shuffle, his body swaying slightly as he thrust out both palms at once...

The sun was setting, casting long shadows from the boulders across the rocky ridge.

The Silver-spotted Fox lay on the branch of a large tree, its small head peeking out. It watched Xiang Bao and Zhao Lin’s close-quarters combat, its big eyes filled with anxiety.

Their figures blurred together as the sound of strikes cleaving the air rang out continuously. They exchanged dozens of blows in less than ten breaths.

The longer Xiang Bao fought, the more alarmed he became. He had been certain that with his cultivation two layers higher and his far more profound force, he would eventually break through his opponent’s defense.

But Zhao Lin only seemed to fight with more vigor, the force of his punches surging, each one stronger than the last. He showed no signs of exhaustion whatsoever.

Zhao Lin was equally astonished. ’I have the upper hand in both strength and speed, yet I can’t seem to touch him.’

’His Fire Cloud Palm Force is suppressing my own power. I have to summon all my courage for every direct clash.’

’Of all the opponents I’ve faced, the Drilling Mountain Leopard was a clear cut above the rest. But this Xiang Bao... his strength is a notch higher still.’

’If this keeps up, I might not lose, but winning will be nearly impossible.’

’This guy has a fox that acts just like a Fragrant Mink. It’s impossible to hide from him.’

’I have to teach him a lesson. Otherwise, I won’t be able to gather herbs in peace for the next two days!’

With this in mind, Zhao Lin suddenly charged forward at an angle, swinging a fist at Xiang Bao’s left shoulder.

A glint flashed in Xiang Bao’s eyes. He parried the punch with one hand while jabbing forward with an inch-punch from the other, his four fingers held tightly together.

Just then, the unexpected happened.

Without a sway of his shoulders or a shift of his legs—without any perceptible motion at all—Zhao Lin’s body suddenly traced a sharp, angular path, appearing at Xiang Bao’s side.

HSSST...

A short hiss of air erupted by his ear. Xiang Bao was still wondering what it was when he suddenly realized Zhao Lin had appeared beside him as if by teleportation. Alarmed, he hastily raised an arm to block.

But Zhao Lin’s punch was a feint. With an even more incredible twist of his body, he swiveled in a flash and appeared behind Xiang Bao.

Without even turning his head, Xiang Bao kicked back viciously with a reverse mule kick, simultaneously twisting his body to deliver an elbow strike.

Halfway through his turn, he saw from the corner of his eye that there was no one there!

’Where did he go?’

Xiang Bao felt his scalp prickle as the hairs all over his body stood on end.

The hissing sound came again, but this time, it was from directly above him.

Xiang Bao snapped his head up and was shocked to see Zhao Lin appearing in mid-air like a phantom. His body was tilted at an impossible angle as he brought a palm down on Xiang Bao’s shoulder.

A numbing sensation spread through his body as a fist struck a vital point on his shoulder.

THWAP. THWAP. THWAP.

Having found Xiang Bao’s pressure points, Zhao Lin floated lightly to the ground. His hands never stopped, fiercely striking a dozen more points on Xiang Bao’s shoulders, chest, and thighs with forceful punches.

’This man’s internal force is deep. If I don’t hit him hard, he’ll recover in moments.’

Xiang Bao’s expression was blank. He stood frozen like a wooden post, allowing Zhao Lin to do as he wished.

He was currently unable to summon his internal force; his cultivation had temporarily regressed to the Power Realm. He could no longer contend with Zhao Lin, so he remained silent, trying to preserve some shred of dignity.

Zhao Lin breathed a sigh of relief. ’My surprise attack really is effective against an unprepared opponent.’

With a slight nod, he walked over to where Xiang Bao had left his bag, bent down, and took out the herb-gathering box.

He opened it to find nearly twenty herbs neatly arranged inside, several of which were quite rare.

’Disciples from prominent families really are different,’ he thought. ’Those two from the Fire Jade Department only had five herbs between them. This is a bountiful harvest!’

He didn’t have time to identify the herbs one by one, so he simply relocated the entire collection, stuffing them all into his own box.

Xiang Bao watched with cold indifference, seemingly unmoved.

After packing up the bundle, Zhao Lin glanced toward the large tree where the Silver-spotted Fox had been hiding.

The Silver-spotted Fox, terrified, fled in a flash.

"What was that move you just used? What Cultivation Technique is it from?"

Xiang Bao suddenly asked, his voice hoarse.

The defeat was humiliating, but he couldn’t stand losing without even understanding how.

"My apologies, but I can’t tell you."

Zhao Lin smiled faintly and shook his head gently.

’Martial artists in the Qi Realm and even the Blood Realm can project their internal force, but it can never actually leave the body.’

’Therefore, this technique of mine—projecting force directly from my acupoints—is something I can never use in public. It would be impossible to explain.’

’I only dared to use it just now for two reasons. First, I released the force from the acupoints on my back, so Xiang Bao didn’t see it directly.’

’Second, given Xiang Bao’s pride, even if he knew the truth, he’d be too arrogant to publicize such a humiliating defeat. Besides, no one would believe him even if he did.’

Zhao Lin glanced up at the sky and strode out of the rocky ridge.

Xiang Bao’s face flushed red, his fists clenched so tightly the knuckles turned white. He squeezed a few words through his gritted teeth: "Just wait until tomorrow! You won’t be smiling then!"

...

The moonlight was like liquid silver, and the sky was filled with a sea of stars.

Index Finger Peak. A spruce forest on the mountainside.

Zhao Lin sat leaning back on a branch of a tall spruce tree, watching the warm air of his breath turn into a white plume before gradually vanishing.

He couldn’t help but pull his woolen felt tighter around him. ’Why is this mountain so cold?’ he wondered.

After leaving the rocky ridge, he had gone straight to Index Finger Peak, figuring he would try his luck on a different mountain.

’There was another reason, too,’ he mused. ’Xiang Bao is clearly not the magnanimous type.’

’It’s impossible he wouldn’t hold a grudge after I took his herbs.’

’If he gets a group of disciples from the Fire Jade Department to hunt me down, I won’t even be able to get a moment’s rest.’

’So, I might as well move to a new area. Even if Xiang Bao comes looking, the earliest he’ll find me is tomorrow.’

Arriving at Index Finger Peak, Zhao Lin’s first sensation was that it was exceptionally cold here.

It was truly strange. The two peaks were very close, and the sky was clear, yet the temperature felt nearly ten degrees colder.

’Perhaps it’s because of different geographical conditions,’ he reasoned.