Chapter 15: The Shocking Battle
Chapter 15: The Shocking Battle
In the afternoon, Mu Feng arrived punctually at the bamboo grove on Back Mountain. The formidable Sky Splitting Tiger Jing Hu had already been waiting for a long time.
“Not bad. Even though you’re a villain, you’re still much better than those cowards!”
Sky Splitting Tiger, who had been napping on a tree branch, leaped down directly from the tree. He was tall and powerful, full of vigor. Compared to yesterday, his aura felt even more intimidating, like a fierce tiger ready to pounce at any moment. His gaze toward Mu Feng held a bit more appreciation.
After resting overnight to build up his energy, he had arrived early at the bamboo grove today. He waited until noon but still didn’t see Mu Feng. He thought Mu Feng had chickened out and wouldn’t dare show up; unexpectedly, at the last moment, Mu Feng appeared right on time.
He wore a blue robe and carried a worn-out book bag on his back. His body was slender and looked somewhat frail, with a strong scholarly air. At first glance, he appeared refined and composed, seemingly truly a gentle scholar. If he hadn’t fought with him personally yesterday, Sky Splitting Tiger would never have believed that Mu Feng’s seemingly frail body held such terrifying explosive power!
Watching the vigorous and increasingly formidable Sky Splitting Tiger, Mu Feng remained calm and said lightly, “A gentleman keeps his word, swift as a team of horses! Don’t worry, I will definitely do what I promised!”
“Good!”
Sky Splitting Tiger took a step forward, “What a gentleman who keeps his word! Fists and feet have no eyes, so tell me, what is your name? If you die, I will put up a gravestone for you. If I die, please bury me right here!”
“Mu Feng!”
Mu Feng spoke concisely. After a moment of silence, he continued, “If I die here, please help me send a message to Madame Situ at Mu Manor at the foot of the mountain. Say that her son suddenly met a wandering doctor who could help heal his meridians, and he left with him, and it will be a long time before he returns!”
This battle was unpredictable and dangerous!
Looking at Sky Splitting Tiger, whose blood and energy surged within him as a fierce killing intent radiated, Mu Feng wasn’t at all confident of victory.
If possible, he really had no need to provoke a fierce battle with him, but this fight was just too important. He couldn’t back down or avoid it. Whether he could strike while the iron was hot to widen the blockages in the Shaoyin and Lesser Yang Meridians, and whether he could break through to the Mortal Realm before submitting the Tribute Payment—all depended on this battle.
“Good!”
Sky Splitting Tiger nodded decisively. He waited for Mu Feng to set down his book bag and prepare himself before letting out a fierce roar and charging forward with murderous intent.
Thud…
After a dull sound, the two abruptly separated, raising clouds of dust.
This punch held no tricks—they collided head-on, a pure contest of strength.
Sky Splitting Tiger slid backward, leaving two deep furrows on the ground, his blood and energy churning inside, his palms tingling and numb. Meanwhile, Mu Feng stumbled back several steps, his right arm feeling weak and sore as if all his meridians were severed, and even moving his fingers felt somewhat difficult.
“Good, you really are a true warrior!”
Sky Splitting Tiger exclaimed in surprise, suddenly looking up at Mu Feng across from him with disbelief.
The reason he hadn’t won yesterday was because he was exhausted from hunting and had little strength left. He thought that after resting and recovering, he could seriously injure Mu Feng in one strike. Unexpectedly, the opponent seemed completely unaffected and, compared to yesterday, his strength had also increased tremendously.
“Come on, use all your strength, make your heavy punches even fiercer!”
Mu Feng slowly exhaled a turbid breath, suppressing the surging blood and energy inside him, longing for an even more intense fight.
Just a moment ago, the instant he took Sky Splitting Tiger’s punch head-on, he felt that the openings in the Shaoyin and Lesser Yang Meridians—which hadn’t expanded at all after a whole night of quiet cultivation—had started to loosen further. More Spiritual Power surged in, nourishing these two severely damaged meridians.
Fighting truly was the best way to cultivate!
