079 Do you think I am afraid of you? (2)

“Whoosh!”

Tie Yang’s fist smashed forward, landing hard on Xiu Nan’s back. Xiu Nan staggered, then surged forward again.

“Not fighting back?!” Tie Yang frowned, then sneered, “Then I’ll just keep pummeling you until you’re dead…”

His leg muscles bulged, joints flexing. Power slowly gathered beneath his feet, erupting in a sudden burst.

Tie Yang charged ahead like a silver-white giant, his enlarged hands descending like millstones. The wind between his fingers was squeezed out at breakneck speed; his enormous palms seemed intent on crushing Xiu Nan’s head into a bloody pulp.

Just as Xiu Nan ran ahead, he suddenly accelerated, ducked low, and dodged beneath the attack. In an instant, he pivoted, tapping the ground with his foot, and lashed out with his right leg like a whip.

It was as if a black venomous snake darted forth with ferocity.

Tie Yang’s abdomen took the hit, his massive forward momentum halted, pausing him for half a second.

A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes. “Your strength is several times greater than before! Though still not equal to mine, you’ve already surpassed human limits—it’s quite the surprise…”

Tie Yang spoke as he resumed pursuit.

He kicked diagonally, but Xiu Nan nimbly evaded, and Tie Yang’s kick struck only air, smashing a dead tree in two.

Tie Yang’s movement stalled, and Xiu Nan seized the opportunity to ram into his chest. His hard elbow struck Tie Yang’s torso again and again, each blow sounding a muffled thud.

“Martial arts, huh? I heard that among ordinary folk, there are families devoted to developing the human body, striving to break its limits. With technique, they can unleash several times their normal strength in a brief moment. I too possess such skills… Unfortunately, I never found a master from those families. But now, it seems I’ve found one…”

Tie Yang’s smile twisted into a genuine, savage grin—his delight was twofold: he could both accomplish his mission and force out the secret techniques.

His eyes narrowed as he spoke calmly, “Stop struggling. Before absolute strength, technique is useless! I don’t want to accidentally turn you into a smear of flesh…”

Tie Yang crossed his arms before his chest and charged. His right hand pulled back, then snapped forward like a slingshot. A massive white shadow swept through the air, his arm swung like an elephant’s trunk.

“It’s over!”

“Don’t you think you talk too much?”

Thump! Tie Yang’s silvery fist landed squarely on Xiu Nan’s forehead, and the surroundings fell silent. Fist and brow pressed together, and both men lapsed into a strange silence.

Boom!!! A violent gust surged forward, slapping Xiu Nan’s face and stirring the black mist into a swirling vortex.

“You! Why is your defense so thick…”

Tie Yang’s expression was incredulous. Before him, Xiu Nan was enveloped in a white membrane of light, like a lid sealing him inside.

This was the defensive film condensed from the Ring Force, shared between the Secret Ring Master and his Ring Beast. It meant the Ring Beast’s defense equaled that of its master; breaking through this barrier was as hard as killing the Ring Beast itself.

The stronger the Ring Beast’s defense, the thicker this membrane, and the better the Secret Ring Master’s protection.

But Xiu Nan’s membrane seemed unusually thick! Other one-ring masters had barely a transparent film, thin as cicada wings—maybe a fraction of a centimeter. Xiu Nan’s was already semi-opaque, at least one and a half centimeters thick! As hard as a turtle shell.

“Heh…” Xiu Nan chuckled low.

“If I hadn’t shown weakness, would you have chased me so relentlessly? Too bad you’re still too close… Let’s hope that guardian isn’t nearby, so I can deal with you quickly…”

“What do you mean?!” Tie Yang’s words were cut short as darkness abruptly descended, and a massive figure charged at him.

Bang!

Tie Yang’s entire body was driven back by an unstoppable force, arms braced desperately against his chest. Unable to resist, he slid backward, legs gouging deep trenches in the earth.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

He was slammed along the way; the adversary was like a bulldozer, smashing Tie Yang through five or six trees before ramming him against a giant boulder.

Boom! The earth beneath the stone shook violently.

Xiu Nan’s voice sounded from the mist.

“Did you think I was afraid of you just now? My power far surpasses yours—from the very start…” His words stopped abruptly, followed by a sudden shout: “Blackwood!”

Boom! Blackwood’s conical beak struck like a hammer, but at the last moment missed Tie Yang’s head and smashed into the stone beside him.

Debris flew everywhere, pinging off Tie Yang’s metallic skin. Blackwood’s huge head was buried in the rock, only the back of its skull exposed. The stone was as soft as tofu under its assault.

Blackwood was generally reliable, but sometimes bloodthirsty—occasionally acting out of line.

Like killing prey without Xiu Nan’s order.

Crack. Blackwood yanked its head free, facing away from Xiu Nan, as if feigning ignorance to avoid reprimand.

“Lululu…” It rumbled low in its throat, sounding as if its failed kill had left it aggrieved.

“You! It! That’s your Ring Beast rune! Impossible—it’s only been a dozen days, how could it have changed so much?” Tie Yang was pale as death; that last strike would have shattered his skull had it hit.

“How is it impossible? There are many gifted people in this world. You must remember: after three days, look at a person anew…”

Xiu Nan strode over, the proverb automatically converted into the local language.

“Goo…” Blackwood turned to glance at Xiu Nan.

“What are you looking at?”

“Was I wrong?”

“I’ll deal with you later!”

Xiu Nan snorted, approaching Tie Yang.

“See how quickly things change. Just days ago you were hunting me, leaving me battered and desperate. Now, before me, you can’t even fight back…”

“Surprises are everywhere.”

Xiu Nan smiled faintly at Tie Yang. He’d intended to ask him some questions, but seeing the defiant look in Tie Yang’s eyes, Xiu Nan decided to wait.

He snapped his fingers. “Blackwood, teach him a lesson. Remember—not to kill him, don’t let him die…”

Blackwood shrieked with excitement, its iron claws clamped Tie Yang’s shoulder, nearly piercing into his muscle.

Then, with a savage swing—

Boom!!!

Tie Yang was slammed into the ground by immense force.

Crack crack crack… The earth exploded, forming a small pit.

Another swing!

Tie Yang was lifted and smashed down again, the ground collapsing, cracks spreading inch by inch.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Blackwood pressed Tie Yang against the earth, grinding him ruthlessly.

After dozens of seconds, a bloodied, barely conscious figure was dragged before Xiu Nan.

Xiu Nan grabbed his hair and patted his face, narrowing his eyes.

“Now, let’s talk about something useful…”