Chapter 159: Reconstruction
Chapter 159: Reconstruction
“Ah, forget all the twists and turns, I should just go back and rest!”
After throwing stones for a long time without noticing anything significant, Tang Jinbiao stood up, stretched, and prepared to leave.
Thud!
But at that moment, a flash of insight struck Tang Jinbiao. His eyes lit up as he gazed at the waves constantly surging to the sides on the surface of the Deep Pool, and a few leaves floating up and down with the waves by the shore.
…
A quarter of an hour later, Tang Jinbiao seemed to have understood something. He laughed heartily.
“Ha ha, ha ha, so that’s how it is, so that’s how it is! What twists and turns, and how the new wave pushes out the old!”
The water surface of the Deep Pool had calmed down, but Tang Jinbiao’s heart felt even less peaceful.
“‘God of War’s Stride’! Hmph, so that’s it, isn’t it just ‘God of War’s Stride’? I, Tang Jinbiao, can also do it!”
Indeed, by observing the movement of the waves, Tang Jinbiao involuntarily recalled the scene when Wei Wuya oppressed him using God of War’s Stride.
The two situations were so similar—a single stone could stir up a thousand waves!
A stone fell into the water, splashed up, and stirred waves. Those layers of waves were like powerful currents of Qi Energy, carrying layer upon layer of energy.
“That day, by chance, I saw that Wei Wuya’s whole body resembled a ball of burning flame, making me feel insignificant. I couldn’t muster any will to resist. If he could be compared to that Giant Boulder that fell into the water, then I was just a leaf floating on the surface. My actions weren’t under my own control, so that’s why I felt crushed by a massive weight then. In his eyes, I was nothing but an ant; my movements weren’t my own! What a God of War’s Stride, and what a Wei Wuya!”
Tang Jinbiao looked at the calm water surface and the leaves that had been pushed to the shore. His eyes revealed a bright gleam.
“At the time, I was also wondering why he could condense the Qi Energy within his body to his soles and then release it to generate such immense power. So this was how it worked!”
Tang Jinbiao slowly mobilized the Frost Qi from his Pseudo Qi Sea, gradually gathering it toward the soles of his feet.
Thud!
Feeling that the Qi Energy under his feet had gathered sufficiently, Tang Jinbiao suddenly stomped on the ground. With a loud bang, that Qi Energy burst out instantly.
“Ah!”
However, things didn’t go as simply as Tang Jinbiao had imagined. He not only failed to produce the imposing aura God of War’s Stride should have, but the massive recoil force from the Qi Energy erupting under his soles hurled him flying out.
Splash!
Since he was right at the edge, Tang Jinbiao fell into the Deep Pool like a drowned dog.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Moreover, because of the Frost Qi, the moment Tang Jinbiao’s right foot touched the pool water, it instantly froze.
“Damn!”
Tang Jinbiao immediately withdrew the Qi Energy within him and swam toward the shore.
“Damn it all!”
After climbing ashore, Tang Jinbiao was completely soaked and couldn’t help but curse loudly.
Thud! Thud!
Tang Jinbiao seemed determined not to fall into the water again. He quickly moved his feet, distanced himself from there, and ran over fifty meters away.
“I don’t believe it!”
After arriving in the woods, Tang Jinbiao still refused to admit defeat. Once more, he circulated the Qi Energy within his body.
Gurgle gurgle!
As the Qi Energy continuously gathered toward the soles of his feet, the muscles on Tang Jinbiao’s legs wriggled intensely.
“Rise!”
When Tang Jinbiao felt the gathering was nearly sufficient, he lifted his foot again and stomped fiercely upon the ground.
Boom!
As his foot struck the earth, a powerful aura instantly erupted, sweeping outwards in all directions.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Rustle rustle rustle!
Propelled by this formidable Qi Energy, gravel and sand from the ground were swept into the air, and the leaves shook with a loud shshsh.
Screech screech screech!
Even birds within a radius of several dozen feet were startled into fleeing.
“Success?”
Discovering that his body didn’t flip over like last time, a flicker of pleasure appeared in Tang Jinbiao’s eyes.
“Wait, why do the trees seem to be getting shorter? And what’s with these birds?”
Mere moments later, Tang Jinbiao immediately noticed the problem. Not only did the trees on the ground appear to get increasingly shorter, he realized he had already soared more than thirty feet into the air.
“Sht! %￥%￥%@!”
Tang Jinbiao inwardly cursed, but at that very moment, the recoil force vanished, and his body plummeted rapidly towards the ground.
Crash!
“Aiyo!”
Screech screech screech!
The simultaneous sounds of a heavy thud, a pained cry, and the birds scattering once more might have led any listening creatures to think an earthquake had struck.
…
An hour later, Tang Jinbiao sat dejectedly beside the Deep Pool once again.
“Sigh, unlucky me. I really thought I’d managed to steal and learn a skill!”
The current expression on Tang Jinbiao’s face could best be described as utterly gloomy.
Throughout that hour, he had attempted countless times but utterly failed to replicate the God of War’s Stride that Wei Wuya had exhibited that day, let alone produce the accompanying aura.
Back then, Wei Wuya’s every step had seemed effortless, completely free of the breathlessness and flushing Tang Jinbiao experienced. Yet each step carried immense, crushing pressure; as Wei Wuya approached, it felt like being pinned down by a thousand-pound boulder.