Mu Feng’s eyes were resolute. He took the first step forward; his blue robe billowed without any wind, puffing up as if filled with air. The Ancestral Sorcerer Blood Pearl he had swallowed expanded and contracted like a heart, pumping out waves of scorching blood, causing the blood throughout his body to heat up and surge fiercely.
“Good, Shadowless Fist’s Heaven-Shaking move!”
Sensing the surging fighting spirit within Mu Feng, Sky Splitting Tiger’s killing intent soared. Holding nothing back, he directly unleashed his ultimate skill, capable of killing tigers and tearing apart leopards barehanded. With a “whoosh,” he charged forward. With the first step, his figure split into two; with the next step, it became three; taking another step forward, the figures overlapped countless times.
“Well done!”
Mu Feng abruptly looked up and met him head-on once again. Using his extraordinary sense of smell, he directly pinpointed Sky Splitting Tiger’s true form among the hundreds of afterimages and clashed with him once more in a direct strike. Suppressing the urge to spit out blood, he instantly launched a fierce counterattack, also creating multiple afterimages, his imposing manner intimidating.
Thud… thud… thud…
Three consecutive dull sounds followed, like a heavy sledgehammer slamming into their bodies—dull, ear-ringing, accompanied by three heavy grunts.
A triple strike!
Mu Feng unleashed three heavy blows in one go, each punch landing squarely on the same spot on Sky Splitting Tiger’s chest. With a “pfft,” the latter stumbled back several steps and was the first to spit out a mouthful of blood, looking at Mu Feng in utter disbelief. The dazzling afterimages, the ferocious attacks, the astonishing power—in that instant, he felt an illusion, as if Mu Feng was the true successor of the Jing family, deeply mastering the essence of Shadowless Fist!
“Phantom Fist, triple strike!”
Mu Feng’s thoughts were swift as lightning. He quickly understood Sky Splitting Tiger’s confusion. He stopped attacking and calmly added, “Speaking of which, I have to thank you for your diligent guidance and demonstration yesterday, which allowed me to comprehend Phantom Fist.”
Blue comes from the indigo plant but is bluer than it!
As for the specific moves of Shadowless Fist, Mu Feng didn’t know them; he only needed to grasp the crucial essence. Shadowless Fist and Phantom Fist—only one character difference, yet each had its own strengths. Caught off guard, the formidable Sky Splitting Tiger was taken by surprise!
“Good, again!”
Sky Splitting Tiger’s expression turned grave, and he pounced forward once more. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, instead of retreating, he fought even more fiercely.
Thud…
Mu Feng welcomed it eagerly, charging forward to meet him. The two engaged in another fierce battle. The sharp punches raised clouds of dust and shook down bamboo leaves, which were shredded into pieces in mid-air before they even hit the ground!
“Shadowless First Move, Heaven-Shaker!”
“Shadowless Second Move, Earth-Splitter!”
…
Sky Splitting Tiger’s eyes were bloodshot, and he fought with increasing ferocity. The two battled fiercely and joyfully until sunset, still evenly matched, both seriously injured. Traces of blood seeped from the corner of Mu Feng’s mouth, and Sky Splitting Tiger’s chest was also stained with blood. In the end, both were nearly exhausted.
“Good, exhilarating!”
After another hard clash of fists, Sky Splitting Tiger withdrew, panting heavily. Besides appreciation, his gaze toward Mu Feng now held genuine respect. “Tomorrow, let’s each bring our weapons and have one final battle to decide the winner, okay?”
“I’m ready anytime!”
Mu Feng’s chest heaved rapidly; he was also gasping for breath, but he agreed without the slightest hesitation.
After this fierce battle, the severely blocked Shaoyin and Lesser Yang Meridians had indeed loosened considerably. The Spiritual Power inside him faintly showed signs of circulating through a full cycle. In his movements, there was a sense of ease, as if lifting something heavy with little effort. When he stirred the Spiritual Power inside him, a huge, indistinct shadow faintly appeared behind him—he was just half a step away from breaking through to the Mortal Realm.
One more battle tomorrow, and perhaps the bottleneck would be completely broken through!