“Cough, just where did I go wrong?”
Tang Jinbiao sat on a stone, staring blankly at the calm water, lost in thought.
“That’s right, when he took those steps, his entire being radiated intense heat, like burning flames. But how exactly should the Qi Energy circulate internally to generate that sensation?”
Recognizing the extraordinary nature of the God of War’s Stride, Tang Jinbiao understood he couldn’t master it overnight. He slowly began to analyze its mechanics.
Of course, the God of War’s Stride was an earth-tier Martial Technique. How could someone like him, a total layman, grasp it so easily?
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Tang Jinbiao tightly clenched his fist, and a series of crackling sounds erupted.
Boom!
He gripped the already clenched fist even harder, and he felt that the air in his palm seemed to be exploding.
“What…?”
Upon noticing the air in his hand generating intense heat, Tang Jinbiao was momentarily stunned and immediately released his hold.
Stink!
But just as Tang Jinbiao slightly loosened his grip, he saw faint wisps of yellow smoke rising from his hand, along with a foul stench.
“Ozone? And something about nitrogen, right?”
After smelling that odor and seeing the yellow smoke, Tang Jinbiao immediately recalled chemistry facts he had learned before.
“I…”
Tang Jinbiao was dumbfounded all at once. After arriving in this world, he had never considered if basic knowledge like chemistry and physics still applied. Now seeing this, he was completely stunned.
“No, no, must be seeing things, must be seeing things!”
Tang Jinbiao quickly shook his head, trying to clear his mind a bit.
“If I try again, I’ll know for sure, won’t I?”
To dismiss the doubts in his heart, Tang Jinbiao clenched his fist again, exerting bit by bit more force, tightening it firmly.
Crackle! Crackle!
Similarly, as Tang Jinbiao kept adding pressure, he once again felt a surge of heat in his palm, like he was about to get scorched.
Whoosh!
After compressing to a certain point, Tang Jinbiao suddenly spread his hand, and indeed, the instant he opened it, that foul stench and yellow smoke emerged again.
“I…”
Tang Jinbiao was speechless.
Fizz!
Right then, the yellow smoke suddenly fizzled and ignited, producing a pale blue flame that looked like a blooming orchid, though it vanished in a flash.
“What?”
Seeing the yellow gas burst into flames, Tang Jinbiao was briefly stunned.
“Th-this… this is unscientific! How could it burn? And why is it the color of hydrogen burning?”
Tang Jinbiao, who was already bewildered, saw the yellow gas combust so easily and was stunned all over again.
…
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Tang Jinbiao had been dumbstruck for nearly a quarter of an hour when a gust of wind blew over.
Clack-clack!
Chilled by the breeze, Tang Jinbiao shivered and snapped back to reality.
“I just…”
He couldn’t wrap his head around what had happened moments ago.
“Hmm, I need to attempt compression within me!”
But Tang Jinbiao chose not to dwell on it; instead, he conceived a method to unleash his inner Qi Energy explosively.
“If I compress the Qi Energy inside me to a certain point and release it instantly, I should generate that blazing aura. But my Meridians would bear immense strain. Well then… I’ll start with my hand.”
With this plan, Tang Jinbiao began his experiment.
Slowly closing his eyes, he guided the Qi Energy within him, gathering it toward his palm.
Crack-crack-crack!
As the Qi Energy converged, a thin layer of faint frost spread over Tang Jinbiao’s right palm. A chilling cold began wafting from it.
“Agh!”
The sheer concentration of Qi Energy threatened to rupture the Meridians in his palm. Sweat trickled steadily down his forehead.
Previously, he could only expel Qi Energy outward, never holding it within his palm—which prevented this exact problem. That’s why Zhang Tianyi had been stunned: Tang Jinbiao had reached Body Refining Third Tier without tempering his Meridians, leaving him lacking the strength and aura typical of that tier.
“Guhhh!”
Face contorting with fury, veins bulged along Tang Jinbiao’s temples as he endured the agony.
“Can’t stop. Can’t quit. I must succeed. No mentor? Fine, I’ll teach myself. Altering Meridians? I can do it. I will!”
Tang Jinbiao resisted expelling the Qi Energy. He bore the agony, letting it rampage wildly through the Meridians of his hand.
Ri-i-ip!
One by one, his Meridians snapped, flooding the surrounding muscles.
Thoom!
“Uaaaaa!?”
The moment the Qi Energy ruptured free of the Meridians and surged into his muscles, Tang Jinbiao couldn’t hold back. A strangled cry tore from his throat, and the pent-up Qi Energy blasted from his body. Like a deflated ball, he crashed to the ground and lost consciousness.
…
Phswish!
But seconds after blacking out, the Frost Silver Spear flew from his ear. It expanded to its original size and thunked into the earth.
Hssss…
Simultaneously, waves of frigid air coiled from the spear. They seeped into Tang Jinbiao’s body.
Sizzle-crack!
Had anyone peered inside him, they’d have witnessed his ravaged Meridians rapidly healing.
The dull-yellow Qi Energy gradually transformed, turning stark white. Wherever this white energy flowed, a fragile layer of frost crystals coated his Meridians. Then the crystals dissolved, soaking deep into the channels.
Once absorbed, Tang Jinbiao’s Meridians showed subtle changes—they became tougher and thicker.
Hsss…
Tang Jinbiao, unconscious in his rush for power, remained oblivious to everything unfolding within him…